Friday, December 19, 2008

best hot chocolate ever

2 tbsp ghiradelli double chocolate powder
1/2 tbsp dagoba xocolatl hot chocolate mix
1 shot of kahlua (or more to taste)
12 oz milk
big ass mug

pour kahlua into bottom of mug. heat milk, mix in chocolate powder, stir. when warm enough, pour in glass. drink. melt. yum.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

not cool virus, not cool

i've had a cold since thursday of last week. it seems to, just today, have morphed into something nastier than i thought it was. i feel worse today, than i did the day before, if that's possible. could i have caught two strains of the cold virus at once?
with as many children as i'm exposed to, i wouldn't be surprised. children are nasty little germ carrying pods, with constantly runny noses and stinky bums (and i include my own in that group). there also seems to be a bit more stress this time of year than usual (what with christmas crowds, the dying economy, and random scam artists stealing millions upon millions of everyone's money...no, not the american auto industry, that other guy)...so, i'm sure we're all less 'immune' than we would normally be to all the ick that's out there.

add to my failing immune system, the fact that there's a lovely 'wintry' mix outside right now. to all of you not fortunatate enough to live in the northeast, a 'wintry' mix is not a cool mix cd made for you by an old boyfriend. it's an irritating mix of ice, snow, and rain combined with bitter cold and bad attitude. also add in my toddler who is in the wicked evil mood today, which i just realized last night, is due to some serious teething (always with the teething, man will i be happy when this kid gets all his goddamn teeth in). it's mostly the television that keeps him calm...it's the strangest thing. this morning alone, we've read books, eaten breakfast, and finger/water/brush painted some christmas cards. that all took about a half hour, and it was full of whining and tantrums and crankiness (and harlan wasn't too happy either..ba da bumbum). so, now he's plopped down in front of the television like i cute little zombie (don't worry, i'm not the worst mother, i only let him watch pbs).
i figure we'll go back and forth between television, tantrums, crafts and eating today. if i can last until nap time, we'll be stellar.

breathe in, breathe out.
in other news, here's my new favorite band:
fleet foxes

White Winter Hymnal from Grandchildren on Vimeo.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

maroon 5 gets hipster recognition

finally!!!
i have few vices in music. i consider myself fairly well versed in the world of popular music, and even since harlan has been born, i try desperately to keep on the up and up with 'what's goin' on'.
i wouldn't call myself a hipster, by no definition of the world, but i like good music, and i usually don't listen to radio play crap. i will give credit where credit is due, but you will never see me buy a beyonce album, britney, or the like. (although, there was one month a few years ago when ALL i would listen to was that gwen stefani album with holla back girl, i love her). that being said, i have always had a secret love of maroon 5. i love adam levine's whiny r&b voice, i love the pop hooks, i love the uber over the top fashionista videos...i could go on and on.
they were always one of those bands that i would never dare buy an album by, for fear i would realize that they were kind of mediocre. i would never talk about their music around my peers, for fear i would come across as a bore, or worse, someone with boring musical tastes. i would, however, always turn the radio up really loud whenever one of their songs came on as i flipped radio stations in my car...when i was alone.

and then, like a light from heaven, i open up my pitchfork, and i see this article about the new maroon 5 album:

"A new remix album, Call and Response, has re-workings of Maroon 5 tracks by Of Montreal, Cool Kids, Cut Copy, and Deerhoof, in addition to contributions from more prominent remixes like DJ Premier, Pharrell, and Mark Ronson. The record is out this week, and the whole thing is streaming now over at Maroon 5's MySpace."

oh. my. god.
the recognition i needed to openly listen to, and talk about, maroon 5 amongst my peers.
the of montreal track is awesome and the deerhoof track is great as well. and all of the other tracks just pick up on the fact that their songs are so damn catchy and his voice is super schmaltz.
LOVE IT.

must have it.

this track rocks it:
Little of Your Time (of Montreal) - Maroon 5

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Top 3 Vendors @ the Boston Bazaar Bizarre

here are my top three vendors at the boston bazaar bizarre, after a very quick run through all of the 148 vendors (phew!!), with my special, super duper early bird tickets that allowed me to look at everything leisurely without crowds of crazy hipsters elbowing me in my ribs. to pick a top three is super hard, the artisans were spot on and wonderful this year. kudos bazaar bizarre, you rocked!

#1...nervous system (jewelry)
from the site: "Nervous System creates experimental jewelry, combining nontraditional materials like silicone rubber and stainless steel with rapid prototyping methods. We find inspiration in complex patterns generated by computation and nature."
i am IN LOVE with this jewelry line. i want all of the pieces to have and wear. my verbal interaction with the guy that creates these pieces was funny though. he was trying so hard to put into laymen terms what the pieces actually represented so my (obviously) tiny brain would be able to understand. i almost wanted say to him, 'i love your jewelry, you don't have to humor me, i don't need to understand, it's ok'.
i'm sure he had this conversation many times before the day ended.

#2...bunny butt apothecary
i don't wear perfume. i just can't stand the way most perfumes smell, even expensive designer stuff. it all usually makes me nauseous. but, it is always wonderful to smell nice, and i never feel like i have enough yummy smelling lotions. this vendor had so many nice smelling things, i was in sensory overload. i ended up, very thriftily, only buying the masala chai hand cream. but, i could have dropped a ben on all of their tasty smelling goodies. think stocking stuffers people, i know you can't smell the stuff on line, but trust me, it's all good.

#3...tie between:
jenine handmade glass bobbles
all handmade glass jewelry. i'm usually not so into the glass stuff, although it is all beautiful to look at, some of it can come off hokey when worn. i think she does a good job at keeping it classy, but still fun. especially a fan of the pyrex chains she makes.

and
olaria studio
more wonderful jewelry. ceramic and interesting. uses found objects for the textures. go take a look.


ALL of the vendors were great, depending on what you were into. there was beautiful hand spun wool, lovely little knit things, the hippest handmade toys and dolls, countless hand printed or hand stamped art pieces, silk screen tshirts around every corner, so many wonderful things, so little money i had. goddamn you recession!!

of course, if you don't believe me, check out all of the amazing vendors here!!

if only i could be so motivated. back to my humble knitting.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

smiling through the rain, laughing at the pain...

