Happy Birthday Dad!
"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me"
-Jim Valvano
June 7, 2011
June 6, 2011
Day Six
Theme: From a low angle
About a year ago (literally) I shared our Texas Dilemma of choosing a piece of art to represent our Texas Lifestyle (if you have no idea what I am talking about you can catch up and read about it here)
Well, we solved that Texas Dilemma, but I have to back up a bit.
Last year I found this artist named Gregg at Modern Bird Studios who had a really unique way of taking
photographs and turning them into art. This is a little bit about the actual process:
"Each piece requires a tremendous amount of attention, detail, and time to create. We take a photograph, and break it down into a two-color, a three-color, a four-color image, or a five-color image which results in abstract shapes that make up the form. We then choose contrasting colors to create the painting. The result is a marriage between technology and traditional painting to create a totally hip urban-style art piece that enriches your home."
About a year ago (literally) I shared our Texas Dilemma of choosing a piece of art to represent our Texas Lifestyle (if you have no idea what I am talking about you can catch up and read about it here)
Well, we solved that Texas Dilemma, but I have to back up a bit.
Last year I found this artist named Gregg at Modern Bird Studios who had a really unique way of taking
photographs and turning them into art. This is a little bit about the actual process:
"Each piece requires a tremendous amount of attention, detail, and time to create. We take a photograph, and break it down into a two-color, a three-color, a four-color image, or a five-color image which results in abstract shapes that make up the form. We then choose contrasting colors to create the painting. The result is a marriage between technology and traditional painting to create a totally hip urban-style art piece that enriches your home."
I knew that I wanted a piece, but was waiting for the perfect time. For our anniversary, I surprised Matt with a custom piece from Modern Bird studios. Was it a picture of us? Heavens no. It was Bella.
(seriously, we have a good amount of large framed pictures of us that hung at 885 East Drive. I think the addition of a painting would have been overkill)
(Yes, this photo was taken in Colombia. Because we brought the art with us.)
Now, let me bring you back to the Texas Dilemma. We knew we wanted our piece of art from Texas to have something to do with 885 East Drive. It was our first house and we were so proud of the home we created there. After much research and looking at different artists, we decided to contact Gregg again for a piece from Modern Bird Studios. There was a lot of emails and proofs as we worked together to find the perfect way to solve our Texas Dilemma. Because we were in the process of moving I had the piece shipped to my parents, so I have not seen the finished product, but I am quite excited about it...
...because I will get to see the finished product in August. I just booked a trip back to the States for a few weeks in August/Sept. Matt will be working on a "turn around" project, which in my language basically means they shut down the refinery completely to do maintenance and additional work. Therefore the refinery is making no money during this time and work is all day everyday until the refinery is up and running again. So, my husband will be McRobot.
I am excited about my trip... gives me something to look forward to. And, I don't know if he would admit it, but Matt's excited too... He doesn't get the house to himself too often anymore.
June 5, 2011
Day Five
Theme: From a high angle
I've told you all about Pinterest. Not long ago I saw a recipe for a sandwich that reminded me of a delish experience I had when we were in Napa.
The sandwich was called a BELT, which was a BLT with the addition of egg. Simple enough, yet so yummy.
I found a very similar sandwich on Pinterest.
It's called the World's Greatest Sandwich.
Sunday morning Matt and I ventured to the store to work on creating "Cartagena's" Greatest Sandwich.
yum... it was much better than the Hilton breakfast.
That morning we realized we were finally getting settled in Cartagena. You see, we have the "tradition" that just sort of evolved. Matt is the breakfast chef. If we are going to have a large breakfast, Matt takes the reins.
Have I made breakfast? Yes.
Is it usually as good as Matt's? No.
Guess who cooked breakfast?
Yep. We're home.
Here is the actual recipe if you're interested. It's delish. They discuss the addition of avocado.
I didn't think it could get any greater...
I've told you all about Pinterest. Not long ago I saw a recipe for a sandwich that reminded me of a delish experience I had when we were in Napa.
