Chop, Chop

Wednesday, July 24, 2013 – Chop, Chop

Trying to survive the summer heat and humidity has led me to take desperate action:  I cut off most of my hair.  But before I took that drastic step, I tried other strategies. 

First, I tried the cinema method.  This involves going to the movies everyday that the temperatures and humidity are in the extremely uncomfortable range.  In three days, I saw three movies, all of them good:  The Way, Way Back, Mud, and Fruitvale Station.  But afterwards, I felt that I was spending too much time indoors.  Just because it was a little hot and muggy, why should I force myself to curtail my outdoor activities?  After all, people all over the world put up with weather that is this bad or worse. 

So my next strategy was just to get out there and ignore the sweltering conditions.  On Sunday, I convinced myself that the temperatures were going to be a bit lower and that I wouldn’t be bothered if I kept the right mental attitude.  I planned an active day with visits to the National Gallery of Art to see a small Edvard Munch exhibit and then to Union Market in Northeast DC for DC Scoops, an annual ice cream competition/festival.  I even convinced Marshall to accompany me.  (Elliott had to stay home because of his respiratory condition.)

Since we were using public transportation, this itinerary required four separate half-mile walks.  I was using my umbrella as a parasol, and hoping that the predicted rain might materialize.  It didn’t seem likely, however.  The sun just got stronger as the afternoon wore on.  As much as I willed myself not to feel the rising temperatures, I couldn’t prevent the outpouring of sweat that was soon drenching me.  My face turned bright red from the heat, prompting Marshall to express alarm.  Although I remembered to hydrate with frequent swigs of cold water, my body temperature was moving into a dangerous range.  Ice cream might help, and thoughts of the free samples awaiting us at Union Market kept me trudging ahead. 

When we arrived at Union Market (air-conditioned inside!), we discovered that the ice cream suppliers had set up their stands outside the market building.  To make matters worse, there were long lines in front of each stand.  But I hadn’t come this far to leave without a taste of ice cream.  I chose the line that seemed the shortest and waited calmly as salty drops of sweat dripped into my eyes and mouth.  After fifteen minutes or so, we reached the front of the line.  I was rewarded with a tiny plastic spoon topped with a miniscule scraping of freshly made butter pecan ice cream.  Maybe it was delicious, but at that point, I was too delirious from the heat to think clearly. 

We both had one goal in mind, i.e. get back home as quickly as possible.  We walked zombie-like back to the metro station (another half-mile) and boarded a Red Line train.  A new surprise awaited us:  the air conditioning wasn’t working properly.  An hour later, I stumbled into the house, stripped off my sweat-soaked clothing, and remained comatose for the remainder of the afternoon.  Conclusion:  ignoring the heat and humidity doesn’t work.  Time to try a new strategy.

Monday was another hot and humid day.  It was also the day Elliott and I planned to drive up to Lowe’s in Sterling, some 20-plus miles from home, since the Lowe’s closer to home didn’t have the item we wanted.  Then we’d stop on the way back home to do some errands.  Since we’d be in the car or in stores most of the time, I’d minimize my exposure to the heat.  I learned, however, that it doesn’t take more than half a minute in the sweltering air before I start sweating profusely.  The only solution seemed to be to change clothes several times a day.  The laundry started piling up, but I still wasn’t satisfied. 

The problem was my hair, which was constantly soaked and weighing down on my neck.  It was too short to pull up on top of my head.  However, there was another option:  chop it off.  Fortunately, I had an appointment at the salon already scheduled for Tuesday or I might have borrowed Elliott’s electric clippers and done the job myself!  I feel like a different person now and Elliott is very enthusiastic about the new look.  Even with shorter hair, I’m going to stay inside as much as possible until the heat and humidity fall back into a more comfortable range.  

The new look, before it even had a chance to dry.

Home Sweet Home

Wednesday, July 17, 2013 – Home Sweet Home

After a week away, it’s great to be back in my own house, with my own shower (terrific water pressure) and my own kitchen (where’s there’s always soy milk, hummus and goat cheese in the refrigerator).  I welcomed the chance to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables at our local farmers’ market last Saturday.  Among my purchases – a bunch of garlic scapes, which I’d never seen before.  They’re the shoots of the garlic plant and are only available for a short time in early summer.  They ended up sautéed in a little olive oil and then mixed with freshly cooked white beans.  A gleaming purple eggplant formed the basis for my own version of caponata, a Sicilian vegetable and olive mixture whose sweet and sour flavoring points to a Sephardic influence.  The white beans, caponata, herbed goat cheese and crusty bread made a light and delicious summer supper.  

