Witnessing a different world

I've blogged before about The Mole People. Last week, we watched a documentary called Dark Days. Focused on an underground community in the Amtrak tunnels, it documents not only the basics of how they live, but also covers an attack on one community member that forces change. The people talk a bit about their past, and the stories are not pleasant.

Towards the close of the film, Amtrak declares that all tunnel occupants are evicted and will be forced out into shelters. The ACLU intervenes and manages to get the residents into a federal housing program where they get their own, real apartments. The last we see of the former tunnel dwellers, they are settling into their new homes, and dreaming big.
A bit of a spoiler that, perhaps - but I needed to tell you that in order to make sure you watch the "postscript" feature in the special features list - sorry I don't remember exactly what it was called - it gives vignettes of life after the tunnel for the key subjects of the documentary.

Striking, all told.

Book #13 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. Yes, the description of what happens to the dog is a bit nasty. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Narrated by an autistic teen who is determined to write a detective story and, through his discoveries, forced to experience more of life than might be expected, this is incredibly well done. I feel like I got a great glimpse into the mind of an autistic person. And I discovered some logic that seems to explain some of my, well, issues - ones that probably afflict many of us to some degree.

Book #14 - The White by Deborah Larsen. I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in this. A novelization of the story of Mary Jemison - the "white woman of the Genesee" - kidnapped as a teen, who passed up several opportunities to have her freedom redeemed to remain with the Seneca (I believe) family she became a part of, to me it failed on the "novelization" side. Mary told her story to a doctor in her later years, and this book reads like I believe that would. Not that I don't like the style and cadence, the sparseness of the prose, etc., but I expected more. For what I got, I would rather have read the doctor's edition of the tale and bypassed a modern interpreter. I thought I'd get more depth.

Whistler, Vancouver, and more books

I was in Whistler and Vancouver last week - such great country, there! I could go on and on, but to give just a few highlights.
- Crowds walking near wilderness paths quickly fade from your attention - you can be solitary even in a tourist rush.
- Lift is still an awesome restaurant (we went there on our honeymoon, too)
- People in Vancouver are nice, fit, and very environmentally friendly.
- Cranberry rosemary gelato tastes like eating a rosemary plant. Figs and chocolate shavings is yummy.

I've never been super skilled at chatting it up with strangers. Cab drivers, bus drivers and passengers, people on planes. This trip, though, I actually did strike up a few chats. I think social media playing has helped this. I can throw out 140 characters pretty easily.


Breakfast on the water near the Vancouver airport, first morning there. The kitchen has issued orders to push the meat, it seems. I've never been probed specifically on meat-based sides before. A macho party guy tells of winning at Neil Diamond trivia - interesting contrast there. Only after he brags of it does he back off, a bit embarrassed. Real maple syrup is the default - something I like to see.

Whistler's library has a green roof - very cool!

I read 3 books on the trip and shortly after - up to 15 read this year. Here's the catchup from before that...
Book #11 - I Shudder at Your Touch , an anthology edited by Michele Slung. This was a reread from that Alien Sex lit class I took in college (yep, vampires, aliens, robots, the whole shebang). It's subtitle is "22 Tales of Sex and Horror". What is it with this Horror thing? Some of the tales were odd, some were gross, but I found none horrific - none made me wary of sleeping in a hotel alone without a light on. Overall, it was just ... odd.

Book #12 - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. This book is big, but has incredible pull. I couldn't stop reading it and was very unproductive the last few days, especially. A great romp, immersive and realistic while still giving a great fantasy tale. Norrell is so uptight you'd like to smack him around. Strange is compelled and it takes him to incredible places that no one ever expected he'd reach. Very cool. Now I need to get her second, The Ladies of Grace Adieu.

Quick movie & book review

Traveling to Whistler and Vancouver next week - psyched to go, but sorry J couldn't make it to our honeymoon spot!

Saw The Incredible Hulk last night w/ Dad for Father's Day. I really liked it. Dad & I kept nudging each other as links to the show came up. I thought Norton did a good job as Banner and Roth was certainly looney tunes. And I didn't think the CG Hulk was too bad. As for smashing, just like on the show, Hulk smashed to survive, save people, get away from meanies. Not gratuitously.

Just enough time to record Book #10 before other things need to be done:

Book #10 - Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger. I picked this up to see what other stuff of his was like, after The Catcher in the Rye. It's a series of pretty down and dreary vignettes. The most striking was the last story - "Teddy", but I won't tell you why - try not to spoil things here.

But they're an institution!

Sitting in a coffee-shop when a father and his 3-ish daughter step up to the pastry case. He's detailing the goodies she can chose from and they come to the mega-Rice Krispies treats. "What's that?" she asks and he proceeds to detail how they are made. My gut reaction is horror - how can any kid old enough to walk into a coffee-shop and share goodies w/ Dad not know Rice Krispies treats? They're a childhood institution!!

Book#9: Waking up Screaming by H.P. Lovecraft. I have to be honest. Lovecraft had been so hyped as a master of terror, that I felt I must be horribly jaded as I read most of this book. Creepy, gross things, yes. Terrifying, no. In most stories, I figured out the deal early on, so all of his work building suspense was just in the way. That said, I did really enjoy "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" - the novella at the close of this collection. I didn't have it totally right at the start and I enjoyed the history of Providence it wrapped in.

Vacation musings

Thought I'd share the notes from my journal from the first part of our vacation trip.

6/2/08 - Swarms of gnats hung from each tree like a plume of smoke. Their coordinated movements spurred thoughts of collective intelligence, as in some horror film.

6/3/08 - After intermittent drizzly showers, the river has calmed to a glossy stillness, blurred by fog.

6/30/08 - What was the crumbling shack in that field before? A farm stand? A small home for someone making do? Whatever it once was, today it sags and bulges. From a window, a pink leg of some (once-loved?) stuffed beast droops. Memories left behind become just a part of the rubble.

Come and gone

Dan's birthday gathering was in the Thousand Islands. We stayed in a nice cottage on top of a big pile of rocks right on the river. Even though the weather wasn't spectacular all week, it was a great time. J made it up two days after the rest of us (because of a class), the guys got to spend an afternoon fishing for big 'uns, and we did an islands tour so we got to fantasize about having an island someday....



Sonny's run of trees sold out in < 1 minute. He's also sold some other large pieces recently. Awesome stuff.

I have a bunch of books to catch up on:
Book #8: Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History by Michel-Rolph Trouillot. I was pretty disappointed in this. I was hoping for book of case studies detailing what had been buried and why. I got a lot more really dry academic definitions of history and its composition. The moments when he detailed what little is known of some of the true events surrounding Haiti's revolution, it gets more bearable - but just not the really cool analysis I thought it would be.

Check out the Trees

Sonny has a bunch of tree pieces that are going up on Tiny Showcase tonight at 7:30 pm. Check them out!

Sustainable futures and social connections

We know that knowledge and understanding can help preserve what might otherwise be lost - places & landmarks of historical significance, understanding the past so as not be condemned to repeat it, the advent of ecotourism, etc. Even stronger than knowledge are relationships, social connections.

I like the idea of Crop to Cup a company that brokers family-grown coffee, but also provides tools so that end users, the coffee drinkers, can connect online with the growers, roasters, etc. who are behind it. It's bound to increase their loyalty to the product and their willingness to pay...

Then the other night I was watching Jean-Michel Cousteau and there was a segment where Celine Cousteau visited Amazon Herb Co. Dedicated to "a positive sustainable future for the rainforest and its inhabitants", the company sells herbal products derived from traditional remedies found in the rainforest. What I love is that it is all maintained in a sustainable way. Where they grow the herbs is the rainforest - they have not discovered a product and obliterated everything else to produce items to sell en masse.

I need to find more companies like this to connect with... You know, all of those children's charities where they push for cents-a-day to feed, clothe, medicate, educate the poor of the world and fill their commercials with doe-eyed, sad-faced kids - often use the hook of the letters you'll receive from the kids reporting their progress. Make connecting around the world easier and positive change can result. Hmm need to ponder more.

