Other causes I lurve:


The Gail Perkins ovarian awareness group has a walk that has taken place, but their site has wonderful information and there's always next year!

Remember that the JRDF walk is coming up soon - you can always support my friend Scott.

Hearts with Haiti really needs your help. Things in Haiti are almost bleaker than I can comprehend.

And of course I encourage you to donate to the candidate of your choice for state and local races, as well as the big 'un.

I'm feeling like I should put positiveness out into the uni, so I'll report that my family had a special time of it this weekend. Team Whilst traveled to a town west of here for my daughter's soccer tournament. Not only did she play crazy great (including performing a block that had her sliding into the ball to knock it away from an offensive opponent...she would be on the highlights reel), but we all enjoyed the Emb-ASS-y Suites - free breakfast! Complimentary cocktails! A separate room for Mom and Dad! There was also the 10 hours of sleep we all got Saturday night. Love the church gig, but it cuts into my Saturday/Sunday laziness.

So I'm feeling good and healthy and aware and rested, and I want you all to feel the same. That's my wish tonight.

Also about my son? He has a favorite new playmate at recess, a boy who is not in his class. From what we can tell, the boy speaks in another language that "is not Spanish", but his English is good enough that he and my son discuss any number of things. The playmate's name, according to my son, is "Y2K".

Y2K is apparently funny, engaging, and quickly becoming popular with the 3rd grade boys. Until the school directory is published, we may not know his real name. Even then, some of the Montanyard children at school's names go almost completely unknown....initials are used. So for now, Y2K it is. My son says it is spelled "Ytookay." I prefer the numbers. I"ll keep you posted....I can't wait to meet him!

My son asked, "Is 'Mad Men' your 'SpongeBob'?"

I replied, "No, 'Lost' is."

On the Street with Bill Cunningham< - another fun fall truffle.

On the Street with Bill Cunningham - another fun fall truffle.

The Great Schlep

Y'all know I'm, at the very least, a bit fascinated with Britney Spears. I loved when my sister-in-law got tickets to see her concert, and then got my daughter a t-shirt. I shielded my children from the worst of it (though they heard about it at school), and I basically forbade them from watching "Zoey 101" when Jamie Lynn Spears got pregnant at age 16.

Yes. I decided they should not watch that show, based upon the actions of the star in her personal life.

So when Bristol Palin shows up pregnant, proud, touted, and supported on a national stage, what was I to do? I didn't let my children watch. I didn't even tell them about her or her condition. But I let myself get swept along in the tide of public opinion. I agreed that "that's life".

So it is with a heavy heart, in these dark times, that I tell you I actually applaud Lynne Spears. I admit, finally, that it took guts for that family to keep that baby. I admit that we have treated them badly, we who watch from afar. Sorry about that.

For more on the story, visit the venerable news source, "Pink is the New Blog". I swear, sometimes it takes a celebrity web site to make you realize your own double standard.

It's time for my semi-annual, preachy blog post on do-goodery. In the midst of awards season, election fever, and the change in weather, I want to remember to get out there and make change happen.

My husband and son were actively involved in the Stop Hunger Now! packaging of meals held here in the Raleigh area last week. "Dash" got to run bags of meal back and forth...so he was happy. Our group packaged over 40,000 nutritious meals. Not shabby for a couple of hours of work.

My friends support the JDRF and their annual walk. What a good reason to stroll about in the Fall!

Banned Books Week is next week. Note your favorites on the splash page. Do what you can to learn about how to keep libraries free, open spaces for us all.

Regardless what you support or don't, you should vote. It feels, especially now as we enter troubled financial waters and tight races, that our one vote is insignificant. And it is. But we still get to do it, and that is something. Not everyone does. You can register with Barack or John, or you can rock. Editor's note: These sites are SUCH an improvement over having to find some out of the way library back in the day to go prove who you were and how old you were, etc.! This Internets thing is really wonderful!

There is a lot of talk, and will be in the next month, about faith-based organizations and the work they do to help the underpriveledged. I am an employee of a faith-based organization of sorts. I also have mixed feelings about such organizations. But I will not deny, and I will not have you malign, the important work they do for the least of these. At my place of work alone we are focusing on Stop Hunger Now, WIHN, Wee Care, Urban Ministries, ZOE, and a Red Cross blood drive. And that's just this week. Most folks I know are equally busy at their places of worship...it is really heartening, when you are low, to look around at the good work people do. I'm proud of you, friends - you know who you are!

That's enough preaching for one day. This all comes from me feeling so tiny and small, that the problems are so overreaching, and that the People StyleWatch didn't lift me up like I hoped it would. Sometimes I need to stop and remember that there are ways that I can bring hope and change, if only for a few, if only for a little while.

Don't tell my husband, but I just spent $80 on one undergarment. We won't call it a bra, we'll call it a brassiere.

When one has special needs, one seeks a specialist. So it was that I ventured to J. Alane's in the tony Lassiter shopping village. A girl who did not look unlike P!nk took me back, asked me outright my bra size, and then laughed as I measured two inches smaller in one area and two inches bigger in another. Who knew? She then pushed, pulled, and mauled me into the garment in question.

What does my eighty smackers get me? A French-made, long-lasting, uber-supportive brassiere that lifts the girls and smoothes, shapes, whatever else you can think of. Whilst other gals may spend their money on clothing consultants and wardrobe assistants, I went a bit deeper. I believe a solid foundation will serve me well.

I don't know whether or not to let my children see P!nk's new poignant, energetic video. I worry that my son would want to pee in bottles and offer it to people, and that they might start to understand heartbreak....

This could be terrifying or fun, depending on Guillermo's mood, I guess.

My (ancient, annoying, immortal) cat looks a lot like the Spaghetti Cat.

Also, I saw this on the treadmill today. Maybe Sarah Palin and Michelle could have a dance-off?

Happy Birthday, Beanie!

My husband's birthday involved yet another tropical system. As far as those monsters go, this one was mild. We lost power for all of five minutes and got five inches of needed rain. He got to sleep in, read the paper in bed, and enjoy pancakes. And then he had to GO!

I don't know why my husband, who is inherently a bit lazy, needs to go/run/do on Saturdays. It drives me nuts, but go we did. We went downtown to the new convention center, the International Festival, and the various food/artist/bizarre vendors surrounding both. Hubby had Nepalese food. My daughter and I had some bizarre Chinese sweet buns, and my son went Bangladeshi.

Then, my son and husband went out for a birthday afternoon of canvassing voters. That's right. He spent his birthday going door-to-door, talking to undecided voters. You gotta love this guy...or at least admire him...or puzzle, along with me, about what makes him tick.

They got a few people who were interested in chatting, someone who shut the door in their faces (my baby!), and a man who felt compelled to speak to them for an HOUR (my baby!) about Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers. Then they went and got Locopops.

Flush with political happy times, Hubby then watched his beloved Demon Deacons pull it out in the last minute! With that victory, he also enjoyed his new favorite beer - a Bud Light Lime. NOW are you puzzled about what makes him tick??

We ended the day with a special lasagna and a family viewing of "Stick It" and some special couple time. Was it a good birthday, Beanie? I hope so, 'cause you deserve it.