(or, how i learned to stop worrying and love the classic rock)

last night, my weekly stitch and bitch. for those of you not in the fiber arts know, it's a night when a bunch of women (or men, we don't play gender favorites here...but my group is mostly mammas) get together and knit, or crochet, drink wine and talk about politics, our husbands, how horrible our kids are, and the what have you.
so, we're all mouthing off about this and that. thanksgiving sucks, cooking sucks, my husband never helps out around the house, my mother in law sucks, my toddler's a psycho, i wish i had a butt like yours, no i wish i had yours, and the like, etc. etc.
until near the end, one of the mammas starts telling a horrible, horrible story about how she's now up on assault and battery charges because her neighbor (who has been harassing her for over a year) claims she slammed a door in her face. it was a long story, with each detail being worse than the previous, ending with the fact that she now has to put up a ton of money to find a lawyer that would defend her in court the day after thanksgiving. the day after thanksgiving, that's right. everyone gasped, and groaned and while commiserating was secretly thankful we weren't in her shoes.
as we all stood up to leave, our hostess apologized for having to cancel as hostess for last weeks s&b...we all knew she had some sort of family thing to take care of, so we didn't really think much about it. then someone asked, almost out the door, "so, i hope everything is ok with your family?"
and then she says....
"well, not really. my mom and neice were in a car accident."
group: oh my god, what happened?
her: they were hit by a drunk driver.
group: gasp. is everyone ok?
her: well sort of, my mom is ok, but my neice is paralyzed.
group: more gasps. do they know if it's permanent?
her: no, there's swelling and they can't tell anything right now. it's really awful, because she's only 24 years old.
group: omg. gasps.
her: and she has two kids, ages 2 and 4.
group: OMG...gasps groan shaking heads hands over mouths.
her: AND her husband is going to iraq in a few weeks.
group: (in their heads, while hearts simultaneously break) WTF?! jesus barb, why didn't you mention this earlier??!!

and out the door we went, back to our little lives, knowing this could happen to any one of us on the way home.

and we all felt better about our passive aggressive mother in laws, and our insane thanksgiving menus, and our toddlers who we really adore, and our husbands who we also really adore, and our mounting bills that need to be paid, and the crappy economy and politics, and being able to sit and happily knit and drink wine with friends.

i think humans, by nature, need to complain and vent frustrations, no matter how small or large, and i honestly don't think we should feel guilty about it...even to the point of whining at times. but when all is said and done, it is good to sit back and realize that just as things can always be better, they can also always be much worse.

Monday, November 24, 2008

food is food is food

thanksgiving dinner menu (or, a lesson in futility)

app: baked feta hummus and pita
main: maple brined roast turkey
sides: fried green beans, maple glazed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes w/ goat cheese and chives
dessert: whatever is brought

it's all about the food really. even though we live less than an hour from the site of the first thanksgiving, it's still about the food.
but, for posterity, and in the spirit of all things hokey, here is a list of some things i'm thankful for this year. annotated, and in no order.
* i am thankful that my son can now communicate on a level that involves more than a few grunts and some screams (although he still employs those techniques on occasion).
* i am thankful that my husband puts up with my lazy and sometimes irresponsible view of motherhood.
* i am thankful that the election is over and the outcome was personally favorable. yes, it's naive and short sighted for me to have such a sense of calm and i don't necessarily blame only bush for the last 8 years, america as a whole made their bed to lay in, but calm is what i feel, just the same. america, it's time to get our shit together!
* i am thankful to live in the united states, regardless. (although, trying my hand as an ex patriot in sweden or paris for a few years might not suck so much)
* i am thankful for my home. even though i do not own property and have no savings, i am thankful to have a roof over my head and not a bad mortgage.
* i am thankful to be able to stay home with my son all day, every day. i have a deep respect for working moms, but i cherish my days full of cuddling and diaper changing. even though, in our current economy, i'm sure those days are numbered.
* i am thankful for another year of relative sanity and decent health.
* of course, there are all of the things most of us are thankful for, that i never, ever take for granted and wake up every day knowing how great things are in my life, even when i feel like they're not so great: my family, my family's good health, my amazing husband, breathing in and breathing out, blue skies, gray skies, warm bed, baby cuddles and kisses, etc, etc, etc...and lastly, but not leastly, plentiful amounts of amazing food. whatever, whenever i want it.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

like a southbound train

to all my family and friends in tennessee, i miss you already.
and to little bro nigel, hang in there, we love you.
Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

president barack hussein obama

fuck yeah america!! fuck yeah.

Monday, November 03, 2008

subliminal

vote obama vote obama vote obama vote obama vote obama vote obama vote obama
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Monday, October 27, 2008

second, third carvings

carvings no.2 and no.3


don't worry, i'll be voting.

random smattering

my thoughts don't connect lately. come to think of it, they haven't connected properly since harlan was born. i know i'm not the only mom who has (or has ever had) this problem...but damn, it's annoying.

*halloween. harlan is afraid of his halloween costume. it was bound to happen, that i would birth a child who just didn't really 'care' for halloween.

to my chagrin, he picked out a goofy little dragon costume at kmart (that's what you get for taking him to kmart, loser). he loved it, he roared with it, he cuddled on his little thomas couch with it. then, when it came time to put it on him, he lost his tiny little toddler mind. it didn't help that the more he screamed, the more i laughed. i couldn't fathom someone being afraid of a goofy green dragon with a metalic green lamme tail. this is my thought; he loved this dragon, he put it in his stuffie house (tent) with all of his other stuffed animals, there it lived, happily among the stuffies, until one awful and tragic day, mama and papa came to take dragon away, disembowel the dragon and make harlan wear his skin. i can see how that would be disconcerting, if not traumatic. we may be a sheet ghost this year.
last night we carved pumpkins with friends. hubby and i were so excited to let harlan get all goopy with the pumpkin guts...kids love goop, right? no, harlan took one look at what we were doing, went "ew", and walked out of the room. he was not impressed with our carving prowess. we had cut up his pumpkin, and that was not cool. harlan's next offense will be hating candy. if that happens, i'm done. i'm buying him some khaki pants and a mccain/palin cap and calling it a day.


