The End of Lina in Lancaster

Hey all, thanks for having read this blog, but I've decided to funnel all of my blog entries into my other blog: http://travelingfoodcritic.blogspot.com

You can find all of my new adventures over there.

Thanks! Lina

Stoudt's Microfest!

Yes, I know, it's been a long time, but I'm back experiencing Lancaster with a newfound passion!

Gearing up for the Stoudt's Microfest this Saturday (click title). The last time I went to this was in 2002, when I was much younger, much thinner, and much more buzzed. I was reminded of it all when my friends pulled out some pictures they found on a random roll from long ago. Wow, do I wish they hadn't found it. Then again, they were hilarious.

This time, I'm much more mature and much more interested in the beers and food. We'll see how that goes...

No-longer-dieting Food Critic

In the past several months, I've blogged about all the dieting books I've read, trying to find the magic elixir to losing a few pounds. All it's done, though, is confuse me on what it is that I really need to do. Now, I have a new tactic. It's tried and true; it's proven; it's been used forever. It's called, "Exercise More; Eat Less."

I know, I know, it's really a departure from the instant gratification that we, as Americans, are so used to now.

The things I've learned from reading all those books, though, have not been for naught. For example, I am now eating mostly whole grains and reducing the amount of sugar I intake. Good things to go along with my "Exercise More; Eat Less" plan.

Some aerobic interval training here, some lifting there, and I've noticed a positive change in my body structure. I think I'm looking better. But more importantly, I'm feeling better.

I See Dead Things...In the Fridge

There was a time when I tried to grow all sorts of plants in my condo in Minneapolis, but a green thumb I am not, so eventually, they all died. The thing is, when they finally shriveled up and looked all brown and lifeless, I still would not throw them away. Why, you ask? Because I don't like to touch dead things. My boyfriend, at the time, would come over and throw them away for me. All the while, he would be shaking his head.

So it is with the dead things in the fridge. Today, the hubster and I were snowed in. As Eric was making lunch, he started looking through the refrigerator and said, "Hey, there's leftover Chinese in here!" Silence. Then, "Ew. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to look like that." At that point, the dam broke. We started throwing things straight into the trash or into the garbage disposal. Much like a good movie that makes you sob, it was a sort of purging of the soul. And the timing couldn't have been better.

Earlier in the morning, we had had a fairly serious spat. Things of the past were brought up, making us realize that they had never really died, they had just laid dormant. Waiting. Harshly truthful words were spoken, hot and salty tears were shed, but then there was understanding.

Just as the dead things in the fridge had been festering and allowed to survive in the fridge, so had resentment and selfishness in our minds and hearts. The purging of the dead things was like taking all that muck and sending them into the abyss where it would be trucked away with the rest of the garbage, never to be seen again.

And I realized that it was much easier to touch the dead things when he was also doing it alongside.

Travel Travails

It's probably a sign you're traveling too much when your husband tells friends that you're on a "layover" when you're home.

We calculated that in the last three weeks, I will have been home for 3 days. That's pretty brutal, especially when considering the fact that I actually like to be home. I like my oversized brown chair that swallows me up. I like the flannel sheets and the big ol' down comforter on our bed. I like that all my toiletries are full-size and easily accessible. I like my gym locker that holds everything I need to have a good workout. I like that there is all healthful food available to me in our fridge. I like talking to my husband face-to-face. I like having a social life here in the city in which I live.

But I also like visiting large cities across the country. I like racking up frequent flyer and hotel points. I like the fact that every hotel has cable TV. I like the work I do that causes me to have such a demanding travel schedule. I like, okay, I love, eating in amazing restaurants. I like expense accounts. I like spending time with friends who live in the particular city I happen to be visiting. I like to see how fast I can get through the security lines at the airport. I like treating myself to a cafe latte everytime I arrive at the airport.

Good things happen when I travel, for sure. I just wish there wasn't so much of it.

Facebook's 25 Things

It's amazing how many "25 Things About Me" tags I've gotten in Facebook. It's really interesting to see how different these lists are not in content, but in style and seriousness. Some are completely wacky one-liners. Others are novels, in and of themselves. But each one of them is really sweet. Then I think about the fact that had it not been for a social medium that doesn't allow for direct human contact, I wouldn't have gotten to know any of this about anyone. Talk about irony...

5 to 40

I have a new idea. In 5 years I'm going to turn 40. In those 5 years, I want to do things that I've always wanted to do, but allowed work or the banality of life to get in the way. Ideally, I'll combine old friendships with new adventures, and do as many as them as possible. Perhaps this is my version of a mid-life crisis? Who cares. It'll be fun. Let the lists begin!!

Dude Ranch
Cooking Schools through Europe, then China and Southeast Asia (this should take about 3 years)
Bungee Jumping in Australia and New Zealand
Fjords of Scandinavia
Cabin retreat in a remote location with the best of friends
African Safari (Courtesy of Cobb)
Costa Rica
Peru