Breakfast for lunch

STOP - a quick pause on real life

2009-02-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

Four days on a mountain with no internet or cell signal. Just us, friends, good food and wine, fluffy snow and some pairs of skis (or snowboards for the cool crowd).

I could very easily get used to that life...

I'm someone who makes (well, made one) bread

2008-11-19T10:40:00.001-08:00

So much fun to play with the dough - and, looking at the result, I feel a little Martha Stewartish... With these beauties out of the oven, my home smells like heaven.

My Twilight Zone: new boots

2008-10-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

So hot that men faint when I walk by... ;)

Happy Haloween!

(the horrible carpet is from my office - SOOO NOT MY CHOICE!)

Happy b-day, Baby!

2008-09-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

For Scott's birthday, yesterday, a Black Forrest cake made by his cute little wife (hahaha). It's his favorite.

And my least favorite, which is great, so I don't get tempted ;)

Things you probably don't know about me - 001

2008-08-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

When I'm alone in a hotel room (which is pretty much all the time these days) I always check under the bed for corpses, ghosts and other creepy things. Thankfully I haven't found anything so far.

(The picture is from two days ago, in Lima, Peru.)

LA office for a week

2008-08-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm back in town for a little more than a week before my next business trip. Will it be enough time for me to pull myself together? (The picture is still from last week, but I kind of like it, so I don't really care it doesn't match the text.)

A quick drink in Puerto Rico

2008-08-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

That ended up turning into an all night event.

And today I woke up wishing I had a simpler life.

Where to?

2008-08-04T03:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I look at the monitor and wonder if I could just go to a
different gate and fly somewhere else, for some R&R.

On the way to the Caribbean, but for work - one island a day, I don't
think I'll get to see any sand.

Happy hour

2008-07-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Is this what you call summer?

2008-06-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

The ladies wine club

2008-06-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

It's not an official club (or a very big deal), but every once in while a small group of us girls get together in the office, after working hours, to taste a couple of wines.

Yesterday we were all very elegant (and kind of boring) wearing black and white - including Paisley, Lisa's dog who was just coming back from a grooming apointment and just came for the crackers.

This was actually the second time we did it. And I can say I liked the first one better...

On being Argentinean

2008-06-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

I guess I can't have or be everything, but I do sometimes feel entitled to more than one home. So, setting this straight, I'll say that I'm a Brazilian at heart and if I had to choose only one place to be (or to love) Brazil would be it.

But, while I don't have to choose, I can have days like yesterday, preparing caipirinhas and drinking Argentinean beer, while watching a very american basketball game on TV in a neighbor's garage (isn't watching sports in the garage, in a kind of a "men cave" ambiance, the most american of all american cliches?)

Argentina's soccer team was also playing the US and the score was a shameful 0-0... I know that this is a very american thing to say (and also a manly one) but I'm so looking forward to football season!

Brazilian Samba

2008-06-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

I went downstairs for a Diet Coke (yes, I do that a lot) and Claire offered me this fun drink she bought at Vons yesterday. I love it, mostly because of the flavor name: Brazilian Samba!

(the photo is horrible, I know)

The dating game

2008-06-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

Not for me, of couse - I had my share. A couple of days ago I got together with some girlfriends and, after some coffee, tea and cheese puff (Kellen makes the best cheese puffs) we started to talk about Pati's love life. She got divorced two years ago and can't really find time, or didn't want to put the effort, to get back in the game. So we signed her up to eHarmony. She was there and kind of agreed, but she would never have done it by herself. Let's see how it goes now. In a way, we are all so excited about it that it feels like we are the ones looking for a boyfriend :)

Kellen's cheese puffs are these little yellow breads in the middle of the picture. When they are around, no one cares about muffins, fruit, croissants, granola...

Back to life

2008-05-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

As Pat says, I believe that sometimes you just need a little bit of change or a quick break to get more energy and keep going but I'm not sure it really works with vacation. My four days in Hawaii were great, but definitely not enough. I'm proud of myself though, because I didn't check my office e-mail even once while I was away - and that's a biggie for me!

Anyway, after snorkeling with turtles, laying on the beach, attending luaus, eating the best fish dishes ever and drinking my fair share of Mai Tais, I'm back. And I'm trying to focus on the fact that I have so much to look forward to this year that I should only be happy to be back home, working on on real life plans.

Bah, I miss the beach!

Happy in Hawaii

2008-05-23T18:05:00.001-07:00

A do or a don't

2008-05-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I came back from work to find my neighbors outside chatting, so Scott and I joined for a little bit. The guys were talking about surf, the girls about bikinis. By the way, these are beautiful fit girls who go for a long run in the morning, while I'm either sleeping or commuting (sometimes with a bagel in my hand, I have to admit). Anyway, one of them was saying how she was wearing a bikini by the pool and felt bad because people were looking at her as if she shouldn't, because her body is not 100% back from the pregnancy. I, with a much less in shape body than hers, wear bikinis all summer. Not mini bikinis - and I don't keep walking around without shorts on - but they are bikinis, anyway. Shouldn't I?

This is a four-year-old bikini picture, btw. Don't get fooled by it. ;)

The best friends on earth

2008-05-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not doing a great job posting here. This picture is still from Brazil (I've been back for 10 days and some part of my brain still doesn't seem to accept it): two Sundays ago, lunch with most of my dearest friends (we were 7 out of the 10 girls, plus guys and kids).

When we started the VTP it was just us, 10 girls having a really fun monthly dinner at someone's home. Now we bring husbands, boyfriends, kids and even a nanny sometimes. The boys bonded too and I'm sure they would stay friends, even if us girls disappeared from the face of the earth. It's such a great group and, together with my family, the reason why I miss home so so much.

