Katherine has gone to the grocery store. We have a new strategy for cooking and doing the dishes that has developed after 3 years of coming home every night and asking "Who wants to make dinner tonight?.. Not me... I don't have any ideas either." Well, not every night, but more often than not.
So, our new plan is to alternate weeks. Last week was my turn to grocery shop and cook dinner. Kath's job was to do the dishes last week. This week, I do dishes and Kath shops and cooks. The beauty of this plan is that we each take turns making the kind of dinners we find most enjoyable... and the other person gets to enjoy yummy (or not so yummy as in the case of my pumpkin black bean soup) meals.
This morning, Kath woke up and said, "I get to be Mum this week." And she's starting off with a bang... french toast this morning and roast chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Why it's great to have Katherine around when I'm sick
I came home early yesterday as I had diagnosed myself with viral gastroenteritis. Good timing, because as soon as I got home I found myself quite incapacitated in the bathroom with a bucket. Now, Katherine is one who is easily grossed out by, well gross things. And I admit that I take great delight in tormenting her. Including last night when I told her that she could tell me what I had for lunch by looking in the bucket, if she wanted. (She didn't want.)
But, she went to the store twice for me, last night. The first time to get Gatorade and soup, and the second time to get cola syrup and Pepto-Bismol. (Cola syrup was recommended by the pharmacist. It reminded me of being sick as a little child and given sugar Coke to drink. Which I never loved.) And, she sat on the couch all night so I could put my feet on her lap and sleep. And, she would've happily eaten her dinner in the bedroom because the smell of it was making me nauseated. And, she made sure that I did not drink coffee this morning and had Gatorade instead.
And she's going to come home early today (it's Records Day, so she has a shorter day) because I told her that "I might be too weak to open my soup." The best thing about Katherine is that she puts up with me and my attempts to take advantage of being sick. :)
But, she went to the store twice for me, last night. The first time to get Gatorade and soup, and the second time to get cola syrup and Pepto-Bismol. (Cola syrup was recommended by the pharmacist. It reminded me of being sick as a little child and given sugar Coke to drink. Which I never loved.) And, she sat on the couch all night so I could put my feet on her lap and sleep. And, she would've happily eaten her dinner in the bedroom because the smell of it was making me nauseated. And, she made sure that I did not drink coffee this morning and had Gatorade instead.
And she's going to come home early today (it's Records Day, so she has a shorter day) because I told her that "I might be too weak to open my soup." The best thing about Katherine is that she puts up with me and my attempts to take advantage of being sick. :)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The best part of Pittsburgh
My taxi driver on the way back to the airport was a Turkish Muslim who had lived in Pittsburgh for the past 8 years. He told me to cancel all of my other interviews because "Pittsburgh is the best place to live." We also chatted about our mutual excitement about Obama possibly being elected, how cultural differences between the East and the West impact mental health care, and he recommended a book by an Iranian philosopher, Ali Shariati, about the four prisons we all inhabit.
He also took me on a sight-seeing tour on my way to the airport at no extra charge because I "couldn't come to Pittsburgh and not go up Mount Washington."
The residency program should hire him for recruiting. He's quite convincing.
He also took me on a sight-seeing tour on my way to the airport at no extra charge because I "couldn't come to Pittsburgh and not go up Mount Washington."
The residency program should hire him for recruiting. He's quite convincing.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I can finally breathe a sign of relief.
Last night, when Barack Obama was giving his acceptance speech, tears were streaming down my face. Since I woke up four years ago to find that the American people had given George W. Bush a second term in office, I had lost a large amount of faith and hope in the democratic process. Yesterday, that faith and hope was renewed.
A Democratic president. Finally.
The FIRST African-American president of the United States. Monumental. Incredible.
I am really happy today.
A Democratic president. Finally.
The FIRST African-American president of the United States. Monumental. Incredible.
I am really happy today.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Live, from Pittsburgh...
Sunday 11:15am Panera in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh
Sitting around me are many other people like myself typing on their computers. However, as I look around, PCs seems to be dominating over Macs. Interesting. I wonder what this means.
