Crazee for NatNat (still)

The Natalie Portman obsession just continues. Look at this photo!! LOVE. I mean, can I just BE her?
(photo credit: Hedi Slimane)

Funny bunny of mine.

I cannot believe that THIS commercial made me crack up hysterically. I mean, I love electrocuting small fuzzy animals.

what is this world coming to when THESE sorts of things make me laugh at their absurdity?

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Amazing tip from the Interwebs, specifically Gala Darling (who always combines the best of her own personal girly punky funky style with all natural and healthy products), but I've been using 100% jojoba oil between my cleansing and moisturizer for the past two weeks (morning and night) and I've seen a really amazing difference. My skin is way softer and I feel like the consistency is so much better. I'd hate to say I'm glowing, but there really does seem to be a difference. I'm also using a lot less product; foundation and moisturizer because they spread easier and much more evenly over a smooth and slightly

The great thing? Even though I'm putting an oil on my skin, it doesn't feel greasy or make me feel like I need to pull out a blotting cloth. The concept is that the chemical make up of jojoba is close to that of the natural oils the human skin creates (sebum) so it balances the oil production because it tricks the skin into thinking it already has enough oil on it.

Try it! You don't use much at all (I've barely used an inch from the top of the bottle - which is actually the trick, you only use a LITTLE bit) and it's all natural, and for the size bottle I've shown, it's only about $14 - which is more than I can say for Creme de la Mer.

hand out

So I was all set to write a blog about what JK Rowling refers to as, "insufferable know-it-alls" and then, after today's events at service, changed my mind.

Do you guys feel that being solicited, while at church, is inappropriate?

I'm not talking about tithing. Or being asked for donations or an offering. I'm talking about straight up SOLICITING. Here's the details:

Chatting up our musical program director after service, I'm about to leave when I'm approached by the crazy lady. You know the one. She talks along during the prayers, sits by herself - doesn't always seem to be paying attention. Sleeps. Rocks back and forth, but in general seems pretty harmless. I've only ever seen her once, but our congregation is large enough that interacting with anybody is optional if you want it to be.

But apparently seemed to be my day of wearing the 'SUCKER!' sign on my forehead. She totally caught me off guard, half the time I couldn't even tell what she was saying. I heard something about either her or Jesus being crucified on a cross. I also heard about her giving her prayers and time to the Church for FREE. I mean, DUH lady. I hate to be all unspiritual, but DUH, we all give our prayers for free. Although, she does seem to have her personal elevator pitch down pat.

Anyhow, so after three minutes of being bombarded with information that I could barely hear I got all this, "Blah blah blah, can you give me a dollar for a cup of coffee or something? Because I have nothing and I'm giving my time to this church for free."

Wha? Ok, so first of all - that's the point of service. I mean we tithe, so in all honesty we give back to the Church what we can afford to give (hence my tithe of $4). We give instead of receiving. And it just felt dirty. Like she was playing on my guilt complex because I'm at church, so I'm supposed to be open and generous and abundant. Which translates to, "Well, it's just a dollar, who cares?" But I hate, HATE the feeling of being trapped or helpless. So the dilemma seems to be between being whole and healthy in my spirituality with healthy boundaries and feeling like I live in abundance and it's only a dollar. I also do not want to be a person who promotes this type of behavior or seen as encouraging it.

At the end of the exchange I just wanted to get out of there - had way too much to do today. But weigh in on this people. What would you have done or said in this situation? Bear in mind, this lady be CRAZY. She didn't even really hear what I was saying. I didn't straight up say no but I pulled a blank when it came to rebuffing her arguments gently. I feel like I come from a place of abundance (really, I counted my shoes once, remember?) and I'm used to being asked to be a giver.

Thoughts?