On the more mundane side -
Book #6 - The Homecoming by Ray Bradbury, illustrated by Dave McKean. An entertaining short story I look forward to reading to future children (no immediate plans on that)

Book #7 - Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide by Henry Jenkins. I enjoyed this. Jenkins provides a few great case studies of the implications of new media on how we tell stories as a society, how we learn, how we are entertained. Some I still need to digest. A great foundation for anyone interested in trans-media storytelling.

Happy Belated to Dan - though I did call the day of, while you were chowing down, and we'll be celebrating this summer, Roelle-style....

Distractigirl Sunday

Some days I just can't focus. Sometimes happen when I'm on a book binge. I am reading a lot this weekend, but I think there are other causes. I've been daydreaming about some stuff - pondering possibilities and it makes doing chores really hard. It's sometimes like I have tunnel vision in reverse - items on the periphery pull me here, there, anything to keep me from seeing straight ahead....

I plan to post a bunch of pics of recent projects (well, from Christmas on)but need to simply take the time to connect my camera. It's not happening right now. If I waited for that, I'd never get the rest of the post done.

I've finished up through Book #7 and Book #8 is darned close (two pages, actually). Book #9 will soon follow. I'm only blogging #5 today to hopefully get me back here sooner.

Book #5 - The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. When the movie hit the Oscars, I avoided it's mainstream appeal. It seemed, as Sonny would say, "poppish". Now I need to move it up in my queue. The book was quite intriguing. Not extremely elegant prose and remarkably dull subject at times - I wanted to get to the next bit of the action and was pulled on. The ending was quite striking, but the very end I think spoiled it a bit. The narrator, so long a third, anonymous person, suddenly referred to himself and totally confused me.

Reading something about people building castles in the Northwest. Wondering, would I want a big, heavy stone castle, or something more like this. Probably the latter. Both are so much better than mcMansions.

Recycle caps

I always like to see new and different thinking on the reuse/ recycle side of things. And I can see how this one could make a big difference. It's a limited deal, but if it gets enough support (both in terms of caps turned in and shampoo sold), we could see Aveda and other companies doing more.

When bottles are recycled, caps are often cut off and thrown away. But Aveda and Shape magazine are teaming up to keep them out of landfills and waterways, where they can end up choking and starving baby animals.

From March 10 through May 10, Aveda stores will be accepting caps from water and pop bottles, laundry detergent, facial cleanser, shampoo, and whatnot. These will be reused as caps on retro Clove Shampoo bottles (a limited edition anniversary deal in Sept). Bring in 25 caps, get a free Aveda sample. If there isn't a store near you, you can mail them in. Full details here.

Book #4

There have been a bunch of articles lately that say many Americans do not read a single book a year (1/4!) and that the median number read by those who do is 9 for women, and 5 for men. That makes me feel a bit better about making it to 30ish, but I'm still trying for 50! Except for those days when I get sucked into finishing something and get a headache from doing nothing else, I don't think I could consume enough books....

So, #4: Clever Maids: The Secret History of The Grimm Fairy Tales by Valerie Paradiz. Fascinating. Paradiz wraps in many synopses of tales from the collection as she tells the stories of how the Grimm's came upon them. The role of women in their collection process (not really full disclosure on the Grimm's part on that), and the role of the tales in their lives and society at the time of the Napoleanic wars is really interesting. Not only that women guarded such tales, but how much society's woes and pressures weighed into subtle differences in the telling. Also just a good primer on the lives of the brothers Grimm.

Sonny's story

Here's a vid that the Providence art co-op AS220 did on "CW"

An unexpected smile

I don't talk a lot about politics on here, but when people supporting a given candidate produce artistic pieces that make me smile, I take notice. Here are two for you. I'll leave it at that.

Will.I.Am video


Artist Shepard Fairey has made some great screenprints

OK, I'm done

I'm sick of recovering. I want it over. I am tired of being sore. Of wearing out after a couple of hours of anything. Naps are great, but I hate needing them. I want to be able to run both hands through my hair without bending in half. To wear a cami. To pick up my cats. All that.

I feel petulant and sullen - I'm being a whiner - I could be in a far worse spot and stuff generally improves every day (except when I set myself back by falling down the stairs), but I just want to GO!

When you had what they call a "scare"...

... people look at you differently. Which I wouldn't mind so much, except that now, on those days when you fight to get out of bed, it's icy cold and windy outside, and you don't want to think process, but rather cupcakes or soup or cartoons... on those days people get very concerned. "Are you OK?" "You look tired, are you feeling alright?" "Make sure you're not overdoing it now" - it's just a bad day, not a heart problem, really.

That said, I still lose energy and get sore. I'd love to work out again and the gym at work is now free, but since my energy tanks at 3 or 4, I can't really even considered 20 min of cardio....

I may have mentioned this before, but J has been absolutely incredible. From presence of mind though scared at the start of this all, to the presence of mind to do deep research and ask questions to make sure I wasn't getting treated for the sake of treatment, to the emotional and moral support and general taking care of me. There are so many ways this has hit home how much I love him.

In the meantime - Book #3 - The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. I definitely disagree with the critics on this one. Strong storytelling - yes. It brings small-town Mississippi in the 1970's into your home to sit next to you. But I wouldn't call it compelling. It was very very long and often wandered into places that really didn't matter (I guess you could call that "complete"). I also found the ending highly dis-satisfying because it didn't really end, it just ran out of pages.

January - 'tis full of freakiness this year

Is there some sort of curse on January 2008? Something about election years or leap years that could explain all of the weirdness abounding around me?

Yes, things could be freakier - we're not at a total extreme, but the number of unfortunate occurrences in my social circle seems really weird:
- I passed out in bed and wound up diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome, and had a defibrillator implanted.
- Jenny's bunny, Ernie, passed away
- Jenny was in a car accident
- A friend's son had a seizure and puzzling EEG results
- A coworker had a pain in his side that turned out to be a clot

Whatever the case, January has been a month of "firsts" for me:
- First time talking to a 911 operator (very nice lady)
- First time in an ambulance (not good driving "backwards", lying down, when nauseous
- First: CT scan of head (again, glad I was over the nausea as they kept wiggling the table back and forth, EEG (bad hair day after that), many EKGs
- First extensive neurological exam (involving a cruel math trick)

Many many many thanks to the family and friends that surrounded me, kept me sane, and kept me distracted with text messages during the week in the hospital and the recovery at home after. I couldn't do it without you guys. For all of January's weirdness, I'm blessed.

Good for you food can be tasty, too

Last night, J and I went with his visiting Aunt to Tasteology - a new restaurant in Rochester. (They're going to start cooking classes soon, which I'll have to check out)

Tasteology's thing is "healthy menu items from all over the world". Entrees are under 500 calories - made from local, usually organic, produce. Excellent in theory, but what about taste? Would 500 calories satisfy? When it's done smartly, it not only satisfies, it delights!

We started out with Mexican Hot Chocolate, which probably had more calories than dinner, but was so tasty and perfect for the bitter cold that I didn't care. I got a turkey, honey yam, spicy cranberry sauce roti wrap, which came with greens and a small side salad. For desert, I had a "Petit Pleasure" - apple and cranberry with a bit of oaty cookie in the middle.
Excellent. Can't wait to go back and try more. Service was also great and it has a simple, clean decor which has a friendly, healthy feel.

Quick book update:
Book #1 - The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde. A short, highly amusing tale of what happens when a wizened British aristocratic haunt encounters a "modern" American family. Quite fun.

Book #2 - The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth. I've long been fascinated by people who live differently and the thought of lives lead in secret corners has always been intriguing and one I've enjoyed in Neverwhere and other fictional accounts. Mole People is the first of a few books I have on actual underground societies. I loved the documentary work Toth did - found the vignettes of communities and individuals fascinating. When she tries to tie in historical and literary references, she bounces around and gets a bit mired, but luckily that's only a small portion of the book. A "wow" ending, too.

Happy!

you know the rest....
Christmas was fun, as always. And the boys, though they don't blog about it, are doing well in their various endeavors. Dan played with Nik and the Nice Guys at Turning Stone for New Year's and I heard a part of a discussion about Nik (the group) playing with Three Dog Night at Seneca Niagara this month....
(Dan can post to correct me if I'm wrong)
Sonny continues to get acclaim for his art.

