And I posted at Realmental.

xo

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We are blessed at the present time to have equal rights for everyone in California. Both heterosexual couples and gay couples can marry the person they love. If you live in California, Please vote No on Prop 8 on November 4th and keep equal rights for everyone.

Here’s their family in front of the California Screamin’ ride, which happens to be our young Jedi’s favorite ride. (His Jedi costume was handmade by his mom, Heather.)

The Treat Stops were located every 40 feet or so and they gave you entire handfuls of candy at every stop. The amount of candy we walked out of the park with was almost obscene. And delicious.

This was my first time being in California Adventure Park and it was beautiful at night.

Joe and I had a great time. We tried five times to get a shot with Joe’s eyes open, but then we gave up.

The park had other activities for the kids like coloring masks,

And dancing with the characters in the parade.

Gideon has a season pass and has been to Adventure park many times. He told me not to expect the Halloween decorations next time I go. Thanks for managing my expectations, Gideon.

The next day we went back for some more fun. We attended a reception where some characters were coming to visit with the kids. Gideon got to meet Genie.

He had a snack and decorated a cookie with his own boxed cookie decorating kit.

He and Heather got face/body paint from a very talented artist.

The entire staff at Disneyland and California Adventure park did a wonderful job of creating a fun and magical place for kids to celebrate Halloween in a safe environment. They have the Trick-or-Treat nights on select evenings including Halloween.

After going to the RNC, I’ve been fascinated to see what the public has done with Palin. There is no doubt she was the star of the show. Everyone was talking about her speech the two days leading up to it and the day after it. It was almost like Mccain’s speech was expected to add very little, if anything, to the party. I don’t ever remember a VP choice making prime-time exclusive interviews (WARNING - window resizing going on), before the Presidential candidate does, with the likes of Charlie Gibson and ABC and having a network like ABC cut it up and use it within an inch of its life on morning shows, latenight shows etc. It’s like she just won American Idol. So far I think she comes across as very literate but very inexperienced in her interview bits.

I thought Palin’s VP acceptance speech was very well delivered. She nailed it and the people were eating out of her hands. In fact, if I knew nothing about her policy beliefs, I would wish she was a Democrat simply for her charisma. She clearly knows how to work a room. I bet we would even be friends if we lived next door and if I lived in Alaska and had been on the receiving end of a higher rebate last year and this year, I’d really love her.

However, she wasn’t completely honest about the details in her speech. She implied she sold her luxury jet on Ebay and the truth is she listed it but then sold it privately after it didn’t sell. And she says she turned down The Bridge to Nowhere which is technically true although she did support it first while campaigning for Governor and then after removing her support, kept all the earmarked money raised for it and used it for other things. The media is all over these discrepancies. But I’d just like to know about one political candidate that has never skewed the facts to make themselves current with the public’s opinion. I’m not saying it’s alright that they do it. I’m just saying that to pick one candidate’s speech apart and not all the others is wrong. And people should certainly be allowed to change their minds after hearing more facts regarding a situation.

It’s a climate of exaggerations and slight untruths and culminating in out-right lies or intentional misunderstandings. That’s how we play during the elections. Pouncing on the ‘Lipstick on a Pig‘ fiasco is one example (which McCain himself has said a number of times.)

Which brings me to Flip-Flopping, or Changing Your Mind, as I like to call it. Somehow, that is the worst thing a candidate can do. But how can a potential VP and P work together on a campaign if they can’t discuss their differences and come to some compromises and resolutions about how to support each other? And why is that a bad thing? Isn’t that what we all should be doing? Figuring out how to come together and work together and get this government changing towards what we all need: a stronger and safer economy, a better heathcare system, a better foreign policy with improved relations with our allies? I think the belief that we have to all believe the exact same thing to be in a political party or the exact opposite of the other party is short-sighted and does nothing to bring this country together.

I think we really need the new President of the United States to have a VP that agrees with them on some things, but also have some different views and bring things to light that the President might not see. Challenge some beliefs to make sure all the sides are getting out there. I think we’ve seen for the past eight years what it means to have the president surrounded by a complete cabinet of Yes-Men.

Both candidates picked the running mate their campaign needed. Obama needed the experience Biden had to offer and McCain needed a rockstar to bring in new excitement. They have both succeeded in doing what they set out to do. McCain’s crowds have grown by huge proportions and Obama’s critics can believe Biden would be ready to assume the presidency should anything happen. Good on both scores.

But what I really hate is when all the hoopla starts and takes our attention away from the real issues. Why does it matter whether Palin’s daughter is pregnant or not? What I care about is how she views RvW and how she supports no abortion for rape or incest victims. That is what is important. That is policy. That is what I want to know about. And that is just one example, but you know I could go on all day. As could you, since there is hoopla on both sides of the isle.

