bahamas day two

if i thought my calf's hurt yesterday i have turned them into spaghetti today!

i woke up feeling horrible. like sore throat really bead head ache horrible. it's just like me to be the only person in the whole wide world that would catch a cold while on vacation in the tropics. it's the wind i swear... or maybe the ac and walking bear foot on a cold stone floor.

it probably didn't help that i had stayed up till two am finishing the book i was reading. so needless to say when my mom came to wake me up at six am (granted she thought it was seven and her watch was wrong) to go to the fitness center there was no way i was going. sadly no running for me this morning. i finally got up at nine thirty had some oatmeal and my dad and i made our way's down to the beach where my mom was.

i can't sit still on a beach. i want to swim and run around and explore. im really not the work on my tan type. i got my mom up and we walk around for a while and picked up some sea shells.

ok so just to let you know that wave totally caught me unaware and i find the photo really funny

 

so i have mentioned i really wanted to do some kayaking yes?  well today was not my day. the wind was to high. they kayak guy jokingly told me that if i took a kayak out i would end up in florida! hopefully tomorrow after we come back form diving. 

so being able to sit still no longer i pulled my reluctant mother off the white sand beach. i wanted to go to the city of nassau and explore. i wanted fruit. i was on a mission. that really amazing bahama's book provided by the hotle has these glossy colered pages of fruit i have never heard of: sugar apples, soursop, sapodillas, guineps, and hog plumes.  

we caught the number 10 bus. i must say that they have buses running all the time and it's just $1.25 a ride. we got to the down town in short order. i had heard about the straw market and saw it immediately on arrive so i ran of with my parents in tote. it was cramped with small ales and lot's and lot's of sellers. it is called the straw market for the hand made strap goods that they have. the straw goods were really nice. however a lot also sold knock of hand bags and purses and things that i could find at my hotel gift shop.  we made one big sweep through and were out. it was a nice market to see.

 

after that we went to go walk around the down town to see if i could find some fruit. also i was hoping to some hope get my p's to go to the art museum with me. we soon realized that everything was closed! well everything but the bars. we ask a local guy where i could get some fruit. he told us that there was a market under the bridge to paradise island  that had fruit. i was so excited. he told us he would drive us there for 4 dollars a person. i figured how far could the bridge be? um well it was pretty far! im not sure how long we walked but i think about 45 min.

 

i stopped a lady and told her i heard there was a fruit market under on of the bridges and if she happened to know where it was. she told us that we had to cross the bridge to the paradise island side and then sweep down under. so we crossed the bridge on foot.

soon we came to find that there was no fruit today, it was sunday after all. since we were on the paradise island side we figured we would go check out the atlantis. the fist thing we came to was a huge marina that we of course had to walk around. the yacht parked in this marina  were unlike any i have ever seen before they were so nice.we soon came to the atlantis marina town which was super cute with lot's of shops (mainly super high end jewlery and watches and hand bags) restaurants and little snack stops.

after a short rest we walked into one of the hotel buildings. it happened to be the one with the casino in it. i asked a lady how to get to the indoor aquarium and we were soon on our way through all the splendor to it. let me stop here and just tell you that i have never been to a hotel as nice and amazing as this. when we can to the aquarium our jaws dropped. they have a replica of what atlantis would look like sunk into this aquarium. we walked through passageways made to look like we were waling through an archeological site of a dig and the aquarium was all around us. lobsters were crawling on the ceiling. it was amazing and well worth the walk.          

ok im not one hundred percent sure about this but i think some of these sea horses changed colors like chameleons. they were amazing. 

then i was off to see the dolphin cay, it was closed but we could still see some of the dolphins swimming around. i squeal  like a little kid. we spent some more time walking around. all of our lets hurt so bad! my mom was making jokes about how we would not be able to kick our fins the next day. it was all worth it though. the atlantic truly felt like paradise with pools and falls and fountains and art and lily ponds and bridges and tropical flowers and you name it. it was quite something. they even have a whole indoor water park and a huge lazy river around the whole area where you can just float in inter tubes. they have ten's of restaurants including one with iron chef bobby flay as the owner, their own amazing night club, a comedy club, a movie theater, and a concert hall where people like the jonan brothers, sheryl crow, and fergie have played. it's really all quite remarkable. 

we caught a cab back to our hotel and had a nice dinner on the back deck. there were some kittens running around that had been born there. this one reminded me of a young thin mamma kitty.

