New Year's Food Part One- Yum!

As we've already established I love traditions, I set out to find some foods that might supplement our New Year's Eve/Day celebrations. Well, not for this year, since Keith is about 1,174 miles away in Colorado but hopefully for our future New Year's celebrations.


I must preface this post by saying I am working on becoming a better cook. Working on...like my skills are seriously in progress. As in, any recipes I find must be designated as "easy" or "quick" for me to even give them a second glance. One of my goals for 2010 is to become a better cook but seeing as we're only on day 2...I've got some work to do.


Searching around the internet I found an article on Lucky New Year's Foods from Epicurious.com. I am always epicurious so I checked it out. Here are some of the foods they said were lucky and/or traditional foods for the New Year.

It is a Spanish tradition to eat 12 grapes at midnight- one grape for each stroke of the clock. This dates back to 1909, when grape growers in the Alicante region of Spain initiated the practice to take care of a grape surplus. The idea stuck, spreading to Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies such as Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru...and will soon be coming to the Spitzer house! 

Each grape represents a different month, so if the third grape is a bit sour for example, March might be a rocky month. According to the article, the goal is to swallow all the grapes before the last stroke of midnight, but Peruvians insist on taking in a 13th grape for good measure. How can you tell how the grapes taste if you are eating them so fast? Hmmm...

I know Keith will like this one as he can eat grapes like a champion. I witnessed an event where he tried to fit as many grapes in his mouth as he could (think chubby bunny but with grapes)...and I think he made like 50 disappear at once. I was actually proud...it was a lot of grapes. Finally, a tradition us Spitzers can get behind! Stay tuned for other lucky New Year's foods and for a list of bad luck foods to be avoided. 

In the meantime, do you have any lucky or traditional New Year's Eve or Day foods you enjoy?  

New Year, New Traditions

I love traditions!! I like when things are predictable and repetitive (maybe a mild form of OCD?) and what is tradition if not predictability and repetition at their best?

Since Keith and I have been married I have been trying to develop some traditions for us as a couple in addition to continuing the ones we've incorporated from our own families. And so, I got this book as a Christmas gift...

I saw this book online and knew I had to have it. But since it was super close to Christmas, I gave it to my mom to wrap up and give to me on Christmas and then she reimbursed me for the book. (Side note: Does anyone else pick out and buy their own gifts only to be paid back later or is that totally weird?)

Anyway, this book has all sorts of ideas for traditions and celebrations incorporated in various cultures and families. I have to admit that in my opinion, most of the ideas for New Year's traditions were lame so I won't bore you with them here. The book did suggest starting an annual family time capsule and answering a series of questions on December 31st and saving them to be reviewed each year. Questions the book suggests include:

- How old are you now?

- What is your favorite song?

- Who do you most admire?

- What was your best moment this year? Worst moment?

- What was your biggest surprise?

- What are your hopes for next year?

And, of course, you could always add your own questions too. I think this idea is fun I just don't know if I could get Keith on board as he's not so big on the retrospective stuff. And I don't think it has the same appeal if I write his for him. Booooo. I'll have to keep looking around for a tradition for the Spitzer's New Year's celebrations.

What about you? Do you have any New Year's Eve/Day traditions?

Happy New Year! And the Resurrection of Spitzer Tales!!

Hello? Hello? Does this thing still work? If I said I had been updating this blog religiously but due to some technical difficulties none of those well-written, high quality posts actually made it to the blog would you believe me? Yeah, I wouldn't either. Ok, so this blog has been super neglected. But it's New Year's...a time for looking forward, not backwards; and for making resolutions. One of my resolutions is to try and stay in better touch with people in 2010 and this blog is a part of that plan. So, here we go...

Keith is currently out of town celebrating his grandmother's 90th birthday party in Colorado. 90 years, isn't that amazing?!? I am so happy he was able to go celebrate with his family but did miss him when the clock struck midnight last night and I kissed...the dog.

I went to check out some of the Rose Parade floats being built yesterday with my parents. It was really fun to go behind the scenes and see how the floats are made. I have done this a few times but am always super into it. Here are a few of my favorite snaps from our excursion...

The Bayer Advanced Float (My Favorite One)

The Anheuser-Busch Float- It was drawn by their Clydesdales!

The Honda Float

I Heart Trader Joe's...

The Trader Joe's Float came complete with flying pig.

I hope you all had an amazing New Year's Eve and relaxing New Year's Day. We've been watching movies aaaaalllllllll day and it's been wonderful. Here's to an awesome 2010!

Keith's First Post

So today was a very exciting day for me at work. For those who saw my facebook updates today you already know a little. For those that didn't; here is as recap of what I did at work. (That sounds like a really lame way to start my first posting, but trust me it isn't.)

I had the assignment of covering President Obama's town hall meeting in Orange County today. I know it sounds rough but it was loooonnnnnggggg day!

During the very contentious '02 Presidential Elections of Whitworth, in which I had very strong feelings about one candidate, I was chastised by my advisor for my views. Since then my role as a journalist has changed a little, I have a clear understanding on the issue. I hate seeing when reporter friends put on their profiles that they support certain candidates or political parties. We are supposed to be reliable sources of information, but expressing your views turns you from journalist to pusher of ideas. So.... with that said, here is my day covering the President, in an objective manner.

