Pursuing Adventures

Lazy Sunday Morning

Having the perfect cup of coffee and waking up.  I wish the sun was out.  This is such a contrast to last weekend where we were frying.  It would be nice if it was more consistent and didn't go from hot to cold to supreme heat. 

The truth is that it doesn't matter as this morning I woke up remembering last year where I was in agony from my shingles.  I am sighing a sigh of relief that I am on the mend and that I can be around people.  I wasn't allowed to be around people for a whole week and had to cancel my Memorial Day party.   The party tomorrow is on, rain or shine.  It will be nice to just chill with friends.

It was fun to go grocery shopping with Sheila yesterday.  I just love spending time with her.  It's always so relaxed and the time just flies by.  It seems we have a good time whatever we do.  I feel so lucky to have met her and have some a good friend who lives close by.  It's going to be hard when she is away for so long but I am so excited that I get to take care of Lucy.  She is going to stay with me next weekend!!!  I am not sure if I am ready for the 5 am wake ups but it will be great :-)

Ok, I have to run to the store and pick up charcoal and a couple of other things I didn't get yesterday.  I also need to clean the grill so I will probably have to shower twice, which is not good when we are rationing water.   

TV is just one source

I was waiting for the girls at Ozumo and ordered myself a nice glass of wine.   Right besides me were these two Brits.  I tried to tune them out but they were loud.  They were complaining about all the travel they were doing to the US.  I sat there quietly and laughed.  That must have been 6 months ago in the UK.   I guess there is balance in the universe.

Then the complaining began.  First, how awful US TV is and what cracked me up was that they were criticizing a US show, House, where a very well known Brit plays the leads.  They then dissected US News and how when you are here, there is nothing happening in the rest of the world. 

I've had so many discussions on this topic.   When I first moved here, it was so strange how much of the news was local.  I am thankful for the Internet to supply me with a global view of the world.

Breathing Once Again

I feel that I can breath again.  I just love being home and in my own element.  And a new chapter is starting.  I have 2 weeks off and then I start my new adventure.   It's time to get a routine and focus on what I really want.  I just managed to get an extension and have a full year before I have to get back to the craziness.  I made it happen, which I still haven't really registered yet.
I am getting ready for the family visit.  I need to get the house much more organized than it is right now.  I can't wait for them to fix the garage door tomorrow.  It was so idiotic.  I had such a meltdown during the power outage.  I totally lost it and went nuts.  I broke the door trying to get the car out.   I am sure they will flip one switch tomorrow and all will be ok.
I have been reading all this stuff about diet coke and trying to kick the habit.   It's kind of scary to see all the side effects and sparkling water can be a good alternative for the carbonation.   It's just so amazing how one day something is ok and the next day it can kill you

Eating Out with the Guys at Alan Wong's

My group was running late and was totally dysfunctional.  Why is it that you always have to wait for men?   I had to call and let them know that we were going to be a bit late and they sounded very annoyed.  Not as annoyed as I was though!  I some times wonder why I bother organizing these dinners with my colleagues?
But I had to try this because of all the Yelp reviews and I am glad I was fully prepared for the location.  All the taxi drivers know where this establishment is and it's strange to have to take the elevator up.
They were very gracious when we got there and they also had run out of some dishes.   No one was starving so we didn't do the tastings.   The waitress was super attentive and the wine we had was really nice.  Everything I had was wonderful and since I didn't pick up the tab, I have no idea if it was pricey or not :-)

Why do I do this?

So I signed up for a dinner and I will need to get dressed soon and go. I am going to be positive that I will meet really fun and interesting people who have exciting and happy lives. And then I wake up and look at myself and say: "what the hell was I thinking?"

My shingles are really bothering me today and hopefully they are not trying to also ask me this question.
When I went for my lunch meeting, I saw this small blue plastic ball with ridges by my car and I was puzzled at how it got there. When I got back, I saw a whole bunch of them in the pond. So I took the pool pole and fished about 100 black and blue spiked balls out of the pond. How did they get there? Who put them there? Very strange. I am not on the street so someone would need to come up here and do this on purpose. Freaks me out a bit. I left them next to the pond so Mike can look at them and tell me what he thinks. A mystery.

