Citizen's Day

Repost from John McCain's National Coalitions Team..

Couldn't Agree more!!!!

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Coalitions Team!

As we celebrate National Citizen's Day, it is important to reflect on the privileges and responsibilities that come with the title of United States Citizen. As United States citizens, we are graced with the rare and precious opportunity to live the American Dream: all citizensno matter our race, creed, or gendercan prosper. We have the right to worship freely, to associate freely, and to follow our own path wherever it may take us.

With the many privileges of citizenship comes responsibility. As Theodore Roosevelt once noted, "The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he should be able and willing to pull his weight." Each individual has a duty to give back to this country that offers such boundless opportunity. Voting, community service, military service, governmental servicethese are all ways that American citizens can contribute to our country.

I encourage all Americans to show their appreciation and dedication to this wonderful country by serving others: mentor children, volunteer in your community, join the military, run for office. The list of ways to "pull one's weight" is as unlimited as the opportunities available to all American citizens. Let us be the difference, not only in a fellow-American's life, but in the society in which we live. America was built on the hopes and dreams of men and women who knew a cause greater than self. It is our duty to honor that legacy by constantly striving to serve our country so that it can continue to be the place that all those before us have fought to create.

People from all over the world come to the United States in search of the American Dream. They seek the opportunities that America offers its citizens. Our newest citizens know what it is like to live without the liberties afforded in the United States. Immigrants have often been the greatest examples of service to our country: joining the military to expedite the green-card process, helping others with the immigration process, and getting involved in their communities. They must continue serve the country that they have pledged allegiance to. All citizens, whether natural born or naturalized, have a duty to give what they can to the country that gives them so much.

As American citizens, the power to choose our representatives in government is our most treasured right and our most solemn responsibility. Every citizen must take part in the process that makes America the greatest country the world has ever seen. By voting, American citizens can determine the path that their country will take. Let us never take this great country, or the rights we have as citizens, for granted.

Happy Citizens Day!

Aaron Manaigo
National Director of Coalitions

Wine Not Try These Kabobs?

Hectic, stressful rollercoaster days and sleepless nights have left me worn out and wanting to bond with Terry. Our favorite fix for everything? Good food. Don’t tell WebMD as they like to email me reminders not to eat emotionally.

Terry has been doing some extra work lately on a movie set and they fed him shish kabobs. He mentioned it briefly to me and we went on about our lives. Three days later the words sunk in: shish kabobs. We haven’t eaten good shish kabobs in years. We’ve had plenty of crappy ones, but not phenomenal kabobs. So I Googled.

It turns out a Persian Restaurant called Alborz Persian on Anderson Lane was rumored to have the shish to my desired kabob. I had been eyeing this place curiously for 4 years, but decided to strike while the craving was hot.

We wondered in, already impressed by the display of Austin Chronicle nods and Zagat ratings and were promptly seated. We eyeballed our target and contemplated splitting the beef shis kabob plate as well as a veggie plate they offered. We decided against it and ordered two shis kabob plates and an order of hummus. It was all incredible. The vegetables, the meat, the naan, the hummus, the tea, the service. It was a culinary achievement. We left barely able to move as we had just consumed a slab of beef and a bakery a piece, agreeing to go with the original plan next time of splitting the plate and maybe returning for bellydance nights on Friday and Saturday.

We got outside, but didn’t make it very far. Next to Alborz Persian is a place called Water to Wine. We can’t resist good wine so we ventured in and were promptly greeted by a nice young woman who may have been sampling her own product. Her sample pours were heavy and we didn’t complain. The first 5 samples are free and samples are $1 a piece afterwards. You can also sit and relax with a glass of good Austin vinted wine for a modest price. If you so desire you can vint your own batch of wine on property stow it in their facility for 45 days for fermentation and pick it up tax-free later on. Its tax-free because the state considers you the vinter. They also have a wine of the month club where you pick up two select bottles monthly for only $30. I’m already tempted by the program.

Terry and I picked out a red and a white, but I’m sure we’ll be back for a pink, a crushed and a port soon.

Two great finds in one evening!

Just Say No to Poop Robots

Terry and I still don’t have kids. There are quite a few obstacles in the way to clear before that will happen. So we dote on five very awesome cats.

“Five?” You ask.

Yes, five. They were all rescues and each have unique backgrounds and quirks. They even have quirks that we made up for them. Sabrina likes money and is willing to throw herself at any millionaire who walks through the door. Ceaser pretends to be Bat Cat and watches over our mini-Gotham. Melody is a Ninja- Terror with mad fighting skills. Chloe and Xander should they ever stop fighting would open up a barbeque restaurant together. Their only real commonalities is they all nap, eat and use the cat box.