I'm tired of politics. So let's do some random musings.

At an exit on the beltline: a shiny black Honda convertible with the license tag "MBA JD". Good for you? Beside it, a shiny neon blue Nissan 350 Z or something with the tag "DROPOUT". Better for YOU!

The Tropical Storm called Hanna is now entering these parts. It feels like a snow day, except a lot more humid. I have chips, salsa, limes, and ground lamb for a special lasagna. Also, I have my trendy book. And HBO!

(My favorite thing about my job, by the way, is that my boss has a PhD in meterology. He has called four times today to report on INCOMING RAIN BANDS. I am out of my head with joy.)

The start of school is always so totally fraught. People upset about their teacher, their carpool situation, their child's behaviour. We've been dealing with tired monkeys who have bits of colds. And also the transition from summer to school, which sucks all around for everyone. Still, they are excited to go each day, and for that I am extremely grateful and proud. All this to say: I'm not going to complain because it's all pretty good.

Next weekend is a potential girls' beach weekend for me. I've not done this since 2002. And before that, I'm not sure that I ever did it. I'm nervous, as I sometimes drink too much and say things that offend or shock or whatever it is that I do. Also, I never sleep well away from home. But I'm also excited as this particular group of ladies has few who really get on my nerves, and the ones that do get on my nerves do so only occasionally. Really, I think I am the one who gets on nerves in this group. So barring a full-on attack from Hurricane Ike, I'll hopefully report back to you next week tanned, rested, and seriously hungover. Oh! And we're discussing the porn book. My husband said not to act any of it out, but if I did, make sure and film it.

From the Times:

"Asked if Ms. Palin would be able to juggle the demands of the vice presidency with her complicated family life, Mr.[Steve] Schmidt [McCain strategist] said, 'She’s been a very effective governor and again I can’t imagine that question being asked of a man.'"

OH REALLY? I beg to differ, Steve! John Edwards' main trouble, it always seemed to me, was that he continued to run for office though his wife had breast cancer. Granted, that guy dealt with his stress in a way less preferable than what you would want from a presidential hopeful, but still. Do not, Steve, play the gender card that way. I think we both know that when Governor Palin was picked as a VP candidate you she was not considered just for being an "effective governor".

I've not known how to put down my thoughts on Hillary in this forum, knowing that many of you read it are Republicans, some are devotedly in love with Senator Obama, and some couldn't give a shit about any politics....but you should know that I am one of those people who really wanted to see her win.

I know she had crooked real estate dealings. I know her "marriage" is non-traditional. I know she is power hungry. I know she's a bitch. ("Yeah. She is...and so am I....") Yet, I was given a chance to vote for a smart, qualified, experienced (please don't flinch when I use that word....Obama is plenty experienced and everyone knows it) candidate who cares about the issues I do and who happens to be a woman. This may not happen again in my lifetime, nor my daughter's. But I can tell my daughter, regardless, about the time someone really did put those 18,000 cracks in the glass ceiling and really changed things for women in America. I'll tell her, too, that on a pre-menstrual, rainy night I watched Hillary's speech at 3:30 a.m. (you try sleeping when your hormones are causing your synapses to snap, crackle and pop) and I cried...even when I was bored by the stats and politicospeak...because we had a chance to see what a woman can do leading America and that chance, for now, is gone.

I am supporting Obama/Biden 100% and I plan to talk to my fellow Hillary supporters (especially those who will perhaps head McCain's way) about why. I believe Obama will work with Senator Clinton, Speaker Pelosi, and other ladies in leadership positions. And finally, I think Michelle Obama will be as powerful a first lady as we've seen....not since the likes of....Hillary.

I just love the New York Times fashion moments...just a little video blurbette for the interested observer.

When I have time, I also peruse Face Hunter for street style. They are going further and further abroad, though, so I don't find it as accessible.

I know, I know, the Democratic National Convention starts and the Closing Ceremonies were ridiculous and it might RAIN HERE...shocker....but sometimes you need a break from all that seriousness.

Welcome to the Team!

I get it. I just don't like it.

Crocs Don't Rock

From Dooce:

"So we walked over to the ENORMOUS display, I'm talking racks and racks, almost an acre of genital wart-inducing gnome shoes, and she heads straight for the green ones, and I'm all, no way, no how, this right here is called compromise, or in some circles they call it laying down the law. I like to call it There Is No Amendment To The Constitution That States You Get To Choose What Color Of Ugly Shoe Your Mother Is Averse To Even Let You Look At."

Sorry all you. I feel the same way, and thank God Mr. Puma and Ms. Old Navy Slip-On That is Too Big By a Wide Margin haven't mentioned them.

Songs of a Season, by Maureen N. McLane

for here or to go--

a glass mug, a paper cup --

life is fast, art slow

_____

only a few years

before all that I am blows

free, subatomic

______

not for me that life

the careless joy of the dog

not for me that leap

_____

how to say

beautiful weekend

in chinese?

_____

is "weekend" a concept 

in China?

______

rose petals fell

and the wine uncorked itself

for our pleasure...

______

what comfort

do you not give me

little cat?

_____

wheatfield bleached near blond

light licking the Luberon

and the sea beyond

_____

the cherry orchard

harvested but for one tree

found that afternoon

_____

yesterday I saw a fox

then saw

it was a deer

all year

I have been mistaking

the hunted

for hunter

_____

for the lilacs the bees

for the maples the jays

for the locust the chickadee

for the lavendar the butterfly

for the bleeding heart the ruby throat

for my lips your tanned throat

______

in mandarin

The Little Szechuan Place

in english

Shangri-La

this modest joint

serves taiwanese home cooking

pigs' ears, beef rolls, doughnuts

for dipping in soy milk

_____

 air thick

with lilac

the strong sun liquefying

the street

_____

mosquito whine

dinnertime

______

mourning dove at evening

and the ancients thought Venus

two stars equally bright

at morning and evening

doubling the source

of day's beauty

_____

your plum lips

your slim hips

fingertips

_____

and while I was not thinking

the lake rolled on

and while I was thinking

on a soft summer day sitting by the lake

I missed the lake

_____

with my swizzle stick

and my scissor kick

I'm set for summer

drinks on the deck

and dives from the dock

the main halyard's new

nylon white and blue

the old mainsail's patched

no mice in the hatch

let's cast off from the dock

and break out the bock

set sail for Split Rock

_____

reached for a raspberry

got a nettle

forgot the stove flame

burnt the old kettle

______

caffe latte -- "caf
or decaf?" little choices
of an afternoon

Of all the things that John Edwards did, or didn't do, that have now
come to light and merit our questions and judgement, the one that
annoys me the most is that he has completely legitimized the National Enquirer. In fact,
by calling their (spot-on) reports "tabloid trash", he has given them
claim to a moral superiority he himself once had. Or, perhaps, he never had this touted moral superiority. Gail Collins says: "If Edwards’s political career is toast, it will be because he has always seemed to be less than a sum of his parts: the position papers, the “Two Americas,” the photogenic grin, the supersmart wife. The only piece of the package that consistently disappointed was the man himself."

