Red Elephant

Chocolate Biscuits

It all started with a throwaway comment on the daily notes for Questionable Content, one of my favorite webcomics. Jeph was talking about Tim Tams, which just floored me. I hadn't thought about them in years. You see, Tim Tams are these excellent Australian biscuits [cookies to us Yanks], dipped in chocolate.

When I was studying abroad in Oz, Tim Tams were like little chocolate gold. They were a bit expensive, but we all thought they were worth it. We could buy them from the little shop in the residence hall, but they had to jack up the price further to make money.

I guess is that what I am getting at is that even then, when they were freely available, they were kind of precious. And man, were they good. Perfect thing to dunk into your coffee or tea. Or, if you were feeling adventurous, you could go for a Tim Tam Slam.

They're made by Arnott's, which is roughly the Australian equivalent of Pepperidge Farm. That is to say, higher-end brand-name baked goods & treats that you can still find in most supermarkets. The appearance of luxury, but still affordable to most folks. Well, and they were pretty luxurious. Or at least, hella-good.

I suppose the appeal like Walker's Shortbread. You've got a tasty cookie [biscuit, whatever] that they don't make around here. I've always been drawn to new tastes, new flavors, especially if they evoke faraway places. And especially if I've been there.

Erin, friend & former roommate, developed a taste for McVitie's, which are an English "digestive biscuit" [read as:  cookie] widely available in Britain & Scotland. When I emailed her for the name of said treats, she said she'd now have to run out at and get some. She also said she'd have to get some Irn Bru , a Scottish soda, available only at a local import shop.

I've always had a penchant for groceries from other countries. La Buvette, besides being one of my favorite places to get a bite to eat, or a glass of wine, has a pretty extensive import grocery. When I was younger, I used to go in there and check out the [then] strange foods from other places. I pictured myself older, more worldly, drinking wine and knowing what I was talking about when I ordered it.

Likewise, when I lived in Lincoln, I made an occasional point of visiting Ideal Grocery, which was a cross between a local market & import grocery, and King Tut's, which was run by an older Egyptian man. It was my source for feta, frozen falafel mix, and cheap spices. Plus, they make a mean Baklava.

I suppose these things are a little less exotic as the world gets more connected. I've found Milo in Asian markets, and Vegemite at the local Cost Plus World Market. Pocky is available at both. Hell, if I want some Tim Tams, I can order them from an American company that specializes in Australian imports. Hell, they even sell Australian boots -- Rossi's to be specific -- with American sizes.

So, if you've ever envied my R.M.Williams boots, you can get some that are almost as good -- I'm being a boot snob here -- but that are considerably cheaper. Come to think of it, Blundstones sell their boots domestically, now. While I'm all for them expanding their market, it kind makes one more thing less exotic, makes the world just a little smaller. One more thing that was one foreign and strange that is now commonplace, or at least more common.

It's a bit inevitable, I suppose, what with globalization. Still, there's plenty of things that people here in Middle America have never been exposed to. I occasionally meet people who've never had Thai food, or Dim Sum. But, I do my best to introduce them, open their eyes, give them some new flavor.

Write More

I've been a list-maker again lately, and near the top is getting back to writing. For myself, for public consumption, anything to get the old muscles working again.

I'm really interested in short fiction lately. New on my radar is 365 Tomorrows. I love it first & foremost because it's short sci-fi stories, different visions of the future. But it's also a collaborative writing project. Five writers got together [along with a web-savvy compatriot] and decided to publish one new short piece of fiction for a year. Ambitious, but not all that difficult. It just comes down to dedicating the time.

Of course, I'm a fan of McSweeneys, both internet & print editions. But for some reason, I've been neglecting The Believer online. And while I've been a fan for a while, I actually have some bizarre little story ideas that I need to work up & submit. While it would be neat to get a short on the website -- or on something like Fray -- the process is the important thing. Like Max, who decided that he was going to do a graphic novel & then a webcomic, the main thing came down to sitting down & drawing regularly until it was done.

