Some Punta Pictures

So, to avoid typing too much, let's just say that thanks to the blizzard in the US, my parents ended up not being able to come to Argentina. Pretty crappy. But they are coming in February so no reason to dwell on sad times. We had a great trip to Punta ! Minus the fact that half of the days were cloudy. But we ate a lot, drank a lot of good wine, slept in, and overall had a wonderful Christmas.

Happy Holidays from BA

Countdown

Deb & Doug arrive to BA on Saturday. Lord help us all. Just kidding, it will be glorious and fun and amazing and I will love it. Then off to Punta del Este on Monday ... yipee !! Get me to the beach on time (see how I did that little play on words there, yeah I know)

Work is insane and I haven't taken a real proper lunch break all week because of the crazy amount of work there is to be done before the newbies arrive in January. Mind you half the staff is on vacation this week so it's kind of nice and tranquilo but it's also like waaaaaaaaaaaa fewer people to get random little things done. No matter.

I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off and can't really think straight. Long to-do list before the weekend. Have to go to the Post Office, get a Christmas gift for Josey's parents, go to a concert for work tonight, print out the R2A Christmas Card picture, buy envelopes for said cards, pick up transcripts, mail more things ... plus about 20 more items I know I have already forgotten. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP !

Another birthday party on Friday and am praying for sunshine and amazingness all next week. Can't wait to unwind and just relax. Twill be amazing

I also still have a compulsion to buy things to decorate the house for Christmas. I want a wreath please.

Time to go spin around in circles

More Festive Gatherings ...

This weekend we went to 2 weddings and a birthday bash. Lots of social activity in a 48 hour period and now Josey is slowly but surely recovering from too much fun. I also have my Italian exam tomorrow and I have only studied a couple of hours ... Mamma Mia !!! I hope I get a good grade.

Anyway, here are some photos from the weekend - first from the wedding at the Jockey Club on Friday, then Angie's turtle Bichi and a picture from her wedding, and then that's it I think I can't even remember. I need some ginkgo biloba.

Christmas Tree Before & After

Experiencing technical difficultries trying to be able to click on the picture to see the full-size version. Hm. Anyway. Argentina doesn't have real Christmas trees because it is a nation run by evil weather wizards who don't believe in cold Christmases. But I think it's a pretty good outcome given that I had very limited resources to work with and "Inside the Actor's Studio" on TV in the background.

The second picture turned out horribly but I actually like that you can see the building that's in front of ours in the window pane reflection.

I would have liked to have a giant Douglas fir tree that makes the house smell good and that is full of Anthro ornaments and some other classics, but hey you gotta make your own Christmas magic don't you folks ?

PS No, I don't know why Josey always looks as red as a tomato in most photos.

Christmas Tree Photos ...

Will be up later. Yesterday I got myself even more covered in glitter and the tree is now UP AND READY TO BE ADMIRED ! I am quite proud, considering it's a fake tree with none of the ornaments that I have at home (duh). Still, it was decorated with love and that's the most important thing.

I also got seriously tan yesterday. I love having a terrace for private sunbathing.

I am also a fan of my guerrilla gardening tactic of just ripping out roots and weeds until only the good remains. It's amazing. My jasmine is so happy in the sunshine and we're in the midst of uprooting these two big pots and turning the small roof patio into a little haven off of the dressing room. The big terrace is looking good but just needs a new table & chairs.

Other than that .... not much to report. This time of year is INSANE as it is for everyone else so I haven't had much time lately to write about random things. I am just ready for vacation and want to run and frolic on the beach instead of put together backpacks for incoming students. No thank you ma'am.

Going to 2 weddings and a birthday bash this weekend. Looking forward to having the day off on Friday as well, and will be doing a little Christmas gift shopping ! Yay.

Getting Indian at Bengal tonight. Couldn't be happier.

Mi piace questa cosa

Peculiar

I live 1/2 block from the bus stop. I don't even have to cross a street to get there. Buses are notorious here for coming every 2 minutes ensuring that you don't have to wait too long, especially during rush hour.