Growing up, my family was very private about voting. You just didn’t ask each other who or what you voted for since it was something that could cause contention. I’ve kind of believed that myself up til now. But, this year, when this election is so important to our country, I feel like I need to be public about who and what I support.

I will not vote for McCain/Palin. McCain has voted 90-95% with President Bush and I think what Bush has done to and with our country is criminal. (And I’m not even mentioning the lying about torture and the human rights violations.)(Except, I guess that was mentioning it.)

McCain has said he will try to overturn RvW. Palin believes in no abortion for incest and rape victims. As a rape victim myself, I can’t imagine how that would have been to get pregnant and who is to say whether or not, if I had, if I would have aborted the baby or not. But to not have that choice is unimaginable.

Palin believes drilling in Alaska is the answer to our fuel problems. While I don’t disagree that some drilling might be necessary, I think the focus should be on alternative fuels and not on drilling. Why has the government not supported alternative forms of energy all these years? Because Bush has been under the thumb of large oil companies and has not been willing to buck the system, watching them rack in millions upon millions of dollars while the American people suffer and pay more and more at the pump. Bush has made it a point to not support efforts to explore alternate energies. McCain will slide right into Bush’s empty seat. I have no faith that he will be any different. I believe he will eventually agree with Palin on drilling in Alaska and do nothing to further other avenues.

McCain doesn’t see what a farce the entire war in Iraq has been. He doesn’t think that Bush lied to us. He believes we need to stay much longer and create a democratic society there before leaving, which in my opinion is impossible and always was. He believes we need to pour another 12-16 billion dollars a month into this civil war. I disagree on every point. Especially knowing that the country of Iraq has a surplus of 80 billion dollars while we go more and more in debt. (I would love to see us apply that money to a better heathcare system here at home.) It’s past time to withdraw from a war that we never should have entered, which we did enter on false pretenses.

McCain’s heathcare plan includes nothing new except a tax credit which may or may not work. If it does work, it’s because he’s taxing all the employers who DO provide heathcare for their employees. He won’t apply pressure to heathcare providers to provide care to people in high risk or preexisting conditions. As far as making sure every American has coverage, it will fail. Here is a snippet:

McCain then spoke of the need for Americans to improve their physical condition and suggested some people with preexisting conditions could be put in what he called “high-risk pools.” But McCain’s bottom line was that he would not put requirements on insurance companies.

I don’t disagree that many Americans, including myself, need to improve their physical conditions. I just don’t agree that THAT is a viable heathcare plan.

McCain thinks our economy is pretty strong and that we are not headed into a recession. I think we are already in a recession. You can’t look at the housing market and the manufacturing businesses closing and the small businesses barely making it and the huge unemployment rate and really believe our economy is fine, can you?

McCain wants to build walls between Mexico and the U.S. He’s not completely honest about his involvement with earmarks. He believes national security and immigration are the top things Americans are worried about, demonstrating that he’s not really listening when we’re screaming WE ARE IN A RECESSION. And I don’t think Palin is qualified. There are far better qualified Republican women that should have been chosen for their experience. But they don’t have the star power Palin has.

I will be voting for Obama/Biden. Obama’s economic plan includes cutting taxes for all those people making less than 250K a year (around 80% of Americans) (more here) (and here is an interesting study about Republican vs Democratic economic policies showing that more people do better under the Democrats). I agree with Obama about Outsourcing. I agree with him regarding growing a clean energy economy and creating 2 million new jobs. (Here is what Senator Hillary Clinton says about it.) And I love his Hybrid Car plan. I like his incentive plan for new/small businesses, entrepreneurs and women.

More reasons I will vote for Obama: he wants to start by talking with Iran, not fighting, he wants to eliminate global poverty, admits he smoked marijuana and that he inhaled (about 57 seconds in), he’s committed to network neutrality (Biden’s support is ambiguous and I’ll be watching to see how that plays out), he wants to use technology to open up our democracy and be transparent to the American people, he supports the guest worker program for immigrants, he wants to raise the minimum wage, he trusts women with the right to make decisions about their bodies, he believes in educating our youth so we have less unwanted pregnancies and our young children won’t be coerced by pedophiles (and he refused to discuss Palin’s pregnant daughter), he has a great healthcare plan including guaranteed eligibility and affordable premiums, he sees the recession we are in, and he was always against the war in Iraq, just like me.

