To state the obvious, there are two parts to any move…moving out and moving in. For most people, moving out is the hard part: packing up all of your belongings, deciding what to keep and what to throw away and fretting over broken and lost items. I beg to differ…When I moved out of my apartment in SF two and a half years ago, I took pride in my packing efforts and was meticulous in every aspect: labeling every box, keeping only what was necessary and what I would want in two years and perfectly organizing my storage unit for maximum use (okay, so I technically left that last one up to my movers, but I did supervise). And when I moved out of my apartment in Zurich recently, I had it much easier…especially since Martin was staying put. I packed up my clothes, shoes and purses (at least those that fit into my 6 bags) and hopped on the next plane to San Francisco…(again, in reality, I have been taking two bags back to CA since Christmas 2008 and will be picking up 2 more this upcoming trip, but you get the picture.)
Moving back into SF has been a whole different story…With the move back from Zurich completed in June, I had been prolonging the dreaded move-in for three and a half months. The idea of tying myself down to an apartment, let alone a city for a one-year lease scared the poop out of me. Add to that the idea of investing in furniture to fill the new place., and I officially had the shakes I finally made the plunge this past week; I signed the lease on my new apartment, called the movers and re-discovered all of my belongings I had so preciously tucked away a couple of years ago. First thing I noticed missing…my bed. I am not sure what happened to it, or more importantly what relative’s bedroom it ended up in, but I no longer owned a bed. Good thing I had an Aerobed (yes, my first night in my glamorous new apartment in SF was spent on a blow-up mattress)…I quickly added “buying a new mattress” to the top of my list of things to do the next day. Second thing missing: the TV. Unlike the bed, I vaguely remember deciding to give the TV away, since I reckoned I would want to upgrade once I returned…I guessed right and immediately went out and bought a modest sized flat screen Samsung: the baby version to my TV in Zurich.
Among the other items missing and/or given away in the move…the microwave, towels, a shoe rack, bookshelf, all my hangers and probably countless other items that I have long forgotten about. However, in all my insight so many years ago, I did manage to save, pack and not break: 6 martini glasses, 6 wine glasses, 3 margarita glasses, 2 Tiki Tom glasses, and of course my favorite two beer cozies “I may not be perfect, but I am so close it’s scary” and “Have you ever noticed that Cupid rhymes with stupid”. Clearly my definition of “necessity” was slightly different a few years ago…along with my idea of “clean”… half of the items pulled out of storage were filthy.
So while I spent the past few days running around the city to buy the missing items (including 4 trips to Target) and washing everything I own, I have to sit back and smile about my belongings saved from years before…I guess my packing job was more of a time capsule to my crazy life in SF than furnishings to a proper apartment.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Burgers, Beers and Mexican
While some people go to the wine country to taste the award winning wines, eat the fine foods and enjoy the beautiful views and memorable sunsets, this past weekend, I chose a less conventional option….burgers, beers and homemade Mexican food. It was a perfect way to spend the weekend.
With Ange and her husband Scott staying at her extended family’s house in Healdsburg, Dana and I decided to crash the party and meet up in wine country. We both got to Healdsburg mid-morning on Saturday and Ange, Dana and I immediately fell into our normal routine of sitting around the kitchen table, catching up and talking about everything and nothing at the same time…(thankfully Scott wasn’t around to give us a hard time about wasting a beautiful day outside doing absolutely nothing).
It was only the development of hunger pains that motivated us out of the house in search of food…that search led us to the Healdsburg Bar and Grill for hamburgers where we sat on the patio, people watching and marveling at the after-effects of too much wine tasting…the rowdiest group of overindulged wine tasters were old enough to know better, making me feel less guilty about my previous showings at the various wineries.
