NYR 5-5-11 - welcome to my soapbox

I have struggled with the celebrations that have been going on since bin Laden's death. Do I believe he was owed justice? Yes. Do I believe he got it? Yes. Do I need to celebrate and gloat over a person's execution? No way. But I know from reading Facebook posts and newspapers, I am in the minority on this issue. So I've kept my mouth shut and just haven't commented on anybody's posts.

This morning in the online edition of Charleston's Post and Courier newspaper, I read this article that hit the nail on the head for me.

For this writer having the ability to speak for me, I am truly thankful.

Thus endeth the soapbox lecture. Thank you.

NYR 5-4-11 - happy birthdays

Today was a friend's birthday and for her birthday present, I took her for a manicure. The place we went was kind of strange. It used to be a mens-only salon with some weirdness going on, but I got a gift card from there for my birthday and learned that it now takes women (even though its name is still Macho's. Weird, I say.).

Anyway, we went and had wonderful manicures. Women here wear lots of dark fingernail polish. Not cherry red-based, more brown or purple-based (to my untrained, unartistic eye). I decided to go native and chose a polish that looks like it could be fresh blood. It's kind of growing on me and I find myself staring at my nails for extended periods of time, which is not normal behavior for me. They're like extreme sports fingernails for me - very startling when they catch me by surprise.

After manicures, we met the rest of the gang for lunch at a French cafe where I had divine French onion soup.

I love birthdays, even when they're not mine. For getting to celebrate all kinds of birthdays with all kinds of people, I am truly thankful.

NYR 5-3-11 - pot roast v.2

Over the weekend I made a most delicious pot roast and tonight we had leftover pot roast in the form of the most delectable sandwiches I have ever eaten. Honestly this recipe is delicious as pot roast, but heated up, shredded and put on a fresh baguette, smothered in gravy?

W.O.W.

For a yummy sandwich that was so good that I had to eat two (!), I am truly thankful!

P.S. I am really happy that I played tennis this morning in a real class with my real teacher as that makes me feel slightly less guilty about eating two HUGE sandwiches.

NYR 5-2-11 - a teacher workday = fun

Today was a teacher workday at CGB so Mac and I had a full day of fun together. We were scheduled for back-to-back tennis lessons, but my tennis coach had strep throat so Mac and I played tennis with a friend and her son. I use the term "played" very loosely. It was a lot of wild balls and flying racquets, but the boys proved to be great ballboys. They didn't recognize that as work... yet.

Afterwards, I took Mac and his friend to eat at Subway (I know. We're living large) and to see the Disney Nature film "African Cats". The movie was dubbed in Spanish and the boys bought my story that these nature films have more "doing than talking" until about 30 seconds into the film, when they realized there was a lot more "talking that doing" and they weren't really understanding the "talking". I promised an ice cream cone if they'd just sit quietly so as not to disturb the surprising number of adults in the theater at a 1pm show on weekday. The ice cream cones seemed to erase any bad thoughts they had about seeing a movie in Spanish.

For a great day with my boy, I am truly thankful.

NYR 5-1-11 - a day of rest

For a lazy day at home where my biggest accomplishment was Magic Erasering the walls to get rid of dirty little handprints, I am truly thankful.

P.S. I know that one day I'm going to miss having little handprints to clean; however, I wasn't feeling that so much on Sunday.

NYR 4-30-11 - a blast from the past

In this very transient lifestyle we've enjoyed for the last 13 years, it's easy to feel like once we move on, we lose the friends we've made. Sort of an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. Now I know this isn't true because we've been very lucky (with a little effort thrown in) to often run into friends we've made over the years.

Over the last week, a good friend from Guadalajara days (1999-2001!) was in Bogota with the international shipping company he works for in New Orleans. We haven't seen Mac (a different Mac than our son) since our return road trip from Guadalajara to DC when we (severely) detoured through Miami (where they'd moved) to stay with them for a few days. So it's been over 10 years since we last saw Mac and Wendy.

Until Saturday!

Mac had to work all week - funny how those business trips really are all about work - but we got to take him out for a few hours of sightseeing on Saturday and then he came over for a little dinner party/bbq on Saturday night.

You know how with some people it doesn't matter how much time passes before you reconnect? Like it seems as if you were together yesterday?

Well we could have been sitting in Guadalajara for as comfortable as our reunion was and as much fun as we had with Mac. A decade was nothing in the scheme of things.

For new friends and old friends, I am so truly thankful.

NYR 4-29-11 - the wedding

I am pretty sure I was meant to be born British. Not only British, but a monarchy loyalist, which I believe isn't all that common in Britain. I love the idea of queens and kings and princesses and fancy castles and palaces.

It should go without saying that I was very tuned in to all - and I mean all - the royal wedding news. I had the royal wedding website bookmarked and checked back constantly for late-breaking news, I checked People.com's "Royals" tab nonstop, I devoured the articles in Vanity Fair magazine that appeared every month for the last few months, I studied photos and news articles, etc.

I could have been a commentator next to Meredith Vieira with all the information I knew.

You want to know Kate and Will's school records? Got it.

Little sister Pippa's history? Done.

The trouble that Kate's uncle got in that almost cost him an invite to the festivities? I'm your girl.

Needless to say, I wasn't going to miss a second of the coverage on Friday morning, which meant I had to get up at 3am in Bogota.

YAWN.

Also needless to say, nobody in my house got up with me at 3am. These are the things that you miss when you have a boy who really has no interest in fairy tale weddings between a commoner and her prince.

SIGH.

Thankfully my high school friend Dara was up and on Facebook throughout the festivities and she was a most excellent viewing companion - better than anybody in my house would have been had they gotten up.

I loved everything about the wedding - the dress, Kate's hair, William's uniform, the sermon, the flowers, Pippa's dress, the bridesmaids and page boys. I loved looking at Victoria Beckham's sour face and wondering if she and David had a fight on the way to the church. I loved seeing all the guests arrive in their fancy dresses and hats. (The only dresses and hats that I thought were hideous were those worn by the cousins, Eugenia and Beatrice. I don't know what they were thinking on those choices.) I loved watching the recessional in the carriage. I loved the kisses and watching the family watch the military flyover.

It was a dream wedding and I was riveted.

After it was all over, I went to a British friend's house for a little party. It wasn't a dressy party, but she and I decided to "dress up" at the last minute. Then at the very last minute, I realized I didn't have a hat (except a floppy beach hat which would surely not work for such a monumental occasion) nor did I own a fascinator.

BUT I'd just seen a piece earlier in the week on tv on making your own hats and fascinators so I went to raid our arts and crafts closet.

Then I remembered that I hate arts and crafts and that we don't actually have a well-stocked arts and crafts closet. I prayed that there might be some feathers in there for some strange reason, but it turns out no birds have landed in the closet and left behind feathers. So I had to make do with pipe cleaners. It definitely wasn't the most beautiful fascinator but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, right?

the hostess (with a real fascinator) and me (with my obviously homemade fascinator)

the spread which included scones, cream, and homemade-by-the-hostess bramble jam

For still believing at the ripe old age of 40 that fair tales do come true, I am truly thankful.