Wise words from Mr. Bowie

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"I don't know where I'm going,
but I promise it won't be boring."

David Bowie

And then there was hurried packing

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Oh my. By this time tomorrow I will be groggily buckled into a seat in coach, readying for the first leg of our flight to Lima, Peru. I am 90% excited 10% fighting the urge to freak out. Where has my travel zen gone, guys? Why am I concerning myself with buying a back-up pair of harem pants and finding Opium perfume in a balm when I should be omming and practicing Spanish?

So I will take some deep breaths and remember all the amazing things that await me. Hiking the Inca Trail! Machu Pichu! Lake Titicaca! Carnival in Oruro! Surf Lessons! Meeting witch doctors, deep in the mountains! Hanging with my mister and two of my favorite ladies! And the possibility of two more favorite ladies joining us as well!

I will also make an active effort not to obsess over the entire 'Dangers and Annoyances' section of the Lonely Planet. (But, let's be honest. Fake police?! That steal your passport and kidnap you?! That business is frightful.)

Before I take off for three months (!) please allow me to engage in some deeply shameless self-promotion. Though I will be out and about, Yes and yes will continue to run at a clip. We've got so many lovely things in the works! Heaps of guest posts from some of your favorite bloggers! An interview series with friends of mine who have amazing jobs (Special effects guru for Peter Jackson! Handbag Designer! Movie Set Caterer!) plus all sorts of content that I've been writing over the last month, instead of learning to habla de espanol. And of course, there will be many an update from the road, in which I detail my love for llamas, Bolivian bowler hats, and humitas.

So with all these good things in the works, don't you think that now would be a good time to subscribe to The Good Ship Yes and Yes? And if you follow me on twitter, I promise you all sorts of goodies like "Just inadvertently told the waiter I wanted fried grapes." And! If you email me your snail mail address, I'll even send you a post card! What fun!

While I'm out and about, The BFF will be taking over the day-to-day operations here, so you might not see much of me in the comments here or on other blogs. But rest assured, as I'm riding some dilapidated bus over a mountain pass, trying to ignore the squawking of the chickens sitting behind me, I'll be wondering what all of you are up to.

Wish me luck! See you in Peru!

Travel essentials you didn't know you needed

So there are some things we all know are non-negotiable for travel - many changes of underwear, an extra memory card for your camera and one very good sense of humor. But friends! There are some things I didn't even know I needed until I had to sleep on the dirty sheets/stuff toilet paper in the backs of my new flats/try to find antibiotic ointment in Hanoi.

Learn from my mistakes and stuff your backpack with these goodies!



BandAid Blister Block
Yes, I know you brought comfortable shoes. I'm sure you did. However, the shoes that are comfortable enough to wear around the grocery store are not the same as shoes that are comfortable enough to wear walking around every blessed inch of Barcelona. Short of ugly, giant Reeboks (which you are not wearing, right?) I'm not sure such a shoe exists. So bring your comfortable and stylish Clarks ballet flats, but bring these special blister bandaids as well. Because slowly filling up your shoe with blood is no way to travel.

Burt's Bees Res-Q Ointment
A modern day miracle, Res-Q Ointment is good on bumps, bruises, burns and bites. And because it's a nice thick salve, you can even use it on your cuticles and dried out elbows in a pinch. Take it from me - it's a lot easier to bring your own medicine than to stand in the Vietnamese pharmacy making the universal sign for 'rash.'

Sleep Mask
Because if you're sleeping in a hostel, someone is always going to come into the room drunk at 3 am, turn on the light, immediately turn it off again and then fall over. Also good for flights, bus trips and avoiding conversation with your seat partner.

Playing Cards
Seriously, at least 30% of your time away will be spent waiting for your transportation to arrive, being transported or killing time while you wait for the museum/ticket office/bar to open. Cards will help you pass that time. And! They are a great way to meet other people. Everybody likes a rousing game of Egyptian Rat Screw, right?

Sleeping Pills
Even though those tiny TVs in the airplane are great, a girl can only watch A New York Minute so many times, you know? Annnd, you feel approximately a million times better if you actually get some sleep on the plane.

Silk Sleeping Bag
Bedding in hostels and cheap hotels can be incredibly dicey. I actually knew several people who got bed bugs from a place in Fiji. Not nice. And some hostels charge you extra for sheets! Avoid all of this nastiness by bringing your own bedding with you. These are silky and decadent and the only germs in there are yours. (If you're heading to SouthEast Asia, wait and buy one there. Every vendor and his brother sells them for a fraction of what they go for here.)

What are your travel essentials?

