Stories of an Irish Nomad

Phnom Penh

2013-06-27T02:25:00.003-07:00

Traveling is always an adventure full of uncertainty and excitement. But hopping on a plane for western Europe feels a lot different than hopping on a plane to Southeast Asia.

Cleveland to Houston to Moscow to Singapore -- four flights and almost 48 housr later I finally landed in Cambodia.

In the general Southeast Asia circuit Cambodia is not always high on the list of things to do. Years of war, pain, and incredible loss have left its mark on this quiet country. Outside of the obvious attraction of Angkor Wat, backpackers head for Thailand and Laos -- do the trek through Vietnam -- and it can be easy to skip Cambodia. But you shouldn't.

Phnom Penh is an overflowing swarm of emotions. It is poverty and loss atop immense beauty and unbelieveable kindness. It is every kind of food you can imagine, endless markets, and the hustle of the riverside against the calm presence of the Royal Palace. The gawky younger sister to the metropolis of Bangkok, six months here and you could start to scratch the surface. But most people don't have six months, and if you've got to do Phnom Penh in a couple of days there are some musts to attend to.

First, grab a tuk tuk driver for the day. Accept now that you will be offered a tuk tuk every 15 seconds for the remainder of your visit. Unless you actually need one...at which point you will inevitably be stranded. So find a good one who knows his way around (or atleast has a sheet with all the major sites on it that you can point to) and stick to him -- I personally recommend Vireak who is Phnom Penh's Number 1 Tuk Tuk driver and speaks perfect english (can be reached at 012456744).

There are some major sites in Phnom Penh that you should try to visit -- in no particular order:

Royal Palace: a few dollars for an entrance fee and be sure to cover your knees and shoulders. Wander through the palace grounds and take a moment to enjoy the quite sanctuary of the palace and the pagodas. In case you are like me and have zero common sense -- do not approach the monkeys. They bite. After Royal Palace head down to the riverside for some food and drinks at one of the millions of restaurants. Check out the balcony at the FCC or any of the rooftop bars along the riverside to get a great view of the city. If you don't need a big meal then head down to Blue Pumpkin for an always needed ice cream break!
Wat Phnom: Built on the hill the city was named after it only costs a dollar to tromp through this wat and it gives some great views of the city. Beware the Gangster Monkeys!
Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields: prepare yourself for a harrowing couple of hours and visit these memorials of the horrors that occurred in Cambodia during the 1970s. After the sombering experience of Tuol Sleng -- head over to The Boddhi Tree for some amazing curry or a tasty fruit shake.
Markets! Central Market, Russian Market, Night Market -- the markets are neverending in Phnom Penh and always a great place to enjoy the hustle and bustle while picking up a few suveniers or gifts. Always haggle and watch your purse but definitely worth the trip. Russian Market is particularly good for food!
National Museum: Take a few hours to wander through the National Museum and lay some jasmine at the feet of a shiva or two. The building is just as impressive as its contents so definitely worth a look. Right down the road from the National Museum is Friends restaurant where you can have some of the best food in town while helping to support a great cause.

If you've got the time take a day trip out into the countryside or grab a riverboat for a sunset cruise. Buy a drink and you've got your pick of any hotel pool in the city.

For a night out Riverside and Latin Quarter are always a great choice. Katy Peri's pizza sets up shop near all the bars off Street 51 -- you haven't lived until you've had pizza from a tuk tuk. For an incredibly authentic Khmer meal check out Sovanni's on Street 21. Warung Bali on Street 178 -- by far my favorite restaurant in town the chicken satay is one of the best things I've ever tasted and I've never paid more then $4 for more food and cans of Angkor than I need. At some point in traveling...you just need a pizza -- when the desire for pizza strikes there is a little italian place called Luigis that is by far the best pizza in town. Street 308 right at the end of Street 29.

This is making me hungry. I'm off to dine again before heading to Siem Reap for the weekend!

The Grand Return to Ohio...week one in a glance

2012-09-03T14:46:00.002-07:00

Cleveland in a paragraph...I have been pleasantly surprised! We live in Little Italy right on the train line, and walking distance to Case. There are great restaurants and bars all over the place. Much more to do as far as a metropolitan area goes than Toledo/Bloomington/Charleston were able to offer. Indians/Browns/Cavs alone give everyone a reason to get together and party on a regular basis. Westside Market and all of the brewery's on the West side of town are enough to make me ready to call this place home. Being close to family is great after being away for so long. We went to my grandma's this past weekend for Labor Day Goolash and a last bash at the beach. It was almost surreal being able to hop in the car and be there in less than an hour. Laura is getting MARRIED (holy crap) next weekend and I don't even have to take any time off school, or buy a plane ticket or anything - just getting in the car Friday after class and should be there by the time the rehearsal dinner begins. I do miss Charleston though, who wouldn't miss the weather and it's hard being away from all my beloved southern weirdos.

But for now I will just enjoy the exciting new things that come with living in Cleveland, I'll have enough time to miss Charleston once I'm trudging through seven feet of snow to get to and from class everyday.

Side note and something to remember - Rachel's wedding was July 11th. It was beautiful and perfect and at sunrise on a beach in Sanibel. On the last day we were there, Rachel and Laura and I were almost eaten by a shark. True story. We were rescued by a pod of dolphins.

I think this proves that we were all mermaids in a past life. And the disney movie about mermaids was based on our life.