I've gained weight so getting dressed in this heat is not appealing to me at all. But the clock is ticking and I need to leave the house in 12 minutes to get there on time.

Just got home and another total non-event. I was actually the last one there and a whole 4 minutes late. What can I say? There was a group of cute guys whose table would have been fun to join. One even looked me over!
So there were 6 people this time:

Mark who has worked for the Coast Guard for 22 years and is trying to figure out what he wants to do when he grows up ... he has 8 more years before he can cash in. He was very nice but geeky.

Bill who was cute but shy and very feminine. He works in IT for an insurance company. He sat across from me so I didn't really get a chance to talk to him. He kept smiling at me

And OMG, John, who was so obnoxious. He was a court reporter who sold his house and loves not having any roots

Kathy was very quiet. She introduced herself as a CPA with a daughter

Mary told us that she one more week in a marketing communication role with a financial services institution. She has 2 teenagers and has to sell their home and doesn't know what she'll do ... John jumped in right away with investment tips that took about 15 minutes. I think we all felt bad for Mary but it was odd ... maybe this attracts a guy? and then there was me ... can I say more?

I took a deep breath and hoped the next 90 minutes will be bearable. I seemed to be of interest to the guys who were questioning me about where I've lived, my job, my travel, etc. I tried to bring it back to the other women, especially since I had zero interest in any of them. I had a tomato dinner theme. I started with the gazpacho and then the heirloom tomato and mozarella tower. I was the odd ball as the rest either had meat loaf, pot roast or penne pasta (3 orders). They all commented that my tower looked like a burger and I was just missing the bun. It was missing a lot more. I just kept thinking about how I made a child's wish come true through the silent auction and that the rest doesn't matter.

So I need some advice, should I keep doing this? I feel like such a freakin snob but I have so little in common, so far, with the people I've met and it's starting to get annoying rather than funny. There has not been 1 person that I want to even hang out with.

Life is good in Barcelona

Leah and I are sitting in her amazing new place, which is so fantastic I can´t describe it in mere words. We´ve been consuming nice quantities of Verdejo, which I´d highly recommend to anyone who loves wine.

She also introduced me to orujo de hierbas which is so yummy ' it´s actually a digestive herb drink that gives one a decent buzz and is also good for you. How can you go wrong?

Anyhow, it´s 9 pm and we should be heading to dinner in the next hour ... Life is excellente in Barcelona

Learning to Play

I now realize that I am responsible for my own joy and that it comes from very different sources than what I grew up believing. The last 5 years have been an amazing journey of letting go of past beliefs and realizing that my happiness does not come solely from another person or my possessions. Our society is obsessed with things that are new. Beginnings tend to be celebrated more than anniversaries. The new iphone is a great example of this obsession. People lining up days before and getting a ton of media coverage because of a new toy on the market.

I am learning to play more and being kind to myself. And much of what it involves is letting go of old beliefs and rules. Last night was so much fun. Sheila organized a birthday dinner at Thirsty Bear in the city and it was such a great evening, full of laughs and great friends. It felt very special and I am grateful for all the wonderful people in my life ... those who celebrated with me and those who were there in spirit!

This is so stupid

First of all, I gained weight when I was sick. Nothing fits and it was so uncomfortable to wear pants that used to be loose that were digging into my skin on my nerve area. I just took my drugs when I got home so I hope I make sense.

What a disappointment tonight was ... I think I am going to give up soon. They had 5 different tables at the same restaurant in the city and mine totally sucked. There were 2 really cute guys when I got there but they were at another table.
There were NO cute/decent guys at my table. They ask you to dress up and one of the guys showed up in jeans with his work polo shirt. He works at a frame shop! We had so much in common! He was upset that he forgot to record the next food network star. Then, there was a guy who had a nice personality but was totally into himself. He was on the large side and I found out that his size was associated with him being a chef instructor. There were no sparks but at least he was a bit worldly. He was having an orgasm over his food, especially the fried calamari. I was wondering if he should get his own table. He had studied the menu online and already made his decisions on what he was going to order. When I turned down my glass of complimentary wine, he asked me to get it so he can have it. I complied. The third guy was an engineer with a start-up. He was interesting. He was born in Yemen. But we had nothing much in common. It was a very long evening. One of the first questions was how long people have been members. The frame guy was the longest at 2 years ... I would shoot myself!
One woman arrived late and I talked to her on the way out and she was actually interesting but I never got to talk to her during the dinner. The third woman was strange; I could tell that she didn't like me and made a face every time I spoke. I had the least in common with her. I wonder if people look at the mirror before they leave the house ... I am going to sound awful but it does create a first impression. Her purse totally clashed with the rest of her outfit.
I am going to try one more time and then go talk with someone. I wrote a flaming feedback but to the organizers but don't know if anyone will take notice. I could run such a better business than this ...

