The Impending Doom of Another New Year

There's that moment when you suddenly realize that it's nearing the end of December and the current year just passed you by, faster than you can blink. You think back to the New Year's resolutions that you made that year and realize you aren't a step closer to fulfilling nearly half of them. Puzzled, you think back and wonder if you could even recall all of them... lose weight, get in shape, be a better partner, learn to speak German, etc...

Then you start to think if making new year's resolutions has any purpose... Studies show that gym membership sales go up in January as people plan on getting in shape but that actual gym usage returns to what it was by March as people no longer go, finding excuses to put it off for another day. And it's easy to do so because we have a year to get in shape and a year seems like a long time. Or at least in January it does. But by the time December rolls around, well, that's a different story...

So, I've decided that for this year, I'm not making yearly resolutions. I'm going to make monthly resolutions. Hopefully, this practice of giving myself a shorter, more easily manageable time frame will get me actually moving forwards in my goals, checking them off sooner, rather than trying to pack as many as I can into the last three weeks of the year.

With that said, here are my goals for January 2015:

• Work goals:
• Survive light year review without panicking 
• Get a good review on my light year review
• Ask for (and get!) a raise

• Sewing goals:
• Finish hounds tooth vest
• Sew a long sleeve shirt for winter
• Sew one dress for winter

• Pole goals:
• Clean up spins
• Clean up basic moves (Climb, Plank, Sit, Chopper, Invert)
• Learn to do Superman
• Butterfly - Gemini - Scorpio - Gemini - Cupid - Superman combo

• Personal:
• Set up a savings fund for hubby and myself 
• Wake up earlier to work out in the mornings (hoola hoop or pole)
• Do a better job on the dishes so hubby approves of my dish washing skills

Wish me luck! 

The Double Drape T-Shirt

The weather is getting slightly cooler and tank tops and sleeveless dresses are no longer suitable for this weather. In need of some inspiration, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration, only to come across the Studio Faro blog. Intrigued by the puzzles, I looked for something interesting, yet simple and decided to give the double drape tee shirt a shot.

I started with a self drafted t-shirt pattern for knits. I followed Anita's instructions, only to cut my first version out of some light weight olive colored jersey fabric I had lying around. I started by sewing facings in the front two edges and the back. Continued by gathering the shoulder and the underarm area and sewing them into place. Shoulders followed by sleeves and then the two sides to finish.

When I tried it on, I have to admit, I was pretty satisfied with the fit, for the most part. The neck line is a bit more closed than what I usually wear, as closed neck lines tend to make me look bigger and not in a good way, but not too closed so that I wouldn't wear it. I did find that the gathers on the shoulder seemed to leave too much excess fabric in that area. After playing around with it a bit, I decided that a strap of brown pleather would nicely hold back the excess fabric while complimenting the olive color of the fabric and giving it an edgy or designer look - I still can't decide which. Anyway, I tacked it on and liked the look so I decided to finish the sleeves and the bottom of the shirt and called it a day.

Like I mentioned, the neckline is a bit more closed than I usually like it, but pulling the extra fabric back did help a bit more. The gathers across the shoulder and the bust do create an interesting focal point and I have worn this shirt out a few times already, to receive compliments from friends and family who were surprised to hear that, yes, this too, is another item I've sewn on my own... :)

I probably will give this pattern another shot, although next time I will be making a few more modifications. First, I will keep the front facings a bit longer, especially the vertical one. I know it's not something anyone sees, but it does keep the inside finished nicely and the missing three centimeters bothers me. Second, I will try to get rid of some of the excess fullness in the gathered shoulder. I think I'll shorten the shoulder a bit from the top and see how that affects the final result. I think I'll need to shift the arm scythe down a bit, but that shouldn't be too complicated. I do need to get someone to take decent photos of me. Using a tripod took me more than half an hour to get about 3 not so clear photos (see the best of them to the right...) and while I do have more control over lighting and framing in the mirror selfies, I hate the way they come out....

When the Cranes Dance

I glanced at my watch as I parked my car almost two blocks from my door. Twelve forty two. Looking up I noticed the shrinking moon, smiling down at me. Two cranes stood tall, reaching for the moon, not moving. They stood still in the darkness of the night. Two cranes, which earlier this evening danced gracefully together, turning together in perfect symmetry with the golden sun setting behind them.

