Ah, to have learned more math...

We have house guests staying with us. Here is a snippet of conversation we had tonight:

"Life would be boring if everyone got along." - Stuart.
"Would you actually learn anything?" - Jeannette.
"Sure, you'd just learn different things. You'd learn more math." - Craig

Cohousing!!!

For nearly a decade, I have been interested in intentional community. For a little over a year, I had the opportunity to live in community at Bowers House in Chicago. Day to day living in Bowers caused me to shed my rose-coloured glasses and see that living in community is not the utopian, resource-sharing, hand-holding, Kum-Ba-Yah-singing, isn't-it-great-we-all-get-along? ideal I must confess I held. Managing chores, debating the benefits of composting, fighting over lentils, and arguing about somebody using too much bandwidth are just as much a part of life together as planting gardens, working side by side, lending a helping hand, and sharing in communal meals. But while I may have lost a bit of my romanticism, I remain even more passionately committed to intentional community.

I am particularly drawn to co-housing a form of intentional community comprised of private homes for individual households sharing common spaces (larger kitchens, children's playrooms, gardens, music rooms, libraries, guest rooms, et al). Before and since moving to Edmonton, I sought out co-housing opportunities, but nothing existed here. Until now.

Last night, Craig and I attended a Co-Housing Meet-Up where we met other people who are interested in co-housing, particularly in developing a co-housing community close Edmonton's city core. Developing a community takes time. We are still likely 3-5 years from move-in. But we are ecstatic that such a plan is beginning to emerge. We are delighted to find others who share our values and commitments to community and sustainable living. And we are thrilled to be in on this project from the very beginning.

yea!! Co-housing!!

Fiesta

We have learned that if you want good Mexican food in Edmonton (especially decent vegetarian options), you had better make it yourself. So, thankfully, Sarah and Kevin hosted a Mexican potluck dinner last night. Craig made his delicious guacamole. And I prepared Mom's famous green enchiladas and my own delectable chipotle beans. We had salsa, tamales, empinadas (more Salvadoran, but still), burritos, and quinoa and corn (more Incan, but still). And I cannot forget the margaritas. Sarah certainly provided the "top shelf" spirits. And John and I mixed up some tasty drinks. (I fear that, for some, the 'ritas were a little too tasty.)

It was a perfect evening. Good food. Good friends. Babies. Dogs. My two regrets from the evening were that I didn't think to get a piñata until way too late yesterday afternoon; not only is good Mexican food hard to come by in E-town, but so are piñatas. I also wish I hadn't forgotten my camera. Alas, no photos to prove summer has officially arrived in Edmonton.

Epicurious in Edmonton 7

I realized that I have been remiss in recording our exploration of the Edmonton epicurean scene when we made plans to return to Langano Skies tomorrow night, and I had had yet to report on our visit there several weeks ago.

Three weeks ago, my friends Sarah and Kevin organized an outing to try an Ethiopian restaurant down on Whyte Ave., Langano Skies. Now I LOVE Ethiopian food, having had some fantastic dining experiences in DC and NYC, and Ethiopian is fabulous if done well. But I have also had some really bland Ethiopian cuisine, so I realize it can be hit or miss. Langano Skies was a definite hit.

First, let me comment on the service... we were a large group: Sarah and Kevin (sans little Colin, since Grandma was babysitting), Rachel and Piyush, Natasha and Semyon and Anya, and John (sans Julie). But the staff at LS took it all in stride, even the rambunctious toddler Anya exploring the entirety of the restaurant. Perhaps the most exceptional aspect of our service was our waiter. When the first two people ordered, she asked them why they had chosen the particular dishes they had. When they answered, she recommended other dishes. "If you want the curry, I would go with this, and if you were desiring the ginger, then this is a better choice." She said that while all the food was good, the particular dishes they had ordered did not have the rave reviews from previous diners as the ones she had suggested. When it was John's turn to order, he said, "Bring me your best vegetarian dish." Others also followed suit. The recommendations of our server proved to be fantastic. Which brings me to...

