Good Eats

It's called Feijoada and I ate it yesterday (for the second time since arriving in Brazil). Feijoada is the Brazilian national dish. It is so good. It is served on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons in homes and every restaurant (from the hole in the wall to the 5 star) across Brazil. So far I have figured out that eating Feijoada on Saturdays is better. It is better because you have the afternoon to sleep it off. Maybe I shouldn't have written that last part.

According to Brazilian history, Feijoada is a dish that was introduced to Brazil by African slaves. Slaves use to take leftover (scrap) pieces of their owners' pork and other meats and would stew it with black beans. It is served with rice, kale (or collard greens), plantains, roasted manioc flour, and oranges. You are supposed to have Caipirinha (limes, sugar, and sugar cane brandy over ice) or beer when you have Feijoada. I chose the former, as I am not a beer drinker.

I am sure that this dish is fattening. Anything that tastes this good usually is.

Note to self: In the morning run an extra mile to make up for the good eats.

I was Born in Bahia

In my former life. No, truly. How else can I explain how I know the culture, feel a deep routed connection to the people, and know the land, except to say that I've been here before? Anyone who has done any traveling knows what it is like being in a new place. They know the feeling of nervous excitement. They know the anticipation of getting lost, asking for directions, having high hopes, having pleasant surprises, and dashed expectations. They know the feeling of being at home (in the hotel) for the time being. Multiply all of that times 100 if there is a language barrier.

I have had none of those feelings since my arrival in Salvador. That discovery has been fascinating in the sense that I am not bothered by it. Fascinating in the sense that it is almost as if I already knew my reaction to Bahia would be this way. I am totally OK (after I got over being weirded out about my feelings of 'I've been here before') with just letting my soul figure out where I am going. I am OK with just exploring and discovering and knowing that I am OK here.

I am sure that the connection to Bahia is it's turbulent history, its food, its music, its struggles, its triumphs, its people, and my belief in its future.

My hosts have been truly gracious and have opened there home and hearts to me. Paula and Natto, I almost cannot fathom having to leave you. You are my family.

Compelling Television

In my opinion, TV in the summer doesn't really offer much. I mean reruns and the barrage of reality shows just doesn't do it for me. But I have to admit that over the past 2 weeks, I have been glued to the tube.

Christie Brinkley's divorce from Peter Cook has been riveting. I mean it has sex (Peter with the 18 year old and the porn), it had intrigue (you mean you didn't want to know why Christie was walking around with the dinosaur diorama?), and it provided the media outlets with enough sound bites to take them until the A-Rod trial kicks into high gear. On a sad note, Peter got 2 million of Christie's estimated 60 million and visitation rights. On a good note, Christie has reportedly said that she will never marry again.

Jamie Lynn had a baby girl. I am happy for her. I just hope that all the girls out there that think they can do it because Jamie has done it just remembers that Jamie has money, an infamous millionaire sister, and people that want to pay her for baby pictures.

A Red Sox fan and a stripper came on a television "news" magazine to say that they weren't surprised that Alex Rodriquez was getting a divorce. They wanted to know what took his wife so long to file.

They were asked if they felt bad about the role they may have played in the marriage breakup. I am happy to report that the Red Sox fan said she wished A-Rod well.

What a lovely family! I watched the interview on Access Hollywood. What a coup for Maria Manounos! Seeing clips of the interview on FOX, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, Bloomberg News, CNN, The View, Regis & Kelly was a little creepy.

One More Thing to Take Off the List

Everyone knows this is the famous statue called Christ the Redeemer, which sits atop Corcovado Mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. It is also one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

At this stage in my life, I have come to realize that I only get one life and I have to live it to it's fullest. A part of that living is seeing all of these wonders for myself, so I will make the trek to Rio on Tuesday the 15th.

I've decided to take this trek alone this time, so much of my life (these days) seems to be this way. It is alright though, I am sure that the Gods have some plan in the works and all of this alone time is the prep work for it.

In addition to seeing the sights which include Salvador and Sao Paulo, I plan to do some serious eating. I will keep everyone (all 2 of you that read this blog) posted.

Lazy Hazy Days

I love summer for just that reason. July 4th, I decided that everyone would come to me for eating, drinking (none for me though...I had a long run the next morning), and laughs. No invites were issued. I used technology to spread the word....general text messages. The text read, "Looks like its gonna be @ my pad. It starts @ 2 n' will end at 3 if y'all don't show by 2.30. Bring what you want to eat."

It worked...(smile).

Michael ran the grill. I think I have a crush on him now. Smile.
Amanda had dessert. She really needs to open a shop. She had her "Betrothed" with her.
Sarah showed up looking like she just left the runway during NYC's Fashion Week. She still hasn't told everyone where she was going. She came with Cruz.
Dalila made her grand entrance...of course way after she was told to arrive.
Odelia our family's resident nut. She is absolutely hilarious. Her latest CD single was cool.
Debbyann arrived 1st. I should have given her a prize.
Paulette arrived with Ms. Marissa. OMG, I had no idea that Marissa could put down potato salad like that!!!
Trudy arrived after everyone left, so we spent quiet time eating the grilled lamb that Michael made for us...yummo.

Then the kids....Jaylynn, Ariel, Ty'Heil, Caleb, Malachi, Marissa (I mentioned her already) and PJ (who let me know that she gained 3 pounds). I was exausted just by looking at them.

We laughed, looked at old family photos, ate (and ate and ate) great food, listened to music, caught up and had a good time.

Life is a Marathon

How many times have you heard this one? I have come to understand exactly what this means. Training is going well. I am up to 9 miles on my long runs, which makes the short runs seem like a breeze. During the long runs I entertain myself with music (boy those IPOD Playlists come in handy), I look at the sites along the trail (I ran by the most beautiful horse farm 2 weeks ago), and I think. I think about all kinds of things. I think about how lucky I am. I think about how far I've come (and how far I still have to go) both on the run and in my real life.

While it is very easy for me to get overwhelmed with the how far I still have to go during my long runs, there is something that clicks in me and says, "ILP, take one more step." Then I do. Then that something says, "Take another step." Then I do. Before I know it I have finished my run and wonder why I was so overwhelmed in the first place.

Party Like It's 1984

This past weekend was a weekend that I needed and was definitely a long time in the making. I was invited to a 40th Birthday Party on Saturday. All attendees were required to dress in their best rags from the 70's or 80's. I decided on 70's Hippie. My date (and everyone else for that matter) did 80's Crush Groove. The evening was full eating, dancing (Lord, that is another blog), and reminiscing about the the past.

Do you remember...

1. Now and Laters
2. Pop Rocks
3. Boston Baked Beans
4. Lemon Heads
5. Sugar Daddy's
6. Charleston Chews
7. Candy Cigarettes
8. Mary Janes

What about....

1. Crush Groove
2. Fat Boys
3. Run DMC
4. Purple Rain (God, I love that movie)
5. Asymmetric Hair Cut
6. Bamboo Earrings
7. Human Beat Box
8. Adidas Outfits
9. Madonna
10. Flashdance

Kung Fu Panda

While it wasn't Beauty and the Beast or my absolute favorite The Little Mermaid, Kung Fu Panda was a cute one. This story about Po (voiced by Jack Black) who dreams of being trained by the greatest Kung Fu master in all of the Valley of Peace. The only problem is that he is a clumsy and very overweight panda. Yeah, yeah as the plot would have it, Po is the "Dragon Warrior" (of course he doesn't know it) and is destined to fight the Evil One (Tai Lung) and save all of the valley. Po just has to overcome his many obstacles: he doesn't know any Kung Fu, he doesn't have any confidence in himself and he has to gain the support and trust of everyone.

Typical storyline, but I won't ruin it for you. I mentioned Kung Fu Panda because it was a film that your entire family can see. It didn't have any adult innuendos or sex themes. The film was funny in all the right (typical) places and parents can rest assured that they won't have to explain anything to the little ones when the film is over.

Wisdoms of Our Fathers

Yesterday, the world lost a great, great man. Tim Russert the Washington, DC Bureau Chief and Moderator of Meet the Press died of a sudden and massive heart attack. He died doing what he loved to do. He died preparing for his show Meet the Press.

As a child of the Washington, DC news circuit, Tim Russert's face was one of those faces you expected to see. You expected to see him because he was a local guy. He was a good guy. You expected to see him on your television, asking some politician to explain the various inconsistencies in their words. Whether he was talking to our local mayor or the President, we could always depend on Tim to be stern but kind. We knew he would be direct and at the same time comforting.

What is so overwhelmingly poignant is that he has passed and right before Father's Day. It is so poignant because people who knew Tim knew that he loved his family. He made us all love his dad (Big Russ) and his own son (Luke). He lived for those two men.

With his sudden loss, I can say that Tim Russert has taught me a lesson in the way he lived his life. He has taught me to live my life being accountable to something and to someone. He has taught me to hold others accountable as well. He has also reminded me that life is so very short and that it sometimes takes us down unexpected roads. Mr. Russert has reminded me that we should continue to embrace life...live.

Tim Russert, it has certainly been a pleasure, you were a wise man indeed. A father figure to us all. You will be missed.

My New Crown

For the summer I have decided to try something different with my hair. I've decided to get it braided. I grappled (for weeks) with what kind of style I would get and who I would get to do it. Once I decided what I wanted and who was going to do it, I had to then find out what was required to get the style. K (the lady that braided my hair and also does my cousin's hair) told me that I was going to need 2 packs of Yaki 100% Human Hair. I almost fell back when the man in the beauty supply shop told me the hair would cost me $49.99 a pack! But since I was dealing with my hair, I absorbed the shock and plunked down the $106. I got a darker version of the bundle pictured below.

I interviewed every person (their mother, my cousin, and the neighbor) who I have ever seen with their hair braided. I wanted to know everything, even though I already did my own research online. How long does it take to have your hair braided? How long does it last? What kind of shampoo will I need to wash my hair? Does the process hurt? What should I be aware of? After arming myself with all the info I thought I needed...I took the plunge.

Yesterday was the day. K started braiding my hair at 8:15 am and she finished at 2:45 pm. I didn't use all of the hair she made me buy, but I don't have enough left over to return what I didn't use. When she was done I thought I might have needed a Tylenol, but I resisted. I don't know if I like it yet. Is that bad? I have it styled like the model in the picture.