Fenway is still in quite a mood after we tried to introduce him to Blue. He has been attacking Ortiz way more that usual (their relationship has always been a delicate balance). He has also taken to meowing angrily if we go to pet him. I am not quite sure what a proper resolution to the problem is. Hopefully, our trip to the West Coast, will give Fenway sometime to reflect about what is truly important in life OR he will seriously injure (physically or mentally) Ortiz. If he is not better in 2009, we may need to get a cat whisperer in the house.
In other news, GavLan visited last weekend and we all went to Asheville. We stuffed ourselves at a wonderful tapas bar, Lance and Parker enjoyed some MANLY fruity martinis, I ate to illness, we watched some cougars dance and that was just the first night! Sunday we ate a delightful breakfast, visited galleries and a craft show, ate delicious chocolate treats, drank even better coffee and drove along Blueridge mountain parkway. On the way back to Durham, we stopped in Winston-Salem, where we ate outside in a heated tent served by an very odd waitress-- She had us trapped in conversation and she knew it (and we were in an OUTSIDE HEATED TENT THAT "was warmer than inside". It was a wonderful trip....thanks for visiting Gavin and Lance.
See you in AZ!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Fenway is pissed now
Thanksgiving was a delightful little holiday--food, family, napping, Wii (Wiiing?) and hiking. The holiday was successful because Parker was able to "sell" his parents on a Costco membership (his love for Costco is another post entirely). Over the holiday, attempts were made (despite my misgivings) to introduce Blue, Eric and Jodi's blacklab, to Fenway and Ortiz. Both cats were initially really scared, but Blue just wanted to play with them. Eventually Ortiz mellowed a bit and made a feeble attempt to become friends. Fenway wasn't having any of this--his alpha male status was threatened by the presence of a larger animal. He spent the weekend as a hissing puffy ball of pissed off cat. After Blue left, it took him nearly a week to mend his ego and we still have a ways to go. An unfortunate side-effect of this encounter is that Fenway seems to be attacking Ortiz more as if to truly prove he is the alpha. We should send this cat to counseling or at least bootcamp (like on the daytime talkshows).
GavLan are coming to Durham this weekend and we are taking them to Asheville (we've never been as well)--I will post pictures of the fun!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thanksgiving Menu
Parker's parents arrive tomorrow and Jon/Rose (RoJo arrive on Wednesday). Parker and I spent the morning at Costco getting the perfect turkey (and eating a meal for $4). This will be my third Thanksgiving--my apron is clean and I am ready. Check out the menu:
Eric (an amazing cook) will be handling the appetizers--can't wait to taste these.
Butternut Squash Chowder (Williams Sonoma)
Pear, Arugula, and Pancetta Salad (Epicurious)
Herb Roasted Turkey (Cook's Illustrated)
Turkey gravy (Eric is making his own turkey stock for the gravy b/c I am gravy-deficient)
Corn-Bread and Chorizo Stuffing (Epicurious)
Green Bean Casserole (Cook's Illustrated--much better than the Campbell's)
Mashed potatoes (maybe with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs by Giada De Laurentiis)
Burnt rolls (an Andrews tradition) or drop biscuits
Dessert: (both Cook's Illustrated--they have the most amazing crust recipe)
Cranberry Apply Pie
Pumpkin Pie
I am trying a couple new recipes including a stuffing switch--wish me luck!
Eric (an amazing cook) will be handling the appetizers--can't wait to taste these.
Butternut Squash Chowder (Williams Sonoma)
Pear, Arugula, and Pancetta Salad (Epicurious)
Herb Roasted Turkey (Cook's Illustrated)
Turkey gravy (Eric is making his own turkey stock for the gravy b/c I am gravy-deficient)
Corn-Bread and Chorizo Stuffing (Epicurious)
Green Bean Casserole (Cook's Illustrated--much better than the Campbell's)
Mashed potatoes (maybe with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs by Giada De Laurentiis)
Burnt rolls (an Andrews tradition) or drop biscuits
Dessert: (both Cook's Illustrated--they have the most amazing crust recipe)
Cranberry Apply Pie
Pumpkin Pie
I am trying a couple new recipes including a stuffing switch--wish me luck!
Tamalada!
I recently hosted a Tamalada to make large quantities of tamales for the holiday season. Friday night, I cooked 13lbs of pork, chicken and made huge quantities of red and green chile and green chile tomatillo sauce. On the day of the tamalada, I managed to make semi-respectable masa (I nearly had a masa meltdown as both of the recipes I had were way off on the pork lard to masa to pork broth ratio--I even ended up with masa on my eyelid). With the key ingredients made, seven of my dear friends came over to assemble these packets of tastiness. An hour and a half of hard labor later (as well as constructive tamale criticism), we made 25 dozen tamales--pork with red chile, jack cheese with green chile and chicken with green chile tomatillo. We steamed a couple dozen for an hour (in my specially purchased tamale steamer) as we enjoyed some wine. The results were DELICIOUS! My share of tamales lasted less than a week--I assume this is a testament to their delightful taste! I may make more this holiday season, but tamales require a serious amounts of work. It is good, however, to know that I am able to keep this little bit of my heritage alive....Next goal--work on my spanish-speaking skills.
