Happy Holidays

We spent the holidays visiting with family and friends, lighting the Menorah each night and, as expected, opening gifts with Manda & Rena. On Christmas day we followed our family tradition of going to the movies and dining on Chinese food with our friends Bobby and Joanna. Christmas day is a big opening day for movies and we usually try to fit in a double feature. This year we managed to see MILK, the story of Harvey Milk, the first publicly-gay elected official. Now I realize this may not be a movie everyone is comfortable with, but it is definitely worth the ticket. Sean Penn deserves an Oscar nomination for his performance. He is a true actor and has the talent (too often missing among his peers) of totally becoming a character, so that it is not Sean Penn “playing” Harvey Milk, he “is” Harvey Milk.

We also saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons, which was entertaining, although I could have done without the last 20-30 minutes. I didn’t really need to see Benjamin becoming a child/infant to make the story work for me. Brad Pitt is very good, and as always, great to look at, and Cate Blachett is exquisite. Her beauty and poise always remind me of Katherine Hepburn.

We had reservations at Little Szechuan in Doraville for one of their private rooms as we had eight adults and two children. The food is good, but the service is notoriously slow, and on Christmas, with half the Atlanta Jewish community eating dinner there, well it was excruiatingly slow. Since we were in a private room, you couldn’t just catch the waitress’s eye and we had to get up a couple of times to seek out someone to bring us more water, beers, etc. It took us over two hours—for Chinese food! At least we had good company, and Jasper (3) and Lyna (5) were serious troopers; no meltdowns or tantrums. All in all, a fun day.

Oy...the Holidays

We’ve entered the season...you know, gift buying, parties and friends, cooking and baking. I love the holidays, beginning with Thanksgiving all the way through to New Year’s.

We had my office Holiday/Anniversary party the first weekend of December. An intimate gathering of staff and spouses at Canoe. We had a private room downstairs in the wine cellar. Our server, Evan, was the perfect combination of service and unobtrusiveness. We spent a nice evening getting to know two new staff members of our office and their spouses, as we were fortunate to sit at the end of the table with these two couples immediately next to us. The food was delicious, the wine plentiful, and the conversation interesting. All in all, an enjoyable evening.

The next weekend was Mr. Man’s office holiday party. In contrast to BCK, with 14 people, Macro’s party is for 100+ people. It... is... a... PARTY! Open bar, buffet, karaoke, a DJ and dancing. We are talking high energy. Mr. Man danced all night and had a fabulous time. The music was a little too loud for me (I know, I know) and there wasn’t much diversity in the type played, so I didn’t dance as much as I usually would. Typically, I spend the evening hanging out with my friend, Mari, while Mr. Man makes his speech and hands out awards, but she and Bob (and Noah and Zoe) have moved to Manila where Mari is working on a two year contract with World Vision.

Then Sunday was the first night of Hanukkah. Manda and Rena had dinner with Rena’s family, but came by beforehand to light the candles and open a gift. Manda is still a kid when it comes to opening a present, and I expect we may see her every night...

Being Green (Or at least trying)

I bought a Prius about a year and a half ago, and while this wasn’t the start of our “green” journey, it certainly marked the no turning back point. We’ve been recycling for years. Even before the city began providing recycle bins, we would take our recyclables to the dumpsters behind Sevanada when it was on Euclid (remember when you could recycle and go through the magazine bin at the same time?). When we moved to Grant Park eleven years ago, one of the first things we did was set up a composting area. Mr. Man built a three stall, open front system, so that we could turn the compost between two stalls and use the third for holding finished compost. This works great if you don’t mind the work (it needs to be turned fairly frequently). This year we bought a two-sided compost tumbler, which is great for ease of use, you just throw your organic matter in and give it a turn. It also saves on space and is less unsightly than the piles, as well as controlling for rodents and smell—not that these were really problems for us, we have three cats. Each season we have enough compost to apply a layer on the garden before mulching. It’s amazing how little “trash” you have when you recycle and compost.