Fernanda was really pregnant on that day and she gave birth to Manuela a little more than 12 hours after leaving the restaurant. I was amazed. I mean, I know where babies come from, but seeing her round belly on one day and the baby (a whole new person) in the crib on the next day just blew me away. Makes you want to have one too, you know?

Bem Casados (Well Married)

2008-05-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

I hate to be away for so long. I know that I don't have many guests, but I really do this for myself and I like to be able to look back and remember what I was doing at a certain moment and how I felt about it. Sometimes I skip posting for many days because I'm burried in work and at other times I disappear because I'm having so much fun somewhere that I don't really have time to open my computer. That's rare but, when it happens, I love to be away for so long.

Anyway, this time was a mix of both. The plan was to fly to Brazil for my sister's wedding (last Friday), work for half of the time and enjoy guiltless vacation time in the other half. I did attend the wedding (and all the fun before and after it), but I worked every day. Not all eight hours of everyday, but everyday... Bummer.

These little cakes in the picture are called Bem Casados (which translates to Well Married) and they are traditional in wedding parties. I love Bem Casados and I always take a couple home (they are wonderful at breakfast, with a glass of cold water, on the morning after a good wedding). My sister ordered soooo many (soooo many more than those in the picture) and I've been eating at least a couple everyday :)

If we don't go to Rio

2008-04-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Rio comes to us. Well, kind of. My friends Paty and Paul from Rio are in the US and spent the weekend at home. It was a weekend of chatting, eating (a lot) and drinking. Great, but we need to ingest some fruits, vegetables and water to compensate. We also did some shopping and spent Sunday afternoon at the Disney, like four kids. I miss having friends around all the time.

This was a 1 pm breakfast, btw. My favorite kind.

Looks so good on paper

2008-04-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Lots of money
Little work
Cheap tequila
Long life to México!

For me it's more like lots of work, not all that much money and no tequila at all...
At least our office down there always has lots of diet coke in the refrigerator.

When in doubt, I get both

2008-04-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Having a hard time to decide between onion or tomato soup, I ordered both. How pathetic is it to have this kind of decision crisis when trying to order room service at the same hotel where I did it for at leats 40 times in the last six months?

Mexico City immigration line (line????), today, 7:30pm

2008-04-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

I've been getting crazy lines everytime I have to work in México and I really don't get it. Today I spent almost two hours standing in line (well, that's not exactly a line, hah?)

And I do ger very annoyed, for more than one reason.

1. They usually have a lot of federal people in the area, but just about a third of them is working on the counters. The others stay at the far left chatting.

2. The lines are not labeled and there's no one around to tell people where to go, so you have no idea of which line is for locals and which one is for tourists (that's when there are lines - today was more of a crowd just pushing each other).

3. Sometimes they give you a hard time at the counter. It's funny, because, come on, with all the respect, who would want to immigrate ilegally to México?

4. They are very disorganized. I travel with a Brazilian passport and my greencard. After being in and out of the country 5 or 6 times with no problems, they once took me to the little room, made a tons of questions and demanded that next time I carry an Argentinean passport. So when I got back to LA I spent hours in the Argentinean consulate to get a passport and now I carry it every time - but guess what!!!! No one asked for it in México immigration, ever again. Even when I offer, they don't want to see it...

My mom and siblings tell me that I'm very short tempered and that's why I get mad at these things - they actually make fun of me when I lose it. I don't think I'm being unreasonable. Am I?

Gorgeous weekend

2008-04-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

The photo - from my iphone - doesn't make justice. There was not a single cloud in the sky, all weekend long. And Ripley got to go for a swim :)

On another note, we are doing our taxes tonight - well, Scott is doing that while I blog and try to look supportive. He just asked me if we should choose to have three dollars given to presidential campaigns and this gets me so mad. It's not my money anymore (after it turned into tax money) but I would like it much more to be able to choose and give these three dollars to someone who needs them more than the presidential candidates. If they could get one dollar from each one of us, every month, and turn it into food, education and health care for the ones in need, it would make a big difference.

Maybe I'm just being crazy here... But a couple of weeks ago I got this letter on the mail asking for money for children's lip operation and I sent a check. Last week I decided I wouldn't donate to American Idol gives back (I figured enough people already do) but I ended up going online and sending some money. You know, 20 dollars here and 50 there might go unnoticed through our wallets, but could be a big difference for someone else.

It doesn't hurt me to do it - and I hope I can keep doing - but when I think of all the taxes we already pay... we shouldn't be having to do this on the side, should we?

Fresh roasted Kats

2008-04-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

I like my job. Again, I mean, I'm back to liking ot. Who am I fooling? I love to work, always had and probably always will. Sometimes I hate it and I want to quit and live of selling sandwiches at the beach in a bikini, sarong and oversized sunglasses - but then I get all excited with my job again and suddenly I'm walking through the door with my Starbucks cup of coffee and feeling like I can do such big things... I'm feeling fresh and excited all over again - and, weirdly, worrying more about accomplishment and less about money.

Maybe I have some sort of bipolar disorder. Or maybe I'm just normal. Who knows?

New office

2008-04-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

I bought these pencils just after accepting the offer for my current job, a year and a half ago. But, when I saw my office, I decided that they were too pretty for the environment and put them away in a box, at home. Yesterday I was "upgraded" to the second floor and, even though it's just a new office, it feels nice (no promotion or raise involved yet, but hah, one step at a time, right?)

So today is my pencils' first day at work :)

Last Saturday night

2008-04-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Now we do this kind of couples things - and we are the only ones who don't need a babysitter yet. Last Saturday was one of good food, excellent wine and outstanding company with Dani, Tom, Cris and Mark (Cris' husband, the handsome guy in the picture).

Don't worry, be happy

2008-03-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Disney and ice cream, good trick to keep the worries away.