Then why, why, why ... is my luck always like so:
I walk out of the building, turn left, walk toward corner.
When I'm close enough to see the bus, but too far to make it (even by a pathetic sprint), the traffic light turns green, and at least 2 buses pass by me and I miss them
I then spend 15 minutes waiting for the next bus to come.

It's so ... peculiar. It also makes my morning commute twice as long which I really do not enjoy. The same thing happens on the way home. I leave the office and just as I'm making it to the intersection of Juncal & Pueyrredon, the freakin' traffic light changes and I cannot cross, and I watch helplessly as 3 #61 buses whiz by the bus stop and I am left defenseless.

It's annoying and strange. This happens no matter what time I leave.

I've Given Up

On trying to predict the weather here. Predict is not the correct word, I know.

But what are you supposed to do when...
-You wake up and it's cloudy, foggy, overcast
-The news forecasts hot sunny weather for the day
-Weather.com predicts torrential rainstorms and hurricane-like weather
-In the 20 minutes it takes you to gather this information, the skies clear and then turn black?

That's what it's like almost every morning here.

I think the Kirchners have a weather machine. Why would the TN news team be SO INEPT at providing the weather report, and why the heck is weather.com so far off the mark as well? You think at least one of those sources would coincide with the actual climate of the day.

I have no idea what to wear when I walk out the door to work every morning. Do I gamble and wear flipflops, risking breaking my neck if it rains, or do I put on sneakers/ankle boots and fear that my feet will be sweating profusely all day in the 90 degree weather? Jacket? Scarf? Short sleeves? Sweatshirt? HELP

Looking out the door this morning, the sun was shining ("abundant" being my favorite weather.com term) and the skies were clear. I put on a short-sleeved top and shorts, determined to be summer-weather ready. I put on the news, which forecasted warm weather and rain. Weather.com told me it would be chilly but sunny 100%. Too stubborn to change I left the house as dressed and have been cold all day.

Party cloudy and chilly.

Wtf, weather?

Deb & Doug Look Cool

Thanksgiving Recap

It was one of the best nights ever ! So beautiful, great friends & family (yes, my Argie family). I had an amazing time and I finally like stuffing now, thanks to Nick's miraculous creation that changed my taste buds forever. The flowers were perfect, the wine was delicious, every dish was delicious and I am so happy it turned out.

Thanksgiving SOLO MISSION

ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmg

So Katie, the turkey queen and domestic goddess who can make anything in her tiny toaster oven, got food poisoning last night and can't come to Thanksgiving. This is depressing on many levels, not only because she is my friend and sidekick who makes me laugh so incredibly hard, but because SHE WAS THE ONE WHO WAS GOING TO COOK THE TURKEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!

She actually got poisoned by her own pumpkin pie. This world is a sick and twisted place, my friends. After spending hours creating a Paula Deen pumpkin pie, Katie tried a piece to see how it had turned out. 8 hours later she woke up violently ill and has been bedridden all day. It's so sad. She can't join us tonight and ... I have been placed in charge of the turkey.

Yes, I, Paige, who has never even baked a chicken before, HAS TO COOK THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY FOR TONIGHT'S EXQUISITE DINNER GATHERING. Luckily Katie gave me some tips and pointers and it didn't/doesn't seem too bad.

However, I had to run from work (yes, people work on Thanksgiving in this godforsaken city) to her apartment to care for her and soothe her poisoned soul, getting medicine and calling the doctor to make a house call. Then I had to schlep a 12 lb bird to the flower stand to buy the flowers for the tables/centerpieces.

I went from flower stand to ANOTHER flower stand 8 blocks away, on foot, with the bird, the bird accompaniments, a bouquet, dripping sweat like a maniac.

I came home, thankfully in a taxi, then had to unload the groceries, cut/prepare the flowers, set the tables, get everything in order and then head back out to the store to get more stuff and to pick up the cake ! Thank God I had ordered a delicious chocolate mousse/merengue creation from Maru Botana, knowing that the Argies might not eat the pumpkin pie. When I say might not, I mean, would rather cut off their own arm than try our amazing American traditional slice of bliss. But I digress.

