Flying Down to Rio

I have switched into short pants and sandals for 100 degree temps in Rio. Yippee!! We have left the “dreary weather” of Bariloche behind us. (BTW, that’s the hotel’s descriptive phrase not mine. The sheet they distributed every night to guests listed available activities and the weather forecast for the following day. They need to reconsider their marketing.)

In contrast, yesterday I was outfitted in waders and special shoes and a life jacket for an afternoon of fly fishing on the Rio Negro with Bob. This was my first attempt at fly fishing and it is now my favorite sport. Love the gear, love the flies—nymphs, dry flies, streamers--love Mario, our charming and adorable fishing instructor but mostly love drifting along the river with absolutely no one in sight just incredible landscape stretching out on either side and gorgeous blue(!) skies with huge white clouds rushing overhead. Utter tranquility.

And best of all, I caught two fish. Well, almost. I was reeling them in slowly, slowly as Mario advised but just at the crucial moment, they each broke for freedom. But what excitement each time when I felt the fish bite and the rod bend!

Can’t wait to buy all my fishing gear this summer. Orvis here I come.

Bariloche

I am sitting in front of a roaring fire in an adorable wood cabin surrounded by views of snow topped mountains and alpine lakes. This is Bariloche in Argentina. It is also absolutely freezing. The wind is howling, it rains, then the sun comes out, then it rains again. The temperature tonight is supposed to be in the 30's. What happened to summer in Argentina.

It's absolutely charming here though. Sort of like Grossinger's for the goyim. Lots of families celebrating the holidays together. And Bob and Jane and Steve and Ellen comfortably ensconced in our little cabin complete with a deer antler chandeliers and rustic furniture. Only problem is that when we go outside we have to layer on all the clothing we've brought with us in order not to freeze to death.

The good thing is that the wine is cheap and absolutely delicious. And we can have pisco sours whenever we want. Food is suspect especially if you're not an eater of bloody pieces of meat. But at last I got some exercise. (All I did in Buenos Aires was eat, drink and sleep.) Today Jane and I took a about a 2 and a half hour hike up a hill through a beautiful forest. We finished our exercise regime with a yoga class, taught in Spanish, of course, which was an added challenge but lots of fun.

Hola!

We have left the snow and cold far, far behind us.

After some 14 hours in the air, we landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina at 4 am, local time Wednesday morning. Lucky us to be able to make this journey on Toll Air where there was ample room to roam around or sleep, and the inflight menu included goodies from Di Bruno's for lunch followed by colossal stone crabs for dinner.

Not surprisingly, we didn't get out of the room until 2 pm this afternoon for a leisurely boat tour of the delta. Tomorrow we plan to pound the pavements like good little tourists.

Today is the winter solstice--the longest night of the year. It's also the night before Liz and Giuliano leave for Jamaica where they will living and working for who knows how long. (I'm cultivating an open mind about the duration of their sojourn.) I'm sad and happy and scared and excited all at the same time for them. I'll miss them terribly but I am also so proud of the two of them for having the courage to take the leap and make the move. For the last few nights, they've been living back home with Steve and me in Liz's old room. Steve loves it--he can talk sports and real estate to Giul from early in the morning until late at night.

And, of course, in true Solms fashion, we had to have a party to mark their leave taking. Despite the blizzard conditions, some 30 of their friends trekked to our house for a great evening. Those hardy souls who braved the snow enjoyed a menu planned and prepared by Liz with Amira, Abby and I serving as willing and able sous-chefs.

Fortunately, Steve and I take off early tomorrow morning too for an extended vacation--not to Jamaica although, don't worry, I'm already planning a month long visit next year. We're be vacationing for three weeks in South America where it's summer time and hot. I'm ready to samba, tango and soak up the sun!

I Hate Joe Leiberman

I've been sorta following the whole health care battle. It's so damn complicated and so technical that I've found it hard to get a handle on what's really going on. It's up, it's down and suddenly two angry old white men (isn't that always the case)--Joe Leiberman and Ben Nelson--hold the fate of the health care reform in their hands and the rest of us hostage. It's not just confusing, it's nauseating.

