Have I ever mentioned that my wife of 19 years is a talented painter.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Friday, July 23, 2004
Race Day
Another big happening over the weekend which I am slow to report on.
Our daughter ran her first race! It was a local 5k sunset race. She has been running now for just a few short months and she ran this very hilly course at a 9:00 pace.
She started running because she found that her walking a few miles a day was no longer challenging, she started walking because she found that her exercise tapes were beginning to get a little rote, she started exercise tapes because she wanted to augment a diet she had started, she started to diet because she was 90 pounds heavier than she is today. Yes. 90. And she doesn’t weigh much more than that now.
We are so proud of this young woman.
Look at our little peanut.
Here we are prior to the race, with the fated Gatorade (Gatorade ...bad).
Her biggest concern here is missing a turn and running off the course.
There she goes!
At the finish line!
*gag*... damn Gatorade. (Actually...I was snapping pic after pic to try and get a good one of her finish. But people kept stepping in the way. Then, there she was right in front of me... great shot huh...oops)
It's all good. A little water, and we feel MUCH better.
Yay! Victory!.
Our daughter ran her first race! It was a local 5k sunset race. She has been running now for just a few short months and she ran this very hilly course at a 9:00 pace.
She started running because she found that her walking a few miles a day was no longer challenging, she started walking because she found that her exercise tapes were beginning to get a little rote, she started exercise tapes because she wanted to augment a diet she had started, she started to diet because she was 90 pounds heavier than she is today. Yes. 90. And she doesn’t weigh much more than that now.
We are so proud of this young woman.
Look at our little peanut.
Here we are prior to the race, with the fated Gatorade (Gatorade ...bad).
Her biggest concern here is missing a turn and running off the course.
There she goes!
At the finish line!
*gag*... damn Gatorade. (Actually...I was snapping pic after pic to try and get a good one of her finish. But people kept stepping in the way. Then, there she was right in front of me... great shot huh...oops)
It's all good. A little water, and we feel MUCH better.
Yay! Victory!.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
DMB
I have heard the DMB concert was AWESOME.
The tailgating party …also a huge success. I have not heard anything about any riots in the parking lot or burning cars (as seems to be common at these DMB CT events) but then again I do have my fingers planted firmly in my ears chanting la la la la lalalalalalala.
Here are some pre-concert pics – chowing on cheeseburgers and drinking [la la lalalalalalala] out of the big red cups.
Here is some of the gang:
Notice my infamous van in this shot. (they keep telling me to ditch the ole thing – but oh sure…you need to pack in some people, chairs, coolers, and then who do come crawling to ..yup – the Quest.)
The tailgating party …also a huge success. I have not heard anything about any riots in the parking lot or burning cars (as seems to be common at these DMB CT events) but then again I do have my fingers planted firmly in my ears chanting la la la la lalalalalalala.
Here are some pre-concert pics – chowing on cheeseburgers and drinking [la la lalalalalalala] out of the big red cups.
Here is some of the gang:
Notice my infamous van in this shot. (they keep telling me to ditch the ole thing – but oh sure…you need to pack in some people, chairs, coolers, and then who do come crawling to ..yup – the Quest.)
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
change is ...good?
auuggghhhh
its 10:30 - which is like ....say 1 a.m. for other people, and those Blogspot folks have decided to completely up-end the way they handle images. Had this great post filled with images... and I publish ... and poof.
dammit.
I will try again tomorrow.
Free blogs...sheesh.
its 10:30 - which is like ....say 1 a.m. for other people, and those Blogspot folks have decided to completely up-end the way they handle images. Had this great post filled with images... and I publish ... and poof.
dammit.
I will try again tomorrow.
Free blogs...sheesh.
Car shopping
I have some pics to post, but we have been a little consumed looking for cars.
Tune in tomorrow.
and... if any one happens to have or know of a 1997 or older Honda hatchback or Honda Si for sale - please let me know. Oh, and no green ones - has to be red or black. And...preferably a stick.
(used car salesmen need not reply)
Tune in tomorrow.
and... if any one happens to have or know of a 1997 or older Honda hatchback or Honda Si for sale - please let me know. Oh, and no green ones - has to be red or black. And...preferably a stick.
(used car salesmen need not reply)
Friday, July 16, 2004
Thursday, July 15, 2004
c-c-caffeine
A few words about caffeine, coffee and other stories.
First, let me say – I am not a coffee snob (like some folks we know). I had actually put some thought into the whole snob concept after reading David’s post. I know other coffee snobs… and beer snobs and wine snobs (not that there’s anything wrong with that) – so I have been trying to think – and be honest – about what kind of snob I may be.
