Representing the (Sesame) street meets real street

So I'm on the bus yesterday, just riding in to the office wearing my "Representing the Street" T-shirt, featuring Cookie Monster, Big Bird, et al. And when the express part of our trip ended in South Seattle, a couple of guys climbed on the bus and started talking in the tone and style of young men sharing tips on going to college, moving out of the family home, first jobs, etc.

"Work out in the morning, every morning" one said. "And don't share food with anyone."

The last bit struck me odd, and I soon realized that they weren't talking about college.

"I'm always the last one out ... got an an eye on my cellie until they're asleep ... hope you don't end up in a cell with some big Bubba ... I feel bad for guys who ain't from the hood, they go in and they got no one."

Talk turned to jailhouse "relations" just before my stop, with the sharer of knowledge describing how he'd seen a white boy getting raped but didn't do anything about it. He talked about how he'd be dead before that happened to him. And said it all with what seemed to be genuine love for the guy he was speaking to. Though he might not be willing to call it that, you know, 'cause that might be too much like a step toward being "bent over."

And I was suddenly quite self-conscious about my shirt.

Just another June day in paradise ...

And yes, this photo was taken during daylight hours. In the middle of some sort of monsoon that turned the streets of Federal Way into rivers. I was relieved to see the rainbow and not some dude with an ark.

Not packing yet, but thinking about packing ...

OK, so vacation is slightly less than one week away .... and in quiet moments (ha!) my mind wanders to packing. Things I want to pack. Things I don't want to pack. Packing efficiently. I am a strange person, but this is all part of the anticipation of a trip, which to me is at least half the fun.

Anyway, I've come across a couple of sources that I plan to mine for packing tips: onebag.com (as if) and this post from "Seeking Alpha" (http://soundmoneytips.com/article/39228?source=feed):

Checking luggage is a pain. It takes forever, and sometimes, you never receive your bags. Here are some tips on how to pack lightly and tightly so that you can avoid checking bags altogether.
1) Make a packing list . Don’t use one of the comprehensive lists, easily found on the internet; make it specific to your needs. A list serves two functions:a) It prevents you from forgetting anything.b) It prevents you from packing unnecessary items. If you think you might need it, you don’t.
2) Edit the list. Check the weather report, and don’t pack winter clothes if you’re traveling to Miami in July. Make sure to pack culturally appropriate clothing, i.e., if you’re visiting religious sites, you might not want to wear a tank top. Pick clothing that you can mix and match so you don’t have to pack as many items. Add items sparingly and only as necessary.
3) Shrink what you do need to bring.a) Pack toiletries in small containers. You don’t need your entire bottle of shampoo for a two-day business trip. Besides, you’re probably not allowed to carry-on larger bottles of liquids.b) Photocopy pages from travel guides, and bring articles instead of entire books.
4) Pack tightly. Roll your clothing, and use reusable compression bags to save room. Stuff underwear, hose, and socks into small spaces (like the insides of shoes) that would otherwise go unused.
5) Find out what amenities the hotel already has, i.e., robes, hairdryers, shampoo, and don’t pack those items.

That time of the month

I don't just get grumpy-style PMS, I get clumsy-style PMS. Today, the fallout was the loss of my work ID badge somewhere between the office and getting my hair cut (not too short).

I have been off the anti-depressants for a few months now and I do notice a difference around PMS time. I just feel more ... scattered. But overall, I don't miss 'em. I just need to remember to breathe and be Zen. Which wasn't easy tonight when I put the big, plastic Costco-sized container of Nestle Quik onto a burner of the stove (which I thought was off). This led to burning plastic and chocodust everywhere. AWESOME.

I just need to make it through the week leading up to my vacation without going bonkers.

"When is Fourth Jee-lie?"

Eddie asked me that this morning. He's perhaps thinking about it because Grandpa Harold will be coming up that day ... and because things will explode (two entirely unrelated occurences).

I said, "Next week."

Silence.

"When is next week?"

I love the question-mark phase.

The boys' first ride on the Monorail! (And Cheryl's too.)

We got awesome seats on the Monorail today, which we took to get back to our car after the Pride Parade. All and all, it was a great day, though exhausting. The boys loved the applause and waves they got while marching with the GLAmazon team.

