with the top down

the boxes are packed...

2010-02-22T17:16:00.000-05:00

and i've moved!

http://kkgordon.wordpress.com

bubbles...

2009-04-22T23:24:00.002-04:00

cutest thing ever: little girls streaming bubbles out of their father's convertible this afternoon.

latest addictions...

2009-04-20T23:28:00.000-04:00

So, K made me read Twilight, and I think she had it in for me. Completely addicted. Read the whole stinking series in about a week. Horrific writing, but fantastically absorbing.

Also, R got me started on MI-5 -- a BBC series entitled Spooks when it aired in the UK. Love it. Really, should be ordering gumdrops or something, but can't tear myself away from Netflix.

Baby Presents

2009-04-18T23:23:00.000-04:00

So, it seems that people have very different ideas of appropriate baby shower presents. I think that it should always be something for the mother. The baby's getting enough stuff, and the mother is the one doing all the work. I'm considering enrolling a friend of mine in a beer of the month club starting the day she stops breastfeeding, but I think a year of anticipation is cruel.

R always buys a huge stuffed animal for the baby. One was about 4 feet, but I've mananged to restrain her since then. The current iteration is still larger than the baby, but more managable.

My father believed in giving mobiles. He was very irked that mobiles are designed for the adult's perspecitve, not the baby. In other words, they're cute looking straight on, but when you're looking up, they're kinda boring. He always picked mobiles that were interesting from the bottom.

is it really contagious?

2009-04-16T23:21:00.001-04:00

Fabulous weekend with B & W... So nice to see old friends happy (and pregnant!).

Unfortunatly, R has decided that I'm not allowed to be around any other pregnant women -- apparently, it gives me ideas. I think if she could remove all small children from my daily interactions, she would. Probably replace them with thirteen year olds with bitchy attitudes and exposed belly buttons.

A love affair

2009-04-08T23:18:00.000-04:00

The wee G is here for a stay -- with K&D, of course. Rocky is not quite sure how he feels about it. But he keeps coming back for more!

party packs...

2009-03-22T23:14:00.002-04:00

Have purchased several cases of wine, water, and champagne glasses to avoid any further issues with the caterer's ugly ass glassware. Also, maybe R will let me cook in the future??? Here's hoping.

adventures with caterers

2009-03-19T23:12:00.003-04:00

R and I had a lovely alumnae event last night. Caught up with some people that I hadn't seen in ages. Really made me excited for Reunion.

The caterer and I had very different ideas as to what constituted a wine glass. Once I explained that we were not serving wine in 16 ounce highball glasses, it was relativly smooth sailing from there.

Seriously, is it that hard? Good grief.

R promised Rocky a piece of salmon and a piece of chicken as big as his head if he behaved. Rocky restrained himself to attacking people's feet from under the table. As there was a full smoked salmon on top of the table that he didn't go flying squirrel on, we counted it as a win.

the summer is over

2008-10-20T21:57:00.004-04:00

ah, yes. the end of another season at the beach. brought new meaning to the bumper sticker "if it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?"

Yeah. I think my time at the beach has drawn to the close. At least I hope it has.

With any luck, I'll be joining Rocky on R's couch very soon. Very, very, very soon.

NPR: The Pandas' Secret

2008-05-04T14:59:00.000-04:00

The cutest thing you've ever seen...

NPR: The Pandas' Secret

a John McCain moment...

2008-04-20T23:34:00.002-04:00

take the quiz and get the answers... http://www.newyorker.com/humor/polls/slansky/080307sh_shouts_slansky

SHOUTS & MURMURS (The New Yorker)
Senator Hothead -- The McCain Quiz by Paul Slansky

1. What did Richard Kimball, John McCain’s opponent in his 1986 Senate race, do during a debate that got McCain so upset that, according to his aide Jay Smith, he “wanted to kill” Kimball?

(a) He pointed out that McCain had referred to the retirement community Leisure World as “Seizure World.”

(b) He revealed that McCain was standing on a riser behind his podium.

(c) He said, “I’m not the one who left his disabled first wife so he could marry a rich young beer heiress.”

2. Who is Harry Jaffe?

(a) The writer who first called McCain “Senator Hothead.”

(b) The journalist who helped break the 1994 story of Cindy McCain’s addiction to Percocet and Vicodin, which led her to steal pills from a relief organization she’d founded.

(c) The reporter whose question prompted McCain to respond that he was “fine” with a hundred-year U.S. military presence in Iraq.

(d) The politician who said of McCain, “His volatility borders in the area of being unstable. Before I let this guy put his finger on the button, I would have to give considerable pause.”

3. What prompted Jon Stewart, on “The Daily Show,” to ask, “Has John McCain’s Straight Talk Express been rerouted through Bullshit Town?”?

(a) McCain decided to speak at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University six years after calling Falwell and Pat Robertson “agents of intolerance.”

(b) McCain claimed that the Confederate flag flying over the South Carolina capitol symbolized “heritage,” although he was on record as having called it “a symbol of racism and slavery.”

