Post Secret

The post secret site interests me so much. There is something so freeing and appealing about writing down your most intimate thoughts and having them broadcast to thousands via the internet. Many people who send in secrets are people I can see aspects of my own secret life in. They share thoughts of loneliness, love, anger, alienation, joy, and most important, at least to me, hope. The people who write these postcards are courageous; they are sending a small part of themselves out into the universe to let others know they are not alone.

The secrets I would share might include the following:

“I accidentally scrapped my bumper yesterday and am too ashamed to tell anyone.”
“I put a candy bar in my pocket while carrying a bunch of other items at the grocery store and accidentally left the store without paying for it. This was 8 years ago and I still feel guilty.”
“Sometimes I don’t let people merge in front of me if they don’t use their blinker. Sometimes I don’t use mine and get angry when people won’t let me in.”
“I have a crush on the Vlasic Pickle spokesman, he’s an animated stork.”
“When I get migraine headaches, I secretly suspect death would be less painful.”
“My first boyfriend left me because I wouldn’t have sex with him. He ended up sleeping with a girl I thought was my good friend. I prayed every night that she would get pregnant and they would have to get married.”
“I am no longer friends with my childhood best friend and I don’t really understand why. It’s still a source of sadness, regret, and strangely, relief.”

What secrets would you send out for the world to see?

A Touch of Melancholia

Since returning from our trip to East Coast I have been suffering a visit from my old friend negativity. I am upset about the state of the world, the fighting in Israel, continued death and destruction in Iraq, stupid anti-semetic drunk actors, and starving and homeless in my own neighborhood. My feelings about myself are also rather bleak. I’m back on Weight Watchers trying to lose the weight that took almost a year to lose the first time…again. My migraines were back last week with a vengeance and an entire day was wasted in sleep (my favorite pastime, yes, but I prefer to choose when).

On the upside I have been dieting and getting some exercise (which is better then the none that I had been doing). I have also been catching up on some books I have been meaning to read for awhile (life is short, books are abundant! I hope they have libraries in heaven). Overall the state of my mind is one of feeling a lingering sadness over my own powerlessness to make the world a better place on a large scale. Realistically, there is a lot I am already doing, but with the recent crisis it doesn’t feel very effective. I am an armchair activist and this is a source of frustration for me because I become absolutely paralyzed when I think about all the things I could and should be doing for future generations.

I have not felt like writing lately because everything that is typed onto my screen strikes me as being so insignificant to the news from Darfur, Israel, and Iraq. So, dear reader, please be patient with me and I will turn this attitude around and get in a better state of mind to entertain and enlighten you.

Silly Quiz

1. FIRST, MIDDLE AND LAST NAME : MEGASTEIN (kinda like Cher, Madonna, or BONO)

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My two great, great Aunts who may have died in the holocaust.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? On Friday morning after seeing my boyfriend's grandparents. I have no living grandparents and love his as if they were my own.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Nope, it looks like I should be a doctor, I want to take a penmanship class before I have children.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? HAM, PORK, or BACON, anything pig related.

6. KIDS? Someday, be they biological, adopted, or foster, I don't care.

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Heck I am friends with myself right now (I have great conversations with me when no one else is around).

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes, many, filled with evil, delicious secrets, heartbreaks, teenage gossip and nonsense. Maybe someday I will publish them.

9. DO YOU ! USE SARCASM A LOT? Who? Me?? Never!

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS Yep.

11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE? Not unless I was paid or threatened.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Frosted mini-wheats are my achilles heel.

13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Rarely.

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Emotionally I am resilient, physically, I am lazy, but a work in progress.

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Butter pecan or the peppermint stick ice cream sold at a place in my hometown.

16. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? If they make good, solid eye contact.

17. RED OR PINK? Red, but only because it looks so good on my honey.

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I have difficulty following through on things for myself and am often a very mean critic to myself.

19. ANY BROTHERS OR SISTERS? One biological bro, one adopted sister, and four guys that I consider bros since they lived with us when I was a kid.

20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Why not?

21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? No pants (tee-hee, I'm wearing a skirt you dirty reader! Shame on you for thinking otherwise) and silver heels.

22. THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Strawberry Smoothie from Weight Watchers (only 1 pt).

23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Sound of typing in the cubes next to me.

24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Burnt Sienna definitely!

25. FAVORITE SMELLS? Coffee, fresh lemons, roasted turkey, baking peach pie, gardenias, and my boyfriends neck.

26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My sister.

27. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Duh!!! Of course!

28. FAVORITE DRINK? Water(sparkling & flat), Diet Coke with lemon, green tea, good Brazilian coffee.

29. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? World's Strongest Man Competition (I am NOT joking...I once considered naming my first born son Magnus)


30. HAIR COLOR? Brown.

31. EYE COLOR? Blue-grey.


32. Do YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope

33. FAVORITE FOOD? Soup (I love boullian), pickles, beets, and cabbage.

34. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy ending.

35. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED IN THEATER? Click, it was terrible, don't waste your money or time.

36. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING pink sweater set

37. SUMMER OR WINTER? Neither, I am fan of Fall and Spring.

38. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses, I love kisses!!!

39. FAVORITE DESSERT? Any type of fruit pie with vanilla bean ice cream.

40. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I guess it's me!

41. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Not a clue.

42. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart (very good book about women friendships)

43. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? It was provided by my work.

44. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST ON TV LAST NIGHT? Deadwood, 2 episodes, great acting and writing!

45. FAVORITE SOUNDS My boyfriend's even breathing when he's sleeping. The sounds of ocean waves and wind.

46. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Stones! Cause you can't always get what you want....

47. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? England

48. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I love to read and write, not sure if those qualify as being special.

49. WHEN WERE YOU BORN? Late Sept, I am a Libra...I balance.

50. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Northern California.

An Important Article sent to me from my Great Aunt and Uncle

The below article does not reflect the thoughts or feelings of this blogger. However it is an interesting piece and very thought provoking.

Subject: Spanish newspaper article on Judaism. No words minced here - something to think about.
Spanish newspaper article on Judaism (In English)]

" ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ"
By Sebastian Vilar Rodrigez(*)

I walked down the street in Barcelona, and suddenly discovered a terrible truth - Europe died in Auschwitz. We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world.

The contribution of this people is felt in all areas of life: science, art international trade, and above all, as the conscience of the world. These are the people we burned. And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of acism, we opened our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and poverty due to
an unwillingness to work and support their families with pride.

They have turned our beautiful Spanish cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime. Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the
government, they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts. And thus, in our misery, we have exchanged culture for fanatical hatred, creative skill for destructive skill, intelligence for backwardness and superstition. We have exchanged the pursuit of peace of the Jews of Europe and their talent for hoping for a better future for their children, their determined clinging to life because life is holy, for those who pursue death, for people consumed by the desire for death for themselves and others, for our children and theirs.

What a terrible mistake was made by miserable Europe.
**********! ******** *****************
*This is a translation of an article from a Spanish
newspaper.

Random Act of Kindness

At Savon Drugs just now while I was picking up a prescription I saw a women exemplify the type of consideration for another that I hope someday to personify. A elderly man in front of us was standing at the counter of the pharmacy, I was standing in line with one lady behind me when a tall chick flounced around the aisle corner in her wooden heeled shoes. The sound they made was ridiculous. So much more annoying then the "twack-twack-twack" of flip-flops. I live in a crunchy-granola enclave in L.A., so this sort of attire is wholey expected and frequently seen.

"BANG"

When I heard the noise I immediately looked at the girl in the wood clodhoppers, but both of her feet were firmly planted on the ground. Turning behind me, the lady at my back shrugged her shoulders, but as I turned forward she left her place behind me and walked to the man at the counter.

Suspicious, paranoid, mean-spirited me, thought, "that woman is going to cut in front of me. she is going to get the pharmacists attention and chat her ear off while I rot here in line".

Boy, was I wrong.

Once she reached the counter, to my surprise the woman knelt down and picked up the elderly man's cane. Handing it back to him she smiled and then returned her position in line. Wow, what a wonderful surprise.

As a post script of this blog entry I note that when I concluded my transaction and was readying to leave, the women now at the front of the line asked if I had seen the elderly mans tattooed arm. I shook my head up and down and smiled. "He was a survivor".

Book Review Blitz

The Contest by Matthew Reilly

Another fast paced brilliantly energetic read from one of my favorite action-adventure writers. This time, to my delight he has ventured into a decidedly sci-fi realm. Pitting an ordinary man against monsters from other parts of the galaxy in a hair raising well written fast paced thriller.

All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve (Audiobook)

I have been an Anita Shreve fan for several years now, but this time she has truly outdone herself. The reality of the world she creates in All He Ever Wanted is breathtaking. The story is very simple, it is a story of unrequited love and whether getting what you want will bring you the happiness and sort of life you want for yourself.

