The Simpsons Movie is here —simpsonsmovie.com— and so our chance to create our own Simpsons avatar —and create a new goal while we’re at it ;)
So for one week, coinciding with the movie’s premiere, I’ll let my Simpsons yellow alter ego be my avatar on 43T!
This is the first time that I follow Le Tour. I’m not really following it, since I mostly have it in the background while doing other things and, if I miss it, I can always check the 5-min recap on-demand. But sometimes I do get caught by the race, and the scenery, and the people.
And Sunday —if I recall correctly—, I could not come out of the joy of watching these guys trying to bring their bicycles up the mountain while almost hurdling through kilometers and kilometers of fans cheering their lungs out, and nearly impeding the riders from coming through. I’m sure the riders were grateful for the support…but to a limit!
Yet, the atmosphere was on, and it was all too exciting —even on tv!! Great stage!!
Today I went to return a couple CDs and pick up a couple holds —just to break even on my checked out items… I head to the checkout scan thingy, but the clerk is using it to check in a bunch of books recently returned. He asks me to hold on just a sec, and I agree as he’s doing it super fast, and I’m not in a particular rush.
So I watch the books fly by, when I glanced a pizza book. I haven’t nailed down a pizza recipe just right, so spotting this was so serendipitous!
“Hold on”, I said. I then browse through its pages and asked, “Can I check it out or is it on hold?”
“No, it’s in transit, so it’s yours if you want”, he replied.
Well, I’m now one more item UP from my initial count of checked-out items. I’m incorrigible :S
Here it is. My paper Hubble Telescope looking at the immensity of the sky…
I loved doing this project, and this will be my inspiration to get a real one!
What a great event our neighbors organized! Thank you!!
Despite the threatening weather, just a few tiny drops fell. There was a good attendance —I’d say about 200 give or take, come and go. Great event to meet new neighbors while enjoying good music :)
I particularly enjoyed the opening Anzanga —they were on:
And the closing most-excellent Zazou:
I loved this group. Great vibe and excellent music!
Very good coffee, quite strong actually, but that’s the way I like it :)
The locale is beautiful —larger than the average café. The counter is gorgeous, reminiscent of the art deco era. Nice art on the walls. A terrace on the outside makes it good to bring our dog along :) And they have these very comfy, metal chairs:
In general, good atmosphere and crowd :)
I was taking a look at photos for this goal, and I totally forgot to post this anecdote:
Back in March, Spring had arrived, but the thermometer was just above 40°F outside. I was just about to cross a downtown street when, suddenly, a loud laughter caught my attention from above. On a window sill on a third or fourth floor, there was a woman talking to a guy who had his bare back to the street and his jeans not quite covering his butt!! I smiled and even giggled a bit. And then I thought to myself: “This is the good life in Seattle” :)
The past week, I tried to read the book in bed… and my top accomplishment was two pages on one of the nights!! The other nights, I went through a paragraph or two, and I was knocked out! So I decided to read it sitting down with daylight, and I went through 30 pages straight!
The good news is that it’s #1 at the box office, so I doubt they’ll retire the movie from theaters anytime soon. But I do need to read at least a good 75 pages per day, so I can finish the it and then head to the theater.
Most of the food I’ve eaten this past week I’ve prepared it myself. It is quite a pleasure not only to prepare it, but to grow some of the produce myself.
A couple of days ago, I made a very succulent risotto with salmon. It looked and smelled so good, that I forgot to take the ‘before’ photo and instead immediately dove into it! Here’s the few leftovers:
I also prepared baguettes with salmon and my homegrown arugula. I added tomato and alioli —a ‘pestoed’ spread made with mayonnaise and garlic. We liked it so much, that we made another one today! Mmmmm…
Aaa, la bonne vie!
I recently transplanted my first batch of pumpkin, watermelon, sunflower, and poblano pepper. Unfortunately, with the scorching sun from last week, a few of the transplants died :( Even the sunflowers had a hard time erecting themselves; nonetheless, they survived —as well as the pumpkins and the more mature watermelons. The peppers are not growing very much, but the pumpkins (on the right) are really growing nicely :)
In another plot, I have a couple of stripped-down basils. I pruned quite a few leaves. They suffered quite a bit of root disturbance. So far, they’re doing OK. I hope they continue to do so, as well as the cilantros.
