I'm reading an inspiring book that my good friends John and Ross gave me for Christmas. It's called "The Right Words at the Right Time." I read most of the stories last night. The idea is that each person recounts a time when someone gave them a tidbit of wisdom that they found useful either at that time, or throughout their life. I identified with many of the stories, especially Gwyneth Paltrow's and Jen Anniston's. Yes, the authors are mostly celebrities or well-known people, but I guess we wouldn't probably buy a book full of stories by, like, Joe the cabbie. Well, I probably would, but that's another post. Anyway, if anyone is looking for a little inspiration, this is pretty good. Of course, as I'm reading I'm thinking of what my own personal story would be and then I'm cracking up about less-than-appropriate things people have said to me, and wondering how that would fit into Marlo's book. Maybe her other book, "Stuff to Smack People For."
But on another note, this Monday was my 3rd Monday of doing Bikram Yoga. For those not in the know, it's a 1.5 hour yoga class taught in a 110-degree room. Can you say hot? My friend Jenni, the pet-sitter, went for 2 years almost every day. She said it was cult-like, but that it positively changed her body. You do get a real sense of accomplishment just by staying in the darn room for that long, and even more so because you did 90 minutes of these 26 rigorous yoga postures. It burns 800 calories in one class. That I like. It's very cleansing, and it completely clears your mind. I think it's because you're so focused on surviving you just can't worry about picayune crap that might seem important before you step into this hotbox of a workout. Despite my protestations, I'm diggin' it.
Happy New Year to those loyal few who check back to my blog and prod me ever so kindly to update the damn thing already. Okay, so I'm not sure why I haven't except that work has had me chained to my desk. But I know I went to the Koreshan State Park and took this picture in one of their little historic buildings. Nice tablescape, don't you think? I could have just moved into one of their little buildings. Might have been a tad lonely though, it being a State Park and all. 
Today is a big day. We are demolishing all of the walkways in the front of the house as well as the very long brick wall that ran along the front of the property. Tapia's Construction is here in full force. James and I bet on how long it would take: I said 1 day, he said 3. I believe I'm going to win (as the guys have confirmed) because they brought a Bobcat! The little devil is using all its hydraulic power to 'git it done' as they say. It's kinda neat, although the floor of the house is vibrating like an earthquake. The cat and dog are sequestered in the bedroom while the work is done. (more photos to be added later - Blogger not cooperating)
At last, we are happy to report that the deck has been completed. To the left is a picture of the guys working in the extreme heat getting the job done. And then, the next day, James and Saylor are relaxing on the finished product. The room behind where James is sitting we call the "sun porch" and it is going to be leveled (it tilts a little now) and fitted with a new sliding door and windows. Little by little things are getting spruced up. It takes a lot of time and a lot of money! But we'll get there eventually.
The other day, for no reason, my friend Sheri gave me the neatest gift: a frosted "jigger" glass with gold writing on it. Being from Florida, it was super special because as you can see, it says "Florida" on the glass. On the side it has postcard-like pictures that say Hialeah (I was born in Hialeah hospital) and Orange Bowl, and 'Wish you were here.' She suggested I put a tea light in it, and so I tried it and it looks really pretty. The next picture was taken in the entry area of a restaurant in Phoenix called Lon's. Really beautiful spot for dinner. 
As you walk up you can smell wood and sage burning in the chimineas. And speaking of chimineas, I like the one called Garden. Kinda looks like a witch's hat.
We had a really nice 4th. A lazy day that began with coffee and bagels at Cafe Italia. The neighborhood (Little Italy) was full of the usual Italians talking with their hands. They reminded me of my father. 
This is a picture of him about a year before he passed away; he was enjoying a Sicilian cigar on the porch. So, in Little Italy, everyone had on World Cup shirts for Italy or Germany. They were all gathered at the Princess Pub to watch the game which later earned the headline, "An Italian Job on Germany." I loved that headline, but of course it's not over yet! (**Update: Italy Won!!!**) As you can see in the picture with James at the Great wall, our yard is still a wasteland.
But, the beautiful wall has everything secured land-wise, so we're thrilled about that. A good solid start. The picture of Oreo shows the other side of the wall. 
The poor boy has been sick literally since June 12th when he had a routine teeth cleaning that resulted in the removal of his top two canine teeth! It's been a slow recovery with occassional spats of feeling good. I think he's turned the corner though and should be back to his old self soon! In this picture he's giving his *new* cute smile. And how can you miss the hugest plate of pork ribs. 