Once we bought the Prius, I started to get a little more serious about being green. Amanda began referring to me as the “green police,” and any time I’d talk about it, which I admit was/is often, she would roll her eyes and say “Mom!,” in that tone that implies no one wants to hear it. When I wanted to buy holiday gifts for people that would encourage their being greener (like hemp string reusable grocery bags; who wouldn’t want those as a gift?), she, in her teenaged wisdom, stopped me—I still haven’t given up the idea.

There are several really good websites that give advice on little things you can do that can have a big impact. One of my favorites is Campaign Earth where you can sign up for a monthly “challenge” my first was to give up plastic water bottles for a year (eight out of ten plastic water bottles end up in landfills and according to The Green Book, “it takes 1.5 million barrels of oil annually to satisfy America’s demand for bottled water.”). We gave up all plastic bottles, for good, and I began to see them everywhere. At my office, at friends’ homes, at local events… At the office, we’ve always offered bottled water to guests, and we still do, but I noticed that staff were using bottled water when making tea or coffee as well. After talking with the office manager, we put a filter on the faucet in the kitchen and have really cut the amount of bottled water consumption. At the time, my building didn’t recycle, so I brought all the bottles and soda cans home to put in our recycle bin, luckily we are a very small office.

The next challenge was to lessen the amount of junk mail and catalogs we were receiving. There are several websites to help with this. I went to Catalog Choice and entered all the catalogs we were getting (we were getting a lot, sometimes two of the same catalog, one mailed to each of us) that we didn’t want and they notified the companies to stop sending—it can take a mailing cycle or two before it takes affect. There are some companies that won’t comply with the request, and Catalog Choice lets you know the status so you can go to the company sites to make the request. We probably cut our mail by half, saving trees and the mailman’s back. You can also go to DMAchoice to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. Other challenges have included changing our light bulbs to compact fluorescent, and this month, lowering the temperature on the hot water heater to 125 degrees (Mr. Man’s not yet on board with this, but I’m working on him).

We did buy some of those hemp string bags for grocery shopping (1 trillion plastic bags are thrown away each year!). They stretch a lot and hold up to 40 pounds, and when you shop at Whole Foods they give you a small discount for each bag you use. We buy recycled products whenever we can and try to reuse things (aluminum foil, plastic storage bags) as much as possible. We’ve also recently begun thinking more about what we are buying. We look at labels to see where things are being shipped from in an effort to buy regionally and we joined a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), for vegetables and eggs. This has had a great affect on the variety of vegetables we eat. With our CSA, D&A Farms, you get what is ready for harvesting each week, so we are eating vegetables we wouldn’t necessarily buy (this fall/winter has included acorn and butternut squash, lots of greens—kale, bok choy, arugula, lettuces—sweet potatoes, radishes, baby turnips, broccoli). I can’t wait to see what the spring/summer brings. And the eggs, they are so fresh and flavorful.

I’m always looking for other ways to be green—not getting an ATM receipt when I make a withdrawal (it blew my mind to learn that “if everyone in the United States refused their [ATM] receipts, it would save a roll of paper more than two billion feet long, or enough to circle the equator fifteen times!¹” That’s a lot of trees!), turning off lights when we leave a room, turning off the computer when it’s not in use, etc.—and Mr. Man bought me a great book, The Green Book: the Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time, that is full of small things you can do that add up. And if everyone was doing it, just think what we could accomplish.

1 The Green Book: the Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time

Meet Marley

We have a new member of the family, Marley, an almost 2 years old long-haired Chihuahua . He is the sweetest little dog. And Mr. “that’s not a dog” well, Marley falls asleep in his lap every evening and Mr. Man couldn't be happier.

We adopted Marley from Atlanta Pet Rescue, who initially rejected me (see my earlier blog). After getting over my shock at being rejected, I wrote two emails begging them to reconsider, after which Mr. Man, Maggie (our 14 year old dog) and I were invited to meet Marley and be interviewed by his foster mom.

APR is pretty tough in their assessment of potential adoptive familes...so much so that I have a hard time believing they find “forever” homes for many of their animals. I think of myself as an above-average pet owner, but obviously not in their eyes. I was really nervous going in for our interview. I wasn't sure if they would allow us to adopt Marley, and I told myself that I would accept it and look into other animal rescue organizations.

