Relax your mind, lay back and groove with mine

The herb garden is really taking shape. Nicely. There's visible cilantro, and the fluffy little beginnings of sweet basil. I'm pretty certain it has much to do with the fact that Chief Rootsy (seen here hiding among the rosemary) is keeping vigilant watch for squirrels and chipmunks. I'm not one for going overboard with pinwheels and other garden chatch. A chunk of amethyst or rose quartz, maybe, but that stuff is more about communing with the earth than anything. Anyway, here's The Chief. I told him not to be smoking any "peace pipes" out there at night. I don't want anything springing up that I didn't plant with my own two hands. We have an unspoken agreement... he's there to keep the good garden vibes, and make sure nobody brings any stress out near the herbs. So far, so good, Rootsy. Way to keep the peace, my man.



* We've got MJ Blogger Challenge happening this week. Today is Rock with You, from the album Off the Wall.

Friday night, uncut.

Here's what's happening here tonight:

Frank and I are comparing Pandora stations. If you've never sat with anyone else and done this, try it. Tonight I learned that I am a minimalist. Doesn't sound that earth shattering, I know, but I told Frank to guess how many stations I had. He said between eight and twelve. I had six and the list is as follows:

Roy Orbison Radio
St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
Dance 2night Radio
Reggae/Dancehall
Exotica/Lounge
Radiohead Radio
plus tonight's new additions...
Eurythmics Radio and Rock with You Radio

So now I have eight. I asked Frank why he said I'm a minimalist, and he rattled off a very sensible and convincing list of my idiosyncratic behaviors. Correct on all counts, I have to admit. So there, I learned something about me. I guessed that he has 40 Pandora stations, and he has 41. I guess I figure I don't need a bunch of stations because he's usually the one playing music, which is sexy and I really like it, so going five-to-seven steps beyond Radiohead is a big stretch for me since I'm pretty well set in with knowing what I like. Then he showed me that he has three and a half pages of iPhone apps, while I have a mere four apps that aren't part of the standard package. That's one full page, because I closed some of the more bullshitty standard apps. * Late note: Reading this again, I think I must have meant to say free apps at the end of that last sentence, not standard apps. *

So what am I doing right now? I'm singing along, serenading Frank (he loves it), to Orbi's "You Got It". I sing "anything you want, you got it" and he says, anything? and I sing "anything at all... baaaby" and he says how about anal? and then laughs and mimics my voice and says "no, not that" and I laugh and he mimics himself and says "hey wait you said anything" and then mimics me, saying "noooo, not anal!" and does the manly voice again and says "you told me anything -- lies!" and we're both laughing.

We're talking about how nice it is to be an artist, and how Joan Jett is really sexy, and I'm inventing a dancehall move that involves giving double middle fingers to nobody in particular.

Best song I've heard tonight? I Wanna be Your Lover, by Prince. Love that song. I am about 99% sure it was released in 1979, but I know I didn't hear it until I was working at The Body Shop in 1994. I think I prefer it when Prince goes straghtforward with the song writing. It's just so sexy. Or sexxxy, or however you think Prince would write it.

Namaste, people. Namaste.

Looks like I have a real inner peace happening. There are so many things that could, nay, should, be putting me in a shitty mood. But no. I feel so chill that I'm sending some of it out to all of you. So feel that, my dears. Feel that.

Don't worry, it's a bubble mower.

I've been sitting at the table in the living room almost the entire time I've been awake today. There was a brief stint of productivity around 9am, when I typed and sent an invoice and made two phone calls. After that, I started spacing out and have yet to regain control over the brain. It hasn't necessarily been a bad day. The kids have been good, and I did go over a few work-related details with mister. Housework here and there, flipping through photos, and not much of an appetite except for some coffee, fresh fruit, and a beer I've been nursing since 5:00. Please, now, take some enjoyment in these lovely pictures I found.

If this little boy knocks on your door and asks to mow your lawn, just tell him no, thanks, as he has very little regard for basic rules of safety.



And keep this little girl away from your plastic garden.