Maureen Dowd put the skewer in snugly by calling Edwards' infidelity "oncologically correct". I myself would say that the infidelity is politically correct, as in lots of politicians do it. The decision to do it after trotting one's cancer-stricken wife onto the campaign trail, continuing to campaign for a desperate Democratic Party's nomination, and then lying about it - and funding or having knowledge of the funding of - the cover-up.....well, Senator, there's the rub.

What Would Joan Holloway Do?

Baby got BACK! I love her. (You can also ask Don Draper.)

New episode, tonight at 10. I better stay awake, remember to watch it, and avoid the Olympics. Which may be hard to do. I know, I know....get TiVo.

I am typing from a stand-up station at the library. Our computer is down...AGAIN...but things are looking up. As in, we probably won't be buying a new computer til next year. Some guy sitting next to me at the genius bar (NOT the genius working on my machine) may have solved our problem. Thank you, Greybeard Genius Bar Guy, for suggesting more RAM. We'll let you know how it goes, should we ever run into you again.

More randomness - I promise to get organized soon! I got my hairs cut (as we like to say in our family). Only 5 people have noticed, and of those only 3 seem to like it. My husband loves it, but we all know what his ulterior motives are. My daughter reminded me that it only matters if I like it. And I do.

Top 5 Things I Love About My Baby Niece:

1. She likes me and smiles when she sees me!
2. She opens her mouth wide with amazement...lots.
3. She is completely irresistible when asleep and one wants to wake her and play with her.
4. She drinks and eats heartily and poops the same way.
5. When hiking, attached to an adult in a Baby Bjorn, she sings/talks non-stop.

My session is running out here in the library, and I must go give blood anyway. Have YOU given blood lately? Just asking.

Say what you will about our beloved Chick-Fil-A, but it made the grade. I will admit to occasionally getting fatty spicy dressing (heaven) and sweetened tea, but still.

Did you watch Mad Men's premiere? If not, you can mooch off your connected friends and see not only the missed premiere, but the 2nd episode too!!!! Big secrets revealed! Smarmy! Hot fashion and cocktails!

Do you live in town? If so, make plans now to attend the NC premiere of "Ready? OK!" starring people I like and admire, and a family-friendly couple of hours. Get tickets here.

Random Musings

Do you want to see Helen Mirren in a bikini? THE ANSWER IS, YES, YOU DO. Good gravy! Like the Fug Girls, I, too am in love.

Do you want to see "The Dark Knight"? I do, and yet am scared, and yet if I can sit through most of "Children of Men" (a recent rental) I think I can. Reviews of interest here, here, and here (though I truly hate our paper's reviewer at the moment. Why all the Will Smith hate, Craig Lindsey???)

The Olympics always tire me out. One more thing to do, and one more excuse to not exercise - instead, I watch fiercely competitive, passionate people in amazing shape go out and do dramatic physical feats whilst sitting on my ass. Still, one is inspired by Dana Torres, if only because she is 41 and a mom. I don't believe the doping semi-hype. I think she just rocks.

The New Yorker, my only source of cultural reference for many years and a magazine I've subscribed to since I was less than 30, is getting some major criticism over this week's cover. My copy hasn't come yet. My newspaper columnist friend has weighed in, and my mother-in-law left a message this morning bemoaning the offensiveness of the cover and her desire to quit her subscription in protest. Anywho, the artwork seems to be in bad taste, but I would agree that perhaps it might have gone a bit under the radar had Obama's campaign not brought it up at all. We'll see how I feel when I hold the issue in my hands.

We're gone for a week. The cat is well cared-for, we have folks staying in our house whilst we are gone so don't even think about it, and there is rain forecast for my new plantings. Goodbye, and good luck.

MORE Happiness! Rocky rocky!

The album is due September 13.

Another Reason to be Happy

I found, via about four other websites, a treatise on How to Be Happy.

See #1. And my own personal fave would be #3, but you probably know that about me.

During this session of Camp Grandma, we've had three delish dinners and feel very much at ease with one another. It's crazy how you forget a lot about the person you are married to when you run a cab service/diner/laundromat.

We had tasty but surprisingly expensive Indian food from our fave place in town. UTI, I know you react badly when spicy food is introduced, but I don't care. Chicken Tikka Masala forever! That night we watched "Juno", which I had already seen. I repeat that the supporting players damn near outshine the cute and perky Ellen Page.

The second night was the big night out. I rested all day hoping to be up for it, put on a newish frock, and we went downtown. We checked in on my hubby's new building, then went to Fins. Thank God my boss had given me a gift certificate for my birthday. Sheesh, was it pricey - but worth every penny. The atmosphere is so chic, the service so unobtrusive, the food so ridic....and me, just in from Chi-town and New York! I daresay we had my fave meal EVER in the Triangle that night. We went to The Mint for dessert, which was fun and bar-hoppish, but I wish we'd stayed at Fins, in retrospect. I did enjoy my lemon verbena creme brulee but the green tea biscotti tasted a bit like seaweed.

Oh, so what did we have at Fins: the Thai snapper for him, the mango-salad Sea Bass deal for me, the hot pot appetizer selection of a Thai soup with shrimps. GOOD FREAKING TIMES.

Last night we had to go to a soccer meeting for my daughter's team, which was crazy, but it made us feel like we deserved another expensive night out. We went back to a tried and true place, Margaux's, which has been around since we got married in '92. They even had vintage menu items from '92 as choices! I got another great piece of fish but wow, was it filling with a She-Crab bisque surrounding it. My husband got duck. I love duck. I love all the cute animals.

So today I'm hopin' and prayin' he comes home from work early and we can go see "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and laugh and relive our Hawaii trip, and then get a LIGHT dinner with NO alcohol (eesh I'm a bit hungover from a very tobacco-y Zin last night).

I promise to get back to bitter, angry, and edgy posting next week sometime.

Because I am a nice wife, I will occasionally jazz up our Netflix queue with a boy movie, especially after a slew of costume dramas. I was very, very brave last week to watch, in its entirety, ""I Am Legend".

I didn't expect to completely adore it.


Will Smith is a pretty thing to see. I've always liked him, despite the Scientology rumours and his way of naming children. He and his wife seem on equal footing, they work well with the ex-wife apparently, and I love that a black man in Hollywood gets the recognition and money that white actors have claimed for so long. I mean, look at them!

But. To single-handedly carry along a plot line - and a crazy one at that - for at least an hour of a major film. That is something that few have done - Tom Hanks comes to mind. I remember a New York friend telling me, after seeing "I Am Legend" in the theatre, that she wished she "hadn't seen my city in that state". I can understand - the shots of Manhattan completely uninhabited, wild, and decaying are amazing and horrible. Still, one can't take their eyes off of Will Smith. He's believeable as a military medical genius, he's believable as a survivorist, he's believable as someone whose sense of self is slipping away.

That said, the movie falls off at the end. The questions of faith and science are nice touches (a la "Lost), and without spoiling it for you I can reveal that other characters appear in various states of humanity. The way the movie MIGHT have ended, however, is highly preferable.

Take some time, if you've seen "I Am Legend", and watch the alternate ending. I believe this was how the movie should have finished. Now to read the books!

