Merry christmas!

I'm procrastinating packing & cleaning to post photos. Hope you all have a lovely holiday!

art show!

Tonight is the night of Tak's art show at Space 242, so we'll have both of our art shows wrapped up and will be able to start celebrating the season properly this weekend.

Photos TK of my art show last week; to be honest, they're not very good, but oh well. Tak's compatriots in the Weekly Dig design crew are the other exhibitionists, plus there will also be a series of short films which seems appropriate: Girls Against Boys. Somehow appropriate will be catering by JJ Foley's, which is basically across the street from the Dig office.

stuffed

literally and figuratively...
We had a great, mellow Thanksgiving, with a lot for which to be grateful. My mom had dinner sort-of catered: all pre-cooked, just needed heating up, and everything but the pies were excellent. Tonight I'm using the cranberry-orange relish on pork tenderloins, which should be yummy.

If there's a lot of typos, it's due to stress & lack of sleep. I've been knitting and doing a couple new paintings for an art/fashion show for Yelp Elites: F.A.M.E. at Via Matta tomorrow night. photos TK, but so far I've done 2 new paintings, knitted 1 clutch, a "necklace," and cranking to finish 2 more bags to felt (or not). These are going to go on canvases (1 down, 1 that still needs to be stretched & gesso-ed) to complement the new paintings, but we'll see how it all looks once it's on the wall; could be really odd looking & need another solution.

For work-work, I still have to finish a chapter to report on at a meeting tomorrow, plus two other meetings. And I won't get to finish the second Octavian Nothing book, since it's due back at the library...also tomorrow!

What else? oh yeah, the cat is going to the vet (Thursday); Owen's school winter fest is Saturday & we're going to a housewarming party, and both need baked goods. Whee!

tired of sleeping

Part of the reason why I haven't blogged in awhile is that I keep falling asleep at 9, and am just really tired. Not sure why that is. I have a ton of stuff to do, too. Facebook is probably the other big reason. I love just the quick updates.

Anyway, I've been to Seattle (awesome), seen a few movies in the theater, no less (City of Ember, Nightmare before Christmas in 3-D with the Coraline trailer, Twilight), knitted like mad to get Lorie's scarf/shrug done for her totally gorgeous & fun wedding. We went to the Brandywine Museum which was a pleasant surprise--lots of illustrative paintings that were phenomenal. This is the same trip that we saw red truck balls in NJ.

Hmm...I feel like we've been super-busy with all kinds of stuff, but now (of course) that I'm trying to remember it, it's gone.

Barack the Vote

I've always hesitated doing a lot of political stuff on here, but obviously can't resist a cupcake. Here's a great two-fer, from my Seattle trip (thanks to work, and the cupcake--thanks to my new-old friend Kathleen).

And yes, it's chocolate with vanilla frosting.

SAM on NPR

I know I've had the major fail in paying more attention to work, sleep, the kid, knitting, and Facebook than the blog, so...sorry.

However, there's some good stuff going on. Tak is going to be on NPR tomorrow (and for the next week) as one of the panelists on the Weekend America show. It's on one of the Boston stations at 2pm. The links and info are also listed on Tak's website. Enjoy & happy Friday!

We (heart) Zipcar!

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Originally uploaded by Zipcar Boston

Owen & I got our photo taken in the Zipcar Mini!

procrastination at its finest

I've been putting off updating the blog for awhile, mostly because I've been busy and haven't had half a brain to do anything more clever than update my status on Facebook. But also at this point the backlog of events is pretty huge: beach days, traveling, 1st day of school, scanning in old photos from college, Lorie's NYC bachelorette extravaganza, Rob & Jude's wedding celebration.

Now my laptop is running on empty & I'm watching Nobody Knows, a Japanese film loosely based on a true story. Hopefully in the next couple days I'll at least do a little something now that I've broken the ice.

book fiend

Now that my commute is solo for at least 30-60 minute stretches, I've been burning up the book list. I was worried that I wouldn't have the resources of a library nearby, but I shouldn't have worried: the Collins branch of the Cambridge Public is right behind my building. It's tiny, but I've been able to find some good reads, and the librarians are super-nice.

Case in point: Devilish by Maureen Johnson. I saw it as a suggestion on the Minuteman Link, and couldn't find it on the shelves. One of the librarians--who'd just read it--heard me, and quickly found it. It's fun: a quirky-smart-punk chick fights a demon who's shown up at her high school in Providence.

