A Bookworm's Home

Every bookworm needs a home, just like every musician needs a studio in some shape or form, a surgeon needs a table and a full set of tools and a chef needs a kitchen with a fridge and pantry full of options.  The bookworm in me used to be drawn to the corporate bookstores -- Barnes, Borders, etc. -- however; from the help of my sister, a new delightful haven has appeared in my world.  This gem is Green Apple Books; the home of book lovers all around.  Whether you're searching for vintage, leather bound classics, large picture books at a very reasonable price, or a vast array of fiction, non-fiction and everything in between, this is the place to be.  New books, used books, you name it, it's there.  It is the only location where I have found brand new books in fine condition for half of their retail value.  It's a sanctuary to get lost in and forget about every possible thing going on in your life.  I've been in several bookstores, used and new, but somehow, the old structure of this store is so much more inviting than any other bookstore I've been in.  It has narrow walkways, old, creaky stairs, shelves unreachable by those under 6 feet, piles of books in every corner, it has every appeal in every possible way imaginable!  


I love books like the next bookworm.  I love the smell, the feel, the weight, turning pages, bookmarking, picking up where I left off, I love every possible part of a book.  My boss saw me carrying around Anna Karenina one day and stated, "If you had a Kindle, you wouldn't have to lug that around." .... A Kindle?  That poor excuse for wanting to absorb literature, but not wanting to feel the weight of the book, the words printed on the page, the smell of a book?  I think not.  My response to his statement was, "But oh, I love the smell!" and promptly stuck my nose in the pages of the book.  Part of the beauty of reading is holding the book in hand, flipping the page, reading the book in the font chosen by the author.  A true reader yearns for a library of books, an endless wall, floor to ceiling of books in their home.  


So while we see the large bookstores closing because ordering online is so much easier (yes, I do love Amazon.com and will continue to purchase books, movies and more from them because it is a great place to shop) and downloading books to a Kindle, the small, quaint bookstores are still open.  Cody's on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley closed which also was a gem; however, we still have a Cody's on 4th St and one in SF, plus we still have Moe's on Telegraph.  Even in my 'hood, there's the Russian Hill Bookstore, which I explored once, but haven't been back.  The setup of it somehow didn't appeal to me -- it felt messy, disorganized and unappealing, whereas Green Apple is jam packed of books and very appealing.  I see City Lights Books still open on Columbus which is home to writers like Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski and others -- sadly I have yet to enter the store (New Years Resolution for sure).  Somehow, these small locations still survive even though large corporate book stores try to take over and it is definitely a shout out to book lovers around.  We keep our local bookstores alive and well because we cherish the atmosphere of a welcoming, absorbing, mesmerizing place which allows us to dive into what we love -- paper with the written word conveying a story, message, or one with a tantalizing photograph, a piece of art, a keepsake.      


So if you haven't been to Green Apple Books yet and you live in San Francisco or happen to be in the neighborhood, pay a visit to 6th and Clement St and be prepared to fall into a black hole of books where you'll lose 2+ hours of your life, but won't feel remotely bad for doing so.  It is a love affair you keep returning to and won't feel guilty for; an investment you'll always find worthy; and most of all, a home.

Courtesy of Ichabodsquad.net

Courtesy of Indie100mfitten.file.wordpress.com

   

And So There Begins Yet Another Holiday Season

You know, I'm a little indifferent about the holidays, this year a bit more than past years.  It could be because everywhere you turn there's some newscaster squawking about how terrible the economy is and how low sales are...and it's true.  Working in the e-com biz, I do see our stores sales suffering a bit.  Sometimes I think, well maybe people just don't care about artist merchandise and the same shit they see day in and day out.  Who really cares if there isn't something new to buy.  We can only look at the same old stuff and realize, I really don't need an "all over print" t-shirt that just happens to be 20% off.  The most difficult part of this season in particular I guess is the lack of funds flowing freely.  I would love to give grand gifts to my friends and family, but my pocketbook and credit cards (which I should avoid using like the plague) only stretch so far.  So outside of monetary generosity, what things are there to make the holidays special?  And so I must ponder what I can do to further inject myself into the spirit of giving, red and green, pine trees, twinkly lights and all those other elements that you see walking the streets during December.