On the border

2008-03-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

I've been miserable these last days. I didn't exactly quit yet, but I exchanged some e-mails with my boss that are the last step before doing so - and now I'm trying to keep my mind busy with other things until the next week starts, so I'm not just agonizing over what's going to happen next week. But it's hard when I dream about the problem and it's the first thing that comes to my mind when I wake up.

In many senses, it's a very dumb move to quit before looking for another job. I like my job, by the way, but there are some things I can't stand anymore and they are getting really unbearable. If I do quit, I'll have this gap in my resume and will have to explain to possible employers the reason why I'm so difficult and couldn't stay for a little more. Also, I plan on getting pregnant this year and I shouldn't be looking for a job with a pregnant belly. And, last but not least, I do need the money if I want to start a family...

I should learn to play the game and stay there, giving as little as I can, until I find something else. But I'm not that savvy, I think, and I feel like a traitor if I'm working and looking for a job. Stupid, hah?

I just woke up 20 minutes ago and maybe writing this here will help me to put it away from my mind a little bit. Hope it works.

The picture if from last weekend, coming back from the mountains. It was a very happy day, when I really managed to spend many hours in a row without thinking of work and without worrying about real things - just focusing on learning how to ski and having some good laughs after each time I fell. I would like to be more balanced of a person, have more control over what's in my mind, making me crazy - I would really love to have more days like that one.

Heading home early

2008-03-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm really fed up with this job.

There's always one day, every four or five weeks, when I strongly feel like quitting. It's sad, but it has been happening a lot lately.

Today is one of these days.

Ski on Saturday, beach on Sunday

2008-03-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

I feel so californian right now!

Little adventure

2008-03-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

Trying to come down the mountain on a snowy night, I found out that I have a husband strong enough to brake tire chains with his bare hands.

HAPPY

2008-03-14T21:10:00.001-07:00

Expo Disney, Mexico City

2008-03-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Long long day, preparing for the meeting

2008-03-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

Airport restaurant, LA

2008-03-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

What if...?

2008-02-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

I usually travel out of a tiny airport that's 15 minutes from home.
All flights go to LA and there's only one gate and one waiting room,
but all kinds of people. Sometimes I catch myself thinking how it
would be if the plane crashed in an island and I had to really
interact with them. It's a scary thought.

Stuck in Washington for the day

2008-02-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

Seems like this is the story of my life. Last week I spent 11 hours stuck in Mexico City's airport (don't ask) and today I'm spending almost 9 in Washington Dulles. My flight got in in the middle of a customs mess and, as they were revising everyone's suitcases for some sort of agricultural threat, the lines were huge and I missed my 8am connection. Next one is at 2:45pm...

dinner with the girls

2008-02-19T20:13:00.000-08:00

Always great - and we are more like grown ups now... It's funny when someone says "There goes Kats again, taking mpictures of the glasses". Some things, I guess, will always be the same.

This is Burger Bistro, one of my favorite restaurants for a long dinner with the girls. They have this big round table outside, where no one seems to mind our sometimes loud laughs. I used to avoid B&B and I'm very glad I got over it.

I'm flying back home tomorrow.

There was a time...

2008-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

When these dinners would happen almost every week, Tuesdays, usually. And they meant the world to me. Nowadays, everytime I'm down in Brazil, Igor takes me out for sushi. We go to the same restaurant, sit at the same table, eat the same food and drink the same sake. And, even though our lives changed so much, these dinners make me feel like we are still the same. Tacky thing to say, I know, but it's so true. This picture was taken yesterday, when I found out that his camera has the same specs as mine, but takes much better pictures...

In an airport for the fifth day in a row

2008-01-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

I traveled every day this week. I'm posting from Phoenix airport, while I wait for my seventh - and last - flight of the week. Sat down for a pizza and a beer and the waitress (the lady with New Jersey hair in the middle of the picture) carded me. When I said I am 33, she answered "congratulations". I hate this kind of stupid irony - if you can't be smart, irony is not for you. Anyway, the beer was good and the pizza was burned. But pizza is always good even when it's bad. And I'm flying home in an hour, finally!

Oh, the places I go

2008-01-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

Wednesday late afternoon, leaving Monterrey, on my way to Guadalajara.

Deplaned

2008-01-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

It was bad enough to have a meeting scheduled for 9pm. But not even being able to make it... Something is wrong with the airplane lavatories and everyone had to go back out. God knows when we'll get to Mexico tonight.

Flying down to Mexico

2008-01-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

For a week that should be full. I just changed planes in La and bought
a cup off coffee.

In times of uncertainty, this us what my cup of coffee says to me.

Still eating at my desk

2008-01-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

Kellie didn't come. She left a message on my answering machine, around 8:30 am, and she could barely speak, poor girl. Maybe she caught the same cold that caught me last week. I just hope she's taking it well, being at home and not working anymore.

Anyway, I ended up staying in the office and had my usual Campbells soup and tuna again, instead of the planned breakfast, for lunch. If at least I managed to loose some weight while eating this boring meals, but apparently my scale focuses more on the dinners and glasses of wine....

Not very sociable these days

2008-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

I'm uploading old posts in a slower pace now (I do have to tackle some tasks at work), but decided to stop waiting for this job to be done before adding new ones. So here I go with my first real time post on this blog. As if someone were reading it...

I've been bringing fruit to the office, together of cans of tuna and instant Campbell's soups that I eat for lunch, on my desk. I haven't been feeling much like going out for lunch these says. Being around people and having to talk to them seems like too much work. I'm not saying this as a complaint. Actually, it might be a good thing, because I have so much to do and, nonetheless, I can't quit reading old postings from a blog I found a couple of weeks ago. At least I feel like I'm spending more time in my office and it feels right, even when I don't get as much done.

