Dubai Life: A change of heart

Tonight, Steve was bringing in a couple grilled turkey breasts when he felt something on his neck.  He carefully put down the turkey with one hand while trying to grab his neck with the other.  And then he turned around so I could take a look.   

THERE WAS A LIZARD ON HIS BACK.  

Steve got it off in under 5 seconds through a combination of grabbing, swatting, and taking his shirt off.  During which I was zero help; I basically had a mini fit just watching him.

But now, the part that really creeps me out (aside from the whole lizard jumping on husband thing) is that we have no idea where the creepy little reptile went.  He just kind of vanished in our living room.  And of course, that is where I'm sitting to write this post, alone at 4am.  

And even though I felt differently last month, suddenly I'm thinking it would be super awesome if we could train Phoebe to immediately catch all the lizards so they cannot crawl on our backs.  But considering that she was standing next to Steve when all this happened and she just watched him jump around...maybe she's had a change of heart (or palette?) too.

I guess we'll just have to see.  If the last few months have been any indication, there are many more lizard "adventures" to come.

Dubai Life: Great Hairrrr

You guyyyyyyyys it was finally time for me to get another haircut this week.  And after what happened last time, I didn't take any chances.  I went all the way downtown to Salon Nadeshiko, where I was certain the stylists would know what to do with all my heavy, straight, Asian hair.

And it was soooooo worth it.

I was so pleased that I had to take a car-selfie in the parking lot!

Okay, vainest post of the week is now over.

Dubai Life: Favorite Mornings

My favorite mornings are the ones where Steve and I are the most in tune with each other.  We're still learning what it means to be harmoniously married, and I have a feeling it's a lesson we'll be working at for the rest of our lives.  And while I think we're pretty darn happy - some days are just better than others.

On these days, in these moments, we aren't distracted by our schedules, other people, other interests, or technology.  It's just the two of us, and we're fully focused on each other and being together in a way that isn't always common in our daily patterns.  Usually, we aren't even doing anything special.  There's just something *better* about the way we leisurely make/drink cups of coffee, cook a slow breakfast while listening to music, chat nonstop, and clean up together afterwards.  And when it happens, it reminds me of what's possible, what's good, and what we're striving for.  And that when we take the effort to remove everything else except each other, we really feel like two pieces of one whole.  It's a brand new feeling for me, and one that I wasn't sure I could feel to begin with (that fierce independence gets in the way sometimes).  So in these little/big moments, I am reminded me of how good it is to be married to Sven.  

And while these aren't the best photos (and probably not that interesting), I really wanted to document this bright, shiny, and wonderful day so I could look back on it later.

Making Aeropress coffee

Our slow, scrumptious, and satisfying breakfast

Cooking: Lemon Meringue Pie with Matty Matheson

I was perusing the internet for lasagna recipes this afternoon (remember how I explained my internet usage) and I stumbled across this article about Matty Matheson.  I was instantly enthralled and spent the next 90 minutes reading more articles/interviews and watching 5 of his cooking videos.  I only stopped because:
1) Phoebe was whining nonstop for something,
2) I realized these videos had nothing to do with lasagna, and
3) my scheduled phone call with a friend was in 3 minutes (the real reason I stopped).

I think some of you might enjoy him too.  So here he is - in all his quirky, tattooed glory - making lemon meringue pie.

Lately: Just Hangin'

Steve went back to work yesterday after 9 days off.  Phoebe and I were also supposed to snap out of vacation mode and do things like: wash the 3-day pile of dishes, unpack and wash all our India clothes, finish a couple library books before the due dates, try going for a walk around the neighborhood (it might be too hot), and meal prep.

But...we don't want to.  Sometimes it feels good to be lazy.  Like now.

Dubai Life: Dreaming of Winter

It's September 18th and it was ~105 F in Dubai.  And while this is much better than a few weeks ago when my balcony thermometer read 130+, I got a little bummed about the upcoming lack of winter weather.  Dubai should get significantly cooler through January-February, and it'll be awesome.  But it'll still be in the 70's, which isn't quite the kind of cold I'm missing.  (I know, I know, complaining for no reason.)

When I left New York I thought I'd had my fill of winter weather.  Going to college in Philadelphia and then working in New York meant 6 years of feeling chilled to the bone from my feet up, sloshing through gray nastiness on my way to school/work, and feeling like my face was going to fall off the entire way there.  And I was just not ready for that kind of fun.  So I ran to the endless summer of LA and it was glorious.  But surprisingly, I longed for fall/winter in each of the four years I spent there.

Photo from my company Christmas party in 2012.  This is what winter in LA feels like.

And now that we're in the super sunny desert of Dubai, I am again missing the chill mornings, crisp air, and changing scenery that signals the coming of winter.  And because I'm feeling infinitely cheesy, this is today's anthem.  (Yeah, I know it's not the same thing at all, but whateverrrrr.)

While I listened to this song about 18 times, I looked through my old photos of Gig Harbor and Reno winters and fell in love all over again. I'm so grateful for those memories, the cool weather and warm fireplace, and for my Sven who stands beside me as I traipse all over the country world because I cannot stay put want to experience different things.  Even if said different things aren't always "better."

I loved driving up the 395 each Christmas - such a stark contrast going from sunny LA to snowy Reno.  

The Gig Harbor House fireplace was Phoebe's first.  She was skeptical at first, but quickly warmed to it.

