Liza's imaginatively titled weblog

Why hello there!

2010-02-01T21:52:00.005-05:00

I promise to blog about our new news (what? Pregnant? Wasn't even trying? Well no, not THAT month, anyway) on my other blog, Bastante Bien, hopefully in the next day or two. It's been a bit crazy since November when we confirmed that Geoffrey and I are indeed, "in a family way," and with two classes and teaching one seminar, well, my procrastination talent kicks into high gear.

That's not entirely true, of course. Geoffrey's been amazing, sorting through all of our books and toys to essentially DE-feather our nest before our little one arrives. And over the weekend, while we were sorting through cookbooks (so many cookbooks!) I heard the new BNL single, "You Run Away." I didn't even think about it until the DJ announced it was a new BNL song (I was listening to 96.7 btw - I love me some crazy Canadian programming). Hunh. I was a bit underwhelmed, but with BNL, I find that I have to be beat over the head with it a few times and then I'm sold.

So here's the official release via YouTube:

I know that many of the comments on this song (there are already a few on the video) will include a lament about Steven Page leaving the band last year. For me, it does seem as though this song is missing an element of dense harmonization I had come to expect and love from BNL. But on this song, I think it's on purpose. A sort of acknowledgement of loss, of change, of moving on. I'm not sure who is singing which part, but it mostly sounds like Ed is harmonizing with himself.

That's not to say that all future songs will sound like this. This brilliant acoustic version of "For You" with Ed and Kevin shows that they'll be just fine. Things change.

There will be a lot of changes coming over the next few months. I hope to be better about sharing them with you here and in my other blog. See you soon!

^_^

Sometimes you just gotta take a break...

2009-08-08T13:39:00.001-04:00

Tip to toe, originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

I'm finishing up a week off from work and then the rest of August will be spent trying to get back on a schedule. Hopefully that will include more regular blogging too.

Classes begin in three weeks, yikes!

^_^

CHESS in Concert live at Albert Hall

2009-06-21T14:49:00.001-04:00

CHESS in Concert live at Albert Hall, originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Initial verdict: for completists and fans of Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal or Josh Groban only.

I loooooove this musical. I don't necessarily love every recording of it. And there are quite a few recordings of it at this point. Still, I was thrilled as punch to see this disc (and the "Highlights from" single disc) at Target. Target! CHESS! Wow!

But, I am sad to say, this version of the musical does not thrill me. Josh Groban is great, Adam Pascal is great. But Idina seems to be channelling either Maureen from RENT (she played Mimi in the Original Broadway Cast) or Ani di Franco, who tends to use her nasal delivery as a tongue-in-cheek affect. Menzel's Florence is brash and brassy and not in a good way.

Also glaring to me are the lyrics, written by the brilliant Tim Rice, which seem to be diluted and diminished with each successive recording. Brilliant turns of phrase have been changed to be more obvious and incidental music and dialogue added to, well, I'm really not sure for what purpose other than to appeal to the some sort of musical adoring crowd who can't infer what's going on.

A few year's back the Actor's Fund of America staged a similar production with Groban and Pascal but with Julia Murney as Florence and Sutton Foster (seen more recently as Coco in Season 1 of Flight of the Conchords) as Svetlana. Maybe now that the book rights seem to have been straightened out, that version can be released. You can see footage of that production on YouTube - unfortunately, it's a fairly motley collection of rehearsal and concert footage: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=89D620D139A4E313&search_query=chess+2003

As a completist (more or less), I am glad to have the 2008 version in my library (I still need the flawed and doomed Broadway version) and I will most likely seek out the DVD or at least try to record the concert on PBS.

Ultimately, the original concert album, followed by the amazing Danish version (sung in English) are my top picks for anyone who wants to really hear why so many people are oddly obsessed with this musical. I am sure there will be passionate debates about who is the best Florence or Anatoly or what the ultimate recording is/was/would be - but at least this means that CHESS has not faded into obscurity and will hopefully continue for many years ahead.

A very belated thank you!

2009-05-05T09:46:00.001-04:00

DSCF1228, originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Geoffrey had these gorgeous flowers sent to my office as an end-of-the semester surprise. The note says, "I just wanted to give you something to look at other than a student or a computer screen. Love, Geoffrey."

*sigh* I love that man.

That evening, Geoffrey also gave me MONO:

These plush microbes are so cute, you almost forget how icky they can be in real life!

Thank you, sweetie. I'm a very lucky girl!

^_^

WANT!

2009-04-02T08:36:00.003-04:00

I was catching up on my Google Reader and there was a picture of a billboard for something called Gama-Go. I clicked on it and found a bunch of super cute, limited edition stuff, including this bag. The design is called "Ninja Kitty." Hopefully they don't sell out anytime soon - this might be my birthday splurge!

^_^

New Blog - "Bastante Bien"

2009-03-26T17:51:00.002-04:00

daffodils banner 2.jpg
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much
bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

- Bob Perks

This was the thought behind titling my new blog, "Bastante Bien." I still want to keep this blog for the fun and funny things that interest me (and I hope interest you, too), but the new blog will be to track my progress in changing my eating habits and trying to start a family.

Just as a warning, this new blog will be a bit on the girly side, in terms of talking about my potential diagnosis with PCOS - Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome. I hope to write in a way that will be interesting to anyone who stumbles across it, but it will also be a way for me to journal the side effects (good and bad!) of beginning treatment.

See you either here or there!
^_^

Oh yeah, summer is on the way

2009-03-22T19:00:00.002-04:00

And with it - amazing songs on the radio like this:
"Lucky" Official Video With Colbie Caillat

I know, this album isn't new - it came out nearly a year ago, but I was listening to the radio (96.7, oh how I love those crazy Canadians) and heard this and had to track it down. I'll bet every wedding from here to September will be playing this at least once. And deservedly so.

^_^

A new start

2009-03-21T21:49:00.001-04:00

A new start
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

I will most likely be blogging about my trials and tribulations with trying to lose weight on a joint venture with my cousin Joann, but for now, I wanted to jot down a few thoughts before I forgot them all. At least I can blame the medication if I do!

On Monday, March 16, I had a second visit to my new ob/gyn. Pre-Med students, take note - bedside manner extends beyond the bedside and it can be the difference between a patient who listens to what you have to say, not to mention one who actually decides to return to your office and one who either disregards what you suggest or doesn't come back. Suffice it to say, I haven't seen my old ob/gyn for at least 4 years.

Old ob/gyn (which sounds like one of the background nicknames for the dancer on the left in CATS) clearly missed tons of clues about why after three years of not not trying, I still wasn't pregnant. Now, I fully disclose that I have been overweight since, like, the fourth grade, but still, this new doctor got it in one and I am now have a tentative diagnosis of PCOS - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. I'll spare you the gory details (or at least save them for the new blog, lol), but at least now I feel like I have more of the bigger picture to work with.