Reasons why I support Biden for Vice President: he’s the least wealthy senator - dead last on the list and for some reason I find that quite endearing in the world of politics. He’s been a senator since January 1973 which is long enough to see our government go through many cycles and know what works best. He’s the chairman on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He drafted the Violence Against Women Act. His voting record is alright, not great, but alright. We agree on stem-cell research, banning cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees, not extending Bush tax cuts that help the wealthy, better funding for our troops and a timetable for removal, and more funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

I am voting NO on Prop 8. (It’s a mixed bag where Obama is concerned.) My entire family disagrees with me with the exception of Joe. Even my daughter. My brother and his wife are heading up the efforts to pass Prop 8 in their area, coordinating all the meetings, passing out 4,000 yard signs and going door to door. I’ve had discussions with all of them and it always ends up boiling down to one thing: they think it’s a sin and wrong to be gay - I don’t. I support with all my strength any measure to help us all be equal. Every instance used in the following NPR letter supporting Prop 8 is used to demonstrate how we should be worried that gay people are going to try and get into every part of our lives and force themselves places they aren’t wanted. Fear.

Adoption services: Catholic Charities in Massachusetts refused to place children with same-sex couples as required by Massachusetts law. After a legislative struggle — during which the Senate president said he could not support a bill “condoning discrimination” — Catholic Charities pulled out of the adoption business in 2006.

Medical services: A Christian gynecologist at North Coast Women’s Care Medical Group in Vista, Calif., refused to give his patient in vitro fertilization treatment because she is in a lesbian relationship, and he claimed that doing so would violate his religious beliefs. (The doctor referred the patient to his partner, who agreed to do the treatment.) The woman sued under the state’s civil rights act. The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in May 2008, and legal experts believe that the woman’s right to medical treatment will trump the doctor’s religious beliefs. One justice suggested that the doctors take up a different line of business.

Psychological services: A mental health counselor at North Mississippi Health Services refused therapy for a woman who wanted help in improving her lesbian relationship. The counselor said doing so would violate her religious beliefs. The counselor was fired. In March 2001, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit sided with the employer, ruling that the employee’s religious beliefs could not be accommodated without causing undue hardship to the company.

Civil servants: A clerk in Vermont refused to perform a civil union ceremony after the state legalized them. In 2001, in a decision that side-stepped the religious liberties issue, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that he did not need to perform the ceremony because there were other civil servants who would. However, the court did indicate that religious beliefs do not allow employees to discriminate against same-sex couples.

Youth groups: The city of Berkeley, Calif., requested that the Sea Scouts (affiliated with the Boy Scouts) formally agree to not discriminate against gay men in exchange for free use of berths in the city’s marina. The Sea Scouts sued, claiming this violated their beliefs and First Amendment right to the freedom to associate with other like-minded people. In 2006, the California Supreme Court ruled against the youth group. In San Diego, the Boy Scouts lost access to the city-owned aquatic center for the same reason. While these cases do not directly involve same-sex unions, they presage future conflicts about whether religiously oriented or parachurch organizations may prohibit, for example, gay couples from teaching at summer camp. In June 2008, the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals asked the California Supreme Court to review the Boy Scouts’ leases. Meanwhile, the mayor’s office in Philadelphia revoked the Boy Scouts’ $1-a-year lease for a city building.

My problem with trying to see it their way is that as I read through all the examples I can only see prejudice and exclusion and breaking the law. In other words, those very same examples reinforce how I feel about defeating Prop 8.

There is probably more to say and if I think anything, I’ll update down here. Feel free to leave any venomless comments.

Blogher sent me to the RNC to shoot video. I’m having a great time, minus the blisters. I’ve never been to a political convention before and it would be fun to go to the Democratic one sometime and actually get to scream my agreement some of the time.

It was fun to see George the father and his wife.

The weather was perfect. The ocean water was warm and relatively calm. The fish were plentiful, even if not so exotic.

She’d just lathered up with Sauce a few minutes ago, right before she got back in the water with her mask and snorkel in tow. Starting near the shore, she kicked off and worked her way in slow, small rows towards the reef. She took her head out of the water and looked for her husband or the rest of the family but didn’t find any near by.

Dipping her face back down, she noticed a school of Bluelined Butterfly fish and paused long enough to watch their passing.

She was listening to the sound of the water hitting inside her ears, the calm and fullness of the ocean, when she thought she heard someone say turtle. ‘Turtle! Here’s a turtle!’

She whipped her head up to find the direction of the yelling, hoping to get there in time to see the turtle, when at that same moment, her wedding band slipped off her finger. Quickly, she put her face back down and frantically searched the water. She spotted the ring, sinking, sparkling, about 4 feet away. She took a deep breath and prepared to dive.

Just then a large Rudderfish swam from stage left and YOINK ate her ring and continued swimming on. She followed him for a bit, frantic and in shock, but then he joined two others and they swam around and underneath one another until she didn’t know which one was which and which one contained in its belly her precious silver band.