The sandwich was called a BELT, which was a BLT with the addition of egg. Simple enough, yet so yummy.
I found a very similar sandwich on Pinterest.
It's called the World's Greatest Sandwich.
Sunday morning Matt and I ventured to the store to work on creating "Cartagena's" Greatest Sandwich.
yum... it was much better than the Hilton breakfast.
That morning we realized we were finally getting settled in Cartagena. You see, we have the "tradition" that just sort of evolved. Matt is the breakfast chef. If we are going to have a large breakfast, Matt takes the reins.
Have I made breakfast? Yes.
Is it usually as good as Matt's? No.
Guess who cooked breakfast?
Yep. We're home.
Here is the actual recipe if you're interested. It's delish. They discuss the addition of avocado.
I didn't think it could get any greater...
June 4, 2011
Day Four
Theme: Something Green
Que es esto? What is this you ask?
Why.... a mango cutter of course.
The other day I was chatting with my mother about my daily ritual of drinking coffee and eating my mango on the patio. I shared my lack of expertise in correctly cutting a mango. My mother explained to me that they have mango "cutters" to aid in the process of a precise cut.
Later that day I received an email from her offering to pick up a mango cutter for me if I was interested and she also suggested having a looksee at our "Target" to see if I was able to find one. (No, we don't actually have Target, we have a store similar, but really not at all similar.)
At the moment I read the email on my Blackberry, I was in the Home Center (remember Lowes with BB&Beyond feel) in the kitchen aisle. I literally looked up and was staring directly at a Mango Cutter, which does double duty as an avocado cutter.
Thanks for looking out for me Mom.
Que es esto? What is this you ask?
Why.... a mango cutter
The other day I was chatting with my mother about my daily ritual of drinking coffee and eating my mango on the patio. I shared my lack of expertise in correctly cutting a mango. My mother explained to me that they have mango "cutters" to aid in the process of a precise cut.
Later that day I received an email from her offering to pick up a mango cutter for me if I was interested and she also suggested having a looksee at our "Target" to see if I was able to find one. (No, we don't actually have Target, we have a store similar, but really not at all similar.)
At the moment I read the email on my Blackberry, I was in the Home Center (remember Lowes with BB&Beyond feel) in the kitchen aisle. I literally looked up and was staring directly at a Mango Cutter, which does double duty as an avocado cutter.
Thanks for looking out for me Mom.
June 3, 2011
Day Three
Theme: Clouds
I love looking outside through the day at the beautiful views.
Seriously, doing the dishes... no problemo when you look out at never ending water & sky.
(That's right folks, the McQuinn's are dishwasher-less)
I have a slight fear that I will become "immune" to the view after a while.
But, surely that has to be impossible.
June 2, 2011
Day Two
Theme: What You Wore Today.
Since "today" was a pilates day, two pictures were in order. And I even have a third. Oh, are you in for a treat.
In the morning I wore:
In the afternoon I wore:
You may notice a theme here. My legs are completely covered. This is not common for my Cartagena attire. But I have a situation.
Last weekend we spent Sunday at the beach. I enjoyed some time in the water and soaking up some sun in the sand. On Monday, morning I woke up with what appeared to be a rash on the insides of my ankles. I ignored it, hoping it would go away. Ignorance is bliss right? Well, not in this case. My rash did not go away, it got worse. Very red and one area on my left leg even starts to (gasp!) blister. This is why I am wearing only clothing items that cover my legs entirely.
(I can't believe I am posting a picture, but that's what this blog is for right. Documenting our experience. The good, the bad, and the atrociously ugly.)
With Matt's help I was able to get a doctor's appointment for this "rash". I had some anxiety about my first medical experience in a new country and imagined the loads of paperwork you fill out in the states, in Spanish. Nada. Didn't put a pen to paper once. I sat briefly with the Doc, explained the situation, he looked at my rash, and then we proceeded to discuss treatment. My pocket translator was utilized. And I still have no idea what caused this rash. We have made some guesstimates and due to the placement and randomness the overwhelming consensus seems to be that I had an encounter with something in the water (imagine something swimming right between my legs).