*boobs and playdates. this morning was a playdate at a lovely new yoga studio in somerville called 'moving celebrations'. the kids just ran amok, and laughed and danced, while harlan decided that things were too loud and chaotic, said 'let's go', and headed for the door. he then wanted to nurse, which is highly out of the ordinary, but i figured he was overwhelmed (and later learned he was getting a cold), so nurse him i did.
don't get me wrong, i've never been ashamed to nurse in public, even at harlan's ripe old age of 19 mos, especially in front of other moms...but i'm always surprised by some of the mom's reactions to it. it's not as if they're offended, but they act more awkward than anything. it's so ingrained in us, the repression of our bodies.
here's a tip for some moms; you can speak to me when i nurse my child, you don't have to look away, i know you're not checking out my boobs (and if you are, that's fine too, they're pretty nice). if you aren't nursing your child, that's ok, i'm not judging you, i promise. i assume that you made the best decision for you and your child, and that's fine. i breastfed my child, and will probably continue until he's well passed the age of two, it works for us, it's ok if you don't. i do wish more women were more knowledgeable about breastfeeding (and extended breastfeeding), but i'm not here to make you feel guilty about not breastfeeding your child (i'll leave that task to la leche league).


* hulahooping. a few years ago i bought a couple of miles worth of pvc tubing and made a friend a 'real' hulahoop (not one of those tiny little kiddie ones you buy at toysrus that NO ONE can use). i neglected, somehow, to make myself one. i'm putting it on my to do list (again).

* tennessee. in one week, we'll be driving the 22 hours down south to tennessee to see my family. i imagine road tripping with a 20 mos old will be just about as much fun as having a hot steel poker in your ear, but i'm full of optimism.

* on nov.4 i'm voting for obama and closing my eyes and hoping for the best. don't let me down america, you know what to do.

off to some planning. packing. to do list making and rummaging.

cheers.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

first carving


first carving of the season. (btw, pemberton farms has really great pumpkins but they're kind of a rip).

Saturday, October 25, 2008

size 2, you're not so great really.

more and more lately i've become obsessed with my weight. to help with my body image, i've been watching this lovely lady, a 'love your curves' kind of gal.
fuck being a size 2, i need more curves!!

Friday, October 17, 2008

taking it down a notch...

ok, it's almost halloween, i don't have a costume...but i STILL love this commercial!


AND frog.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

the world goes dancing...


i'm sick of politics, i'm sick of hearing about how tanked our economy is and wondering if my family will have enough money to make it through the winter (hubby being in sales and all)...my stomach is in knots, my head hurts and honestly, i really don't want to think about it any longer. other than clip coupons, etc, etc, there's not really all that much i can do about it. it will be, what it will be.

so, this weekend, the lil' family and i went dancing. out into the streets (or sidewalks, rather) of davis square, somerville, mass. the third annual HONK! festival was saturday and it was lovely and amazing as ever. those not familiar with honk!, imagine if you can, a suburban fellini film, blend in a little down home marching band, some lousiana style horns and sauce, squish it all together and stuff it into a four block area and you have HONK!. davis square's minuscule answer to burning man.
it's family friendly and loud, and everyone dances in the street with abandon, even the cambridge liberal elite (heavens!). best thing about HONK!, it's free! all that music, all that fun, all those dancin' freaky deaky hippie types, for FREE!

i will say, if you bring a baby, bring him some earplugs. harlan was a little stunned. his parents are irresponsible (gasp!). but, after he got used to the crazy, he loved it. stilt walkers, fire eaters, fire tossers, hoola hoop girls, giant horn sections, carnivale dancers, bass drums and toms, crazy costumes and a parade. what more? what more?

so, thanks. thanks to all the little people who organized the festival this weekend. thanks for taking my mind off the reality that is my life and everyone else's. we needed the respite, can't wait for next year.

this footage gives a little bit of the feel of the music at the festival. this band happens to be from somerville (emperor nortons stationary marching band), but the bands were from all over. i'll be posting video as soon as i figure out how to edit my what i shot.

Friday, October 03, 2008

cut the folk talk down to ten, please.

ok, ok. so sarah palin didn't do so bad last night. i almost felt like at the end of the debate she was going to stand out on the platform and go "in your face katie couric!". but, she still sucks. and this is why.
when bush was elected, your average voter said it was because "i felt like i could go out and have a beer with him". now, according to the polls, all of those same people are saying "maybe it's not so good to have a drinkin' buddy run the country"...um, yeah. so, now, miss palin has taken to calling herself 'joe six-pack'...speaking for the common man, filling the debate with all her 'gosh darnits' and 'you betchas' and 'fightin' and a' runnin' and even to the point of winking at the camera several times while speaking. she's a salesman, she's read the book, we get it sarah, now calm down.
i can say, without disrespect, that i come from common people. my family was lower middle class at best, and only one of my parents had even a high school education. my parents didn't have money to send me to college, not even with loans, and they worked their asses off and still do (with no end/retirement in sight).
my parents don't take too kindly to someone speaking to them like children, just because they work hard and don't eat on fine linens (but they do drink their bud light out of a frosty mug, they're not animals). and that's what miss palin sounded like to me, she was speaking to children. almost like a kindergarten teacher. it was off putting and condescending i felt. even though she's had several flub ups with the media, proving that she really isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, she had to at least have enough intellegence to get herself elected gov of alaska.
but, let's face it america, we don't need another bush. we don't need another nickname calling, dagnabbit spouting, rootin' tootin' common man. seriously. JUST LISTEN TO HER. she's speaking down to you america. she thinks your dumb. like her. just like the rest of the world thinks you are. she's "lowering" herself. you know what the similes for 'joe six pack' are when you do a google search?? this is from wickipedia describing definitions for 'john q. public':
"Roughly equivalent, but more pejorative, are the names Joe Six-pack, Joe Blow, and Joe Schmoe, implying a lower-class citizen (from the Yiddish schmo: simpleton, or possibly Hebrew sh'mo: (what's)-his-name)."

joe blow?? c'mon america! do you really want your vice president, possibly president referring to you as 'what's his name' simply because of your common man status???
really?

do what you want america, but i'm tired of the smirks and the winks and the cutsie little common man crap. it's not real, and it's demeaning.
we need a real president, not a character.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

joe six pack????!!

really, sarah, really?

