My Little Cannibal. . . .

"Adam, do you need your fingernails trimmed?"

"No, they're already short because I chewed them off."

"I wish you would stop that."

"I can't stop."

"I know, it can be really hard to stop biting your nails."

"Well, I can't stop because skin is meat and I like meat. "

Things I Love

In the fall of 1999 a new drama depicting the inner workings of the White House and the staffers that make it run debuted on NBC. The previews looked interesting and I recognized a couple of faces (Martin Sheen and Rob Lowe) so I decided to give it a try. I remember being pleasantly surprised enough by the first episode that I was present for the second. By the third episode of The West Wing Damonn and I were hooked. For the next four years* Wednesday nights at 8:00 were reserved for POTUS (President of the United States), our newly minted nickname for our newly designated favorite show. We watched in silence, hanging on every word, using only commercials (in our pre-Tivo days) for discussion and commentary. As the seasons passed, Josh, Sam, Leo, C.J. and Toby became as familiar to us as the people at our own jobs and President Josiah Bartlet came to personify my ideal president. He became my POTUS.

Nearly ten years later, I am again drawn in by the wit, humor, passion and patriotism of this same cast of characters and mesmerized once again by the masterful writing of Aaron Sorkin – without whom, The West Wing surely suffers. And I just recently became aware that Mr. Sorkin is also the wordsmith of two more of my favorites, The American President and A Few Good Men. Not to mention Sports Night and Malice. Is there anything this guy writes that isn’t brilliant?

All seven seasons are now available on DVD, the second of which I just finished yesterday. The final episode of this second season, The Two Cathedrals, might just be the best hour television has ever seen. I have included two segments of it below along with another one of my favorites from Season 1. All of them are good examples of the writing, acting, and direction that make The West Wing one of the Things I Love the most.

As segment from The Season 2 Finale. After the death of a long-time friend, President Bartlet confronts God in his own house.




The final minutes of the Season 2 finale. President Bartlet walks to a press confrence moments after announcing an administration scandal. Dire Straight's "Brother In Arms" is the perfect song choice to portray the loyalty of his staff as they head onto the battlefield of re-election and scandal.



One of my favorite moments of Season 1. The Religious Right get shown the door by President Bartlet.


*The West Wing aired for seven seasons (1999-2006) but we only watched for four. The start of the fifth season coincided with the novelty and relentless schedule of a new baby (Adam) and the fact the Aaron Sorkin was no longer writing for the show. Somehow those Wednesday nights became less and less of a priority.

Happy Birthday Mr. President. . . .

In my email this morning I found this. Apparently they missed the memo about my switch to the Democratic Party. But I'm glad they did because although I won't be shelling out the $62+ plus for our dear president, I do have a few words I'd like to pass along.

And one question. . . . how exactly will Mrs. Bush be "presenting" an ecard? Maybe that's code for saying he doesn't know how to use Outlook.


Dear Tiffany ,

In a few short days, President Bush will celebrate his 62nd birthday. Don't miss out on your opportunity to wish the President a Happy Birthday by signing the RNC's eCard today.

As this is the last birthday the President will observe in the White House, our Party wants to make this an extra special occasion. Mrs. Bush will be presenting our President with this birthday greeting from steadfast supporters like you, Tiffany . To be included in this unique celebration, please click here.

And if you can, please consider commemorating President Bush's 62nd birthday with a gift our entire Party can share. Your secure online gift of $62 or whatever you can afford -- $1,000, $500, $100 or even $25 -- is essential to electing John McCain and Republicans up and down the ticket.

It will take the collective commitment of every Republican to retain the White House and regain our majorities in the U.S. House and Senate. Your special donation will help fund the vital campaign services our candidates need to run strong campaigns and win.

Please add your name to the RNC's virtual Birthday eCard for President Bush today. Thank you for your continued generous support of our Party and our cause.

Sincerely,



Robert M. "Mike" Duncan
Chairman, Republican National Committee

P.S. Tiffany , this is your last chance to join the First Lady in making this an extra special birthday celebration for our President. Please take a moment right now to sign the President's Birthday eCard. Thank you.

Can You Say FREEDOM?!?

I am going to WASHINGTON, D.C.!! Let me repeat that. I AM GOING TO WASHINGTON, D.C. You know, that city on the east coast that is the home to the real, actual Declaration Of Independence? I will be there galavanting freely among the memorials sans kids and responsibility for three whole days. Damonn is attending an AARP convention for work there in September so I will be shacking up with him by night and skipping down Pennsylvania Ave by day. Honestly, I would be happy to be visiting a Motel 6 in Yuma, AZ if it meant three days to myself, but for an American history junkie like myself (I bought myself the DVD box set The Presidents for my birthday) to have access to the nation's most treasured memorials and artifacts is like coming home to the mother ship. Dead Presidents, here I come!!

And Baby Makes Four. . . .

. . . . . for my good friend Misha and her husband Luke. May I introduce. . . . .

William Davis

June 18th, 9:50am
6lbs, 14oz

Baby Will also makes Norah a big sister and it looks like she is already taking to the role like a champ! And if you take a look, you'll notice that Will's birthday is the same as my new niece Katelyn (below). Yep, we were blessed with two beautiful babes on one day! Five down, one to go of the six friends/family we know having babies within six months!