We'll start off with Christmas trees -- Noble Firs, Douglas Firs, my family's personal favorite, Silver Tips, all most commonly smelled as pine trees.  

Image courtesy of http://www.scctrees.com/

I really love the smell of pine, so an actual tree in the house does please me. I'm actually tempted to buy a tree this year, but am a little scared of Miss Zolite demolishing the thing while I'm at work for 12 long hours.  She is quite destructive.  Plus I would need to buy twinkly lights, ornaments, a stand, all that other stuff...I'm starting to hear the cash register dinging.  Now granted these items are useful year after year so it's not like they'd go to waste (unless Zolite destroyed them), it'd be more of an investment, and seeing as my sister and her husband's cat is much more rambunctious than mine and they've managed to have a tree in their quaint SF apartment, I might just need to do that too.  Holiday spirit check one!


My next favorite thing about the holidays, well, more winter in general, is hot toddies.  MmmMMmMMMMM.  I love me some hot toddies making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Perfect hot drink for sitting next to the fire, next to a Christmas tree, or just sitting and reading a book, curled up in a blanket watching the snow fall outside.  Ok, so maybe it doesn't snow in SF (pooo), but I can still dally with the idea of sneaking a trip up to Tahoe!

Image courtesy of Crafty Suzanne's blog

In case you don't know what a hot toddy is (in my family it's called a hot brandy (brandy sometimes replaced with cognac because that's all what's in the liquor cabinet...works the same way, still delicious)), it's a delightful hot drink taking:


1 shot of brandy, cognac, whiskey or bourbon (1.5 shots if you feel you need some extra tingles)
1 slice of lemon about a 1/4 inch thick
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
1 small teaspoon of sugar (or one dollop of honey if you prefer, or both)
1 cup of boiling water (or enough to fill the glass...adjust booze measurement accordingly for larger glasses ;) )


Hot toddies are traditional in my family during the holiday season...that and hot wine and irish coffees (yes, we like to spike everything).  My Mom being the biggest fan (father preferred his cognac or brandy just straight, no mussing with boiling water, once upon a time), she would make them at home and more frequently up at our cabin in Tahoe when we would sit around and play Zolite (best card game ever and of course it's Latvian and yes I named my cat after a Latvian card game).  Not only does this beverage bring back memories that make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, it literally makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  Win-win situation right there.  Holiday spirit, check two!


Probably two of the most important holiday traditions in any Latvian family is the baking of pīrāgi (bacon and onion pastries) and piparkūkas (heavily spiced cookies, direct translation being "pepper cakes").  What would the holidays be without baked goods anyway?!  Latvians are particularly special and I know everyone is jealous of our mad baking skills, especially with bacon.  I know my work colleagues all get overly excited when I bring a batch of pīrāgi to the office...they snatch them all up as if they were the last ones that existed on the face of the earth! Now, I don't have recipes for either of these delightful treats..or rather, I don't have recipes with direct measurements (my grandmother taught me to go by how it looks and feels and not by direct proportions...I'll figure it out one day though), so they will remain as a Rutkovskis / Meiers family secret!  Muahahaha.  

Image courtesy of me...yes, those are my pīrāgi.

Now the pīrāgu baking is all left up to me now.  My grandmother used to make them, but her recent move to a home without a kitchen and her depletion in long term strength (meaning working for 6 hours straight), isn't as resilient as it once was, so now, the duty is mine.  I must say, I've gotten awfully good at baking pīrāgi.  It's all about how you work the dough...have to keep it soft, fluffy, without too much air, but all the ingredients must be properly worked in.  Aaaand, yummy bacon helps too.  Last batch of pīrāgi I used apple wood smoked bacon..pretty delicious if I say so myself.  My pīrāgu baking is quite an event.  Zolite participates in every possible way she can, whether that means sticking her nose in the flour, pawing at the heated half and half, taking a snooze on the dish rack, or perching herself up on the refrigerator to watch from above. 

