The Nightlife

Perhaps you are all wondering what Sharon and Ben do with their time all the way out there in the suburbs of Ohio. Perhaps you wonder what they look like these days.Perhaps you wonder what kind of trouble they are managing to get themselves into. Well, then read on blog buddies, read on. And if that's not the kind of blog entry you were hoping for, then too bad.

I will recount for you, AND show pictures of three nights spent here in Ohio.

First, some lovely photos, if you wonder what Sharon and Ben are looking like now a days, here are a couple of prime shots that should give you an idea:





Nice eh? You can thank Ben for this view. I would have put up pictures of our amazing form or animation whenever we got strikes, as I recall taking shots like that of Ben. However, Ben is apparently not really into getting lots of different shots, and when he was the man with the camera and I was up to bowl, it appears this is the only view he bothered to take a picture of. I don't know quite how to read that. Either it's big enough he thinks he can't get another angle or he just really likes it.

I have however, been improving on my ad hoc couple shots. Here's are faces after date night (we're both smiling because at the end of three grueling games, Sharon finally managed to break 100. Otherwise, only Ben would be smiling. :))



That was the weekend, when we get all wild and crazy-like and do wild and crazy-like things, like bowling. It's quite the thing out here, actually. We live within 5 minutes driving distance of 3 bowling alleys. And the first one we went to was still doing league games and had no room for us on their lanes. Serious, it's serious business out here.

On the more mild weeknights, however, Sharon and Ben do milder things. Like take walks. On some of these nights, Sharon needs convincing to go on walks despite the fact she likes exercise -- like when there are piles of snow everywhere. As it turns out Sharon (I just like talking about myself in the third person sometimes. It's amusing.) likes to shovel snow and she likes to snow shoe in it. But she doesn't really care to play in it nor does she appreciate the cold air that accompanies it whenever it comes. But Ben succeeded in giving her a puppy dog face for long enough to take a walk. Here are photos of the little jaunt around the neighborhood:




I was trying to look happy in that shot, but I really just wasn't convinced this whole "walk in the snow" idea was that great.





Here you see a very happy man making a snow angel. He was very proud of his work after he was finished. I was invited to enjoy this lovely past time, but declined. As I mentioned before, I like to shovel snow (I know. Wierd) and I like to snow shoe, but not really to play. When did I get so adultish and dull?





And above you can see how clever a couple we really are. We walked to the local park on our street, which isn't really a park at all. It has a sign stating that it's a park, in case you didn't realize, which you wouldn't because all it is is about 1/16th of an acre of ground with a gazebo at the end of a cul de sac full of houses. Nonetheless, Ben thought we should make use of these public lands for our own amusement and asked what word art we should put in the snow. I tried to think of something witty -- like a funny quote or pop phrase. The only thing that came to mind was "Obama Mama". Don't ask me why. I don't even know what that is. But I had no desire to write anything politically related in the snow and I couldn't think of any fun quotes because I suck at stuff like that, so I was left to Ben's brains. He thought up " I Love Snow". So we went with that. But then we realized, the geniuses that we are, that we were writing to big for our little park to fit the words without going into someone's front lawn so we had to find a smaller phrase. And thus the ever-universally unoffensive, and the most statementless publicly graffitied EVERYWHERE phrase of all phrases came into being: I "Heart" U. We're no better than a doodling 5th grade girl in the bathroom.

Last of all. We have just last night for our "Nightlife" overview, which shall be recited in scriptural form:

Book of SharonBen
Chapter 1

1) And Ben said unto Sharon, Wilt thou cut mine hair, so that I may not look so like Samson and present myself to my fellow men in this disheveled state?

2) But husband, Sharon said, Why dost thou entreat me to do such a thing when thou knowest I have no formal education in such matters?

3) Dear wife, said Ben, I have laid myself at the hands of lesser artisans at Great Clips, where great harm has befallen me, and entreat you that I think you wilst do no worse harm, and may even serve me better, and we will be able to save our dinaro for better things. Hast thou cut hair before? Ever?

4) Why yes, dear husband. Four times have I cut hair, for my people living in the lands far east of here. But they were desperate and poor. And we lived in Russia where no one cared.

5) Well, said Ben, then let us begin.

