What's In My Garden?

It's time for yet another installment of What's In My Garden? The popular blog where YOU tell ME what the hell's in my yard. We spent most of the day digging around out there - one of my very kind neighbors advised us about which plants are most invasive and we've been trying to keep those at bay. I dug out at least 10 huge horseradishes today and then desperately tried to give away the roots to random people walking down the street. Thought about selling the rest at the Farmer's market. Or to Arby's. Here's just a little bit:

Is this Columbine?

I think this is called "Heart [of something]." Pretty, isn't it?

Anyone know what this is?

Remember the first What's In My Garden and y'all very helpfully identified our rhubarb? It has now gotten completely out of control, and I fear it will devour us all.

This picture is better for scale:

Movies

I've been watching a lot of movies recently - most off Netflix, but did catch The Invisible in the theatre. It sucked in many ways, but the thing that most annoys me in retrospect is that the kid was not technically invisible. In the great tradition of invisibility in the movies, the invisible character can still be heard and even touched if bumped in to, but the kid in The Invisible's more like a ghost.

Last night we watched The Departed. It broke my recent resolution not to watch violent movies - but people kept saying the violence "wasn't bad." Sure, maybe "not bad" for Scorsese, but, come on, when literally everyone in the movie ends up (spoiler!) dead, let's upgrade to "pretty bad". The Departed brought out my latent misandry, and leaves me thinking what is WITH this boys' club whose idea of poetry is to kill each character in the movie? These douchbags (Scorsese, Clint Eastwood (Mystic River? Ugh!) and Soderbergh) love nothing better than making an all-male movie and they think they're Shakespeare if everyone leaves the movie feeling miserable. It leaves me with no option but to add one more fast rule to my list and no longer watch movies that have only one female cast member.

Show me the Bunny!

Saturday, we discovered a little bunny nest in our yard. M. almost hoed it by accident, inspiring my friend C. to say, "Hoe me the bunny!" Sunday morning she was gone, but then she was back on Monday. I took a picture...

Cute, right? Monday night before I went to bed, I looked out the window (I like to pretend I'm a queen, looking at all that I survey) and I saw the neighbor's cat sitting in our yard. "Hey!" I said, "What are you doing?"

She just looked at me.

"What are you doing down there?"

She took off running in circles all over the yard, and I could see a small shadow, running in front of her. I tore out of the bedroom as fast as I could, running down the stairs, out the back door, screaming, "M_! The Bunny! The BUNNY!" In my bare feet and pajamas, I confronted the cat, "Don't you eat my rabbit! Don't eat that bunny, Obi!" (Is it Obi One? I don't know.) Suddenly the tiny bunny made a break for it, running right over my toes and between my legs. I screamed again, like a maniac. I clapped at Obi and waited 'til she jumped over the fence to her own yard. Then I went back to bed.

So, I'm laying in bed, and, I hate to tell you what I heard... a ... meep! and then nothing. Maybe it was... anything but my sweet little rabbit. "Kaya," I said, "What was that?" She just looked at me. We haven't seen the bunny since, but maybe she'll be back.

Right?

McCain on Daily Show

Ha! As if to prove my point from yesterday, John McCain went on the Daily Show, and in response to Stewart's direct questions about how the administration accusing any questioning of the president as not supporting the troops, he went ahead pulled the "we must support the troops" angle. Outrageous! (Also he oddly channelled Rumsfeld with the "Is Iraq safe? No. Is the war almost over? No. Am I a douche bag? Yes.") Flip-flopper McCain came off like a massive blow hard, and I'm relieved his numbers are dropping, he doesn't seem to have a chance of making it to the final two. (Hey, you can make a difference by calling 1-800-idol-Obama). All McCain did was show that he's got no ideas, and even admitted that the so-called surge might not work but was at least "a" strategy.

Miss it?

Support the Troops

I have long been disgusted with the rhetoric from the Right that if you're against the war, you don't support the troops. It's my contention that the only people who really support the troops are those who actively question the reasoning for this war and continue to call out the administration for their lies. Today, as Jessica Lynch and the family of Pat Tillman took the stand to expose the deliberate misrepresentation of these soldiers experiences, the administrations lies are becoming more and more public, and I find it hard to believe that there's anyone out there who's solidly for the war.

