Wednesday, August 27, 2008
At least I know my home security system works. Or the monitoring service does, rather. Sort of. Yesterday the living room motion detector went off while I was at work. Police were dispatched and found nothing. But I wasn’t notified immediately. Instead the ex-husband and my parents received phone calls. Buh? I’ve made sure my cell phone number is at the top of the list now. When I did go home to check things out nothing was amiss. Very curious.
Now for five good things:
Bonus: The sitter is coming tonight so that I can attend the Eight is Enough/Obama benefit at the Turf Club. Also planning to join the Liberty Parade on Sunday and the Take Back Labor Day event on Monday.
Plus: In RNC-related news, sounds like St. Paul cops and Minneapolis cops alike are cracking down on photographers, in the name of Homeland Security. Disheartening but not surprising.
And: Mizna presents DAM - Palestinian hip hop - at the Cedar Cultural Center on October 18th. Would love to go, but I’m already headed to the David Sedaris appearance the next night. We’ll see.
Yesterday the little man and I took a spontaneous trip to the MN State Fair. Conditions were perfect and we had a wonderful time, but were completely wiped out afterwards. The lad asked “is today Saturday or Sunday?” When I replied that it was still Saturday he sighed and said “I want to do nothing tomorrow.” Wise kid. And that is exactly what we did. Or didn’t do. Especially since we’re both in seasonal allergy hell - and out of antihistamines. But we did console ourselves with episodes of the Jackie Chan Adventures, available via hulu.
Bonus: The Umbrella Academy comics have been quite popular. So much so that they may be getting their own line of toys. But I’m even more excited by the Apocalypse Suite limited edition hardcover.
Plus: Yesterday I picked up my prescription from the eye doctor and plan to order some new glasses online - these and/or these - but I don’t know my damned pupillary distance. Annoying.
And: Another question recently posed by the lad, “do toads ribbit?” Hmmm, I’m not sure. What do you think?
Five awesome things for Friday:
- Jemaine Clement’s latest project brings me so much joy. Watch the featured video and listen to the Cyborg Harpies clip.
- I adore my Mr. Bento, but it’s strictly a functional thing. These bento lunches are all about the cuteness factor.
- One week only, watch Reformat the Planet, a documentary about chiptunes/gameboy and game system music.
- The new Punch Pizza is set to open on the little man’s birthday. And he wants to eat at Pizza Luce the day before. And have a pizza farm adventure the day after. PIZZA PIZZA PIZZA!
- Feels like I haven’t had enough time to cook lately but yesterday I got caught up with the Vegan Yum Yum blog and was inspired. Some time soon I want to make these Miniature Napoleons with Eggplant Creme. But last night I whipped up a batch of sandwich spread using shredded zucchini, fresh garlic, steamed carrots, vegan mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper then spread that on baguette with sauteed mock duck. So good!
Bonus: File under truly bizarre: ELA Learns Why You Should Never Trust a Cube
Plus: As always, there’s plenty going on in town this weekend. The grand re-opening events at Eclipse Records began last night and go through Sunday night. Tomorrow night there is the 30% More Commercial/PUNY gallery show opening at First Amendment.
And: The lad and I hadn’t looked at Cute Overload together for a while, so we lay in bed this morning ooohing and ahhhhing over adorable creatures. My faves were the tiny velvety platypi. And yeah, I got suckered into ordering a 2009 Cute Overload desk calendar.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Let me make something clear. Despite some bumps in the road, I am generally happy. Not just resigned to my lot, but content. I’ve overcome some challenges and am still working through others. There are ups and downs. Some days are better than others. But this is the human condition. Life is like this for everyone. There are reasons I choose to write about it. To vent. To purge. To remember. To commiserate with others. To make myself feel better. Or to intentionally feel badly, for just a little while longer, before feeling better.
I love my son. I love my job and my co-workers. I love my friends, old and new. I love my house. And I love music and reading and writing and movies and the internets and cupcakes and Simon Pegg and going for walks and goofing off at playgrounds with my kid and trying out new restaurants and traveling and taking photos. And yes, I do love my life.
Hey, I feel better now.
Bonus: So many amazing possibilities for my noise band. If only I could read kanji.
Plus: There is no one-size-fits-all solution to educating our children. I understand this teacher’s frustration. And I am so glad I found my son’s charter school. Third grade has already started and this year there are just 15 or 16 students, with the two full-time teachers and various PCAs and paras in the classroom. It’s a great feeling knowing he’s getting the individualized attention he needs.
And: I’m looking forward to the Eight is Enough/Obama fundraiser next week. But some friends are flying in from Portland, for the State Fair, and that is the night they will be free to hang out. Once again I find myself in need of a clone.
One month from today I will be elsewhere. It’ll be a very busy weekend. Events happening locally and other stuff not far from home, like the Fast Forward Music Fest in Madison, WI. But I will be in New York. At All Tomorrow’s Parties. Plane tickets have been purchased and childcare (grandparents) lined up. Still need a cat-sitter. Volunteers? And there is the matter of lodging. The ATP dis-organizers had been torturing me for weeks. Replying to my emails, days and days after I sent them, claiming they would call to confirm our 3-person hotel room. And finally, just today, BAM. I was sent a super secret link to pay for our room online. Yesssss. It is fantastic to have something so potentially awesome to look forward to.