Summer before 1L

2012-05-08T05:29:00.002-07:00

Bucket List:

Rachel's wedding
Laura's Bachelorette Party
See Amanda's band play at least once
Do yoga as often as I want
Go to Disneyworld
Go to the ocean as often as possible
Eat fondue at Fast and French
Get on a paddleboard
Read the entire Game of Thrones series because it is awesome
Read the Steve Jobs book because I bought it
Re-read the entire Twilight series because it is ridiculous and I can't help but love it
Spend a week at Grandma the Beach's house
Go to Nirlip Lunch Buffet before leaving Charleston
Visit Botany Bay
Get on a surfboard
Savannah or Asheville - pick one and visit before moving
Eat at ONE of the super fancy Charleston restaurants
Sleep on the beach
Sleep in general
Relax

What to remember - Paris, France

2012-01-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Paris, France
1. Eiffel Tower lights up at dusk
2. Opera Bastille is very inexpensive on Thursdays
3. Eat bread and cheese the entire time
4. Rue de Moufftard
5. Sacre Cour at night on the weekends - take wine
6. You can get bottles of wine for less than 2 euro but it won't be worth it the next day
7. On again off again bus tour is an easy way to get around the first time you're in the city
8. Musee d'Orsee
9. Louvre is almost as good from the outside as it is from the inside
10. Versaille is an entire day - don't miss Marie Antoinettes fake village its the best part
11. Drink coffee
12. Pain au chocolate
13. Walk
14. Rent a bike
15. Stop for wine as often as you want
16. Smoke a cigerette
17. Sit by le Seine in the sunlight or the moonlight
18. Relax, wander - the river makes it easy to never really get lost
19. Eat fondue
20. The first day of summer is a wild party throughout the entire city

What to remember - London, England

2012-01-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

London, England
1. Chelsea
2. The Tube
3. South Kensington station
4. Mind the gap
5. Don't hang out at Picadilly
6. Do hang out on the East Side
7. Black Springs Press
8. Robert from Scotland and Gretchen from Conneticutt
9. Late night walks
10. Museums are free
11. Double Decker busses
12. Taxis are expensive and enormous
13. Sneaking into that ridiculous club on King's Rd.
14. Manresa Road, London 020 7808 9200
15. The Tube
16. Traffic going the wrong direction
17. Almost getting hit by busses
18. Signs on the ground telling stupid Americans not to get hit by the oncoming busses
19. Baked beans with breakfast
20. Bacon Buddies
21. French fries with everything
22. Beer
23. Rain
24. Dark by 4pm
25. Going to Scotland
26. Taking the train to Paris
27. Tesco
28. Bikram
29. Rubbish Bin
30. "issues" is not used as an alternative to "problems"
31. The grocer refusing to give me my bags until I told them who I was going to vote for in the next election
32. Escaping from Notting Hill and going to McDonald's
33. Markets
34. Bar Italia in Soho
35. Instant Coffee
36. Indian Food
37. Quid
38. Henry J. Beans and Beer Gardens
39. Guilds
40. Day drinking
41. Summer is a different world

What to remember - Toledo, OH

2012-01-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Toledo, OH
1. Bowsher
2. 4385 Beverly Dr.
3. The river spot
4. Driving
5. Amanda's first house and sleeping in the backyard
6. Amanda's second house and sleeping in the hammock
7. Laura's basement
8. Laura's basement doors
9. Running laps around Rachel's basement
10. Mi Hacienda
11. Early morning breakfasts
12. French class
13. Chandra's house
14. Jeff Veitch's basement
15. TCS Park
16. OLPH Festival
17. Records
18. Allied
19. VHS tapes
20. Skipping class
21. University of Toledo
22. Simon and Garfunkel
23. Maxwell's Brew
24. Sidecut Park
25. Swan Creek Metro
26. Cross Country
27. Scott's house
28. Caiti's car
29. Haunted bridge
30. Big Boy
31. House Parties
32. The Lair
33. Doc Watson's
34. The Faux Paus
35. Swings
36. River Road
37. The Zoo
38. Lickety Split
39. Murphy's Place Jazz Cafe
40. The Movie Theatre
41. Nick
42. Grandma's House for dinner
43. Church
44. Sparky
45. Ringo
46. Brock's house
47. Railroad tracks
48. Sneaking onto Bowsher
49. Climbing on the roof of the school - "hey...do you know dinardo?"
50. Parks
51. Cigarettes
52. Coffee
53. Aimless walks
54. Aimless conversations
55. Waiting
56. Childhood
57. Bike rides
58. Holidays
59. Downtown
60. Manhatten's
61. The Mudhen's
62. Fricker's
63. Tony Packos
64. The East Side
65. The Drive in
66. The South Side
67. The West Side
68. Sneaking onto the Mudhen's field
69. Sneaking into the Mudhen's games
70. Getting lost downtown
71. Franklin Park
72. Southwyck
73. Laura getting fired from Dillards
74. Rachel and Amanda working at the coffee house
75. Boys
76. Friends
77. Summers
78. Michael's
79. Super Duper Shakes

What to remember - Charleston, SC

2012-01-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

Charleston, South Carolina
1. Speed Humps
2. Outside brunch on New Years Day
3. Pool parties on Easter with mini-bottles in the eggs
4. Collard Greens
5. Visors being appropriate
6. Seersucker pants
7. Tattooed Moose Duck Sandwich and Sausage Gravy Fries
8. Black eyed peas and collards greens for good luck on New Years Day
9. Men is pastels
10. Men in short shorts
11. Back porches
12. Green pools
13. Beach parties
14. Vodka Sodas...everything sodas
15. Y'all
16. Diddy
17. Charleston City Paper
18. Farmer's Market
19. Restaurant Week
20. Fast and French Fondu Thursdays
21. Dolphin's at Morris Lighthouse
22. The duck at Poogan's Porch
23. Zia Taquiero enchiladas
24. Art Walk on the first Friday of the month
25. One way streets
26. Downtown flooding every time it rains
27. New Year's party
28. Music Farm - Old Crow Medicine Show
29. Surfers
30. Summers
31. Don't go to Folly after 10am any time after April unless you want to wait an hour in traffic
32. Sullivan's Island adventuring
33. Plantations
34. 109 Cannon St., Apt. F
35. Fuel, D'allesandro's, Hot Mustard, Hominy Grill
36. Bikram
37. Black Bean
38. Birthdays
39. Indian Fair
40. Wild Flour Sticky Buns and dog treats
41. Hampton Park
42. The Battery
43. Rainbow Row
44. Skinful...skinful
45. Very blonde hair
46. The difference between the beach and the rest of the world during summer
47. John's Island
48. James Island
49. Folly Beach - surfers, Sullivans Island - Families, Isle of Palms - Tourists
50. Follypalooza
51. Folly Beach Christmas Parade
52. Christmas Boat Parade
53. O'Malley's for football
54. AC's for brunch
55. Black out Sunday's when you try to combine AC's brunch with O'Malley's football
56. Don't go out downtown on St. Patrick's Day
57. Island Bar and Grill Kareoke