6) And Sharon said unto her husband, "Perhaps we shall delay this until a few morrows from now. In the event that some harm may befall your head at my hands, we may travel to the abode of some artisan who can repair it. At this late hour, you shall have to work tomorrow with whatever my hands have done.

7) To this Ben said, "Nay wife. For we have tonight to do it and shan't waste this time."

8) And so Sharon and Ben delayed no more and Sharon brought forth the shearing tools and made work with her hands. And all the while she wondered why he didst insist on this evening. Though what he says is true that they had an available night, she puzzled at why he would make haste, as they have almost every night available. And she pondered these matters in her heart.

9) Behold Sharon and Ben's first hair cut together.



And after the hair cut was over, Ben looked at the effects of this work. And smiled and said, It is good.

When did I become so cynical?

So, I had the unexpected opportunity to speak at Harvard Business School this last weekend at a conference. It was sort of short notice with not a lot of time to prepare and really even less time to think about it as work has been through the roof as of late.

While I was there, it was such a blast from the past, or a world that I haven't been associated with or even crossed paths with in so long. I remember it when ideas were everything, the future was sort of yours, and the most important thing in your life was You...oh wait, I don't think that last one really ever entered a lot of the minds of the people I associate with, or at least not my mind.

But regardless, it was interesting to see how people thought that they were the most important thing in the world, strode the hallways with elbows poised to absorb as much space and essence as possible, their egos expanded well beyond any presence their body could control, sipping brandies and expensive liqueurs like they had the refined palates of Anton Ego, coupled with the sophistication of Descartes. And I.....I sat in the corner wondering, what in the world possessed them to have such an incredulous attitude about themselves as if I were some sort of Socrates, ready with a simple question to yank them down from their elven perches aloft in the highest tree tops.

And as I return to reality a bit, and the work day returns to answering phone calls from clients, managing money, planning the next big thing (big for me is not very big for most), wondering what in the world happened to the time I had, and hating myself for not having finished a certain lookbook for a certain project which in this blog shall be known as Two's Company, and wondering where oh where did my sense of thought, the value of thought, and the reality of my own position (or lack thereof) go? Shortly thereafter the thought pops in my head that I shouldn't be typing this blog at all, but should be working on the lookbook, but everyone needs a few minutes of downtime.

Anyways, I don't know what has inspired me to be so cynical as to no longer give value or credence to the idea, or perhaps it is that I do not give value or credence to the idea without proven action or merit, I am not sure which. But I remember the days when thoughts were valuable, even if they did not result in action (which on a daily basis now I think thoughts without action are worthless), and as I postulate what I want to do and how I want to structure things in the future, I wish that someone had thought about the problems I am anticipating and facing as my business expands, my life changes, and my voice leaves me (I was talking too loudly this weekend!)

I recently finished the book Anna Karenina, and am reminded of the character Konstantin Dmitrich Levin, who regularly thinks of the problems between the landowners and the muzhiks. And while reading it I thought of that applicability to common day life which I engage in. How highly would I value that thought? Even if there was no action by the thought provider, but it lead and paved a way for my action.....after all isn't that what philosophy is about? Thinking so that others may embrace that thought and put it into action? Anyone that knows me, knows that I am no genius, and therefore I rely on the thoughts of others.

So, when did I become so cynical, that in a weekend, speaking at one of the most prestigious business schools in the world, I left annoyed, disgusted, and overall unimpressed with supposedly the elite of the elite? Where thought was nothing more than a self aggrandizing, snobbish pursuit of those ensnarled in a world of elitist behaviour?

Thoughts?

Thoughts on 3 Months of Marriage in Ohio

1) Married couples don't run around seeing each other naked all the time. I thought they might, but it appears they don't. Or, at least, we don't. I never was much in the habit of running around naked in the first place, so I really don't know what I was thinking.

2) Being responsible for another person's meals and cooking can easily cause a person to gain pounds. I suspected as much, but it has now been confirmed (not that it isn't something that can be moderated and controlled. I'm experimenting with and working on that now.). But previously food was the very uncenter of my life. Now I must be very much concerned with it, plan it, cook.... and it turns out I like the taste of my own cooking. As a result, I am much more tempted to eat a little more if I'm eating homemade shepherds pie rather than a microwaved morning star veggie burger. Dangerous, cooking is. Very dangerous.

