Back in Business

It's been over a month since I posted, and this time I am not going to make that empty promise to post more frequently, because right now, I know that is unrealistic. What I will say is that I will make an effort to post more than once a month, and hopefully write at least once a week (again, possibly unrealistic). So there. My explanation for slacking is that I've started working more often-balancing my chosen career with the waitressing job-and have actually begun the process of really working on our wedding.

The wedding planning so far (after already getting a caterer and venue) has entailed fun stuff like looking for a dress and figuring out decorations, but this coming week is about locking in lodgings, and officiant, and entertainment. Scary stuff, but we're ready! So there, B, that is the wedding update! Not so exciting yet, but I hope to post some good stuff soon (though the best place to look is the wedding website, or the phone of course!).

To catch up since my last post, the month started with a trip to D.C., courtesy of my dad. We met there for an annual meeting of his specialty professional group, and I learned a lot about a very interesting area of work (that he thinks would be great for me to get into, and that is quite a hot-button issue in Detroit-labor unions). I enjoyed the meeting, though I struggled at times to understand what was being discussed. You think you know what's what about things, that you can wrap your mind around anything given a few minutes to digest it, until you step outside your little patch of the world and find seemingly infinite worlds of information, practice, and belief; which leads me to my favorite quote to sum up living in this universe: "The complexity of things - the things within things - just seems to be endless. I mean nothing is easy, nothing is simple." Apologies to Alice Munro if I misquoted!

I throw that one out there when I need a wise soul to commiserate with over our overly-complicated world. Maybe a simpler quote, from a certifiable wise soul, is "There are more things in heaven and earth...than are dreamt of in your philosophy." (If unsure of origin, drop everything and read Hamlet now.)

When I wasn't participating with my father in meetings, or contemplating the cosmos (see above), we sure made good use of our time. A VIP tour of Congress; a trip through the National Gallery (see an art critic contemplating, below); an (always fun) train ride to and dinner in Alexandria, breakfast at the Mayflower; touring of Ford Theater (where President Lincoln was shot, and where Dad and I did our best to blend in with the enthusiastic Japanese tourists); chamomile tea with the Dolly Madison (or a very good historical reenactress); not to mention our awesome launching point at the Hay-Adams Hotel (the only better place would have been the White House a hundred yards to the south of where we laid our heads after a long day).

I went to D.C. once before, with my older sister. We stayed in Maryland and took the train in that time. I have some words of advice when it comes to touring D.C. Stay in the city because it saves you that travel time, especially if you are a chronic morning dallier, like me. And if possible (and by the way, I did not pay for my own flight, so take this advice with a grain of salt and a peak into the pocketbook), fly into National (a.k.a. Reagan, if you thought trickle-down economics worked). You can take the train to the city in fifteen minutes from National! Try that from Dulles or Baltimore, just try it! Final word of advice: see the Mall in daylight, sunset, and at night. But especially at night, when those miles of white marble shine through the darkness, when Lincoln's temple looks its most lincoln-y, when the Washington Monument shines with possibilities reaching to the stars, and when the energied rush of the city has taxied off to the suburbs or to heat up the streets of Georgetown, allowing you to contemplate your country at its symbolic and political beating heart.

D.C. has an Eastern Market, which we did not go to, but that apparently bears some similarity to the farmers and artisans market of the Eastern Market of Detroit, one of my favorite places in my home city. Yesterday, the Fiance and I took his sister and her two children, and his brother and brother's girlfriend to the market. They all seemed to like it - what's not to like? There is something for everyone! I bought some butternut squash, swiss chard, and a big basket of carrots for about half what it would have cost at the grocery store (all told maybe $3.50). And shopping accompanied by live music and people-watching rather than cart-bashing. But alas, Good Girls Go to Paris was not at the market (maybe because it's getting chilly?), so instead of crepes we ate at the Russell Street Deli right by the market sheds, which was awesome! I had an Avocado Melt, continuing my trend of ordering my meal around the inclusion of either avocado or goat cheese. This deli was right up my alley: real maple syrup and no high fructose corn syrup!!