And the protests were minimal and actually rather pathetic. Someone screamed that we were abusing our children. You know, by being two loving parents who just happen to be women. Whatever. The guy next to the screamer countered with a happier message: "Congratulations!" On being parents, in the parade, whatever. He meant it nicely.

Lauren Graham redeems Evan Almighty ...

So, largely on my recommendation, the family plus beloved Auntie Cathy and Cousin Heather, went to see "Evan Almighty." I kinda liked it, though I acknowledge that it was kinda dumb. Great cast, though: Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, Morgan Freeman, John Goodman, Molly Shannon and former "Gilmore Girls" star Lauren Graham, who added depth to a role that a lesser actress might have sleepwalked through. (She deserves an Emmy for her work as Lorelei Gilmore, though I'm not holding my breath.)

Here's something she said about the role, which had probably 1/100th the amount of dialogue heard in a single Gilmore episode:

"I have had years and years of talking fast and being sassy, and I'm as happy to do something simpler."

What's next for Lauren? AfterEllen.com knows.



Unfortunately, she will not be taking over the role of Lois Lane, though she'd be perfect for it.

And yes, she is smokin' hot.

My electric lawnmower is badass ... I shall call it Al Gore!

So I did some lawnmowing this afternoon. We'd let it go a bit, and I had my work cut out for me. Though, in fairness, the majority of the work was done by my Black & Decker Lawn Hog electric (corded) mower. The thing hacked through two-foot high grass at the side of our side yard, in the area formerly occupied by a gang of angry blackberry bushes. Now, however, it is somewhat civilized. Reformed, if you will.

It was with some trepidation that I bought the mower (about $230 from Amazon.com -- of course). Would it be powerful enough? Our lawn isn't small. Would the cord be a pain in the ass? Turns out it's no more a pain than a cord can be when you're vacuuming. You get used to it really fast. I haven't even come close to running it over, and I'm somewhat accident-prone. In fact, my family would probably say to hold the "somewhat" and trade it for "very, very."

Our mower is mighty like Al Gore. Good for the environment and all that. And like Al Gore, it doesn't need gasoline or new spark plugs or "winterization" or any of that pesky maintenance stuff. Just the occasional blade-sharpening and my mower (and Al Gore) are good to go.

But I'm probably still voting for Hillary.

A two-mom family torn apart ... my greatest fear

When my family (or anyone else) wonders what has made formerly apolitical me into a semi-activist who pushes back against their apathy for my cause, I can point them in the direction of stories like this:

The Olympian, June 17
OLYMPIA — Four months ago, Lacey resident Janice Langbehn, her partner Lisa Pond and their children Katie, David and Danielle, ages 10 to 13, were set for a relaxing cruise from Miami to the Bahamas. ((An R Family cruise, like the one we're taking in July.))

But Pond, Langbehn’s partner for nearly 18 years, was stricken in Miami with a brain aneurysm and died. The family says the way they were treated by hospital staff compounded their shock and grief.
Langbehn, a social worker, said officials at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital did not recognize her or their jointly adopted children as part of Pond’s family. They were not allowed to be with her in the emergency room, and Langbehn’s authority to make decisions for Pond was not recognized.
“We never set out to change the world or change how others accept gay families,” Langbehn told the crowd at the Capital City Pride on Sunday. “We just wanted to be allowed to live equally and raise our children by giving them all the same opportunities their peers have.”
While Washington is one of a half-dozen states to recognize same-sex partnerships in some fashion, Florida is not. ...

((This part is the most frightening, as it demonstrates that even legally obtained paperwork can't always protect us.)) After Pond was taken to the emergency room, Langbehn said she was informed by a social worker that they were in an “anti-gay state” and that they needed legal paperwork before Langbehn could see Pond.
Even after a friend in Olympia faxed the legal documents that showed that Pond had authorized Langbehn to make medical decisions for her, Langbehn said she wasn’t invited to be with her partner or told anything about her condition.

My family seems to think Cheryl and I are "really" married, that our rights don't need protecting. God, I wish that were true.

A possible Cars 2???? (And more toys news)

We have been doing pretty well with collecting the toys from the movie "Cars." And then I noticed the Dinoco Helicopter on Amazon. It's being sold at a premium ($35 plus shipping), which means I'm not going to buy it online, but I've got my eyes open.



I'll admit it: It's a common occurence for me to run into Wal-Mart and/or Target on my way to work (I drive right past) just to see what's new -- and the answer is, not much lately. I scored just before the Memorial Day weekend, but things have slowed. Still need a Yeti, though.