3) I amd dumbfounded that I never get sick of Ben. Shocking. I never thought I'd be able to see and be around anyone so much, forget about enjoy it. I'm used to being a bit of a loner for the greater portion of my weeks.

4) People always say you don't really kiss that much after you're married. Now being married, I heartily disagree. I like to kiss Ben randomly and quite frequently while we're home. Just because I can. He seems to as well. In fact, I often have to stop the urge when we're in public because it's such a habit for me and I know PDA embarasses him.

5) One thing that IS true about getting married which I never really believed -- sex drive does go down a little after you're married. Darn it.

6) Moving in together is really not that hard of an adjustment. Granted, I'm one who's never cared from what end anybody squeezes their toothpaste, so maybe it's just my nature, and his nature. But really, it's just not very different.

7) Moving to a different state and getting a new license can do wonders for a person's driving record. Especially when it was as bad as mine. And what great insurance rates you can get when you magically have zero points on your license and no accidents to speak of! Niiiiiiicccceeee.

8) Ohio makes Utah look temperate. I am not made for 15 degree weather plus windchill on a regular basis. And without any fun snow to play, shovel or snowshoe with -- well, it's nothing but cruel. I have to mentally coach myself along every day. Think spring. Only two more months. You can do it.

9) If you're going to move across the country away from all your friends and family, having a husband you like to keep you company is a good idea. And lots and lots of games.

10) I can live without a gym membership for about 3 months without going crazy. But not much longer. I know we're all shocked I even made it that long.

Tired, oh so tired!

*****WARNING SHALLOW MATERIALISTIC CENTRIC POST BELOW.....READER BEWARE******

So, I don't know how to follow up on a post like that, after all, mine is going to seem so lame compared to that insanely overdramatic, yet life altering potential experience. But, I guess you got to suck it up and move on from there...so I'll post anyways. After all, it is post here or post on my law firm blog, and who really wants to do that? :)

So let's see, the house renovations are coming along. One room should be done this weekend and the rest is just about to be started I think (crosses fingers that money still comes in from somewhere). Work hasn't been speedy to start the year, but networking has been exhausting, and I am not sure how and/or where it is coming from...and I have gotten some good projects in lately which always makes me happy, but alas, I digress into thinking about what I always think about and not what I wanted to be thinking about (see what happens when I talk about renovations and money....always back to work work work work work.)

After reading Sharona's post about risky questions, I wondered what in the world would be risky questions to ask me....and I realized I don't have any...go figure. Not that I state that there are any issues that don't concern me, or I hope never materialize, but I don't think there is a question that could be posed that would make me freak out all night, or that would send me into a tizzy...but I doubt that any question could be posed that may have as an immediate impact on my life as Sharona's, except for ones that I have fully come to grips with and while I do hope they never transpire, am fully aware that they could.

That all being said, I woke up this morning exhausted, and I mean exhausted...and it has only been a few days since I have been at it...am I getting old? Well we all know the answer to that....impossible, but I had an interesting conversation yesterday that led me to ponder about this in my sleep.

A very wealthy individual whom I know and I work with and I were sitting down discussing a deal, and somehow we got on the topic of Madoff and the whole ponzi schema and related....and some how we got on to this individual that has manufacturers in various countries that make lots of clothing and what not, and how this one guy lost all of his money with Madoff, and how he couldn't change the guys mindset into how to make lots of other money another way, blah blah blah blah blah...and then he said something that made me think:

"Most people make all their money in life in a 20 year period, usually between their mid-twenties to their mid-forties, and sometimes into their fifties....but usually they work really hard for ten years, and then work hard and reap the benefits of the next ten, and then live off of basically their really hard work for the next fifty."

Now obviously he was talking about people that make some seriuos dough...we aren't talking about people that make $40-$50k a year (not that there is anything wrong with that...just not the context of the conversation)....but it was interesting that his thoughts were 1. you work hard for 20 years, and 2....really most of it comes in the first 10 years, but you still work hard for another 10 while you are just starting to cash in on that hard work.

For me, I couldn't imagine that I would only work hard for 20 years...it just seems odd...does that mean that I won't work as hard as the guys that get really rich, and therefore, I am destined to work at this pace for the rest of my life? Cause although I do like to work hard, I don't know if I could keep this pace up for the next 40. Anwyays, just a very lame shallow money based post.