But before our foray to the Eastern Market, and after returning to Detroit from D.C., my mom came to visit me here. I don't think she was exactly impressed with the city, but we had hard time with some logistics. We go to a store on Monday to read a sign "closed Mondays," etc., etc.! And she bemoaned all the driving that had to be done in the suburban sprawl of Motor City. We did get to the U of M v. Purdue game. That was fun. I love college football - if pro football had marching bands I might say the same of it. Other than the game and a brief foray into Detroit (with a stop on the interesting Belle Isle - I definitely will go back), we mostly hung out and talked, always a nice thing to do! I was sad to see her go, and look forward to another visit from family, though I'm not holding my breath on seeing anyone else before the wedding next October. Below is the conservatory at Belle Isle. There was no docent (no sign of anyone in charge until we came across a man watering some plants about 30 minutes in), though that just may be during the fall/winter months. It was very peaceful, but not nearly as well kept as the active Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor (institutions attached to the powerhouse university seem to weather the recession better that most). However, the slightly unkempt Belle Isle conservatory had a deserted, wild, and melancholy feel that seemed to fit the city it inhabits.

I end this post with a note on Thanksgiving: I am thankful for the year that has passed so far, with a change from a steady income but no time to spend with family, friends, or my new surroundings, to a life that is less economically certain, but heading in the right direction in all possible ways. I went from what I still see as a dead end to a world full of possibilities (if not the security I desire). I was able to spend more time with many members of my family than I have in years. I have done new things in my career, in artistic endeavors, in exploring Detroit and other areas of Michigan, and I have learned good things about myself in the process. So, if I don't say it again, thank you to all of you who had a part in my ever-changing, ever-interesting life! I hope I have had a positive effect on your year (and life) as well!

More Provacative Vegetables

"That looks nice," the strange man on the street said, nodding at me while he paused so his dog could sniff a hydrant. Under normal circumstances, this comment would be ignored or met with a stern look. But this time, the man wasn't referring to me. You see, this happened in Kerrytown, the Farmers Market district in Ann Arbor. And I had in my hand the coolest vegetable I have ever taken away from any produce market...brussel sprouts still on their two foot-long stalk! As I made my way to my car (2 blocks away), I received a few more fresh looks, but the lookers only had eyes for my fresh veggies.




In other vegetable news, I finally came across the Mennonite farmers who sell the amazing carrots again. I asked the man if he comes to the farmers market every week, and where his table usually is (he moved on me!). He assured me they were there every week, but moved around. I said, "You have good carrots." He said "Thanks." I bought two bunches.

Wedding Bells will Ring (Next Year, That Is)!

It has again been a very long time since I wrote. I have been directing my attention to creating a wedding website, after Fiance and I finally chose a date and location to be married.

The wedding will be "Up North," which is, from what I understand, anywhere north of The Thumb (we are now looking at the top of our left hand - a surprisingly close-to-scale, very "handy" representation of the state of Michigan). The wedding will take place somewhere around the upper right corner of the ring finger (how appropriate!). For those who don't wish to locate airport, lodging, and attractions via cuticle and knuckle landmarks, I suppose we will provide addresses and maps, though that takes some of the mystery and romance out of it.

Below is a picture of the barn from a cornstalk-lined road. We hope for a sunny day, but one can never tell in Michigan! (I think I've mentioned before how every state I've lived in claims that saying "If you don't like the weather here, wait 5 minutes." And I can say with authority, that all those states stole the saying from the peninsula state of Michigan (okay, maybe Florida has a valid claim too).

We liked the relaxed vibe of the area, the rustic charm, and the lack of pushiness, among other things. We juxtaposed our visit to the barn with its polar opposite-a visit to Castle Farms (which locals call "The Castle"). It is a wedding factory! Not in the good "this is a great location anyone would want to marry in" either. No, Castle Farms is a faux castle on the state highway (we could hear trucks wizzing by when we were outside looking at some of the gardens where presumably, you must urge the harpist to crank it up to hide the noise). We took a quick tour of the four venues, which are all booked on the same day. And because the Castle books four weddings per day, they choose the time of day you get married based on the room you rent (King's Quarters is 5 p.m. sharp, Queen's Tavern is 3 p.m., no negotiations, military precision) so as not to intersect with another wedding party.

The thing Fiance and I couldn't understand is why so many people choose to get married there. When the (very nice) on-site planner looked at our desired dates, they were already booked for all four times that day, a year in advance! I am sure that when they decorate the castle in the couple's personal style, it is lovely, but the pictures on the internet site are much nicer than the actual venue. We found the opposite to be true with our barn - the pictures on the internet don't convey its appeal and simple beauty.