But just in case such a person's out there, the VideoVets Project allows soldiers to tell their stories, and to express their misgivings about the war and their place in it. Most speak of the confusion of their missions, the unknown and unclear enemy. Backed by MoveOn.org, the project's goal is as follows:

The administration tries to call anyone who criticizes their policy in Iraq 'anti-troop,' but the interviews below show that 'supporting the troops' does NOT mean supporting an endless war. The voices of these veterans and military families are missing from the debate in Washington. Together we can make sure they become a vital part of the national dialogue around ending the war.

Support Freedom of Choice!

I am, of course, incensed over last week's Supreme Court decision to uphold the federal abortion ban. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the dissenters, wrote, "The Court's opinion tolerates, indeed applauds, federal intervention to ban nationwide a procedure found necessary and proper in certain cases by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. For the first time since Roe, the Court blesses a prohibition with no exception protecting a woman's health. ... and the Court's defense of it [the ban] cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this Court -- and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women's lives. A decision of the character the Court makes today should not have staying power."

If you don't understand what a so-called "partial-birth abortion" (the medical term is dilation and extraction) is, educate yourself. It's a rare type of abortion (less than 1% of all abortions), usually performed on wanted pregnancies because the fetus has abnormalities incompatible with life, is already dead or dying, or because the pregnancy is threatening the life of the woman. Thanks to the Supreme Court's ruling, the difficult decision that should be made only between the woman and her doctor is no longer even an option.

If you're as upset about this issue as I am, urge your members of Congress to support the Freedom of Choice Act, "To prohibit, consistent with Roe v. Wade, the interference by the government with a woman's right to choose to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy, and for other purposes." And if you're anti-choice, frankly, your opinion is not welcome here. You've got no right to impose yourself on a personal, private decision - no more than these jackasses
(architects of the federal abortion ban)
or these jackasses
(the 5 wealthy men who made a medical decision for 150 million women)

The Rise of Bile

Last night we watched Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj. Normally I wouldn't watch a National Lampoon movie, but it features my crush, Kal Penn. It's full of sophisticated jokes about dog's testicles and girls flashing their boobs. Halfway through, M. said, "How do you like your Kal Penn now?" Not as much, I must admit. I've read some interviews where he said he hates being in the position of putting on an Indian accent - I guess he makes up for it here by doing the worst one imaginable.

We had a fun weekend, mucking about in our yard, making two trips to the H'Depot, M. grilled a killer Thai thing, and we hung out with friends a lot.

Love this short video:

Green Pastures

Here's M. mowing our yard for the first time. I gave it a short whirl too, probably the first time I've mowed in at least 15 years. The only other time I gave it a crack, my lawn-obsessed father followed behind me pointing out all the ways I had mis-mowed. I left the mower in the middle of the yard, proclaiming I'd Never Mow Again! Wouldn't you know a certain husband had the nerve to criticize one's mowing, as I began running around in circles with the mower. Ba! Ba! Bah! I said. We create our OWN traditions!
Check out our motorless mower! I'm so proud of it! Luckily, our yard's not so huge, so it's very easy to mow with this little guy.

Our Kitchen, before and after

Here's our kitchen before:

and here's an after!

Another before, looking right:

and after:


I'm so proud of the way it came out! The cabinets look so great in white with my dream-stainless steel knobs and pulls on the drawers. The green is really bright, and, as usual, doesn't really come out in these photographs like it does in person. It's the kind of color that might incline a person to say "This color really POPS!" just like they do on the design shows, even if such a person is not usually inclined to say such things. Like M.. Eventually we hope to get granite countertops and maybe a new range, but for now we're really happy with the way it is.

Coming soon: Our Living Room!

Spring, please

I posted on my long-ignored book blog yesterday. It's been a while because I've been reading only one book all year - Middlemarch. I'm loving it, but it's kind of frustrating, because usually I read much more quickly. I've just been really busy lately and haven't had that much time to read.

Relieved to look out the window and see blue sky - snow is melted and it's a balmy 42 degrees or so. Maybe now we can look forward to spring?

Might see the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie tonight. M. had audacity to suggest that we have not seen any movies in the theatre that he wanted to see. HA! I told him he owed me one proverbial Lake House.

I used to live in California, you know.

I suppose all over Chicago this morning, people were looking out their windows and shouting the same thing as me: Holy Shhhhhhhit! Beyond snow - more like sludge pouring down from the heavens. Thick, rainy, cold sludge, the size of marbles. Stuck to my clothes, soaked my pants, blew my hat off. I used to live in California, you know. Ah, I had it made. I used to walk outside in the middle of April, and there was no snow. Sure, it was 60 degrees in July in San Francisco, but we LIKED it!