Anatomy of a gyro

Cheap food is always awesome. I could go into some random cultural diatribe about the amazing variety and intense quality of street food, but you know...that's been done. Still; quality food, simply cooked and quickly put together for a very small price? Is equivalent to the traveler's holy grail. Every country has it's prototype: in Japan it's takoyaki or onigiri, in France it's a crepe or merguez or waffle , in Mexico it's a taco, in Italy - there's nothing like a freshly pressed panino or un taglio (a slice) of pizza. But in Greece, the humble gyro reigns supreme.
In the States: gyros are almost always viewed as gross or an afterthought. They're what restaurants advertise with huge signs, but the end product doesn't ever match the photo. But in Greece, the end result is, well...one word: delicious.
Yes people, a European gyro is a wholly different creature. First of all, when you get one - it's a matter of less than a minute to have it sliced straight off the rotating meat grill and handed to you; warm, greasy and savory. A typical gyro starts with a soft, spongy pita that's thrown onto the grill and if you're lucky, UNDERNEATH the meat spiral. Then thin slices of the meat (contrary to popular opinion - only pork or chicken - not lamb, is used in Greek gyros. Because the first two are cheaper) are carved off the pre-stacked rotating log (see below)

And left to cook a little while longer on the hot surface underneath. Then the meat is piled into the pita, topped with slices of onion and tomato, a dollop of tzatiki (cucumber & yogurt sauce) and, AWESOMELY - french fries - popped into a paper cone and handed straight to the waiting customer.

Biting into the combination of savory meat - crusted, umami and lightly greasy from fat, spongy yet firm pita (so not the dry, airy crap in the States), crunchy french fries yet lightened with the tangy yogurt sauce and the fresh veggies - each gyro is great for a snack or even a meal. And our group of 8 went through 40 of them in about 6 days. Everywhere we went, the heavenly scent of the spinning grilled meat permeated the air, and they were almost always good. We would compare while traveling up and down the peninsula. Some were greasier, some more ample, chicken was always dryer than pork, gyros were always preferable to souvlaki (the grilled meatballs or chicken) and every now and then we had to request french fries. But they were the one consistency and one of the few things we, as an 8 person group, could agree upon.

The difference is really incomparable between the Greek gyro and the US gyro. There, gyros are ordered on a daily basis; so the meat is kept hot and spinning constantly. Making one is a quick affair; in the US - you're lucky if you get one within 10 minutes. The pita is probably the biggest difference; the only place that I've ever had pita as good was Kokkari Estiatorio. So my only recommendation for getting a good gyro? Go to Greece; the plane ticket is worth it.
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(two dresses, two tops: $35? Good day)

Church of Lamb...

Tips for travel:

-Don't travel with any other assholes than your own.
-Always bring some cash changed into the currency you will be using.
-Find out who snores, group them with other snorers.
-Speak up. If there's something you want to do, make sure it's clear.
-Understand that you're traveling, expect to pay a little more than usual for everything.
-Pack light. Lugging around huge bags isn't fun.
-Are you on vacation or on tour? Clarify before you leave.
-Take it easy, drink a lot of water, eat veggies.
-Bring a mini alarm clock and use it.
-Log your expenses
-Consult guidebooks by all means, but eat and drink where the locals do.

Getting older has meant, well, embracing age. And embracing my own particular tastes; especially when it comes to travel and personal rules of travel. One of my personal rules of travel is that I don't listen to guidebooks at all for restaurant recommendations. And yet on our first night in Athens, I found myself tripping across Monostiraki (where the Acropolis is) with our group, headed towards a restaurant 'famed' for its lamb chops. To the dismay of our "leader" (and my secret delight) the restaurant was closed. We floundered about for a bit until we found a bar with a group of really amazing locals outside.

One of the most luxurious things about traveling and the thing that we, as Americans, have come to take for granted, is how prevalent English has become world-wide. Cutely, one of the women outside the bar, when she found out we were starving, pointed left, leaned forward and said, "Go that way, about 600 meters, and you'll see a church. There is a restaurant in the courtyard of the church."

Whaaa??

Ok lady. We followed her directions up a suspiciously dark and leafy cobblestoned street, getting more and more wary by the moment, until we came across a well lit and pristine stone church and lo and behold...

Yes, there is a restaurant in the courtyard of the church. Run by an efficient and sort of owlish head waiter. But the air is thick with the smells of meat, clinking silverware and the redolence of the greenery surrounding the diners. Another really cool aspect of Mediterranean countries? How easily they accomodate large parties. When you walk into a restaurant in the Bay Area with more than 4 people, you can get a whole "deer-in-the-headlights" thing going. You walk into a Greek restaurant with 8 people and they go, "Oh, sure" and they're set up in thirty seconds flat.

