E-I, E-I, O.......

I have acid fingers. I think that MUST be true. And I type loudly.
That combination is not a good one.

It seems I am wearing the letters right off my keyboard.... it's like the Nollop statue in Ella Minnow Pea... Goodbye, O, I, M, K, L, E, D.... U and S will be the next to go.

What's funny is that I mostly use the wireless keyboard I bought a year ago... but even the laptop letters on my VAIO are starting to fade... O, L, M, C.....

Is there a way to repair this? Am I the only person with the acid finger curse? Thank goodness for muscle memory.

If only the pattern of life was so predictable.... knit, knit, purl, purl....

A year ago, I picked up my knitting needles determined to learn how to knit something-- how to follow a pattern. I bought a book. I took a class. I wrote an article. And I learned some new "skills" how to do ribbing... how to create the seed stitch... how to increase and decrease... I learned about kinds of yarn and the wonder of bamboo needles. I had plans to knit my first hat. I didn't make it that far because I am still in the midst of my last project of the winter: a red ribbed scarf. When last you heard from me I had about two inches done and now after one week of high stress and a need for meditation I have managed to knit three FEET.... I think after another day or two I'll be done and this is one scarf I might actually USE.

My next knitting goal is to make a knitting needle case using two new knitting skills for the season. I am going to felt the fabric for the case and learn how to cable in order to make the part the needles slide through. Watch for updates as I begin that task. After that one, then I think I'll try the circular needles and the hat making process.

As I told Marci earlier today, I think this could be a breakthrough year for me and knitting. Marci and I went to Starbucks for lattes and our first knitting lesson. She successfully learned how to cast on and how to knit and I showed her briefly how to bind off. I'm excited to share this hobby with her and she's a good little learner considering I'm not sure I know how to "teach" a skill like this.

When I was visiting my grandma at the hospital, I knew she was in pretty good spirits as she wryly said, "It sure is funny to see how some people knit..." Hmmm.... and she was the one who originally taught me. At least I could bring her some "amusement!"

Oh Deer.

Seriously. I mean, what is THAT?

On Friday, I drove north to visit my grandma in the hospital and felt the need to wear my bright red jacket in the car because I had a slight fear of being shot. I had the day off from school in honor of Veteran's Day... but what they really mean is in honor of "The Opening Day of Deer Season." Sigh. It's not as if I have never hunted before (though I didn't manage to shoot anything) but somehow, years later, after all the news stories of fools getting shot or houses having bullets carelessly rip through the walls just inches above a sleeping infants head... Well, I have to say it gives me chills. It's not like I feel some animal rights compassion for the deer, but I do worry about hitting one with my car. Especially with all the hunters driving them out of their normal hangouts. So I drove on, vigilant. Eyes perpetually scanning the fields for deer and every car I met had hunters in blaze orange with trigger happy fingers....

My grandma was having a better day and she had a huge line-up for visitors later in the day. I got to hang out for a few hours and then spend a few more hours watching my Aunt Heather bake cardamom rolls and visiting with my cousin Brooke about her upcoming wedding. My dad and Cindy and I went to a movie at the theatre and though it's nicely renovated, it was still the same old theatre from my youth. We saw Flicka and I was pleased to see my aunt and uncle and cousin slide into the seats behind us. It was a regular family event and the theatre was packed out. For Flicka. I love it. Actually I loved the idea of it more than I actually loved the movie. That was a bit slow and simplistic. But it was a decent family flick.

On Saturday as I drove into town to visit Grandma again I noticed this deer hide collection box by the school. I can only imagine this is for some ag-related purpose.... tanning perhaps? Regardless it gave me reason to pause and I couldn't pass up a picture of this truly bizarre connection to my past.

Red, Red, Wine.....

As a response to my wine-ignorance I decided to start a wine-tasting group. I don't expect to ever become highly knowledgeable or reach an "expert" level, but I am hoping to discover if I prefer red or white..... sweet or dry..... THAT could be a good starting place. I'd also like to be able to successfully match various wines to their proper color and sweet/dry status. (what a goal, eh?) Having next to no experience in the matter aside from boxed white zinfandel at friend's house or sampling what the relatives bring to our Christmas day event, I am starting from scratch.