After a quick stroll around town, and a stop at the grocery store, we were back at the house, on the deck, enjoying the views of the countless vineyards dotting the valley, and sipping a nice, full bodied…wait for it…Pacifico beer, with a lime of course (I do have some class, however small and disputable it may be). The rest of the night was spent indulging in guilty pleasures…hanging out, making fajitas and fresh guacamole, and watching trashy TV. And to perfectly complete the weekend of all things non-“Napa”, we avoided the local boutiques on Sunday morning and instead opted for every box-store available…Bed, Bath and Beyond, Michaels, Target, Aaron Brothers, etc.
Again, it was a perfect weekend, although it does make me want to come back again soon to do it properly… that is, the same thing, but possibly with wine.
With Ange and her husband Scott staying at her extended family’s house in Healdsburg, Dana and I decided to crash the party and meet up in wine country. We both got to Healdsburg mid-morning on Saturday and Ange, Dana and I immediately fell into our normal routine of sitting around the kitchen table, catching up and talking about everything and nothing at the same time…(thankfully Scott wasn’t around to give us a hard time about wasting a beautiful day outside doing absolutely nothing).
It was only the development of hunger pains that motivated us out of the house in search of food…that search led us to the Healdsburg Bar and Grill for hamburgers where we sat on the patio, people watching and marveling at the after-effects of too much wine tasting…the rowdiest group of overindulged wine tasters were old enough to know better, making me feel less guilty about my previous showings at the various wineries.
After a quick stroll around town, and a stop at the grocery store, we were back at the house, on the deck, enjoying the views of the countless vineyards dotting the valley, and sipping a nice, full bodied…wait for it…Pacifico beer, with a lime of course (I do have some class, however small and disputable it may be). The rest of the night was spent indulging in guilty pleasures…hanging out, making fajitas and fresh guacamole, and watching trashy TV. And to perfectly complete the weekend of all things non-“Napa”, we avoided the local boutiques on Sunday morning and instead opted for every box-store available…Bed, Bath and Beyond, Michaels, Target, Aaron Brothers, etc.
Again, it was a perfect weekend, although it does make me want to come back again soon to do it properly… that is, the same thing, but possibly with wine.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Blocks in Seattle
Like leaving college, one of the hardest things about leaving Zurich was wondering when I will ever see my friends - with whom so much had been shared, in such a short period of time - again. And while I have made my college friendships last over the years, the Zurich friendships already have so many more variables: different jobs, cities, states, countries plus husbands, wives and more importantly, children, which makes traveling and meeting up together on whim in say Vegas, so much more difficult. But like college, I was and am ready for the challenge.
In spirit of keeping up, I spent a few days this past week in Seattle visiting my friends Andy, Shannon and their baby Hadley (who, at 8 months, is an adorable little munchkin and past my 6 month age requirement, making it possible to play with and hold)…introducing, the Block Family, some of my best friends from Zurich. While in Zurich, I travelled everywhere with these guys - Ireland, Prague, Greece, the Alps, etc., - so with both of us state-side again, it seemed only natural to head up to Seattle and actually see where they call home. I had been to Seattle before, both on a family road trip Griswald style and to visit Joanna during college break, however those trips were over 10 years ago and I was excited to re-discover the place.
It took me all of 10 minutes to fall in love with the city and fall back into old ways with the Block family. Autumn was in the air and on the trees, with crisp mornings smelling of rain and the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of the city foliage. And despite the occasional rain, no umbrella was ever truly needed, unlike the rains of Zurich…
With just two days, we manage to pack in a lot… dinners in, dinners out, bottles of wine, happy hours, brunches, good conversations and, while Andy had to work, Shannon, Hadley and I were able to spend the two days shopping in the various neighborhoods, walking around Green Lake with her friend Julie and son, Bennett, and a sushi lunch with the girls like old times (although we were missing one crucial element…Anna!). The only thing we did not mange to fit in was the Seattle “Duck” tour, something I would have never considered before, but thought sounded like fun for Seattle for some reason…I guess we will have to save that one for the sequel.
The two days with the Blocks in Seattle felt just like the usual night at the Block’s house in Zurich – comfortable, fun and always entertaining. It felt like I had never left Zurich or said goodbye to my friends there…yes, everything was right with the world. And while I still worry about years to come and what will happen, I am more faithful in the strength of our friendships and the ability to last over time.