It's funny, my parents both have/had type II diabetes, and I know how I'm supposed to be eating, sleeping, and moving, but until the reality of needing to lose weight becomes more concrete, it's easier to put things off until tomorrow and just have another slice of pizza. I still plan to be able to have that piece of pizza, only it will now be a bit smaller and accompanied by a large salad.

One thing I noticed about today - it's Saturday, and obviously, my weekends are less structured than my normal Monday - Friday routine. Today was a bit difficult because I was more in tune with my urges to munch on something - was I actually hungry? And what if I was, what was a good snack? Today's answer? A slice of whole wheat toast with exactly one serving of marmelade and some raspberry leaf tea. Not a lot, but just enough.

I'm not following any actual diets, and I'm looking at the Nutrition Panel primarily to work out proper portions and to avoid excessive fat/salt/nasty stuff. I don't want this to be a diet, I want it to be a lifestyle change. So this pic is of my new food sleep/food/water log. My plan is to become more aware of what I am eating and hopefully not become so aware as to be obsessed. Wish me luck!

^_^

I've been tumbl'd!

2009-02-05T22:29:00.003-05:00

It's not what you think - unless you mean being included as a short featured quick post on someone's tumblr, then why yes, I guess it is: John Commoner's tumblr, Jan. 11

Oh, web 2.0, when will you stop teasing me with all your promises of social networking and connectedness? I must say, tumblr is very tempting in the "here's where I can post what I think is cool and not say why" category, like examining how someone decorated their high school locker as a way of seeing who they were. And not that I haven't enjoyed this blog, but I'm just not on it as much as I am on facebook (oh the shame!) and twitter. It's not that I don't think I have anything to say, I just don't seem to have the time or inclination to say it in a way that justifies having a blog. I don't journal that way, if it makes sense. The blogs I do follow all have (more or less) regular postings that constantly make it fresh and interesting, while I'm hard-pressed to post an entry more than once a month!

It's something to think about, especially since I need to start to pare down my distractions. I'll keep you posted.

^_^

John Hodgman Sings! And plays the Ukulele!

2009-01-14T22:26:00.005-05:00

Oh, I wish I was there! We were in Texas when John Hodgman came to Ann Arbor for his book tour for "More Information Than You Require," but he was sans Jonathan Coulton, whom I have blogged about numerous times before, I know.

Without further ado, here's the latest song I cannot get out of my head:

It just makes me smile - hope you do too!
^_^

Forever Wasn't You

2008-12-15T12:32:00.004-05:00

First of all, let me start by saying that I honestly have no idea which relationship spawned this little ditty. And no, I don't really have anything else remotely like this in my oeuvre. It's a lot like when "They Might Be Giants" say, "There's only two songs in me, and I just wrote the third..."

In all my life I have written what seems to be one of anything: one graduation song, one instrumental, one lullaby, and one sort of "I'll just wait right here for you, shall I?" sort of song that really requires a good guitar or banjo backup to realize its full potential. So, this is the only sort of polyphonic, Sweet Adelines, Barbershop type song I am likely to ever write. And now that box.net allows for free 1 GB of shareable uploads, I can now inflict it upon you:

Forever Wasn't You
You've come to say goodbye
(Guess it wasn't you)
Hate to see me cry
(Guess it wasn't you)
Still, it's worse to lie
(Guess it wasn't you)
Thought I'd found forever, but forever wasn't you

She's just another name
(Guess it wasn't you)
Just some faceless dame
(Guess it wasn't you)
Still you're not to blame
(Guess it wasn't you)
Thought I'd found forever, but forever wasn't you

Oh, but someday, maybe one day
She'll show you the door (the door)
You'll realize what a fool you've been
And look to me once more!

Then you'll come to me
(Guess it wasn't you)
Get on bended knee
(Guess it wasn't you)
For my love you'll plea
(Guess it wasn't you)
Thought I'd found forever, but forever wasn't you
Oh you thought I'd wait forever
But forever wasn't you

Enjoy!

^_^

A couple of funnies for you

2008-12-14T01:28:00.002-05:00

Whoo - we're down to the last couple of grains of sand for 2008. Despite having been off work for the last week (I was burning vacation time), I've just barely scratched the surface of the bajillion things I would like to cross of my "To Do" list. It is not very often that I keep such a list because I often find them rather overwhelming and depressing, rather than empowering, but I guess I'll have to find a way to reframe that if I'm gong to get through this doctoral degree.

Did I mention that I was taking classes towards an EdD? And yes, you can say that as, "Eeeeedddddd?" just like in the Lion King.
(I do - makes me giggle). I am officially one semester out of nine done. I'm not sure what I will do afterwards, except cross another item off that imaginary, soon to be not-so-imaginary list.

In the meantime, here are a couple of things from here and there, hither and thither, over and under, etc. etc. etc. that have helped me stay sane during this crazy semester. Maybe they'll work for you, too.

Simon's Cat

Poor Geoffrey - he introduced me to this gem of a cartoon and now if my cat Max goes to climb all over us, I have to laugh. I have been known to place a paw on his cheek while he's trying to sleep too (Geoffrey, I mean. My cat could care if I touched his cheek while he was sleeping).

And my second funny is in the form of a new Christmas carol. Geoffrey and I have a great collection of alternate holiday music, either unconventional covers or remixes of the classics, or new songs, such as "Christmas is Interesting" by Jonathan Coulton. More on Coulton after the lyrics below.

Here the song gets additional backup help from Paul and Storm (formerly of DaVinci's Notebook for any of you barbershop quartet fans out there):

Christmas Is Interesting
You have put on your feety pajamas
It's time for a long winter's nap
There's a knock on the door and a stranger is there
He wants you to sit on his lap
He takes your watch and he gives you a hairbrush
Your wife gets a wig on a chain
He says he can't stay
Cause he's got a long way to go
And it's starting to rain

Chorus:
Christmas is interesting
Like a knife in your heart
Christmas is interesting
How it tears you apart
Christmas is interesting
Like a stick in your eye
It's so freaking interesting
That it might make you cry

So you're an elf, but you'd rather be a dentist
Maybe you're a train with square wheels
Maybe you're a squirt gun that only shoots jam
Now you know how Jesus feels
He is riding a sleigh he calls Rosebud
His mansion is lonely and cold
He can't remember a pleasant December
When he wasn't tired and old

Chorus

So you're drunk and your name is Jimmy Stewart
You once had a wonderful life
Then you lost all your money, you cracked up your car
You yelled at your favorite wife
You go to bed and you wait for Jacob Marley
He comes to make you feel brave
But under his cloak he is nothing but smoke
And a finger that points at your grave

Chorus

Both Jonathan Coulton and Paul and Storm are well worth checking out if you like geeky harmonic pop, along the lines of They Might be Giants, Flight of the Conchors, and some Barenaked Ladies, but with a crazy twist all their own. You can find primers (and free downloads) for both on their respective websites: www.jonathancoulton.com and www.paulandstorm.com.

That's it for me - I'm off to bed. Later!