I hosted our first gathering, which meant I provided food (meat, cheese, crackers, artichoke dip, grapes etc.) and I provided some music which was a side feature.... Seven friends showed up and we had a grand time. We discussed some name options for our group. Pam had some great ideas and we settled on Kindred Spirits, though we were leaning toward Corks and Cleavage (because we are just that kind of group!) We sampled a cabernet sauvignon, a shiraz cabernet blend, a pinot grigio, a local wine... honey apple wine made in Casselton, and a moscato di pantellario that Matt brought back from Rome. I think my favorite might be the first wine we tried, the cabernet sauvignon, and that truly surprised me because it was pretty dry in comparison with the others. However I felt it was the most flavorful. With the exception being, the Tanit (the moscato) which was like drinking liquid raisins... that one had a lot of flavor! Five bottles of wine was the perfect amount and everyone got to taste something and no one drank too much. In short, it was a lovely Thursday night. We'll meet again in early January and decide then if we want to do this monthly or bi-monthly. We tried to decide if we wanted to limit our choices to either red wines or white wines or specific kinds.... but for the next meeting we just decided to pick a region.... our pick? Australia. If you have any suggestions on a good wine from an Australian region, feel free to comment!

Check out the new blog that will detail my adventures in wine tasting!

'Snot Fun

I managed to catch a cold on Halloween and it's lingering, trying to decide if it's getting worse or better. I was feeling spry all day Sunday as I tripped around town running errands in the warm weather. But by 10 pm I was starting to feel pretty low and so I succumbed to the devil of cold medicine and took a Contac, which years ago (when they still had capsules) used to do the trick. It's a 12 hour pill and yet in recent years because of problems with the manufacture of meth or other "abused" drugs that require cold medicines, the companies changed their formulas. Now NOTHING works to make my head colds better. I took a pill at 10:30 pm and went to sleep. I awakened at 2:00 am to a head so full of snot loosening and dripping that I used about half a box of kleenexes and gagged and coughed for about an hour before I finally was able to go back to sleep. It was like my brain was melting or there was some sort of mucus factory in my head. I haven't been that miserable in awhile. If I were smart I might have called in sick today instead of going to work and infecting everyone around me, if in fact, I am contagious. But I realize I have a job where a missed day is twice as much work as it would be if I'd just go in and go through the motions. I was cursing the failure of cold medications last night and the failure of my body to repair itself and stop this ridiculous sinus/head cold. I don't think I've slept an entire night of sleep in a week. It's starting to wear on me. Look out. I might start writing delirious nonsense.

Reading, Watching, Listening..... September/October in Review

What I Was Reading in September/October
Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks
The Tent by Margaret Atwood
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

I've actually managed to finish nearly all of these books except Never Let Me Go and I just started that on the 31st.. so it hardly counts as an October book. I completely disliked Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks. It immediately went into the discard pile. Running with Scissors wasn't a favorite either. I had heard him compared to David Sedaris and I'm sorry but it's no comparison. I found myself stuck in the horror zone without any humor there to trigger a smile. It was absurd and awful, but not amusing at all. The Tent is an unusual read. It's a collection of short stories, prose poems, satirical snippets... I really don't know how to describe it. Some of it I loved, other bits simply mystified me. Included are illustrations by the author. I wrote down a list of my favorite parts and now I can't find it. Sorry. Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson started out promising but was a letdown by the finish. The best story in this short story collection may have been the very first one: "Charlene and Trudi go Shopping." Her tales were all sort of depressing and not in a good way. I guess combining Atwood and Atkinson in such a confined space of time may have been a bad move. Fast Food Nation is one I am reading with some students at school andI've not made it very far, even though it's a reread for me.

The book I liked best was Wicked. I talk about it more here. I'd recommend it but it appears to be daunting to some. I am now VERY eager to see the musical and I've got a copy of Son of a Witch here for November!

What I was watching in September/October
On TV
Grey's Anatomy
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Two and a Half Men
The New Adventures of Old Christine
Six Degrees
The Office
Desperate Housewives
Brothers and Sisters
Lost Seasons 1-3
PBS Documentary on Andy Warhol

The new fall schedule for TV has put a serious crimp on my TV viewing... that combined with the need to watch all of seasons one and two of LOST. Project Runway is done now and I was glad Jeremy won, even though I didn't like him all that much I thought his collection was great. I did love Uli and it really was a toss up for me. Michael was very disappointing in that I liked almost everything he did during the season but then his collection was terrible. Sigh. Dancing with the Stars is heating up and I've already talked about that show a bit too much.