Human Guinea Pig
Being a grad student is by no means a glamorous life. I work long hours, have rare moments of success and get paid peanuts (seriously it is sad). As a result of the poor pay, most of my colleagues regularly participate in medical studies to make some extra cash. I know people who go to the business school once a week or more and do strange studies that involve walking around with a backpack to make $15--I have tried these studies but never feel like you make enough money to justify the long walk to the study site. Nearly all of my fellow Immunologists participated in a Flu vaccine study for $75--it involved spitting and sneezing into collection tubes and multiple blood draws (no thank you). A few brave souls participated in a study where they donated leg muscle. I was going to enroll in that study (it was a $300 pay-out), but after my friend said a piece of her leg muscle landed on her chest, I backed out. My good deed for the world is doing the research, not being a research subject....
However, a great opportunity just presented itself and I couldn't pass it up. I am enrolled in a study to examine the effects of Rogaine on laser hair removal. For the next month, I will be applying Rogaine to my left underarm (the right is an untreated control) to cause a thickening of my pit hair--seriously, gross. Then, I get three free laser hair treatments over the next 4 months. While there is no monetary incentive, I hope to never shave my armpits again. Be on the lookout for updates!
However, a great opportunity just presented itself and I couldn't pass it up. I am enrolled in a study to examine the effects of Rogaine on laser hair removal. For the next month, I will be applying Rogaine to my left underarm (the right is an untreated control) to cause a thickening of my pit hair--seriously, gross. Then, I get three free laser hair treatments over the next 4 months. While there is no monetary incentive, I hope to never shave my armpits again. Be on the lookout for updates!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Fall Fun
This past weekend was a quintessential fall weekend. Saturday morning we met our cousins, David and Christina for a hike on the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. Above are a couple of pictures of the beautiful fall foliage. We spent the rest of the day tailgating for the Duke football game--too bad Duke is TERRIBLE! Oh well, at least we got to spent the day with friends, food, beer and fantastic fall weather!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Bad Blogger
Parker and I may need children if only to help our blog be more interesting.....I have been a bag blogger lately, but it's not my fault that our lives are terribly boring.
The last couple of weeks have been filled with sports (too bad Sox), movies (we just saw W--Parker liked it, I just found it depressing), going out to dinner (we found a great New Orleans restaurant) and yoga.
We are nearly settled on holiday plans. Parker's parents and Jon/Rose will be visiting for an unforgettable Thanksgiving dinner (except for gravy--I have nearly perfected the art of making 8 dishes for one meal with one oven). In early November, I am hosting a tamalada--I have big plans for red chile with pork, green chile with chicken and green chile with cheese tamales. I even purchased a special pot for steaming them. We will be visiting New Mexico before Christmas and then driving to Gilbert for Christmas, New Years and Riley's birth! FUN FUN FUN!
On another note, Parker and I are really into the current presidential election (you better vote!). I have noticed that Parker has developed a "unique" way to Get Out the Vote. I call it "bar canvassing." Nearly anytime we go out for a drink, Parker ends up talking to a local trying to convince him to vote Obama. He thinks he has swayed a couple people.... If NC does go blue, we can all thank Parker for his tireless efforts.
Best!
The last couple of weeks have been filled with sports (too bad Sox), movies (we just saw W--Parker liked it, I just found it depressing), going out to dinner (we found a great New Orleans restaurant) and yoga.
We are nearly settled on holiday plans. Parker's parents and Jon/Rose will be visiting for an unforgettable Thanksgiving dinner (except for gravy--I have nearly perfected the art of making 8 dishes for one meal with one oven). In early November, I am hosting a tamalada--I have big plans for red chile with pork, green chile with chicken and green chile with cheese tamales. I even purchased a special pot for steaming them. We will be visiting New Mexico before Christmas and then driving to Gilbert for Christmas, New Years and Riley's birth! FUN FUN FUN!
On another note, Parker and I are really into the current presidential election (you better vote!). I have noticed that Parker has developed a "unique" way to Get Out the Vote. I call it "bar canvassing." Nearly anytime we go out for a drink, Parker ends up talking to a local trying to convince him to vote Obama. He thinks he has swayed a couple people.... If NC does go blue, we can all thank Parker for his tireless efforts.
Best!
Monday, September 29, 2008
We really aren't that political, but
our weekend activities certainly don't reflect that.....
On Friday we hosted a presidential debate party. I served my world-famous turkey meatloaf sliders (they are covered in pancetta and slathered in arugula mayonnaise), proscuitto, arugula and goat cheese bruschetta, and TJ's puff pastry treats. Fortunately, we had not one, but two Sarah Palins attend our party! A good time was had by all and for once in my life I correctly estimated the right amount of food needed (never forget the 20lbs of cole slaw). Fenway was very social, but for some reason Ortiz freaked out and hid under the bed the whole time (maybe he is an anarchist).
