Looks like we made it

The rumors are true – we survived our grand adventure (even Kyle lived to tell the tale) and are now getting back into the swing of things at home. Like feeding the cat. I would love to tell you all about our trip – the waffles, the hiking along the bluffs, the beaches and the tide pools, the cacophonous sounds of a dozen men beating abalone. But I can’t right now. Too busy. To busy sorting and editing 339 photographs! Yes – 339. We had to buy another memory card when I realized my 1GB card was almost full by Saturday afternoon. Soon I will have a slimmed down set uploaded to Flickr for your viewing enjoyment.

In the meantime, click the comments link below and tell me about your weekend.

Patience is a virtue my arse

I have been waiting for this Peace Lily to bloom for 3 years now. And finally it's happened. Just in time for me to leave for 4 days. Where is Alanis Morissette when you need her?

Oh well. We are packed and leaving this afternoon. Kyle's behavior has not noticably improved during the week. Pray for us - it's a 4 hour drive.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Holy Backbends Batman!

I’ve said it before and I'll say it again - Yoga cures what ails you. And if you are suffering from afternoon ennui, it’s yogabeans! to the rescue!

And just as if you were at class, warm up with Suryanamaskar A and proceed through the series in an orderly fashion.

I’m going to go practice a post-prandial savasana* in the conference room.

Enjoy!


* Loosely translated - that's an after lunch nap

Maiden Voyage

We are going camping in Fort Bragg for Memorial Day weekend!

This will be the first time we’ve:
1. used our pop-up trailer
2. towed anything with the Highlander
3. taken the Highlander on a road trip
4. gone to the dive club’s Memorial Weekend event
5. stayed at this campground
6. gone camping with Kyle*

That is a whole lot of unknowns. Needless to say, we are in “list” mode and did lots of shopping this past weekend. I picked up a new duffle bag so that I will have plenty of room for numerous jackets and a pair of shoes for every condition imaginable.

* I haven’t camped with Kyle in over 4 years; and this will be the first time Chris, Kyle and I have camped together as a family. I wouldn’t be worried about this except Kyle has had an awful attitude the last couple days. We are not too happy with him right now. Hopefully he’ll get his act together by Friday or it’s gonna be a long weekend – and not in the good way.

But even with lippy boy, I am so excited to get back to the north coast!
I’m happy anywhere on the coast but Ft Bragg has WMDs! (Aloha Waffles at Café 1) And MacKerricher State Beach - which has fantastic tide pools for Kyle and I to check out while Chris is diving. And one night we’ll have dinner at the North Coast Brewing Co. where I
ll try to finish my Red Seal Ale this time.

And let’s not forget the abalone! Who want to come over for dinner in 2 weeks?

Mixed messages

Kyle made a book for me at school last week - Memories of Mom. Apparently each day there was a theme such as what makes your mom special, happy, etc. And they drew pictures. How very charming.

Although CPS might not think so.
I am sharing Kyle's memories with you because frankly I'm a little concerned. Things start out well enough...


My mom is special because she is a great artist. She sketched a wonderful picture of me. She has done so many very pretty painting. My mom is the best artist. That's why my mom is special.

Wow. I can't find any fault with that. Nicely said Kyle.



My mom is happy when she is at the mall. I remember when my mom was happy at the mall because she was shopping. She looks at everything. I hate the mall. Thats why mom is happy.

Ok. That seems a bit over the top. I don’t like shopping that much. Although I do like the looks of that little green purse. And is that a squirrel?



I remember a funny time with my mom. Once when I went to give her a hug she stretched and her hand hit me on the face. We hugged, then talked about my soreness. Then we laughed and I left. That was a funny time.

WTF? That's his fun memory of me??
But I am laughing again as I type so I guess that works.



My mom always says "Clean your room!" She says that because it's a mess. She says this so much it's scary. I listen to her because I have to. It annoys me so much I scream.

Oh.My.God. What kind of mother am I?! Look at that huge finger pointing at him! I think I would be more disturbed if he wasn't so damn funny.



Thanks mom for all that you do. You help with reading and you take me on vacation. Thanks for everything that you do like make dinner and buy food and drive me to school. You do lots of stuff for me thanks.

He likes me. He really likes me!
Unless Chris is around and then I am dead to him.



Meanest Mom Ever! I've still got it.
I think I'll use this as the content of the "About Me" section.

And I am definitely going to use the smack-down drawing as my profile picture!

Elfini - all about the peace, love, and cheerios...
and eager to knock your block off!

This is not a knit blog*

I have been fighting a migraine for 2 days now. I think I’m in the clear, but I’m trying to be very small just in case. And I normally wouldn’t mention a knitting project but I think it might be contributing to the current tightness across my back and shoulders, which increases the probability of developing another migraine.

Last spring I started knitting an afghan for Chris. We were sitting in Borders flipping through magazines one innocent afternoon. Chris had a stack of boating magazines and I was looking at an issue of Knit It - a collaboration between Better Homes and Gardens and Lion Brand Yarn. Oh yes, it is bad. Full of ponchos and vests made with fun fur. Horrible stuff. Except for one pattern - a throw which wasn’t ugly at all. A geometric square within a square pattern that is sure to appeal to anyone with an engineering degree. And suddenly there I was, agreeing to knit this for Chris’ birthday. Ok then. One year and 2 birthdays later, I’ve got the 20 mitered squares completed. And last Saturday I spent the afternoon hunched over, stitching them all together. Yesterday I started the border, picking up 127 stitches off a 48” edge on 29” circular needles! Did I mention that the temperature here has hit the mid-90s? Did I mention that this thing is wool?! I think it’s time to retire the knitting again for the summer. So close...sorry Chris.