The food. It was delicious. The Shiro Wot, her recommended dish, was superb. As was the Atakilt Aletcha Wot. What am I saying, it was all good. The injera was warm and spongy. And the blend of flavours from the various wots was delectable. I only tried the vegetarian dishes, but the omnivores in our group raved about the meat dishes as well. I think I have found a favourite restaurant in Edmonton.

~~~~~

A few days after Langano Skies, we went out to dinner with Julie (sans John, they had taken turns leaving town). We decided to try a new Indian restaurant that opened within walking distance of both of our homes. The Curry House, Indian Fusion opened in April to good reviews, and as Craig walks by there on his way to work, he has been eager to visit the new establishment. The restaurant is very cozy, only six tables or so, with elaborate decor of lush fabrics. We were the first customers there, arriving for dinner at 6pm, but the place soon filled more. Btu even with other customers, the owner/manager and wait staff were very attentive and offered good suggestions for food and drink. I was impressed that they serve a plain lassi, as most places only have the mango variety (or gasp, strawberry). I adore the plain, and this one was delicious. After our meal, I learned that they also have a savory lassi. Craig hates the savory ones, but I love them. So next time, I will be ordering that. Alas, I do not remember what we ordered (the problem with waiting so long to blog about a meal). But it was tasty. Not the best Indian ever (I have discriminating tastes, having enjoyed many, many delicious meals on Devon St. in Chicago), but yummy and satisfying and some of the better Indian I have had in Edmonton. I am concerned though, as the owner was saying they would soon be offering dishes with "low fat butter" and Splenda to "prove Indian food doesn't have to be unhealthy". If they change their menu to include these "healthy" options, we probably won't return. Even despite the promise of savory lassis. However, if they keep serving the quality of food we had this time, we will definitely walk that way again.

Matchmaker

I have a question. When it is appropriate to set two people up? I have this friend, Colin, who is handsome, sweet, and very smart (see for yourself*). And I would love to introduce him to my niece Eloise. Now, I know, Eloise is not even a day old, and she has a lot of adjusting to do: meeting Trooper (her dog), becoming a pooper, letting her parents get some sleep, etc. But I know she is a very swift learner, having already learned to breastfeed - not all babies do that easily. So, I am not talking about setting them up to meet like next week or anything hasty like that. But I just think they could hit it off, and I don't want an opportunity for them to meet to pass by. Now, I know, the fact that Colin is an older fella (having been around more than 100x longer than Eloise and with lots more experience) might worry Eloise's parents, especially Papa Chris. But Auntie Rachel will vouch for Colin, and I can say that he comes from a very good family (mom is a journalist, dad a physicist), and he is a very good boy. My original question: When is it appropriate to set two people up?

*note: the link contains not only photos but Colin's CV of skills and experience as well

Twilight (halfway through)

I am halfway through the book, Twilight, and many times I have felt the urge to throw it across the room. At the halfway point, this book offends my feminist sensibility and romanticizes controlling behaviors that, in my line of work, I have been trained to see as red flags for abuse in relationships. This books makes me so angry. And I am horrified that so many young girls LOVE this book and see the vampire protagonist, Edward, as "dreamy", an ideal boyfriend. Ugh!! I am so tempted to toss it out all together.

The thing that keeps me from doing this is that is that the book belongs to my friends Juli and John. And it's not that I want to take care of things I have borrowed (which I do), but because I have such respect for Juli and John as intelligent, thoughtful, reflective, and feminist people. And they loved the book. And so many other people I know, love, and respect, absolutely LOVE this book, indeed the whole series. My college friend Becky, a feminist and a children's librarian, claims that this is one of the few series she has ever reread. What am I missing here? I am committing myself to finishing the book to answer that very question.

In the meantime, I am wrestling with the intense response this book has provoked in me. Part of my response is cerebral. But much, much more is emotional and personal. And while it is tempting to keep all of that at a distance, to strictly write a rational, feminist evaluation, if I am going to honestly critique this book, without having even finished it, then at least I need to acknowledge the emotional component of my response up front.