Sweater Vests and Beach Bums

2011-08-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at Mia Pomodora yesterday waiting for the food to come that I had ordered using my wonderful Groupon. Which on a side note is the best thing since a hotdog on a stick. Groupon and Living Social feed my life and I just want to say thank you to those glorious organizations for providing to me what I am not able to provide to myself. But anyhow – sitting at Mia Pomodora and this dude walks up and asks to sit with us since he was waiting for food too.

So dude was chattering away making small talk and he asks Trellis and I “what sort of guys we like…” Weird. But okay moving forward. And we were thinking about that in comparison to the guys who live down here and I came to the conclusion that Charleston is made up of two things. Sweater Vests and Beach Bums.

No one wants to date a sweater vest because they are more feminine than most of the girls I meet. And for anyone thinking on this who is from the Midwest. Let me just tell you here and now that a southern sweater vest wearing man is a far different animal than a Midwestern sweater vest wearing man. The southern sweater vest likes to wear short pink shorts and a visor while he creepily tries to pick up girls at yoga class or by boasting his own self worth at a local coffee shop. Pretty boys in the most negative context.

The beach bum is a much more attractive option. But since really we are looking for Trellis here and not for me – I don’t quite see that working out either. Although Trellis has embraced the beach lifestyle..i.e. she doesn’t do her hair before going to the beach and from time to time she actually wears a bathing suit. I don’t really see her embracing a beach bum with the same enthusiasm. Beach bums are carefree and fun and full of love and kind words, but you don’t see them between the months of May and September (unless you are at the beach) and their day to day lives off the beach are almost always up for debate.

Beach bums…sweater vests…beach bums….sweater vests…what to do, what to do.

Fleas and Hurricanes

2011-08-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Fuel last night for chicken nachos and plantain fritters. Never an experience you'll regret.

There is a Hurricane coming and it marks my first ever tropical storm experience! I think the brunt of it will miss Charleston. But we should have some pretty heavy rain. For anyone who loves a good thunderstorm the way that I do – you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen a southern storm. And I get the feeling that I haven’t seen anything until I see wind and rain direct from a Hurricane that is just off the coast.

The whole Hurricane thing is very difficult to wrap my head around given my Midwestern upbringing. I am not accustomed to the civilized conversation regarding where we will go if we have to evacuate, or asking what supplies I have purchased in preparation for the storm. Preparation? In the Midwest if we see a storm coming we say “OH SHIT!” then duck and cover. The most preparation we have is practicing hiding under our desks in middle school. I was in a panic at first because I don’t have a basement to hide in. I was then gently reminded that no one here has a basement. And if they did they had better be wearing swim suits because it is going to flood. I guess that makes sense. Not much use for a basement when your house is sitting on land that is below sea level. Nick is having as equally difficult a time wrapping his mind around the idea of storm preparation. At least I have someone to be confused with. Although I think he is starting to get nervous because it started to rain last night and he leapt up and said “Oh God! Is my car going to float away!” …no that is just rain – hurricane won’t be here until Friday night. So weird, like it’s a visitor that the entire city is anxiously awaiting.

As far as I can tell, the real problem with a hurricane in Charleston is not total annihilation so much as major inconvenience. I guess the power goes out during these things and stays out for several weeks at times. I haven’t really prepared for that…I filled up a few water jugs, but beyond that I think my plan is going to be to drink up the beer in my fridge before it gets warm and eat lots of cold spaghettios.

A Wedding and A Funeral (who died? Our dignity.)

2011-08-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful weekend in my beloved Bloomington. I knew once I finally escaped from that place I would love going back to visit. It is most definitely one of my favorite places on earth.

Ashly Shell (now forever known as Ashly Pixler) got married on August 12th and it was such a lovely reunion. Ashly looked beautiful and the ceremony and reception were so pretty. Plus Smato was somehow convinced to wear a dress so that was just the icing on the cake. But we all went out the night before the ceremony and I remember sitting there talking to Smato and McVey and thinking how much I appreciate all of the friendships from freshman year of college. It is such a hodgepodge of personalities and people, all thrown together and forced to either make it work or spend the year hiding in your room. We made it work. Good lord did we make it work. Not only for that first year but for sophomore year too. And even as we all got more into our different grooves in college – newspapers, jobs, boyfriends, school work – all pulling us away from one another. We were still such a family. The most different mess of people you can imagine. But we were there for each other. And we didn’t judge or manipulate or use one another like some friends tend to do as you get older. We supported, and harassed and gave each other shit 24/7 – but we were a family. In the way that you can only be with the people who know absolutely everything about you.

I haven’t seen a few of them in years. We have different lives, we went separate ways. We left college.

But when we all got back together it was like we still lived next door to one another in Villas – Trellis’ poof fell sideways, McVey got drunk and disheveled, I tried to go swimming in the middle of the wedding reception, Kristin listened to all the shenanigans from the night before and told us all we were idiots and Smato just crossed her arms over her chest and made outrageous comments which she found absolutely hilarious. When Kristin left the reception I cried and Smato grabbed my bags and laughed in my face before leaving me sitting in the parking lot.

This might not sound quite so wonderful to anyone else. But to me – it is friendship and comfort and home. It’s like we all went away and are living these wonderful lives. But the minute we all get together again we immediately digress into the mentality of college freshman. Spending every moment together, knowing exactly what the others were going to do, and rationalizing even the most ridiculous behavior as perfectly acceptable.