Announcing To The World. . . .

Katelyn Robin

Born June 18th, 5:15am
8lbs, 9oz

Arriving in a whirlwind four-hour delivery, Katelyn is the newest addition to our growing group of cousins and the first baby for my brother Jason and his wife Lindi. Congratulations to you both, she's a beauty!

If You Were To Peek In Our Living Room Window. . .

You'd see us getting down with our bad selves on almost any night of the week. You gotta love Adam's Napolean Dynamite-esque dance moves. . . . .

Here Comes The Sun. . . .

. . . . . Doo-do-di-doo. . . . .

So after crybabying about the weather a couple posts back the sun decided to go a make me eat my words and be sunny all weekend. Which is fine with me. I'm happy to slurp up anything I said, mushy vowels and all, if he'll just hang around for a few more days. You know, just so we can say we officially had a summer. Whoah - hold on, there I go talkin' trash about that big ol' ball of luscious UV again. I'm sorry, I take it back. Please don't go.

Yes, this past weekend was fabulous. I dare say, perfect. Sunny, 75, a couple of puffy clouds just to keep that brilliant blue sky from being, I don't know, boring. And by all accounts from Damonn, he had great Father's Day as well. We played in the park at least three times, once meeting his brother and his lovely girlfriend (his brother's not Damonn's) to play frisbe and eat lunch. We also made it to the aforementioned Tigard Balloon Festival which turned out to be one of the best yet. Because of the great weather they were able to get six balloons heated up and glowing. They don't actually take off (they do that in the mornings), but keep them heated and tethered so you can go right up and check them out. Oh, and while we're on the subject of hot air balloons, let me just say I won't be taking that ride across the French countryside. THOSE BASKETS ARE WAY TINIER THAN THEY LOOK IN PICTURES!

But the best part of the weekend was Sunday evening when I came down with a funny rash on my arms. It actually took me a second to realize. . . . .I had a sunburn. How cool is that?

Please Stand By. . . .

Posts on Father's Day and more are forthcoming but in the meantime please read this. It is from Dooce.com but is written by guest writer, Jim Griffioen of Sweet Juniper. He has managed a group of words that contain more hilarity and truth than I've seen in a month. He had me at "polychromatic pubes" and by the time I got to the phrase "only the faint sound of a unicorn braying hints that someone inside might be struggling to empty her colon", I was willing to bear his third child. You just don't get writing like this on CNN.com

http://www.dooce.com/2008/06/13/rite-passage

Winter Blues. . . .

I must apologize for my recent lack of, and lack-luster posting. I have no other excuse except that my life, as of late, is a direct reflection of these posts: boring and tedious. Please feel comfort in the fact that I am not ignoring this site (or you) and that if my life was at all eventful and I was, say, touring France by hot air balloon, changing the world by teaching pygmy children to knit or was involved in even a minimal battle with a chronic case of toe jam, you would know about it. But alas, I seem to be in some kind of parental parade down Groundhog’s Day Lane.


And Groundhog’s Day (the movie) it is. Each day my family presses our noses against rain-streaked windows looking for the slightest ray of sunshine, hoping that this will be the day we can don our new summer sandals. Sandals that have grown dusty in our entryway while waiting to tramp through bright green lawns steaming in the new spring sun. Sandals that are also waiting to Velcro themselves to my children’s very impolite feet which are climbing the walls with the bitter boredom of an extended winter.

In less rambunctious moments, Adam and Jamie, stand at the sliding glass window, Frisbee in hand in a perfect portrayal of the first page of Cat in the Hat. “Too wet to go out, And too cold to play ball. So we sat in the house. We did nothing at all.” I know, I know you’re asking the same question Adam asked me the first time we read this book, “Why don’t they just play with their toys?” Well there does come a time during winter, say around May 17th, that Play-doh and Hot wheels lose their designated appeal and become merely something to catapult at your sibling. I know how they feel. I have stacks of books I could be reading and movies from Blockbuster line our kitchen counter, but each time I see them I roll my eyes in disgust that they cannot somehow transform themselves into an actual, real-life adventure.

But even as I write this, the sun has begun to peek from the clouds and the forecast today does call for actual sun. It even teases a delightful Father’s Day weekend. Could it be possible that our annual visit to the local Tigard (Hot Air) Balloon Festival won’t have to include rain boots and heavy coats? Who knows, maybe that balloon ride over France might even work out.

A Rose By Any Other Name. . . .

I picked these from our backyard which is now bursting with new rose buds on a daily basis. Just in time for Portland's annual Rose Festival.

Things I Love. . .

Onions? Yep, onions. This bag of frozen chopped onion and a bottle of olive oil is the start to almost any good meal. And because it’s already chopped it means no more crying and no more onion odor lingering on cutting boards and fingers. And its frozen, which means the right amount of onion is always ready and waiting in my freezer with no leftovers stinking up the place.

A bag of these babies is not always easy to find. In fact I have yet to see them under any of the usual frozen veggie name brands but Albertson’s does carry them under their store brand. And they’re worth the search because in my kitchen they rank right up there with my kitchen shears and bottled garlic as a sanity saver. Bon Appétit!