The pavement was silver from the rain that had fallen not long ago. I love the rain. It makes everything feel more romantic. I started to cross the street, stepping over puddles. I took the long way home. I always do when it's night time. Something about walking along the main road makes me feel safer than taking the shortcut between the buildings. I don't mind walking twice as much as long as I don't have to walk in the dark alleys alone, terrified of every noise, jumping when a cat comes by, always watching over my shoulder to make sure I'm really safe.

It started to drizzle as I reached the entrance of my apartment building. Pulling out my keys, I managed to make it into the building still dry. The rain has been picking up and now it's coming down hard, pounding against the windows. I watch as the drops hit the glass, as they drizzle down. I enjoy being at home, heater turned on, hot soup on the stove top. An unexplained feeling of happiness starts deep in my stomach, spreading to my whole body. I'm happy and I'm smiling. I love it when it rains.

The Touching Call of a Jail Bird

My grandparents have been married for the past 63 years. Having been married so long, they had always discussed that when one of them was "no longer capable of wiping their own butt" (their words, not mine), they would both take a hefty handful of sleeping pills, share a bottle of good wine and go to sleep in each others' arms, leaving the world behind them.

My grandfather is 87 years old. While he's still sharp as a tack, my grandmother, at 82, is not so lucky. Just over three years ago, she started showing signs of Alzheimer's. At first it was little things... But then it got worse. At first, they hid it from the family. Then, when it became too much, my grandfather took things into his own Parkinson trembling hands.He wrote his sons a good bye email, which arrived much too fast. Both he and my grandmother were saved.

She spent the last three years in a retirement home, forgetting who we are, closing herself off from the outside world. She's stopped talking and visiting her has become extremely difficult for me.

My grandfather, who was held responsible, has spent the last three years in prison for attempted murder. I stayed by him through out the entire time, visiting him, trying to make the time pass as easily as possible. But nothing I could do or say could keep him from staying obsessed with my grandmother. He'd call her multiple times a day, checking up on her. He'd talk about how he wants to take care of her when he gets released, never an eye witness to how bad she's been deteriorating.

Yesterday, 2 years, 11 months and 7 days after he was originally imprisoned, he was supposed to be released. Unfortunately, his heart has been causing problems and the stress of his impending release probably didn't help much. A few days ago, he was hospitalized in poor health. Thankfully, he was still released from the prison system, although he remains hospitalized.

Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from Oded, who said he's been sharing a prison room with my grandfather for the last year. Oded called me to see how my grandfather has been doing and to make sure he was released from prison. This person, whom I've never met, called me because he's heard about me and knew I cared about my grandfather and frequently came to visit him. He told me how much my grandfather talked about my grandmother. No big surprise here. Like I said, my grandfather is obsessed with my grandmother. But what touched me is that my grandfather had also talked about me, too. Furthermore, I was touched by the fact that Oded cared enough about my grandfather to find my number and call me up to inquire about a man he'll probably never see again...

Sheldon

Howard Wolowitz: You're giving me a couch cushion?
Sheldon Cooper: No, the cushion is merely symbolic. I'm giving you my spot on the couch.
Sheldon Cooper: But you love that spot.
Howard Wolowitz: No. I love my mother. My feelings for my spot are much greater. It is the singular location in space around which revolves my entire universe. And now it's yours.

[last lines]

Howard Wolowitz: I gotta tell you, Sheldon, I understand why you chose this spot. I mean: the temperature is good but there's no draft, I can see the television but I can still talk th...
Sheldon Cooper: I changed my mind; get out of my spot!
Penny: How long?
Leonard Hofstadter: Ninety-four seconds.

 

On Friday morning we opened our hearts, our home and our couch to Sheldon Cooper, cat. At about two and a half years old, he's a large, beautiful long haired cat that we adopted from the "Cat Lovers Association" in Haifa. We brought him home and spoiled him with the largest scratching post we could find, lots of toys, a deluxe litter box and Royal Canine cat food. Only the best for my ball of fur. 