A vegetarian's nightmare, but quite delicious if you like ribs. To divert us from the meat-fest, I made potato salad and baked beans. We, uh, made a few too many ribs. James got them at this great shop but you had to buy 3 racks. I ate 6 and James ate 10. We are gym-bound indefinitely. I'm not sure we're eating for the remainder of the week. And as if that were not enough to feed a WWF wrestler's appetite, the meal ended with Julian Apple pie a la whipped cream.
Phase two of the yard project occurred this weekend. The day really got started when the huge red and yellow cement truck pulled up and started mixing cement. The guys got busy preparing to pour the cement in the latest portions of the retaining wall forms. It was actually kind of exciting! A long hose goes from the truck to the "form." The hose is extremely heavy. Scotty, our good friend, is the guy in the white hat in picture #2. At one point, he was standing there with this small box hanging around his neck on a lanyard. The box had two buttons - start and stop - and enabled him to control what came through the hose. He pretty much just stood there continuously asking whoever was holding the cement hose, "enough? enough? enough?" I think the thing that makes it exciting is that there's an element of mystery surrounding the whole process. As James described it (quite perfectly I might add), "it 's an educated crap-shoot." Yikes. And also, you just don't want cement to go anyplace it's not supposed to go. The stuff dries faster than you'd think, and well, it dries as hard as cement.
What this blog seriously lacks is more about my cat, Oreo -- my pride and joy, okay, my feline son. This picture was taken a couple weeks ago. In the midst of our yard excavation, he ducked out the back door and perched on this stump at the edge of our hillside. Here he's jumping down. Though this may not look significant, it is. For him to JUMP up onto anything other than our low, platform bed is something. He's 16 and a half, so jumping is not really on his agenda these days. But it was this day! I love it when he gets a little surge of energy.
After 9 years of not seeing each other, Moni made the trek out west and, among her travels, stayed 3 nights with James and I. We went to the Indian grocery store one afternoon and picked up the ingredients to make authentic chicken curry, lentils, raita, and basmati rice with saffron and almonds. We got whole cumin seed which Moni ground into powder. Freshly ground cumin is nothing like the pre-ground stuff you normally get. It's about 100x more fragrant and flavorful. Very delicious. I also learned that the holy trinity of Indian cooking is onion, garlic, and ginger. V
ery healthy. And we started the meal with bitter gourd which is a traditional meal-opener that aids in digestion. There were fresh curry leaves for the top of the lentils; something I'd never tried. The meal was fantastic. Moni started cooking at 3:00 and we sat down to eat just after 8:00. After dinner, Moni shared her photographs from Iraq and we got a view of the area most people never see.
One of the nights, we went to a favorite restaurant, Cafe Chloe. And we also had a little shopping spree at Shwoomp!. I wished she could have stayed longer, but we might have spent every dime we had shopping. :) We ended up buying two pairs of the same pants, the same sandals, and the same products at Shwoomp. Sisters from another lifetime. For the next visit, James and I will go to Atlanta.
Last week I met my niece and sister-in-law in Arizona to celebrate my niece's college graduation from FSU. We stayed at Sanctuary spa and resort. It was really nice -- oodles of relaxation, great food, and beautiful southwestern vistas. Our room was exactly like the one pictured here; modern interior, Fresh bodycare products which smell so good, and incredibly comfortable beds. The restaurant was great, overlooking the mountains. 
For my spa treat, I had the tangerine oil and sugar body scrub followed by a massage with more tangerine oil. Pure, citrusy heaven. For a food indulgence, we shared a dessert called Chocolate Peanut Butter Decadence. This triangle of cold, creamy, whipped peanut buttery mousse was encased in a thin layer of chocolate and topped with a little scoop of very creamy dark chocolate ice cream. If that wasn't enough, there were thin drizzles of chocolate and caramel. We seriously considered licking the plate. Confession: it was so good that the next night I had to have one all to myself. I rationalized it by considering the additional calorie burning properties of the 100-degree Arizona weather. Merely staying alive at that temperature took more effort. Each bite convinced me more that I had made the right decision.
Everything is still small. Of course, Saylor accompanied me around the yard to take pics. She loves her new yard. I especially love the shot of the Brazilian pepper with the Italian cypress in the background from across the canyon. It's such a pretty tree. It's really a peaceful design which was one of the goals.
Everything is still small. Of course, Saylor accompanied me around the yard to take pics. She loves her new yard. I especially love the shot of the Brazilian pepper with the Italian cypress in the background from across the canyon. It's such a pretty tree. It's really a peaceful design which was one of the goals.
