Good husband

My husband bought me a chimenea. Good husband!

I love my chimenea.

I've wanted an outdoor chimenea for my upstairs balcony for years, ever since I saw one on my friends' back deck.

Now, any sort of a fire pit on my upstairs balcony is a tricky proposition. Our balconies, instead of having metal railings, are surrounded by wood siding, wood being flammable.

For this reason, I was attracted to the chimenea with its enclosed fire pit which basically eliminates the likelihood of swirling embers flying through the air and landing on the wood siding.

A couple of years ago, I mentioned my desire to my husband but I neglected to explain my thought process regarding the preferability of the chimenea over an open fire pit. So my husband, being a good husband, surprised me with an open (albeit screened) fire pit on Christmas Eve. And I, being a good wife, was very appreciative of my good husband's gesture even though my stomach was a knot of anxiety the whole time the fire was burning in the fire pit and the embers were swirling wildly in the winter wind.

We didn't light a fire in the fire pit again until we donated it to our neighborhood a year later for a New Year's Eve bonfire in the middle of our outdoor common area.

Fast forward another year (to this year). Good husband goes on a shopping expedition (as I have previously explained, most shopping round these parts involves an expedition). Upon his return, he meets us and some friends at the local movie theater. After the movie, walking home, as we approach our neighborhood, he inexplicably speeds up, claiming an urgent need to use the bathroom. I swallow this pretext, hook, line and sinker.

I leisurely amble into the house and upstairs where what to my wondering eyes does appear but a glowing fire seemingly floating on my upstairs balcony. Very cool.

So we've been enjoying our chimenea. It's quite delightful, lying on the bed with the lights dimmed, watching the flames flicker in their little enclosed space.

The Fourth Estate

On Thursday, December 21, 2007, there was a tragic avalanche in bounds at the Snowmass ski area which killed a young elite skier. While the run was closed, there was some dispute over whether or not the two skiers caught in the avalanche knew they were skiing a closed run.

This post is not about the accident but rather about my reactions and thoughts on the press coverage.

In the days since the avalanche, there have been articles and letters to the editor in both of the local papers. Save for a single eloquent letter by the surviving skier, there has been what I thought was the inevitable fingerpointing but which I now think is inevitable only in that some reporters have minimal self-control when it comes to the inclination to stir up controversy.

Front page articles in both of papers today brought home once again how much bias and slant exists in reporting, even when those reporting work mightily to avoid it and especially when they don't.

As I read the Aspen Times front page article regarding the circumstances leading up to the avalanche, I was very impressed with the evenhanded response of the Aspen Skiing Company which is in the difficult position of supporting its hard-working employees while also appropriately expressing its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased skier. The SkiCo representative stood by the fact that the run was closed while being willing to entertain the possibility that the skiers might not have known they were on a closed run. My impression was of a classy response to a tragic outcome.

I then turned to the Aspen Daily News which was reporting the same story and same information from Aspen Skiing Company on its front page. I was appalled by the differences between the two articles. Little of the evenhandedness I had read in the Aspen Times article came across in the Aspen Daily News article. The Aspen Daily News reporter seemed to be bent on perpetuating the us versus them fingerpointing that had characterized articles in both papers after the accident.

In the Aspen Daily News article, the SkiCo representative came across as arrogant and unwielding. In the Aspen Times article, the SkiCo representative came across as accommodating and concerned.

I have always liked and defended the Aspen Daily News' irreverent style. The Aspen Times can be stuffy while the Aspen Daily News' motto is "If you don't want it printed, don't let it happen."

But this is one case where I won't be stepping up to defend the Daily.

Otherwise known as . . .

I'm not allowed to say. Rachel says it's mean.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

I kept picking this book up but not buying it. I was definitely attracted to it but had heard little about it so kept putting it off.

Then, the other day, one co-worker was returning it to another co-worker and I mentioned my indecisiveness. The next thing I knew I was taking the book home.

After I read One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus, my copy was handed around to at least five other people. It traveled down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, to California and to New York. I thought that spoke volumes about the story, the word of mouth that enticed my friends and acquaintances to experience it.

This copy of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan has a similar history which encouraged me to bump it up my reading list. I'm pleased that I did so. I started it on Christmas and finished it last night.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a story of the lot of women in rural China in the late 19th century and the story of an unlikely lifelong friendship between Lily and Snow Flower. I have not done much reading about this era or culture so found the book edifying as well as entertaining. Women were valued only as mothers of sons but as often happens with oppressed populations, they found subtle ways to circumvent the various authorities in their lives. As Lily's mother-in-law taught, "Obey, obey, obey, then do what you want."