Roger and Me

Tonight I watched Michael Moore's Roger and Me. I didn't realize Moore and I had so much in common - born in the Midwest, children of GM employees and UAW members. He even lived in SF for a while too. Of course, I like to think I'm not a ham-handed douche bag... Roger and Me (1989) is amusing for its interviews with with one celebrity or politician after another who refuse to feel pity or provide real solutions for the thousands of people who lost their jobs as a result of the massive layoffs in the 80s. I think, as usual, Moore missed the point, which, as I see it, is the question of how much responsibility corporations should have for their employees, and what obligations corporations should have toward local communities. Sure, the interviews of wealthy people on golf courses heartlessly saying the unemployeed people of Flint should just "get jobs" or "do something" are ridiculous, but why is it their responsibility to come up with answers?

I grew up hearing about GM's expansion to Mexico and the challenges faced by unions. My dad has a refrain that to corporations "you're just a number", which, generally, is pretty true. He's nevertheless fiercely loyal to American car companies, and even told me, after we bought a Toyota, that he questioned whether he had "brought me up right." I was laid off myself, in the tech bust of the late 90s. I guess the difference between San Francisco and Flint, MI is that one corporation didn't dominate the work force in SF like GM did Flint. I think most towns are too easily falling for the promises of corporations - Walmart comes to mind immediately - they're notorious for destroying communities while demanding taxes cuts and environmental concessions. Well, don't get me started on Walmart... But seriously, I think what's needed is a change in perception - large companies and corporations act like they're doing communities a favor when they move in, but they should really have to continually have to prove their worth.

Easter Crafts

I made this little bunny for my young friend. I was inspired by Martha - she has directions for super-cute felt stuffed animals. So, I had in mind to make a simplified rabbit of my own design - but then I saw some adorable bunnies on a craft site by Betz White and made one of them, with some modifications.

Lo, did I find myself in the Salvation Army, looking for wool sweaters. Threw it in the washer, then the dryer, drew a template, cut everything out, sewed it together - realized I didn't have any stuffing, decided I couldn't wait to finish it and then ripped open a pillow for its fluffy insides.

Seriously, is that the cutest thing you've ever seen?

We had a lovely brunch with a (if I do say so myself) killer menu:
Spinach and sun-dried tomato frittata
Roasted Potatoes
Caramelized Onion tartlets
Mini carrot muffins
Deviled eggs
fruit
Mimosas

Easter weekend

I was just sitting in my living room when I heard a drum sound outside. I looked out the window and there was a Good Friday processional going down the street, complete with a Jesus, Romans, a very large cross and what looked like about 100 people. Good Friday, is, of course, a very dark holiday that I am not fond of. When I was a kid, my parents used to take us to church and we'd sit through a sermon detailing the more agonizing moments of the crucifiction, then they'd turn off all the lights, and we were instructed to leave the church in silence and spend the rest of the night thinking about what we'd done in a cosmic sort of way. That can be some pretty heavy stuff for a kid.

This weekend we're having an Easter Brunch with some friends. My little one year old friend likes the baby sign for bunny, conveniently, so I'm sure we'll be communicating about that.

Here's an old Easter pic of (left to right) my brother, me, K.M., little J.T., and my sister. I've been trying to remember why we're all so grouchy, but I can't. (Maybe we're upset about being put through the Lutheran Ringer all weekend! Or, maybe we're just sugar-crashing after eating from our Easter Baskets.) BTW, my mom made that dress for me, and I LOVED it! Isn't it pretty?

Strange Day in Chicago

I thought the snow was the strangest thing to happen today, but I just checked the Trib, and it turns out there was a coyote in the Loop. Apparently he just wandered into a Quiznos (of all places) and plopped down in a beverage cooler (it's cold outside, so he choose a cold spot inside?) Normally stories like that make me unbelievably sad - animals getting forced out of their natural habitats by urban sprawl - but at least this has a happy ending - the animal was safely captured and transported to the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation refuge. I'm trying to look on the bright side, about how this coyote maneuvered the Loop, hung out with some people in a shop without anyone freaking out (apparently a few people were in there eating lunch and they just kept on eating) and then found a home again. Coyotes are really remarkable creatures. I learned a lot about them in some fiction book I read once. I think it was That Old Ace in the Hole by Annie Proulx, but maybe I'm remembering incorrectly (anyone?)