(c) McCain said of George W. Bush, “I support him. I am grateful to him. And I am proud of him.”

4. Which of these statements about McCain is true?

(a) He used to be against Bush’s tax cuts and for overturning Roe v. Wade, but now he’s for extending the tax cuts and against overturning Roe v. Wade.

(b) He used to be against allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship, but now he’s for it.

(c) He used to be against Bush’s tax cuts and overturning Roe v. Wade and for allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship, but now he’s for extending the tax cuts and overturning Roe v. Wade and avoids talking about illegal immigrants earning citizenship.

5. McCain told workers at a gun factory, “I will follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of Hell and I will shoot him with one of your products.” How did he later clarify this declaration?

(a) “Of course, I didn’t mean the literal gates of Hell. I don’t even know where they are.”

(b) “I shouldn’t limit myself to your products, because, when I find him, I may not be carrying a gun made by you.”

(c) “I certainly didn’t mean I would actually shoot him. I am certainly angry at him, but...I would not shoot him myself.”

6. Two of these statements refer to Bush. Which refers to McCain?

(a) At thirteen, he yelled “Fuck this” when he played golf poorly, prompting his mother to make him go sit in the car.

(b) As a toddler, if he didn’t get his way he’d hold his breath until he fainted.

(c) When he was a boy, he liked to blow up frogs with firecrackers.

7. True or false: When Chelsea Clinton was eighteen, McCain told this joke: “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father.”

True

False

8. What did McCain say to Edward Kennedy?

(a) “Shut up.”

(b) “Fucking jerk.”

(c) “Fuck you.”

9. What did McCain say to John Cornyn?

(a) “Shut up.”

(b) “Fucking jerk.”

(c) “Fuck you.”

10. What did McCain say to Charles Grassley?

(a) “Shut up.”

(b) “Fucking jerk.”

(c) “Fuck you.”

11. What was McCain referring to when he told reporters, “It’s up to you to find that out, kids”?

(a) The extent of the Bush campaign’s involvement in rumors that McCain had fathered a half-black child.

(b) The financial connections between Cindy McCain and Charles Keating, the man behind the nation’s biggest savings-and-loan collapse.

(c) Why he condemned the 2004 Swift Boat Veterans ads smearing John Kerry, then hired the agency behind them.

12. Who said, “I like McCain a lot...There’s something about matching the character with the script”?

(a) Pat Buchanan.

(b) Sylvester Stallone.

(c) Senator Thad Cochran.

13. Who said that McCain “will make Cheney look like Gandhi”?

(a) Pat Buchanan.

(b) Sylvester Stallone.

(c) Senator Thad Cochran.

14. Who said of McCain, “The thought of his being President sends a cold chill down my spine”?

(a) Pat Buchanan.

(b) Sylvester Stallone.

(c) Senator Thad Cochran.

15. Last year, McCain said, “When I voted to support this war, I knew it was probably going to be long and hard and tough, and those that voted for it and thought that somehow it was going to be some kind of an easy task, then I’m sorry they were mistaken.” What did McCain say before the war started?

(a) He told Larry King that “success will be fairly easy.”

(b) He told Wolf Blitzer, “I believe that we can win an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time.”

(c) “It’s a safe assumption that Iraqis will be grateful to whoever is responsible for securing their freedom.”

(d) All of the above.

who here is scared? really, really, really scared?

for the wee one...

2008-04-15T22:19:00.001-04:00

in honor of the wee one's love of trams:

Son of a gun, we'll have big fun...

2008-04-12T22:14:00.000-04:00

We decided to venture out on a swamp tour... very, very cool. Of course, would have been easier had I remembered to wear sunblock.

Did I mention the really, really, really bad sunburn. really bad. Poor R looks like a lobster with funny lines. Apparently, one should wear sunblock when one ventures out on the bayou. Who knew? (okay. maybe i'm an idiot.)

On the upside, we met an alligator. He really liked marshmellows. Big fan.

the big easy

2008-04-12T21:53:00.004-04:00

So, R and I headed down to New Orleans for a few days... (a bit of a celebration). We fell in love with New Orleans last year, and couldn't wait to go back. So much fun, so much good food, so little time.

Had a lovely meal at Bombay Club, famed for their list of 100 martinis. Best dirty martini ever. The food wasn't too bad, either. The waiter, however, had this British accent that was completley fake. For the record, I called upstate New York, although R didn't believe it until I tricked the waiter into forgetting his faux accent. (hah! i am good!)

The waiter also kept referring to me as "the lady". As in, "Does the lady like her martini?" "Would the lady like a piece of bread?" "How is the lady's meal?" Now, he knew that R was also a girl, but he didn't refer to her as "the lady". And, he didn't address the questions to R, but to me. I've never been spoken to in the third person. Very bizarre. Very. But, the lady did enjoy the martini and the meal. The bread pudding was not so impressive...