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

quitter

yar. ok, making chain maille is fucking hard, and i'm not sure it's worth it, no matter what it does to hubby. i'm going to watch project runway now.

autumn this a way comes

it's been raining relentlessly for a few days now. our entire house smells like wet dog (thank you miss scout). last evening, i invited a few moms over to our place for a night of knitting and some good ol' fashion chatter. i burned lots of candles and still couldn't quite get the smell of wet dog and fart out of our living room (i think maybe we've changed harlan's diapers on the floor one too many times).
it was a nice evening. lots of mamas, chattering chattering and drinking wine. i felt like a lazy hostess, but whatever, my bathroom was clean, take it or leave it.
regardless of the rain, i'm happy it's finally fall. and i'm excited about the month of october. no particular reason. i love halloween, i love pumpkin soup, i love apple picking, i love bonfires, i love county fairs, i love end of the summer yardsales (even though i'll be missing my favorite favorite place to go in the fall this weekend, the town wide yardsale in warrensburn, new york. oh, so many antique tzotchkes and so little money). i love light weight sweaters, i love thick tights, i love scarves.
i count these things as very important to me, and bailout or no bailout, i'll still continue to be happy about all of them. (you see, it pays to be poor these days. lost my 401K?? what 401K??? HAR!)

last weekend, we took a trip to king richard's faire...a huge renn fest in carver, mass. cheesy, super cheesy...so much cheesy that i almost choked. but harlan had fun, and the jousting was cool, the honey mead was tasty and the giant turkey legs were awesome.
and in the midst of lots of men in tights and fluffy women with squished bosoms, i found a beacon in the night. a chain maille shop. despite what the outfits did to hubby (bowchickabowbow), they inspired me to try to take up jewelry making again.
so, today i bought some little jump rings and maybe tonight i'll try to attach them together in some way so they look creative. and maybe for christmas, i'll actually have something more interesting to make for my dear friends other than knitted scarves and dishrags. woo.

Obama Pictures and McCain Pictures
see Sarah Palin pictures

Monday, September 29, 2008

RAWWWWWWRRRRR!!!

HOW?! HOW ON EARTH??!!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JESUS, BUDDHA, MUHAMMED, WHOEVER...SOMEONE HELP US!!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Paul Newman 1925-2008















goodnight you beautiful blue eyed prince...

Monday, September 22, 2008

HA!


in describing jeremy piven's outfit for the 2008 emmy awards, one of the hosts of E's fashion police said it was "too jehovah's witness chic for me".
HAHAHAHAHAHA....

are those tracts in his pocket??
(only jw's would get this)

Thursday, September 04, 2008

instant husband/political celebrity/dad



dude, you REALLY should have worn a condom.
seriously.

Friday, August 29, 2008

represent

i love you merle and willie, but this is what the song is supposed to sound like. want to make sure everyone knows.

dig it

really lovin' on this song right now:
Dont Believe Nothing - Ike & Tina Turner

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

oldham is as oldham does

yeah yeah, i listen to way too much of this guy. but, i really really love this song, and this album, and i think everyone should know it, and love it, like i do.
So Everyone - Bonnie Prince Billy

just the best chorus ever (or at least, to me, at this very minute):

"Oh take it Oh take me
Oh Take it so easy
Oh make it Oh make me
Oh kneel down and please me
Oh Lady Oh Boy
Show how you want me
and do it so everyone sees me"

Monday, August 25, 2008

peaches so good they'd make you slap yo' mama


and your grandmama!
never been peach picking in new england? get your ass out there this weekend and GO! these are the sexiest peaches i've ever had the pleasure of biting into, and they could stand up to the sweetest goergia peach any day. (and that's saying something)
tonight, i make chilled peach soup in a valiant attempt to use all of our peaches before they're over ripe and mush.
CHILLED PEACH SOUP
2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. fresh mint
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups half and half (but i'm going to try yogurt)
10 fresh sweet ass peaches, sliced

heat all in a saucepan on medium heat until peaches are tender...puree with hand blender...chill in fridge.
good eatin'!
yum.

Monday, August 18, 2008

people

i used to have a job outside of our house. i've always hated my jobs, so when i got pregnant, i actually looked forward to becoming a housemum. i had ideals of long days doing crafts or lazying around the playground or musuems. and really, that's kind of what my life is like. but, it is also filled with lots of screaming, very little sleep, and a house that seems to always be in chaos. and i only have one child.

so begins a very roundabout way of telling the story of how i hit a woman with my car.
'bumped' her, actually. when i worked outside of our house, i waited for the bus at a bus stop not far from our house. it was basically in a parking lot and each day i would tell ernie, 'one day, someone is going to back over me with their car', because every day someone would almost back over me with their car. so, you can imagine how upset i was, when I was the person who almost backed over someone with their car. you see, i'm tired, i'm very tired most of the time. my attention span is very short and my patience is solely reserved for harlan. i was backing up, i was turned around, i noticed harlan in his carseat, i noticed the car stopped on the road beeping it's horn at me (apparently because there was a woman i was about to back over), and i failed to noticed THE WOMAN STANDING BEHIND MY CAR! so, i bumped her.

she was not amused. she was older (50+), she had crazy tattoos and a short butch haircut, and if it weren't for harlan, she would have kicked my ass. she came over to my window, and i apologized profusely. never have i apologized more profusely than i did right then. i was so sorry. i offered her a ride, that's how bad i felt. then, my saving grace, the bus came, on time. hallalujah god in heaven.

what have we learned from this little foible?
1. when you notice someone in a car near you, honking their horn and waving their hands around, put your foot on the brake.
2. do not wear your ipod while waiting for the bus, there are many sleep deprived moms out there, they may bump you with their car.