Saturday morning, we woke up early and drove nearly an hour to Greensboro to watch Barack Obama and Joe Biden at a rally. We figured it would be pretty cool to tell our future children that we saw (albeit from very far away) the first african-american president (or at least nominee)--not to mention I needed an excuse to wear my "Scientist for Barack" button. We stood next to 20,000 of our closest friends and heard two great speeches. Regardless of your political affiliation, you have to be impressed by the impact Barack has on people--we saw teens and children genuinely EXCITED to be at a political rally and many groups of people who don't traditionally vote there in full force (minorities, young people). We saw a couple of kids there holding Nader signs---I wanted to tell them not to waste a vote on him (in 2000 I was an idealistic 18-year old who voted for Nader--and after talking to some friends this is a common mistake of youth).
Sunday was spend lazying around, playing tennis, watching football and SNL clips (too funny).
I will try to make non-political posts, but it is difficult because I feel so vested in this election. I am sure I will become a jaded cynic soon.....
On Friday we hosted a presidential debate party. I served my world-famous turkey meatloaf sliders (they are covered in pancetta and slathered in arugula mayonnaise), proscuitto, arugula and goat cheese bruschetta, and TJ's puff pastry treats. Fortunately, we had not one, but two Sarah Palins attend our party! A good time was had by all and for once in my life I correctly estimated the right amount of food needed (never forget the 20lbs of cole slaw). Fenway was very social, but for some reason Ortiz freaked out and hid under the bed the whole time (maybe he is an anarchist).
Saturday morning, we woke up early and drove nearly an hour to Greensboro to watch Barack Obama and Joe Biden at a rally. We figured it would be pretty cool to tell our future children that we saw (albeit from very far away) the first african-american president (or at least nominee)--not to mention I needed an excuse to wear my "Scientist for Barack" button. We stood next to 20,000 of our closest friends and heard two great speeches. Regardless of your political affiliation, you have to be impressed by the impact Barack has on people--we saw teens and children genuinely EXCITED to be at a political rally and many groups of people who don't traditionally vote there in full force (minorities, young people). We saw a couple of kids there holding Nader signs---I wanted to tell them not to waste a vote on him (in 2000 I was an idealistic 18-year old who voted for Nader--and after talking to some friends this is a common mistake of youth).
Sunday was spend lazying around, playing tennis, watching football and SNL clips (too funny).
I will try to make non-political posts, but it is difficult because I feel so vested in this election. I am sure I will become a jaded cynic soon.....
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Thank you Thomas Friedman
Last night Thomas Friedman gave a lecture at Duke. It was so popular that they held a simulcast in another theater which we attended. For those of you who don't know Friedman, he is an op-ed columnist of the NYTimes, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author of several best-sellers. He was at Duke to lecture about his newest book "Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America." Parker purchased the book this weekend and we are both looking forward to reading it soon.
The thesis of the book is that the planet is undergoing rapid changes such as global warming (hot), increased connectivity due to the internet (flat) and population growth of the middle class (crowded.) These changes are affecting the planet and leading/will lead to disastrous destabilization. Meanwhile, the US has lost "its grove" and needs to reclaim its position in an increasingly "flat" world. His central argument is that if the US leads a "green revolution" we can solve both of these problems with one (solar-powered) stone. The United States' greatest assets are ingenuity, boldness and creativity that can drive the green revolution, but government needs to play a role in the revolution by enacting regulations to inventivize major US companies to invest in clean technologies. We NEED a leader who can preach to the bully pulpit.
During the lecture I felt a sense of patriotism--I hope that our next president starts a green revolution not just to help global warming, but to restore our place in the world. This should is a proposal that should appeal to conservatives and liberals alike.
Here are a couple memorable (paraphrased) lines from the lecture:
Change leaders, not lightbulbs
Drill, baby, drill!? It should be invent, baby, invent. Saying drill, baby, drill would be like encouraging people to buy word processors before the IT revolution!
365 days of earth day won't do anything without policy change
The US has energy politics not energy policy
Because I work for the NYTimes I cannot openly support a candidate; however, I love my wife and my wife loves Obama
We need to go from code red to code green
America needs to be about July 4th not September 11th
The thesis of the book is that the planet is undergoing rapid changes such as global warming (hot), increased connectivity due to the internet (flat) and population growth of the middle class (crowded.) These changes are affecting the planet and leading/will lead to disastrous destabilization. Meanwhile, the US has lost "its grove" and needs to reclaim its position in an increasingly "flat" world. His central argument is that if the US leads a "green revolution" we can solve both of these problems with one (solar-powered) stone. The United States' greatest assets are ingenuity, boldness and creativity that can drive the green revolution, but government needs to play a role in the revolution by enacting regulations to inventivize major US companies to invest in clean technologies. We NEED a leader who can preach to the bully pulpit.
During the lecture I felt a sense of patriotism--I hope that our next president starts a green revolution not just to help global warming, but to restore our place in the world. This should is a proposal that should appeal to conservatives and liberals alike.
Here are a couple memorable (paraphrased) lines from the lecture:
Change leaders, not lightbulbs
Drill, baby, drill!? It should be invent, baby, invent. Saying drill, baby, drill would be like encouraging people to buy word processors before the IT revolution!