In spirit of keeping up, I spent a few days this past week in Seattle visiting my friends Andy, Shannon and their baby Hadley (who, at 8 months, is an adorable little munchkin and past my 6 month age requirement, making it possible to play with and hold)…introducing, the Block Family, some of my best friends from Zurich. While in Zurich, I travelled everywhere with these guys - Ireland, Prague, Greece, the Alps, etc., - so with both of us state-side again, it seemed only natural to head up to Seattle and actually see where they call home. I had been to Seattle before, both on a family road trip Griswald style and to visit Joanna during college break, however those trips were over 10 years ago and I was excited to re-discover the place.
It took me all of 10 minutes to fall in love with the city and fall back into old ways with the Block family. Autumn was in the air and on the trees, with crisp mornings smelling of rain and the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of the city foliage. And despite the occasional rain, no umbrella was ever truly needed, unlike the rains of Zurich…
With just two days, we manage to pack in a lot… dinners in, dinners out, bottles of wine, happy hours, brunches, good conversations and, while Andy had to work, Shannon, Hadley and I were able to spend the two days shopping in the various neighborhoods, walking around Green Lake with her friend Julie and son, Bennett, and a sushi lunch with the girls like old times (although we were missing one crucial element…Anna!). The only thing we did not mange to fit in was the Seattle “Duck” tour, something I would have never considered before, but thought sounded like fun for Seattle for some reason…I guess we will have to save that one for the sequel.
The two days with the Blocks in Seattle felt just like the usual night at the Block’s house in Zurich – comfortable, fun and always entertaining. It felt like I had never left Zurich or said goodbye to my friends there…yes, everything was right with the world. And while I still worry about years to come and what will happen, I am more faithful in the strength of our friendships and the ability to last over time.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The McLawry Wedding in Manley!
A word to the wise…if you invite me to a party, I will make damn sure I am there. It doesn’t matter where it is (Europe, Cuba, Antarctica), you tell me when and where, and there is a 95% chance I will have bought my flight, party outfit and gift before the official invitations go out. Do NOT extend me a courtesy invite with hopes of an RSVP of “No, with regrets”…it will not happen. Based on this premise, it should be no surprise that when my favorite Australian couple in Zurich invited me to their wedding in Australia (although the invite was jokingly “contested” by the groom to be, Nick) I knew I was going to make the journey to Sydney to celebrate the momentous occasion.
With the wedding on Saturday, I arrived at Kim’s house in Manley on Friday to hang out with the bride and bridesmaids and help with the last minute items before the big day. My main tasks included a laundry list of items prepared by Kim’s family (cleaning the house, running errands, etc), running interference between Kim’s family and Kim and most importantly, keeping Kim happy with plenty of champagne. I was officially, the un-official bridesmaid biatch and it was a job I took on whole-heartedly and with pride …I was Kim’s minion on the job in Zurich and was happy to transfer the skills from work to wedding. And even better, it was great to have a chance to spend time with Kim before the big day.
And the big day was absolutely beautiful. The week of rain cleared up in time for the ceremony on the beach and everything followed flawlessly from there. The reception was perfect, speeches were intimate and funny and Kim had thoughtfully placed me at the rowdy table, who , along with all of Kim and Nick’s other friends, brought me into the group immediately….going to a wedding alone is scary enough, but doing it in a different country is something else. Thanks to their friends’ openness, this was one of the most fun weddings I have been to. Truly, you can judge a person by their friends, and not surprisingly the couple’s friends were all great people, who went out of their way to make me feel like I had known them all forever.
The party went into the early hours of the morning and I was sorry to see the night, and holiday, end…. I had absentmindedly bought my flight home for the following day, which meant I had to miss out on the Sunday BBQ at Kim’s house and the final send off of the newly married couple. Thankfully I was able to catch up with Kim in the hotel before she headed home and laugh with her at all of the funny stories from the night before. And, in true Aussie fashion, I managed to have one last Australian beer with some friends (Pete and Bianca), whom I randomly ran into on the promenade before heading home.
