Summer is on the way . . .

The Jacaranda are in bloom!

Bad cat (part 2) . . .

The bird didn't make it.

Bad cat . . .

Bad cat . . .

It will be 4 years this August that we moved to this area. We went from living in a house to downsizing to an apartment. The house wasn't sold, it was left sitting, waiting. . . Waiting for us to clean it out, waiting for a new inhabitant. Cleaning, organizing, discarding, all that goes with moving on has been at the back of my mind for all this time but it was on the bottom of my long to-do list and well, we never got to it. Now the push is on because Luis' niece and her family will be moving in soon. As soon as we get our stuff out . . . So my Saturday for the past 2 months has been working in the house.

Today while there I heard a lot of loud birds in the front yard and went out to see what the ruckus was about and saw my neighbor's cat with a bird in his mouth. I shouted at him and he took off still holding onto his prey. Four birds chased him home. It was amazing. They were sooooooooo upset.

On impulse a few minutes later I went looking for the cat. I found him on his porch sans bird. As I started home I noticed that the bird was in the middle of the sidewalk - stunned. I picked him/her up and took him home. He/she looked like he/she was in shock. I sat him/her in the front yard (keeping an eye out for cat next door). After a while he/she seemed to be recovering and I hoped that he/she would fly away. All the while the other birds were nearby keeping an eye on their buddy. About 5pm we had to go and a decision needed to be made about the bird.

We put him/her in a small basket with a bit of water and set it on a high outside window sill safe from the neighborhood cats. We won't go back to the house until next Saturday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he/she gets his/her second wind and flys away home.

Bad cat . . .

The Outsider

I live in a world that I don't belong to . . .

Kent State - 40 years later . . .

It says a lot about a people when they kill their young . . .

ain't that the truth . . .

" It's counter-productive to raise kids in a world without consequences." Temperance Brennan

this says it all . . .

new shoes

My first pair of Converse All Stars. All I can say is, "It's about time!"

what a day . . .

cold Lux winters

This café in Place Guillaume has the best chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) in Luxembourg City. You know the kind - smooth, rich and it's served with a spoonful of thick whipped cream. Just what you need to warm you up on cold afternoons.

Ah, yes, I remember it well . . .

This is way fab . . .

I love this song which was made popular years ago by Leon Redbone. I went to see Leon at Graffiti, a very small Pittsburgh venue, in the 80's expressly to hear him sing this. Guess what - to the chagrin of the audience he flatly refused. Go figure . . .

February 4

This is what happens when you have too little time and too many blogs. This entry was meant for my Year 8 kids. I wondered what happened to this (lol).

Let's build a storyboard using Word 2007.

1. Insert a 2-column table into a word document
2. Begin with the Narration
3. Incluce Motion; Music; Title
4. Color Code your information because

Wednesday afternoons . . .

The soccer team practice at a profession soccer school on Wednesday afternoons. I am the teacher that accompanies them . . .

OMG

This was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO Cool! A couple of my students were audience members for the Portuguese equivalent of American Idol.

AND they brought signs for ME!

Rub a dub dub

Window shopping . . .

How much is that kitty in the window?

Farmville. . .

Kids at work!

Everyone engaged!

rain, rain, and more rain. . .

Danger

Today was another cold, rainy day but we walked along the sea anyway in the late afternoon. Every now and again we spotted a surfer or two as the day gave way to night . . .

Remnents of days gone by . . .

Costa da Caparica

This is above a door of a house in Costa da Caparica:

Very rough translation: Welcome are those who visit with good intentions

Somewhere over the rainbow . . .

On Fridays there are "concerts" during lunch in the reception area at my school. Today, as I was walking back to my classroom after lunch I stopped a minute to listen as a music teacher was playing a Wizard of Oz classic . . .

Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high.
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

I gotta a feeling . . .

First day back after the holiday break and after seeing this rainbow on the way to work, I just knew that it would be a good day!

Mimosa - my local coffee shop

Even in January some people prefer an outdoor cafe . . .

50% off - Everything is on sale!

Nothing seems to fit. . .

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Joana

My grand-daughter turned 2 yesterday but she celebrated her birthday today with a party where she received lots of gifts making her a very happy little girl.

One of the great things about turning 2 is that all gifts are created equal. A MacDonalds happy-meal trinket is just as welcomed as a diamond tiara - and everything, treasures and trash alike, ends up in a heap on the floor (hahahahaha).

One woman's ceiling is another woman's floor . . .

We live in a fabulous neighborhood. It's along the coast and we are about a 15 minute walk to the beach. While we do have lots of hotels and visitors, this neighborhood is nestled between two bigger and better-known tourist areas so it's relatively calm for a holiday destination and traffic is not a problem. This community has more of a "village" feel to it, which I really enjoy. We have everything you need within walking distance: restaurants, coffee shops where the waiters know me and say "bom dia" and bring me my bica and mini bola berlim sem creme without my asking, banks, grocery stores, post office, dry cleaners - all the necessities of life.