Anyhoo, whilst searching for info, I found this interesting assessement of the Cars marketplace:



The big news for today is that I have confirmed from more than one source that they are in fact planning a Dale Jr. car (this is a shocker to me I was wrong on this one) and all the cars we have been rumoring for months, they are also doing Mario, Rusty, and Bug Faced McQueen, Bob Cutlass, and one that we had not rumored -- a blimp.
Tongue McQueen and Yeti are here as is a new Red Rimmed Hudson Hornet is not as hot as I though it would be luckily. Another rumored car The Red and White Ramone known "Cruisin" Ramone could be out soon.
The big rumor though is that there is a sequal a "Cars 2"on the way, although I have not confirmed this. It would make sense but I would predict a straight to video sequal. This is huge news for Cars collectors because the craze will just keep on going.
I have also been told that new playsets are on their way, what could they be? How about Sarge's, The Cozey Cone or City Hall? Well one answer is certain one playset will be a Dinoc Helicopter!
I really thought this thing was slowing down but with a new movie rumored well that changes this game a little.

A LITTLE??? A LITTLE????? Clearly, they don't live with little boys who want to watch the first movie almost every day and complaining that it's not in theaters.

A T-Mobile Dash for Me?

We're very, very close to a phone upgrade. It's been at least a few years, 'cause we've really enjoyed our Sony Ericsson T610s. But the time has come to move into the smartphone era. Which means my blog pictures will be easier to make out. And I'll be able to check my work email. Fabulous.

Many of my colleagues have Blackjacks. A Dash is pretty close to that. Nice phone, QWERTY keyboard, Windows Mobile, etc. I'm sure it's got many, many features that will surprise and delight me, as I've had the same ringtone for three years and pretty much use my T610 as a call-maker, picture-taker, and, when I'm feeling really fancy, a bus-tracker (yes, my big thing was adding WAP -- web lite -- service a couple of years ago). Thrillsville, baby!

Now I'm stressing about how to get the best deal. Have been reading The Consumerist. Feels like the thing to do is wait until the weekend the iPhone comes out and go to a T-Mobile store then -- leveraging end-of-the-month eagerness to meet quotas, plus iPhone buzz. We'll see if I can wait that long.

Obsessions: mid-June

Golf (since getting Cheryl's brother's clubs, I'm eager to use them)
Golf clubs for the boys (saw cheap good ones at Target and didn't buy; regret ensues)
A golf practice net ('cause I'll love golfing so much, I'm sure)


Where to go on our shore excursions (I think we're going to rent a car at Port Canaveral and go to Daytona -- NASCAR prevails!)

NASCAR (I was actually very, very interested in which team Junior would drive for.) That's Dale Earnhardt, Jr. aka "Little E"

What we're going to wear on the theme nights on our cruise (we need something that represents our state and will likely fall back on sports -- the Storm jerseys or WSU)

Gene Simmons' Family Jewels (like the Ozzy show but with a coherent star)

"Surf's Up" and more surfing

"Surf's Up" was way better than I expected. I figured it would be all right, and heard good things, but I have to say, it was extremely well executed. It's not the kind of movie that will change the world (or even, for that matter, movie-making) but so often a good idea gets overdone or otherwise destroyed. Here, helped by the very sincere voices of Shia LeBeouf (the emerging superstar of 2007), Zooey Deschanel and Jeff Bridges, Sony Animation made a movie that blew Meet The Robinsons (and a lot of non-Pixar Disney) out of the water, as it were.

The boys posed with the lead penguin, Cody, after the show.

Earlier in the day, while we were shopping at the semi-evil, sometimes boycotted megastore that shall not be named, we took advantage of some kind of soda pop promotion and the boys "surfed" in an inflatable ocean brought to us by Fanta or Powerade or both.

The boys helped me pick up some shelving at Lowe's

Things you may not want to see in your doctor's office

Although there are worse things a doctor can read about than avoiding fatal mistakes. I just hope that most of his knowledge in this area doesn't come from Reader's Digest.

Who Is Sick? The Internet Knows ....

OK, another cool Web site via BoingBoing: WhoIsSick.com, which tracks illness by zip code, type of symptom and more. It's as fun as a page with a tag cloud that includes "bloody diarrhea" can be!