And, oh yes, he also did a novel last November. Again, it's about putting in the time.

...

Speaking of putting in the time, Max and I have been talking about getting fat. About making excuses to write, draw, housekeep, drink, or anything but exercise. Granted, there is still yoga Monday nights, but my personal practice has suffered. Thankfully, Kat & Nick have been good at taking me up on bike-rides. Nick and I did nine or ten miles tonight, so that was really good.

But back to getting fat. I've weighed myself a couple of times in the last week, and it's come out to about 200 lbs. each time. Let me write that out, two hundred pounds. Now, this isn't a huge deal. [Pun not intended, but kept.] I eat fairly healthily, and I do keep active, but it is a big paradigm shift. I've hovered at about 165-170 since high school, when I topped out at 185 while taking weight training.

Granted, I've probably put on some muscle with yoga, but I think there's more to it than that. Seems to me it's a combination of increased muscle mass & then some poor choices in the past couple of months with regards to diet and my yoga practice.

But more than anything else, it's changing the idea of my body image. It's not just my pants that are shrinking, I'm coming in at two bills. And while that may be just what I weigh at this age, I can certainly be in better shape. So, time to replace the biscuits and gravy for breakfast [for only $1.50 at the shop across the street] with some fruit smoothies. Get rid of the candy & get some more dried fruit.

And oh yes, get on the bike & back on the mat.

When I'm not writing, that is.

Treasure Trove

Just got back from my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary party at my parents' house. Man, what a day. It went a lot longer than I had anticipated, but it was their day, so I have no complaints. The food was good, the company was better, and the memories were amazing.

For starters, I found my grandparents' old 8mm projector and a whole bunch of old family home movies. And yes, they are movies and not videos. So, we sat back with the clickety-clack of an old projector, some golden oldies on the stereo, and watched some old films.

We started with some old vacation shots, trips to Minnesota, back before my parents were dating, to some places I've never been, much less heard of. Films of my mom, my uncle, their parents, and their dogs -- half Chihuauas. Pretty much a trip.

The real gems were the films of 'XMAS 1962,' my dad & uncle's state championship for baseball, and my mom's senior prom. The Christmas film was pretty amazing, as there were all sorts of great aunts & uncles, some of whom are dead. There was also footage of my great-grandpa Frank, who I've heard about but never really seen before.

Then there was seeing my mom as a teenager, and a prom queen no less, on a date with some guy who was not my father. My dad was on the same reel, as he was the same age as my uncle Joe, Mom's bro. There's mom in a prom dress with long white gloves. There's my dad at about fifteen or sixteen in a black suit with a skinny black tie. And there's my grandma with 60s glasses and a killer lavender dress.

It was really amazing. I've never been much for home movies, but then I never knew these existed. It's one thing to see pictures of your parents as kids, but another thing altogether to see them getting ready for dates, fishing, or playing ball. It was amazing to watch them as they saw people they hadn't seen in years, sometimes struggling for names, sometimes instantly transported as the faces reminded them of other stories.

I'd really like to restore these old films, maybe transfer them to DVD for the rest of the family. As for me, I'd rather keep the old school projector and make that part of the experience. There's something about the medium that has it's own charm.

Furthermore, my Aunt Karan -- dad's sister -- was reminded of some old films from her mom & dad, both of whom have passed on. She doesn't even know what was on them, and had no way to know until now. So, that's another exciting development.

And, for what it's worth, I hope to find the old camera and maybe shoot some footage myself. I never put much stock into home movies before. However, there is something about it, about knowing that your parents were once your age, that they were young & beautiful, that they partied hard in their own way.

And there's the simplicity of how it can bring back memories. I don't have any home videos from my childhood, not that I regret not having them. But I think there is something to be said for preserving. Not spending all your time trying to capture every memory, but for saving a choice few & letting time dictate what memories it will bring back.

