A bike ride in Florida

I should've called this blog 'An UnEmployed Girls' Ride Home' cause if I really wanted to tell you all about my adventures, I'd be whining about being unemployed all the time and you guys would wanna kill me.

So, instead I will map out my bike ride today for you all. I don't go crazy far. I don't go crazy fast (almost impossible on a cruiser!) but it's fun. Especially with my headphones on.

The yellow highlighted area is what I biked today.
Which really isn't that far but got me sweaty enough!

The Pinellas Trail

Look how bright the sun is!!! The time was about 6 or 6:30.
 I got home around 7:30. All in all, my trip was only an hour.

I decided to ride Sis's bike today. She has my comfy seat :)

I think it's more of the trail!!! LOL I'm going from Gulfport to I think near Tyrone.
I got to a Dillard's (part of a mall) and figured consumerism and peaceful biking don't mix! :P

The upcoming over pass (so the trail can go over a large street)...I did surprisingly well.
You all know how much I hate hills, mountains or anything that goes up. 

View from the overpass
(Now I know my camera is real shit but that sun is out of control!!!!!)

On the overpass

My biking shadow!

The Gulfport city trail

I need to stop and take pics!! Not ride and take pics....this is off the trail in my neighborhood, so that you know you're on the bike trail still.

The sun is finally going down!

It's pretty therapeutic to go out on your own.
I almost got hit by some guys in a truck but that was my fault. I was jamming to my music and wasn't paying attention! Other then that, there weren't any incidents.

Thanks for reading!!!

Happy Trails ....he he he



Today's bike ride was brought to you by :

Oh, you crafty little bitch!

I've been kinda bored these last few weeks. Looking for a job is hard work but very depressing. I think I get down on myself cause I don't think I know what I am doing and it doesn't seem like anyone else knows either. Well, so, nevertheless I'm occupying myself this last week with Craft Gawker Where I've found some things to keep me occupied. Maybe a little tooooo occupied

The latest is funky braids to mix things up a bit. Plus, it's an instant fix on getting something accomplished. One of the reasons unemployed people get into an unemployed funk and then you never see them out of their pajamas for days on end is cause they feel like worthless pieces of poo. I'm doing my best not to get into the funk but it's hard when you feel as though you are trying and then no one wants you.

This is probably why I stayed so far away from blogging. It's difficult to be positive (even though a blog doesnt have to be happy)   :( Sadness...ok now onto some happiness.

BRAIDS

This is a cascade braid that I did on my mom.

Waterfall Braid Tutorial

Low Side Braid

Im crocheting a blanket which I will share some pics with you all when I'm done.
It's just a simple double stitch. But the braid I did in my hair is too cute.

BTW: what you see happening in the background of the pic is a yard sale (In England they call them 'Boot Sales'. Where they open the trunk of their cars and sell the things they no longer want from the trunk of their cars.) Americans accumulate so much crap that we have to use our whole yard (garden). This was a yard sale that my step-sister had since her and her family are moving.

Thanks for reading, browsing...

Something I like

One thing everyone has in common the CZ is that they pirate everything. Movies, TV, music, etc. etc. But in the US the fear of being sued and/or fined has cowed most of us into not downloading from torrent sites.
So the answer to the downloading quandary is netflix.com. For less then 10 bucks a month (or 170kcs) or approximately 6 euros you can watch almost nay movie or tv on demand. Newer stuff you have to request the dvd and costs an extra few.
Needless to say, Im addicted to it.
Having the ability to watch pretty much anything I ever wanted to is like a mini-heaven. Right now, Im addicted to Medium.
Last week, I watched Harlan about one of the main directors of movie propaganda in Nazi Germany...I watched another nazi doc but I can't remember the name.

Anyways, if you can use netflix.com in your country give it a try.

TTFN

One month in

I have to admit that when I first got here I felt strange....awkward...out of place. You would think that one couldn't feel out of place in their own home country but somehow I managed it.

I didn't understand people. People talked too fast or used phrases that I didn't know. How is this possible!?! English, Florida English, is my mother tongue. How is it possible that I can't even understand my own people. But there you have it.

I've felt awkward or distant in social situations. For one thing I've noticed people (sometimes) don't have real conversations. They ramble on with random words speaking nonsense! I've taken on the blank stare look and when asked questions, I have to admit my absent-mindedness. Not that I've ever minded admitting when I've gone retarded ;-)

Me and my sis got beach cruiser bikes.

Fixing my seat. It was so forward it could push you right off!!!

I'm always behind everyone! he he...I don't mind being slow. I mind when other people mind me being slow.

And just for fun, here are my new owl earrings that I got at a second hand shop in St Pete called Revolve Clothing Exchange

That's it for now. 

I'm still on the hunt for a job but as you can see by my almost constant use of Stumbleupon that I'm getting sidetracked sometimes. :-)

Have fun!

Music For My Peeps in Brno

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Hey everyone, so Im back in Brno for a few days. 3 to be exact. The only thing I can think to do is to visit with friends :P Which to me, is a good way to spend your time.