With the wedding on Saturday, I arrived at Kim’s house in Manley on Friday to hang out with the bride and bridesmaids and help with the last minute items before the big day. My main tasks included a laundry list of items prepared by Kim’s family (cleaning the house, running errands, etc), running interference between Kim’s family and Kim and most importantly, keeping Kim happy with plenty of champagne. I was officially, the un-official bridesmaid biatch and it was a job I took on whole-heartedly and with pride …I was Kim’s minion on the job in Zurich and was happy to transfer the skills from work to wedding. And even better, it was great to have a chance to spend time with Kim before the big day.
And the big day was absolutely beautiful. The week of rain cleared up in time for the ceremony on the beach and everything followed flawlessly from there. The reception was perfect, speeches were intimate and funny and Kim had thoughtfully placed me at the rowdy table, who , along with all of Kim and Nick’s other friends, brought me into the group immediately….going to a wedding alone is scary enough, but doing it in a different country is something else. Thanks to their friends’ openness, this was one of the most fun weddings I have been to. Truly, you can judge a person by their friends, and not surprisingly the couple’s friends were all great people, who went out of their way to make me feel like I had known them all forever.
The party went into the early hours of the morning and I was sorry to see the night, and holiday, end…. I had absentmindedly bought my flight home for the following day, which meant I had to miss out on the Sunday BBQ at Kim’s house and the final send off of the newly married couple. Thankfully I was able to catch up with Kim in the hotel before she headed home and laugh with her at all of the funny stories from the night before. And, in true Aussie fashion, I managed to have one last Australian beer with some friends (Pete and Bianca), whom I randomly ran into on the promenade before heading home.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Approximately 35 years ago, an Australian man and a Californian lady met on a train in Europe and developed a quick, but lasting friendship. Twenty five years later, the Australian man once again contacted his friend and organized a chance for one of his young, enthusiastic employees (plus three friends) to move to Tahoe to work the snow season and live with his friend from so many years before. While in California, and for the 10 years to come, I had a chance to meet these young Australians (Greg, Ryan, Adam, Matt, plus their countless visiting friends) and, in turn, develop a few more friendships between an Australian guy and a Californian girl. I have been there through it all with these guys… bad hair, big moves, new jobs, and countless nights out on the town…where ever that town might have been (Costa Rica, Europe, California or with their friends and families in Sydney). SO…when I planned my trip to Sydney for a friend’s wedding this past weekend, I made sure to include some extra time during my visit to catch up with my favorite Australian guys.
I landed early Tuesday morning and made my way over to Ryan and Dallas’s house in Cronulla to drop off my stuff and get prepared for the day…. After a quick shower, I grabbed Ryan (he had the day off work) and we made the 5 minute walk to the town’s main street to meet up with Adam (he had the whole week off) and Greg (he had the day off as well) for breakfast, where they had the nerve to give me crap about only being around mid- week - a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday to be exact - clearly ignoring the fact that although it was a week day, none of them were working. The rest of the day was spent at Adam’s house enjoying the afternoon sun and Australian beers and watching the surfers below. Being old friends, with old habits, we waited until noon before cracking open the first beer; and, being Tuesday, we ended the day at Northies bar for Trivia Night, where I was relentlessly heckled by the MC for being America and slightly crazy….I blame the alcohol and my jet lag.