Eating and napping management come easy to most new cat owners, however, even experienced cat handlers have difficulty with cat box issues. I wish I could help you with all these issues. But I can help the majority of folks who stoop over the cat box daily (or once every two weeks) with pooper scooper in hand breaking their back to sift litter. These poor poor souls think they want the Littermaid. They lust after it, wishing they had the money to plunk down on a robot who will do their cat’s bidding.

Please, don’t let the allure of the robot suck you in. I had a litter maid, and well it does the job for maybe a year or two and then dies leaving you with a huge hunk of junk for the landfill. Also, the noise is so incredibly annoying. My cats really did not like the thing either. They preferred to use other boxes in the house and if necessary the laundry hamper.

Several years back we found a self-sifting litterbox that you roll top down and back up again to sift the waste into a little drawer leaving the rest of the litter clean. We were immediately enamored and the cats liked it too. It wasn’t 100% perfect but it was pretty awesome. I surrendered the litterbox to my brother and his wife who needed it more than we did. I always have collections of new and better catboxes. And I was ready to try the litter maid. So we parted company.

A few months ago, I was at Petsmart oggling the dogs, when I came across a sleeker, shinier version of the rolling catbox. It went home with me. Our relationship is stronger than ever. The newer better design combined with the improved quality of scoopable litter on the market have made this on the list of top best purchases ever. I went out and bought another one and plan to buy one more as well. (I have five cats remember).

The name of the product is The Essential Pet Omega Litter Box. This thing is pricey ($35), but will save you quite a bit of dough by using less litter over the long haul. Trust me, its that good. Its much less annoying than the litter maid($100+), and the cats think its pretty awesome too.

I recommend buying the largest one to give your cat plenty of room to turnaround in.

Adventures in Kimchee

Those who know me well know that my family is very diverse. I have a German/Dutch Dad # 1, Jewish Dad #2, a Hispanic Jewish sister, a Hispanic Sister-in-law, a Taiwanese step-mother, a half-Taiwanese little brother and a mother whose heritage is so mongrel that it would take close to 15 nationalities to list. Not kidding. We are traceably related to American Indians and Bohemian Gypsies. And I can legitimately wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.

So what did this make me? Blonde with blue eyes, and a serious appreciation for all things ethnic, including ethnic food. When we eat out, we eat ethnic 9 times out of 10, because when I cook, I cook good old fashioned American and German, baby. Yeah, I cook pure gringa.

Once nearly every week, if not twice a week we get a hankering (gringo for craving) for Korean food. In specific we favor Korea House on Anderson Lane. Yum. Their kimchee is the best on the planet and their beef bulgoki is phenomenal. Sometimes however, its just the kimchee that draws me in. As much as I love giving Korea House my patronage, I can’t afford to give them my money daily. I am instead trying to make kimchee at home.

Plus, I read on the reputable source that is Wikipedia, that kimchee might cure the avian flu. Also, there is a high amount of lactobacillus in kimchee. Again, according to the wiki.

I researched recipes, I watched you tube instructional videos of questionable origin and finally I concocted my own base kimchee recipe to use as boiler plate.

The gist is this---

Take
One Chinese cabbage, cleaned and chopped into medium size pieces.
½ cup salt.
Place in stock post and cover with water, stir around and leave for several hours. They say two, but I accidentally left it for 4. (BAD TERRY!)

Rinse and drain three times. Pour into a massive mixing bowl. I’m using a punch bowl.
In a medium sauce pan add one cup of fish sauce, one-third cup rice flour, one and a half cups of Korean chili powder and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil for a few seconds, remove from heat and cool. Meanwhile, at the other end of the kitchen take one bunch of green onions and chop into one inch strips. Add them to your cabbage heap.

Once your fishy-chili concoction is cool, mix it well in with the cabbage. A lot of sites recommend rubber gloves. I of course ignored this suggestion, but my eyes and contacts paid for it later.

Spoon your handiwork into a airtight container and leave in a cool dark spot for 24 hours. Try to enjoy some and then put the rest in the fridge. They say the stuff never goes bad- but I don’t want to test that theory I’m going to shoot for eating it as soon as my stomach will process all the spice and fish sauce. That is once I perfect the recipe.

The kimchee was taste tested moments ago. I will be honest, I was a little on the tentative side about leaving something doused with fish sauce outside of a fridge overnight. I was afraid I might hurl the second I opened the Tupperware. I did not. It smelled like kimchee and tasted almost like kimchee. But not quite. I think it needs more time in the fridge, less soaking in the salt in the future and more spice. All the same, I’m going to let it set in the back of the fridge for a week and taste again. So far so good for Korea House.

A belated happy Earth day to all! I’ll be honest, I didn’t notice it on the calendar straight away this year. In fact, I just noticed today. I just kept la-la-la-ing along to myself this week trying to not stress out about our annual humongous meeting next week. What I did notice however was the word “Green” all over the Internet. I’ve been noticing it for a while and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Honestly, I don’t care what your view is on Global Warming, I myself don’t really know what to think. But even if the polar ice caps are not melting right this instance, its still no excuse to around trashing Mother Earth.

