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!

Only In Portland. . . .

There's more than one reason Oregon is green. Sure, one is the amount of rainfall that we get here, but the other is the amount of Hybrids on our roads. Especially in Portland. Eleven out of every 1,000 households in Portland own a hybrid car - the highest in the country as of 12/06*. In fact, according to an article in Willamette Week from 2002, Portland drivers owned 500 of the first 20,000 Honda and Toyota hybrids sold in the US. And that was back when being "green" wasn't even cool. But Portland isn't the only city making Oregon green. Bend and Eugene also ranked in the top 15 cities buying the most hybrids.

So I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise to see this parking sign this past weekend, except that hybrids are so common around here, we forget that they're actually something special.

Click HERE to get more info on getting a hybrid of your own!



*According to a report on Hybridcars.com

Mid-Life Crisis

Watching these guys on stage is like watching your dad - and sadly, now our husbands - relive their high school glory days. You just know its going to end up with Advil and Aspercreme. It's over guys. It was great, but its over. Accept it and move on.





And if you're interested, here's their new song, Summertime. Just as sad, you just don't know all the words. The peek-a-boo belly shot that Donnie gives us halfway through is especially naughty!

Never Forgotten

"The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” - Douglas McArthur.

Thank you to all who have served our nation.

Lost In Translaton. . . .

I'm not usually a pirate. I don't steal music or make illegal copies of movies, but we did order a set of 25 Disney movies from Ebay that have been quite obviously copied illegally by one Asian country or another. And its not because we don't want to pay the $22.99 for each movie, its because we can't pay the $22.99 for each movie. They're only available about every 15 years. And since I'm not sure Adam and Jamie will be that interested in Fox and the Hound when they're age twenty, Disney can just bite me on this one.

But along with this special "international" version of Disney movies comes a few surprises. Like, the subtitles. Suprisingly they aren't in Chinese. What they are is a hillarious attempt at English slang which ends up being more entertaining than the movie - at least for the adults. Sometimes the mistakes are understandable. Sometimes they simply make up their own dialogue to go along with what they think is happening in the movie. Other times. . . . well, check out the stills below captured from the timeless and endearing tale of Disney's Lady and the Tramp.

I Got UR Back, Dad. . .

Me: There’s a spot right there.

Damonn: (Silence)

Me: Or. . . there’s another one.

Damonn: (Silence)

Me: Seriously? Why are you still driving? Why do you always have to drive ten minutes, passing three spots before you finally find a spot to land? You seriously need to work on this issue.

Adam: (mumbling from the back seat)

Me/Damonn: What??

Adam: (mumbling louder) What difference does it make?

Damonn: What difference does what make?

Adam: (rolling eyes with the attitude ten years his senior) Which spot he parks in.

Damonn: You sooo just got worked.

Me: (Silence)

The Rising . . . .

To clarify things a bit about the last post and Barack Obama visiting Roseburg, that picture came from News Review website, not my camera. I wasn’t actually there.

But I was here. . . . . . . !!!!!

My sister, my 5-month old niece and I made it inside in the last few minutes before Sen. Obama began to speak. We could only see his head because of some damn blue canopy up front and we were denied the precious shade of a tree by a mere three feet, but I would do it again today if I could – only I’d go earlier. 72,000 people made it his largest rally by almost double and if he goes on to be the next President of the United States, as I hope he does, we can say we were there as his supporters in a history-making rally.

Besides the sheer number of people coming out in support of Obama – the Oregonian reported that one in 50 people in Oregon were at Tom McCall Waterfront Park – what I noticed most was that even within such a large crowd and with the temp reaching the high 80’s, everyone was still, well, nice. I recall one man, not an Obama volunteer, just a guy in the crowd, filling up cups of water from the provided faucets and handing them out to people in the crowd. He wasn’t looking for a handout, wasn’t selling anything, he just thought you might like a cup of cold water on a hot day. In another incident, Kim and I were struggling to get her Cadillac of a stroller through the crowd and down some stairs, and a young guy ran up, grabbed the front of the stroller and helped us get where we were going. And with just a single request from an Obama volunteer on a bullhorn, people from the crowd started helping them load up fencing and barricades after the rally. I can’t say for sure what this means. Maybe people were just happy we weren’t standing in the rain for once. What I hope it means is that they feel the way I do. That we’re tired of politicians fighting with each other over technicalities of special interests, tired of them promoting our differences rather than commonalties, tired of campaigns and policy based on fear and fiction. And that we’re ready. Ready to accept the obligation of serving our communities in exchange for a college tuition credit so everyone can afford an education. That those of us in an upper income bracket are ready to pay a bit more in taxes as long as they’re going towards putting not only books, but art and music and science back into the classrooms rather than to fund an endless war. Ready to make the changes in our homes and our habits to promote greener living and alternative energy. That we’re ready to be a part of bringing our country up rather than sitting idly on our hands while we watch it fall apart. And that maybe, the first step is something as simple as answering the call, both literally and figuratively, to break down the barricades.

This Just In. . . .

Here it is. . . . photographic proof. A democratic candidate campaigning in Roseburg* during a primary presidential election. . . . and people even showed up -1600 of them! Man, the devil is wearing ice skates today. Of course, I'm not sure if all these people showed up to see a presidential hopeful or just to witness a real, live black man.

Click HERE for the story. And HERE to watch the speech!

* For those of you not in the know, Roseburg, OR is my very conservative, very republican hometown.

Things I Love . . .

Although time just doesn't allow me to listen as much as I'd like, Rick Emerson and the crew at AM970 in Portland really are fantastic. They aren't the typical "drive time" radio personalities with funny voices and try-too-hard skits or the in-your-face political fanactics, in fact they pretty much destest those. What they are is hard to explain, but if you are between 25 and 45, have at least a vague knowledge of the pop culture of your youth and today (and enjoy making fun of it), wouldn't be offended by a segment titled "Penis Watch" and don't care about the difference between a primary and a caucus well, then Rick Emerson may be right up your alley.

Listen live Monday thru Friday 11:00am - 3:00pm on AM970

OR

Get a recap of the previous days show at 10:00am weekdays

OR

Download the podcasts of previous shows by clicking HERE.