It's been less than a week since Sheldon joined us and we're learning to live together. He has yet to learn how to use his litter box, but I'm patient. I took him to the vet who looked him over and gave him his shots as well as some ear drops for the mites that cause him to scratch his ears incessantly. She said that with his appearance, large size and easy going demeanor, he's probably got a lot of Maine Coon in him.  

The thing that amazes me most is how much love I have for the little guy. Like I said, he's been with us for just a few days, yet I am absolutely crazy about him. I love him and just want to hold him, pet him, play with him and guard him from the outside world. I could spend hours just lying on the floor next to him, listening to him purr as I pet him. 

Tell me this isn't the most adorable cat you've ever seen... :)

"Wow, that's really retro!"

They tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat. This time, it's humentashen, or triangle shaped cookies with various fruit fillings in them. Unfortunately, whenever I bite into one of these cookies, despite what the box may say, it seems my cookie is always filled with poppy seeds. Yuck. Bad cookies aside, this is probably one of my favorite holidays, mostly because you're supposed to get dressed up and drink 'till you're tipsy. Gotta love tradition!

Ok, so Purim isn't coming until Sunday, but as many of my coworkers will be out of the office on Sunday, spending the day with their kids, who will be off of school for the holiday, we've decided that we'll be celebrating today. Come to work in costume, bring a gift basket for the grab bag.

Grab bag gift - check.
Costume... eh... Busy as I've been lately, I haven't had time to put anything really grand together, but I did want to do something. So, last night, ten minutes before the fabric stores closed, I frantically searched for inspiration among bolts of polyester fabrics in hideous patterns. I pinterested "adult costumes" and came across some interesting ideas. Now I just needed to narrow them down to things I could pull together in a few hours or less, especially if I was planning on sleeping...
I saw a great Gameboy dress which made me smile in nostalgia for my childhood back in the 90's. I quickly purchased grey fabric and headed home. (Ok, I stopped at the gym first...) Within three hours I'd created a respectable looking costume and honestly felt that it looked good. Tired, but satisfied, I joined hubby in bed for a few hours of shut eye before work this morning.

Today, dressed in my Gameboy dress, colorful stockings depicting cassettes and other 80's and 90's stuff and All Star shoes, I drank my coffee in our office's kitchen. People started coming in, some in costume, some not. A few of them thought I was a calculator... or some kind of a console controller... Very few actually recognized what I was right off the bat and a few had that "ah" moment after I told them... Then Dean, our new QA guy says to me, "Wow, that's really retro! That was ages ago!" I was four when Gameboy was released and old enough to have actually had one. And at 28, I'm not that old... I'm one of the younger people at this office!!! When did I become old and retro?! :)

That said, it was still a great day and I had fun, even if most people didn't recognize what I was... Their loss.

The Perfect Divorce

I got married in August of last summer. It was a beautiful, small wedding at a local restaurant that hubby and I really like, with a few select friends and family members and no clergy. I wore flowers in my hair and we danced the night away.
I'm getting carried away... This post isn't about my wedding, or my marriage.

I, like hubby and millions of others, am from a broken home. My parents divorced when I was ten and we've been raised primarily by my mother. My father was an anecdote through much of my teenage years. These past few years, we've grown closer, mostly due to Skype and cheap long distance rates. We talk on the phone almost daily.
Amazingly, through all these years and despite the ocean between them, my parents have grown closer, remembering and rekindling their friendship. Despite the fact that their marriage may have not worked out for the best, "till death do us part" and all that, they are still the friends they were years ago. And they share two kids and years of history.

This morning I picked my dad up from the airport. He's on a two week visit to Israel and it's great to see him. And while most people wouldn't come near their ex-es with a stick, my dad's first stop is my mom's house (and the falafel place down the street from her!). We just got back home from a wonderful dinner at a restaurant together - the four of us - my mom, dad, brother and myself. They laughed and bantered throughout dinner, joking about how many years they'd be married if... (31) and how many years they've been divorced (18). As we were about to order coffee and dessert my mom asks my dad what flavor ice cream. "37 years of marriage and you still have to ask?!" he teased her.
"Nu...(c'mon!) Aren't you going to put sugar in your coffee?" she asks as he takes a sip sans sugar.
"No. No more sugar in my coffee."
"See, things change." she retaliates.
"Not ice cream. Chocolate. Always chocolate." He replies with a laugh.