The kicker was as Ashly’s reception came to a close. There were four of us from freshman year sitting in t-shirts and pajama shorts eating an enormous bag of potato chips and talking about nothing, and Ashly was plopped down in the middle of the group wearing her wedding dress. Some things never change. And sometimes there is nothing better than seeing old friends and having a good time.

Three Days til Toledo - Eight Days til Ireland

2011-06-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note regarding the fact that I’ve had the most beautiful few weeks ever - with lots of love, sunshine and long and giggly late night conversations. I feel perfectly in touch with most of my lifelong lovers thanks in part to long weekends and lazy phone calls and there has been a recent overflow of wondrous activities here in town that all seem to epitomize summer in the South. Late nights in the water, early mornings on the beach, mimosas for days, Art Walk Sushi Extravaganzas and all those glorious days in the sun.

I was floating about in the pool on Sunday afternoon and I glanced up at my motley crew of goof ball friends here in South Carolina and I realized that I am truly content. This is probably helped by the fact that I am heading home in three days and therefore have stopped being sad over missing all my beloveds from home and finally just get to feel the excited anticipation of seeing everyone so soon. Plus all the plans in the works for IU Homecoming helps relieve the never quite dissipated twinge of sorrow over the fact that college really is over. But, considering that my friends from home are the loves of my life and will always be so no matter where we live. And the fact that my friends from school are also heart and soul lovers but so scattered around the country at the moment we could never all be together anyhow. I feel really lucky to be so happy with my life. I love where I am, Love the people I've met, I love the journey I’ve been on so far and the one ahead and I know the people who really matter in my life will always be there.

This may also be stemming from the fact that I pulled all of my pictures off facebook with some handy dandy gadget and had a quick (1,800 pictures or so flickering past at high speeds) trip down memory lane – starting with Toledo, blurring through Bloomington and ending with yesterday. And it may be in part due to the fact that my little sister graduated from high school yesterday and it made me reflect on the journey I've taken since that day. It's gone by so fast, and every moment seems to slip by a little quicker than the last. It's nice to sit back and reflect now and again on the people who I've loved, still love and who helped make me into the person I am today.

So just a quick note reminding all of my friends that you are the butter to my biscuits, the jelly to my peanut butter and the bananas to my frozen banana stand.

Ocean Waves versus Lake Beach Days – the countdown to Ireland begins

2011-06-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially here in Charleston. The dreaded humidity has yet to really set in, so for now it’s just sunny and hot days with cool [but getting buggier] nights. I finally understood the difference between the Ocean and my grandma’s lake last weekend. I’ve been arguing that they aren’t that different since the day I arrived, but last weekend I went to Folly Beach – beers and Bert’s .83 cent hotdogs in hand – and by 2p.m. I was spent. By 4 p.m. I absolutely had to leave. It is freaking hot out there! The sun is stronger, the water is warmer, and eventually – a girl just has to get some shade a cold drink.

Despite my unfortunate revelation that summer beach days will be shorter than I initially planned, I still got a better tan than I would’ve after a week at grandma’s lake and the waves of the ocean are significantly more fun to play in than the waves of Lake Erie. Although I must say, I do miss floating on a raft with Trellis and Ames while having my younger cousins deliver us beers all day long - there is little to no floating in the ocean.

I still feel as though I am constantly on vacation here. I’ve been trying to incorporate normal, human activities into my day to day life – working out, grocery shopping, laundry. But it’s hard when there is a beach or a pool and a sunny day in front of you. I’ve been wishing it would rain lately so that I could have a day to just do the boring stuff that life requires. Although I suppose requires is a strong word. I certainly did not do many of those things in college. And I do not in the least way suspect that I will perish if I continue to not do them now.

I’ve been trying to be good lately and actually purchase groceries so that I don’t have to run to Fuel or Black Bean every time I want to eat. So I went to Whole Foods the other day and got such an array of delicious summer treats that I now worry I will become a Whole Foods addict and still succeed at never actually cooking anything. I’ve got to go to the Farmer’s Market this weekend. The produce there is amazing and soooo cheap. It’s amazing how much actual organic and locally grown food costs versus “organic” and “local” food from grocery stores and restaurants. I can spend $15 at the Farmer’s Market and walk away with two weeks’ worth of produce. $15 won’t get me a two days worth of produce from Earth Fare or even Wal-Mart. But back to the point of Whole Foods. Such tasty treats and really not very expensive if you shop smart. Plus, best of all of course, I got a massive thing of mixed bottled beers for less than $10 – bomb diggity. I love good beer, and inexpensive good beer is best of all!

Memorial Day weekend was uneventful but fun. Nothing like the weekend prior that was a constant onslaught of parties and drunken foolishness. With a finale that involved tiki bars, rooftops and unexplained nudity. Not surprising considering it was Josh’s birthday and then the Knight family came into town.

In honor of Pepper Pots Birthday (she's 3, because she needed an age), we finally ate the infamous Duck Sandwich at Tattooed Moose. Nick and I split it because it is ginormous and I do have to say it is quite delicious. Grease drenched bread that still held its texture like a champ – shaved duck with a sweet sauce over top and three layers of delicious toppings and condiments. Paired with a side of duck fat fries and a PBR pounder – I’d say it was well worth the $8. I don’t think I’d go in it on my own for $15+, that is a bit high even for a super taste-o-licious sandwich. But then again I am not a dude, and I do believe that many a dude would eat that big boy on their own and feel just fine about it.

Easter Dinner in the South

2011-05-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Had a wonderful week of family visitors for my birthday. That was nice. I’ve missed the fam. We went to Poogan’s Porch on Thursday and it was AMAZING. Duck breast with collard greens and cheese grits. So good I almost died. It literally melted in my mouth. Nick had bbq hanger steak, mother dearest had shrimp and grits and Annie and Trellis had various forms of fried chicken. It was all tasty – but nothing compared to the duck breast. It was, in a word – DaBomb.