The next night, we wandered into the New Orleans Vineyard and had a fantastic meal. Out of this world good. In fact, the bread pudding was so good that we went back again Friday night for dessert.

tile painting

2008-04-03T16:53:00.002-04:00

One of the historical arts of Portugal is tile painting. We stumbled across a fantastic tile painting store, Azulejos de Azeitao, in this tiny little village. Loved their van...

This woman was wonderful. She gave us a tour of the facility and we learned how they made the tile. Hasn't changed for a few hundred years from what I could tell. Except the kiln plugs in now...

We bought enough tiles that we had to ship them home... And, we ordered a few special order tiles. Fed Ex should be arriving any day now.

Setubal

2008-04-03T16:42:00.001-04:00

Pronounced "Shoo bal". City is not that winning by day, but a great view at night...

Until you zoom in...

Roman temple

2008-04-02T16:33:00.001-04:00

There are ruins of a Roman temple in Evora - they turned the temple into a slaughterhouse and built walls around the columns. Interesting preservation technique, but the temple is in amazing condition.

little lambs eat...

2008-04-01T16:04:00.001-04:00

my neck itches!

2008-04-01T16:01:00.001-04:00

cork trees...

2008-04-01T15:52:00.002-04:00

Every seven years, they strip the bark off of the trees. As you drive through the fields, you see numbers on each tree. I assume the numbers correspond to the year the bark was stripped...

Very cool.

lost on a farm...

2008-04-01T14:04:00.003-04:00

We went in search of some pre-historic ruins, and ended up lost on dirt roads on a huge farm... Let's just say that the Ford mini-van was not designed to share road space with the cows.

Mom would like the world to know that she was driving and I was navigating. I maintain that had we continued on the dirt road through the cow field, we would have found the highway. In about 20 km. Yeppers.

vineyards...

2008-03-31T15:42:00.004-04:00

Wandered through the countryside on our was to Evora. Saw tons of vineyards, cows, rolling fields. Scenery like you wouldn't believe.

Fell in love with the vineyards. Considered returning with one or two plants...

more Knights Templar

2008-03-30T15:36:00.003-04:00

Almourol Castle was a Knights Templar stronghold, although it never saw military action. Located on a small island in the middle of the Tagus River.

Convento de Cristo

2008-03-30T14:56:00.008-04:00

The Convent of the Order of Christ was previously a castle of the Knights Templar of Tomar. Built in the 1100s, the castle became the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal. Once the Knights Templar were suppressed in 1312, and the King of Portugal allowed the Order to reconvene as the Order of Christ, under the rule of the Portugese throne.

The grounds were fantastic. You could see the vineyards, where they grew crops, and kept their animals.

I've been in a ton of castles, but never one that was in such great shape - or maintained the integrity of the original design.

The inside was incredible - although the maps and signage were typical of Portugal. (really unhelpful) All in all, one of the more incredible sights in Portugal.

Palácio Nacional da Pena

2008-03-29T14:23:00.001-04:00

Expanded and rebulit in the 1800s, Pena Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site... Amazingly detailed and ornate carvings and decoration. The castle was built on the site of a monastery - and an appearance of the Virgin Mary. She apparently had a thing for Portugal. Must have been the wine...

There were some fantastic gargoyles. Kinda cute, actually. Wee G decided that he wanted to be a gargoyle when he grows up...

Peniche and a lackluster market

2008-03-27T12:47:00.008-04:00

So, the guidebook had lovely things to say about this monthly market in Peniche, a small town that used to be an island. After discovering that the market was pretty much a flea market selling underwear and shoes, we wandered around town and explored the coast.

Really, really beautiful. You can see where the water receded in the 15th century and allowed access from the mainland.

We drove along the dirt coast road - there are some beautiful views and trails leading down to the water. Of course, I couldn't get near any of them - Mom had a panic attack every time I got close to the edge. There was whimpering...

And apparently some concern about lemmings jumping.

The bonus of the day was the "Auto-Road" - gotta love it. Limited access pay roads with a speed limit of 120 km/h. Of course, if you were silly enough to go 120, you were in serious danger of being road kill. 145 to 150 seemed to be acceptable, but I was still passed like I was standing still...

2008-03-25T22:00:00.008-04:00

We met Papa (the penguin on the left). The aquarium has bands on their wings and a chart so that you can identify the penguins. It was very cool.

We also made friends with the otters - they are so cute. So very cute. Apparently, we caught them in the middle of either dinner or a pedicure. Not sure which.

After the aquarium, we had an adventure drive down into downtown. Driving in Portugal is never dull.

A very interesting afternoon exploring St. Jorge's castle and downtown. Fabulous dinner before the longest drive home. Let's just say that D isn't the best navigator when drunk. Amusing, however. Very amusing.

fishes and sharks and divers, oh my!

2008-03-25T21:00:00.001-04:00

We headed into Lisbon for the day... First stop was the Aquarium.

Wee G loved it. He made special friends with Vasco the Diver. There were live divers in the tank, cleaning the rocks and feeding the fish. I think Wee G wants to be a scuba diver when he grows up.

