Not a Moleskin

I haven't written with any sense of consistency online or in my journal. I just haven't really felt it. But I did feel bad about it.

I think my old journal had some bad mojo. So I got rid of it even though I wasn't even half way through writing in it.

My new journal is an Ecosystem journal. I like the color and I like that it's made from recycled material.

I hope that it has good vibes.

I'm sailing! I'm a sailor

I've always wanted to learn how to sail. So when the "I've Always Wanted To..." meetup group offered a sailing lesson, I signed up immediately.

Saturday at noon, the class started at Lake Johnson in Raleigh.  There were 8 of us in the 6 hour class. Our instructor was Margaret, a 77 year old woman who had been sailing and teaching it since she was 17. So with 50+ years of being on the water, she was a firecracker.

We learned on Sunfish sailboats, a cute little boat that skims easily across the water.

There's nothing quite like catching the wind in your sail and taking off. One hand on the tiller and one hand on the line holding the sail taut. I was a sailor!



I will definitely be doing this again.

Soloist

Carolina Ballet

I read a post recently about the pleasures of doing things alone, things most of my friends would never do. Last night I did exactly that.

I was having a day. It was gray, cold and I was feeling pretty blue (which is another post entirely). But I was determined not to sit and mope in my apartment in my pajamas all day. I was invited out to dinner with a good friend, but I wasn't in the mood for being good company. I just wanted to enjoy a solitary moment, but in the company of others.

So I did a search of events in Raleigh and Carmen was being performed by the Carolina Ballet. Perfect.

My last minute decision paid off. I got balcony, first row seats - the most perfect seats, really - for only half price. The show wasn't sold out and the ticket booth woman was very kind.

I can't say that I'm a particular fan of ballet or opera, but I do appreciate the arts and the skill, discipline that goes into it and the beauty that comes out of it. The passion that the dancers (or musicians, actors, painters.... whatever it happens to be) put into their art is so strong and so moving, that it has often brought me to tears.

In the dark, alone, with a few hundred other people, I was memorized by the strength of the people who danced on stage. The principles who made it look so effortless. And I was distracted by the men who has their junk crammed into their tights.

When the show was over and the dancers gave their final bows, I felt satisfied with myself. I was glad that I'm not afraid to explore and be on my own. And I wondered how many things I would have missed if I needed to wait for someone to accompany me on adventures.

The Scrap Exchange

I was in Durham this weekend for the farmer's market and was strolling around when I came upon this ridiculous elephant.

Intrigued, I wandered into the door and found this magical place called The Scrap Exchange.

The Scrap Exchange is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote creativity, environmental awareness, and community through reuse.

We collect materials from hundreds of individuals, businesses, industries, and municipal sources and distribute those materials through our retail store in Durham, North Carolina as well as through workshops, parties, and outreach events across the Southeast.

This was such a fun place to explore. There were giant blue bins of...stuff, or crap, depending on how you see it.

There were cassette tape holders, wire, bumper stickers, computer keyboards (without the keys), puzzle pieces, plastic things, and other stuff that I really didn't recognize. Then in the back were piles of fabric just waiting to be used in something wonderful.

You could use one of the different sizes of bags and fill it up from the blue bins for a specific dollar amount.

Or you can just purchase things separately. They even have workshops where you can get creative and make stuff from the things you find. That's sounds like a great birthday part to me.

Must-haves for the Bachelor Finale

Rum-infused chocolate cupcakes

Prosecco

My venn diagram

I have quite an interesting group of women who are a part of my life here in North Carolina. I have four distinct groups of friends. At least, there will be four once softball season begins.

Batter up

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

I just signed up for a recreational softball league and I am so excited. I haven't played in years. Damn, it's been almost ten years.

I miss the smell of the grass and taste of grit in my mouth after I slid into third base. I miss the sweat and the grass stain on my pants and the ice cream (in high school) or the beers (at work) the team would get after a game.

I miss the feeling of being part of a team. Cheering for someone up at bat or trying to psyche out the pitcher. Of the inside-out rally caps or the silly superstitions we had to follow in order to win a game.

I miss the singing on the bus on the way to games and dumping the water cooler over our coach when we won.

I miss how my thighs used to look when I was 17 years old. Crap.

Double blue and gold

I am a sorority girl. An unrefined, unapologetic, proud, involved sorority girl. I think that is what saved me when I found myself lost and alone in North Carolina.

I have always said that everything I learned to make it in the real world I learned from being in a sorority. And not just being in one, where you might imagine consisted of parading around campus in letters, flash mobbing a fraternity party or yelling like silly girls every time 'our song' came on the bar jukebox. (Well, I did that.) I also was a leader in one. Still am. As an undergrad, I was chapter president and house manager. I had a job to do and I had to do it well in order for my chapter to be successful.