When I started working here they were supposed to start some kind of construction in the buiding, so I was installed in a temporary office until the new ones got ready. It's been 16 months and I'm still here, not a sound of construction around yet. My "temporary" office is a big one, that I used to share with Kellie, a a project manager in charge of creating this whole new line of revolutionary make up. At first I hated the idea of sharing my office, but I got to know her and, sometime in the middle of these 16 months she became a close friend (great company for eating breakfast for lunch). Kellie left the company in the end of December and it fells very empty without her here. I probably needed her to balance me when I go crazy - and I do go crazy often. I received an e-mail from her this morning and she'll come by on Friday so we can go out for eggs and pancakes around lunchtime.

Do you ever feel like January is a very long Monday?

Breakfast for lunch and other happy things - an introductory post

2007-12-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

I'm into having breakfast for lunch. Eggs, potatoes and bacon belong to the second part of the day, almost like beer (according to Kats' book, beer before noon is against the rules, but champagne is ok). Entering a restaurant at 1pm, after a long morning in the office, and ordering breakfast food can really make my day.

I also like beer, by the way, as long as it's a Lager or an Ale. With a good italian salami or with simple american fries. And, of course, I love wine, with cheese, apples, crackers and a good book, by the fireplace, in a cold cold day. But that's usually in the third part of the day, or I will need a nap before bedtime.

I like Havaianas, Caipirinhas, mandioca, Bossa Nova and everything else Brazil. I wasn't born there and I don't live there now, but it's where I grew up and where my heart still resides. Going for a walk in Ipanema, sitting by a window over Lagoa or eating appetizers at a typical bar (a.k.a. boteco) with friends are amongst my favorite things in the whole wide world. I'm also really, really into cariocas. In the good way, if you know what I mean.

Being home after a work trip also makes me very happy. Ive been traveling more than I expected, but this means I'm coming back home even more times and that feels great. I do, however, take a long time to unpack, every time, and I hate to see the mess. So I leave the unpacked suitcase in the guest room and I close the door. Having a guest room to be able to do that makes me very happy. When I come back home, I like to climb on the couch in my PJs and watch silly shows on TV with that wine from the first paragraph on hand.

Colorful charts (with lines that go up and above) and cool presentations have a way of putting a smile on my face. I'm very proud of my accomplishments and I have to confess that I do like to work. I like to complain about work too, but who doesn't? Numbers (specially high ones) got recently upgraded from the list of things I don't understand to the list of things I really enjoy playing with.

I like art, mostly in two ways: beautiful photography art and tasty culinary art. I'm not a pro in any of those, but thankfully I don't get tired of trying (people say that Brazilians are very persistent and never, never give up). Both are better when friends get involved. Photos of smiles generated by good meals are priceless.

In simple lines, this is who I am. There is more to me, I guess, but this is pretty much enough to start. Congratulations, you just graduated from Kats 101.

Holiday spirit

2006-12-10T22:40:00.000-08:00

The commute feels much better. I know it's still far (I'm 71 miles away from work) but it is bearable. We've been getting home to a mess of boxes all over, but we decided to put the Christmas decoration up anyway. Feels nice and homey.

I had the ambitious plan of making cookies for the neighbors, but I'm coming to realize that I should be thankful if I manage to unpack before Christmas, so I gave it up. Maybe next year...

Thanksgiving at McDonalds

2006-11-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

We had our Thanksgiving dinner at Mc Donalds. I know it sounds depressing, but it was not. Really. As much as I like Thanksgiving dinner, I was happy to give it up today. We are moving our last personal things before the movers come tomorrow to take the furniture. Mc Donalds was the only open restaurant tonight and we ate our burgers and fries with the packed jeep outside, being thankful for a good year.

This is the view from our new bedroom (we missed the sunset, but who cares?) and tonight will be our last in the old condo.

Cheers, to another step.

Moving

2006-11-21T18:08:00.000-08:00

After many weekends (and weeknights) looking, we found a new home. It's in Oceanside, the most northern part of San Diego that we could find, by the freeway and - the best part - has an ocean view. We are packing and should move during the Thanksgiving holiday. Ripley doesn't seem to like all this packing and is protecting her toy.

My brother is in town this week, but will be gone when the movers come (very smart boy). He's been helping us to take some things up there already (we're moving glasses and some personal things ourselves).

The commute will still be long, but probably around 25% better than from Pacific Beach, which is where we live now.

Quick trip to México

2006-10-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

I just came back from my first work trip, to México, and apparently there are many more to come. Good thing México is close, but it takes me a couple of flights to get there...

In a little break from visiting stores, Sergio (our operations guy down there) took me to see the Basílica de la Virgen de Guadalupe and I loved it. I guess I still owe her many more visits... That was the one thing I wanted to do while in México and I'm very glad I could.

Great friends is in town

2006-09-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

I started my new job and I like it. A little scary at first (my first job in the US, speaking English full time) but apparently it's all about what I do best - and in the markets I'm familiar with - so I should be ok. The commute to LA is huge (two hours each way, if I'don't get much traffic) but I'll handle until we find a new place (which will still be far, but not thaaaat much). We hope to get this done by Thanksgiving.

Roberta and Dinho spent some days with us (and brought another couple of friends). It was their first trip since they had Marcella so Roberta was a little worried, but we had a lot of fun. The picture is from our wine tasting night. They are gone now, so it's time to get familiarized with the job - and with the commute.

Good things

2006-09-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

It was Scott's birthday and I splurged a little, to give him a new computer (his old one already had a long life and is showing signs of old age). I think he figured it out before opening but, anyway, it was great to see his smile. We had dinner at Flemings (a great steakhouse and winebar) and went to bed relatively early because of the other good thing I want to tell.

