I did not really come home with new stuff. I got a cool bag, which is my new gym bag. But I bought it because I needed a carry on to carry the stuff I bought for others.

This is fine. I am starting work in a little while, and I need a LOT of stuff, and I'm going to get a LOT of stuff. Expensive stuff. Suits. Watches (perhaps singular, but doubtful), jewelry, manicures, etc.

But Beloved .... he isn't about to start a new job.

Let's also say that last summer, I had a fun job that paid me obnoxious amounts of money, and I bought a lot of stuff. Clothes. Jewelry. Well, not really lots, but compared to Beloved, who had an "internship" for the summer ... lots. I think I likely treated him to goodies, and I know we enjoyed weekend (and longer) trips galore, and many dinners out. But I don't remember buying him clothes like I bought myself.

On this trip?

Beloved got outfitted.

Shirts, Pants, and a new wedding band.

Remember, I recently wrecked my wedding band, and had to get a new one? I have just loved it. I think that when the income starts, and we are into our new routines, and lifestyle, I may actually see what I can do to get a new one made in Platinum or Titanium, I love it so much.

The center of the ring (click on the link above to see a photo) is a spinning inset. The flowers SPIN. It seemed very unique to me, but I have since learned that, really, it's not so special. Spinning rings exist. Not only on my finger.

But I love mine.

When we were in Paris, in some area with fun shops on the way to the Picasso Museum (which I believe means we were near to, if not in, the Bastille?), we came across what I call an "indian shop" (as in India), but I think that's a narrow categorization. Men's rings were displayed in the window, and we entered.

Beloved found a ring:

Beloved bought the ring. Beloved wears the ring. Guess what?

The ring spins!!

It's his new wedding band.

Later, in Amsterdam, I bought a hippy-girl shirt at a flea market. It was 5 Euros (so I guess I did get something). Beloved later thought, "it would be fun to buy clothes here - perhaps clothes I don't typically wear" (because despite our California origins, we're relatively conservative peoples).

The hunt began.

In Haarlem, a small village outside of Amsterdam, we found low prices on European clothing.

Beloved bought 5 shirts.

Then, back in Amsterdam, where prices weren't too much higher, we found some ... well, shorts? capris? Which look so great on him! They are long shorts. One pair is normal cargo shorts that go just past the knee. The other is a very cool (just conservative enough) plaid (!!!) which is a little longer, but looks so great on him.

This required a second carry-on bag purchase, but it doesn't hurt for Beloved to have a gym bag, too ....

Right?

Who cares. He looks hot.

Labels: beloved, clothes, europe

posted by Zuska @ 10:05 PM 0 comments

Ultimatum

1.	a final, uncompromising demand or set of terms issued by a party to a dispute, the rejection of which may lead to a severance of relations or to the use of force.

2.	a final proposal or statement of conditions.

Yeah, I'm not really sure the people who came up with the title (whether it be for the book or the movie) really understood what the word meant. No demands were made. There was, in fact, much force, but on account of the rejection of demands. And the relations were already severed at the start of the movie. Or even the start of the trilogy.

______________________________________

Beloved woke up at around 7:30 this morning (NOT a natural occurrence!) to find me still awake, blogging my fool heart out. I told him I was toying with going back to bed, since I got up at ***5***, but he said no, we should go to the gym.

Frizzum frazzum.

We went to the gym.

We were home by 10, caffeinated and exercised. We checked the movie times, and went to see the Bourne Ultimatum. I loved it. I am soooo easily entertained, of course I loved it. I love almost any movie. Except comedies. The vast majority of comedies annoy the shit out of me. But if you have pretty people on the screen, and exciting explosions and car chases (or, better yet, tidal waves and other freak natural occurrences), I'm entertained, and I'm happy.

I promise, despite my lack of cinematic standards, I'm a very intelligent girl.

