too many dinosaurs

This talk by Jack Horner has been stuck in my brain...I just found this idea so compelling: instead of lots of dinosaurs, there where many fewer and the paleontologists have been finding babies, juveniles, and adults and thinking they were different species, when really they weren't.

In high school I got to go to Egg Mountain in Montana as a Girl Scout and work on the dig there for two weeks. Jack Horner's son was there, John. He was HOT. And I remember finding a big bone and asking him what it was. He asked me. I asked back. He raised his voice. I raised mine. Finally he was shouting at me: WHAT IS THIS BONE? I finally guessed and said a femur? He said sure. I then realized he had no clue either.

Anyway, watch this video and ponder. Good times.

juicing

Anyone out there ever gotten into juicing? Brent and I watched this pretty great movie (Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead) about juicing to lose weight and regain health and just bought a juicer to give it a go.

The apple juice was good...but earthy. Very interesting taste. Preview of the movie below:



I liked the idea of resetting your food pallet. When we discussed this with my brother and his wife, they did not really buy it...but I think there is some merit. These guys were not eating any fruits of veggies...ANY...so they really needed to reset things. And it worked. I will be trying the juices Brent makes, because of my delicate state...but not actually only drinking juice...that seems a little crazy. I could see Brent just drinking a juice for breakfast everyday. My uncle has a smoothie for breakfast everyday.

Thoughts?

cook books v. the internets

Do you use cook books to find recipes or the internets? I kind of go both ways. We have quite a few cook books now and I enjoy reading them. I have a friend who collects them. She does not cook though.

However, when I am looking for a specific recipe I tend to go to the internets. Grammy used to make a wonderful strawberry bread, and I thought I had the recipe, but I could not find it.

I found this one online:

Fresh Strawberry Bread

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups strawberries, rinse, dried and chopped

Directions
1. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. With electric mixer cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla.
3. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend flour mixture with butter mixture just until blended. Add buttermilk and only stir until just combined; do not over mix.
4. Carefully fold in strawberries. Dough mixture will be thick.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

I will let you know how it works out!

movie: A Man Named Pearl

Amazing movie. Pearl lives in rural South Carolina and created a huge topiary garden, because his neighbors complained that he was not taking care of his yard.



Very inspiring.

Check out the website here.

book review: the art of eating in

The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove
by Cathy Erway

Operation prepare for the baby/learn to self motivate has had some competition from operation hotter than hell outside/TV calling. Some days I self motivate, some days I watch TV.

But after taking back all of the labor books to the library I happened upon this book in the new books section. Bringing new books home to read from the library is strictly prohibited right now. We need books going OUT.

But one thing I have wanted to work on is eating at home more, especially since I am not working. It is a good way to save money and I am a decent cook (queue comment from Brent.) As a child, we only went out to eat for special occasions. But somewhere along the line, eating out became something that was just a normal part of my life. Even when I am bored with the food options, I often don't get my act together to bring my lunch to work.

The author spent two years not eating out in New York city. In fact that is what her blog is called: Not Eating Out in New York.

I can imagine her blog and book could readily be compared to the blog that inspired Julie and Julia. But her book is better that that book. By far!

Erway chronicles all the different experiences she has while eating at home. She learns how to cook new things, although the title is a bit mis-leading, because she is already a great cook when she started the experiment. She hangs out with friends at home, she goes on picnics, she goes to food cook-offs.

Unfortunately, we don't have similar palates, so many of her recipes I would not try, but she has inspired me to be more creative with my cooking. And her blog is great too.

brent and the chairman and the baby shower in NJ

Fun photos.

Brent with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve

Baby Shower in New Jersey

just basically awesome

awesome video about snapping turtles

other books

Ok, so I have read some other books I don't feel like reviewing more than a little bit. This a cop out. I know that.

The Wild Life of our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners That Shape Who We are Today
By Rob Dunn

Great, great book. Loved it. Go read it. It will change your life. Or call me, and I will tell you why I loved it.

Forget Sorrow
by Belle Yang

This book is a lot like Maus by Art Spiegelman. It chronicles her family's history and then plight in China before coming to America. If you like graphic novels, pick it up.

The Parrot Who Thought She Was A Dog
by Nancy Ellis-Bell

Cute book about a crazy animal woman. She adopts animals, even birds who threaten to bite her at every moment. Quick read. If you are into animals, this is a book for you.

book review: slow love

slow love: how I got knocked off the fast track and put my pajamas on for a year and found happiness.
by Dominique Browning

I read this awhile ago. It was, the opposite of a coming of age story, I suppose. It was more of a coming to terms with latter middle-age story. The author was the chief editor of House & Garden, until the magazine closed. Then she really did not know what to do with herself. She became depressed. She also had a rather un-fulfilling relationship with a married man for many years. (Reading about said relationship was one of the most annoying parts of the book.)