^_^

Pre-cable TV childhood memories

2008-11-15T23:01:00.002-05:00

Growing up in Detroit, we had the usual national networks, plus the UHF stations (young 'uns, don't ask, just wikipedia or Google it), and the occasional bonus of good stuff on CBC - channel 9 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Channel 9 had Mr. Dress-up and the Polka Dot door, and a few other shows that seem surreal now, more like a dream.

As Geoffrey started to make his way through the incredible game, Little Big Planet, the introduction included a theme that made me exclaim, "That's the Canadian show with the grasshopper logo song!"

And crazy enough, simply searching for the words, "Canadian Children television grasshopper," I hit the jackpot and found a site about Vision On:

I didn't realize how much of that show I actually remembered and attributed to other sources, like odd episodes of Benny Hill or Monty Python or my sleep deprived imagination!

But it was the Gallery song that I remembered best, and if it didn't make me giddy happy then, for whatever reason it does now:

Thank goodness for the collective memory of the internets!
^_^

Fall and Friends

2008-09-14T15:53:00.002-04:00

Goodness, did I really skip August? Well, it rather feels like it skipped, hopped, ran and bulldozed over ME, so I guess we're even.

Though Fall as a season doesn't really start until the 22nd, Fall as a semester began two weeks ago. When I was much younger, and I know I've mentioned this before, but I often felt like the older maiden aunt whom everyone hung out with until they formed their own cliques and intrigues. This never seemed more apparent to me than at the start of each school year. I didn't really have any close friends on my block so I would come back feeling just as maidenly and frumpy as ever, while my peers seemed to gain a new sophistication over the summer that I couldn't place. It didn't occur to me to be angry or resentful enough about it to change - I just always felt like fourteen going on forty. I cherished the friendships I did have, pined over the boys I couldn't have and alternated between being overly clingy and dismissive of the boys who would. It was quite a relief to leave high school behind and start college.

Now, many years later, Fall has its own nostalgia to it that is not unlike sipping cold cider. It's earthy, sweet and at its best, seasonal. Some years I'll get quite a few friends looking me up in the Fall - there seems to be a window just before the craziness of the holidays that invites providence and coincidence to tea and manages to bring a lost friend or two back to me. Fall is also rather close to my birthday and so I suppose it's a lot like New Year's Eve or even Rosh Hashanah - a time for setting aside the old and looking to begin something new.

This year, in addition to feeling the adding of yet another ring to my circumference (and circumstance, hahahaha, I kill me!), I have started classes towards my doctorate in education. I didn't think I would get to this point of taking classes again so soon, of seeing the end of one road approaching and needed to forge my own off-road path.

So thank goodness for friends, and cider, and donuts, and beginnings. And for DVD, which brought me my very own copy of "Peter's Friends" from 1992 (!). I remembered that I liked it, but had forgotten why, and here's one of the scenes that reminds me why, as well as makes me think fondly of friends past and present:

^_^

Yup, I threw these!

2008-07-20T21:42:00.002-04:00

07/10/08
Originally uploaded by paulandstorm.

And no, I wasn't wearing them at the time!

After a slight pause for being misplaced, the pair of panties (really, a thong very much not in my style given to me as an Avon freebie by (shudder) my mom), thrown at the Crofoot at the July 10, 2008 Jonathan Coulton with Paul and Storm show in Pontiac, MI. They have now been included in the hallowed hall of the "Gallery of Thrown Panties."

For a more photos from the concert, visit my Flickr stream here
and Paul and Storm's The Gallery of Thrown Panties at www.paulandstorm.com.

^_^

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

2008-07-16T22:26:00.002-04:00

Ok, so the first episode premiered already. But the second one comes out tomorrow followed by the third installment and then on July 20th - poof! - it's gone. If you love Joss Whedon, Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Super Villians, Musicals (or love to laugh at how bad they can be), or just plain old have 10 minutes to kill - check this out. Don't be the last to know!

^_^

Kitty Deluxe

2008-06-23T10:25:00.001-04:00

Meow
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

A couple of weekends ago, my cousin Clair and I hung out and I took her to the cutest gift shop - Kitty Deluxe. Kitty Deluxe is run by the very cool Cat Massof, her sister Jennifer and their Mom, Cheryl. It's the sweetest pink house packed floor to ceiling with unique gifts and handmade jewelry. Whether you are looking for something for yourself, or for a special person (young or young-at-heart), Kitty Deluxe rocks!

Click on the photo above for a link to my ever-growing set of Kitty Deluxe pics. Thanks to Cat for letting me have such a great time photographing her amazing shop :)

^_^

Geek Pop Culture Monkey Pirate Concert - interested?

2008-06-07T09:00:00.003-04:00

With a little help from JoCo
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Hey everybody!

Geoffrey and I just bought tickets to go see one of my favorite indy geek performers, Jonathan Coulton (for listening suggestions, go to: http://www.jonathancoulton.com/primer/listen/

Coulton recently gained a few more points of 'net notoriety for writing the song, "Still Alive," for the closing credits of the Orange Box game, Portal. It's sort of a mini-game for Half-Life. He's also done an acoustic rendition of "Baby Got Back." If that's not geeky enough, I'm not sure what is. Geoff and I saw the show in Chicago and it was great fun. Major influences include They Might be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, and Dan Fogelberg.

If you're interested, let me know and we'll figure out a way to meet up. Here are the details:
Thursday July 10 at 8 PM
The Crofoot (Pontiac, MI)
With Paul and Storm, All Ages
Tickets: www.thecrofoot.com/events/235.html
www.thecrofoot.com/
Tickets are $15.00 each with $8.75 service charge per two tickets.

Unfortunately, it is a Thursday night and the show is at 8 pm, but I'm willing to use up some long overdue vacation time to sleep in a little the next day.

I hope you'll be able to come along, or at the very least, explore a new artist from the comfort of your own home.
Liza

PS - Try listening to "Ikea." Then try to get the catchiness out of your head - mwahahahaha!

PPS - Thanks for the reminder, Frank!

"The stars will always shine, the birds will always sing..."

2008-05-23T23:32:00.002-04:00

I remember my brother offering to mix me a tape once, and I took too long to get him the list, but I remember that one of my geeky dance pleasures was the "Always Coca-Cola" dance remix from 1993. I was a year out of high school at that point, so don't ask me where I heard it, but it was just too catchy to ignore. And thanks to the wonders of YouTube, I can now inflict my guilty pleasure on you. And not just the 50 second commercial version, oh no. This is the full three minutes plus version.

One of the comments on a version of the video claims that "Another Night" by the Real McCoy was inspired by this tune. What do you think?

Oh 1993, you crazy thing, you!

^_^

superpowers

2008-05-14T14:01:00.001-04:00

superpower.jpg
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

John Hodgman points out that the Vancouver Olympic mascots not only include a Sasquatch but that they also have their own mascot: areasofmyexpertise.blogspot.com/2008/05/quatchi.html

Their website even pays indirect homage to Hodgman by asking their version of "Which superpower would want?"