Why we saw a movie today:

I felt a little out of it, from the travel
The girls come home tomorrow, and we will not have a chance, without paying a sitter, to see a movie in some time
We had free passes, from the time we tried to see The Departed, but instead saw the very excellent Pan's Labyrinth. Yeah, it looks like that had been in JANUARY. But the passes didn't expire.
We had been thinking of seeing a movie in either Paris or Amsterdam, but just never had the time. Imagine. On vacation in Europe, and we didn't have the time for a movie.

Then we went for a delicious shawarma, which was very different from the ones we had in Amsterdam, but fantastic in its own right. Then we went to Trader Joe's, so I could stock up on wine, and we could fill the cupboards for the return of our parenthood tomorrow.

So, welcome back to America!

I sort of miss Europe.

Did I mention? Spain is next. Only this time, it's with the kids.

Well, unless, of course, we run off to Amsterdam over the holidays while the girls are with their father, for a little frolic of holiday shopping and floaty romance.

Labels: europe, movies, parenting

posted by Zuska @ 4:46 PM 0 comments

The Youth on the Train

We took a train from Paris to Amsterdam.

I liked the train. It was over 4 hours, but felt like 2 (unlike the stupid nasty wretched awful Iceland Air flight). We had packed some food to eat, and enjoyed nibbling on cheeses and meats and little wafer cookies with milk chocolate sexy zodiac figures stamped onto them. I spent the time looking through Amsterdam travel guides (I didn't have time before the trip, due to that pesky test that consumed my life), and reading my novel (which is outstanding).

Across the aisle from us were some American hippy-kids. They were probably 20. The girl said that she had just spent a month in Turkey, and the boy mentioned having been in Prague. I eavesdropped a lot, I will admit. They were a foot and a half away from me, so it would have been hard not to. I wondered where they were from, and didn't detect any accents, but based upon their free-spirit attire and behavior, I guessed Northern California.

I was struck by just how young they were.

When I was young, I did not travel. I went to a very small-world college, where foreign things were feared and demonized. The farthest I traveled was from Lynchburg, VA to Washington, D.C. And so in my mind, the people who spend time during college, or even high school, traveling are wise people. They are mature beyond their years. Their experiences and exposures make them exude a peacefulness and understanding. Right?

I think I've seen that in my friends who I know to have traveled in their youth, but I see it in their 30 and 40-something selves. Not their college-age free spirit selves. Because I didn't know them then.

So it was slightly surprising to me that these well-traveled independent kids were kids. They were 20. Everything they said, everything they did, screamed: I am very young! I do not understand the world yet! I think that this boyfriend who I hooked up with on my trip to Turkey is my soul mate!

And I realized that just because they're traveling now, on their own, while young - does not mean they get to just skip over the growing up part. This is one of their experiences that will feed into their adulthood, and once they reach that point, they may (or may not) have that wise and well-traveled bearing that I foolishly expected from kids in their position right now.

To be fair, though, they reminded me so much of my friends from CA who did hook up on a post-college trip to Eastern Europe, and who now have 3 children together, their oldest being E's age. Even though they were undoubtedly young on their train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, while staring into each other's eyes declaring each other soul mates.

Turns out, toward the end of the ride, the girl saw that I was reading Snow, by Orhan Pamuk, a Turkish author, and therefore found me relatively approachable. They asked me if they could see our Amsterdam books, which I gladly shared. While they leafed through, an identifying bookmark that my local independent bookstore sticks into each book they sell fell out. The kids handed the books back with the bookmark on top, and said, "That's a great bookstore. We're from Boston." I said, "oh yeah?" and told them where we live. They said, "Yeah, we go to [undergrad of the school I just graduated from]." Holy shit! We all got a good laugh out of that one.

On a train, in Europe, we're sitting across from people who live around the corner from us!