Thoughts?

Risky Questions

It was a normal evening. I had just picked Ben up from work and we were home. I was warming up the experimental dinner I'd prepared -- potato salsa fritatta -- and we were catching up on our days. And then the question came --

Ben: "So, how are those placebo pills working?"

Sharon: "What do you mean?" Pause...

Sharon: "Oh. Well, I haven't started my period yet. But it's only day two and it may take some time for my hormone levels to go down. I think I'm still adjusting to the birth control pills."

Ben: "Oh. Ok. Well, what if you don't get your period?"

Sharon: "Well, I have to start it. That's how the female body works. I'm not on the regular pills, so with the placebo pills my body will naturally start its period. It has too. It's cyclical, like the seasons. My body just does that."

Ben: "Right. But what if you DON'T start it?"

Sharon: ----------

Ben: "Sharon?"

Sharon: "But that wouldn't make any sense. I've been on the pill the whole time."

Ben: "Maybe it doesn't work for you."

I think I flat-lined for a few moments. ANd then I came back to consciousness. Loudly. And furiously.

WHAT!?!? And then the fear took hold. Is it possible that I am a super, unstoppable reproductive machine? Really? That doesn't seem quite fair. I don't really wanna be preg-- preg-- preg-a-nent. I mean. It's totally not a good time. I need to get a job. I have had a total of THREE different jobs this year. It doesn't look good to end like that. I'll have no future.

This world of having people ask me if I'm pregnant and suddenly realizing that each time, shockingly, this is actually possible, is frightening the bejeebers out of me. They need to stop asking me.

Then came despair. I'm totally out of shape right now! And they don't let you get back into shape while you're pregnant. They say that's bad. It would be so cruel to be stripped of my gym membership, be forced into out-of-shapeness and gain a few pounds and then be thrown into the depths of pregnancy. I can't even.... I don't know if I can bear it! And I've taken the pill so faithfully! Ok, there was the two day slip up while I was traveling. But after that two day slip up, I verified with TWO nurses that it would still work AND I didn't let you touch me for a month! How is this possible?!?

How can I, in good conscience, go to job interviews knowing I'm pregnant? And do they have policies like insurance companies that get them out of being considerate if you have a previous condition? And what about Sharon Charles? I suppose I can just work through and it doesn't have to change much. But it's a kid? If it doesn't change much doesn't that mean I'm ignoring the kid? I mean.... it's just not a good time. We've been married for like a day. I know I said I'd be sad for a while and then I'd get over it.... but I'm really thinking I might be sad for a REALLY LONG time. I could need longer than 9 months to get over it and be happy. I wouldn't have that much time....

It's happening. And I don't even have a choice. I have been taken from my job and thrown into housewife status and NOW I'm going to be insta-preggo right after? I SO did not think I was signing up for this! It's like a bad dream. Now I'm going to be shopping at target for the rest of my life. And I'll find myself adding cream of something soup to everything I cook. And I'll start wearing sweat pants and.....

I feel so... so TRICKED! They tell you sex is ok after you're married. But if you're a super, reproducing machine like me -- IT'S NOT TRUE. It's NEVER safe.

Then, from nowhere, a small ray of hope: It's ok. It's only day two. I could still start. I have a whole week to start. I want cramps. I want cramps. Start. Start. Please? No cramps. Please start? Nope. Now? Still no cramps. I waited all night. It was SUCH a long night. Ben put a movie on to distract me. The Aviator. Not a bad film. It worked. A little.

This my friends, was quite possibly the longest night of my life. OK, not really. But it was TOTALLY overwhelming! And reaffirmed that, though it may be socially and religiously appropriate and permissable to have children at this time, I really REALLY don't want any yet. I know, I know. Very unfemale instictual of me. But I just don't have the "I wanna be a mommy" gene. It's not my fault! Maybe it is. But it is, nonetheless, true. It makes me very weird. It may change in the future. But it's just how I am at the moment. I can't help it.

Alas, all is well and I woke up this morning with my wish. I am safe for now. And I've never been so delighted for cramps and all that attends them in my entire life.

But I think Ben should be aware that it is a great detriment to the future of our sex lives to ask me questions like that. Really.