The focal point of the story is nu shu,

the secret-code writing used by women in a remote area of southern Hunan Province [which is believed to have] developed a thousand years ago. [Nu shu] appears to be the only written language in the world to have been created by women exclusively for their own use.

I like this hook. It speaks to our contemporary mores and allows our 21st century sensibilities to connect with these women's 19th century realities.

See does a good job of foreshadowing without hitting the reader over the head. The hints are woven into the story just as off the cuff observations might be. One reviewer describes the work as understated and absorbing which captures my reaction well. While avoiding being overwrought, See invokes various emotions, including anger, wonder, horror, sadness and, yes, tears.

Lisa See will be appearing here in Aspen on February 20 at Aspen Winter Words. I just might have to check it out.

And so it went

When you're used to Christmas with upwards of a dozen people, Christmas for three is an adjustment.

We managed pretty well for our first try.

Rachel and I took some time earlier in the day to do all the prep work for dinner so when Steve called to say he was close to home, it took no time to heat the cheese and the oil for the fondues. As is my wont, there was way too much food, but better too much than not enough. Rachel loves it because it means multiple fondue events. We ate 'til we were full, then had chocolate fondue for dessert.

Rachel did have an unfortunate encounter with a hot fondue fork which necessitated multiple ice applications.

We cleaned up the kitchen and changed clothes, bundling up for our sally forth into the cold (we had dressed up for dinner to make it more special). I've decided that, along the making it special line of thinking, I'm going to invest in some Christmas dishes and linens. It seems rather silly to have a set of dishes and linens for once a year usage for just three people but it'll add to the atmosphere.

A friend had given us silly glasses, kind of like 3D glasses, which refracted snowmen around all the headlights, tail lights, stop lights, street lights and Christmas lights so we took those along for some additional entertainment. Town was beautiful, snow covered and colorfully lit.

We made our way back home only to discover that I'm a bad wife who forgot to fill her husband's stocking. I had passed along stocking responsibilities and it never even occurred to me. Bad wife.

Since Rachel had about 7 gifts for every one of ours, we didn't really hold to the taking turns thing. Rachel was Santa and her marching orders were basically just to dole out the gifts as they came. With just three of us (four if you count Ellie), this worked well enough.

Even though she tries to work it so that she knows what's coming, Rachel had some nice surprises. She's discovered that blogging has some unimagined benefits.

Due in part to mishaps in the past involving accidentally discarded gifts, I'm one of those who likes to collect the wrapping paper as each gift is opened. Steve is more of the chaos school of Christmas. So, in a compromise, I threw out my wrapping paper as I went and Steve and Rachel threw theirs all over the room. Rachel then had to carefully comb through the shreds as she cleaned up to ensure no unintentional discards.

We were done by 10 pm and Steve had to work early Christmas Day so he and I settled down for our long winter's nap soon thereafter (although Rachel managed to stay up until approximately 4 am watching new DVDs).

Abraham's Well

I have mixed feelings about this book.

I liked the story presented by this book. I didn't tire of it and was able to read it quickly.

I appreciated the window into events with which I was barely acquainted. I added to my understanding of the Trail of Tears which the book handled in depth and with believable detail. The descriptions reminded me of a similar forced march portrayed in One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus (a book I have repeatedly recommended and praised).

The language choices used to present the attempts to turn the protagonist into a "breed mother" worked well.

The characterization of Mama Emma's guilt and denial over her role as a slave keeper rang true as did Armentia's struggle with her feelings for and expectations of Mama Emma.

Yet, the book is not without its shortcomings.

I never connected on an emotional level with the protagonist.

The inclusion of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, Juneteenth and the Land Rush felt contrived. The last third of the book seemed rushed.

As I read, I occasionally had the feeling that the sentiments or, at least the vocabulary used to express the sentiments, were too contemporary.

The religious message was heavy handed. The multiple chapters dealing with the middle of the night preaching session were overlong.

The book succeeds in some measure on an educational level but, on a story telling level, it hits just shy of the mark.

Snow Dog

Christmas cookie artist

Steve = 5


















Rachel and me = 54

Anticipation

My parents, two of my brothers, et al are doing the Christmas Eve thing tonight due to the every other Christmas thing some couples gotta do.

So they're all in Chicago, opening their gifts and Rachel is quite jealous, as much about the fact that they get to open gifts tonight as about the fact that they're there and we're not.