My treatment is as follows:
Twice a day I boil a litre of water and add some prescription powder to it.
I soak my affected area for 15-30 minutes.
Then I apply prescription lotion to the area and another lotion to the blistered area.
Do this for one week. Go back to the doc Friday.
I thought it would be similar to magic and I would wake up with my normal legs back. Hasn't happened. They are not getting worse and I see a slight improvement, but let's just say I am in the market for some more long dresses
Since "today" was a pilates day, two pictures were in order. And I even have a third. Oh, are you in for a treat.
In the morning I wore:
In the afternoon I wore:
You may notice a theme here. My legs are completely covered. This is not common for my Cartagena attire. But I have a situation.
Last weekend we spent Sunday at the beach. I enjoyed some time in the water and soaking up some sun in the sand. On Monday, morning I woke up with what appeared to be a rash on the insides of my ankles. I ignored it, hoping it would go away. Ignorance is bliss right? Well, not in this case. My rash did not go away, it got worse. Very red and one area on my left leg even starts to (gasp!) blister. This is why I am wearing only clothing items that cover my legs entirely.
(I can't believe I am posting a picture, but that's what this blog is for right. Documenting our experience. The good, the bad, and the atrociously ugly.)
With Matt's help I was able to get a doctor's appointment for this "rash". I had some anxiety about my first medical experience in a new country and imagined the loads of paperwork you fill out in the states, in Spanish. Nada. Didn't put a pen to paper once. I sat briefly with the Doc, explained the situation, he looked at my rash, and then we proceeded to discuss treatment. My pocket translator was utilized. And I still have no idea what caused this rash. We have made some guesstimates and due to the placement and randomness the overwhelming consensus seems to be that I had an encounter with something in the water (imagine something swimming right between my legs).
My treatment is as follows:
Twice a day I boil a litre of water and add some prescription powder to it.
I soak my affected area for 15-30 minutes.
Then I apply prescription lotion to the area and another lotion to the blistered area.
Do this for one week. Go back to the doc Friday.
I thought it would be similar to magic and I would wake up with my normal legs back. Hasn't happened. They are not getting worse and I see a slight improvement, but let's just say I am in the market for some more long dresses
June 1, 2011
Photography Challenge: Day One
Hola!
With a little luck we were able to find a wireless connection at our new apartment that wasn't locked. We are still waiting on our Colombian ID's so we can get Directv and internet, but until then I will take gladly accept this nice little wireless signal. It's not the most reliable, but I am working on getting back to blogging.
In the midst of moving in and getting settled my 30 Day Photography Challenge began and I promise, I have actually followed it each day (are you shocked, because I sort of am...)
(i am proceeding with the dates these were actually taken, so if it sounds like I am speaking from the future, that's because I am.)
Day One: Self Portrait
June 1st was the day we packed up and shipped out of the Hilton. It was an early day for me and Matt actually got to sleep in. We started around 6 am, had our last Hilton breakfast, and a driver came to get us and the rest of our luggage. We made a pit-stop at our new casa to drop off our luggage and then headed to the grocery store to stock up. Like most "first time" grocery shopping trips it was full of necessities and was quite expensive. Many consumer items can be quite costly here. Did I mention I paid $8 USD for shaving cream. Yep. I also saw some dried cranberries for 34,000 pesos. That's over 15 dollars.
After unloading our groceries we headed to the mall. There is a store called the Home Center which looks pretty much identical to Lowes, but also has a slight Bed Bath & Beyond vibe. We walked through each aisle and had a cart full. This is where our day got really interesting. We are still using our bank cards from the US. Before we left for Colombia we called each customer service line and informed them of our move and that any activity in Colombia should not be viewed as suspicious. Apparently that memo ran out. Our cards were declined.
