Helena Handbasket: November 2009

Thanksgiving 2009

Deanna and I spent Thanksgiving with my sister in Jersey City. As always, we had an awesome time together; it's not often that I get to see my sissy but when I do, I enjoy every last minute.

We cooked quite the Thanksgiving feast and I was proud of our eclectic menu. Sissy made the most delicious and unique stuffing I have ever tasted - it wasn't the run-of-the-mill soggy, salty, thick gunk that most people serve for the holidays. Hers was amazing and featured cranberries, savory sourdough bread, chicken/pork sausage, and crisp Granny Smith apple pieces.

We ate like queens: garlic-rosemary roasted chicken, fresh stuffing, sweet potatoes with rainbow chard, roasted Brussels sprouts, honey-glazed carrots, marinated beets, macaroni & cheese, and cranberry chutney.

After our meal, we goofed around for a bit:

And then headed into the city in hopes of catching a Broadway play via TKTS' discounted rates. Time Square was full of life, yet not as insanely crowded as it was when I visited in August. It was a much more enjoyable experience this time and the weather was perfect - mild and not too cold.

Alas, there was nothing we had a burning desire to see so we headed to the closest movie theater to see The Road starring Viggo Mortensen. If you want to be depressed for about two hours straight with no sense of direction or purpose, go see this movie. At least the kids packs were still $6.00!

The rest of the weekend was faaaantastic! After a hearty breakfast of vegetable & cheddar omelets with yes... more homemade stuffing:

We walked around Manhattan for most of Friday and did a little bit of shopping with the Black Friday crowd. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and I actually enjoyed being in the holiday hustle and bustle of NY.

Deanna and I left NJ around 11:00 this morning and ended up parking on the NJ Turnpike for over an hour as fire fighters put out a tractor trailer fire near Exit 4. You can't really tell from this phone cam pic but it was a scary sight - the trailer was nearly disintegrated by the time we reached the scene.

We got home around 6 p.m. after a hellacious commute of congestion, accidents, broken-down vehicles, sun glare, and dim-witted DC drivers.

I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday with your loved ones!

Looking forward to Christmas & New Year's (in G-Town, hee hee),

Notorious K.

Push (Precious)

I read Push when it came out in 1996 - it was a vivid and disturbing story that haunted me for months after I finished reading it. When I saw the previews for the feature film, I cringed. How would they translate such a heinous and tormenting story to the big screen? How could Hollywood do this incredible book justice? Would it make a mockery of the true stories that inspired the original novel?

I saw Precious in theaters today. At one point, I was fighting back tears - emotion took over and I was two lip quivers away from a full-blown sob. It was a powerful film and while it does not even come close to comparing to my initial reading experience, I thought it was beautifully acted and stayed true to the original story.

If Mo'Nique does not receive an Oscar for her portrayal as Precious' mother Mary, I will be very surprised. She was absolutely amazing and her performance was heartbreaking and inspiring to watch - it takes a special person to do what she did with her character; I am in awe of Mo'Nique right now. Even Mariah Carey shocked the hell outta me with her believable and honest portrayal of Mrs. Weiss, the social worker.

I know a lot of people are avoiding this film for many reasons. I really can't blame them - it was difficult to watch at times and I spent most of the movie feeling disturbed, sad, and had a heavy heart. As negative as the subject matter was, I saw Precious as a story of courage, resilience, hope, and love.

Life is precious,

Notorious K.

The Twilight Challenge

Nicole came up with this mission and since I like to humor my friends and will do just about anything for a laugh, I decided to take her up on The Twilight Challenge. Here are the official rules and outcome of said challenge.

1. New Moon hits theaters on November 20. You have until December 20 to see it.
Done. I forced... I mean I asked Deanna to accompany me to last night's midnight screening.

2. You must see it at a movie theater. Which theater is up to you.
G-Town, reprezent!!!

3. You can see it at any time of day on any day of the week of your choosing.
Midnight movies are so much fun, especially on Friday Eve (b.k.a. Thursday).

4. You must wear a Team Edward or Team Jacob shirt to the theater. You can decide which one. It must be visible to other people. Meaning you can't wear the T-shirt under a sweater or a coat.
I checked three stores and no one had a Team Jacob shirt so I pulled a Project Runway and raided my first aid kit to "make it work" (I hope this low-budget production does not disqualify me from the challenge. Can I at least get partial credit for creativity and last-minute thinking?):
5. You must submit the following pictures to prove you have completed the challenge. 1. A picture of you in the T-shirt.
Booyah!

2. A picture of the ticket stub.
But of course!

3. A picture of you in or in front of the movie theater.
It was dark. There was rain. I was rushing... Ok, I have no idea where this picture came from.

6. You can go by yourself or with others. It's up to you.
What's my age again? -Blink 182

Digression: I looooooooooove kid's packs! Kid packs offer just the right amount of soda and popcorn for me. AND the entire thing is under six bucks:

They now come with fruit snacks!

7. You must blog about your challenge.
I wouldn't have it any other way!

8. You must take a picture with someone visibly from the opposing team. For instance, since you're Team Jacob, you must take a picture with someone with a Team Edward T-shirt or sign.
See #5.

Deanna and I almost had to sit in the front row whiplash seats but this nice college kid in the upper deck gave up some prime seats for us. He was very friendly and kept trying to get my personal information. I bet if I told him how old I was he would have shut up.

The movie was horrible. The coolest part was watching the wolves - especially when they were in human form and had their shirts off. Taylor Lautner = GIGGETY!

By the end of the movie, I wanted to impale myself with a soda straw; however the fun and laughs I shared with Deanna made it all worth while in the end - I am very lucky to have such a great kid who lets me be me.