But you’ve had enough green talk for a bit I’m sure. You are using a Brita Filter right? Not drinking from water bottles? That was my accomplishment this last year. Giving up my weekly package of water bottles. I have more Green topics in my head for later on when you’ll need a gentle reminder.

Today, I volunteered for the Special Olympics for the second time. I love volunteer work. There is nothing more grounding than spending the day not being self-centered. In the day and age of me me me….and how am I feeling?, and listen to MY problems, volunteer work is a much needed dose of humble humility. I get tired of people who whine on and on about the trivial, when honestly their lives are a complete cakewalk. I know I might be jaded somewhat. This modern era of large egos and large Escalades is rather draining on my psyche.

Order is restored to my mortal soul by doing something I am genuinely proud of and by spending the day in the company of compassionate, kind and self-sacrificing people. The free memories and anecdotal stories that you tell till you are decrepit are a nice added bonus. Today I almost guided a blind child off the edge of the stage. He thought it was funny. I’m so glad.

Past years have seen me working Thanksgiving Day Dinner for the needy in San Antonio, organizing an Easter Hunt for Big Brothers Big Sisters, picking up trash, sorting books, sorting toys, wrapping toys, directing traffic, making a now rare flute performance and collecting large amounts of can goods, clothes and bedding. The days I involve myself in these activities seem to be much more clear in my mind than the rest of the year. The weekends I while away eating and watching television won’t give me cause to pause one month later.

If you think you don’t have time for volunteer work, you are likely wrong. Not everyone can make a commitment to visiting a nursing home on a weekly basis, I’ll give you that. However, you can give a day or two every few months to something. I know, you give money online. Well good for you. me too. That’s not enough though. Money only goes so far in the world of charity. Sometimes, people need to know that others care, isolated individuals need company and a good laugh, shelter dogs need a walk and some Frisbee action, children need role models. It’s also not enough for you too. Doing good for others is wonderful, but you will never get the return on your investment inside yourself unless you get in there and roll up your sleeves once in a while. If you have children, this is a great way to teach them a few life lessons as well. I’ll have to stop there because I could easily go on a tirade.

If you live in Austin here are some resources to help get you on the road to do-gooding.

Statesman Volunteer Calendar

Austin Parks Foundation

Hands on Central Texas

Special Olympics Texas

Charity Guide

No Fail Fitness for the ADD Austinite

**DISCLAIMER** I am not a fitness expert! My licensing has nothing whatsoever to with fitness, if you injure yourself or have a mental breakdown, sue elsewhere.

Austin is “The Fit City”. Everywhere you look there are runners with 1% body fat dashing across intersections at ill timed intervals. This city is great for running, sports, kayaking, triathlon, Frisbee Golf etc. However, for every running enthusiast you meet there is another Austinite holed up somewhere with 95 plus excuses for why they haven’t committed to a fitness program. Once a year they may venture to spend $1000 on a gym membership they will never use, they might buy a mountain bike, only to realize they are petrified of hills. Feeling like a complete failure but not admitting it, they hole up in front of the bar immediately after work.(mmmmm beer)

I use to subscribe to pretty much every fitness magazine out there. I would read the blogs of the experts, watch infomercials and read online forums. The thing that has always struck me as odd is that all these fitness gurus never mention finding SEVERAL things you like to do for exercise. I think so many people fail over and over again, because they try to stick with one thing. I did this in my own right. I picked one type (genre if you will) of exercise video and for years that’s what I would do. It was all great for a while, but I would get bored, I would get injured, I would get lazy and I would skip it. But for the last decade or more I’ve been fairly consistent with the exercise. Aside from two weeks off for pneumonia and a really bad Fibromyalgia Flare, I have worked out 5-6 days a week for what seems like forever.

The reason I am able to stay consistent? I have back-up plans and I have alternatives. Trainers aren’t telling you to explore your options because they want you to buy only their videos, pay only their fees, join only their gym. Businesses want to sell you a bike not running shoes and vice-versa.

You need to plan on contingencies and have several options available. With your current workout plan what would you do if:

-You were bored with the routine you have been doing for three months and just can’t face another day?

-Were just getting over the flu and wanted to move, but didn’t want to move A LOT yet?

-Sprained your ankle?

-Broke your arm?

-Had a serious case of ADD that day?

-Had a time shortage – more than usual?

-Needed to travel for work?


