Sancocho Y Mangú

And years later . . . .

2015-05-03T11:14:00.002-04:00

I wrote my last post for this blog years ago. Blogging took a back seat to life which includes parenting, teaching, my health and of course general exhaustion.

Big News: I had a successful total hip replacement in August 2014 which has changed my life. No more chronic pain. It is amazing how long a person can put up with everyday pain and once it's gone you can't believe you tolerated it at all.

My Littleman is finishing up the 2nd grade and is showing incredible growth. He's still resistant when it comes to homework, but really who wants to do homework.

Teaching is the bigger challenge these days. There are only a few weeks left to the school year and my students still struggle with basic writing. Sometimes it feels like a Sisyphean endeavor. Having one's career linked to so many variables is incredibly stressful.

My only plans for the summer are travel and rest, I hope that will make a difference for next year.

MOVIE REVIEW: (500) Days of Summer (2009)

2012-01-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

I just watched "(500) Days of Summer"(2009) with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. I absolutely LOVED it -- funny, sad, and bittersweet. Makes you think about boyfriends past and how a breakup looks from the other perspective. "(500) Days" reminded me of "Amelie," both movies are poignant, quirky and have beautiful art direction.

Plot: (SPOILERS ALERT!!!)* ************************************************************
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The story follows Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a lonely greeting card writer who once aspired to be an architect. He believes in love and soul mates and becomes obsessed with the new office assistant, Summer (Deschanel). She is a mid-westerner who does not believe in love and is not looking for a boyfriend. In spite of making this very clear to Tom, they start dating casually and their fling becomes his passion. The movie takes us back and forth in the timeline of their relationship with a 500-day counter going up and down before key scenes. The early days of the romance are fun and romantic but the movie's non-linear scene shifts reveal signs of the impending break up, and the toll it ultimately takes on Tom. You feel for both Tom and Summer because you've probably been there before, on both sides of the break-up divide. Luckily, the movie ends on a positive note so hopefully you won't give up on love altogether.
Oh, and I should mention that the soundtrack is fantastic and I will be downloading it very soon.
I watched "(500) Days" on E!TV but it is also available on Amazon Video, and iTunes. Go watch it and enjoy.

YARN REVIEW: Schachenmayr Regia World Ball Color 4-fädig/4ply

2012-01-12T12:18:00.001-05:00

For 2012 I have promised myself I will try to blog more and provide details about my experiences with various yarns, patterns, fibers, and tools. So here goes. . . .

I was gifted a lovely ball of Regia 4ply fingering yarn purchased by my knitting sister at the Webs Year End sale. It is a discontinued yarn but Regia has many, many similar options. This yarn is fairly soft, I suspect it will soften up after washing but I like a coarser yarn for socks so it does not bother me. However, I would not use this yarn for a cowl or scarf because of the softness factor. I thought the stripes would obscure any stitch pattern I used, so I knit plain vanilla socks. The stripes are very interesting, thick and thin with the dark brown of my colorway forming the thickest stripe. I had hoped to create a denser fabric with size US 0 but was slightly disappointed, still a little too airy/ open for my taste. Again, I think a wash and brief run through the dryer may help.

Of the "workhorse" yarns I have used thus far I would not rank Regia World Ball 4ply at the top -- fyi: Patons Kroy and S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes are durable and "squishier" and turn out a denser fabric on size US 0-1 than I could get with the Regia. Nevertheless, if you find this yarn in a discontinued sale bin it would not be a bad idea to stock up on a couple of balls for gift socks, toys, or maybe even some interesting colorwork.

Happy Three Kings' Day!

2012-01-06T17:12:00.001-05:00

My family used to celebrate Three Kings' Day (aka Epiphany or 12th Night) before they moved to the US. For them, December 25th was about Midnight Mass and dinner with family, not gift exchanges. The Three Kings bring gifts not Santa who, quite honestly, would pass out of heat exhaustion if he showed up in the Caribbean wearing all that wool and fur.

My son gets the best of both worlds: Christmas and Three Kings. Next year will be different however, I am going to embrace a more critical Santa who truly leaves coal in stockings and no gifts for naughty children, and the Kings will hopefully make up for the dissappointment 11 days later. Wish me luck!

Will I Ever Have A Day Off???

2011-12-04T12:05:00.001-05:00

Unemployment means you never have a day off. This morning I am simultaneously battling a migraine AND working on a job application. All I want to do is crawl into bed with a heating pad. In a few hours my Littleman will be back from his weekend with his dad and Mami duty begins. Tomorrow we return to weekly grind. Exhausting!