So, where to begin? Stephenie Meyer certainly does know her audience. She writes to teenage girls, in the voice of a teenage girl. And she skillfully and exquisitely captures the angst and insecurity, vulnerability and turmoil of adolescence and young love. Her female protagonist, Bella, doubts her abilities, lacks confidence, and sees herself as clumsy, dumpy, and ordinary. Just like I did. Didn't you? And Bella becomes infatuated with beautiful, brilliant, strong, and mysterious Edward, who happens to be a vampire. Talk about the ultimate bad boy. But Edward doesn't always play like the bad boy. He's becomes Bella's knight in shining armor, her savior. Again and again, he saves her life, proving that he is really a good guy, despite that pesky little thirst for human blood thing. And Edward doesn't want to be bad. He struggles with his own nature. He's a tortured soul, who longs for human contact and he turns to Bella, who is the only person who can truly know him and who can save him from himself. He sees beyond her perceived ordinariness to the exception wisdom, beauty, and mystery she possesses.

A perfect romance, eh? The beautiful, tortured boy saves the plain, ordinary girls from great evil (and mundane living), and she in turns saves him from his a loneliness and through her love, helps him to find himself. It's what every teenage girl dreams, right? I know I did. Bella becomes hopelessly weak and reckless in her infatuation. And she doesn't show the strength or backbone I would want her to show. She gets all ga-ga and stupid. But every girl does that. As my friend Jen states, "Weren't we all a little dysfunctional at seventeen?"

But this book, at least the first half, goes beyond the "normal" dysfunction of teenage girls in love. Edward's behavior is consistent with that of an abuser. He professes his desire to keep Bella safe, from danger in the world and from his own nature. On one hand he tells her that she is amazing and strong, and all the while he undermines her confidence. He claims that she is so special and unique that she needs to be protected. Never mind that Bella has done a fine job taking care of herself for seventeen years with absent parents. Suddenly, she is "delicate" and needs the protection only he can offer. And Edward casts everyone around her is a threat to her, even her friends and himself. And so he begins to manipulate her to mistrust her friends and to lie to those around her. Classic abuser behavior. He constantly does this come-closer-pull-away trick, to keep her uncertain of their relationship. Remember, she no longer has friends she can confide in the help her discern what is happening between her and Edward. He is extremely jealous of any attention given to her by other boys or any attention she may show to them, even as friends. Edward constantly tells Bella that he just cannot resist her, that she has such power over him. And he's a stalker. He follows her. He watches her sleeping. He eavesdrops on conversations.

And when Bella finds out, she thinks it's romantic. "Ah, he likes me."

And when teenage girls read this, they think it's romantic. "Ah, he likes her."

And when teenage boys treat teenage girls like this, they think it's romantic. "Ah, he likes me."

But it's not romantic. It's sketchy. It's creepy. It's controlling. It's manipulative. And it's abusive.

My friend Amy, a leader of the Women's Center on our seminary campus, has told me to "hang in there", that Bella develops a backbone and matures as the story progresses. I hope she's right. And I hope that when Stephenie Meyer smartens Bella up, that she will call out Edward's controlling, manipulative behaviors and name them unacceptable. Otherwise she does a great disservice to her readers by framing romance in the terms of these abusive behaviors.

I am continuing to read. And if I feel the need to throw the book while reading it, I will just conjure up any of the Edwards I have known (and loved) in my life and throw the book at them.

building

Natasha, Semyon, and their daughter Anna arrived in Edmonton this weekend. They are friends of our from Chicago who have come here for Natasha to join the Physics Department (and to share an office with Craig!). Yes, it's a small world.

As we were helping them put together their furniture from IKEA, I couldn't help but to think that we just weren't building chairs, dressers, and a dining room table, but we were building community. We have wonderful friends here, both new friends we have made in the past year, and now old friends who have joined us. What a gift that is.

Epicurious in Edmonton 6

Last Friday, I had a stressful meeting, so my Beloved took me out for a romantic dinner to lift my spirits. :) We decided to try out Murrieta's West Coast Grill on Whyte Ave. The place is named for the legendary bandit/hero (depending on one's point of view), Joaquin Murrieta, which led to a stimulating conversation/debate (depending on one's point of view) about how our culture glorifies outlaws, scoundrels, and the like. One thing Craig and I did agree on was that the dark wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, posh decor, extensive wine list, live jazz piano, and eclectic menu were not consistent with the bandito/revolutionary image of Murrieta. They did, however, create a delightful epicurean experience for us.

We started with the the baked brie appetizer, moved on to the grilled vegetable flat bread, followed by the jumbo ravioli, and finished up with the bread pudding. Everything we had was delicious (though the bread pudding is not the very best in Edmonton - see below), and the service was impeccable. Murrieta's is an ideal place for a romantic dinner or night out with a visiting scholar. I expect we'll return.