 

i don't know how it's midnight  already! im off to bed. need to be up for diving early tomorrow. good night all!

bahamas day one

two things i learned today... one i am a typical american and not use to walking. two don't assume your first impression is the way things really are. 

back to number one. man my caffs hurt! i remember going through this the first few weeks in italy when i was walking 30 min to class each way. i am just not use to walking. i mainly ride my bike.

lets start form the beginning and i will get to explaining number two.

i had a crazy crazy work week between my both jobs. so crazy that i was still frantically packing after work when i was supposed to be on a train to meet k in etown at blind faith . i finally got of the metra train by my parents at 10:30 and was up till midnight finishing laundry. then we were up at 3:45 to go and catch our 7 am flight out.

we stopped over in ny, well almost ny and then off we went again. it was pretty painless.
we arrived at the hotel and my dad go us on upgrade to a really nice sweet since he is a platnim member form all the traveling he does for work. the view is amazing.





it's a little cooler then i thought it would be around 75. i want it hot! not to many people are swimming. im a little happy that my wet suit is thick or i would freeze diving! by they way of the bahama islands this island is tiny and really cute!      

my dad and i found out where there nearest grocery store was and it was about a 15 min walk away. so we walked there. i was very excised to buy lot's of tropical fruit and juices and things. i was a little surprised to see things like burger king and subway and even a starbucks on the way. when we got to the store called city mart my heart sank. it felt like i had waked into a jewel-osco or something. lots of highly processed american foods at three times the cost. their fruit section had just a few apples that looked like they were going bad and the veggie section was even worse! i could not even scrape together a salad. my dad and i quickly realized that we were going to have to find a restaurant, go get my mom, and go out to eat.

we bought i few things including chocolate soy milk, which i was very surprised and amused they had seeing as how they did not have regular soy milk. on the walk back i went into a rant to my dad about how the worst american values are spreading around the world. you have to understand that i have a slightly romanticized view of the world outside the states. when i lived in florance every little block had it's own little grocery store with extremely fresh food with little that was processed. i would on my walk swing in and pick up fresh fixings for dinner. there were also fresh fruit carts and other merchants all around. the food was amazing and kept the culture and beauty of the traditions of the area.  k and i have been doing much of the same in terms of the dill pickle food co-op located around the corner from k's place. we swing in by local organic fresh ingredients for whatever we are wiping up that night and are off.

i am not a fan of strip malls and big box and depressing grocery stores that i feel don't even sell really food. this is the first time i really encounters a store like this in the caribbean.

while we waited for my mom to changed i was looking at this welcome book out hotel room. it's quite a nice book really and hard cover and everything and contained lots of information about the island. as i filliped a page i saw all these rare fruit that they wrote cart merchants will be selling fruit i never have heard of in my life. i kept flipping to read about things to do in the main city of nassau and read about huge open air food markets. i lit up like a holiday tree! i can't wait to go and explore the city.

looking at the map i realized that we were a good way's away from it and in mainly a hotel district.

 

i guess being in the hotel district would account for such a store. i really really can't wait to go and explore the city tomorrow!

so the three of us set out and walked about 15 min to the restaurant and had a nice dinner. it's really quite nice to spend some time with my parents. i don't get to see them as much as i would like. then we walked back and i got to work on this... however i feel like i should be massaging my aching calf's!

if all goes right tomorrow we will be up at 7 am, go to the fitness center, then go to the beach where i plan on doing some kayaking. after luch we will head out to the city and explore and have dinner there. i really wish i could spend the whole day there. i also wanted to check out the art museum but the p's don't seem to into it. we will see what wonders tomorrow will bright. ill try to make some amazing images for you.    

a day off

here's the truth of it.... i work a lot and make very little.
today was my first day off in a month. well,  unless you count the day i took off to go to the doctor to find out that i had viral bronchitis.

i have had a very emotional week concerning my job at rei. my supervisor pat has transferred to another store. pat surprisingly grew on me, a lot. every time i saw him i wanted to hug him and every time i heard his voice on the intercom i would crack up. i miss him terribly and he's a wonderful human being. also i can't really talk about this but we have lost our store manager tommy. he was one of the best bosses i have every had the privilege to work for and the entire store is in mourning. it feels like someone died.

furthermore i have said good by to my friend lauren who moved out of chicago on friday. mama be joy is packing up the fam and they are moving out to washington state. this has been a long time gole and dream of theirs.  i have become very close with her over the past two years and have known her for over eight now. the only relief is the fact that we will see them when we are out that way for the winter holidays. i can't wait.

so today was a much needed day off. it was glorious. k got me up out of bed much earlier then i wanted to get up on a day off. however i'm thankful he did so. we rode our bikes over to his neighborhood. i was grateful to have thought to wear boots in my sleepy uncaffeinated state for it was a cool and windy fall morning. we got some coffee at new wave which i haven't been too in a long long time. that's when i finally stopped being cranky.

next we went to the logan square farmers market for their last day outdoors. they will be moving indoors to the congress theater starting next week. i really enjoy the feel of an outdoor local farmers market. it brings the community together. it does not get any better then fresh locally grown foods and buying them from the farmers themselves. these are the people we should be supporting.

my favorite thing about a farmers market is the colors. i love seeing the color palette change from the start of summer into fall.

