George Clooney is perfect.

The man is gorgeous, has an incredible speaking voice, is a great actor, and is now the newest United Nations Messenger of Peace.  

George Clooney is perfect. 

A Brave New World

I just made my first EVER donation to a political campaign. 

Please cast your vote for Barack Obama on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008.

Philosophies

I find myself repeating two phrases a lot lately: "It is what it is." and "He/She is an adult.  He/She can figure it out and make their own decisions."

I've been using the first phrase for a few years, but I really am saying it more now than ever.  I know that some people interpret it as a laissez-faire attitude, thinking that I don't really care about what's happening.  I think it's just a realistic way of seeing the world.  Some things you cannot change.   My boss in New York is obsessing about an annual report due to our client.  I understand the importance of this document, but I cannot change Tony's obsessive behavior over it.  It is what it is.   I say this to the boss I see everyday, Bob.  I don't think he believes me.  He holds onto a lot of worries and anxieties.  The man is going to have an ulcer one day.  Maybe it comes with territory of being a boss, but I think it's not a great way to work or lead.  Some days, I can actually feel the cynicism and negativity radiating from him through the rest of the office.  So, I tell myself that I cannot force him to embrace the concept of "letting go".  It is what it is.   He needs to make his own decisions. 

The second phrase emerged last Fall.  One of my best friends worried about what everyone else would think if she left the group at a sporting event to get a break.  Sometimes, large groups can be overwhelming and no one ever agrees to the same ideas. It's a frustrating experience and I completely understand this.  We've been friends for a long time, so I felt comfortable saying to her, "You're an adult and you can make your own decisions."  I saw this relieved look on her face and she thanked me for the reminder.  

Now, I've said this since to other people, mainly co-workers, and I don't get the same reaction.  The statement is pretty blunt, and I never apologize for saying it.  I don't say it to be mean, but as a reminder to people that they are responsible for their own actions.  Please do not ask me for permission for something going on in your own life.    I am more than happy to give advice or to listen to a friend in need.  I can offer knowledge and support.  However, that openness does not give me license to tell my friends, co-workers, or even strangers, how to live their lives.  I have a few friends who smoke.  I never lecture them about it.  They know I don't smoke and know that I think it's an unhealthy habit.  Yet, it's not my place to tell them to stop.  If they ask my opinion, I will tell them the truth.  It is totally up to them whether or not they value my judgement and heed my words.  I'm not one to bully someone into my way of thinking.  I would never make a good lawyer.  

Once again, some people might think that I just don't care.  My view is that we need to take personal responsibility for our own lives.  We're adults. 

Where were you on January 28, 1986?

During the drive home tonight, the reporter on KMOX 1120 reminded listeners that today is the  anniversary of the tragic disaster of the Space Shuttle Challenger.   I was struck by this announcement and I was taken back to that day 22 years ago.  I was in the fourth grade and my classmates and I waited to move to a neighboring classroom to watch Christa McAuliffe's first space broadcast.  We never got to see that broadcast.  Another teacher came into our room and announced that the shuttle blew up during takeoff.  I don't remember much else after that moment, except that my teacher, Mrs. Craven, sat at her desk and cried.  

A gift to myself

I bought a MacBook and I love it!  My HP laptop is three years old and is slow, clunky and kind of heavy to lug around.  I didn't buy the new fancy MacBook Air, just the regular one. It is light-years better than my old PC.  I haven't used a Mac since college - 10 years ago! So, I'm trying to remember to use the Apple command key instead of control.  I'm also trying to remember that I don't need to double-click everything.  

My first big project for the Mac is designing the invitation for Pam and Jeff's wedding shower.  I met with Pam's mom and another auntie and we hashed out the details.  I volunteered to make the invitations and the favors.  I'm a glutton for punishment. =) I'm actually very happy to do this for Pam and Jeff.  Just another duty of the MOH. 

Obama wins SC

Woo-hoo! Barack Obama won the South Carolina primary decisively over Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.  I've believed in Barack Obama since I saw his stirring speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when he was a State Senator for Illinois. I still believe in him and I dearly hope that he wins the Democratic nomination for President.  Check out Obama's latest endorsement from Caroline Kennedy.