But...as Paul Krugman writes today:

A message to progressives: By all means, hang Senator Joe Lieberman in effigy. Declare that you’re disappointed in and/or disgusted with President Obama. Demand a change in Senate rules that, combined with the Republican strategy of total obstructionism, are in the process of making America ungovernable.

But meanwhile, pass the health care bill.

Yes, the filibuster-imposed need to get votes from “centrist” senators has led to a bill that falls a long way short of ideal. Worse, some of those senators seem motivated largely by a desire to protect the interests of insurance companies — with the possible exception of Mr. Lieberman, who seems motivated by sheer spite.

But let’s all take a deep breath, and consider just how much good this bill would do, if passed — and how much better it would be than anything that seemed possible just a few years ago. With all its flaws, the Senate health bill would be the biggest expansion of the social safety net since Medicare, greatly improving the lives of millions. Getting this bill would be much, much better than watching health care reform fail.

Click here to read the entire column.

My Absolute Favorite Thing in the Whole World...

. . . are my new pair of Uggs. Who would have thought that this one time fashionista known for her closet full of power suits--Whoever is wearing them now, I hope you're they make you happy--would fall so completely in love with a clunky pair--but aren't they almost chic in grey--but oh so comfy boots. Maybe it's because they are so warm and cozy that I cannot bear to take them off my feet. Maybe it's because they were a surprise gift from the happy couple aka Liz and Giuliano.

What Happened in Norway, Stayed in Norway

I didn't listen to Obama's speech. I just read parts on the internet and what I did read was impressive and above all thoughtful...even though I didn't agree with every thing he said. I guess my reaction is similar to this blogger.

"There are people who think presidential politics--from a voter's perspective--is about electing someone who will do exactly what you say and enact every single one of your priorities in exactly the same manner as you would.

And then there are people who think presidential politics--from a voter's perspective--is about electing someone who shares many of your priorities, but not all of them, who may not enact them as you would, and yet whose wisdom you trust. That, for me, is the point.

(. . .)

In that vein, I didn't object to George Bush because he claimed that there was "evil" in the world. I objected to George Bush because there was so much evil that he didn't see, and he was awful at prosecuting the evil he did see. I objected to George Bush's foreign policy because it married a freshman's view of idealism (Big talk on human rights) with a profane, dishonest take one realism (We don't torture.) It's weak to look two presidents, see them both use the word "evil," and then conclude that they're the same.

I expect Obama to be who he campaigned as. But more than that, I expect him to actually think about the world. I expect him to be curious, deliberative, and cool-headed. That's who he is. I often disagree with him. But I don't regret a thing."

What really surprises is how little press and attention his speech received. It wasn't even a page one story in today's NYTimes. I bet most Americans could care less that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize let alone pay any serious attention to what he said at the official award ceremony.

WTF Obama

I am really unhappy about Afghanistan. Actually, I am really unhappy about Obama's decision to send more troops into Afghanistan. This is my first real quarrel with Obama and I don't feel comfortable about not agreeing with him. Is this the end of our love affair? Will my hero turn out to have feet of clay?

I was in love with Tiger Woods too and I don't even play golf. But how he's proved himself a stupid asshole like every other dumb fuck with a prick instead of a brain. I don't think Obama would ever do that to Michelle. My god, she'd murder him first with those killer arms of hers and Oprah would banish him from her TV show.

But why did he have to decide to continue the war in Afghanistan, to make the war his own. It's not a country and never has been. I'm reading "The Decline and Fall of British Empire" written in this wonderfully plummy style by some incredibly erudite and fluent British professor and it's all been tried before to no avail.

I can't decide what's worse: Does Obama really believe that he will be the one who wins (whatever that means) the war in Afghanistan or is he pursuing this course just for political expediency? (The Republicans can't label me soft on security.)

Wouldn't the bravest thing, the truest thing to do would be to say, "Fuck it! No more Americans are going to die in Afghanistan. We're out of here." I feel like singing that old song from the '60's--All we are saying is give peace a chance.