I now consider the need to learn how to self motivate again. Perhaps this is what she was really doing in the book: learning how to self motivate without the looming deadline of a magazine to produce.

So many people I work with say they just don't know what they would do with themselves if they did not have to work...I have lots to do...but I am still learning how exactly to self motivate myself. This week has gone well so far.

Anyway, the book. It was ok.

I did like her guiding piece of decorating advice: create as many lovely places in which to sit and read as possible in your home.

book review: the wave, in pursuit of the rogues, freaks, and giants of the ocean

The Wave
by Susan Casey

I read this book right away when it came out a few months ago...and LOVED it. So why have I not written the review yet? One word: jealousy. I had this idea to write a book about giant waves, from an article in the New York Times. Hundreds of ships go missing annually. For years they had no idea why...but now we know that the sailors stories of giant waves were not just tall tales.

But I did not write the book. Mrs. Casey did.

She took an interesting tact: she interwove the science of the waves with the stories of surfers trying to surf giant waves. It works well. You get the personal interest stories coupled with the scary science. (FYI: no cruises for me, ever, thank you very much.)

For example, there are landslide-induced tsunamis. These happen under water. 8,000 years ago a piece of shelf the size of Kentucky gave way off the coast of Norway. The slide might have been caused by methane hydrates, or spherical gas deposits frozen into the sea floor. Changes in the temperature of the ocean could trigger more of these spheres to explode. Changes as little as one degree will set them off, leading to giant waves and vast clouds of methane going into the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse gas ten times more potent than carbon dioxide. Scary stuff.

Oh and the USGS conservatively estimates that twice the carbon found in all fossil fuels in the world is contained in these ice balls.

Bottom line is that the book is a great example of non-fiction done well.

intimacy update...better!

I heard from the store manager. She was very apologetic and offered to send me a bra to try. I will let everyone know how it works...

lil' bean n' green: cafe n' play

In Toronto we stumbled across this cute little cafe...well half cafe and half playroom. The front of the space was dedicated to food and coffee for adults. In the middle of the space there was a little garden gate, behind which all kinds of fun toys awaited children. What a great idea for parents?

Check out their website:
http://www.lilbeanandgreen.com/

I could see this working on other cold places...like Montana.

babymoon in toronto

A babymoon is like a honeymoon but before your have your first child. It is a cute idea...well at least I think so. Grammy found it to be really really funny.

We went to Toronto this weekend. What a lovely city. We walked all over, and I am still exhausted from the trip. I would highly recommend visiting Toronto. We stayed at this cute little hipster hotel called The Drake. The staff were super. They really could not have been more helpful.

Click here to see pictures from our trip!

military service

Once people are dead, you can request their military service records. I finally got around to doing this for my dad. It is so interesting. He joined the Air Force when he was 18, in 1958. He never talked about being in the military. He did mention, somewhat vaguely, that he was in Libya during the Vietnam War. But who knew if that was true? It was true...kind of...he was there for 5 months, and according to the records he gained 20 pounds being there. Strange. I can't figure out what he was doing in Tripoli quite yet. I need someone to interpret the military speak for me.

I love seeing how his signature changed over the years, becoming more and more unrecognizable.

store review: {intimacy} a horrible experience there...

Talk about a nightmare. I read this article in Bloomberg Businessweek about this really awesome sounding new lingerie store where they have 70,000 bras in each store. And a new one opened in DC!

To get a fitting you have to make an appointment in advance. They will not let you buy one with out a fitting. And you have to fill out a questionnaire online about what you are looking for. I am only looking for nursing bras.

I get there on time. No one is in the store, except the three women working there. I tell them I am there for a fitting. One woman says I must be Nicole. I am in fact Nicole.

"Did you fill out a questionnaire online?"

"I did."

"We can't access the computers, so could you fill it out again." (Why ask me if you can't access it?)

I do. All I need, the sole reason for driving an hour to get to this store, are properly fitting nursing braS. (She NEVER reviews my card that I filled out.)

I only check this on the card. The woman then tells me her colleague will be with me in a moment. I stand there like an asshole...for 5 minutes...then the other woman standing next to the woman who initially helped me says, hello, she will be helping me. WHAT? Is this some joke? You kept me standing there for no reason? I had an appointment.

Then, as asks if the trainee can see my fitting. Fine. I don't really care. She brings in a maternity bra. I try it on. It is a fine bra. $117 but fine. I don't need a maternity bra. I need nursing bras. She says for free they will alter any bra to be a nursing bra.