First of May! NSFW

2008-05-01T10:09:00.002-04:00

NSFW = Not Suitable For Work (or small children, for that matter!)

Jonathan Coulton with Paul and Storm

Recorded by Gle3n live at the Paul Gleason Theater 9-12-07

Enjoy! ^_^

Oh thank goodness

2008-03-31T22:43:00.003-04:00

Barenaked Ladies started their own independent label when their obligation to Reprise was completed in 2003 with "Everything to Everyone." They began "Desperation Records" and released "Barenaked for the Holidays," which while fun, isn't one of their most even-keeled (though really, check it out for "Elves' Lament," you'll listen to it in mid-July, it's that catchy). So, Geoffrey and I were a little concerned when the band released what essentially amounted to a 29 song double album within a five month period, "Barenaked Ladies are Me" and the follow-up, "Barenaked Ladies are Men" back in 2006. The songs seemed a bit remote, and hard to access. It seemed like work.

I assumed that the guys were running a bit loose without needing to worry about radio airplay and other trappings of being on contract to a major record label and resigned myself to not loving either BLAM record. I was happy for them, because by all accounts they seem to be having more fun and getting more joy from the process. But I felt a little out of sync and I missed my most beloved band.

I suppose I could have plowed through Ed Robertson's YouTube "Bathroom Sessions" for acoustic versions of the tracks, but there is something about the entire band performing on stage.

Fast forward to now. We needed to burn up a downloads on emusic.com, and they had the full album for the "All-New Revue* Live from the Glenn Gould Studio." I had heard one of the tracks as a B-side, and much like the live tracks on Maroon, these versions just seem a little easier to get into and fall in love with. I think it's because BNL is so good live and they do such an amazing job with whatever the five of them can do onstage without extra production or layers, that these tracks just resonate more with me.

So, if the last BnL releases left you a little cold, try giving this a listen. I'm just happy to have my guys back.

^_^

Sleep well, sweet cat

2008-02-08T01:33:00.001-05:00

Nikita sleeps
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

My eldest cat, Nikita, passed away shortly after midnight today. She was a kitten when I graduated from high school, so that makes her 16.

Nikita, or Nikki, was an ornery grande dame who survived moving from my mom's house to two other apartments before we bought the house is Harper Woods. She was a cranky, feisty cat who would love you and then nip you, just because she could. I somehow felt safe when Nikita was around, because she seemed like the sort of cat who would know if there was something dangerous lurking in the shadows. If she could sleep soundly, then I was okay.

Nikki loved my brother Alex and quickly attached herself to my husband Geoffrey when she moved out with me. She was fearless when it came to our two dogs, whose presence she barely tolerated. Our younger dog, Zookie, is very lucky indeed that Nikki was declawed. Zookie has a habit of taking long and in-depth sniffs of everything and when Nikitia reached her limit, bam! Bam! BAM! She'd smack at Zookie with a mean right hook.

As she got older, she got a little quirky, at it wasn't unusual for her to start yowling like a little banshee around 11:30 at night. When we finally all tucked in, she would settle herself on the bed, oftentimes somewhere on or near Geoffrey.

Nikita never really sought me out or pandered for my attention, but that doesn't mean I won't miss her. It will seem odd to not have people wonder what is wrong with me when I say I have two dogs and three cats. Somehow only having four pets seems so ordinary.

Sleep well, sweet cat. Thank you for watching over me.

L.

Wow, my photos are going places!

2007-12-17T01:32:00.000-05:00

For those of you who read my blog (all three of you, you know who you are and I love you dearly), I apologize for not updating. Especially since despite the craziness of this past semester, my photos have been included in a few places, which tickles me to no end.

To start, I received the following flickr mail on December 1:

From: Emma J. Williams

Subject: Schmap Detroit Fourth Edition: Photo Inclusion

Hi Liza,

I am delighted to let you know that your three submitted photos have been selected for inclusion in the newly released fourth edition of our Schmap Detroit Guide:

Michigan State Fairgrounds & Exposition Center
www.schmap.com/detroit/events_cultural/p=339798/i=339798.jpg

Detroit Historical Museum
www.schmap.com/detroit/tours_tour2/p=272930/i=272930.jpg

Roma Cafe
www.schmap.com/detroit/restaurants_italian/p=276372/i=276372.jpg

If you like the guide and have a website, blog or personal page, then please also check out our schmapplets - customizable widgetized versions of our Schmap Detroit Guide, complete with your published photos:

www.schmap.com/schmapplets/p=31375891N00/c=SF20742531

Thanks so much for letting us include your photos - please enjoy the guide!

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides

I had been informed earlier by Ms. Williams that my photos were under consideration, and I don't get paid for them, but that doesn't bother me at all. I'm strictly an amateur, which is why my photos are available under Creative Commons.

Back in October/November, Geoffrey and I were in Colorado to visit family (his side) and attend a conference (my side). While we were there, I stumbled upon (literally, my feet were killing me, darn new shoes) Leela European Cafe. I took a few pictures, sent it to their MySpace page, and received this message:

Hi Liza,
Thanks for the collection of photos and the great comments. I am glad that you enjoyed Leela's. I will be sure to post some of them here on myspace.
Happy Holidays,
Sadie
And sure enough, you can find the pics on their page under www.myspace.com/leelaeuropeancafe!

Remember, "you must be logged in to that", though, meaning, to see the page, click on Pics and then "Photos from Kodamakitty."

And lastly for now,
Waaaaaay back in November, I received this lovely surprise in my e-mailbox and meant to share it with every one I know.

Then everything else got in the way:

Hey, Liza! - - - - -
I'm giving a shout-out to Liza Lagman Sperl, a true Buzz fan (Buzz-ard? Buzz-tone?) who shared some lovely pics she took of her jewelry purchase - check out the homepage! I love to get your photos, letters, emails, etc. In fact they get pinned on the wall over my desk for inspiration (awwww). If anyone else would like to pass along a Buzz photo, commentary, ode, etc, I'd like to post them on my website. Don't be shy!

Til next time...
Kristen
Buzz Buzz Designs
www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com

Pretty spiffy, I must say. Which leads me to thank Geoffrey for being so patient with my hobby/obsession (it's a very fine line), my flickr friends for providing such great feedback. And an honorable mention to Frank for referring to me as "one of John Hodgman's favorite photographers." I wish!

I know there there are a few other places I've been linked to, and I'll try to post them later on (which will probably be next year). These three though, were very memorable in my book and I wanted to share them with you!

^_^

Yay, I'm on Hodgman's blog again!

2007-12-04T23:44:00.000-05:00

good evening: BE OF GOOD CHEER
Hobo Chrismoose
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

^_^

How addicted to Apple am I?

2007-11-30T00:03:00.000-05:00

68%

Thanks, anomalous4!

Happy Birthday!