Certainly not coffee (more on this later), and not beer by any means (gotta have my light beer…I mean I am a middle aged woman, I simply must keep an eye on my girlish figure you know – so its Michelob light for me…not that ultra no-carb stuff tho …sheesh with this whole ‘carb’ thing going on now – don’t even get me started on that … oh, and low fat foods – shyeah, go ahead, eat twice as much …there’s no fat! I have so much to say about what silly Americans are eating now that it’s worthy of another post… back to beer … also a Sammy Lite is good, even a Corona light with the lime wedge on a hot summer day, with some chips and maybe that nice black bean dip my wife makes…). I am also not a wine snob – since I really don’t drink wine. My fancy wife loves her Cab’s, but me… only a deliciously sweet Muscat or a Port from time to time.
And then… it came to me. I am a cleaning snob! Now – let’s be clear, I am not judgmental of other peoples cleaning; just as I am sure David doesn’t care what coffee I drink. It’s all about ‘me’. That is not to say that I don’t readily offer advice about methodology or process - but how you clean, is really your own business. For me, it must be done a certain way (the right way) and at certain intervals.
Good. There. I feel better - I AM a snob.
Ok now back to caffeine, which is what I really wanted to write about, and soon it will be made clear to you why we take this long and twisted journey.
We have already established that I am not a coffee snob. That said, I do prefer our own homemade coffee each morning. On nice mornings we will enjoy a cup on the patio before work or sometimes in the rain rocking on the glider on the covered side porch.
Our current blend is a half decaf/half caf mix. My doctor requested that I (read that as …told me to) stop caffeine and chocolate (yes, girls – my brave doctor told a woman on the very brink of menopause to STOP having chocolate – she survived the conversation… but just barely. I should also add – she was right, and it solved some health issues I was having at the time – if you don’t have a good doctor that you like and trust, I highly recommend you go and find one). As a compromise to this – my ever-supportive wife and I switched our morning coffee to this new half-caf mix. We have adjusted quite nicely.
Well… late last night – when I normally grind the beans and set the coffee timer, I realized we were out of coffee.
Crap.
Ok – don’t panic. Go to plan B.
So this morning, just to survive until we got our beans and could go back to our happy routine – I went down the street to Dunkin’ Donuts and bought us a couple of coffees …just for today.
I bought two large black coffees –to fix up at home with our own sweeteners and cream, to be poured out of their styro confines into our own cups.
Yay. All would be well.
Hmm, didn’t consider the caffeine factor.
And so here I am – it’s 7:30 a.m.- I am at work and I have just finished my LARGE CAFFEINATED coffee… and I could type FOREVER…
Honey – how you doin’?
Warning: trail of thought may not be easy to follow; creative use of punctuation and colloquial language.
First, let me say – I am not a coffee snob (like some folks we know). I had actually put some thought into the whole snob concept after reading David’s post. I know other coffee snobs… and beer snobs and wine snobs (not that there’s anything wrong with that) – so I have been trying to think – and be honest – about what kind of snob I may be.
Certainly not coffee (more on this later), and not beer by any means (gotta have my light beer…I mean I am a middle aged woman, I simply must keep an eye on my girlish figure you know – so its Michelob light for me…not that ultra no-carb stuff tho …sheesh with this whole ‘carb’ thing going on now – don’t even get me started on that … oh, and low fat foods – shyeah, go ahead, eat twice as much …there’s no fat! I have so much to say about what silly Americans are eating now that it’s worthy of another post… back to beer … also a Sammy Lite is good, even a Corona light with the lime wedge on a hot summer day, with some chips and maybe that nice black bean dip my wife makes…). I am also not a wine snob – since I really don’t drink wine. My fancy wife loves her Cab’s, but me… only a deliciously sweet Muscat or a Port from time to time.
And then… it came to me. I am a cleaning snob! Now – let’s be clear, I am not judgmental of other peoples cleaning; just as I am sure David doesn’t care what coffee I drink. It’s all about ‘me’. That is not to say that I don’t readily offer advice about methodology or process - but how you clean, is really your own business. For me, it must be done a certain way (the right way) and at certain intervals.
Good. There. I feel better - I AM a snob.
Ok now back to caffeine, which is what I really wanted to write about, and soon it will be made clear to you why we take this long and twisted journey.
We have already established that I am not a coffee snob. That said, I do prefer our own homemade coffee each morning. On nice mornings we will enjoy a cup on the patio before work or sometimes in the rain rocking on the glider on the covered side porch.
Our current blend is a half decaf/half caf mix. My doctor requested that I (read that as …told me to) stop caffeine and chocolate (yes, girls – my brave doctor told a woman on the very brink of menopause to STOP having chocolate – she survived the conversation… but just barely. I should also add – she was right, and it solved some health issues I was having at the time – if you don’t have a good doctor that you like and trust, I highly recommend you go and find one). As a compromise to this – my ever-supportive wife and I switched our morning coffee to this new half-caf mix. We have adjusted quite nicely.