Welcome to Portugal

2008-03-24T22:41:00.002-04:00

Mom and I met K&D and the wee G in Colares, Portugal. We rented a villa for a week. There were birds of paradise growing outside the front door.

Quite lovely, although the villa itself was decorated in glass and white plastic. Although, K felt right at home. Apparently, New Jersey in the eighties and Portugal today have a great deal in common.

back to the blog...

2008-03-23T08:51:00.001-04:00

It's been a busy year and half, but I'm still alive. I promise.

As a welcome back to blog world, I give you the following... And shall endeavor to update more often.

"We Bring Democracy To The Fish" by Donald Hall

It is unacceptable that fish prey on each other.
For their comfort and safety, we will liberate them
into fishfarms with secure, durable boundaries
that exclude predators. Our care will provide
for their liberty, health, happiness, and nutrition.
Of course all creatures need to feel useful.
At maturity the fish will discover their purposes.

ode to Poland

2007-01-11T22:26:00.000-05:00

Cabbage with my eggs.
Cabbage in my kebab.
Cabbage in my Caesar salad.
Cabbage as my salad.
Red cabbage, white cabbage.
Cabbage!

Pickles in my kebab.
Pickles with my smoked salmon.
Pickles and cabbage as my salad??

Sesame seeds on my pretzels?

Vodka! Vodka! Vodka!
No Kahlua, no cream.
Vodka! Vodka! Vodka!

i'm still alive

2006-09-11T21:34:00.000-04:00

i know there has been some doubt...

currently relaxing on my couch with a bottle of wine. life is pretty good.

since my last post in March (have i really been away that long?), i bought a business with my friend J and i bought a condo. oh, baby. i love my condo.

my cat generally loves my condo, but mom's dog has been visiting. tiger lily's kinda possessive of my attention.

anyway, more to come. hopefully, i'll be better about updating now that i'm not quite so busy killing myself at the ice cream store.

a thought from Aaron McGruder

2006-03-11T08:18:00.000-05:00

mom's new addition

2006-03-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

she's a hunter. and a cuddlebug.

house hunting is not going as well as daffy's faux mouse hunting. there are two possibilities, but nothing definate.

also, the amount of paperwork involved in getting a mortgage? Good grief. It's acutally easier to start a business. Seriously- the IRS gives you an EIN in five minutes. The bank wants your first born. Good lord.

the meatrix

2006-03-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

from the animal rights community...

www.themeatrix.com

did they get reward points for iraq war?

2006-03-02T00:02:00.000-05:00

original estimate: 1.7 billion dollars

current expenditures: 250 billion dollars

honest leadership: priceless

updates from the zoo..

2006-03-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

Well, wee Desi has finally been ejected. One too many little presents.

All hopes are now focused on Daffodil. Mom informed her this evening that if she's really good, Mom will take her for her shots and get her fixed and declawed. What an incentive!

Tiger Lily is quite excited about my house shopping. Stay tuned... I might have found it!

poetry for the day.

2006-03-01T15:27:00.000-05:00

"Manners" by Howard Nemerov from Trying Conclusions. © University of Chicago Press.

Manners

Prig offered Pig the first chance at dessert,
So Pig reached out and speared the bigger part.

"Now that," cried Prig, "is extremely rude of you!"
Pig, with his mouth full, said, "Wha, wha' wou' 'ou do?"

"I would have taken the littler bit," said Prig.
"Stop kvetching, then, it's what you've got," said Pig.

-------So virtue is its own reward, you see.
-------And that is all it's ever going to be.

a million ways

2006-03-01T01:15:00.000-05:00

if you haven't seen this video, it's totally worth the bandwidth. There was also an NPR 'Story of the Day' podcast on it... quite amusing.

before sunrise

2006-02-22T21:56:00.000-05:00

so i'm sitting here, finishing off a bottle of wine and watching a fantastic movie. it's pretty much all dialogue, but you should totally watch it. also 'before sunset', the sequel. both are really quite good. fafou turned me onto them. excellent.

anyone else secretly hoping that they win the ipod billion song thing? not that i actually think there's a chance. but, i do love to win things. even though i haven't actually won anytihng since the drawing for the wooden farm animal set in fourth grade. i gave it to my cousin for Christmas, but let me tell you. woo-hoo. party time.

for those who are curious, i have engaged a realtor. i'm so excited. you should be too, cause there will be a house at the beach that you can visit.

from the mouths of babes

2006-02-21T17:03:00.000-05:00

guess she didn't know, after all.

2006-02-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

over dinner tonight...

aunt jane: So, where did Whitney meet her husband?
me: Whitney met her fiancee in college.
aj: There were men at Mount Holyoke?
me: She's marrying a woman.
aj: (silence)
me: And there were men at MHC.
aj: It went co-ed?
me: No, but they were around...
aj: (silence)
aj: Whitney. little brown-haired Whitney?
me: Yeppers.
mom: Costa Rica Whitney.
me: her too.
aj: (silence)
aj: little whitney?
me: yeppers.
aj: (silence)

describe me...