365 days of earth day won't do anything without policy change
The US has energy politics not energy policy
Because I work for the NYTimes I cannot openly support a candidate; however, I love my wife and my wife loves Obama
We need to go from code red to code green
America needs to be about July 4th not September 11th
Monday, September 22, 2008
Happy Birthday Parker!
Sunday was Parker's 30th Birthday! He spent the day watching football (not too pleased about the patriots loss) and the Ryder Cup. I made a leg of lamb for dinner which was pretty darn good!
I survived another year of campout and even won season tickets. As a birthday gift, I gave Parker my ticket to the Duke vs. UNC game.
I survived another year of campout and even won season tickets. As a birthday gift, I gave Parker my ticket to the Duke vs. UNC game.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Ana's Campout weekend
Happy Friday!
In stark contrast to last weekend, I will be spending this weekend at Duke's Graduate Student Basketball Campout! What does this mean? I will spend the next 36 hours sitting outside of a rented Uhaul with 20 of my dearest friends drinking cheap beer, eating cheddarwurst, playing beerpong and not showering. Throughout the campout, we will have to run up to a line to check in to ensure that we are there the entire time. Last year we had to check in nearly every hour on Friday night---which means it is difficult to get sleep. Assuming I make it through the campout (I have already completed two), my name will be entered into a lottery to pay $150 for season tickets to Duke games. Since we campout as a group, we split all the tickets evenly. I am hoping that by this time next year, my days of sleeping in a Uhaul are over and I have a PhD!
In stark contrast to last weekend, I will be spending this weekend at Duke's Graduate Student Basketball Campout! What does this mean? I will spend the next 36 hours sitting outside of a rented Uhaul with 20 of my dearest friends drinking cheap beer, eating cheddarwurst, playing beerpong and not showering. Throughout the campout, we will have to run up to a line to check in to ensure that we are there the entire time. Last year we had to check in nearly every hour on Friday night---which means it is difficult to get sleep. Assuming I make it through the campout (I have already completed two), my name will be entered into a lottery to pay $150 for season tickets to Duke games. Since we campout as a group, we split all the tickets evenly. I am hoping that by this time next year, my days of sleeping in a Uhaul are over and I have a PhD!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Our elitist liberal Saturday.
Parker and I joke that we are becoming typical elitist liberals--after all Parker does have a masters in liberal studies. This Saturday we had an exemplary elitist liberal Saturday.
We started off the day by taking our Prius (complete with bike rack attached on the back) to the Durham Farmers market to volunteer at a voter registration table (nonpartisan in nature but organized by the Obama campaign). After spending two hours volunteering (we only got a couple people registers but many people expressed their gratitude for us being out there), we did a bit of shopping at the market. We purchased locally grown tomatoes and ARUGULA (we love the stuff), locally-made mozzarella cheese and cage-free organic chicken and bison.
After a delightful salad of tomato, arugula and mozzarella, we headed a local wine shop for a wine tasting. We ended up purchasing a couple of bottles, locally-made cheese and artisan salami. We enjoyed these treats and some bison steaks for dinner. We finished the evening by going to watch the new movie Traitor--I wanted to go to the local indie theater to see "Burn after reading" but is just too cliche.....
We started off the day by taking our Prius (complete with bike rack attached on the back) to the Durham Farmers market to volunteer at a voter registration table (nonpartisan in nature but organized by the Obama campaign). After spending two hours volunteering (we only got a couple people registers but many people expressed their gratitude for us being out there), we did a bit of shopping at the market. We purchased locally grown tomatoes and ARUGULA (we love the stuff), locally-made mozzarella cheese and cage-free organic chicken and bison.
After a delightful salad of tomato, arugula and mozzarella, we headed a local wine shop for a wine tasting. We ended up purchasing a couple of bottles, locally-made cheese and artisan salami. We enjoyed these treats and some bison steaks for dinner. We finished the evening by going to watch the new movie Traitor--I wanted to go to the local indie theater to see "Burn after reading" but is just too cliche.....
Friday, September 5, 2008
Pictures from Trip
ParkAna at Halibut Point. Please note the Seinfeld shoes.....no dark jeans to complete the look though.
GavLan grabbing a sail boat. Sorry for cutting off your head Lance....
Great views from the rocks!Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Southerns visit New England
ParkAna spent their labor day weekend in New England. Here is a summary of the trip:
We arrived Wednesday night (Thanks Gav for getting us from the airport). Parker went to bed (Gustav made this a busy weekend for our natural gas man) and I stayed up with GavLan to watch Bill and Joe at the DNC.
Thursday, Parker worked in the morning and then we went for a day trip to the North Shore. Gav found a great hiking trail called "Halibut Point." We did a bit of hiking (see pictures on next posts) and then headed out for some lunch. The Boston Globe recently rated a series of places to get fried clams and "the clam shack" came up a winner. We stood in line for about 30 minutes for fried everything (shrimp, clams, scallops, french fries, onion rings) as a strange lady walked up and down the line asking people if they were there because of the Globe article.
After the binge, we got to see the Peabody Essex Museum (Gav practically runs the place) and walk around Salem (tons of weird witch touristy stuff). Next we met up with GavLan's friends and their two adorable sons. We enjoyed beers and sandwiches on the beach. ParkAna played with the kids (I ran into the ocean wearing my "Seinfeld sneakers" to catch a football--don't worry the shoes are still bright white). The day ended with a Barack Obama speech that was amazing!
