cheap ticket to paradise...

Sunday afternoon in the Fertile Crescent

A perfect gloomy day to traipse around the neighborhood and eat a superb Sunday brunch- incomplete, of course, because of the absence of mimosas. Of course, I'm all about finding solutions to problems these days... I'm resourceful. My day has morphed into a 'clean the apartment' afternoon. Whenever I get ready to go on an odyssey I like to start with a clean house upon return.

So I found myself a tailor! Tailor Mehmet downtown near the kale. Awesome man. Somehow we managed to communicate that I want a pencil skirt made from an exact pattern that I have.  We went to the fabric store yesterday afternoon (fabric PORN I swear!). What a wonderland fabric stores here in Turkey. It was pure ecstasy. I wanted to savor the experience. Nothing like touching every bolt of fabric of the right weight, color & texture.  AWESOME!!!

Can't describe anymore to you all without becoming obscene how much I enjoyed the experience.  Check that one off the list now- personal tailor in Turkey.  After the pencil skirt, I plan on taking a few more trousers to him as well... I can see this will become a new addiction for me. Surprisingly cheap as well.  Perhaps by next year I will have myself my own sewing machine so I can do it myself.  I miss my sewing machine.  I hope Katie-girl is having a good time with it.

It seems this post is going to be filled with the most mundane of things, but I figure that for all you guys reading back home, it might be terribly fascinating.  Honestly, just going to the grocery store still holds fascination for myself down here. Folding laundry even holds more intrigue for me than it did back in Amerika...

One thing that does not fascinate me with the mundane, though, is the state of my houseplants.  I've never had to deal with caring for (house)plants.  In Hawaii they just flourish, unless they are a rare breed of orchid that takes some more non-commital commitment. Seriously though, orchids are THE MOST tempramental of plants to attempt to shower with love.  You basically have to ignore them for them to flourish. All the sudden one day you look in the dark corner where you stuck the orchid plant to recover in ICU and BOOM it's blooming!!! When did that happen?  So yea, my houseplants are fussy right now.  Not enough sunlight? Too cold? Not enough water? Inside? Outside today? WTF DO YOU WANT FROM ME??? Arghhhhhhhh. But I persist in trying to diagnose their problems. I'm looking at them right now- all frumpy and giving me this passive-aggressive 'vibe'.

I was inspired yesterday to make Apple Cobbler- based on a recipe that I barely remember assisting with for New Year's... I had to put myself back in that state of mind I was in at the time to sort it all out... Turns out I was able to successfully achieve that state and reproduce a decent quality homemade munchies snack.. Drank the remainder of Malibu Rum in the process as well. 

Loads of laundry this weekend AND I'm even cold-water soaking all my wool and cashmere sweaters! I know, can't get more titillating than explaining this folks (*yawn*). There is a zen art that I have discovered when hanging clothes to dry on the clothes-horse thingy. I get absolute pleasure from this experience.  It really derives out of necessity: how to hang clothes to dry just so perfect that one doesn't have to iron them afterwards... This is end goal here.

In other news, I cleaned off my kitchen counter complete with anti-bacterial medicines... Even had to burn some Nag Champa incense to cover up the medicinal explosion. I suppose I won't discuss the loo cleaning this morning, but I did that too.

For entertainment talk-story I will divulge that I am currently absorbed in watching all the original "Pink Panther" series that Blake Edwards directed with such movie-star greats as David Niven, Elke Sommer, Peter Sellers, etc... I never thought anything about Robert Wagner before, but he sure was hot when he was young... Stupid funny stuff that seems enchanting while experiencing a mildly cold Southeastern Turkish winter.  I also watched the first episode of "Little Mosque on the Prairie"- which is hilarious and I highly suggest it to all friends back home.

I'm looking for some interesting books to buy in Portugal so if any of you have any titles of stuff you think I should read, let me know. As well, any apps I should know about.

Weather Ping Pong here this winter. Where is all the bloody snow? I have this increased fascination with winter clothing and enjoy amassing this type of garb. I can't figure it out- especially as I should be in a warmer place living... I can't help but think that in the back of my mind I'll need winter wear if I move to Cappadocia... Well, where to live next in Turkey is another consideration I'm considering. I mean, if I'm going to live in a cold area, I need to be snowboarding. This is ridiculous right now. So close, yet so far... And why is it so damn expensive to snowboard here? Okay, who reading this post knows someone with a ski resort here in Turkey. Hook a girl up... What about Kayseri? Must be some damn good skiing on Erciyes, no? What about cross-country skiing? Do peeps do that here? Where do you get the equipment? Snowshoes? Nothing like a good snowshoe expedition through the forest.

Okay I'm tiring of this. I'm thinking of doing a reconnaissance survey of my closet and check out all the luscious clothes of mine that I have here that I can't wear here. This includes shoes/boots as well.

looking for my own little paradise on this side of the planet...