The Fast Chronicled: Day 7

Breakfast:
• 1 Belgium Waffle
• 1 Banana
• Persian Tea

Dinner:
• Enchiladas w/ Salsa Verde, Rice & Beans
• 1 Piece of Red Velvet Cake
• Glass of Ice Tea

The Fast Chronicled: Day 6

Today's list:

Breakfast:
• 1 Belgium waffle with freshly sliced peaches atop
• 2 Hard boiled eggs
• 1 Piece of whole wheat toast with French feta & tomatoes
• Tall glass of water

Dinner:
• Lobster-stuffed ravioli (Costco rocks!)
• Side salad
• 1 Oatmeal Raisin cookie
• Glass of chocolate Silk® soy milk

Looks like the months of writing menu copy for restaurant ads are finally starting to show in my writing! I'll have you know though, the information isn't nearly this formal in my head.

The Fast Chronicled: Day 5

I'm strongly beginning to question whether these chronicles were such a good idea after all. Sure makes the Fast seem like it's going by so slowly! But oh well...I started it so, in the tradition of following through, I must finish. Thanks for the posts, Bahi & Diane! I'd love to hear about what you guys are eating. Maybe it'll give me some more ideas. So, here it goes again...

Breakfast:
• Bowl of Paul Newman's Macadamia & Cranberry Cereal
• Whole wheat pita bread with French feta cheese, tomatoes & cilantro (estilo Persa)
• 1 Peach
• Glasses of water

Dinner:
• Plate of leftover Singapore noodles & curry chicken
• Mint Chocolates (notice any trends?)
• 1 Banana
• Glass of chocolate Silk® soy milk

The Fast Chronicled: Day 4

Breakfast:
• Plate of Gallo Pinto
• 1 Belgium Waffles
• Pita with feta cheese
• Glass of water

Dinner:
• Signapore noodles
• Curry chicken
• Egg roll
• Water, water, water
• Pita with Nutella

The Fast Chronicled: Day 3

Breakfast:
• 2 Belgium Waffles
• 1 Peach
• 1 Pita w/ French feta cheese
• 1 8oz. glass water

Dinner:
• Plate of Khoresh-e-Bademjan (Persian eggplant & beef stew in tomato based broth)
• Glass of water!
• Chocolate, chocolate & more chocolate!

The Fast Chronicled: Day 2

Breakfast: Our alarm didn't go off! It's sad when that happens. No breakfast for us :(

Dinner:

• Chicken Parmesan

• Steamed Veggies

• Side Salad

• Brownies (note—chocolate is eaten once a day in our household)

The Fast Chronicled: Day 1

Breakfast:

• Plate of Gallo Pinto (traditional Costa Rican rice & black bean breakfast dish)
• 1 Slice whole wheat bread with Laughing Cow cheese spread
• 1 Nectarine
• 1 8 oz. glass of water

Dinner:
• Salisbury steak in mushroom sauce w/ rice
• Side salad
• Steamed carrots
• Chocolate......of course!

So Long Overdue, It's Not Even Funny

..But better late than never, I suppose. Here are some photos from back in May 2006 when our dear friends Jere, David, Giannina, Vahid & Darren paid us a visit in Nashville, as well as pics from Jennifer Block's bachelorette dinner held that same weekend. Sorry it's taken so long guys!

Darren, myself, Sabs, Gianni, David & Vahid at Cafe Coco.

A very dear friend of the Seals family, Jere McKinney.

Sweetest couple, Gianni & David.

Holley, Genevieve, Neda, Bahar, Jennifer, Giannina, myself & Andrea.

Attractive, eh?

St. Pete's

This post comes to you via the Hilton Homewood Suites in St. Petersburg Florida, where I've been boarded up for the last week receiving training for work. I'm anxious to get back to Sabs, my kitties and my own bed, although the bed here is quite comfy I must say—6 fluffy pillows and a cozy down comforter...yum! (And it's a good thing, considering that all I want to do after attending day-long classes is crawl into bed and sleep...hehe)

Required sightseeing on the schedule tonight before the drive back to Miami tomorrow? The Salvador Dali museum. Don't want to miss it, and apparently no one here wants us to either—they keep mentioning it. Seems locals are really proud of the Dali museum, and rightfully so, being as it is the largest collection of his work in the US. I'm looking forward to the art and the gift shop too! As the Brits say, "Cheerio!"