Lost Boy, Lost Girl by Peter Straub (Audiobook)

I have not picked up a Peter Straub book since attempting to read Ghost Story in my first year of college more then a decade ago. Personally, I couldn’t get past page 35, I was, admittedly, bored to tears. So, when I saw Lost Boy, Lost Girl at the library I was reticent to pick it up, but upon reflection it was an intriguing read, a haunting ghost story with lots of lose ends. I doubt I will be trying this author again, but never say never.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (Audiobook)

This book made me angry. Dennis Lehane’s portrayal of psychological disorder and twisted attempts of a misled psychiatrist to cure his disassociated patient was difficult to swallow. The author of Mystic River is a talented writer, but the plot line and his characters required a suspension of disbelief from me that I found irritating and unnecesary.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I must exclaim, "What a beautifully composed novel" when I think of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. When I say composed rather then written I mean that the reveling of this books central character's place in the world and the very world itself and it's differences from our world are slyly and slowly exposed. I am reticent to review this novel since I feel that review would contain spoilers intentionally or otherwise. Sorry kids, you'll just have to check this one out yourself.

Lists of 5

5 Places I would like to go in my life:

1. Israel, I think being a spiritual person that this locale is rather self explanatory.

2. The Amazon (be it in Peru or Brazil, I’m not picky), the plants and animals in this area are unique and valuable to the ecology of the Earth. I would like to see a sloth and be in a rain forest. I wouldn’t mind seeing a giant python either as long as it doesn’t sneak up on me.

3. Kenya, Africa holds a tremendous appeal for me. A friend of mine from college (who weirdly enough I ran into at The Improv 2 weeks ago) did a semester in Kenya and came back with wondrous tails of giving, positive people who look at life very differently then what I am used to.

4. Germany, Poland, Austria, and the Ukraine- I would like to see the concentration camps where people had the means and opportunity to commit heinous crimes against fellow human beings. I want to see what my Grandparents left behind in Germany and the Ukraine to come to another country and start again.


5. Thailand-A dear friend is from Thailand and owns a restaurant near our place in Los Angeles. She speaks of her birth country with such love and reverence it has impressed upon my mind the beauty and wonder of Thailand. The people, the food, the foliage, and the culture would be a great experience.



5 Things I would like to be able to do at least once:

1. Scuba dive

2. Do a 100 mile charity ride

3. Learn another language fluently

4. Learn to operate a sailboat

5. Campaign for a winning presidential candidate

Me-made Quiz

So, I’m going to do a little quiz now, but this one is made up by me (feel free to share your own answers in the comments sections) therefore I will only be addressing information that I like and things I have not had the opportunity to let others know about me. Here goes nothing:

1. Most memorable scene in a TV show:
The watercooler roulette scene in Moonlighting between Viola and MacGilicuddy is my most memorable scene (unless you want to count every deliciously terrible episode of Misfits of Science staring the late Dean Martin Jr. and Courtney Cox WAY before her “Friends” days). If you remember this scene then you are truly blessed since it is one of the most hilarious and ridiculously conceived ideas to be broadcast at the time. Curtis Armstrong (Booger to Revenge of the Nerds fans) played the guy you loved to laugh at on Moonlighting, Herbert Viola. He was Miss Depesto’s night in tarnished armor and brought a lot of heart to the series.

2. What is the 80s song you like to sing in your car all alone?
This one is a toss up between “White Wedding” by Billy Idol (since I love imitating his sexy sneer) and Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” (I secretly believe when I am alone dramatically croning this melodic tune that I really could’ve been a rock star diva…please, if you know better do not disabuse me of this notion since on really bad days at work it pleases me).

3. Your idea of something funny that few others find funny?
There is something innately amusing about people standing around while their dogs are doing their business waiting to pick up the ahhhem…products of elimination. I used to walk my exes dog a lot and had no idea where to look while she was taking care of business. You shouldn’t stare right?

4. What is the one product that people would be surprised to find out you cannot live without?
Tom’s of Maine Apricot Tooth Paste for Dry Mouth, with my lichen planus this stuff is a G-dsend! I am also fond of the Mango-Orange, but it’s not as delicate in flavor.

5. If one movie summed up your perspective on society what would it be?
This one’s easy (of course since I make the questions why shouldn’t it be?), Labyrinth (yes, the children’s movie…yes, with Muppets and David Bowie…sigh, he’s so hot…) because one verbal motif of the movie is the situations Sarah the main character faces are “not fair”. She repeats this phrase several times throughout the movie and it is a common thought I have that the world is inherently unfair. And the world can be unfair in a variety of ways, be it what country you were born in (especially important if you are woman facing any number of countries where your rights are significantly less then a mans), if your parents are well off or if they are good parents, if you have experienced an accident or violent act, if you medically must face a variety of illnesses be they terminal or not, if you were blessed with a high IQ, fast metabolism, pretty face, etc. they all affect our perception of the world and whether it is fair or not. The one thing I always take away from the movie is that despite the fairness of life it is in our hands to choose our attitude and how we respond to the rough patches we encounter.

6. What is the one book you believe all adults should read?
Wow, I ask difficult questions don’t I? Well, this is hard one for me, but the one book I believe to contain beauty or word, elegance in character, and vital social commentary is John Irving’s The Cider House Rules. This book addresses the loneliness of being an orphan, the oblivion sought by those with tremendous responsibility, the desperation of seeking outlawed abortions, and the beauty and sadness of a love that cannot be fulfilled. It is simple effective narrative with heartfelt characters that make you laugh, cry, and experience their lives, their hopes, fears, dreams, and loves to a very realistic degree. I love this book.

7. A food that someone made that you wish you could experience again or even make yourself?
My German Grandmother’s apple cake, it was so moist and delicious with fresh apples, not too sweet cake, and a cinnamon scent that haunts my dreams.

8. Tell us about your first kiss?
My first kiss was playing spin the bottle at a Halloween party when I was 12 years old. I was dressed as Scarlett O’Hara and kissed a boy in my class who had really big front teeth. It was in front of all the popular kids from school and to this day I believe I was invited to this boys & girls party because my best friend was extremely well liked in the mainstream circles. Suffice to say that the kiss was not all that and a bag-o-chips, in fact I distinctly remember writing in my journal that night that our teeth clashed when we were leaning towards eachother over the bottle chipping my lower incisor and that he tasted like salsa…BLLLECCCHHHH!

9. Person you wanted to be most like when you were young (no parents allowed as answers)?
I definitely wanted to be Debbie Gibson. I was seriously gaga about her clothes, singing, and although I never liked Electric Youth perfume I admired her willingness to diversify.

10. Person you most want to be like as an adult?
This one’s easy, I want to be like me, but maybe with a little bit more energy, patience, and money (hey, I’m not going to lie, but I wouldn’t mind being able to donate 80% of my fortune to charity and still have enough money left over to buy an island and never work again).

The Blessing of Modern Medicine

About 2 weeks ago Jedi had surgery to repair a multitude of problems with his left shoulder. I won’t bore you dear reader with the ins-n-outs and medical jargon associated with the problem, but I will tell you how incredibly thankful I am to the medical staff at the hospital where Jedi had his procedure. The doctors and nurses were kind, respectful, and patient in explaining every minute detail from pre-op to post-op. Jedi’s injury was not life-threatening, but it certainly put a damper on his ability to enjoy life. The pain he had because the joint had been pulled out of the socket on several occasions was not compatible with his busy lifestyle.

The surgeon was able to repair the devastated tendons, ligaments, and muscles all through 4 small incisions around Jedi’s shoulder. The procedure took 2 hours with a post surgery recovery time of about the same. Jedi was even able to enjoy food that very night following his afternoon in the OR. The anesthesiologist was most instrumental in putting my fears to rest. I have only been under a general anesthetic once in my life and have often been weary of having anything done where I would need to be “put under”. Dr. L (the aforementioned anesthesiologist) was able to explain that for surgeries like Jedi’s there is no need for a muscle relaxant like Versed to be given along with the sleepy medicine so there would be absolutely no chance of anesthesia awareness. Although I know there is an extremely low percentage of people who experience this troubling phenomenom, I was relieved to find out there was zero opportunity for it to happen here.

Now all that remains is for Jedi to do his daily physical therapy and get his arm stong enough to use without the support of the sling. It will be about two more weeks before he is able to do that. Yesterday he felt good enough to begin excercising on his bike again. I’m very proud of him for taking care of himself and his body.

Book Review: On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (Audio Book)

I picked up this book because of unresolved emotions I have concerning the deaths of several close loved ones. I was hoping it would alleviate some of the guilt and regret I feel over either not seeing them shortly before their deaths or not attending their funeral. Rationally, I know that there is nothing I can do to change my actions of the past. Sometimes I could not get away from work to see the dying person, or I felt I did not have the funds to travel to their funeral (this is untrue, since I know my parents would have helped me pay for any travel expenses, but alas, I did use this excuse I realize now to protect my own fragile self from the prospect of facing the frightening specter of my own mortality).

Kubler-Ross’s book focuses on the essential dialog between medical staff, terminal patients, and their family to make the process of dying a more acceptable and natural part of patient care. The ability to be open and honest about death allows the person dying to discuss their family’s future without them, get their finances and possessions in order and to also express their end of life care wishes, needs, and wants. Part of end of life care is whether to obtain a Do Not Resuscitate order (DNR). Two years ago when my last remaining grandparent, my paternal Grandmother, passed away, I assisted my brother, father, aunt, and uncle in cleaning out her small apartment at an assisted living facility, the DNR order was still posted on the wall in her room. It was a concrete reminder of my Grandmother’s participation in the choices faced by people who are on the road to dying. While it was shocking to see the DNR (I would’ve expected that it would be removed along with the various items related to my Grandmother’s passing, I was strangely comforted to see it so out in the open where no one could deny it or mistake it for anything but what it was.