This area was once full of wealthy people living in stately homes with plenty of room for the live-in staff. While only a few of these mansions remain (even after having been converted into apartments), it's still considered a good neighborhood and is full of charm. (You can just imagine that I like a bit of that!) And almost everyday I actually say (out loud), "I love it here!"

So it is coming from this perspective that I was surprised to see a "for sale" sign on the balcony of one of the upstairs apartments in my building. The woman whose apartment is for sale said that she hasn't been happy one day in her apartment or this neighborhood. She said that she is a "simple person" and that most of the people who live in this neighborhood are snobs.

I'm shocked. She's lived here for 23 years - that's a big chunk out of one's life. As I thought about this, I can only hope that she somehow feels that she "needs" to find a reason to move closer to her daughter. Oftentimes it's hard for us to make a change and we feel that we have to "justify" our choices so we indulge in negative thoughts which then warrant action. I hope that her flat sells soon, that she settles somewhere near her daughter in a neighborhood full of friendly faces and that one day she can look back on her time spent here in Mt. Estoril and smile.

In the meantime, I'm repainting the built-ins that I never finished painting before we moved in, and I'm listening to Jimmy Buffet, grinning ear to ear, and feeling lucky to be here!

Go figure - one woman's ceiling really is another woman's floor . . .

How does your garden grow?

Remember this old nursery rhyme?

Mary, Mary quite contrary

How does your garden grow?

With cats, of course!

To Catch A Thief. . .

In 2008 I was fortunate enough to travel to 2 amazing places - Dubai (UAE) and Morocco. This Dubai thing was a once in a lifetime work opportunity and Morocco, which is just a hop, skip and a jump from Portugal, has been on my list for quite some time now. But life is full of lots of ups and downs and when I returned home from Morocco last July I discovered that I had been robbed. Any jewelry that was valuable was taken, including Luis' watch. While there weren't any Fabrege eggs among my trinkets, I had a few nice pieces including a ring that my mother had left me. All gone, just like that.

The pisser is that we had had the locks changed earlier in the year and NOONE had a key to the apartment. We didn't have a housekeeper or even a friend or relative who had an extra key (just in case we locked ourselves out). Nor had anyone been left alone in the house long enough to rummage through our things - no painter, cable guy, chimney sweep, delivery boy/girl, repair person, NOONE. There were no signs of forced entry either. We live on the 2nd floor so it would be pretty tricky (not to say conspicuous) breaking into a window that high up on a quiet residential street.

Nope, it was someone we knew (I knew) and (for all intents and purposes) trusted. It was someone who I invited into my life, into my home. The only person who had the occasion was a work colleague who lived nearby. When the need arose we fed each other's cats, watered plants and brought in the mail as "neighbors" often do. She had full access to my place while I was travelling. At some point during my absence she had the time to calmly and quietly rifle through my belongings and help herself to pieces of my life. There was a story and a memory attached to each article that made it a treasure.

The policeman we spoke with said that most burglaries were committed by someone you know and most cases remain unsolved and unpunished. We confronted the person we suspected and she denied any involvement. As we had no concrete proof (who would have thought that I needed a nanny-cam), we chose not to pursue the matter legally. Gotta say that that didn't make it any easier though. It was hard seeing her at work and I am glad that she will not be returning to school this coming year and is moving out of my neighborhood.

There's no moral to this story. There's no happy ending either. There's no advice that I can offer to guard against this. But while I do know that you can't live your life protecting yourself against all of the what if's, I still haven't haven't replaced any of the missing pieces . . .

Mirror, mirror on the wall . . .

I love my mirror!

Yesterday I walked into a hairdresser's. It's brand spanking new and is full of natural sunlight and has lots of oversized mirrors. As I gazed into the mirror an overweight older chick stared back. This certainly does not happen at home.

At my apartment the mirrors allow me to see myself as my "best" self. They make me look slimmer than I actually am. I have pulled Luis into the bathroom on serveral occasions and asked him to "look into the mirror, then look at me". I then asked him if I looked thinner in the mirror. As a survivor of "does my bum look fat in this", he won't be drawn in to another similar situation but it's a fact - I look cute at home.

In Feb, 2007 a prominent British retailer was accused of using that tactic as a marketing strategy. The Telegraph article lays it all out for you here. There was a complaint that the mirrors were tilted or angled to make the customers look slimmer.

Well, on my list of things to do in 2009 as my number one priority I intend to get rid of an extra ten pounds that I have been carrying around with me for some time now. Then every mirror will be like my mirrors at home.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
whose the fairest of them all? Why me, of course (hahahahaha)

2009

WoW! Another year up and running!