2007-10-23T17:53:00.001-04:00

Dessert
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Yay! Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes :)

It's not that I never thought I would be 33, or that I even thought 33 was old. Most of the time I feel OLDER than 33! Today was a pretty good day, even though the weather is damp and cold and Geoffrey isn't feeling well and I have received 76 new messages since yesterday from an e-mail that went out at work, and we leave for Colorado on Sunday and nothing's really done and and and...

At the end of the day, I have a family I love, friends I enjoy, a job that is challenging and interesting, and a husband and companion who loves me. Life is good - I am having my cake and eating it!

^_^

Actually, the one in this photo has already been eaten - it was amazing, thanks Sonia!

It's official, summer is over

2007-09-04T23:57:00.001-04:00

I know, the first day of fall isn't until the end of September. But the start of classes always means the end of summer to me, who has never really left academia. And a song like this, Sean Lennon's "Parachutes" seems like such a perfect end of summer love song. I don't know if I LOVE the video, but the song haunts me.

It makes me think of cooler weather, sweaters, hot cider, and changing leaves...
^_^

What Color Crayon Am I?

2007-08-18T14:03:00.000-04:00

I pretty much figured it would be blue - what color are you?

You Are a Blue Crayon

Your world is colored in calm, understated, deep colors.
You are a loyal person, and the truest friend anyone could hope to find.
On the inside, you tend to be emotional and even a bit moody.
However, you know that people depend on you. So you put on a strong front.

Your color wheel opposite is orange. Orange people may be opinionated, but you feel they lack the depth to truly understand what they're saying.

What Color Crayon Are You?

^_^

Meh.

2007-08-12T13:33:00.001-04:00

Meh.
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Guaranteed, this is probably what I will look like at the end of the week; tired, a little worried, and in need of help supporting my own head.

I have a few major reports due at work, the upcoming semester is going to be crazy, for some reason I think I can squeeze in a photography class, and I probably won't see more than a day or two of vacation between now and the middle of November. FUN!

It is times like this that deep breaths are good, quick phone calls to friends are good, and remembering that I am loved is very good.

^_^

Hey! an understated Michael Bublé song!

2007-08-05T21:52:00.000-04:00

I've been listening to one of three Canadian stations that are programmed on my stereo and I tend to stay with this one the most because it's selection is so quirky. 96.7 WCHR has an eclectic format like Doug FM, but has radio DJ's who actually announce the song titles. 96.7b also tends seems to bridge a longer time span than 93.9 or 89.9. The playlist on 96.7 can go from Fergie to ELO to Heart and back again in the span of 30 minutes or less. Being a child of Adult Contemporary radio, it's a great station that generally doesn't require a lot of flipping around on my part. So I was sitting here obstensibly getting ahead with some work (it's just not happening tonight, *sigh*), when a song comes over the radio with lyrics like, "You're a carousel/you're a wishing well..."

I've heard the song before and thought the lyrics were kinda catchy, but I couldn't place the voice, so it's TO THE GOOGLE SEARCH BAR! and there it is: "Everything" by Michael Bublé.

Geoffrey and I first heard Michael Bublé when he made a guest appearance on the Barenaked Ladies Holiday album, "Barenaked for the Holidays." He was the non-Steve and non-Ed voice on "Elf's Lament," which once it gets stuck in your head, will rattle around in there, even when it isn't the Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/Solstice season. It's a fun romp and he kinda sounds like Rory Bremner, who is a massive UK personality, but probably best known for being on BBCA reruns of Whose Line is It Anyway? Come think of it, he kinda looks like him too. But I digress...

Given how much I like swing and how much I enjoyed Harry Connick, Jr.'s soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally, and really got into Big Band and Swing music, I was kinda surprised to find myself not totally enamored with Bublé's full album releases. A song or two of his would show up on a wedding CD or on the radio and I would just sort of go, "Hunh." I do understand his appeal - he's cute and young (I will admit he does have a nice smile) and he's dating an actress (Emily Blunt) and he's been well-received all over the world. But somehow, his singles just haven't really done it for me. The songs themselves are usually not to blame, but the arrangements seem overblown. It's almost like he's trying too hard - and not having the fun he did being smarmy and lounge-lizard-like on "Elf's Lament."

"Everything" is still not the Michael Bublé from "Elf's Lament" - to me he kinda sounds like a more upbeat and pop-y Maroon 5/Stevie Wonder blue-eyed soul singer. I don't know if Bublé is the man to bring swing back to popular music, and maybe he's not even really trying. I am sure he would say that he is simply trying to share the music he loves with the world. Harry Connick, Jr. was also supposed to do herald the second coming of big band and swing, but he seemed to have lost favor with the radio stations once he got engaged to a Victoria's Secret model and women everywhere could no longer feel as though he was singing just to them (which incidentally coincides with the last big Harry Connick, Jr. single I really dug, which was '"I Just Whisper Your Name"). I guess it's one of the reasons I used to collect 45's and then Cassingles and now iTune's downloads - I don't have to like an artist's entire oeuvre.

Ultimately, I think this song is very sweet and I fully expect it to be a Hallmark "Cards with Sound" just in time for Valentine's Day or as an anniversary card. If this was still 1997, I would still expect this song to be part of the "Mad About You" soundtrack. Given that Bublé is about the same age as I am, I am not surprised that this song, which is one of the songs he's written or co-written on his latest album, has that sort of vibe to it. Here's the video, which is also sweet and funny:

^_^

The happy family

2007-07-31T00:18:00.001-04:00

The happy family
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

My usually erratic posting schedule will probably be a little more so now that my brother and his wife Kara have delivered their wonderful baby. Miss Lucia Olivia was born on Friday, July 27 at 4:50 pm. She's adorable, has the longest toes, and makes the funniest squeaky noises.

Congrats to my brother and his growing family!

^_^

BNL + Tenacious D + Prince = Flight of the Conchords

2007-07-26T10:09:00.000-04:00

Just to warn you - you may need headphones to listen to this at work. You may also wish to practice not laughing out loud if you are at work as well. As a final precaution, I don't recommend drinking milk or other substances while watching this video.

Consider yourself precautioned:

^_^

So odd, it's almost cute

2007-07-23T21:51:00.001-04:00

So odd, it's almost cute
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

My Kroger has some of the oddest stuff - here's a plush Andrew Jackson next to Scully from Monster's Inc. and a teddy bear. I am not kidding - go to my Flickr set to see the full picture of Andrew in the machine.

I am trying to decide if I am sad or relieved that I didn't try to win him.

^_^

Kitty Deluxe

2007-07-23T21:15:00.001-04:00

Kitty Deluxe
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

I got to spend a few minutes on Friday and Sunday taking photos of the cool handmade jewelry and fun stuff at Kitty Deluxe. The shop is this cute little house on Harper Ave., and there are lots of windows to let in plenty of natural lighting. Since jewelry doesn't move a whole lot, and the colors of the beads were so bright and lovely, it was a total blast to walk around and capture the funky cool displays for Cat and Jennifer's wonderful craft work.

^_^

Pop Culture Convergence

2007-07-08T11:31:00.001-04:00

Dennis Miller (before he completely lost his mind) once said,
"Stop me before I sub-reference...again."