Holtmann/Norris Wedding Photos

Finally, after much ado [& organizing & minor editing], I give you the photos from Mike & Abby's Wedding [Flickr Album]. It was one hell of a time, and I documented quite a bit of it. I've never been much of a photo-guy, but maybe that's just because I've never had a camera that I really loved. I inherited some lenses & flashes from my dad, which I use with an old Canon AE-1, but even that hasn't gotten the use that my new little digital camera has. I do like the way it shoots black & white, tho.

But back to the wedding week & weekend...

It was really about hanging out with the people. Obviously, getting to see Mike & Abby is a treat. Like a lot of my out-of-town friends, I'm lucky to see them once a year. We had some good drinking time the first night I got there, and throughout the trip. Belgian Ales were the preferred beverage, and I can't think of the Belgian White Ale that Brandon loved so much. Anyone else remember?

Ahh, Brandon. One of Mike's cronies from high school after he transferred from North to Bryan. I've met Brandon a few times, and we crossed paths a couple of years ago when he was selling advertising for a local television station, and I was the one who got to listen to sales pitches for the office. Lucky me. Brandon was also in Boy Scouts with Mike.

There's also Eric, who went to school with both Brandon & Mike. All three of them were in Boy Scouts together. Staying with me so far? Good. Now's the part where it gets inbred. Eric and I were good friends in Jr. High. We were both soccer players & on Math Team, in computer programming together, and running in the honors clique.

That's right, we were nerds together.

Rounding out the male end of the wedding party was Benjy Kahn. I've met Benjy before, too, but it's been years. And there's been plenty of changes in all our lives in the meantime. Great to swap stories with a fellow wit, and a fellow Benjamin. As if that wasn't enough, there was Ben Williams from South Africa [and his wife Jhoti], who win the furthest travel award, I think.

Met lots of other people, but these were my boys, the ones with whom I spent the most time. And an excellent time was had by all. But I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

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Tech Stuff for anyone who cares, as in not many of you:  There's a great iPhoto Export to Flickr Plug-in that made this whole process easier. Seems there's also a Standalone Upload Utility for OSX [10.3] For you PC Users out there, there is also a Flickr Uploader for Windows XP [download link here], as well as one for Windows 2000, ME and 98 [download link here], or you can just check them all out at the Flickr Upload Tools Page.

I'll probably put the photos up here on the old Typepad site in a bit, as I've got a bit more versatility in displaying photos here. Flickr's just so damn easy to upload, though! The site also lets you blog photos, so we'll see whether I can turn that into an easy way to create an album here. We'll see...

Pimp My House

My brother and I totally redecorated my house before Nicole's birthday party Saturday night. I realize only now that I should have taken 'before' pictures. My ex-roommate Chris was right, the entryway needs to be a living room. I maintain that the television belongs downstairs.

I also inherited my grandmother's crushed red velvet love-seat. Ali and Mo agree that it is pretty fly. I think it can co-exist just fine with the existing burgundy velvet-y couch. While we were moving it out of my grandmother's house, she was on the phone with my mother, but decided it was important to interrupt her conversation to tell us, "No Sex On That Couch! You Hear Me?"

Duh, Grandma. That's what the other couch is for.

The other acquisition was an area rug from Mrs. B's. I had two couches downstairs that really don't match at all, but I think the rug really ties the room together. The rug was important, because we wanted the downstairs to be a little more cozy since Nicole wanted a make-out room at her party.

The original party theme:  Make-out party. The adapted theme:  Dance Party with optional make-out room. The actual party:  Smoke On The Porch Party with occasional dance music and occasional couples sneaking downstairs. It was a good time. And the house is much cooler for it.

...

A shame that I wasn't able to get my new bar in time for the party. It's actually my old bar, and has been living in storage at a friend's house in Lincoln. Technically, my interest in the bar had been bought out, but I think squatter's rights apply [or the equivalent thereof] and the fact that Jim was about to trash it when I emailed him about it on a whim.