Stepping Out

I just want to sleep some more but the nerve pain woke me up. Kind of sad. Maybe I can get 1 more hour since I went to bed late? Last night was fun. It was great to get out of the house and get back among the living.
Last night was fun. We had some good sushi in Walnut Creek and it was so great to be out. I tried to ignore the pain and the itchiness and just enjoy. We decided to walk around before the play. Amy was craving a peppermint patty so we went in search of one. We found a new Belgian chocolate store instead. Not a bad trade off since I don't really like peppermint patties. We were like two little kids and before we made any decisions, a man stuck his head into the store and told us he'd be there in a minute. He came in and we told him we hadn't decided so he said he'd wash his hands. I would like him to wash his hands regardless! He was in his 50s and had this great spirit when he tried to push samples on us. I tried a white chocolate truffle, which turned out to be my favorite. It is Belgian chocolate!! We got our chocolate and a laugh from this man who told us he was retired, didn't own the shop and didn't mind giving us samples. We took our $8.42 stash and headed to the theatre. I did notice that I still can't walk real fast ... I hope I can get on the treadmill and go for a walk around the reservoir real soon. With all the chocolate, I can't keep getting wider.
There was something that happened yesterday that was different, apart from being able to leave the house for a few hours (which deserves a huge celebration!). I looked for parking on the street but when I couldn't find any, I decided to park in the garage ... I don't like garages. When I drove in, I gave the guy $20 and when he gave my $18 in change, he told me that I had to get my car out before 3 am. I laughed and told him I'd be gone way before then. He said: "you never know." I agreed. I parked my car and then took the stairs down when I saw hi again. He smiled (he was young and tall but worked in a parking garage) and said, "hey maybe you'll meet a tall basketball coach tonight. Just remember that we close at 3 am." I laughed (again) and told him that it was highly unlikely. I walked to the sushi restaurant with a big smile on my face, passed Massimo Ristorante, where I had my last lousy dating dinner, and laughed about that too. After the chocolate spree, Amy and I passed by the garage on the way to the theatre and there he was again, smiling at me.
The play was funny. It's called How the Other Half Loves and is written by Alan Ayckbourn, the play explores the comic aspects of infidelity in marriage. The cleverness of the script resides in the concept of dividing the stage as through a prism, showing parts of two houses, one upper crust and the other lower middle. The result is showing two households at once where the wife from one couple and the husband from another deceive their spouses of their affair by using a third couple, who are then inadvertently drawn into the deception during two separate, though concurrently staged dinner parties.
How ironic for the two divorced women. And this is the subscription she had with her ex and she got in the divorce (and so did I!). So far, I have gotten shit and shingles from my divorce so it's nice to live through someone else (especially, my best friend).
It was long and it was hard for me to sit still but I tried my best to jump into the stage and the story and ignore the stabbing and irritating spasms. I couldn't wait to get home and get all these clothes off so my skin could breath! I said my goodbyes and went to my car. The garage is bizarre; it's as though you are driving on the wrong side in London. I looked at the 2 booths and decided the one on the left would be faster. I got my ticket ready and there was this guy again. I said, "see it's way before 3 am and there is no coach here." He smiled asked me if I was single and then told me to wait. He said, "I had this ready in case you came through." He handed me a business card and asked me to call him. Boy, that was so cool. I felt 16 again that even though I had shingles, someone connected with me. I have to be honest, I haven't looked at the card yet. I was too busy smiling. I forgot it in my car and will look at it when I head out in an hour ...