She stopped swimming and wondered what she should, could do. And then it hit her. Nothing. She could do nothing and the fish was gone anyway.

Sadly, she made her way to the shore, mask lifted and arranged on her forehead, tears dripping down her face. No one was the wiser since the tears blended in so well with the drops of sea water coming down from her wet, haphazard hair.

When she got to the shore, she located her husband and made her way in the water to tell him the sad news. When she finished with her tale, he burst out laughing.

‘It’s not funny!’ she said. ‘Actually, it is quite.’ he replied, but tried to tone down his laughter in the face of her tears.

And now that it’s been a few weeks, she finally agrees.

It’s been really fun having my brother and his wife and son living with us. I really dig Gideon. He can be a fun guy to hang out and play Uno with. And it’s always nice to get to know your siblings better. Good times all around.

I know many of you have wondered if I’d dropped off the face of the earth or was experiencing a particularly bad down swing. Sorry for the worry. I’m doing great. Thanks for your emails. Posting will most likely be light throughout the summer. We have quite a few trips and activities planned.

xo

Tony is officially no longer in 8th grade. Here he is in line to get his diploma. Boxing.

And a closeup:

What a ham.

There are 14 small chapels inside which represent the Stations of The Cross complete with kneeling prayer platforms. All of it is carved out of salt.

The walls when you enter are covered with salt and the guide had us taste it. Yep. It was salt. Here is the salt waterfall.

Here is a closeup of the salt texture.

This huge cross is made entirely of salt.

In the evening, we went to the famed Colombian nightclub Andres Carne de Res in Chia, 45 minutes north of Bogota. I don’t know if I can adequately describe this wonderful place but I’ll try. It’s a very large and ambling bar and grill type place. Each wooden table has a heart-shaped light above it with a name and number. There are people paid to dress up in costumes and makeup and walk around, entertaining and taking pictures with the clientèle.

There is a man with a bowl of limes cut in half and slightly hollowed out that dips them in salt and fills them with tequila and hands them out to everyone that passes. There are a few dance floors that don’t quite meet but are within view of each other. The music is loud and has a great beat and everyone, it seems, is dancing. And the dancing is fantastic to watch. They all seem to be professional dancers but they don’t mind including someone like me that knows only a few steps. To get from one place to another there is no choice but to squeeze in between and through the bodies lining every inch of the floor. Everyone is smiling. And the DJ’s voice coming over the loudspeaker in between songs is Andres himself. It’s a warm voice that invites you to have a lovely time. He loves to come and watch the action but stays mostly to himself. You can get a small cup of Aguardiente, the liquor of choice and made in these parts. It has an anise flavor and burns your throat as it goes down. And a little goes a long way. Also a must try is the tangerine slushie called Mandarino. A word to the wise though: They are strong and one will do you fine. Two and you just might find yourself vomiting out the van door in front of the club and urping all the way back to the hotel out the window in the shotgun seat. Just sayin’.

The next day I flew home. It was an uneventful flight. I had the whole row to myself. I slept most of the time and enjoyed my last cup of fried plantains during the in-flight meal. The plantains over there are used at almost every meal. They have both a sweet and a non-sweet variety. My favorite was the non-sweet when pressed very thin and fried. It was wonderful with a type of salsa or beans and cheese on it. The empanadas were delicious as were the yuca and arepas. Here is some fried yuca with beet sauce. Delicious.

I tried the Ajiaco (soup) which I liked mostly because it came with a huge slice of yummy avocado. And my favorite thing is probably the grilled corn on the cob which is called Mazorca. I also tried a sweet granadilla which is kind of like a pomegranate inside but softer. There was fruit, fruit and more fruit. It was great.

Carolina Castaneda of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia was a wonderful guide. She made sure we were well taken care of. She explained everything thoroughly and completely. I almost declined to come on this trip because I don’t know Spanish and I thought it might be rude to go to a foreign country and not speak the language. Carolina put my fears to rest and never made me feel dumb because I didn’t know Spanish. (But I think I’ll take a few classes before I go next time.) Carolina was fun and her energy was contagious. It would not have been as good a trip without her.

Nora and Mike, frequent world travelers, were fun to get to know. It was their second time in Colombia so they knew a little bit about what they wanted from their second trip. They had a great sense of humor and were up for just about anything. It was a pleasure to travel with them. I hope Nora wins another contest soon and invites me to come along.

Donna Walter from Weber Shandwick was the one that arranged all the travel for me. She did an impeccable job. Every connection was right on time and I always felt well taken care of. She didn’t know any Spanish either so we stuck together. And she shared her bite relief pen with me. It really worked!

