just laura

Grapes on the vine at Robert Mondavi Winery

For our final days in Sacramento we did some shopping and also managed a day trip through the Napa Valley to tour and do tastings at the Robert Mondavi winery. After a long drive home yesterday, I’m now back in Seattle to stay for a few weeks. The 14 hour drive yesterday gave me some time to play on my laptop so I’ve got pictures to post. Check out photos from Thanksgiving in Sacramento, Meghan and Vince’s Wedding, and our road trip to Eugene. Enjoy!

Blogger.com keeps a running list of Blogs of Note. I recently discovered one of their pics for the month was an old friend of mine from Houston. Small world. Check out Beth’s pretty site at The North Carolina Experiment.

Last night I went to a most excellent elementary school production of “Where the Wild Things Are!” The set was complete with 7 foot tall palm trees, jungle vines hanging from the ceiling, three different murals (Max’s room, ocean, and jungle), and a giant boat for Max to travel from his bedroom to the jungle. The kids in the production made fabulous masks for their monsters, and they danced quite a wild dance when the rumpus began! It was so fabulous and high energy that it brought a warm fuzzy to my heart that kept me cozy the whole way home. :)

I took this photo of Kat on a road trip to New Orleans back around sophomore year of college.

Finally uploaded pics from Seattle’s 2003 Gay Pride weekend. Enjoy!

I just found a CD of pictures from 2000! I’d posted some pics from that year, but found more that have never been seen by the public! So, consider yourself lucky and join me for a stroll down memory lane. Where were you in October 2000? I was living in Texas, apparently dying my hair, and was spending time wandering the Texas Ren Fest with Scott, Ajit, and Ivy! Enjoy the photos!

Am going a bit crazy trying to post old pics before I lose them again… or forget… or go out of town. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in Arizona, Nov 2000

Madrigal Dinner in Austin, Nov 2000

Ren Fest outside of Houston, Oct 2000

Heading to a blogger holiday party tonight… I’m such a dork. :) Should be much fun… we’ve got quite a lively blog community in Seattle.

Hearty soups always seem perfect for cold weather meals. I recently made chili and I’m quite enjoying it!

4 c mixed beans (I used mixture of dried black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, and others)

1 head garlic

1 yellow onion

peppers (I used jalapenos)

1 tbl brown sugar

3/4 c corn

1 can tomato paste

Spices (I used cumin, chili pepper, and garlic)

Cover beans in water and bring to boil for 10 minutes

Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 2+ hours

Return to heat and cook on med-high for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

Add minced garlic, diced onion, brown sugar, and diced peppers

Cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

Add corn, tomato paste, and spices to taste

Cook for another 5-10 minutes

Serve hot and garnish with sour cream or shredded cheese. Serves 6-8. YUM!

We had a big turn out at the Blogger party this week! Many thanks to dayment for hosting the lovely affair! We had lots of food, lots of fun people, and lots of random white elephant gifts. :) The room was about 50/50 for familiar faces and new folks. In attendance: TYD, John, Jeff, Samantha, Tara, Matt, Ferra, Mike and Viv, Sean, Meredith,
Manny, Heather, her boyfriend Zach and her brother Matthew, and Beth. :) Happy holidays, y’all!

Wow… I leave for India in less than 48 hours! Do you know what this means? It means I’ve been too busy to eat, sleep, write back, post meaningful thoughts, wash dishes, or do much of anything! I’ve been doing errands and work stuff that needs to be done before the first of the year. Happily my last two work projects went really well so I’m feeling a bit more comfortable leaving the office for 3.5 weeks. (It’s hard when you’re a staff of one… no one else there to fill in). Outside of work, I realize that I also need to send all of my holidays cards this weekend if I want to get them to people before mid-January. After that I need to pick up pictures, drop off donations, pay bills, finish up at work, and eventually pack! Many thanks to the folks who’ve sent cards this week (I received my first birthday and Christmas cards of the year). I also received my first birthday gift of the year… many thanks to Chris and Alyssa for a fabulous gluten free care package! Wow!! Hope everyone’s doing well!