My thrill thus far for the morning was that the time changed last night. Yahoo. I did not realize this until I noticed the discrepancy between the alarm clock and my cell phone this morning. So, I went back to sleep for an hour. The woman in the room next door to me came in at 1 am and had the loudest, most grating voice EVER. It sounded like she was yelling next to my bed. So, learning about that extra hour was like Christmas in November.
Pittsburgh is a pretty city. Lots of interesting architecture around me with trees in fall colors. The city is surrounded by rivers... however, that does make me a little concerned about flooding. I never would have worried about this in the past, but...
All right. I'm off to find a watch battery. And, I did see some people walk past with Starbucks cups. I wonder if Starbucks has their peppermint mocha in season as it is now November and Christmas comes early in the retail business. Maybe I'll take advantage of that atrocity.
Sitting around me are many other people like myself typing on their computers. However, as I look around, PCs seems to be dominating over Macs. Interesting. I wonder what this means.
My thrill thus far for the morning was that the time changed last night. Yahoo. I did not realize this until I noticed the discrepancy between the alarm clock and my cell phone this morning. So, I went back to sleep for an hour. The woman in the room next door to me came in at 1 am and had the loudest, most grating voice EVER. It sounded like she was yelling next to my bed. So, learning about that extra hour was like Christmas in November.
Pittsburgh is a pretty city. Lots of interesting architecture around me with trees in fall colors. The city is surrounded by rivers... however, that does make me a little concerned about flooding. I never would have worried about this in the past, but...
All right. I'm off to find a watch battery. And, I did see some people walk past with Starbucks cups. I wonder if Starbucks has their peppermint mocha in season as it is now November and Christmas comes early in the retail business. Maybe I'll take advantage of that atrocity.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Amy, the travel reporter
Hello folks. This is me, your intrepid travel reporter.
If you continue to check in over the next few days, I will be documenting my exciting trip to PIttsburgh to interview . At least, I hope it's exciting. Well, "exciting" for me really means that there will be a coffee shop down the street from my hotel tomorrow morning where I can sit and read the New York Times and drink my morning coffee. I'm really just a simple person with simple needs.
Saturday 8:20 pm Terminal C in the Detroit airport.
It's a quiet place on a Saturday evening. There are undecorated fir trees in planters scattered about. I think that means that on Monday when I fly home, they will be decorated for Christmas. A bit too early, if you ask me.
The gentleman two rows ahead of me is trying not to fall asleep while he watches "McCain Revealed" on CNN. I hope that means that he's an Obama voter. Or if he's a McCain voter, hopefully he's just given up on his favorite maverick and is not going to vote on Tuesday.
I am drinking a tasty mocha with skim milk (and I requested only a "little bit" of whipped cream) from the Coffee Beanery. I did not take the automated walkways to my gate after buying the mocha in order to prevent the whipped cream from going to my hips.
My goal for the next hour until my flight leaves is to stay awake. It will be a challenge after taking two Dramamine tablets prior to my flight leaving in Cedar Rapids.
If you continue to check in over the next few days, I will be documenting my exciting trip to PIttsburgh to interview . At least, I hope it's exciting. Well, "exciting" for me really means that there will be a coffee shop down the street from my hotel tomorrow morning where I can sit and read the New York Times and drink my morning coffee. I'm really just a simple person with simple needs.
Saturday 8:20 pm Terminal C in the Detroit airport.
It's a quiet place on a Saturday evening. There are undecorated fir trees in planters scattered about. I think that means that on Monday when I fly home, they will be decorated for Christmas. A bit too early, if you ask me.
The gentleman two rows ahead of me is trying not to fall asleep while he watches "McCain Revealed" on CNN. I hope that means that he's an Obama voter. Or if he's a McCain voter, hopefully he's just given up on his favorite maverick and is not going to vote on Tuesday.
I am drinking a tasty mocha with skim milk (and I requested only a "little bit" of whipped cream) from the Coffee Beanery. I did not take the automated walkways to my gate after buying the mocha in order to prevent the whipped cream from going to my hips.
My goal for the next hour until my flight leaves is to stay awake. It will be a challenge after taking two Dramamine tablets prior to my flight leaving in Cedar Rapids.
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