gamine_girl

Where is that "dining room table"!?

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 03:03:07 GMT

Too funny ... LJ automatically made my location below, "dining room table," a hyperlink to Google maps. So I clicked it to see where it thought I was. I'm apparently at the Elk's Lodge: Ruler's Table Dining Room in Lincoln, IL. How fun! I should have a Manhattan in my hand.

Oh, and just to share a laugh, here's what Onni has looked like for about a half hour now ...

An oldie, but a goodie

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 02:52:50 GMT

I know, I know. It's been a very, very long time since I've posted. Too much going on! Exciting stuff, but stuff that keeps me distracted from my Live Journal. (Although I will admit that I have a bit of a YouTube addiction. Looking up a favorite 80s tune, "Wee Rule" by the Wee Papa Girls, somehow leads me to watching Queen Elizabeth give her televised tribute to Princess Diana the week after her death. Before I know it, an hour has zipped on by. How the hell does that happen?! Well, it's the bomb, and I'm a junkie.)

So, on to the good stuff:

Well, the humidity has returned with full-force to Connecticut, which means I couldn't stand my hair. So, I got it chopped today and it feels great!! It's very, very close to my favorite-cut-of-all-time from Rob in Chicago about four years ago. Here it is! Ta-da!

I feel like me again. I cannot say enough how happy I am to have found someone who can cut this crazy hair of mine and not make me look like a porcupine.

But I do have a bit of a hair-rant. Having to do with banana clips. Remember those (speaking of the '80s)? Ya know, that plastic thing that inspired Geordi's "special glasses" in Star Trek, The Next Generation? If not, here's a reminder:

I have seen two women, yes TWO, wearing them in the past three months. Granted, they were both in New Haven (not NYC, mind you), but it totally freaked me out. Are these things coming back?! First the female mullet and now the banana clip?!

Thank god I just cut off all my hair.

Flowers, flowers, everywhere

Thu, 10 May 2007 01:11:55 GMT

It's been another month of ups and downs ... but the major ups have had to do with flowers! While it took FOREVER to get here, spring finally arrived to CT and I loved it. We must certainly be in another "zone" (as Ginger calls it) than in Mich & Minn. I have never seen so many flowering trees as there are here. It's totally amazing. Magnolia's came out first, then the cherry & crabapples, and now the dogwood. But it was the cherry/crabapple ones that I loved so much. Take a look ...

've never seen a tree as beautiful as this one ...

We also took a walk down to Wooster Square in town (per the poetic urging of one of Mike's professors) ...

The bunches of flowers on the trees looked like pom-poms to me ...

It's been great.

PLUS, I got to go up to Boston for "Art in Bloom" at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) ... and I have to say that the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) blows the MFA out of the water. Ginger went to Art in Bloom last week at the MIA and there were nearly 200 floral arrangements!! The MFA barely had 60. PLUS, it cost a whopping $15 to get in, plus $20 for three hours of parking! The MIA is free!!! So, you Twin Cities peeps, you'd better give the MIA all your love, because it's totally deserving. From now on, I'll be making the trip back to the MIA for Art in Bloom.

As for the downs from the past month ... well, as many of you know, our friend Karie's cancer grew over the past three months even while she was undergoing super chemo. She had surgery last week and they removed a bunch of lymph nodes, about half cancerous. Once she heals, they'll start radiation. It just sucks. But, it's Mother's Day this weekend, which means it's the Breast Cancer Walk. Karie is on her way to Chicago to walk it with her mom. I totally admire her strength and determination.

And my littlest nephew, Zachary, has had a couple seizures over the past week ... while there are still more tests to be done, the neurologist thinks he has Benign Rolandic Epilepsy of Childhood. Meaning he will hopefully grow out of it when he's a teenager. And his parents can opt for well-tolerated medication to help prevent the seizures. I adore my sister's kids. So, it's been tough being so far away.

But, I downloaded my photos from my camera over the weekend and remembered that little Zach had my camera for quite a long time when we were at my dad's house ... and there were lots of interesting photos on there. Like this one:

And this one (his muse, "Kitty"):

There's nothing like the laughter of children you love to make your day brighter ...

To all my friends and family ... love you!

