Awwwww Yeah!

That's my president.

Never Thought I'd Say It

But Mustache has an integrity to him that I didn't expect.

Also, he doesn't technically have a mustache anymore. But that doesn't mean he gets to change his name.

Finally: Mustache doesn't want me to "get him started" on the topic of Amazon Girlfriend from Lynnwood? VERY interesting....

Bird Ban

How is it that the feathered pest pounding away at our eaves is both the laziest AND the most persistent woodpecker on the face of the earth?? No rapid-fire jack-hammering from this guy. Just a slow knocking away at the wood outside Em and Q's bedroom. The guy wasn't at the top of his pecking class... but he never missed a day, I'm sure. He's a big, dumb, plodding oaf of a pecker, and he's going to drive me out of my mind. Could this anti-pecker spray really be the answer to my prayers?

Anti-Cabin-Fever

Which is better on a snowy day?

Watching episodes of the Real Housewives of Orange County

OR

Going on a photo scavenger hunt?

The Best Thing about Impending Blizzard Conditions is...

SAFEWAY!

To find out why, please select from the following options:

A. It's just close enough to give shut-ins an excuse to walk there and get some cardio-conditioning in before gorging themselves on artichoke dip and bean pate.

2. Its overwhelmed checkout lines give everyone an exercise in charity and patience, two qualities cherished at this time of year.

C. Its parking lot provides hours of entertainment as Washington drivers pretend they own Zamboni machines.

4. Amazon Girlfriend from Lynnwood shops there, too!

E. All of the above.

(PS: The answer is E)

It's a Tie!

Things I love in this photo:
1. Quinn
2. Snow

Things I don't love in this photo:
1. Monster Truck
2. Angus the Big Dumb Dog

From the Mouths of Teens

Her: You don't always NEED a singer.

Him: Why didn't I think of that?!

Work that doesn't Suck

Suddenly, grading papers seems silly. I'd much rather be working on ways to sponsor the kids who live in the Cura Orphanage... and to take them some good news in June.

And that's just what they'll do

Sure, I had 25 quizzes in my bag and could have settled in for 3 hours of grading this morning, while GVB ran the Seattle Marathon. But since I had my walkin' boots on, that's what I did instead. Seattle's lovely on foggy Sunday mornings. Also, here are some things I thought about on my walk:

1. There really is no excuse for me not to at least walk any available half-marathon while GVB is 'thon-ing. Folks twice my size and/or twice my age were doing it... Why am I so, so lazy??

2. The cops who get assigned route-duty just know they're being punished for something they did wrong in a past life. And they aren't afraid to let you know it, too.

3. More cowbell!

4. Acupuncture tables at the end of the marathon? Really, Bastyr University? Really?

5. California Rolls make a perfectly good breakfast, if one finds oneself in Queen Anne with an hour to kill.

6. Markets that require a code in order to use the restroom facilities should just post a guard at the door, specifically trained to sniff out the homeless and bar them from entering. We get it. No riff-raff. Aren't my boots code enough??

7. One and a half hours of a continuous Black Eyed Peas song loop is plenty. Turn up your stereo! Turn up your stereo! Turn up your stereo! Enough, already.

8. People like them some Starbucks.

Twilight

1. Yes, I've seen the movie. Under the auspices of "screening" it for my teenage daughter, I joined several of my 40-something girlfriends and braved the hormone-filled crowd at the Loews cinema last night...

2. I expect that this movie will reach cult status by 2010, with midnight showings every Saturday night, replete with Rocky-Horror-esque audience participation. Campy. Hilarious. Terrible.

3. Yes, I've read the book. The first one, that is. I'll get to the second one soon... hopefully before the next film in the onslaught hits the big screen.

4. It takes all of my post-feminist resolve not to hurl the book at the nearest teenager when I read about a 17 year old girl who is celebrated for turning her identity over to some guy she barely knows.

Especially since he's not even that hot.

Have I Mentioned

How much I adore my new red boots?

Now, Molecule Woman here looks better in hers than I do in mine, but it's enough for me to know that I've joined a proud line of red-boot-wearing dominatrices out there.

Painful

Shameful

Horrible

Recommended

Batman Sues Christopher Nolan?

Hilarious.

http://io9.com/5079815/batman-sues-christopher-nolan-over-success-of-the-dark-knight

Words

Can't express how happy I am.

Turned Out

To be a pretty good time.

So far?

Best Halloween Ever.

Two Things I Know

1. I could live at the Edgefield. Smart, progressive, happy people work here. The beds are comfortable. It's kid-friendly. There are plenty of vegetarian options on the menu. There's a bar or two. There are some details to work out to make this dream a reality, but I'm looking into it.

2. I will not be doing yoga tonight. I can't lift my arms over my head, and I'm pretty sure I'm already dehydrated enough.

Short. Sweet. Hot.

My musings on our motorcycle adventure comprised my longest post yet. But drew no comment.

As a result, this one will be much, much shorter.

Yoga. Heat. Ass kicking.

Gonna do it again in the morning.

Things To Do on the Back of a Bike

Having spent varying lengths of time as a passenger on this fine piece of machinery this weekend, I can now offer the following suggestions--in no particular order--to keep YOU entertained the next time your head is cushioned inside a helmet:

1. Roll eyes at and decide to count the McCain/Palin campaign signs on display throughout Snohomish, Skagit and Island Counties.

2. Forgive yourself for losing count, in favor of actively keeping your terror in check (are there REALLY this many Republicans? Here? On the west coast? In my blue state? REALLY? I think I have an ulcer.).

3. Monitor the rear view mirror to be sure the pumpkin strapped to the bike hasn't leapt to its gut-spewing death on the road behind you.

4. Play the last song you heard on the radio in a continuous loop for background music in your head. Mine? "Collide," by Howie Day.

5. Invent new passenger seat designs that involve heated grips like the ones the dude in front of you gets. Lucky bastard.

6. Blink strategically so you miss the pass through Stanwood.

7. Practice sitting ramrod straight and tucking your abdominal muscles up under your rib cage like the yoga article recommended in that Outdoor magazine you read in the doctor's office waiting room last week.

8. Telepathically apologize to the future hamburgers you're sure you could hear mooing plaintively at you from their pens on the side of the road if it wasn't for the deafening roar of the BMW engine vibrating beneath you.

9. Compose emails you'll never send to your uncle in which you teach him a thing or two about common human decency.

10. Kegels. Lots and lots of kegels.

Irresistable!

How can I NOT submit my birth date and time, along with those of the man with whom I'm considering a long-term relationship, and get a 7-day risk-free astrological reading that I don't have to pay for until I see RESULTS?

I'd be a fool to ignore my destiny.

Obviously.

Reconsidering Book Group

This book is taunting me from the far reaches of my desk. I know I'm supposed to read it for my book group, and I LOVE those women and don't want to disappoint them. But the word "jigaboo" appeared within the first few pages. And here's some sample dialogue:

"Of course there's a lump on her breast, my God, you're a tit man, I didn't come here to ask about the lump on her face--that's called a NOSE, by the way, I don't know if they teach that kind of thing any more in medical school."

Now, I'm no creative writing major, but I know what I like...

Hours of Good Clean Fun

http://www.palinispresident.com/

Gadget Overload

I realize there's an apparent hypocrisy in my current anti-gadget stance, what with my very recent declaration of undying love for Facebook. But I'm a complicated woman. I contain multitudes. So back off.

It's not your fault. You're not alone.

I'm officially addicted to Facebook... even though I think it's arrogant to presume that anyone wants to electronically track my "status" throughout the day and massively tedious to remain in constant contact with people who would have been, back in "the day," once-a-year pen pals. Still. I totally heart it.

Obscene Finger Gestures at Kenlake Place

Raise your hand if you've had an even bigger idiot than this one flip you off today!

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

The only thing better than a sushi/sashimi/sake/seaweed dinner is a sushi/sashimi/sake/seaweed dinner paid for with windfall profits.

Also: 20 points to whomever can correctly name the current location of my pink scarf.

My Morning

GVB has covered the technical elements of the main event of my morning already, but here are a few things he missed:

1. The first thing that needs renovating in Husky Stadium is the bench seats. Ass cheeks aren't supposed to fall asleep, bruise, then ache while taking in a spectator sport.

2. It's damned hard work to read four Ursula Hegi short stories in a little over 30 minutes, but some of us have the stamina to power through. Why isn't there a souvenir race t-shirt for US?

3. Never, ever attend a Dawg Dash without first locating a nonfat latte. Caffeine withdrawal makes you even less attractive in comparison to all those perky athletic types.

4. Things we lost in the fire: Sweater's Prom Date. Sigh.

5. The Sunflour California omelette is a rib-sticker. And yummy, too. Thanks for brunch, RPD!

2? 3? Whichever.

Pounding my sore feet back out toward Penn Station to catch a subway to Brooklyn, walking 6 blocks on the same sore feet to meet up with Twumasi, waiting two hours while Twumasi and the various family members visiting his wife show off their Canal St purchases and gather their things, walking to find a restaurant that can take six full-grown people plus a baby for dinner within an hour, eating way too much because the fish tacos and the fried plaintains were just too good to resist, then walking back to the subway to head back in to Manhattan?

Perfect evening.

BFFs

It turns out that Wicked is a love story between two girls who become friends over a pillow fight in the dorms. It was surprisingly good, too.

If it wasn't true...

...it would be hilarious.

Multiple Choice Quiz

Which one of these notable performers did I see tonight?

Weather Forecast for

	Tuesday Night Clear. Lows in the upper 40s. West winds around 5 mph.
	Wednesday Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s.
	Wednesday Night Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s.
	Thursday Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s.
	Thursday Night Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
	Friday Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60s.
	Friday Night Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Lows in the mid 50s.

Where?? I'll never tell...

Graphic Designers for Obama

Poster #1

Check it out: http://www.30reasons.org

Active Shooter Situation

Or, "What I learned at my division meeting today":

Get Out
Hide Out
Keep Out
Help Out
Figure Out
Take Out
Spread Out

I have a survival mindset.

Rules of the Day

1. Don't leave the house.
2. Wear as minimal clothing as individual circumstances permit (while cooking, for example, protect vulnerable skin).
3. Don't work.
4. Watch the debate and try not to vomit.

90s Grunge in Ballard

I was legitimately out of the country when my friend's husband apparently helped jump start the Seattle grunge thing. Sorry--missed it. But I'll catch it retro-actively tonight. I promise.

Book Group

The women in my book group are wild about this guy. Apparently there's a new 007 movie coming out: Quantum of Solace. And he's Bond. James Bond.

The core compelling reason to see this film, according to the 6 giddy suburbanites in my living room last night, is this guy run out of the water in his swim trunks. There was swooning involved. And exclamations of "have you ever seen a more perfect specimen of a male body?!"

At least that was better than talking about "Three Cups of Tea." Yawn.

Wazzup on Wall Street?

There are a lot of white guys stymied by today's economic news, eh?

Umm, no bailout? But. But. But.

Errr.

Now what?

Oh, THAT Eurydice!

And here I was, feeling like I really should know the plot of the play we're seeing tonight, what with me being a former English major and all... and then I find out from Wikipedia that I know the story after all:

In Greek mythology, Eurydice (Eurydíkê, Εὐρυδίκη) was an oak nymph or a sweet maiden. She was the wife of Orpheus. Orpheus loved her dearly; on their wedding day, Orpheus played songs filled with happiness as his bride danced through the meadow. One day, a satyr had seen her and pursued her. According to legend, Eurydice stepped on a snake and fell to the ground. The venomous snake had bitten her, leaving Eurydice dead. Distraught, Orpheus played and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept. In their saddened states, they told him to travel to the Underworld and retrieve her. Orpheus did so, and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone, his singing so sweet that even the Erinyes wept. In another version, Orpheus played his lyre to put the guardian of Hades, Cerberus, to sleep. It was then granted that Eurydice be allowed to return with him to the world of the living. But the condition was attached that he should walk in front of her and not look back until he had reached the upper world. In his anxiety, he broke his promise, and Eurydice vanished again from his sight - this time forever.

Totally romantic.

Plus, there is disagreement about the pronunciation of this lovely maiden's name. Is it:

a. You're-a-dyke
b. You're-a-disease (in which the final 'z' sound is silent)
c. You're-a-dice
d. none of the above

Greek scholars? You wanna weigh in on this one?

Two Things:

Here are two things I would completely dismiss if it weren't for GVB's children's association with them:

1. Stanwood
2. Cheerleading

But maybe VBchild#1 is on to something I'm missing. I'll give it another shot next year.

Token Magnum Post

This cartoon reminds me of my ex-husband.

On Bailouts and Family Businesses

Somebody needs to explain to me why rich white guys still run the world. Haven't we learned yet that, faced with unchecked opportunities for self-congratulation, they'll eventually all make the rest of us pay for their excesses?

I'm the daughter of a rich white guy, so I know of what I speak. And some of my dad's relatives are reeeeeeaallllly greedy.