Also deserving thanks are Santiago Echavarria, General Coordinator of Public Affairs National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. He had the fun idea of the surprise of Juan Valdez coming down the mountain with Conchita to meet us. (video coming soon) Also Juanita Arboleda, of Public Affairs. She organized all the agenda in Colombia. Without her our fantastic trip wouldn’t have been possible. And Alfonso Angel, Executive Director of the Coffee Committee of Caldas where we got to view all the orchids and butterflies.

I had a great time and never felt far from home as everyone was so welcoming.

My time in Colombia was wonderful and I would love to go back. (Thank you, Blogher, for the opportunity.) The countryside is beautiful and lush. The people are so kind and welcoming. They love visitors and go out of their way to make them feel at home. There is even a nightlife for the adventurous. Pack a little bug repellent, a hat and some sturdy walking shoes and go see the countryside. Or stay in the city and wear your best dress. Either way, get ready for a great time.

Learning about the coffee and the processes was very interesting. I will try to buy only 100% Colombian coffee from now on. Not just because it tastes better but because of how they run the organization to help all the cafeteros. They are such hard, hard workers and they really put their blood and sweat into creating a high-quality product that they are proud of. And knowing that the cafeteros get the rewards and a good price because of the Federation makes me feel good supporting them.

This bamboo structure is called Zeri Pavilion or Guadua Pavilion. Guadua is the type of bamboo it is made from. This is actually the prototype for the pavilion built in Hanover for the Expo 2000. The one in Hanover was destroyed before Expo 2001. They were both built by architect Simón Velez. They sometimes hold coffee congress meetings in this one.

It was really quite remarkable and mesmerizing. Here is a view of the ceiling from the inside.

We took a tram ride over to the other side where they housed the butterflies and had the orchid garden.

This particular orchid is called Dracula.

This pink orchid named Cattleya is the national flower of Colombia.

And this is a monkey orchid. See how there is a monkey face inside?

As we left, Pilar from the Committee of Caldas gave us wonderful hats that are like the one Juan Valdez wears. They are hand-made in a small town called Aguadas by women head of household.

Then we went to Chinchina where we visited Cenicafe, The National Coffee Research Institute.

This is where they have labs and go into the soil to find out what is there and what needs to be there to make the best coffee.

They also test how the insects work with the plants and how to create disease resistant varieties.

Ah, here are Nora and Mike enjoying a delicious cup of 100% Colombian Coffee.

After a short break, we went to visit Buencafé, the Freeze Dried Coffee Factory.

Here we had the expertise of Camilo Gómez (on far left), the marketing and sales coordinator at Buencafé.

Here is Donna putting on her sturdy socks and shoes for the tour.

We all had to wear special outfits.

The face masks came in handy when we went through the freezer at -50 degrees Celsius. The factory uses a very specific formula for coming up with delicious freeze dried coffee and they support many brands around the world. For more on their process, click here.

After the coffee farm we went to the Extension Service farm where they do technical support for the cafeteros. These people in the yellow shirts are like the peace corps and work for the Federation. They were all very nice and slightly excited. We thought it was just because we were there but we were wrong.

There’s this man - perhaps you’ve heard of him - Juan Valdez? I don’t know anyone that hasn’t heard of him, but in Colombia, Juan Valdez is THE most famous person. And we got to meet him. He was very nice. Carlos Sanchez, who has been Juan Valdez since 1969, recently retired and a search for the new face of Juan Valdez commenced. The winner was Carlos Castañeda, a 39-year-old rural coffee grower from Andes in the Antioquia region of Colombia.

And here is Nora, the ‘Win a Trip with Juan’ contest winner and her husband Mike with Juan and Conchita, Juan’s mule.

And here I am with Carolina and Juan and Conchita.

After everyone in the entire place had a chance to get a photo (or three) with Juan, we packed up and went to the National Coffee Park or Parque Nacional del Cafe in Montenegro, Quindio. Think ’small Disneyland’ but all about coffee. They even have an animatronic orchid show similar in style to the Tiki Room. There were plantains surrounding the park. Here you can see how they cover the fruit with bags to protect them from mosquitoes and other bugs.

Here is the group of us, from left to right:

Alex, our guide in Pereira, Reinel, Park Guide, Carolina, our translator and guide from the Coffee Federation, Donna Walter from Weber Shandwick, me, Nora, contest winner and husband Mike.

After our fun-filled afternoon of bumper cars and souvenir buying, we retired to the Hacienda San Jose where all our needs were taken care of and then some. It was a really wonderful place. In this picture is owner Isabel and Nelson, the person that catered to our every need.

Day two found us taking a short flight to Pereira, located at the western part of the Andes.

From there we wound around and around up the Andes mountains until we reached a small coffee farm run by two women.

One of the women, Anita, showed us around and told us how they run the place. Carolina Castaneda of The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia translated for us.