Well… late last night – when I normally grind the beans and set the coffee timer, I realized we were out of coffee.
Crap.
Ok – don’t panic. Go to plan B.
So this morning, just to survive until we got our beans and could go back to our happy routine – I went down the street to Dunkin’ Donuts and bought us a couple of coffees …just for today.
I bought two large black coffees –to fix up at home with our own sweeteners and cream, to be poured out of their styro confines into our own cups.
Yay. All would be well.
Hmm, didn’t consider the caffeine factor.
And so here I am – it’s 7:30 a.m.- I am at work and I have just finished my LARGE CAFFEINATED coffee… and I could type FOREVER…
Honey – how you doin’?
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
justified
Do you see why I boycott the news:
All this fuss over something that's not even gonna pass. As if rewording the bill is suddenly going to make folks say, "Ooooh, is that what you meant. Well now that you put it that way... yeah, sure I'll vote for that."
Politics eludes me.
"I think it is outrageous and frankly surreal that at the 11th hour in this debate, they are literally rewriting the Constitution on the back of a napkin."
Cheryl Jacques, Human Rights Campaign
All this fuss over something that's not even gonna pass. As if rewording the bill is suddenly going to make folks say, "Ooooh, is that what you meant. Well now that you put it that way... yeah, sure I'll vote for that."
Politics eludes me.
Monday, July 12, 2004
short, shallow reprieve
A reprieve from my news boycott-- just for the next couple days as I follow the circus that is our governmental process (process? hmm, interesting word - but that's a whole 'nother post).
I cannot not fathom how much time, energy and money the next three days are gonna waste just so I won't get a blood test, sign a piece of paper and change my tax status.
Really - I think these people need something better to do.
Perhaps I will spend some time today making them a list of things to do. Kinda like we do on the weekends, make a list and cross things off as you go. Its very fulfilling to cross stuff off your list. I think it will make alot of our representatives feel better about themselves.
ok, let's see...
I cannot not fathom how much time, energy and money the next three days are gonna waste just so I won't get a blood test, sign a piece of paper and change my tax status.
Really - I think these people need something better to do.
Perhaps I will spend some time today making them a list of things to do. Kinda like we do on the weekends, make a list and cross things off as you go. Its very fulfilling to cross stuff off your list. I think it will make alot of our representatives feel better about themselves.
ok, let's see...
feed the hungry (always popular)
world peace - perhaps we could break that down by region to be less daunting
cure cancer
cure the common cold
conquer acne
repair pot holes on my street
Thursday, July 08, 2004
"Well, hello Clarice"
"A census taker once tried to test me.
I ate his liver.
With some fava beans and a nice chianti.
thp,thp,thp,thp."
~Dr. Hannibal Lecter
(yup... it's Ferris, wish you could hear the voice over... )
Family Readers
I am sending my daughter my blog address today.
While out for wings and a pitcher last night we got to blog-talking - and realized she still had not seen mine!
So - I suppose I will have to refrain from all that bad mouthin' I've been doing about the kids.
Hmmm, now what to talk about....
While out for wings and a pitcher last night we got to blog-talking - and realized she still had not seen mine!
So - I suppose I will have to refrain from all that bad mouthin' I've been doing about the kids.
Hmmm, now what to talk about....
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Scratch-n-Sniff
ok. so we can't do that....but
my sister-in-law went to inhale the bloom last evening.
Let me quote her:
my sister-in-law went to inhale the bloom last evening.
Let me quote her:
"augh! it really smells like sweaty gym socks and/or low tide. i can't decide. i'm leaning toward gym socks."
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Rotting Flesh
If you have a moment today, do visit the webcam of the Amorphophallus Titanum.
Also known as the Titan Arum, this giant flower is... oh wait - lemme just copy some of their description first -
This giant, smelly flower is housed on the UConn campus. We went to visit the flower last week, and have been watching the webcam ever since - waiting for it to bloom. I was surprised that on a sunny Sunday afternoon we found a line of people waiting to see it. Evidently everyone on campus is also quite excited. You will see, if you visit the webcam during visiting hours, that the staff even had Titan Arum T-shirts made. Ah, the thrill-a-minute life of the botanist.
I am very curious about the smell. The odor has been compared to rotting flesh - this seems to attract the flies needed for pollination. Luckily, I know someone working on campus who has promised to run over and smell it as soon as it begins to bloom.
We will have to be satisfied with this verbal description of the odor… still waiting for scratch-n-sniff web.
