New Year's Eve, 2007

(Didn't get around to taking a picture yesterday.)

Picture for Saturday, December 29, 2007

Slowly getting back into the routine of being home. . .
(I didn't take a picture for yesterday because I didn't think to take one and I guess I felt my catch up pictures were enough. . . )

It's a weird feeling watching this oddtodd.com "daily holiday video" with headphones on, wearing my hair down, surrounded by shelves of books. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jy4X87fDk4

Tail End of the Winter Vacation Pictures

It says, "I think so much of you and think of you so much and hope that you and I will always keep in touch."

Winter Vacation Pictures Continued. . .

Winter Vacation Pictures Continued. . .

We celebrated a birthday while we were there. . .

My dad said I could root around and take any book I wanted from the two double packed shelves of his books in the hall closet. I felt him putting something on my head --turning to look I saw it was civilianized version of a light like miners wear.

Winter Vacation Pictures Continued. . .

I got a Borders giftcard (!!!!!) from the doggies hidden among some milkbones. . .

(I love the mice candleholder on the table.)

More Winter Vacation Pictures. . .

My brother (who I absolutely adore) and his girlfriend and his/their dog

The painting (top right) my mom did of one of her cello students.

My brother's sweatshirt (which none of us mentioned to his face --except maybe my husband because he wouldn't have any problem asking, the sweatshirt I thought she had made and he had worn out of sweet devotion) is in fact a leftover Salvation Army purchase for an "ugly Christmas sweater" party back in college.

He had asked her father's permission and was to propose to her later this night --which was Christmas Eve, but hadn't told any of us.

I love love love my little brother and still see him as being only a few years older than this.

P.S.!!!!!!!

(The scene of the crime --a few hours after the fact. . . I love the heart on the wall above their heads. )

My Winter Vacation 2007

Part One:

Part Two:

Here's arrival at the airport I've known most of my life (It has five gates.).

My parents had to re-do my room a few years back after it got flooded one summer (I'd moved out already.). They've re-decorated completely but I still recognize the ceiling.

I still love this room.

More pictures of the trip to come. . .

Christmas Eve, 2007

I'm offline for a few days and will be back next week . . . Having a great time with family and friends that I consider family. . . Happy Happies every one!

December 22, 2007

A friend I met in junior high (It feels like no time has passed at all whatsoever.) came up for the day. We went for pizza at Tony's restaurant and he cooked for us. Afterwards she confessed that she's now a part-time boxer and no longer eats pizza, except on vacation.

We started 8 0r 9 conversations that never finished as one would ask the other about some detail and we'd get into another topic altogether. She's amazing and I used to be really jealous for some reason I can't place now (Maybe it's that she had traveled the world --more than me, and is utterly fearless.). I don't feel that way anymore and I like who she's created herself to be. I'm touched that she called. Nineteen years later. . . we still sound a lot alike when we talk.

Today I live the life I wished for then.

Friday, December 21, 2007

:)

(Kissing Jesus and Darwin fishies.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFxfDU-Q9fU

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Last night I finished a great book that I almost gave up on halfway through (very glad I didn't)--Oh the Hell of it All by this lady:

http://patmontandon.com/aboutpmontandon.htm

So now I'm giving Billy Crystal's another try (His dad gave free jazz concerts in NYC and his uncle started the first mail-order jazz record company.). I also started Steve Irwin's wife's book (In her words I finally understand the love he had for crocs.).

I don't remember reading this many books front to back in succession like this in my life ever. I think school is helping me to stretch my abilities in my daily life further.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Monday, December 17, 2007

Took a fun little trip.

Got to eat at a funky, hip restaurant with square water glasses and square silverware. The food was fantastic --California fusion (whatever that is): raw oysters, crab cakes, lentil soup, beet salad, sweet potato ravioli with sage Parmesan sauce with niblets of butternut squash on the side, steak (with potatoes on the side shaped in square cubes), awesome chocolate souffle and homemade ice cream cones on a little rack with 5 little ones per person with different flavors. But the photos didn't turn out. . .

It's all fake snow on a warm California December afternoon. Taken Sunday.

And just because I can't stop watching it over and over:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykpw-prsEV0

Here's the restaurant:

http://7restaurant.com/

Dexter Season Finale Day, December 16, 2007

(my "selves")

Saturday, December 15, 2007

(Taken Friday night technically.)