More travel fun!
How to backpack for 6 months and still look awesome
Notes on Dealing with 'The Real World' after a Vacation
The Cure for Homesickness

Cat + Post Its = Awesome. Or: Winner of the Cat Book

As promised, I allowed one of my kitteh nephews (aka The BFF's cats) to chose the recipient of a copy of It's a Cat's World, You Just Live in It. Of course, not all went according to plan, so you're probably going to want to turn the volume down on your 'puter when you view this clip. Because cats clad in post-its are apparently too much for me and I (very loudly) dissolve into hysterics about three seconds in. Annnnnd, there may or may not be some Minnesoooota accent going on there.

If you weren't lucky enough to win a copy of my friend's book, please consider popping over to Amazon and showing Justine some love. Or if you live in the Twin Cities, you can meet her in person at the U of M Coffman Memorial Union bookstore, on February 11th, from 4 - 5 pm.

Be sure to ask her if it was worth missing my going away party to vet for the John Beargrease Sleddog Race.

Fun for Foodies

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We've established that we love theme parties, yes? But what is even better, I think, are parties in the theme of food!

Fondue Party

Our parents were on to something with these parties. A group of friends, cuddled around the table dipping delicious nibblets into delicious sauces? Yes please! Even better, you can surely find an entire shelf devoted to fondue pots at your local Salvation Army. There are heaps of different yummy fondues you can make - blackberry! butterscotch! chocolate! cheese, cheese, cheese! What you choose to dip is up to you, but traditional choices include angel food cake cubes, fruit, bread and roasted vegetables. Bee Gees soundtrack is optional.

Cheese tasting Party

I actually threw one of these in November and, lordy, but it was fun. And delicious. Here's the deal: buy six or seven cheeses, the more obscure the better. Look up descriptions of the cheese online and make a worksheet of sorts listing all the descriptions. (If you're sneaky like me, you'll also include several bogus descriptions of similar cheeses to throw your guests off the scent.) Unwrap the cheeses (so there are no identifying labels) and serve each cheese with some sort of yummy pairing. You know, blue cheese with pears, Gouda with almonds, etc. Then your friends taste the cheese and try to match it to the appropriate description. Whoever matches the most cheeses/descriptions wins! Perhaps you could give them a can of squeeze cheese as a prize.

Miracle Berry Party

Have you guys heard of this amazing little fruit? It's a tiny red berry from Africa that contains a specific and rare molecule that makes sour food taste sweet. What?! You can get the effect from eating just one berry and holding the pulp on your tongue for about a minute. Then you have the next hour or so to tuck into lemon wedges, pickles, vinegar, radishes, brussel sprouts - the more bitter and sour, the better. The berries are available online, though they are a bit spendy. Willy Wonka, eat your heart out!

32 Flavors Party

Are you in love with Cold Stone Creamery? The ice cream shop that custom mixes the ice cream flavour of your choice, before your very eyes? Well, friends, there's no reason you can't do this at home - alls you is a chilled marble cutting board, several gallons of vanilla ice cream, some formidable forearms and 32 different kinds of mix-ins. Of course you can go the traditional route of Oreo chunks or strawberries or chocolate chips. But how about cinnamon? or pineapple/basil? or earl grey? or ginger? You've got 32 opportunities to go crazy! Have your friends bring mix-ins of their own choosing and vote on the best and weirdest flavours.

What's the best food theme party you've been to?

Let's make a pact ...

that we will never live lives that will necessitate sending this postcard.

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Are you with me?

For the Love of Books!

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My addictions are many, friends. Cheese, travel, furry animals. And books. I love them so hard! I have been known to read Dickens on the beach, to periodically gasp audibly while reading, to judge harshly anyone who doesn't pick up on a Pride and Prejudice reference.

I am also a social networking nerd. So you can imagine my joy when I heard about Goodreads. It's like facebook for bibliophiles! You can showcase all of the books you've read, rate them and even write reviews. You can befriend people you know in real life or people who seem to have the same taste as you. Then you can peruse their virtual bookshelves so you know what to queue up on that long inter-library loan list. So fun!

Are you keen to join in the book nerdery? It's easy to sign up and we can be friends! Just search 'Sarah von Bargen' and I should pop up. FYI: my favorite books involve cinnamon peelers, heart broken families and a boy named Fish.

What about you?

Hobo Sock Monkeys: An Epidemic

A sock monkey and a tiny wooden donkey playing hobos with a side dish of silent movie stylings? Hellll yes!

Six things you might wish you didn't know about me

The lovely and hilarious prettyface recently tagged me to share six random things about myself. And always one who's eager to prattle on about myself, my response was "Yes! Awesome! Okay!"