Garlic scapes!  Available now at your local farmers' market.

The joys of summer cooking

With so much good food in the house, I didn’t have any desire to go out to eat.  In fact, when the weather is insufferably hot and humid, I’m not tempted to leave my sweet abode for any reason at all.  However, I make exceptions for certain local road trips, such as the one we took yesterday.  Over the course of eight hours (including a lunch break), we logged only 60 miles, but we managed to visit some of the highlights of Northern Virginia.  First stop, Morris Tile in Springfield where we tried unsuccessfully to choose floor tile.  Next stop was USA Granite and Marble in Fairfax where we visited and photographed the slab we’ve chosen for our bathroom vanity.  Then it was west to Chantilly, site of our closest Lowe’s.  This was a productive stop, as it yielded several items we need for our bathroom:  floor tile (hallelujah!), a light fixture, and a new toilet.  Yes, we are now the proud owners of a gleaming white porcelain sculpture that is currently sitting in a box on the back seat of our car since neither Elliott nor I can move it.  Elliott wisely decided that he wouldn’t even try.  We did, however, manage to transfer several pounds of floor tile from the car to the garage by carrying them one tile at a time.  Our final stop, before returning home sweaty and exhausted, was at Wegman’s so I could (1) buy groceries, and (2) devour a combination of Indian and Chinese delicacies from the hot food bar as a reward for my day’s hard work.  Road trips sure are fun!   

How to Celebrate a Birthday

Sunday, July 14, 2013 – How to Celebrate a Birthday

No big parties today for my 63^rd birthday.  No elaborate plans.  Just a casual brunch/lunch with Matt at a local Italian restaurant (eggs benedict on a slice of pizza – yum), a short visit to see my mother at Greenspring (we brought mini-cheesecakes from Whole Foods), and an evening get-together with a few neighbors for homemade peach tart that I baked this afternoon.  Let me know if you want the recipe.  It’s simple and delicious – much better than any birthday cake I’ve ever had.  

 

We’re still getting over the jet lag from our trip.  Yes, I know it’s just a one-hour time difference.  Maybe it’s the heat and humidity that’s making us feel so exhausted.  Despite the weather conditions, Elliott has been very active since we got back.  Today, he spent a couple of hours dismantling a toilet and hauling it out of the house.  It joined the vanity, sink, and mirror cabinet currently residing on our deck.  We may actually have a new bathroom by the time the summer ends.   

No more trips scheduled – yet.

Madison Moments

Thursday, July 11, 2013 – Madison Moments

The Greenfield Summer Institute continued to offer us stimulating lectures on Wednesday and Thursday.  Some of the topics included Spinoza, the 17^th century radical philosopher, and Franz Boas, the influential father of modern anthropology.  Jazz musician Ben Sidran performed for us on Wednesday evening.  On the final morning of the program, Madison mayor Paul Soglin (a UW grad student during my time as an undergraduate) reminisced about student activism in Madison in the 1960s.   

Ben Sidran

Aside from classes, I’ve been making the most of my time in Madison.  I spent four years here as a student and never stepped inside the State Capitol.  Today, I remedied that oversight.  Elliott and I took a tour of the building and admired the decorative marble interior, the large-scale glass mosaics, and the gilded bronze statue atop the granite dome.  Afterwards, I spent more than an hour learning about the history and culture of Wisconsin’s Native American inhabitants at the Wisconsin Historical Museum. 

Realizing that my week in Madison was coming to an end, I stopped at a local supermarket to pick up a bag of cheese curds.  Fresh curds sounded infinitely more palatable than the deep-fried version available in restaurants.  I was surprised to find that curds come in several different flavors.  I was certain, though, that my first experience should be pure Wisconsin cheddar.  I brought a bag of the golden nuggets back to the hotel room to share with Elliott.  As noted in a recent article in The Daily Cardinal, UW’s student newspaper, cheese curds really do squeak when you put them into your mouth.  And as far as the taste – well, it’s no surprise that they taste just like cheese.  I’m not quite sure what the big deal is about, but at least I can now check “eat cheese curds” off my Madison to-do list.  