Fiance is a little worried fall will come too late next year for people to experience the changing leaves.

If that's the case, though, and it's warm, then we may get out on the water (lots of surrounding lakes, including Michigan and Huron) without freezing to death!

No matter what the weather (except please no snow!!!) we are most looking forward to a gathering of loved ones and are excited to let the planning begin!

On a more somber note, the cornfield is gone! The only corn we actually ate went into soups, due to its chewiness. But when fall arrives in Michigan, people start serious corn decorating, so we followed suit, and killed the cornfield (my baby!).

And our doorstep.

HAPPY AUTUMN!

Where Have I Been??????

It's been 3 weeks! This neglect won't happen again! So, where have I been? Here, there, everywhere. A little east coast last month, and a little west coast this month. I went to San Diego to ring in my dad's 60th birthday with him and family. It was lovely! See...?

We went to the zoo, where we saw these flamingoes dancing...

We marvelled at an awesome aircraft carrier and a neat soldier statue on the harbor (and again were reminded of the HUGE military presence in the city-not the first thing you think of when you think SoCal).
And we went to the aquarium in La Jolla, from which you can see forever...
Most of all, I enjoyed just hanging out with my family. The memorable times often happen during downtime, whether surrounded by wise elephants or groovin' flamingoes, surly balloon artists or sad seahorses, freeway traffic or miles of sand and surf.

When I got back, I had one day to decompress, and it's been run, run, run ever since. I feel like I am wearing my own personal groove into the M-14, hustling back and forth between Wayne and Washtenaw Counties. I met with my clients (I need more!), attended a 2-day trade convention (learned that it is necessary to sink way more money in!), networked with a fellow tradesmen, got a fever and then got better, became more involved in my literacy volunteer organization (I'm a mentor now), got a different waitress job (did not put too much effort into that one), paid my bills, reorganized my office (was a disaster), reorganized basement (still a disaster, but a neater one), dog-sat, and slept a little. So, I hope that answers the question posed in this post's title.

As for the corn crop, I'm hoping that we don't get a frost for at least another month. I have some small ears and some big ears-the big ears are the ones that have received the most direct sunlight. When I walk in the cornfield now I can actually smell corn-it is really cool! Also, our tomato plants are still yielding, after 3 months! Either it's beginner's luck, or we really do live in suburbia's promised land. Here's the latest in corn-if you look closely you can see the cornsilks and follow their origin to the growing ears!

Ode to The Line, a Debriefing of The American, and a dash of Tomato Porn

Before I get to tonight's topics: today, my first paying client...paid me! And now, stuff that is not as exciting.

Tonight I stood with about five others in a slow-moving Line at the library, impatiently waiting my turn while reminding myself that I really hadn't been waiting that long. All of sudden a rogue stepped up to the counter just vacated by another patron. The problem with his sudden appearance at the counter: he skipped the Line! He had simply ignored the sign that read "Please form one line here" and blithely sallied up to the counter at the end farthest from the hanging directive. Others in Line grumbled a bit, while I pondered the lack of character, to be so unaware of one's surroundings, much like bad drivers on cellphones or those merely daydreaming. Or perhaps he was from Europe or some such place, where people congregate around a desired purpose in a frightening absence of longitudinal order. Well if so, he had been in the U.S. long enough to get a library card, and probably long enough to wait in Line at the DMV (ha! he could not have survived skipping that Line without some bite marks or bullet holes, right L.L.?). Regardless, we said nothing as the man readied his books and library card, though this faux pas is one of the few remaining that inspire patriotic ferver in fellow Lineholders....but wait! A man, clearly a regular geek/patron of the library (takes one to know one) said politely, with a slight tremor, "Sir, the line forms over here." Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! The man grabbed his things from the counter, turned, and made his way to the back of the line in an agreeable manner, no scowl to be detected! And the last semblance of American public civility lives to fight another day.