I had to be there by 9 to start setting up and carrying in all my gear. We all had to be complete in by 10, even though things didn't start until 4. They had to search all our stuff and have the bomb dogs sniff everything. So while they searched from 10-1:30 my engineer and I sat around in the shade. Then we were let into the hall again to get everything ready for the town hall. Our little PBS station was the only one from the LA area to cover it wire to wire. We went on the air when President Obama came in and didn't end until he was leaving the hall. Yup all 1 hour and 15 min live on the air.

So I know that that doesn't sound like much, it happens all the time in TV. The diffence with that and ours is that we only had 1 camera. Shows like American Idol have lots of cameras and all sorts of fancy things that help them polish the show nicely. We had a single camera 50 yards away from the President and stayed on it the whole time we were on the air. I think that was the hardest I have worked in television, and I have walked backwards for more than a mile following a protest march with 40 pounds of gear on my back and shoulder. I had to focus on what I was doing so intently that I kinda forgot where I was at times. By the end of it I was exhausted. Don't get me wrong. It was a great thrill getting to cover the President of the United States, but it was like running a marathon.

What I saw today was one of the most eloquent speakers that I have ever heard. Regardless of political views, his ability to connect with the audience and speak candidly and with great depth of knowledge are something to be seen. I have heard the pundits on other networks say that he can't talk unless he is reading from the prompters, but I can say that he was "off-script" for nearly all of the town hall meeting. He rolled up his sleeves and spoke to the audience about genuine questions. If you have not heard him speak in person I strongly urge you to. I know that doesn't sound like the impartial ideal that I was preaching earlier, but I think that there is a slight difference. I am not advocating his politics or his plan for the future, nor am I railing against it. I am simply saying that he is worth seeing, if only for rhetorical analysis. And no rhetoric is not a dirty word. if you don't believe me ask my wife the communications professor.

There are few times in my career that I have been struck by what I see and hear. I have gotten to interview childhood hockey heros, and meet famous people. Today, however, was something that I will find hard to lump in with other things that I have done. And while I am more tired than I have been in a long time from a day of news coverage, I am still in awe of what I got to be a part of today.

A New Reason to go to the Dentist

source

Just a quick post cause it's late!

I recently saw a friend of mine who is currently in dental school. I may or may not have asked him all sorts of teeth related questions hoping to avoid the real dentist. 

While we were talking, he tipped me off to a secret that makes going to the dentist almost worth it. You can get your jewelry cleaned at the dentist's office! He said all the older ladies who would come into the dentist would take off their tons of rings, earrings, bracelets, etc. and hand them to him for a good steam cleaning. I guess the dentist has a steam cleaner for dentures or something...which I guess is why it was the older ladies who were in on this and I was not. 

I guess it would help if you have a cool densitst and it isn't too busy in the office but it seems like it's worth a try to me. And while having a sparkling clean ring might not make up for the floss-till-you-bleed teeth cleaning, it might save you a trip to the jeweler. 

How Do You Do It?!?

I have been doing everything on Earth this past year but write my thesis. Don't get me wrong, I've tried and even have done some work on it. But mostly, it has been neglected but definitely not forgotten. It looms over me like a suspended jail sentence.  It haunts me when I am trying to fall asleep, creeps in when I am out with friends and taps me on the shoulder anytime I am having too much fun doing something, anything else. 

I don't really have anyone to blame for my procratination but myself. Yes, I know thesis hatred is definetly a first world problem. But, in my defense (get it? defense??), I was busy planning the wedding and then recovering from the wedding and working and all that but I know I could have done more work on it than I have. 

I just seem to work best under a deadline. Like if I know something is due in 2 weeks I will definetly get on it on the 13th day. But the deadline for the thesis is seven years....seven years!! This is not helping. 

Because I do not teach in January,  I have deemed it thesis month and have vowed to get a lot of work done this month. It's going well so far but in the words of our friend Robert Frost, I have miles to go before I sleep. And by miles I mean pages and pages and chapters and chapters. 

So, my dear friends, how do you approach seemingly insurmountable tasks? How do you stay motivated? Help me out. I have a few years left until my thesis is due but only a few months until my insanity expires. 

You Give Me Fever

Well, technically my husband didn't give me a fever, but Peggy Lee didn't address sinus infections. 

Since last Thursday, I have been taking care of my poor, sick husband and trying not to catch his germs. I failed.  I have been battling some nasty congestion, coughing and other unpleasantries since Sunday night. Yuck! 

It seems almost inevitable that anytime Keith is sick, I get sick too. I sort of knew when he was coming down with something I would be next. The good news? My illness seems not to be as severe or prolonged as his. And I think I know why...

The Neti Pot! Yes, I have taken up nasal irrigation but...only out of desperation. I think I first saw the Neti Pot on Oprah. As one who has suffered from allergies for as long as I can remember my interest was piqued. It works, people! 

And while I do not use the Neti everyday, as is the practice for some, I do use it whenever I am feeling allergic or sick or just plain congested.  And what sweet relief it has provided. I still feel awful but the degree of awfulness has been toned down just a bit. 

Keith's doctor also told him to try Benedryl for sinus problems which I had never though of before. I have been using it for the past few days and it works so well! Benedryl is not just for allergies anymore. 

So, do any of you use the Neti Pot? Do you have any home or off label remedies to share with those of us who are starting off the New Year under the weather?