I really want to learn to cook grits and collards. They are two of my favorite things here but I cannot fathom how they are prepared. I’ll have to look it up I suppose, and then probably give up on the idea entirely because there will be so much butter involved in the recipe that I’ll never be able to bring myself to actually cook them so they taste half as good as they do in restaurants. I tried to make gumbo once without making a roué. It was terrible.

Easter was the day after my birthday and consisted of early morning bloody mary's, pool parties, fried chicken (great success), cheese balls, colored eggs (some cooked and some not) and an easter egg hunt with mini bottles of booze. It was easily one of the most laid back and drunken easter's in the history of my easter extravaganzas to date. I think I will repeat the experience every year for the rest of time.

High Winds on the Ravenel Bridge

2011-04-05T08:07:00.001-07:00

Winds were blowing hard last night, and still at it when I woke up this morning. I got to Starbuck’s in North Charleston just before the storm blew in. One thing is for sure – storms in the south do not mess around. This thing was crazy. The doors to the building flew open and rain streamed inside as if the clouds were purposely tilting at an obscure angle to ensure proper water flow into the building.

The drive up to North Charleston was eerie enough, with high winds and random flashes of lightening in the darker than usual sky. I’m just glad I didn’t have to drive in that rain.

One thing that is good about southern storms though, that I’ve experienced to date, is that they don’t seem to last long. I mean – yes it is still rainy outside. But the vicious power of this morning’s downpour is long over. Not that I would mind a repeat now that I am safely inside. I love thunderstorms. Something about the rumbling and clashing of things you can’t control. Especially when you’re safe and cozy in your house. But things seem to have settled down for the time being. We’ll see how the rest of the day goes.

If I haven't said it before I'll say it now. PBR and Plantain Fritters and Fuel. Delicious. Satisfying. $4.75. What else could you ask for on a warm day with high winds?

Rainy days and comfort foods

2011-03-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

So I failed, once again, at not using my credit card. But to be fair – I lost my debit card during the St. Patty’s disaster of 2011, and have absolutely no way to access cash because Bank of America is insane and charges a monthly fee if you use the tellers. Seems ridiculous and a little evil because I feel like they are trying to phase out the tellers completely and replace them with robots..but that’s another issue.

So I HAD to use the credit card! If for no other reason but to fight against the oncoming threat of robot bank attendants!

Friday was a wine soaked celebration for Petra’s new job! Yay! And a great night at Blind Tiger and The Rooftop. For those who have never been, both of these places are wonderful in their own right, but the Rooftop is a MUST SEE for people visiting Charleston. Especially if you can make it there to watch the sun go down. It illuminates the Charleston skyline and is absolutely beautiful. Not that we necessarily appreciated that fact on Friday, but I have in the past and I surely will again. But Friday was about celebrating! And celebrate we did. We actually celebrated right into Saturday which led to mass amounts of heavy foods and yummy mimosas to ward off the late night demons.

It was cold and rainy all weekend so we fought back with chili and fried chicken, and topped it all off with the most amazing macaroni and cheese known to man. I don’t know how he did it, but Mike managed to fit 87 pounds of cheddar, pepper jack, gouda with heavy cream, butter and bacon all in one measly baking dish to produce the most glorious cheesy goodness of all time. It was the comfort food of champions and the recipe (that I am improvising on because he cooked while the rest of us laid around the house) is listed below

1. Box of fun shaped noodles
2. 1 pound of bacon – cooked and diced
3. 1 pound of cheddar cheese – shredded
4. 16 ounces of gouda cheese – shredded
5. 8 ounces of pepper jack cheese – shredded
6. Heavy cream – lots
7. Butter – 2 sticks
8. Flour – to make a roué – look it up because I don’t know how it’s done
9. Milk – dash and a sprinkle
10. Bread crumbs

From what I could tell – he cooked the noodles as you normally would and then placed them in a large baking dish.

Then you make a roué using the butter and flour, like I said, look it up because every time I’ve tried to make a roué I’ve failed miserably because I’m never willing to use the appropriate amount of butter.

After the roué was finished there was heavy cream, milk and some of the cheese mixed in and stirred until it was uber creamy. And then in went the bacon. I know right. Wow.

This creamy cheesy bacony awesome mixture was dumped on top of the noodles and mixed. THEN the rest of the cheeses went on top and some sort of spicy yumminess that I don’t know what it was. I’m guessing some sort of cajun seasoning or red pepper.

Then some sliced tomatoes went on top and bread crumbs to finish it off.

The whole thing went into the oven without a timer and apparently he smelled its readiness because when it came out it was the most awesome meal of all time.

It is still raining and cold here, a disgusting 45 degrees. So I think I will rationalize eating the leftovers of this cheesy wonder tonight with a glass of wine or two. Then tomorrow it will be back to carrot sticks and salads. But there is just something about a rainy day with good friends, bad movies and delicious food that makes life great.

Life and Times of Three Young Professionals, Part 2

2011-02-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

From: Emily Gibbons
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 1:09 PM
To: 'Tara.Garrett'
Subject: Question about excel

Hi TG,

Will you help me with something.

I want to repeat the same formula in different lines of an excel spreadsheet. Is there a way to copy and paste the formula even though the cell blocks are changing?

For example – one formula is (I26+I27)*(I28+I29)

So I want to transfer that same formula to rows A – H….make sense?