Strange Little Girl

I'm excited about Tori Amos's new album, which is "dropping" on May 1. There's a single on her myspace: Big Wheel, and it's hot. There's also a "message" from Amos, which encourages fans to look for the blogs by her various alter-egos who sing on the new album. It seems fairly clear that she is completely insane. I'll avoid spoilers and let you "hunt" for the "posse" blogs yourself, if you're so inclined.

In other music news, strike me down if I didn't watch an entire American Idol tonight - I'm a fan of one Miss Doolittle. I think I'm going to go back to my old method of youtubing her, rather than suffer through the injustices of the others. I recently found out about this Vote for the Worst business. I can't decide if that's hilarious or what. I mean, what if something happens to Doolittle?

Jagged Little Hump

Yeow! Who knew Alanis Morissette had a great sense of humor? I wonder if this is the first step in the Weird Al Yankovicization of her career. I love how when she sings, "Whatcha gonna do with all that junk, all that junk inside your trunk?" it's like an existential question.

I feel ya

OMG, this is the most hilarious article I've ever read:
Teen Star Feels Pressure to be Thin

This astute comment and photo was on cnn.com (BREAKING NEWS!):
Teen star Hilary Duff says she feels pressure to be thin, but has never had a problem with her weight.

Really, Hilary? I feel pressure to be thin too.

1st Installment: What's In My Garden?

I spent my first day mucking about in the garden - the previous owner planted a ton of perennials and the yard is just FULL of ... stuff. I have no idea what half of it is. Crocuses I recognize - and my mom's fave - Hens and Chicks.

I met a few elderly neighbors who were very nice but immediately chastised me for having neither a dog nor a birdbath.

There's a gigantic compost pile, which I tried to move to a less-obtrusive part of the yard. My friend C. had a nightmare that it rose up like the Swamp Thing and tried to attack her. I moved about half of it, and learned a few lessons:

1. Yard work is really hard
2. Crocs aren't good shoes to do yard work in
3. I'm gonna need a wheelbarrow

But, it felt great, getting my hands dirty in my very own yard, and I'm really excited about the good times that lay ahead. Hopefully times that will involve more margaritas and less sweat and dirt.

Without further ado, I give you: What's In My Garden? Seriously, I have no idea.

These are very sweet, I love them. That's a limestone sculpture I made in college.


This one is very scary looking. I almost ripped it out of the ground and stomped on it.

The Namesake

Recently saw The Namesake with Kal Penn, who I have a big crush on. I read the book (Jhumpa Lahiri) after it came out. Lahiri is an extremely competent writer, but I find her work kind of forgetable - like, while I was watching the movie, it was all new to me. Penn is billed as the lead, but it's really two fabulous Indian actors that steal the show. Irfan Khan and Tabu play Penn's (Gogol Ganguli) parents, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli - in roles that are outrageously sensitive and demanding. Their connection is nearly indescribable, and I really can't think of the last time I've seen two actors form such an emotional bond. They're basically anyone's dream parents, who tolerate their young, somewhat rebellious children through their awkward phases while creating a new live for themselves in the United States. There's a great scene in the movie (and the book) where Ashima slips on Ashoke's shoes before she meets him (their parents arrange a meeting and he's waiting in the other room). Lahiri writes something like she tries on his shoes like she's trying on his life. Literally standing in his shoes, she discerns his character, and has enough confidence and courage to leave her family in India and move with him to NY. While Gogol's going through this awful teenager-period, Ashoke and Ashima patiently wait for him to stop being an asshole, with complete trust that he'll turn out ok. Penn's character goes through this type of transformation - from dorky teenager to (totally hot) post-collegiate architect. Those who avoided the stoner-flick Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle might be surprised by how admirably he handles this "serious" role, but anyone who has seen it knows that movie is a bit more than that-movie-where-Doogie-Howser-does-blow-off-a-chick's-ass.

The Namesake is beautiful in the same what that Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding (one of my fave films) was - both movies share themes of the Indian diaspora as well as relations between multiple generations. I'd really recommend it to just about anyone - it's a really, really beautiful film.

More dining room

Here's a pic of the other side of the dining room. I suppose we're going to hang something on that wall there but haven't decided what yet - possibly my print of The Kiss, which I love.

You can see more of our dining room table, which I made myself and am rather proud of. Well, I made the top and then just fitted it over our old, crappy, small table. It's almost too big for this room, but I think it will be ok.