The other good thing is that I got that job and will start tomorrow. It's not the money I wanted, but the job itself is a great fit (marketing for the cosmetics industry in Latin America) and I believe the money will come with results. So, apparently there is a new phase of my life starting right now. Yeee!

Down in Coronado

2006-08-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

Just for a quick visit, with my mom and Scott. The weather was wonderful!

The Baby Panda

2006-08-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

My mom is in town and I'm loving it. We went to the zoo to see the baby Panda (I've been there so many times and I can't get tired of it) and it felt like when I was a kid, just walking around the zoo with my mom. So nice!

I can't quite follow her rhythm, though. We've been shopping a lot and, at each store, until the last piece it taken out of the hanger and put back there, her mission is not accomplished. Lots of energy! For me it's great, because it keeps my mind busy and I'm not freaking out about other things, like the job issue.

Cleaning and interviewing

2006-08-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

My mom is coming to visit so I'm doing some serious cleaning. I removed everything from the refrigerator and cleaned every little part of it - I wouldn't believe if someone told me I would do this one day. My mom doesn't drink beer, but she'll be proud of how organized they look now :)

I've been interviewing for a job - finally one in which I am interested. I'm not an expert in interviews - this is a completely new thing for me - but I think it's working well. Downside is that the job will be around LA and the commute will be scary. But I can do it for a job I like, so I'll keep hoping it works.

So glam for my birthday picnic

2006-07-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ripley dressed up for my birthday picnic at Kate Sessions Park. We had a quiet but very fun day. Scott gave me lots of gifts, including some Steve Madden shoes I was crazy for!

Should I still be making this silly jokes with the dog at 32?

I'm trying not to think about it, but being 32 and be trying to figure out my professional life (again) gets me freaked out. I should be all sorted out by now... If I didn't get a divorce from my first husband and didn't change careers for the first time, I would probably be a 32-year-old mother with a boring job (if any) and an unhappy marriage. I think I would be miserable by now... Let's just face it, maybe I'll always need some change to keep it going, so I'll spend my entire life trying to sort the next steps out. Still don't know if I think it's good or bad...

The attack of the weirdos

2006-07-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

As I said before, I'm volunteering with the San Diego Blood Bank. It means I go to blood drives with the staff and help to inform the donors and organize appointments and all that. Today we had a drive at Comic Con, which is a Cartoon convention. I saw grown ups dressed up as Darth Vader and very fat girls posing as sexy mangas, among other very weird caracters. Ah, and I spoke to Lou Ferrigno, who used to be the Hulk when I was a kid. This was a surreal day.

Biggest concentration of weirdos per square meter, EVER.

(but it was kind of fun)

Accesorized

2006-07-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

I took Ripley for a bath and she came back with a scarf. So sweet!

The waiting place

2006-07-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

"Waiting for a  train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow."
                               (Dr. Seuss)


Do you ever feel like you are stuck there, in the waiting place?

Bye bye World Cup

2006-07-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

We got together at Dani's (with husbands and all, once this game was on a weekend) to watch Brazil's soccer game. Unfortunatelly the last one.

See you guys in 4 years - and I'll go back to my football ;)

World Cup

2006-06-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

I got together with the Brazilian girls to watch the soccer game and, as I have all this time on my hands, I decided to make some cool decorated brownies instead of buying something ready. And they also tasted sooooo good.

Cooking a lot

2006-06-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

Since I came back from Brazil, I've been either looking for a job, taking pictures or cooking. This is a rack of lamb with mint pesto and gruyere potatoes gratin.

I've talked to some people, sent some resumes and went to a couple of interviews, but nothing seems very interesting. It's like a completely different world here, looks like everything is about technology... I'm making a big effort to keep the positive attitude, though.

I started a volunteer job, with the San Diego Blood Bank. Once I have all this time, I might as well use it for something good. I'm the person who explains all the issues with donating blood, to posible donors. I have to ask them very personal questions and sometimes it feels weird, but I'm glad I'm able to help. I tried to donate blood a couple of times, but my iron is always low. Bummer.

A really fancy dinner

2006-05-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

We've been wanting to invite Michelle and Franco for dinner for a while. We met her when we were moving to San Diego - she helped us to find this condo - and we've been wanting to thank her. She a very fun real estate agent, very much at home in California - and she's married to Franco, an Italian lawyer who's very much into food, wine and music.

I took it as a cooking/entertaining challenge and spent the week testing recipes, preparing ingredients and making a winning playlist - and everything worked very well. We had a very pleasant evening with them, that started with those little canapes and ended with chocolate mousse served in a chocolate cup (I made it myself) and topped with rasberries and cocoa powder.

I'm starting to look for a job and really don't know much where to shoot - I've been doing all the online stuff, but we don't know anyone around this area, so I'm a little lost. Michelle was very sweet and gave me a couple of contacts of people with whom I can talk to.

It was easy to take the picture

2006-05-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Difficult was to get to the almost 7 thousand feet of Cuyamaca Peak, the second higher in San Diego County. I would never have gone if I knew.

And my legs will still hurt for a day or two...

Breakfast with the Prince

2006-04-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Mauro couldn't go to São Paulo for the wedding, so he met us on our last day in Rio, to celebrate over breakfast. I always love it when I can spend some time with him.

He calls me his Duchess, I call him my Prince and, even though we don't see each other as often, I always feel him very close. It will always be like that, doesn't matter how far away we live.

Sightseeing in Rio

2006-04-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

I can do it a thousand times and I'll never get tired of it. This is the view from up where the Christ statue is. The day was really cloudy and kind of rainy when we woke up, but the skies cleared as soon as we reached the top. I'm so proud of my country!