New beginnings - ya just gotta love them and we are afforded the opportunity to start afresh every January. New Year's is a time where we focus on being our "best" selves and this year is no different.

I guess this is the time and place to talk about New Year's Resolutions. . .

I'll make it short and sweet - more play, less carbs.

Hope your 2009 is crisis-free.

Farewell "green receipts"

Here in Portugal one option for a worker is "freelance".

A "freelancer" (doctor, architect, writer, translator - you get the idea) provides a service and receives payment after submitting a "green receipt" to the client. The green receipt serves as an official document and is proof of payment.

After earning somewhere in the neighborhood of €12,000 per annum this system becomes more complicated. The client must pay a tax (20%) to the freelancer. The freelancer then passes these funds along to the state quarterly.

It's not like a pay raise or any kind of benefit. What it boils down to is just one more thing to do as the freelancer is required to file a form online and submit the funds. (You might remember my bitch, I mean post, last year as a result of NOT filing IVA at a time when I had no income . . .)

This whole IVA system was once again in the news. Seems that you are now obliged to file an end of the year form that nobody knows about. Evidently this law has been in place for a couple of years now and the fines for the 200,000 people who have not complied with this piece of legislation (because they didn't even KNOW about it - duh!!) have been cancelled (isn't that generous).

I was once-again reminded that ignorance of the law is never an excuse for non-compliance but this seems a little ridiculous to me. I think that most people would file all the governmental forms they need to IF they are AWARE of them.

Since these forms are all filed electronically and the govt has our email addresses - wouldn't it be in their best interest to send out an email explaining what needs to be done? Or could they maybe (and forgive me if I'm wrong but I'm just thinkin' out loud here) create a pop-up when the freelancer logs into the system to pay their quarterly fees? How about a video? a mass-marketing email? a podcast? a cartoon? a PhotoStory? an e-newsletter? an e-card?

Anyway enough of my bitching about that because I have just cancelled my status as a "freelancer" and have a book of green reciepts if anybody needs one. . .

Boo!

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday (even though it's not technically a day-off kinda holiday). Dressing up and collecting goodies appeals to the kid in all of us. Imagine - costumed you shout "trick or treat" on someone's porch and you are immediately given candy. (Can life get any better than that?)

There were "good" Halloweens and "bad" Halloweens. I remember a really old couple on my street who gave out taffy apples (that they made in their kitchen). This was the ultimate and we often walked out their back door only to run around to the front of the house and get in line again hoping that we weren't memorable enough to be noticed. I remember another Halloween where a neighbor of mine dressed up as a bride. Her gown was beautiful and was handmade by her older brother who was attending art school (don't ask!). She was reduced to tears when during the evening the hem of her dress ripped. Not even a pilow case full of candy could consol her.

My most memorable Halloween was the year I turned 7. My older brother who was 8 (my only brother at the time) had gone out early (as usual) and came home with a bag full of candy. My aunt arrived with my cousin who was 9. The three of us set out on our own. This was quite something as it was the first time we went trick or treating unescorted and we ventured further than we should have.

Somehow after the time changes in late October evening not only comes earlier but seems DARKER as well. The three of us were not too far from home as we were near school which we walked to every day but we had walked beyond the school. It was way dark and although it couldn't have been more than 7:15 or so most of the porch lights were off and we found ourselves alone.

We started to walk back when out of the blue (or should I say black) older boys (who couldn't have been more than 12 or 13) appeared and grabbed my brother's bag of candy. We were stunned. We didn't know what to do. They towered over us. We were no match for them and we all knew it. Then one of the older boys grabbed my bag and we began a tug of war. He pulled one way and I pulled the other. Then I let out a wail that would wake the dead. The boys took off and we hurried home, my brother crying all the way.

It still makes me wonder whatever possessed these tweens to take advantage of three little kids and ruin their fun but that's another post.

The moral of this story is that when someone is trying to take what's rightfully yours - hold onto your bag/idea/valuables/scruples and SCREAM (at the top of your lungs) and then watch the culprits scatter into the night. . .

Games people play . . .

I was recently reminded of a boy I knew the summer of 1967.

There was a big world out there but we weren't a part of it. As dysfunctional as our lives were back then we still had 10pm curfews during the week so you couldn't get up to much. Marty was one year older than I was and in my brother's class. He wasn't my "boyfriend" although I liked him a lot and wanted him to be (hahaha). No it wasn't like that, we just kinda hung out together the way kids do. We smoked cigarettes and laughed a lot and we played cards under the streetlight across from the swimming pool on hot, summer nights.

We played all kinds of traditional card games including rummy and poker that summer. I don't remember exactly what prompted this but one night Marty asked me if I knew how to play a particular game. I said that I didn't so Marty set out to explain the rules to me.

