11 dec 2012

without further ado, my 101 in 1001 is officially completed. items #52 and #99 beg audience participation: please weigh in with a recommended book/movie in the comments. i reserve the right to choose a previous referral, as some of you weighed in on that before my bunionectomy.

getting this list exactly where i wanted it took a great deal more time than i anticipated. i intended to start last month, having already chipped away at a few intended items...i experimented with a fresh sugar pumpkin on election night by baking up a batch of vegan pumpkin scones. then on thanksgiving i cooked up a delicious caramelised cranberry apple sauce by the passionate gordon ramsay. for the first time i cooked with caster (baker's) sugar, star anise, and cardamom pods. well, my friends, let the cooking experimentations continue! i have thoroughly enjoyed myself and number 74 will certainly open my eyes to more possibilities.

here we go!

16 nov 2012

i'm roughly 21 items away from completing the list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. it's much harder to put together this time than the last one i did several years ago. i'm more aware of the amount of money and time it will take to complete some of the tasks. i want to choose things that i'm interested in and able to do. i also want to avoid the appearance of a giant "to do" list; these are things that i want to accomplish in my life for the sake of improving the quality of life. so, bunion surgery? that went bye-bye. speaking of which...

anyone out there have something to say about this? i could google my heart out, but i'm scheduled to have the surgery in less than two weeks now and am having second thoughts. my primary concern as of today is the fear that i won't be able to be as active as i'd like because this surgery will become a detriment to my body, limiting flexibility of the big toe and putting added pressure on the knee of the opposite leg. while i appreciate the idea of being well-informed and well-researched in something as potentially major as this, i do know how impacted i am by my fear and don't want that to drive my decision. 

so, thoughts/experiences about bunion surgery? podiatrists: real or not real?* recovery time? impact on normal activity post-surgery, 3-6 months later? impact on the kind of shoes you wear compared to pre-surgery? i am looking to where shoes without pain and even walk barefoot without pain, which i experience in both feet. it is probably more regular than i care to admit: i've been living with it for a long time. i'm not dying to get in a pair of fancy heels, but i would like my shoe choice to be a little more flexible--sometimes even flats drive me crazy.

i thank you in advance for your frank discussion.

*it was brought to my attention that podiatrists do not go to medical school. however, i've gone to chiropractors in my lifetime--that may or may not be a mark against them.

04 nov 2012

pointing out the devastation from hurricane sandy, i was recently asked if i still wanted to move to new york city.

"absolutely," i said.

i'm no new yorker. born and raised on the west coast in sunny southern california, i'm the furthest thing from it. but i fell in love with the city on my first trip roughly a decade ago and my affection has grown with each subsequent trip. there's something about being there that runs deeper than the words i have at my grasp.

click here to donate via the red cross.

31 oct 2012

i've spent a couple of hours in the blog-o-sphere, tweaking and fine tuning. i'm tired and still feel compelled to write, which may result in non sequiturs or brilliance. perhaps its the anticipation of NaNoWriMo, which may or may not happen this year. i've made attempts in years past, but at my best i only progressed one-fifth of the way there. still, if things could line themselves up, this year is the year to make it happen. i have no classes (tomorrow's final wraps things up until january).

halloween was over-anticipated this year. two bags of candy filled a large glass bowl and overflowed into a pot; one crowd of kidlets ventured to the door. my roomie played scary music and there was ghoulish decor. alas, now we have a boatload of sugar screaming to be eaten in the entryway. most of that pile is coming with me to work. i'd rather sweeten up the customers than have butterfingers and snickers copulating in my tummy.

30 oct 2012

it's been some time since i've endeavored to blog. there's something stirring inside that leads me back here. driven to write, to create. it feeds my soul.

i've been adrift for roughly five years. exploring the new space i'm carving out around me. i've met new people, experienced new things, gotten stuck in ruts and pulled myself out. repeatedly. i made the decision to start fresh here at the 'muse. out with the old, and in with, well, what you see here. 

first order of business? i'm working on a 101 in 1001 list (such as this one). i'm barely a tenth of the way there. feel free to throw some suggestions in the comment box: books i should read, movies worth watching, things worth doing/seeing/eating/making/learning. 

here i go again.