Also awesome? Sheela. And her latest concoction, which I took photos of for Iron Cupcake. Speaking of, looks like I should have been in Milwaukee. For IRON CUPCAKE MKE: Vegan and/or Gluten Free. Some amazing looking entries there, but they need to be taste tested. By me.
Bonus: Zorb! “Where all your dreams are realized (as long as you dream of rolling down a hill inside a giant plastic ball).” Which made me think of the Super Monkey Ball guy. Which led me to thinking of games. And my old friend Noel, who works for the Cartoon Network, and his latest creation for them: Code of the Cryptids. Play it!
Plus: Any other muxtape fans notice this? “Muxtape will be unavailable for a brief period while we sort out a problem with the RIAA.” Sad.
And: Our last two CSA deliveries have included some fairytale eggplant. Looking around for ways to use these little guys, I came across this recipe. Sounds promising. But I’ve also got a GIANT zucchini to make use of. And a pattypan squash. And a handful of tomatillos. And more! Good thing I only signed up for a half share.
The episode of This American Life that aired over the weekend was painfully perfect for me. Break-Up: Stories from the Heart of Heartbreak. When did I become a walking cliché? Oh, the shockingly contradicting feelings. Tonight the lad asked me to call my ex, to inquire about their plans for tomorrow. I nodded, took a deep breath, and willed myself to make it brief. To not chat about anything else. To let the kid talk for just a moment, then cut and run (well, hang up). But the boy handed the phone back to me and then we, the us that used to be an us, started talking. Like nothing had changed. For a second I could forget. His voice, so soothing and inviting. The man just sounds like home. But then I remembered we’re no longer an us. He’s now them, him and his new girlfriend. And then the hurt was searing. Like a scab that gets ripped off. I’m wondering when I’ll get past the open-festering-wound stage and into the scarred-for-life-but-healed stage. Right now it feels like this shit is going septic.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Dealing with people can be so painful. Everyone knows this, but I seem to re-learn that lesson over and over again. People I trust show themselves to be unworthy of that trust. Which leads to my disappointment (but not surprise). And my desire to stay home and hide from the outside world. Hopefully my hermitude will only be temporary.
It doesn’t help that something awful happened in our neighborhood yesterday afternoon. An eight year old girl was assaulted in the restroom of the local library. The library I regularly visit with my son. Now my mama bear mode is working overtime.
But I can’t just focus on the bad. Or my brain will asplode. Some things are not so bad. Here are five of them:
Five things that totally suck:
- I dropped my new cell phone. Into the toilet. Yep, now I’m that guy. And I wasn’t even talking to or texting anyone at the time. Managed to yank my SIM card out and pop it into my old phone, but I’m not sure if the new one will work again after it dries out. I just can’t have nice things. Ever.
- My back has been killing me since Sunday morning, for no particular reason.
- Monday I managed to spill half a cup of coffee into my open purse, before my favorite mug fell to the floor and shattered.
- This morning we saw the school bus pull away, about a block ahead of us, but we were never able to catch up.
- St. Paul is creating a no-go zone around Xcel Center, the area I need to go-go through to get in and out of my neighborhood.
Five things that don’t suck:
- Bring your freak to the streets with the Liberty Parade. It will be good times, especially with the music afterwards (Dillinger Four and STNNNG in particular).
- Going to see the new Clone Wars movie this Friday with my son and my Dad.
- I like the idea of this Invisibility Cloak, maybe paired with these anime eyes. Very creepy contacts, but they could be fun. For Halloween or something.
- The Venture Bros (via Amanda). But that only makes me want to get cable. Oh, Adult Swim, how I yearn for you.
- Fun with Festival, two sisters who sing together. I like what I’ve heard so far.
My lovely friends, Emily and Taylor, are getting hitched next year. I am not anti-marriage when it seems like it can work, and in their case I think it will work magnificently. Right now they are wrapped up in wedding plans. Yesterday they asked my dear child if he would like to be their ring bearer, and explained to him that it was a very important job. His reaction: “A job? I hate jobs!” Hopefully he’ll change his tune by next summer and be a little more enthusiastic about being involved.
Bonus: Little People, a tiny street art project. Love it.
Plus: I’ve been stupidly exhausted all weekend (allergies?) but I did manage to see The Pineapple Express with my friend Ericka. It was totally ridiculous. I giggled and snorted all the way through and that was just what I needed. Also? One of the previews was for Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist - with Michael Cera. Looks adorable.
And: Annoyed. NBC doesn’t really come in on our TV, and Hulu won’t be showing any of the Olympics. The American announcers are annoying but I’d still like to see some of the events.
It’s been weird times as of late but I’m doing all right. Though I’m way behind on sharing with the world the things that entertain/amuse me. Let’s double the fun with ten good things (instead of my usual five). List begins after the squinty Adam.