Life Lessons and Models

Okay, so Jeff and I did a fashion shoot for the dress business in Jersey City, and it was very interesting to learn a few things about myself there. Also, I have been faced with some life changes recently which have taught me a few more things about myself. A chat with a good friend of mine a few weeks before I moved from Utah also enlightened me on these same changes. And I keep thinking about them. So I'm going to empty my head and share my self-reflective mind set with all of you.

It's interesting to see how I change over time -- to get, over a relatively small period of time, various angles that seem to accentuate who I have become versus who I was, say... 10 or 15 years ago.

I will elaborate on a few said moments of enlightenment. First, was when I moved out to Ohio and gave up my gym membership. Previously, I have been nigh short of addicted to exercise and said membership. Not that I don't work out in Ohio. I do. But I can't bear doing home aerobics more than 2-3 times a week. (It takes way too much inspiration and creativity. I mean, seriously, I have to come up with a kick-my-patooty routine each time. I'm just not up for it more than that.) And I admit that I greatly anticipate the blessed occasion when I know where my job is located so I can commit to a convenient gym location and get a new membership. But I've been without it for more than two months, and who knows when I'll get a job. And despite my precarious situation with no gym membership in sight, I am happy and functioning just fine.

This may not seem like a big thing to a lot of you. But having been someone who used exercise quite abusively as a tool to moderate and control my weight and alleviate poor eating habits, it's nice to know I'm actually free of that problem. To compound my issues in the past, not having access to exercise would exacerbate my poor eating habits. Now, I find, within reason, I can eat healthfully consistently even without, and my weight does not balloon when I can't exercise as regularly as I'd like. And to think how afraid I used to be!

Another realization or two came during the fashion shoot. First, when the stylist asked me if fashion had always been something I was passionate about. I responded honestly that I didn't really have a good enough sense of self to be fashion savvy up until I graduated from college. Or around then. It is only a recent love. How interesting that is to me. I always had a sense of asthetics and I know I've always loved shoes (though I used to love much quirkier ones). But I wasn't competent in dressing myself well (and I still think I have improvements to make on that score) until I had the self assurance and took the right self care and thought that I could actually look good in something.

Even now, I look back at pictures from when I was in high school and earlier and I would say to you that I don't look pretty. It wasn't all my fault. My mother didn't know about how to maintain hair or use product on it, so I didn't either. Payless Shoe Source was THE place for shoe shopping (it pains me so now) and I thought high fashion was The Gap, because I knew I never shopped there. I wasn't exposed to fashion and I was never taught to primp or do girly stuff, for the most part. It wasn't in my mother's repertoire. And really, her eating and dieting habits weren't so great either. So I picked up on that pretty well. And then, of course, I didn't take very good care of myself. I was short and a little tubby. I actually had my pediatrician tell me I needed to lose weight. Now THAT is traumatizing. Even if it WAS true and meant for my good. Reality checks are often painful.

My awareness about "primping" came from my sister and college roommates. And they did a pretty good job. That was the good news. And I'm still learning about primping. I don't want to BE high maintenance, but I think it might be a good idea to look high maintenance if I want to. :) The bad news -- However, my awareness of needing to exercise went into overdrive and my eating habits went down the toilet, and they both took years to get back to normal. And maybe this is incredibly girly and superficial of me, but in reality, I find all of those things very attached to my self confidence and sense of self awareness. I warrant that I really didn't have it together enough to have sufficient confidence for a long time. And it showed. With all of these things. It's like they were symptoms of all my problems on the inside.

Another realization came during the fashion shoot as well. The model showed up around 9:30. To my surprise, when I first saw her she didn't look all that amazing to me. I was surpised to find her hair frizzy and curly like mine and her face looked washed out. Her complexion was freckled and she looked a lot thinner than she did in the pictures we saw of her(which I guess is always the case). Once the stylists got their hands on her and she was primped, of course, she achieved heights of beauty I don't even aspire to, but her original appearance was, believe it or not, quite average. I also helped her get in and out of the dresses in the back. And thus, as both my brother and I had to do, we got an eyeful of the model several times throughout the day. Well, again to my surprise, I was not shocked and mystified by her amazing curves and perfection. I was pretty much of the mind, to quote my thoughts, " eh, I think I'm just fine in comparison." WHAT?!?! I don't know that I've ever thought of myself as all that great-looking when down to my skivvies. But I never thought I'd live to see the day when I saw a model and didn't wish to trade bodies. But I didn't. I don't think it's because mine is so perfect. I REALLY don't think that. But I think I've gotten to a point where I'm....... satisfied. For the most part. Though, I admit, not every day.