By the end of 2007, I had 4 more books for my list:
#25 - The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. A book club book that we haven't met on yet, but I can pretty much sum it up with "meh".
#26 - The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. This was pretty good, although I didn't get much deep out of it, it was well done.
#27 - The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. Quoted at our wedding, I needed to check this out for the first time.
#28 - Zenzele: A letter for my daughter by J. Nozipo Maraire. A striking look at the heritage a mother from Zimbabwe wants to pass on to her daughter studying at Harvard. Extremely well written - so much so that I often had to remind myself it was a novelization. Compelling insider's perspective on life, the struggle for independence, and strength.

2007 closes having been quite a year. Looking back, I've made some significant career discoveries and progress. I traveled quite a bit. J is going back to school with a vision of what he wants to do. We've radically changed our eating habits from nearly all meat to mindful meat-eating, but largely veggies and grains. We're endeavoring to be more green and sustainable. I made several cool craft things - will blog about holiday crafts later this week.

So, I launch into 2008 hoping to finish a couple of books in the next few days and once more shooting for 50. Here are some of the other thoughts I have for the new year:
- be better organized - at least keep piles from proliferating
- bake more
- get back into shape (of course)
- play more
- craft more
- stress less
- continue to explore ways of re-using everyday items and ways to use what I can grow myself
I could go on, but I might start to get worried about being able to keep it up.

Happy 2008 - best wishes all.

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas morning. Early. I am definitively not a morning person, but something about Christmas rouses the kid in me. I cannot sleep. Especially when J isn't around. Especially when I overnight at my parent's Christmas eve. I started waking today at 4 and finally got up to grab my stocking and turn on the coffeepot just before 6. 5am is usually an especially evil hour. (J returned to our house to mind our cats overnight - we'll be meeting him at Danny's later this morning)

It's not really about opening stockings and gifts, seeing what has been put under the tree in the few hours I've been in my room. Because that's cool, but not the be all. It's a happy, exciting day, full of good things, family, good fun, and goofy moments. I'll blog later about what the day itself brings.

To Sonny in Rhode Island and all others out there - may today bring you the peace and simple happiness that keeps me from sleeping in this morning.

And here's a pic from downtown Springfield,VT - J's hometown and the "hometown of the Simpsons" - host of The Simpsons Movie's world premiere.

J and i are in vermont celebrating xmas w his family
ape

Anniversary 2, books, now in LA

So, the Saturday of anniversary weekend we also ate at Bamba Bistro. Marvelous food, thoughtfully prepared - elegantly presented and the perfect portion size. Great service. My favorite part, though, were the architectural elements of the interior. You enter to a dim hallway with a grand stair in gorgeous wood that you can smell. The main dining room has lovely vaulted ceilings. Very very cool.

Finishing a bunch of books lately - here's the latest:
Book #21 - My So Called Digital Life, a project coordinated by Bob Pletka. I hope to publish a post on 1000Words with my detailed impressions.

Book #22 - Blink: The power of thinking without thinking by Malcolm Gladwell. I found this fascinating. The case studies are great, though the war games case made me quite angry. Although Gladwell does discount much of the traditional aspects of my job - standard survey research - I'm not upset. Because I see the issues and it strengthens my determination to discover techniques to get around these issues.

Book #23 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Powerful. Makes me want to read Brave New World again. Scary in some of things that are very eerily spot on. Scary to someone who loves books.....

Book #24 - Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I loved the movie. I loved the book. There were elements of each I would have liked to have seen explored in the other (Captain Shakespeare's quirks, the little hairy fellow), but much of it tracked and it was very fun and refreshing to read. Love the concept of a village guarding a gap between our world and Faerie. Wouldn't mind visiting the Market myself....

Have to go finish work things and get to sleep. LA awaits!

Anniversary weekend - part 1 of 2

One year! Wow, it's gone fast. We still need to get from 53 to 20 pics for the formal album and choose what to frame and get them hung! But it's been a very good year. J had a ton of homework (he's back in school full-time) that kept us from retreating (will have to do that some other, random time) - and I had an insidious cold that kept me from being very active. We still had fun.

Saturday afternoon we stopped by Designed Elegance to pick up our anniversary topper.

They recently opened a new storefront and we were thrilled to hear that business is booming. We were easily lured in by rugelach (with really good quality cinnamon) and butter cookies with fruit topping, by tartlets and pastries. Oh, and they have cupcakes.

It was good to visit with Jon, the owner, although he was busy crafting marvelous cakes. It's worth a special visit to Spencerport - our cake top was incredible and will keep me happily sugared for a few more days!

Yesterday was National Chocolate Milkshake Day

Since I'm late telling you, I hereby declare an extension to the "holiday" and give you permission to indulge today, instead.



Knowing this yesterday, I felt like I had to stop at my favorite ice cream shop, I Scream for an awesome chocolate malted shake.

We're friends with Justin, the owner, and he knows we like to try new things. Last night, he gave me a sample that made my legs turn to jelly - carmelized sugar ice cream. Imagine - take the best part of creme brulee, make it cold, smooth, and a whole bowl full (which I had to buy after the sample)! Incredible!

Books and books

My summer reading:

Book #16 - Ghost by Piers Anthony. Another re-read from high school, another book that made me realize why I didn't remember it - there was little substance to it.

Book #17 - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. An excellent study, exceptionally well written. J loves the simplicity of the language so much that he's reread his favorite quote several times and wants to contemplate it before moving on:
"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board."
I loved the use of language to convey the culture in black Florida in the 20's-30's. Janie's exploration of identity, of who she really is and how that is best expressed, is very revealing, as is her realization that a lot of her life was spent living the life others wanted for themselves, but that it wasn't what she wanted. My 2 favorite quotes:
"Her voice began snagging on the prongs of her feelings." - so visual and tactile!
"Love is lak de sea. It's uh movin' thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it's different with every shore."

Book #18 - In the Devil's Snare: The Salem witchcraft crisis of 1692 by Mary Beth Norton. A very interesting study that delves deeper than court transcripts and thus uncovers patterns others have overlooked - most notably the connection of many participants (accusers, confessors, accused, and judges/ jurors) to the Maine frontier and the Indian wars of the late 1600's. The conclusion is a great summary, though, and reading it covers the majority of the book if you don't need massive details on who accused who and had what spectres appear to them, etc.

Book #19 - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams. The first half of this book made it very hard for me to keep reading. I really didn't see a story or a point to it and kept forgetting who people were and what was happening to them. After the halfway mark, it starts to pull together and actually becomes fairly compelling, even though not supremely deep and kind of typical.

Book #20 - Mysterious Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen, and Folk Tales along the Mississippi, by Raymond J Martinez. I thought this would be an interesting collection of folk tales from New Orleans, but it spends too much space talking about how folk tales get the facts way wrong and didn't get into nearly enough good gritty stories.

San Diego eats and then I can move on

Lots to catch up on - Sonny's visit, birthday fun, roofing, books.... but I HAVE to finish San Diego!

San Diego eats:

• In-N-Out Burger - fast food, yes, but excellent service even at the drive-through at midnight. Excellent shake.
• Victor's Greek - A little place walking distance to the office - good tasty gyros meat.
• Jake's - On Del Mar Beach, we watched beach volleyball and surfers as we ate. I could sit and watch the water for a very, very long time. Excellent HOT rolls and Mahi Mahi wit a mirin glaze, ginger buerre blanc, and sweet chili sauce - oooh, and mini-squash - so cute!
• Jamba - Couldn't pass it up! Had a Mega Mango (all fruit) with an energy boost. Great start to a busy work day.
• Spices Thai - Spicy spicy noodles, but they brought the check before I could get mango and sweet rice - my fave Thai dessert.
• Cafe Luna - Excellent small Italian joint. My waiter was from south of Syracuse, of all places, and knew the author I was reading. Chocotini made from a rice wine - very tasty. An incredible, simple mushroom soup. Manicotti with pasta made crepe style - excellent and light, but simply too much for my belly.

San Diego thoughts

From my San Diego journal:
Wondering if I'll ever spend a full day awake [ie alert], or rather how long it will take me. Not much time for sights, working in a burb-like area. Did get to Chuao Chocolates. Very friendly lady tending shop and so many yummy options. Samples of dark, spicy hot chocolate and truffles (I chose goat cheese, balsalmic vinegar)made it an extra treat and I think the local members of our team may be hooked. [The nutmeg pods are incredible!]