1. The Mister and I were nearly arrested by undercover cops this summer at the Republican Convention. I did my darnedest to put together an outfit that would allow me to blend in with the delegates from Texas, but they could smell my liberal patchouli stink from miles away. Perhaps because I was, in fact, wearing patchouli.
2. I harbor secret ambitions of being a professional hip hop dancer. Despite my Scandinavian roots, I like to think girlfriend can bring it. Or perhaps, more correctly, girlfriend has perfected two hip hop dance moves and is very enthusiastic. Several songs that require me to the leave the dinner table to dance are: OutKast's Hey Ya and B.O.B, Missy Elliot's Gossip and The Knux's Bang Bang.
3. Anthropomorphism is my favorite -ism. Animals in clothes, animals that talk, animals driving cars, all these things are equally hilarious in my mind. Seriously, I consider Babe, The Gallant Pig to be one of the greatest movies ever made. I have been trying to make it to Bolt for the last month - because it features a hamster! In a ball! that explores the world in his ball!
4. I am the owner of an honest-to-goodness genetic mutation. Passed on from my grandpa and dad, the middle bone of both of my pinkies is triangular instead of rectangular ... making for some rather epically crooked fingers. Many a babysitter wound herself up over what she imagined was a finger broken on her watch.
   
5. My full last name (von Bargen) has the appearance of fancy and often impresses any Germans I know, as it apparently conotates nobility. In response to this, I point you towards the story of how my family decorated our Christmas tree with squirrel tails.
6. The only song I ever sing at karaoke is 'Heart of Glass.' But I assure you, I rock that "Oo oo Ah-ah" bit in the middle.

But where are my manners?! Tell me six things about you!

Calling all Cat Ladies: Prize in Aisle 3

So we all know what it's like to have a really amazing, impressive friend, right? The med student who looks like Blake Lively and runs charity marathons. Or the professional photographer who got her B.A. in three years and is regularly mistaken for a model (I'm looking at you, Jess.) Or the girl who starts her own handbag label and lands on the pages of InStyle before her 30th birthday.

Please allow me to tell you about my friend Justine. I met her at a giant house-warming party full of drunk Ultimate Frisbee players (aka The Mister and all of his friends). Upon discovering that we were both travelers, we immediately retired to a corner so we could talk about obscure countries and what to wear in Egypt. (something knee length, FYI)

In addition to being wicked cute and funny, Justine is also a doctor of veterinary medicine, the owner of The World's Best Dog, and a vet for the Ididrod Dog Sled Race. One day, on a flight to visit her sister in California, Justine was reading one of the cute, chatty books we all pick up at airport book stores. Justine thought, "I could do this."

And then she did.

Twice.

It's a Cat's World ... You Just Live In It is Justine's second book. She described it to me as "answers to all the questions people ask me at parties once they find out that I'm a vet." What sorts of questions?

• Do cats fart?
• Why do cats prefer to drink running water?
• Are Siamese cats ever identical?
• Does my cat listen when I talk?
• Why do cats like to lie exactly where I'm reading?
• Why do cats follow you into the bathroom?
• Can I give my cat a breath mint?
• If I had the space, could I domesticate a tiger?

What?! Awesome. Seriously, guys. I don't even currently own a cat and I want to know the answers to these questions. Particularly that last one.

Luckily, Justine has been kind enough to donate a copy of her new book to us Yes and Yes cat ladies. To win said copy, tell us the nicknames you have for your fur babies. The Christian names of my previous cats were Rasputin and Miso, but they eventually got saddled with Putin/Doodledasher/ChatterCat and HamburgerCat.

The winner will be chosen by my kitteh nephew Barge. For realz.

Portrait of the President as a Young Man

Happy Inauguration Day, y'all! Are you as enamored with our new Prez as I am? Then you might want to head over to Daddy Likey and check out my guest post. It's a polyvore tour through the closets of Jill and Joe Biden and Michelle and Barack as college kids.

But before you head over, you probably need to watch this dance off between Barack and John.

The Art of Travel Zen

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Something that a lot of people don't talk about is the fact that travel can be stressful. Wicked stressful, yo. Navigating an unknown city, often in a different language and culture, while carrying a 25 pound bag on your back? And all while trying to have The Best Time Possible? Because this is what you've been planning and saving for over the past six months and you are going to have a great time if it kills you.

Annnnd cue the meltdown in line to the Louvre.

Because most of us have a very limited number of vacation days, we put pressure on ourselves to squeeze joy out of every minute that we're in another country. When I did my round the world ticket, I remember being haunted by the feeling that I 'wasn't doing it right' because I was having an awesome time, yes, but I also got lost a lot, got hit by a scooter, overslept on the train and missed my stop, had a former mental patient for a roommate and got a rash from the overnight bus in Vietnam. Seriously.