I was winning at this new card game and Marty seemed surprised. He added rules (that he said he had forgotten to mention) as we went along that were always in his favor. It didn't take an Einstein to realize that Marty was making this game up as we went along. AND he didn't like losing. I never let on and to be honest I really didn't mind because I liked him a lot and liked the time that we spent together.

But as I look around the world today, I have the feeling that the powers that be are pullin' a Marty. It seems as if a lot of people are making up the rules as they go along. And every time you start to win at their game, they change the rules again. . .

I'm in love again. . .

Well, there it is. I've said it, "I'm in love again (and it's not even spring!)"

My first love was Cary Grant, then when I was a little older I fell in love with Paul Newman and my last big love was Warren Beatty. Yes, I took an occasional fancy to others over the years. Burt Reynolds, Tom Sellick, and John Lennon were each on my list at one time or another, and while I was smitten, they were merely crushes - (hahahaha).

Well I thought all that was well behind me and whammo Cupid's arrow strikes again. This time the object of my "intellectual" desire is Alan Shore. Yes, Alan Shore from Boston Legal. No, not James Spader who by the way is a great actor and is doing a fab job making this character come to life. But not James Spader. I'm in love with the with fictional character of Alan Shore.

For those of you who don't know Alan Shore is a character on Boston Legal one of those lawyer shows so popular in the States. His character is a wealthy, eccentric widower in his mid 40's. He is also a womanizer. Blah, blah, blah . . .

The most important qualities of Alan Shore are that he is: intelligent, well-educated, informed, articulate, passionate, and honorable. And more importantly, he isn't afraid to say what he thinks. (Listen to him speak here). He takes on the tough issues - he asks everyone to be accountable and to hold our leaders accountable. He talks about what it really means to be "American".

Yes, I'm in love again. The thing that bothers me about all this is that Alan Shore is NOT a real person but a fictionalized character. That for one to find an honorable man we must look to fantasy.

It bothers me that we live in a "me" society in which we shove and snatch what we want much like the pre-schooler who grabs a toy from another child - only now the stakes are higher.

It bothers me that the people who started this current economic crisis are the sames ones who will be given the funds to correct it.

It bothers me that the fox is guarding the henhouse.

It bothers me that it's not our business or political leaders who are trying to make the world a better place and that people like me who are looking for a better day for humanity are resigned to flights of imagination with characters like Alan Shore for 1 hour per week less adverts . . .

20 Years Ago

On a sunny September morning 20 years ago I received a telephone call asking me to come immediately to the hospital.

I was staying with my friend Sandy who lived a "walk across the park" from the hospital so I was able to shower, dress and get to the hospital in no time at all. It's times like this that you want to linger to avoid the inevitable . . . You know the feeling. It's like when you were a kid and you wanted the walk to school to last a decade because you hadn't done your homework.

But you hurry because the call was from one of the nurses at the hospital and without being told you know. You know that the end is near - and you rush to be with your loved one - one last time . . .

You are greeted by hosptial employees with downcast eyes who usher you into the ICU and there you are permitted to stay until all hope has faded and your life has changed yet again.

It was 20 years ago that my mother died on a sunny September morning; 20 years ago that September took on a whole new meaning for me.

I'm glad that tomorrow is October. . .

Kids Say The Darndest Things. . .

Way back when in the late 50's folks crowded round the television for a night of family entertainment. Mom and Dad usually got first choice of the offerings from the 2 or 3 channels then available.

Art Linkletter had a program called "House Party" and for the last few minutes of each show he had 4 or 5 children on and he engaged in informal/impromptu conversation with these youngsters. (Yes, we are referring to a time when kids were still called youngsters.) He would ask questions and the children would answer honestly and naturally - and it was usually humorous (to a bunch of grown-ups). As the program closed everyone was smiling and grinning from ear to ear Art said, "Kids say the darndest things!"

Fast forward 50 years and yes, kids still do say the darndest things.

Just the other day when I was, once again, trying to explain to a group of high-school kids why they had to pay attention during school hours one of them said, "But, Miss, we are Indigo kids."

Well, I had never even heard of the term so onto Google we went. Our keyword was "Indigo Kids" and lo and behold there it was - about 413,000 entries. Wow! Imagine that! Where the hell have I been?

I began my research into this term that I never heard of before. According to Wikipedia, "Indigo children refers to a New Age belief that some children, especially those born after the late 1970s, represent a higher state of human evolution." Higher state of human evolution???!!! - impressed I read on to learn more about this exciting phenomenon.

USA Today did an article in May, 2005 which stated, "James Twyman is convinced that there's a new generation of special children among us who are psychically sensitive and spiritually evolved." I couldn't believe what I was reading . . . Could this be exactly what the world/Earth needs? Will these kids save us all from impending doom and environmental destruction?