Labels: europe

posted by Zuska @ 7:31 AM 0 comments

Lessons Learned

Next time we go to Europe (hopefully very soon), I will first consult my new list --

Non-stop flights ONLY. Since we're on the east coast, we can make this happen. As I will likely detail in a later post, we missed our connection on the way to Paris. It was no fault of ours, and honestly, it shouldn't have happened, but it resulted in a good bit of inconvenience (and new countries traveled to), and if we'd gone direct, it wouldn't have happened. We could not afford the direct flights this time, so we are less kicking ourselves for this time, and working to focus instead on next time. see separate post as to which airline we WILL NOT fly next time.
Bring a cell phone. If it means I upgrade my cell phone so it works on the Other Side, then that's what it means (honestly, I never checked if mine does). But the travel books (ooooh, another number on the list!) made it sound like getting "a phone card" and using it "at any phone" was going to be a piece of cake. HA! We only called the girls twice, but the second time, we stuffed at least 12 Euros into a phone, b/c it was the only way we could do it, despite a handful of phone cards and credit cards.
Bring my laptop. Internet cafes are not nearly as convenient to get to or to spend time in as I'd imagined. I didn't need much - but we did find out three days later that our cat-sitter locked herself out of the house, since e-mail was the only way she could contact us and we hadn't made it to a cafe in a few days. The girls also would have likely enjoyed a little more contact (but next time, they're coming with us! So it won't matter!)
No Shopping in Paris. Not that we did this time. But still, it's freaking expensive there. And I saw very little that wasn't just marked up because it was in Paris. There was one art gallery that we raised our eyebrows at as a place to return to if we ever have our own house to decorate. I think that's it. Actually -
No Going to Paris Unless Money is No Object. Which with house-buying and kids' college in our future will likely mean NEVER. It's just really hard for me, a girl with no job, to sit in a cafe and look at the menu to find that your cup of coffee will cost 6.50 in Euros, which translates to approximately 10 US Dollars! I am a Starbucks person! I am accustomed to giving an eyeball a day for a cup of coffee, but still, this was too much for me. Too much.
Do not rely on travel books. They are wrong. A lot. This was not such a big deal, but there was at least one time where our disappointment warranted several later references. We went to Haarlem, just outside of Amsterdam for the day on Monday. At that point, one of the items on our "to do" list was to eat Indonesian food. When looking through Time Out's narrative (small) on Haarlem, one thing that popped out at us was that there was an Indonesian restaurant that was the best on the planet right there in the center of the town. On the planet? (or maybe it was the country, but still, Amsterdam's known for its Indonesian, too, so it was still a big deal.) Definitely a two birds with one stone opportunity! But alas. As we found the address, and saw the sign for the restaurant on the street, we were immediately confronted with a sign on the door, scrawled in pen, saying something that must be Dutch for, "Ha! We fooled you, fuckers! No Indonesian food for you!" It was closed. Permanently.

This was by far not the only instance where something was closed. We knew that one of our books was published in 2005, and so we forgave it its inconsistencies (but if a restaurant is the best on the planet --- why does it close?) There were also pricing differences and such. As I said, though, this wasn't such a big deal. We were familiar enough with travel and Beloved was already familiar with Amsterdam, that it didn't cause even a hiccup, but it's a lesson.

Learn to Speak French.
Buy Art in Amsterdam. And Clothes. They have cool stuff. Their prices are nowhere near as high as in Paris.
If the Dollar Ever Gets a Backbone - Go to Europe!!!

I think that's it.

Things I already miss:

Canals
10 p.m. sunsets
bicycles
the music of foreign languages on the train
rows of cafes with outdoor seating where servers don't rush you out as soon as they see you wipe your mouth with a napkin
wondering what's around the next corner
the excitement of figuring a new city out, realizing that you understand the layout, even if just a little bit.

Labels: europe, travel

posted by Zuska @ 7:12 AM 0 comments

Jet Lag

We woke up in Amsterdam yesterday at 8 a.m. I hadn't slept so well for 2 nights, because our hotel was on a busy street, and while the sound as fine for the first few nights, a head cold descended upon me this past Monday, and it made me sleep less soundly, and the noise became bothersome.