Madness and turkeys

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:41:22 GMT

So, the world to totally messed up right now. The news is utterly depressing. I was listening to it on my way to work this morning ... when I stopped for a red light at an incredibly busy intersection. While listening to the latest update from Virginia Tech, I looked to the little park on my right and there was a flock of about six or seven wild turkeys poking around. I've seen them before along the roads here in CT, but not this close (or with as much time to observe them). They were really pretty. I know that sounds crazy ... but watching the one who looked the proudest waddle around, then stick his head up high and shake out his shiny, colorful tail feathers ... well, it made me happy in the simplicity of it. After days of wind and rain and more rain, the group finally came out of their hiding spot to catch some of the fleeting sun and get on with their lives.

I just hope we can do the same.

Random thoughts ...

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 01:45:51 GMT

We've decided that "spring" isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's a major tease, really. One day it's warm and sunny ... birds are chirp-chirping and flowers peeping! Then it turns to cold and rainy ... with icky mud and drizzle that messes up your eyewear even when you use an umbrella. Frankly, it's too extreme and I'll be happy when it's over.

Which is kind of how I felt about the month of March. Well, this particular March. (No offense to those who celebrated birthdays in March!) It was a month of extremes ... real ups ... real downs. I mean, I got tickets to see one of my favorite bands of all time ... finally found a sexy, grown-up place to have cocktails in New Haven ... and got to spend some major QT with my parents, sister and nephews & niece. But, then people around me experienced such major sadness in their personal lives ... work was totally out-of-control busy/stressful ... and I missed my original plane home to Michigan and had to buy another ticket (but thanks to the generosity of my parents, that didn't hurt my wallet as much as my heart).

But, through it all, thank god for my rock, Michael ... and the familiar voices of dear friends hundreds of miles away ... and the hugs of my family.

And so I've stopped killing myself over my work. I leave by 5:15 ... 5:30 at the latest. We make dinner together and talk and laugh. I chase Onni around the apartment.

I call up Ginger and go from funeral-home-depression to haircuts-gone-bad hysterical laughter...

I realize I'm alive and have so many blessings.

Oh, and at the top of the list is, finally, a decent haircut.

I'm so glad it's April.

A date with Sting, Andy & Stewart ...

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 03:04:18 GMT

... is set for Tuesday, July 31!!!

I got into some sibling rivalry today when my sister emailed that she had tickets for the Mpls concert ... so when I got home, I immediately got on my computer and breathed a huge sigh b/c tickets were still available for Hartford. I got my pal Cindy on the phone and she agreed to go. Woo-hoo! This is going to be so awesome!!

The only thing that would have been better is if us three siblings could have had our act together and bought tickets for all of us to see them in Detroit. (It's already sold out.) That would have been so very, very fun. So many family summer vacations have The Police as the soundtrack to my memory.

Hair adventures in Italy and Korea (via Montréal and New Haven)

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 04:00:53 GMT

So, maybe I psyched myself up too much about my Montréal haircut at Funky Toque. It all started out really wonderfully with one of the best shampoos of my life. There was this black recliner/slide kind of thing that took away all the pressure you normally feel in your neck during a vigorous shampoo. Plus there was a head message ... a real treat the morning after your birthday.

My stylist was an Italian transplant named Nicola (sp?). He was very attentive to my description of what works and doesn't with my hair, and really studied the pictures I brought ... but once he got going he said the eleven words I'm really sick of hearing: "Your hair is a real challenge to cut, it's so straight!" He even exaggerated the point by adding in his broken English, "Like nails!" I knew that wasn't a good sign. He was just too timid about cutting too much off for fear of how it would behave. By the time he was done I really didn't feel like I'd had a cut ... however as the day progressed and the hair products wore off, it became clear that I had the dreaded mullet. I couldn't believe it!! I had been warned: My cousin's wife got a mullet when she got her hair cut in Montréal a few years back. What's the hell is up with that?!

So, as Michael put it, it's time for me to develop a real relationship with a stylist in New Haven. And when things don't work out, I'll be able to go back and talk about why. And I've decided that I'm sticking with Asian stylists. Mayline (back in Mpls) understood my "like nails" hair and could cut the heck out of it and still make it feminine. So with my Canadian mullet, I returned on Monday evening to JK Hair Art in New Haven and my new stylist Julie, a native of South Korea. While I don't think she really understands a word I'm saying, she understands my hair. She cut the back off with no problem.

"How many hair cuts can one girl get?" Michael asked when I got home ... "Until it's perfect," I said. Or you run out of money.

While my new style isn't nearly as short as I had wanted, it's at least not a mullet and not spikes (no photographs of the mullet were allowed). I'll keep working with Julie to get it shorter ...