Camp Grandma

My children are on their second jaunt to "Camp Grandma". The first occurred during my jet-setting. (In the space of four months I went to London, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. Who you calling BORING, huh???) Yesterday, the urchins left with their grandparents for a brief trip - we'll see them Friday afternoon. One would have thought that they were being shipped to the country for their safety. I'm not complaining: I can't remember a time, even during the sweet toddler years, that I've felt such affection and attention from them. I also can't help but wonder if I'm raising them to be too dependent on me and their dad. Of course I want them to fly....but my gut tells me that they need stability and assurance at this point, so I am encouraging and push a bit, but also return their love.

The minute they left I was expected at a staff retreat. We sat outside in the hot. Still, there was a breeze, it was poolside at a lovely in-town home with a gorgeously landscaped yard, and there was lemonade and watermelon along with catty asides and frustrations (and occasional problem-solving, too).

So obviously when that was over, I left and fled to the gym since I never get to go during the summer. No parking! ANYWHERE! WTF?????


Then, I went home thinking I'd go for a walk -- the temp had cooled. But there was nausea, and pain, and I spent the rest of our first night of alone time in a fetal position waiting for my doctor to call in a round of antibiotics. My dear husband drove me to an all-night pharmacy at 11 p.m. I fell asleep in the car waiting for him and promptly had a nightmare that I was driving and the brakes went out. Honey, if you're reading, I promise we will go out tonight to somewhere more fun, and possibly less expensive than the Cipro was!

Let's Talk About...

....sex, baybeeee.

First, having sex. You can, if you want to, in most cases! Especially if you are, say, a white suburban married woman or perhaps a thirty-something hipster guy with really cute fashion sense. You may want to have sex a LOT, or you may opt out of marital relations. One hundred days in a row, or even 365 days in a row seems....monotonous, but goals are worth having! Not having sex seems to be a common ailment amongst a lot of married couples I know. There are a variety of reasons folks don't do it, and most have to do with daily life and its trevails. Still, it seems like a good idea to get on the bandwagon, at least every now and again. Ok, ladies? Give it up for your guy tonight! Guys: spend a little extra time, please!

By the way, married sex is going to gain some new fans AND haters, soon!


One of the reasons I've been thinking about this topic is that my book club has voted on, basically, a porno (but highly regarded and critically lauded) graphic novel for one of our selections. This has been a tough decision, and maybe offensive to some members of our club. I won't even link to the book here for fear of repurcussions, but my initial forays into the selection left me aroused, offended, and even a bit bored. I'll let you know how THAT discussion goes, when and if it happens!

Finally, there is occasional discussion of the birds and the bees around here. Now, I'm not exactly like the Family Kinsey, but I'm trying to be open and truthful, and still respectful of the age and the innocence and the general repulsion a ten year-old might have. To say that this is like walking a tightrope is about right. It seems to me that the biggest issue someone just finding out about sex might have is why it is, and how it came to be, so very important. Sure, people make babies via this vehicle, but they also do it for nefarious and self-satisfying reasons. And it is everywhere - music, movies, books, adverts. I'm trying to give it its due whilst still making sure that its mores are known and respected. Tough task, that.

R.E.M. at Walnut Creek June 10th, 2008

First, I can safely publish the set list thanks to a. this GENIUS and welcome site and b. my husband taking notes on his Blackberry. I generally hate the new trend in concerts wherein people feel compelled to call friends, take photos, hold up the glowing white light of their phone during a ballad, etc. Still, I enjoyed texting my boss (who was at the Cubbies v. Braves in Chicago) and an old college friend (who got last-minute 12th row seats, grrr) during the show.

So....here's a preview of the show....


....and here's the setlist typed out:

Harborcoat (!!!!!)
Living Well's The Best Revenge
Bad Day
Whats the Frequency, Kenneth?
1,000,000 (!!!????)
Man-Sized Wreath
Welcome To The Occupation
Accelerate
7 Chinese Brothers
Hollow Man
Imitation of Life
Houston (not quite as greasy awesome as on the record, sadly)
Electrolite
Walk Unafraid (I've heard this live now probably 5x)
The One I Love
Final Straw
Find The River
Let Me In (acoustic!)
Horse To Water
Auctioneer (Another Engine) (OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Orange Crush
I'm Gonna DJ

Encore:

Supernatural Superserious
Losing My Religion
Pretty Persuasion (Um, haven't heard that live since, oh, I don't know, 1989?)
Fall On Me (w/Johnny Marr)
Sitting Still (w/Mitch Easter and Don Dixon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Man On The Moon

I should not type anything more before stating that, as you may have read, Stipe wore a SUIT. The entire time. This was no small feat. After "Harborcoat" (a wholly unexpected and delightful opener), Stipe said, "Welcome to the R.E.M. weight-loss program 2008". But he professed to love the heat, as a Georgia boy.

(I did NOT love the heat. It was blinding. Though, my husband did text me, whilst on a beer run, that I am hot when I sweat.)

Stipe only mentioned Obama twice. Amazing!

He was appropriately chatty, which pleased me. Many of Mssr. Stipe's comments centered around his love for the Raleigh area. So nice, especially considering that he travels the world regularly. R.E.M. has a lot of history here, and we were the site of Bill Berry's one and only reunion with the band (in 03...a show that was not even that amazing, except that the completely unthinkable happened. The audience was rapt...it was an incredible moment.)

The set and lighting were, as usual, strange and mysterious and great. R.E.M. works with avant-garde filmmakers and designers, so I expect nothing less. I can tell where they were headed: "Remember, we are a stadium band who make stadium rock, but we want the look and feel of an indie film." They got it.

Peter Buck barely rates notice in concert, which is very rock n' roll. The night of the 10th he was lazy on some songs, especially some of the older stuff, but he was inspiring on new songs like "Accelerate" and "Supernatural Superserious". I could have been listening to a guitarist half his age in a club twenty times smaller.

I'm not complaining about the old songs, though. Being with my husband and with my old college friend and hearing them was nostalgia exemplified. My friend took me to see R.E.M. and Let's Active at the Township in Columbia, SC, about a two-hour drive from Greenville where we attended college. I love the Internet, cause I can look back and see what that show was like -

17 November 1986 - Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
support: Let's Active
set: These Days / West Of The Fields / Harborcoat / Crazy / The One I Love / Feeling Gravitys Pull / The Flowers Of Guatemala / Pipeline / Cuyahoga / Tired Of Singing Trouble / I Believe / Swan Swan H / Lightnin' Hopkins / Superman / Can't Get There From Here / Old Man Kensey / Pretty Persuasion / Auctioneer (Another Engine) / Little America
encore: Driver 8 / Harpers / Fall On Me / Strange / I Can Only Give You Everything

And to that I say, LORD HAVE MERCY. My friend (who still rocks) and our fellow concert-mates (one of whom I recently found again, and the others...whoever they were) got up to the very front of the crowd, nabbed a set-list after the show, and received pieces of Stipe's flannel shirts (he also had hair then). This was not unusual in those days...during one Athens show in the 80s I recall leaving a front-and-center position to go outside, and then coming back in and getting right back up front. After the Township show, my buddy introduced me to Mitch Easter. Dude!