On the way to Rio

2006-04-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

We are not really having a honeymoon. Bruce, Yvonne, Brian (my brother in law) and Melanie (his girlfriend) wanted to go to Rio and Scott and I went with them. We had our share of honeymoons and will still have a couple, I'm sure, so it was not a big deal.

These are Brian and Melanie, being cute during the flight. They've been living together for a while now and I'm sure it won't take long until we see some rings on their fingers.

Other events around the wedding

2006-03-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

As Scott's family went to Brazil for our wedding, we had some other events before and after, while our families were together.

My mother in law (Jennifer) and stepfather in law (Nick) hosted a great dinner my favorite steak restaurant on the 23rd and that was the moment when everyone started to feel comfortable around each other (it was a big big table). After that Scott and I went out with our siblings to meet my friends at a bar. I really wanted Scott's brother to meet some of the people before the party.

On the 24th my father in law (Bruce) and his girlfriend (Yvonne) arrived and we went out for dinner with them, so they could meet my family before the wedding too. My cousin Veronica arrived from Argentina and joined us there. Everything was perfect.

The picture above was taken a couple of days after the wedding. Bruce was really interested in trying some Brazilian wines (we warned him, but he insisted), so we helped him to organize a tasting, with all the glasses and some fun finger food. As expected, none of the Brazilian wines was great, but we were very excited with a couple of really good Chilean ones that he brought as benchmark. It felt like the wedding was going on and on, for all these days. We had a great time.

You can call me Mrs. May from now on

2006-03-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

Don't I look like a very serious married woman?

Everything was great. Yesterday, when I woke up, the house was already full of people moving furniture out, bringing tables in, arranging flowers, speakers, rugs... In the afternoon, with all my mom's antique rugs outside forming the aisle and a couple of lounges, the rain started. And it was not a shy, slow rain, it looked like the sky was coming down! The catering workers, that had set a working station outside, to assemble appetizers, started carrying everything inside as fast as they could. In the end, everything worked wonderfully. My mom is the best party planner in the whole wide world.

The ceremony was so beautiful, made by two priests that are great friends with my family: Dom André spoke in Portuguese and Dom Geraldo in English - and everyone looked so touched! Then Nick, Bruce, my mom and Brian said some words, we cut the cake, had a delicious dinner and the dancing started, to stop almost at 4 am, when the workers came back to reposition all the furniture. My mom and my brother stayed with them, helping and making sure that everything was in place. I tried, but ended up falling asleep on a couch. I couldn't believe it this morning, you couldn't say that there had been a party in that home some hours before.

Anyway, Scott and I are married now, with wedding bands and everything. And soon we'll be back in San Diego to start the next step of our lives. I'm really happy!

On the way

2006-03-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

I always get a little scared when I have to fly on these Embraer little planes that make the commute trip between San Diego and LA. I'm on the way to Brazil, though, and will come back as a respectful married woman :)

Northern California with my brother

2006-03-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

My brother finally came to visit.

He arrived in the end of February and brough our wedding invitations in his suitcase that, very unfortunately, was lost by the airline. I was very freaked out until they found it, almost a day later. Now they are all on their way to the guests.

We flew up to see a Bon Jovi concert in San Jose and stayed a couple of days more to visit San Francisco (it was his first time in the west coast). It rained all the time and we got soaked at Fisherman's Warf, but we always have a lot of fun together, so it was worth it.

Everything is arranged for the wedding and I'm getting ready to go to Brazil. U-hu!

Go Steelers!

2006-02-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl XL Champions!

And I might be turning into a football freak. We watched all the games this season and I have my favorite players and everything. We're buying season tickets for the Chargers next season, so we'll be sure to be there when the Steelers play here.

Literary review that comes with reading material

2006-01-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

The DHL guy knock on your door to deliver a gift from a dear friend - priceless.

I've been talking to Mauro (a dear, dear friend, who lives in Rio) about this book. I read some reviews and he read the book - I didn't because I haven't gone to Brazil in a while and I can't find it here. It was really sweet of him to go through the trouble of sending me this gift. It's a very interesting story and having reading material in portuguese makes me feel so at home. I can't put it down (you can see - by the crease on the spine - that I couldn't help reading some of it before taking this picture).

A friend in town

2006-01-26T13:14:00.000-08:00

My friend Sabrina is spending the week here with us. She's actually the first one to visit, from Brazil, since I moved to the US and this is a big surprise. Out of the other nine in our ten girls group, she's the one with whom I'm less close - I would never guess she would be the first.

It's been a great week and I think we're finding out that the only reason why we were not so close was the lack of time spent together - we worked fin the same building for a really short time and I got to know her better as a friend of Flops and Gisele. I'm very happy to find in her a very good friend.

We've been around, sightseeing, talking and laughing a lot - we even spent a day and a night in Disney, having fun as if we were two little kids.

A brand new year

2006-01-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

I'm still not very sure about what people do for New Year's eve in this area. It's such a big deal in Brazil and here people don't seem to mind it at all. We were planning a picnic on the beach (even though it's sort of chilly, we were ready to bundle up and go) but it started to rain and we are not thaaat brave. So we changed plans at the last minute, prepared some good food (these asparagus with prociutto and an artichoke risotto) and had a quiet, but great time at home.

I know I said it before, but I'm so looking forward to 2006!

Merry Christmas

2005-12-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

This was our first Christmas together (last year I was still coming and going and I spent the Holidays with my family down south while Scott stayed in California working). We bought a tree and stockings and our new home feels really cozy.

We kept the box where the cheeses came and wrapped Ripley's gifts in it, so they would have the food smell. She was so crazy trying to get to them and we couldn't stop laughing.

Next year should be a big one - we're getting married in the end of March and I can start looking for a real job when we come back home (finally, I have a work permit). Until then, I'll be busy making all the arrangements.

