Culbert Report

Dan and I had the recent privilege of traveling to Boulder for my brother's wedding.  As you can imagine, there are always small things we look forward to doing/seeing/eating while we're home and I thought you'd all like to know what made this trip's top 10!  It goes without saying that time with friends and family, for such a joyful celebration, trumps any kind of list like this one.  We were so grateful for the chance to be home and to share in a day celebrating two of the funniest, well-suited, and wonderful people I know!  Congratulations, Andy and Karyn!  But now... without further ado...   10.  Mexican food is always a must when home in the States.  Hacienda Colorado, as well as Americanized giant burritos available at Q-doba and Chipotle, really hit the spot!  Viva la Mexican food! 9.  Chicken and a Biscuit by Chick-Fil-A is a little known delicacy.  They only serve it during their breakfast hours, but with a little honey on top, it tastes like one of the seven w...

Russians have special traditions involving the buying and giving of flowers for friends and loved-ones. Students and friends here have explained to me multiple times that you one can only purchase and present odd numbers of flowers on special occasions like birthdays and holidays. Even flower shop owners will refuse to sell you an even number of flower stems in a bouquet - it's a very exact and delicate science here.  Even though I'd heard explanations and reasons before, they remained very nebulous and obtuse to me.  "You just don't do it."     On Tuesday, the 30th of March, one day after the tragic metro explosions that shook the city, I finally grasped the full sense of those traditions.  As we boarded our metro wagon, I was alarmed to see passenger after passenger holding two flowers.  Young people had pairs of red carnations; older people had sets of two roses.  I have never in my experience in Russia thus far seen even numbers of flowers in the hands of Ru...