It seems that these Indigo kids are "special". They are purported to be non-conformists who are strong-willed and independent thinkers and don't comply with authority figures. I was assured by the teens in question that this was, indeed, a great quality in a kid.

When I mentioned that the literature says Indigo Children are also intellectually creative and self-starters (which means that they actually do their homework AND hand it in on time) and are supposed to be empathetic and sympathetic to the needs of others and that I didn't see those qualities being displayed in the least, they just shrugged and insisted that they were special (one step away from stamping their feet and flying into a temper tantrum - hahahaha).

Well, that set me straight. There I was thinking that these kids were just a bunch of spoiled, smart-@ssed, rich kids who did whatever they pleased! Go figure!

It's definitely true; kids say the darndest things!

What'll I do?

I love this song. What'll I do was written by Irving Berlin in 1923. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

Happy Easter!

Can every kid get a 7?

A problem arose in my school at the end of last term when I had a group of Year 7's and a group of Year 8's that did outstanding work. The Year 7's (basically 11 year olds) learned to use Microsoft 2007 and my Year 8's (12 year olds) were introduced to PhotoStory 3 and had amazing results. The curriculum was written by me, checked by the MYP Co-ordinator and approved by the Head of the Technology Department who also happens to be the principal.

These kids did great work and had fantastic results. A problem arose when I gave them all 7's (the highest grade) - which they all deserved. This was met with a lot of resistance by the Dept Head/Principal and, although not directely asked to do so I am smart enough to know that I was expected to change the grades and I did so (unhappily/begrudgingly).

I was informed that all kids can't be 7's and if they are then there is something wrong. And I quote,

"They cannot all be achieving level 7 by the end of the course. If they are, it suggests that the demands of the course are not significant enough."

I don't get it - I'm teaching Word 2007 and PhotoStory 3 not Brain Surgery 101 to middle-school aged children. What I saw in those 2 classes was a bunch of little kids following directions, working hard, and having a bit of fun. Sounds like a winning combo to me. In my book, that in and of itself is deserving of a 7.

Somebody has a lot to learn, and I'm not exactly sure who that is . . .

All Chiefs, No Indians . . .

International schools staff through "job fairs" held (primarily) in February. A colleague of mine (who I like VERY much) was planning on attending the Job Fair this past weekend. She is looking for a new experience and has been on the international circuit for some time now. I must say that I have been surprised by all the tension at the school and naively thought that it would be a more nurturing environment. I mentioned that another school might provide a healthier setting but she filled me in. . .

She said (and I'm paraphrasing here) that in a school we are ALL leaders. We are ALL educated people. We are ALL capable so there is a lot of strife going on because we can ALL do it (whatever "it" is). In order to have a pleasant work situation, there should be 1 leader and lots of followers.

Like they say, "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Help . . .

Type B Personality

After all this time, I finally figured out what the problem is: I'm a Type B personality in a Type A work environment. Yep, that's it - case closed.

It's great that the IB school in which I work heralds values that I also cherish.

According to the IBO

"The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
IB learners strive to be: Inquirers, Knowledgable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk Takers, Balanced, and Reflective."

These are characteristics that I wholly believe in (they sound a little 60's don't they - Like Hey Man)and try to uphold. They have a ring of gentleness about them. Makes you think that if everyone embraced these ideals that the world would, indeed, be a better place. These principles give us hope.

But as I sit and ponder (oh yes, that's what a Type B does - takes a moment to sit and ponder), might I also suggest that these characteristics could be considered Type B Characteristics. - Ok, then why in the hell are we rushing around all day at the school? I started the day with an 8am meeting (first class begins at 8:30) and my lunch hour was cut short because I was on duty at lunchtime. Evening are taken up with lesson planning and searching the web for cool IT things that can edutain the kids. And everyone at the school (including the children) are equally as rushed! Can you imagine - kids taking lunchtime meetings?????!!!!!

I must confess that I took a little detour while online today (another typical Type B behavior) and I came across a short quiz that could help you come to grips with who you are (hahahahaha). Type A behaviour is characterized by an intense drive "to achieve goals and an eagerness to compete." Type B behaviour is generally characterized as the absence of Type A behaviour. And of course there is a whole scale with these two personality types as polar opposites.

The results of my quiz:

Results of Your Type A Personality Test
Personality Type

Your score = 38

What does your score mean?

You seem to be in the middle between the Type A and Type B personality. In this case, the middle ground is good. Your attitude to life is more of the "smell the roses" kind and you know how and when to relax. Nonetheless, you realize that picking up a challenge and competing a little bit for your place in the sun can add some spice to your life. The equilibrium is important, so don't let your hostile, aggressive, and competitive alter ego take over too often. Generally, you are easy to be around, and people tend to feel relaxed and comfortable in your presence. Yours is a very healthy attitude towards life.