As we sat at that table for over three hours, laughing, joking and talking, at one point my brother turned to me and said, "We may not have been given a good example of a happy, successful marriage, but we sure learned how to do the divorce right!" Grrr... gotta love my brother. Hit the nail on the head. Seriously, with today's divorce rates, while I wish everyone a truly happy marriage, if that doesn't work out, I can at least wish you a wonderful divorce - just like my parents'!

The 2cm Dilema

You thought that... I didn't say it... 

But, anyway. Remember that about a month and a bit, we moved into a new apartment? Well, it's really starting to become a home, except for one not so tiny issue we still can't get around. Our washing machine, which we meticulously measured to make sure it would fit in the bathroom, won't fit through the door of the bathroom. Because we obviously didn't notice how narrow the door is. So, for the past month and a half we've had our washing machine sit in the middle of our living room, barely 2 centimeters wider than our bathroom doorway. All of this while the pile of laundry continues to grow and we're nearing the end of our pile of socks and underwear... 

At first, we tried to remove the bulky door. Ok, 4 cm less but we still needed to lose a bit more. We removed the pipes coming out of the back of the washing machine and gave it another try. Then we tried tilting it on it's side and bringing it in on a slight angle. I couldn't help but remember the episode of "Friends" in which Ross and Rachel take their new couch home, climbing up the stairs as Ross yells "Pivot! Pivot!" That's kinda what this felt like. Only heavier than a couch. 

Almost three hours of frustration and we finally returned the washing machine to the living room. We're down to two options - cutting part of the door frame or buying a new machine. I'm partial to the second option so in the meantime I've advertised ours, hoping at least to make up some of the cost of a new machine. 

In the spirit of learning from our mistakes, I've learned that it isn't enough to measure that a piece of furniture fits into a spot - you've also got to make sure you can fit it through the doorway! And with life too short to make all the mistakes on our own, I encourage you to learn from mine... 

Adventures in Cooking - Fried Rice Without Rice

It seems like everyone these days is on some sort of dietary craze - be it for the weight loss, the health benefits or just because they are curious to try something new out.

Hubby and I are both hi-tech workers, meaning that we spend most of our day on our butt and lunch is usually take out from one of many local greasy spoons or cafeterias in the area. Not the best diet. So, at home, at least, I try to get us to eat a bit healthier. Last night's dinner was quite successful and much better received than I expected. Also, cheap, quick and really easy to make.

Rice was replaced by thinly grated cauliflower. I bought a medium sized head and chopped it up in my Swizz Pro. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Swizz Pro, it's basically a mini, hand operated blender. Probably one the best purchases I've ever made. It's only got three pieces - the bowl, the blade and the lid - so it's really easy to clean, store and use.

Anyway, one head finely chopped cauliflower, some diced up veggies - I used a bell pepper, zucchini, an onion and two carrots. Add a sausage for some protein, soy sauce to taste and you've got yourself a really good meal in no time.

I tossed the cauliflower separately from the veggies, although if I wanted to skimp on doing dishes, I could have done it all in one large wok. If you do decide to do this in one pan, I'd leave the cauliflower for last, as it cooked super fast due to it's large surface area to volume ratio.

The dish was surprisingly well received by hubby, who helped himself to seconds. I was happily surprised as he's usually big on carbs and doesn't consider something a satisfying meal without it. This will definitely be gracing our palates again!

The Wedding Dress Handover

Sewing one's own wedding dress is a big endeavor, stressful and frightening. That's nothing compared to sewing someone else's wedding dress. Throw in the opportunity to deal with Bridezillas and you'll quickly understand why I never wanted to be a professional seamstress.

So when a friend called me up, crying that her e-bay ordered dress had arrived and it was *sob* hideously *sob* ugly *sniff*... I couldn't let her keep crying like that. I offered to come by and see how horrible it really was. And it was. The fabrics were cheap costume fabrics, stiff and not at all flowing like in the original images she showed me. The cut and fit were awful, enveloping her thin waist line in layers of tulle that stiffly stood out, making her appear much heavier than her petite frame really is. She looked at me hopefully as she asked if there was anything I could do to help, make it better. I told her it would probably be easier to start over and I'd be happy to help. Seconds after the words tumbled out of my mouth I realized that I probably shouldn't have said that. Her eyes lit up and I knew I had offered more than I had bargained for. 