I love driving towards downtown San Diego on the 163 (I think), where the expressway is engulfed by trees and you drive around curves and under high, elegant arches of overpasses. I feel transported from the greater desert scrub and suburban plaza atmosphere into a forest realm.

Rounding out the SF portion of the trip

Returning to SF via the Bay Bridge from Emeryville was a traffic revelation for my East Coast, country-raised self. 16 lanes of traffic emerge from the toll booths in one direction. To narrow these to 4, there's a metering light system that lets one car through at a time for each pair of lanes. I thought this was quite brillant. I guess it's a standard type of system in CA.

Treasure Island is halfway across the bay. I need to look up how it got its name. It's very lush and looks like it could be a park area.

In SF itself, the narrow, boxy house roll over the hills in shades of white, yellow, peach, and pink.

Good SF eats this time:
- Scala's Bistro - dark & calming, though bustling, pretty good food.
- Crepe o chocolat - a small French cafe, frequented by locals for $1 coffee refills - marvellous crepe and homemade honey chai.

An evening at the movies...

So, last night I went to see Stardust. It was a blast! Such an awesome flick that garnered tons of audience response, which is tres cool. As a big Neil Gaiman fan and reader of his blog, I've been following the work on the creation of this film (though I still need to get the book and read it). Jenny was a bit disturbed by all of the rabbit people had hanging around for food, but otherwise also really enjoyed it. Stellar work. Loved the cast - Charlie Cox and Claire Danes are very cool, DeNiro is awesome, Pfeiffer is great. I highly recommend watching this many many times. Definitely appreciate that a fireplace fell on Claudia Schiffer's foot to get this to the big screen, though it would have been nice if it could have happened less painfully.

Sonny went to see "Speedy" - a silent film from the 1920's, accompanied by a live trio. Very cool.

BTW - the boys are busy, too

artscape sonny
Originally uploaded by cw_roelle


Sonny had a booth at ArtScape in Baltimore and is busy busy making cooler and cooler stuff. (He and Pam will be visiting us around my birthday - cool!)

Danny is insanely busy in, like, 10 bands or something like that. I believe he plays a private party in Cambridge today, breakfast with Sonny tomorrow am, then a gig in Herkimer, NY. In addition to all of the bands, he still has his "normal" job and he's cooking at Buffalo Bills many weekends. It tires me out just to look at his calendar!

More from San Francisco

Flying into SF, I noticed how unmarred the mountains appeared, hardly even marked by roads, at least from the perspective of the plane. Just as I was thinking this, we passed over one "hill" with a hole on the top. Rectangular, it resembled the shape of a swimming pool (though that would be quite a large pool), but was a deep, empty cavity. Wonder what's in there?

The San Francisco MOMA is very cool and the store is great. I'd spend more time there if I had it (meeting someone soon) and if there was someone with me to talk to. Walking from the MOMA to the Hotel Nikko, I passed the Museum of Craft & Folk Art - a place it seemed Jenny and Sonny would really appreciate.

Walked through IKEA in Emeryville - what a cool place! Lots of neat things and I like the "example" rooms that lay things out. Spurred lots of ideas, but I knew I had no room in my luggage (trying not to check anything) for anything. Only afterwards did people suggest I could have something shipped from the office. Darn!

On my trip, I wrote in a journal

because the time I spent online was pretty heavily dedicated to work. Heck, the time I was awake was pretty heavily dedicated to work.

Book #15: Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things by Donald A. Norman - Interesting book but not one I could plow through on a plane. Had to take breaks. A lot of it rings true and speaks to struggles I face in some issues at work. Liked this:

"For once you have learned how to look at, listen to, & analyze what is before you, you realize that the experience is every changing. The pleasure is forever."

This entire trip has been so fast, busy, and exhausting that I haven't had a chance to write anything until now, as I sit on the plane headed home. So most of this will be highlights.

San Francisco overall:
A very cool, pretty city. Condensed into a small amount of space. Old structures and character abound. Unfortunate, though, that the sanitation system is not that great. Even locals complain about the lack of trash cans on the streets, which means there's a lot of litter. In the core of downtown, it's noisy at all hours, with the cable car (you know the Rice-a-Roni kind) system clacking and humming and jackhammers buzzing at construction work late into the night.

It's the thought that counts

I had to post this piece, originally from The Consumerist, which I found on Living Light Bulbs.

I was flying from Massachusetts to New Jersey on Continental Airlines on this past week. There was terrible weather over New Jersey and while the plane took off on time, a half-hour in to the 47 minute flight we ended up circling over southern Connecticut. After a number of "we'll only be holding here for a few minutes" updates, an hour had elapsed and the pilot told us that the storm that held us up was making it impossible to get to New Jersey and that they didn't have enough fuel to get back to Massachusetts. We were diverted to a remote airstrip and were told that we'd just refuel and then get to New Jersey.

Of course, the "30 minute refuel" turned into 2 hours stuck on the tarmac at this airstrip because the storm came right through our location.

At this point we'd been on the plane for 4+ hours and despite some individual heavy sighs, most people were still pretty pleasant. We were all blown away when the flight attendant came on the PA and told all of us that they had a surprise: the crew had called in an order for pizza and had 10 pizzas delivered to the plane. They also told us not to write into Continental about this because "they'd get in trouble".

It turns out that the pilot paid for the pizza out of his/her pocket! It was a remarkable gesture, and what I found really terrible was that the crew felt that they'd get in trouble with the airline for being so thoughtful, generous, and kind to the passengers.

As I think about the experience trying to get home from San Francisco - sleeping in the airport, eating at the place closest to the gate so as not to miss anything - I wish United would take note of this story. Yes, they gave us food vouchers. But think about how we would have felt - as we stood in endless customer service lines waiting for flights to be fixed, if someone had come out with pizza, or even coffee. If just one of the people busy giving us excuses had stopped to give us a little something to show they recognized we were people and could use a break. I'd be much happier about flying with United in the future, that's for sure.

Happy Fourth

J and I were recently inspired to more actively use our sunroom. Prior to this decision, the room was closed off most of the time, to keep cats out of orchids, and it was mainly a plant growing space and housed the tree at Christmas.

Now, we've moved our small dining table in, to prepare the dining room for the one we plan to build, and we've made the sunroom into a cozy space, almost a garden annex of sorts. Great for breakfast, for the cats to watch the birds, bunnies, and squirrels, and for us to be creative together.




Book #14: Deryni Magic by Katherine Kurtz. As a kid in high school, and partly into college, I loved the Deryni novels. They were one of my favorite fantasy series. I haven't read one that I remember in quite a while, however, and it was with a somewhat different perspective that I approached this book. That said, this book does not intend to be a fantasy novel, but rather a depth analysis of the magic of the Deryni race. I'm afraid it takes itself way too seriously, approaching the subject like it's a scientific thesis. Saying things like "we do not know why" so-and-so did something or "we don't have any records of what happened in his past". Sorry, but the lady wrote the stuff and created the characters - if it's not already written - make it up! The attitude of this book actually makes me question how much I really want to keep the series in a favored spot. I think these books may head to the Camel Library soon.

Air travel in this country is seriously messed.
ape

OK, Rochester - here's 2 for you!

Danny will be playing in 2 gigs this weekend -

Friday - June 29 - Ghost Hand (check out the vid here, but warning, it's over 20 minutes long) - will be playing at Mickey Flynn's from 10-2.

Saturday - June 30 - Powhite Parkway - playing at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville at 10.

Internet access - how nice!

No pics, sorry

I'm on a dial-up connection. No way this beast will let me upload pics tonight. Will after I get back, on Friday.

The first day in SF - wonderful meal at Scoma's on Fisherman's Wharf. Walked along the Wharf to Pier 39. Saw the Golden Gate from the distance, and Alcatraz, and some iconic SF buildings. Saw sea lions. Got very cold. Very tired now.

Perhaps more tomorrow, maybe just a quick one from my phone.

San Francisco

Hey - I'm headed to San Francisco for a day and a half (arriving 2ish tomorrow, leaving late Thursday night). Traveling with others for business, so I'm not sure what time I'll have, but any suggestions are welcome (thanks, Jenny for your list!).