Singing on our Way to School

2011-11-03T14:33:00.001-04:00

My 4-yr-old is so loving life in NYC that he literally sings on his way to Pre-K in the morning. Everything we see on that 2 block walk is a topic of conversation: types of trucks, different sounds, the rudeness of people who don't pick up dog poop. And even though I'm getting him ready for Kindergarten next year, I don't really have to push the academics, he will tell me: "Look at that bus. B-B-B- Bus starts with B" it's awesome!

Living With the Parents

2011-10-28T18:14:00.001-04:00

Ok, I am officially living one of my nightmares, well, maybe nightmare is a bit strong, but definitely an unpleasant bizarro reality: I am living at home with my parents. They are wonderful, loving, supportive people but it's not supposed to be this way. At my age I should be enjoying some semblance of a normal mid-life existence. But the fates, and bad choices, have led me back to the city of my birth, the place I swore I would never live in again. On the flip side my four-year-old son absolutely loves the city. The simplest walk around the neighborhood thrills him to no end. I've jumped into the NYC Kindergarten boxing ring seeking out the best public schools for my Littleman just in case I'm here longer than I want to be ("hope for the best, plan for the worst"). I would be the happiest person in the world if a full-time job would come my way then this "nightmare" could end.

Let the Unpacking Commence!

2011-10-02T10:39:00.001-04:00

I am now installed at my mom's house in NYC and am slowly unpacking and getting our lives in order. The Littleman started his new Pre-K program on the 26th and is really loving it. I begin my community college teaching gig on Tuesday. Of course the transition was not without its problems. My car's "check engine" light lit up last Saturday while I was moving things to my storage unit and now a week later it is fixed and I am $1,500 in the hole. Unfortunately, I had to fix it since I need to drive to work in Jersey. Murphy's Law really has a way of kicking you in the butt!

Water Main Break Day 1 and 2

2011-09-20T09:04:00.001-04:00

2011-09-15T18:00:00.001-04:00

About to head off to 'Back To School Night' but I am exhausted & feel like I might just doze off during the presentations.

Packing, Packing and More Packing!

2011-09-14T15:56:00.001-04:00

I just purged a huge bag of old t-shirts and maternity clothes, MATERNITY CLOTHES!! I can't believe I still had this stuff. Then I went into Littleman's wardrobe and found a bunch of 3T pants and tops, baby socks, and cloth diapers. All gone now, I didn't even pause, just dumped it all in the trash. I'm trying to take two suitcases out of this house and not much more, we'll see how that goes.

My Littleman is in Pre-K!!!

2011-09-13T13:40:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe that my Littleman is now a Pre-K student.

My Memory of 9/11

2011-09-11T20:51:00.003-04:00

I had driven from Chicago with my good friend Ru that weekend because my fellowship program was starting up on Monday September 10th. My new fellowship office was at 2 World Trade Center 16th Floor and I was excited because apart from my fellowship interview, I had't been to the Twin Towers since I was a kid. I spent all day Monday at the fellowship office meeting my colleagues and discussing my research plan. We were in a conference room and I don't recall any windows so it must have been an internal office space meant to cut down on distractions. It was a long day which ended with instructions for the newly-arrived fellows to visit the security office of WTC for permanent ID badges. I had a temporary ID but would have to enter through the Visitors entrance each time, so I was eager to get that permanent ID and planned to go in after the morning rush hour the next day.

I slept in late, still recovering from the long drive, and was awakened by a phone call from a frantic friend who thought I might be at the WTC. We turnded on the tv and started watching the coverage. As the day unfolded, more friends called as did my professors from Illinois to make sure I was ok. My family members checked in throughout the day.

My friend Ru had planned to fly back to Chicago but all airports were closed, in fact, New York City was completely locked down. It took days for her to get back home via a caravan of friends driving west.

The following Monday the fellowship had arranged group therapy sessions especially for employees who were at the WTC offce on 9/11. After the first plane hit, and the explosion shook the building violentily, the organization's president, who just happened to be there early that morning, ordered employees to evacuate immediate. They followed the established evacuation protocol sending a runner to check bathrooms and storerooms and the office PA system announced that the office would be closed and locked and employees should go home until further notice. As they left the building emergency workers were advising people to go back in because of falling debris, but since the office was locked there was no going back and so they headed for subways and buses, called family to let them know they were on their way home. Not long after the second plane hit. And you know the rest of that story.

At our group sessions, those employees credited the organization's president with saving their lives.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people who lost friends and family, especially the young children who lost parents.

Off To Connecticut

2011-09-09T20:00:00.001-04:00

I am visiting an old college professor tomorrow. Of course my son only knows her and her husband as Nana and Poppy. I am just amazed at how a good teacher can alter your life. I am forever grateful to have had so many of them, Nana in particular.

2011-09-09T16:00:00.001-04:00

Ride to NYC was eerily traffic free.