Gotta say that I felt quite relieved after reading the results . . . Type B isn't so bad after all!

Where do you fall on the scale? Take the test here at Discovery Health Tools.

Resolution NOT Revolution. . .

Another new year, another revolution. . . sorry I mean resolution.

You've heard about it and no doubt read about it in magazines, but is it real or just another urban myth? Well, I'm going to take the time this year to explore the possibility and I will let you know what happens.

Along with all the good things that happened this year, there were a few unexpected "side effects" that I hope won't need a doctor to help correct (hahahaha). Never having been an "all or nothin" kind of gal I find it very interesting/disconcerting that my life is so unbalanced at the moment.

I'm hopeful that in 2008 I will find some proportion in my life and a happy medium between work and play. . .

Wishing YOU a year abundant with joy, good health, happiness, and love.

All I want for Christmas . . .

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is a new attitude. The one I currently have is in need of replacement. I've had it now for more than a decade and it has slowly worn out. I am now in the position that I am constantly irritated with the incompetence that I see everywhere and find it ever so hard to conceal my discontent. . .

Get a life . . . Second Life

It's time to start addressing Second Life. . .

What is Second Life (SL)? Well according to Wikipedia (yes, I think Wikipedia is a good thing and don't just dismiss it because the content isn't controlled - but that's another posting) SL is an internet based virtual world developed by Linden Research, Inc A downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another.

In addition, many well-know universities and businesses now have spaces in this virtual world and hold classes and business meetings. They even have a currency - Linden dollars.

It makes me wonder . . . Are the participants lying on the sofa, still in their pj's, filling their faces full of pop-tarts while participating in these meetings? I wonder what their avatars look like - are they even humanoid? Even more puzzling, are they clothed?

I'm not sure I understand (yet) this whole concept. Is SL something I have to do or something I want to do? If I leave for work at 7:45 and arrive home around 6pm - do I then head for SL or is it something to do after dinner and the dishes are done? Do I meet my friends there instead of getting together for coffee face-to-face? How will I recognize my friends anyway? Is the whole point of this to create another you? Or is the whole point of it to create who you wish you were?

I'm looking for answers. But gotta say that after the month that I've had - doing everything wrong and getting everyone pissed at me - I wish I had a Second Life to escape to . . .

Stubborn to a fault . . .

That's me.

I have so much going on at the moment I can't think. That's not entirely a bad thing but it's exhausting. Some of the irons in the fire include a new job, deadlines for grades, Tuesday is Activity Day at school (you don't even want to know . . .), Thanksgiving, online committments and a move next weekend. It's a lot to juggle - almost too much to juggle.

Along with the move comes organizing, packing, cleaning (the old place and the new place) and painting. You can't forget the painting. The color is the first thing that you notice when you enter a room. Nothing can give a room a lift as easily and cheaply as a coat of paint. It's been my experience that if you don't paint BEFORE you move into the new place - well, it just doesn't get done.

So that's just where I'm at - the pre-move painting stage. Except that I'm working full time and the ceiling was painted an interesting shade of raspberry (very Sistine Chapel) and it took one coat of primer and 3 coats of ceiling white to bring the ceiling back into this millenium (hahaha). But it's still not perfect (if you stand in a certain spot in the room and the sun is in a certain position you can still see some cloudiness - another 2 coats and it would be perfect!!!).

The room is starting to really take shape though. The ceiling is finished, the crown molding is just about finished, the walls have had the customary 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint and I'm now painting the built-ins (bookcases).

I've convinced myself that I'm saving a ton of money by painting the room myself - and in all fairness (to myself), I am. But I hope I am able to live long enough to enjoy the room - 'cause it will be a miracle if I make it through the week (LOL).

The Big Picture . . .

Although to my knowledge there has been no change to the space time continuum, this past school week seemed longer than most and I was exhausted as I started my drive home. I vary my route and usually take a more scenic one on the way home and Friday was no different. I was more than halfway home and on a one way street when I spotted trouble ahead. I was at a crossroads and paused briefly to make an assessment. Should I go straight ahead (my usual route) and risk a traffic jam or turn right and take a small detour? There was a thirty-something in the car behind me who blasted her horn and with lots of hand motions let me know that I was wasting her precious time. I started to get pissed but instead decided to move my car a little and let her pass me if she chose. (That's when the 'Universe' stepped in to avenge me - lol.) Annoyed, she sped by me smack into the middle of a complete mess: gridlock. You know the kind where once you are stuck in it there's no gettin' out 'till whatever caused it in the first place gets taken care of. She was locked in on a one-way street that would eventually turn onto another one-way street. I turned right and was home in less than 5 minutes;-)

Seems to me that that's what's wrong with some people - they just don't have the big picture!

