Louisville - a nice surprise

When traveling for work I rarely get to really experience the city I'm in, but usually can get a feel if it's "my kind of town". I almost always flip through the city guide magazine or book that's in most hotel rooms to see what's big. Some cities are exactly like you expect - Orlando is pretty disappointing with extra-high humidity, very cookie-cutter and touristy. Philadelphia has so many things to see and do you can't begin to pick your options. But sometimes a town really surprises you. 

I just got back from Louisville, KY and heading in was very bland about the idea, sort of a "whatever, I go where I'm needed, not like I'm there for vacation anyway". I was only there for a day, but the town really impressed me to the point I'd like to take a trip there for a visit sometime. And not many places I've been to have been added to my re-visit list, so that's saying something. There's a big art scene and lots of museums, and a very cool sounding downtown shopping area. It's also home to pretty much all the major bourbon distilleries there are (Maker's Mark, Knob Creek, Woodford Reserve, etc). Bourbon is only made in Kentucky, and they take it VERY seriously. Speaking of drinking, whenever I have a beer while traveling I always ask what local brews they have - it's an interesting way to experience a bit of the local flavor, so to speak. I was lucky enough to have a glass of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale while walking by the Ohio River one evening in perfect summer weather. The ale is matured in freshly decanted bourbon barrels from the local distilleries. It was really excellent, the aroma and flavor of the bourbon was unmistakable, but it complemented the ale rather than detracting or seeming gimmicky. Distribution sounds pretty limited, so I might not get to taste this again until I go back to Kentucky.

Flash Mobs

I have a secret - I want to be in a Flash Mob one day. I'd love to experience one as a bystander, but even better to take part in a truly unexpected one. Of course, I think they're getting more mainstream now so the thrill may wear off. For those who are unfamiliar with a Flash Mob, it's an apparently random yet very well choreographed event occurring in a crowded public place. Parts of the audience will suddenly join in, making everyone wonder who else is part of it. Sometimes it's dancing:

Sometimes singing (this one is long, just get through the first chorus):

And sometimes is so unexpected it freaks everyone out.

How cool would that be? Of course, there are some painfully embarrassing versions where the desire to be in a flash mob far outweighs talent or accuracy. A flash mob is not the same thing as dance performance. The unexpectedness in a public place is the key, it's not the same as a performance where everyone knows about it. And while enthusiasm can make up for many shortcomings, it's the skilled timing and precision that make flash mobs so exciting. Just having a lot of people dancing to the same song DOES NOT COUNT. My favorite part is really the bystanders expressions, and everyone recording what they can on their phones. I signed up to be part of a Reading Rainbow Chorus flashmob, but I don't know if it'll ever come to fruition. Lets hope so - Butterfly in the skyyyy, I can fly twice as hiiiiiiigh...

All is right with the world again

Yep, I went to Target today. I needed laundry detergent and like the Method kind they have with the pump. I also looked at hats and purses and scarves. Would've looked at earrings but there was a mom there accusing her teenage daughter of lying about stealing shoes from her cousin. I tried not to listen but had to give up and leave when the mom said "Jesus knows when you're stealing, Jesus knows you're lying". I may not be religious, but I thought that line of reasoning was reserved for Santa near Christmastime.

So off to the bedding and shelving area! And while there I rediscovered why I like Target - they have cool affordable stuff! They have king-size duvet covers - something I've been searching high and low for since we got our new summerweight down blanket. And all their bedding now comes in bags made of the sheet fabric, complete with buttons and flaps. Very cool idea, and I can't wait to figure out what I'm going to do with mine. Because surely there must be a use for a rectangular pouch made of sheeting that buttons closed. I've never found a use for the plastic ones, but save them all because they seem like they should be useful. Yeah, this cloth one will be way more useful once I find a use for it!

On Target!

It struck me today that it's been MONTHS since I've been to Target. This is somewhat disturbing to me. Admittedly I have to drive half an hour to get to one now, compared to the 4 minutes it used to be before we moved. But I drive past a Target probably once a week, so that's no excuse. I remember when we were first talking about moving years ago, I said I could live anywhere that had a good grocery store and a Target in town. So what happened? I really don't know, I'm not sure where I'm buying all the things I used to go to Target to get, or even what all those things were. It's a bit disconcerting, like I've lost part of my memory.