Friday, December 14, 2007

-The Martenelli's is a gift from our dear friend Ruth.
-The sorbetto Tony originally bought for the restaurant but in the inventory process everyone decided they didn't need it so it lives in our freezer now. The blood orange flavor was on Oprah's "Favorite Things" show.
-The dark chocolate melts like coffee grounds and I had it for breakfast (why not) dipping in frozen banana pieces --amazing.

Thursday, November 13, 2007

It says:
(Joseph Conrad said something about words getting in the way of what you want to say.)

I'm proud to say that tonight I read another book cover-to-cover in one sitting --Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing. But the word count per page is, um --lower. . .

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

From Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

"1. Never Open a Book with Weather

If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a character's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people. . .

2. Avoid Prologues

. . .ordinarily found in nonfiction. . . a prologue in a novel is back story. . . [as per a Steinbeck character] 'I like a lot of talk in a book and I don't like to have nobody tell me what the guy that's talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks. . . figure out what the guy's thinking from what he says. . . Sometimes I want a book to break loose with a bunch of hooptedoodle. . . Spin up some pretty words maybe or sing a little song with language. That's nice. But I wish it was set aside so I don't have to read it. . . '

3. Never Use a Verb Other Than 'Said' to Carry a Dialogue

4. Never use an Adverb to Modify the Word 'Said'. . .

5. Keep Your Exclamation Points Under Control

6. Never Use the Words 'Suddenly' or 'All Hell Broke Loose'

7. Use Regional Dialect, Patois, Sparingly

8. Avoid Detailed Descriptions of Characters

9. Don't Go Into Great Detail Describing Places and Things

. . . Even if you're good at it, you don't want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.

10. Try to Leave Out the Part That Readers Tend to Skip

. . . I'll bet you skip to the dialogue.

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. . . It's my attempt to remain invisible, not distract the reader from the story with obvious writing. . ."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

I like it okay but deeply miss my paperclip book, even as I move on.

P.S. For Ang.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESzySJn1lZo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP9gEf3HexI

Monday, December 10, 2007

I forgot/didn't get around to taking

a picture for Dexter Day.

More bears (Polar, this time) eerily reminiscent of those from the other day --still comforting.

Antologia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgR5kf9qyOI

Saturday, July 8, 2007

For one of the first times I can ever recall, I saw a library book that caught my eye, brought it home and that very same night decided to read a little before bed. . . and couldn't stop until I'd finished the book completely. . . which I did. . . just now. One Red Paperclip.

Have you heard of this guy? He had a dream to trade one red paperclip for a house and eventually actually did it?!

On stage with Alice Cooper.

Here's the Reader's Digest version of the story on a 20/20 clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE8b02EdZvw

Here's Kyle:

http://kylemacd.blogspot.com/

Friday, December 7, 2007

Some really great and thrilling mail came this week. Click on the picture to blow it up bigger (I'm not showing the full view of the cards in case other people might get the same cards to not ruin the surprise.).

The small text says, "Congratulations on passing the Graduate Writing Exam (GWE). Your score for the 2007. . . GWE is:"

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Santino Montage:
A. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8V05OSMdOE
B. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSGThVETzEw
C. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj33t1Fbc-A

Mitch Hedberg.
r.i.p.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDPS5VmvqkY

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

I'm liking Garlic and Sapphires --true story of the life of a food critc.

P.S. An old friend made a music post and a blog. This guy was amazing with his knowledge of music back when I met him in junior high --still is.

Blog:
http://acuterecords.com/blog/?p=29
dan's thing
http://www.viva-radio.com/index.php?contributor=8

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

It's amazing just how soothing bear cubs on a high-def screen can be.

Monday, December 3, 2007

As I take this, behind me is a huge baseball field just filled with geese that didn't come out on camera. . . I finally broke down and replaced the library card I haven't been able to find --so tonight I could take out a bunch of stuff! Instead of the three items with a picture i.d. like I have been. . . Christmas lights are turned on for the first time at the library (bottom left).

"That Old Pair of Jeans"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbn6Y_MvOaE

Dexter Day, December 2, 2007

The other night a huge moon was a cartoonish crescent laying on its side --kindof like this v.i.p. football box cookie my husband brought home to me. . .

Aretha sings Pavoratti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0fAwy0upEw


The full audio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de2sTZHBp1w&feature=related

Happy December

Kathy Griffin tonight :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udDx5mJ1OJc

Start in at (1:35).

--wait for it. . .