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.

My first review

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

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

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!

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

- 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

- 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finally, a sake box

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

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.

Making friends

I met this guy at fotolog and he has been living here in San Francisco for a long time now. When I told him about my research for the book, he offered to help and gave me very precious clues, of places I would never find by myself. So we met at a cafe, talked for a while and took a walk together before going separate ways. Thanks, Michale, you are very, very sweet!

Road trip series III

Somewhere south of Carmel, but still north of LA.

US 1 has such great views that it makes you want to keep going back and forward, back and forward, back and forward... It was a fun trip and I got to play with my new camera a lot.

Road trip series II

Lazy ray at the Monterey Aquarium.

(Really fun to put your head inside the bubble!)

Road trip series

Day one: San Francisco to Monterey.
Raining, all day long.

Going south for a couple of days

No computer is being packed.
See you when I get back.

New toy

Was supposed to be brought by Santa Claus, but it took forever to arrive!
I still don't know how to play with it, but I'm sure it will be fun to learn.

Easy, over easy

I pretend to be a fancy cook sometimes.
But, at the end of the day, I'm crazy for a good couple of eggs.

It's easy and... I work all day too, don't you know? ;)

(no, that thing is not a glass of milk, it's unfiltered sake)

Doing some work at home

Dress code to work at home in a cloudy, almost rainy Friday:
Pink pajama pants, red t-shirt and red sweater. And a very warm coffee mug, of course.

Glamour rate = 0
(but it's so, so cozy...)

Sunday night classes

(we still don't have the appropriate material, but I'll solve this problem soon)

In my family everyone plays a card game called tranca. If this will be my home from now on, I need a tranca partner, so I started teaching Scott. And now he keeps beating me...

Back home, with a project

The true is that I'm getting a little bored of doing nothing everyday. I still don't have a work permit, so it's not like I can look for a real job. I've been thinking of an idea for a while and, after meeting with a book publisher while in Brazil, it's official: I'm writing a book.

Still, it's not the crazy stressed office life I was used to, but it feels wonderful to do something else besides drive around, cook and wait for Scott to get home. I can't really be that person. I'll still be driving around a lot (I'll explain the book soon) and staying home a lot (to research and to write) but it just feels different.

It will be a guidebook on the curious places of San Francisco. This "curious places" guidebook collection has been around for a while and they still didn't have SF. A perfect match. I'm excited about the project and full of ideas.

Wear yellow, live strong.

After saying it's just an ugly yellow wristband, I got a little deeper in learning what it means. When you buy one of these yellow wristbands, you help the Lance Armstrong Foundation, that works to give information and support to people who fight cancer. I haven't been there myself, but it happened to two of my dearest people in the world. One survived, the other didn't. This kind of experience makes you want to be there to help anyone who's going trough something like this.So, just for this once, I'm not going to give the cause up just to be stubborn.

(And, if you want to know, when you mean it instead of just wearing as a fashion accesory, it doesn't look ugly at all.)
www.nike.com/wearyellowwww.lancearmstrong.com


I'm back to California, by the way.

I was flying when the Sleelers played the Patriots for the AFC championship. So, when we stopped in Miami to change planes, I asked the first person I could find (the customs guy) "Do you know how the Steelers game ended?" He answered "You mean, the Patriots game, right?" And he started laughing at me. I'm glad I'm not a football freak, or I would probably feel offended.

Cosmos with the girls

I'm trying to do everything I can and spend time with everyone.

Cool cosmo evening with the girls.

Tic tac tic tac tic tac tic tac

Is home where your friends are?

A, as in kAts. Igor's new tatoo could have been about me, but not everything is, unfortunately ;)
I'm in São Paulo for a little more, before going back to California.

Where's home?
Is it where your friends are?