Friday, Parker worked in the morning (are we seeing a pattern here). Gav and I went to the most amazing craft store ever (Paper Source) to get supplies for ErOdi (Eric and Jodi)'s anniversary present. After nearly two hours in the store, we finally bottled our overflowing creativity up and got the supplies we needed.
Starving, we had lunch at Pico's (amazing ice cream--I had nectarine, Gav had cinnamon) and then went for some late afternoon shopping at Anthropologie (parker napped and worked the whole day, Lance had a friend in town). After shopping (which went way longer than it was supposed to), we headed for the BoSox's game and I picked up my Jacoby Ellsbury shirt! The game was awesome--we won!
On Saturday Gavin and I managed to cover a box in decorative paper for the anniversary gift--this was way more difficult than expected, but it was a success. We then headed off to New Hampshire. The traffic was horrible, but this forced us to take the scenic route. Saturday night we enjoyed a little surf n turf in celebration of Parker's pending 30th B-day. Eric cooked us quite the feast---cowboy steaks (literally three inches thick), lobster, salad, corn, potatoes, and my favorite part of a lobster feast--hot dogs (this is a new england tradition I just don't get, but love nonetheless). The evening was topped off with chocolate "binge" cake and ice cream. Parker got some great books to read and a wonderful gag gift.....
Sunday was a flurry of secretive activity. Lance, Jon and I prepared a super brunch for everyone in honor of 40 years of marriage for ErOdi. While we were doing this, operation memory box was in full swing. Each person wrote nice little notes and memories for ErOdi and we put them in the GavAna-crafted box complete with fun family photos. Brunch was a success--Lance's world-famous french toast, Jon's watermelon salad, and my fritatta were rounded off with sausage, hand-picked (thanks Rose and Jodi) blueberries, and no less than six bottles of syrup! After brunch, we "performed" a song for ErOdi (there is video, hopefully it has been destroyed!). The rest of the afternoon was spend hanging out, meeting Baby ABC, massages (for GavAna) and a delightful outdoor dinner watching Blue eat at least three ears of corn. We reluctantly left New Hampshire that night to catch an early morning flight on Monday.
Thanks to all who helped make this a fantastic trip home!
We arrived Wednesday night (Thanks Gav for getting us from the airport). Parker went to bed (Gustav made this a busy weekend for our natural gas man) and I stayed up with GavLan to watch Bill and Joe at the DNC.
Thursday, Parker worked in the morning and then we went for a day trip to the North Shore. Gav found a great hiking trail called "Halibut Point." We did a bit of hiking (see pictures on next posts) and then headed out for some lunch. The Boston Globe recently rated a series of places to get fried clams and "the clam shack" came up a winner. We stood in line for about 30 minutes for fried everything (shrimp, clams, scallops, french fries, onion rings) as a strange lady walked up and down the line asking people if they were there because of the Globe article.
After the binge, we got to see the Peabody Essex Museum (Gav practically runs the place) and walk around Salem (tons of weird witch touristy stuff). Next we met up with GavLan's friends and their two adorable sons. We enjoyed beers and sandwiches on the beach. ParkAna played with the kids (I ran into the ocean wearing my "Seinfeld sneakers" to catch a football--don't worry the shoes are still bright white). The day ended with a Barack Obama speech that was amazing!
Friday, Parker worked in the morning (are we seeing a pattern here). Gav and I went to the most amazing craft store ever (Paper Source) to get supplies for ErOdi (Eric and Jodi)'s anniversary present. After nearly two hours in the store, we finally bottled our overflowing creativity up and got the supplies we needed.
Starving, we had lunch at Pico's (amazing ice cream--I had nectarine, Gav had cinnamon) and then went for some late afternoon shopping at Anthropologie (parker napped and worked the whole day, Lance had a friend in town). After shopping (which went way longer than it was supposed to), we headed for the BoSox's game and I picked up my Jacoby Ellsbury shirt! The game was awesome--we won!
On Saturday Gavin and I managed to cover a box in decorative paper for the anniversary gift--this was way more difficult than expected, but it was a success. We then headed off to New Hampshire. The traffic was horrible, but this forced us to take the scenic route. Saturday night we enjoyed a little surf n turf in celebration of Parker's pending 30th B-day. Eric cooked us quite the feast---cowboy steaks (literally three inches thick), lobster, salad, corn, potatoes, and my favorite part of a lobster feast--hot dogs (this is a new england tradition I just don't get, but love nonetheless). The evening was topped off with chocolate "binge" cake and ice cream. Parker got some great books to read and a wonderful gag gift.....