U23D

If you have never attended a U2 concert, you're definitely missing out on an incredible experience. I just got back from seeing their latest concert film, U23D on Imax. It is phenomenal. The 3D effect really makes you feel like you are in Buenos Aries with 100,000 screaming Argentines. I dropped by the movie's website last week and I knew I had to see it right away.

I've been to a few U2 concerts and you cannot achieve the same exhilaration through the film, but it's pretty damn close. I still got chills when I heard The Edge's opening guitar sequence for "Where the Streets Have No Name".

If you're curious, here is the set list for the film:

• “Vertigo”
• “Beautiful Day”
• “New Year’s Day”
• “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own”
• “Love and Peace”
• “Sunday, Bloody Sunday”
• “Bullet the Blue Sky”
• “Miss Sarajevo”
• “U.N. Declaration of Human Rights”
• “Pride (In the Name of Love)”
• “Where the Streets Have No Name”
• “One”
• “The Fly”
• “With or Without You”
• “Yahweh”

Enjoy and good night!
at

I Love TV: Cooking, Travel, and Politics

Sooner or later, I will get back to the cruise. For now, I have a couple musings about TV programs. Lately, I have become obsessed with cooking shows, travel programs and political news shows.

For awhile, I religiously watched the Food Network. However, I have rediscovered the cooking shows on PBS -- America's Test Kitchen, Simply Ming, and Lidia's Italy. I find these shows to be more real than the slickly produced 30 Minutes Meals, Everyday Italian and Tyler's Ultimate. For example, in today's Simply Ming, Ming Tsai prepared three meals using the East-West pairing of cranberries and hoisin sauce, and he had is dad on the show. His dad is an engineer and they were preparing a dish to honor Ming's grandfather. A couple weeks ago his mom was cooking with him. It was very interesting to see the difference in Ming's interaction with his mom and dad. You could definitely tell that he was intimidated by his mom's presence in the kitchen. That show, in particular, reminded me of cooking in the kitchen with my mom. Ming's mom is pretty bossy, which I believe is a genetic trait among all Asian mothers. =)

My favorite travel shows are Rick Steve's Europe, Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa, Globe Trekker, and of course, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. God love that snarky and inexplicably attractive foodie. I love the way that Tony can be respectful to other food cultures and yet so self-deprecating at the same time. I was discussing the show with my Thai friend Pam, and we both wondered why he hasn't made it to Bangkok. Or, maybe he has and we've just missed it. Bourdain is a terrific writer and I love reading his blog, particularly his Notes From the Road on the Travel Channel.

Ah...it's getting late and I haven't had a decent night's sleep in a couple days. So I'll continue about political news programs tomorrow.

'Night.

Good friends...

I've only written about day one of the big trip, and I'm already getting distracted.

Today was a very nice day. I woke up pretty late -- 11:00 a.m., caught part of This Week with George Stephanopolous, and had brunch with Laura. We met up at First Watch in Chesterfield. The place was packed, as usual, but we were seated fairly quickly. The service was great and food was extra yummy.


It was nice to sit down and just talk with Laura. Lately, we've been in large groups, or even a group of four, and hardly get a chance to really talk. So, today's conversation revolved around the Iowa Caucaus and the New Hampshire primary and my recent obsession with political news programs. I know that probably bores most of you. As most of my friends know, I'm not an overtly political person, but this year's election really has me jazzed and I actually want to talk about politics. But, I will save that for another blog.

This time I want to focus on friendships. Between last Wednesday and this coming Saturday, I will have been in contact with my six closest friends. Believe me, this is quite a feat for me, since three of them are out of town. Last week, I hung out with Stacey at a going away party for a mutual friend at La Gra in Dogtown. Yesterday, I had a brief catch-up conversation with Jen. This is truly a miracle since she has two kids under the age of two. Today, I talked to Art, my sister, over the phone, while my nephew was chewing on her shirt. Isn't he a cutie? And yes, that's all of his real hair. I've had a few people ask if he's wearing a wig. I think they're only half joking. As I already mentioned, Laura and I had brunch and we also strolled through Best Buy, comparing MP3 players -- for Laura, not for me. We finally came to the conclusion that she's getting an 80GB Classic iPod. It seems like overkill, but the bigwigs at Apple decided to discontinue the 30GB and 60GB models. On Thursday, Jenna is driving in from Louisville and will be staying the night at my place, before continuing her journey to Columbia, MO. Then on Saturday, I will be spending the day with Pam, her parents, her fiance, and her future-in-laws, tooling around St. Louis to finalize wedding stuff. That day will, of course, require its own blog.