The Closing Of An Era

Thanks to dear friend Jere McKinney who came across it, here is a memorable photo of the Seals family, circa 1982, taken at the Bahá'í Music Conference in Panama (I believe). This picture comes to me at a time I consider "the closing of an era." Almost the entire Seals family (sadly Carmencita missing due to work schedule) convened in Costa Rica over the Christmas Holidays. This visit was made special by the fact that the home we grew up in, which served as our family's pioneer post for more than 25 years, will shortly be up for rent (whew...not "sale" thank God!). However, despite the home's unavailability for future visits, the love and gracious hospitality extended by our dearly loved Bahá'í friends, has encouraged us to continue to visit the place I still call home. Much love to all of you and we look forward to seeing you in CR again soon!

We Are Now Proud Parents!

ahem...of two little kittens, that is. Knew that would get your attention though...hehe. They are from the Manx breed and characterized by their stubby little tails which make them look much like bobcats. They are also known for their unusual dog-like behavior and attentiveness to their owners—one of the few breeds that might actually come when you call their names and have been known to even play fetch! These two are a little brother and sister, Leo (orange) & Chloe (gray), that we got from the Ft. Lauderdale Humane Society. We've been wanting a pet of for a while now, and since we're living in a condo, it just seemed practical to get a cat. Nika and Dan suggested that we get 2, as they are themselves proud parents to Oliver and Kiddo—2 brother cats—and feel that an extra cat isn't really that much more work. Plus, it guarantees they will be entertained and kept company when we're out. So, even though they are not human babies, they're the only "babies" for now. Here are some sweet little photos of the newest members of our family.

Celebration Estilo Philly

Sahba and I just got back from Philadelphia this past weekend, where we celebrated Maman Pari's (Sahba's grandmother's) 80th birthday. Also in attendance were my dear in-laws, Venus and Bijan. Maman Pari is easily one of the dearest, most loving, self sacrificing individuals I've ever met. We enjoyed a memorable Italian feast held in her honor.

“Corporate America”

Gosh, it's been some time since my last post. Didn't I promise to post more often? What happened? So quickly I forget. Anywho, I am pleased to report I have accepted a design job with Verizon. I've been working with them for a few weeks now. Yep, can you imagine me getting fully integrated into "Corporate America" and all that entails? Makes me laugh too! Judging by the standards of my fellow designers, it would appear I have sold out, but contrary to thought, there is no glamour in being a starving artist. I've been heading Verizon's Hollywood, Florida creative department. Work is great so far...there are a few pros and cons. One of the pros? Being one's own boss, so to speak—my supervisor is located in Minnesota. Creative freedom is superb, though I'm finding that being in charge of the department can at times be dauntingly challenging. I still have a hard time believing that these people, who appear worlds more qualified in their own fields, are looking to me for creative direction. Are you serious? Still haven't quite gotten used to that one. Another pro? I get to work a variety of ads, so it never gets boring. Con? My commute is 45 min. in the morning and anywhere from 1 hr. to 1 1/2 hrs. in the evening! Did I mention the glorious bumper-to-bumper Miami traffic? I'm taking it one day at a time. Well, off to bed now. Gotta rest for that morning drive!

We miss you guys!

Party at Van Dyke's

Saturday night we met up with our new buddies Marzieh and Jalil Thurber for Jalil's 32nd birthday celebration. Van Dyke's is a trendy eatery on South Beach's famed Lincoln Road. The upper level of the restaurant houses a fabulous jazz lounge, where jazz can be heard every night of the week. That night our ears were delighted by the Brazilian sounds of bossa nova as well as some New Orleans blues. Also in attending: the lovely Lisa Rayner, and two of Jalil's buddies from D.C., brothers Shamim and Shahram. Great fun guys!

Happy Birthday Flor!

Flor is the sweetest, most dear friend—one whom I am fortunate to have known the last 15 years! Distance hasn't kept us apart. On the contrary, it has served to only strengthen our friendship over the years. Somehow we've managed to share every moment with one another, as though we never were apart. Today, 20...ahem...some years ago (a girl never tells) the world was blessed with the birth of a wonderful, dear soul. And the world is made a brighter place each day with her presence and contributions to humanity. Florcita, I love you so much and wish you all the best on your special day! Felíz cumpleaños, my dear sister of the Spirit.

Toy Story...Not the Movie

Sorry it's been a while. Here's the latest. We're in Miami, hence the last post, and I've been spending most of my days trying to find a full-time job. I resorted to signing up with a staffing firm—one that is contracted by various companies in the local area that are trying to find new hires.