Looks like the people in my area have a lot of runny noses .....

Remember all that talk of heat?

My fears that our planet would turn into a globally warmed cinder were allayed over the past week, when the rains came, temperatures plummeted and grass grew unmowed. Now, thankfully, the sun is back. But mercifully, the temperatures will stay in the high 60s to 70s range. THAT is Northwest goodness.

NASA vs. Daytona -- Which Display of Macho Power Will We Choose?

OK, so we're taking a cruise to Florida in July. And at one of the stops, we can go to either Kennedy Space Center (site of assorted blastoffs) or the Daytona International Speedway, where NASCAR champs rocket around a historic track.

For a long time, NASCAR was the leader, as we have one son who is racing obsessed (Eddie) and one son who very much likes racing. But they also very much like the space shuttle/astronauts/etc. and sleep in a Buzz Lightyear-esque room with planets on the wall. And, since we can combine a camping trip with a trip to Skagit Speedway, where they race sprint cars (and where NASCAR star Kasey Kahne got his start).

So it looks like it's going to be Kennedy Space Center when we hit Florida. I've always been a bit of a NASA fan, though the agency has certainly seemed to squander its promise. Of course, I'm not as frustrated with NASA as Wired magazine. I was actually a little bummed out when I read the criticisms saw the patch (though, oddly, my collector senses made me kind of want the patch). Should we go to NASCAR, and celebrate big, dumb and fast?

But this made me feel better: http://nssdocs.xisp.net/nsswiki1/ArchitectingTheFuture2007

The Imagination Movers: We Knew Them When ...

During the Rosie cruise to Alaska last year, we met the Imagination Movers, a fun group of tot-friendly pop-rockers. They were hard-working and earnest. We took a shore excursion with the proud mama of one of them, and have been rooting for them to get a deal with Disney.

Well, that deal is done. The Movers will have a show in the Playhouse Disney programming block, reports Dave Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

The Disney Channel is expected to announce today an October production start in New Orleans for a new TV series starring the local music group.
The show, which will emphasize creative problem-solving set to the Movers' catchy rock sound, will air during the network's Playhouse Disney programming block, which targets preschoolers. The group's music videos are already airing on the network.
The band first met with Disney to discuss a series more than two years ago. A pilot episode was shot in February.
"After seeing the musical group perform at Jazzfest 2005 in New Orleans, we were determined to find a way to bring their energetic and infectious music to preschoolers everywhere," said Nancy Kanter, senior vice president of original programming for the network. "They have already struck a resounding chord with our viewers through their music videos and we look forward to adding this talented group to our series lineup."
Disney will also announce an October release, on Walt Disney Records, for "Juicebox Heroes," a compilation of tunes from the group's existing albums originally scheduled for release in March. An album of new songs culled from the new series is now slated for a 2008 release.

Not that it matters, but ... Ratatouille has at least one good review

Our boys are Pixar buffs who already have a stuffed rat they call "Ratatouille." It's from Ikea, so its real name is "Minnen Ratta." All this because of seeing, like, previews of a movie that won't be out for weeks yet.

The good news is that apparently this movie doesn't suck:

I’m wondering, at this point, when Pixar’s going to screw it all up. Earlier today I saw a screening of their latest, the excruciatingly named Ratatouille, and I’m going to say here and now that it’s the best thing they’ve done so far. Which’d be fine, you know, if they hadn’t also done The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo, and Toy Story—animated films that boast better narratives and characters than most live-action productions, and look gorgeous to boot.
Ratatouille—and if you haven’t seen the great trailer yet, I’d advise you to—follows Remy, a rat living in France who loves good food. (No, I’m not going to call him a “foodie,” as that term is annoying as fuck even when it’s not being applied to cartoon characters.) Problem is, Remy (voiced by awesome comedian Patton Oswalt) is still a rat, which means he’s either got to steal great food or find some other way to get it. Luckily, he meets up with gangly doofus Linguini, who just got hired as the garbage boy for a once-grand Parisian restaurant. Culinary (and other) antics quickly ensue, etc.
I’m not going to say too much—the film’s not out until June 29th, and I’ll write a real review for the paper then—but I will say that Ratatouille’s one of my favorites so far this year. This summer, in particular, has been pretty uneven, with all the big “threequels” (Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, and Shrek the Third) disappointing in one way or another, and only one really great movie so far (Knocked Up). Ocean’s Thirteen (out this Friday) is fun, but it’s nothing extraordinary, so unless you’re into giant transmorphin’ robots, this summer’s looking a bit anemic in terms of excitement-worthy major motion pictures. Ratatouille, at least, is going to change that.