Sunday was a flurry of secretive activity. Lance, Jon and I prepared a super brunch for everyone in honor of 40 years of marriage for ErOdi. While we were doing this, operation memory box was in full swing. Each person wrote nice little notes and memories for ErOdi and we put them in the GavAna-crafted box complete with fun family photos. Brunch was a success--Lance's world-famous french toast, Jon's watermelon salad, and my fritatta were rounded off with sausage, hand-picked (thanks Rose and Jodi) blueberries, and no less than six bottles of syrup! After brunch, we "performed" a song for ErOdi (there is video, hopefully it has been destroyed!). The rest of the afternoon was spend hanging out, meeting Baby ABC, massages (for GavAna) and a delightful outdoor dinner watching Blue eat at least three ears of corn. We reluctantly left New Hampshire that night to catch an early morning flight on Monday.
Thanks to all who helped make this a fantastic trip home!
Mob Party--in the style of Durham, NC
A couple of weekends ago, ParkAna were invited to a "Mob Party." Parker dressed up as the classic mob man complete with undershirt, gold chain and pinstriped pants. Unfortunately, his hair was too short to fully slick back and he was feeling a bit sick...... I dressed up as a modern interpretation of a Irish mobster--with plaid skinny pants, a plaid hat and a series of chains hanging from my pants.....Fantastic!
BTW--these are our best "tough guy" faces!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Million Meals at UNC
ParkAna try to give back to the community and this weekend we participated in a Million Meals Challenge at UNC. This was a collaborative project between many of the local colleges including UNC and Duke (bitter rivals). Despite a bit of morning frustration over how to group people properly, the event turned out quite well. We were in a group with two UNC students and 1 new Duke graduate student working at "the funnel". Our job was pack rice, soy, dehydrated veggies and vitamin tablets into bags which would feed six people. Our team was super focused and I am pretty sure that we packed more than any other group--although Parker got a bit too zealous at times with the soy. After about 2.5 hours of work all the volunteers had packed 150,000 meals--not bad for a Saturday morning!
For the project, I decided to wear a Duke shirt and a Red Sox hat--that way I was covered on being disliked my nearly everyone there. One guy pointed at me and said "Look, a Duke shirt".....clever. As we were leaving, this little undergraduate girl past Parker and I and said (in an annoying voice) "Duke, why is that here." Clever Parker responded with a " feeding millions of people" before I even realized what she said.
Thanks Park and thanks UNC students for re-enforcing my view of you! Don't worry UNC fans, I would never admonish you for showing school pride (well, maybe during basketball season!)
BTW-Congrats to the Redeem Team and Coach K!
For the project, I decided to wear a Duke shirt and a Red Sox hat--that way I was covered on being disliked my nearly everyone there. One guy pointed at me and said "Look, a Duke shirt".....clever. As we were leaving, this little undergraduate girl past Parker and I and said (in an annoying voice) "Duke, why is that here." Clever Parker responded with a " feeding millions of people" before I even realized what she said.
Thanks Park and thanks UNC students for re-enforcing my view of you! Don't worry UNC fans, I would never admonish you for showing school pride (well, maybe during basketball season!)
BTW-Congrats to the Redeem Team and Coach K!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The worst movie ever.....
Parkana watched the worst movie ever last night called "Firewall." We suffer, so you suffer. The premise of the movie involves Harrison Ford as a computer programmer for bank security software. The bad guys hold his family hostage in their house (don't worry--they bring Hungry Man meals for sustenance--maybe some sort of sick product tie-in) while he has to hack into the very system he built to steal $100million. Here are a couple of highlights (spoiler alert):
1. Harrison Ford kills a guy with blender and later kills the main bad guy with a pickax. How much longer can Harrison play the "normal guy turned hero" role? He also runs over another bad guy-- they crash into a shed which explodes....
2. Harrison's secretary goes to a born-again christian "rock concert" to get a cell phone from a co-worker who is in love with her because Harrison took a picture of the bank account numbers he stole from as proof of the scandal with the cell phone camera--got that?
3. Harrison's son went into anaphylactic shock after the main bad guy gave him a peanut-laced cookie. When the family tried to find his epi-pen to save him, the could not locate it--because the bad guys had taken it. After a plea from Harrison, they finally give it to him.
4. Harrison finds his family (the bad guys take them to an abandoned lake house to kill them) by tracking the dog's gps collar!
I could go on for days, but this movie has already sucked so much life from ParkAna.
1. Harrison Ford kills a guy with blender and later kills the main bad guy with a pickax. How much longer can Harrison play the "normal guy turned hero" role? He also runs over another bad guy-- they crash into a shed which explodes....
2. Harrison's secretary goes to a born-again christian "rock concert" to get a cell phone from a co-worker who is in love with her because Harrison took a picture of the bank account numbers he stole from as proof of the scandal with the cell phone camera--got that?
3. Harrison's son went into anaphylactic shock after the main bad guy gave him a peanut-laced cookie. When the family tried to find his epi-pen to save him, the could not locate it--because the bad guys had taken it. After a plea from Harrison, they finally give it to him.
4. Harrison finds his family (the bad guys take them to an abandoned lake house to kill them) by tracking the dog's gps collar!