It will take some doing, but I'm loving the pleather padded armrest, the light up front, and the red velvet detail. I believe it will go just fine in the newly dubbed 'Velvet Lounge' upstairs. [Thanks, Jenn.] But, it's going to take some restoration first. The casters on one side are busted and it has a wicked lean to the left. Not so good to put drinks and/or bottles on.

I will update with pictures sometime this week, so stay tuned.

Owning a Home is a Lot of Work

First night in the new place. Sleeping bag on the floor of the dining room, which needs just one more coat of paint. The color of the room is already up for debate. Christopher thinks it's orange. I think it depends on the light. We're still laying the broad strokes of the house, ripping up carpet, choosing colors for the walls, moving in appliances. The finer details will come in the next couple of days, the actual arrangement of rooms, hanging art on the walls, fixing handles.

The first thing I did after closing on the house on Friday was celebrate with friends. We had a little wine on the porch as I gave tours and explained redecorating plans. A couple of neighbors stopped by. The couple across the street know people I know, and the guy talked shop with Jim and Max. He works in Max's old department at Creighton, and they were actually supposed to meet through mutual friends for lunch that day. Max got busy and had to cancel.

Things I Will Miss About My Apartment

The morning light reflecting off of the Skinner Macaroni building across the street and coming in through my windows sometime between six and seven am. The ability to run downstairs to Gourmet Cubby's and get nearly any forgotten ingredient in whatever I'm making. The ability to walk over to La Buvette for really great wine, early morning coffee & atmosphere, or just a feta and fava bean salad. Sunday mornings when downtown is deserted. Saturday mornings in the summer when I can walk two blocks to the farmer's market and get all the fresh vegetables I need until the next farmer's market on Wednesday, the smaller of the two. The seemingly infinite ways I can walk to work through the old market, or across side streets and alleys. Big old brick buildings. People watching. The city in the rain. Walking home without a jacket when it's just spitting. The ability to stumble home from the bar and not drive drunk. The proximity of Heartland of America Park. The best wheatgrass shots in the city at Jane's. Walking over to M's Pub or O'Connor's for a pub meal. Irish coffee on Sunday night at Mr. Toad's.

Road tripping

I just woke up from a night on my former roommate Erin's floor, and man is it good to be out of town. I firmly believe it's important to wake up in a different place every so often. You should take at least one week-long holiday every year, and get out of town at least every month. I'm better at road tripping in the summertime. I have friends with which to stay, even if it is only a side trip to Lincoln -- an hour away.

I'm thinking about a theme/concept from William Gibson's Pattern Recognition. The idea is that our souls travel more slowly than our bodies. This is accounts for jet lag. It's our souls catching up. I believe it our hearts are similarly slower than the rest of our lives. For weeks, months, years after relationships are over, we feel the effects. Right now, I'm probably just an hour or two ahead of my soul, and my heart is on time. I feel great, especially waking up at a friend's place with a wedding to go to.

Justified

My friend Kate asked me to write an article for her site Obsessive Consumption. I put the text up here for my archives, but you should read about it on her site, and just check out her site, because she is a cool chica.

I am filed under "History of the Thing" -- H.O.T.T. #11 - My House

"We'll go to Omaha, to work and exploit the booming music scene / and humility."
-Rilo Kiley, "The Execution of All Things"

When I was younger, I couldn't wait to get out of Nebraska. I spent my first year at college in Washington, D.C. and only returned after they screwed up my financial aid package and I couldn't afford to go back. I spent another year in Melbourne, Australia, citing wanderlust once again. I returned to Lincoln, where I finished my undergraduate. Last year, I moved back to Omaha to get my shit together, pay some debts, and move away from the college/party town the Lincoln is.

Now I'm buying a house. To some, this is the ultimate sellout move. It's not. To others, it's the next logical step in growing up and having a family. It's not that, either. I have my own reasons.