The rest of the two days continued in a similar fashion, with a slight pause for a tour around Sydney with Adam on Wednesday while everyone was at work. Having been to Sydney before, one would think I had already seen all of the sights of the great city…and in fact, the boys were kind enough to humor my desires so many years ago with a quick stop off at the Opera House for a glimpse at the Harbor Bridge, before heading to the pub for Rugby World Cup (apparently we had to get to the pub 6 hours in advance in order to lock in a good spot which prevented any additional sightseeing). This time around, the tour was more or less the same, although in the opposite direction… Adam and I began the day at Darling Harbor (the area built up for the Olympic Games in 2002 and where we enjoyed Rugby World Cup in 2003), took the ferry under the Harbor Bridge, past the Opera House and disembarked at Circular Quay for a quick stroll through the Rocks (the oldest part of Sydney). However, the highlight of the tour was not the sights or boat ride, but rather the meat pie we enjoyed at the very end. I had been waiting six long years for another taste of the Australian delicacy of dodgy but delicious, unidentifiable meat in a pastry puff. Unfortunately my meat pie eating skills had all but disappeared in those six years, and every pigeon within earshot of my American accent had me marked as an easy target for dropped food. I did not disappoint… the pie and ketchup went everywhere.
The week of “events” ended Thursday night with the whole crew at a Mexican restaurant chosen not for the food (which is a good thing...it is hard to impress a California girl on Mexican cuisine), but rather for the tequila options and buckets of beer. And with 7 out of 10 of the friends not working the following day (along with the tequila options and buckets of beer of course), things escalated quickly. So much so that one of the three who had to work ended up calling in sick and I, at least my liver, was silently thankful that I would not be around for the weekend.
I said good-bye the next morning with a promise that the next time I came to visit I would make sure to include a weekend in the visit….and with that promise, sincere apologies to my liver.
I landed early Tuesday morning and made my way over to Ryan and Dallas’s house in Cronulla to drop off my stuff and get prepared for the day…. After a quick shower, I grabbed Ryan (he had the day off work) and we made the 5 minute walk to the town’s main street to meet up with Adam (he had the whole week off) and Greg (he had the day off as well) for breakfast, where they had the nerve to give me crap about only being around mid- week - a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday to be exact - clearly ignoring the fact that although it was a week day, none of them were working. The rest of the day was spent at Adam’s house enjoying the afternoon sun and Australian beers and watching the surfers below. Being old friends, with old habits, we waited until noon before cracking open the first beer; and, being Tuesday, we ended the day at Northies bar for Trivia Night, where I was relentlessly heckled by the MC for being America and slightly crazy….I blame the alcohol and my jet lag.
The rest of the two days continued in a similar fashion, with a slight pause for a tour around Sydney with Adam on Wednesday while everyone was at work. Having been to Sydney before, one would think I had already seen all of the sights of the great city…and in fact, the boys were kind enough to humor my desires so many years ago with a quick stop off at the Opera House for a glimpse at the Harbor Bridge, before heading to the pub for Rugby World Cup (apparently we had to get to the pub 6 hours in advance in order to lock in a good spot which prevented any additional sightseeing). This time around, the tour was more or less the same, although in the opposite direction… Adam and I began the day at Darling Harbor (the area built up for the Olympic Games in 2002 and where we enjoyed Rugby World Cup in 2003), took the ferry under the Harbor Bridge, past the Opera House and disembarked at Circular Quay for a quick stroll through the Rocks (the oldest part of Sydney). However, the highlight of the tour was not the sights or boat ride, but rather the meat pie we enjoyed at the very end. I had been waiting six long years for another taste of the Australian delicacy of dodgy but delicious, unidentifiable meat in a pastry puff. Unfortunately my meat pie eating skills had all but disappeared in those six years, and every pigeon within earshot of my American accent had me marked as an easy target for dropped food. I did not disappoint… the pie and ketchup went everywhere.
The week of “events” ended Thursday night with the whole crew at a Mexican restaurant chosen not for the food (which is a good thing...it is hard to impress a California girl on Mexican cuisine), but rather for the tequila options and buckets of beer. And with 7 out of 10 of the friends not working the following day (along with the tequila options and buckets of beer of course), things escalated quickly. So much so that one of the three who had to work ended up calling in sick and I, at least my liver, was silently thankful that I would not be around for the weekend.
I said good-bye the next morning with a promise that the next time I came to visit I would make sure to include a weekend in the visit….and with that promise, sincere apologies to my liver.
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