2006-02-16T23:28:00.000-05:00

so I like this concept:

http://kevan.org/johari?name=meechem

a whole new take on movies...

2006-02-13T20:02:00.000-05:00

two trailers you just have to see:

Sleepless in Seattle

Brokeback to the Future

Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Ex-Gay Cowboys

2006-02-10T14:36:00.000-05:00

A few thoughts from Dan Savage...

what's that sound?

2006-01-31T18:44:00.000-05:00

ah, yes. the sound of your reproductive freedoms flushing down the toilet.

who voted for alito. grr.

in support of frequent sex for everyone...

2006-01-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/199/199196_tvs_a_bedroom_turnoff_.html

books...

2006-01-25T00:19:00.000-05:00

stolen from sowilo, but interesting

Here are the current top 50 books from www.whatshouldireadnext.com. Bold the books you have read. Italicise the books you might read. Cross out the books you probably won't read. Pass it on:

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter 6) - J.K. Rowling
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
~~The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien~~ (I tried...)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) - J.K. Rowling
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Ender's Game (The Ender Saga) - Orson Scott Card
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
~~The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien (again, i tried...)~~
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Dune - Frank Herbert

christmas, part deux

2006-01-04T22:51:00.000-05:00

We had a lot of luggage. Not that this should come as a surprise to anyone who knows us. Five bags, to be exact. That was fine. Not that Air Canada was particularly happy to see us, but they let us on the plane. The problem was that five bags weren't enough. So we shipped two boxes - Christmas presents, people, not ball gowns. And the USPS had a bit of a problem talking to the Japanese Postal Service. So the first box didn't arrive until after new year's. No fear, though. The christmas pjs came. And it just meant two chances to trash the house.

lost babies

2006-01-03T19:15:00.000-05:00

Off to the side of the graveyard and shrine are these memorial statues for babies who were lost. People dress them up and leave flowers. It's so sad, but I really like the concept.

our second shrine of the new year

2006-01-03T19:14:00.000-05:00

On a very rainy day, we took an adventure to find the Tokyo Tower. (That's the tower in the background.)

We found ourselves at this temple. Beautiful inside, and the graveyard behind the temple was incredible. There was a bit of a festival going on because of the New Year. Food vendors, people, a fire for burning last year's arrows.

meiji shrine pilgrims

2006-01-01T23:09:00.000-05:00

This is the line to get in from the main gate. I'm standing in the same place I was for the previous picture (the money pit/shrine is to my left), looking at the front gate. The police are letting groups of several hundred through the gate a a time. There's a line of police with police tape herding the people. The most amazing part of it was that no one was impatient. They just waited for hours in the cold.

Allow me to assure you that we came in the side gate where there was no line.

new year's day

2006-01-01T23:03:00.000-05:00

So i caught a stomach bug and spent New Year's Eve ill. Not my ideal way to ring in the New Year, but as I didn't have anyone in Tokyo to kiss, I suppose it was just as well that I missed it.

I think I've mentioned that New Year's is the big holiday in Japan. Seriously big. They close the country down from December 28 - January 5. Everyone makes a pilgrimage to a shrine, preferably one of the big ones. K&D live a couple blocks from the side entrance to the Meiji Shrine, which is the biggest one in Tokyo. The actual shrine is beautiful, but the grounds are more impressive. Acres upon acres of wooded and open space.

Japan does public space really well. It's one of the reasons that you don't feel all that crowded in Tokyo. There seems to be a park or a shrine everywhere you turn.

Back to New Year's. The Meiji Shrine, as the biggest in the city, is also the most popular. Millions of people go for midnight (seriously, millions). We headed over the next afternoon. It was still insane.

When you're at a shrine, you toss a 5 yen piece into these carved wooden boxes and say a prayer/wish. (The abridged version.) Because of the sheer numbers, they'd done away with the boxes and put down plastic sheeting and barriers. You were supposed to push as far forward as you could and then throw the money. In the picture, the money pit is under the string with paper dangling.

i can stand!

2005-12-30T23:01:00.000-05:00

wee G, doing his standing thing.

isn't he the cutest?

the national bird

2005-12-29T21:59:00.001-05:00

is apparently the crow. They're everywhere - and very vocal. We could hear them chattering outside K&D's flat - very clearly about 5am. Rumor has it that the crow has some symbolic meaning in Japan, but I've forgotten what...

the imperial palace

2005-12-29T21:59:00.000-05:00

is open to the public two days a year. That's it. No more. Two days. Amazingly enough, we were in Tokyo for both of them. Did we go, you ask? No. Not on your life. Everything in Japan shuts down the days that the palace is open. Everything. Even the 7-11. Everyone in Japan goes to the palace. Everyone. And they take their children, grandmother, great-grandmother, crazy cousin, and the dog. Maybe not the dog. We took this picture on a lovely day just before the madness...

the long lost duck-billed platypus

2005-12-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

i found him. in the imperial palace moat. who knew?

blue tree land

2005-12-27T17:23:00.000-05:00

Still in Shinjuku. Still not sure what holiday we're decorated for...

Shinjuku at night...

2005-12-27T17:14:00.000-05:00

Shinjuku is a gloriously vibrant (and well-lit) section of town. Has the busiest train station in the world, tons of people, and no lack of shopping opportunities.

The wreaths are seasonal decorations, but we weren't sure if they were an attempt at Christmas, or actually for New Year's.

Note that New Year's is a national religious holiday - the whole country shuts down. Christmas is a romantic holiday. Date night in the land of Shintoism.

the dai-ichi hotel

2005-12-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

this is the hotel that my grandfather lived in when he was first stationed in Tokyo. Once Grams moved over with Mom and the Uncle, they lived on base. But Gramps would take them to Sunday dinner in the hotel's dining room. Fun fact: the hotel is built on rockers so it won't collapse in an earthquake.

(that's mom in front of it. she was really excited to find it.)

Christmas morning...

2005-12-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

This pretty much sums it up: adventures with wee G. This turned out to be a fantastic find... and it sings. (or not. which is the best feature. i have a new appreciation for toys with volume switches).

2005-12-23T19:32:00.000-05:00

well, yesterday was an adventure into the world of japanese families. We went to a afternoon party of this Japanese mother`s group... Mostly foreign fathers. Interesting, but a bit exhausting. Wee G was *not* a fan of the crawling competition. On the upside, I did learn how to make a snail with my hands.

Mom and I wandered around, and then met K and Wee G at a lovely tempura restuarant in Shibuya. What`s interesting is that every department store has restaurants on the top floors and a grocery store in the basement. Generally, the grocery stores are very elegant affairs - kinda a Dean and Deluca. Although, D&D does exist here...

Off to a brunch. About to get in trouble for bewing slow.

Merry Christmas Eve from Tokyo...

tokyu hands

2005-12-22T07:36:00.000-05:00

A lovely day of wandering around Tokyo... and a cab ride that went a bit astray. Picture me trying to give directions to a cab driver who speaks not a word of English. Lovely few moments of switching back and forth between the map and the phrasebook - all while Mom is saying, "what is he saying?" and "what are you telling him?". He was really quite nice about it, though. Didn`t even mutter under his breath in Japanese. Probably went to find the nearest bottle of shoshu, though.

Prior to the cab ride from hell, we toured Tokyu Hands. Have I mentioned that I love this store?? It`s a combination of painting/scrapbooking/artist store, stationary store, Sur le Table, crafty stuff, and Home Depot. They carry everything you could possibly need to make anything in the world. I love it. Seriously could spend hours wandering around.

We also ventured into the Takeshimaya department store. Department stores in Tokyo are totally an experience. Neimans is the closest thing I can think of, but that doesn`t come close. They`re fantastic. Wonderful service, beautiful things, and they wrap everything. Of course, when they label your items in Japanese, it makes the wrapping kinda pointless. We`re going to have to break into the boxes to figure out what is what. But the thought is great.

Wenders, you`d seriously *love* this store. I think of you whenever I go in...

Currently babysitting wee G while his parents are at the company party. Had a fantastic play time follwed by a bit of whining. Discovered that if you feed him two bottles, he starts snoring pretty quickly. Not qute sure if he`s allowed to have two bottles, but it seemed like a better option than an hour of screaming.

Tomorrow we go to a Japanese children`s Christmas party... if I haven`t poisoned wee G, that is. Mama Cate, just how much do one year olds actually eat?

tokyo

2005-12-21T20:15:00.000-05:00

safely arrived, and slowly recovering from the jet lag. spent yesterday wandering around the Meiji shrine with wee G. Kat rescued him as Mom and I headed off to lunch with D. Fiddled around K&D`s neighborhood yesterday afternoon before K took me on a late-night grocery run. Love the grocery store. Managed to identify the soymilk as the one with soybeans in the background instead of cows... lovely. The packaging is so helpful, especially as I don`t read Japanese!

Mom and I are heading off to the land of crafts today... Tokyu Hands. Epic poems could be written about this store.

garden party

2005-12-14T23:54:00.000-05:00

Mom's Christmas present... a double lap quilt in the 'trip around the world' pattern.

the first picture is for design, the second for color. it's actually wider than it is long, but that picture didn't work out. clearly, i need to have a better relationship with my digital camera. maybe i'll buy it coffee sometime. or some fancy batteries or something.

let there be...

2005-12-14T23:49:00.000-05:00

broadband!

I have a fast internet connection and I'm a happy girl. In celebration, I submit a picture of my godson... it's from may, but the whole blog's out of date. no fear, there shall be more soon.

broadband!

2005-12-14T00:25:00.000-05:00

there is a man on top of our 60 foot tower, installing wireless broadband as I type! i could faint from joy! woo-hoo!

this means that there will be more posts soon - and with pictures!

wwjd in walmart...

2005-11-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

today, a man sporting a "what would jesus do" polo shirt uttered the phrase, "jesus christ. why are the bananas so damn expensive?"

the 4-fs

2005-11-09T00:50:00.000-05:00

i can't believe i actually remember this - much less am publicly admitting that I ever knew...

the rules state that the following are off limits:

* firsties (until Thanksgiving)
* floormates
* first-timers
* friends

tennessee waltzing

2005-11-08T00:23:00.000-05:00

This is my latest quilt top, although the photo doesn't really show the colors. The pattern is a Tennesse Waltz, and I've wanted to make this quilte for eons. This one is a queen (or it will be once I add the borders, etc.)

My new quilting frame should be in sometime this week, and then I can start putting the quilts together. Right now, I have lots of quilt tops seeking batting and backing. And some love and patience.

the lamp

2005-11-07T01:51:00.000-05:00

My parents eloped in 1964, at the age of 19. Ran off from their small Christian college for small Christians and found a Justice of the Peace. (Dad borrowed the $20 to pay the Justice of the Peace from his best friend.)

My paternal grandfather's only reponse was, "You can't possibly get married. You don't even own a lamp!"

Dad walked out of the house, grabbed a log off the wood pile, and made a lamp.

my new toy

2005-11-07T01:07:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned my new toy? And just how much I'm actually in love with it? I had no idea just how wonderful a quilting/sewing machine really could be... It's got fun accessories and room to play and all sorts of bells and whistles. (including this nifty little bar that lets you lift the presser foot with your knee!)

Apparently, quilting tradition holds that you have to name your machines, so I'm currently taking suggestions.

the "younger" lesbian speaks out

2005-11-06T23:19:00.000-05:00

I met this fantastic woman while I was in college. I was her student worker, and she showed remarkable patience with me. Kinda took me under her wing and managed to dole out some pretty sane advice and reassurance that there was hope for the future. In fact, I'd go back to the dorms after work and spread the news that all hope wasn't lost... As wenders has pointed out, the "experienced" point of view was sadly lacking at our esteemed alma mater.

One afternoon, as she was assuring me that there was such a thing as a drama-free relationship, that ex-girlfriends didn't have to be your best friend, and that college lesbianism bore no resemblance to reality, I accidentally referred to her as an "older lesbian". In fact, the quote was something to the effect of, "It's really nice to have an older lesbian to talk to about this stuff."

I must say that this comment ranks up there for me on the foot in the mouth scale. Although, it was meant as a compliment/thank you to this very cool person who was providing me much needed sanity and perspective during a very traumatizing senior year. But, alas, there has been no end to the chaff I've taken over the years...

Cate and her fabulous partner Rhys showed me that there was hope for real life, babies, and all the good stuff. And have provided me with much-needed sanity on more than one occasion.

(In return, I explained what the 4 -f rule was, provided the campus gossip, and brought a whole new generation of MHC lesbians to catch the pearls of wisdom from the not-much-older-but much-wiser lesbian.)

Oh, and. I turn 29 next year.

george bush doesn't like black people...

2005-09-18T22:35:00.000-04:00

a remix of kayne west's gold digger. don't listen at work. but do listen.

http://ia300134.us.archive.org/0/items/George_Bush_Doesnt_Like_Black_People/GeorgeBushDoesntCareAboutBlackPeople.mp3

the wedding quilt

2005-09-01T23:29:00.000-04:00

this is the quilt that i made for j and d. promised wenders that i'd post pictures months ago and i keep forgetting.

just bought fabric for another couple quilts - a really cute baby quilt, i hope.

i'm also touring quilt shops of maine. i'm in love.

jus visiting blog land

2005-08-14T01:10:00.000-04:00

haven't been in blog world for a while. My computer broke (grrrr to Dell) and I'm having a it of trouble getting Dell to deal with it. They seem to have the attitude that I'll just forget that my computer doesn't work...

Anyway, I've been very busy quilting. I've finished two in the last couple days , and I'm about to start a third. They're all small, though. I want a bigger project, and i haven't figured out what I want to do yet. Suggestions welcome.

Saw Odd Girl Out tonight - great band. Went with Meara to Ellicot City (suburbs of Balmore). It was an experience. Everyone was friendly and had really bad dye jobs.

It was great to hang withe Meara - I don't spend enough time with her, and I'm always glad when I do.

I must head off to bed now, but I'll try to be more prompt with my updating... don't hold your breath or anything.

my favorite line ever:

2005-07-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

"High maintenance" is just another way of saying "high quality".

offroading in the benz

2005-07-06T23:08:00.000-04:00

So, there I am. Driving my mama around on her errands. Minding my own business. Buying hoses at Homo Depot and an obscene number of books at B&N. Delivering a graduation present to my cousin.