~~~~~
Earlier this week, we returned to a favorite place of ours, Da-De-O, with our friends John and Juli, who had never visited the cajun diner before. Tuesday is Po-Boy night, which made it a good excuse to try their po-boys. Usually, we just stick to the vegetarian jambalaya or the BBQ beans and rice. Craig, Juli, and I all decided to break from our vegetarianism and opted for seafood while John held fast to his veggie principles. My calamari po-boy was overflowing with crispy, spicy perfection. I got the potato hash as the side instead of the famous sweet potato fries. But I swiped some of the fries from Craig's plate. I also sampled his blackened catfish - not bad. We finished the night sharing key lime pie and bread pudding. The pie was not so great, especially after last week's excursion to Vi's, but the bread pudding was phenomenal. It could very well be the best we've had in Edmonton, though I think a taste test between Da-De-O and Highlevel Diner might just be in order.

Epicurious in Edmonton 5

It's an unassuming storefront, simply signed "Cafe", so easy to miss as you pass by on Stony Plain Road. But Vi's for Pies is not one to be missed. I had heard about this place from Jodi, a social worker at the hospital, and my friend Lorenza, who lived in Edmonton for a while, confirmed Jodi's recommendation. So on Wednesday, Craig and I went decided to check it out with our friends Juli and John. And wow, are we glad we did!! When we first walked in, we were greeted by the sight of nearly 20 different pies on the counter. They obviously want you to see what's on the menu for the day and to save room for dessert.

Vi's has a decent vegetarian menu, and between the four of us, we were able to order four different vegetarian entrees. I ordered the quiche (remember, I have been on a quiche kick), and it was sublime - light and fluffy, better than my own. Craig got the veggie lasagna which scrumptious, not quite as flavorful as mine, but more saucy (and Craig liking it so much made me realize that he prefers as saucy lasagna; I will have to sauce mine up a bit). It was the spanakopita for John. The spinach was quite tasty, though the crust not as crispy as I would like . It seemed like it was baked earlier and then reheated. Still the flavors were excellent. Juli had soup and salad - fresh and light.

