It's All About the Food

I've recently lost my love affair with food. It's not that I don't appreciate it, or still get hungry, I am simply uninterested. I no longer have cravings, or a desire to taste the complexity of the unexpected, or the simplicity of the familiar. This is very strange as I come from a long line of food-for-festival people. We celebrate with food, we mourn with food, we are bored with food. We are Wisconsin people, and damn it, we love our food.

So it comes with great consternation that I neglect my familial roots and take this path (albeit most likely temporary) of complacency. Please do not misunderstand, it does come with a benefit...a sudden missing of 12 pounds in three weeks.

Tonight I ate. I possibly ate more than a kid's meal sized portion and that alone is a huge step. Tomorrow I will attempt to eat for an adolescent.

My lack of food excitement in no way eliminates the possibility of great stories. For example, on our first night in Door County we were in this delightful little bar for dinner. I was slightly shocked that they had Ahi Tuna on the menu and I was sober enough to enquire the whereabouts. "Where does your Ahi come from?", I asked. "Ahhhhhhh, from the Sysco truck", was the response. Loved the answer and then chose something else. Honesty is never overrated.

The next morning we found ourselves a little local haunt and began yet another wonderful mother-daughter day. We were sitting on the patio and had just ordered when we noticed this horrible rumble coming from nearby. It was a truck. A meat processing truck. Yes, I said A MEAT PROCESSING TRUCK. We laughed and laughed until they needed to IV the Bloody Marys just so that we stayed hydrated.

Even during times of fasting, food still finds me. And in familial form I find it soothing and oh so comforting...even if it does come from the back of a mighty large white truck.

Genie in a Bottle

Everyone needs a genie once in a while. Someone that takes you unexpectedly from the state you are in and transports you to a better place. This should happen without your input or your control. Think "I Dream of Jeannie" with a little bit more common sense. My Jeannie came in the form of my friends Rob and Todd.

I expected to have a horrible weekend. I envisioned myself pacing around the house in circles and just making myself crazy. Instead I was kidnapped. Kidnapped by the genies.

Saturday morning we drove up to Blowing Rock and spent a delightful day. It literally started in the car, when Todd challenged me to a game of travel Scrabble. You have no idea how happy it makes me to play Scrabble with a worthy opponent. A competition of words. Oh yeah baby, bring it.

While Iona lounged, we battled, we laughed, and ultimately I KICKED HIS ASS. It certainly helped that I had the Z, a Y, the Q, and the X. And he had a raging toothache, so his brain may have been fuzzy. No matter...I won :-)

We enjoyed lunch at an outdoor cafe that had good food and horrendous service. No matter, the wine flowed and the corgi was happy just hanging. I also laughed harder than I thought I could right now.

From there, we went up to Grandfather Mountain. OH MY. This is so my element. The views are extraordinary, and the future hiking opportunities gave me such hope. We walked (I may have skipped) across the mile-high swing bridge and climbed up on rocks that provided this amazing perspective of the earth, the ground, the air...without barriers or fences. I was calm, yet amped up. It was the most perfect place they could have taken me. I wanted to just stand on top of that mountain and just...be. That day, I had no fear.


My favorite quote of the day? "This crazy bitch is out on a rock, on a mountain, in her damn high heels and a skirt. I'm in deck shoes and scared to death."

Of course, our day would not have been complete without a tour of the best restaurants and bars of Blowing Rock. "I swear the shots haven't hit me. Do you want me to recite the alphabet? A,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,l,p,r, oh hell." I shall not name names!


Thank you genies. One day. One thing at a time.

Break the Curse

My youngest sister got engaged last Saturday. I am so thrilled that she found someone that loves her, respects her, and now wants to spend the rest of his life with her. We Neumann women don't claim to be easy, but we are certainly worth it if you both take the chance and stick with it. Thank you Jason for taking that chance. She is absolutely worth it.

I am hoping that this bit of a bright light will finally break this nasty spell of August. I know of too many people that are struggling right now. Just lots of rough things happening with people I like and respect. In one situation, I expect it is my fault. Earlier this month my mom asked me who she should "hex" for me. I didn't verbally give her the name, but I did "send" it to her. I think my own emotional dysfunction caused mom's energy to get misguided. Instead of it being aimed at the person I intended, it landed on my friend Valerie.

Valerie has had one hell of a month. The things that have happened to her are actually kind of funny. Out of respect though, you need to giggle behind your hand or snicker silently. She somehow managed to chip her tooth on a spoon and then her car became possessed. The damn car had no one in it, and no power to it, and the radio was on and the windshield wipers were flapping wildly. Oh, and the car itself wouldn't start. Yes, I laughed.

I know my mom meant well, but it appears I will need to retract my hex request. Hmmmm....or I just need to be more clear. Mom, you listening????