All hail me! (And Computerhope.com)

OK, so I got a great deal on a desktop computer that used to belong to the fabulous internet company that I work for ($45 for something that's almost as good as the new desktop I bought for many times that last year).

The plan was to give the new 'puter to the boys, who have become disenchanted with the performance of our late-'90s vintage HP Pavilion (I don't see how). And the plan was going great: I installed Windows XP, took the wireless card and the firewire card out of the old computer, moved them to the new computer (which requires opening up and not screwing it up). All was well until I fired up the monitor, and it looked like an impressionist's nightmare: All blotchy and odd but still recognizable.

Thus began the painful troubleshooting process, made much less painful by Computerhope.com, an extremely helpful site. I won't trouble you with the step-by-step details, but suffice to to say that I ended up ruling out a ton of potential issues, reopening the computer, digging up the specs for a Compaq Evo D510, and re-installing the graphics media accelerator driver for my Intel 845G (that number was important, trust me). Somehow the process of wiping sensitive company data off my bargain brainbox left the "integrated graphics controller of Intel chipsets" without some vital piece of software. But I found it. And, for a little while at least, I feel smart.

But just wait until I try add the old computer to my home network .....

Hot and not ...

So, we bought another air conditioner. And we were on the verge of using it this past weekend. 'Cause it was freakin' HOT!!!

And yes, I'm a heat wimp. But I'm not alone. And it's not my fault! Read this, from a story written a few years ago by my former colleague, Sandi Doughton:

Hot weather rarely persists here, thanks to the cooling proximity of Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean, said UW meteorologist Cliff Mass.
And that explains why each hot spell is a shock to our tender physiologies.
When the mercury climbs, a body that isn't used to high heat runs like a poorly tuned car. Sweat glands and other systems are suddenly forced to work harder to accomplish the same tasks — and they don't like it.
After a week or two of hot-weather exposure, sweat glands become more efficient and effective, said Dr. John O'Kane, sports-medicine professor and head physician for the UW Husky teams.
"You sweat more heavily and your sweat becomes more dilute, so you don't lose as much in terms of electrolytes," he said.
Heart rate also drops, and the body produces more plasma, effectively thinning the blood, O'Kane explained.
Part of acclimation may be in the mind as well.
"When you see the same weather day after day, you're dressed for it, you're expecting it, it may not feel as hot," he said.

Hot weather also makes me nervous. Especially when it comes so early in the year. It's just not right! This is the Puget Sound area, the rainy NW. I know May-September is the best time to be here, but nearly 90 degrees in early, early June? That's just not right.

Neither is what I had to go through to find out what the temperature was yesterday. Sheesh. I know the internet is all about NOW! and NEXT! but I had to all the way to weather.com to find out exactly what the temp was yesterday. Thank you, weather.com! (It was 84. Felt like 94 to me.)

Why did Al Gore have to invent global warming????

Sanjaya's people are not happy with me

If you check the comments on my post about some relatives meeting Sanjaya, you'll see that I have a gentle yet firm message of unhappiness from Sanjaya's "people" -- who didn't want pictures on the internet.

I'd send them a note privately, but they posted anonymously, so I'll just have to put my comments here:

Dear Sanjaya's people,

Have you seen US Magazine lately? I told a sweet story about Sanjaya meeting some kids and making them happy -- and included a picture of a celebrity who's not getting all Lohan on us -- and you've got a problem with that????

Sigh. I'm sorry that you think this is somehow disrespectful. Sheesh -- if you're going to give me a hard time, you should give me a hard time for joking that Sanjaya's big post-Idol move is working as a barista.

P.S. Don't be mad at my relatives. They didn't know I was going to put their picture on my blog. (Which has a vast readership of at least three people, so, you know, it's a huuuuge deal.)

Pulling my hair out

So the other day, Chas was sitting in my lap and we were discussing the heartbreak of not being able to have every toy you see, when he grabbed on to a couple of my hairs and tugged ... at first gently, then not-so-gently.

"Hey!" I said. "You pulled my hair out."

He found this HILARIOUS.

I made him promise to only take out the grays .....