Can you help? Do you have any idea what I’m talking about :)

Xoxoxo Em

From: Emily Gibbons
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 12:11 PM
To: Tara.Garrett
Subject: FW: Question about excel

This is the actual formula… =SUM(H14+I14)*(J14+K14)

So what I actually want to do is just change the 14 so it works for rows 1 – 13…

From: Tara.Garrett
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 1:50 PM
To: Emily Gibbons
Subject: RE: Question about excel

Yea all you have to do is drag the bottom right box across the cells you want the formula copied to

Tara Garrett | Business Analyst | Seasonal and Stationery | Target.com | 612.304.5571

From: Emily Gibbons
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 1:48 PM
To: Tara.Garrett
Subject: RE: Question about excel

I don’t get it…

From: Tara.Garrett
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 2:53 PM
To: Emily Gibbons
Subject: RE: Question about excel

Click on the cell with the formula you want copied. On the bottom right of the box there is a black box that you can click on and drag across other cells…

From: Emily Gibbons
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 1:48 PM
To: Tara.Garrett
Subject: RE: Question about excel

Omg you are a genius.

A Plane Moment

2011-02-01T10:52:00.001-08:00

“Are you from San Diego?” Her chin wobbled as she spoke.

“Originally.” He wasn’t interested in small talk with this woman whose body was a bit too large for her seat.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” she went on without encouragement. “I’ve never been past Arizona.”

He looked at her trying to hide his disgust. He could smell hotdogs and cigarettes on her breath. There was a blotch of dried mustard on her chest.

“It’s quite a sight,” he said.

“You been gone long?” Clearly she was not getting the hint. He grunted in response.

“My name’s Kristi.” She offered with a too wide grin.

“Of course it is.” He muttered at her and turned to the window.

“Don’t you love the runway?” She said.

“Sometimes I wish the whole plane could be made of glass so we could really see everything.” She offered again when he didn’t reply.

“It’s alright.” She said after a moment. “I agree with you really. A plane is the one place in the world you can think anymore. No phones ringing, no e-mails to be answered, televisions to watch. Just you with your thoughts for the whole flight. It’s something to be treasured really.”

At that moment the flip screen televisions came to life in front of them and he grinned as she groaned to herself and shut her eyes.

Pancake Protocol

2011-01-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

People weren’t lying when they said that southerners were gracious. For the most part I’ve found people from this area to be polite, formal and kind in ways that you don’t find as often in the north. Not that I actually believe the people here are kinder than the people of the north. But I certainly believe that they’ve had manners bred into them from day one.

Where were our lessons? When did we learn which fork to use with which hand and when? When did the boys learn to open the door for their mothers, sisters, girlfriends and just random ladies on the street? I guess those lessons got lost during impromptu dinners at Fricker’s and surprise breakfasts at Café Marie where we stuffed our faces with chicken wings and giant pancakes, where manners and etiquette were not only unexpected, they were taboo. Proper etiquette for eating giant pancakes when you are four years old varied from rolling it up and eating it with your hands, slicing it up to create dunking sticks, taking a big bite out of the middle, or any other of the fun ways you could think up to consume such and monstrous item. Come to think of it, I would most likely fall back on that same etiquette if faced with a giant pancake today that was proportional to the pancakes of my childhood – but it seems that as I’ve gotten bigger, the pancakes have stayed the same size. There is just no room for etiquette in a face paced pancake eating world.

But should that be the case? It isn’t in the south. And living here now I find myself sometimes wishing I’d been instructed on the proper way to set a table or eat a fancy meal (or pancake). At the same time though, I don’t think 4 year-old Emily would have seen the point of learning such things. Not when the pancake could be eaten with such thoughtful ingenuity, and I certainly would not have agreed to be kept inside to learn about silly girl things. Not when there were fences to climb and lakes to swim in and other such adventures to be had. Come to think of it really, I doubt that 23 year old me would much like taking the time to master such skills either.

But here I am, at the heart of southern hospitality. Let’s just hope some of it rubs off on me while I am running across town from one job to another. If not, I guess I’ll just have to stick to wings and pancake restaurants for the rest of my life. Sounds good to me.

Zeroing in on 2011

2011-01-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

There is a moment while I am driving home where I fly past some trees that always make me think I’m getting pulled over. Not because the trees are shaped as cop cars, but because the sun is always perfectly positioned behind them to make it look as if a cops lights are going off so close behind me that he couldn’t possibly be pulling over anyone but me.

The sun seems different here. Closer in a way, or just brighter I suppose. It’s really the clouds that make the difference. The sky is always so blue and the clouds somehow manage to catch the light of the sun and the water to create a wonderful shade of orange and blue that makes me feel as if I’m in a movie scene.

New Year’s Eve was a disaster this year. Although a good way to start a year of working toward zeros. Sticking to my newly discovered workaholic tendencies I decided to work an event at the aquarium. I figured, hey two birds with one stone. I’ll get to drink for free and see the aquarium then get out in time to meet up with some people downtown to bring in the new year. WRONG.

Drinking was possible but futile because I was climbing stairs all night long carrying giant sandwiches to feed to the increasingly intoxicated masses. And this was a site to be seen in itself because this party was one of the more expensive in town and black tie at that but everyone in attendance seemed to be under 22 years old. Honestly a lot of them seemed to be under 21. They were all wearing ball gowns and tuxedos and puking all over the aquarium. At one point the project manager ran past me and said “Oh God, there is puke everywhere out there.” In another eventful turn several of the guests decided to remove some of the animals (turtles) from their displays and race them on the (very sticky) floor of the party.

Security was called. As were the turtle experts. I imagine it went something like this when they called it in.

“Code Green. Code Green. We have turtles out of ponds.” “I repeat. We have displaced turtles on the loose.” “Evacuate the area for incoming turtle experts.” “Code Green. Code Green. Turtle experts are on their way.”

Not that removing a turtle for a little racing is not something I would put past myself in a state of New Year’s Eve inebriation. Let’s not forget the T.I. incident of 2009. Or the Red Headed Ravaging of 2006. It’s New Year’s, things get a little crazy. Which is why it rubbed salt in my already irritated cut of being trapped working on such a day. But I brought it on myself. Why? Because this is 2011. The year of zero’s.