2011-09-06T10:15:00.001-04:00

Very rainy day. Littleman is enjoying building a dollhouse on pbskids.org Technology is fantastic!

Littleman LOVES Pictures of Himself

2011-09-05T19:53:00.001-04:00

Playing with Photo Booth

Harry's Shoes

2011-09-05T14:06:00.001-04:00

At the beginning of every school year my mom would take me to Harry's Shoes to pick up the Catholic School approved leather mary janes or penny loafers. Today I took my Littleman for a pair of sneakers and the customer service still can't be beat. Nice to see some good things stay the same.

The Day's Events

2011-09-03T20:12:00.001-04:00

We didn't accomplish much today. The girls got their hair done for school this week, Littleman and I hung around, walked in the neighborhood, played with flash cards and action figures. He drew pictures with his cousins, watched his favorite Spider-Man animated show, nothing special but he enjoys being around the grandparents in the city.

In NYC for the Holiday Weekend

2011-09-02T16:19:00.001-04:00

Drove to the city early with kids in tow. I wanted to avoid the traffic and it was perfect timing. I think a lot of people canceled plans for this weekend because of the hurricane.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2011-09-01T15:41:00.002-04:00

For a few months now I've been watching the british detective series "Midsomer Murders" It is set in a fictional southern English county of Midsomer that has to have the highest murder rate in the country. In American detective/police dramas there are one or two murders that need to be solved, but in each Midsomer episode 2-5 people can end up dead! It's far fetched for small village life but the show is truly entertaining. The lead detective is play by Shakespearean actor John Nettles and he is really great. The writing, as in most british shows, is very smart and funny.
For those of you still enjoying free streaming on Netflix before the prices go up, the entire series is currently streaming in "Watch Instantly."

Trying Out a New Template

2011-08-31T15:52:00.001-04:00

Every year I promise to make more of an effort at blogging. The truth is I don't know how anyone who has a child can keep up with blogs or crafts. I tell myself I will write every night after I put my son to bed, but getting him down is a battle and by the time I've won I am beat.

Nevertheless, I do want to try to keep the blog updated. Wish me luck.

Irene's Blustery End to the Summer

2011-08-30T12:29:00.001-04:00

Well Summer is really over. Although for those of us who are unemployed, there was never really a Summer vacation. Luckily my son got to travel with his dad to California to visit the grandparents, and we're making the most of the last sunny days to play in the backyard.

If anyone out there has the secret to finding employment please share. I have been putting out at least 2 applications every week (more when I first arrived in New Jersey) for over a year now and NOTHING! How can a Ph.D. and two Master's degrees get you nothing? Last year I wondered how people could survive long term unemployment without losing their minds, what did "those" people do all day? Well now I know. My routine has been the same for a year. Scour the job listings, print all the appropriate possibilities, do a bit of background research on the organizations, write up my letters and in most cases, upload letter and resume and click send. Then I wait. There is usually a "don't call us, we'll call you" message with the posting. Over 365 days of that, I feel like I'm in the Bizzarro world!

Anyway, on the crafting front, I need to knit up some soakers for my friend Diana who is due next month as well as some winter mittens for my Littleman.

I'm hoping some positive thinking will result in an opportunity, ANY opportunity. Wish me luck folks!

BOOK REVIEW: A Discovery of Witches

2011-06-25T16:38:00.003-04:00

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy historical fiction that is rich with details and Deborah Harkness delivers just that. I'm not into wine but if you are, you will also be pleased. Add to all that a mixture of vampires, witches, and demons coexisting in contemporary society and you've got the basis for Harkness's fascinating tale. Her protagonist is Diana, a thirty-something academic phenom who comes from a long line of witches but has turned her back on her pagan heritage preferring instead to focus on her professional life as an historian of science, specifically, alchemy. But her heritage catches up with her and she must face her past and make tough choices about her future. Oh and then there's that suave, handsome vampire that can't be ignored. The romance storyline needs some work, I hate watching characters that I like in the first couple of chapters devolve into lovestruck idiots by the middle of the book, especially female characters. I also dislike the introduction of a bunch of new characters late in the book; that aspect of the story seemed rushed or perhaps an editor's decision.

Elements of the story are familiar to "Outlander" and "The Time Traveler's Wife" at least those were the two books that popped into my head as I read. Don't get me wrong, the story is entertaining and I eagerly await the second and third installments of the trilogy. Nevertheless, I'm hoping the next installments will develop rich rather than rushed story lines.

View all my reviews

Hoping Open Office Will Work

2011-05-18T12:53:00.001-04:00

I've been having a lot of problems with my Mac Word Suite after I foolishly upgraded to 2008 version. I'm going to try Open Office and see if it works out. I just can't afford to purchase MS Word right now.