If you are in the medical profession and have not read Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s On Death and Dying, I urge you to do so. The human component in healthcare can often be overlooked in the rush to “cure” the patient or to merely prolong life. The objective of the book is to excavate a patient’s needs and concerns regarding their deaths and to assist communicating those to family members and medical staff. This is a truly beautiful book and can be a good introduction for those faced with the numerous emotions brought up when a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness. I was comforted by Kubler-Ross’s many descriptions of people who were angry with their loved ones for dying; knowing now that my longstanding rage over a high school friend’s suicide was not only understandable, but also normal.

For years I have held onto the unreasonable and irrational guilt and shame over not being with an ex-boyfriend when his father died after a very short and intense battle against pancreatic cancer. The times we spent in the hospital were filled with a humanity and love that I cherished even when my relationship with the man’s son was crumbling. Mostly, I think what this book has helped me to do is honor and remember the people who have died that touched my life through their love, friendship, and generosity of spirit. Missing them no longer feels like a gaping hole inside. It is with peace and love that I can imagine my loved ones who have died and with a full heart I can celebrate their lives and not continue grieving their deaths.

A Movie for all Humanity

Documentaries are mostly a difficult sell for modern cinemas, but the new tour de force An Inconvenient Truth starring former Vice President Al Gore should have no trouble finding an audience. Davis Guggenheim has taken Al Gore's presentation on global warming and given it a cinematic style that enables the viewer to connect with the former presidential candidate and experience his driving passion to remedy the many wrongs enacted against our environment. The Al Gore of this movie is thoughtful, impassioned, and provacative in his powerful explanation of Global Warming and it's impending consequences. If after seeing this movie you are not outraged, inspired, and deeply troubled then you didn't get the message. The bottom line is the time for action to save our planet is now. If we do not take advantage of the information provided in this film, as an entire global community, we are dooming all of humankind to extinction.

I am currently in the middle of On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and I was struck by how similar the denial was for some people diagnosed with terminal illnesses. The very same denial about the fact of Global Warming could make it too late for us to have any true impact on the problem that was set in motion by CFCs, fossil fuels, and other pollutants. Will our denial and the denials forced on us by our government who wants to see Global Warming as theory instead of fact be so great that it will doom the planet to another ice age?

One of the more troubling aspects of this film is that Gore has given his presentation on humanity's effects on the planet more then 1,000 times. My sense of disbelief at hearing this number and feeling as if I were seeing NO true changes at least here in America was a mixture of disbelief and anger. America is one of only coutries that is a large emitter of Greenhouse Gases, but has chosen not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol due to negative effects it may have on the economy. However, I am proud to note that several states have implement their own adherance to the Kyoto Protocol with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and are working to cleanup the environment with or without the Federal Government.

If you only see one movie this year, this is the one. For yourself, for your love of your children, and for our dependency and adoration of this planet, please do yourself a true service and seek to understand what is going on each and every day right under our noses. I assure you, it is an hour and 40 minutes that will change the way you look at the Earth.

Lucky to Live in this Day and Age!

Went to a lovely Vow Renewel ceremony this weekend in Montecito (near Santa Barbara) with Jedi. I think what I liked about it best was that when you arrived at the venue, you had drinks and abundant h’ordeuves before the ceremony and then dinner afterwards. It was held at a the Mother of the Groom’s residence and the weather was cool and did not become too chilly until late evening. Guests were encouraged to bring their drinks along to the ceremony which added a festive quality. The woman who presided over the ceremony was the same one who had married the couple a year previously.

The personal component that I found most appealing was the favor given to guests. It was a homemade cookbook full of recipes contributed by friends and family. If you have been reading my blog for a while then you know that food and love are synonimous to me so they were sharing their love with these recipes. Nice touch.

In the past few years I have been in and to many weddings and was a bit burned out by them (please take this as no reflection on the friends or family who have married, I always have a wonderful time and do enjoy being able to be a part of people’s important day). However, I realize now that my expectations of weddings is rather colored by my childhood perception of Mom and Dad’s ceremony.

My parent’s wedding, what I have heard about it from my Mother was that it not all she had hoped. Many of the decisions that brides take for granted today were not afforded her. Aspects of her wedding that anyone would consider personal and important were dictated to her. Despite this, my Mom has always said that she didn’t care about all those things, she just wanted to marry my Father and if that was the price to pay, to let her Mother and Mother-in-Law run the show, so-be-it. Very heartfelt, very sweet, but also bittersweet in my child-eye’s estimation since to marry my Father, Mom had to sacrifice many of her little girl hopes to the practicality of being on good terms with relatives.

Marriage itself has changed so much from decade to decade and country to country. Marriages in America for the most part have to do with love and compatibility rather then money, land alliances, religion, or social status. I am most assuredly thankful to my Granparents who made the courageous journey from their homelands whether by choice or necessity to a new life, new language, and new land. On a daily basis I take for granted that I can choose my own mate, when the concept is relatively new-fangled in the grand scheme of history. If time travel becomes available in my lifetime I’m staying put.

Vexation Over Physical Traits

Part of being an individual is coping with some of the things genetics just passes down to your by sheer chance from the fact that you are half of each your mother and father’s DNA.

Now sometimes this works out great, like a certain little Shiloh Pitt-Jolie will not be an ugly duckling where-as Billy Joel and Christy Brinkley’s daughter is a tad bit more challenged in the looks department. However, she has made herself quite appealing despite the conglomeration of her parents co-mingled attributes. There-fore there are no guarantees that when two people who love eachother produce progeny that said child will inherent any or all desirable socially attractive traits of either parent. That being said, I would like a word with my parents over two entirely uncontrollable aspects of my appearance; my hair and my fingernails. Both items I mention are curly. While one might love curly hair if they possess straight, let me assure you that those of us with curly would probably kill if it would magically transform our outrageously uncontrollable locks to something that can actually be brushed on a daily basis without creating the hideousnous that is frzz.

My hair, like many people’s, refuses to obey anything I do to it. This is not to say that it cannot, on occasion, look fabulous, but that is entirely up to how it has chosen to behave or not on any given day. I used to believe that most things in my life could be affected by my choices, but my hair is, ironically enough, completely on it’s own. It has decided to be abundant in number, yet fine, more like cotton candy in feel then the beautiful thick silk on Jedi’s head. Betrayed is how I felt when at the age of 9, G-d felt it was okay to just add curly, crazy hair on top of the crisis of early puberty. So, not only was I entering the mysterious world of maxi pads and bras, one that I not so thrilled about, the other I was a bit excited to wear, but I was also dealing with this Q-tip-like mop.

Jedi and I recently took a trip to Niagara Falls. We were already in Buffalo for my cousin’s wedding, so we figured we would skip over to see the natural wonder and beauty of Niagara…on the Canadian side, of course. I say, “of course” because the American side is desolate and not so tourist friendly. I’m unsure if that’s because you cannot get a good glimpse of the Falls from that side, or if it has to do with economic infastructure in Northern New York. Either way, it is a shame. Back to my hair…do you know what high humidity does to curly, fine, fly-away hair? Well, all I can say is it is NOT a good combination. I looked like I just finished sticking my finger in a light socket for the majority of the day. This was not at all good considering we dined in a rather nice restaurant that evening. It was with great relief that I glimpsed a woman at a nearby table who looked equally bedraggled.

My nails are a total failure in structure. You see, my nails curl over the ends of my fingers, but of course, just to be different, it is only the first and middle fingers that do this. My remaining 6 fingers have perfectly beautiful long, straight, and dare-I-say, even white nails that can only be grown out with their curly counterparts all askew right nextdoor. Why, you ask, do I not have acrilic nails installed on the offending digits? To put it succinctly, I am lazy. It is rare that I enjoy being away from home or work for body-beauty related maintainence (massages are NOT included in this category as I consider them luxury and well worth the travel). I deplore having to get my eyebrows waxed (despite loving the results) and am known to go weeks without taming the furry caterpillers. I don’t mind the pain, it’s the scheduling and going I mind. Once I am there or at a nail salon, I don’t mind the services, it’s the upkeep that is a killer.

Perhaps it is not a matter of finding fault with my inherited attributes, perhaps it is just finding more time in my day to actually tame them. And the want to do-so…but for now kvetching seems entirely satisfying.

Pet Peeve: Women's Bathrooms

Did you know that a popular item in Asia (I cannot remember if it Japan or China, shame on me for the generalization) is toilet seats that play music to disguise the sounds of nature? I admit, I found the idea at once both absurd and also a great idea. If only there were neutralizing air fresheners that went off with the tune playing so all that unladylike business would be covered up like it doesn’t happen at all.

Men, you can step away for a moment, I want to speak to my female readers here.

Now, I don’t know about you, but what I have noticed is that women are often suspiciously quiet in bathroom stalls when others are in the bathroom. Obviously, we do not want to draw attention to the sounds and smells of the elimination process. Yet, I find it incredibly ironic, that these are the same strong, sensible women that take in hand (so-to-speak) changing dirty diapers, washing soiled underwear, and other rather dauntingly unclean tasks. Somehow, when it comes to public restrooms we get shy. Our bladders need assistance from the running taps or various other tricks that inspire us least we admit our humanity with the gas we pass.

The Hug Rule

Growing up, we didn’t have a ton of rules to follow, at least I didn’t. Maybe that’s because I was the youngest and my parents had already been “broken in” by my older siblings or maybe it just wasn’t Mom and Dad’s parenting style. So besides rules about going to bed on time and not talking with strangers we had the Hug Rule. The Hug Rule stated that you had to have at least four hugs a day to be sure you had enough hugs to fall asleep happy and safe. At the end of the day Mom or Dad or on special occasions both of them (they were involved with various community services that had meetings on weeknights) would come in and tuck me into my bed and ask if I had enough hugs that day. If I had enough then I would get one extra from either parent and be snuggly tucked into bed. But, if I didn’t have my fair share of hugs for the day, my parents would sometimes whisk me out of bed and down the hall to hug my sister or brother or maybe the parent who wasn’t there or even one of the cats if they hadn’t gotten themselves left outside for the night. The Hug Rule was sacred for many years in my early childhood and it’s one that I would like to spread across the world. If there were more appropriate and caring physical contact between families I think it would go a long way to people feeling more valued, more secure, and definitely more cared for. Four hugs a day, is that really asking a lot?

Remembering: Aunt G

Coming up later this month is the birthday of a women who is already dead. She was a sparkling light of energy, opinions, a strong taste for shopping, and an enormous love of cats, she was my Aunt G. Aunt G was not truly my aunt, at least not in the biological sense of the word, she was a friend of my mother’s who was a much loved part of the family. Because of her choice not to marry or have children, my siblings and I became a kind of surrogate for her. Albeit, we were 3,000 miles apart for the majority of our lives, we lived on the West Coast where my father had found a job and she lived on the East Coast in the same town my mother grew up in. She was something special and she took the time and trouble to make sure I knew she loved me and thought of me often.

Some may contest this ascertion, but I know it to be fact, I was Aunt G’s favorite. I think she always wanted a little girl and with my big gray eyes and curly hair, I imagine she was smitten with me. Of course, I also allow that I shared one of her biggest hobbies, as did my mother, shopping for jewelry. Aunt G could sniff out a deal on gorgeous Zuni fetish necklaces or find gold elephant earrings for a fraction of the wholesale’s price. It was marvelous to watch her in action because she just fell in love with the sparkle and shine of the jewels and her face and body would take on a glow with each new purchase.

Aunt G was a woman who did not understand the impact she made on the world (few of us know the important positions we hold in the lives of others). I was not very good at telling or showing her how much she contributed to my life and who I am today. When she died of cancer, my regret was immense that I never got to tell her how much I loved her. But that was also her way.

Venting Frustrations

You know how sometimes something someone says can just rub you the WRONG way? Maybe it was their timing, maybe it was extenuating circumstances related to the situation that added to the whole “straw-that-broke-the-camels-back” feeling of the communication, but whatever it was, it just caused intense, MUST RESOLVE emotions in you.

In this case it is the classic, carrot and stick method, I never seem to see the carrot (yet, somehow I believe it is out there somewhere), but the stick is a constant concrete reality that seems to bash me upside the head more often then not. So, if I have been short with people recently, on the verge of tears or perhaps screamed at you recently over the phone, in person, via IM, or e-mail, believe me when I say, it’s not you, it’s me. I am just about ready to hang up my work-ethic and run away to join the circus…although G-d’s honest truth, that looks rather demanding as well. Maybe I’ll snatch one of those “Work From Home” fliers off the side of the freeway and keep the dog company as I sell pyramid schemes to unsuspecting senior citizens and stay-at-home parents.

LA Times Festival of Books

This weekend I attended the above annual event on UCLA's campus along with two of my friends, "Red Dawn" and "Southern Gentleman". I think these two guys might actually adore literature and writing at least as much as I do, if they were combined, of course. As usual, I digress, but I must say that after attending a day at this amazing weekend, I am both chagrin and peeved that I have not gone out of my way more to try it sooner.

Southern Gentleman picked up a variety of tickets to panel discussions with the big highlight in our collective minds being Ray Bradbury's appearance. Sadly when we arrived, we discovered that Mr. Bradbury had cancelled his appearance due to illness. Luckily, he tends to appear on short notice at my favorite bookstore (Every Picture Tells a Story).

The true highlight of this even in my mind was seeing Ray Harryhausen in conversation with Richard Schickel, his longtime friend who was a film critic and producer of documentary films. If you do not know who Harryhausen is, well, you must've had a very different kind of childhood then I did. Harryhausen movies were a staple of my weekends alongside the habitual classic war movies my brother enjoyed. His amazing stop motion creatures creations were innovative and imaginative, not to mention thoroughly captivating.

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Clash of the Titans are just two of my favorite examples of Harryhausen masterpieces. While he may not be the inventor of stop motion special effects in early cinema, his work is the most well known. His Cyclops, Hydra, Medusa are linked inexorably to my youth and who can forget his army of skeleton warriors? Schickel seemed more interested in getting Harryhausen's take on remakes of his creatures, ie Peter Jackson's King Kong. Harryhausen was appropriately modest and although Schikel baited him (this is my interpretation), Harryhausen remained the gentlemen, even if he did think that the relationship between Kong and his leading lady in the movie became ridiculously sexualized. I have not seen Mr. Jackson's film yet, so if someone could fill me in on the parts I missed, that would be great.

Harryhausen said several interesting quotes that give you a real sense of him as a living legend:
"Fantasy shouldn't be analyzed."
"The past is more romantic then the future."
"Everyone wants to be a critic."

Southern Gentleman was ensnared in the giant community crosswords that were put up sporatically around the event. He is a crossword nut, just like my roomate, The Brown One. So Red Dawn and I walked around the many bookstore stalls, my bag becoming heavier and heavier as I saw one after the other book that I "HAD TO HAVE". Granted, I should've been more careful about my purchases, but I was like a kid in a candy store and rational thought flew right out the window.

After a quick lunch, the three of us went to a panel on Quirky Non-fiction feature moderator Megan Daum, a LA Times Columist. The authors were Veronica Chambers(Mama's Girl, The Joy of Doing Things Badly), June Casagrande (A Word Please, Grammer Snobs are Great Big Meanies), and Martin Smith (Poplorica, Oops : 20 Life Lessons from the Fiascoes That Shaped America). This was an intersting panel, but probably not one I would attend again since I so rarely have enough material to write non-fiction topic specific stories. Of course, I still have no clue what kind of writer I am or want to be. Mostly, I just write for me.

Instant Dads

I went to an Independent film screening premiere last night. When I first finished film school I attended a lot of film openings like this, many of them worked on by fellow graduates and a few that I even did the production or post production audio on. Now, I’m lucky if I am invited to see a truly independent film once a year, so I considered this a big treat. To add to my delight, 2 close friends of mine who composed original music for the film’s score were asked to perform live before the screening.

From the handout provided to guests of the screening:
Plot for Instant Dads
A film about a guy, Steven (who happens to be gay), who’s ex-girlfriend from high school, Nancy, shows up with a surprise, their 10 year old son Luke! Nancy never told Steven that she got pregnant on prom night with his child (the only girl Steven ever slept with by the way). Nancy reappeared in Steven’s life dying of cancer. She informs Steven that her last wish is to have him “the natural father” adopt Luke. WOW what a blow for a guy who is in a relationship with another guy and neither one of them has a clue on how to raise a 10 year old kid! After many talks with his boyfriend Peter, Steven decides that he will make Nancy’s dying wish come true, but NOT without a CRASH COURSE FIRST!

For someone tackling writing, directing, and acting to take on such serious and controversial subject matter was a big risk in my estimation. Instant Dads succeeds on many levels. First the main cast was first rate, especially Dominic Janes who plays Luke. Child actors can be challenging for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being their ability to portray sadness, anger, and uncertainty with a degree of believability. Luke was without a doubt phenomenal. It helped, that Maki writes him to be a wise 10 year old that has had to grow up fast due to his mother’s serious illness. Dominic is being rewarded for his hard work and dedication to his craft, he has a recurring role as Alex Taggart on ER.

The second major success for filmmaker Maki was having Universal studios agree to let him film at their Citywalk. He took advantage of this location using a café, a toy store, and the front of the movie theater for different parts of the film. These authentic locations lent to the overall professional feel of the film. Also Maki’s willingness to use many locations; houses, cars, parks really gave the film an authentic quality that many low budget pictures cannot afford.

You really care about the characters in Instant Dads and this is due to a combination of the script and the actors. This is a cohesive and heartfelt effort from all involved. What I like about the film is although there are many songs and the score is well executed, it is not wall to wall music. In fact, the music is so well integrated into the movie that it contributes to the overall emotion of the piece. Kudos to whoever chooses the placement of the songs since they integrate so well. High praise to my friends who had previously never composed for film, I am thrilled that they were involved in such a superb first effort.

Please Pray

I am a big believer in the power of prayer. A dear friend of mine from work heard last night that his father suffered a severe stroke. If you pray, please include him and his family in the thoughts you send to your chosen entity. My friend will be flying to the state where his dad is tomorrow morning and any good things we can send his way might hopefully mitigate the fear and helplessness he is feeling.

Thank you.

UPDATE: Sadly, my friend's dad passed away. Please continue to pray for him and his family if you are able. I believe it makes a difference, your faith, your love, your spirit contribute to the healing of others and yourself.

Earth Day April 22, 2006

Happy Earth Day dear readers! This Earth Day I spent in Northern California at my parent’s house. My father was taking part in the local clean-up in some nearby areas operated and overseen by the Park’s District so I decided to join him. We got started early and the city provided breakfast and buses to 3 different sites that needed our attention. My father had the task of greeting volunteers and setting up lunch while I went with a group to a recreational park that also serves as a summer nature camp for kids.

The rangers pointed out where the stream in the park had overrun its banks and left debris in the water and on surrounding banks. Our task was to remove the leaves and dead foliage from the living plants and put it into a pile to compost a bit further downstream. While some of us were handing that, others were recruited to bring in gravel and build up a trail that was washed away. Upon completion of this work a large wooden bridge was installed across the stream to provide easy access from one side of the park to the other.

The group of volunteers I was with at the park of included a school teacher from the High School I attended, a member of the city’s beautification committee, kids ranging from toddlers to teenagers, and 4 park rangers (one rather unfortunately named Ranger Rick, I am NOT kidding). Having helped found the Environmental Club when I was in High School, I was happy to see a lot of older teenagers who were wearing sweatshirts and hats from my alma mater.

Once all the volunteers from the various worksites were bused back to the original location lunch was provided. We were also treated to educational pamphlets on keeping your garden bug free using non-toxic means, recycling used motor oil and filters, recycling batteries, keeping water and air clean. We got some really well made, ORGANIC t-shirts. Breakfast, a snack, lunch, and a free t-shirt…I should volunteer more often huh?

Second Successful Seder

Close friends, delicious food, ample wine, a thrilling saga of danger and triumph, and finger puppets, what more could a Jewess want? Besides a little bacon, nothing. Kidding, kidding, please do not reign pestalence upon my crop for a little Kosher joking.

On Wednesday night, April 12th, my roommates and I hosted our second Seder at our humble abode. oh boy, if each and every Seder is supposed to top the next one then this one was right on track.

The menu was typical Jewish fare (at least for a girl who grew up in Northern California). We had apricot chicken, pot roast, matzoh, and the apple and walnut charoset that I grew up with (although my Dad still makes it better then I do, but I've only made it a dozen times while he has been making it for over 30 years). The Brown One and Jedi were kind enough to cook delicious side dishes. The Brown One also bought us a beautiful new Passover Seder plate that was much needed after the Seder plate I made a couple of years ago at Color Me Mine got broken in the move.

The Brown One also contributed the most hilarious new element to our Seder meal, the 10 Plague Puppets. Not sure if everyone has seen these, but they're 10 exquisitely crafted finger puppets, my favorite has to be a tie between Darkness and Locust. Hail is pretty darn funny with his Carrottop hair. For our Seder we let each participant choose a puppet and then read about the cooresponding plague it pertained to, but here's the catch, you had to read the passage in the type of voice you think your plague would have.

We had plague, Death of the First Born, from New York, the Southern Belle Locust plague, and other ludicrous pairings. Our friend Blinky and Koosh were expecially fond of their plagues, Lice and Wild Animals. I tell you, I don't think you have experienced the true freedom and joy of Passover without Ten Plague Puppets.

We didn't have all of this frolic and food without remembering the true reason for the holiday. Our Passover was dedicated to those men, women, and children suffering hunger, rape, war, and an uncertain future in Darfur. We were reminded why we should treasure our freedom from persecution for color, religion, sexual preference, or political convictions. We affirmed that while there remains one person chained, beaten down, murdered for there beliefs we must be their voice, and we cannot stop shouting until we are heard.

As I looked around the table at my friends who are so different from me, hearing them read the story of Moses leading his people out of Pharoah's Egypt. Telling this beautiful tale of freedom from oppression I felt that my heart would burst with the love and goodwill. Next year in Jerusalem.

Me and Stephen King: Reading Soulmates?

I was reading Stephen King’s top 10 books of 2005 today on the Entertainment Weekly Website and was surprised to find that one book I just finished and one I am currently in the middle of are on his list.

First there is Saturday by Ian McEwan. This is the third book that I have read by the author and I admit that his writing style is so descriptive that it takes some getting used to. I prefer to listen to his books versus reading them. The added benefit is that the reader is British so he really captures the more English expressions and contemporary slang terms that are not used here in the United States. There are mellifluous passages that goon page after page describing the minutiae of the main character, Henry Perowne’s day. Since the book takes place over the course of one Saturday in the main character’s life you are able to read every thought he has, every impulse he acts on and know exactly where within the body of his emotional, financial, professional, personal, and physical life this single day occurs.

This is a complex read, not advisable for anyone looking for a beach book or easily followed mystery. The beautiful paragraphs that talk about Perowne’s love for his wife, Rosalind are startling in their intimacies. Sometimes when the author wrote about their deep, abiding, and still passionate love for each other after raising their two adult children I have cause to smile and think of people in my own family who have been together for decades and share a past that contains mutual respect and adoration. I enjoyed this read more then Atonement and Black Dogs and feel that it is the most personal book I have read by McEwan.

The second book mentioned by King is Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories and I am chagrin to admit that I put this tasty morsel down after 200 pages to read King’s newest bestseller Cell (Jedi raved about it and that in and of itself was enough to intrigue me, but 2 friends who also have blogs-theirs are specifically used to review books also had good things to say about this latest offering). Atkinson’s book jumps around quite a bit, but once you catch onto the writing style it proves to be a fast paced, detail oriented read well worth the adjustment. I will be picking it back up this week and maybe just for kicks I’ll start at the beginning.

Charge: Odd Food Collector, Verdict: Guilty

I like going to all sorts of specialty markets and buying obscure or difficult to find items. In the past, these purchases have included dried grated turnip, jars of dulce de leche, hunks of sweet sticky guava paste, Jerusalem artichokes, star fruit, tahini, and kasha. Now some of the previous list you might recognize from Ralph’s or Von’s, but would you know what to do with them once you get them home? Yep, me either. Therefore languishing in fridge drawers and cupboards are the lotus root and red bean paste that seemed so inspiring while browsing the aisles of an Asian market near my house. Yet they keep each other company in the refrigerator awaiting the day when I will reach for them to inspire and motivate my outrageously misguided palate.

Other offenses include yummy, delicious, amazing anchovy wrapped capers in extra virgin olive oil. In my defense I bought these full well intending to eat them. They were a purchase made in the depths of nostalgia for the wondrous meals my Grandparents would cobble together of various pickled items, leftover roast beef, and vegetables galore. Never would I have thought that seedless rye bread spread with a thin coating of unsalted real dairy whipped butter and a smidge of real mayonnaise topped with several anchovy filets (looking almost flowerlike around their caper center) could taste like heaven. Albeit, salty, full-fat heaven, but such simplicity can be the right combinations to make me wax nostalgic. What I never counted on when I bought the tin of anchovies was how incredibly difficult it is to find fresh baked seedless rye here on the West Coast. Yeah, I know, cry me a river, my life is SO hard.

Is there something unmentionable lurking in your cabinets or veggie drawer? Maybe in the dark, cold climate of your freezer? Let me know, I don’t want to be the only one collecting weird foodstuff.

My Pirate Name

My pirate name is:

Mad Ethel Kidd

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Scent Memories

Have you ever noticed that particular smells remind you of certain times, places, and people? Your sense of smell is a strong trigger for memories. Here are a few of mine:

Violet Water – this smell reminds me of my Mom, especially when combined with the scent of Youth Dew perfume. I would often sneak sprizes of these toilet waters from my Mom’s dresser where she kept her perfume selections. These remind me the most of her.

Rising Bread Dough – the yeasty warm smell of bread dough that is “resting” before being baked never fails to invoke thoughts of my Father who used to prepare fresh bread every weekend during my early childhood. Old Spice also can remind me of my Dad, or the smell of a pipe which he stopped smoking before I was a teenager. Going into a tobacco shop can instantly bring to mind my father’s pipe clasp between his teeth on Fall afternoons while he was changing the oil on the cars in the drive-way.

Drakkar Noir – I remember my brother drenching himself with this assault on your nostrils that he would call cologne. I think he thought it’s scent would seduce the teenage girls into ignoring his heiniously bad 80s hairdo and have them falling at his feet.

Chalk and oil paints – these always bring me back to my first art teacher who was a friend of my family’s through our temple. In fact, her mom was my Sunday School teacher at one point. My art teacher was maybe in her late teens when she showed me how to use watercolors, charcoal, and pastels to render faces, hands, and inanimate objects on a page. She even explained to me the meaning of the Car’s song “Who’s Gonna Drive You Home Tonight” when my youthful inexperience thought it was about someone drinking too much at a bar.

Peaches – whenever I smell peaches, even in my bubble bath last night I can’t help but think of my Grandma on my father’s side. She liked Peach Schnapp’s and would offer it to us kids every now and then. It was such a treat that sweet peachy goodness it made me feel like an adult sharing something special with her.

Clean Laundry – when laundry is fresh and warm straight out of the dryer the smell sets off a cascade of feline memories for me. All the cats I have had or known have loved clean, warm sheets, underwear, shirts, and jeans to knead, burrow under, or simple curl up on.

Chlorine – reminds me of my Mother’s parents, my Nana and Papa who had pool when I was little and I closely associate the smell of chlorine

Marlo Thomas Makes Me Smile

The Brown One mentioned in passing one day that she had the DVD for “Free to Be You and Me” that I might remember from my childhood. Remember…oh boy…I kid you not when I say that right after my fetish for the full cast movie recording Annie, Free to Be You and Me was my favorite nostalgia album from pre-teen youth. Now, not only was I getting to relieve the music, but I was finding out that there was a whole TV special that this exuberant child geared music came from.

What a magical Saturday morning we had watching this DVD chock full of confidence boasting messages for boys and girls of every age, religion, and ethnicity. One of the most endearing scenes is between a young Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack singing a song called “When I Grow Up” that affirms children are valued for who they are, not what they are. They also pay tribute to working parents (believe me when I say, every parent is a working parent) in a song sang by Marlo Thomas and Harry Belafonte called “Parents are People”. Rosey Grier passably vocalizes on “It’s Alright to Cry”, but it is his sincerity and charm that make this one of my choice performances on the DVD. Here’s a sample of his lyrics:

It's all right to cry
Crying takes the mad out of you
It's all right to cry
It might make you feel better!

He ends the song with "It's all right to cry little boy -- I know some big boys who cry too."

Not surprisingly this positive, heartfelt TV special garnered an Emmy Award for containing such understandable messages about gender roles in “William Wants a Doll” and teaching the difference between good help and help no one wants in “Helping”. Let me say that this show stands the test of time, the lyrics to the music came back to me as if I had just watched the DVD yesterday. Marlo Thomas was instrumental in helping all children when she set out to make this piece with the idea that was born--according to the liner notes--by the desire to provide her niece with music "to celebrate who she was and who she could be."

Whatever your age, this is a terrific DVD, full of affirmations about the changes associated with growing up.

Who Will Speak for You?

For St. Paddy’s Day I had the pleasure of a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner with some friends. The couple whose house these festivities were at had recently changed jobs and the lady of the house, we will call her the Queen of Karaoke (QK for short, her boyfriend is Blondie from previous posts) in honor of her boyfriend’s gift to her of a Karaoke machine that hooks into their TV, had recently begun working for a non-profit group called Jewish World Watch. JWW is an organization that is currently advocating for the people of Darfur, Sudan, but the overall concept of the group is to make good on the idea that as human beings we must not allow another Holocaust no matter what name is used to make it more socially palatable. Mass killing, violation of human rights, blocking of aid and relief efforts should bring outrage and uproar to those living with the blessings of freedom.

Currently, JWW is promoting a Passover Advocacy Project. At QK’s house she had 3x5 cards that had been filled out by school children of a variety of ages. Reading those notes was both heart wrenching and hilarious. Heart wrenching, because it's difficult to imagine children with food, housing, peace, and freedom in their home life having to advocate for children who have nothing and hilarious because a first grader is taking our President to task for not living up to his words, “Not on my watch”.

Thinking about the everyday struggles in Darfur make me want a better world for the future and for the children growing up there. I have decided to make their Advocacy Project a part of my Passover Seder this year. Passover is my favorite Jewish Holiday and it will have a special meaning this year as we sit down to tell the story of how Moses brought freedom to the Jews under Egypt’s Pharoah’s rule and we write letters to our representatives in Washington to bring attention to the suffering of men, women, and children in Darfur. Turning a blind eye to the rape, terror, and murder of an entire people is not the legacy I want for this great nation.

You can help stop the atrocities in Darfur from the comfort of your computer, simply go to this website and send an e-mail (conveniently provided here) to President Bush asking him to live up to his words and help the Sudanese people stop the violence and bring much needed aid to the area.

I leave you with this poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller (a controversial figure for his support of Hitler prior to his persecution by the Third Reich) about how German intellectuals responded to the Nazi rise in power:

First they came…

When they came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews.
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

All I Want to Be is ....EVERYTHING!

Often over the past 7 years I have wanted to have a career different from the one I have. This has lead to fantasies about working in fields that actually make a difference, that help people, animals, soceity as a whole, or fulfill my want to feel special and/or important. Instead, I am a cog in a large industrial machine and the realization of my more altruistic side is found through volunteer work, charitable donations, and armchair political activism.

Below are some of the jobs or in some cases careers that have attracted my attention or been my aspiration in the previous years.

*Forensic Pathologist-I imagine working with the dead would be peaceful, but also interesting. My respect for the bodies they leave behind and the information gathered by Pathologist is useful in alleviating family’s grief, solving crimes, and improving science. The amount of school I would need to go back for to do this job makes it financially prohibitive.
*EMT/Paramedic-Helping people is the central draw of this career path. Not to mention the excitement and critical thinking involved. I have an Uncle who does this and he is tall and strong with a calm, deep voice. Being short of stature and a women, the physical requirements are daunting, especially when you consider the possibility of needing to carry someone down countless flights of stairs safely.
*Editor-I love reading and writing, but aside from that have no real qualifications that would recommend me to this position.
*Adventure Racing-You may have guessed that I am a huge fan of Mark Burnett’s Eco-challenge on the Discover Channel. I love watching teams push past there human limits and show an endurance of the mind and mastery of the body that you see in very few sports. The Kayaking, Biking, Hiking, River Rafting, Map reading, and interpersonal interaction is appealing to me. I like the comradery and the variety of events, and think I could handle them well if I were in better physical condition. Something unique to this sport is that most of the participants are not in their twenties, they are instead seasoned athletes who know their strengths and weaknesses. A girl like me is more cut out to consider this strictly a spectator sport.
*Author-Same pros and cons as being an editor, plus I am uncertain if I possess the self-motivation required to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day writing.

Random Questions with 4 Answers

I stole this from a friend’s blog.

Four jobs I've had:
*Making pizza for a take’n’bake shop in Northern California
*Assistant Sound Operator/Designer for American Musical Theater of San Jose (formerly known as San Jose Civic Light Opera when I worked there)
*Hostess at Carrows Restaurant (waking up at the cruel hour of 4AM to spend 8 hours on my feet…I am in awe of people who do this everyday, they are amazing.)
*Assistant to a VP at a large television company

Four movies I can watch over and over:
*Labyrinth (Duh…this is the movie I celebrate with, I cry with…I love this movie…or maybe it’s just David Bowie’s wardrobe)
*Super Troopers (the crash humor in this is a delight)
*Blood Simple (the Cohen Brothers at there absolute best…fascinating noir thriller)
*Cider House Rules (taken from my favorite John Irving book, Tobey McGuire is superb and Michael Cain is heartbreaking in this excellent adaptation)

Four places I've lived:
*Northridge, CA
*Sherman Oaks, CA
*Burbank, CA
*Los Angeles, CA (near USC)

Four TV shows I love:
*Oz
*The Muppet Show
*The Shield (best show on TV)
*Investigative Reports

Four places I've vacationed:
*Oahu, Hawaii
*Mammoth, CA
*Disneyworld in Florida
*Williamsburg, West Virginia

Four of my favorite dishes:
*My matzo ball soup
*My dad’s coleslaw (and he makes great waffles)
*My mom’s pot roast (she does an incredible NY Cheesecake that is so dense and rich it’s like being in the Big Apple)
*My boyfriend’s baked apples (and he also makes pretty darn good pancakes too)

Four sites I visit daily:
*CNN
*NPR
*FARK
*IMDB (usually work related)

Four places I would rather be right now:
*at home reading
*Peru hanging with the sloths
*Brazil eating the fantastic food that I have heard about there.
*In my car finishing up the book on tape I am listening to.

Spiritual Journey Cultivates Intrigue

In the doctor’s office today I was reading a National Geographics Travel Guide of some kind It looked a lot like the Nat Geo magazine from my childhood, but instead of simply showing beautiful pictures of exotic locals, it gave the reader the information needed to travel to those edges of the world and see the amazing plants, animals, and people shown and talked about in the articles. (I found out later that the magazine is called “Adventure”, I think I am going to subscribe and drool all over the incredible pictures and stories from all parts of this wonderful planet).

The story of one traveler fascinated me no end, it was the experiences of Kira, the author, on a trip down the Amazon in Peru to experience a spiritual/physical journey using ayahuasca (containing the hallucinogen DMT), a “shaman medicinal ritual”. The article goes on to describe a frightening, but fascinating incident that has healing aspects for the writer and various responses from the other fairly typical European and American participants. The ayahuasca, which is mixed by the Shaman is said to have healing properties ranging from curing cancer to alleviating severe depression (as attested to by the writer). I was captivated by the internal journey explored using this mixture and it very much reminded me of a college friends stories of trying Peyote buttons with his Native American Grandfather when he reached adulthood.

In no way am I advocating illicit drug activity, but this ritual is something I equivocate mildly with the indulgence in wine that my religion is involved in to celebrate Passover (my favorite of all Jewish holidays, even before I liked wine). They are both means to expand ones daily boundaries and indulge in rites that our ancestors did. This aspect of the shaman’s ritual, that it has gone before us and will continue after each of us is dead is suggestive of the continuity of live. Of course, one could argue that penguins lived in the arctic before I was born and will also be there after I die and that there is a timeless quality in that as well. As usual, I digress, when what I really mean to say is that I am intrigued by the authors abilities to depart the everyday 9-5 lifestyle and travel to a country with a past, with religious views and rituals so different from my own.

After reading this article I am more inspired to visit Peru then ever before. Not only for their rich tropical foliage and unique wildlife (specifically the three toed sloths that I have seen in Peruvian Market pictures-although I would be happier to see them in the jungle then in captivity…they look like Muppets!).

Cool Piggy Product

Exhausted and Overwhelming: Solving the Schedule Crisis

Exhaustion has been a constant the past couple of weeks. Whenever I yawn, rub my eyes, stretch my back, and yearn for sleep I think I should call the doctor. Sadly, I suspect the truth of the matter is that I am not sick in the least and that I am simply overscheduled. Let’s take a look at a typical week for yours truly, Miss Megastein:

-Go to 40 hour a week job (my commute is about an hour each direction).
-Have lunch with a friend or co-worker a minimum of three times per week.
-Enjoy dinner out or some event with my significant other and/friends at least five times a week.
-Have two scheduled events during each weekend (last weekend was outrageous, Friday night I attended a jam band concert, Saturday was Book Club followed by an evening at the symphony, and Sunday was Nascar out at the California Speedway.).

At the end of December I moved and here it is March and I am still unpacking (granted, the roommate whose place I am taking did not move until the end of January). Yep, no doubt about it, I am overbooking myself. Heck, I have things on my schedule all the way out until November of this year. Plus I feel this enormous drive to take the scuba lessons I received as a birthday gift, but the time commitment is daunting (it’s really not all that much, but right now to my way of thinking the payoff would add to my schedule crisis). In this state of mind even my netflicks movies seem to be taunting me with my inability to watch them in a timely manner.

So, dear reader, I need to cut back. I need to rearrangement my responsibilities, obligations, needs, and wants in a way that give me more structure and additional energy. I know what I need to do and like the old Saturday morning interstitials say, “Knowing is half the battle”. It’s the execution of said knowledge that is overwhelming. So baby steps it will be. I’m going to check out a gym with my roommate this weekend, which seems like as good a place as any to start.

Cute Babies, Creepy Adults

I am babysitting a dear friend’s 10 month old baby boy tonight. Watching this baby grow from a new born to this point where he is on the cusp of being a toddler has been an amazing experience for me. Many of my cousins have children that I have received pictures of frequently, some from birth to adulthood, but seeing it happen so rapidly right in front of my eyes has been incredible.

Something that I have noticed is that babies often smile using their whole face. Their eyes light up, eyebrows raise, mouth opens with glee and they have such enthusiastic open expressions. So, the other day I mentioned to Jedi this observation and went on to ask him why we seem to lose this ability as adults. He looked at me with raised eyebrows and said “This is why” and proceeded to make the most disturbing and frighteningly weird face I have ever seen. His eyes were bugging from his head, his eyebrows were arched in absurd surprise and his mouth had a humongous smile that was supremely creepy in a “clowns-are-cannibals” kind of way.

Yeah, I now understand why grownups limit their smiles to their eyes and mouths.

As a sort of after thought to this whole conversation is this:
We were watching Scrubs last night and noticed the John C. McGinley who plays Dr. Perry Cox sometimes does the whole face smile thing. He does in some respects look like a baby, but mostly it’s just scary.

Valentine's Day

Jedi really outdid himself for Valentine's Day. He set a standard that I think a lot of guys would have trouble beating. When I got home from work he was already in the kitchen preparing 2 different pasta dishes from an America's Test Kitchen episode we had seen earlier that week. Our roommate/friend, The Brown One, and two of our friends were joining us for dinner. Least anyone ask why we did not choose to be alone, I say that we are quite casual in our household and enjoy sharing holidays and most events with friends very much. Plus we spend a great deal of time together and are blessed to having many friends in common. I'm sure there will come a time when we are so busy we will need to schedule date nights, but that time is a bit in the future.

The pasta dishes were magnificent. He made Penne with Toated Nut and Parsley Pesto
and followed it up with Campanelli with Asparagus, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze. Neither of these are dishes I would have tried to prepare on my own, but as demonstrated by Jedi they are not only quick to prepare, but deceptively simple as well. Plus they are vegetarian which is great since The Brown One does not eat meat. Who knows, I might have to try making the Spaghetti with Olive Pesto this week.

On top of this amazing meal my wonderful boyfriend was preparing, he had also bought me 2 gifts that proved to be very insightful. I received a gorgeous cymbidium orchid in full bloom, it was sitting on his dresser in the new room we share. I am not a fan of cut flowers in the least and would always prefer something living instead. Green foliage and flora are something I take pride in watering, repotting, and making thrive. Orchids just happen to be my favorite flower, I am certain Jedi must know that considering how much time I devoted to looking at them in Hawaii. They are exotic and difficult (for me) to cultivate.

If the flowers and dinner were not enough, Jedi had got me one more gift. He gave me a gift certificate for the Nitespa in Venice, CA. This is a spa that specifically caters to people who want to pamper themselves after work. It is in a little house right off Abbot Kinney, it is adorable and personal. Two nights after our Valentine's Day celebration, I went to Nitespa for their AfterParty Antioxident Detox Facial. It was FANTASTIC!!! Not only did it address my current dry skin (it is desert out here people!) and moderate acne problem, but the women told me I had well hydrated skin. I tell you, I felt like a rockstar when I was finished there and have been drinking gallons of water to keep my skin as hydrated as possible so I can get more compliments like that.

Jedi knew I wanted to be pampered and feel relaxed and he took the time and trouble to make that happen. Of course, he tends to be very sensitive to my needs and wants most of the time, but it was pretty special having that happen on a Hallmark Holiday like Valentine's Day.

Fashion Fantasy #47

Like many people out there I have a vivid fantasy life. I do not dream of sex or money, or even fantasize that some day I will be famous. Nope, I just want a pair of pants that fit. I mean is it really asking too much of the American clothes industry to create a decent pair of black or khaki pants that go from store to home fitting like a gem? Apparently so because I have yet to find slacks that are correctly proportioned for my body.

Admitedly, I used to believe that I had an "odd" body type, but as I look at my friends and fellow fashion victims I realize that either we are all "odd" or the perfect size anything person is the oddball. It has reached a point where if something is not too big or not too small and kinda fits ok, I buy it. This is not the way it should have to be to buy clothing! My closet is filled with a hodgepodge of clothes from Target, Nordstrom, Ross, Chico's, and Ann Taylor Loft that not only do not match, but do not flatter.

I know I am being superficial in the belief that my life would be easier if I were the subject of "What Not to Wear" or an Oprah Makeover guest. Afterall the problems in Darfur and affecting people in the aftermath of Katrina and the Tsunami are far more important a topic that I should think about addressing here and bringing to everyone's attention. These tragedies are not on my mind all the time. Being just as human as many people I want to look good, but more then that I want to feel good about myself. Stay tuned for how I figure out the economically sound ways to do this. It might not happen overnight, but all good things take time.

You Are a Mai Tai

You aren't a big drinker, but you'll drink if the atmosphere is festive. And when you're drunk, watch out! You're easily carried away.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Happy V-day

As a tribute to this romantic holiday I would like to tell you, my dear reader about my wonderful boyfried Jedi. He has a plethora of attributes that would recommend him to many women as an ideal man. He is kind and generous, loves to cook, and has an appreciation for arts be it a concert, musical, exhibit, or graffiti. He is open minded and fairly liberal in life and politics, which suits me well as I fancy myself to be like-minded.

But all these things are fairly generic, not that they aren't vital, but these are not the stand-out reasons why I love him. Jedi has a singular passion for music that brings joy and excitement to everyday. Music by diverse groups of artists, both mainstream and little known bands capture his imagination and inspire him to quiet reflection, frentic dancing, joyous revelry, and boisterous singing. A soul of music and light is what attracted me to him.

Once upon a time, not all that long ago, Jedi worked as a deejay. Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, School Dances, you name it, he spun the records for it. Even though he has not worked professionally for some years, when we started dating he would occasionally put some CDs up and use his equipment to mix dance music, adding beats, crossfading, scratching, the whole nine yards. When I moved in last month, there was very little room for my stuff in his apartment (because one of his roommate who was moving out still had her stuff there). One day I came home from work and low and behold, Jedi moved all of his gear so that my dresser could be setup and I would have a little space to call my own. To me, that is romance.

Our common adoration of food provides many opportunities for trying new items at the grocery store, at restaurants, and at friend's homes. Jedi is meticulous in the kitchen, he buys materials suggested by his favorite commercial producer come celebrity chef, Alton Brown. Two years ago, The Brown One, my second roommate and friend, collected funds to get Jedi the first several seasons of Alton's cooking show, Good Eats. He refers back to episodes frequently. My favorite of the AB recipes that he has tried are the pork ribs (no big surprise there huh?), pancakes, meatloaf, and turkey. I am hoping he will soon try to take on Mr. Brown's onion soup, or I may just be up to the challenge myself.