By this time next year I hope to be the proud owner of:
1.Two credit cards with a balance of ZERO.
2.One 2008 Ford Focus on which the remaining balance is ZERO.
3.A student loan payment on which I owe ZERO.
4.Another student loan payment on which there are less ZEROs.
5.ZERO car accidents or traffic tickets.
6.And ZERO regret about the fact that I didn’t save up enough money to go to Europe this summer

So here we go, a year of zero’s. But next New Year’s Eve, watch out turtles. Because here I come.

You can't take it with you: Kaminsky's, Charleston SC

2010-12-20T06:00:00.001-08:00

I should have known something was up after the server left our table the first time.

He was too nice. He was just too happy. It wasn't normal.

And it wasn't an insincere happiness either. This man was genuinely thrilled to be there. When I decided to order the berry cobbler his face lit up with pure and unfiltered joy. I should have known then.

A ceramic bowl was placed before me. I could barely make out the crust of cobbler or blue berries beneath the mound of ice cream topped with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. The heat from the cobbler created a steam when it met with the frosty cold ice cream that was smothering it from above.

After the first bite it all made sense.

Who couldn’t be happy here? Who wouldn’t want to live their life serving the most amazing deserts known to man in a tiny room with exposed brick and warm lighting. Why would that server ever want to leave this place. Why would I for that matter?

Once I was able to collect myself I glanced across the table. Nick was staring at me. Wonder and amazement in his eyes.

“What,” I said. Nervous that I’d made some sort of unconscious exclamation that I would die happy now I’d tasted this miraculous cobbler.

“That was the most delicious bite of cake I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’m afraid to take another bite because there is no way anything could ever be better than that bite.”

For the first time I noticed that he had a large slice of white cake sitting in front of him. Our buy one get one free coupon put to good use. His plate was covered in a caramel drizzle. The cake looked as if it had some sort of caramel mixed within the batter. As Anna would say, “the intrinsic nature of the cake was caramelized.” It looked delicious. I couldn’t think about anything but my cobbler.

As I gazed lovingly at my plate, I cursed the delicious dinner we’d just had at a fancy pants restaurant down the street. How dare those oysters and flounder take up room for this masterpiece of a cobbler? What had I been thinking when I ever ate anything but this cobbler. In a sugar induced craze, Nick and I began to make promises we knew we couldn’t keep.

“I’ll never eat anything but this cobbler ever again,” I swore. “If I died now I’d be happy because this cake is all that matters in the world,” he wept.

It was too good. We didn’t even eat it quickly. We savored each bite. Sucked the essence out of every particle of each dish. Neither of us even came close to finishing. And then we realized. We couldn’t take it home. Not only would it prove to be a logistical nightmare. The consistency of both dishes were not suitable for travel. But there was no way to transport the atmosphere and the flavor of that tiny place. It wouldn’t be the same. It would ruin the most delicious thing either of us had ever had. We didn’t want a reheated version of heaven. Not when it was sitting right in front of us.

A delirious laughter took over. We were filled with the simple joy and remorse that comes with the knowledge that you’ve tasted the best, and nothing will ever be as good ever again.

Now, in the light of day, I realize that there is a reason to go on living. Because I can have my slice of heaven again. In fact, it only costs $5.75.

Price of an American Education: the pre/post-graduate dilemma

2010-12-16T06:55:00.001-08:00

LSAT - $130
Study Materials - $50
LSAC - $150
Transcripts - $30
Applications (10 schools) - $530

Total Cost of Law School before stepping foot through the doors: $890.00

Average Tuition per year: $25,000
Average Cost of Living per year: $15,000

Total Cost of a Legal Education in America: $120,890.00

How much is too much? At what point do you put a dream in a drawer and lock it shut because it's just not reasonable?

Cost of happiness (for parents and other disapproving relatives)

2010-12-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

More and more young 20-something couples that I know are moving in together. In my mind, ignorant as I might be, that seems like a very rational thing to do. On the other hand, when I hear of young 20-something couples getting married it is very difficult to get my mind around it.

I think it is safe to say that the opposite outlook is taken by the older generation.

I find myself having more and more conversations with people who are trying to find a way to break it to their parents that they are going to be living with their significant other with no matrimonial intentions in sight.

Would they rather we all tie the knot for better or for worse? It's just not that generation any longer.

We are the generation of taste testers. The generation of options and careers and travel. Jumping up and moving across the country or the world is a viable option for so many of us. Marriage just seems like something for old people ready to settle down.

Understandably, many parents and older relatives do not want to hear about young couples living together. But what about the obvious cost savings associated with such a choice? Especially for people who have moved somewhere together?

Let's be honest here. If you're dating someone, odds are you are spending most of your time at his or her house anyhow. And I know that parents want to keep up the lovely facade that you only see one another in a chaperoned group on Sunday afternoons. But that is most likely not the case, and deep down they know it.
So why do they make us feel guilty for wanting to live together?

Now, I am not campaigning for a slew of 19 year old college kids to move in with their significant others. But if two intelligent people who obviously get along are both out of school and working doesn’t it make sense for them to live together? Especially if they have moved somewhere together or don’t know many people in their area.

A single apartment, ANYWHERE, averages no less than $700 per month. Then throw in the cost of parking, cable, internet, electric, water and groceries. That is more than $1,200 a month that could be split down the middle. Add in little things like car insurance, car payments, student loans, credit card bills and just the general cost of living, and you’ve got a pretty hefty financial burden being demanded of a young 20-something just out of college with a pathetically low salary at an entry level job.

PARENTS. You are costing your financially independent (and therefore struggling) children more than $10,000 a year in frivolous costs.

Sure, sure – they could live with a random roommate. But what are the odds of THAT working out. Some people are lucky (such as me – xoxo Petra&Olive!) but I’ve also heard horror stories about people who move in with nut jobs or even just with people they don’t mesh with. This isn’t college anymore. We have careers and busy, busy lives and the last thing a struggling young professional needs to worry about is what to expect once they get home from a hectic day at work.

So what is the answer? Who knows. Because when it comes down to it, a lot of families are not going to budge on this issue. And a lot of young adults are going to have to find a way to pay for the cost of keeping their parents and relatives happy.