Found these silly pictures on the old photo CD too! They’re from my holiday party in December 2000. Hmmm… Kind of makes me think I should host something here in Seattle… maybe I’ll do that in January when I get back from India. It could be a combined house warming (never did one in May), holiday, new years, and birthday party (Erin and I both have bdays this month). If you’re reading this, consider yourself invited. :)

Leaving for India in less than 5 hours! :) Wohoo!!!

Left Seattle Sunday night at 6pm. After the plane trip from Seattle to LA, LA to Seoul (13 hrs!!), and Seoul to Delhi, I arrived safe and sound last night in India (Tues night). Plane trip to Delhi was great… sat with Punjabi guys now living in CA… lots of drinking, chatting, joking, and learning about India. After an hour and a half taxi ride to my guest house, I was ready for bed! This morning met a 25 yr old Tibetan woman trying to move to California to be with her fiance. Helped her fill out her INS paperwork and tried the Tibetan tea she ordered for me to thank me (tea with butter and salt… interesting combo).

Not much technology in this Tibetan camp… but there are at least 3 internet cafes. No cows to be seen in the streets, but there are sleepy, barking dogs everywhere. Lots of monks with shaved head and marroon robes… they’re everywhere too. Lots of folks gently singing or chanting to themselves. (Cab driver last night talked to himself, but that was different). Well, I’ve got 2 days to explore before Jens and family arrive, so I’m off to see Old Delhi. Between the butter tea and the wild taxis in crowded streets, I’m thinking I should have snagged a motion sickness bag from the plane… it might come in handy on the drive to the city. ;) More later when I return. Take care!

Heard an Indian dance version of disco favorite I Will Survive on the Indian music video channel here. Quite entertaining! Thought it a good mantra after braving the crowded streets of Old Delhi this morning. :) I visited the lovely Jama Masjid mosque this morning… it can hold 25,000 folks all praying to mecca at once… the largest mosque in India! Quite beautiful. I also visited the Red Fort and then wandered for hours through the crowded, narrow streets of Old Delhi. Today I did see cows… and so much more! Lots of goats, dogs, donkeys, horses, and even ox all find their space in the crowded streets between the busses, rickshaws, scooters, and bicycles. There were tons of street vendors preparing and selling Indian food for just 20cents a meal. They were all super tempting… especially since I was getting hungry after hours of walking. Of course, once you remember that there are animals everywhere, and people are peeing in the streets, and flies cover everything… it was enough to convince me to skip the street vendors and wait till I found a regular cafe.
I eventually got a rickshaw to New Delhi (to Connought Place) where I made a new friend. Suraj was a 21 yr old guy from Nepal who loves foreigners. We chatted for a long while, he showed me around, and eventually bought me lunch and chai (despite my many protests). I don’t feel right accepting a free meal from someone who doesn’t have much money… but he insisted over and over. I guess the guide books were right when they talked about the hospitality of the country. Very generous and giving… even when they don’t have much to give. He said I’d be safer staying in my hotel after dark, so I eventually got a rickshaw home and here I am back at another internet cafe next to my hotel (this internet cafe plays really loud rap music… quite energetic!). Oh, and speaking of the hotel… to give you an idea of costs here, my hotel here gave me a private room with 2 beds, private bath with shower, and even a TV (complete with HBO). All for the low low price of only $4 a night. Quite a good deal!

Anyway, I’m off to dinner now… I’m excited to eat so much good India food for the next few weeks! Before I go, just want to say a quick hello to my mom. :) Don’t worry too much… I’m having fun and am safe and sound. :) Take care y’all!

All is well in India! The folks in Delhi were super friendly, as were the folks in Jaipur. Rode a camel. Ate yummy food. Now in Udaipur… gorgeous! (See James Bond’s Octopussy for views of the castle here). No Delhi Belly yet… whew! More later when I have more time. Take care!

Had an excellent Christmas in Udaipur… sat around a campfire at a royal hunting lodge, eating dinner with a maharaj from India’s oldest royal family, hearing tiger hunting stories, drinking rum, and getting gifts from the maharaj. Wow! Am now wandering in medieval Bundi… quite cool. More later when I have more time to be coherent. :)