Weekly Winners Sunday 2/22/09

Weekly Winners, hosted by Lotus.

Click pics for better looking larger images or take a peek at the entire album and/or watch as a slideshow at this link.

I'm still traveling (Chicago and Indy), so I'm still behind on blogs, but I will get caught up next week.

Soulful


One Home of a Chicago Dog


Inter. View.
(this one)


Hoosier Daddy


New Friend with Old Friend


To Market


Unplain Wall


Easy Oven Chicken Fajitas
Shredded whole rotisserie chicken, 4 chopped bell peppers, 2 chopped onions, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 cups frozen corn, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 cup salsa, fresh cilantro (to taste). Mix together on roasting pan, drizzle olive oil on top, bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve on toasted corn tortilla (with cheese if you love life).


Rockstar

JET Hopeful

I'm still visiting family in Chicago and still way behind on my blog reading. This will continue to be the case until at least early next week. To those still reading and commenting while I'm not being reciprocal, many thanks!

Yesterday was the main reason I made the trip out here at this exact time - the JET Program interview. I keep promising more info, and this is just a quickie post, but basically, I've applied to go back to Japan for a year, got the interview and will now wait until April to find out. If I go, I'd leave in July. The suit looked good with my dad's input and that of my dear friend J who knows these things (and who I'll see today!), the shoes were hawt, and I really think I answered the questions pretty well, even if it took me 20 words to say what I could have said in 5. I get nervous and give longer answers while thinking my way to a good one, I guess. Still, overall it went really well, and I even got to speak some bad Japanese (no Japanese required, and I did fine with the basics but kind of botched the harder stuff, which might actually be kind of a good thing since I'd be there to teach English, and they aren't looking for someone too very fluent who might use too much Japanese). I never count my chickens before they hatch and never assume I'm a shoe in for anything, but I do feel pretty good. Competition is tougher than it was 14 years ago when this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but now they allow folks who've done it before to do it again up to age 40. If it doesn't work out, of course I'd be really bummed, but it's also not my only option and not even one I'm 100% sure I'd take, though I'm leaning that way.

Yes, it would be more apartness from Tom, and we discussed it at huge length back when I applied, and he couldn't be more supportive. If I go, he'd be visiting me and hopefully twice, and he has always wanted to visit Japan anyway. This avenue makes it more likely we'd ever get to see Japan together. I would have regretted not trying to do this thing again since everything has lined up in a make some lemonade with some of these lemons and a little sugar kind of way - I'm 36 without the children and minivan I dreamed I'd get to have, I'm unemployed and between jobs instead of mid-career that wouldn't have allowed such a break, I've already left the Portland area I'd called home for about a decade and just arrived in Tulsa where I'm not yet firmly implanted and entrenched. Most of all, and this is the sugar, I have a man who supports me fully and wants me to never have any regrets for not pursuing this big maybe. And he's not just saying that.

There is more to say, but it's time to head out and get on the road. Things are icy up north where we are, and I'm headed south to get my car and to make the trip out to Indy to see my dear friend J, easily my favorite person on the planet. Some of you know that I met him on the JET Program in 1995. Lots of good things come out of an experience like that, and while I expected to learn much about Japan and living abroad, I didn't expect to get a best friend out of the deal. If I get to go back again, who knows what I'll take from the experience this time. We applicants are sometimes referred to as JET hopefuls.

That's probably an understatement.

Already

(If you aren't caught up, I drove to Chicago last Thursday. This is where I grew up and where family still is. Also, it's the place of an interview for the Japan thing I keep mentioning.)

Growing Up

Already this trip home has been so full of so much growth. A few of the things are those I struggle with but generally do not post about here for a few reasons. Maybe you can read between the lines or relate just in general. Maybe not. Suffice it to say I'm growing up and have had another approximately annual notch added to the belt that holds up my big girl pants. This time I think I've really turned a corner. We'll see as time unfolds itself. Yes, this is all cryptic on purpose (unless you were on Plurk the other day while I melted down into a puddle of crazy and was talked off the proverbial ledge). Maybe someday I'll expand expound further over on the private blog where I wrote shortly before the move from Portland to Tulsa, but today I feel good about me being exactly who I am again, so I'm rolling with that. And I have coffee. And room to grow more now that I'm in that mode.

Meetings, Secret and Otherwise

[Picture Was Taken to Go Here, but Turns Out Meeting is Secret. Gah.]