Here's an example of the convergence of pop culture references that someone in my age group (it's my 33rd birthday this year) would just barely manage to get - Daria, iPod, the original Hall and Oates song, and the Nelly referral:

I love it!
(thanks Geoffrey, by way of Clark, by way of the wonders of You Tube)

^_^

Sauce packet wisdom

2007-06-26T23:29:00.001-04:00

Sauce packet wisdom
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Oh, I hear you, little sauce packet. I hear you.

^_^

New Jonathan Coulton Song, "Octopus"

2007-06-08T08:15:00.000-04:00

As most people know by now, Jonathan Coulton is one of my major geek crushes. Thankfully the hubby is okay with that (you will always be my #1 geek crush, sweetie). Coulton, (or JoCo, for short) produced a song every week for an entire year (to get caught up, check out the "Listening Suggestions" on www.jonathancoulton.com). What started as a way to explore the creative process and maybe amuse a few friends and reassure concerned family members that really, there were more than three songs in him (and he just wrote the third), became an internet phenomenon. The songs, while not all bright and shiny winners, are consistently listenable and re-listenable. It's one hell of a sophomore album (the first full album was the 2003 "Smoking Monkey"). And it's not just one album, it's four!

Thing a Week ended in September 2006 and Coulton hit the road, accompanying John Hodgman on his book tour for "The Areas of My Expertise." He also started to combine tour stops with concerts and eventually began to tour on his own and with the dynamic duo, Paul and Storm. The fans wished him well, thanked him for the music, and bought tickets and t-shirts and box sets and tried to find other ways to get their fix through video footage from cel phones and tapings at live concerts. A happy collaboration with Ze Frank in March 2007 (you can hear "I Knows Me Some Ugly" in the NY Times Video "Jonathan Coulton: Internet Superstar" ) and a recent cover of Alanis Morisette's "You Oughta Know" helped keep the addiction fresh.

In a very un-Superstar Divo manner, JoCo has managed to post at least once a week if not more often than that, even while on the road. It's the sort of thing that "they" say can't be done, but JoCo is not one to leave his fans behind and rest on his laurels. So you can imagine the fans' excitement when JoCo announced that rather than requiring a bucket of chicken or a can of soda to watch him twiddle with knobs and sing into a microphone, he was going to allow us to be proverbial flies on the wall. Coulton set up a web cam across from his computer and for a few days streamed an hour or so via UStream.tv. To see for yourself, go here.

The feedback and practice from touring, being able to harmonize and collaborate with Paul and Storm, and just generally being a really talented singer/songwriter has resulted in a new song. It's well worth the wait. "Octopus" has all that we have come to expet and love about a JoCo song - catchy hooks and smart lyrics with tight harmonies. This isn't a bone being thrown to hungry fans to distract them with fluff. It certainly bodes well for the longevity and persistence of one of my favorite artists.

And here's the conclusion, to be delivered in end-of-an-NPR-feature style: Based on the celebration in the comments section, I don't think JoCo's career will be on the endangered species list any time in the near future.

^_^

As an added treat and in record time, Len Peralta from Jawbone Radio posted one of his amazing "Monsters by Mail" videos to commorate the new song:

Amazing Design

2007-06-04T14:00:00.000-04:00

I've blogged about this on my facebook page, but this design was too good to require a login:

Honestly, if you are looking for great (and sometimes odd) designs in limited editions, this is one of those sites.

Now, if I only looked a little better in their XL girly tee....

^_^

Memorial Day

2007-05-28T00:50:00.000-04:00

As far as I know, being the one of the first in my family to be born in the US, no one in my family has served in the US military. Since my extended family is so large, I don't know if any of my relatives have served in the military in the Philippines, either. Growing up, I didn't know what Labor Day, or Memorial Day, or Veterans Day were about. That makes this post a little difficult, since I don't really have a good frame of reference other than the internet. And we all know how impartial and balanced the information is on the 'net, right? Right.

So in doing a bit of very casual research, I found it interesting that there has been some discussion about the fact that Memorial Day is actually May 30, but that in 1971 the observance was moved to the last Monday in May, so as to give us all a three day weekend. I am sure there were more noble reasons than that, but then, we live in a day and age where tourism can dictate the first day of school, so what do I know?

Leading the charge is a distinguished serviceman who looks an awful lot like my late dad or at the very least an uncle of some sort, US Senator Inouye (HI). He's introduced a bill to change Memorial Day back to it's original date. According to us.memorialday.org, Mr. Inouye has re-introduced the bill every two years since 1989 and more often than not, the bill has faded away without co-sponsorship. What impresses me is that Mr. Inouye is himself a veteran, who lost his right arm in WWII. He was the first American of Japenese descent to serve in either House of Congress. As far as credibility is concerned, I would trust this man to represent how veterans would want their lives commorated by the nation they serve.

I am actually surprised that there isn't more momentum behind this, just in terms of getting another day off. I assume that businesses and schools don't want to deal with the extra time off, but wouldn't that translate in more money being spent somewhere else? My guess is that as a nation, we don't seem to be very comfortable with the idea of death. And the notions of death and sacrifice are even more unsettling. How do you pay your respects to that? What would a national day of mourning like without it being a specific person, like a past president? Look at what happens now with Martin Luther King, Jr. day - it's a day off but that doesn't mean that everyone knows or appreciates why it's a holiday.

I confess to enjoying days off, no matter what the reason. I would like to think of Memorial Day as a sort of Thanksgiving, where the hardships endured by many brave men and women helped shape our country. I may not like the reasons or politics behind why a person would join the military or how their time, talent or effort is utilized, but I can certainly try to honor their memory and to remember their sacrifice as well as the sacrifice made by their family and loved ones.

L.

RIP, Fuji Finepix Z1

2007-05-27T22:39:00.001-04:00

www.fujifilm.co.uk

*sigh* I am all for shiny brand new toys and I am not always able to resist the allure of being an early adopter, but I must say, I really did enjoy using my Fuji Finepix Z1, now a technologically ancient 2 years old. I have a fourth gen version on order at Best Buy since they hadn't managed to fix my "zoom error." When we purchased the Z1 back in 2005, we also paid an extra $50 for what the sales person assured us would protect my hefty investment (~ $350) from droppage, plagues of locusts, etc. After the first bump, I immediately took it in and fudged the facts a bit once the Geek Squad person dryly informed me that the Product Service Policy (PSP) did no such thing - it was merely an extension of the manufacturer's warranty, which incidentally, does not cover droppage or other natural occurances.

Thankfully, it was fixed for free, and then it suffered a small fall from my pocket again (on my birthday, no less!) So we took it in again and it got repaired again. Now normally, I would feel guily about supposedly duping Best Buy, but the truth is, the sales person duped me first. The policy never covered what he said it would (he's no longer at that store, by the way, I spoke with a manager who said that he would love to bop the folks who were using that tactic to sell PSPs). At this point, I was trying to use as much of the PSP to my advantage (under a spiffy "No Lemon" clause, if they couldn't fix my camera after three attempts and they deem it unrepairable, a PSP camera may be exchanged for one with comparable features and quality, though not necessarily price), since I am quite certain that I am still paying interest on it or something else that I charged in order to pay for it, somewhere (ah, the credit card/cash/food shell game! But that's another post...)