Image courtesy of http://blogs.gatavosim.lv

The piparkūkas are still my Mom's job and she's pretty good at them.  Ever year she tweaks the recipe slightly to make them a bit spicier.  I know there's allspice, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and some other spices...I just can't remember them all.  Nonetheless, it's safe to say they are Latvian spice cookies.  MmmMMmm, good.  This is another all day affair...you have to prep the dough at least one day in advance, better to make it 2 or more so it sits properly and then when you're ready to start the baking, you have to roll out the dough and press the perfect shapes, put them on the pan, wash them with egg and sometimes put chopped almonds on them, then bake! For I believe 12-13 minutes, I can't remember.  Holiday spirit checks three and four!


So there are 4 holiday spirit checks that are sure to perk up some spirits without the need for excessive monetary generosity.  Granted, it does cost money to purchase a tree, hot toddy fixings and Latvian baking fixings, but they are things that please everyone and make everyone feel good that we're sharing the spirit of the holidays together with food and drinks and decorated trees.  It's a start and I am looking forward to all of the above.  There are of course more holiday checks when applicable, such as cute holiday lingerie (check out Victoria's Secret, some cute things right there!) when you have a special someone to share them with...I'm working on that.  Macy's SPCA window drive with the cute puppies and kittens up on display for all to ogle and hopefully adopt (that's where Zolite came from after all!).  


Probably the last, most important holiday check (as cheesy as it sounds) is just being with family and friends.  We all have people in our lives that we love and want to spend time with.  Even though the holidays are crazy and we might want to bop our family members and friends on the head and tell them to chill out and relax (promptly throwing a hot toddy in their face), there's still the importance of sharing time together and appreciating the people we have in our lives.  We might not get along with everyone, and as my very good friend always says, "You don't pick your family, you pick your friends," who in turn become your family, it's important to recognize everyone and just take a step back from the differences you may have and value their presence in your life and their contribution to your life as well.  


May the holiday madness begin! :)





Don't mind the subtitles...Finnish I think??     
             

Update With A Hint of Bitchiness

Originally when I started this blog, I swore to myself that I would avoid certain topics such as relationship issues with those of the opposite sex, my job, because if you know me, that's a never ending cycle of hell, and just a general post filled with negativity (sarcasm and cynicism is allowed, negativity is not).  For today's post, I'm breaking the rule and going on a bit of a rant.  I assure you, our regularly scheduled programming will resume when I no longer feel the need to vent, which should hopefully subside after this post.  


So first, I'm going to bitch about my most recent, faux, bullshit, whatever you want to call it, fling, relationship, dating drama with a guy (who I've now concluded is a boy because he has acted like a 12 year old boy as of late) who, I really actually liked, a lot (maybe still do, but it's hard to beat feelings to a pulp..ok, yes still do, I'm working on it dammit!).  Alright, so the standards apply -- no names, no specific details on how it started, just take it as, I met a guy and it started out fantastic!  (Yes, that is an exclamation point, because 3 months ago, it deserved one.)


This guy that I had met before, maybe twice, decided he really wanted to make an effort to know me (for god knows whatever reason).  We chatted consistently every day for probably around 2 weeks and since he lives down in SoCal, we couldn't go on a "real" date conveniently.  Our chats were good -- I got all girlie excited when my phone buzzed with a text (annoying factor number one, text messaging all the time.  Not that I'm a huge fan of the phone, but still, texting being the only form of communication is a bit much.  Pick up the damn phone already, my thumbs are tired!)  and it was good, I was happy.  My initial thoughts were skeptical...my usual, why nows? and why exactly are you interested in me? type of questions.  I got, what is now presumably a pre-generated response, "because your smart and awesome and beautiful" blah blah blah, yes, I'm amazing, thanks (ok, so when I first heard it, well, saw it, because it was text form, I got all girlie happy and the big smile spreads across my face, that whole thing).  