So please allow me to share some of the tricks I've learned to help one chill the eff out and enjoy the ride.

Realize that everything is going to take longer and cost more than you thought
When reading about the prices of food and lodging in a country, it's easy to add those two numbers together and assume that's how much money you'll spend in a given day. But then you get lost have to take a taxi back to your friend's house. And you lose your return bus ticket. And the only restaurant that's open has $17 entrees. It's also possible (especially if you're traveling outside of the western world) that your bus will break down, your captain will run on island time, or the roads have washed out now that it's rainy season.

Of course these things are all hugely frustrating, but often unavoidable. You'll be a lot happier and more relaxed if you leave some wiggle room in your schedule and budget.

Everything is just a matter of time and money
Oooh, that sounds rather ominous doesn't it? I mean, isn't everything in life just a matter of time and money? But especially when traveling, I think it's worth remembering this. Snags in your plan are not a matter of life and death, nor do they have to ruin your trip. Your flight is delayed and you're going to get in to Edinburgh two hours late? Just buy the phone card, call your friend and tell her you'll get in at 11 pm, and take a taxi to her house. Whenever I encountered these problems I would repeat this mantra in my head "Everything is just a matter or time and money. I have all the time in the world and a credit card with a high limit."

That $3 means a lot more to them than it does to you
Bartering is par for the course in many cultures and it's something that turns many of us westerners inside out with embarrassment. Negotiation + confrontation = nightmare scenario for most women I know, myself included. I have two settings: "Please, overcharge me! I implore you!" or "You want $99? How about $3? No? You are dead to me."

Of course, as foreigners we are surely being offered extremely inflated prices and shouldn't accept the first number offered. However, I have seen westerners joyfully embrace the bartering system and spend 20 minutes haggling over a difference of 20 American cents. It's worth remembering that the four dollars that you're saving means a lot more to these vendors than it does to you.

The average yearly income in Bolivia is nine hundred American dollars. Just sayin.

Those beggars might actually need your money
One of the most unnerving and often frustrating things about traveling through developing countries is all of the poverty you will see. You will inevitably be asked for money several times a day - by women with crying babies, blind men, people handicapped by landmines. It's really, really sad and really overwhelming. It's also really easy to become immune to. Many developing countries have little in the way of social welfare programs so these people may have no other way of getting money.

A friend developed a method for dealing with this while traveling through Cambodia. Every day he would carry around the equivalent to 10 American dollars in really small bills. He would give out one bill to every beggar he saw until they were all gone.

Note: you have to be a little careful in an area with lots of beggars in one place. If they see you giving out money to one person, they will swarm you.


It's easier to make money than it is to make memories
Now that you're three weeks into your trip, maybe funds are getting a bit low. You find yourself eating a lot of bread and cheese and sleeping in the dorm room at the hostel instead of the double. When your friend suggests the $80 rappelling/black-water rafting/rock climbing trip you balk. That's, like, four nights of hostel!

Dude, do it. Put that shit on your credit card. If you were at home, you would not think twice about buying a cute sweater from Target and then getting dinner with your BFF - and that would probably run you the same amount. If you're getting too wound up about money while your traveling, just think about what this money would translate to in your life back at home. New pair of Frye boots or sky diving? Swim with dolphins or one new tire for your car? Not such a difficult choice.

When in doubt, Cry
Just as a smile is universal, so is crying. There are few people in the world who can look into the crumpled, messy face of a overwhelmed lady and not feel inclined to help. Or to let you off with a warning.

I really believe that everyone, the world over, is good at heart. You will be amazed at the things that people will do to help you when they can see that you need it.


Are you dead? Are you hurt? No? Then it's not the end of the world
It totally sucks to lose your passport or have your wallet stolen or for your luggage to get lost in transit. No arguments there. But all these things are temporary and repairable. They will make for excellent stories later on in which you will be featured as The Intrepid Traveler Who Went Through So Much But Still Had a Good Time.

How do you stay zen when you're traveling?

Photo Four

Lovlies prettyface and andrea both tagged me for the well known four/four photo tag. So here I go, pawing through my fourth folder, for my fourth photo. And low! Here it is:

This is from our hike across Tongariro Crossing, on the North Island of New Zealand. "A day hike" says the guide book. How about "two days, staying at the hut and packing in red wine and cheese ravioli?" we respond. It was an awesome, awesome hike particularly because we climbed down the 'Devil's Staircase' rather than up it.

Fifty people, One question

What happens when you ask fifty New Yorkers "Where would you like to wake up tomorrow"? You get this oddly moving, funny, sweet video.

