On My Bookshelf

Lately, my bookshelf has been a revolving collection of baby, parenting, and post-pregnancy books on trial from the library. After reading quite a bit of "professional" advice on eating, sleeping, and routines, I've happily dumped most of them right back in the library return box. The extent to which some of these guides want you to structure your day is exhausting. I just don't have the time or inclination to schedule "alone play time" for my 7-week-old and trying to structure feedings by the clock has proven to make my days more harrowing than restful. Anyway, there have been two books that I actually felt compelled to buy. One about me and one about Miles. 

The first is a book called The Wonder Weeks, which takes a more positive spin on the fussy periods in an infant's development. Instead of seeing Miles as a cranktastic baby that needs to be fixed, it has helped me understand that these trying times are actually quite wonderful because it means he's growing, both mentally and physically. After reading the chapter on the Wonder Week 5, I realized that earlier in the month, Miles wasn't just being a total pain in the butt for no reason. He wasn't napping, he was feeding constantly, and was generally a grumpy little guy -- all indicators that he was making mental leaps and was probably really overwhelmed. The next milestone is Wonder Week 8 in which babies start to understand that they are not one in the same with the world around them. He'll start to recognize that his arms are in fact his and colors and patterns are more clear. The book also provides a really great checklist of some of the things that you might start to see in the week leading up to and following each wonder week. For instance, this week one of the games they suggest is helping him pull up into a sitting and standing position. We tried it and he loves it. In fact, he wants to stand all the time now, which is awesome and a little frustrating because it really tires him out. One thing that we also read is that around this time, babies really enjoy watching rustling leaves and being outdoors, so we decided to take him out for a spin in his Baby Jogger stroller because the weather was so nice. 

Which leads me to my second book, Exercise After Pregnancy. Even though I only have about 3-5 pounds to shed to make it back to my pre-pregnancy weight, my belly is still pretty mushy and jiggly. The other day I pulled out my prenatal pilates DVD, which has a special postnatal workout, and found it nearly impossible to finish the 20 minute session. I don't consider myself to be greatly out of shape, so struggling through the "easy" warm-up exercises was difficult to swallow.  

I learned from the book that it's important to take it slow and focus on getting your abs back into the right place before doing any hardcore strengthening exercises. Apparently, a lot of women's ab muscles split down the middle and are stretched to maximum capacity -- and we all know how big my belly got toward the end! When I checked to see if this was the case with me, I found that I had a good three finger widths between my right and left side. With that in mind, the book focuses on getting back your posture by gently strengthening your core. Also, all of the women pictured in the book are actually moms -- round midsections, love handles and all. For me, exercise is much more tolerable when it's coming from a woman who actually looks 12 weeks postpartum as opposed to Brooke Burke cheerfully bouncing on an exercise ball with unnaturally perky boobs and a 14-inch waist.   

So for now, I'm now working on getting my rectus abdominis pulled in closer and then I can focus more on shortening the muscles to back where they should be. I mean, while my maternity jeans are oh so comfy, I'd really like to be able to put on a normal pair of pants sometime in the near future.

Scrambling

We officially have only 5 more days (including today) to get things accomplished for our trip. J did an insane amount of laundry yesterday and we started setting aside things that we potentially want to take with us. Our goal is to pack only two small bags (weekender-size) with everything that we'll need. Since we'll be lugging them around on trains and up small flights of stairs for most of our hotels, I want the luggage to be as manageable as possible. So, that means probably 2 pair of pants, 3-4 shirts, a jacket, light rain jacket, and toiletries.

Thursday night, we ran a few errands in the neighborhood. J got a couple of 50/50 t-shirts at American Apparel for their quick-dry and non-wrinkle properties. I won't even go into my feelings on the store and their products (I was totally not into being there, but they do make t-shirts that fit J really well). Then, we stopped by Powells to pick up a couple of used paperbacks. We want to bring books that we don't mind leaving behind when we're finished. Luckily, Powells has an awesome Mystery section and we got an entire series of George Pelecanos novels that revolve around Detective Derek Strange. We have listened to a few of Pelecanos's more recent novels on audiobook and really enjoyed his writing -- especially since most of his novels are set in D.C. I love Powells because they have every book you could ever want and we got all three used books for about $5 a piece -- some were only $2.50. That's like buying a magazine!

Also exciting news? My Mom sent a special care package from Louisiana (she and my sister drove out to pick up my grandmother for a visit to Florida). I was thrilled when J opened the box and found a package of Cajun Beef Jerky from Bourgeois Meat Market in Thibodeaux. This isn't your average beef jerky with ground, processed mystery meat full of chemicals (and god knows what else). It's delicious strips of beef that's house smoked and cured. It's up near the top of most amazing foods I've tasted. J and I first had it when we went to visit my grandparents in 2008 (the same day that we picked up three varieties of Boudin and had a feast for lunch). Since it's so fresh, it only lasts for 2 weeks after being opened, so J and I have just been staring at the package and trying our best not to rip into it before we leave. I'd probably take it with us for snacks on the road, but I'm afraid it'll get taken away at customs. I think I'll just leave it at home for a tasty treat when we return.