One Thursday evening, I was having a bad day at work (as usual!), and we were chatting online (of course).  I tell him, SAVE ME, because work was hell and all I really wanted was something refreshing...the spark!  I wanted the spark to come to life in full!  So this guy gets the bright idea to hop on the last plane and fly up to see me.  Lil 'ol me.  2 weeks after "text dating."  So soon!  I'll admit, I was really unsure about the whole thing, but ignored my usual, should I be doing this?, and went with it.  Ran home, beautified myself, picked his bum up from the airport, came back to my hood, got sushi and played the get to know you game in person.  A date, if you will.  A date with a little bit of fantastic-ness, a date that made me really happy and giddy and god knows whatever other feeling we women have when the spark arrives.  It was a fabulous, spontaneous weekend, with a "call in sick" day on Friday (I had to kick him out on Saturday though because it was a birthday weekend...friend + mother b-days). I was happy.  Really, really happy and gushed to all my girlfriends about how this amazing guy flew up to see me.


I drove my bum down to see him a few weekends later (I drove because I love my car, needed the mileage and hate flying in general).  It was fabulous weekend part deux.  He made me food, took me to the beach and the botanical gardens (scored major points on that one, because any guy that wants to walk around with me snapping pictures of flowers and not talking has to have some sort of good qualities), went to a movie and had driving adventures, made me more food and took me to sushi, obviously did more that just that which was very nice as well, and all in all, it was hard to leave, but I had to get my bum back to my city.


So yeah, 2 solidly good weekends, you would think you're on a smooth path to a "lets see where this goes and maybe it'll turn into something more" type deal.  Oh no.  That didn't happen.  The boy goes MIA -- no texts, no chatting online at work, no phone calls (not that I was expecting any seeing as that wasn't a chosen form of communication), nothing.  I get a passing email that he's having issues.  I'm like, ok, we all have issues, need space, totally fine with it, told him if he needed someone, I was here, available for chatting.  Turns out, the guy needs more than just a week to figure his shiz out...mind you, sans heads up or letting me what exactly is going on.  Now granted, he did call at one point, but it was when I wasn't in the mood in talking, to him in particular (I got an "eventually I'll IM again" text from him and didn't think much of it right off the bat, but then thought, that is our only form of communication, so what, you decide not to talk to me with you're only preferred method and that's it??).  Basically, it just went down...so far down.  I'd send a text here and there, tried to call twice in one evening (no answer both times, I'm assuming one was a screen), and it was just dead, blah, nothing. I won't chase a boy, not that early.  


Time passes, we decided we would get together on an upcoming weekend and guess how well that went.  I texted him the weekend before we were supposed to get together asking what we should do next weekend, he asks what I want to do and I come back with a broad idea and then NOTHING.  Silence.  The end.  I was annoyed, obviously.  I decided to just break it off...sent the, you need to figure out your shit, text and left it at that.  Then I get the, I'm sorry, I'm in a bad place, I miss you, blah blah, text back.  Fine, good, you miss me, going to do anything to fix that? NO.  The weekend comes up, on the Friday he feels like being cute and mentions he saw the beach we went to during a baseball game.  THAT'S REALLY NICE.  THANKS.  How is that supposed to make me feel?  Better?? I think not.  I try to break it off (maybe I wasn't as direct as I should have been, I get it), I don't even get an answer about why we're not together that weekend and I get that?   Awesome. Thanks.  I get fed up that evening and ask (in text), why didn't you want to get together this weekend?  The answer, I haven't gotten any time to myself and this weekend isn't looking like it either. .... really? REALLY?  You couldn't have just told me that in the first place??  Retardedness right there.  I was annoyed, very very annoyed.