I am still watching The Office, Grey's Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives this season but I've added The New Adventures of Old Christine (terrible name for a show) and Two and a Half Men. I find that I really am enjoying BOTH of those new Monday night shows. Christine is a bit like Elaine but her relationship with her brother is great. I get a big kick out of him. The Office continues to amaze me with the depths to which Michael manages to sink.

New shows I have started watching are Studio 60, Brothers and Sisters, and Six Degrees and I like all of them so far or I'd have given up on them. I am a fan of Matthew Perry in his role on Studio 60, and though I don't care for Calista Flockhart, I do find myself enjoying Brothers and Sisters. Six Degrees might be the show I discard if I'm gonna ditch any.

LOST consumes me if I think about it too much. It's best if I don't. I have theories. They aren't well thought out. I do love this show.

The documentary on Andy Warhol was another one of those American Masters specials on PBS and I really liked getting to know this artist that way.


On DVD
Ultraviolet
Friends With Money
The Libertine
The New World
A Good Woman
The Good Thief
The Cooler
Match Point
Connie and Carla
The Three Musketeers
An Unfinished Life
Thank You For Smoking
The Cat's Meow
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Curious George
Hoot

Many of these titles I watched back in September and I watched few films in October for the same reason I couldn't get around to writing this post--life was out of control. Of these titles I liked nearly all of them except Ultraviolet, which was a little too cheesy. I reminded me of that Final Fantasy movie and I guess a bit like Aeon Flux. It wasn't terrible but not just not great. Friends with Money had promise because of the cast, but I was unsatisfied with it. I wanted some more laughs or a warm feeling and instead I was left with a similar feeling as I had with watching Jennifer Aniston in The Good Girl. The Libertine was also one that I didn't like much at all. I love Johnny Depp but this one wasn't a favorite. I wouldn't recommend it.

On the other hand, The New World left me eager to know more about the true story of what happened with John Smith and Pocahantas. The actress who played her was wonderful and I found myself really liking this remarkably "silent" film for its beauty and depiction of a historical time. And lest you get confused A Good Woman is nothing like A Good Girl. Based on an Oscar Wilde play, A Good Woman ,stars Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson and is set in Italy. I won't say too much and give away the plot, but if you enjoy Wilde's wit and his clever plot lines you'll like this film too.

While we are talking about all things "good" let me say I also enjoyed The Good Thief. This is a remake of Bob Le Flambeur, the french film I watched in August about a gambler. This version is also set in France but the gambler is an American, played by Nick Nolte. I loved the way it compared to the original and how they updated it, though I did feel that the original Bob had a bit more style and class. I should probably have written an entire post just on those films. If you watch Bob Le Flambeur, I'd recommed The Good Thief as a way to extend the experience.

The Cooler is set in Las Vegas and it's a bit dreary. William H. Macy, Maria Bello, and Alec Baldwin star in this film about Macy's job as a "cooler" a person who has an aura of "bad luck" about him that uses that "power" to make people lose... things are going well for him until he finds his "lady luck." This one was pretty good and if you like casino, mob type films I'd recommend it. Woody Allen's film Match Point was different from most of his and though it got rave reviews over at Midwestern Position I am not sure I'd rank it that highly. I did like it better than Closer, though. This entire film made me uneasy, but I was sucked in desperate to know if Jonathan Rhys Meyers was going to get caught. In this movie too, luck was of utmost importance. And for that I enjoyed the film more... Scarlett Johansson's temper tantrum on the street outside his work place was particularly unsettling in that fatal attraction vein.

One film I had never heard of but watched upon recommendation was Connie and Carla and I loved it. Toni Colette and Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) play lounge singers on the run. It's reminiscent of Billy Wilder's Some Like it Hot only in reverse when they hide out as drag queens. I thought this film was loads of fun with great song and dance numbers.