The best profile in the family.

One of my favorite photos - my parent's backyard in Washoe Valley, NV.

Travel: Goa, India

When we first planned our Goa trip we had all these adventurous ideas (okay, it was mostly me but Steve went along with it).  I thought we'd visit a spice farm, go crabbing, hit up a couple different beaches, visit the Tamdi Surla temple, and hike to a nearby waterfall.  But as life would have it, it didn't quite turn out that way.

I purchased our flights a month in advance for a great deal, which meant 2 red-eyes (DXB > MCT > GOA). We left Dubai around 10pm and both our flights were delayed, so by the time we reached our hotel in Goa at 8am, we were dead-tired.  But really, really happy with our accommodations.  It was blissful to finally reach it after such a long night, and to have it be soooo awesome.

Checking in - aka sitting in a chair while they brought us cold towels and juice. Steve's face says it all - so tired but pretty pleased with ourselves.

I took this while standing in the pool :b

The dramatic nighttime lighting made everything feel a bit magical.

In fact the resort was so awesome (and convenient) that we got lazy about exploring.  But we pre-booked a sweet manual Jeep (a Mahindra Thar) because we expected adventure, and that really motivated us to venture out.  Little did we know that driving itself would be plenty exciting.  Indians drive on the left side of the road (while sitting on the right in the car), most of the roads are too narrow for 2 permanent lanes so everyone drives in the middle, the ratio of scooters/motorbikes to cars is like 15:1, the thick foliage (i.e. jungle) makes it hard to see oncoming traffic, and there are several dozen cows and dogs laying in the road at all times.  So that meant lots of blind corners, swerving, dodging, and swearing.  It was definitely a new experience and I am reminded (again) that Sven is the best driver ever.

Pretty typical roadside scene - bright buildings and cows.  And that asphalt is not a sidewalk  - it's the freeway.

Couldn't resist this sleeping pup at the hotel.

Old Goa - beautiful but the photo doesn't portray the 88% humidity

We spent most our time lapping up the luxurious accommodations.  There was lots of sleeping, reading, eating, and pool lounging.  I even got a 2 1/2 hour spa treatment (and felt super spoiled).

Peaceful view from the spa lobby; beyond the wall is a lush paddy field.

Each of these spa treatment rooms has a private patio and outdoor shower that is fully surrounded by jungle-ish landscaping.

This was my favorite time of day - just before sunset.  Unfortunately, this is also mosquito hour.

We spent our last sunset in the pool.  I have 5 mosquito bites (and this photo) to show for it.

So our Goan adventure turned into a super relaxing, battery-recharge trip instead and it was amazing.  But now we have to go back to India someday and do it "for real."

Travel: Back from Goa, India

We're back from Goa!  It was a nice, relaxing trip and just enough of an India preview that we're looking forward to going back another time.  Steve goes back to work tomorrow night so until then we're still in vacation mode (holding on to every last hour!) 

I'll post the rest of the Goa photos in a couple days, but here are a couple teasers in the meantime.

The infinity pool, aka the sunburn pool.  Those white loungers in the wading section were amazing.

The pool right outside our room.  My Kindle was a constant companion (thanks Shawn & Kt).

We were only gone for 5 days, but we really missed Phoebe.  Even though we knew she was in good hands (they take really good care of her at Critter Sitters), we still missed having our giant, drooly, fur ball following us around.  Naturally, we picked her up as soon as we could and the 3 of us spent the entire first day back home lounging around.  It was perfect.

My two cuties

Social: Snapchat

About six months ago my sister convinced me to join Snapchat.  I was hesitant for so long (probably because of the app's original, somewhat leery purpose), but now I'm really glad I did.  It's fun to see little tidbits from everyone's daily life.  And of course, the filters are hilarious.

I don't have that many people on my Snapchat though, and I want to see more!  When I first joined, I made the mistake of adding a couple old friends based on their phone numbers, only to find out the "Snapchat way" that those numbers now belonged to other people.  So I don't recommend doing that...

But send me your Snapchat names, or add me so I can "see" you and I'll add you back!  I'm bored and I want to see what you're all up to.

Here's my username:  heathmo.grizz

Lately: Little Architecture

My latest online fascination: Little Architecture

It's run by Emily Boutard, a corporate lawyer turned architecture student / law teacher / tiny furniture maker.  She makes all these tiny and incredible things and I'm completely enthralled by it.  You can buy something from her shop, commission a custom piece, and read tutorials that teach you how to make teeny things by yourself.

I was never that interested in tiny stuff, but this website has me hooked.  I think it's the tutorials.  I am dying to make this ridiculous Christmas tree.

I have spent several hours reading her tutorials and staring at all these impossibly small things.  Where do you even get bottles that small?  And who prints those tiny little papers?  These are the serious life questions that have consumed a large portion of my week.

I think Mama (yes, that's me even though I don't have kids) needs a job.

Phoebe and her chair

We recently moved one of the leather chairs into our bedroom and somehow Phoebe has decided this makes it more comfortable.  She was indifferent to the chair before, but now it's rare for her to take a nap anywhere else.

Our bed used to be her favorite spot.

But lately, she much prefers having the chair all to herself.

We can still get her to join us for some cuddles.

But once the cuddles are over she goes back to her chair and sleeps all by herself.

Still a giant ham/goofball though.