Over the past two months, while in the midst of packing up one home and creating another, I diligently worked on her dress during my nights and weekends. We did fittings, redesigns and more fittings before she started to look happy about the dress. On Saturday evening I painfully hand stitched the lining of the dress and the back closure, putting on the final details. A quarter to midnight, I called her up to tell her the dress was finally done and ready for her. She was ecstatic and I could hear it in her voice. 

I'm sure that her Sunday was longer than mine as she waited for me to finish work and the gym. On my way home, I picked her up, bringing her to my house to see the finished dress. Still shy in front of me, she quickly changed into the dress. I zipped her up, tied the sash around her waist and pointed her towards the mirror. It felt great just to see her face light up like that. She looked radiant and beautiful in a form fitting dress that accented her petite figure, elegantly elongating her. 

As she walked into our living room, my hubby smiled, complimenting her on how beautiful she looked. She blushed and I have to admit, it felt good to see her so happy. I gently packed the dress so she could take it home in preparation of the upcoming wedding.

This morning, I woke up to a sweet text from her - "Good morning. Wanted to thank you for all the work you did. The dress is wonderful! I couldn't have asked for anything more beautiful!" It made me feel all warm inside and happy that I agreed to do this for her. Her smile, happiness and appreciation are the best payment. 

(I promise to post pictures of her in the dress after her wedding at the end of the month!)

On Keeping An Old Friend

I met Sara when I was in my freshman year at university. Distraught over having failed my calculus 101 midterm, she was there to help me through the emotional aspect of failing at something for the first time. (She was just as bad at calculus as I was, if not worse. That was the second time she was taking the course.) She and I clicked and became instant best friends. We started doing everything together - studying, shopping, gossiping... We fought like sisters but could never hold a grudge and we grew to know, understand and accept each other's strengths and faults. I learned how to deal with her tendency to be late. She learned to deal with my hunger based mood swings.

She taught me a lot, including patience. I stood by her when she dropped out of the Technion. I introduced her to the man who would later become her husband. When she got married a few years ago, I was her rock, helping wherever she needed it. I threw her the batchelorette party of her dreams.

Over the past year or so, our relationship has been really hard on me. When I got married last summer, she volunteered to take care of my bachelorette party, but ended up dumping most of the work on others, myself included. I can forgive the fact that she was stressed with her own life - at the time she was working on her final project for her degree and trying to get pregnant (she's still trying to get pregnant), and I thought that after my wedding and her graduation, things would go back to normal... But they didn't.

She's started working two part time jobs, less than 30 hours a week, compared to the 45-50 hours I give at the office. And despite the fact that she doesn't work full time, she never seems to have time for me. And honestly, I could forgive her that, as well. What I can't forgive is how she's become very egocentric. Her world revolves around her and she doesn't see others.

Last Sunday, I called Sara up to see how her weekend had gone. She didn't answer and didn't return my call. I got a hold of her on Monday, when she barely had a minute to talk. She told me she was stressed and wanted to talk and how about we get together on Tuesday, as she gets off work early that day. Ok, it's been a fortnight since I saw her and beyond the tones of distress in her voice, she said she needed to talk. I told hubby to cancel our double date at the movies with another couple so that I could meet her after work. The clock had barely struck 6 pm on Tuesday evening when she called to cancel - less than half an hour before our appointed meeting time. She claimed to have a headache and needed to rest.

The next evening, I called her up after work to see how she was feeling. Sounds of laughter and partying drifted through her phone as she said in a rushed voice "can't speak, will call you later" and hung up. Needless to say, she didn't call me later that day or since.

These past few months, this scene has replayed itself, over and over - she and I arrange to meet and moments before, she ends up cancelling, thinking I'll understand because she doesn't feel good and I can't blame her. But the moment she needs a shopping buddy, or wants someone to foot the bill for sushi, I'm the one she calls. What about those days when I want someone to talk to...? She's hard to get a hold of and when I finally do, it's all about her and her needs.