Design Remix

My mom came up for a few days and today we painted the dining room. Here's a "before"

and here's the "after"

I don't love the picture of our "after" because it makes the wall color looks kind of boring, but it's actually a really beautiful shade called "Chocolate Froth" that looks like, as my friend C. said, "a coffee milkshake."

Here's another goofy picture of us on the front stoop. The garden is just starting to sprout little buds, it will be very exciting to see what comes up! I'll post pictures of the kitchen as soon as we finish hanging all the cabinets and put the knobs on!

I just love the jokes that come with home improvement. I haven't stopped talking about caulk since we moved in. Then we bought a studfinder - hilarious. Unparalleled joy to discover the screw on the new sconces we installed was called... a nipple!

Life Camp

Last night I saw Janice Dutts Goes To Life Camp at the Factory Theatre. It's written by a friend, Laura McKenzie, who is also the lead. It's in the same vein as McKenzie's Funk Cloud: Fight the Stank! from a few years ago - dealing with alienation and media overload/desensitization. Laura's a great writer, and I really loved parts of her play, especially the songs and dances - although in a way it really depressed me. It's about this women who finds herself at a "Life Camp" being manipulated by a Life Coach and a bunch of idiots who show her how to "make connections." I just thought, Gee, there's two kinds of people in this world, people who Get It and people who Don't Get It, and we're all doomed.

You know when someone's talking to you, and they're an idiot, and you're like, staring daggers at them, and you're giving them nothin', but they keep going, and they're like, saying your name over and over again, and they clearly just got out of a week-long seminar on how to "close"? Ugh! Those people just Don't Get It! Well, I had a recent icky experience with just such a mattress salesman, so I'm all embittered. But I do love my new bed.

San Francisco Heroines

Via Feministing, this incredible story of a waitress and a bartender in a Noe Valley bar who busted a guy who slipped a mickey in his date's drink. The two women quickly found a way to remove the drink from the table (and save it as evidence) and also notify the woman about what was happening. Outrageously, while one of the women was telling the victim what had happened, he tried to do it again! When they confronted him, he tried to blow the whole thing over by offering to buy them all a drink (uh, HELLO?) and then get his date to leave. The bartender said (this is so awesome), "Your date's over, mister. She's staying with us." YEA! Reading that story was a great way to start my day.

In other news (not so inspiring), a report on the Smithsonian museums reveals that the institution is failing in many ways. The committee (comprised of directors from major museums around the country, including my own alma matar) stated that the Smithsonian “ought to comprise the most stimulating place in the country to explore the fascinating and complex issues of national history and national identity as manifested by the American visual imagination.” This report seems to indicate that direction might be taken to turn the Smithsonians into just such an organization, which would be really amazing. I love visiting DC and walking along the mall, going in and out of all the buildings, but, with a few exceptions (like the Peacock Room in the Freer) the collections are not the most inspiring in the country. Most disturbing about this report is that the Freer is suffering from some physical problems and there are leaks in the basement. I can't understand how that has been allowed to continue. For the most part, the problems at the Smithsonian seem related to funding, which is no surprise - our government just doesn't support the Arts.

Engagement with art – with the product of someone else's imagination – can change your life, often for the better, and sometimes profoundly. -Max Wyman

Hello!

By the way, how to I make a post to CatsThatLookLikeHitler.com a week ago and nobody says boo?

Home Sweet Home

Thank the Gods, we had a painless move into our house over the weekend. I was really dreading it, because the last time we moved, it was like we were babysitting grizzly bears who manhandled our stuff. We could only watch in horror as they broke our precious belongings, then charged us a ton of cash for the experience. M. says it was like babysitting convicts, but we've had convict movers before, and they were fabulous.

We've just been unpacking boxes and trying to get settled. I'm navigating a new train line (I used to be a Red Line girl, now I'm Purple.) As I was unpacking the bathroom, I was getting a bit frustrated, because everything wasn't fitting, and then I remembered, "OMG! I have a whole OTHER bathroom!" Awesome. Parking the car in the garage and bringing in groceries was a dream. You know what I do if I'm hot or cold? I just adjust the thermostat! Incredible. I've never known such luxuries.

Help End Global Warming

On March 21st, Al Gore will testify before Congress on the immediate action that needs to be taken to end the climate crisis. Add your name to the list of citizens that stand behind him.