 

   

 

after that it was time to go support our friend jeremy karpen. jeremy has been a friend for a few years now and is running as the green party candidate for state representative of the 39th district in illinois. the 39th district includes logan square. elections are on november 2nd. i believe that il has never had a green party rep and it's looking like jeremy has a good chance at being the first. 

jeremy is a professional counselor and works as a supervisor for at-risk boys at mercy home for boys and girls. this is a residential home for these kids. he also volunteers at the center for domestic peace where he works with men who have committed acts of domestic violence to enhance accountability and work toward overcoming violent masculine gender norms.    

i support jeremy for his views not just due to the fact that he's a friend. he believes in education, green jobs, non violence, and marriage equality. "As a counselor and community activist, I believe access to quality health care, quality education, and safe and affordable housing are human rights. Families in the district need real leadership in Springfield on these issues. It is time for economic policy that invests in the people that make up our community."

furthermore jeremy is just a cool guy with lots of creative energy. it really showed today. we had a green ride... or a political mass if you will. when was the last time you saw a political candidate riding a bike with a group of their constituents around their district? that's right.      

we all meet up at the logan square monument in the middle of logan. this is one of the more prominent monuments in the district. this really amazing mariachi band called mexico viva got us pumped up and sent us on our way. there is a lot of mexican heritage in the district and it was quite powerful to see them performing in front of the monument.

 

 that would be me in the hood

im pretty bummed that my camera batteries died on me during his speech. 

did i mention that it was halloween? it's getting late and im getting sleepy. i will have to tell you about the rest of my day in the next post. my eyes are closing and words no longer make sense...... it has been a wonderful day off!

this is a mama kitty pumpkin k carved.

beach clean up

i have not been the best at blogging right after a event as i had envisioned when i started this blog. for this i am sorry.




september 25 was international coastal clean up day. rei joined with the sierra club to host the event at montrose beach. keep in mind that many different organizations around the world took this task on. each picked a spot and ours was mantorose beach. The over all organizer is the ocean conservancy who put together the video that can be seen above.        

"this beach clean-up is important because everything that is picked up will be documented and weighed. The data is sent to the Ocean Conservancy for its special Great Lakes section in their annual report on the condition of the world's beaches. The data we collect will also significantly determine the facts and totals of trash collected for Chicago's data point in the report!
The event will focus on cleaning up Montrose Beach from 9:00 am to noon. There will also be opportunities to participate in the only dunes habitat restoration in Chicago and tours of the very special dunes area throughout the morning, a designated Illinois Natural Area which hosts rare plants and many migrant and nesting birds. A nature walk will show you how special this rare habitat really is. In addition to seeing migrant and nesting birds, really cool dune plants and maybe a coyote, we may get a glimpse of the beaver that is living inside the pier!"

when i woke up that morning i was freezing! the critical mass ride had been the night before and i was still chilled to the bone.  it was a windy morning as k and i rode our bike on the lake shore path to the mantrose and the beach clean up.

by the time we arrived it was ten am. we got our garbage and recycling bags and our gloves and off we went. it be honest at first it was hard to find things to pick up at all. the majority of what we found were beer bottle tops and wrappers from kids snacked. i was pretty impressed with how clean the beach and surrounding areas were. we also took a walk in the bird and butterfly sanctuary. the walk was joyous and peaceful and i had never know the sanctuary excited there.      

 

 although i didn't get as much time as i would have liked to clean i really enjoyed it. i also noticed that there were a lot of what looked like school groups cleaning. also parents with their children. this was my first year participating in this event or ever knowing that it existed. i hope i have the opportunity to again next year. i believe it is a fabulous event to raise awareness. however it should not take a special day for any of us to pick up garbage that we see and to think about the impact of our actions. please think about that my friends.

critical mass september

"What is Critical Mass?

Critical Mass is a bike ride plain and simple. The ride takes place on the Last Friday Of Every Month (in Chicago anyway). A Critical Mass is created when the group of riders comes together for those few hours to take back the streets of our city. The right of the people to assemble is guaranteed in the Constitution, and Critical Mass helps people remember that right. The Mass itself has no political agenda, though, no more than the people of any other community do. Critical Mass is open to all, and it welcomes all riders to join in a celebration of riding bicycles. Why? Because bikes are fun!


Sure, as with any community, you'll see people of all types. Some people see Critical Mass as a forum for grassroots political change. Some people see it as a protest against cars. Some people just like to ride. The Mass, however, is just that...a bunch of bike riders. You can drive a car the whole month and ride in the Mass. You can be an anarchist and ride in the Mass. The point of the Mass is the Mass, nothing more. Critical Mass has no leadership. It is a ride where no one is in charge. At any time, riders are free to leave, stay, stop, or even help out. Everyone is responsible for themselves and the Mass. Learn how to get involved!