Finished the Twilight series (loved Breaking Dawn), and am looking forward to the movie. Working on the second book of the Percy Jackson series--why isn't this the next big thing for Harry Potter fans? And the Martha Speaks show is premiering soon on PBS, which Owen is looking forward to, too. One of my co-workers is also a Neil Gaiman fan, and she lent me an advance copy of The Graveyard Book that a friend of hers found in a used bookshop. It's a really fun read, with echoes of several other books in a very different setting (loved it!).

I've been favoring the Visual Bookshelf on Facebook over Good Reads, just because it's there, it's fairly easy, and I'm starting to get website-d out. I did update Good Reads for now, but should anyone notice the difference, there it is.

let the school year begin

We've had a crazy August: bridal shower in Brooklyn (FUN), Storyland (FUN). Now the real fun begins next Monday: Kindergarten.

Update: We're not going to Catholic School after all. We were waitlisted at our two top Boston Public schools, and found out in late July that we got into one of them. Because we missed the parties and welcome parties, I was worried that we wouldn't get into the after-school program. I didn't need to worry though: there were still spots, and we have Kindergarten orientation this week. Yay!

I loved Owen's preschool, and while I was sad to leave the people, Owen's definitely ready for more. It'll be a whole new world.

now I know: Jon & Kate plus 8

People have been asking me if I watch this show for the last couple years, and I had no idea why. The question usually came after saying how cute Owen is. Now I get it: white woman with an Asian guy who have (lots of) cute babies.

late summer thoughts

Today there is just a little chill in the air, enough to need a jacket in the morning. My toes are cold and I wonder if I should have worn closed up shoes. Not yet, not yet! The grass in the cemetery across the street has been freshly mowed, its scent mixing in with the odd salt of the sea, blowing from the east. The bright sky reminds me to hurry, hurry, there are things to do before school starts--which this year, has a whole new meaning.

There are many other things I need to catch up blogging on--the craziness of last week & the weekend, the new Martha Speaks show, the girls whose knitting club got booted out of the library because it wasn't literary--but listening to Neil Finn on my way into work, and the hint of fall that comes in late August, before the humidity & return to summer that happens in September, really struck me, the way it always does at the end of summer.

Austen-ized

It's almost embarrassing to admit that I got my BA in English without taking Brit Lit. In my own defense, I did take a lot of poetry classes and Development of Western Civilization, but I'd never read any Jane Austen. After watching Becoming Jane and part of the latest Pride and Prejudice, in addition to reading Shannon Hale's Austenland, I figured it was time to catch up.

I got 1/3rd of the way through Pride and Prejudice when I cheated and Netflixed the BBC/Colin Firth version. I finally finished the book, and was surprised how much more I enjoyed it for watching the movie. Also having seen Emma, Mansfield Park and Persuasion, but don't feel the same urge to read the books.

Bride and Prejudice, is the most fun (and takes the most liberties) of all the adaptations. (Thanks for the rec, D!)

Soon, I'll be on to Jane Eyre, after seeing the lovely Charlotte Gainsbourg/William Hurt version on cable. Charlotte Bronte was not a fan of Jane Austen. Why am I not surprised?

Kick for Nick in the news

In today's Globe, to be specific: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/07/31/iraqi_kids_will_get_a_kick_out_of_his_good_deed/

One of my Yelper friends, Allix T., works a lot with Kick for Nick. Her brothers were very good friends of Nick Madras, for whom the foundation is named.

Dark Knight: awesome

Wow. still digesting. Theater: sold out. Running time: long, but it doesn't feel that way. Story, characters, and themes tie well together and don't smash you over your head the whole time. I'm not surprised at all that people are going back to watch it again, it's that good.

Heath steals the show (as well he should). His voice and mannerisms are just wicked. Weird overtones of Brandon Lee/The Crow, but it can't be helped.

What's up with the "I need a lozenge" for Christian Bale's Batman voice? And the awful jawline on the mask? (Christian, if you're reading this, I totally agree: Bobblehead. Nicely put!)

Very different flavor from Iron Man, which was also excellent, but lighter and more entertaining (I mean that in a good way). Friends keep telling us about the quick crossover references, so I'll watch for that when it comes out on video.