Then we got the pies. After another trip to the front to view the pies, and we settled in for dessert. John's key lime pie was the best I have had outside of Florida. Juli's strawberry shortcake was nice, though the biscuit was hard. Craig's pecan, caramel, banana, and chocolate cheesecake was OH MY GOD delicious. And my raspberry and lemon cream pie was light and tart and absolutely perfect. Yum. We will definitely go back!

~~~~~~
It was hard to follow such a delicious dinner with a lunch out the following day. But our department had decided to take Lindsay out for lunch to celebrate her ministry with us as she prepares to move on the Winnipeg. We headed down the street from the hospital to a new noodle house, Thanh Thanh. I pass Thanh Thanh when I am lazy and/or running late and take the bus instead of walking into work. The place has caught my eye on a number of occasions (I love noodle houses), so I have wanted to check it out.

I would be interested in returning with a smaller group since our preordering and then arriving late during the busy lunch hour seemed to throw the staff off and the service was not ideal. The food was delicious (I had the lemongrass chili tofu), though it did make me a bit gassy. :]

the world is mine...

My new passport arrived today. My old one expires in May, so I learned just how ridiculously hard it is to expedite a passport renewal while living in another country, and I had it renewed.

It's a little sad to give up my old passport. It's been in my back pocket on transatlantic flights and flights across North America. It's the passport issued just before I took off for Central America in 1999. It's been to Mexico a time or two. And it's got all of the stamps from going back and forth between Canada and the US many, many times. There are stamps from our honeymoon, both Belgium and Spain. And while it wasn't stamped in Israel, there is an Israeli security sticker on the back. That passport holds so many memories of so many adventures. And the picture was just so darned cute.

This new one won't be able to stay in the back pocket of my jeans. It's new, stiff cover protects the special electronic features. The photo is not nearly as adorable. But the blank pages invite me to more treks and travels.

Interesting that it arrived the very same day as the invitation to Tania and James' wedding at Canterbury Cathedral this summer...

I need a weekend to recover from my weekend...

Here are the makings of an exhausting (but fun and friendship-filled) weekend:

Friday

• ICU nurses night out (good for the chaplain to join them, eh?)

Saturday

• laundry
• farmer's market (getting there so late they were sold out of decent onions)
• search for canning jars, quart size (finally found at Canadian Tire, of all places)
• attempt to make yogurt
• game night with Lindsay and Brian
• realization one shouldn't leave the house for several hours when yogurt is in the incubation period

Sunday

• brunch (and baby fix) with Sarah, Kevin, and Colin
• conference call with the Peace, Justice, and Environment Project
• grocery shopping
• collapse, and watch a couple episodes of Battlestar Galactica (we started the series last month)

quiche me, quick!

Recently, I have rediscovered the joy, the ease, the simplicity, the versatility, and the yumminess of quiche. It started last weekend, Easter Sunday. Coming home from the church service where I preached, I was suddenly craving a good quiche. I suspect it had something to do with the myriad images of colored eggs bombarding me. Perhaps my body was just craving protein. Regardless, I wanted quiche. Having been reminded of how amazingly easy making quiche is, especially with a store bought crust (it was a last minute craving. besides, we don't have room to roll out a crust in our tiny, urban kitchen), I volunteered to make a quiche for brunch at our friends' house this weekend. Both quiches turned out spectacularly well. And this is (more or less) how they were made:

Ingredients:

• 1 - 9 in. pie crust (you can buy one like I did, or make your own and feel superior to me)
• lots of fresh veggies, about 1-2 cups when chopped and cooked
  - for the Easter quiche, I used what vegetables we had on hand (zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach)
  - for the latest quiche, I used fresh asparagus
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped - onions are listed separately from vegetables as I consider them to be an essential base ingredient for most any dish
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3-4 eggs
• 1/2 c. yogurt (or just a big serving-spoonful)
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp. dried or 2 Tbsp. fresh herbs (rosemary, basil, tarragon, you choose. I used tarragon; this is a new herb for me, and I am just discovering its versatility. I didn't use this in the first quiche, but it worked really well in the second.) (as always, meaurements are rough guesses/suggestions)
• 1/2 c. grated cheese (we used mozzarella as we had it on hand, but cheddar, colby, or monterey jack would work, too) (and we didn't exactly measure the cheese. Craig grated it and it looked to be a little more)
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
• salt and fresh ground pepper

Making the Quiche:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Prick holes in the bottom of the pie crust and partially bake, say 5 min