By the by, I waffle between feeling resentful and sorry for the Geek Squad folks at Best Buy - there are never enough of them, they have to wear what must be a somewhat uncomfortable outfit that I am sure is 50% + polyesther for durability, and clearly they are denied any sort of happiness. It just seems like the epitome of a soul-sucking job. And they have deal with some of the more computer clueless people in this world who know just enough to be not quite dangerous but think they do. On the other hand, there is a certain level of condescension and lack of creative thinking that seems to translate into mediocre customer service. Especially since there is usually no shortage of the blue-shirted Best Buy folk, who clearly have been threatened with having to wear a button down and tie if they so much as greet a person waiting for one of the Geek Squad folk.

Needless to say, Best Buy now has two levels of PSPs, one of which covers routine clumsiness. Good thing too, since the motor for the zoom sits in the same corner as the lens, which means that gravity naturally seems to pull that corner to the ground when it falls. Hence, the constant "Zoom Error." If that baby is even a tiny bit out of whack and not seated properly, the zoom won't go. I spent a good six months or so having to close and reopen the lens cover to get the error to reset and to somehow, magically, coax the lens or whatever, to take a seat and behave. Clearly, when I drop my camera I should either strap a cat or some buttered toast to it so that it drops flat. Now that I've paid extra for the added protection, I am bound not to drop this puppy - ever.

After playing with all of the floor models, the Fuji Finepix Z5 won out. It's got a nice heft, thanks to the all-metal body. As far as cameras go, it's not breaking new ground, as some of the reviews will attest, and it doesn't have the largest number of pixels. However, as I learned with the Z1, it's not just the pixel count, but how it gets used. Many of the shots I have taken on the Z1 were really good and have withstood being cropped or blown up to larger sizes. Geoffrey's been very sweet to encourage me to get my own DSLR (the job allows me to rather freely play with a great Canon Rebel XT), but I wanted something that could be chucked in a bag or used discretely without having to lug out a larger camera.

However, I wasn't going with the in-stock bright pink, no matter how many Hello Kitty totchkes I may own. One of the big reasons I had not replaced my Z1 (other than cost) was because it was the only iteration (one of my favorite words, it just has a satisfying crunch to it, don't you think? iteration) that came in black. Sexy, shiny, spying-for-some-secret-organization, black. I also couldn't bear going with the "Mocha Brown" version. Brown and Pink might be hot now, but what will I wear with it next year? (that's actually a joke, I don't consider myself that fashionable, though the amount I spend yearly on clothes might contradict that).

Best Buy has a great in-store display devoted to the Z5, though oddly enough it's not something that has caught on here in the States as much as it seems to have elsewhere. Perhaps it's because only the pink version is in stock. For all of the other cameras, the pink or red versions are special order only. According to many of the reviews I read, which were primarily from the UK, it's quite the little fashion accessory, and it's low light settings make it perfect for clubbing.

Thankfully, somewhere between the Z1 and Z5 the need for an additional dock was eliminated and a traditional tripod mount can be used on the underside of the camera. Since the Z1 didn't really lock into the dock, the thought of balancing a shallow tray with my camera onto a tripod just seemed silly. This means I can now get one of those Gorilla Pods. I am hoping that many of the things I loved about my Z1 have been carried forward in the Z5 though I am sure with the perverse nature of consumerism being what it is, a black version is just around the corner.

^_^ Liza

Chicago Trip

2007-05-26T11:37:00.001-04:00

IMG 0219
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

I dragged Geoffrey to Chicago last weekend to see Jonathan Coulton with Paul and Storm at Schubas, near Wrigley Park. Parking was a nightmare, but the show was a lot of fun. I've posted pictures on my flickr page. Paul and Storm mentioned me in their blog. The geek crush list keeps growing - I have a soft spot for men who can harmonize intentionally.

But ultmately, my geek love goes to Geoffrey for driving me out there, dealing with vague and mysterious Google maps (that I-41 is odd), not to mention the exhorbitant cost of lodging, gas and meals. In exchange for being my personal chauffeur, I agreed to not bring my laptop - it was truly an almost four day vacation from the internets, with the exception of a short trip to the Miracle Mile Apple Store.

We did manage to spend a day in and around Chicago and it was nice. It makes me believe that Detroit will get back to that someday. I know it sounds naive and there was many many forces against such as thing, but I've just gotta believe, you know?

^_^ Liza

Oh yeah, summer's just around the corner

2007-05-25T21:09:00.000-04:00

Hello all;

Here's a little something to get you chair dancing: the new Maroon 5 single, "Makes me wonder." I had heard it on the radio and it took a few times of trying to catch the artist before the connection came through. I don't even really care about the words - it's catchy and very much reminds me of growing up in a house that always seemed to have a radio on. My dad really loved pop radio, so I grew up with whatever was current during the 80's and very early 90's. It reminiscent of so many songs, but most importantly, it's that infectious pop song that you know will be playing all summer long. It just makes me want to dance (which means that it should be a good one for you, Darling24/7!)

Enjoy!
^_^

Some of my best work

2007-05-15T07:59:00.001-04:00

Marie and Jerry
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

I don't really call myself a photographer. Not yet, anyway - I *think* I am getting there. What I do know is that I love taking pictures, and I am constantly amazed at what turns out and how well.

(By the way, I happen to think of my liking taking photos as a great example of sublimation - my mom would designate me as our family's photographer with the admonition that I had to take at least one shot of each person, preferably solo, and specifically in landscape or portrait, depending on which way the openings went in her album that year. It was very much a "love it or leave it," scenario. After a while, like 10 years or so, it just became a matter of course.)

As some of you may know from Geoffrey's blog, his grandfather, Jerry, is in the nursing home under hospice for liver cancer. Jerry is 87 and by most accounts he's had a good life and has cheated death at least three or four times. He's also infamous for being a tiny bit curmudgeonly and a lot stubborn. So it's no surprise that he's getting through each day, but for his family it's hard to watch him fade away.

Which brings me to this picture. Taken in July of 2006, it's the quintessential Jerry and Marie photo and a rare one where they are both smiling. Marie had cracked up that I had decided to have an indoor picnic, which is where the red and white checkered tablecloth came from, along with a big wicker basket. Given the family's Italian/Irish/European mix, it all just seems so, well, them. Even the wood paneling and the knick knack shelf seem just right.

I gave everyone copies of this photo for Christmas and Geoff's mom lent hers to Jerry to keep at his bedside. I do believe in prayers and providence and a huge helping of luck as well as at the very least, I can make people laugh when I take their picture. Whatever you may call any great big good thing at play in the universe, it's hard to deny that I was blessed to be in the right place, at the right time, with the just right amount of lighting and that I didn't cast a huge shadow (my back is to a large sliding door).