"How do you do that?"

"We cut the strap, and put a hook and eye in, just like in the back."

Really? I could cut my bra apart and sew in a hook and eye. And who is going to cut their new $117 bra?

"Could I just see the nursing bras?"

Seriously 15 minutes later she returns with five bras that are all maternity bras.

"I am really ONLY looking for nursing bras."

"I could not find them."

"Well could you look a little more. That's all I need. Don't you have something like 70,000 bras in each store?"

She come back eventually, telling me the girls working are new, so they don't know where the bras are, and she usually works in a different store.

This is the only store in the DC area, so I ask what other store she works in. One in California.

Ok.

She tells me the nursing bras were all mixed in with the other bras.

"This is the only nursing bra we sell. Try it on, and see how it works."

It is too small. She says it comes in black or nude. I tell her I will take one of each in the proper size. Oh she also mentioned she does not like to sell nursing bras until closer to when the baby is due. I thank her for her opinion.

Then this: "This is our best selling nursing bra."

"Well of course it is, if it is the ONLY one you sell."

She smiles.

We go to the register. She tells me they no longer sell the nursing bra in black. I ask, just to verify, if they only sell this nursing bra.

"At this store."

"At this store? So you have other nursing bras?"

"Not at this store."

"Do you or do you not sell other nursing bras?"

"We have others, but not at this store."

"Could you order me one?"

"No, because you would need to try it on. The sizing is a lot different because there is no under wire."

I remember that apparently you don't want under wires when you are nursing. I read it someplace.

"So there is no way I could get the other bra?"

"No."

I was incredulous. A store which will only let you buy bras that you try on, doesn't have the bra in stock, and can't get it, and I drove a hour to get there after waiting 2 days for a damn appointment, and I am supposed to just buy the ill fitting bra she had me try on?

"I think I will just not buy anything. Thanks. Could I get the district manager's phone number?"

She gives me the store manager's number.

When I call to talk to the store manager, they hang up on me.

I could not make this up.

I called their headquarters in Atlanta. Finally got a hold of someone. They promised to call me today. No call yet.

Addition: They called this morning, but I did not have my cell phone. I will call her back tomorrow and let you know what happens.

uncomplete thoughts

Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in questioning the knowledge surrounding some subject that I completely discount that any real knowledge is known about that subject. My questioning of the little things makes me skeptical of whether the big piece of understanding is correct.

I suppose this could be called over-thinking.

I have been doing this about the birth process lately. I don't really buy that all babies need to come out by 42 weeks of gestation. But my friend Pam pointed out that in places where they don't do this the infant mortality rate is much higher. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html)

I still am skeptical, but need to accept that doctors do in fact have some knowledge and experience that I don't have, so I should trust that.

book review: how my breasts saved the world: misadventures of a nursing mother

by Lisa Wood Shapiro

I ran across this book at our bookstore and took a chance on it. Baby books can be hit or miss. One I read was so bad I did not even want to review it. I liked how the book started: with this idealized version of how her mother and other female family members discussed breastfeeding as though they had all done it for years and it was so easy...

Years ago, I asked Linda if she had breastfed all of us. “Yes, all of you were breastfed.” Well, ok. Then later I thought to ask more.

“How long did you breastfeed Mt?”

“Oh, almost a year I suppose.”

“Erica?”

“Eight months.”

“John?”

“I quit work with John, so 6 months I think.”

“Me?”

“You were breast fed.”

“For how long?”

“You were breastfed.”

I finally got out of her that I was breastfed for almost a month before she went back to work.

This book turned out to be just wonderful and full of all kinds of interesting tidbits. The author wrote the story basically as an extension of her quest to explain to new mothers how difficult breastfeeding is and how important getting help is to your success. She walks all over Brooklyn telling new moms about her nursing group and breastfeeding pillows, and leaking boobs, and on and on. Her husband tries to shut her down a few times, but to no avail.

Her tips, scattered throughout, are lovely.

• Re-load the diaper bag as soon as you get home so it is ready to go when you are ready to leave again. Getting out of the house is 100% of the battle.
• When making homemade cupcakes, use the food processor and just put the batter into the cupcake papers directly on a cookie sheet rather than using a muffin tin.
• Get a lactation consultant early and often. It is worth the expense.
• The latch is the hardest part.