Goodbyes . . .

We said goodbye to the area south of the river and moved into this apartment mid-July, 2006 (and we will be moving out at the end of October). It's a cute little 2-bedroom, 2-bath with a great layout in a fabulous location here along the line of Cascais. We are a 9-minute walk from the train station and a 15-minute walk from the beach:-). In our complex there is a small garden and at the far side of this green space is a tiny mall (called a commercial center here in Portugal) which houses all the services you would need: supermarket, dry cleaner, photocopy shop, newspaper stand, - well you get the picture). Yes, this is a great little apartment.

There are 10 apartments in our building. And while there is no social scene (remember Melrose Place?), all of the inhabitants smile and say hello. One of the people living on the 4th floor is a distant relative of Luis - isn't it indeed a small world? The other apartment on the 4th floor belongs to the son of the older couple living on the ground floor. The lady living below us is elderly and has needed live-in assistance since we have moved in. She laments no longer being able to leave the apartment and the refers to the plants she keeps in the common hallway as her garden. She's very dear. There's a young couple with grade school children as well. Our building is quiet, but bustling with life behind each door.

You can imagine my surprise when on a Sunday evening a few weeks ago an ambulance took away one of my neighbors. From my window I couldn't see what what happening below very well as it was dark. But I could see that a woman was being taken to the hospital. My first thought was that something had happened to the woman in the apartment directly below me.

A couple of days later I found out that it wasn't the frail lady on the 1st floor, but a woman about my own age on the ground floor. This particular woman (whose name I don't even know) was the heart of the building. She had a French Bulldog named Pierre (who is so ugly that he is cute!) that she walked several times a day. She was the person in the building that always had just the right answer and was always there when you needed her. For example, Luís and I were trying to refill the windshield wiper fluid and couldn't tell which receptacle was which and she happened by and set us straight. Just like that! How did she know that?

Her death has hit me like a ton of bricks. No hospital stay, no lingering illness, no big fuss - a call for the ambulance on a quiet evening early in September and it was all over in a matter of minutes.

Goodbye. You will be missed more than you know, and by people that you didn't really know you touched.

Hope we meet again. . .

The saga continues . . .

In early July, 2007 I received a registered letter from the Portuguese Finance Department saying that I hadn't yet paid a fine that they so graciously gave me for not filing a quarterly report that I didn't know that I had to file because I had no income so thought that it would be ridiculous to file and it turned out that it wasn't! This situation was taken care of in February of this year when I reluctantly paid a fine of over €100 . It was a draining day with lots of driving involved and the stress of communicating with the dim-witted in two separate finance offices on opposites sides of the Tejo River, but life goes on (oh bla di bla da).

After receiving the July notification I, once again, trooped back to the finance department armed with paid documents and with my personal translator :-) in tow. I was in a b*tchy mood from the get-go because I anticipated the blank looks and shrugs and the "passing-the-buck - it wasn't my fault" round about that I would get at the finance office - AND in true form, they didn't disappoint.

After showing all the paper work, lots of consults among the workers, they finally agreed that I had, indeed, paid the fine previously and were surprised (more like appalled) that I had an attitude because, of course, they were not responsible for any error as it was the other finance office that I had visited that day in February. They assured me of their efficiency and said they would rectify the situation.

Well, this past week, I received yet another registered letter saying that I still haven't paid my fine. . .

I'm on their shit list for sure!

It's always something . . .

Miau Miau sits around the apartment all day staring out of the window and watching the world below. It's hard being forced to be an indoor cat after having lived a Jack Kerouac lifestyle. I found Miau Miau (pronounced Meow Meow) about 6 years ago - or should I say she found me. I left a ground floor window cracked just enough to stick the dryer vent out and she was clever enough to use that opportunity to get her foot in the door (so to speak). She began spending the night indoors and helped herself to Scarlette's (the stray we found at the beach) leftovers. She was too thin for words and I thought that since she was already living with us that we would buy her a collar and make it official.

A lot has happened in the last year - including my quitting my job, Scarlette getting hit by a car (she's now buried beneath a rose bush), and a move. And so it goes with life - it's always something.



I was passing a pet store a few weeks ago and on impulse went in to browse. It seems that this shop offers a kind of "humane society-type" service. They will accept unwanted kittens and showcase them. The kittens are given away "free" to a good home. I had been considering getting Miau Miau a kitten - thought a little female kitty might perk her up a bit so when I noticed that they had a variety of little ones to choose from, I took a look.



To make a very long story short I ended up taking home a free kitten that day. I was assured that the kitten was a female (which we promply named Princess) and was in good health. It didn't take long to figure out that Princess should have been named Prince and 100 Euros later we found out that the cat was suffering from ear mites, worms, a fungus infection, and was in need of his first shots.