Even though she felt funny about it, she called to at least feel a part of it all. It helped with the feeling left out but exacerbated the impatience.

American Home December 1966

Well, because I'm a freak, after my last post, I was compelled to find and purchase the December 1966 issue of American Home.

It's on its way.

Woohoo.

40th anniversary

I'm waiting for the butter to soften so Rachel and I can bake Christmas cookies. More accurately, so we can make the sugar cookie dough and get it in the fridge to set before we make Christmas cookies this afternoon.

My Christmas cookie recipe is one my mom tore out of the now defunct American Home magazine in December of 1966. Wow, this is the 40th anniversary of my favorite Christmas cookie. This dated recipe even calls for shortening. We're definitely not telling Thomas Freiden (New York City's paternalistic Board of Health Commissioner). He wouldn't approve.

As we all are aware, traditions take on a special importance around the holiday season. Sometimes we get so entrenched in traditions that we can't extract ourselves even when we realize that our traditions are burdensome. And yet, what seems burdensome also creates holiday memories. And memories are an integral part of traditions.

In my family, we opened Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. It was always quite the schedule. We had a sitdown dinner of 3 different home made quiches in the formal dining room with the good china. We cleaned up and went to Christmas mass, arriving early in order to secure seats in the overcrowded upstairs church (we usually attended mass in the more informal downstairs church). After mass, we went to a relative's house for a Christmas Eve visit. Santa was always gracious enough to make his annual delivery while we were out, enabling us to arrive home to a wealth of gifts which we then spent the remainder of the evening (night?) opening, one at a time. Bedtime was usually after midnight.

This will be my first Christmas not spent with my parents. To put that in some perspective, this will also be my 45th Christmas. Accordingly, this is Rachel's first Christmas without my parents. This is Rachel's 15th Christmas.

So, we're faced with creating our own traditions while incorporating our treasured historical traditions. We will, of course, have Christmas cookies from the 40 year old recipe. We're going to do fondue (3 kinds, cheese, oil and chocolate) for dinner and dessert, not quite as formal but just as much of a production. We'll go for a walk after dinner through our snow covered, tree-lit, Christmas card town during which time Santa will graciously make his delivery so that we can return to stay up way too late opening gifts.

Zipporah, Wife of Moses

Think a fluffier Red Tent (I recommend the Red Tent most highly, by the way).

Moses' struggle with his destiny was compelling but the end wrapped up rather abruptly and Aaron and Miriam were portrayed quite poorly (although perhaps accurately. Who knows?).

The book did leave me wondering how Zipporah, Gershom and Eliezer really died. I went to the Old Testament but didn't find my answer there or online.

I do enjoy how historical fiction often leads me to further research.

Halter includes the interesting backstory regarding Thutmose III and Hatshepsut, the pharaohs who are portrayed (perhaps accurately) as Moses' "adopted" brother and "adopted" mother, respectively.

I've read Sarah and I'll read Lilah, if that's any indication of my regard for this book.

3.5 stars out of 5.

Dreamin'

I've been accused of being contrary (actually nowadays we more often use that term when referring to Rachel, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree).

Anyone who has experienced my contrariness might get some measure of satisfaction from knowing that I also subject myself to my contrary streak.

Oftentimes, I engage, as I suspect many of us do, in the lottery fantasy. You know, what specifically I would do if I won the kazillion dollar lottery.

Since I live in an area where free market homes cost at least half a kazillion dollars, my fantasies often involve blowing the bulk of the winnings on a freemarket house here in town.

Yesterday, as I was driving downvalley, I was engaging in this little daydream, brought on by passing many new homes in the midst of construction. It wasn't very long before my contrary streak started taking over.

I can't win the lottery because I never want to move again.

Let me be clear, I never want to go through the moving process again. I never want to have to pack up all my shit, schlep it (even across the street), unpack it all and figure out where it should live.

I like my house plenty well but it's far from perfect. So it's not that I want to stay here so badly (again, it's a sweet deal but it's employee housing so is small and has no investment potential in a town where free market housing has oodles of investment potential).

As I was doing the daydreamin' thing, I tried to solve my problem by hiring movers. Sparing no expense to hire movers who would come into my house while I was on my round the world trip (bought by my kazillions of lottery winnings) and pack up every last thing in my house, move it all to my new mansion and, and, and . . .

Ah, therein lies the rub. While I'm sure I could certainly pay someone to unpack my stuff, that wouldn't work. I need to put my stuff where I want it. There's just no getting around the fact that I would have to at the very least oversee the unpacking and putting away process.