The Cat's Meow is a Peter Bogdanovich film I've rented many times and never gotten around to. This time I did and I am glad. It's based on a scrap of Hollywood legend. "In November 1924, a party of showbiz A-listers—including Charlie Chaplin, British novelist Elinor Glyn, gossip maven Louella Parsons, and silent-film star Marion Davies—gathered aboard the yacht of media magnate William Randolph Hearst to celebrate the birthday of studio mogul Thomas Ince. According to the story, one of the partiers ended up with a bullet in their brain. Writer Peros's dialogue is catty and incisive in the way that only beautiful, flawed people talk; and the performances, especially Eddie Izzard (as Chaplin) and Kirsten Dunst (as the vastly under-appreciated Davies) are excellent. "Works as a reminder that Bogdanovich, who hasn't made a feature film since 1993, is still very much a force as a director—and as another signal of Dunst's astonishing talent" (Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times). She said it so well, I decided to go with her description!

An Unfinished Life is a family drama featuring an all-star cast of Morgan Freeman, who plays the injured-by-bear friend and ranch worker, Robert Redford, as the angry, embittered father who lost a son and didn't even know he had a grand daughter, and Jennifer Lopez, as a battered daughter-in-law on the run with nowhere to go but the one place she's least welcome. It's a nice story. Thank You for Smoking had such a build-up that I sort of expected more. I did like it though. I thought the circle of friends who represent alcohol, gun rights, and big tobacco were entertaining. IMDB describes it this way "a satirical comedy which follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son."

Finally, my children's movies of the month: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Hoot, and Curious George. Hoot was okay, cute and all, but I'd recommend reading the book. I enjoyed that so much more. I think I was annoyed by the soundtrack of this film and mullet fingers didn't look the way I'd imagined him. Ultimately, it's a great book and the movie is a "fair" representation that many kids would probably enjoy. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is a Terry Jones film put out in 1996 and it's a live-action version of The Wind in the Willows. They change things and while it cannot really compare to the greatness of the book, it was entertaining and I felt that the actors who played Rat, Mole, and Toad nailed their parts. You may need to be a fan of Kenneth Grahame's book The Wind in the Willows to be so enthusiastic though. Curious George, I've already gone on about in this post. I love him. He's precious and adorable and I'm buying that film even though it is "G" rated and aimed at the under age 5 audience. They did a terrific job with this film. I was so in love with that little monkey that I didn't even notice it was Will Ferrell providing the voice for the man with the yellow hat.

Foreign Films
Le Professionnel
Le Cercle Rouge
Touchez Pas Au Grisbi

Le Professionnel stars the same actor as in A bout de Souffle, Jean-Paul Belmondo, only 20 years later. It's a rather sad story about a hitman. Le Cercle Rouge stars Alain Delon, the same actor as in Le Samourai. Both were directed by Jean-Pierre Melville I liked this one quite a bit. I thought it was an interesting story and had great style. It's a heist story, essentially. Touchez Pas Au Grisbi also features Daniel Cauchy from in Bob Le Flambeur, but he's not the main character.

Classic Films
North by Northwest
Charade
Father Goose

Every time I get a good dose of classic films I am AMAZED that I have lived this long and somehow managed to miss these fantastic films. I loved, loved, loved Charade. It was this terrific blend of suspense, comedy, romance, and adventure. Audrey Hepburn was terrific and Cary Grant was at his best. I loved the shower scene, for those of you who have scene it. I thought North by Northwest was great and I'd almost felt as though I HAD seen it because of how familiar so many stills from the film are to me. Father Goose was sweet and funny. The "scavenger hunt" for rum was entertaining and I liked the marriage scene. I'm a sap.

At the Theatre
Pirates of the Carribean--Dead Man's Chest

I actually saw this one at the drive-in theatre in the very beginning of September. We loaded up on buttery popcorn and diet coke and had a great time of it. Movie-wise I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first one. Johnny Depp is still great, though.


What I was listening to in September/October

I really fell behind in all blog related posting but that doesn't mean I didn't actually listen to music because I did. On the road to Rolla for both trips to see Grandma I listened to Dwight Yoakam, Connie Smith, Patsy Cline, Wanda Jackson and sang at the top of my lungs. On one trip I listened to my Midwestern Mix CD and another mix CD I made for myself. I also listened to soundtracks to Hair, RENT, and Mamma Mia....

On vinyl I've been listening to Joni Mitchell's Blue. Thanks to Sara at The Midwestern Position's suggestion. At school I've been playing ABBA, Blondie, Neil Diamond, and more.


Here are my MP3 shuffles of the month of Sept. (I didn't update it even ONCE in Oct.)