We then got on the plane at 2 p.m., landing in Iceland (fucking Iceland) at 3:10 their time, getting back on a plane at 5 p.m. their time, which was 1 p.m. Boston time.

We landed in Boston, crossing our fingers that our checked luggage wouldn't be sopping wet and leaking gin, at 6:30 Boston time, which was 12:30 a.m. Amsterdam time.

We got home at 7:30.

We left for dinner at 8:30 (keeping track, that was 2:30 a.m., Amsterdam time). We got home at 9:30. The girls called at 10:30.

I passed out, finally, at 5 a.m., Amsterdam time.

But yet, I woke up at 5 a.m., Boston time.

What the hell?

Where's my tiredness? I want it back!!!

during my sleep, I dreamed I was still here -

Or perhaps in some American version, which was less responsible, less quaint, and a lot more excessive. Not really in a good way.

Labels: europe

posted by Zuska @ 7:01 AM 1 comments

Thursday, August 09, 2007

3 a.m.

We're home! We have a ton of pictures, and had a FANTASTIC time. I'm very fortunate, because my husband is a great travel buddy.

Now we have to deal with getting airplane grime off of ourselves, figuring out why the a/c won't turn on, and then going out to forage for food.

Good times,

[Girls are home in less than 48 hours! Holy Crap! Where did the summer go???]

Labels: europe, summer

posted by Zuska @ 7:47 PM 2 comments

Friday, July 27, 2007

Shifting Focus

I have butterflies in my stomach again.

Have I mentioned? I'm going to Europe tomorrow? I mean, tomorrow?

I packed my new bag (it's a backpack) last week during a "break" from studying, mostly to be sure I could fit all my stuff while deciding which bag to return. I haven't taken everything out since, and I'm pretty sure that it doesn't contain everything I need. Also, I don't think it's very neatly packed.

I'm getting my haircut today. And a manicure/pedicure. I have to mail the rent check, and I have to go see if our local bank has Euros, so that we can show up with some change in our pockets.

WOW! I'm going to Europe! TOMORROW! I haven't been since I was 15. Unless you count the Island (U.K.), then I guess I can say that I was there in 2000. But I am not really sure it counts. It just felt like a really old U.S. As dumb as that sounds. But ... wow!

Labels: europe

posted by Zuska @ 9:35 AM 3 comments

Saturday, July 21, 2007

I think this is okay ....

I had a super-successful productive day yesterday. I got through everything I wanted to, and thensome. I was working right up until midnight. I read through the February 2007 essay questions (all 10, which I found on the internet during the whole lawsuit media flurry, and liked having all 10 questions together to give myself a sense of the package deal) and felt okay - I didn't think I would have gotten a perfect score on all of them, but I think I understood what the issues were, and could have talked some for each.

Then today, we got up a little before 8. We went to our gyms. We came home, we showered. We walked up to town and went to our bank to sever our accounts (joint from individual) on our ATM cards, and changed our pin #s to be Euro-compliant. We went to an Indian food buffet, which was DELICIOUS. We went to the Gap, b/c I would like more skirts that I can just throw on to walk around town, and all my old ones fall off. We walked home slowly, stopping at Radio Shack to look for electricity converters for Europe. We talked, we enjoyed the 72 degree weather.

I did not freak out. I did not start twitching. I did not get upset.

It's now 1:30, and I'm about to head into my office/bar-study room/ kids' bedroom.

Do I feel guilty?

No.

Do I feel refreshed and ready to be productive?

Yes.

Do I, momentarily, feel like a healthy, well-rounded, able to carry on a conversation sort of person?

YES!

So no ... I don't feel guilty.

p.s. Feeling normal again also makes me miss my kids :( I really would like some snuggle time with them. I saw clothes in Gap Kids that would look great on them.

