Let's all go to the Lobby!

Last night we rushed off to the movies for the 7:10 showing of Stardust. It was sold out so we bought tix for Bourne Ultimatum instead. However, once in the theater we decided to step into the 7:05 showing of Ratatoulle (sp?!) with the option of leaving for the 7:40 showing of the movie on our tickets. We never left.

I know most of you have probably already seen the 'little Chef' in action, but it was really fun. The physical comedy was amusing and the animators walked a very fine line of maintaining the 'ratness' of the animals without them being completely repulsive. For some strange reason, we both were STARVING on the ride home.

On the way out, we stepped into The Invasion. It's the Nicole Kidman redo of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Much of the film was shot in Baltimore. Even in the 10 minutes we watched, it was fun to see the old hometown. The firm I worked for in Baltimore printed most of the signs that hang in bus stops in the movie. My picture is on one of the "Missing" fliers though I don't know if it's ever visible in the movie. I'm hoping to go back with our three friends who moved here from old Balwmore. It's not the kind of movie I usually enjoy, but for nostalgia and personal history, I'll do it.

Has anyone else seen any good movies lately? Did we take the right pick of the non-Stardust options?

It was evening and it was morning. The first day.

I forget if I mentioned this was going to be happening, but I’m in Seattle right now. My sister’s husband had to go out of town for a week and we figured that would be a great time for me to come up and meet my new nephew. The theory is that I’m up here helping out. Thus far I’m feeling much more like a pampered guest with play privileges.

For this visit, it’s just the three of us Body Part kids. No spouses, no dog. I told OTRsis that I feel like I’m at a slumber party with dolls. Sure, the bigger doll keeps asking me to read her stories and play games that circle around to ‘There’s Daddy!’, but it just feels like fun.

The Morning: Movement

In the morning we met my brother at Golden Gardens (I keep calling it Golden Gate), it’s a beach/playground area on the Puget Sound. While I assisted Blonde Niece climb UP the tunnel slide (over and over and over), a woman came by to offer her a balloon. Apparently, she and the other 20 adults milling around next to the playground were waiting for their kids.

We’d noticed a banner reading “P2S —You did it!” and assumed it was for a graduation or birthday. Turns out, P2S stands for “Providence to Seattle”. A group of 20 college kids were due any minute after biking across the country. They’d started June 10 and rode every day except for stops to work on Habitat for Humanity projects. The whole ride was a fund and awareness raiser.

Blonde Niece finally decided she was ready to go build sand castles so we waddled briskly over to where OTRsis had set up camp. Eventually, my brother joined us and Blonde Niece proudly showed him her handiwork. All of a sudden we heard screams, shouts and yells—the bikers were coming! The approach to the beach involves a long downhill that gives a glimpse of the ocean, then parralels the beach for 500 yards before turning back into the long parking lot. As we turned to watch the bikes streaming down the hill, we started sniffling. The raw exultation called for a response and all we could do was tear up!

The screaming bikers swept into the area where their parents were gathered, then turned and attacked the beach. They rode to the water’s edge, dropped the bikes, then piled into the sea surrounded by and filled with screams and cheers. Even my bro got a little watery.

The Evening: A Different World

My sister’s friends came over to watch the kids so we could go out. We’d already decided that part of what we want to do this weekend is remember Mom in honor of the 10th anniversary of her death. She died at the end of September, but we won’t be together then.

For dinner my brother and sister took me to a fantastic Morroccan restaurant. From the outside it looks a bit sketchy, but inside? Wow.


The whole meal involved communal plates and fingers as utensils.


Before the meal each of us were given a gleaming white towel. Then our host brought over a metal container to catch the water he poured over our hands. A guy seated next to us was eating alone. I wondered what he thought as we toasted Mom with our water glasses and reviewed what our parents had done, both wrong and right. Mostly right and often quirky, but each of us are grateful for our parents and for each other.

Where I've been of late

It’s been a perfect storm for non-blogging. My new job is high-intensity with very low privacy. My project manager can watch what I’m doing from her desk. The train only stops at the San Carlos station once an hour, so I have no wiggle room to linger and read a little bit o blog before riding off to catch my train. In the mornings I’m trying to crank out some work before that same project manager arrives with her questions, whines and rants. Obviously, on the good side, it keeps me honest, but sheesh, I miss the occasional break to read about ya’lls lives.

The other factor has been that we’ve had a LOT of socializing this summer. No time to read blogs while driving two hours north to a wedding reception on the beach in Marin County.

Last night we grabbed dinner with a buddy of mine from grad school. He’s Indian and used to REALLY late hours. We met him at 8:45 pm, drove 20 minutes south into Seoul/Dehli and wound up at a hole-in-the-wall Pakistani restaurant. Great food, the best tandoori chicken I’ve ever had, but as my friend said, “It’s a very third-world atmosphere”. It was. We had to ask for tea at least six times before they brought us two cups (for the three of us), he had to ask for what he ordered twice. There was a crying baby, lots of loud chatter and not a single white person in the room. I loved it.

It turns out he’s really lonely. Most of his co-workers are older or married and none of them drink. He’s really excited to reconnect and has offered to have us join him and a manager from his job for flights around the Bay area. Apparently it’s only $25/person since the guy is part of a flying club. Hmm…fly down to Monteray for lunch? OK! Lake Tahoe for an afternoon boat ride? I’ll fit it in. The down side is, of course, it definitely won’t help my blogging.

A whole lotta nuttin

Most days I catch the train at 7:45, then bike 10 minutes to work. At the end of the day, the theory is that I'm leaving at 4:50 to catch a 5:18 train. Yeah, right. I wouldn't think 'losing' those extra five hours would impact me this much, but I'm getting worn out. Today I woke up early (thanks to someone else's alarm), but instead of just rolling over and insisting that I deserve/need/must-have-or-I-will-DIE more sleep, I decided to get up. Heck, I even walked the dog. I decided to take the 'late' train and get to work by 9:15. Then, being clearly out of my mind from waking up when it was still dark out, I got inspired to wash, grease and refill my bike tires.

Whirling in my brain for future posts:

-Conversation with a recent Boston transplant about what to wear for job interviews in NoCal.
-Sense of being in a foreign country when moving here from the east coast.
-How Muttola fooled the beach-based wedding reception into thinking she was a calm, well-trained dog.

What can I say? It's an exciting life here in Cali-forn-I-A.

Sunday Link Love

With this witty respose to the haircut 'drama', I might have to forgive him for becoming a millionaire at the expense of innocent doctors:


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For projects that need a fine art touch, download from artchive.com. I spent time today drooling over details of Gaudi's architecture. Who has ever thought of decorating chimneys as though they are sentinels?

Finally, here's a fantastic short animation created entirely in Flash: Little Foot.