Time moves on, it's the random text here and there, nothing interesting.  He randomly appears in digital form again, wants to talk casually, blah. After that, I still got nothing. So he decides to pop back, but then not explain the silence?  I'm still annoyed, I let it go, tell him I think it's foolish two people who like each other can't get their shit together to make it work and leave it at that.  You can only hear, oh I like you so much and I miss you and don't hate me and distance is hard, so much.  He knows where I live, it's not near SoCal, it's about a 5.5 hour drive, you knew this getting into it.  I don't accept that as an excuse.  I was able to deal, accept, willing to figure it out, still tell him I miss him, but really?  You pull that?  NOW?  Bullshit.


So after all that, I still don't get it.  I don't understand why it couldn't work.  I don't understand what happened to him in his life and why he wouldn't let me help him.  I don't understand anything.  I've tried to analyze and justify in my head and I got nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  It's not logical!  How does a person fly spontaneously to see someone and then a few weeks later they have issues, serious issues that make them go MIA for 6 weeks?  It doesn't add up.  I don't get it. I'm annoyed that I was tricked into believing something that apparently wasn't real.  I'm hurt that someone would toy with my emotions like that.  I'm even more annoyed that it was a spark and the spark went away and I was finally happy and excited for once for a guy and then BOOM!  Nothing. Dead. Flat line.  The End to a sad story where everyone died and the world ended and nothing existed, not even plants.  I mean really? REALLY?  I don't get it. Probably never will. I'll get over it, I know I will, it just doesn't help that my job is ass right now too.  Which brings me to my next rant.


My job.  Wow.  Anyone that has worked there long enough is jaded, was jaded, quit, or was fired.  No one really lasts that long there, it's really sad.  In my department, I've got at least 2 years over everyone besides my "boss".  I use that in quotes because it's not defined and doesn't really feel like he is or should be. Anyway, this rant won't be as long, but basically, there are just inconsiderate people that work there that just want to dump on you.  Dump everything, you can do it.  You get the, "oh yes, I care, of course I do" which is totally fake.  Why are you pouring so much work on me and not fucking paying me for it asshole???  Hmmm????  I've disliked my job for a while.  It's too much. I like part of the industry and hate the other part.  It's just foolish.  I'm not going to get into details, I think I ranted most of what I needed in the boy portion of this post, so I don't have any more energy to complain.  Maybe later, I'll take another detour from the rules, we shall see.


If you read this, don't pity me, just explain to me why men think they're so damn simple when they really aren't.  If you're so simple, why don't you just say what the hell is going on in your life or what's on your mind???  It's not that hard.  

               

I'll Be A Fabulous Old Woman When I Grow Up

Most of the shows, commercials, what have you, on TV is crap.  Complete, utter crap (besides It's Always Sunny, that was defined as genius in my previous post).  I generally tune out all commercials, flip between channels, do something other than watch mindless commercials that are really really annoying.  Sometimes, the inevitable happens and you can't get away from commercials.  They all happen at the same time.  Can't stop and watch another program, have to watch that break of advertisements that just makes you go, "UGH. WHYYYYY."   But sometimes you come across a clip that's inspiring and makes you just smile. I don't normally fall for TV bullshit because most of the time, it is bullshit, but this commercial from Kaiser is great.





You watch it, your head bobs, and you're like "YES.  I do want to grow up to be an old woman. So YES, I will go get a mammogram."  I know I do.  I want to hang out with my old ladies and drink wine and share memories, make new memories, and enjoy the last moments of life.  That is the great reward for all the hard work life throws at us.  