And in the adjacent plot, I’m growing the only vegetables that I planted from bulbs: onions! They’re growing slowly, but they’re coming!
I just read how to protect the plants from severe sun, so my future plantings do not suffer like they did last week. Right now they’re enjoying the rain —and it seems they still have two more days of water haven :)
We’ve booked both next Saturday and Sunday with one catering each! This next week will be filled with a lot of planning, shopping, and preparation :)
It’s still a week before she arrives, but I’ve got the stress out of my system!
I keep the house pretty organized and clean most of the time, but I had to go the extra mile for my mother’s upcoming visit. I cleared a closet just for her —I set a box with her belongings that she left the last time she visited—, and I even cleared a small space in the bathroom cabinet.
All this should make her stay more comfortable. I feel like I need a star pasted onto my forehead!! LOL I’m such a good daughter ;)
My own little herb & vegetable garden has relinquished its ‘little’ status and is now graduating to the title of ‘garden’, hence the new goal :)
Here are the pots before transplanting. There’s an assortment of herbs and vegetables, but a few flowers as well:
We popped in this place a couple days ago after having a super torta at El Quetzal, which is just a two or three doors up the street.
To our delight, not only was the espresso great, but the foam had just the perfect consistency… I’m trying to think where I’ve had better foam here in Seattle…
It’s nicely set up, and they have some very cool paintings directly on the walls of the locale.
There’s a small terrace facing the street, yet it was good enough to enjoy the nice weather and having our dog next to us :)
Well, a paper telescope that is ;)
I was asked to be a ‘beta tester’ for their paper model. So I’m up for the task.
I actually already completed it today, but I’ve still a few things to tweak. Here’s the before photo:
And check out my hibiscus drink to keep me refreshed while building the model!
And here’s a little teaser of the completed model:
Sooo refreshing…
Agua de Jamaica (a drink made out of the hibiscus flower) is one of the most traditional drinks in Mexico —along with horchata and tamarind water.
I made a HUGE pitcher, and we’ve already went through more than half of it!! Sooo gooood :)
It’s 4am… and I’m not waking up… this goal is going nowhere :(
It’s official. She arrives on the 28th, so everything must be reasonably in order and a closet cleared for her, or else I will never see the end of it!! he, he ;)
Chichén Itzá has been elected one of the new seven wonders of the world!!
With half the dough left from yesterday, I prepared a second pizza.
This is how it looked before going into the oven:
I’m off to enjoy my pizza!
I made a pizza de-li-zio-sa the Italian way, mmmm…
The dough rose beautifully:
And here’s the result:
Mamma mia, indeed!
...were the key ingredient to make lemonade in a BIG pitcher filled halfway with water and sugar. Sooo refreshing…an sooo summery… I’m drinking a glass as I speak write ;)
When I adopted this goal a while ago, I thought of biking, some yoga, and maybe a swim here and there. But I haven’t been constant with the yoga, and my bike is still unfixed :( So I’m following the advice of a book I’m reading to just keep moving by walking everywhere, doing errands on foot, tidying the house, gardening… Simply do the stuff.
Today I walked my dog —as I do everyday—, but I did it more briskly than usual. That was on purpose. I felt that it had become too much of a leisure walk, and, though I enjoy it very much, I decided I might as well get some exercise benefit out of it.
After that, I came home to mow the lawn. I’m not sure how many calories were burnt, but my body pretty much got its workout :)
I made my Dad an e-card with my brother, Uma & me with tulip fields in the background. It came out quite nice. He’s not so much into email and the Internet, but a real card is not likely to reach him with our not-too-reliable mail system in Mexico :(
We called him also this morning to wish him a very happy 64th b-day —like the Beatle’s song :)
I’m trying with my limited French here. I hope your fête nationale is great!! I’m sure you’re all out there enjoying now!! ;)
Here are some fireworks taken on the Bicentennial over L’Arc de Triumph.
This is a digital picture of a very lousy photo I took back then in 1989 :S
It really does no justice to one of the most spectacular celebrations and fireworks I’ve ever seen!
I left all my scrapbook supplies back home, and I realize I can’t start on this if I don’t organize my photographs first.