I had some pics and a possible Danny music video that I'll post, along with the first stage of the trip, from the hotel tomorrow night.

Hey, Providence!

Sentimental Favorites is playing tonight at AS220 - 9pm with Corn Mo and Superchief Trio. Go - it'll be fun!

Other brother news -
- Sunday - 6/10 - Sonny will be doing a couple of songs in The Empire Revue at AS220
- July - Sonny'll be in a big Art Faire in Baltimore (dk details yet)

Dan is currently playing with:
Barnstormers - a cover band
Powhite Parkway - a blues/jazz type trio with guest singers
Nic & the Nice Guys - this is a big organization, Dan is playing various gigs with the different bands
He doesn't always tell his sister about gigs, so you'll just have to keep ears/eyes open.

Enjoy!

Catchup

Rather than keep trickling the books out, I figured I should just get caught up....

Book #10 - Nana by Emile Zola - in French. This one took a while and I may have missed some subtleties wading through Zola's French, but I think I get it. Zola really had a dislike for the "kept women" of Paris or as the US Amazon puts it "hypocrisy and fin-de-siecle moral corruption". I could tell from the footnotes that Zola was trying to denounce Nana and her set, but there are elements in the middle where I started to like her. When she first gets a country home and feels at peace playing house, before her city guests arrived. When she leaves the theatre set to "settle" with a man she believes she loves, though neither of them has much money. It seemed a bit brutal, what Zola put her through during the months she lived with this guy. At the end, there really wasn't a person left in Nana - she wanted more and more and more and hated it when she got it and crumbled into ruin. I'm still not quite sure what I think of her.

Book #11 - Flash Fiction Forward, edited by James Thomas and Robert Shapard. Very very short stories. A range. Some really compelling and moving - leaving you marveling at how they got that much into less than 3 pages. Others seemed very random and made little sense. Neat medium, though.

Book #12 - Manga Claus: The Blade of Kringle written by Nathaniel Marunas, illustrated by Erik Craddock. An amusing break/ distraction.

Book #13 - Lavondyss by Robert Holdstock. Most excellent. I think I did enjoy it more than Mythago Wood, the first in the series. Did it help that the main character was a chic? Probably. Rhyope Wood is a mystical place, larger inside than its perimeter would indicate, where time warps, and the land itself and the creatures within it emerge from myths buried in the collective unconscious of those who cross its threshold. Fascinating, and I loved Tallis' story. It got very circular at the end, though, and left me a little undecided on how I felt about its conclusion. Neater would have been easier - but would it be as likely to stick with me??

I love this time of year!

I actually love pretty much late April thru to early November - the time when things are growing and alive. Just got back from a very comprehensive search of the garden store - didn't find everything I wanted, but got some good substitutes, I think. Now, to plant it all!

Oh, and I love having some time off of work!

Book #9: The Incredible Hulk: Boiling Point by Bruce Jones. For me, who grew up with Bill Bixby and Lou Farigno, the graphic novels always take a bit of adjusting to. Why did they change Banner's name for TV?? But it's still the Hulk and he's still awesome.

Moments of childishness = happiness reborn

I fully believe that if I were to have superhero powers, I would be able to fly. My "theme song" - and one of the few "other" songs that I danced to at my wedding is the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes version of "I believe I can fly". It never ceases to cheer me up, shake me out of whatever stress I'm in, motivate me to get into kickbutt shape, etc.

For years, flying has permeated my dreams. Sometimes I zip and zoom, sometimes I soar, sometimes I have to start with swimming through the air, just skimming the treetops, before I pick up speed and get free. It helps me save people, escape bad guys, ghosts, evil houses. It's also a huge rush - the sensation of loosing the bonds of gravity and bathing in fresh air and nature's bounty (I'm never flying in smog or the like). Unlike Nathan on Heroes, who when he actually gets over his bugaboos and actually flies, seems to more about getting from A to B (or just away from A) as fast as possible - this is exhilarating.

A blog I recently found Ghost Stories, had an entry about flying dreams.

Flying dreams can be interpreted in a number of ways. In general they can be seen as representing your spirit rising high, free from limitations or boundaries. A dream in which you can fly suggests that your mind is reaching for new heights, searching for and exploring possibilities that lie beyond the reality of your everyday life. The flying dream often happens when there is an opportunity for advancement in your life and may indicate optimism about your future.

Hmmm - pretty cool.

So, while watching one of the final episodes of Heroes for the season, I found myself revisiting childhood as I went from first floor to attic to watch. I ran through the house, arms wide and tilting back and forth, playing an airplane, or a flying hero. Silly, yes, but can I tell you - it was such a rush!

Catching up on some books I haven't posted about lately:
Book #8: Kissing in Manhattan by David Schickler. We were first intrigued by this because, like George Saunders, he's relatively local and the book got a lot of buzz when it first came out. I found some of this quite quite odd - and not from a surreal or supernatural point of view, but the characters seemed a bit too warped to believe. It was neat the way the stories connected - I would have loved to have learned more about the building that played such a role. And I got very mad at the chicks that put up with the psycho's nonsense and went back for more.

Being green

I'm trying to be more conscious than ever about the impact I'm making on the planet. It's so predominant nowadays that it's almost cliche, but I find it important. I chose my new car partially on MPG, I've started using paper bags for cleaning the litter and canvas totes cover most of our grocery haul. On short trips, I try to turn down bags whenever I remember. I turn off the shower while I shampoo, and leave a window open while showering for better ventilation (hoping that means less mildew cleaning).

bdp5
Originally uploaded by cw_roelle.

sonny's pic
Sonny recently posted on Flickr about spending some time around Earth Day picking up refundables in Providence.

I also found a couple of other suggestions that seem cool -

• Nike's sneaker recycling program makes basketball courts and sports fields out of old shoes. In our area, the dropoff is at the hazardous waste facility near Monroe Community Hospital.
• Ideal Bite is a fun "crunchy chic" blog.
• I'm exploring recycled glass or newspaper countertops (seen on This Old House) and thinking hemp for the new shower curtains in the bath.
  

Recentering

Spring is an awesome time of year, especially when I have the time to actually get into the garden. It's a very meditative practice for me. As annoying as the morning glories and squirrels can be, working with and nurturing the plants, seeing my vision come to life, and knowing that I'll have herbs and veggies to harvest - settles me.

Bell choir in May plays Memorial Day Sunday and our director has chosen a spiritual hymn. They've asked me to sing it a capella to lead in the bells, so I pulled out my flute to pick through the notes and get a feel for it. I haven't played my flute for anything more than picking out a bell rhythm in years and years. After playing with the hymn for a bit, I paged through my old music and played a bit of this and that. I felt recentered. I felt more me than I have in a while. I think I've been caught up in to-do's and projects and chores and piles and have been cheating myself a bit. Evenings when I needed to "come home" from work, I often just watched TV or napped. Now I see that this really didn't help. Got the mind off work a bit, but didn't renew at all. Getting out my flute and singing a bit really brought back a bit of me that had been buried by the vagaries of daily life.

Here's to a great spring of gardening, music, and creative endeavors that should leave us as renewed as nature is around us.

Tidbits

I'm in Huntington Beach now, but too tired to fully blog my first day here. Just a few small notes from the past few days:

• One thing about warmer climes that I do really love - the variety of trees. At home, we have variety, but many look generally the same. Here the trees are very varied - palms and the like, flowering trees, delicate ones, hefty ones. San Diego especially feels lush on the expressway towards downtown for this reason.
• My plane to LA smelled like a gym locker. Good thing the flight was only a 1/2 hour.
• Seen in Del Mar: A two-story plaza. Upstairs there's a Koi shop - selling the exotic garden fish. Downstairs - sushi. Just seems wrong.
• I wish I could capture the smell of the sea at the same time I'm taking pictures and videos and send it back to Mom, who I know loves watching the water as much as I.

Summer rain in March

Last night, a thunderstorm rolled through. It was still pretty light out, as the rain poured down. I went out to get ice for my room and the air smelled of summer rain. In March. How delightful!

The open skies of Southern California make me feel as if I've emerged from beneath the gray wool blanket of winter in the Northeast.

I still don't think I'd move here. Too much expansion, explosion of buildings upon buildings. Limited seasons. I want to go wander in a dark green forest.

Today was a day of excellent meals. Breakfast was a perfect New York Style chocolate chip bagel. Lunch was at Spices Thai Cafe. I had Spicy Thai Noodles with chicken - on a scale of 1-10, I ordered #8. Quite, quite spicy. Maybe I would have eaten a little more or faster if I had ordered a 7 or 6, but I enjoyed the spice of the 8.

Dinner was at Hacienda de Vega, a Mexican restaurant. Had a Mango Mojito Margarita, 4 types of salsa (my favorite was the tomatillo - taste of fresh spring and a spicy surprise), and chicken mole enchiladas. Yummmmmm....


Book #7 - The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I first read this as a kid. It's definitely worth rereading as an adult. What I recall from my first reading was the way Anne and the others were forced to live in hiding, what they had to give up. What I found so striking as an adult was the self-discovery Anne went through. I'm sure living in such an environment contributes to such introspection, but I found her insightful, nonetheless, and a personality I could identify with. It was almost like reading letters from a close childhood friend.

On to LA tomorrow.

San Diego

I meant to post between trips. I guess I did once. Ah, well. Here we are again. Southern California is warm and pretty sunny, although dealing with some rain. It's good to meet with the team here and get some real sharing and conversations going. There are frustrations, as always, but not too bad.

Had dinner last night at epazote. The marvelous sunset shown here graced us as we waited for entrees. I had grilled swordfish with an orange-honey cumin glaze, some peppers and arugula,and brown rice. Very tasty. And a molten pb-chocolate cake for dessert. :)

I'm up to Book 7, but for now, just blogging Book #6 - The Borden Tragedy by Rick Geary. Geary used a manuscript only discovered in 1990 as a basis for this graphic novel of the murders. After reading the casebook, this brings more supporting evidence to light, but it's striking that after presenting all of this the authoress (who has yet to be firmly identified) still seems to believe Lizzie innocent and an "unknown intruder" guilty. Geary draws comparisons on the back cover to OJ....

More books

I'm taking a trip next week for work. 4 days in San Diego, then 5 in LA. I love traveling, getting out of the routine, going new places. I like staying in hotels every once in a while, provided they have good bath products and a good bed.

I hate leaving home. I know J will really miss me. I'll miss the cats. I feel an excessive need to plan for every potential wardrobe contingency, but don't want to have to carry any bags.
I'm making many lists in my head.

The other part of it is that I'm naturally quite bashful, but really enjoy good people. I know, for the 5 days in LA in particular, I'm going to have to break away from my instinctive hiding in a corner and participate, meet, interact - otherwise I don't get the full benefit of being there.
I almost feel like I need to make a list for that in my head, too. Maybe it'll just come naturally when I get there and I'll discover my tendency isn't towards bashfulness but just pre-show jitters. Doubtful.

I keep in mind - what would a true kick-butt chic do? hmmm ... wwtkbcd.....

back to books -
Book #4 - Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - I heard of Gaiman when I sat next to a girl at work who had this kinda creepy, but pretty cool, fascination with the Death character from his Sandman comics. I really got interested when I read the first chapter of Neverwhere online and later when I got the book. His blog just makes some of the "magic" behind the work more apparent - so his stuff is that much cooler. Anyway - this was a fun book that read fast (being stuck in an airport helped carve out some time, too). I liked it a lot. I'm always very excited when a book (especially one I'm liking anyway) deals with the power of language and the power of stories (also song here)to mold, create, and shift realities. My one-day thesis if I ever were to do one. Most excellent.

Book #5 - Lizzie Borden -A Casebook of Family and Crime in the 1890s edited by Joyce G. Williams, J. Eric Smithburn, and M. Jeanne Peterson. A much slower read, of course. As a casebook, it deals almost entirely in first-hand accounts - newspaper articles, letters, legal documents, interviews. Some of it gets a bit dry, but I found it fascinating. I wanted to corral the Fall River police and send a modern-day CSI squad in to cement the evidence once and for all. Not only did a whole "village" come through the house immediately after the bodies were discovered, but all the police tried to take credit for finding evidence - making the chain of possession impossible to really figure out - and the family and various hangers-on remained in the house a few weeks between the murders and Lizzie's arrest. Hmm wonder why they never came up with the dress??? No sealed crime scene there. Many other nuances that made this as compelling as a good 48 Hours Mystery episode - the 1 1/2 hour soliloquy that masqueraded as the judge's instructions to the jury - riddled with bias. (Would any sane person really tell a friend she wanted to get rid of her stepmother and then actually do it 2 days later? Common sense says "no". - to paraphrase) The cheer that went up for Lizzie at the acquital and the closing of doors back in Fall River. Anyway - very interesting if you can stand the Victorian newspaper reporting. (Reading a graphic novel version now - we'll see how that goes)

Traveler returns - Book 3

2/15
After 2 days of trying to get home, I finally get here at 11pm.
I came back from 68-degrees and sunshine to a winter wonderland, in white-out conditions, roads still not really plowed, after 21 inches fell at the airport in 24 hours, and temperatures in the single digits at best. But I'm home.The grins and hugs that greeted me are worth so much more than being comfortable outdoors with just a single layer of clothing. ...
I'm home with my husband. I'm home with my boys (though this first night home they seem on edge by my return and spend their time scuffling with each other instead of visting me). I'm home.


Book #3 - The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Really enjoyed this, but don't want to share too many details, as it's a potential for bookclub. I will say - it's not the best book to read while away from your spouse. I cried. And I think Nicolas Cage would be awesome as Henry in a movie version. That's who I pictured while reading it.

Traveler note - Valentine's Day

2/14
I'm sitting in Chicago O'Hare, waiting for a perpetually delayed flight to bring me home from sunny Southern California to upstate NY in the midst of a blizzard.

I moved from a seat near my gate to a spot on the floor near a power outlet for my laptop, with its miserably short battery life. The spot I chose happened to be exactly where someone spilled coffee earlier and my rear is now soaked. I don't look forward to getting up.

A couple passes in the busy corridor. I notice them because she appears to hang off his arm, while he pulls a rolling bag and awkwardly holds a ripped shopping bag. I wonder why she isn't helping him handle their stuff. Hardly have I noticed them, when she tugs his arm, moves in front of him, and knocks off his hat. Their words don't seem too heated. She speaks emotionally, but not loudly. He says little and tries to escape. He veers one way and then another. She pulls at the rollerbag handle, kicks it around, tries to stop him from escaping her hard words. He ducks and shuffles. I catch "incestuous" repeated a couple of times and wonder if I'm letting my imagination make their story more interesting, or if it's simply far beyond my definition of normal. He moves a small distance and sits against the billboard ads on the wall. She sits next to him. A few minutes later, he gets up and walks out of view. She stays. He returns, pacing back and forth, avoiding her, but not willing to lose her in the crowded, weather-delayed terminal. He moves across to a seat on my side of the corridor, she gets up and sits next to him. He then gets up, walks towards me, apparently checking some gate info, then walks out of sight. Time passes. She still sits alone. The shopping bag is no longer discarded on the floor, she must have retrieved it, but as she scoots down to lay across the row of seats, she seems resigned that he isn't coming back soon. When I finally get up to return to my gate (after checking my pants for coffee), she's still there.

Traveler notes - Book 2

Book #2 - Oracle Night by Paul Auster. I really like the idea of a story in a story in a story, but was a bit disappointed that it wasn't explored further. The power and influence of stories and words is another favorite theme of mine, but I felt this turned awry in Oracle Night when, fearing the power of words, things didn't get said at all. The absence of words was destructive and I felt like Auster didn't see what he had done with that. He put much of the backstory into long footnotes and that was a bit annoying. Still, I did enjoy it.

2/13

I am using a bit of time that I would have had before my original flight (now cancelled due to a blizzard) to have my first In-N-Out Burger experience. The regional chain is a mecca – friends of mine who have eaten there make it a destination whenever they’re near one and drool at the thought of travels to a town that might hold one. Mention it in the company of people from the area and their eyes light up. “You have to try. It’s great!” But it’s hard to tell how often they really partake.

I enter the small fast-food place. It looks slightly retro and the kitchen is very open to view. The menu is simple. Burgers with and without cheese, in various numbers of layers, with fries and drinks. I have been informed of “secret” items not listed on the menu, but they seemed more in the realm of a classic Rochester Garbage Plate to me, and weren’t of interest. Everything is customizable, which is good since I don’t normally care for all the stuff piled onto burgers. I order and I’m given a number.

Numbers are called when the order is up. With each order, the counter person calls out “Number [x], please”. Please!

Everything at In-N-Out is made fresh to order. Buns are toasted. Burgers are half wrapped in a napkin and paper wrapper, which makes them easy to eat neatly. Fries are chopped from the potatoes at that moment.

Overall, I found In-N-Out very cool. I wish others would follow the fresh/ polite/ adaptable model. This restaurant was very busy at 3 on a Tuesday – I have to figure they do good business.

Traveler notes

2/12

Southern California. Sun. Mountains tumble into the sea. Deep blue seas curdle white where they pound the beaches. Palm trees line the highways, adorn the towns. Scrub brushes and stunted trees crowd with pale pink rock on the hillsides. The air exudes extravagance. The fast lane. The pampered life, even though that’s not universally true. Spending. Opulence. New. Fancy. But not too obnoxious in the areas I visited. Californians are creatures bound to their vehicles, but the vast majority of drivers are very polite. Signaling lane changes. Leaving plenty of room. Letting you in when you need to get into or cross their lane. The highways are laid out clearly and function well, when accidents or other obstacles don’t cause traffic jams.

I don’t get to spend a lot of time absorbing the area. No time to visit the nearby parks or even the beach. Just a taste and then back to the blizzard back home. More importantly, my husband awaits me there. No place can win me over if he is not there. Not matter how much sun it holds in February.

Radio show

Check out this post from Neil Gaiman that links to a radio show from Penn Jillette. Hear it's funny, I'll listen to it later.

New Year - new focus, kind of

So, I've started the New Year not with resolutions, but a bit of new focus. Well, I had written down some key focal points. Now I seem to have lost them.
Health
Family/ Home
Financial stability
or something like.

I opened the year with a new workout - Shape's bikini body by May workout and that felt so good and productive. I was getting into full swing and....
... caught a chest cold that left me breathless walking to the restroom, let alone doing 30 minutes of cardio 4 days a week.

I'm eagerly awaiting its departure so I can start again.

In the meantime, J bought me a kick-butt chic manual - The Action Heroine's Handbook by Jennifer Worick and Joe Borgenicht. It has step by step instructions on key kick-butt chic maneuvers, like drinking someone under the table, taking a punch, and surviving rooftop chases. Most excellent!

50 books, year 3

For the third time I'll try to get to 50 books read. Since I read a lot of magazines, newspaper articles, and blogs, in addition to picking some pretty meaty books, this has proven hard.

Book #1 for this year: King Lear by William Shakespeare - a reread. It was interesting - I had a feeling for how things would end - it being a Shakespearean tragedy and all, but did get hooked. In the fashion of the books I love, the story lingered in my head as I did other things and I wanted to read just a bit more, just a bit more to find out what happened next. Still not my favorite Shakespeare (and I do need to read several and re-read others) - so far Othello is at the top of my list.

I'm a bad bad blogger

Well, there's been a lot going on! I've resolved to get back into it, though. For my first post of this new year, a bit of reflection...

2006

• Started with a ring! Much of the year was consumed with wedding plans. Though I didn't want to be an obnoxious or psycho bride, we wanted a lot of elements customized for us, our tastes, our theme, so that was a lot of work.
• Besides the joy of getting married - 3 months in this is still an incredibly powerful and emotional thought for us - we got to flex our creativity and personalities in all of those elements. And we got to spend time with friends and family we don't see nearly often enough. That's a huge piece of all of this.
  

• Our first full year with our new kittens - an adventure. Man those cats can eat! They're now on diets and have totally won us over.

• 22 books read. I was planning a wedding you know.

• New jobs for J and myself. The whirlwind that brings.

• The Roelle trip to Maine, unfortunately J couldn't go, but the rest of us had an awesome time!

• Sonny was on TV! Proving that it truly takes talent to master his craft...

• The Tim and Dan show started and is working on finding a singer.

Those are the key highlights that I can think of right now anyway and now I have to run.

Stay tuned in the next day or so for:
- New year - Book 1
- New year - new workout - ouch
- Holiday tidbits and (hopefully) a classic pic!
- *Finally* Honeymoon tidbits
- Other miscellany and trying to strong-arm the brothers into posting more, too....

A bit of catchup

Since we may get some visitors because of the link from Jenny's blog today, I wanted to catch up a bit. Here's some of the latest

Aprille: One month wed and extremely happy. Still need to post about the honeymoon. Up to Book #19 - (17 was South Sea Tales by Jack London,18 was Beauty Tips from Moosejaw by Will Ferguson, 19 was Obernewtyn and the Farseekers by Isobelle Carmody) - will post more on those later.

Sonny: The Craft Lab episode aired yesterday! But for those of you who didn't have a chance to Tivo it, don't worry - it will air again December 8th. Check back to theCraft Lab site for details.
There's a show in Baltimore at Dougherty's Pub in December. Maybe he can post more on that.
Exploring potential business ventures, gigging with The Sentimental Favorites, living the Sonny life. Maybe he can post more on that, too.

Danny: Continues efforts on The Tim and Dan show (looking for a bass player in the Rochester area). Also gigging with Barnstormers, a cover band.
Home renovation is ongoing.

More shortly

Notice

The pro pics of the wedding are up on Jacqui's site! :)

We had a wedding!!!

October was a whirlwind. Luckily, I had a hard-copy journal around when I couldn't get to the blog. Here are a few tidbits about the wedding itself....

The exicitement grew exponentially from the one month mark to the very day. I was all abuzz with nerves, but not nervous. I just couldn't stop grinning.

I don't know if I had mentioned here before how cool it is when vendors tell you they're talking to others about your wedding. At the rehearsal, the President of the museum we used, there for a special opening, asked our coordinator if I was the "bride for the mastodon wedding" - we loved it!
The rehearsal provided a taste of what was to come. So many good people, good minds, and good hearts - in one room - in support of us! We were tickled that so many were absorbed in good conversations. Connections in life are so important and it's extra touching when the people you love connect with each other.

I slept very little in the days before. The night before the girls and I had a sleepover at Mom's - we crashed in the living room so we could doze off while watching a movie. I hope I didn't keep the girlz awake with all my tossing and turning. So much going on!

The day itself was incredible. I grin just thinking of it. The weather was incredible - absolutely perfect. Everything just combined to make it such a stellar experience. Joel and I had trouble when we had to stop holding hands or looking at each other - we were there together above all else. We would blink and whisper "I love you"s and whatnot. Dad had a bit of an outburst that cracked everyone up - but I think he's allowed. Every single element just so summed up the amazing feelings coursing through me. Afterwards, many commented on how unique, interesting, even awesome the ceremony was. How perfectly planned for the two of us. It was incredible.

The reception was a blast! There was little dancing to the playlist so carefully composed over 10 months, but it was OK. People were talking - forging those connections again.
And playing. The museum was perfect! Mom kept remarking on how adults were running around talking about how they tried out this and you had to try that. I didn't get around a ton of the museum - I climbed the rock wall - in my dress! - rode the pulley ride and the sub simulator. I love that snapshots and video come back showing people having fun. Not once did anyone clink a glass for us to kiss - they weren't bored enough! It seemed so short because of it was soo much fun.
Fireworks exploded in the windows above the main reception area - how perfect, just for us! ;)
The museum staff were excellent - they placed our ceremony elements around the cake - so perfect! The chef complimented the music selection - so much better than "typical". The cake was incredible. The food was really good - and it was so cool to see some people trying new foods, too!
I had a grin the size of Montana and all I wanted to do was share it with others....

I had such a marvellous time! It was less a blur than it was surreal. I felt like I was at a marvellous party, that was a ton of fun, in a great dress, with everyone I love. It didn't really, still hasn't fully, processed that it was OUR wedding! It is truly awesome to spend such a hunk of time with nearly everyone I/we/you love. And to feel that coming back to you. And really incredible too when they enjoy each other. We're surround by such wonderful people in our life, supported by so much awesome good will - who wouldn't be beaming?? This is what is so important, so wonderful, about life. People connecting.
To top that with it being the day you blend your life with that of your one true love - I couldn't be happier.

I wrote this while flying to Vancouver - "I'm dirty, my hair is full of old spray, I'm exhausted. My eyes are tired, my throat is dry, my feet hurt. But it's not really there. The warmth in my heart overwhelms it all."

Exactly!!!

We got our proofs for the pro photos last night. Going through them brought that back, just like watching the video had. It was soooooo incredible and I am so supremely happy.

ny times

ok, it really is in there today (oct. 1st)!

I win!

(from Danny)
I am a winner of the preliminary round of Drum Off
2006 at the Guitar center in Henrietta. I was the last
of 10 drummers to play a 3min solo.

Yes yes. I crushed thoses ninnys like eggs.

Round two will consist of 6 total contestants on
october tenth.

rock on.

I knew i won when the guy said "and let me get this
name right....."
dead giveaway.

(A says)
Cool! Of course, seems pretty obvious to us that you could do it...

salt water fishing

Today I went on a boat and I fished but all I caught was (and this is at one time, one reel-in) two spider crabs and a clam.

ny times

hey everybody, if you have an extra $5 this sunday, maybe pick up the new york times and look in the magazine at the humor page. just sayin..

Origami envelopes

OK, here are the steps to make an origami envelope.
I used an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet to get an envelope that keeps the same postage rate as normal. You may want to use a heavier stock.

1 - Fold paper in half so that short end meets short end. Crease and unfold.

2 - Take opposite corners and fold them at 45-degrees, so that the inside edges lie along the center crease.


3 - Fold 2 leaves "open" slices at upper right and lower left (rectangle shaped). Fold these in so that the outer edge meets inner edge (you can see the creases from this fold in the picture above (I went too far and had to go back)

4 - Take one of the flat corners created by fold 3 (lower left/ upper right) and again fold at 45-degrees to lay along center line. Repeat for opposite side.


5 - Tuck the corners you just folded in under the lip they're now on top of.


I sealed the diagonal with a sticker seal - but it may not even be needed if your folds are tight and you use a good stock. These mail very well, with no issues from USPS.

Book#16 - The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon. A quick glance at the Amazon reviews makes me think I missed something in the book. It's a fast and compelling read in some ways. You want to know what happens with the story. But it had a bad aftertaste for me. I was left unsatisfied. Disappointed that what had such rich possibilities ended up being really superficial. The narrator puts such emphasis on appearances, primarily describing characters and their moods by their clothes. When he tells the background of his friends, you get a sense that there's the potential for something deep. You're dangling in anticipation and end up with what's basically a belch in the face. A let down. It leads nowhere. Despite the potential, the narrator doesn't care, leaves it and moves on. I need to find a book that I feel really accurately portrays college life in a way I care about and feel is well written because this left me hungry.

Invitations

Now that we're closing in on the actual date, I can share more about details. I'm very excited because several people have commented on the invitations, which we did entirely ourselves (with Jenny's help for the design, of course).

Early on, I found an origami envelope design. This is a bit different, but no extra cost to mail...


Inside, we had our invitation card, an RSVP, and a couple of smaller inserts with maps and hotel info. One plus was that the museum had a map of the campus on their website with pics of the buildings, so people should be able to find the ceremony and reception locations.


I loved the way it all came together, maple leaves, fall colored papers, Jenny's design.


The night of the final assembly, I bent my thumb backwards working out. It's fun to fold things into origami shapes sans 1 thumb! ;)


Book #15 (read in Maine): The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. I didn't enjoy this reread as much as the others and maybe that's why, back in the day, this was the last book (of the original ordering) that I bought. The kids from our world weren't as likeable. Eustace has some ties to the Pevensy children (cousin), but even with his improved attitude following Dawn Treader he's still tiring. And the other chic, Jill, is way too ditzy and squeamish.

Lucky

As Sonny quickly synopsized, Maine was wonderful. Labor Day weekend Mom and I camped Sunday night (mostly dry) and Dad and J joined us Monday for more belated birthday festivities. J got me an awesome “Learn Italian” kit – we’ll start learning together and maybe one day we can get to Sicily to see where my great-grandparents came from! Many other awesome and beautiful things. I’m so lucky.

BTW, Sonny makes some killer cupcakes.

Yesterday marked ONE MONTH until the wedding! Busy busy taking care of lots of little details. Made a massively bulk purchase at a crafts store for favors. Responses are trickling in. It’s getting more and more real!!! This is going to be incredible.

Read several books on vacation, but will just trickle them here, as I’m not in danger of finishing else real soon.
Book #14 – Cirque du Freak – The Vampire Prince by Darren Shan. Really more of a YA book, but cute. A good distraction that lasted just long enough for the flights to Portland. Not a ton of character definition, though. Was going to say that’s the tradeoff, but just because something is a quick read doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice depth.

maine

we had a great time up in maine. we went fishing on a boat with a bunch of other people and saw some porpoises and caught some makerel and saw a jelly fish floating around. had a birthday dinner at route 66 restaurant went to jodan pond for popovers and brie and a very quick 3 mile hike. walked across a sand bar at low tide to an island and saw some deer and dad found a starfish leg and pam took some family portraits. went to the top of a mountain and saw a storm on one side and the sunset on the other (dan and tara went for sunrise, and everybody went to thunder (gurgle) hole and sandy beach in the morning whilepam and i made dinner) had a birthday dinner for aprille and played miniture golf at pirates cove. on the drive back pam and mom and dad and i had lunch in york maine near the ocean.then friday night we all (except for aprille who was trying to get home via jfk airport) went to see pam play a show in foster. so it was a pretty busy couple a days. thanks everybody. pictures to come.

My boys

A quick post before leaving for Maine

The Roelles are off to Maine to celebrate Sonny's 30! This should be a lot of fun and, because of that, I'm finding it extremely hard to concentrate on work annoyances this morning.

Book #13 - Baudolino, by Umberto Eco. I love Eco, though this didn't sweep me away quite as much as some of his other pieces. I love the premise, though, that stories when shared can build power and change history. The power of myth, when believed, driving an epic journey. The lies are hard to see after so much time and dedication pursuing them.
Interesting also, how this ties to perspectives on religion. And in Pnadpetzim (sp?), the city guarding the gates to the kingdom of Prester John, it is not the amazing physical differences that distinguish the different races, it is the specifics of their beliefs. I find that fascinating and may need to mull it for a bit.

Expect more books after vacation! I'm flying alone and have a bit of a layover in JFK on the way back, so I'll be reading a lot, methinks.

Wedding-wise - invitations are mailed! Expect a post detailing what I did for them next weekend. Practised my updo - I love stumping stylists with the vast quantities of my hair. :) It came out marvellous and I will truly feel like a princess when all the elements come together on the big day! Went for a dress fitting and it only needed a hem and bustle (TG!). Mapped out the ceremony with our officiant. We're doing several non-traditional elements. I love it, though. It seems very us and very important and both J and I believe very strongly in what will be shared and said.

I plan to try a mobile post from Maine. If that fails, maybe we find a hotspot to blog from jointly.

PS

Kat' made it back safe and sound from Zimbabwe! Now I get to see pics!

A visit to the Devil's Bathtub

J's parents came up in mid-July. The visit started with the customary evening at the Old Toad - a favorite with J's family. The next morning we went early to the Public Market. I love the mix of cultures, lifestyles, and personalities that you always see there. We had Mexican pastries, breakfast tacos, Java's coffee, and Italian cheese before we even really started shopping.



That afternoon, we went to Mendon Ponds. It was a hot day (nothing like the last few, but pretty hot) and it was nice and cool in the woods. Heavy rains that morning and earlier in the week meant that the Bathtub was creeping onto the path in spots. Neat to see how the little minnows, fishies, or whatever they were treated those shallows like they were always there.

Book #12 - Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph and Frances Gies. Interesting. J and I read and really enjoyed Life in the Year 1000, but this seemed a bit more scattered - too many facts to spew to make it feel, well, like you were getting close to the lifestyle and all. Maybe if they hadn't tried to cover every castle. They started out with a focus on Chepstow Castle, but drifted away from it a bit too often. Interesting all the same.