And so, this is the story of how it was that little Mac came to be a part of our family. It's always something . . .

you are what you eat . . .

I must confess, I'm a closet foodie. I love everything about food - I like eating out and trying new restaurants; I like talking about food; I like shopping in farmer's markets; I like watching cooking shows; I like cookbooks; I seek out food blogs and frequent them; I sometimes even buy a magazine because I want to read the recipes (knowing full well that I'm never going to try them); and I would love to travel to France or Italy to attend a cooking class (a perfect vacation!). It's unfortunate that I'm not a good cook (LOL). Don't get me wrong if you come to my house for dinner you won't be served McDonald's as I have a few recipes that I've mastered over the years (because I like to invite people over) but I am aware of my limitations.

Last night I traveled south to Setúbal and had a fab dinner in a cute little restaurante called "Champanheria" (the Champagne Shop - loosely translated). It was such a good experience that I just had to share . . . The owner is a very warm Brazilian woman who makes everyone feel welcome. The Champanheria markets itself as a "Restaurante/Tapas Bar" - but it's tapas with a twist.

Tapas (which are basically starters) is typically Spanish. When in Spain I love to frequent the tapas bars and gorge myself. It's so much fun and you don't have to speak Spanish to order - most of the items are on view at the bar so you can just point and eat! (What a relief!) Evidently each bar has its own speciality but you see a lot of smoked ham and cheese plates, olives, boccadillo (little open-faced sandwiches), and calamari.

The cook at the Champanheria has re-invented tapas and taken it to the next level. The restaurant serves an array of interesting and appealing appetizers. It offers some old favourites (like warm camembert with blackberries - yum) and interesting new combinations (baked apple stuffed with a special Portuguese sausage, alheira, garnished with a reduction of balsamic vinegar - to die for!) artistically presented. Just when you've finished one starter another one arrives - like culinary magic. We didn't "order" the starters individually - they just "showed up", each tastier and more original than the other. They did wonderful things with oysters, foie gras, and salmon. Then there were these amazing little nests topped with melted cheese and honey... The nests were crunchy threads made from potatoes. (Potatoes? - How did they manage that? It's beyond me!) All this was complimented by their signature drink - champagne sangria.

If the saying "you are what you eat" is true, then I'm interesting, magic, original - not bad, not bad at all. Thanks Champanheria!

For a pleasantly different kind of Portuguese dining experience - check out: Chamnpanheria, Av. Luisa Todi, 414, Setúbal.

yes . . .

"We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are."

— Talmudic saying

Ralph Lauren and El Corte Inglés - Laughing all the way to the bank . . .

Never one to lose an opportunity to shop, I used my trip to Lisbon today to renew my passport (another post altogether) as a segue to spend 5 hours in a department store. After all even old chicks need to look cute! My excuse (right, like I need an excuse to shop. For me shopping is on the same level as tennis or scuba diving. Yes, I see shopping as a sport! And like all sports - one needs to practice, practice, practice! You don't want to lose your edge - lol) is that I need to do some back to school shopping and the sales are on so it's worthwhile to take advantage of them. How thrifty of me.


And "No" you didn't miss anything. I don't have any children, but since I will be gainfully employed this coming school year as an information technology teacher at an international school near Lisbon (hooray) I thought it would be fitting to pick up a few things for myself. :-)


While browsing in the Polo department of El Corte Inglés (a Spanish department store of very good quality located in Lisbon) I began to feel befooled. Some of the prices - even on sale - were so expensive that you would need a second job (or a second life - hahaha) to afford them. I can't decide who the bandit is - Ralph Lauren or El Corte Inglés - but we are being robbed. The normal ladies' polo shirt is 115 Euros. Consider the fact that the Euro is UP against the dollar (€1.3659 to $1). Don't bother taking your socks off I'll help you with the calculation (lol). That means that the €115 classic-fit polo shirt is equal to $157.00. I went to the official Ralph Lauren website to do a little comparison shopping and found the same classic-fit polo available in the US for $75.00. Yikes! That's about a kazillion percent profit. At any rate it's way expensive for a little shirt to run to the mall in on the weekends.


I recognize that the main goal of a business to make a profit (otherwise Ralph would be making all these polos and giving them away as gifts - very benevolent but unlikely). And I realize that when you buy a Ralph Lauren product (clothing, fragrance, housewares) that you are really buying a lifestyle (and that don't come cheap!!!). I also understand that there are duties and excise taxes on imported items and that one will pay more for American products here in Europe (although I really don't know why because these products are NOT "Made in the USA" but elsewhere - including China, Mexico and Thailand) but I think that Ralph and El Corte Inglés can now be included on the same list as the sheriff of Nottingham, Sir Francis Drake, Louis XVI and other various bucaneers, profiteers and theives. . .