I managed to get that squared away, and then I had to face two massive challenges.

1. Lighting the gas oven. I live in the 3rd World. Things aren't automatic here.
2. Cleaning, dressing, preparing, talking to, caressing, massaging, etc ... the turkey.

It's 85 degrees today.

After only 2 tries I got the oven lit. I then spent a good 20 minutes dissecting the bird and removing its insides and pondering its esophagus. It looks like it was added there by accident. Maybe it's not supposed to be there. Was I supposed to remove it ? Too late now I guess.

Then I gave it a nice sassy massage of butter, rosemary olive oil, salt&pep, etc. Stuffed it nice and full of onions, garlic and a little more rosemary. I went to town. I spoke to the bird, deciding to name her Flopy (nickname for Florencia here) because she wouldn't sit still. I also wondered why her butt is like this extra appendage.

The turkey is in the oven, folks. I need to shower now and wrap my head around the fact that I just did MY FIRST TURKEY EVER. Does this mean I am an adult now ? Strange.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving and pictures/anecdotes about the disaster about to ensue will follow.

wtf

These are the original lyrics to the State Song of Virginia.
All I have to say is WTF.

Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

Words and Music by James Bland

    Carry me back to old Virginny,
    There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
    There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
    There's where the old darkey's heart am long'd to go,
    There's where I labor'd so hard for old massa,
    Day after day in the field of yellow corn,
    No place on earth do I love more sincerely
    Than old Virginny, the state where I was born.

   CHORUS:
    Carry me back to old Virginny,
    There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
    There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
    There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.

    Carry me back to old Virginny,
    There let me live 'till I wither and decay,
    Long by the old Dismal Swamp have I wander'd,
    There's where this old darkey's life will pass away.
    Massa and missis have long gone before me,
    Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore,
    There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow,
    There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more.

Happy Thanksgiving !!

I am thankful for lots of things, especially how different this year has been compared to last year. I am thankful for my job, for my friends/coworkers here in Buenos Aires, for my Josey, for my family even though they are too far away for my liking. I am thankful for the fun things I have learned to do this year (realizing I can run 10k, attempting to ride a bike and not failing, my growing love for gardening & plants/flowers, etc).

I am thankful for all of the wonderful people I have in my life, even though most of them, too are far away.

There is so much to celebrate and to appreciate this year !

I Wish

That Pottery Barn existed in Argentina. And/or Restoration Hardware, Smith & Hawken, Anthropologie (duh) and about 5 million other amazing stores that I miss back home.

I am on a serious mission to decorate a house. A house that doesn't even exist because I don't own a house, nor do I live in one. But I love love love love love finding beautiful fun little things, unique odds and ends that make the space take on a different feel, and I wish that I could just UNLEASH MY CREATIVE EXPRESSION HERE !!! Bgalakjlkjsgs.

Enough.

San Telmo does have some amazing stuff, antiques especially. However I can't really tell what things are fake/repro and which are legit because a lot of it is a different style. I mean clearly some things are obvious but they aren't the same little antique stores on the side of the highway that Deb would always drag us to while we were driving around the tri-state area looking for the perfect set of lamps for the tall chest in the living room.

I want the bathroom pictured above.

I Can't Wait for Tomorrow

YAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So

Josey and I are telepathic.

WOW

More Things I Love ...

The Tiffany Keys ... Ok maybe they're a little ostentatious but I love LOVE LOVE old keys and intricate keys and keys in general. So, yes. I dream of keys.

Justice is coming to Argentina !! MAhhhsldfjslkjfs I want to go see them. I love them. It would be amazing to see them - the venue is incredible too ( La Trastienda )




My new purse. It's a funny story because I wanted to buy this bag from Sibyl Vane (Argentine leather/shoe designer) 3 years ago before I left Buenos Aires for the first time. I hesitated, and ended up never forgetting this little leather gem. Deb jogged my memory when talking about my favorite CMO and her amazing new purchase- the Foley + Corrina City Bag. I didn't realize it was such a hit in the States, so I went back to Sibyl Vane on Saturday to see if they still had it (random). THEY DID !! So I bought it. I am in love.

Glassware

Like this but clearly not as shitty as this picture

A Few Things..

I love Glee. I love it. I finally watched some of it on TV yesterday and I died. "You don't know who Josh Groban is ? Kill yourself !"

Also, how is it almost December already ? Scary. But I guess nice because that means I'm that much closer to being in Punta del Este for Christmas with the fam. Which will be amazing and I will be frying in the sun for all 7 days.

I have gone all out Thanksgiving (as much as possible for Argentina). I bought new plates, placemats, napkins and have ordered the chocolate brownie/mousse/caramel & merengue cake that will be gracing us with its presence. Katie is making the turkey and pumpkin pie, and everyone else is bringing some kind of side dish full of holiday cheer. I also am in charge of the floral arrangements & centerpieces. Amen. 'Tis my new passion, finding and making beautiful things and enjoying them with the people I love. I went to San Telmo on Saturday (avoided the Fair and its insanity) and fell in love with so many things. I'm such an old soul, give me antiques anyday. They have so much more character than factory-made modern furniture that definitely looks nice but doesn't have the same story as something that's 100 years old.

I have also decided that I will be collecting those antique crystal champagne/cocktail glasses. You know, the ones that are colored glass ? Yes. They are perfection and I love them. So I need to do a little research and start collecting.

We have a Christmas tree up in our office. Katie got a little excited, especially since she won't be here for the full holiday festivities ( she's going back to the US in a couple of weeks ). We each have an ornament with our name on it and it's basically bringing me lots of love and cheer that will hopefully get me through this crazy week.

Thursday: Thanksgiving
Friday: The Killers concert
Saturday: Move-Out day officially starts & ends
Sunday: Banco Galicia 20k race.

Wow.

Buenos Aires in the Spring

Looks like this .....

Pictures of My Life: Part II

Noche de los Museos - Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes

Palacio San Martín - a half-block from home

Palacio San Martín & Chancery view from our roof

Playing on the roof

Jasmine tree happy in the sunshine

Early Christmas Present...

I hope. Dachshund salt & pepper shakers !!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Bunny !!!

I Would Like this for Christmas

Cupcake Car, yours for only 25,000 dollars. Thanks Neiman Marcus !

Spanish-speaking Sonambulation

It's time to move back home when you start speaking Spanish in your sleep. (yes, Broph).

Apparently I have resumed my sonambulant ways and have taken it upon myself to hold conversations in my sleep that I fail to recall the next morning.

I am very lucky to have a Josey in my life.

José is always happy and has kind eyes:

Last night I felt compelled to spank him in my sleep. Yes, you read that right. I gave him a big wacker right on the bumski. I don't even think I was dreaming about anything related. Anyway, so he wakes up and asks me what on earth is wrong with me, and I replied

"Es lo que hay."

In Spanish. I told him "it is what it is" basically like, deal with it. Random. Then I started waving about and flailing and talking and when José asked me what was going on (again) I started babbling on about "instalando un network de internet" - right. Because I haven't ever even used the word "un network" while I'm conscious, I decided to just throw that out there while completely asleep.

We'll see if tonight anything else happens. But nothing will ever be as good as my key life phrases spoken while sleeping at Summit Farm with Gawdmumsy Carolee.

"Pretty I am. I want to dance."

Yes, please.

A Nice Reminder that Even the First World Is Idiosyncratic

(From Josey)

An ode to English plurals

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England .
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,

we find that quicksand can work slowly,

boxing rings are square and

a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of
them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be
committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise
man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your
house can burn up as it burns down,
in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm
goes off by going on.

And in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

Only In Argentina ...

Is the customer never right.

Get Me This Dog

Minus Ryan Seacrest, please.

Pictures of My Life: Part I

Belgrano. Mejor barrio de Buenos Aires

My Little Office

Cute Dogs Aside ....

Ok you know, sometimes I do forget that I live in the 3rd World, but not on days when these things happen.

• Protesters cut off both sides of a major highway, the Panamericana, for more than 2 hours while a union of construction workers & their supporters raised hell and caused delays and 3-mile long backups. Nice way to start the day.
• Subte strike from 11 AM until 6 AM Friday. Considering that ONE MILLION people rely on the subway to get to and fro, this is just a tiny little inconvenience. No worries. Oh, and your threats to extend the strike REALLY make me sympathetic to your cause.
  
• When it rains, the internet stops working.
  

I love Martha Stewart's French Bulldogs

Seriously. They are amazing.

I also love this golden doodle.And who doesn't love Pence?

Oh, How I love the 90s

I have discovered a 90s Alternative station on iTunes radio and I have never been happier.

Right now I'm listening to Natalie Merchant. Do you even remember her ? I LOVE her. My parents had her album "Tigerlily" and we listened to it at least 90 times a day. I had completely forgotten about her.

I am now on a full-blown nostalgia kick for the 90s. Music today is so bad compared to 15+ years ago.

This brings me back to my days of listening to 99.1 HFS and recording mix tapes off of the radio. I would then make personalized collage covers to these mix tapes and give them to friends. I remember staying up late waiting for them to debut the new single from Green Day. Le sigh.

Can we go back ? Please ?

Apparently

TinTin & I share similar hairstyles.

The Best Dog Halloween Costume EVER

Link to canine amazingness HERE

Fashion Footwear Faux Pas

Everyone thinks that Argentines are incredibly chic, stylish and elegant, but I would just like to shed light on a trend here that needs to be removed from life immediately.

In general, Argentines (women AND men) love Nike. Nike shoes, clothes, running gear, t-shirts, sneakers, etc. They just eat it right up. Which is cool. I'm all about Nike and I support it. Even though here it is pronounced exactly at it looks: Nike, as if it rhymed with "like." No thank you.

Porteños love those strange, amphibious looking, split-toe sandals that you can't walk 3 blocks down Av. Santa Fe without seeing at least 10 pairs of them. They come in all different kinds of colors, patterns, are worn with socks, without socks, skirts, jeans, shorts, leggings ... You name it, they do it.

Please, would someone tell me why they love these things so much ???

#72 de Categoría !

So I am happy. I placed 72nd in my Category (Women 20-24). Pretty cool !

Proof
Official time: 59:38
Net (real) time: 56:18
5k: 28:32

Nike Human Race 10K

On Saturday we ran the Nike+ Human Race 10k, which took place simultaneously in 30 cities around the world - New York, LA, Singapore, London, Berlin, Rome, Seoul, and Rio de Janeiro, among others.

Buenos Aires was one of the cities with the most runners - more than 10,000 - and it was really an incredible event. The weather was perfect, the course took us through downtown Buenos Aires and Puerto Madero, and it was definitely an amazing experience.

I blame the slow people who clogged the first couple of kilometers by walking for our slow start and maybe extra minute that I have arbitrarily added on to our time, but I can't actually prove that. Oh well. I still like to blame the slow people who I almost tripped over and/or banged with my elbows. We finished in about 56 minutes, which isn't bad, but it is 1 minute slower than our last 10k. I guess that I also went running ONCE in 3 weeks before the race had something to do with that. I really want to be able to run a 10k in 50 minutes one day, so I had better get my butt to the gym.

But it was cool when I crossed the finish line and some random journalist, or just random creepo, took my picture and asked me some questions and whatnot. Asked me if I was a professional runner ... what ? Um, no thanks but that would be cool. I forgot to ask her for what publication she writes so I will have to google myself until I get to the bottom of it.

I will put up more pictures soon but here are a couple from pre-and post-race. We were lucky enough to be able to go down to the marina at Puerto Madero and hang out on a boat to celebrate the race before heading back home. Twas a good little day.