I've only seen my friend once since he graduated in '87? I think? but through the magic of technology we reunited at this R.E.M. show, near 22 years later. The band brings us all together in harmony and love, promoting peace and happiness and rock wherever they go.

OK SO BACK TO THE SHOW:

Here are the notes I jotted down on my early-ass flight to Chicago the very next morning:

Mike Mills had his traditionally goofy stage presence, but his vocals! They were spot-on and as moving and pretty as I've ever heard them. Well done, sir!

Seeing Mitch Easter and Don Dixon come out for "Sitting Still" was not as exciting as Bill coming back, but fun nonetheless and really set Raleigh's show apart. I am very grateful to R.E.M. for doing shit like that, as my Chicago trip made Raleigh seem ultra-boring. But Chicago's R.E.M. show was not as long OR as cool. So HA.

You may know that Johnny Marr came onstage to play on "Fall on Me". That was fun and 80s but didn't sound all that spectacular. Still, seeing Marr in person was very Smithstatistic....as for Modest Mouse, I could have done with about 20 minutes less of them. Jerry, of my college days, texted that they sucked - I wouldn't go that far, but I do think they need to vary up their tempos a bit. Johnny was good & jangly.

The National opened and I was in a very, very hot and humid heaven. I have a thing for the lead singer (he's a baritone! So unusual in pop music today) and the drummer is crazy-good. They didn't have the drums as loud in the mix as on the record, which was disappointing, but they really sounded lovely. The band kept a great rapport with the crowd and played a finely tuned set. I was impressed...you will be, too, if you have not yet checked them out.


I have a hand cramp, so let me wrap this up:

I was eager to hear the acoustic version of "Let Me In", the fabled ode to Kurt Cobain which was probably also an ode to River Phoenix and now, probably an ode to Heath Ledger (also a friend of Stipe's). I preferred Mike Mills's keyboards on "Electrolyte", though that song was not quite as successful as "Let Me In". The acoustic accompaniment was pretty, but Mssr. Stipe's vocals made "Let Me In" ethereal. I read somewhere, sometime, that Bono called Stipe our modern-day Bing Crosby. It's true: he sings beautifully and loftily, and evokes so much.

Also, such a dandy poseur and dancer, and all, as I've said, IN A SUIT in the HEAT.

The overiding themes of the show were political protest and enviromentalism, Not a bad idea in these trying times. One was reminded, amidst all the politics, of how relevant the band's stands have been for lo these many years. Still, there was never too much seriousness, and the nostalgia of the golden oldies never got in the way of the new, the untried, the technologically marvelous, and the driving rock and roll.

It Happens

My son tossed his bathing suit into the toilet, thinking he was putting it in the shower. My daughter never flushes after pooping. The washing machine is currently running.

This after hanging at Lynn's pool and her baby pooped in his swim diaper (this is a very, very horrible phenomena if you are not familiar with it). This action caused her daughter to throw up. Then the diaperless baby peed on my swim bag. What could we do but laugh?

I'm happy to report that I had diarrhea three times today. No salmonella - just the normal life of a 40 year old woman, it seems.

Field Day took place in heat, humidity, and goose droppings.

And don't get me started about the cat.

So its freaking hot. Coolest May on record, then earliest reading of 100 degrees ever, and of course no rain in sight after a damp Spring. One feels the climate is...I don't know, changing!

Due to the hot, the family camping trip was put off. Mommy and Daddy's vision of a sweaty, toss-and-turn night that didn't involve sex did not appeal.

Instead, we day-tripped to the beach! Just when I'm about to hate my town so much I'll have to badmouth it on this blog and others, I remember that a short, two-hour trip away I can find a breeze and temperatures ten degrees cooler than 102. Off we went with picnic, pails, and about $79 worth of sunscreen.

Seriously, here's the breakdown of our trip (you know I'm so budget-conscious):

Tank of gas: $50 or thereabouts
Sunscreen: $10 (seriously, that is how much it costs to protect my family for a few hours)
Boogie boards: $26
Picnic lunch and ice: $15 or less
Dinner out with friends: $40

A day of relaxation, beautiful views, non-stop wave riding, friends and family, all for less than $150. A trip to the local water park would have cost the same, and I would have more than likely have committed some atrocity to my fellow man when packed into such a place on such an intemperate day. Better that we had a few hours of air conditioned car time, just the four of us, and pelicans, sand, and the gentle waves of Fort Fisher.

Yeah, PRINCE!

I don't know how best to describe the month of May in this household. I'm not trying to be a martyr here, but this, after all, is MY blog....so martyrdom is what suits my current mood.

I'm not organized in a traditional fashion. My husband is not "clean" in a traditional fashion. My children are not terribly self-sufficient though they appear that way, thus misleading me. These are the basic ingredients to which we add the insane schedule of people who are probably too social and too involved.

The calendar is just not viewable day by day at this point in the year, and that makes every day seem nearly undoable in terms of logistics, who goes where, etc. Add to all that any minor little stressor: a big case for my husband at work, a family issue, hurt feelings somewhere in my circle, etc. and KABLAM. The castle of toothpicks starts a' wobblin'.

It's not a cheap month, either. We've shelled out, for activities and medical, over $3000 in the last two weeks. My children are going to exactly one day camp apiece, so this is not including that expense. I'm not complaining, for it is a wonderful thing to have dental care and a pool to swim in on these already-hot days. Still, as you all know, the money worries eek into your brain and start to spread like mold.

I'm trying very, very hard to take care of myself. I am not great at remembering to be grateful at night, but I am grateful....for good nights' rest most nights; for exercise (my new goal is to be sore at least once a week. Today's sore is brought to you by: Tennis With the Children. How is it that they are great at every sport? My thighs are crying.); for sweet new babies in our life and their calm, loving parents; for a job I enjoy and that includes rewards like children telling me they want to be singers when they grow up; for online Scrabble; for a month until the conventions; for Memorial Day and a relatively relaxed schedule; for sneaking away with a friend and her mom to catch a movie that, whilst not the finest film I've seen in May, gave me an intense belly laugh or two; for the concerts seen and anticipated; for my family; for a house with air conditioning; for the Trader Joe's guacamole kit; for loaner books from friends that were sweet little truffles of enjoyment; for a purpose in life that seems bigger than my petty woes.

You have to hand it to Ellen DeGeneres for taking a stand...she's getting married, LEGALLY, and now she's wondering why the rest of the country can't catch up to her state. She wonders, in fact, aloud - to John McCain.

The clip is found here...I can't find it on YouTube.

Those of you who know me know that I tend to date gay people in my teens and twenties, and that a lot of folks I love are gay. What you may not know is that Ellen and I agree pretty much down the line. I think that gay rights and perhaps even gay marriage in particular are this generations' desegregation and racial equality statutes. Twenty years from now, when I'm pretty sure that every citizen will have the right to marry regardless of their sexual orientation, what are you going to tell your children about where you stood in 2008?

This is about as rabble-rousing as I get, so if I've just pissed you off, SORRY! And Happy Memorial Day! I work tonight and then BAM! Holiday weekend with some fun relatives and our new niece. There, have I taken the edge off???

Two concerts in two months - a record!

