My mind is in wanderlust mode. Partially from reading The Historian, which makes me want to roam around Budapest and Sofia, Bulgaria. But other tidbits entice me. Like this bit about the world’s first skyscrapers, built 500+ years ago, in Shibam, Yemen. Now I desperately want to go there, to see them for myself. And my friend April is in Dubai right now. Not so historic, but definitely grandiose and bizarre. When she’s not in Dubai, she’s in Beijing - where she’s lived for the last four years. But this year might be her last. I have to figure out whether or not I can pull of a trip to visit her before before she moves back to the states. But I haven’t even left the city this summer. For now I’ll have to content myself with heading up to Duluth in October. Sigh.

Bonus: It’s that time again - time for the Threadless $10 t-shirt sale! I didn’t buy any…for myself. But I did purchase several t-shirts for the little man, for his birthday.
Plus: I’m super excited about this weekend’s Simultaneous Festival at The Soap Factory. I’d also planned to take the little man to the Pick-Up Picasso program at the Walker tomorrow, but it looks like he’ll be on the boat with grandma instead. And heck, the summer is almost over. There will be more time for art when it’s cold out.
And: So very tempted by the Gama Go Labor Day “Event” but Ima gonna be a good girl, and not drop $150 on things I don’t need, even if the kawaii factor is super high.

Late last week two extra-curricular opportunities came my way. And I wouldn’t have gotten in on one without the other. So I just want to give yet another big shout out to flickr friends! The first, the delightful Dels, mentioned that a co-worker of his enjoyed my photos so much he’d like me to photograph his twin boys. Not knowing what to charge for such a sitting, I turned to M Gill for advice. She had some extremely useful thoughts on the subject, and also extended an invitation to me…to help her shoot a wedding in November. She had me at hello, but then she went on to say “I’m a huge fan of your macro abilities, as well as your eye for details that not everyone notices” and I was sold! Seriously, it sounds like an awesome opportunity. I’m totally stoked, except for one little thing. It’s the same day as the Fifth Annual Lunch Show. But I’ll make it work. Somehow. Maybe it’s time for that cloning machine. Ooh, isn’t that a scary thought? Multiple Sharyns running around the city wreaking hyperactive havoc? Mouhahaha!

Bonus: Ok, I don’t smoke nor do I condone smoking so I can’t quite explain why a smoking bunny is so damned cute. But twice today I’ve seen this character. Once, via a flickr contact’s photos. Then a friend pointed out the hoodie version. In my favorite color and everything.
Plus: I guess there are parts of London where I am most certainly not allowed.
And: Despite two days in a row of Freddy photos, I swear this is not going to turn into cute overload. But I am totally smitten with that little boy.

The new cat is settling in nicely but the rest of the household is an uproar. Olive is a hissing, yowling mess and has spent most of her time hiding in the basement. And the little man and I are at odds. He wants us to keep the name the new cat came with, but I reeeeeally don’t want my kid running around shouting “FIRE!” all the time. Instead I’ve chosen a different name, also beginning with F. Debating whether to go with the Freddie Mercury spelling or Fab 5 Freddy style. I’m leaning towards the latter. Welcome to the fold Freddy, my cuddly little loverboy.

Bonus: This video made me super anxious. I kept waiting for the human skateboard to collide with an actual automobile, but the rollerman kept on rolling.
Plus: Some serious population density, at a Tokyo pool party.
And: The 400 Bar fell apart last night. Weird.

This week’s new music Tuesday was happy-making. I’m a longtime Dan Snaith fan and Andorra doesn’t disappoint. I’m excited to see Caribou when they play the Triple Rock in November. I missed them at the Fine Line a while back, with Super Furry Animals, even though a friend offered me a free ticket - still kicking myself.

Also picked up the new M.I.A. on Tuesday. It is understandably uneven, given that she was essentially homeless and traveling the globe for a year (due to visa problems) while recording on the fly wherever she was. But it is enjoyable. A friend who isn’t a fan called her a “jingle girl for car commercials” and I had no idea what he was talking about. Apparently Galang made its way into a Honda Civic Si ad. Huh.

That evening I was able to enjoy Dark Dark Dark, performing at the lovely 331 Club. Turns out they’ll be playing some sets around town at some places I regularly spend my time. Like Caffetto and Seward Cafe. Neat.

My new favorite song/video is something that came out over a year ago, but I totally missed it. Until now. Young Folks by Peter, Bjorn & John. And speaking of videos…Andrew Bird’s Imitosis is up now. I’m glad there’s a shot of him performing sans shoes, as he routinely does. That always makes me smile.

Bonus: Totally excited to see The Octopus Project with Stereo Total. In the Entry, on September 1st. Haven’t gotten Paris < -> Berlin yet, though. Also, The Clientele are playing with PB&J, in the mainroom, on September 24th. Too bad it’s a Monday night. Bleah.
Plus: This is dorky, but I’m excited about Whitehouse Custom Colour’s upcoming open house.
And: I get to go out tomorrow night. To see STNNNG at the Hexagon, but beforehand I’m definitely going to catch a movie. The only question now…something in the Sound Unseen festival, a freebie at Block E (where the projectors frequently break down) or something a la Landmark?

My mind is a messy messy place today. Instead of forming something coherent, I’m giving you a random list.

• I’ve never read A Wrinkle in Time, though I’ve always meant to.
• The Resource Center of the Americas has closed. I find it sad…even if I hadn’t been there in years.
• Unicyclist lounging on a burning couch? Huh.
• I’d gotten way behind on reading Exploding Dog. Looks like Sam Brown is still cranking out the gems, even after all this time.
• A review that sums up my feelings regarding Stardust, about why such a great story failed to translate into a great movie.
• Kid Ethnic welcomes you to the hand-drawn world of crazy.
• Popgadget and the scientific explanation for pinkwashing. Verrry interesting.
• Is it wrong…that the horror of blimps was the highlight of my day?

Eight years of muscle memory, combined with my inherent clumsiness, are conspiring against me. Last week I had our front steps torn out and replaced. They are now up to code, which means they are up two inches higher. After living here so long my body automatically distributes its weight to meet the steps that were. Not the steps that are. It’s amazing I haven’t done a faceplant yet. And just the week before that I had our sad old refrigerator replaced. It was a side by side model. My hands still reach for the ghost handles in the center, rather than the actual single handle on the far left. I’m starting to feel like the befuddled shopkeeper, Mr. Collignon, who was tormented by Amélie’s pranks. Hopefully I’ll adjust before too long.

Bonus: Been uploading a slew of photos to flickr, as usual. A set from our first Saint Paul Saints game (the little man loved it), a set of outtakes from a little project I shot for work, photos of some Clockworkers gearing up for a lunchtime bike ride, and a few photos from Lani’s birthday party. Also? I put together a collection of My Peeps. It’s a work in progress.
Plus: Things that have made me happy today? This wonderfully cool weather, promo shots from the Batman Dark Knight movie, and the little man dressing up in his Halloween costume.
And: Tonight I’m skipping the Square Lake Solstice Festival and Jay Ryan’s poster show opening party at First Amendment Arts. But being in my pajamas in bed just feels so good right now. Going to curl up with a book soon.

We haven’t gotten around to getting divorced just yet, so today is our fourth wedding anniversary. The last two we were in different places. He was on a business trip in Finland last year. The year before I’d taken the little man on vacation to the Bay Area. But that’s how our relationship has always been. Two people in different places. Or occupying the same space, but not entirely together.

The little man and I have come to a compromise. He wanted a Peter Pan themed birthday party next month. I was unenthused. I suggested we save the Neverland-inspired frippery for Halloween…and have a Super Mario Brothers style birthday this year instead. Since then I’ve been scouring the internets for party favors and whatnot and have come across some oddball items. Like this. And a Goomba ash tray? Just what every kid needs! I’d thought it would be easier to find Nintendo party supplies than Peter Pan themed ones. I just may have been mistaken.

Bonus: There are quite a few fantastic DIY Mario cakes out there, but I don’t think we’ll be making anything so elaborate.
Plus: I’m short on new reading material but am finally catching up on some movies in my queue. Loved Cashback last night. The way so many of the shots were set up, I wasn’t at all surprised that director Sean Ellis is better known as a photographer.
And: Welcome back to civilization Amanda!

The little man had his swimming lesson today. Afterwards we played in the leisure pool for a bit, then retired to a private family locker room. The lad stripped down, toweled himself off and then, rather than getting dressed, he took a few moments to enjoy a naked chicken dance. I couldn’t think of anything to say about this development. All I could do was laugh. But earlier, when we were still in the pool, I’d had another moment of speechlessness. He suggested that I slide down the teeny-tiny kids’ slide but I told him I was too big. His response?

And flat.
I mean fat.
I mean thick.

Gee, thanks kid, for the ego boost. Sigh.

Bonus: Last night Zophia and I saw Stardust. It was entertaining but my OCD had me bristling whenever the story deviated from the book. And that was all too often.
Plus: Tonight I’m taking the little man to his first ever baseball game. Sometimes I wonder about my sanity. At least we’ll be among friends. And hopefully they’ll still be friends after the game.
And: Tomorrow I’d like to make it down to The Soap Factory, for the Plaster the Town ‘07 closing party. But we’ve got a family dinner thing in the afternoon. I just might be able to do both.

Around 2 or 3 in the morning I stood up on my bed, shouting, and hurled a pillow across the room…for reasons I can’t fully explain (thankfully I didn’t wake the little man). I had watched Hot Fuzz before going to sleep, extras and all, but I doubt that to be the source of my troubles. The root cause is more mundane. The usual suspects, parenting and work and house stuff and finances and interpersonal relationship junk all rolled up into one happy-fun ball of stress. In fact, I’ll be writing a check for $2450 to the dudes who ripped out and replaced my front steps and sidewalk today. Such excitement.

Bonus: Tomorrow? Escapism through Stardust. This film adaptation is being described as “Princess Bride meets Midnight Run.”
Plus: The season one Heroes DVD box set, with the never-aired 73 minute pilot, goes on sale August 28th. Yeah, I want it.
And: Mirror-Image Humans Walk Among Us With No Warning