Squeaky cheese curds

For our final dinner, I was tempted to try the Nepali or the Afghan restaurant, both of which are located on State Street.  However, Elliott wasn’t feeling very hungry this evening, so I came up with an alternative plan that appealed to both of us:  Babcock ice cream on the terrace of the Memorial Union.  We followed that up with a walk along the lakeshore path as the setting sun glinted across the waters of Lake Mendota.  I can’t think of a more fitting conclusion to our week in Madison.  

 

Back on Campus

Tuesday, July 9, 2013 – Back on Campus

It’s official:  I’m a Badger.  I now have the T-shirt to prove it.

 

Three days into the Greenfield Summer Institute and we’ve already attended six lectures and one klezmer concert.  The theme of this summer’s institute is Jewish Subversives, and the lecturers, who are UW professors from various departments, have offered us a wide range of lecture topics.  Monday’s lectures focused on magic in early rabbinic writings, the experiences of women pioneers in Israel, and the role of women in labor and feminist movements.  On a lighter note, the Yid Vicious Klezmer Band entertained us with an open-air concert at Union South on Monday afternoon.  At dinner last night, Elliott tried a genuine Wisconsin “brat” (bratwurst) and I passed up another chance to sample fried cheese curds. They’re battered and deep-fried.  I can’t imagine that I’d want more than a tiny nibble.  

Elliott enjoying a "brat" on State Street

The Yid Vicious Klezmer Band at Union South

 Our first lecture this morning was a fascinating feminist interpretation of The Book of Esther.  We never learned anything like that in Hebrew school!  And the presentation on modern Hebrew poetry was surprisingly exciting.  If you have a chance, look up the poem “Before a Statue of Apollo” by Shaul Tschernikhovsky (1875-1943).  He was a major literary figure who merged elements of the traditional Eastern European Jewish culture with his radically modern sensibilities.  In preparation for this afternoon’s lecture on phantasmagoric realism (as opposed to socialist realism) in Soviet literature, I read two very bizarre short stories by Andrei Siniavsky. 

Before returning to our hotel a couple of hours ago, we stopped at the University’s Chazen Museum ofArt – beautiful architecture and gallery space, and a collection that covers several eras and continents.  Elliott had a chance to see a piece by El Anatsui (the Ghanaian artist whose work I recently saw at the Brooklyn Museum of Art).  Several works by sculptor Louise Nevelson were on display, in addition to a painting by Elliott’s friend Sam Gilliam. 

Now the big decision is where to eat dinner tonight.  I’m intrigued by the Thai-Lao Deli.  If not there, I’d settle for the Nepali restaurant.  Actually, if the heat and humidity don’t ease up, I’d be satisfied with more Babcock ice cream for dinner. 

Sunday in Madison

Sunday, July 7, 2013 – Sunday in Madison 

No, this is NOT me sitting on the Union Terrace!

Ahh, Sunday in Madison.  What to do?  The possibilities are endless.  A true Badger would sit out on the Union Terrace with a pitcher (or two or three) of beer.  However, in my case, that’s not likely to happen since I tried my first – and only – beer at the Memorial Union in the fall of freshman year and found myself slowly sliding under the table.  So let’s think of other activities.  A walk up Bascom Hill might be nice.  A visit to one of Madison’s many museums – the Veterans Museum, the State Historical Society, the University’s Chazen Museum of Art, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art are all within walking distance.  But it’s still early, and I’m trying to restrain my tendency towards hyperactivity.  So I’ll start with a cup of Tazo “passion” tea (a tisane described as an exuberant herbal infusion) and a leisurely look at Madison’s unique newspaper, TheOnion.   

You can also read The Onion online.

Later – 

Wisconsin calls itself America’s Dairyland, so it seems somehow sacrilegious to be snacking on Dutch cheese, but that’s exactly what I did for my second breakfast.  I was in Trader Joe’s on Saturday (yes, they have one in Madison!) and I couldn’t resist picking up a few essentials.  Our mini-fridge is now stocked with the above-mentioned cheese, plus a container of hummus, a bag of sugar snap peas and a carton of soymilk.  I have not forgotten my vow to try cheese curds, however. 

After the snack, I start my solo walk up Bascom Hill.  It’s strange to be back in the heart of campus again, especially as it’s deserted on this Sunday morning.  During the school year, crowds of students would be trudging up the steep incline on their way to classes.  When the warm finally turned warm after the long winter, they’d be sprawled out on the large grassy expanse, soaking in the spring sunshine.  Funny, I’d forgotten about that statue of Abe Lincoln at the top, but I recognize the building where I took my introductory zoology class.  (I wrote a research paper on the breeding habits of penguins.)  