Here is my unwritten but often no-fail plan of attack for these situations:


-You were bored with the routine you have been doing for three months and just can’t face another day?
I rarely do the same thing for three months, but I have gone a roll of doing one thing, getting excited by that activity and then just burned out on it instantaneously. An example would be the Elliptical Trainer which I LOVE. If I can’t climb on the thing I walk, do a one of my hundreds of videos or I grab my iPOD and play the best of the best of my workout music and create my own workout. Sometimes I pretend I’m in Flashdance, sometimes I pretend I’m an aerobics instructor, other times I march in place briskly for an hour because I’m feeling that uncreative. Viola! I burned more calories than sitting on the couch.


-Were just getting over the flu and wanted to move, but didn’t want to move A LOT yet? Have a couple of easy workouts in mind for days when you need to recover from harder workouts or the flu. You shouldn’t push yourself to the maximum everyday. Some of my favorite activities are Belly Dance videos, walking and ballet.


-Sprained your ankle?People in wheelchairs still workout and so can you. Do some Pilates, some upper body orientated yoga, pay the daily use gym fee for place that has an upper body bike, grab a very light pair of hand weights and watch the television while you create your own upper body kickboxing routine. Hey do this anyway. Just be careful not extend your elbows all the way. I have a sprained ankle right now, and that is actually what prompted this whole lengthy as hell blog. I’m working out tonight, are you?

-Broke your arm? Same deal as above, but with more options. Walk, elliptical trainer (gentle), lower body kickboxing, just don’t kick high enough to lose your balance.

-Had a serious case of ADD that day? There are some days that I cannot concentrate on anything to save my life. So I do a little bit of everything or I just climb on the elliptical trainer with a magazine, the remote control and my iPOD. If I’m at the gym in my office I spend 10 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on the treadmill and 10 min on elliptical.

-Had a time shortage – more than usual? Something is better than nothing. If you do videos, do the most intense workout segment you have for maximum calorie burn. Or you can do what I do and find an alternate arrangement for the day. Usually workout in the evening, but have a social engagement? Workout in the morning or at lunch and take the stairs all day at work.

-Needed to travel for work? Bring a resistance band and if you have a laptop bring an exercise DVD. These are your backups. Many hotels have a gym, but if you are in a new city, then by all means put on your sneakers and explore. I love to walk in new cities. I was just in St. Louis earlier this year. I was just getting over pneumonia, but I got my butt out there and burned some calories, saw some sights and took some photos. Wear a pedometer to keep you honest. I think I racked up 7 one day on a jaunt into neighboring Illinois. I walked across state lines just for fun.

To sum up: the average human is pretty lazy, to outsmart your own inner laziness and to keep yourself from making the 95 excuses for why you can’t work out, you need a plan. You also need flexibility and creativity. Explore what other options in fitness appeal to you. Spend some time with your significant other outside of the restaurant and off the couch. Toss the Frisbee, walk the trail, swim, wrestle etc. Explore fitness DVDs, invest in a piece of exercise equipment for the home (after careful research), create an awesome playlist on your ipod, and take up football, belly dance or both. But sticking to just one thing for 80% of us is a recipe for FAIL.

Unplugging

It’s hot here in Austin, hotter than it should be in April. We’re suffering payback for last year’s “mild” summer. Thank God for air conditioning, but not the electricity bill.

My new homeownership adventure has been hard on the wallet. I’m becoming just like everyone else’s cranky Grandfather who won’t turn on the air and who goes to bed at 6pm in order to avoid paying for light. Well, close. I’m paying quite a bit more attention to the energy suckers in my home.




The things I have done to minimize energy usage are:

-Washing more clothes in cold water

-Unplugging appliances when they are not in use including the washer and dryer, the Microwave, the can opener, etc. I do not recommend unplugging your fridge unless you are already anorexic.

-Unplugging chargers when not in use, placing TVs etc on a power strip that can easily be switched off.

-Using only one interior light at night to keep the boogie man or would-be rapist away. Saving money is a good motivator for combating fear.

-Installing socket and light switch insulation. Some electric companies will send you a free starter kit. I don’t know if they really work, but they make me feel green.

-Taking more showers than baths. This one is the toughest of them all.

-Doing laundry and the dishes after 8PM when electricity is cheaper per KWH

-Energy saver light bulbs. Duh.

-Not using the large burner on the stove to heat a small pot.

-Carefully considering my oven usage

-Making a mental inventory of the house every morning and evening to be sure I’m not wasting money somewhere.

Now, it might seem like I’m stressing over nothing, but my recent bills have proved otherwise. The last two bills I received were half of what I paid this time last year. Half! That’s around $100 savings every month. Read: shoes and/or beer!

The things I still need to improve upon are:-Changing the air filter

-Hosing off the outside air condition unit on occasion

-Figuring out the main TV/DVR system and when I can unplug it without missing shows.

-Keeping the fridge clean to make it run more efficiently (the freezer on the other hand runs better when full)

-Charging my IPOD and phone at work

-Showering in the dark

-Hijacking my neighbors meter box

I’m open to suggestions!