Packing

We're moving this weekend, and I'm trying to pack up the rest of our stuff. It's laborious and painful, but I just keep thinking that this will be our last move for a while, and that we're moving into our very own, sweet and freshly painted house. And life there will be wonderful. Do you know that I have moved 13 times in the last 15 years? Check it out:

1992: moved to Bangladesh for 7 months
1993: moved to first dorm room in college
1994: moved to first apartment sublet with A.
1994: moved back to dorms
1995: moved to summer sublet (with J, M, B)
1995: moved to first apartment (A & J)
1996: moved to studio apt. by self
1997: moved to 1st San Francisco apt
1998: moved to 2nd SF apt
2000: moved to 3rd SF apt
2003: moved to Chicago
2005: apt. went condo, moved to 2nd Chi apt
2007: this move

That sucks! I'm seriously sick of packing up my entire life every year! Well, I gotta get back to it...

We're the Watchdogs

I remember as a kid being taught that in the Soviet Union they didn't have freedom of speech, and scientists and scholars might be killed or threatened for speaking the truth. And it was instilled in me how lucky we are to live in the US where we can criticize the government all we want and face neither harm nor imprisonment (although several of my friends spent a night in jail for doing just that.) Then it was a bit confusing, because, rather suddenly, it seemed like Russians were the pals of the US, and all was forgotten.

I only mention that because I love irony and there's nothing more ironic than living in a police state in America, is there? Not only does it appear that they're still killing outspoken journalists in Moscow, but the Bush Administration is hot on the heels of scientists and activists in the US. From the "inappropriate" firings of 8 US Attorneys from our hack of an Attorney General's office to these ridiculous memos telling biologists not to mention GLOBAL WARMING at a conference entitled "Gee, Why Are All The Polar Bears Dying?" it's not difficult to find daily examples of just how our civil liberties are at risk every day. (Read copies of the memos - click on FWS Polar Bear 1 and 2).

Sign up for the mailing list of the National Resources Defense Council - to receive updates and petitions and to stay abreast of the laws that effect our environment. And, of course, you'll want to sign up for True Majority as well if you haven't already.

Kitler

This weekend we had a marathon painting session at our new house. My mom was a huge help - she's a master of all things interior and came up to teach us a bunch of neat painting tricks and help us bang out three rooms in one day! (Also had some great help from friends DeBordian Perruque and Sweetkealoha - THANKS GUYS!) I'll post some before and after shots soon, if you don't see them first in Architectural Digest (it looks that good!) Everything looks so great, and I'm really inspired to knock out the rest of the house soon. We picked a very daring bright green for the kitchen, which, initially applied resembled yellow highlighter. I was thinking, "Honeydew is a honey-DON'T!" hahaha (I couldn't help myself!) But, it mellowed. It looks like a shiny granny smith apple in there.

Last night we watched Stranger than Fiction. I liked the beginning a lot, and I loved the GUI interface-like thing (it was made by this company called MK12 - I really dig their aesthetic - it's like a really sophisticated version of this) but I thought the ending was a little weak. I mean, what it essentially came down to was whether life is more important than art, and, to me, it's a stupid question. And, although radiant, as usual, I couldn't figure out what purpose Queen Latifa's character filled. There are a couple of interesting extras on the dvd - one about the aforementioned GUI, and another about Chicago. I only realized the film took place in Chicago when Will Farrell's character ran through Daly Plaza by the Picasso, and I was like, "I didn't know there was a matching statue in NY!" It was interesting, because usually Chicago movies show the same ol' landmarks, but this movie chose really interesting locations and showed a whole different side of the city.

Our 10 year old television rather inconveniently played it's last ANTM last week, never to return (it was like "No... more... Tyra...") Now we're trying to figure out how to recycle a tv in Chicago (anyone?) but NOT, btw, missing any tv, since everything's online anyway! Awesome! Check out Andy Barker, PI - there are like 4 episodes online. If the cancellation of Arrested Development left an aching hole in you, prepare to have it filled (and, Buster's in it! Also Fake Francy, from Alias. Back when it was good. Mike says to me, why Fake Francy, why not just Francy? But, I don't know, she looks more like Fake Francy to me.) And, if that doesn't do it for you... how about: Cats that Look Like Hitler ("Kitler"?) and Cats in Sinks.