Snow in the South

2010-12-10T05:22:00.000-08:00

Snow has been a hot topic of conversation in Charleston this week. Is it or isn't it? Will it or won't it?

I've heard the possibilities discussed in a million different ways and yet...no snow. In fact, no one even seems to be wearing coats. Now - it is cold. And people are clearly expecting snow on some level. But for some reason, coats seem to have disappeared in the south.

This is even more fascinating because about two months ago, when I was still wearing tank tops and shorts. People here began wearing uggs and north face jackets as if they were preparing for inevitable cold front. I was hot just looking at them. But now that it is actually cold, it's as if the entire population has changed their minds. Mother Nature called their bluff and they aren't having it. People are walking around in long sleeved tees and jeans while talking casually about the snow that may or may not ever arrive.

Very strange bunch these southerners.

Perhaps it's because they all keep their homes and offices at a temperate 75 degrees. They know that even if they're cold for a moment it won't last long.

Or maybe, like me at the moment, they just don't own winter jackets. Because although winter does come in the south. It doesn't stay long. And perhaps the vast majority of southerners prefer to just suffer through the two cold winter months and refuse to purchase a bulky winter coat that will take up a large portion of minimal downtown closet space. Or maybe they're all just nuts.

Can't wait to see what happens if it actually snows. Against my better judgment I'm going to go ahead and make a broad assumption and say that most Charleston residents don't have a whole lot of experience driving in the snow.

The bridges should be especially fun. For anyone that doesn't know. Downtown Charleston is a peninsula, so to get anywhere you have to use one of three very, very large bridges. I can only imagine the chaos that will ensue if any of those bridges becomes covered with snow and then thousands of terrified South Carolinians attempt to drive over it. Yikes.

Tax Cuts and Coffee

2010-12-08T06:14:00.000-08:00

I heard something very interesting while driving to work this morning that made me think of our struggling president and it gave me a moment to turn recent events around in my head a bit.

As it turns out, bold coffee typically has the least amount of caffeine. This obviously turned my world upside down. All this time I have been fooled by the basic assumption that BOLD = STRONG.

Well, that's what you get for making broad assumptions with little to no research to back it up.

Apparently, bold coffee beans are cooked longer and as a result lose some of the natural materials that create the caffeine we Americans love so much.

Bold does not necessarily mean strong. So, given the basic logical equations - one could assume that a lack of boldness does not necessarily mean a lack of strength. Can this apply to the country? Just because the president is not making the boldest moves - does that automatically mean that he is not strong? That he will not give this country the energy boost it so desperately requires?

Now I have not been blown away by Obama. I have not read about what he is doing and thought, "WOW - thank God he is President." But let's be fair here. The man was given a field with poor soil and told to make it into a productive farm. And he took that challenge. But after he took it they threw a curveball, "Oh by the way, you can't use any tools. And your entire crew just quit."

Extending Bush tax cuts was a strange move in a lot of ways. The general idea of saving less and spending more doesn't seem like a great plan. It was in fact, a very not bold move. And at first I saw it as a collapse of Obama’s strength under the constant pressure of Republican opposition.

Do you know what the stated number one priority is of the Republican Party?

To deny President Obama a second term.

They actually said that. They have actually said that no matter what he does - they will fight him. No matter how many times he tries to get them to agree with him - to work alongside their Democratic counterparts - they will fight him.

No matter how I feel about our present Commander In Chief – that’s a tough burden to bear.

But after learning about the coffee I have second guessed my perception of our president's strength.

Perhaps Obama is not making bold moves. But when you look at the situation he has put himself in, apparently he has the strength to take on the Republican Party and the Democratic Party in order to find the balance that our country requires.

Change takes time. And maybe Obama wasn't the best choice - but he was the choice that was made and maybe, just maybe, if someone would allow him to continue making his (not so bold) moves. He will give us the strength we need. And who knows, perhaps if we let him cook a little longer our president will grow bolder and his strength will be taken up by the American people. Or he could burn and ruin the whole pot. But let’s keep it optimistic.

Then again. This is a comparison of coffee to politics, so don't take anything you read here too much to heart.

November in the North Pole - frigid tempertures of low 40s hit Charleston, SC

2010-12-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

It's finally cold in Charleston. Apparently snow has swept in from Minnesota and the chill is passing through the south. I blame Tara. Although I wouldn't mind seeing a little snow. Actually...when I think about it, snow is the last thing I need. It will simply taunt me with the reality that I live in a flat tropical paradise where people ride on waves and not mountains. Snow completely contradicts the whole principal of moving here and does nothing but make me miss home.

I want to learn to surf. May as well join in with the locals. Although I suppose now is not the best time of year, not to mention the fact that I barely have time to sleep not to mention surf.

I'm anxious for the holidays to be over. Holidays are stressful in normal situations, living 14 hours away only makes them more so. I don't even have a single Christmas decoration up in my house. It's sad. I was thinking the other day of the house at 517 E. University and the Christmas Tree we had there. We decorated it with tinsle, christmas lights and a lot of glitter. The glitter wasn't the best idea, it didn't do much for the tree and our house retained remants of it well past the holiday.

I remember coming home from an interview in Chicago and everyone was getting ready for our Christmas party. I think that was the year we said BYOB and the table we put out for alcohol collapsed under the weight of everyone's contributions. I believe there were pretzels and snowflake shaped Little Debby's as well. I doubt many people paid attention to the food. At some point a St. Bernard joined in with that party. Anna locked herself in her room and Trellis deleted all the pictures from everyone's camera. We had at least 6 couches in that house and we'd pushed them all up against the walls - where some of them remained until the end of the year. By the morning I was sleeping in the living room snuggled up next to Tara who's feet were freezing like a vampire.

I think that whole night was thanks to Amber and Jesse coming home one day with a Christmas Tree that nobody wanted and then everyone loved.