And just in case you forgot, here's what it looked like last week:

Anniversaire merveilleux à Montréal

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 03:22:57 GMT

I can't believe it's already been a week since we were getting ready to go to Montréal. We were very fortunate to have wonderful weather the whole time we were there (and for the drive). Granted, it was cold, but it was sunny. It was great to visit a city that has a real winter, with lots of snow and crisp air ... but I'm so happy to no longer live in one!
Here are some highlights (my haircut will have its own journal entry):

They speak French! While I'd read all about the francophone/anglophone rivalry, I guess I didn't realize just how francophone the city really is ... while everyone can speak English, the first language is certainly French. I was actually surprised by how much wasn't translated into English. But I loved it. It felt very foreign ... and only six hours away!

We stayed in the Old Montréal neighborhood along the river and it is historic preservation at its best. Too bad cities in the US didn't embrace this before they ripped everything up in the name of "urban renewal." We were initially a little worried about staying there, as we'd heard it was touristy and cold (since it'a long the St. Lawrence); but maybe it was the season and the winter festival happening in the neighborhood that made it feel very alive ... even at 20 degrees and below.

French is one of our favorite cuisines and we really went all out. For my birthday dinner, we stayed within walking distance of our hotel, starting with Cuban rum and a sample plate of Québec cheese at a small bistro. Then we went to Bonaparte a few blocks away (voted one of the most romantic restaurants in town) ... and sat in a little nook at a window overlooking the street. We both had the tasting menu and it was incredible. Lobster bisque with fresh ginger, shrimp and scallops with a vanilla sauce, goat cheese wrapped in phyllo dough, filet mignon with peppercorn sauce and a trio of little French desserts (mine had a sparkler). We were stuffed after the third course, the servings were so huge, but we just kept eating ... and eating ... and eating ... we blew all our money on food and liquor. And it was worth every cent! However, we decided that we maybe ate too good: We didn't eat poutine, even though we tried. (Poutine is a type of Canadian junk food, made a couple of different ways, but mostly including french fries, gravy and cheese curds.)

Aside from my haircut, we drove around checking out the city (since there was just too much to cover in a day), hopped out every now and then for window shopping and eats, and made it to the top of Mont Royal to go on a little hike and take in the view. It was great to see people walking down city streets with their cross country boots on and skis/poles in hand ... and parents pulling little children in plastic toboggans (sometimes the kids were sleeping ... remember playing in the snow until you were that exhausted?). The city neighborhoods also had some quirks ... like the marquee that read, "Holy Fuck 3." We never figured that out, but it was funny to see the cars slow down and heads turn as they passed it.

But, I'd have to say one of my favorite moments was riding one of those plastic toboggans down a 100-yard slide made out of ice. It was one of the free activities at the festival and was well worth the wait in the freezing cold. Mike and I got to race each other ... but it didn't matter who won ... it was just pure joy. The bumpy ride ... the smiling faces watching you as you zipped by ... the cold air in your face, making your eyes water ... I haven't laughed like that in a very long time ...

OK, so that's a good summary. Here are some photos ...

Our beautiful hotel ...

A room with a view ...

The view from the top of Mont Royal (yes, it was really that cold, but there were tons of people out playing!)

The socialized health care system at its finest ...

The ice slide!!

Mike at happy hour at the hotel ...

We LOVED these little pickles that came with the bread and butter at the French bistro we went to on our second night!!

Warmed by wine, Cuban rum and electric heat lamps! Just what every winter festival needs to keep the crowds out past sundown!

The six-hour drive through Upstate New York was really beautiful. The Adirondacks were amazing. This is the view across Lake Champlain at Mt. Mansfield (ele. 4393 ft.) in Vermont:

Hair cut in TWO DAYS!

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 02:23:22 GMT

We leave for Montreal tomorrow and my stylist at Funky Toque awaits ... but I still haven't decided what I'm doing ...

What my hair is like at the moment:

Here are my ideas ...

Any votes?

Car Drama

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 02:13:30 GMT

Well, I believe car drama must be running in the family at the moment.

I finally decided it was time to become an official Connectican (or "Nutmegger") and get my driver's license and car plates/registration. Connecticut requires an emissions test (for the car, dummy) and I guess that "check engine" light has been on for a reason all these years. so, LuLu failed her test and got some new tubes and a "knock sensor" ... all to the tune of about $400. This will be on top of the $100+ for the registration, $100+ for the driver's license and about $400 for the New Haven "personal property tax" on the car! I will be eating cheesy rice and canned green beans for the next month.