My answer? In a giant white bed, in a room that over looks the Aegean sea. Next to a fat Persian cat and a cheese plate.

What about you? Where do you want to wake up tomorrow?

Project Postcard

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Do you know what I am a fiend for? I mean besides cheese and movies with talking animals and theme parties? I'm a total nerd for staying in touch. I'm still friends with a guy I interned with during the summer of 2001. For realz.

And! Since I'll be heading south of the border come January 31st, this is a great opportunity for postcard sending! I bet you'd like a postcard mailed from the Santa Cruz post office right? All slightly dirty and smelling of llama? Of course you would!

If you would - send me your address at sarah_vonbargen (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll send you some love while I'm out and about.

I'll do my best not to make any boob/poop jokes about Lake Titicaca. But no promises.

Edited to Add: As a decent meal in Bolivia costs $2, I imagine stamps will cost a whisper and a wink. Don't be detered if you live somewhere far flung!

Things I love Thursday

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Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia

Come February 21st, I will not be scraping ice of my windshield as my car warms up for 15 minutes before I can drive it. No no! I will be one of thousands crowding the streets of this wee Bolivian town on the Altiplano for some wicked, wicked Carnival fun. There will be eating of delicious food and making of friends and most importantly! Dancing! So. much. dancing. Allegedly, travelers can join up with one of the samba schools and even dance in the parade. If this is true, expect video evidence of me in full face paint and something short, feathered and sparkly. Seriously guys? I suspect this will be a dream come true.

Our Hilarious Grandma House

So The Mister bought a duplex last month, hmmm? And because it was built in the 1920s and possessing of exactly two owners prior to us it is stuffed to the gills with hilarious and adorable grandma paraphernalia left behind by the previous owners. Like what? Oh ... a million blue mason jars containing unidentified canned fruit, over-sized thermometers everywhere, two support bars in the bathroom, various religious plaques and a pink cushion, bamboo patio set that didn't quite make it onto the set of The Golden Girls. I love it! I love imagining all the lives lived here and how happy these people must have been to stay here for so long.

Celebrity Guest Bloggers at The Secret Society of List Addicts

So, I'm part of another blog, right? A blog devoted to ridiculous lists. There are four main listmakers involved: Vixel, Chrissy, Bridey and lil ol me. We each write one list each week, which often leaves Friday unspoken for. Shock and horror, I know! So we've opened up this plum spot for guest bloggers and would you believe that the inimitable Gala Darling is guest posting tomorrow?! Exciting, yo! So be sure to stop by List Addicts tomorrow to see what our favorite unicorn lover has whipped up.

Extra Credit

Brazilian coconut milk beer soup, assembling the perfect travel wardrobe, catching up with old friends, finally getting another contact for my sad little right eye, plotting more blog give-aways, new winter boots, ice fishing and snowshoeing with the fam, planning our house warming/bon voyage party, invitations to inauguration balls, befriending amazing, inspiring, adventurous ladies. kicking that chunk of accumulated snow off of my wheel well, my new computer desk that is directly in front of the heating vent, this song (channeling Neil Diamond I think) and The Bird and Bee's cover of Please Don't Stop the Music.

What about you!? Let's spread to the love!

How to Rock a Long-Distance Relationship

Oh hai! Interested in how to make love work across miles and hours and time zones? Then perhaps you should consult my guest post at the lovely Charade.

Your love interest is in your zip code? Then watch this video of an ice skating monkey you lucky thing, you!

The Games We Play

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I have often been accused, and rightly so, of having an over-active imagination. Things I have previously convinced myself of:
1) my cat can read my mind and is messing with me
2) my skunk pillow is frustrated by my undue attention to my pound puppy
3) the letters in my bowl of Alphabits are spelling out a message of epic import

But having an over-busy mind is not without its benefits. Over the years of too many college lectures, staff meetings and long train rides I've created quite the repertoire of ways to amuse myself. Some of my favorites?

Editing my life into music videos
Music videos are my favorite form of media - because they are just the right length for my attention span. I can totally give myself over to imagining the camera angles and coloring and wardrobe for any given song. My imaginary music video for Liam Finn's Energy Spent includes lots of golden, sunset-colored light, sun flares, old bicycles and cute girls with long hair drinking beer on a porch.

Creating back stories

Instead of paying attention to the accounting bit of the staff meeting, why not construct the childhood of the newest addition to the company? Sure, he looks benign - all male pattern baldness and khakis, but he got kicked out of every school in the tri-county area for his high school shenanigans, and he only settled down when he had to marry his knocked-up 17 year-old-girlfriend. Now he collects model trains and spends hours painting tiny trees and lamp posts in his basement.