We saw The Swell Season at one of the arguably best acoustic venues in town on a recent Thursday night. That said, the venue is usually used for the Symphony, so Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova both seemed to feel a bit formal at first. They said so. After a while, though, they got very comfy and easy with the crowd, so much so that the onstage banter begain to overcome the music.

IN MY OPINION.

Glen and Marketa are, if anything, earnest as hell. You know that if you saw their Oscar night speeches and performances. Their lessons to the crowd were lovely and optimistic, and all about "make art, make art" and the like. All in lilting Irish and Irish/Czech brogues.

But I've never been one for stage talk. I like the occasional powerful, funny, or relevant bon mot. Any more than that makes me squirm. Glen and Marketa as people were not annoying, but after a while I wondered if they didn't have enough faith in the music they were making.

Which was astounding!

I think I liked Marketa's song best - "If You Want Me". And "Lies" is so incredibly powerful in the movie "Once" as well as on the album that I almost couldn't believe how excellent it was live. The stage manager did a Steve Earle song, the violinist did some tricks with his on-stage recorder doohicky...and that was all fine and dandy. Why did we need it, though, when Glen's guitar and vocalizing are intense enough to hold a hall spellbound? Marketa is a precise pianist and I really like her voice - she's matured since the album was recorded it seems. The band was great, too. Have faith, Swell Season. You sound divine.

Check out this clip (it's not great, but it gets the job done) from Glen's version of "Astral Weeks" - recorded in Louisville a night or two before our show.

My first movie was a short entitled "Jammin' In the Streets". The director has gone on to relative fame in regional theatre; my co-star can currently be seen in the HBO series "True Blood". She can also be seen in a new film premiering in NYC first week of June. I, of course, have become the publisher of a small but vital online journal. The plot of "JITS" was simple: two bored teens with nothing to do are loathe to while away their summer in their stifling hometown. But wait! They can roller skate - with boom boxes! And they do, with style (dashikis, MC Hammer pants) and relative grace. They do tricks, pop in and out of the screen, and then finally come home, exhausted, to fall asleep. The movie has been screened countless times, and if y'all are lucky, I'll try to find a way to post Super 8 to the Internet. Thus, you'll be able to see it, too.

Until that time, and that time may never come, please enjoy the world premiere for the Flight of the Conchords' video, " Ladies of the World":

I love it. I love it all.

Spinning on That Dizzy Edge

Myanmar and now Western China, plus the cruel month of May have me in a funk. New Cure, anyone?



Also, I think that Effexor is much more awesome than John McCain.

To take our minds off of election-night angst, I'll focus on wine! Delicious red wine. And a wine controversy! I love that something that is so tasty and fun for the masses has such a sophisticated, complicated history and structure surrounding it. Like the church. Or Obama. KIDDING!!!

I live in a house divided when it comes to the local, state and national elections. My husband I are truly split on several races, and split on purpose in one race because we are friends with the two people running. Thus, serious guilt. (Don't worry - the candidates are both great and would both do the job well.) But Senator Obama, when you offer free tickets to Arcade Fire and Superchunk on a beautiful Friday afternoon - and it's a school holiday so my children can go - and the show is great and if not a bit ridiculously issue-laden, then fun in a rallyish sort of way, well....you may have won a vote.




And my GOD - Superchunk! Mac and Laura's KIDS were on stage with them. My husband and I figured we hadn't seen Superchunk in about 12 years.

We also got to meet and greet with Win Butler after (Regine didn't come over to us, alas). He was nice to the children.

My son, however, preferred Superchunk:

Second Day, Second and Third Stops

We headed on to Avebury after lunch in Windsor. My husband's people love Avebury, much more than the arguably more famous and fantastic of the pre-Druid stone circles, Stonehenge. Numbers like 5000 BC tend to impress, and we all enjoyed this visit, my second. Twas muddy and off-and-on rainy, just the way England should be.

My children were immediately transfixed.....by the humongous hills they could run and roll down. They didn't really get the fact that what they tromped about in might have been some major civilization's burial site or leadership gathering space...or maybe they did, but they really liked flailing about the expanse of land.



On to Stonehenge, which I was not prepared to love as I have cleaved to my husband and his likes and dislikes. BUT NO, I LOVED IT. IT WAS BIG, BEAUTIFUL, AND SUPER COOL!!! Some folks were doing seismological tests on the site. My dad, chatty as he is (much moreso with perfect strangers than his loved ones), found out all about these tests and then we were told about the first archealogical dig that would be taking place the very next week. That dig was the first in 50 years, and it proved very fruitful. (Be sure and listen to audio of Dr. Tim Darvill - what a great British character he seems to be!)





Stonehenge photo by my son.

The Volkswagen Sharan carried on to Salisbury to see the ginormous cathedral. Again, who knows how these people did it. Crazy. 1300 AD or something and the beautiful spires and ridiculously realistic carvings and feats of engineering boggle the mind. The cathedral was reverent and pastoral; the town was tiny and boring. We had a hard time finding somewhere to eat and were even turned away at one tasty-looking place due to the insanely late hour of 7 p.m.


But then we happened upon our happy little Gastro Bistro and it was cozy, warm, ancient, and tasty. Also - a seven-pound menu available til 7:30! Everyone had beers and soups and olives and burgers and were thus fortified for the heinous, rainy drive back to Central London whereupon we only got a little bit lost and had to hoof it back to the Tube station in the rain and HAD to stop so my dad could get Sprite for his imported Maker's Mark and almost had to pay the congestion charge.

That part, as you can tell, was not the best part of the marathon day...but we stayed happy and optimistic and even made a game of the late-night Tube ride with the children, amongst all the post-work revelers. We flopped into the flat, wet and weary, but with many tales to tell our sleepy aunt.

There's a new R.E.M. video and it is a lovely thing. You can watch it on MySpace - I think you have to have an account to do it, but maybe not. Try.

The children have accused their daddy of not laughing much. He laughs at me a lot when they aren't around, of course, and he never, ever fails to laugh at things like this:

Behold, the hair helmet.




Check out my new iMeem song at the left.

The Papal Post

After a rather funny and intense email exchange with some fellow school moms that ended up with Pope debate, I decided to ask a few of my friends what there thoughts were about the Papal visit.

Here's what they had to say:

"......the whole Pope thing is just so totally idol worship.....Aside from the fact of his wacky beliefs (and I am being kind here) what kind of world do we live in which there is the existence of a pope-mobile? I mean seriously, JK Rowling couldn't have written anything more strange and atrocious."

To which I responded:
" I'm actually a bit fascinated with the Pope, or at least with the attention given him. I strongly dislike his beliefs, but find it most interesting that he has at least acknowledged that a bunch of children were molested by their spiritual leaders. I can't think of anyone whom I would want to stand on line to view, and I just stood in line to see the Queen of England - but not on purpose. I don't know, maybe Bono?"

And then I heard back from another mom:

"You should read Angels and Demons - then you'll really be disgusted with Popes and junk. This Pope seems like a harmless baby doll to me. I would like to hear the discussion he had with George Bush. That had to be comical. I think I might stand in line to see the Dalai Lama. It would at least be a line of interesting people - maybe not as interesting as Bono."

and then:

"....don't you think the pope hat is just a LITTLE phallic? Love, Sinead O'Connor. Or, are you too young to get that reference. PROBABLY!"