But, as my mom wisely pointed out when I called her pouting on Saturday (b/c I woke up too damned early on a Saturday just to have my car fail the test then go all the way to the DMV to find out they were closed for Prez Day weekend) -- $400 to get it fixed is a helluva lot cheaper than $400/mo for a car payment. She's so damn right!

Oh, and the windshield wipers on Mike's car have decided to stop working, too. They make a very odd noise ... but stay put. So, his car is going to the shop tomorrow ...

Snow Day! (well, sort of ...)

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 03:08:28 GMT

It finally looks like winter-time in Connecticut!

We got some of that big storm that moved through ... coming from Minnesota, it was pretty funny to listen/watch everyone hype it. "Oh my GOD! We're going to get THREE INCHES!!!!" I got up early to go to a special breakfast at a fancy downtown hotel and it took me less than normal to get there. Worst part is always cleaning off the car. Some people in my office didn't even make it to work b/c of the weather ... Crazy!

I guess now is a good time to clarify exactly what it is we got. It's not snow, really, it's the kind of sleet that comes down in a significant enough quantity that it covers the ground like snow ... ya know? It's stopped now

Holy crap! Mike and I just jumped out of our seats b/c the wind is blowing so hard that the draft broke the seal on our 3M plastic window treatment! It made an incredible "pop!"

So, like I was saying, the sleet has stopped, but now the wind has really picked up. I actually think driving will be much worse tomorrow b/c they don't have enough plows and stuff to clear the roads. So all this junk is going to freeze tonight. It reminds me of Muncie (ugh). Guess it will be another early morning.

Speaking of which, I'm exhausted. Worked almost 12 hours today and I'm so pooped out physically and mentally that my body actually aches. Plus I got a major workout scraping my windshield ... even enlisted the help of the security guard who walked me to my car. ;-)

Night, night. Happy birthday to Sarah!

The Reunion of All Reunions!

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:31:31 GMT

OK, first of all, I know. Mike and I are freaks. We don't watch television and don't tend to be totally up-to-speed on pop culture. What we don't get from The New York Times or NPR (or the covers of those trashy mags at the store check-out line), we pretty much don't get. However, I did try to watch the Grammys last night. However, we only get in one station: ABC. Which was absolutely no help when the Grammys were on CBS. (But is very helpful for the one show that is my guilty pleasure: Ugly Betty!)

When I got to work and saw that The Police reunited for "Roxanne," it was all I could do to not immediately run to my office computer, go to YouTube and watch the video! But, that would not be appropriate use of my Catholic hospital computer, so I resisted (the Catholics are getting to me after all!) until I was at home and my earbuds snuggly in place. And then, what's this talk about a REUNION TOUR?! Seriously?! I was just a pup when they broke up, so I've never seen them and it has always been a dream of mine ... so, I wait anxiously to hear the details. I'll have to find a date to go with ... since Mike isn't into live music and probably wouldn't be willing to pay what these tickets are going to cost ... PB&J for lunch for the next year!

I still have The Police "Every Breath You Take - The Videos" on VHS. It's probably rightfully my brother's ... but I think I've watched that video more than any other in my entire life. Maybe I'll watch it this weekend and feel nostalgic for my youth ... (sigh)

Hair & Politics

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 01:58:21 GMT

So, an update: I LOVE Live Journal!

I posted to a Canadian fashion community asking for ideas for Montréal hair stylists and got referred to a Montréal-specific community, which has a “hairdresser” section! With just a little research there, I didn’t even need to post. I’m geeked! I have an appointment at Coupe Bizarre on the 24th. I told the reception that I’m into Tokyo styles, so he booked me with an Asian stylist he said is awesome. Even better, after some added effort on Map Quest and Google Maps (Canada is a whole ‘nother country, ya know), figured out that the salon is super close to where we’re staying. Woo-hoo! Again, I’m geeked.

So now that’s planned, we got a Montréal travel book to plan the rest of our short weekend. Mike’s friend Vipul went there this past summer, so we’ve also asked him for his top 5 (granted summer vs. winter in Montréal is quite different). My pal Lynn (a Canadian native) was there last November and we also got some ideas from her!