We did not get to see the Watchmen trailer (I'll do that in the next couple days). Part of me almost doesn't want to know, the other part is morbidly curious to see how bad Alan Moore's work is going to be mistreated yet again. To be fair, V for Vendetta was good, but the rest were not taken care of very well.

boy stuff (sorta)

Yesterday I was in Target, and while I was looking around the toy department, a mom behind me is looking at the Dark Knight/Batman toys with her daughter. What I overhear is, "You want the crazy guy (Joker)? You're the only girl I know who plays with both Barbies and this stuff." I had to silently laugh, because I was that girl too, only it was Barbies and Star Wars action figures.

Last week Owen came home from my parents' house with a what I think was a MacDonald's toy of Bumblebee; and if it wasn't, then it was a great knock-off. Even though he says he doesn't like Transformers, he likes the toys.

The big yay is that he's finally gotten into the Muppets. He runs around singing "Manamana," "Crocodile Rock" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." (oh, and the pink polyester pants Elton wears on the show? so wrong.) Of course, I think of Anne, who always said the cure for getting a song out of your head was to sing the opening song to the Muppets. It might even be worth it to hook up the VCR and dig out my Muppets' 30th anniversary show that I taped from TV. It's like a "best of."

Saturday was also his first visit to a comic book shop, New England Comics @ Coolidge. He's also into reading Tiny Titans and Superman Adventures, based on the animated series by Mark Millar (thanks Pete!)

We're seeing Dark Knight tomorrow; Tak's already seen it, but I'm really looking forward to it.

totoro forest project

Tak sent me the link to the Totoro Forest Project and I was totally blown away. The aim of the project is to protect and preserve the Sayama Forest near Tokyo, which inspired Hayao Miyazaki to create his most iconic film, My Neighbor Totoro. The project's benefit event is an auction of many artists' work, including Charles Vess, James Jean, Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese), Scott Campbell, Scott Morse, and a number of artists whose names & styles look vaguely familiar to me. Awesome.

Just when I thought Owen wouldn't be able to see a Miyazaki film on the big screen, Tak also sent me the trailer for the new Miyazaki & Studio Ghibili Film Ponyo on the Cliff (Gake no ue no Ponyo). It opens in Japan this weekend, which probably means it'll be another year before it hits the states. Just that he keep making movies is wonderful!

forever young

Even more fun and without the angst of my high school prom, the Yelp prom was loads of fun, even if Whiskey Park didn't have a dance floor. People were dressed in the range of late 80s-early 90s, from casual grunge to over-the-top 80s to a full-on light blue tux. I didn't take enough good photos, but other people (Shannon, Trish, Roni) took better ones.
Here's me & Nate:

But of course, the best photos are from the afterparty in Russ & Shannon's room at the Park Plaza hotel (as good a place as any prom afterparty should be).

internet diet

With the beginning of my new job, my internet use has come to an almost complete halt during the daytime. As a result, I spend my late nights catching up on my 'net surfing, which leaves even less time for blogging. And sleep. Sorry.

We had friends come in for the 4th, which meant a thorough house-cleaning. I had to stash most of the contents of my old cube under the dining table. Owen had a "brilliant" time at the annual birthday barbecue we go to, mostly because of the fireworks we got to see. There were also a bunch of other kids about his age there, and he had a ton of fun playing with them. Especially once they realized the Nerf rocket launcher could also be used as a water gun.

Even though it opened last weekend, we finally got around to checking out WALL-E. I really liked it. Owen, being the sensitive boy, got very upset about where the people were. (Later, I explained the storytelling convention of looking in the background movies about what's already happened in the movie). Then, he sobbed at the end of the movie. He did laugh at the right places, and he really did like the movie, using old cellphones in the places of WALL-E and EVE.

Tip of the day: An old pizza box makes a good surface on which to shuck corn. A bonus: since you're not supposed to recycle pizza boxes anyway, you can then close it and throw the whole thing out; the mess is contained. Presto!

future posts: Avon Calling, 80s clothing-redux rant & Prom, Iron Man, Zeer.com

if the dress fits...

Yes, the formal dress from 1993 does fit... if I totally sandwich myself into it like a corset.

Now the big decision: to go fancy, or casual, with my Esprit baggy button-down shirt, leggings & socks. Also, figuring out hair & makeup.