This is the place where they wash the beans to remove the pulp. They do a triple-wash method that takes longer but helps the beans have a very good flavor.

This is a sun dryer where they scatter the cleaned beans on the floor to dry. The beans stay in there for a few days and lose a large percentage of their humidity. This drying method works so well that on hot days it is unbearable to go in there.

This is Cesar, the director of the Specialty Coffees in Pereira, showing us how one branch holds many different aged beans. There can be tiny new blossoms to mature and ready-to-pick beans along the same stem.

This coffee plant is about 6 weeks old. They must be about that old before they are planted in the fields.

And this baby might be the cutest in the entire world. She is the daughter of one of the cafeteros.

This is Nora and Mike standing in front of the coffee field. Nora is the winner of the ‘Win a Trip with Juan’ contest that was on Blogher and why we are all lucky enough to be there.

After the tour of the farm and getting a few ant bites around the ankles, we sat down to a delicious breakfast they prepared for us of plantains, rice, eggs and hot chocolate.

The Federation encourages the cafeteros to grow other food in their fields along with the coffee to sustain themselves like corn, tomatoes etc. On this particular farm they grow a variety of arabica coffee bean that is resistant to rust (roya in Spanish) which destroys the leaves and beans.

After being picked up from the airport in Bogota, the first thing I noticed were the cars and how they really follow no rules while on the road. It’s kind of like - if it will fit in there, go ahead and go for it. They ride three or four wide in two lanes, maybe 2 inches away from each other, and honk at each other impatiently. After the first few near misses I kind of got used to it and relaxed. People cross right in front of cars going fast, get honked at and keep moving. There are motor bikes everywhere weaving in and out of all the cars. Cars turning left from the far right lane. It’s pretty exciting.

After lunch we went to the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia headquarters where we had the opportunity to watch some of their processes and how they quality control the coffee that gets exported. The Federation’s mission is to ensure the well-being of Colombian coffee growing families through an effective, not-for-profit, democratic, grassroots organization. The Federation has three main goals: to achieve a sustainable coffee culture, to strengthen community networks in coffee growing regions, and to promote Colombian coffee’s superior quality worldwide. The Federation guarantees growers the purchase of their coffee crop at a fair price and the growers vote directly for their representatives in the Federation.

Ivan Lamilla Munoz, a Quality Assurance Officer, was our tour guide.

He explained how the beans can taste different depending on which region they are grown in. The altitude, soil and humidity all make the bean have a particular taste.

He showed us the green Arabica coffee beans and demonstrated how the husks get removed.

Here he is showing us the filters that the coffee beans go through to separate them into like sizes.

We saw how they hand pick through the beans to remove the ones that are inferior.

And then we had a taste test. First we smelled the coffee grounds.

Then we stirred and smelled the grounds with the hot water releasing the aroma.

And then we tasted the four kinds and compared them to one another. (The way the professional tasters suck in the spoons of coffee with so much force sounds like a machine. My lame sucking in was nothing compared with theirs. And they spit better, too. I always had a little drool.)

No shocker that my favorite was the one that is exported to the United States. It has less acidity and a bolder flavor. I didn’t care for the ones with high acidity but apparently they are hot in China.

Did you know the roasting actually happens after export? I assumed they were roasted prior. And a darker roast is not used on great, flavorful beans because it would cover up the flavor. Usually the dark roasts are covering up some imperfection in the quality. This I did not know.

After the taste test, we watched a video with Santiago Echavarria R. of Public Affairs.

The video was all about Juan Valdez and how that marketing campaign has helped the Federation. Do you remember this commercial? (During the video, a woman in a smart blue skirt with pompadour hair came by the table and poured us a cup of coffee. As she did each pour she pulled the cup away, away, away from the carafe and then brought it back up again. It was quite remarkable.)

But the really great thing that the Federation does is put the money back into the lives of the 512,000 Cafeteros and their families. For more than eight decades the FNC has invested heavily in coffee growers’ life quality, and with the ongoing support of the Colombian government, has brought schools, roads, healthcare centers, aqueducts and electricity to Colombia’s coffee growing regions.

View from my balcony.

More details when I get back and I’ll blog from there if I can.
xo

Joe bought it using Wiiware the other night and I’ve been playing it but I haven’t been able to beat the game again yet. The highest I’ve got to is 7.3. Those dang ninjas with their flying numchucks kill me at least once every time they are around.

I can’t get into the games they put out now with all the graphics and the moving in 3-d. It just makes me car sick and there is too much blood usually for my delicate palate. But Mario Bros? Dude. Yes.

And it’s pretty great.

~There are the absolute cutest lizards outside in the bush that climb up the brick wall and hide under the hanging ivy. They dart out and then freeze, basking in the sun and doing tiny pushups at each other. I’m not sure if that is some kind of communication or what but it’s adorable.

~Every day that goes by and I still don’t have new employment is a temptation to fall into depression. Which is in itself not really appealing to new employers. I’m trying hard to stay centered and keep reminding myself that the right opportunity is out there and it will find me as long as I’m open to it. I really do believe this but it’s hard to always keep it in mind.

Instead I’ve got bruxism. I’m not grinding my teeth but I am clenching my jaw almost constantly. I have a continued jaw/neck/head ache. I actively try and relax my jaw muscles which takes a lot of thought and concentration. I’m still sleeping fine but waking up with a very sore jaw.

According to some sources, it can take as long to work through buxism as you took the drug. And sometimes it doesn’t go away. Some people get the condition when they start taking the anti-psychotic, which i did not.

At one point in my life I was a meth head and while high, you clench your jaw a lot. This reminds me of that feeling. Aaaaaaand I don’t like it.

Every day I scour the ads looking for work. It’s my job to find a job, if you will. There aren’t many writing/project management openings in my area and it’s getting frustrating. I’m trying diligently not to let it get to my self-esteem, but there is nothing like spending hours saying, ‘Nope. Not me.’ to get your confidence lagging a bit. My ideal job would be something on a flexible schedule but at the moment I’m looking at every type of job there is from part-time to contract. I just want to be able to go to work every day and feel like I’m in the right spot doing the right thing. Where is that job?

~On The Kid Front

I’m worried about Devon. He’s probably being completely age appropriate and doing/being just what he should but I’m really worried about him for reasons that I can’t go into here and sorry to be so cryptic but it’s his story and not mine to tell so I have to keep it vague. Suffice it to say that I spend quite a bit of time worrying about him and hoping he’s making smart decisions while knowing that he’s not. But like I said - maybe it’s all age appropriate At his age I was having my second child so my life was quite a bit different than his is.

Alex seems to be in a good place at the moment. She’s confident and self-assured and getting her shit together. She’s beautiful as ever and sometimes I watch her face and think how incredible it is that she’s my daughter. She’s working on her resume for a class and she actually has quite a bit for a 17 year old to put on there. I enjoy spending time with her and am repeatedly amazed that I continue to be asked to go and do things with her. I’m very lucky.

Tyler is changing. His body is responding differently to food and exercise than he’s used to. It’s interesting to watch him have to pay attention to things he is used to ignoring. He’s still playing basketball in a travel league but really he’s just biding his time until football starts again. That is where his heart is. Ty is a thoughtful young man when no one is looking. When you ARE looking, he’s full of bravado and teasing. He still gives me hugs and for that I’m ever grateful.

Tony is perfectly 13 going on 14. His hair is long and covers most of his face. He peers out from tiny holes in the curls through his glasses and you have to look pretty hard to see him. He’s bordering on Emo status and his clothes style has changed. He’s finally found a style that he likes and it’s fun to see him care about his appearance. He’s got a group of friends he hangs out with and I like seeing him happy. Happy being Emo.

~The House

Besides the flooring in our new place, which is pretty terrible and cheap, I love our new home. The size is nice. The vibe is good. There are roses of every color in the front and a small backyard with lots of green. I love the deep kitchen sink that even the large pans can fit in. It’s always hard to fit your stuff into a new configuration and this time is no different. We still have boxes in some rooms and don’t know where to put the family games and the important papers but we’re getting there. Every day it feels better and better.

~Joe

Joe has been sick and miserable for days now. He’s coughing and snotty and feverish. It’s hard watching the people you love being ill and feeling helpless to do anything for them. We had one moment of short tempers flaring because it’s hard to not run into that when you aren’t feeling your best. In that moment it was interesting to see how far our communication has come from a few years ago. We mostly circumvented any lasting issues and got back on track in a fairly short amount of time. Good for us.

~Me

I’m getting off the Invega and Trazadone and staying on the Wellbutrin and Prozac. Coming off Invega has not been as bad as some others like Effexor. My mind is a little funky but I don’t get the major electrical charges running through it. Just a dull headache from time to time. I’m happy to be on less medication but not sad to be on what I’m staying on anymore. Every morning when I take my pills I think about how my day is going to be so much more productive and well-balanced because of them and it helps alleviate any qualms I have. The truth is that I’m so thankful to have a way to balance out my brain chemicals. Time spent wishing I didn’t have to take meds is time wasted.

Since my thyroid has been regulated I’ve been able to lose weight at a snail’s pace. Which is better than not at all but just barely. Each hard won pound off is cause for celebration. Historically I’ve loved the treadmill but this go around I’ve found the recumbent bike to be more my thing. I’m not as tired as I have been and I must admit that ever since I started taking the name brand Synthroid instead of the generic version I’ve seen an improvement. I still get erratic heart racing but it’s not as scary as it once was.