Also known as the Titan Arum, this giant flower is... oh wait - lemme just copy some of their description first -
"Amorphophallus Titanumthe, titan arum, is a tuberous plant endemic to western Sumatra, where it grows in openings in rainforest on limestone hills. Locals know it by the more evocative name 'corpse flower' (bunga bangkai), because of the hideous stench the fly-pollinated inflorescences produce.
Our largest Amorphophallus titanum is finally producing its first flower bud after 10 years since planting from seed. This rare species from the rainforests of Sumatra boasts the largest un-branched inflorescence in the plant kingdom. "
This giant, smelly flower is housed on the UConn campus. We went to visit the flower last week, and have been watching the webcam ever since - waiting for it to bloom. I was surprised that on a sunny Sunday afternoon we found a line of people waiting to see it. Evidently everyone on campus is also quite excited. You will see, if you visit the webcam during visiting hours, that the staff even had Titan Arum T-shirts made. Ah, the thrill-a-minute life of the botanist.
I am very curious about the smell. The odor has been compared to rotting flesh - this seems to attract the flies needed for pollination. Luckily, I know someone working on campus who has promised to run over and smell it as soon as it begins to bloom.
We will have to be satisfied with this verbal description of the odor… still waiting for scratch-n-sniff web.
Friday, July 02, 2004
saving fish
My grammatically superior wife so gently pointed out - how nice it was that I mentioned our daughter saving all those fish.
...and a handful of other typos. They have been fixed now. Well, at least in yesterday's post. I declined the invitation to review/edit all of my posts.
...and a handful of other typos. They have been fixed now. Well, at least in yesterday's post. I declined the invitation to review/edit all of my posts.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Specimens
“Class, please step up closer to the glass to get a better look. Don't be afraid. Notice how the specimens react when….”
Ok, kidding aside. We are going to get to participate in something exciting this evening. Our daughter is in graduate school working on her masters in psychology. For one of her classes this semester the students worked in teams to research different cultural minorities, to be better equipped to counsel folks from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences.
Well lucky her – she and her project partner were assigned LGBT (for the acronym challenged… that’s Lesbian Gay Bi and Transgender).
The assignment is to research and then present to the class. Well she asked us last night if we wouldn’t mind coming to the class for the end of her presentation and doing a bit of Q&A. She will give her presentation, and then introduce her lesbian parents for some discussion… how cool is that.
I am so honored that we could possibly make a difference in a young therapist's life.
I am honored that our daughter has asked us to be a part of this. She has chosen a career so suited for her innate abilities to counsel, understand and gently guide. Her contribution to humanity will be healing… one soul at a time – take a number please.
Hey.. while I am boasting about our kids.
Our charming, wild and crazy Ferris, has been asked to be a deacon at our church. He is an enigma. He has won the admiration and respect of our pastor and the deacons of our very ‘straight’ congregational church.
This is a church were the pastor and church leaders, along with my activist wife, tried in vain to get the congregation to adopt an Open and Affirming statement. Our uptight little community just couldn’t actually come out and say aloud that it would be ok if gays came in and sat down to worship. I mean…my goodness they may take it over (shyeah…all 5 of us who live in town).
But our son, son of lesbian parents, is going to be a deacon at this church and a liaison to his senior youth group – where attitudes are different and open and inviting. This kid is poised to change the world. We are so proud.
Ok, kidding aside. We are going to get to participate in something exciting this evening. Our daughter is in graduate school working on her masters in psychology. For one of her classes this semester the students worked in teams to research different cultural minorities, to be better equipped to counsel folks from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences.
Well lucky her – she and her project partner were assigned LGBT (for the acronym challenged… that’s Lesbian Gay Bi and Transgender).
The assignment is to research and then present to the class. Well she asked us last night if we wouldn’t mind coming to the class for the end of her presentation and doing a bit of Q&A. She will give her presentation, and then introduce her lesbian parents for some discussion… how cool is that.
I am so honored that we could possibly make a difference in a young therapist's life.
I am honored that our daughter has asked us to be a part of this. She has chosen a career so suited for her innate abilities to counsel, understand and gently guide. Her contribution to humanity will be healing… one soul at a time – take a number please.
Hey.. while I am boasting about our kids.
Our charming, wild and crazy Ferris, has been asked to be a deacon at our church. He is an enigma. He has won the admiration and respect of our pastor and the deacons of our very ‘straight’ congregational church.
This is a church were the pastor and church leaders, along with my activist wife, tried in vain to get the congregation to adopt an Open and Affirming statement. Our uptight little community just couldn’t actually come out and say aloud that it would be ok if gays came in and sat down to worship. I mean…my goodness they may take it over (shyeah…all 5 of us who live in town).
But our son, son of lesbian parents, is going to be a deacon at this church and a liaison to his senior youth group – where attitudes are different and open and inviting. This kid is poised to change the world. We are so proud.
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