Labels: *E*, *J*, beloved, europe, exercise, weekends

posted by Zuska @ 1:27 PM 0 comments

Thursday, July 19, 2007

looking up and the sadness of harry potter

i had a great night's sleep last night, and am on my way out to the gym for an installment of endorphins.

spoke with the girls last night - i think they're doing well. they have not gone to see HP 5 yet, so i'll keep crossing my fingers that they don't make j go.

they are going to an HP book party on friday (jealous, jealous, jealous), and E is dressing as luna lovegood, and J is going as draco malfoy. he he he. really, she isn't a bad child.

not only is beloved not allowed to bring the book home from the party at his work on friday night, but he's not allowed to FORGET to bring it home from work on thursday, the 26th. i told him if he comes home (at 9 p.m. or so) without the book in his hand, we will return together, at 10 or so, to get it.

i am considering going dark b/t saturday and the exam on wednesday. perhaps locking my computer in a safe somewhere, and then losing the combination. i don't want to read spoilers about the book.

time to go sweat for a while. i think i'll bring our new book on Paris, and spend the time looking at where i'll be in just over a week.

Labels: *E*, *J*, books, europe, exercise, X

posted by Zuska @ 8:31 AM 1 comments

Sunday, July 08, 2007

But first a brief update on the diversions

Today I bought a new shoulder bag for the trip. I was going to bring my Timbuk2, but since my clothing choices keep heading toward skirts and less sporty attire, the Timbuk2 seems less appropriate. So I got a canvas British-looking thing, which is a bit more dressy, but not really.

I continued my search for shoes, but it was fruitless. I am contemplating taking a break from studying on Friday to head to the movies and see Harry Potter 5, and there's an REI over there. It may be my last attempt at finding a new pair of shoes, and if unsuccessful, I'm just going to deal with what I already own. It's getting to be so very frustrating, I could just spit.

Beloved and I saw two Third movies yesterday - Pirates and Oceans. I liked them both just fine. Neither blew me away, neither made me feel like I'd wasted my time or money. I was well entertained.

That is all. Everything else is "bar exam this" and "bar exam that."

One more random thought - having a dedicated study room is BLISS. I can't believe how peaceful this, and how focused I've felt. I spent time on Friday night (until 1:30 a.m.) cleaning this room, and it's spotless. I have a fan on in the hall (because this is the only room that is not air conditioned, which sucks if you're E or J) which keeps any sound that Beloved makes to a minimum (which is already minimal - he's writing in the other room all day while I'm studying in this room all day ... not so noisy in either camp).

Labels: europe, movies, shoes

posted by Zuska @ 9:37 PM 1 comments

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

My new obsession - travel wear

I am spending my revived internet connection on checking into what to wear in Paris and Amsterdam. I had been a little nervous, b/c I read that Paris was a dressy city, and that Amsterdam is not. So I thought, "crap, I'll have to pack two wardrobes" -- but now I think I'm okay.

I do worry about my feet.

In November of 2002, I stumbled down the steps of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I had on Dansko clogs, and my foot twisted onto its side in a way that [i think] pulled every single muscle and tendon in my foot. It hurt so much, I could barely walk for a week. I went to the doctor and had x-rays taken, thinking it was broken, but there were no breaks.

It's bothered me ever since.

I have changed my shoe-buying habits since then. I often go for brands that are known for their sturdiness rather than for their fashion-quota ... although I try to bridge the two. I still wear Danskos, but not that same heel, b/c I do occasionally turn my foot in them, and when I do, it sparks every bit of pain that I had on that day of the fall. I hear from many of my friends that they also turn their feet in those shoes, so then I don't think I'm that clumsy.

Now that we're going to Europe, I am not sure what to wear on my stupid feet. I wore my Clark's slides yesterday (they're kind of like this ... but not really), and my foot is still killing me.

So Beloved and I are going shopping for Born's on Saturday. I'm thinking of either these, or these. They're a little clunky for the skirts I'm planning to bring (like this one) but I just can't wear a strappy little slide and still have the ability to walk the next day.