We arrived within minutes of their opening on Saturday morning, and I immediately saw Marley in one of the pens with several other small dogs. He was standing atop a stool, and I was able to fit my hand through the fence to pet him. We were waiting for his foster mom to read our application and the emails defending our pet etiquette. Once we talked to her for a while, it became pretty obvious that she was really attached to Marley and was hesitant to let him go; she repeatedly told us she'd really rather he went to a home with another small dog. Interestingly, she shared with us that she allowed Marley to sleep in the bed with her (a hard habit to break for those of us who don't allow dogs to sleep in our beds) and that she drives with him on her lap, much more dangerous than the risk of coyotes jumping over our fence in my opinion. Just a little fender bender can deploy the airbags...think about it, not a pretty picture. In the end though, we were deemed worthy of adopting him (we did promise to feed him premium food and never leave him outside unsupervised). We did so as quickly as possible, paid the $250 adoption fee, and headed for Pet Smart for food, toys, and a doggie bed and crate.

He has adjusted easily and the rest of the family (Maggie, Baily, Tito & Stella) have accepted him without much to-do.

Our Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving with a group of friends this year, and, for me, it was the perfect Thanksgiving—a day spent with people we love, sharing stories, good food & wine, and counting our blessings for having such wonderful people in our lives. Let’s face it, holidays can be stressful and expectations high. Add a strained familial relationship or two and it can feel like anything but a holiday. Gathering together an eclectic group of people (young, old, black, white, male, female, gay, straight and lesbian in this case), all sharing in the responsibility of cooking and cleaning takes the pressure off and provides for some interesting conversation.

We came to know our hosts, Mike & Mari Hart, through our friendship with Mark Erba. Mike is a doctor with the VA, and Mari is a nurse with the Emory Clinic. They are warm, and genuine, and fun. Also there were Mari’s parents, Pat & Mari, a delightful couple who came to America from Ireland when Mari was a child; Mike & Mari’s sons, Patrick & Drew (Patrick is in college at Oxford, and Drew is in high school and plays the bass in a band called “Highway” they are impressive, sorta bluesy rock; lead singer, Alex Lotito has a strong and powerful voice; and they write all their own lyrics and music. They play around Atlanta; check them out if you get the chance); Corey, a friend of Pat & Mari’s; Mark and his son Dante, his mother Camille, and his brother David; our good friend Heather Haase and her friend Tom; and Amanda and her girl-friend Rena. There was lots of livey conversation and laughter, and the most wonderful food, and lots of it.

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without taking a moment to reflect on the things we are thankful for. We have had this tradition at our Thanksgiving table, much to Mr. Man and Amanda’s chagrin, for years, and I cannot let Thanksgiving pass by without putting into words how thankful I am. I think it is important in times like these to realize that even with a recession, high unemployment, raising food prices, and the threat of terrorism, we are still better off than many. We have roofs over our heads, food in our bellies, jobs, health insurance, reliable transportation, running (clean) water, and so much more that we take for granted as Americans. I'm especially grateful to have such incredible friends, not only here, but across the country and across the pond. Friends that I know will be there for us whenever, wherever. This year, I’m thankful to have taken part in a historical election, where Democrats finally—after eight horrible years of lies, self-interest and thievery—said “enough” and voted into office an intelligent, articulate, inspiring, African American President who “gets it.” I’m grateful for the hope he brings and for reminding us that it is up to us to bring about change. I can’t close without mentioning my thankfulness for my family, but I won’t bore you with the sappy details, let’s just say I feel very...fortunate.