My new favorite iPhone app is CameraBag. On Saturday night, I took some phone pics of my duotone nail polish job while eating Penang satay tofu and watching an episode of the original Star Trek series. I was apping in an attempt to distract myself from thoughts that a young Leonard Nimoy could be deemed quite handsome. Not sure whether to call the results "a strikingly complimentary choice of color" or "just plain fabulous", so I'll let you decide for yourselves.



Finally, a rainbow. Running the full gamut of classiness, it's a Crate & Barrel rocks glass filled with Pabst Blue Ribbon. Because I'm too special to drink straight from aluminum.

10 years

I just finished up doing some paperwork I've been putting off for a couple of weeks. I feel so much better. It's just this one thing I was procrastinating on, looking at it just sitting there on the desk. Finally I took 30 minutes to complete it. *fshew*

It's been a weird day. I booked Frank a flight for a two week trip to Peru in July. He'll be gone for my birthday, which is fine since we are actually celebrating later in the month with tickets to a really good soccer match. This game is also an anniversary gift... tomorrow marks the 10 year anniversary of our first date. Philly Chinatown, Penang, table for two by the big windows in front.

We still go to Penang, only now the decor has been redone (still awesome) and the manager who always wore tropical shirts is gone. I'm comforted, however, by the outstanding Singapore rice noodles, the satay tofu, and the roti cani. They're still around, and still as good as our first date.

Well then just don't pick up, mmmkay?

Pet peeve situation:

Client, in typical fashion, emails designer asking designer to call client. Designer calls client. Client answers phone, mid-sentence, talking to someone else. Designer waits for client to finish talking to other person. Client says hello. Designer says hi, it's so-and-so. Silence, then client mumbling, then more silence. Designer, again, says hi, it's so-and-so, I got your email asking me to call you. Client says ok, hi, and I'm in the middle of a meeting, can I call you back in a few? Designer says sure, and hangs up.

Designer would very much appreciate the following:

Basic courtesy. Also, if you can't talk, then just don't pick up the phone. Finally, be an adult and just call me. No need to email me asking me to call, just so you can tell me you can't talk. Just make it easier and call when you are actually available. Thanks.

My weekend

Our weekend trip to Brooklyn was... wonderful. First of all, the kids absolutely lit up once we got near the city. Not sure if it was the skyscrapers, the graffiti, or all the people, but you could practically hear them thinking, WOW! Adorable.

The first thing we did at George and Irene's was take the kids up to the roof, where they ran around and played soccer while the guys got the barbecue grill smoking. Next, the kids caught a little nap and some quiet time until it got dark, then we were back and forth to the roof until they got completely worn out. They sleep through party noise pretty well, so I plugged in the video monitor, went back up to the roof, and actually got to spend a bunch of time talking to my friends and meeting people from all over the planet. Met people from Colombia and Venezuela, and so got to practice a teeny bit of Spanish. Stood with Irene and speculated about which of the neighbors (from another party in the building) was the most coked up, and gave the prize to the guy who shouted about having eating our grilled chicken and then kicked a half-loaded beer can into a group of people. Our group of people. So that was nice. Frank, who was obviously not getting enough attention, slipped on the stairs and mangled his hip. Ice, Advil, and as good as new if you don't count the grapefruit-sized bruise. He kept using it as an excuse to show me his ass so I could "check out the injury" and and give my opinion on whether or not his hip looked broken.

Back at the party... talked to a dude visiting from Germany about Obama and the return of optimism, Bush, recycling, family roots, and the fabulosity that is France, especially the fashion and the pastry -- can I get a oui, oui?! Then I amused myself for a good hour just by listening to the guys trade NY animation scene gossip and speculate on whether they would get to see any UFOs. There was another roof party a few blocks away playing really nice electronic music, so I took some time to dance to that before finally landing myself in bed. This morning we went out for a yummy Mexican breakfast where my two usually-restaurant-friendly children made so much noise I had to ask Husband to take them outside so I could finish and enjoy the last few minutes of my meal and drink half of my coffee, which was already in a to-go cup.

So those are the highlights. For the rest of tonight, I might watch some TV or read a book. Since I seem to be the only person who even gives a crap about Mr. Darcy anymore, I suppose television would be the logical choice. Goodnight, all.

One for Rawley, one for you.

I really like Current Tonight, the 11:00 news program on Current TV. I fell in love with host Rawley Valverde a few years ago when the channel first aired this segment called "Rawley and the Gorillas". I recommend you forward in about 4m 30s. Watch for about two more minutes, then see Rawley come to life. The whole 11+ minute clip loads pretty quickly, so mouseover the bottom of the video to fast forward if you want the gist of it. Try watching a couple of episodes of Current Tonight and try to tell me you don't want to kiss Rawley.

Tomorrow we're going up to Brooklyn to spend the night with friends. It'll be Nico and Livi's very first rooftop party, so we're excited and can't wait to see everyone. Have a great weekend. *mwah*

Shout out to AZ

This is just a little something for Toni.

We are thinking about you, and sending much strength to Norm, you, and all those you love.

In with the something

My loves, with so much joy/movement/up-side-downness going on, I started thinking it might be nice to start another blog. Something different. But about what? That, as they say, is the kicker. I could write about other stuff I like, but honestly I am not sure how many of you want to read my waxing about why I hold such a great preference for the knit stitch over the backward-seeming purl. Right?

Well... seeing as I've just procrastinated myself out of ten minutes, when I should have been showering and prepping to storyboard an intro, I should get on with the business of tonight's reality. There's this animator I use when I need something done in Flash, and he's very particular. Also, I have realized that we butt heads a lot when we collaborate, and that we probably sound a lot like Lucy and Ricky hollering at each other about ridiculous misunderstandings and that we are both suddenly incredibly indignant in the face of each others' constructive criticism. p.s. I'm talking about Frank. Between his dyslexia and "English as a second language"-isms, and my tendency to mumble and generalize, it's quite a working relationship. Neither one of us could stand the thought of firing the other, though, so it would seem we are both in luck.

Sweatpants are not the least bit handsome.

It may come as a shock to find out that there are several things in this world that do not please me. Sweatpants, for instance. Intolerable. I don't even own any. And don't get me started on toothpaste. It's either Crest Cinnamon Rush gel, Tom's of Maine Anise paste, or I'm going bare bristles. Mouthwash flavor, for whatever reason, is a non-issue as long as it's not too sweet.

Anyway, the bee in my bonnet tonight has to do with the mixing of lunch meat and cheese. More specifically, the bologna being wrapped up in the same package as the provolone. I've never before seen such a thing, but there it was. My only guess as to how this could happen is that the person behind the deli counter saw fit to pack the items according to size and shape, rather than allow a little thing like taste get in the way of efficiency. It's really the provolone that suffers here, because bologna (being so obviously disgusting in flavor and texture) has absolutely no manners. Long story short, I could only choke down one piece of provie before switching my snack to peach yogurt with granola.

Smart Sunday

This morning began with a wake-up call from my daughter at 6:30. She and I got up and read some books, talked, and cuddled. Once the boys were awake, husband turned on the Iron Maiden documentary we recorded last night. Flight 666, I believe it's called. Very entertaining, and chock full of things children should know about life on the road. Here are some highlights, among them a couple of things I did not know:

1. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson is also a pilot. The tour plane he flies in the movie is a Boeing 757, refitted to carry Maiden, its crew, and all the equipment. Impressive.
2. Husband can spot Metallica's Rob Trujillo from a mile away. I don't know if it's the hair or just a Peruvian thing, but I argued a sighting in this documentary and was later proven wrong. Score one for the man.
3. (Nico's favorite part) Metal fans in Mumbai take the choo choo to get to the concert.

And that was just the first hour. Woo. We had brunch on the patio, then helped Mom and Herb do some work in the yard. While digging up earthworms to transfer to the herb garden, I got Herb (who was digging up some pretty tough maple roots) to shout a few curses in German for my amusement. He even taught me how to say "God damn it" in Bavarian. After the babes had a good swim around the kiddie pool, they went down for naps and husband and I had a good heart to heart/pep talk about the current state of affairs. I'll not bore you with the details, but I will tell you that in 11 days we will have been together for 10 years. Right now we are facing challenges, but luckily we are both of the attitude that a great many things in life are more important than the circle of greed, and that life is essentially what you make of it.