Astir Palace Athens

I got to Athens last night and the resort is incredible. I am watching the sunset over the ocean right now and it is breathtaking. I am also taking it easy. The antibiotics have slowed me down a bit but I am finally starting to heal. I left home without knowing that I had a bad poison oak infection on my arm, which got worse and worse until I went to see a UK doctor who medicated me.

I am going to attempt going to the beach tomorrow. It looks so inviting and I can only imagine the pain of putting my arm in the water but I also think it will be healing with the salt water. I am going to start with the least affected area and see how I do! There are also a lot of areas not in the sun to just relax in. If all is ok, I will do the same on Tuesday until everyone starts arriving.

Today, my friend, his wife and 2 year old picked me up, showed me around and then took me to a great Greek restaurant right on the beach. It was so much fun. The food was also healthy and yummy; although we finished lunch at around 5 pm. There was a breeze today so it was heavenly.

All the tourists have gone home. There are no children at the pool today. Although the cabana by the ocean is taken. I will go there later when the sun isn't so strong. It's nice to be here before my 120 closest colleagues show up and the fun begins again. It never ends in the corporate world.

Weekend in Singapore

I need to book a 3-week vacation at a resort where I can balance my healing and spend time writing and thinking. When the noise stops, I am clear.
So, this week I am at the Four Seasons in Singapore. The corporate rate is $99 so how can you go wrong? I love this hotel. It's always soothing to be here. I had a fantastic massage yesterday.
Yesterday was a turning point for me. When you are unclear, that is what you attract into your life.
I flew here from meetings in London and had a horrible flight on Singapore Airlines. No upgrades so I got stuck sitting next to this neurotic woman who was sneezing all over me. It was one of the longest flights of my life. I can't believe they don't fly us in business but saving money for the bottom line is much more important than taking care of the people.
I can't believe the number of times different waiters have asked me if I wanted magazines or newspapers even though they see me writing and reading my book. I guess they are confused by a woman dining alone on a Sunday. Sitting across from me is a family (parents, grandma, two boys and a girl) attacking the lazy Susan laden with dim sum delicacies. The waitresses are bustling around. They keep pouring my tea. I feel bad. I am on my second pot of tea.
My stir fried veggies just showed up! The chef just came out to talk to me. He offered to make me a special meal tomorrow. How amazing! I feel so great today. I think it was the massage; they had a specialist here from their Maldives resort.
Just got back to my room. Wanfred, the waiter, told me as I was leaving "work smart, don't work hard."
I want to go walk around. I am dreading doing work. But the main reason is that it is so BORING. Maybe it will motivate me to do it faster?
Some random thoughts:

• Do I want a life that is safe or one that is authentic?
• When you forget your past, you will repeat it
• Nurture yourself
• Be outrageous in considering possibilities
• I can change my magnet. I can change what and who I attract to myself

Lazy Saturday in Budapest

Saturday, sometime at the Four Seasons in Budapest having breakfast or lunch. Just taking it easy, not fully awake. An older couple in their 60s is grumpy, demanding their food and complaining. Apparently, they have three minutes before they have to leave and want their food. They are complaining to everyone about the awful service. The waiters are paying incredible attention to them. I don't want any of this negative energy any more. The older man in the purple checked shirt is shoving roasted potatoes and beef in his mouth while reviewing the bill in his left hand.
Anyhow, I don't need any drama. I am focusing on the bread, which is amazing. It's so wonderful not to be rushed today. No plans. Just rest and joy for the body and soul.
Last night was really fun. I was supposed to have dinner with Lisa but ended up with another 5 people from the Latin American team who I just love. It was a very fun group of people and I was delighted when Lisa and I decided to leave the first smokey and very pink restaurant that some of the other guys took us to. It's hard to get into a restaurant without a reservation on a Friday night.
I have to start recognizing how truly lucky I am and what I have instead of focusing on qualities and area that I feel lacking.
I think that JD is finally realizing that I am serious and I am done. He is panicking. He is also extremely angry and that is what I am most tired of. He has no concept of my needs or anything beyond him. Realizing that he hasn't meet my needs forced me to take care of them has forced me to take a close look in the mirror and realize that I have a dependent rather than a partner. I am doing a great job of taking care of me.
There are so many tourists outside. I am going to join them when I am done eating. Just start walking and exploring.
I was expecting to fly home from here but we have another fire drill now that will take me to Toronto. On Monday, I will pick up some underwear in Toronto and get my clothes cleaned.
I am the only woman on her own at the restaurant. It's either groups of men or women, couples on their own and couples with their babies. This is a heaven for men who are interested in beautiful Hungarian women who provide a host of services. It's all easily available for the man.
This is the first time in my life that I have been happy on my own and just enjoying my quiet.
The ginger and pumpkin soup was amazing and now, my tuna and avocado sandwich with spicy paprike chips just arrived. So I need to take a break. Savor the flavors and the experience. Am I enjoying food more now that I am not in a rush to appease my over achiever personality or is it just that this food is exceptional?
Existing and not worrying.
When I first looked at the menu, nothing jumped out at me. But I made 2 great choices!
On Thursday night about 100 of us got on three buses to go to a tourist trap. The drive was great with a 40-minute tour of the city. Then, dinner was ok - a bit too heavy and the dancing really bothered me. It didn't feel authentic. At dinner, Sebastian pulled out two photos of his twin 3.5 year old girls. He shared that he was on his "second adminstration" and has two older children from the first administration. I just loved his comments and insights.
Time for a walk.