Bascom Hall and Abe Lincoln sit at the top of Bascom Hill.

It’s reassuring to see the hill and the buildings intact, and to know that they survived my absence.  It’s sort of like when you think of a long-ago lover that you haven’t seen or heard from in years.  You don’t want to renew the relationship, but you want to believe that the person is alive and well.   

 

On the far side of the hill, I confront Van Hise Hall, the high-rise building where I struggled through 17^th and 18^th century French literature.  The street directly in front of me leads to Babcock Hall, where I could get more of that incredible ice cream.  But instead, I turn left, then left again, onto University Avenue.  As I expected, there’s a lot of new construction, but I soon find a familiar building – old, rosy red Lathrop Hall.  This is where I took my one and only physical education class while at the university.  “Fundies” (Fundamentals of Movement) fulfilled the graduation requirement.  I still remember the instructor complimenting me when I was lying on the floor, practicing a relaxation technique.  That was the extent of my college athletic career.   In retrospect, that relaxation technique is one of the most valuable things I learned during my four years of undergraduate study. 

I’m glad I did this walk alone.  I didn’t want anything or anyone to intrude with the experience of stepping back in time.  Did I mention how strange this was?  This walk stimulated tiny bits and pieces of visual memories that are buried so deep in my brain that I’m not sure if they’re real or just images from dreams.  But now I see I didn’t just conjure them up out of my imagination.  These places actually exist. 

After the campus walk, I was ready to pull myself back to 2013.  Elliott and I took a leisurely stroll up State Street to the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art where we saw a very interesting photography show.  While I appreciate digital technology, I marvel at the subtlety that photographers can achieve in their black and white silver gelatin prints.  One of the photographers whose work impressed me is the late Robert Frank.  (He was featured in a show at the National Gallery of Art a few years ago.)  I was also very impressed with the color prints of the contemporary photographer Richard Misrach.  The museum had an awesome shop.  Unfortunately, my luggage is so tightly packed that there isn’t room for a single additional item.  

You see some strange sights on State Street.

As I mentioned, you see some strange sights on State Street.

We didn’t linger on State Street because of the heat and humidity.  I sipped another iced tea as we walked back to the hotel.  It was my second of the day.  This is part of my new summer weight loss program called “Fill Up with Fluids.”  The goal is to lose ten pounds before the wedding – and to stay hydrated at the same time.   

On the Shores of Lake Mendota

Saturday, July 6, 2013 – On the Shores of Lake Mendota

It’s hard to process what I’ve gone through in the past twenty hours since I arrived in Madison.  On the cab ride from the airport into the downtown area, street names kept triggering long-forgotten memories.  I used to ride my bike down the big hill on Gorham.  I used to have friends who lived on Gilman.  But State Street, the half-mile main drag that connects the campus to the State Capitol, was unrecognizable.  For one thing, it’s now open only to buses, bikes and pedestrians.   But more than that, the stores and restaurants have transformed its character.  During my college years, there was no Urban Outfitters, no Starbucks, no Potbelly’s.  We didn’t have organic coffeehouses.  The only tie-dyed clothing in evidence today is decidedly upscale.  True, there are a couple of places where you can purchase hookahs, but they’re rubbing shoulders with a new museum of contemporary art and a modern performing arts center.  I have no complaints about the restaurant scene, however.  Back in my day, our choices were limited to Midwestern pizza, brats (bratwursts), and a “Chinese” restaurant that served Wonder Bread along with the chow mein.  Nowadays, in a few shorts blocks of State Street, you can find Middle Eastern, Thai, Lao, Turkish, Ethiopian, Irish, Japanese and Italian food.

You can still get brats and beer on State Street.

 Fortunately, we’re staying in a prime location, just a block north of State Street and a block from the lake.   The Lowell Center was formerly a dorm, but the university now uses it as a conference center.  And my dear friend (and long-time now retired AHS ESOL colleague) Lillian drove up from Chicago to spend a couple of days here with us.  While Elliott recovered from the long travel day, Lillian and I went out exploring on foot.  My first impression was that so much of the open space has disappeared.  Instead of the big area of green space near the Memorial Library, several new buildings stand.  I remember meeting friends by the fountain, and gathering there for demonstrations and protest marches.  The drug store at the corner of State and Lake looked somewhat familiar, although I’m sure it wasn’t a Walgreen’s back in the late 1960s.  Actually, it was the sight of the store’s bricked-in windows that reminded me of anti-war protests, tear gas, and shattered windows along State Street.