Ughh.

I can't stay in employee housing if I don't work 9 months of the year in Pitkin County. If I win the kazillion dollar lottery, I doubt I'm going to want to do that. So, if I win the kazillion dollar lottery, I have to move. I don't want to move.

Such a dilemma.

So you see, I'm screwed by my own contrariness. I suspect there are at least a few of you laughing at me right now.

My new favorite radio station

At least for another week.

Radiofreeaspen.com plays round the clock Christmas music with no commercials.

It also has a website that consists of a scrolling banner of the currently playing song, a list of songs last played, the Aspen weather and a sparkly flash image which plays a variety of Christmas images. Right now it's stars and has been ornaments, presents, all dancing against a black background. Very festive.

KCUF, 100.5, Keeping Colorado Uniquely Free, El Jebel, Colorado.

It also has amazing coverage valley wide. Yesterday on my drive downvalley, I didn't lose reception until I was in the second tunnel in Glenwood Canyon on eastbound I-70.

The only sad thing is that I've noticed that their SiteMeter count is at a lowly 379. Come on, people!

Our Christmas Card

Happy Holidays!!

Regift = Tacky

This evening, I was lecturing Rachel. Not because she had done anything wrong, mind you. She was actually getting ready to make me dinner.

No, I was lecturing in an attempt to plant my voice in her head. I understand that my voice is already in her head but I wanted to be sure that it was implanted there on this specific subject. So that when the temptation to engage in this behavior rears its ugly head, and it will, she'll hear me loud and clear. She may go ahead but at least I'll have had the opportunity to weigh in and we all know how important that is to me.

So what am I talking about? (like the title didn't give it away . . .)

I am inveighing against the online attempts I have stumbled across to legitimize regifting.

Regifting is, in a word, tacky. It is dishonest. The core tenet of regifting is deceit. Regifting, bad.

That's the message I want to pop through Rachel's subconcious when she's tempted.

O Tannenbaum

After some struggle with my inner Grinch, I rallied today and with much assistance from Rachel, trimmed the tree.

Rachel says she always thought trimming the tree meant cutting it down.

Not really necessary with a fake, pre-lit tree. So much easier, although I do have to say it was a bear to retrieve from the subterranean storage. But at least I wasn't tromping around in the cold like my neighbors.

I know, there's a whole less filling/tastes great dynamic to the fake vs fresh issue but I'm lazy enough to be all about convenience.

It seems like I put all this effort into putting the tree up only to turn around and take it down a minute later. Every year I intend on putting the tree up on Thanksgiving or the day after so that I can get my money's worth from all that effort. But every year, it just doesn't happen.

Last night, I was thinking that I'd just sit and listen to all my Christmas music for the next two weeks and that would do it for me. No need to decorate with all this Christmas spirit on the old iPod . . .

But decorate we did. We skimped on the gold bead garland and the bows but Rachel did go outside and decorate the back of the tree through the sliding glass door so it'll look nice for the neighbors.

AtomicTumor

I follow a few blogs regularly. I read WaiterRant, The Company Bitch, PostSecret, Rantings of a Civil War Historian, Ruined for Life and since November 17, AtomicTumor.

I basically don't comment on any of them and other than occasionally using them as entrees into my own musings, I don't mention them here.

I like it like that. I'm a lurker. I'm the same way (for the most part) on the multiple email lists to which I subscribe (work lists - Part B, CRN, Private Payer and personal lists - GCPBA, RRFW, Idahowhitewater, IC friends, etc).

I'm compelled, however, to talk about AtomicTumor. I stumbled upon his blog the day his 28 year old wife of 10 years died after a short, unexpected and intense illness. His blog was addictive. He posted frequently, multiple times a day, and shared everything. I checked in quite often and was usually rewarded with a new post for my effort.

I always read the posts and rarely checked the comments. I wasn't interested in other people's reactions to AT. I was interested in what he had to say.

But, I appear to have missed something which I can only surmise played out in the comments. On Thursday and Friday, AT was pondering whether it was helpful for him to continue to blog and it appears that he stepped on some toes with an off the cuff reference he made to the organ donation people who were present as his wife was dying.

Now remember, AtomicTumor is AT's house and we're all invited guests. I realize it's a public blog and all but it's his house. He's working through some stuff that I have no way of identifying with and he's laying it out there as honestly as I think it can be done. If he was rubbed the wrong way by how he was treated by the organ donation people as his wife was on her death bed, then he's got a right to talk about it.