My boyfriend is a dedicated worker too. The meticulousness in the kitchen is probably a hundred-fold more when he is working. Admittedly, I did not have a good understanding of his job as a Computer Consultant until we were in Hawaii where I experienced his work ethic up close and personal. It was a side of him that I had not seen before and brought out a level of professionalism that I admired, especially since it proved to be a difficult situation. His patience knows no bounds when he is trying to relate certain problems at work to me, much of which I have trouble understanding. Proudly, I consider myself better educated in computer networking from these discussions and am even capable of solving problems sometimes on my work computer from what I have learned.

Valentine's Day really isn't an important holiday other then the fact that it gives me the chance to tell everyone about my Valentine. Okay, I don't mind the chocolate either...

I am a Spam Fan!

I have a can of Spam Lite in the trunk of my car. Yes, I admit it I am a fan of Spam. It was a long forgotten guilty pleasure of mine until my recent trip to O’ahu where the prevalence of the product and its many serving styles bring a smile to my face. In Hawaii Spam is a staple of many local restaurants, it is a breakfast favorite often accompanying eggs and Portuguese sausage. However my favorite Spam recipe is for the very simple, quick, and tasty sushi-nigiri-like dish of musubi. Basically it is sticky slightly sweet rice with a slice of soy marinated Spam on top. It is a perfect companion food with beer or as a good start to the day. Not exactly the breakfast of champions, but the comlpex carbs and protein add up to enough fuel to walk around the island for several hours without my tummy complaining.

Back to the can in the trunk. I had the intention of bringing it into the house and creating some musubi this weekend, but alas my plans feel through. Plus Jedi was making pancakes, and there is nothing on Earth as good as those (he uses Alton Brown's recipe complete with butter and buttermilk...for that very reason these are not a daily indulgence for us). So, it will perhaps take a trip with me to Northern California this weekend, maybe I could get the family at large to appreciate the pleasing taste and texture of canned pork.

I have added a few cute pictures from the Spam website. They have everything a Spam lover would never think to get, like Spam brand keychains, hats, even a Spam can costume, unbelievable!

Great Music

If you like music in the style of Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, or Matchbox 20 then you might like The Mundaze . They are based in Northern California, but 2 of the members were down in SoCal for NAMM (for those of you not in the industry, be it music or entertainment, that would be the National Association of Music Merchants). They have a convention every year in Anaheim for musicians, audio engineers, and recordists.

I am hoping they get some gigs down here since it's sometimes hard to get up to the Bay Area for weeknight shows. Thankfully, we have some of their albums already, including a live recording that is exceptional both in enery of the performance and the audio quality.

My Favorite Quilt

When I went away to college I was leaving the only home I had known for the first 18 years of my life. It was a frightening and exhilarating new chapter for me that held the responsibilities and freedoms of adulthood. Leaving the comfort of the bedroom I lived in for almost two decades was difficult, but I did bring many cherished items along as reminders of where I came from. One of the best items I brought with me to college was a quilt that my mother made for me. Sleeping under it made me feel safe and loved.

It wasn’t an ordinary quilt, but one made in my favorite color combination of turquoise and orange. Being made in a traditional quilt pattern it incorporated many different hues and variations on this color them with the end result assaulting your eyes in brilliant crashing shades. I loved displaying this blanket in my studio apartment at school. Fellow students, neighbors and friends would comment on the choice of combining cool and warm tones. Most people had a strong reaction to the mixture containing bold stripes, muted ginghams, solids, and floral patterns.

It wasn’t soft when I first used it on my bed. The cotton was a little scratchy, not worn in with love and time. I still have the quilt, it's needs some repairs, but then again what well loved item doesn't? Over the years the quilt has grown raggedy, popping its stitches, sustaining a horrible rip down the middle that has been repaired repetitiously, but the dye has not faded. I’m so pleased that my mother did not play it safe and just make something in one color or choose something more fashionable that was not “me”.

New Year's Resolution

Ever since Hanukkah I have been reading like a mad woman. Part of this is due to the gifts I received from my boyfriend’s Mother and her boyfriend. They sent me 8 books, one for each night of Hanukkah and they were all books that I wanted to read which is probably why I have already finished 3 of them and am working on a forth right now. Also, the fact that I was on vacation for a week spending most meals by myself (since Jedi was working), I would read of listen to books on tape while watching passers-by. Since New Year’s I have already completed 2 books on tape. However, you may all have noticed that I have been incredibly remiss in writing about any of them or writing about anything at all lately. I’d say that I made a New Year’s resolution to write a bit each week, but that wouldn’t happen. I did make a resolution though. I want to try and travel outside the United States this calendar year, even if it means Canada or Mexico.

I also made a promise to myself to try and stop one of my myriad of bad habits. During work meetings and serious conversations and…well, a lot of time when I am concentrating I put my fingers in my hair and twirl it around and around and around. My boss has commented on it several times and so has Jedi. I really need to work on getting my hands out of my hair. Not only is it distracting to people, but it leaves my curly frizzy hair in Rastafarian-like dreadlocks. Gotta work on cutting this out of my repertoire of moves.

Hawaii

This past week I joined my boyfriend for a business trip to O'ahu, Hawaii. Dream job huh, getting to actually travel on expense account to tropical paradise? You might think so, but alas, I beg to differ. Jedi ended up working such wild hours we barely had any time together. Not that I'm complaining, because I do well exploring on my own, but this was not an ideal vacation experience. It was both an adventure and extremely restful for me.

O'ahu is an incredibley beautiful island with soft, white sand and translucent green-blue water. It is also a melting pot of cultures, religions, and lifestyles, I was surprised to see so much diversity in such a small place. Los Angeles used to strike me as being very diverse and accepting, but I think Hawaii beats us hands down.

Just to give you an idea of the mix, I interacted people from Vietnam, the Phillipines, Korea, China, Japan, Cambodia, Australian, New Zealand, England, and United States Mainland. Plus most of these people are represented in Hawaii with their culture's food. I ate ramen, tacos, sushi, BBQ (both Hawaiian and Texas style), and macadamian pancakes with coconut syrup. Does anyone know what the fascination serving macaroni salad and white rice with everything??? And the macaroni salad is nothing more then elbow shaped pasta and mayo...hello? What is up with that?

Speaking of food, the airline actually served meals at no additional cost and they were sort of tasty too. I played it safe and had pasta on the flights to and from Honolulu. I have to say I enjoyed Hawaiian Airlines service quite a bit. They were unceasingly kind and punctual too (which is saying a lot when it comes to traveling). Since childhood I have been a notoriously bad traveler, but I am improving with age (I'm uncertain if my boyfriend would agree).

Overcoming Diet Coke Dependency

At my job there is an ongoing joke that diet coke should be illegal. My co-workers and I crave it with something akin to a chemical depencency. It is easier on the stomache then coffee, readily available in vending machines, gas stations, and grocery stores (except Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, they know better).

I’m not sure how many of you out there can identify with me on this, but I crave specific foods like smokers crave nicotine. Sometimes these longings are so acute that they take on a life of there own. Some recent comestibles that I have been seeking, found, or otherwise consumed have included Vlasic dill pickles, Nathan’s Fat Free All-beef hot dogs (with tons of ketchup and relish), diet root beer, beets, thousand island dressing (had it yesterday, but sadly it was not up to par), dark chocolate, and garbanzo beans (not together). Mostly I crave pickled items, anything that has brined is sweet music to my tastebuds. I have a sweet tooth as well, but it is more opportunistic then purposeful. My workplace is teeming with chocolates, cakes, lollipops, taffy, and hard candies. Anything that someone did not think their family would eat or wants to keep themselves from consuming ends up in the company kitchen for collegues to devour while kvetching about calorie content.

Someone even brought in a tinned fruitcake this morning and by 10AM it was just crumbs! I mean come on people, have some standards!

Quote

This one is from my a friend in Washington's e-mail signature and I thought it was rather funny.

"Don't miss opportunity. It dresses in overalls and looks like work." - Tune
Tech auto sign (Spokane, 12/04)

Pasta Night

A dear friend of mine made an incredible feast of homemade pasta for me and ten friends last Thursday night. Let me say that having tried my hand at making pasta from scratch, this was an eye-opening revelatory experience. Where my pasta dumplings (calling them ravioli would be far too kind) were ill-formed, thick, and chewy, his fettuccine was light, soft and smooth, practically silky in texture. I cannot extol the virtues of at-home preparation more then with this wonderful meal. It was a testament to patience and skill.

My friend, we’ll call him Chef Hightower for his height and cooking prowess, used to make all his pasta using a hand cranked roller. We arrived in his kitchen last night to see that he had the modern convenience of a motor attached to his pasta maker. It’s impossible to blame him for taking advantage of this amenity since the quantity of pasta he was creating was enormous, enough for each of us eleven to indulge more then once.

Jedi, my boyfriend, made both pumpkin pie and pumpkin cream cheese roll with the pumpkin leftover from the holidays. They were incredibly moist and delicious, they were accompanied by freshly whipped heavy cream (far better then the canned stuff). The only element missing for me was a rich dark cup of Brazilian coffee. Perhaps next time.