Say cheese

2005-12-22T19:04:00.000-08:00

Brie, Moliterno, Manchego, Prima Donna, La Serena e Toma Piedmonte. They all arrived today, in a big box brought by a very nice Fedex guy. With grapes, bread, crackers and wine, for me, this is the perfect dinner.

It feels like a Santa Claus preview :)

(I'm the one in jammies, taking care of the cheeses. Did I tell you that I was once called a "cheese snob" in a San Diego food related forum?)

My first Thanksgiving as a host

2005-11-26T18:55:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is an american holiday, so it's all new for me, but I love it. The idea of focusing our thoughts on the good things that happened and of being thankful for what we have is great. Also, the food is amazing.

Last year I was already living in the US in Thanksgiving, but it was only Scott and myself. This year we hosted Jennifer and Nick (Scott's mom and stepfather, who came from Jacksonville to spend some days with us) and one of Nick's grandsons, David, who lives here in San Diego.

We cooked like crazy - made the pies on Wednesday night and started making dinner on Thursday morning - but everything was perfect. We had a very pleasant day.

My first review

2005-11-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

Apparently I'm not the only one to like my book. This little article was published by O Estado de S. Paulo, the most important newspaper in São Paulo, Brazil. So much fun!

* It sounds really glamorous when they say "written by the journalist..., who lives between São Paulo and San Francisco". Sounds like they're talking about some jet setter.

Still from Pittsburgh

2005-10-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

It was nice to watch a game in a place where everione roots for our team. We chose a weekend in which the Steelers play away to come to Pittsburgh, so Bruce wouldn't feel like he should give us his tickets. Being my first trip to Pittsburgh and all, looked like the right thing to do. Maybe next time we'll choose a home game weekend ;)

It was in Pittsburgh

2005-10-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

We spent some days with Scott's dad's in the house he (Scott) grew up, in Pittsburgh, mostly eating very good food and drinking amazing wines. The weather was very cold, but (unfortunately for me, fortunately for them) it didn't snow. I grew up in a place where it never snows, so I would only see it when traveling. Snow has a vacation flavor for me.

Bruce is really serious with his food and wine. If it's not the best. he won't eat or drink it. The entire trip was a treat for us, both when eating at home and out. I made a gorgonzola and squash soup, a mushroom risotto and my stepdad's baked fillet - and apparently everything was approved, so I've been bragging a little ;)

This picture is from Scott's bedroom window. Call me sentimental, but I it made me smile to think that this is the place where he turned into what he is today.

It's alive!

2005-10-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

The mailwoman called on the intercom because she had a package that didn't fit my mailbox. When I came down to get it, it was my book. I knew it was supposed to arrive soon, but not this soon. I entered the elevator with an old man and I couldn't help opening the package and telling him that I'm the author. He probably thinks I'm crazy.

I'm a published author now and this is really exciting!

Posing as a cartoonist, for Mauro's birthday

2005-10-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

- Because he can wear simple blue shirts and caqui shorts, but the shoes are yellow, so I can see from far away

- Because he has a hug from which you don't want to get out

- Because he has fun drinking champagne at Cipriani, Mojito at the Ritz or beer in a dirty bar

- Because he knows everything, but doesn't say a word

- Because he takes me higher than anyone else and feels by my side even when he's so far away

- Because he thinks everything I do is good, everything I wear looks gorgeous and anyone who doesn't like me has serious issues

- Because he's a Prince and any respectable Duchess has a thing for men who wonder around on white horses.

On the top of Mount Soledad

2005-09-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

- Mommy, why does that lady keep playing with the water? She presses the button and releases it, but she doesn't drink.
- I have no idea, son. The world is full of crazy people, don't get too close to her.

I've been playing a lot with my camera lately. We found this beautiful place just 10 minutes away from home, from where you can see the entire city - this picture is from up there.

Our first September in San Diego and we are loving it. Summer is still pretty much around, but all the tourists are gone. I've been doing a lot of laying by the pool. I expect to be busier by this time next year, so I'm enjoying.

The tale of the Duchess and the Wise Leflaneur

2005-08-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

This dialog could have happened a very long time ago, in a Kingdom far far away, in some paralel universe.

The Duchess of **** - Yes, let's drink a lot of Prosecco, but I don't want to eat too much. What if he calls, wanting to see me and I'm all fat, with a belly full of brie paninis? There will be no corset strong enough to hold it.

Leflaneur, The Wise - Don't be silly Milady. If he didn't call for all this time, it won't be today. And, even if he does, you are the one who doesn't want him anymore.

Black Ant - I don't get it. Who are you talking about? What about...?

The Duchess of **** - Blablablabla blablabla bla blablablabla bla blabla blablablabla bla

Leflaneur, The Wise - Blablablabla blablabla bla blablablabla bla blabla blablablabla bla

The Duchess of **** - And, this time, if he doesn't call, I will!

Leflaneur, The Wise - Don't call, don't even think about it. Because if you call and it's bad, it will be bad, but if you call and it's good, then it will be a disaster.

The Duchess restrained herself and didn't call (because real Duchesses don't do that kind of thing - and because Leflaneur, The Wise, hid her telephone). He didn't call either, for a while. And then, later, he did. But by that time things had already changed and the months that passed by washed away the bright colors that had painted that story. And, with pale colors, why would she want it?

Life went on, people drank Prosecco, ate paninis filled with brie, mushrooms and many other tasty things. They had dinner at Forneria Sao Paulo, Cipriani, Dom João, Nagayama and even at Bagdad Cafe. Some slipped and fell down in front of the Castro Diesel store (sooo glam!), other slipped and fell down in their own closets (no so glam, but they blame the wine). But emocional falls, those that hurt deep inside, never again.