Editing Conversations

Have you ever listened to someone say something like this: "But then we had to reschedule for Tuesday ... no, wait ... Wednesday .... no, Tuesday, because she had a dentist appointment to get her teeth whitened. She drinks too much Pepsi, you know? No, wait. It's Coke. She drinks too much Coke." Meanwhile, your brain is slowing melting and dripping out your ear because you're going to lay on your death bed and want those 45 seconds back someday.

In this scenario, I pull from my years of copy editing and imagine a typed script of everything I've just heard. Then I take an imaginary red pen and edit all that foolishness down to "we had to reschedule for Tuesday." Gratifying isn't it?

Making up definitions for comment confirmation words

We all do this a little bit right? They are always this.close to being a real word! Some of my favorites are ovetreu: a French term for poached eggs. Or how's about magiza: a particularly small magazine from Italy. Or ackab: like back stab in pig latin. But not.


What mental games do you play to get you through boring bits of your day?

Web time wasters

You might not know this about me, but I am huge proponent for both manners and karma - thank you notes, holding doors, helping friends move, the whole nine. Which is why I love Operation Nice. The website chronicles helpful, lovely interactions that people have had, suggestions on how to make someone's day, and things that are generally awesome. Nice indeed!

Did you hate dissecting stuff in eighth grade science? The inside of cats not really your thing? Eric Boker decided, instead, to dissect tubes of toothpaste - and the result is oddly artistic.

Mystery is sexy, right? If your not sure exactly how to be mysterious, this poster will point you in the right direction. I particularly like the tip about wearing a skeleton key on a necklace. "When you have an ornate, probably gold, probably vaguely skull shaped dangling around your neck, people will be going insane imagining what it opens!"

What would happen if Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords had a website where he pretended to be a Sci-Fi writer named Ronald Chevalier? Awesomeness would ensue. Obviously.

A lovely blog about random acts of kindness. (Thanks Annie!)

Lovely photos using the moon as a prop.

If you live in Minnesota (or are just passive aggressive) confrontation might be beyond your can. If so, you can use Hello! You there! to get your point across. You write up a letter, include a postal address and a written letter will be sent anonymously. I would say that I don't condone such an epic level of weeniness, but come on! We can all admit it's pretty genius.

Children's sketches of monsters re-created by graphic designers. Slightly unnerving!

What It Feels Like

If you could edit the inside of a backpacker's brain into a video, and then set it to gorgeous warblings of my cutie (and single!) friend Dereck, this is what it would look like:

The Broken Part


Really, this is how this is how my heart feels when I think of the steamy, crowded foolishness of SouthEast Asia. And that bit with the fireworks being shot into the crowd? And all the people in helmets jumping around? I'm the blue helmet.

Becoming

Girl Leaves Job to Travel. Again.

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If you've been following me on twitter or have the misfortune of knowing me in real life, you know that I have been struggling with a chronic case of wanderlust since, well, ever. And now that the sparkle and glitter of the holidays are behind us and we've still got three or four months of Minnesota winter stretching into the distance, I've given into my disease.

Who needs winter when you can go to South America for three months?!

If you're wondering about that shrill noise that you heard just now, it was probably me shrieking with the sheer joy and excitement of it all! I put in notice at my job on Tuesday and have procured something like a leave of absence. Or perhaps, more accurately, a "we'll try really hard to have a job opening for you when you get back" arrangement. I'm rather sad to leave my lovely, lovely students but I'm sure they'll quickly get over That Weird Teacher Who's Always Trying to Incorporate Gambling into The Class.

So! Plans for traveling you ask?

1) The Mister and I fly into Lima, Peru
2) Hike the Inca Trail
3) Visit Machu Picchu and live out my fifth grade history/archeology nerd fantasies
4) Take a bus to Bolivia. Hopefully avoid being robbed whilst bus-riding.
5) Do some as-yet-to-be-decided stuff in Bolivia. Surely visit the salt flats and take lots of pictures of women in bowler hats.
6) The Mister heads home mid-March, I hang out till my fantastic friend Steph flies down for a week and a half of tom foolery
7) Steph heads home and I head here for a month of volunteering. At a wildlife refuge! Monkeys, y'all! And big cats!

My goodness but I'm excited.

And what's to happen to Yes and Yes while I'm out wrangling primates? Never fear friends. Being the consummate Virgo, I have been working diligently to queue up some great stuff while I'm out and about. There'll be guest posts from some of your favorite bloggers, a series of interviews with people who have amazing, envy-inducing jobs (dog-sled vetrinarian! hand bag designer! movie set caterer!) and plenty of posts from yours truely. The BFF will be taking over day-to-day operations here at Chez Yes and Yes, but I'll be checking in as often as internet cafes allow.