I wonder how this happened. To me, of all people. I mean, ESPECIALLY considering how bad my mindframe used to be. Well, I don't know. Maybe because I've stopped torturing it. And I try to take relatively good care of it and keep it healthy. The result? Now I'm starting to like it. Crazy how that works.

Even more to the point, the contrast of being at this place from where I was before is SOOOOO different. I don't know that I completely remember how it was to be me BEFORE getting better. Before having achieve what I consider to be some degree of normalcy. I just remember it was relatively miserable and a great impediment to progress not to have it before. I don't know that it would be so debilitating for a lot of other people. But for me, I am very thankful for the freedoms, the confidence and the blessings of having gotten past poor diet, poor exercise regimens, poor body image and lack of confidence. I am certain, without it, I would not have this business venture, I would not have many of my good friends as good friends, I would not have my husband , I would not have accomplished a lot of things, I would not be dependabel AT ALL, and I would not have a great deal of happiness.

I don't mean to say that I am blessed because I am thinner and prettier now. No. In fact, the very first realization and big step to getting better for me, when I was tubby, unhealthy and considered myself very unpretty and less than average looking, was that if I was to be healthy and happy, I had to give up caring so much about being pretty and start believing the crap I told other people: that you're a person of value no matter what you look like. It's your insides that count. And I relegated myself to the idea that guys may never find me attractive and I may never get married (yes, I admit, these things seemed to equate to giving me some sort of value and validation in my early twenties), but I will be happy and a person of value who has something to contribute regardless. I couldn't get better without that. Now I am, in greatest measure, thankful to be healthier, wiser and happier. Those qualities are great confidence builders, great measures of beauty and and bring me much joy and many blessings. How's that for a Christmas present.

New week, new day...very few thoughts!

The Thanksgiving holiday is really just ending for me. I know, I know, it has been over for well over a week, but I am just returning to my humble abode this afternoon, and I figured I would say hello to celebrate all the wonderful treats I enjoyed while away in the wild wild west we call Minnesota. It was a running theme that my older sibling, we'll call Hoser and his peculiarly enjoyable family, including Tootz (ˈṫtz) and the little 'ns live in the wild wild west because they are about 45 minutes outside of Minneapolis. Now, that may not seem like a very far distance, and in reality it isn't, but coming from a New York City suburb, let's just say that in 45 minutes, I feel like I should be hunting or something with that much greenier. And it appears that they do have aspirations of such.

Hoser tends to be a piro, burning everything flammable. Once he torched a couch and a few other things in his backyard, and I believe the flames were taller than the house! Then, the other day he brought home a package of dry ice from work (it was used to transport human organs...nice eh?) so that we could make dry ice bombs! And to top it off, he has been driving around with a hand gun in his trunk, and of the two of them (Tootz and Hoser) Tootz is the one with a carry permit. Go figure!

So, yes, Minnesota is for all intents and purposes in my mind the wild wild west...full of backyard blazes, gun totin' hosers, and home made pyrotechnics! And fortunately for me, I love 'em for that. Although I have no ambition of being a gun-totin', fire startin', bomb throwin' wild frontiersman, I do enjoy watching them get excited about the myriad of entertainment and enjoyment those activities provide them. And it makes me laugh every time they talk about it....and who can pass up a good laugh...I mean really?

Anyways, it is back to the world of the working and living for me..who woulda known?

Pictures & Thoughts

Okay, so I haven't posted pictures in ages. This is largely due to the fact I gave my laptop, which has my camera down-loading software, to my fashion illustrator for an extended period of time. I got it back when I moved to Ohio, but then I didn't have the internet at home and I've been lazy. Sorry. I'm trying not to be. Thankfully, there aren't that many photos to catch you up on because I am very bad at remembering to take pictures. However, I thought I might give you all a good view of Spain Highlights.