Sept 3
You Might Think by The Cars
Bang a Gong by T. Rex
Crazy Love by Van Morrison
If You Leave Me Now by Chicago
Sweet Child of Mine by Guns and Roses

Sept 15
Wonder Boy by Lesley Gore
Bankrobber by The Clash
Time Trap by Built to Spill
These Eyes by The Guess Who
Honky Tonk Man by JOhnny Horton


Sept 23

Hey Tonight by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Best of My Love by The Emotions
Feel Like Makin' Love by Bad Company
Better Together by Jack Johnson
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

Sew Darling....

Stephanie at Little Birds has some darling creations on her blog. I'm too lazy to ask for permission to post her images so I will just link to them instead. Seriously, cute. Killing me with cuteness. She inspires me. I am paralyzed with inspiration or maybe dead. They are THAT cute.

Here are some favs.

The acorns and squirrel

The Christmas trees and another squirrel

French bunny rabbit with newsprint ears

an itty bitty bird -- Chirp!

Good Grief!

It's not Halloween without a Charlie Brown special. I missed it on TV this year and then discovered it on a blog. I watched all 25 minutes of it. Delightful. In fact, "Linus and Lucy" is one of my favorite songs...

Some favorite Linus quotes:

"Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker."

"There are three things I've learned never to discuss with people: politics, religion, and The Great Pumpkin."

"Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see...." (when refering to his pumpkin patch)

Cartoon Classics

This Halloween weekend I joined some friends at the home of Marilyn Monroe and Jesus. Among the guests were a pair of Sparrows... that's Captain Jack Sparrow... and Carla from Cheers. Holly Golightly showed us how to party and Kramer was there without any Seinfeld sidekicks... one ER/Scrubs/Grey's Anatomy dressed gal made sure we were all well medicated and Johnny Cash played a tune while Groucho Marx cracked some jokes. Of course in this bizarro world Groucho was married to Emily Gilmore and Steve Irwin even made an appearance. We had not one witch but two--one's nose is giving me nightmares... while the other is the more famous Professor Mcgonagle, quidditch enthusiast.

I opted for a cartoon classic and dressed as Olive Oyl... I may not be 96 pounds or have extremely large feet, but I thought I might be able to pull together a recognizable look and I think I succeeded. I am not some huge Olive Oyl fan but it was fun to learn a bit about her. It turns out that Popeye wasn't her first love and she actually had a comic before he was even around.

"In the late '20s, Olive was the star of Thimble Theater, E.C. Segar's daily comic strip that revolved around the Oyl family. Thimble Theater ran in 600 newspapers. Her parents were Cole and Nana Oyle and she had a brother named Castor Oyl and a boyfriend, Ham Gravy. Hotfoot, King Bozo were also cast members..... Popeye soon replaced hapless Ham Gravy in Olive's affections. Their first kiss occurred Aug. 27, 1929, when Olive planted a big wet one on Popeye's nose... and by the early '40s the strip had been renamed Popeye." read more here.

I was truly impressed with the calibre of costumes at this event and my very favorite has to be my fellow cartoon legend--Marge Simpson. I've always admired her spirit and her amazing beehive. (Some of you know I've been mildly obsessed with the beehive hairdo for years.) With Marge there is much to love and it's funny how I can hear her voice saying, "Oh, Homey..." just as clearly as I can hear Olive saying "Oh, Popeye..." The costume was so simple and yet so PERFECT. I understand the hair to be a blue furnace filter. I love it!

Ball Jars and Baby Kitties... My Visit to the Farm

I recently made a trip north to visit my Grandma. Since I was "in the neighborhood" I made a point to stop and visit my dad. Of course we had a nice chat and I entertained him (not so much) by playing "You are my Sunshine" on my harmonica. I got to see two teeny-tiny baby kittens in the quoncet and I mourned the loss of some beloved trees that were removed because they'd taken out some power lines in a recent storm. Then while I sipped my afternoon coffee, my dad and I talked lefse. He made his first attempt at the art of lefse making last week and was disappointed with the results. Since I did make 18 batches of it last fall, I had a few words of wisdom and that felt nice. I think he'll try again soon and I've no doubt it will be perfection.