So almost twenty years after my initiation, when I have to deal with a tense situation, or manage different projects, introduce myself to a group of strangers or turn a basement into a classy party area, I don't turn to what I learned in Accounting 101 or my Ethics in Media class. I turn to what I learned from being a sorority girl.

Fast forward 8 months since I became a North Carolinian and I find myself sitting on a couch with sisters, who had previously not known each other, sipping wine, sharing stories and curled up in our comfy clothes watching The Bachelor on a Monday night. And its as if I'm 19 years old again, hanging with my sisters in the lounge of my chapter house.


What is it about being in the company of like-minded women who can make you feel so good about yourself? We come from different backgrounds, but because of our sorority, we know that there are some basic principles that bind us together. And they're also some pretty kick-ass women, too.

I am very fortunate to have signed my bid 19 years ago. And to be exactly where I am right now.

Breakfast

I woke up this morning, made some breakfast (swiss cheese omelet with salsa, toast and coffee) and ate it on my patio.

It was a perfect morning. Cool enough to wear a sweatshirt and shorts, but with the promise of getting warmer later.

Barry kept me company as we watched the day wake up. I saw a cardinal flip about from branch to branch. I heard other birds say hello. The train whistled in the distance and Barry kept a very close eye on the squirrels.

It was one of those moments where I was keenly aware of my surroundings, who I was and what it took to get me here. And I liked it.

It had the makings of a very good day.

A walk in the park

I love that I have nearby access to wonderful parks. So many trails for Barry and I to explore and pine cones to stomp on. There's nothing quite as satisfying to me as to hear their crunch under my feet.

Things I Like: My Nook

There are a lot of stupid things on tv. The only show that I will stop my life and turn on the tv for is Glee. Yes, I am a gleek and I'm not ashamed to say it.

I've traded in a lot of tv time for reading. And I was holding out on an e-reader for a while. I thought I would miss the tactile-ness (is that a word), and the smell of books. But one day when I was home in NJ, I decided I wanted an e-reader. Like right now.

So I mapped the distance for Target and Barnes & Noble. B&N was closer so I drove the 3 miles to get the Nook. I have to say, I love it.

There are some books that I will just have to have a hardcopy for, but for casual reading, e-books suit me just fine.

I've been catching up on some literary classics that I never read in school. I just finished Oliver Twist and I have a bunch more free classics waiting in my queue.

I read the Oprah selection 'Freedom' by Jonathan Franzen. I can't say it changed my life like Oprah said it did to her, but it was ok.

I'm currently reading 'Half the Sky : Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide' by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It's great, in that it angers you and stirs up the desire to want to do something to end the injustice towards women.

Next in my queue is 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett and then the Millennium Trilogy Series books, The Girl Who Kicked the Shit Out Of People Because She's So F'n Badass. I'm interested in reading the series because the movies of them were just so awesome.

So what are you reading?

Hungover Owls

Owls are cute. Hungover owls are even cuter.

This is my new favorite site.

Hungover Owls

My MOMA trip

Wednesday was an adventure day. I was meeting @vivzan at the Museum of Modern Art to see the Tim Burton exhibit.

I started my day in Jersey City as I waited for the Path train to take me to midtown Manhattan.


It was a nice day so I walked the 20 blocks from Herald Square up to 53rd Street.

I often forget that New York is a tourist spot. To me, it's just an extension of my neighborhood. So when I walked into the museum lobby at 10:30 on a Wednesday morning, I was a little shocked to see it to packed and humming with a dozen different languages.

I was thankful that I ordered and printed out my entry ticket last night because the lines were just too much to bare. I found a spot on a comfy ottoman and waited for @vivzan as I watched the people take pictures.

There were two things that caught my eye in the lobby. The first was this inflatable Tim Burton creature with many eyes. Even though he has a grotesque style, this thing seemed friendly and cuddly.

The second thing was a large painting hanging above an information desk.

At first glance, it looked like a silly painting of sailors with big noses. But upon closer look, I realized. Those weren't noses.

Viviane arrived and we set out immediately to the exhibit space for Tim Burton.

I really had no idea how talented he was as an illustrator and painter. I was even more floored when I learned that he was an animator for Disney. But the detail and shading in even his notepad doodles were so amazing.

Soon we were hungry and tired and needed a break. We went to the cafeteria on the 3rd floor and MOMA even made the meals another art instillation.

Each plate was presented as beautifully as it tasted. I had a tender chicken pannini and Viv had the yummiest pollenta I ever tasted. Then dessert... I had a rich, chocolate torte that could only be enjoyed with a glass of cold milk.