~Misc

I keep waiting for someone from Tara to call and need me. I hope it happens sooner rather than later. I can’t wait to be a part of it.

I haven’t been taking many photos and I miss it.

I can’t decide if I want to hang pictures in this house or if I like the blank wall space.

The bird doesn’t get out to fly in this house like he did in the old house. We need curtains to cover up the sliding glass doors so he won’t try to fly through and smack into them.

You can buy a copy at your local bookstore or on Amazon.

The new house has a small deck built into the side yard. It’s all by itself and has a view if the neighbors would cut their tree down. I’m sure at one time the view was awesome.

Before we were even moved into the house, Devon claimed the deck. He has a hookah and likes to smoke with his friends a few nights a week. I used to smoke. At some times I smoked a lot. And it took me about 14 tries to really kick it. I still will have the occasional clove cigarette one or two times a year with friends but the day in and day out of smoking is gone and good riddance. It takes so much to be a dedicated smoker.

Anyway, I go back and forth over whether I’m being a good mom or not when it comes to the hookah. It’s fun to go outside and talk to Dev and his friends. I see him more now than I used to and when he moves out on his own in a few months, I’ll see him hardly at all since he’ll undoubtedly move the hookah to the new house. But am i reinforcing a bad habit? Am I telling him that I think smoking is good? I’ve even tried the hookah myself. Am I setting a bad example?

Devon is over 18 so in my mind, it’s his choice whether to smoke or not and I’m glad it’s not cigarettes. I’m glad it’s an occasional thing and legal as opposed to him and his friends drinking beers or something I’d have moral and ethical qualms about. But, I still worry. Knowing what we know about lung cancer it seems wrong to facilitate and/or participate. Except I don’t really feel bad about it. And it sure is nice having him around.

“There is only one P in Ripa?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s about all I wanted to know.”

My job is basically to answer questions as they come up for the actors or writers on how to keep the show authentic and real. This I can do. Nothing like having a job where you just get to be yourself. And I even get my name in the credits. That kind of blew me away.

Toni Collette is playing the woman with the dissociative disorder which is all kinds of awesome. I’ve loved her ever since seeing Muriel’s Wedding, still one of my favorite movies. The pilot is being created first, of course, and there is no guarantee that the series will even get made unless the public wants it. But Steven Spielberg and Diablo Cody are behind it so it feels like it’s got the backing it needs to really fly. Only time will tell. Look for the pilot in a few months time coming to Showtime. You can get updates from Diablo Cody’s MySpace and I’ll do what updating I can here as well.

I got a recumbent bike. We only had to drive about a mile to pick it up from a local Craigslister. It was awkward and heavy to get in the van and then out of the van and then through the crowded garage and then into the living room where it sits smack dab in the middle of the floor where we already have precious little room. And this is where it will sit until we move. But what we sacrificed in walking room we gained in non functioning recumbent bike. Because the resistance doesn’t work. This we did not know until it was already in the middle of the living room. When I sat down on it at the Craiglisters home, I spun the wheels and tested the seat etc. I did not test the resistance. So it is my own fault that it sits here, looming in our space and not working. I get on it from time to time and spin the wheel while willing it to work. Sadly, it does not. Still. And not even now. Or now.

The woman we bought it from is very nice and has offered to give us our money back if we can’t figure out why it isn’t working. She seems genuinely befuddled and not the kind of person who would do this on purpose. In fact, she’s called their customer service number to find out if there is a simple fix for me. So there’s that. Now we’ll just have to lug it back out of the living room, down the stairs, back into the van, back out of the van and into her home again to get our money back. Good times.

And why would I get a huge recumbent bike just days before we move and have to lug it to another house anyway? This is a good question and not one I can easily answer. Joe describes it as though I have some kind of fever and it’s better to just get out of my shining, warm face all screwed up with expectation than to try and cut me off at the pass. I guess once I get my mind set on something and I feel like I need it, I mean really NEED it, then there isn’t anything anyone can say. And it was cheap. And exactly what I was looking for. And close. Now, if it just worked.

The food was great, though.

We were on our way out and had just about made it to the car when suddenly there were photographers everywhere and flashes going off. We saw Denise Richards with someone that could have been her dad. They were walking, not slowing down. Her face looked drawn behind her sunglasses and there was something about the way she walked that showed she was used to this hoopla. I’ve never seen paparazzi before and man, that does not look fun. They were swirling around her, some running a few steps ahead and then quickly turning to get a front shot and others flanking them on the sides. And all she was doing