I could go on for days, but this movie has already sucked so much life from ParkAna.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Frogs, Olympics and Tennis
This blogging stuff takes a lot of work......but here are a couple updates:
The other night a frog was stuck on the french doors in our porch which was causing Ortiz some trouble. He kept trying to jump up and catch the little guy. For those of you who have actually seen Ortiz in the flesh (and oh there is a lot of flesh), the thought of him jumping up to the doorknob to try to catch a frog on the other side of the glass is priceless. Fenway just sat and watched Ortiz (probably disgusted by the shape of Ortiz's physique). He finally got tired and left--probably to go spill his water all over the floor.
ParkAna are officially addicted to the Olympics. Maybe it's Coach K leading the Redeem Team, the 15,000 performers in the opening ceremonies (a bit awe-inspiring and scary), W chatting it up with Putin as he bombs Georgia, Phelps raking up the gold or the "16" year old Chinese women's gymnastics team (we are pretty certain they are like 12-14 years of age)---whatever it is--we love it. The only thing we can't agree upon is whether Bob Costas has a toupee (I vote yes).
Yesterday was a break-through day on the tennis court. Unlike Parker, I am not a natural athlete, but yesterday, with a bit of focus, I was able to really improve my returns. I may have earned that tennis skirt I have been wearing!
The other night a frog was stuck on the french doors in our porch which was causing Ortiz some trouble. He kept trying to jump up and catch the little guy. For those of you who have actually seen Ortiz in the flesh (and oh there is a lot of flesh), the thought of him jumping up to the doorknob to try to catch a frog on the other side of the glass is priceless. Fenway just sat and watched Ortiz (probably disgusted by the shape of Ortiz's physique). He finally got tired and left--probably to go spill his water all over the floor.
ParkAna are officially addicted to the Olympics. Maybe it's Coach K leading the Redeem Team, the 15,000 performers in the opening ceremonies (a bit awe-inspiring and scary), W chatting it up with Putin as he bombs Georgia, Phelps raking up the gold or the "16" year old Chinese women's gymnastics team (we are pretty certain they are like 12-14 years of age)---whatever it is--we love it. The only thing we can't agree upon is whether Bob Costas has a toupee (I vote yes).
Yesterday was a break-through day on the tennis court. Unlike Parker, I am not a natural athlete, but yesterday, with a bit of focus, I was able to really improve my returns. I may have earned that tennis skirt I have been wearing!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Good News
Today, I finally received the final editor's draft of the book chapter I co-wrote (well, I wrote the whole thing and my boss edited it.) I finished writing in early March and was getting a bit concerned that we hadn't heard anything. Hopefully it will be in print soon!
Also, today it the five year anniversary for the meeting of ParkAna---we both can't believe it has been that long! The good news is we still love each other and continue to embark on new adventures together (like tennis).
To celebrate we are going to dinner in Chapel Hill (a town nearby that has a ton a nice restaurants we haven't tried) and then it's round two for Dark Knight--I'll let you know if he stays awake this time!
Also, today it the five year anniversary for the meeting of ParkAna---we both can't believe it has been that long! The good news is we still love each other and continue to embark on new adventures together (like tennis).
To celebrate we are going to dinner in Chapel Hill (a town nearby that has a ton a nice restaurants we haven't tried) and then it's round two for Dark Knight--I'll let you know if he stays awake this time!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
ParkAna's Weekend
We went to see the Dark Knight Friday night and.....you are going to want to sit down for this one folks....Parker fell asleep during the last 45 minutes (in a theater no less!). I am not sure if he has ever watched a movie in it's entirety.
Good news--I managed to patch the hole in our wall and replace our towel rack all by myself (Parker's knee prevented him from helping.) I was very satisfying to fix out little mistake and I didn't even have to call my Dad or Park's Dad for help! I will post a picture soon!
Good news--I managed to patch the hole in our wall and replace our towel rack all by myself (Parker's knee prevented him from helping.) I was very satisfying to fix out little mistake and I didn't even have to call my Dad or Park's Dad for help! I will post a picture soon!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Updates from ParkAna
Here are our updates since the last post:
1. Knee Rehab---After a tough first week after the surgery, Parker is doing much better--the swelling is down and his limp is now a mere swagger. He'll be back on the course any day now.
2. Outdoor adventures--Parker and I have decided to learn to play tennis. Because he currently can't run very well we are pretty evenly matched. I am sure this won't last though (Parker is a tiny bit competitive), but I will work hard to improve my game.
3. Ortiz and Fenway--Parker got this machine that pumps ice cold water through a knee-shaped apparatus and Ortiz has taken to pushing the cooler (filled with ice cold water) over. We don't understand Ortiz's fascination with dumping over water--he does this with his water bowl--maybe he was interrogated at Gitmo before he came to live with us.....To combat this problem we have been spraying him with our overly-priced Disney spray bottle/fan combination. Always the Spartan, Fenway just looked at Ortiz's antics with disgust......
4. Special Announcements--Thanks to Gavlan for the C's t-shirts, Happy Belated Birthday to Rose, Congratulations to Cynthia on graduation this weekend!
1. Knee Rehab---After a tough first week after the surgery, Parker is doing much better--the swelling is down and his limp is now a mere swagger. He'll be back on the course any day now.
2. Outdoor adventures--Parker and I have decided to learn to play tennis. Because he currently can't run very well we are pretty evenly matched. I am sure this won't last though (Parker is a tiny bit competitive), but I will work hard to improve my game.
