Doppelganger

The most amazing thing happened to me in recent weeks. I met my namesake -- okay, semi namesake since we share a first name and our last name begins with the same letter -- and everyday we discover more and more similarities. Not only do we have similar interests, but our lives parallel each other. Given the old adage "opposites attract," I always thought I'd be bored to death if I met someone exactly like me. Instead, I'm fascinated by my new friend and just how fabulous we both are!

This is last night's list of all that we discovered we have in common. I'm sure it will be even longer as we get to know each other better.

We're both libras.
We love shopping.
We share our lives with 4-legged furry friends.
We enjoy writing.
We studied ballet.
We never, ever drink milk.
We've never eaten PB&J and see no reason to do so.
Ketchup belongs on the side.
We're night owls.
We speak French & Arabic.
We have siblings who work at Fox.
We play tennis.
While the other N is a more experienced horsewoman, we both like riding.
We were the same age when we bought our homes.
We love stationery.
We enjoy the art of conversation.
There's no such thing as too many kitchen tools/accessories.
We like living abroad, especially in the Middle East.
The Washington, DC area is home.
Same nickname.
Marth Stewart and Julia Child rule.
We have engraved ipod nanos.
Individually, we spent our 2007 birthdays at the Dead Sea spa.
Waffles!
We're carnivores.
We love Mexican food.
We're FEMINISTS!
We have the same beverage glasses.
Mmm, cheese.
HR/EEO work.
Chinese food is best eaten with chopsticks.
Same complexion.
We both played in orchestras during our youths.
We love musicals.
Riesling!
We're going through some strange stuff with old friends.
We like word games.
We're inquisitive and we like to take apart and fix things.
We love packages and really nice shopping bags.
We have a "special" vocabulary when driving.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm, french fries.

Rites & Revelations

Today is my birthday and I decided to continue a tradition I started on my 3oth: I took the day off from work and went to a spa for some pampering. I had a million-and-one things to do at the office, but I realized that except for buying shoes, I often put myself last (subject for another blog) and I needed to do this, especially since it's a "milestone" birthday. So off I went to the Marriott Jordan Valley Resort & Spa for scrubbing, sloughing, massaging, and a myriad of other indulgences.

I enjoyed this year's spa treatment much more than last year's. A girlfriend and I went to Spa Time in Kuwait where she treated me to the chocolate indulgence treatment. The theory -- rubbed and scrubbed with cocoa seeds and oils -- was much better than the reality. As a chocoholic, I thought I would love being totally enveloped in various cocoa essences. Instead, I was hungry the entire time. The room and I smelled like brownies and at one point I was tempted to start nibbling on my arm. And it was murder being coated in cocoa oils, made immobile from the weight of Turkish towels, and tempted by the scents of my own skin and strategically-placed candles. After the experience, my friend and I immediately went out to eat.

Anyway, it was nice to take some time off, although I did stay in touch with my office by blackberry. But I learned something new about myself. I've always favored hard science over holistic treatments and as much as I enjoyed my little indulgence, I probably would have been more comfortable in a more clinical setting. I liked the apres-spa experience of sitting in a plush robe, sipping tea, and looking at the Dead Sea, but the candles, dimmed lights, and new age music during the treatments almost drove me crazy. I think I'm too high-strung to truly relax.

Food & Race

I was just listening to an NPR interview with Sherman Alexie about his new book. He described the protagonist as an "apple," red (Native American) on the outside and white on the inside. It made me recall a dinner party conversation from a year ago during which dinner guests traded all the names they had been called by fellow countrymen who accused them of "selling out." I was surprised, not that the concept existed among different countries and cultures, but that each expression was food related and that none of us at the table knew euphemisms other than our "own," which included oreo, banana, coconut, and chicken mcnugget.

A few of my favoriate things

So I've been blogging about shoes lately. Yes, I have an obsession, but I am going to indulge myself and post pictures of some of my favorite footwear. This fabulous sling was one of my first purchases from Zappos. I loved the variegated shades of purple and regret that I did not buy the blue version that was then available. For me, this shoe is proof that one must match an outfit to a shoe instead of the reverse. When I bought the shoe, I had nothing to wear with it, but shortly after it arrived, I found an irridescent linen suit in the exact same colors. Had I tried to find something to go with the shoe, I'm sure I would still be searching. Continuing with the variegated theme, I just had to have the brown croc pumps. Similar to the purple ones, aren't they. I find that subconsciously, I tend to buy variations on a theme in all things. Anyway, this is a beautiful shoe and I only think I've worn it once.

And of course, I have a whole bunch of shoes that have not yet been worn out of the house. Some are waiting for the perfect outfit, some are waiting for the right weather, and for some, it's not yet the right place or time.

I love the color of this shoe and periodically I take it out of the closet and wear it around the house. It's waiting for the right outfit in order to to make it's debut. My procrastination contradicts the shoe's name, carpediem.

I bought this last fall at the annual Nordstrom sale. It's much cuter on. It too is waiting for an outfit. Once again, color is the challenge. The shoe is a weird pinky, beige combo that's very hard to match. I'm not upset, however, because the price was great and I don't feel like I wasted my money.

This was a must-have about which I'm developing second thoughts. I liked the height of the boot shaft and the elastic back so that it would have a snug fit. It arrived over the winter when I had a cast on my right foot, so it has not been worn. Of course, this year Stuart Weitzman has come up with a sleeker version that I might like a little better (see right image). But I paid a fortune for these boots so somehow, I will make them work. (This is a good lesson in only ordering from Zappos. Had I bought them from Zappos, I could take advantage of the 365-day return policy.) And finally, I have this cut-out pump in black. It's a beautiful shoe, but it's a little "girly" for me. I don't have the right outfit and I fear the right ensemble would not suit me. I console myself by removing the shoes from its box and wearing them around the house with my pajamas.