Already this trip home I've met an old high school friend. Old boyfriend, actually. Prom date. We went with my dad to lunch. Amazing how much is different and how much is the same. Of course I mentioned I'd be going to lunch with the old flame to my dear Tom, who didn't mind a bit, but the old fart flame kept it secret from his wife, as I found out after the lunch. Wow. I'm so grateful for the kind of honesty that Tom and I share. I may get to meet another high school friend or two yet this trip, but maybe not. And I'm OK with that. I did meet another on the way to Nashville the last trip. Time moves on, and so do I. On Thursday I will be heading to Indianapolis to see one of my best friends. I only have two and only one that I get to talk to regularly. So that makes him pretty damn special. There are few secrets between us, either. Y'all who've been reading awhile know him as my dear friend J, who did the Chantix thing, told me about it and in that way is part of the whole regular blogging thing I started doing when I took that route to quitting smoking over a year and a half ago.

Meeting Lou!

Annie, Zach and Lou

Already this trip home I've met another blogger, a favorite blogger of mine and of many. The one and only Lou of LouCeeL. As a wonderful bonus, I got to meet Lou's bright son, Zach, who asked such wise questions about Japan stuff because I've been, might go again in July (big maybe) and because he hopes to go. Really neat kid. I also got to meet Lou's warm and wonderful wife, Annie (aka She Who Must Be Obeyed - or what sounds like "swimbo" when Lou says it). Imagine the one in charge of being married to all that is Lou. Yep, that's Annie - funny, sweet, warm but able to shoot some pretty serious glances his way to keep him in line, too. In two words: Awesome Annie. I went with my dad. That's a whole chapter in itself, but my dad thinks that while the rest of this whole knowing people online thing is probably comlete bullshit with fake profiles and whatever else, he thinks Lou and family are not only the real deal, but are some of the nicest folks in the world. The rest of you are my imaginary friends. Whatev. It was such an awesome time with much easy conversation and hugs all around (well, my dad did the handshake thing), and Lou does give the biggest hugs. Maybe bigger than Mishelle (who I got to meet a little over a week ago!), but maybe they are tied in that category. Not sure. I hope I get to meet them both again at the same time to compare. Lou's version of our meeting is here. While in Indy, I'll hopefully get to meet another blogger, Tabatha, another that I'm sure will be the real deal.

Warmth for the Soul

Pure Goodness Woman, my dad, me

Already this trip I've gotten to see a woman I haven't seen since my mom's funeral 14 years ago (though she's been in touch with my dad), a woman whose very soul is pure goodness. In the years that ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) slowly and cruelly paralyzed and eventually stole my mother from me way too young, this incredible woman was there for our family, always. I will never forget what she did and what it meant or the lesson I learned about how grand is the small gesture of bringing food to a family in turmoil. Without ceasing and for as many years as the devastation is continuing. This is a whole other nother post. For now, I'll just say it was a delight to have breakfast with someone who makes you feel good just being with her and who knows all the gossip but never has one unkind word to say about any person. Ever. It's like it's all filtered through her goodness filter before it leaves her mouth. Amazing. Inspiring.

Already this post is longer than I like to post, but it's been a trip full of a lot. Already. And there is more yet to come.

Weekly Winners Sunday 2/15/08

Weekly Winners, hosted by Lotus.

Click pics for better looking larger images or take a peek at the entire album and/or watch as a slideshow at this link.

Maggie's Chicken Picata


I've already posted some of the Nashville pictures so that there wouldn't be a million here, but there are still a bunch, even after much narrowing down and down and down. Plus a few from after Nashville, too.

Lotus in Action
Nashville, TN
(if you click and enlarge, you can see the shot Lotus is taking)


Mishelle in Action
Nashville, TN


Six Windows
Nashville, TN


Two Windows
Nashville, TN


Nashville Cowboy
Nashville, TN
(if you click to enlarge no other shots, do click twice to fully enlarge this one)


How a Bench Sees the Waterfront View
Nashville, TN


Pink Kickers, Lil' Style
Nashville, TN


Reflecting on a New Tattoo or Body Hole
Nashville, TN
(see picture below)


That Which Was Reflected
Nashville, TN


Souvenir Maddness
Nashville, TN
(one of the shop folks got a little upset at one of the photo walkers for taking a shot or two inside the store, so I stayed outside and just got this madness mess of reflections and stuff shot instead)


Two Views for the Price of One
Nashville, TN


Drugged
Nashville, TN
(slightly different from the other shot)


Honky. Tonk. For. Realz.
Nashville, TN


Gifted
Nashville, TN


Lamp at Hotel Preston
(one last look on desk before checking out)


As if driving 10 hours from Tulsa to Nashville wasn't enough, I left on Thursday to drive about 11 hours from Tulsa to Chicago.