Before I left the farm he decided to load me up with a pumpkin, some potatoes, an onion or two, some carrots (still in the garden) and some canned goods. First off, we set off to fetch the carrots and discovered that some very resilient and determined deer had beaten us to it and the remaining rows of carrots were mostly all rooted out of the ground and eaten by deer! Apparently, my pa has never seen anything like it. Then he decided to show me his pantry and I think he was pretty pleased to see my amazement. Yeah, my dad has been canning all fall. He sent me home with beet pickles, dill pickles, salsa, green beans and he had a lot more on those shelves. Those canned goods aren't the sort you find at the store... they are the real deal made with a pressure cooker. He had several kinds of salsa, whole tomatoes and more.

I am sure to some this seems a bit odd, but my dad has always held a number of roles. He can cook and likes to make delicious meals for his guests. They are often nothing short of a thanksgiving meal on an average day. His gardens produce a lot of produce and something must be done with the harvest. So canning is a must. I think he's a bit like an experimental scientist who likes to try new varieties and different planting times with the garden and that carries over to the kitchen where he's not afraid to try new things as well. I am excited to sample the goods I brought home and am eager to see if my lefse tips will prove helpful.


P.S. I grew up on that sort of canned good stuff... we never bought store bought canned beans or dill pickles... Those Ball jars are loaded with nostalgia as well as green beans and it makes me miss that.

The Mambo King or Emmitt Smith, How I Love Thee.....

Dancing With the Stars is a little something I enjoy each week. Now, don't get me wrong... I pretty much can't stand either host or any of the extra stuff, but the dancing is first rate. (I record the show on my DVR and then fastforward all the parts I don't like) I am constantly impressed with the ability of the celebrities to learn new dances each week and then perform at the level they do. I can tell a lot of people think this is the Joey Lawrence and Mario Lopez show... but I could really see Emmitt Smith winning it all.

I do love "Slater" and he is pretty amazing on the dance floor. And yet, I have to say that the total package is Emmitt. Not only is he fully committed to the dances, he is articulate in the interviews. He's a nice guy and serious and sexy too. That man can really move. I think America is seeing him in a new light and discovering that there is a lot more to this football player. He's an athlete, sure, but his versatility is evident and he seems to be able to juggle his career, his family, and now this, with what appears to be ease. In the end, I think that's what makes him really great. He seems so focused, controlled and relaxed all at the same time. When he is dancing I see grace and power, and there is no doubt that he knows what he is doing and he's REALLY doing it. I wanted to show a friend one of his dances on You Tube and I couldn't decide which one... I find that I love them all. Just talking about this makes me a little weak in the knees.




Awww heck... check out ALL the performances here.

Still Here

Life has really been kicking me in the ass lately... for example I actually wrote this very post two days ago but then when I tried to publish it, I discovered my internet and cable were down for the next 12 hours because of my ISP's local updates.

I look back at this month on the blog and see a mere three posts and I'm sorry. I hope to be back full-force soon. I really do hate the fall of every year... September, October, and November are three months in which people seem to want to CRAM every little thing in.... I think it's an effort by the world to make teachers pay for those months off in the summer....

And like I said, it's not been all unicorns and sunshine lately.

Still one good thing happened on Tuesday at my final harmonica class. I won a "door-prize" for correctly identifying Steven Segal as the vocalist on a particular cd. Seriously.

And the prize was a black baseball hat stitched with the slogan "Flannery for Sheriff" Rumor has it, I could get $400 for this on Ebay!

Making Music.... Mouthing Off

Last night was my second week of harmonica lessons. I am taking a continuing education class and so far I've learned how to suck and blow. Hmmmm... My colleague, Marcia, and I are learning together and it's a hoot. We have a variety of ages in class... it ranges from a nine-year-old boy to a 93-year-old man. Right now, I am mystified by the concept of bending notes and in figuring out how to play single notes (do I pucker or tongue slap?). I think I may need remedial harmonica but so far we ARE having fun. Today in the lounge, Marcia was telling animated stories about class and kept using the terms "suck and blow" and I finally said perhaps we should say "draw" instead of "suck" and she grinned and she said... "Sure, and soon enough we'll all be saying... Man, this really draws!" (a little harmonica humor there for you!)

Too Much Excitement for Me ...

I seriously need to stop watching episodes of Lost before bed. I've seen 10 episodes of season one in a handful of days and I am already addicted. Very suspenseful. TOO SUSPENSEFUL. I am having Lost related dreams... I don't handle "scary" well...

Sometimes Curiosity Pays Off

This has to be the cutest little movie. Or maybe it's just an excuse to hang out with the cutest little monkey. Either way, I loved it.