Plan B

Alas, the cheetah print boots did not fit. They were much to wide. Fortunately, I found something much better:

The color is amazing. I'm a true Amazon in the 4 1/4" heel. And I knew I had to have them when I saw the chain up the back. Now, I just need to find the perfect outfit!

How to Look Good Naked

I can't believe it, but I actually scrolled through the cable guide to find the right station and air time for a British show called How to Look Good Naked. I happened upon it last week and quickly became addicted to it. The host takes a woman who's unhappy with her body, helps her dress to camouflage the parts she does not like, and at the ends projects a naked picture of her on the side of a building for all to see. A face value, it sounds like the making of horrifying nightmare. In reality, none of the women have that movie star physique and the general public thinks they all look fantastic. It says a lot about the entertainment industry has corrupted what we think a woman should look like. I think I want a naked picture of myself.

Published... Sort of

Even though I do a lot of writing in my job, I've never considered myself a writer. I guess I am now. After being encouraged by my sister and her dear friend, I penned an article on pet travel and now I'm published...sort of.

Navigating the Airways with your Dog

Here's my sister's article:

Adopting the "Less-than-Perfect" Dog

Here's the one that started it all:

A Tale of Three Dogs

I just had to have these!

Let's just hope they fit. They only come in a B-width and my foot, although very long, is extremely narrow.

New Shoes Cure the Blues

I had a revelation on the way home from work last night. It was after 8PM and I was exhausted from a long day, but in the back of my mind were all the things I still needed to do at work and at home. I decided what I really needed was to relax, chill for a little while. Did I think of having a drink, taking a nap, maybe exercising, meeting a friend for coffee? No! I thought about treating myself to a pair of shoes. And it hit me, shoes are my drug of choice. I've always argued that since I had a hard-to-fit foot, it only made sense to buy shoes when I found a pair that fit. My closet is now close to overflowing, yet I continue to shop. I shop for shoes when I'm happy, when I'm sad, and when I'm bored. Translation: I shop for shoes all the time. And I don't care! I love my shoes, especially the ones that like fine wine, great steaks, and cheese, need time to age. So enjoy the photos of some of my favorite pairs:

I saw a wedge shoe in this style on Zappos, but it was not available in my size. I was even more devastated when the designer's website did not have the shoe. I continued my quest and when I saw this pump in the same print, I decided that second best was not that bad. It's a 4-inch heel; I'm an amazon in them! I may never wear them out, but they were too gorgeous to send back. They are currently with my supplemental sea shipment which is scheduled for a Saturday delivery. I can hardly wait to try them on again.

So of course, once I committed to the keeping the sexy pump and packed it for shipping, I found the original and more practical shoe that I first loved. I ordered it as well. Why not? Gotta love Arthur Beren Shoes too.

Long before I bought the tortoise print pumps with the 4-inch heel, I ordered a similar style in gold. I kept it in the closet for awhile until I discovered the same shoe in an amazing red patent. I had to have it so I exchanged the gold pump for it. Isn't it beautiful?

Alas, it arrived shortly before I left Kuwait. So I tried it on, then packed it for shipping. While I was on vacation, I saw the same red patent in a platform with a rounded toe. I thought this was a much more practical shoe, so I ordered it. It's cute, right?

But why the obsession with red? When I unpacked and organized my stuff, I found this great ankle boot. I don't remember the last time I wore it. But now, I'm ready for any occasion. Now I just need the perfect red outfit...

I know summer just arrived, but I can't wait for fall and the opportunity to wear these shoes. they look a little funky all by themselves, but they are great with pants and jeans.

Sometimes I'm a little obsessive about shoes. As a native Nebraskan, I felt a duty to have a pair of cowboy boots. It took about 8 months to get these and they had to be not only special ordered, but made too. Of course they got scuffed the first time I had them on. Just like driving a new car off the lot, I felt the immediate depreciation. I've only worn them one other time because I just can't get over the nick in the leather. Maybe with time, I'll learn to appreciate them again.

Finally, grey shoes are hard to find, so when I saw these, I grabbed them. Alas, they were lost in the mail. If you see them, please help them find their way home.

And what prompted all of this? I bought a pair of shoes today. I'll post a picture if I decide to keep them.

It's Official...

I'm a feminist. I've always had feminist tendencies and supported causes promoting gender equality, but I've shied away from calling myself a feminist because the word is loaded with so many negative connotations. But I now embrace the label. Why? What pushed me over the edge? A seemingly innocuous comment set me off: I was at a lunch today and met a very nice older gentleman and his niece who works in his office. He told me that he niece was a recent college graduate and was at the top of her class. Likewise, his two daughters were excelling in school. One was also at the top of her class and received a full scholarship for her medical degree. The other was a pianist and doing well in her music composition classes. After bragging about both, he concluded that the younger daughter and her pursuit of music was the best career for a woman BECAUSE SHE COULD STAY HOME AND WORK! The contradiction between his pride in his daughters' accomplishments and his belief that they needed to be home cooking, cleaning, and making babies stunned me. That was it. I decided I needed to be more active in advancing the fact that women have made and will continue to make contributions to society and can do so outside of the house.

Amen!

I'm not one to use the word "amen" in either a religious or secular sense, but it's the only thing I can say about Lynette Clemetson's February 4, 2007 New York Times article Definitions: The Racial Politics of Speaking Well .