(answer: I'm not! I was a bona fide Sineadaphile and thought the rip-up was interesting to say the least, and probably career-ending...which it sort of was)

More comments:

"I was shocked to see channel 14 news showing a continuous live feed of the Mass yesterday.
It was a flashback to the revivals of Billy Graham or Elmer Gantry."

"I give him props for meeting with sex abuse victims and talking about
peace at the UN. He seems to me like someone more comfortable as an
academic theologian type who sometimes says things in an overly abstract
or impolitic way that would fit better in a classroom or abbey than a
humongous religious rally. Being a social liberal I of course disagree
with him about a bunch of stuff but that is neither here nor there in
the grand scheme of things. "

And you can read one friend's review of the NYC visit here.

More later - people seem very ready to chat about all this. Why is that? I know ABC thinks (via the close captioning I saw whilst at the gym) that people are searching for meaning in life and for hope in these dark times etc etc etc etc

Well, damn, I can't get on to tell you about the rest of the day trip. Maybe this weekend.

("You" being my online diary. Not necessarily "you" the reader. Though I often think fondly of "you", reader!)

In the meantime, get a load out of this fantastic web site. I keep scrolling through looking for the kind of mom I want to be when I start emailing my children.

Second Day, First Stop

My husband loves to drive in foreign locales. He won't drive us to Georgia or the mountains or beach, and he rarely drives us around town, but put him a car with a left-side steering wheel and a country with roundabouts and he WILL rent a car.

So Wednesday found us behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Sharan. As usual with our European rentals, I wish I could get this car in the US. Maybe sometime soon... My parents were very game about this endeavor, and trusted my hubby implicitly. I'm a fairly good navigator in these situations and I also have a good, loud, "DEATH" that I call out if another car is near or husband makes a false move.

We headed up the M5 to Windsor - yay! My Diana-obsession, and moderate interest in the Royals in general, about to be appeased! But no, closed! But wait, state visit from Sarcozy - just step around there, please madam, and whoa - there is the Queen and Philip, she in a hat! My mother was BESIDE HERSELF. I was feeling fairly good about all of it, still bummed I couldn't get inside the castle, but excited we were having an unusual experience. I chose not to take pictures, but others did.


We stayed put in our excellent vantage point and good thing: the Irish Black horses with their festooned riders came by, with bands, and various other pomp, and soon enough carriages with Charles and Camilla (!), the Queen and President Sarcozy, Madame Bruni-Sarcozy (to my husband's delight. She waved at my daughter ((not my husband, though he will tell you otherwise)) as she had a French flag in her hands.) Carla's fashion was the buzz of London all the rest of the week. (Please do note the date of the previous link's article) She certainly did not disappoint in person, and frankly, neither did anyone else. They all looked totally glamourous and gorgeous.


We found a nice lunch place and exchanged stories. This, by the way, was the first meal wherein I realized I needed to eat like a bird to be able to afford what my children would order and eat. Walking 10 miles a day and eating light are great for me, but feeding them was expensive all the time.

Since it's Masters week, I've been ruminating on the list of what White People Like. (I like soooo many of those things. As you know, if you know me or read this). This being the Internet, there is now a compiled list of what a variety of other groups tend to like. Explore at your leisure.

More R.E.M. - tis the season.

You must purchase the tiny white sponges of hope - even I, the Great Unclean, have found them miraculous. Why, just today I erased 7 years worth of crayon/hand prints/scuff marks off our hall walls and door frames, with just two of the soft bright marvels. (Available, I add at the risk of losing potential millions for endorsing this product, in a generic brand)

And finally, yesterday culminated in a visit to the urgent care. My wacko children had fashioned a gymnastics bar from an old baseball return net thingy. Their feats were astounding, but scary...we had warned them AGAIN and AGAIN that caution must be taken. I was not surprised when my daughter went down, and the bar went down on top of her. Everyone stayed calm, and everyone insisted on being together (which is kind of cute but troublesome too), and we took her in to rule out concussion and broken nose (still not 100% sure, but we hope to get a final reading of the x-rays today). She looks like someone took a bat to her forehead and nose bridge. I wrote a very informative note to the teacher hoping to head off calls from social services, and I've tried not to be a worrywart all day.

Not fun, but not as bad as it could have been.

Don't really know what this is all about, but I'm intrigued. Didn't you ever, just once, make a mix tape for a boy you kind of liked, though he wasn't your type, and knew even though he probably wouldn't like all the pop songs (albeit obscure ones) you put on there, since he was really more into My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth, that he might think you were kinda cool?

First Day

We had a rough flight with the headache of the decade and US AIrways' notoriously impudent service. Still, we arrived excited (or I was) and found my parents very easily, and after a few detours in London (just like last time) found my husband's aunt, our hostess. She was immediately warm and gracious and wonderful...and even though I was nervous about invading, it was so good to see her after so long (they've been there over 2 years) that I settled in immediately.

Flat 4 was a sight to behold - in a very posh neighborhood with all kinds of fine cars the likes of which have not even been seen stateside, apparently, but the apartment is just right and tidy and British. We were served scones, black currant jam, and clotted cream almost immediately. Thank goodness, cause then we walked, I don't know, 6 miles?

We put my parents and their aching feet on a tour bus and set off. My children were fairly whiny, jet-lagged, and not loving London yet. As you can tell from the picture: no smiles, and one child not even visible. I told them to suck it up and off we went: Buckingham Palace, Green Park, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Parliment, Westminster Abbey, Marble Arch, and I don't know what all else. The first visit to Trafalgar Square cheered the children immensely. Of course! All they want to do is climb and run, and here are the largest lion sculptures this side of Vegas, just for the climbing.


Back to the flat where the children passed out and we enjoyed chili and wine with our darling relatives and their funtastic London tales, plus big-time political talk (uncle is with a major news outlet) with a distinctly British perspective, then bed for good good sleep. Even though we each had a child in our twin bed. Don't worry, they calmed down eventually.

I don't know if I'll bore you further with these diary-type entries, but it helps me remember the nuances of the trip. I should also tell you that I love that Rick Steves, if only because he wrote something that better illustrates my travel philosophy, nay, my family philosophy, than almost anything yet. Well, that and he's on the board of NORML:

Of course, travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys. Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic.

Read the whole passage here.

UK Prep Post #3

Forecast for London: snow tonight, 60 by the weekend? (That's like 11 Celcius or something - I really need to brush up on the metric).

Packing: tricky (see above)

Dollar's exchange rate: woeful

Theatre tickets: SCORED!
Woot!

Children's ipods: loaded. With a lot of nonsense. Super Bowl highlights? Old No Doubt albums? And Spongebob.

Cat: taken care of, thanks to the kindness of friends and neighbors. Will she die? Stay tuned.

Marital relations: a bit strained....but sure to stabilize once we get on the plane.

Fears of jet lag being a major issue: high

Ear plugs for plane: purchased (see above)

Anti-anxiety drugs for plane: none! Bad decision? Stay tuned.