A Productive Weekend Indeed

Friday morning wasn't great, but the day got a lot better after I left the house. I grabbed lunch at a local noodles place and read my book for over an hour in the sun. The book, American Wife, was recommended by my good friend Lauren. The story loosely follows a certain former Republican First Lady and her bumbling husband with a fondness for booze and hatred of the press. I am hoping this book proves to be a juicy bit of fiction that I will sail through (before the May 1st due date) in order to resuscitate our somewhat failed experiment -- The Cross-State-Lines Book Club for Slackers. I take the slacker part very seriously (and haven't actually finished or discussed a book on our list yet). I feel though, that this is the one.

Reading alone with my noodles was refreshing and reinvigorating. I was going to take the streetcar home, but decided instead to walk because it was such a nice day. On my way home, I stopped in at the hardware store and picked up two rolls of duct tape (for my awesome project), two flower pots and a package each of basil and cilantro seeds. However, I forgot to get potting soil, so the seeds will have to wait until I run errands later this afternoon.

Saturday morning, I prepped Jesse on his duties as a husband (meaning that he would have to spend the better part of the late morning wrapping my torso in duct tape) and instructed him to hand over two of his old T-shirts. I have to admit, it was a lot more uncomfortable than I imagined and by the time he cut me out of my silver body cast I was ready to jump out of my skin. However, the dress form turned out really well. I had Jesse take photos to document the process, but they're just too weird to share with the world. Right now, only the shoulders and bust are stuffed because I ran out of filling. I'll have to stop by the fabric store today to pick up a few more supplies. Just for fun, I tried on a dress that I already own for size and it's a perfect fit! I think I'll pick up a few yards of muslin and experiment with a couple of cute spring dress patterns this week while Jesse is out of town. I might have my own Anthropologie inspired wardrobe this summer after all.

And of course, it wouldn't be a productive weekend without a cooking project or two. For our (very relaxed) Easter dinner, I made Martha Stewart's Perfect Macaroni and Cheese, but added my own little twist. Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite side dishes, but so are collard greens. So, I halved the recipe, and added a ton of sauteed mushrooms and collards before baking. The spicy greens were a nice touch. I imagine you could do this with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Just remember to saute or roast the veggies until all of the liquid is cooked off -- you don't want a watery mess when you pull it out of the oven!

Today, I am dropping Jesse off at the airport again. He'll be in D.C. for a couple of nights for a work project. I think he is sad that he's going miss dinner at home tomorrow and won't get to enjoy the leftovers. Maybe I'll save him a serving or two. Maybe.

Books on My (Virtual) Nightstand

My side of the bed doesn't have much room for anything but air, so by nightstand I mean just about any horizontal surface (or purse) in the apartment.

After reading In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan, I decided to go back and read its predecessor, The Omnivore's Dilemma. I'm only about 90 pages in, but already it's been an eye opener. I'm learning now about how corn-fed cattle fatten insanely fast and are ready for slaughter in 14-16 months (as compared to 5-6 years for their grass-fed brethren). However, cows are meant to eat grass, so corn makes them sick, which necessitates antibiotics. Also, the cows don't get sufficient nutrients from corn are fed a whole host of vitamins and supplements, including other cows' fat. Gross. We are forcing our meat supply to eat themselves and others (like chicken waste and feed). We picked up burgers from our local fast food chain, Burgerville last night (a chain that buys only local ingredients of the highest standard). It felt good knowing that the burger I devoured came from a cow in Oregon that was grass-fed and fattened on hay and grain. It never had to be treated with antibiotics and was never forced to eat another cow. Granted, it's still fast food, but I can feel a little better about indulging now and again.

Moving on from food, Witold Rybczynski's Last Harvest is filling a void in me that would normally be consumed by work (preservation, architecture and planning). Like many of Rybczynski's other books, he meanders through the history of America's residential architecture and neighborhoods in a way that is very accessible. I took Jesse to a lecture that he gave at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. a few years ago. It was fascinating, even for Jesse who has never studied architecture or planning. In the Last Harvest, Rybczynski covers the progression of real estate development from pretty early on in America's history right through a fairly recent project just outside of Philadelphia. Really, I think you should pick up this book at your local library. I am always satisfied by Rybczynski's insights on the home and neighborhoods -- clearly he's thought about this stuff for quite a while. Even though I'm only about 100 pages into the book, he has already softened (although not changed completely) my somewhat strong opinions against "neotraditional" planning (ie. New Urbanism and all of their Disneyesque incarnations). I guess if I can get past the aesthetics, the underlying concept is really quite good.