So I’m giving up this goal for now to clear up my 43T list, and will come back to it when the timing is better. Right now is not going to happen…
As I’ve been following le Tour through the last few days —mostly in the background—, I’ve found that what truly draws me to this event is not the race itself, but the beautiful countryside France has and the people that come out from their homes and workplaces to enthusiastically cheer the riders that swoosh by. What a great atmosphere!
It’s a pity the riders don’t get to truly appreciate it. In fact, the actual race has begun to be a drawback for me. It has gotten too technical, too many interests, and way too competitive —in a bad way :( This has been for many years now, but witnessing so many faults and cheating, I long for the days when true sportsmanship will see this race.
They’ve lost the French way of enjoying the pleasure of riding a bicycle and enjoying the scenery… ::sigh::
Thanks to MamaBonna for inviting me to join the team on this goal :)
I had to clear a few goals to get this one through ;)
So I figured the cheers goblins were just right to knock off my cheers since I was awake was sooo late last night, and that just interfered with my goal of early to bed…. They just wanted me to go to bed!!
A bit late, but I took the hint. So I just dispensed my whole share of cheers this early in the day ;)
At 3:43 I was cheerbombing hIPPIECHICK in 43 Places when the cheers goblin decided to take away my 4 cheers left!! ::gasp::
So I come back to 43T, and my 5 cheers are GONE!! POOF!!
Was it because of my comment in my previous entry? Those goblins are teaming up, I tell you… hmmmm…
::rant over:: carry on…
Somehow, while writing my previous entry on this goal, the “hold goblins” in the library disappeared FIVE of my holds.
Are they helping me out on my goal or did they simply decide that I really didn’t need to hold those? Are they involved in some way with the 43T goblins that keep taking away half my cheers??
The worst thing is that I don’t even know what they took out!! :S
...for their suggestions on how to tackle this and other organizational “blocks”.
I sorted out my inbox, drafts, sent, and a bit of other mailboxes. I still have a looong way to sort the rest of my mailboxes —which was my original plan and goal— but this challenge is due tomorrow and, technically my inbox is sorted :o)
As I’ve said before, my little garden has grown, so I’ll be adopting a new goal to maintain the larger one.
Most of the plants have survived, although there were a few casualties :( But they are thriving to become part of a beautiful and delicious garden :)
The arugula was the first vegetable to be ready for consumption, so I decided to have a sandwich with my very first home-grown vegetable!! Only the arugula, everything else is from the grocery store :P But it was delicious nonetheless.
I can’t even start to describe the feeling it gives, but it simply catapults the pleasure of eating…
I currently have 33 items checked out from the library and 56 on hold! And it’s already down from what I used to have. It’s time for me to realize that I can only read/listen/view so much within a 3-week period. I have at least 15 half-read books because I had to return them on their due date… and I’ve yet have to check them back out to finish them :P
I’m currently overwhelmed with all the material I’ve checked out. So for now, I’m suspending my holds until I’m done with my current loans. My goal is to not have more than 3 books, 3 DVDs, and 3 CDs at a time.
The county that holds Seattle, Bellevue, Lake Washington, The Puget Sound, Vashon Island, Lake Sammamish, and a bit of the Cascades Mountains —among many other towns and natural entities— can only be held accountable of being a blessed place overflowed with gorgeous natural beauties, things to do, and abundant attractions :)
After so many tries, I gave up on this a while ago, but now that the full summer is here, I’ve got no intentions of doing anything about it —nor does Uma would feel like wearing it anyway ;) The poor thing is having such a hard time with the hot weather. How quick did she forget her hometown Tulum!! LOL
I’ll retake this goal in the autumn.
...to clear my 43 Things that is. And it seems there are already a couple of Seattle 43ers ready to show him around ;) I’d love to join if he visits! I’ll keep the RSS feed for news.
If Snickerdoodle is ever around town (Seattle —or wherever I’m at), send an invite my way! I’d love to show him around and show him the good life as well :)
PS Enjoy San Francisco and Alaska, Snickerdoodle!
The French culture has long fascinated me. Their way of enjoying the little pleasures of life —and the big ones as well— and the way they live in general is the way I’d like to live.