And off we go. Pix and deets upon our return. Oh, and don't even try to break into our house. Our neighbors are super nosy.

Happy Easter 2008

My Easter playlist:

Sunday Morning - No Doubt

Spring Released - Grant-Lee Philips

Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day

Sundays (live) - Lucinda Williams

Cross Bones Style - Cat Power

Birds of Springtime Gone By - Joe Lovano

April Chimes - Grant-Lee Phillips (I know. Twice. But at least I didn't also include "Lily-A-Passion")

Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most - Rickie Lee Jones

Jesus Etc. - Wilco

Don't do Sadness/Blue Wind - Spring Awakening Cast

Messiah, Part II, No. 44 "Hallelujah Chorus" - London Philharmonic

Jesus Walks - Kanye West

March 19, 2008

My happiness is overshadowed, and has been for five years.

Careening Towards 40: Part 2 in a (increasingly limited) Series

I've gotten the following comments on the news that I was turning 40.

"Really? I thought you were wayyyy older than that." (you have to know her)

"Seriously, I took you for no older than 38." (Dude. At least 37?)

"I thought you were in your mid-to-late 30s" (.....)

"When you get a blow-out, you look 35, max." (Right???)


So I am beginning the evening of my last night in the 30s. I'm overwhelmed when I think of all that happened in the last ten years. Not necessarily in a good way. My 20s were a period of intense emotional and personal growth, but a hell of a lot of creativity and fun. That cannot be said of this decade. I know that I am entering the age of more loss - but perhaps more wisdom, patience, and acceptance. I've gotten nothing but positive reviews on the 5th decade.

I'm thinking I'll age gracefully, but with an edge. Kinda cranky, but still lovish. No gray hair, but plenty of wrinkles. Indie rock, but slow jazz on weekends. Same as ever, only better.

The green grits went over much better than the burned heat-shaped pancakes.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Careening Towards 40: First in a (limited) Series

Last night, at a Board meeting for a sweet, tiny non-profit, I was asked to give the fundraising report. I had been pleased that my Board appeal for donations had been met earlier in the night by one member plunking down a $100 bill on the table, so I thanked him first thing -

- by saying, "That's awesome that (name) gave a G-spot".

Obviously, I meant C-note.

Children were present.

I had two vodka tonics after arriving home.

Music Monday

My husband likey VW.

I have only had ears for Handel of late, but I have checked into the Yeasayer. What say you?

We've prayed for rain (literally - they keep doing that in church, which....well, whatever. I don't know that God is like Santa...but maybe so. We don't know, so what's the harm in asking is I suppose the thinking.) Now we're getting it, and apparently massive storms, and 50 mph wind gusts, and freezing temps.

I'm sending my husband and daughter to VIRGINIA to a soccer tourney, whilst my son and I stay here to play HIS game (that will be rained out for sure). I hate dividing the family. I hate thinking of my people spending that money to stay in a hotel room just to hang out with the other soccer parents and not play.

I'm not worried, though! In case you were wondering!!

To take my mind off my troubles, I accepted an invitation from a new friend to watch LOST on her HDTV with TiVO or DVR or some other initial. She lived in Switzerland, and so her advance praise of her own coffee-making skillz lived up to the hype, and I think I pleased her with a scone treat.
Besides being a very fun morning, did LOST not rock your world? JEEZ! I was very pleased, scared, amazed, and confused. Who's on the boat? It could be Michael...is that the conventional thinking? Who else isn't dead? Not that being dead matters at all.

As for the HDTV....Juliet was smokin' in her swimsuit scene and Claire's skin is really nice. I appreciated Ben's facial expressions even more than usual, and Hawaii....well, you know how I feel about that place.

Time for a new telly, honey!

You know, you think you're going to have a nice evening of a beer, some ACC bball, maybe a movie from Netflix, maybe even some nookie. And then you realize that the project is due tomorrow and the child did ask you to help, and it will be soooo much easier to do the hard part when he's asleep, and so you cut a bunch of letters out of tin foil and glue them to fleece-covered boards and take little breaks to play online Scrabble and finish off all the Yuengling. Suddenly, it's 11:00 and all bets are off. On to tomorrow.

UK Prep Post #2

I've enjoyed renting Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations". He's bad-ass and too cool and sometimes annoying, but the show itself is interesting and sometimes truly edgy. My children like it a lot, and I think it is fun that we actually have to censor scenes from them sometimes.

The ad for the new season has caught a lot of hype, even from Tony himself. He does look a bit predatory.


At any rate, his London travels aired in February and I missed it, of course. Probably won't be able to Netflix it before we go. But I did read about his picks here.

Prince Harry is such a bad-ass. I really admire his military training, his openness about his family, his hard-partying lifestyle, and now his dangerous service. The rest of you men out there ought to pay attention -- he's making you look soft!

Meanwhile, we ladies have to start polishing, shining, and scrubbing. The competition for attentions will be fierce in coming days.

UK Prep Post #1

I cannot do anything remotely as thorough nor interesting as Melz' Oscar recap, so read hers.

There was competition for my attention on Sunday night, anyway. My friend AV was in the same camp. Apparently, when she came to bed late, her husband asked "what happened?". AV replied, "Oh, Miss Eliza Bennett came to her senses and she and Mr. Darcy declared their love!".

Clooney is not as interesting when he has his cocktail waitress with him. The dresses didn't even rock me. If I had to pick a fave or two I might chose this one, this one, this one, this one, or maybe even this one though SOMEBODY needs to get some stage training if she is going to be an Oscar presenter.

The only time I felt anything akin to happiness during the parts of the broadcast that I watched was when Glenn and Marketa won. The audience was so clearly behind them, too. Melz did acknowledge, and I agree, that James McAvoy's brogue was just as thick as Glenn's. And twice as fine!

For Sunday's movie minute, I'll review the movie I just paid $18 to see, and that was "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" in Disney Digital 3D. Now, I am too cheap to purchase via Fandango ($4 in service charges is 1/5 of a bottle of vodka saved), so we went a few minutes early and hoped for the best this afternoon. I was worried...., but we went to a run-down, out-of-the-way theatre so as to not run into anyone we know, and it paid off. My daughter and I shared the theatre with...


....no one.

Which was fun as hell. We had much commentary, and no one cared that I had a bit of a stomach issue and thus some gassy emissions. The previews were frequent and some in 3D, , and the concert itself was pleasant. I don't understand the appeal of the Jonas Brothers, but then again, who could have explained, circa 1976, my obsession with Donny Osmond? My daughter doesn't really love them anyway. She really loves Miley, and wants to meet her now, and it breaks my heart. Because she has nothing in common with Miley, meeting stars is really not that fun (believe me), and it is likely never to happen. Normal reaction to her first concert, though...I completely understand and remember that very feeling after my first show. (Even though mine was live, I'm pretty sure the ticket cost was less than this movie we just saw). (I did wear a similar style of glasses in both shows, though).

Anyway, the movie is fun, they show a few backstage moments, and I do believe that Miley actually sings for more than 60% of her show. I like most of the songs, I sang along, and like I said, my daughter left questioning the big issues of fame, famous friends, and a career in carefully choreographed pop stardom. A successful afternoon I would say.