Now, do tell. Have you been to Peru or Bolivia? And if you have - give a girl some hints!

Calender Winner! And The Grossest Bracelet Ever!

You like my bracelet, no? Here's the story. And the calender in question.

In Praise of Theme Parties

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A new year means new opportunities for party-throwing, right? I mean that's what I always think of as I turn a new page in the calender: "Hmmmm, I think it's time for our annual ugly sweater party."

I am huge, huge fan of theme parties. Because everything's better when you're wearing a costume and listening to costume-related music right? Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Famous Mustaches Throughout History
Mustaches are to the 00s what goatees were to the 90s, and why not celebrate their popularity with party? Your guests can come clad as their favorite mustache owner and you can even served themed food! We threw a party like this for our housewarming in Wellington, New Zealand - I was a Frenchman and The Mister was Charlie from Lost. Which is to say he made his hair greasy, parted it unflatteringly and wrapped bits of paper towel around his fingers.
Possible Costumes: Dali, Frida Kahlo, Magnum PI, Hulk Hogan
Food: mustache cupcakes, gummy mustaches (apparently sarsaparilla flavored?) milkshakes (increases likelihood of milk mustaches)
Music: Frank Zappa, Gogol Bordello, The Killers, Queen

2. What I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up
Oh, we've come so far from our fantasies of old, haven't we? I'm not tall enough to be a ballerina, or math-tastic enough to be an architect but we could surely overlook these realities for one night. Imagine a party stuffed with people dressed in their childhood dreams, noshing on the food of 1987. Awesome, yes? A friend of mine attended one of these parties dressed as a StarWars trooper. !?
Possible Costumes: singer, veterinarian, pro basketball player, um, tiger?

Food: Cheesy Poofs, Big League Chew, Kool aid, popsicles
Music: New Kids on the Block, Bon Jovi, The Bangles, anything circa Elementary School

3. Rubik's Cube Party

Warning: this party is best for those who are single/under 25. It might just be embarrassing for us old fogies. The theme here is pretty straight forward, everybody arrives at the party in ensembles made up of pieces of clothing in the different colors of the Rubik's cube squares - you know, red hoodie, blue t-shirt, green skirt, yellow tights. During the course of the evening the goal is to switch clothes with your buddies to assemble an outfit that's monochromatic. I imagine this switching of clothing might be accompanied by some making out and flashing of underwear. Maybe.

Possible Costumes: solid-colored clothing of your choice in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and white
Food: jello shots, nibs, cheddar cheese cubes, those square Japanese watermelons
Music: Ice Cube (HA!)

Dress Like Your Parents Party

Oooh, this is a good one you guys. Though the 'rents are dear to us all, perhaps their fashion choices and ours differ on occasion? An applique sweatshirt here, a pair of SAS shoes there and you've got the makings of a great party. I'm afraid I also threw one of these parties, and the results? They weren't pretty.
Possible Costumes: Cosby sweaters, elastic-waisted pants, sensible pumps
Food: pigs in a blanket, Miller lite, raw veggies with dip
Music: Journey, Dire Straits, Cher

What's the best theme party that you've been to lately?

Annnnnd you're welcome...

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You guys. The first episode of The Flight of The Conchords, Season 2 is available online! For free! The whole thing!

But only for Yanks. Sorry Kiwis and Aussies. Not that you guys are particularly fussed about Bret and Jemaine anyway.

Did I ever tell you that I saw Jemaine in real life? Twice?!

Sighting One: My flatmate and I are in line at the insanely overpriced Reading Cinema in Wellington, New Zealand. I am very busy rummaging in my purse for enough change to buy some popcorn when Jess begins whisper at me without moving her lips, whilst making intense eye contact and occasionally winking.

I obviously interpret this a cue to slyly look over my shoulder. Where I see Jemaine and Loren Horsley. So we do the only natural thing: try very hard to ignore them and then run up the escalator in an attempt to get away from them.

Sighting Two: I am at Reading Cinema, again, walking through the food court. And there, wearing a purple velvet jacket and eating a corn dog, is Jemaine.

Seriously, dude. Stop following me. It's getting awkward.

Have you ever seen anyone famous in real life?

Unique Like a Snowflake. Right? Right?!

Do you ever walk into a party and realize that the super unique, carefully crafted look that you spent hours putting together has been replicated by every other girl in the room? The skinny jeans/scarf/graphic tee/cardigan combo? The vintage dress/colorful shoes/red lipstick ensemble? The converse sneakers/concert tee/hoodie/jelly bracelets look?