3. Ortiz and Fenway--Parker got this machine that pumps ice cold water through a knee-shaped apparatus and Ortiz has taken to pushing the cooler (filled with ice cold water) over. We don't understand Ortiz's fascination with dumping over water--he does this with his water bowl--maybe he was interrogated at Gitmo before he came to live with us.....To combat this problem we have been spraying him with our overly-priced Disney spray bottle/fan combination. Always the Spartan, Fenway just looked at Ortiz's antics with disgust......
4. Special Announcements--Thanks to Gavlan for the C's t-shirts, Happy Belated Birthday to Rose, Congratulations to Cynthia on graduation this weekend!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
A Parker-approved dinner
Last night Parker was craving pasta (whole-wheat of course) and so i whipped up this quick bolognese sauce. This is super easy and means you never have to buy jarred pasta sauce again. Enjoy!
Ground beef (I used 93% lean)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 container Crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced
several garlic cloves, minced
dry red pepper flakes, to taste
1 can (large) crushed tomatoes
basil--not necessary but adds a good taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
olive oil
1 box of whole-wheat thin spaghetti (whole-wheat pasta is very tasty--try it!)
Start boiling water for pasta.
Heat 2 tbls olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and mushroom. Season with a bit of salt. Cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and this has evaporated--about 8 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink--about 7 minutes. Clear a space in the middle of the saute pan and cook the garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant--about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and lower heat to low. Add a bit of chopped basil. Start cooking the pasta and let the sauce simmer while the pasta cooks. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the pasta with the sauce and top with additional basil and the cheese. Sit back and let the compliments come in!
Unfortunately, due to Parker's surgery, I had to do the dishes:(
Ground beef (I used 93% lean)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 container Crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced
several garlic cloves, minced
dry red pepper flakes, to taste
1 can (large) crushed tomatoes
basil--not necessary but adds a good taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
olive oil
1 box of whole-wheat thin spaghetti (whole-wheat pasta is very tasty--try it!)
Start boiling water for pasta.
Heat 2 tbls olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and mushroom. Season with a bit of salt. Cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and this has evaporated--about 8 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink--about 7 minutes. Clear a space in the middle of the saute pan and cook the garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant--about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and lower heat to low. Add a bit of chopped basil. Start cooking the pasta and let the sauce simmer while the pasta cooks. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the pasta with the sauce and top with additional basil and the cheese. Sit back and let the compliments come in!
Unfortunately, due to Parker's surgery, I had to do the dishes:(
Monday, July 7, 2008
Parker gets his knee fixed...hopefully
On Thursday, Parker had knee surgery to remove bits of a torn meniscus. Hopefully, this will enable him to play golf once again (although it has been nice to see him on the weekends). The doctors told us that he should be walking within a day or two of the surgery and shouldn't need too much of the percocet prescribed....well, that was a lie....Parker has been couch-ridden since Thursday with nothing but a brand new surround sound stereo system and embarrassingly large plasma TV (it's tough out there) to keep him entertained. Needless to say, we have watched a lot of movies....here is a review of several:
1. Blades of Glory--this has been the best of the bunch. We were both surprised how funny this was--truly.
2. Get Smart's Bruce and Loyd Out of Control---I am embarrassed that we watched (and paid to watch) this movie, but I am even more embarrassed that Parker saw reviews touting this movie as funny. I hope none of the people involved in this film thought they were actually producing a quality product.
3. Rocky Balboa--the newest in the famed Rocky series--I actually didn't watch too much of this except for the final fight scene. Despite a lot of steroids, Sly looks pretty rough without a shirt and seems to have an excess of skin. We were both mortified.....
Today is his doctor's appointment--we will keep you updated on the results.
1. Blades of Glory--this has been the best of the bunch. We were both surprised how funny this was--truly.
2. Get Smart's Bruce and Loyd Out of Control---I am embarrassed that we watched (and paid to watch) this movie, but I am even more embarrassed that Parker saw reviews touting this movie as funny. I hope none of the people involved in this film thought they were actually producing a quality product.
3. Rocky Balboa--the newest in the famed Rocky series--I actually didn't watch too much of this except for the final fight scene. Despite a lot of steroids, Sly looks pretty rough without a shirt and seems to have an excess of skin. We were both mortified.....
Today is his doctor's appointment--we will keep you updated on the results.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
ParkAna's painting (mis)adventures
Parker and I decided to paint several rooms in our house over the last couple of weekends. We learned several lessons:
1. Painting seems like it will be fun until you actually do it and then it is awful. ParkAna are not DIYers...despite my desire to be such.
2. There is no good way to paint straight lines. When you visit our house don't look were the wall meets the ceiling.
3. Painter's tape is the enemy especially if you let the paint dry on it.
4. Painting may lead to bigger problems--like a whole in your wall (picture).
Welcome to ParkAna blog!
We figured since we are a young and hip couple (well, at least one of us is)--it was time to start blogging. We hope you enjoy our adventures. Our "cat people" Ortiz (left) and Fenway (right) would like to give you a special welcome (don't worry they will post too!)
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