Atlanta Pet Rescue Reject

I have been watching the most adorable long-haired Chihuahua on the APR website for a few months now; okay, several months. He had a broken leg and wasn’t up for adoption. But, every few weeks I’d check back to see where he was in his recovery. A few weeks ago he finally came up for adoption. I didn’t immediately apply because I wanted to make sure Mr. Man was on board, and, after losing Roxie, we agreed to wait at least six months. I was sure someone else would snatch this little guy up and I would miss my opportunity, but on Saturday I went to the website and, to my surprise, there he was still waiting for someone to give him a home. I talked to Mr. Man about it and he wasn’t, well let’s just say enthusiastic. Still, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. So, yesterday I made up my mind and told Mr. Man I wanted this little guy and was going to get him. “I never doubted it,” was his response. I immediately filled out the online application and waited anxiously for a reply.

Now, I think most people who know me, especially those who are part of our daily lives, would say that my animals are pretty lucky, if not outright spoiled rotten. My daughter and her partner, Rena, often leave their dog, Cassie, with us for the weekend. Not because they are going out of town or anything, but because Cassie loves hanging out at our house, and we enjoy having her. My animals (I also have three cats) live a fairly privileged life. They are very well cared for; I walk them, play with them, hug & kiss them, and, much to Mr. Man’s amusement, talk to them. They are well fed, up-to-date on their shots, provided medical treatment when needed, have lots of toys, their own beds, and get treats just because we love them. Yet, APR doesn’t think I’m good enough to adopt one of their dogs.

Why? Well, on the application I stated that on beautiful days; not when it’s hot or cold or rainy, mind you—and I did clarify that—but on beautiful days, I let my dogs stay outside. Gasp! I know, how horrible, right? How dare I let a dog stay outside in beautiful weather instead of being couped up in the house all day. And, this isn’t very often, maybe 5% of the time. Being in Atlanta, there really aren’t that many “beautiful” days. We seem to go quickly from hot to cold and back to hot, and during the spring and fall we tend to get quite a bit of rain. But, alas, APR cannot adopt out a pet to someone who keeps their dogs outside.

I did send a respond in my defense, explaining that I don’t “keep” my dogs outside, and voiced my disappointment that they didn’t think it worth a phone call to allow me to clarify my responses. I also suggested that they might have called the two references they asked me to give—both of whom could have reassured them that I’m an above-average pet owner. I don’t hold any hopes at this point of getting a response from them, they’ll probably just write me off as some crazy lady. But, I am disappointed. I was really looking forward to bringing this little fellow into our lives and giving him a good home. I’m sure there are hundreds of other dogs waiting for a good home, but now that I’m “black balled” from APR it is unlikely that I’ll be able to provide one to a deserving animal any time soon. And really, I don’t want any other dog, I want this one.

Post Election Critics

During the campaign I started reading, watching, and listening to anything having to do with the campaign. I would walk in the front door after work, turn on CNN, sit down in front of the computer to check my daily allotment of Obama campaign-related emails, and then go to the Huffington Post, which continues to be a daily read for me—I’m obsessed. Where else can you read about that schmuck Lieberman, watch video of Sarah Palin giving a post turkey-pardoning interview while other turkeys are being slaughtered in the background, and read a letter to Newt Gingrich from his lesbian sister berating him for his Proposition 8 comments, and, at the same time, get up-to-date news regarding President-elect Obama’s forming administrative team?

Besides all the interesting opionions and articles, you can also read comments posted by readers from the left, far left and the occasional right. Already the far left see the forming cabinet as “more of the same.” While there will always be some who are unhappy with the shape and speed of things, we should at least wait until the President-elect is in office before we start criticizing...and putting him in the same category as the current administation and the GOP is just, well, ridiculous.

I’m proud to be an American again

I’m ashamed to say I haven’t felt proud to be an American for a while. For the past eight years, I’ve felt our government was moving further and further away from representing the things I believe. In 2004, when “W” was re-elected to office I was stunned and have continued to feel amazed at just what this administration could get away with. I mean, we impeached a President for a blow job—well, for lying under oath about a blow job—but no one does anything about “W” lying (albeit not under oath) about reasons for taking our country to war, and... I could go on and on ranting about the things I hate about the current President/Administation, but we have to put all that behind us and focus on the change that will come.

We have made history! We have spoken, and we’ve gotten a taste of the power we hold if we’ll just stand together. Obama will need us behind him; he can’t do it alone, and it will be hard and it will take time, a lot of time.