Sun Rising
(just outside of Tulsa, OK)


Illinois Will Always Feel Like Home


Yes, I did get to meet Lou on Friday night. That picture and story will be coming separately as time allows while I'm still visiting in Chicago. That also means that my commenting on blogs will be super limited, too. I'm checking in where I can and sometimes reading from my iPhone without commenting, but I will catch up. Eventually.

On the Go

I've been digging through 350 pictures from the weekend and trying to get caught up on seemingly everything in the world (including blog reading - woefully behind barely covers it) while also trying to get a million things on my list ready for the drive to Chicago this week. If I don't dump out some of my pictures and empty my mind of the past weekend, my mind my explode, and that would make it kind of hard to do the Japan interview, which is the main reason for the Chicago trip. Yes, more info on that is forthcoming. One thing at a time.

We got an early start Saturday morning heading Nashville (10 hour drive with stops), and thanks to the fact that 2008 was the year that I gave in and actually started using Facebook, it worked out that I got to see someone I haven't seen in over 20 years along the way between Tulsa and Nashville. Turns out an old classmate owns a Harley dealership. That's just plain cool.

We arrived in Nashville just as BlissDom 09 was wrapping up, and I ran into Lotus (and Braden!) in the parking lot literally just as we were pulling up and just as she was leaving. This was a very big deal to me because she's a favorite of mine, and the impact her Weekly Winners project that I do every Sunday has had on my life is indescribable. Almost. I did describe it once.

While the last speaker was wrapping up, the awesome VDog came out to greet me (and to save me from the awkward lurking around without a hall pass lanyard thingy) and gave me the hugest hug. Soon after that, I finally got to meet Rebecca whose pictures have always blown me away. When Mishelle came out, there were more hugs, at least one while jumping up and down and trying not to scream. Once the speaker was done, I got to meet Colleen quickly in the crowd and craziness (we got to hang out more later).

I got all dressed up (possibly over dressed, and I. Don't. Care. because it was fun) and headed to the lounge where the cocktail party was happening. Later Tom and I did a double date with Mishelle and her husband, and had a really great time - good food, good laughs, good beer, good wine and we came away feeling like we'd really made good new friends, even the guys.

(this photo by Mishelle, who is in the middle, and I'm on the right)

Back in the lounge after dinner, we got to spend some time talking with Colleen and staying up until the place closed at whatever time that was. I just know it was late and that I was not entirely sober.

After breakfast, there was the photowalk in downtown Nashville, and it was a blast. It was my first time visiting, and I just loved the feel and all of the beautiful architecture. There will be bucket loads of pictures on Sunday, but here's a peek.

Lotus and Braden Photowalking


We hit the White Castle on the way out of Nashville since it's been forever for me and never for Tom, and he actually liked it! That kind of dispelled my belief based on 30-some years of research that people who didn't grow up eating White Castle didn't like it.

Bellies full of badness that tastes good but that later turns on a body, we headed out and saw some beautiful skies.




The muffler had been getting iffy (and, truthfully, had been rigged even to get the car from Oregon to Oklahoma for the move back in December), and while it sounded kind of scary-ish, it stayed intact the whole way home, and we came home to an intact home as well. Those last 5 minutes of returning home always feel like someone has hit my anxious button while I start to imagine returning to something Very Bad (or, worse, to nothing at all in the event of theft, fire or some other Even Worse Kind of Very Bad Thing).

The muffler has been fixed, so if I knock on wood really hard, I should be good to go for the drive to Chicago on Thursday. I'll likely get some time for blogging while I'm gone, and I'll be trying to keep up with all of y'all as time allows in time pockets between visiting with family, freaking the hell out preparing for the interview, getting to meet Lou (omg!), then visiting one of my best friends in Indy and getting to meet Tabatha (from way back when I started regularly blogging the Chantix quit). Whew. I need a nap. And coffee.

Weekly Winners 2/8/09

Weekly Winners, hosted by Lotus.

Click pics for better looking larger images or take a peek at the entire album and/or watch as a slideshow at this link.

If all goes as planned, I'll be in Nashville while you are reading this, not at Blissdom itself, but hanging out with some of the ladies who did get to go.

Chicken with Mushrooms
(bucket loads of mushrooms, actually - click title for recipe)


Still Obsessed
(see earlier post)


Not a Pinecone


Up

Haiku Friday 2/6/09

俳句の金曜日

my heart jumps for joy
online friends to become real
can't contain myself

saturday nashville
four or more I get to meet
at long last, such joy!

(then there are two more
the following week or so
more on that later!)

i've tried to explain
sometimes feeling like a nerd
not all folks get it

blogs connect people
through words and poems and pictures
sharing lives and selves

my monitor's seen
tearful eyes and great big smiles
while I've read along

these are real people
they're online friends, but they're not
imaginary