It's not the first time I've considered ending our friendship, but then I keep thinking back to all our good years together - all the happy times we've shared, the sad times where we supported each other, the things we've taught each other. Is this the best thing to do? Should I tell her how I feel and put a cold end to it or just actively let things drift apart, leaving room for rekindling in the future?

IKEA

There's that point after you've moved in when you absolutely must go to IKEA. You just need to get another Billy the bookshelf or a Bekvam spice rack. And while you're there you just happen to find a whole lot of other things you just really need and it's at such a great price... And as luck would have it, they're having a sale this week.

Hubby despises IKEA. He knows that if we go there, regardless of the original shopping list, we'll end up purchasing a dozen other items we probably don't need, but were there and on sale, or at the right price... So I went with a coworker. She and I left work early on Thursday to go to the land where the furniture folds to a much smaller size. Three hours later, two shopping carts, 7 over sized boxes and two bowls of soup in bread bowls, we finished our shopping spree. It took about 20 minutes of advanced tetris skills to fit everything into the car and have enough room to sit semi-comfortably. We literally had to push our seats so forward, we were practically touching the windshield whipper.

It's been a few days, and for the most part, we've put together the big pieces. We're slowly unpacking more and more boxes every other evening. (Seriously, who wants to work a full day and then work at unpacking boxes at home, at night?!) This house is beginning to feel like a  home...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUPu_ipbVB0

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemoncello

The house we just left sits on what used to be a lemon grove. Most of the trees were removed when the house was built but there are still two lemon trees and one lime tree in the back of the house. When we first moved in, I thought, "Great, we'll always have fresh lemons for salad dressing!" Boy, was I wrong! Lemon trees, like life, give it to you all at once and then leave you hanging through a dry spell. One month we'd have more lemons than I'd ever know what to do with and the next, we'd be high and dry. The last of the lemons would be rolling around in the dirt, dry and collecting bugs. Any lemons I'd have picked would dry and shrivel up.

I started looking for ways to use lemons, but most recipes called for the juice of one lemon, zest from half a lemon, etc... I wasn't finding major lemon usage - until I found a recipe for Lemoncello! Lemons, sugar and vodka - what could be bad about that?! My first batch was a success and over the year and a half that we've lived there, whenever the trees were heavy with lemons, I made lemoncello. 

As we packed up the house to move, I looked out the kitchen window only to see that all three trees are in full bloom. My last batch of lemoncello was polished off about two weeks ago and it seems fitting to make just one last batch before we leave. As I didn't have the time to make it before we left, I tossed a dozen lemons into a large bag and made that my first project in our new home, as soon as I find where I've packed my glass jars!

Easy Lemoncello 

Ingredients:

• Zest of 10 lemons, preferably organic
• 1 liter vodka (4 cups) - I use 40% alcohol, Stoli works really well
• 650 g. sugar (3 cups)
• 1 liter water (4 cups)

Prep time: 2 x 30 minutes

Ready in: 21+ days

Servings: slightly more than 2 x 750 ml bottles

1. Wash the lemons really well. Really, really well. 
2. Zest the lemons, making sure not to include the pith (the white part beneath the outer skin), because it can be unpleasantly bitter. The first time I made lemoncello I used a variety of tools - a peeler, a knife, a grater. It took hours and by the time I had finished I was frustrated and swore I'd never make lemoncello again. Then I bought a lemon zester. Best purchase ever. Seriously. Second time I made lemoncello, the whole process took about half an hour for 30 lemons!
3. Place the lemon zests in the vodka. Store in an airtight container for 7 days. About once a day I'd give the jars a shake just to stir things up and help get all of the flavor out. 
   
4. After 7-10 days, we move onto the simple syrup. That's just a fancy way of saying we'll boil water and sugar. So, boil the water, add sugar. No mixing needed! Actually, DON'T mix it at all. Let the boiling water stir things up and keep the heat up for 15 minutes. 
5. Let the syrup cool for a few hours, until it reaches room temperature. 
6. Add the vodka to the syrup. Mix.
7. Drain into bottles. I like to use a coffee filter to get rid of the lemon zests. Also, I look for pretty wine bottles with corks still in tact and use those. A pretty ribbon and a little card and you've got a great gift. 
8. Let it sit for another two weeks or so, then move it to the freezer. 
9. Store in the freezer. Although nothing bad will happen if you don't, it just tastes really good when it's really cold and with 20% alcohol, it shouldn't freeze. Technically, it should hold for at least a year, but I've never actually had a bottle last longer than a month or two, it's just that good!