• Saute onion and garlic (with a little salt and pepper) on medium heat until soft, about 2 minutes
• Add other vegetables, cook for another minute or two, remove from heat
• Beat eggs and yogurt together.
• Beat in nutmeg and herbs to egg mixture
• Stir in cheeses and cooked veggies to egg mixture
• Pour egg mixture into pie crust
• Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden and completely cooked in center

Enjoy.

Please leave a comment and let me know if you try this recipe.

the professor's wife

In the past year, I have had a number of labels put on me, in some cases even stamped into my passport: immigrant, settler, dependent, wife... And I have been struggling to figure out how these labels relate to words I have previously used to describe myself: citizen, activist, independent, feminist, partner...

Many sacrifices have been made in order for Craig and I to be together and for Craig to assume this amazing position and to fulfill the vocation dream he has held since he was six (he jokes that in 1st Grade, he changed his major for paleontology to astronomy). And some of those sacrifices have been tough for me.

But one thing I have realized is that I LOVE being a "professor's wife"*, although I struggle with being identified as anyone's possession (fortunately Craig would never see me as such). As a professor's wife, I get all of the benefits of the community of academia (stimulating conversations, fascinating community, access to lectures and concerts, etc) without actually having to get the PhD, without having to sit through departmental meetings, and without having to teach (though I think I would enjoy the teaching piece).

Back in the fall, I joined the Faculty Women's Club, which although it is open to women faculty, consists mostly of professor's wives. While my current job does not allow me to attend as many gatherings as I would like, I have enjoyed and appreciated the myriad gifts these women have given to me, namely the gift of empathetic support. These women know what it means to be uprooted for a partner's career. They know what it means to move across the continent or around the globe from one's family. They know the vulnerability one feels as a setller, an immigrant, a newcomer. They know the sacrifices I have made. They have bene there. They have survived. And indeed they have thrived.

The other gift these women give me is the sense that success and accomplishment need not be dependent upon employment. Many of these women had vibrant and thriving careers of their own, but many did not. Some held jobs that filled them with meaning and purpose, others simply worked for additional income, and still others did not draw paychecks for their activities. But all of these women are successful and accomplished. They have lived into their passions. They have filled their time and their lives with growth, learning, service, community, beuty, action, hobbies, and pursuits.

Last night, members of FWC gathered at Eunice's house as she showed us her Inuit art collection, shared her stories of working on various galleries across Canada, and imparted to us her love for and desire to learn about the Inuit people. On the way home, I was talking with my friend Sarah (another gift of FWC) and together, we were commenting on how inspirational these women who have been there are to us newbies who are just figuring out what it means to be a "professor's wife".

I don't know if I'll ever get used to the labels put upon me. I don't know when I'll stop feeling the sense of loss at the life I left behind (even while celebrating the life that currently brings me such joy). I don't know where I will find my sense of purpose, success, and accomplishment in this new world. But I do know I appreciate the wisdom, friendship, and support I receive from me community of "professors' wives".



* Despite the fact that I am not actually Craig's "wife", people still see me as such. Or, they see him as my husband: http://www.phys.ualberta.ca/physicsupdate/archive/FallSocial2008/FallSocial2008/FallSocial2008_008.html

Baby Fix

Occasionally, I just have this strong urge to cuddle up with a cutie-pie (smaller than Craig) and to flirt incorrigibly with a baby.

Fortunately, our friends Sarah and Kevin will occasionally loan me their new kid, Colin, to assuage this desire and supply my kid-fix.

Look at those dimples. Isn't he just the cutest?

Thanks, Sarah and Kevin for a wonderful brunch. And for letting me play with Colin this afternoon.

mmm, sushi

Making sushi is not as hard as it looks. In fact, I think we got a little carried away.

There were only four of us.

time out

Sally at revgalblogpals writes:

Holy Week is almost upon us, I suspect that ordained or not, other revgal/pals calendars look a bit like mine, FULL, FULL, FULL........

Jesus was great at teaching us to take time out, even in that last week, right up to Maundy Thursday he withdrew, John's gospel tells us he hid! He hid not because he was afraid, but because he knew that he needed physical, mental and spiritual strength to get through...

So faced with a busy week:

1. What restores you physically? Sleep. After a night on-call at the hospital which included a two hour call at 3am, I am in need to physical restoration. Also yoga. And walking. And sex.