Right now we're watching the end of this morning's educational film, and having a pre-dinner buffet of fresh guacamole with tomatoes, tortilla chips, red grapes, and mango slices. Rainbow of deliciousness.

Flake, and pouts

Okay, so I obviously flaked out on the Memorial Day photo blogger challenge. But here's something... the other day I noticed an accidental photo theme in my collection. Please see below for a small sampling.















As for today, it's been good so far. Took the kids for a long walk around the 'hood. Made sure everyone was fed and happy, then excused myself for some 'me' time. Shower, hair, clothes. Pleasant day. A client was supposed to relay some information yesterday morning, but seeing as he had a few pesky phone calls to make before I would get said information, I'm not surprised my phone has been silent. I'll probably spend the rest of the afternoon reading and knitting and pushing the parenting joy in Husband's direction since I've got all the joy I can handle right now, and I like to share. I'm generous like that.

Slide show was unsatisfactory. Hope you love the pics instead.

A word on what's down below... and more!

First of all, gutter minds, I'm talking about the post directly below this one. I just want to let you know a little of what is going on with me, and sometimes there are things I'm not completely jazzed about. Hopefully you won't all think I've become, I don't know... surly. Seems I haven't been sharing too much lately, probably for fear of... I don't know... sharing too much, I guess.

* Late note: Thanks for the heart hugs, everyone. I really needed a break from putting on the happy face. You all know I'm really happy to have some freelance work lately. Everything that helps balance the checkbook helps. Big time. Sometimes I ignore things, and sometimes all I can think about are the bank accounts and how much I miss those old paychecks that came like clockwork. I've been trying to focus on the positive. I've also asked my dear husband to try and see if he can eat paper and poop money. Really, I don't care where it comes from. Basically, money is all crap anyway. *

Prepare, for I am about to use swear words. Just 'cause I can.

So... putting things in perspective. Some shit matters, and some shit doesn't. It's not that hard to distinguish between the two. I am pretty sure I don't mention the unemployment junk that often on here, so forgive me this blabber because it's really on my mind. I don't think anyone really anticipates being in this situation. **Quick side note: Yes, we do have a tenant in our condo, but in a shitty economy -- guess what -- rent prices drop, and you might have to make up a little of the difference. Renting out your place doesn't let you off the financial hook. Such is life in today's America.** Being laid off always sounded like some kind of picnic. Well guess what. It's not. Take your monthly household income and cut it into quarters. Then hold one of the quarters in your hand. Now shave a little off the side. About a fifth of the chunk. Now take what's left and use it to pay all your bills for the month. Fun, right? I hope none of you ever have to try it, because it blows. Actually, it doesn't even blow, because if it did blow, then that might at least be a little side cash for paying the association dues on the condo. Fuck!

So... there's a glimpse into the cranky fraction of my thoughts. Now here is the diamond in the rough. Every day, at least for now while the economy is biting ass, I get to have my little family together. We wake up together and have breakfast. Then Frank goes to work on his projects and check around for new jobs. The kids and I go ahead with our day. At lunch and dinner, Frank cooks for us. He takes breaks now and then to help with the kids (believe it or not, those little monkeys get tired of me). If he's really busy or on a phone call, we might get snapped at for being too loud. But mostly, it's just the four of us together, hurdling through time and space to our next destination. It's a beautiful thing.

Does it matter to me that we're in a cash crunch, and that I have to juggle the bills, and that we really can't (read: cannot, as in, not at all possible) have the lifestyle to which we had grown accustomed? Yes, and no. Like I said before, some shit matters, and some shit doesn't. I will choose my husband over new shoes any day of the week. Yes, even Jimmy Choos. I can't wear that high heel bullshit anymore anyway. Nothing will ever beat lunch hour with the Riveras in the spring of 2009 -- home cooked meals, cold beer for me and Frank (and Mom and Herb, too, on the weekends), watermelon for the kids, and soccer on tv.