We had a sub this week for my normal yoga class, and rather than try to teach the Jivamukti style we're used to she taught her normal Hatha Flow class. I would say she is an advanced level teacher, the only time I've had a more challenging class was that crazy balance workshop a few months ago. After I was shaking and drenched from the effort I glanced at the clock and realized in horror that only half an hour had passed and we still had 45 min. to go. I took a breath and hoped we'd have some easy poses to rest before the next strenuous part. Thankfully we did, and by easy I mean laying flat on our belly just breathing. The climax of the class was a series of poses leading to forearm stand.

This is a new pose I hadn't tried before, but one I'd really like to be able to do one day. I was able to get my upper body in position, but my feet were only able to leave the ground for a second, as I tried to kick up off the ground. One day... We also tried to walk up the walls, which I totally want to be able to do. We crouched with our back to the wall and palms flat on the ground, then put our feet on the wall and started walking up it. It's way harder than you'd think, mostly to overcome the mental aspect and trust what you're doing. I don't think I'd want this class every week, but it might be fun to challenge myself every once in a while like that. So long as I had a few days to recover before doing anything else.

8 years and counting...

That's right. It's been 8 years cancer free since I finished chemo. I knew it ended in May 2003, but sitting in my oncologist's office for my yearly checkup I resorted to counting on my fingers to confirm that it really has been that long. I kept thinking my math was off. Given that when I was first diagnosed the average life expectancy was 5 - 10 years, I'd say having to count on my fingers to keep up with the years is a pretty cool thing. While my doctor and I know I'm not cured, keywords like 'durable remission' have a lot of meaning. I'm healthier than I have been in a decade, full of life, and cancer is no longer in the forefront of my consciousness. Sometimes I catch sight of my tattoo and am almost surprised, like: Oh, yeah, that's right. I am a cancer survivor. And that in itself is an amazing accomplishment. To not even think about cancer for days or weeks, when at one time I considered it one of my defining characteristics. I'm thinking I might have to start throwing milestone parties as the years go by.

If you stream videos, can you call your computer a boob toob?

Just saw a commercial for Lean Cuisine that touted "Farm Picked Broccoli" as an ingredient. Excuse me, but where else does broccoli come from? It's not like there's a season for Wild Alaskan Broccoli caught by daring broccolimen. Or to go the other direction, there's not a lot of factory-raised broccoli kept crowded together in giant warehouses that never see the light of day. I'm both impressed by and frustrated with advertisers who take a basic feature common to all products and turn it into a key selling point.

I finally joined Netflix, after how many months (years) of saying I was going to do it? I'm enjoying it, but am a bit frustrated with their mix of DVD and streaming movies. Like season 1 of a series will be streamed, but the next seasons are DVD only. And given that next month their features split and prices increase, I'm not sure I'm going to stick with it. I'd go for streaming only, but like I said they kind of lock you into both. We'll have to see. But in response to Netflix, HBO created a streaming site called HBO GO that is free to HBO subscribers. They have all their back episodes of original programming, documentaries, and even the boxing matches in HD. And as soon as a new episode airs it is already up on HBO GO. Haven't fully explored it yet, but it really is a great free feature.

See what happens to broccoli when it's raised in unnatural conditions? Try to use something other than farm-picked broccoli and you could end up with this fractal insanity.

We grew some last year in our garden and while we never got anything quite this big, we had enough to know that a hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower may look cool, but the taste leaves something to be desired. It had a somewhat freaky texture and rather bitter taste, not at all like either of the parent plants. Speaking of cauliflower, it wasn't until I just typed it (spelled correctly, I'm so proud) that I realized the root of the word is caul, and the vegetable does look like one. EEEW!

Need Directions?

Imagine walking down a grassy path through a sprawling garden. Tidy displays of flowers interspersed with messy tangles of not-quite weeds. Perhaps a trellis with long handled dipper gourds hanging down. Tall shrubs obscure the edges of the garden, making a small green enclosed world. The path comes to an intersection, and you're not quite sure which way to head. Luckily there are markers set up at the corner. You approach, eager to learn which way you're headed. Then you read the path markers, and try to decide which might be the way out.