At first, I was really psyched when they called me with a job op. I would be contracted to work with this great toy company in the area. I jumped at the opportunity to design really fun and edgy packaging for toys. The toy company didn't let me down either. Last Monday was my first day and it truly was amazing! They are one of the leading manufacturers of educational toys—plastic dinosaurs and zoo animals, play toys, puzzles, posters…you name it. I was brought onboard to help them through the week with mainly production work. When the week was up, they asked me to come back the following (this week). Then the creative director asked if I was interested in full-time. I was thrilled! The idea of working in such a fun and creative environment is ideal as a designer. So here's the part were it gets iffy.

Along the way, I found out that because the toy company hired the staffing firm to find them a designer, they would be legally obligated to pay the staffing firm 10% of my annual salary if they were to hire me. A sorta finders fee, if you will. 10%! Whoa! In the end, the toy company decided they would need to find someone else to hire full-time, as it was obvious they could not dish out the dough. So the staffing company has turned out to be not all that great. The chances of finding a full-time job through them is near impossible. I guess one could potentially just accept contracted work through the firm, but I'm looking for a full package—compensation, benefits, 401K… the whole shebang. We'll see what happens. I've got two other interviews to look forward to though. One with Verizon, who might want me to head their Hollywood, Florida office, and the other with an advertising company in Miami Beach. I'm already doing it, eh? Referring to random cities in Florida, expecting you to know exactly where they are or something. Sorry. I'll keep you tuned in to the progress.

On another note, I'm happy to report that Sahba is loooving his residency in Family Practice Medicine! The hospital is fabulous! The staff are all friendly and helpful. And the field itself has proven to be more versatile than anesthesia. Already Sahba and Dan are planning and perfecting all kinds of things to offer in the their private practice (they both switched into family medicine from other fields and are in the same residency program). Adorable!

Where Have We Been???

MIAMI BABY! As some of you may know, Sahba and I recently moved from Nashville to Miami. Sabs switched medical specialties from Anesthesia to Family Practice Medicine, bringing us to the beautiful and sunny South Florida. We've been here now for almost 5 weeks, and though we miss our families terribly, have been enjoying this new and exciting chapter of our lives. Miami can really make a girl feel at home with the culture, food, and sabor latino which surrounds.

Since we've been here, I've been freelancing for the company with whom I worked back in Nashville, which has been keeping me relatively busy. I've also been sending out resumes and interviewing with Advertising companies in the Miami area in the hopes to secure a full-time job as well. I had forgotten how much patience is required for this process. Grueling but exciting at the same time!

Now, I'll have you know I surely planned to update the blog more frequently. I will keep you posted on the job hunting, the wonderful activities going on in the Bahá'í community down here, Sahba's work and all the rest in the days to come. So sorry for the delay!

Miss and love you all!

Long Overdue, Part 3: Nika's Bridal Shower

On April 15th, one week before the wedding, Marleecia and I had the honor of hosting a bridal shower for Nika (my sis-in-law & Marlee's best friend). We chose Island Tropics as the theme and asked guests to dress accordingly. Andrea and I decorated the house with lots of sea shells, sand, palm trees, flowers, a canopy, and tiki torches (estilo Survivor). As each guest arrived they were given a lei to wear around the neck and a colorful umbrella-laced fruit drink. We played bridal shower games, ate tasty island food, and shared in the happiness and best wishes for our dearest Nika Joon. Check out the pics! ("Photos" link in sidebar for more Bridal Shower pics.)

Long Overdue, Part 2: ATL Road Trip

At the begining of April, my sisters and I planned a little road trip to Atlanta. Hours before leaving, I received a call from our dearest friend, Flor, saying she would be meeting us there (from Costa Rica!). What a fantastic time together! Shopping, eating, and dancing. We also got a chance see Jason, another buddy of ours from Costa Rica who is living there now. Thanks guys for such a good time!(More ATL pics under "Photos" link in sidebar.)



 

Long Overdue, Part 1: Seals & Seals Concert

Late, but as promised. Here are some snap shots from the Seals & Seals concert in Dickson, TN, March 31, 2006. It was a great time spent with family and friends. New Seals & Seals album set to drop sometime in the Summer/Fall '06. I'll keep you posted. (More S&S concert pics under the "Photos" tab in sidebar.)