ich Kalliope

Gadgetmania

I've got two kitchen gadgets that I couldn't live without.  Both of them I was skeptical of, until I had them in my kitchen drawer... now I can't imagine my kitchen without them. 

The first, an apple slicer.  I thought ahhhhhhhhhhh, what do I need with this.  I can just as easily cut up an apple myself.  But my friend convinced me this would be worth it, and it is.  Less waste, easy to clean up and more apple munching, a win, Win, WIN!  I chose the one from OXO, an great company who places function and form at the same priority.

Second is the citrus juicer.  For a Greek girl who uses lemon in just about everything, this is priceless.  Heavy in the hand, and gets as much juice out of a lemon as I've ever seen.  My sweet husband came home with the big orange one on the right, and it works for everything.  Try it!

What else can't we live without in our kitchens?

Once in a lifetime

We had a great day in the United States yesterday.  A great, great day.  We deserved it, I believe that.  And now the work continues.  But yesterday, was a great day!

A man of intelligence, vision and eloquence is our President.  He loves his wife!  Aretha sang, and her hat was absolutely, positively fabulous.  He knows his daughters, and they know him.  Bush left D.C. for good.  

We are a lucky country in the midst of it all.  We the people, were at the beginning, the end and the middle of it all!  We did it, we believed, and it happened.

 

A new day has dawned

Our day is here.
We are the change we are looking for.
Welcome back America.

Mr. President.

Change has come to America!

Thank you President Bush

On the eve of the inauguration, a day filled with excitement, promise and tribute, it's time to thank President Bush.  On the eve of the end of our eight year national nightmare, it is only fitting that something be said on the pages of this blog that recognizes the role W and his administration played in what we will witness tomorrow, 20. January 2009.

_For without George W. Bush, an Obama presidency would not have been possible.

_For without George W. Bush, we would have certainly accepted mediocrity as a result of the election.

_For without George W. Bush, we would not have been tested as a nation to how far low we would be willing to go before we said - enough.

_For without George W. Bush, the promise of America would have only remained in our history, and not in our future.

_For without George W. Bush, we would have never experienced our collective hunger for intelligence, curiosity, compassion and science.

So I'm only going to say this once, thank you President Bush.

Cherished Book

Last month I added a sidebar here on my site with books I think are great.  One that didn't get mentioned, but admittedly is #1 on Kalliope's Bestsellers is FACEBOOK.  And there is no indication that it will drop in the ratings in the near future. 

Facebook has allowed me to connect with so many friends, near and far.  Unlike the privacy and relative anonymity that my blog ich Kalliope offers me, Facebook gives my friends a glimpse into my day and me into theirs. 

Reconnecting with lost friends, deepening connections with those closer to me and staying in touch with family, Facebook gives me what the best of intentions, the most updated address/email book and love of travel never could - an easy way to do it!  Sometimes the connections are more deep, sometimes it's just a quick read of what my friends are up to at that moment.

Where else could I learn in the course of a day that:

An old friend was running her first half-marathon

Another was considering getting a teeny, tiny tattoo, which I had been considering too

Someone I hadn't seen in twenty years liked the same music and artists I had listed as my favorites

As I sat drinking a glass of wine, another friend cracked open a bottle too, cheers!

My friend's husband wasn't sharing the guitar with her when they played Rock Band on the Playstation

And so it goes, the little things, and sometimes the big ones too!  This is one book I'll be carrying with me for a long time, no matter what city I call home.

It's still an AUDI

And I'm still at it.  It's a bit more of a dream now, postponed for awhile.  So the pricepoint can go up and up and up in my dreams.  At the moment... for the last 4 weeks at least, it's been the Audi S6.  I'd take the Audi A6 with the S-Line body too.

I don't blame my readers for not taking my car posts seriously.  But seriously, I'm still at it.  Stick with me.  Look for a vote coming up soon here! 

    

    

An Oxymoronic Wish

I made it through the holidays, yet again, without a proper gravy boat.  I am determined that it will be my last... I'm getting a gravy boat.

You see, I want a contemporary gravy boat.  An oxymoron of the highest proportion.  Right up there with Jumbo Shrimp and Military Intelligence, is Contemporary Gravy Boat.  I say this after spending an embarassingly long time looking for one, primarily online.  Here's what I've found so far, two, and sadly neither of them have made the final cut.  Help!

What an opportunity for a company like Alessi, Bodum, Rosenthal, Villeroy & Boch or iitala.  We lovers of modern, contemporary design like our gravy too. 

From IKEA                                                     Terrence Conran for Royal Doulton

Not so dearly-Departing

Just 16 more days until the inauguration of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  Sixteen has never been this sweet!  In addition to the political junkie I've become, add inauguration groupie.  Aspiring politician can't be too far off.  I visit change.gov the official website of the Obama-Biden Administration a couple of times a week to see what's up and how I can help.

I'm busy trying to figure out how I can watch every moment of the inauguration on television, preferably live, which is going to be a challenge because I'll be at work.  Wishing that it was an official holiday... it should be don't you think?  On the inaugural website there is a schedule for the events of this historical, cannot-come-soon-enough, end of our national nightmare, most hopeful day.  I've included it below for all the details.

As I read through the events, it was exciting to see two of my favorites Aretha Franklin and Yo-Yo Ma on the schedule.  On the other hand, quite disappointing to see the Pastor Rick Warren giving the invocation.  I would have advised against this one... but I haven't landed the job with the new administration yet. 

The one event that sounded sooooooooooooooooo incredibly joyous is at the end of the program, it reads:

"After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony..."

Departure ceremony.  How sweet does that sound?  I don't usually like good-byes, but I can't wait for this one.  God knows there will be enough to remind us all that "he was here", but the ceremony of making sure that he is on a plane out of Washington is quite reassuring to this American.  Oh happy day!

Official Schedule

Tuesday, January 20th - Inauguration Day
The President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will participate in the traditional inaugural ceremonies and events. For the first time ever, the length of the National Mall will be open to those wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony.  Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will include:

•    Musical Selections:  The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus
•    Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
•    Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
•    Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
•    Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens
•    Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma  (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
•    President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
•    Inaugural Address
•    Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
•    Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
•    The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”

After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate.

Later that day, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host ten official Inaugural Balls.  More details about the Inaugural Balls will be released at a later date.