I look at my grandmother, a strong 93 year old Latvian woman who has had a fantastic life and she's still going.  She drinks her wine, shares her stories of life back in Latvija being mischievous, shepherding cows at age 6, singing songs, faking TB to go back to the convalescent home to hang out with her friends, and so much more.  It's fantastic to hear her stories.  There's so much history and life there, I just hope that I have the same repertoire of memories to share with my children and grandchildren that they'll be equally amused listening to all of my stories when I'm 90 years old...and hopefully they're not fully absorbed in technology that they no longer have an idea about life and what people went through once upon a time.  


So go, be healthy ladies.  Get your mammograms and your pap smears and all the lady check ups we need to stay healthy so that we can grow up to be old women, sharing stories and celebrating the lives we've live.

Kitten Mittens!!!

Sadly, one of my favorite things to do on a Thursday night is watch too much TV.  


I start with Grey's Anatomy (yes, I'm still watching it, yes, it has gotten progressively worse, but guess what, I'm still going to stay tuned because I started with season 1 and I apparently like bad TV)...

Borrowed from http://greymom.files.wordpress.com/

Move on the Private Practice (and yes, I'm still watching this too...Kate Walsh and Taye Diggs, come on now)...

Borrowed from http://theclubatcapecod.net

And even though PP conflicts with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, FX is smart and replays It's Always Sunny at 11pm PST which completes my 2.5 hours of American-ism. 

Borrowed from http://comicculturewarrior.files.wordpress.com/

I'm not going to gush about Grey's or Private Practice, because really, those are just two shows that are like fast food for TV, you know you shouldn't watch it, but it's so terribly good, you're going to watch it anyway.  Regardless, I'm going to gush about the genius that is It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  

FX is pretty good for television series, so it's a safe bet that if they're airing a show, it's going to be addictive, smart and enthralling.  Afterall, they did bring Nip/Tuck to us and even though the show is slipping in it's later seasons, there's still the memory of the genius that was the first few seasons that just made your mouth drop, like WOW, I can't believe that just happened.  And then they also brought us Rescue Me with Denis Leary, smart show number 2 that also has the mouth dropping moments, the witty banters, firefighter pride and of course, Denis Leary's Irish stutter.  5 seasons ago, FX was so smart that they brought us It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia -- a show about 4 pathetic souls that work in a bar in Philadelphia, drink a lot of beer and other alcohol, have a father figure named Frank (more commonly recognized as Danny DeVito) and get into all sorts of mischief, ridiculous politics and play on every possible stereotype you can imagine.

I swear the show is retardedly ridonkulous (that's right, re-DONK-u-lous), but brilliant.  They go to every possible level of embarrassment, sarcasm, prejudice, bickering, obsession, you name it, they've gone there, and guess what, it's fucking hilarious.  For example, politicians ass blasting citizens, thus the gang runs for office as city controller (totally useless position), but they think they're going to save the city and Americans and go through the whole shebang to play politics, stab each other in the back and in the end, give up and drink beer.  That's some quality television right there, you can totally learn something from it.  

They also introduced Day Man, Fighter of the Night Man!

And GREEN MAN!

And Kitten Mittens!!!

Oh mans. HILARIOUS.  Hows does that not give you a giggle?  So if you haven't started watching it, do it.  Do it now. Go grab your remote, if you have Comcast, use the On Demand feature and find It's Always Sunny.  Anti-cable?  Run down to the video store and rent that shit or Netflix it.  Do something!  And if you really don't have a TV, Hulu needs to become your BFF or Fancast.com or even try FXNetworks.com.

I do suggest starting with Season 1, but if you're open to white American bullshit and retardedness without warning, just start watching it.  Sit on your couch or your favorite chair and get addicted.

Goddammit Charlie!

Autumn Smells Like...

Has anyone ever really been able to define the scent of autumn air?  I see candles that boast "Vermont in Autumn" or "Autumn Leaves" or some other concoction of autumn-ness, but none of them ever really capture that intense, brisk, smoky yet crisp air that just makes you want to take deep breaths at every possible moment.


I was walking down Filbert St after I parked my car this evening, and there it was...that scent, that luscious scent that makes me want to run away to a forest and try to capture it in a bottle.  Mind you, this is San Francisco, and there are few pine trees in my 'hood, but somehow, someway, that scent is still there.  If I could bottle a cologne to smell like that, I swear I would never wear anything else. So this is my attempt to "bottle" the scent.  I'm open to additions and suggestions as I most definitely might be off, but this is what my nose is telling me:


Smoke from a fireplace burning real wood:

Borrow from http://www.didierbeck.com

Crisp pine needles covered in frost to give it that pine-y briskness:

Borrowed from http://www.thedailygreen.com/

Cigarette smoke:

Borrowed from http://flickr.com from Weeping-WIllow

Autumn leaves:

Borrowed from http://www.obit-mag.com/

Thyme:

Borrowed from http://i.ehow.com/

And finally, nutmeg:

Borrowed from http://static.howstuffworks.com/

That is my fall scent assessment.  I think the smokiness nails it the most...that and the briskness, but how anyone can define the scent of brisk is beyond my knowledge at the moment.

So if you haven't realized the crisp fall air yet by now, do yourself a huge favor and step outside in the early morning or in the evening at dusk or after dark and take a deep breath...really let your lungs fill with this sensational air, and tell me what you smell.

Hello, Have You Met Zolite?

To introduce this blog, I'll introduce myself...or rather, introduce my cat, Zolite.  

Rest assured, this isn't a blog about cats, and no I'm not obsessed with cats either, she is just a key figure in my life that I have no choice but to start off this new blog with her. 


Zolite has many names aside from, well, Zolite (pronounced zö-lee-té).  Often times I call her "monkey" or "monk" for short or "boss" because she is the boss of my home; additionally, I call her "kitten", although she has outgrown that stage, now being 2 years old and all; and lastly, when she's being naughty, I call her "murmuls", which has no direct translation to English from Latvian, but usual sums up someone or something being, "a mischievous or defiant person or creature."


She was given to me as a gift from my sister when I graduated college / turned 21 and was in desperate need of companionship, seeing as I'm a poor, pathetic, lonely soul....or not.  Rather, my family grew up with cats and we simply have a natural tendency toward them and thus I will admit, I really wanted one.  As a 2 month old kitten, she was quite possibly the worst.  Mind you, she was adorable and I loved her as much as someone could love a crazy kitten, but she made it her mission in life to make my life hell.  She would knock everything over, get into every possible corner she could, make sure I would never get a good night's sleep, also made it her mission in life to scale the kitchen cabinets and drawers like Spiderman, and in general, run amuck around my old Berkeley apartment.  Once I moved to my San Francisco apartment, she did calm down quite a bit -- the move must have frazzled her into normalcy.  She still is adamant about sitting on the kitchen counter no matter how many times I scold her and plop her on the floor, so I have now completely given up on training her to be a lady like cat (think Duchess from the Aristocats...that she'll never be).


Some of her quirks include sitting in my bathroom sink:

Lying around on her back and exposing her snow white belly (in which I promptly smother and tease her):

'

Drinking from the kitchen faucet:

Licking my face in the morning when my alarm goes off (no photo ops at 7am).

And being the overall essence of cuteness:

 

Look at those toes!!!  They're just so cute and white and little!! Toes, toes toes!  

....Ok, enough.  Yes, she is cute, we can hopefully all agree on that.  And no, the spot on her snout does not make her Hitler. 

Now that you have been formally introduced to Zolite, I may now welcome you to my blog.  Here I plan to write on the subject of just about anything whether it's television (expect an It's Always Sunny post quite soon), wine (because I'm a certified wine lush), fashion (yes I do have a shoe obsession and yes my shoe blog did die..shame shame, I know), life (because some things just have to be written about), San Francisco and all of it's greatness, my weekend adventures, Latvians (because that's a given) and who knows what else.  

I hope you stay tuned, leave comments and enjoy :)