Granted, I'm a lurker by inclination but I can't say that I can see where it's really anyone's place to call him on something like that.

But then again, people are stupid.

So, now he's pissed and he's taken down the AtomicTumor blog including all of the archives. He's started over in HTML since Saturday and he's still posting, still being honest, still trying to figure it out. He's also still talking about whether he should still be posting.

I'm selfish. I want him to continue, at least until after I get bored. I like checking in on him and seeing how he's doing.

But, I hope that, stop or continue, he does what's best for him. He doesn't owe anyone anything.

I'm a Christmas Music Freak

I am a Christmas music freak.

I own 40 Christmas CDs and buy new ones every year. I bought 4 today.

There's something wrong with me.

That's 505 songs, 1.2 days, 1.62 GB.

There's something wrong with me.

I will be playing Christmas music on shuffle nonstop between now and Christmas. Well, not quite nonstop, but you know . . .

My favorite Christmas song is Carol of the Bells, just about any version of Carol of the Bells. I especially love vocal versions. I actually burned a CD with 12 different Carol of the Bells. To make myself feel better, I gave a copy to a friend too. She claims to love it. I think she's just humoring me.

My second favorite Christmas song is God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen. So, I really like Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) which combines God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen and Carol of the Bells in a rousing rock orchestral arrangement.

Oh, yeah, and the video is pretty cool too. Hmmm, a cool Christmas music video. There really is something wrong with me . . .

Repeal Day

I'm jumping on the bandwagon or falling off the wagon or something like that.

Waiterrant blogs about the attempt to create a holiday celebrating the ratification of the 21st Amendment, which occurred 73 years ago today.

Why celebrate the ratification of the 21st Amendment?

Why, because it repealed the 18th Amendment!

Huh?

Although I'm not much of a drinker, I do enjoy a glass of wine now and again.

So, here's to Repeal Day.

Jeers to Consumer Reports

I can't let my last post be without expressing how irritated I am with Consumer Reports.

I have been a subscriber to Consumer Reports magazine since I was in college (which is to say, for decades) and I have always sworn by it. My siblings got sick of my refrain, "Well, Consumer Reports says . . ." Most of my purchases, especially my "big ticket items," have been vetted through Consumer Reports first.

Not long ago, I discovered to my dismay that, in order to access the Consumer Reports' website, Consumer Reports magazine subscribers are expected to pay an additional 73% of the subscription price. This to access information for which I've already paid to receive in magazine form.

Their justification is that it costs a lot to maintain a website and they are a non-profit. Understanding this, I would not object to a small additional charge for magazine subscribers; I just object to an additional charge equal to 73% of my subscription cost.

Hence, no link to their website is included in this post or the last.

I guess I showed them!

I think I'm over it

Consumer Reports states that the Toyota FJ disappoints. They also headline an inset box with "Why We Can't Recommend the BMW X3 or Toyota FJ"

At least, the FJ is in good company (BMW?) in its ignominy.

[I]t's poorly suited for daily use. Visibility is quite poor and the rear-hinged doors are awkward. Routine and emergency handling is clumsy; the ride is compliant but unsettled.

On the other hand, the Toyota RAV4 (I drive a '98) is the most highly rated "Sporty SUV." So I guess I'll just stick with what I have.

I still think the FJ looks cool . . .

I'm failing as a parent

On AtomicTumor today, The Bosphorus wrote about it being the first Sunday of Advent which had totally escaped me.

Since we had been talking a few weeks ago about getting an Advent calendar (every year, I talk about getting an Advent calendar and then it's December and I haven't gotten an Advent calendar), I turned to Rachel and said, 'Rachel, it's Advent!"

She replied, "Oh no, I haven't given anything up yet!"

"No, Rachel, that's Lent."

"Oh. When's Lent?"

Ski sickness?

I'm not a hypochondriac. Really, I'm not.

I'm never sick. I never take a sick day.

But, it appears that I live in a ski town and I suffer from ski sickness.

Rudolf Häusler, Professor, University ENT Clinic, Inselspital, Berne, Switzerland states:

Dizziness with illusionary rotatory or pendular sensations and dysequilibrium accompanied by nausea and occasionally by vomiting may appear during down-hill skiing. It is proposed that the condition is called "ski sickness".

Yep, that's what it says. Ski sickness. Huh.

And the cure?

Häusler says the quickest answer is to take off your skis.

Uggh.