*Please sing to the tune of ‘(This is Not a) Love Song’ by Public Image Ltd.
And to change gears, I’ll tell you about the time the Dragon and I met Johnny Rotten. It was long ago in a far away land… Fine. It was 1986 in Detroit. And we had tickets to see PIL at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. (It helps the story for you to know that the night before the concert we heard Johnny Lydon baggin’ on Ted Nugent during a radio interview.) So, at the show’s after-party at St Andrew’s Hall, Amir had people queue up to meet the infamous Johnny Rotten. We snaked through the room while Johnny sat in a high back chair swigging tequila and spitting on the floor. As we slowly filed past, the Dragon says “so, I hear you’re gonna jam with Ted Nugent…” and Johnny hisses “Fuck that!” and flips us off!

Ahh the memories…
(Dates and locations verified by the Sain’t. ‘Cause the memories aren’t only warm – they’re fuzzy!)

Public Service Announcement

Even though I can think of several exceptions, this is sage advice.


On the weekends that Kyle is with his father, Chris and I get to shop* as often and as long as we want without whining or complaints (unless I’ve made a poor shoe choice). Sometimes we have a list and other times it’s just to walk around after a nice dinner (another treat saved for alternating weekends). And on lazy Sunday mornings, after sitting in front of Starbucks with our coffees and pastries**, we will go roam the aisles of Home Depot.
I love hardware stores. And I’m pretty sure hardware stores love me back because I have been given a gift. I am a hardware store savant.
I can find anything in a hardware store – even when I don’t know what it is that we’re looking for!
“What? A chamfering router bit? Follow me; I think they’re over here.”
My spidey-senses start to tingle, I turn, point and voila!
“Is this the 1/2in Barb Coupling you were looking for?”
Scanning the list-
“Hold on, we passed the extension adapters 2 aisles back!”
It’s really quite amazing.

But the hardware store doesn’t have everything. This weekend I would like to go here for one of these.


* No- that is not code!

** We have a great location for people watching – next to a Sun City senior development and a rodeo. You get cowboys and golf carts careening through the parking lot. It’s fun for the whole family.

It’s that time of year again

Mother’s Day.

Each year, somewhere between the endless commercials for diamonds and the inevitable plaster cast of my son’s growing hand, I start to think about moms. My moms. Or should I say my lack of moms.
Oh yes, I have issues.
I was adopted at birth which quickly takes me from mom #1 to mom #2. (Remind me someday to tell you my theory on why Ted Nugent owes me money). Mom #2 was a fine mom; a leader of Brownie troops, a maker of costumes, and singer of lullabies. But in my first year of Jr. High as I started to need her for more that just bandaging skinned knees, she got sick. She passed away 2 years later when I was in 9th grade.
Not good.
10th grade brought mom #3; a stranger at the time who has now been my step-mom for over 20 years. When mom #3 married my dad, her children were already in their 20’s and she wasn’t really interested in raising any more kids. So my younger brother and I were still basically on our own. And even though we have developed a loving relationship over the years there is still something missing - she’s not “mom”. It was too late, too soon, too forced, for us to forge that kind of bond. And I know I have missed out on something great.

So go kiss your mom – because I bet she still has every one of those handprints you made for her. They are more precious than diamonds or gold.

Mommy Yoga - get yours today!

Check this out - Julie's new book is the latest craving at the Mommy Times. Very cool. Buy two. Even better - buy three! Share the joy!

Too much good stuff

Hey, do me a favor – remind me to do a headstand every Friday afternoon because all that joy and happiness lasted the entire weekend – even through the car buying process!

In lieu of climbing Friday, Chris and I went out for burgers and then hit the REI sale – a fine way to end a busy week. Saturday morning we went to the dive shop to send Chris’ watch in for repairs. And since Dolphin was also having a big sale we ran into several friends from the dive club and that is always nice. And Holger told me about another camera store in the area! Poor Chris.
After lunch we spent a couple relatively pain-free hours at the car dealership and drove home in my new Highlander. Then we had Sharon and Cynthia over for Chris's famous macadamia nut encrusted abalone. He also made fish tacos with the cabezon he shot last week. Fantastic! We had a great time. Thanks again for salad, sorbet and the lively conversation ladies - I think Chris only blushed once!
Sunday was the day of “finally”s – I finally started working on a new painting and we finally went to the climbing gym. Both felt great!

Then we picked up Kyle. I think we need to stand him on his head!

Turn that frown upside-down!

Well. After a nice long headstand in the conference room, I could already feel my mood shifting. The yoga works people – go do some! Add some fresh air, food and a bit of retail therapy and life is all rainbows and unicorns again.

Inner turmoil

Yesterday afternoon I started a post about Kyle’s haircut being rescheduled and the tortuous path of bad haircuts that lead me to start taking him to my stylist at the swanky salon across town. I even had pictures.
And while I couldn’t sleep last night I contemplated writing a post on the subject of the strange pre-purchase fear (usually reserved to buying airline tickets) I started to feel due to the fact that we might be getting the Highlander tomorrow!

But all of that went crashing out the window this morning when I developed a seething rage directed at Kyle’s father whom we affectionately call Stuppetto. I’m not going to go into details – suffice it to say that it has left me in a foul mood with nothing nice to say.

I think I'll go stand on my head for awhile.

On a silver platter

Sain’t called last night. I had finally sent him a link to the blog with the comment that I am not old enough to be Andy Gibb’s mother. He thinks Kyle looks like Bobby Brady in the last season. I can see that.

But then there was this:

Elfini: After climbing yesterday, Cynthia mentioned that Kyle looks like me.
No one ever says that!

Sain’t: Oh yeah Kyle looks like you.
We don’t say anything so that we don’t hurt his feelings.


…


Damn.