I recently took upon reading French Women Don’t Get Fat to basically learn the French woman’s ways of keeping fit, but it also perfectly reflects many details of daily life that I’d like to follow. I already started with its non-diet main approach, but I’ll be seriously taking all these little details as well as my learn French goal —which is really relearning and perfecting it, since I learned it in university, but then I mostly lost it while learning Italian.
I vividly remember my travels through France, and I want to return soon maybe to spend a summer there —or more… Meanwhile, I’ll just live life the way French do ;)
I had no clue it was already in theaters!!! I’ve got to get cranking on that book. I’m just in page 74 :P …796 to go LOL! There goes my challenged goal to Failure Land :S
It’s amazing how some cities will devote such a prominent location to a beautiful public area just to hang out. This kind of places is what keeps the citizens —and visitors— happy. This is what makes a city beautiful and livable. This is what gives a city a je ne sais quoi attribute that fills your soul :)
The cloud gate sculpture was under repairs, but I took a reflection of myself nonetheless ;)
Here’s a view from Mount Baker Neighborhood, and that mountain in the north horizon is Mount Baker itself!
The bridge has a bike lane that I’d love to try some day. The views are fantastic from the bridge, and it’s a wonderful view itself when viewed from its surroundings.
Lake Washington is breathtaking wherever your point of view might be. Riding, biking, or walking along it is one of the most rejoicing things you can do in King County.
It’s simply beautiful. So much, this is the place I brought Gala, my doggie, before I put her to sleep. She very much enjoyed our walks along the lake. I wanted her to view and keep with her one last beautiful memory of this planet, and I hope she did :)
I put together all the ingredients for a banana bread this afternoon. I had a few raisins, so I decided to throw them in ;)
It came out quite delicious —so much we already ate half of it just three of us!!
1 de enero, 2 de febrero, 3 de marzo, 4 de abril,
5 de mayo, 6 de junio, 7 de julio San Fermín…
¡a Pamplona hemos de ir!
July 7th always reminds me of the start of los Sanfermines in Pamplona, Spain —a week-long festivity that honors Saint Fermin, and which includes the internationally-known Encierros (running with the bulls).
I have been to Pamplona twice for the festivities, but this year I’ll be watching the encierro on the Internet.
Le Tour started today, and I already missed it :S I’m a very big fan of bicycling, and the races never fail to impress me.
I’d love to follow Le Tour in France, but for now, I’ll have to settle for tv.
I merely relaxed and enjoyed this special day. Cared for my plants, took my daily walk with my dog, Uma, and simply took pleasure of this day with serenity :)
I simply had a delightful and wonderful day in Portland :) It was so pleasant in so many levels, I’m sure I’ll miss some, but here are a few:
I loved Portland, and I could live here! I’d love to come back! :)
This little taquería was truly a great find. This is not your regular spot indicated in travel guides (since it’s out of the tourist areas), but is one recommended mouth to mouth. The place seems to have mostly locals and has outgrown its own garage.
The service is very friendly, and they let you have your dog on the street tables :) It’s nicely decorated, a little kitsch here and there, but what cracked me up was their ubiquitous mid-size tv with a football (soccer) game on! That is sooo common in Mexican taquerías.
The handmade tortillas made the tacos superb. The carnitas tacos were very moist and delicious —I would’ve just taken out the queso fresco. The horchata drink was refreshing and sweetened just the right amount —I’m truly picky on over-sweetened drinks, so this one was just right.
I think that, although they’ve added a few touches to cater to the US market, I’d say their food and place is 90% what you’d find in Mexico.
Seems to be the hip, flourishing neighborhood in Portland with some restaurants and galleries.
So we headed to Portland to spend the 4th of July, and had the most wonderful, delightful, and pleasant day in this beautiful and lovely city.
Though our destination was set, our plans were not. We just walked out and about the whole day. We very much enjoyed and loved Portland.
I’ll be working on transplanting a few this evening, since it’s been very sunny and hot during the day for the past week.
Oh, and the arugulas… they’re ready!! Tonight I’ll eat the very first vegetable I’ve grown! I truly have no words for the feeling this brings about :)
A day late, but I hope this year will bring more graceful aging, much learning, more Snickerdoodle touring, a greenhouse, and a vegetable garden.
PS Here’s a young basil plant from my little garden to get you inspired ;)
All the best!!