Friday, August 15, 2008

august

i love all things black keys.
best end of summer song. beach breeze and peaches.
Youre The One - The Black Keys

Thursday, August 14, 2008


















it's what's up in arlington

partying in nyc...too much applejuice

follow the yellow brick road, chicago botanic gardens

random pics


harlan ignores a frank lloyd wright chair (while playing in the pulpit at unity temple)





harlan and the vortex

Sunday, August 03, 2008

big'un


in massachusetts, they call'em 'god's blueberries'.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

and back again

arriving home to boston from a month in the suburban midwest was a shock to the system for sure. i mean, it's not like i went to another planet, but things there are, 'different'. for example, the people are noticeably nicer than the northeast, and noticeably 'not bitter'. while in chicago, i went into a cafe in wickerpark (which would be the chicago equivalent of davis square, only bigger). not only was the waitstaff not hateful and mean, but when i asked the counter help how far the communter rail was from there, she asked everyone else behind the counter AND offered to go into the back and look it up online just to be sure. wierd.
being a good southern girl, i grew up around 'over the top' niceness. but the niceness in the south is different than the midwest. in the south, people are super nice to your face, and then they usually talk about you when you walk away ("good lord, did you see that child's hair, bless her heart, it just looked god awful", that sort of thing).
but, in the midwest, i really felt like they were sincere. maybe it's all the fresh air. maybe it was because i went there in the summer, and people are so happy to have survived another winter that they thank god every day that they're alive.
who knows what causes this sort of odd, humane and decent behavior...but i wish we had more of it around here.

in a twist, i've decided to stop hating boston and surrounding area so much. i know that i can't change the bitterness and meanness of the people who live here, so i'm changing my own attitude. i realize that while boston may not be the kind of city that i love, or will ever truly 'love', there are a lot of great things going on here that i hope to be more involved in, and there's always the ocean (smells better than a lake), and the mountains are very near if i ever want to lose my mind and live as a hermit.

and this has nothing to do with anything, but this is my new favorite comic. (bit of dirtiness, if you're sensitive to that sort of thing)
fuck you dane cook!

Friday, July 04, 2008

everybody loves raymond


seriously considering getting started on a giant tattoo while here in the windy city. there are some great artist here and getting a tattoo in massachusetts kind of scares me since it's only been legal there for around 9 years. (oh where oh where did my youthful inhibitions go).
in my searching for tattoo ideas, i found this. it is my favorite tattoo of all times. i love the font, i love the placement, i love the sentiment. good job crazy lady.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

off topic: pixies fans

just watched the documentary 'loudQUIETloud' about the reuniting of the pixies a few years back. (a concert that i missed because i was broke and let the tickets sell out...therefore, i have never seen a band that so deeply influenced my teen years that i tear up every time i hear one of their songs...missed seeing them when i was in highschool for religious reasons..yeah, seriously.)
the movie made me sad, and happy for many different reasons. sad that they are over, and there will never be another band like them, sad that they really don't seem to be aware of how much they've influenced the state of EVERTHING we listen to today, sad that except for joey, they all seem a little depressed and little broken (but, aren't we all?)...happy that they existed and were a part of my life, happy that i knew who they were even though i lived in the middle of nowhere and could have been listening to only garth brooks and reba macintyre (for this i thank jeremy kerr for making me that amazing mix tape when i was a freshman, can't thank you enough), happy because one day i will get to play doolittle and surfer rosa for harlan and tell him if it weren't for a little known guitarist named joey santiago, we wouldn't have classic rock bands like 'nirvana'.
to the pixies, i salute you.

suburbia, illinois summer '08

cornfields and condo complexes as far as the eye can see. miles and miles of farmland out here in illinois and what do we americans do with it?? turn it into sustainable living communities to benefit the rest of the world?? no, we turn it into box chain stores and restaurants and fill it with miles and miles of perfectly manicured, exactly matching houses and condo 'communities' and give them names like 'rolling meadows', and 'torrey pines'. i didn't grow up in a suburb like this. granted, tennessee has it's fair share of mcmansions, box stores and condos, but where i grew up was much more, um, 'rural' (or 'bum fucked' to use a more descriptive metaphor).
this place just freaks me out a little. it's all so clean, so well packaged.
but, with all downsides, there are upsides (i think). and those are, that i'm five minutes from the super target, 20 minutes from ikea, and 2 minutes from a box chain called "meijer" (pronounced 'may-yer' as in john, ernie and i debated over how to pronounce the name when we got here. i said it was 'major' and he said it was a more exotic sounding 'may -har', we were both wrong...crazy cornfield town)...which is an EXACT replica of the super walmarts of my youth. it's bizarro walmart.
(me want low prices, rRRRR!!)

we are an hour outside of chicago proper, and with the traffic (good lord the traffic), at times it's a two hour trip. so, we've been downtown once, and harlan had a little bit of trouble with the city, it seemed to make him screechy, so we left early. the city looked beautiful and hopefully we'll have more times to explore.
for the forth of july weekend however, i think we're going to take in some true midwestern small town america. there are towns nearby that boast of old time trolley rides, antique soda fountains and small town fireworks displays on the river. ahh, i can almost smell the cotton candy and popcorn. maybe i'll wear some red gingham and put on my fanciest blue eyeshadow.

yum.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

chi town

team doeg is venturing into the wilds of greater chicago for the next month.
harlan and i will be flying out today and i really hope that my yoga practice will make it easier to change his diaper in those tiny little bathrooms. it's a funny time in your life when your biggest concern when preparing for a flight is 'when is baby going to poop?'.
here are some fun facts:
*According to state law in Illinois, it is illegal to speak English. The
officially recognized language is ``American.''
*In Guernee,IL it is illegal for women weighing more than 200 pounds to
ride horses in shorts. (that just seems like good logic)
*A state law in Illinois mandates that all bachelors should be
called master, not mister, when addressed by their female
counterparts. (this will be fun)
*In Chicago it is illegal to eat in a place that is on fire. (again, logic prevails)
*In Chicago, it is illegal to give a dog wiskey. (this will be one sober vacation for scout)
*In IL it is illegal to fish in your pajamas. (it should also be illegal for high school age girls to go the mall in their pajamas...just sayin', pajama bottoms with the word 'juicy' across your big butt, not a good look).

...off to the city of big shoulders.

cheers.

Friday, June 13, 2008

lists

a list of things i should probably stop saying before my child starts discernibly repeating everything i say (none that i'm particularly proud of):

1. 'that's just retarded'
2. 'you know how i know you're gay...'
3. 'pick a lane, douchebag'
4. 'that's what she said'
5. 'oh, for f*ck's sake, pick a lane!!'
6. 'cooch, cunt, 'gina, vaj, and all other naughty words for my holy bits' (as well as surrounding slang, i.e. cunt rag).
7. 'meter readers are boils on the ass of society' (as well as anything i may have said during an on street rant today when a meter reader hid around a corner, watched me get my child out of my car, strap him into his stroller, frantically search through my purse for quarters, then walk away from my car and go into the bodega to get quarters and proceeded to put a ticket on my car in the one minute that i was gone...no lie, i checked the time on my phone and the time on the ticket...just plain mean and bitter...saw said meter reader later walking down the street, almost yelled out "hey you fat fuck, sorry you're such a miserable piece of shit", then realized that she was, in fact, a fat, miserable looking human being, and was afraid if i yelled that at her, i may be personally responsible for her suicide attempt).
8. 'hey you fat fuck, sorry you're such a miserable piece of shit'
9. 'i don't mind maroon 5 so much'
10. 'harlan, did you just shit your diaper?'

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

heat

one week in new york city is enough to make boston look like the most boring city in the world. pics and a rundown of my trip to come soon (for posterity, you know).

the current heatwave in new england is making me feel very nostalgic.
one summer in tennessee, (where the heat/humidity is so oppressive at times, it can make the tops of your knees sweat), i think i listened to this song two billion times (at least). i still hold a special place for it in my heart.
Mayonaise - Smashing Pumpkins

Friday, May 30, 2008

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

ramble on


just some highlights from the past few weeks:
* mom's visit came and went. she caught a cold, then bronchitis, then her back went out. all around the same time that hubby's grandma passed away...all right around mother's day. good times. she and harlan did become best friends, and i'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that she let him drink soda at the au bon pain. (like any good granma would)
* in my lazy battle of the bulge and attempt to get my body 'bathing suit ready', i've gained three pounds. fabulous! it seems my strict regimen of tiramisu and coffee isn't working as well as i had intended.
* went to the somerville open studios, amazing, best open studios ever! fell in love (again) with the idea of turning our back bedroom into an art/craft studio...quickly lost motivation, ended up on the couch watching 'so you think you can dance' (god, i love that show!).
* bought harlan a water/sand pit for the back yard. realized that no amount of clothing can keep sand out of the crack of your ass.
* cultivating my green thumb. started with some succulents to build up confidence in my ability to keep things alive. bought some herbs (lemon verbena, chocolate mint, two kinds of lavender) to make me feel european. (hubby is afraid of the chocolate mint, he thinks it may be a mind trick)
* rigorously planning day to day itineraries for our week long trip to nyc. more excited than words can say. me and baby, alone in the city, for a week. if i can pull this one off, i will officially have 'supermom cred'.
* becoming overwhelmed planning for a month long venture to chicago. reading 'devil in the white city' (about a psycho murderer and the building of the 1893 world's fair chicago) to put me in the mood for our adventure.
* still working on baby proofing the house. should be finished by the time harlan reaches high school.

and that's my time. thank you and goodnight.

Monday, April 21, 2008

not easy being green

i do not have the right to get preachy about earth day. i mean, i have a kid...he's pretty much an environmental disaster all wrapped up in a cute little package. i can't even begin to count how many boxes of wet wipes we've gone through since he's been born...not too mention all of the plastic this and plastic that (toys, cups, etc, etc) that kids go through these days. and they make stuff for kids like they make cell phones...they 'self-obsolete' after about 6 months of use.
we try, hubby and i, to do the best we can. we use cloth diapers (even though we do use the occasional disposable). i try to use cloth grocery bags, (when i remember them). but, it's obvious to us, that there is so much more we could do. (so, so much more)
so, tomorrow, as if to punch it into gear, i'm going to black out our house. television, radio, and computer will all be unplugged for the day. lights will be off (i'm sure i'll forget a time here and there), and i'm going to walk and use public transportation to take our trip to the zoo for their earth day celebration.
these things are simple to do, but they are things we take for granted, because of the lifestyles which we're so accustomed.
now, i know that not everyone can 'blackout', but i'm sure there is something simple that everyone can try for just one day to help ease our carbon footprint.
it takes a bit of extra time for planning, and i realize just how precious time is these days, to everyone. but, maybe just for a day. one day. c'mon guys!

some ideas:
- consider purchasing cloth grocery bags instead of paper or plastic (keep them in your car, they're easier to remember to use)
- if you have a kid, consider buying used toys, etc, from craigslist or other sites.
- unplug electronics when they aren't being used, even when they're turned off they're still sucking up energy.
- whenever you can, walk, bike or use public transportation
- if you live in a rural area with no recycling program, consider starting one in your neighborhood (or hollar...:-)
- turn off that faucet when you shave and brush your teeth...or better yet, shave and brush in the shower.
- buy local organic produce from local farmer's markets (or, if you can, consider a CSA to support local agriculture)

these are all things that i'm looking at doing myself, i promise i'm not being preachy (see above)...it's a slow going process, but it's not impossible to make changes.