A friend of mine told me about these shoes that are supposed to work on all the pressure points of your foot. The ones that I am finding, though, just aren't me, and the ones that are look too much like sneakers. I could not find more websites that say loud and clear DO NOT WEAR SNEAKERS IN EUROPE! Not to mention, Beloved wouldn't be caught dead with me, I don't think.

Sneakers and Shorts = the two no-no's in Europe. Which why I'm leaning toward skirts all around, with a pair of capris or 2 thrown in for travel days. I have 2 skirts I know I'm bringing (the one I linked to above, and one which is sort of similar in length and dressiness), and that I think are less "mix and match" pieces, and more of a piece of a set outfit. Then I have 2 long linen skirts - they're straight and ankle-length, super comfortable, and easy to dress up or down. I think I'm going to bring them, even though I think they're less stylish. They look good, they're just not "in style." And that's it! Not too hard.

Beloved is a little jealous. I think it is harder for men. Especially once you have the "no shorts" rule. He is a shorts guy. He would not, however, wear shorts in Europe. I suggested linen pants, and we're on a hunt. If anyone knows of a place to get nice men's linen pants for under $100, let me know.

Any feed back on my plans thus far from those seasoned Paris and Amsterdam travelers?

Labels: amsterdam, clothes, europe, fashion, paris

posted by Zuska @ 11:36 AM 2 comments

Friday, June 29, 2007

Yesterday, the Future

yesterday was a fun day.

1) Beloved made our reservations in both Paris and Amsterdam. I am very happy and I am very excited. I am also stunned that it's really so soon. We leave on 7/28. That wouldn't seem so soon (or maybe it would) if betwen now and then weren't this blur of time called the Bar Exam, which will FLY by, and keep me 100% occupied. It will be this looming thing in the future which will cause time to go by fast. I won't want it to go by fast, because I w'll want more time to study, but then, once it is here, and then over- BAM - it's time to get on the plane!

2) We made camping reservations! We're going with the girls in Vermont, on a river, in August. My parents are lending us their car for some time, while they're off in another country, and so the expenses will be so small, I'm okay with going despite the lack of paycheck until October. Kinda funny that if we had found a hotel for $54/night in either of our destination cities mentioned above, it would have been a miracle, yet for 3 nights of camping, $54 is the TOTAL! It helps that we have all the gear. We camped regularly in CA, but haven't managed to make it happen once since law school started. I'm very excited that we're getting to do this - both because I've been craving camping, and because I want to do something fun with the girls when they return.

Once I get past this giant wart on my future, the rest will be quite grand.

Labels: bar exam, camping, europe, family, vacation

posted by Zuska @ 8:45 PM 3 comments

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

multiple choice hell

I said yesterday that I was having a hard time a) feeling like I was getting the right ratio of work/family, and b) getting to where I need to be in order to pass the bar. Like I said, I was getting less than 50% of the questions right.

It looks like I'm slowly, slowly creeping into the sunlight of the topside of 50%. Thank God.

You know what that means, don't you?

I've earned the right to go to book group tonight.

Hell, no, I haven't read the book. As I told Beloved last night, the only thing I've had energy to read lately (other than outlines of Torts, Contracts, Wills, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, etc.) is catalogs! I'm thinking of bringing the latest J.Crew catalog over to book group, so I can show them why I have no freaking clue what happened in the book we'll be discussing. "See, I got to page 4 here, thought about how this woman does not have 2 fat cells to rub together to the point that that bikini does not look good on her, and then I fell asleep."

No, honestly, I'm re-reading Harry Potter 6. I do actually have the energy to re-read a book. I want to refresh my memory before the 7th comes out, which I think happens 3 days before the bar exam. Which means when I get home on July 26th, I can pass out for about 18 hours, and then devour the book.

(oh, oops. I think we're leaving for Europe about 18 hours after the exam ends.)

Labels: bar exam, bar prep, book group, books, europe

posted by Zuska @ 5:55 PM 0 comments

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