I like to serve the lemoncello over ice. My mom loves to serve it with Sprite. Can also be mixed with cranberry juice, orange juice or lemonade. 

The zest-less lemons don't hold very well so I just juice them and store the juice as ice cubes. Then, when I need lemon juice, I just use a lemon ice cube. Great for salad dressing, lemonade, cooling down a coke in the summer...  

Enjoy!

When a Colleague is Sent Packing

We got called into the boss' office this morning. His solemn face immediately told me that something is wrong and I felt my heart sink as we all went quiet. But it wasn't until I looked around and noticed that we weren't all in attendance. "She's leaving us. It's a mutual agreement and it's for the best..." At first I didn't understand who they were talking about - the new designer or the other product manager that started almost a year ago, slightly before me. Neither of them were in the office. "Who?" I asked. "The PM," he said. "It's a mutual decision and it's for the best."

What does that mean - mutual decision? Is there really such a thing or is it just a nice way to say fired? She'd seemed a bit moody lately, but then again, that was a part of her natural behavior.

By the time we left the boss' office she was gone and her desk was bare of her Hello Kitty mug and bowl of Skittles. What do you say to a colleague after they've been fired? Should you talk to them? Wish them luck? She was out of the office so fast, I didn't have time to say good bye and by the way she left and took all of her stuff, it doesn't seem like she'll be back - or wants to come back to say good bye...

This House is Not [Yet] a Home

On Friday we left our 3 bedroom home in the Israel Valley for a slightly smaller apartment in Haifa. When I booked the movers, I estimated 20-30 boxes and a few large pieces of furniture... Boy, was I wrong! The movers were booked for 9:00 am and I was awake until 5:26 am packing, over 40 boxes and many bags... I managed two hours of sleep before the movers came and still wasn't fully packed! We had to go back on Saturday to load up the rest of our stuff and it's a good thing we took both cars.

Despite hours of unpacking, our new house is not yet a home. It's still filled with boxes that have yet to be opened and unpacked. We have a lot less storage space in this new place and that needs to be taken into consideration. We still have a few trips to IKEA ahead of us. 

Hubby hates moving. He claims it's because his family moved around a lot when he was a kid. I like the idea of moving. It's a chance to make some changes, getting rid of old stuff and making room for the new. It's a clean slate and place to make new memories. I've moved around quite a bit these past few years, but this move has definitely been the hardest. Not only because of the amount of stuff we have to pack and unpack, but also because I want it to go by smoothly and quickly because I see how stressed hubby is by the piles of boxes in every room. And if that isn't enough, then there's all those little things that you have to deal with when you move into a new place... We discovered a neighbor's laundry machine leaking into our kitchen and the boiler's timer isn't working properly and we need new light bulbs for most of the rooms and the air conditioner isn't working and our washing machine doesn't fit through the bathroom door... and the list goes on! But we're tackling these issues one by one and hopefully, this house will become a home soon enough.

Loss of a Loved One

On Friday afternoon my dad's wife took her last breath and slipped away. While this wasn't a complete shock, it had only been a few weeks since she was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer that had metastasized to her bones. It started a few months ago when the doctors wrote off her cough as pneumonia and gave her recurring treatments with antibiotics. It wasn't pneumonia and the cancer spread rapidly and within a few weeks she was suffering from intolerable back pain which turned out to have been caused by a broken hip bone, which is how they discovered the cancer. A biopsy and multiple blood tests later showed that it was advanced lung cancer.

Barbara and I had an interesting and special relationship. Our relationship started off terribly, to say the least - hate at first sight. Over time, we've learned to get along and the distance between us has done wonderful things for our relationship. She makes my dad happy and that's what's important to me, and over time I have learned to appreciate and even love her.

My dad lives across the ocean, so we don't get to see much of each other, but I know how much he loved her and how much he'll miss her. We've been talking on the phone daily these past few weeks. He sounds distanced from her death, like he's already begun saying goodbye when she slipped into a coma a few days prior to her death. He's always been a very reasonable man, strong in his beliefs. I wish I could be there to hug him. It's these times when you need to be surrounded by loved ones.