Since I’m still operating on East Coast time, I was up and ready to go shortly after 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning.  State Street was deserted, except for the street-cleaning trucks and a couple of aging Badgers who had camped out on the pavement.  I walked up to the State Capitol and back to The Lowell Center during the last hour of morning calm before the Saturday crowds descended.  One of Madison’s main attractions, for tourists and locals alike, is the Saturday market held from May to October on the streets surrounding the State Capitol.  This is the country’s largest producers-only market, featuring vegetables, fruit, plants, baked goods, sauces, meats, and dairy products.  At half past six, the market had barely gotten underway.  Food trucks and craft vendors were just beginning to set up shop on adjacent streets. 

The sight of the food trucks reminded me to head back for breakfast with Elliott and Lillian.  After we ate, Elliott got his day’s exercise by pushing his walker up the entire length of State Street to the Capitol.  By mid-morning, the streets and sidewalks near the Capitol were jammed.  In fact, when I joined the crowd circumambulating the Capitol (counter-clockwise only), a wave of claustrophobia swept over me.  Elliott had the same reaction, and it was a relief when we finally made our way out of the tightly packed mob.  My only regret was that I didn’t have a chance to try the cheese curds.  But I’m sure there will be other opportunities during the coming days.  I wonder how I managed to spend four years in Madison without ever once trying them.   

The famous Wisconsin cheese curds. 

 One thing that hasn’t changed in Madison is the ice cream.  One of my fondest memories from my college years is the ice cream from the Babcock Hall Dairy Store, home of the university’s dairy sciences program. After walking around the market, with the crowds and the heat, the three of us decided that ice cream would make the perfect lunch.  We jumped into Lillian’s air-conditioned car and drove across campus.  Did Babcock live up to my expectations?  You bet it did!  My vanilla ice cream embedded with pieces of strawberries and chocolate was splendiferously delicious.  Even the plain chocolate and vanilla varieties were marvelous, according to Elliott and Lillian.  

To be continued.

The Nostalgia Trip

Thursday, July 4, 2013 – The Nostalgia Trip

Freshman year (1968)

Get out the bellbottoms, beads and tie-dyed shirts – I’m on my way back to 1968, to start my freshman year in college again.  Well, that’s what it seems like.  You see, in a little over 24 hours, I’ll set foot on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison for the first time in over 40 years.  The trip I’ve fantasized about for decades is finally becoming a reality:  I’m going to spend a week in Madison.  Of course, the trip won’t consist entirely of roaming around campus and reminiscing.  Elliott and I will be participating in a study program organized by the university’s Institute for Jewish Studies.  The focus of this summer’s program is Jewish Rebels and Dissidents, which is fitting, since the university was a hotbed of radical student political activity during my four undergraduate years (1968-1972).  

Junior year (1970)

Along the lake path

But first, there’s the packing to attend to.  We’ve already spent the better part of the day on this activity and we’re not quite finished yet.  Every time I face this task, I think that it would be so much easier just to stay home and pretend we were on vacation.  But somehow, I keep making more travel plans.  In our household, I’ve always been the one who does the planning and preparation for our trips.  After so many years of practice, I’ve gotten quite good at this.  

Status check:  Laundry is done.  Newspaper and mail delivery are suspended.  Banks and credit card companies are notified.  Timers are set.  Research on weather, transportation, attractions, and restaurants is completed.  Vitamins and medications are counted out and bagged.  The mystery white cream in the unlabeled travel size container has been examined – is it facial moisturizer, night cream, hair conditioner?  I rubbed some onto the back of my hand and sniffed.  I still wasn’t sure, so into the trash it went.  

Elliott is temporarily leaving behind his current project, i.e. dismantling the rest of our bathroom.  In the process, he uncovered some turquoise floral wallpaper that was fashionable around my freshman year in college.  He’s also been spackling and sanding.  But he’s excited about the upcoming trip, and he’s fully prepared to hear me exclaim, “It looks just the same!” and “It looks so different!” at least a hundred times a day.