CHEERS and HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

rose blanche

spring is creeping in on us. it's hanging out, showing it's face with a few warm days here and there. still not warm enough to really get excited about, but harlan needs his vitamin D so we're out in the sun whenever it shines.
i'm fascinated at watching pure human nature show through in my son's behavior. if you place cheerios on a chair for him to easily reach, he will place them on the floor and sit down and eat them from the floor. (not throw them, but gingerly 'place' them on the floor, very intently). he shrieks and squeals at pigeons as if they're the most unique and amazing creatures he's ever seen. he laughs and says hello to pictures of other babies and children, but if a real one is around, he freezes and is suddenly shy. he gets so excited to be near you sometimes, he'll lean in and bite your face (other moms have verified that this is normal, and my child is not a vampire, btw).

i continue to try to watch harlan for cues on my own behavior. and i let him keep me in check when i forget to 'live in the now, and not in the future'.



today, i'm missing paris. it's easy to miss...but, i'm excited beyond words about a week long trip to nyc in june. can't wait to play mom in the big city. need some new clothes, these boston clothes are drab.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

bring the noise!

as if in response to my previous post (or maybe just in response to my horrible mood this week), harlan screamed last night at 1am for two and a half hours. we're talking, inconsolable, balls to the wall, full throat, kill your mother screaming. he was taking no prisoners, he was on a mission, he was fit to be tied.
thanks harlan, ya done good by me.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

blue

blue moods have taken over this week, but at least i know where they're coming from. sad news in my family. if any of you know my little brother nigel and what a talented and beautiful person he is, you understand. with some people, the world just eats them up and spits them out. it almost seems they never had a chance in the first place...not in this life.
live for the day, love your life, no matter how miserable you think you are...it could all be taken away from you in a second. and the next thing you know, you're staring down four walls in a 5x5 cell for the next 29 years. the judicial system doesn't work in the favor of the poor, or even middle class, it could happen to any one of us.
take comfort in your morning coffee (or tea), take comfort in your warm clean bed, take comfort in the sunshine on your face or the rain, take comfort in your freedom and never take it for granted.

this song is for my little brother, while you aren't gone forever, i will miss you just the same.

Monday, March 24, 2008

songs of the week...

to prove what freakish mood swings i've been having this week (partly due to a terrible cold i caught from my sprog and the fact that spring is right around the corner...), here are the songs i can't stop listening to:

drop the phone by shy child

this song (band) makes me want to be lil' single gal again. i saw this band on some random fashion show that happen to be on bravo while i was flipping channels one night, and it was a drummer and a guy playing keytar (yeah, you heard me, 'keytar') and a bunch of models walking around chairs like a cake walk. it was fun to watch, and i immediately had the song stuck in my head for days. i just want to put on striped tights with a mini skirt and dance like i've had too many fizzy pink drinks.
(also the lyrics crack me up, they're so completely ridiculous)

raining in darling by bonnie prince billy

i promise i do listen to things other than will oldham projects...but hubby put this album ('i see a darkness') on the other day during breakfast and i had completely forgotten how much i loved this song...now i can't get it out of my head (when i don't have that shy child song in my head, of course).

ttfn.

Monday, March 17, 2008

pillow fight!!!

ahh...a wholesome event for the family...BRING IT!!

Saturday, March 22nd, 2PM
Copley Square


It is with pride that we announce Boston has been invited to participate in the first International Pillow Fight Day!

They have been happening in cities throughout the past years, but for the first time, we are going to attempt to hold them all on one day.

Beijing, Budapest, Copenhagen, Alabama, London, Melbourne, NYC, Paris, Pécs, Shanghai, Stockholm, Sydney, Székesfehérvár, Szombathely, Vancouver, Washington D.C

This is just a short list of the over 21 cities taking part in this event. Turnout in some of these cities is expected to peak over 700!

Place: Copley Square. Exact location
Time: 2:00PM, at the sound of the airhorn (Show up at least 5 minutes early)

For those who don’t know about these pillow fights, they are quite fun and simple!
Pretty straight forward instructions:

Show up at 1:55pm, remain inconspicuous to the best of your abilities.
At 2pm, you’ll hear an air horn, rush in and pillow fight away.

The rules for this pillow fight are pretty straight forward:

1. Bring a pillow, a soft one is preferred
2. Don’t hit anyone without a pillow
3. If you are wearing glasses, make sure you take them off.
4. Don’t hit people with cameras
5. Go all out!

Costumes are of course encouraged. This event is child-appropriate!

Invite your friends, family and co-workers. Spread the word! Let’s put Boston on the International Pillow Fight Map!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

with a knick knack paddywack give a dog a bone...

many posts ago, i had made a list of songs that i wanted harlan to love, that weren't really children's songs. while this lists grows daily, i've also discovered some pretty good albums for him that actually are children's songs.
here are some of my faves (which, by the way, are great for adults to, if you're ever in the mood to run through rain puddles, make mud pies, or sit on your stoop and blow bubbles all day):

"little mo'mccoury" by the del mccoury band
you can't really go wrong with bluegrass, in my opinion. personal favorites from this one, are 'monkey and the engineer' and 'mama's blues'.

"little bird" by elizabeth mitchell
i was very skeptical of this lady until i heard the cd and saw what a calming affect it had on harlan. she has a sweet little voice that just soothes his little soul. i also like the fact that she did a version of a velvet underground song...i can only hope some fine day on the playground, harlan can be heard singing 'what goes on' at top volume while swinging his day away.
sidenote, she also has an indie band named 'ida'.

"lullabye renditions of the cure" by rockabye baby records
harlan LOVES this cd. we used to use it to put him to sleep, and the other day, when it was on at his playgroup, i noticed him yawning, and drowsing about. also good for adult insomnia.

"nighttime" by dan zanes
this was a recent purchase, after hubby and i looked him up and heard the song "smile smile smile" and realized that harlan perked right up when he heard it. it's a bit of a goofy folky cd, but i have a feeling when harlan gets a little older (to that sing along age), it will be one of his favorites. and it really is damn catchy.

that's all for now...i'm sure there are tons more, and if anyone has any suggestions i'm all ears. (NO wiggles, NO kidzbop, NO barney, and NO doodlebops)

Monday, February 25, 2008

top five; fantasy playgroup

top five parents in my fantasy playgroup
1. jon stewart and wife...the quick witted playgroup commentary would be outstanding, and i love it when jon stewart giggles uncontrollably.
2. david duchovny and tea leoni...they seem like they would show up at playgroup with all the fixin's for whisky sours.
3. conan o'brian and wife...i just want to know if conan walks around playgroup going "rawr, i'm the biggest adult on the planet, bow to me tiny babies!!"
4. heidi klum (but not husband)...not only hot, but also hilarious and german.
5. gwen stefani (but not husband)...her kids are probably super fashionable, and hella cool, just hanging out with them would make harlan cooler.

runners up:
jack black and wife (ernie and i are undecided as to whether he would be a really cool dad to hang with, or that dad in the playgroup that you just want to punch)
kate winslet and husband (they seem just lovely)
jennifer connely and paul bettany (cause they're so pretty)

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

is there no end??!!

apparently, they have also been making out with each other.
i'll just leave you with that.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

oh scarlett johansson, could you GET any hotter??!!

from pitchfork news:
Scarlett Johansson Album
"Frankly, Scarlett, we do give a damn. Anywhere I Lay My Head, the previously reported debut album from screen thespian Scarlett Johansson, arrives May 20 on Atco/Rhino.

