Go Steelers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.