Breakup Diet

I just found this ... kind of funny ... a few years ago, I thought that I should start a blog on the break up diet since I was losing weight. I just found this on my Hhard drive and thought I'd post it here to have a record of it ...

I saw my reflection in the mirror at Nike Town in NYC today and I was surprised by the person looking back at me. I saw my "new" and yet "old" me (prior to my second wedding) right there, smiling back at me and admiring the pink walking shoes I was about to buy. I have been having problems with my husband for the past 14 months and my wake up call to how stressed I was and how much I've lost touch with myself came when I was diagnosed with "costocondritis," an inflammation of the rib cage. I searched the Internet and found that while no one real knows what causes it, stress has a lot to do with it.
All of a sudden, the physical pain let me see how much unnecessary baggage I have taken on from my husband's past. That can be a blog on its own. And now, 14 pounds lighter (and at a size 12) just from changing my eating habits and cooking differently, I am feeling better and still want to go to the journey of trying to drop another one and maybe even 2 pant sizes! So I am starting this blog to share my adventure of how I am trying to get my life back ... and maybe even my body ... one day and one recipe at a time ... I will post a life changing recipe and a food recipe when I can. I travel quite a bit for work so I will post recommendations for eating out and specify the type of cuisine and city ... so here goes the beginning of The Break-up Diet ... Recipe

#1: Yummy Broccoli with Garlic and Shallots
When I am home, I go to the farmer's market every Saturday morning to get the freshest fruits and vegetables. I love being able to buy directly from the farmers.
Ingredients 3 large shallots or 6 small ones, thinly sliced
6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (you can also used the frozen ones from Trader Joe's)
1 head broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets
8 Shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt Pinch red pepper flakes

In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots. Once the shallots are golden, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until they also start to turn golden, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the broccoli and cook until crisp and coated with the oil mixture (depends how cooked you like it). Add the salt and pepper flakes and stir to combine. I some times make brown rice to go with it and scoop the veggies on top.
Eat this dish for dinner 2-3 times a week. You can always add tofu, chicken or shrimp (which I am deathly allergic to so you won't be getting many shellfish recipes on my break-up diet). Enjoy since I am going to order a salad (with dressing on the side) from room service!
BUD (break up dieter)

#2--Grilled Tuna

2 Tuna steaks

Fresh rosemary

Fresh parsley
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
Coarse salt

Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Rinse and pat tuna steaks dry. Place zest on top of cutting board. Pile rosemary and parsley leaves on top of zest. Pile garlic and some coarse salt and black pepper or grill seasoning on top of herbs. Finely chop the garlic, herbs, and spices. Drizzle the olive oil over the tuna steaks just enough to coat each side. Rub herb and garlic mixture into fish, coating pieces evenly on each side. Let stand 10 minutes.

Grill tuna steaks 6 minutes on each side or 4 minutes on each side, if you prefer pink tuna at the center. Cook steaks over: high setting on indoor electric grill, medium high heat on outdoor gas grill or, 6 inches from hot, prepared charcoal.