Now, let's note that the cousin isn't exactly close. Despite the 30 mile distance between our houses. Mom had to dig out the directions written by my dead grandmother in order to find the place. They live in one of those communities that used to be a farm. So every street is named after a flowering tree or species of cow, and there are fifteen new communities that have popped up since the aforementioned dead grandmother scribbled on her pink post-it note. And a new golf course.

We manage to get lost three times en route. As it turns out, the grandmother that made me practice my penmanship one sunny summer day had pretty crap-tastic penmanship herself. And her daughter, as we knew, has a pretty crap-tastic sense of direction.

After we (finally) drop off the present, we decide that we can find a short cut home. After all, the road we're on crosses the highway that takes us home.

Did I mention the golf course?

Yeah. Not so much with the shortcut. We see another road and zoom off into the safety of actual country. After passing 5 real, live cows that haven't been displaced for suburban sprawl, Mom sees another "shortcut".

Now, let's take a second and discuss this.

The woman shrieks, "Turn left!!!". I slam on the brakes and say, "Where? That's a dirt road."

She insists, "Yes. It comes out on the other side of the forest." I point out that we are, in fact, driving her Mercedes. There is no cell phone service in the forest. And I am not wearing shoes that will have me hiking through the forest seeking help. For that matter, we've been stopped in the middle of the road arguing for five minutes, and no one has passed us.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we take the dirt road. It's really a dirt road. There are ruts and logs to swerve around. At one point, I point out that this is the point in the movie where the car breaks down and the people end up being eaten by badgers. Mom locks the doors. To keep out the feisty little badgers.

After driving along the dirt road for twenty minutes, we come to a stop sign. Yes, sports fans, there was a stop sign on a dirt road.

And then she says, "Ooops. Wrong road."

Yep. It took us an hour and twenty minutes to get home. Had we followed the dead grandmother's directions, we'd have been home in twenty-five.

almost bedtime

2005-07-01T23:02:00.000-04:00

Too much sangria, especially as dinner was Indian. Made tandoori chicken and spicy green beans with garlic. of course, the chocolate cake was everyone's favorite...

My friend J and (new) husband D came down for dinner - a prelude to the festivities tomorrow. That is, of course, if the electrician can get the boat and waverunner lifts working. Nothing like weekend guests coming and no way to access the river. Unless they want to jump in, and who wants to resort to that?

Tiger is currently purring up a storm on my bed. She, of course, had nothing to do with the flower arrangement that was strewn across the den. She was, of course, helping us by pointing out the poorly arranged flowers. heh.

the cake class "final"

2005-07-01T16:05:00.000-04:00

This was the "final" for my cake decorating class...

the patriotic cake

2005-07-01T15:41:00.000-04:00

Here it is. I'm actually pleased with the results. I used the same white chocolate icing to do the decorating (except the roses), and I think it'll taste better that way. It did have some decorating issues, even though I tried to stiffen the icing a bit.

Also, a close up of the roses. Some are better than others, but... it's edible, so hopefilly no complaints.

flour in my hair

2005-06-30T20:09:00.000-04:00

for reasons surpassing understanding, i decided that today was baking day.

a chocolate cake with white chocolate icing (round, two layers)
a chocolate cake with white chocolate icing (sheet, to be decorated)
kentucky chess squares
lemon bars
congo squares
tomato sauce (not very flour-y, but still produced)

the cake (to be decorated) is going to be a red-white-and-blue affair for our neighbors... the thought of making a patriotic cake is almost more than i can handle. but it's what she wanted. lovely woman, but a bit too excited about the 4th. i'll post pictues of the final creation...

tiger lily

2005-06-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

my cat has developed this annoying habit of drinking out of water glasses. and, the ingenious cat that she is, she sticks her paw in glasses where the water's too low to drink.

this morning, her "fishing" for water resulted in her tipping over a glass of water - into my bed. with me in it. good morning!

anyone want a cat?

george's quilt

2005-06-29T21:56:00.000-04:00

so, this is george's quilt. this was the first "real" quilt that I made - the first was actually a wedding present for george's parents. it was a learning experience. it turn out okay, but I don't think I saved any pictures.

the shed.

2005-06-29T21:43:00.000-04:00

ask, and ye shall receive. pictures of "the shed":

my "new" shed.

2005-06-29T18:11:00.000-04:00

so i finally sat down to figure out why my loom is making me very unhappy, and realized that i had put it together wrong. i bought my Toika Liisa from someone who was selling his dad's loom, and didn't have any instructions - the best we could do was label the pieces with masking tape. turns out that i should have also made a diagram of the tie-up structure.

i decided that today was the day. i was going to conquer the loom. and, with the help of organic apples and cinnamon oatmeal (yum!), i did.

it's amazing what a difference a shed makes to a girl's weaving happiness.

i'm going to finish my test pattern and then i think i'm off to weave. no idea what, but the fun shall begin. (again)

hello, new world.

2005-06-29T16:49:00.000-04:00

I'm giving into peer pressure. No more resisting:

Welcome to my blog.