I never really kept in touch with my step-siblings, with there being an ocean between us and all. A few days before Barbara passed away, she and I spoke on the phone. She was sad, realizing how fast everything was slipping away. She asked me to look over Jessica, her daughter. I  promised I would. I've been talking to Jessica quite a lot these past few days, making sure she's ok, dealing with her grief and mourning her mom in a way that suits her. I believe in the importance of a promise and I never make a promise I don't plan on keeping, and this promise is no exception. Jessica may have lost a mother, and while nothing can ever replace that, I hope that I can finally be the sister she never had.

The Boss's Blog

One of the reasons I started to write now is in part because of my new boss, Wolf. He arrived slightly less than two months ago but already his presence has resonated and he's starting to make changes. Hopefully, for the better. He's looking at 40 and after 18 years at his first job straight out of school, he needed a change. He's calling this change his midlife crisis. As a part of this job-change-midlife-crisis, he's started a blog where he writes about the company, the work here and other things that make up his life. His third post was a ballsy, deep critique of the company. And after making such a big splash, I had to start reading his blog.

Wolf writes every Thursday evening, right before leaving the office for the weekend. He's put it in his calendar, so he gets it done. I know the story about time management and putting your big rocks in first, so part of my plan is to put my blog into my weekly schedule. There will be no more ifs ands or butts. My blog will get priority time in my calendar and by hook or by crook, I will write! And not because I have to, but because I enjoy writing and "never found the time" for it earlier. Now I have the time.

Wolf writes about people in the office. So far he's mentioned about a half dozen characters, most of them in a positive light. So far he hasn't even hinted at me and I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed by that. My competitive nature wants to appear as a character in his blog. I want to be important enough to get "air time". I know it's silly of me, but I do want to know that I'm noticed and that I do make a difference. I really like my job, what I do, the product I manage. I put in a lot of effort to give it my all and like a child that wants validation for their parents, I want validation and appreciation from my superiors.

Anyway, it's nearing the end of the day and the end of the week. Despite the fact that my weekend is filled with chores such as cleaning and packing, I'm looking forward to it. The move has my spirits high and I like the idea of the fresh new beginning. And I know I'll miss the house we currently live in, but it's too expensive for us to keep holding it if we want to be able to put money aside into savings. And 2014 is going to be a year of changes. For the better!

Changes

Procrastination is a terrible mistress, as she has been keeping me from so many things, including writing. Over the past few weeks, there have been so many changes in my life, I feel this is a good time to ditch old habits and start doing the things I've been putting off.

After a half a dozen names, I finally came up with something simple that reflects me - cookie dough and jeans. I enjoy food, cooking, and sewing. I sew most of my own clothes. I'm a board game loving geek that prefers a good game of "7 Wonders" over going out to a pub any night. I eat raw cookie dough and enjoy it immensely. It shows and I have body issues, which is probably normal, being a woman in today's world. I work with computers. Mostly because somewhere during my studies I realized my lack of patience for people, working with them or for them. Don't get me started on that... But straight out of school, despite the hi-tech bubble, I wrangled myself into a job as a product manager working beneath a boss who had faith in me and taught me tons and helped me get to where I am today. 

Where am I, today? you ask... 

Well, I work for a global company. I've been with them for almost a year and I recently got a new boss above me, who I'm really liking. He's new to being head of product, so he's got lots of fresh ideas and more importantly, is willing to listen to our ideas, as well. I'm packing up the house I've lived in for the last year and a half, moving to an apartment in Haifa, just a short drive from the office. I got married in late August and hubby and I just celebrated 4 years together. The move will be our third place together and hubby promised that I can get a cat. I'm really looking forward to that. With the new year, come the resolutions, so maybe this year will be the year of change. Maybe this year I'll stick to my workouts, eat healthier, read more books, sew more clothes and do all things I'd like to. And while I do (or don't), I'll try to write about it. As much of it as I can. About living, cooking, sewing, work and the restaurant at the end of universe. And just maybe, someone might read this. And maybe, just maybe, enjoy reading what I write even half as much as I enjoy writing it... :)

Happy 2014!