We had spent the last 2.5 hours walking around with a list and filling a cart with things we needed, but weren't going to be able to leave with a thing. Thankfully, I had a credit card in my wallet and we were able to use that.
Since our apartment only has one tv (and we all know I have an addiction) we are going to purchase an additional television. So after our Home Center debacle we head on over to the electronic store and Matt picks out his tv. I am not going to lie, I had some anxiety about trying this card situation again. However, Matt was confident that I had nothing to worry about. So, there we are in line. Trying to buy a television. Every card DECLINED. I don't know if this has every happened to you before, but it's pretty embarrassing. Then slap a language barrier on it. Stupid Americans. That evening Matt contacted the bank (through a very broken up Magic Jack phone conversation) to discuss with them our residency and need for our cards to be reliable. There comment was, "Well sir, you're traveling in Colombia, there is valid reason to be suspicious. Touche. But we had to set him straight. No Travel. Vivo aqui. Let's hope it's taken care of because that wasn't very fun.
After a full day I still had to take my self portrait.
And oh, isn't she lovely. Not a stitch of make up. Hair fresh out of the shower. Nice.
I look like a girl who's bank/credit cards got declined.
Oh, that's because I am.
With a little luck we were able to find a wireless connection at our new apartment that wasn't locked. We are still waiting on our Colombian ID's so we can get Directv and internet, but until then I will take gladly accept this nice little wireless signal. It's not the most reliable, but I am working on getting back to blogging.
In the midst of moving in and getting settled my 30 Day Photography Challenge began and I promise, I have actually followed it each day (are you shocked, because I sort of am...)
(i am proceeding with the dates these were actually taken, so if it sounds like I am speaking from the future, that's because I am.)
Day One: Self Portrait
June 1st was the day we packed up and shipped out of the Hilton. It was an early day for me and Matt actually got to sleep in. We started around 6 am, had our last Hilton breakfast, and a driver came to get us and the rest of our luggage. We made a pit-stop at our new casa to drop off our luggage and then headed to the grocery store to stock up. Like most "first time" grocery shopping trips it was full of necessities and was quite expensive. Many consumer items can be quite costly here. Did I mention I paid $8 USD for shaving cream. Yep. I also saw some dried cranberries for 34,000 pesos. That's over 15 dollars.
After unloading our groceries we headed to the mall. There is a store called the Home Center which looks pretty much identical to Lowes, but also has a slight Bed Bath & Beyond vibe. We walked through each aisle and had a cart full. This is where our day got really interesting. We are still using our bank cards from the US. Before we left for Colombia we called each customer service line and informed them of our move and that any activity in Colombia should not be viewed as suspicious. Apparently that memo ran out. Our cards were declined.
We had spent the last 2.5 hours walking around with a list and filling a cart with things we needed, but weren't going to be able to leave with a thing. Thankfully, I had a credit card in my wallet and we were able to use that.
Since our apartment only has one tv (and we all know I have an addiction) we are going to purchase an additional television. So after our Home Center debacle we head on over to the electronic store and Matt picks out his tv. I am not going to lie, I had some anxiety about trying this card situation again. However, Matt was confident that I had nothing to worry about. So, there we are in line. Trying to buy a television. Every card DECLINED. I don't know if this has every happened to you before, but it's pretty embarrassing. Then slap a language barrier on it. Stupid Americans. That evening Matt contacted the bank (through a very broken up Magic Jack phone conversation) to discuss with them our residency and need for our cards to be reliable. There comment was, "Well sir, you're traveling in Colombia, there is valid reason to be suspicious. Touche. But we had to set him straight. No Travel. Vivo aqui. Let's hope it's taken care of because that wasn't very fun.
After a full day I still had to take my self portrait.
And oh, isn't she lovely. Not a stitch of make up. Hair fresh out of the shower. Nice.
I look like a girl who's bank/credit cards got declined.
Oh, that's because I am.