It is a good thing, buying a house. I'm ready to have a lot more space, and to pay less rent. My roommate has a kick-ass, well-tempered dog, which I'm looking forward to playing with. I'm glad to be splitting costs for rent, utilities, cable modem, and everything else. I'm glad to have enough space to set up a studio, an atelier, a workshop. I have projects that just don't fit inside an apartment, and I don't want to pay for separate studio space. Plus I can paint the walls any color I want. Plus I have a porch. A kick-ass porch.

It's a calculated risk. Interest rates have never been lower, and if you're renting and going to be in the same place for a while, you should really consider it. You have to have some money in the bank for a down payment and/or the costs associated with. Realtor fees, inspections, fixing it up the way you want it. And there's the fact that you have to sell the place if you ever want to move, but I've got two things that make the place attractive especially to families just starting out. Two car garage & across the street from a school. I doubt it'll be much of a problem selling.

Another option I've considered is house-swapping, a practice made popular by university professors going on sabbatical. I've even heard of people in Omaha & New York swapping apartments/houses every six months to have access to NYC but use the low cost of living in NE to balance it out. I'm not in a position to do this just yet, but I'm not ruling it out.

My friend Bronson has cautioned me against the cult of owning things. Not so much the house, which I won't completely own, I'll just make payments towards & build a little equity. But the stuff inside the house. Between all the electronic equipment my roommate Christopher has, and all the art and furniture I have, I won't need much. I'll pay to have the carpet ripped up and the hardwood floors redone, but that's as much an health/allergy choice as an aesthetic one.

A somewhat major purchase, which I consider part of the house, is a washer/dryer combo. I got some suggestions from friends, did some comparison shopping at Best Buy and Nebraska Furniture Mart. I ended up going with high-efficiency Whirlpool units. The dryer was a return, so it was half-price. The washer, the more expensive unit, was $300 off as they're discontinuing the line. I talked with the salesman about warranty protection, he swears by it, and said that I can call up repair services and have them come out just to check it out once a year. "It's making some funny sound," will get them out there. Then they have to replace anything that's bad. Included. Plus, it increases my resale value, having these things. I get the investment back in added value.

This reminds me of an article I read on materialistic poverty, how a lot of people our age pledge this kind of Spartan lifestyle, not owning anything, except for their shiny new Volkswagons, High End Computer & Stereo Equipment, Gore-Tex Parkas and iPods. "But other than that, I'm poor, Honest!!" My friend TJ used to talk about the difference between poverty and college poverty. The difference between having to go on Welfare and having a nice job lined up at the end of it all [while mommy & daddy take care of the checking account & credit cards].

My friend Sonali has berated me for not doing enough research, or the kind of research she would do in considering a major purchase. I guess it hasn't been conscious research, as in setting up interviews with homeowners, or following some article/how-to book on first-time home buying. However, I have been talking with several friends who have bought in the last couple of years about how easy it is, things to consider when looking, when inspecting, when deciding, and ultimately before signing.

I do the walk-through this morning. That means that I pay an inspector to check for pests, mold, structural damage, missing doorknobs, and all the other little things I as a layman would miss or forget to check. The inspector walks me through the house, and I decide whether I think it's worth complaining about to the seller to fix, or if things are so bad that I don't want to buy the house, I have that option.

...

Maybe I'll make this a two-part series. Pre- and post-buying.

 

it's us, the weak-willed, who will pay

i'm pouring out my forty to kate tonight, the only person i know with more credit card debt than me. first national bumped my limit by just enough for me to transfer my mbna balance. i'm finally free of them, darlin. smoking and drinking on me. i mean, just drinking.

for those of you who didn't run up a huge balance paying for college [tuition, literally. i ran out of loan money my senior year], it's a bitch. i've made the most progress here in the last year, but my first couple of jobs out of college didn't allow me much more than my minimum payment. some months, i kept digging the debt hole deeper & deeper. and i spent a lot of money on girls back then. i was and sometimes still am fond of ridiculously generous gestures [read as stupid expensive gifts for women that i'm interested in]