1. Cut a hole in a box

Oh yeah, I got sidetracked on the introduction of a crucial new human to the world, and forgot to blog about two celebrity sightings I had in LA and one funny anecdote. (I love anecdotes.) We went to see the new Damien Hirst show at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills and there was this dude hanging out at the receptionist's desk, who I only noticed because I was also kind of hanging out at the desk reading the catalogues on his work. And I was all thinking to myself, "Who are these douchbags who go to shows and then don't even LOOK at the art?!?" Later that afternoon I was doing some web research to find out if Hirst actually constructed these butterfly pieces himself (he doesn't) and I came across his photo. Guess who? Ugh! So, it turns out I'm a douchbag.

We left the gallery and had lunch at this little diner down the street and my sister leans in and says, "Dude from the Oh See, three o'clock." And I'm all, "Please! Like I watch the OC." But I did watch Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (and, God help me, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.)

I made the dubious choice of showing my parents a certain video featuring a certain box and that set off a horrible chain reaction of my parents referring willy-nilly to any and all personal anatomy as "junk." This proved mortifying many times over the course of my trip and my sister's pregnancy as you might imagine.

Fate!

Despite promising myself I wouldn't do it, tonight I settled in front of the tv and prepared to toggle back and forth between America's Next Top Model and American Idol. My sister got me vaguely interested in the (women on) American Idol, much to my chagrin. But, some mighty force stepped in a caused our television to break about 10 minutes into each show. It was a fate.

There's an interview with Tyra in Feb. Vanity Fair wherein she claims that "Daytime Tyra" (AKA: Tyra of the Tyra Banks Show) is the "real" Tyra, while "Nighttime Tyra" (of ANTM) is "a character." So, pay attention. This is the Real Tyra:

And this is a character named Tyra, played by Tyra:


After the dollar coins came out, I got a few at the bank because I wanted to look at them. Tonight, M. says to me, "Do you still have those dollar coins?"
and I say, "One." and he says, "Get it." Turns out, some of the coins have flaws and they're worth ... more than a dollar. I almost spent my last one on coffee today, then I thought, "Nah, I might want to look at it some more." And I actually paid for my coffee with a bunch of quarters, which I have not done for lo these many years because I habitually horde quarters for laundry. But now that we're homeowners, and, more importantly, washing and drying machine owners, I can break my old habit. Anyway, my dollar coin was perfect, and therefore worth only (approx.) US$1.

Movies, good and bad

This morning I watched Babel and last night I watched 2001's Iris - I'm going to write about Iris over on my book blog if you're interested in that. I thought it was really stunning and beautiful, while Babel was just another movie that's really depressing and therefore "deep" and "Oscar-worthy" apparently. God, I'm so sick of those movies (which is why If I Picked the Oscars ^TM, Borat would win.) Babel didn't show me anything I didn't already know, breifly outlined:

I hate guns

No one should handle guns, especially children

Mexican/American border relations are all cocked up

Brad Pitt is totally hot

In other news, I've finally set myself up with what I believe is called an RSS or an RRS or something. Anyway a certain husband kindly tested a few out himself and decided that Google Reader was a good one - if you read a lot of blogs, like me, you can set up the reader to list all new postings of the blogs you read, that way you don't have to go from blog to blog looking for new content.

Big week for two sisters

Wed. my sister and bro-in-law brought home a new baby, and that night I flew back to Chicago, and on Thursday M. and I closed on our house! What a week! I have to tell you, after watching a baby being born, handing over a huge check for a house wasn't as daunting as I thought it was going to be. The closing went very smoothly - we listened to the seller's realtor talk about her cats and her lawyer talk about sail boating in the Caribbean (apparently that's all very normal) and then we drove over to our house (our house! OMG!) joking about pot holes and how our property taxes must be going up some county official's nose. We walked around the empty rooms, dreaming about what color we were going to paint, speaking ambitiously about landscaping and shelving and wondering what day the trash goes out. We have a garage! With a garage door opener! And a refrigerator that makes ice! And the freezer door stays closed when you shut it! Then we went to our Local in Andersonville and - what else? Got drunk. ha.

Here's my sis bringing home baby:


Here they're introducing Murphy to the baby:


And this is hilarious - don't freak out, he's just yawning! BTW, we went by the book introducing Murphy to the baby - first I brought home the baby's clothes after he was born and let Murphy smell them so he would know the scent. Then I explained to him that he was going to be the Prince Harry to the baby's Prince William. And how like, you know how Harry has to go to Iraq? It might be like that for a while, but he was still really important and everyone loves him.



And here's the extended family.


and here's MY family in front of our new place: