moving…

in oh so many ways.  I figured this would be a good time to put this blog over to a url more indicative of it’s name/subject… so with that may I present:

http://fromthebackofbeyond.wordpress.com

as always, thanks for reading.

as the year draws to a close

1. “the letter” came in the mail monday. This much anticipated letter announced that Snakes has officially passed the top secret security clearance.  He is now “on the call list”, meaning that he is 100% eligible to work in the foreign service. Since the initial (A-100) training classes are only offered every 6 weeks and have a limited capacity, his name is moved to a list of eligible candidates. Those on this esteemed list are ranked according to the score they received on the oral exam. (He’s a little higher than midway up that list.) He is hoping the offer will come within the next couple of months, landing us in DC either mid February or late March.

2. This weekend we are hiring a uhaul  and enlisting able-bodied friends to help us move from our house to a loft. The closing on the house is January 8th. I am eager to get settled in the new space and am looking at this as preparation for what my life will be generously peppered with in the years to come. Boxes, chaos, moving, chaos, slowly emerging order… Creates new synapses and keeps you young, right?

3. The holidays were excellent. We went to my dad’s in the Grand Rapids suburbs for a lively celebration on Christmas Eve.  A rousing game of pictionary after bottomless margaritas and a little karaoke tossed in for lord knows why. We had a great time. They are always incredibly generous around the holidays, which reminds me, I need to get my thank-you cards done.  This was followed by a nice Christmas dinner at my mom’s in Battle Creek. Snakes and I cooked up a prime rib and a big pot of crab legs. It was very nice. Great to see my aunties and spend a little time with my family. This may be our last holiday in the states for a while.

4. Vegas!! We had a great time. Two California friends got married in an intimate ceremony at one of the little chapels. At the airport we were greeted by a limo driver (arranged by Snakes’ dear friend) who popped the cork from a bottle of  bubbly and promptly whisked us off down the glittery and sparkling strip to our hotel in “old vegas.” A perfect initiation for a first timer like myself, to see the city from the back of a limo and through a champagne lens. The hotel was fab as was the company. We spent our days walking, walking, shopping and walking and our evenings engaged in wedding party festivities.  Snakes enjoyed spending football Sunday with his newlywed buddy, watching the Eagles battle the 49ers  to a 27-13 victory.

Now it’s back to packing and moving boxes. Today is our first year anniversary. Dinner at Eve the restaurant, drinks and back to our hotel by midnight to bask in the wonder of cable television, most likely watching animal planet with the dogs (who will be joining us). That’s probably too much information.

May 2010 bring adventure, growth, peace and prosperity to all.

what’ll ya give me for it?

Two days of total chaos.  Kitchen table, dressers, the juicer in the middle of the living room, tomato cages and a soaker hose in the dining room whose perimeter is lined with tables stacked with figurines and mismatched bowls. The major draw, our ole bait and switch, if you will, has been the baboon. Four different people have come just to formally meet the old guy. (We posted his picture on our craigslist ad.) Snakes and my dad are currently in negotiations, crafting a deal for the baboon’s fate. (Good FS training.) Strangers shuffling through the house, scrutinizing our book collection, fondling the odd remnants of our lives here in Detroit. It’d be easy to get all philosophical about this and feel weirdly violated, but I will refrain.

My favorite part about these sales (I have had a few in my day…) is seeing people’s excitement over their opportunity to own a taxidermied trio of mariachi frogs. Or the hunchback bushman with coarse horse hair, offering a rack within his spindly reach for one to organize one’s DVD collection. (them: “This thing is AMAZING ! I can’t believe it’s still here!!”  me: “Ah, well if by ‘amazing’ you mean ‘the stuff of nightmares’, then sure. I can’t believe it’s still here either, lucky you.” )  There was the couple who tried to bargain (unsuccessfully) a better price on the skull toilet brush holder, “would you take $5 for that?”. “Nope,  firm at $7″.  ”Man,  that would be so cool in our son’s bathroom…”  They ended up taking it.  

Generally speaking it’s gone well.  Much slower than we anticipated, no lines out the door or bidding wars. We’ll spend the next week posting the remainder on craigslist and ebay.  On Thursday we leave for Vegas to attend a friend’s wedding. When we return I will be on my “mandatory city holiday” and will not return to work until January 5th. (YESSSS!!) But perhaps most importantly, Monday begins Snakes’ 10 day countdown to (and I quote) “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, free at last”, his final days as a reporter for the paper. 20 years as a journalist, coming to an end.  Just one more step closer to our future.

paris

We had an overnight flight directly from Detroit to Paris, departing Thursday evening and arriving around noon the next day.  To prepare, we studied a few different books and magazine features to lay out a rough sketch of destinations. Restaurants, chocolatiers, boulangeries, patisseries, markets and museums too good to be missed.  Excitement spoiled my plan to catch a solid nap.

We rented an apartment in Montmartre just a few steps behind the Sacre Coeur. Though pretty musty, it served it’s purpose and it was great to be in a neighborhood.  I would strongly recommend visiting in early November. Very few crowds, temperate weather and not a trace of the infamous French attitude.  The people were lovely. Often when we sat down to order at cafes, we were treated to little impromptu French lessons by our waiter or waitress. We spent our days wandering the streets, sampling cheeses with crusty hunks of fresh bread, marveling at the architecture and restraining me from falling to my knees in reverence outside of each and every chocolatier.

We had gotten the 6 day museum pass which allowed access to most every museum in Paris. It was nice because we didn’t feel compelled to wring ourselves out getting our “moneys worth” at any particular place since we could always revisit later. My limit is right around 3-4 hours for any one museum anyway. It’s like smelling perfume, after the first 5 sniffs your senses are dulled and all subtleties are lost.  Best to return with a clear head later.  Having said that, we visited the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle cathedral, Musee de l’ Orangerie, the Rodin Museum, the Pompidou Centre, and Versailles. Whew… centuries of culture packed into 10 measly days.  Faves:  Pompidou,  l’Orangerie, and the Rodin.  Almost forgot- the Paris Sewer tours were included on our pass.  One guess who couldn’t pass on that “opportunity”.

Ahhh…and then there was the food. The Food…  Friends who have already seen our pictures said, “why do you take so many pictures of food?”  And to that I say, “because food is what forms the backbone of all cultures,  it gives structure to our travels, and our lives. “  And come to think of it,  our actual backbones. We’d plan each day starting with where we’d eat later that night. Spend the day sightseeing, eating pastries, touring, window shopping,  until 7-8-9 o’clock rolled around and then the fun really began.  Time to sit down (finally) to enjoy an apertif while pondering the menu and wine list. So many possibilities. Menues written with careful consideration for seasonal ingredients and just the right amount of creativity.  Never inaccessable nor predictable.  Oh dear god, and the cheese course. Just when you don’t think things can get any better you’re offered some gorgeous small batch family-made sheep’s cheese from the Pyrenees drizzled with a little lavendar honey.  Such perfect contentment at the end of each meal. Then a chilly stroll back to our little Parisian apartment, bellies full and backbones amply fortified, certain that this was the first of many visits to come.

ready or not, the holidays are here

The first noteworthy shopping event of the season, The Detroit Urban Craft Fair, was Saturday. I broke my last “PR” (that’s “personal record”, for you non-runners.)  The show was well attended and foolish me forgot the good camera. The uploaded images were taken by my iphone which does a decent job if the lighting isn’t posing any challenges. Clearly this was not the case.

We are off to Bethlehem, PA to visit the family, birthplace, and home of my beloved, Snakes.  We’ll be leaving after work Wednesday and driving until we arrive in the wee morning hours of Thursday. His mother is one of the best cooks I’ve met. She makes it all seem effortless. The last time we were there, her refrigerator offered a bounty of treats any weary traveler might seek. My favorite was her lemon mousse, perfection in it’s aloft and tangy nonchalance. Although she sent me the recipe (handwritten on a card & protected in a ziploc, of course) I promptly misplaced it. I vow to return home with it this time to try my hand (whisk) at it. I plan to dedicate a post entirely to the mousse.

A couple of weeks ago, we received an offer on our house (which, by the way, included the chickens). Both of the city and the private inspections have gone well without too many surprises. We’ve been updating and finishing what’s necessary, checking things off the inspector’s report as we go.  We are optimistic that our closing date will be December 30th. We’ve already scouted out lofts that rent month to month and accept large dogs. The FSO security clearance should be final by the end of this month. Things seem to be taking shape.

And speaking of things falling into place, faced with another round of lay-offs and buy outs at the newspaper, Snakes has decided to officially end his journalism career by taking a buy-out.  This will take effect December 30th. (the same day that Carl Kasell takes leave of Morning Edition!)  A pretty significant day in our history, and the day before our first anniversary!

So many pivotal changes in the next few months. It is a little overwhelming. I haven’t forgotten the “Paris post”. I’ll bring the laptop and work on that as we drive to PA.  Until then, may you and your families be awash with gratitude and love for one another. And may that altruistic wave rinse away any guilt that is nipping at your behind as you revisit the dessert table for the third (and final?) time.

medical clearance determination: worldwide available

This excellent piece of news greeted us from our inboxes while checking for updates from a Parisian cafe. We were confident that there wouldn’t be any problems but there’s always that little voice that urges otherwise. It’s a good sign that things are moving forward.  Snakes had called to check the status earlier in the month and was informed that things should be cleared by the end of November.  Still waiting for the security clearance.  Guardedly optimistic that we will be shoving off for DC by February or March.

House was shown a couple of times in our absence, and again today. I will comment no further to avoid elevating false hope or jinxing.  Let’s just say that the listing looks great and so far we are pleased with our new realtor.

Detroit Urban Craft Fair is Saturday. I have a ton of production work to do between now and then. I will post a “feast for the senses” Paris entry next Sunday. For those of you on Facebook, I’ve put up a few pictures with brief captions to whet your appetite! Bon appetit!

inching forward

Tuesday we met with a new real estate agent.  I like him better already.  He has great ideas and has made some valuable suggestions.  We’ve buried our Saint Joseph upside down and facing the curb as suggested.  I think the home buyer’s tax credit has been extended.  Banks are lending again? Any day now… Snakes emailed to check the FS status, medical clearance is expected to be granted by the end of this month and it seems that the security clearance is not far behind. They got in touch with all of the German friends and inquired after the Slovenian relatives. They are incredibly thorough. Keeping our fingers crossed for mid February.

I spent all of Tuesday in the studio.  Inconveniently, whenever I need to get into serious production mode my dreamy and creative side take over entirely.  I spend way too much time making rosettes and little wispy leaves from scraps of leather, imagining them as a broach, or tacked to a headband, maybe glued onto Banjo’s collar.  I decide that now is the perfect time to totally deconstruct and reimagine tried and true patterns. When I should be churning handbags out and watching the stacks of earning potential multiplying on my studio shelves, I can usually be found seated in a pile of scraps thinking about how textural and beautiful a leather collage would be. Or maybe I should make bowties for the dogs. That would be a hoot for when David gets home. Hehe, bright red bowties. On the dogs. Heh.

Leaving for Paris this evening.  I semi-packed this morning before gym and work. It’ll be interesting to see what groggy me deemed necessary when I re examine my things tonight. I’m already one step ahead of the game by allowing myself the luxury of suitcase scrutiny after a full days work. Last time we traveled (to New Orleans in May), I would up with a pair of snug purple corduroys as my ONLY bottoms. Exactly what I was in the mood for as we wandered through the French Quarter Fest in 90 degree weather, a breezy little sundress would have taken up way too much space in my bag apparently. Oh, and I forgot ALL under clothes. I am resolved to at least bring underwear this time.

We will be there over my birthday, which is on Friday the 13th this year!  Thank you for all of the birthday wishes and boxes sent early. I will send out proper thank-you cards from Paris! 

Au revoir!

no wonder my jeans are tight

Two dinner parties this weekend. 3 in the last 9 days. Chef’s club on Friday and a 40th bday party on Sunday for my dear friend visiting from New Orleans.  My stomach is exhausted from all the churning and gurgling of digestion. Come to think of it, my liver got a fairly decent workout too.  I have gained 10 pounds since we got married last NYE. Fortunately I am tall so this weight distributes itself with out too much fanfare or button popping. I thought the half marathon training would just melt these pounds away without any  changes what-so-ever to my diet. Wrong. I ran 13.1 miles and didn’t lose a damned pound.  I am a dietitian, shouldn’t I know that it doesn’t work that way?  Even worse, I am a dietitian who runs a “Biggest Loser” worksite wellness program.  Weight loss is my “specialty”. Every Monday morning I weigh everyone in, myself included. I gained another 4 pounds this week. Oh physician, heal thy porcine self.

Snakes suggested (perhaps after a glass of wine too many) that we should host dinner parties every weekend until we leave.   I do love inviting friends over, filling our old house with so much laughter, roasting, toasting, garlicky meats and caramelly sweets.  Mixing up different groups, trying out new recipes on such an eager and trusting crowd, but it is exhausting.  And taxing on my waist line. The pants I’m wearing today are total muffin toppers. I swear to god they were shrunk in the wash. No, seriously the tag says they’re 10% wool. So that is entirely possible. (Such a lame excuse for someone who had 2 -get ahold of yourself- slices of chess pie with blackened pineapple salsa and caramel sauce followed by healthy serving of homemade carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting two days later. The remainder of which sits in my fridge waiting to entice me every time I pull into the driveway.)

Okay, so it’s fairly clean living from here on out. Or rather, clean living for another 9 days at which point we hop a flight to Paris and all bets are off. I will eat as many buttery, jammy, saucey, chocolatey confections as I can possibly get my chubby little mits around, because from what I’ve heard our calories aren’t worth as much over there. Something with the exchange rate.

chef’s club

This morning I awoke to the smell of freshly baked bread, (hmm with maybe a salty hint of pork?)  The wind was whistling, rain coming in strong against the house,  Banjo stretched out next to me.  I heard a creaky ascent on the  staircase, the bedroom door opened, and my handsome husband stood holding a little plate of soft pretzels oozing with a ham and cheddar filling.  “Try one,” he offered, “it’s our appetizer for tonight.”  All of this before 7am?  I think it’s going to be a good day.  And it’s payday Friday.

Chef’s club, tonight at 7:30. It was started almost 2 years ago when Snakes and his friend, SP, decided to get together every couple of months to plan and prepare a gorgeous, multi course meal for their ladies. (!!) At the time I had just gotten Snakes the Bouchon cookbook by Thomas Keller, so the first menu was based on recipes  found there.  Tonight’s menu is from October’s Gourmet. (We really will miss them!) Aside from the little pretzel treats, I’m not sure what is in store for this evening. I don’t generally make a habit of  studying the menu as I enjoy the element of surprise. However,  I would never dissuade anyone who may be inclined to wake me up with fresh baked goods, menu spoiler or not.

I am a fortunate woman.

burning the midnight oil, superhero style

I have been accepted to 3 big holiday shows. The first, Detroit Urban Craft Fair,  is right here in our fair city on November 21. I’ve done this one twice before and been successful. The others I applied to  jointly with a friend of mine because they’re on the same weekend, December 5,6. The Shadow in Ypsi and Renegade in Chicago. It’s going to be a hectic month.

Each day when I get home from my job at the health department, I change clothes, walk the dogs, check on the chickens (Speckles has been in the neighbor’s yard alot lately, the grass actually is greener on the other side of the fence), and then head to my studio for 4-6 hours of work. I feel like some kind of a leather working superhero. Not what I have in mind when I consider which superhero power I’d prefer, but these are the kind of things I contemplate when I have exhausted my ears of talk radio, music, audio books and I just need silence.  Last night as I stood staring at a colorful pile of leather scraps, roller cutters and hardware, I thought, what if I had the ability to create order from chaos. I would just close my eyes really tight, maybe spin around for effect, and ka-blam! 4 handbags, two mini-clutches, 5 mens wallets and 4 womens. Wow. That would really help with building my stock for these shows, or with organizing that one drawer in the kitchen, or my shoe closet, underwear drawer, medicine cabinet… But would this orderly superpower help me fight neighborhood thugs and keep the peace? hmmm, maybe not. Though arguably less chaos would help with people’s frustration, thereby preventing them from becoming thugs in the first place. See, and now I’ve backed myself into the corner of organizing thug’s underwear drawers and medicine cabinets.  What the hell kind of super power is that? Not too impressive after all. Plus something tells me that troublemakers have gross underthings. Back to the drawing board.

So this is what I’ve got in store for myself in the upcoming month. Lots of fantastical contemplation, measuring, sewing, cutting,  and stumbling over Banjo. Oh yeah, and then there’s that 10 days in Paris thing. (Two weeks from today!!!) Although I plan to work myself close to exhaustion until then, at least I’ll have a fabulous selection of handbags to choose from!