I keep thinking about the book and telling my friends who are expecting what Lisa said: it is hard, so get help. I haven’t even tried it yet...but I am leaking. (Is that TMI?)

ice cream success

Erica and Brent's dad, Harry, got us an ice cream maker for Christmas. We finally made ice cream the other night...but I did not follow the directions exactly, and the first batch was a fail. (Egg whites and egg yokes should not be mixed up.) Tonight we tried again, and SUCCESS. It was really easy. Mix and then put it into the machine. Next time we will modify the recipe a bit more. It was a bit too creamy for us.

Simple Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream (1 c = half a pint, like the little milk boxes you got in elementary school)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix, chill, then put into the machine. Mix until thickened; about 20 minutes.

book review: kraken: the curious, exciting, and slightly disturbing science of squid

Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid

by Wendy Williams

I love cephalopods: octopus, cuttlefish, squid. I don’t eat them because I love them so...I could never even try one. They are just too smart(see video above regarding their smarts). So when Brent surprised me with this book, I was excited. But the book disappointed, or rather the author did. I know she spent a lot of time working on the book, but she injected herself into the story too often. And I feel like she needed a better editor. She repeated herself a lot.

I did learn some fun things though.

For example, the star of The Aquarium of the Pacific, was an octopus which was found walking along the street several miles from the ocean! Can you imagine seeing that? A good Samaritan saved the little guy, named Lucky Sucker.

Cephalopods’ ink contains dopamine, so its prey might be feeling good while being eaten.

So, if you are really into the little guys like I am, read the book. Otherwise, skip it.

eels, by james prosek

What do you know about eels? Other than their skin can make great wallets that will demagnetize your credit cards...nothing really.

You all know about my interest in the stranger things of the world. Well, Eels: An Exploration, from New Zealand to the Sargasso, of the World's Most Mysterious Fish about eels was just fascinating and filled all of the requirements I have for a great read: 1. random topic, 2. well written, and 3. easily explained to others. An excellent read, even if you don't think you care about eels.

Eels, which are fish and not to be confused with electric eels, are born in the ocean and swim up the rivers to live, the opposite of other fish. The scientists think the eels from the eastern coast of the north and south American continents spawn in the Sargasso sea...but no one has ever seen them actually spawn. And eels can live outside of water for periods of time enabling them to move between ponds.

Prosek travels all over the world to learn more about eels...he spends 10 years of his life on eels, and we are the recipients of his massive amounts of knowledge. I would be interested in what got left on the editing floor, because I bet there were lots of interesting gems lying around.

Unfortunately, eels are not faring well. According to Prosek, eels once traveled up the Mississippi as far as Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota, and Illinois. Dams have been their downfall.

Prosek also travels to the island of Pohnpei where the eel is worshiped by some as their ancestors, and therefore not eaten. As an aside, the island also has a set of ruins from the city of Nan Madol, "a ruined city that lies off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei that was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about AD 1500." You have to check out the pictures of this place (click this sentence.)

Here is a video about the last guy on the east coast who still uses a weir to collect eels in the same manner as the Native Americans did:

eel•water•rock•man from Orion Magazine on Vimeo.

i can't believe

the weekend is over already. Lots of stuff accomplished. The white chair is gone. The rocking chair is in the living room, ready to rock. The closet reorg has begun. We have started emptying out the chest of drawers for the baby. I caught up with lots of friends this weekend. A good weekend.

Oh and my leg is healing finally.

How was your weekend?

another cute picture of kate accepting her award

wonderful news

My aunt, the esteemed actress, Kate Harris, won a very prestigious award last night in Chicago for her role in Cabaret last year. The non-equity Jeff Awards are given for excellence in acting. I am so proud. She really deserved this award.

Read more about the award here...

survey

So few weeks ago I sent out a survey to my friends. I was reading On Managing Yourself, which is one of the Harvard Business Review's 10 MUST READS.

On the first page there were even some interesting ideas. Peter Drucker said that most people don't know what they are good at nor do they know what they are bad at. Which made me think: I should ask everyone about my skills and see what they say.

I asked everyone to email me 3 things they thought I was good at and 1 thing I am bad at? (Other than receiving criticism...I know that one already. :P ) I promised to send out the results. And offered to do the same for my friends.

I got a surprising number of responses. I think the responses fit into 8 groups: photography, being a good friend, confident, adaptive psychology, sense of humor, good project manager, writing, other.

In terms of number of time mentioned, being a good friend was by far the most, with being a good photographer being the second most mentioned quality. Having an ability to adapt to life changes well, resiliency, was the other oft mentioned characteristic.

Brent felt that my bad qualities often reflected more on the person bringing the issue up than on me...which was an interesting insight. Impatience was the most mentioned deficiency, which is probably true. Ok, it is true.

Tomorrow, what I plan do to with these insights.