Above is a picture of me inside a Church in Cordoba, Spain which was originally built by muslims as a mosque. It was built using aquaduct construction, thus all of the arches all over the place. It was the most unique of all the churches we visited (and we visited A LOT of them), and very cool. The Christians started to deconstruct it and build it their way, but when they realized they were destroying something really really cool they stopped. Smart. So it's mostly all there as the muslims intended.




Here is a big door, Ben size apparently. Or so he thinks. Gotta love a man who likes a challenge. :) We saw these big doors EVERYWHERE in Spain. There were some signigicantly bigger than this, in fact. The funniest thing was, they would cut doors INTO the big doors that they could actually open without employing cavalry and slaves. But they cut these doors to be very small. They were more my size door. Either too big or too small. Those Spaniards just can't win.



And OHHHHH the pretty gardens. I believe this is a picture in Cordoba as well, outside of a palace. How convenient. I needed a resting place.



I think Ben's alter-ego is a medieval warrior. That would explain all of his video-game obsession with warring, his need to tickle me to death and attempt to wrestle on occasion (which I ignore or flail defeatedly), and this picture. You might say this trip afforded a kind of "coming home" to his alter-ego roots.



We noticed the Spanish, and Europeans in general for that matter, are very good at employing what Ben would call "water features." Sharon would call them "fountains", but whatever. We really liked them. They're pretty. Call them whatever you want.



Here we have cute Ben hanging out at one of the restaurants we ate at. This one was known for its fine seafood fair. Ironically, I'm not sure either of us got seafood. They had really good food in Spain. However, they had some seafood that was a bit too exotic for our taste: anemone, sea urchin.... stuff I haven't seen. Dead or alive. But what we DID eat was delicious. We didn't have a bad meal, I don't think. One thing we missed out on was the traditional "tapas" menu -- lots of little hors d'ouvres type dishes that you eat with while you drink beer and relax after a long days work. Since they were primarily served in pubs and we weren't beer drinkers, we felt a little silly going in for tapas. And most of those venues seemed harder to navigate for non-spanish speakers. Maybe next time?



Here we have a doorway, just my size. :) This is in a little hallway inside the largest fortress in Europe, called the "Alhambra", in Granada, Spain. It contains many palaces, small village areas for the servants to live... it was more like a city inside a fortress. And had great views. And lots of garden acreage. And a cool amphitheater. Very cool. It has a maximum of 11,000 people who can attend. Daily. Yeah, a bit like Disneyland. We had to buy expensive tickets with a tour guide to avoid the lines (who wants to wait in a Disneyland sized line on their honeymoon at 7 am on a cold morning?). Very cool place. Did I mention? It was cool.



Here we have Ben and I on a carriage ride through Sevilla. We loved Sevilla and there was a lot to see there. But we only had one day to soak it all in, so we took a carriage ride that gave us a very good drive-by view of the big sites we didn't have time to walk to. And it took us through a lovely park and some big Spanish pavilion where they have a big official building with 5 bridges to it that represents the 5 queens of Spain and 9 sections (or something like that?) of the building, each different, meant to represent each Spanish province -- a very symbolic building.



Here we have me standing next to a phenomenon I loved about Spain. Electric bikes. They had these charging stations everywhere. And the people on the bikes weren't athletic bikers OR homeless people. Just people running errands -- going to the grocery store or going to school. They're so all about a nice, easy pace in Spain. Or at least in southern Spain. I really liked that.



Lastly, Ben and I found it very amusing that europeans like to name their stores the most peculiar, vulgar concoctions of english words. And the european customers love it. Yellow Rat Bastard? What?!? Serious? What does that even mean? You guys are so weird.


Ben and I are still setting into married life. We're on a tight budget right now as I haven't found a job yet and we found ourselves arguing this morning about which should be the bigger priority -- internet or gym memberships. I think everybody can guess which of us was arguing which side. Ah, the joys of married life. :)

Ben also mentioned this week that I should work on getting my name changed. Oh, yeah. Right. Really? I've always assumed I would change my name, but I have to admit.... it's kind of hard. I mean, I won't even change my cell phone number I've had for the past seven years for fear I might lose people. I need to change my name that I've had for the last 29 years? What if old high school friends can't find me on Facebook? And I can't hyphenate. That would be really really Asian. And I'm just not. Okay, okay, I'll do it. Next week, though? Maybe? :)