Speaking of American/European clashes (real or imagined), I finally finished Henry James' The American. I must say, I almost gave up about halfway through, when it appeared that absolutely nothing would happen. So our hero Newman travels to Paris to hunt down a bride after having accumulated massive wealth as a "commercial man" in the U.S. circa when steamership was the way to go. He makes some friends and proposes to Claire de Cintre, a titled young widow. Her family begrudgingly allows the engagement, and the story plods on with nary a hint of coming drama (okay, there were hints, just wanted to say nary, and the hints were few and far between). Newman is irritatingly happy and good-natured. I suppose he is the Everyman (the New-Man) American travelling abroad, risking language and etiquette gaffs along the way. Well, his Parisian acquaintances prove disloyal, snooty, and wrapped up in stupid things like gentry, which I think is the point James is trying to make. The good guys in the story get the short end of the stick, except for Newman, who ends up good-natured and relatively happy, until the very last line of the book (don't bother trying to impress your friends with your book knowledge by reading the first and last lines of the novel, it doesn't work with this one, you will have no idea what is going on). Was this review helpful? I think not. Did reading The American make me a better, more enlightened guest at cocktail parties? I think not. Do I wonder why there are people who devote their careers to studying Henry James? I think so, and I welcome their venom (maybe someday I will learn to appreciate James, possibly by reading another of his novels...but that day has not come, especially when my reading time is occupied by such fantastic modern work like The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie!).

Last but not least, some saucy Tomato Porn. Well, it is a fetish of all in-season vegetables, but Tomoto Porn is much more sonically enticing than Vegetable Porn, and tomatoes are far and away my favorite. Don't worry folks, what you are about to see is not obscenity, which we know is illegal, but simply some tasteful photos of recent footage from behind the garage and at the farmers market. Feast your eyes on this from the Ann Arbor Farmers Market:

And this behind my own garage:

Animal Attack Part II

*My artsy take on the Massachusetts State House*

I have been back home for almost two weeks and finally have a chance to sit down and write. I've been busy starting my own business while waiting tables (sob!) a few days a week to generate some income until I can generate my own income without schlepping food I could make better at home (the fiance and I have become quite uppity about our own food preparation skills). But I have my first client lined up, so things are moving right along!

Boston was lovely! I forget how vibrant some cities are. Detroit, not so much. I spend quite a bit of time in Ann Arbor, which is pretty lively, but Detroit itself can be a bit of a downer, and while my suburban home is no downer, it is pretty sedate. However, it was nice to come home and get working again.

We went to Boston to go to a wedding in a beachy area north of Boston. We road-tripped there, a good 12+ hours each direction, all through beautiful, green-lined highways practically free from traffic until the Boston burbs. We stayed in Essex, a cute town on a marshy river, at a hotel with loads of personality (I could tell by the website and the room prices that it was b.y.o.shampoo!). Can you see the Massachusetts-appropriate name of our room?

We were right across the two lane road from Woodman's, a popular seafood restaurant that had the best scallops I have ever had, and some darn good lobster too. I had lobster every day. I miss eating lobster every day. Here is a picture of a 3 pounder the fiance picked up for lunch one day, eaten at the picnic tables on our hotel's waterfront lawn.

The wedding was gorgeous. It was held at the Crane Estate, which has been featured in movies requiring a super-fancy giant house, like The Witches of Eastwick and Flowers in the Attic. The ceremony was beautiful, overlooking the ocean, and the reception was nice, until we were ATTACKED by swarms and swarms (and swarms and swarms) of mosquitoes. The wedding bartender gave me ice to bring down the swelling on seven or so bites on my back. I had more than 50 bites and looked like I had the chicken pox. So I tucked away some hard-won info for planning my own wedding: either it's going to be before/after mosquito season or it will happen in a land free from nature's most questionable creation. Here is the view of the lawn leading toward the ocean from the reception patio (not the best picture, but the others had flash malfunctions).

Other than a lovely but itchy wedding, we checked out downtown Boston's historical sites. I took this picture in the Granary Graveyard (Cemetery?). I took reams of photos at this and other cemeteries. The gravestones are so cool, very thin and most displaying a skull and/or bones.

The only mediocre part of the trip was Salem, a place I would not have chosen anyway had I been travelling alone (I'd much prefer seeing Concord, being the book-reader that I am--Alcott, Thoreau, Hawthorne, oh my!). Salem is not even the site of "Salem!" The witch trials apparently happened in Danvers, not Salem. But I did have a tasty lobster roll in Salem, so it was all good.

Last but not least, Niagara Falls. We debated back and forth about going or just skipping it, but the quintessential, road-trippy, American-ness of it won out, and we made the detour. Worth it!

Back in the D

We are back from our trip to Boston. It was great. We had some chowdah, lobstah, and a beah to go with the food. We saw some historical sites and beautiful scenery, all of which I will detail with pictures when I am not so tired!