I also pulled a book off of my shelf that I haven't looked at in a while. True Urbanism: Living in and Near the Center. I received this book as a gift from Jesse's parents for Christmas a couple of years ago. I read selected essays that appealed to me, but now, I'm going back and reading it cover to cover. A lot of the principles covered in the book are in line with Jane Jacobs (one of my favorite authors on urban planning) and also really emphasize the reasons we moved to Portland. Not surprisingly, each essay highlights cities that were at the top of our list for ideal places to live -- Minneapolis, Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco. Portland is included as a case study city for "True Urbanism" and made me love the city even more. Everyday, I find new reasons why I think that I will be truly happy here. It may not be your ideal place to live, but I'm quickly learning that it is the perfect place for me.

This third book isn't yet in my hands, but I think it will be a new addition pretty soon. I need to round out the non-fiction on my virtual nightstand. Apparently, Seth Grahame-Smith has taken Pride and Prejudice and skillfully spliced in words and phrases that set the Bennet girls in the middle of a plague involving the living dead. I heard the author on NPR reading a few excerpts and thought it was brilliant. At first, I dismissed the idea of turning a Jane Austen novel into a story about the living dead, but the more I thought about it (and discussed the premise with Jesse), the more I wanted to dive into the plot. We remake movies based on Jane Austen novels all the time, Clueless is a pretty good (or particularly bad) example. Artists are constantly remaking songs, so why not remake a novel? According to a few reviews that I have read, the book still reads very much like the original classic, just with a twist of brain eaters.

Reading in the Car

I'm a bit embarrassed to say that we haven't yet changed over our car registration from California to Oregon. I nearly got busted for it when I was pulled over in January for my broken headlight, but the police officer let that part of my violation slide. You'd think that after an event like that I would have rushed out to rectify the situation. Nope.

In the spirit of being productive during my economy-imposed hiatus, I decided that I'd go ahead and take the first step -- having the emissions tested and VIN inspected. I think one of the reasons that I have continued to drag my heels on this issue is that we just paid to have the emissions tested in California in August (in addition for two years of registration fees). California is one of the strictest states as far as environmental quality goes, but Oregon will not accept our test data. But, enough is enough. I need to be an adult about this whole thing and just suck it up. So that's exactly what I'm doing today, sitting in line at Oregon DEQ in order to have my squeaky clean emissions given the thumbs up.

I have to admit, sitting in the car with nothing else to do will be a nice break from the chores I've imposed on myself around the house. I only made it outside briefly yesterday for some fresh air, so hopefully the sun will shine all morning while I'm in the car inspection line. The potential wait will also give me the chance to finish up In Defense of Food so I can move on to The Omnivores' Dilemma and finish another book I started this week. After talking with Jesse on the phone yesterday, I picked up Calvin Trillin's The Tummy Trilogy in search for an essay about a tour through a town in Germany that involved lots of sausage and beer. I haven't yet found the essay he referenced, but as I was flipping through, I found quite a few others that sparked my interest -- one about the Breaux Bridge Crawfish festival in Louisiana, another entitled "Spaghetti Carbonara Day," and a third "Fried-Chicken War." We're a carbonara-loving household, so a day full of the stuff sounds amazing. I'll likely read these essays first and then make my way through the rest of the collection from start to finish. Who knew this great book was sitting on our shelf for ages and I never bothered to pick it up!

Wow, It's Thursday

How did that happen? So, where did the week go?

I survived traffic court on Monday (although I was there for three hours waiting to be seen by the judge). When called up, he didn't even let me plea guilty or no contest (I had been practicing in my head) and immediately dismissed the ticket. He didn't even look to see the proof of my fixed headlight. It was very disappointing. Luckily, I picked up Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food at the library before heading to the courtroom. I'm now about half-way through the book and really enjoying the read. I'm sure I should have probably read The Omnivore's Dilemma first, but it doesn't seem to really be an issue.

Pollan's motto is "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." When I first read it, I thought, "Ha. Duh." However, as I've continued to read, he makes a lot of good points. In what he terms the "Nutritional Industrial Complex," food scientists and the food industry have convinced us that what matters most is not the food, but the nutrient. We have become so obsessed with nutritional value, that we have lost sight of what's important -- whole, healthy foods. We all have seen the effects of food marketing in the grocery store with all of the "Low Carb" and "Low Cholesterol" and now "High in Omega-3" food products. Food manufacturers have kept pace with the newest "health" findings by simply adding another nutrient to its long list of ingredients. This is something that I had already been grappling with before I even picked up Pollan's book, trying to make our meals healthier by simplifying and starting with fresh, unprocessed ingredients. It certainly gives me a little extra boost when I don't feel like cooking.

However, yesterday, I did not feel like cooking at all! I spent most of the morning cleaning up and sewing, so by the time I picked up Jesse at the airport (from his Boston work trip), I was exhausted. I was also hungry, which totally ruins me if I don't eat right away. We ended up going to Laurelwood Brewery for a happy hour beer. Jesse opted for a healthy Mediterranean sandwich, but I went for the fish and chips. Oh god, they have good fish and chips. The halibut they use is so fresh and delicious and it's cut more like halibut steaks than the flimsy fillets that you usually get at other restaurants. Yum!

Today, I had a final meeting for the report I just finished and I'm off to the grocery store to stock up on some food -- not too much and mostly plants!

Holy Dude! The Second Weekend in November is Gone!

Geez, how did that happen? Last time I checked we were just settling in Portland and now it's nearly Thanksgiving. I have failed to do several things so far in November, like submit my resume to that temp agency and get the car inspected for emissions. However, I am in the process of being hired as a part-timer at an environmental firm to do some research/writing. Their goal is to have me working by November, so any day now things should be starting up. Seriously, I'm not a total slacker.

This weekend was pretty mellow. The weather has been cold lately and neither Jesse or I have had much motivation to leave the house for long periods of time. We did go out to the grocery store to stock up on veggies for the week and experimented with tofu on Friday night to make some kick-ass fajitas. Oh, and we picked up Sarah Vowell's The Wordy Shipmates at the library, which I have been dying to sink my teeth into. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding whether to savor each chapter over the course of a week or two, or just go wild and finish it in a day.

Also on the agenda this weekend was a new sewing project (as if I needed another distraction). Like the holiday cards, it will have to remain a secret project (I'm not sure if the recipient checks in on my blog from time to time). One thing I can say is that it involves curved piecing, which was tedious and difficult to conquer at first. As you can see, my first session necessitated a wee glass of bourbon. However, I sailed through several more this weekend and am quite happy with my progress. Curved piecing is still not my favorite thing to do, but I feel good that I managed to overcome a long-time fear. I think it will make for quite a few more interesting quilts.

Today, I'm off to the fabric store to find some sort of patch to try and mend Jesse's jacket. I mentioned Wednesday that in his excitement to get home from the bar following the elections, Jesse managed to rip a hole in his new (but not terribly expensive) coat with his thumb. He didn't rip a seam, which would have been easy to remedy, but a nice 4-inch tear in the fabric. You'd think he was skipping around with a box cutter from the size and location of the tear. I was prepared to give up on the darn thing, but he insists he still wants to wear it. Hopefully I'll find something that isn't too noticeable -- like a puppy dog patch with rainbows and hearts.

Patriots and Pie

Today I felt mostly back to normal after my epic cold, so J and I decided to ride our bikes downtown for our near-weekly trip to the library. J has been burning through music books lately and I have decided to counter the daily inundation of election coverage by reading a few biographies/critiques on our founding fathers. Sure, the reading is a bit dry at times, but after feeling constant disappointment with current political climate, it's refreshing to get back to the basics. Rather than jumping right into a full biography, I decided to whet my appetite with Christopher Hitchens' Thomas Paine's Rights of Man: A Biography. I enjoyed it so much that I'm requiring J to read it so that we can discuss. Things I have learned so far? Thomas Paine was pretty awesome. He was a Quaker -- a recurring theme I have noticed in the history of progressive historical figures. Oh, and it kind of sounds like John Adams was an ass (but I'll have to verify that later through additional reading).

Since we were out on bikes, we decided to drop off our ballots instead of putting them in the mail. To make a long story short, I thought the drop box was on Morrison Street in SW Portland, but it was, in fact, on Morrison Street in SE Portland. Our bike ride turned out to be longer than expected and I realized that I am not feeling 100% better from my cold. I kept checking the rear wheel to make sure that somehow I hadn't acquired a couple of lead bricks on the way. I'm sure J wanted to die from my slowness. However, we did it. We voted. Thank god the election will be over in less than a week!

Since we were already out, I decided that our bike ride would not be nearly dramatic enough unless we made a third stop at the grocery store. We picked up apples (to celebrate fall with a pie or crumble), three boxes of tissues, cold medicine (since my ears are still stopped up), some veggies, and a Coke (for the caffeine/sugar boost that I needed to make it home). I took full advantage of the three boxes of tissues and was able to breathe on our way home. By the time we parked our bikes in the basement, I was feeling refreshed and actually was glad that we took the dreaded bike ride. I think I needed a little fresh air.