2. What strengthens you emotionally/mentally? Friendships. Genuine, engaging friendships. Friendships filled with laughter, authenticity, challenge, vulnerability, acceptance, and love. The type of friendship Dar Williams sings about in her song "Arrival":

My friends give me purple flowers and orange tea
On goosedown spilling quilts and turquoise chairs
We greet each other in a wild profusion of words
And wave farewell amidst the wonderment of air
And in the laughing times we know that we are lucky
And in the quiet times we know that we are blessed
And we will not be alone

This verse always makes me think of my friend Amy's dorm room in Brown Hall.

3. What encourages you spiritually? Friendships (see above). And interestingly, the myriad skeptical/atheist blogs I read.

4. Share a favourite poem or piece of music from the coming week. Six years ago, I wrote a hymn for Palm Sunday. You can find the text here on my old blog.

5.There may be many services for you to attend/lead over the next week, which one are you most looking forward to and why? If there aren't do you have a favourite day in Holy week if so which one is it? My theology is very eucharistic, centered around the communion table. So I LOVE Maundy Thursday. Fortunately, I will be preaching at one of the two Disciples churches in Edmonton on that evening. It will be the frist time I have presided at the communion table in months. I have been feeling so disconnected from my denomination, the wider Church, and religion in general these days - utterly lacking in communion with my tradition, despite frequent church attendance. So, this could be a homecoming of sorts. Or it could be an affirmation that I can't go home again. Or I could realize that I no longer want to call that space home. We'll see...

Aloha

I'm actually surprised that this was my first time. I have always wanted to do it, but have never had the opportunity until last night. Finally, I had my chance.

I donned my grass skirt, carried my new ukulele and my crock-pot full of "chicken" adobo, and headed to a murder-mystery luau (Craig carried the blended and the fixin's for pina coladas).

I love being in costume. I love playing games. I love performing. So a murder mystery dinner is just my thing.

(Mom thought it amusing that a bunch of chaplains gathered for a murder-mystery night. But you know, our work is so intense, and it's good for us to connect with each other outside of that environment. And being surrounded by the seriousness of death and dying all week long, it's good to be able to inject a little "gallows humour" into our lives.)

I didn't solve the murder (Craig did). But I did look smashing in my fabulous grass skirt.

Blogs I Read

So RevGalBlogPals wants to know what blogs I read regularly. And I am supposed to limit it to only five. Yikes! I have over 30 subscriptions in my Google Reader alone.

So I'll start by saying that I read the blogs of many of my friends, check out their recipes and cute pictures of their babies. I read what's in their hearts and on their minds (and in Lisa's case, in her fridge). But I won't list those blogs among my five though these friends often do challenge me, inspire me, and make me laugh.

That said, these are the blogs (by people other than my friends) I regularly read:

Reason, Skepticism, Atheism:
As a person with a complicated relationship with organized religion (at times, I have hope and believe that religion can be a positive and healing force in our world and in the lives of individuals, but I have also seen how, too often, religion and faith can be so destructive to people, to communities, and to societies at large), I am drawn to writers who engage me on an intellectual level, challenge my religious beliefs (or lack thereof) and force me to wrestle with my understandings of self and systems and the world. I am especially interested in the discussions around ethics and morality from a non-religious perspective. First of all, I think the dialogue around ethics gets much more interesting and complex when you move beyond "'Cause the Bible tells me so." Secondly, I am discovering that without a god to blame or a god to forgive, people are challenged to articulate and to live into their ethical values in more integrated and consistent ways. My favorite blogs skeptic/atheist blogs are Unreasonable Faith and Pharyngula.

News and Politics:
I am a political junkie. The US election is over, but still I check DailyKos everyday. Sometimes several times a day. And recently, in my desire to learn about the Canadian political scene (I do reside here in the Great White North) despite my inability to vote here, I have begun to read InformedVote. I may even start writing for them!!

Friends' Health:
I have several friends recovering from injury or illness. Last year, when working at the Children's Hospital, I discovered the CaringBridge website which allows families and patients to update their friends and loved ones about their status. It's a great service they provide, so I am happy to plug their site. I do check in on my friends Grant and Anna everyday.

Humour:
So I must confess my guilty pleasure: laughing at these photos of cats and dogs and silly captions (with horrible spelling and grammar). I was pleased to learn that I was not alone in this addiction to the adorable LOLcats.

Epicurious in Edmonton 3

We've done a lot of hanging out with our friend Juli this past. Which is great, because Juli is amazing. She and her husband John are both the kind of people who are wonderful to be around since they are both brilliant and interesting, well-informed on a variety of subjects, and so comfortable in their own minds. And I am not just saying this because I know that John occasionally reads my blog.

John and Juli moved to Edmonton around the same time we did (from Chicago!). As fellow vegetarians, they have been great friends with whom we have explored the culinary delights of Edmonton's dining scene.

Last Friday, John was out of town. Craig and I were exhausted, having survived intense on-call shifts (me) and the Chandra proposal deadline (Craig). We wanted to go out, but nothing too taxing. So we decided on pizza. Fortunately, the best pizza in town is just a few blocks from our place: Famoso Neopolitan Pizza (apparently, they are a franchise - I just learned this going to get the link - but at this time, the only franchise is the one in our neighborhood. I guess they are seeking to build a franchise). We have been to Famoso before with Juli and John, so it was a known entity, known to be spectacular. However, we had only been to Famoso on a weeknight, never a Friday night. And as someone who prefers lazy, non-taxing Friday evenings, I don't imagien we will go back on a Friday again. At Famoso, you wait to be seated, then you go to the counter and put in your order. As your order is ready, they bring it out to you. On Friday nights, the place is so packed, you can't even see the sign which tells you to please wait to be seated. So upon walking into the restaurant, one cannot tell if people are waiting for tables of waiting at the counter to order. This led to some people inadvertantly cutting in front of a whole line of people and snatching a table as soon as it was vacated. Though I didn't want the role, I became "line enforcer" - ugh! After about 45 minutes, we were seated. We then enjoyed a scrumptious gorgonzola, walnut salad and a gorgeous quattro fromaggi (with roasted mushroom) pizza. The food was fabulous, as it had been previously, but I think I'll stick to weeknights for Famoso.

Yesterday, Juli called and invited us to head to Don Antonio's Mexican Food, Ltd. I called Craig to see if he was up for dinner with our friends, only to learn that he had John, who had returned home from his trip, in his office asking him the same thing. Apparently, they had launched a coordinated, bi-directional invitation. We could hardly refuse. Don Antonio's is another restaurant a few blocks from our place (have I mentioned that we live in a fantastic neighborhood?). As a Texan, I was raised on good Mexican. Being a vegetarian living in Canada, I know good Mexican is hard to come by. And Don Antonio's is actually surprisingly good. Homemade chips, salsa, and guac put it a step above most restaurants in the states. And while the menu is not necessarily vegetarian friendly, the kitchen staff is quite accomodating and they will prepare most dishes without meat upon request. (We didn't want to ask about lard, but I get the impression it is not so common in Canada). The chilis relenos has unique, delicious, sweet flavor, unlike any I have had before. The tamal was quite bland, but the enchilada, while not as spectacular as mine, was tasty. Perhaps someday I will open "Raquelita's Cucina Vegetariana", but until then, I'll return to Don Antonio's when I get a craving for the comfort food of my youth.

So were our epicurian adventures (w/ Juli) this past week.

no monopoly on morality

A few years ago, I declared that I despised the game Monopoly and refused to play it ever again. I sited its obsessive capitalistic leanings as the reason, saying I didn't approve of the value (of fanatical financial acquisition) the game promoted. In reality, it's just a crappy game. Very little strategy is needed to win. In fact, you can play as perfect a game as your rolls allow, and still lose. Badly. As was the case the last time I played Monopoly and swore I would never play again. I hadn't fully realized that my hatred of this game stems from lack of interesting game-play (because the game really does promote a rampant, capitalistic behavior which I have long despised - though only recently has it become popular to despise) until I had to confront my own inconsistency when I was introduced to the game Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico is a brilliantly designed game, which holds your interest with a fantastic balance of strategy and chance and player interaction. It's a truly fabulous game, with only one catch: the little pieces you acquire who represent the people who come to Puerto Rico to work your plantations. The game calls them "settlers". In reality, they are slaves. And slavery is not a value of mine. But the game is really good. Or at least, the game play is superb.

So, what do I do? I must confess I did a decent amount of moralizing against Monopoly in the past few years (sorry Ree!). I think this will just be the case where I name things for what they are, including my own inconsistency. I will admit that Monopoly does promote a value-system that is not my own, but that the reason I dislike the game is because it's a poorly designed game. And I will say that Puerto Rico does not promote my values, but I will admit that the game is fun to play.

And I did have fun playing the game last night over at Sharon and Eric's house.