It's an album comprised almost entirely of Tom Waits covers, with one ScarJo original, "Song for Jo", as its centerpiece. And now we know just which Waits numbers get the Johansson touch: "I Don't Want to Grow Up", "Town With No Cheer", and "No One Knows I'm Gone" are among the tunes by the gravel-voiced one that make up the rather odd Anywhere tracklist, reported on Billboard.com yesterday evening.

We already knew Dave Sitek produced and members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Celebration, and Stars Like Fleas play on it, but here's the kicker: a pair of tracks ("Falling Down" and "Fannin' Street") feature guest vocals from none other than David Bowie! That's right: the other girl from Ghost World has recorded Tom Waits covers with David Bowie. Minds = blown.

As far as the covers themselves, "I Don't Want to Grow Up" will probably turn some heads. The Billboard.com report describes the track as having "drum machine beats straight out of a New Order song." Oh boy.

Waits gave the project his blessing, however. "I sent him some of the early, early recordings," Johansson told journalists at a press conference yesterday, "and he said, 'Go ahead.'

"I've heard he's very pleased."

While Johansson has no immediate plans to tour the Anywhere material, she is considering the possibility of "getting everybody together" for a festival appearance.

Anywhere I Lay My Head:

01 Fawn
02 Town With No Cheer
03 Falling Down
04 Anywhere I Lay My Head
05 Fannin' Street
06 Song for Jo
07 Green Grass
08 I Wish I Was in New Orleans
09 I Don't Want to Grow Up
10 No One Knows I'm Gone
11 Who Are You?

__________________________________

ok, ok...so it's not enough that she's smokin' hot, but she also is a tom waits fan, enough to make a cover album...AND she got david bowie (oh my jesus!) to do backing vocals on said album.
i just want to put her in my pocket and take her home.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Friday, February 08, 2008

"i hate almost all rich people, but i think i'd be darling at it"

if anyone has any ideas on how to make a good amount of money pretty quickly, please let me know (and the rest of us).
also, if anyone has any ideas on how exactly to get dried teething biscuit out of the keys of your keyboard, please let me know.

carry on.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

if you like sigur ros...

you'll love these guys (or ladies, as they were)...
oddly enough, their album cover, and the drone-ish 'into the ether' feel of their music, has inspired me to do more knitting.
there will be scarves a plenty, just in time for spring.

Monday, February 04, 2008

anger

some say anger can eat you from the inside out. it's true. i'm very angry today at someone i thought was a close friend. about things that are out of my control. people and their actions that i can't control, and i can't seem to get through to them how their overly sensitive, passive aggressive behavior is killing me. i've been seething all day. my chest hurts, my head hurts, my jaw hurts from being unconsciously clinched, my stomach is cramped into knots, my back is achy, i'm just an all around mess...i'm being eaten from the inside out.
it's time to take a drive, it's time to meditate. it's time for me to take stock of the beautiful things in my life, and the few, rare beautiful people around me.
change is on the way, i know it is.

_______________________________________________________________

on a completely unrelated topic; i'm really glad the patriots didn't win the super bowl. i could have cared less about that idiot game. but to live in massachusetts and have to listen to all of the cocky nonsense that spouts from people's mouths around this area about that stupid football team made me root root root for the giants, and actually watch the last five minutes (or 'the best five minutes') of the game (whereas previously, hubby and i had been watching the 'puppy bowl' on animal planet, soon to be a yearly family tradition).
and what the hell was with that fool belichick rushing out onto the field when they ran down the last two seconds of the clock without his permission???! as if the hand of god was going to come down and sweep the ball over for a touchdown in those last two seconds. what a cheating jack ass loser!

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

the business of being born

just wanted to let everyone know about this little film. i think this is a very important subject, one that rouses lots of controversy today, even among women. the idea in our capitalist american society that childbirth, one of the most natural and basic human rites should be turned into a business for making money, really turns my stomach. if you've had a baby, or are planning to have a baby, you'll be all too familiar with some of the scenes in this film...if you're neither, go see it anyway, your eyes are sure to be opened.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

happy new year! (i think)


at 11:30pm last night i was sitting in a rocking chair, trying desperately to calm my screaming baby to go to sleep (after sitting with him screaming and writhing in my arms for almost an hour). i'm not sure what he's going through, (growing pains, teething pains, etc, etc, you never know), but sleep is at a bare minimum in this house and new years eve just didn't seem that important. i had big plans for new years day, i was going to get up early, take a crispy cold walk around the block, do 8 sun salutations, and a bit of meditation on a fresh start...but harlan had other plans. at 11:55pm, my last look at the clock, we both finally drifted off to sleep in bed...the welcome of the new year came and went with a whisper, i didn't even hear the fireworks in boston bay.

i am excited for the new year because of these things:
1. harlan may learn to walk (party party!)
2. we're getting a bigger bed (yay, a real family bed!)
3. visits to europe are in the works
4. god willing, my pre baby body will come back to me

i am nervous and anxious for the new year because of these things:
1. my little brother's trial will begin and end (insurmountable fear and dread, too much even to think about)
2. harlan may learn to walk
3. travel means flying, i hate flying
4. this year may come and go without some necessary changes being made (stagnation, my ultimate fear)

i resolve to be a more organized mum, i resolve to be more patient and forgiving and to finally get my act together and learn another language (for harlan's sake)...would love to continue with french, but i think spanish might be more helpful.

sending out big love to all of my family of friends, and family of family...i hope that your new year is better than the last, or at least different from before.

(oh, and the pic of the baby seal is here because, well, it's adorable...happy new year baby seal!)