And people went to Rio, to São Paulo, to Califórnia and to many other places. For them, time doesn't wash away any bright color, nor does distance. These noble beings always find a way to make themselves feel close, doesn't matter where they are. And that makes the Duchess feel at home, wherever in the world she might be.

3.1

2005-08-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

I turned 31 yesterday and I'm happy.

If you asked me, two years ago, what I would be doing now, I would have never got it right. These last two years have brought a lot of change, all for better. And I believe the following ones will keep the trend.

She's a beach girl, this Ms. Ripley

2005-07-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

It looks like she's loving Southern California, where water is all around. We would take her swimming sometimes, when living in the Bay Area, but here she gets to do it almost every week. We took her to Mission Bay on the weekend and talked a lot about our next steps while she had fun fetching plastic bottles in the water.

We want to get married in Brazil, but we'll have to wait until everyone can travel down there, so it might take some time. So we decided to go to the City Hall here in SD and do the paperwork, so I can start the green card process and, hopefully, can get a work permit soon. We will do it in a couple of weeks. And the wedding ceremony should happen sometime in the beginning of 2006.

I finished proofreading my book some days ago (already in the layout and all, so beautiful!) and now it's out of my hands until it's printed. I'm really anxious to see it ready, going to stores.

A very special picnic

2005-07-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

I arrived from Brazil a couple of days ago and Scott wanted to take me to a picnic at a place he discovered while walking Ripley when I was away. We brought champagne and some snacks (weirdly, Scott wanted to prepare everything himself) and, even though it was not a sunny day, this was the best picnic.

He proposed and I said yes.

And Ripley was far too excited with the salami to notice that we were crying.

My best friend's wedding

2005-06-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

It was a lot of fun. Really.

Roberta and Dinho had some issues with the church's priest, so Don André, a friend of my family, agreed to make the ceremony for them. It was soooo beautiful. He asked me to read a very emotional text and I thought that I would start crying in the middle of it (I cried everytime I rehearsed the day before), but I ended up doing a good job.

The party was great, we ate, drank and danced until morning and were the last people to leave, together with the bride and the groom. We are feeling a bit destroyed today...

Running around, in Brazil

2005-06-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've been in Brazil for a week already and Scott arrived this morning. We ran around all day, to get his suit adjusted in time, get haircuts and also meet Roberta and Dinho at the final meeting with the wedding organizers.

The wedding is tomorrow and I should spend the afternoon with the girls at Flay's - our hairdresser will be there to make us all pretty ;)

New home

2005-06-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

We finally found a place and moved. It's this very cute condo in North Pacific Beach, three blocks from the beach, with a huge patio. The building has just been redone so everything is brand new.

The furniture will still take some days to arrive, so we bought an inflatable mattress and this little table with chairs, that will double as dining table and office for a while. The computers are also working a lot, as computers, stereos and dvd players. Everything is still a mess, but we are so happy with the new place!

My friend Roberta is getting married in the end of the month, in Brazil, and we are both going - we are supposed to be at the altar. I'm spending some time down there and Scott will only come for a weekend (how brave).

No dogs, no dogs, no dogs

2005-05-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

In San Diego, looking for an condo or apartment to rent.

I can't stand the fact that most places don't allow dogs, but Ripley doesn't seem to mind, she's happy anywhere. We've been seeing many places and calling lots of people, but still didn't find something we like and that will accept Ripley. I signed up for T-Mobile wireless service and found a Starbucks located by a nice bagel place, so that's where I spend my mornings, looking for the places we'll visit.

The studio is fun, though, three blocks from the beach at La Jolla Shores. It's actually a vacation rental, but we've been so focused in finding a place that we don't feel on vacation at all.

Self portrait in Sonoma

2005-05-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

We are moving to San Diego this month and, even though we have a lot of packing to do, I didn't want to move away before making a day trip to Sonoma, so we did it today. It was really nice.

We will rent a studio for a couple of weeks and the moving company will keep our furniture until we find a more permanent place to live. We'll drive both cars down, with Ripley and some personal things.

Sun in SF

2005-04-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

Sunny days in San Francisco make you want to play tourist. I've been driving around, walking around and checking the last spots, making sure I don't forget anything. I have to send all the copy in the end of the month, so the book can come out in September/October.

New office @ The Grove

2005-04-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

I found myself a new office with good music and an unlimited supply of diet coke: The Grove Cafe @ Fillmore St.

The research for my book is almost over. I've been writing and rewriting a lot, though, sometimes at home and sometimes here. Good coffee and great croissants in the mornings. A fabulous grilled cheese sandwich and lots of diet coke for the afternoons. Also, the music is amazing. And I don't have to wash the dishes, so it feels even better than home.

Sushi knife

2005-04-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

If I were the producer of these knives, I would write something really funny, like:
"Yeah, and these stupid occidentals think they can make sushi."

The man behing the box

2005-04-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

The one that brought me the sake boxes.
And made me sashimi. And sushi. And soooo much more.

Finally, a sake box

2005-04-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

In this country, where people drink sake out of shot glasses (why? tell me why???), I finally have a box. And these are no ordinary boxes: one has a samurai and the other one has a gueixa on the bottom. So pretty!

Scott brought them home today, together with some ingredients for homemade sushi. It was our first try and I thing we did great.

Crossing the Golden Gate by bike

2005-03-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

I guess that, when you cross the Golden Gate by bike, you burn almost one quarter of the calories you eat when you get to Sausalito, at the other side.

I really wanted to do this and we know we won't live here for much longer. Scott is starting to interview for jobs in San Diego (yeeeee) and Boston (buuuuu). Anyway, today was the day, we got on top of the bikes and went all the way to the other side. I'm completely out of shape, so I got tired in the uphills, but getting there is worth it all.

I'm not doing it again soon, though.