On the politics side of my brain, I have to admit that I’m totally inspired by Obama. I watched his announcement on the web yesterday and I even swelled a little with emotion. We are the generation that can change things! I’m so sick of the current establishment (oh yeah, did you see how they are now saying that the bombs in Iraq that are killing our troops are supplied by Iran? Makes for a great case to bomb Tehran, ‘eh?). Anyhoo, don’t mean to get myself going … but, I’ve been saying for years that the Dems have lacked inspiration … that the political leaders on a national level lack it … but Obama, he’s smart, he’s dedicated … might be new to Washington, but couldn’t that be a good thing? I mean, experience certainly didn’t help Kerry! I was so sad to hear some of Mike’s black classmates say they didn’t think the U.S. was ready for a black president. They thought a female was more likely … really? As a white woman, I know I cannot truly understand the power and impact of racism in our culture … but, I’d really like to believe it could happen. Sign me up. I’m inspired. I want a change. I’ve got Obama fever.

Oh, Can-a-da ...

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:19:30 GMT

Bummer ... no one has responded to my posting to the "cut short" group ... I asked for any stylist ideas in Montreal. Mike is taking me there for my birthday! We went back and forth about it over the weekend (since it is, after all, the end of February, which means Canada isn't going to be balmy). But come to find out, Montreal has a huge festival the last weekend in February and the first weekend in March! Lots of outdoor fun stuff to do, plus performing and visual arts, plus fun in the "underground" tunnels (which help to avoid the wintery weather). So, we're going to pray for good driving weather ...

But I'm in dire need of a haircut. It hasn't been cut since the end of November and it's really driving me crazy. I liked the cut I got from the stylist my friend Sue introduced me to here ... but for only about 4 days. Then I hated it for about 6 weeks; then it was just OK. I wear it a little longer in the winter so I can wear a hat and not totally mess up my style. But, as usual around this time of year, I need a change ... I normally go with a color change, but it's just too spendy 'round here for color! (Plus I'm trying to save my money for a Blackberry ... but don't let my friend Ross hear that ... he wants me to wait for the iPhone ... talk about spendy!)

Maybe I'll make an appointment with Natalie (stylist here), which will put the pressure on to make up my mind.

OK. That's all for now. I'm off to bed early ...

Cold Winter Night

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 03:20:18 GMT

Hello world,

Well, I'm trying to get in the habit of live-journal-ing ... if for the only reason, to keep up-to-date with my brother. ;-)

Can't believe it's February already. And the cold has arrived to Connecticut. Wish I could say the same about the snow. Mike and I are starting to think we might make it the whole winter here without it. Onni will be very disappointed. But while it's in the teens here, at least it's above zero. Talked to Minnesota friends over the weekend and they have now gone something like four days with highs that are below zero. While I miss the peeps, I don't miss the arctic blasts.

But, the cold does make for excellent sitting-by-the-fire kind of nights. The fire we built earlier is starting to die (Mike just announced that he's going to crawl into bed to stay warm). But, for now I have Onni curled up on the ottoman at my feet and it's quite lovely.

Oh, and I finally watched "March of the Penguins" today (had a killer sinus headache and stayed home from work) and it was so adorable. I had heard that the religious right liked the movie and what it had to say about "the family" ... so I was surprised that the female was the one to leave and fill her belly while the male stayed and incubated the egg and took care of the chick. Isn't that a little progressive? You go girl-penguins! My favorite part was when the girl penguins finally got to a little hole in the ice and two of them tried to dive in at the same time ... they were stuck for a bit with their tails and feet up in the air ... it was pretty funny.

OK. That's all for now.

Back in the Twin Cities

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:20:41 GMT

The first entry. So, first things first: I have fabulous hair at the moment. Got a cut yesterday at Studio 52 in Minneapolis by my FAVORITE stylist on the planet: Mayline. It had been about two months since my last cut in SoHo, NYC, so she had a lot to work with. An it's perfect. Easy to style and edgy. I'll post a picture in the next few days.

The picture with this posting is from my friend Cheri's wedding on Saturday. It was about 1:30 a.m. and we were all in the lobby of the Saint Paul Hotel living it up in front of the big fireplace. The lively crowd included the lovely bride and grinning groom; an Air Force Major; an Olympic bobsledder; a couple who eloped on their fifth date; a Minnesota beet farmer and his activist wife; and my inspiration for short hair, Lynn, and her partner. Oh, Mike was there, too, proudly wearinng his self-tied bowtie. He looked awesome.

But, since I'm on vacation to spend time with my Minnesota peeps, I'd better get going. The work bell has rung ... plus they haven't seen my hair yet.