Here we walked into a quietly lucious taverna filled with families, couples, business groups and locals. And the delicious smell of an open fire grill. Everywhere we looked, the tables were chock full of wonderful looking, simply plated and abundant food. And we couldn't wait to get down to business and order some. Thankfully, the menu - while basic was also translated into one line and in some case one word, English items. This was truly Greece at it's finest.

We managed to order a roughly chopped and well flavored Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta (a staple on this trip), an order of sauteed greens (we never quite found out what it was, but it was akin to watercress or spinach), savory and quite...soft sausage - which was a trend here, with fries and then the MAIN EVENT. 2 KILOS of lamb. Yes, that's right. This restaurant served grilled lamb chops and shoulders by the KILO. The boys were quite tickled and took it upon themselves to order 2 kilos of the most delicious, fresh, simply grilled (pepper, salt, a little rosemary) and lemon halves served on the side.
(the picture is from our subsequent last night visit where we, in true American fashion, ordered 3 kilos to stuff ourselves with alongside our bottle of Syrah laced Nemean wine) All of this was served alongside delicious grilled fresh bread.

I'm giving all of you guys an amazing secret of Athens; the Church of Lamb (or Ayios Athanasaious) is a little off the beaten path, but for kilos of grilled lamb at a wonderful price -take this one to heart. What an amazing way to be welcomed to Greece, where during 9 days we also feasted on: grilled fish, octopus, seafood filled pasta, baklava, skewers of chicken and souvlaki (meatballs), delicious fresh yogurt and tons, TONS of gyros. Tomorrow, I'll break down the anatomy of the gyro for you.

Yum. efhairisto.

Yas sas!

From Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door:

Globe-trotting destroys ethnocentricity. It helps you to understand and appreciate different cultures. Regrettably, there are forces in our socity that want you dumbed down for their convenience. Don't let it happen. Thoughtful travel engages you with the world- more important than ever thsese days. Travel chnages people. It broadens perspectives and teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Rather than fear the diversity on this planet, travelers celebrate it . Many travelers toss aside their hometown blinders. Their prized souvenirs are the strands of different cultures they decide to knit into their own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop and Back Door Travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry. Join in!

I'm just back from the Aegean...enjoy this photo, it's good to be back.

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From GalaDarling: The Art of Nonconformity and HOW TO BE AWESOME! (cause you know, that should be your goal, like, everyday)

Emo Penny lives!

Today a client actually said to me , "You've made so much work for me to do next week."

Blame is the easiest game to play for some people in the world. It's so easy for them to put responsibility on others instead of themselves. Do I feel mad or upset? Not really, my client is also trying to organize her wedding next week. She's so stressed out, she almost cried. Do I feel guilty? Not at all. This Sunday I leave for my first real vacation in two years. I didn't plan these two events intentionally, it just happened to be when everyone else in my group was going. But the collision has potential to be traumatic.

What I didn't remind my client was that she was the one who wanted a business. She has set up her own business model with little room for flexibility or horizontal mobility. Her worth is determined by how much she micro-manages everyone else. I warned her, nearly two months ago, that I was leaving on vacation; her preparation for this time has been poor. For a minute I thought she actually wanted me to cancel my vacation; but in reality, she wanted someone to lay her stress on. In the past, it would have been easy to bear other's guilt. These days, to take care of the soul, others can just take their own stuff, I don't need it.

It's hard to not let things like this get to you. Mistakes hit me particularly hard; failure means something much deeper than just not achieving a specific goal - they mean that I'm a bad person. My current frustrations come from the fact that my personal expectations for the quality of my work means a lot. Maybe forgiving others also includes forgiving yourself for any sort of shortcomings.

I had dinner recently with my executive producer who told me, "Don't try to think of a specific job that you'd want to do. Think of the things you like to do - what makes you get up in the morning and then go from there."

So what makes you get up in the morning? What motivates you? Moves you? Scares you or defeats you?

Oh..and my computer is broken. Not cool. Instead, I have to think like a 16 year old again...one who is insanely talented maybe, but still a 16 year old. :)