Ive spent the last month travelling around Europe with some friends. If you've never travelled around for a month before you plan to take into account travel fatigue. Oooffff, by the end of the month I was so tired of looking at cities! Which is a terrible way to feel about experiencing Europe. Its suppose to be magical and adventurous but after a month I was just tired.
Lesson Number 1: Elaine doesnt like to travel for a month :P
Lesson Number 2: Dont travel in large groups (nobody can ever make a like minded decision!) Split up if you have to. Its ok.
Lesson Number 3: You really only need basic clothes while travelling. It doesnt matter if its for a week, a month or a year. You dont need that stupid dress. It will just end up balled up on the bottom of your bag.
Lesson Number 4: Bring money....lots and lots of money
(You can do it on the cheap but if you are with like minded people then you will spend more then you planned)

I now know for a fact that Im a friend traveller. I like to be with my people (he he, inside joke). Travelling to experience some other world isnt fun without the people who you love around you. So for me, that was the best thing about my trip. My friends around me.

Somewhere in France :P

Everything went well though for traveling for a month. Knock on wood, but there couldve been some major problems. The only annoying thing that happened really was trying to get on a Polish bus! Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I dont get those people when it comes to transportation. They have no patience or concern for others. They scramble to get on everything. Buses, trams, trains...everything. without concern for the people around them. I wanted to yell but what good would that do.

Market Square in Krakow, Poland

One thing traveling around for a month did give me was some clarity on what I wanna do with my life (I always feel like by 31 I should know by now, but Ive also realized that a good majority of people have no clue. Then I dont feel so bad). Ive gotten off my path these last 3 years, which is ok.
1. I wanna go back to school and study the effects of communism on modern life.
2. I wanna do things that make me less dependent on society e.g. growing veggies, knitting blankets and sweater, etc.
3. After going to school I wanna teach at university level in Europe or maybe S America
4. I wanna teach English in Mexico
5. That I DO like teaching and that when I really enjoy the subject I can be very informative and captivating. English just really isnt my subject.

So, now I will stop procrastinating and get down to packing my things. My things mostly consist of alcohol. Keep your fingers crossed that Border Control wont catch me ;-)

Salsa...Mmm Mmm Mmmmmmm......

Before I moved, I didnt really think about what I would miss from the US. One of the things that I really miss is SALSA.

I never realized how much salsa I ate back home. I think I ate it for almost every meal and on almost any dish.

I forgot about coming home to Krys's place, popping open a beer and digging into a bag of tortilla chips and jar of .....well, its been so long I can't even remember which brand I loved. (I'll do some research!)

Well, anyways, I cant find it.
I've completely forgotten what it was called BUT I did find some awesome pics of salsa....here are some for your drooling pleasure.

Phew---I needed a salsa fix. Just looking at the pics brings me joy. I never thought I would have to leave my delicious, multi-flavored friend behind. But alas, I did.     

 

What was even more disconcerting was when I realized that there wasnt any cilantro in this godforsaken country. Maybe even the whole continent! (Later Krys found some in Berlin).

There was a long debate on what WAS cilantro. Many fought for the equvalent to be coriander. I fought that battle and lost. But it ISNT the same. Coriander is like cilantros' bastard brother. It could kick its ass every time.

Nevertheless, I could never get into making salsa. For big parties, sure, but for my everyday use, I just could never get into it. I dont think its the excessive preperation that is off-putting. I think its just my laziness and Americanistic quality to enjoy going to the grocery store, walk down an aisle that has a selection of no less then 30 different types of salsa and go buck wild picking out whatever my heart desires.

Basic salsa recipe:

2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes (6-7 medium tomatoes)

the leaves from one bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped*

6 cloves fresh chopped garlic

1/2 an onion chopped

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

about 1 tablespoon lime juice

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor. *If you grab a handful of leaves from the top of the bunch and pull them out firmly, you will get mostly leaves. If a few stems are in there, it's okay.

Here is a recipe that an old professor of mine sent me through Facebook (who either isnt on FB anymore or isnt my friend anymore :D) when he found out that we didnt have cilantro:

Like salsa? Here's the recipe we use, it's great: cut 2 medium tomatoes and 1 medium onion into 1/4 inch dice. Add 4 heaped tablespoons of chopped cilantro (or parsley), 3/4 tablespoon salt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (vary depending on tastes!), 1/2 teaspoon of ground roasted cumin seeds (you can roast 4 or 5 tablespoons of seeds in a pan till they darken, then grind them and store them in a jar -- unroasted cumin doesn't work in this). Mix in a non-metal bowl and enjoy.
-JD

 

The roasted cumin is quite nice. But thats what I love about salsa is that its so versitile. You can do just about anything as long as you have some tomatoes.

 

So, this is just one of the many things I will be gorging myself on when I get back to Florida. Enjoy!

 

P.S.- If you cant tell already, I love pics!!!