Ari Verslius and Ellie Uyttenbroek were interested in the unspoken dress codes of different social groups and began systematically documenting these groups over the course of 14 years. Nobody escaped the camera - indie boys, dapper gentlemen, even shaved-headed track suit wearers.

I'm certainly there, circa 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2040. These days I think I look closest to these girls. What?!

Which one are you?

It was not without disappointment that I saw the various incarnations of myself tucked in with all those other women. I think it's quite normal to want to believe we're each a little bit special, and a little bit different than everybody else. The crux is not equating that individuality with the clothes we choose to wear. Of course - I'm all over fashion that expresses who I am and how I want to portray myself (I am, after all, the owner of an Eskimo coat) but, after seeing this exhibit, I think it's worth remembering that it is the lovely, amazing, unique person beneath the clothes that makes the look work, not the other way around.

Wise words from Mr. Cobain

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"Wanting to be someone else
is a waste of the person you are."

Kurt Cobain

It's Ok To Believe

A Prize! For You!

You guys know The BFF, right? The maker of the hilarious Thursday comics? The frequently wry commenter? The occasional taker-over-er when I'm out and about?

In addition to being my BFF since fifth grade, Darcie is also professionally artistic and creative. Her Christmas gift to those lucky enough to know her was a calender she designed. It features twelve months of great quotes by famous musicians, in rich black ink on thick cream-colored paper. Are you jealous yet?

Don't be! The BFF has been kind enough to donate one of these calendars to our cause here at Yes and Yes (FYI: I imagine our 'cause' to be adventure-having and general tomfoolery). This fantastic calender is all yours if you leave a comment detailing which month you love above all others and why, exactly, your love runs so deep. I will mail this lovely piece anywhere in the world for you guys, so don't be dissuaded if your address reads "Pink House at the end of the road, Gravina Island." I'll even include a note and treats and other fun bits from me to you.

As for my favorite month? My heart belongs to September, a time of newly sharpened pencils, waning summer heat and freshly creased school clothes. What about you?

Things I love Thursday

Best Gifts Ever!

Has this ever happened to you? There's a book/movie/thing that you really want but it somehow fails to find its way onto your Christmas list or into the ear of your gift-givers. But! Christmas arrives and there it is! Tucked shyly between all those questionable sweaters and candles - a totally un-anticipated gem. Awesome.

My Christmas was stuffed to the gills with fantastic, eerily spot-on, unasked-for presents. It's almost as if these people know me or something. An Aveda haircut, a blood jade bracelet, the Spike Jonze/Chris Cunningham/Michael Gondry Music Video library, a ReadyMade subscription, a copy of The Freedom Manifesto, and most impressively, a two-pound ball of Edam. Woot!

Design Fantasies
We moved into the new place two weeks ago, amid sub-zero temperatures and snow emergencies. Now that the holidays are over, I'm free to indulge in over the top, thematic design fantasies. Asian inspired! With a hand-painted scrolls and red-black end tables! Modern and Spare! With black and white photos and beautifully art-directed book shelves! Farmhouse! Vintage cookie jars and embroidered everything!

We discuss paint colors in hushed, reverential tones and forward each other Craigslist ads for end tables. Because we are huge nerds.

Awards, Memes and the Like
The lovely Reeder was kind enough to pass on the Super Scribbler award to me. So sweet, eh?

I do believe that I'm supposed to pass the award on to some other lovely bloggers, but I always feel a bit weird about that, as though I'm handing out invites to my second grade birthday party and then pointedly glaring and you and swishing past. Is it totally gauche to not pass on the award? Do tell, friends.

Reeder also tagged me for the much loved book meme. So I'm picking up the nearest book, turning to page 56 and quoting the fifth line. Are you ready to have your socks rocked by 'Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25 and the Search for the American Dream'?

Politely, he dismissed my warnings, showing that he wasn't interested in hearing what I had to say about finding a place that was cheaper and maybe even finding a roommate. He didn't even want to listen when I told him that the second bedroom he required to house the drum set he was going to buy was just not a feasible option.

Also! What's that you see? Over there to on the right? Adding ever more visual clutter to the side bar you'll note a shiny new Alltop badge. I successfully tricked the Alltop folks into letting me past the velvet ropes into their club. Now I can rub elbows with the likes of Meg Fowler and Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. And like a real life VIP room, I will probably hover around the cheese plate and get stuck in conversation with The Weird Guy.

Extra Credit
Our new three season porch - lined with cedar and smelling like a clean hamster cage, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the knowledge that my car is now really, truly fixed, cookies baked by Grandmas, this song, this song and this ukulele cover of Walk on the Wild Side. a new passport ripe for stamping, blue mason jars lining the shelves, running into a girl I taught with in Italy at a NYE party in St. Paul.

What's good in your life these days?