Acum vreo patru-cinci zile, am umblat la lada frigorifică să scoatem una-alta și să mai vedem ce mai era pe acolo. Am făcut un mini-inventar, am scos ce era de scos și ne-am văzut de treabă. După vreo două zile, #CâineleNumitGicu, Prințișorul din Mesa, molfăia ceva pe lângă congelator, sub atenta supraveghere a lui Baloo,…… Continue reading Supă de pui
Category: Arizona Life
Lost in Translation – II
It wasn’t until my second visit to The Perch – five years later – that I finally understood why we had to wait an hour for our food, and why, when it arrived, it tasted a bit off. I was wearing this shirt, and it turns out that The Perch is not only a brewery,…… Continue reading Lost in Translation – II
Diana Krall or the $35 Sleeping Pill
…She got right down to business, making fun of the many saguaros and other prickly plants in Phoenix (to prove, I guess, she actually knew where she was performing), sharing stories about her two sons, and making some absolutely unnecessary remarks about how hot it was outside. …
The Great Cat Escape: A Funny Tale
Translated from Romanian (originally posted in January, 2011), in the memory of our beloved Bill, who crossed the rainbow bridge on October 22, 2024 One day, in the chilly Arizona morning air (a surprisingly cold 48F), while I was about to take the poor sick Lucy, our dog, out for her business, the door burst…… Continue reading The Great Cat Escape: A Funny Tale
Umorul Meu Special
Unu Era începutul anilor 2000 și tocmai avusese loc Marele Merger între compania britanică la care lucram și un Gigant de pe Wall Street. Ne-au spus că era un “Merger between equals”. Poate că eram eu bun, poate că le plăcea că lucram și în weekend, dar m-au păstrat în echipă. Așa că am trecut…… Continue reading Umorul Meu Special
The Heirloom Wine
This wasn’t just any bottle of wine; it was a 2013 vintage from my father’s collection, a prized possession that made the long journey from Romania seven years ago. We’d been saving it for a special occasion, joyous or otherwise. Stored meticulously at the perfect temperature and on its side, it awaited its moment to…… Continue reading The Heirloom Wine
Flocoșenia
Astăzi, în parc, la plimbarea de dimineață, ne întâlnim cu unii cu o flocoșenie mică și gri, care tot trăgea spre noi. El, stăpânul, către mine: “cățelușul meu vrea să se joace cu câinii tăi”. Eu, spontan, ca niciodată: “câinii mei vor să mănânce cățelușul tău”.
Rolling Stones
As I was saying a couple of posts ago, I had to go see the Rolling Stones. We got a pair of tickets for free, and since the guys are in their 80s, I was like, “Sure, let’s go!” The gig was epic, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood totally rocked it as usual.…… Continue reading Rolling Stones
Miscelanee de Aprilie
Acum câteva zile a fost NFL Draft, adică fiecare echipă de fotbal american și-a ales noi jucatori, pentru sezonul următor. Am avut senzația că asistam la un modern târg de sclavi: o grămadă de albi foarte bogați alegeau dintr-o grămadă de negri tineri, puternici, și foarte rapizi. Mașina de manipulare este atât de bine pusă…… Continue reading Miscelanee de Aprilie
Eclipse 2024
(As seen on TV – ABC Network) The Sun looks down upon us and, embarrassed by the sorry state of humanity, it hides behind the Moon. He thought, “Let’s show these insignificant beings what living in complete darkness feels like, even if just for four to five minutes.” The path of total darkness(Arizona was 65%,…… Continue reading Eclipse 2024
The Unexpected Effect of Oprah Generosity
“You’ll get my car! And you’ll GET my car! And YOU’LL GET MY CAR!” Irina declared three weeks ago, after her favorite nephew (TFN, if you’re keeping score at home) had casually asked to borrow it – for just five days. The other favorite nephew—let’s call him TOFN—races his Beemer every other weekend at the…… Continue reading The Unexpected Effect of Oprah Generosity
Love and Longing – Memorial Saturday. Holy 40 Martyrs of Sebaste.
March 9th, 2024 Instead of Introduction Detailed Glossary of Terms and Customs Coliva (koliva)a dish based on boiled wheat that is used liturgically in the Eastern Orthodox Church for commemorations of the dead. Coliva is blessed during funerals, as well as during the memorial service that is performed at various intervals after a person’s death…… Continue reading Love and Longing – Memorial Saturday. Holy 40 Martyrs of Sebaste.
Dragoste și Dor – Moșii de Iarnă – Martie 9, ’24
Iar e preotul pus pe Maxi Slujbă, versiunea lungă, de sărbători. De la 9 la 11:30, cel puțin, parcă e plătit la cuvânt. Încep s-o invidiez pe doamna blondă care vine la 10 jumătate, cu alai și toate cele. Strică tot aranjamentul de pe masă, își pierde șirul părintele, mai apare încă o masă pentru…… Continue reading Dragoste și Dor – Moșii de Iarnă – Martie 9, ’24
Operation: Scorpion
Tempe, Arizona, 2016 My internet research revealed a surprising fact (although, let’s be honest, the internet isn’t always flawless). Apparently, in a household with both cats and chickens you shouldn’t have any scorpions. Now, I understand that knowledge is power, but in this case, my feathered and feline friends seemed blissfully unaware of their scorpion-slaying…… Continue reading Operation: Scorpion
The Christmas Chronicles
Introduction or Conclusion The holiday season is in full swing, and everyone seems to be in a festive mood. But for me, it’s a time of mixed emotions. I’m still grieving the loss of my child, and the thought of celebrating feels really wrong. But my friends and family insisted that I get out and…… Continue reading The Christmas Chronicles
Povești de Crăciun
Crăciun minus două săptămâni Au început sa sosească invitațiile….silly season s-a deschis cu o sâmbătă la Bobel & Co. Am mâncat la greu Am gustat Baloș Mici și am luptat cu mult niște Rom de 15 ani, plus niște aperitive de concurs. Anul trecut rubedeniile și pretinii au înțeles, deși cu greu că, după ce…… Continue reading Povești de Crăciun
The Clothesline
Initially, I wanted to get my doctorate in clothesline studies – something like “Clothesline – an integral part of Romanian history”. … I realized that line-drying has been done since ancient times, in the countryside and in the city, in all cultures, all countries, by people from all walks of life.
Me, The Veteran
A while ago I spoke with a friend of mine about senior discounts at grocery stores. The same discount is also available for veterans, at least at one of the stores I frequently go to. Every Tuesday, seniors and veterans get a 10% discount. I was doing my shopping this past Tuesday and, while checking…… Continue reading Me, The Veteran
O Sâmbătă la 50 de grade Celsius
un post despre nimic Fac ochi la 5:12 am, adică de dimineață. Mă auto bombăn, și îmi spun că e târziu. Aș putea să-mi pun alarma la 5, dar de ce? Ar fi mult prea simplu. Fără să-mi golesc rezervoarele personale, dau o tură pe la băieți, în sufragerie. Gicu ăla Micu’ deschide un ochi…… Continue reading O Sâmbătă la 50 de grade Celsius
Sforicica
Notă: postul in Engleza este aici Inițial am vrut să-mi dau doctoratul în frânghia de rufe – ceva de genul “Frânghia de rufe – parte integrantă a istoriei Românilor”. Apoi am avut o revelație, ajutată de mai multe poze, printre care și cea de mai jos, și mi-am dat seama că rufe la uscat pe…… Continue reading Sforicica
Nea Fane - Un Biet Român Pripășit în America / A Hapless Romanian Stuck in The US 