After lunch, we forced our tired and full bodies to the rest of the museum. I loved the Monets and Van Gogh, the Seurat and Cézanne. I can even appreciate Picasso, Warhol and Pollock. I loved the photography exhibit where everyday, mundane pictures made the cut. Some, no more impressive than a candid shot of my dog chasing a squirrel outside.

But then we got to the strange stuff and I just have to wonder, what makes it art? There was an instillation of a chair, and another of four pushpins stuck in a wall with string all around them.
Then my favorites are the canvases painted one solid color with a line of white running down the side.

Seriously? WTF?!

But then we'd come across something interesting again.

It was a long day and by 4:30 we were all tired out. Damn, we were getting old.

I walked back down from 53rd through Times Square and came upon a little NYC drama.

I have no idea what happened. But 7th Ave was blocked off with tons of fire trucks, cop cars and a couple of stretchers. There were lines of people taking photos and videos but no one had a clue what happened. Typical. Just another day in New York City.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Tim Burton to Showcase Art at MoMA (pastemagazine.com)
• Photo Gallery: Tim Burton Exhibit At The Museum Of Modern Art (splashpage.mtv.com)
• Tim Burton exhibition opens at MoMA on Sunday (timeoutny.com)
• Salute Your Shorts: Tim Burton's Short Films (Part 1, 1971-1982) (pastemagazine.com)

Things I like: Super Mario Jesus

A marker, a post it note cube, and a little bit of creativity is apparently all I need to smile. Oh, and a ass-kicking Jesus.

Things I like: Edible Art

This is the coolest thing I've seen. And its making me hungry.

100 Games Cupcake Game
100 cupcakes were decorated like board/video games. They are amazing!




(found this from my geek-lover Wil Wheaton)

things I like: Animals bombing photos

This seal looks like one cool dude that I'd like to hang out with!

I bet he knows this guy.

365 Project: Found buttons

I found these buttons sitting all alone in a tray in the mailroom waiting to be thrown out. I rescued them and gave them a new home on my cube wall.

I love them.

The bright, cheery colors, the sayings. I feel like they were made just for me.

What Christmas Means To Me

Christmas seems to change for me over the years.

When I was little, there was magic in the air. From the lights on the christmas tree, to the sounds of spanish christmas music to the anticipation of listening for the reindeer on the roof.

During my tween and teen years it was about what cool gift was waiting under the tree.

College was about meeting up with your friends after all the family obligations were over.

Now Christmas is about none of that -- yet all of that.

Its about the magic of having my extended family all under the same roof.

About the cool gifts of laughter we share.

And about getting together with my family after all the work obligations are over.

I love Christmas.

Caro Christmas 2009 from Claudine Caro on Vimeo.

I <3 Wil Wheaton

I have been having this completely ridiculous, irrational crush on Wil Wheaton these past few months. I've been listening to his Memories of the Futurecast religiously and am truly saddened that they're over for a while (although I will be listing to Radio Free Burrito). I obsess over watching The Guild and I've rented Star Trek:TNG on Netflix just so I can watch the episodes as he narrates them on the podcast. I've even spent hours just reading his blog and articles that he's written all over the InterWebs.

I love his snarkiness and the sound of his voice. I love the way he has conversations with himself and imaginary things.

But most of all I love that he's a complete geek and revels in it. Actually, with his beard, to me he's kind of a sexy geek... but I digress.

He has this great writing style where I imagine it's just him and me, sitting in his living room with his dogs while his lovely wife is in the kitchen making nachos.

This is the fundamental difference between what JJ Abrams did with Star Trek, and what George Lucas did with Star Wars. Lucas told us, "Hey, you know all that stuff you love so much? That stuff that's been a huge part of your life? Well, you're stupid for liking it because I didn't mean it. These are my toys, always have been, and now I'm taking them back. Ha. Ha. Ha. Fuck you, now give me more of your money."

I wish there was a Teen Beat or a Bop magazine for adults about famous adults. Sure there's People and other TMZ-worthy trash, but that's not what I want. I want articles and photos of the innocent sillyness of Wil's favorite ice cream flavor or highest score on Centipede. I would totally be in his fan club, hell, I might even be Treasurer.

things I like: Best Songs of 2009

I love it when the Universe delivers exactly what I was looking for.

I've had this soulful need for some more music. I've been reading this book, "Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time" by Rob Sheffield. This biography tells the story of this Rolling Stone writer's life through the mix tape he's created and received over the years. Much of the music is new to me and has started this treasure hunt into locating and listening to the tunes.

Then today I came across the Said the Gramophone which had a listing of the Best Songs of 2009. None of these songs are played on mainstream radio and for a limited time, they're all free downloads.

I can't wait to go home, download them, and become intimate with my new friends.