Once you realize that, you're free to enjoy the exhilaration that is a large bike ride. It's quite a sight to be parading down Michigan Avenue with thousands of fellow riders, wishing pedestrians and drivers a "Happy Friday!"

Chicago Critical Mass is a community, yet it's also part of a worldwide Critical Mass community as a whole. Critical Mass rides take place all over the world each month, and Chicago is proud to join in to proclaim our love of bicycles. If you love bikes, and you want to show others how you feel about cycling, come join us!

For more information on the origins of Critical Mass, please see the excellent Wikipedia page on the subject.

 How did it get started?

It started in August 1992 in San Francisco when a group of bicycle commuters decided to ride home together.

 

Why is it called "Critical Mass"?

The name "Critical Mass" comes from Ted White's bike-umentary Return of the Scorcher. This video shows intersection crossing etiquette in China's big cities. Cross bike-traffic waits until it has enough riders, i.e., a critical mass, to push it's way through the intersection. "

http://chicagocriticalmass.org/about

Designed by Chris Drew, Maria Wohadlo for the September, 2010 Ride

 we sure did have some fun. believe it or not i have never ridden in a critical mass before. it was something i have always meant to do but would forget every month until it was to late. however it has been a big part of the lives of some friends of mine. some have even gotten engaged during critical mass: my friend Michelle Simon

if you guy read the article you should watch the video is really cute. i was unable to re-post it here.

well it was a blast. the same giddy feeling overtook me as it did with the naked bike ride. i have no idea how many people rode this last week.. i would say over five hundred. it was quit something.

what a really noticed was the pedestrians and the car drivers reactions. some people lit up and cheered us on. other remained numb. i wonder how these people go about their lives? something unexpected is happening to you on your friday commute home or where it is your going. and you remain numb? come on people embrace the unexpected!

i look forward to next months on october 28 for it will be a halloween ride. halloween is my favorite holiday! i adore fall. i just hope i don't have to work!

promised fairytale eggplants

in my last post i was kicking myself from not photographing the visually striking fairytale eggplant....

we all know how i am fascinated with purple food.


the other day went like this.... i have been working seven days a week for a few weeks now. true that some days its only for about 5 hours or so but still it's seven days a week. random hours too. some days i work at eight in the morning and other days i work till ten at night. to help me out and just be a sweetheart in general k has been making dinner and having it ready for my arrival home when i work late. that way we can actually spend like two hours together before we both need to go to bed instead of that time being taken up by having to make dinner and such.   

so the other night for dinner k decided we really must finish up the rest of that scrumptious tomato sauce. side note: now that its gone i miss it so so much and need five pounds of tomatoes again so i can make it asap! so he recreated the pesto stuffed tofu stakes.

when i walked in the door the house was swarming with mouth watering aromas. the tofu was sizzling in the fry pan. on the counter sat two gorgeous fairytale eggplants not yet knifed. k came up behind me and handed me a camera and told me here was my chance to photograph them for my blog. he had read the last post. he actually reads my blog!    

i think he might be a keeper

tomatoes

labor day turned into the the day of tomatoes for me.
lets begin

in the morning i was on my way to go get me hair cut. i had promises of bagels for jen. i take my bagels with hummus and slices of tomato. so i picked these three things up at the store. when i got to jen's she had a tomato in the fridge that was in more need of being consumed then the one i had brought. mine was kept jen's was eaten.

later in the day i had a late lunch with my parents before my dad had to catch a flight back to florida. my mom presented me with a huge zip lock bag of red ripe tomatoes. when asked where they were from she replied with from a friends farm.

upon arriving back to k's he opend up the fridge and showed me a giant yellow heirloom tomato the dill pickle had gifted him earlier that day.

what to do with all these tomatoes? something grand had to happen.

the next day, which also happened to be my first day back to jcys, i found the answers. after flipping thought cook books i came across summer time tomato sauce and then pest stuffed tofu steaks with summertime tomato sauce in vegan planet. it was more perfect then i could have hoped for. k had made a big batch of pesto from two basil plants on sunday while i was at work.

so the two of us lovingly spent the evening in the kitchen listening to tomatoes simmering and tofu frying along with wait wait don't tell me and sound opinions.

to add to the tofu we had picked up some fairytale eggplant that k prepared while i worked on quick boiling the tomatoes to remove their skins. the fairytale eggplant was from the dill pickle and i must say i have never seen eggplant quite like it.  i wish i had been mindful enough to photograph it for you before we chopped it up. maybe ill try to pick up some more in the coming days.

and of course we needed to add a portable mushroom to our meal.

the month of september has brought with the cripes clean air of fall and newness. the tomatoes had locked the flavor of summer deep within them. as the simmered it unlocked and released into the juices. this meal was a heartwarming way to tast the summer and say goodbye one last time.