We got home around 2:15 and had to be up by 6:00. This is what four hours of sleep looks like:

Trying to stay awake,
Notorious "Team Jacob" K.

P.S. My homey also participated. He didn't have as much fun because he didn't have Deanna with him, hee hee.

Gross

Someone has their jone dome on today.

Paybacks are a mutha,
Notorious K.

Good Customer Service Still Exists

I wanted something small and unassuming to store my Gu and cell phone during the marathon so I purchased a $20 Tytenz Runners Vault belt at the health expo a day before the race. At first, I was very happy with my purchase - you can't tell from this pic but I was able to store five Gu's and my cell phone in two expandable compartments. Seemed like magic that I was able to fit all that into the belt.

Boy was I in for a rude awakening! Before I reached Mile Marker One, I was extremely annoyed with the belt - it was flopping every which way and was very cumbersome. One of the selling points the Tytenz rep pointed out was that the belt wouldn't bounce during a run - this turned out to be a big fat lie.

I took out my cell phone and carried it in my hand for a while - that seemed to lessen the bouncing which was super-distracting. As I unzipped the larger compartment to adjust the Gu's, the zipper head popped off and as I peered down, I noticed the seams were coming undone. So at that point, I was toying with the idea of ditching the belt completely but then I'd have to carry my cell phone and Gu's in both hands. Somehow I made it through the race without having to throw anything away.

The next day, I wrote to Tytenz, expressing my disappointment with their product. I wasn't expecting a response but I needed to let them know they had a dissatisfied customer. I received a very apologetic reply that same day:

I apologize for this item not meeting your or our standards of performance. We certainly wish all customers to be satisfied with our products. When products are made in the quantities that we sell, there will be a stitch that is not made correctly or a zipper not securely fastened here and there. Please do not take this as an excuse on our part.

Your satisfaction is our goal. We would be glad to refund your purchase price or send you a replacement item. Your choice.

Please return the item to the below address so we may evaluate the malfunction. We will also refund to you the cost of this return shipping.

Again, I apologize and will resolve the matter to your satisfaction.

I returned the belt to them last week and received a refund check today along with a new belt and another apology note.

$20 may not seem like a lot but it was the principal. In the end, Tytenz provided great customer service and I thank them for that. In this day and age, most businesses think they are doing you a favor and won't go above and beyond for their customers as we make their bank accounts grow by buying their products. I don't think this experience will change my mind about the belt's poor functionality for running but perhaps I can use it when I walk McRib or ride my bicycle. It is cool how those tiny compartments expand to fit a few small items. Here is an example of what this type of belt can hold (and from what I've heard, Spibelt makes a better-quality version):

I had a convo earlier today that kind of coincides with this post. Bottom line - when you've got a problem, speak up! My mother likes to use this cliché: The squeaky wheel gets the oil. This applies to everything in life... not just corny runner belts with faulty seams.

Squeak!

Notorious K.

Sweet Potatoes and Greens

I came across this Sam Kass recipe and couldn't wait to try it. With the holidays approaching, this dish is perfect for a big family dinner.

I cubed three large sweet potatoes and sauteed them in olive oil until they were tender and brown:

I've always wanted to cook with swiss chard and found a beautiful bunch in the grocery store the other day. Only Mother Nature could come up with these natural bold colors:

After the potatoes were almost done , I cooked the chard in a tiny bit of olive oil and seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper. The greens took forever to clean and cut but after only a minute or two in the pan, they reduced to tender and flavorful goodness. I combined the potatoes and greens and added a little bit of cinnamon, lemon juice, and a dab of honey.

Quite a bit of prep work with all the washing and chopping but I'd make this again for any occasion - very tasty, super-healthy, and what do ya know? Orange and green are my two favorite colors (they are happy colors).

Now onto dessert,
Notorious K.

Pain

I overheard a woman make this comment recently: "Running a marathon is like giving birth."

Really?

I forgot to ask if she was already a mother. I doubt any reasonable woman who has given birth would make that sort of analogy, unless they have been diagnosed with CIPA.

I can totally see the parallels but based on experience, giving birth totally kicks marathon's ass in the pain department. Ladies: you never forget how painful childbirth is - don't believe that myth. I had my daughter 16 years ago and to this day, I explicitly remember how every contraction felt as they waged WWIII on my body. Contractions are like internal F4 tornadoes - they are powerful, relentless, and violent beyond measure. I remember pushing until I almost passed out; I remember screaming at the top of my lungs for mercy as her ginormous dome refused to exit my tilted womb. The physical and mental agony of bringing a new life into the world goes way beyond that of a foot race in my book.

Pain Threshold Comparisons:

Running a marathon = Ouch.
Giving birth = Dear God, please turn me into a man.

Women are soldiers,
Notorious K.

Happy Birthday Sana Mae

See that hot chick on the right? That's one of my closest friends and today is her birthday!

Haiku: Ode to Insana
A great friend to have
Her free spirit inspires
She is my hero

Happy Birthday my friend,
Notorious K.

Fluff Piece #001: I Heart Wichita

I came across this blog as I was searching for the boots Emma Stone's character Wichita wore in Zombieland. I don't consider myself a hardcore fashionista and I rarely stalk the net looking for things like this but I really dug Wichita's tough, feminine, moto-girl look and was curious as to what brands the costume designers selected for her gear.

I assumed her outfit was mostly high-end stuff like Gucci or Frye, but was surprised to learn that the outfitters turned to the affordable brands of Levi's, Express, Diesel, and Bandolino. Mayka, the author of fashionRXN, did a lot of research and with the help of her readers (yours truly even got a mention - thank you Mayka!) uncovered all of this information.

Knee boots and skinny jeans FTW,
Notorious K.