I think this a not-so-subtle reminder from the Fates that I should cherish the time I have with my dearest friends. I'm usually content to kick back on my comfy sofa and watch reruns of Mythbusters. But, I do need to spend more time nurturing and cultivating these friendships. The experts say that marriage is a lot of work. Well, I think the same goes for friendships. I can't take them for granted anymore. Most people have one or two close friends. So, I'm pretty freaking lucky to have six. Now, you say that one of those people is my sister, but I know a lot of folks who can't stand their siblings. So, I will always count her in the mix.

It's getting late, so I'm signing off.
Later,
at

Day 1 - St. Louis, Missouri to Barcelona, Spain

Sorry. I got a little sidetracked last week and didn't post a blog as promised. Many thanks to Julie Moyer for the nudge. Here it goes.

First, I'll provide a little background about this trip. Jenna, one of my closest friends from college, convinced me to go on this Mediterranean cruise with her and her family. Jenna's grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2007. They are the sweetest people and I have known them for almost 12 years. Jeez, time does fly. I, in turn, convinced my friend Heather to take the trek. Heather and I were the only St. Louis people in our group. The other 18 are were from Louisville, Kentucky.

Heather and I decided to get to Barcelona a day before the cruise, so that we could explore the city. Our itinerary was St. Louis to Miami, Miami to Madrid, and Madrid to Barcelona. So, on October 25, our day started very early -- 4:30 a.m. Our flight to Miami was at 6:50 a.m. Looking back, I think I would have paid extra money in order to not have so many stops. But, I was the one who made the reservations, so oh, well. The flight from St. Louis to Miami was uneventful. Since we got to Miami so early, we had a really long lay over -- seven hours. I think we spent an hour of that layover trying to get to our gate. This was my first visit to Miami International, and I was not very impressed with the layout of the airport. We killed time listening to music, reading, snacking, and blowing up inflatable travel pillows. The flight from Miami to Madrid was also uneventful. The food on the flight was surprisingly decent. This is only the third time that I have flown overseas, so I don't have a lot of experience with airline food.

The Madrid airport is an architectural wonder. It's just another example of how the U.S. is behind the times in terms of design and architecture. This was just the first of many architectural and design wonders we saw on this trip. Originally, I thought the airport was designed by Santiago Calatrava. The style is very similar to the art museum he recently designed in Milwaukee, WI. However, I just looked up the architect for the airport and it was designed by Richard Rogers firm, out of London. In any case, the airport is truly fantastic in terms of design, but I will admit that the layout of the gates and the signage is not so hot. We had less than two hours until our flight to Barcelona and it took a little over an hour to figure out where our gate was located. Luckily, there were several people from our Miami flight who were also going to Barcelona, so we just followed the big group.

The flight from Madrid to Barcelona was barely 45 minutes. And, here is the first strange occurrence on our trip. For some odd reason our plane did not disembark at the gate. Heather and I were seated at the back of the plane, when we noticed that the back of the plane was open. Our Iberia flight was in an old MD-83 plane, where you can descent a flight of steps from the back of the plane. We were loaded up into two buses and taken to the baggage terminal. I will admit that I was pretty anxious about whether or not our bags would make it through all of the connections. Both Heather and I purposely packed our carry-on bags to include a few days worth of clothing, just in case our luggage was lost. Luckily, both of our bags made it to Barcelona unharmed.

Technically, this is the beginning of day two of the big trip. So, I will leave you at this point. Come back in a few days and we'll dive into the meaty part of Ann's Mediterranean vacation.

Later,
at