This is how I will always remember Marie and Jerry.

^_^

LAGQ Pachelbel's 'Loose' Canon

2007-04-26T13:18:00.000-04:00

It's a grey and kinda icky day here in Detroit. There's a lot of crazy stressful pressure at work - but I know it could worse just as easily as it could be better. Spring is always the most complicated season in my mind - the discomfort of growing and change, the heavy burden of potential. But that's another post. I heard this on the radio the other day and I was so tickled by it, I was thrilled that the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet had a video posted on YouTube. So here, to cheer me and hopefully you, is the LAGQ's version of the Canon in D (forever known to many people as the "GE Soft White Lightbulb commercial song"). They refer to it as Pachelbel's 'Loose' Canon.

Enjoy!
^_^

Happy Wedding, Alex and Kara!

2007-04-22T23:31:00.001-04:00

DSCF3963.JPG
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Just wanted to spread the online congratulations (and a spiffy photo, natch!)

^_^ Liza

Fun with Tulips

2007-04-20T11:17:00.001-04:00

This one's my favorite!
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

I don't have a long blog post in me at the moment, but I wanted to share this photo because I am so pleased with how it turned out. I was holding the camera in one hand and a light bulb with a metal collar in the other. I don't know if I could reproduce the shot if I tried, but hey, that's why I am signed up for a photography class in the fall.

If you click on the photo, it will take you to all of the tulip shots I took that day/evening.

Enjoy! ^_^

Hello Spring

2007-03-29T08:24:00.001-04:00

Hello Spring
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Today is a little on the chilly side, but the sun is out and Spring is well and truly here. I was a little concerned there, what with an inch of snow one day and 70 degree weather the next.

I finally brought my little fuji finepix Z1 in for servicing and got it back earlier this week. It's a great digital camera, even better now that the zoom is working properly. I am pretty sure it's taking better pics now that when I was just dealing with the zoom error. I would get an error the first time I turned on the camera and then it would go away.

I took this pretty photo in our front yard. There's a bunch of leaf debris that still needs to be cleared away, but with both of Geoffrey's grandparents in the hospital (Grandma) and nursing home (Grandpa), cleaning has only been something I do in manic spurts.

Today is not a manic day. In fact, I'm struggling to push my fingers along, so I'm off to grab a cup of coffee and contemplate my day.

Happy Spring, everyone!
^_^

Jonathan Coulton Soft Rock Infomercial

2007-03-17T01:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, after the last two posts, I needed a bit of a laugh, and here is this gem of a soft rock mock infomercial. And for the record, yes, I am an Air Supply fan.

^_^ Liza

Farewell, Platypus Man

2007-03-12T02:18:00.001-04:00

Richard Jeni
Originally uploaded by crissy0244.

I was saddened, though not necessarily shocked to hear that Richard Jeni had died of an apparent suicide on Saturday, March 10. He was apparently found by his girlfriend, fatally shot in the face.

The news is apparently such that you can still buy tickets for some of his scheduled shows and there's aren't a huge number of articles about his passing out there yet. Maybe there won't be a huge amount of media coverage, which will only fuel the speculation that Jeni was perhaps despondant about his lack of fame. I guess that would be a part of it, but I am guessing too that there were deeper and darker forces at work. At least some of the comments on the two postings I found (Elayne Boosler on The Huffington Post and Joel Keller on TVSquad.com) seemed to indicate that Jeni struggled with depression and possibly other serious health issues.

When I was growing up and we finally got cable (which would be sometime in high school, circa 1992), stand-up comedy was everywhere. Every other show on Comedy Central, all over the place on HBO, Comic Relief every year, and so on. Richard Jeni was easily one of my favorites. He was cute, intelligent, and so much fun to watch. I used to repeatedly watch a VHS recording I had of "Platypus Man," his first HBO Comedy Special (he had four altogether). He was that lovable geek before geeks were considred lovable. The male counterpart to being a bridesmaid but never the bride, Richard Jeni had a one season sitcom (also called, "Platypus Man") that never saw the success of "Home Improvement" or "Everybody Loves Raymond."

Of course, the show was probably doomed from the get go. The show aired in 1995 (when people were starting to OD on stand-up, or at least the networks were starting to pull back) and the show was on the brand-new and untested UPN. Richard was not playing himself, but a chef with a "cooking show for guys." It was probably not a true reflection of himself and didn't ring true with his fans. According to Aaron Greenhouse, who has a pretty impressive episode guide for the show, the last episode in 1995 was pre-empted a few times by "Legend" and "Star Trek: Voyager."

I, myself, am guilty of not being as rabid of a fan as I could have been. After "Platypus Man" (the HBO special), I didn't really pay too much attention to what was going on with Richard's career. I'd experience a little thrill when I saw him in a cameo or wonder why meteorologists watch the weather and not meteors. To this day, I still use the National Geographic theme whenever odd phenomena occur that really should be documented by an adventurous and winsome tv personality brandishing a microphone and leading a film crew - "So join us, won't you?"

Thanks for the laughs, Richard Jeni.
L.

Goodbye, Winter

2007-03-10T22:29:00.001-05:00

Winter
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

The snow is finally starting to thaw around here and the air seems fresh and promising. I am really beginning to appreciate the idea of spring cleaning. I want to throw open all of the windows and wipe down all of the dust and grime from the lazyness of last summer through the tedium of a cold gray winter.

I tend to think of Winter as a selfish season. It's a great reason to cocoon away from the rest of the world and to be introspective and sleepy. The cold is numbing and things move more slowly. Spring is still a little selfish in that I tend to focus on trying to get things in order - using the tax return to clean up the bills, using the better weather to clean up the house before it gets muggy and impossible, hoping that this time I'll be able to establish better habits to make life healthier and less stressful.

Many people make their resolutions in January. I tend to make mine in the spring - it seems like a point where my intentions can match my actions. Spring is more about renewal and the change is more pronounced, more profound.

So here's to soon being able to put away the mufflers and boots and to new beginnings. Take a breath of fresh air and smile at the promise of spring.

^_^

Cold snap

2007-02-05T10:06:00.001-05:00

IMG_0165.JPG
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Brrrrr! It's chilly in these here parts. It's supposed to stay in the very low single digits with blistering wind chill until at least Sunday. I know "blistering" and "wind chill" seem contradictory, but the wind here cuts and burns as much as if it were an open flame.

On the upside, it's at least sunny and the sky is blue. I took this photo on the driveway of our house. It's a bunch of Barberry bush berries. I didn't place it there, it just happened to fall that way.

I wish you unexpected beauty in mundane places and a warm place to sleep at night.

^_^

Zookie

2007-01-21T21:58:00.001-05:00

Zookie
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Just a quick post on how much I love my dog. She's the sweetest cuddle bunny (when she's not chewing on something she shouldn't or mooing because no one is paying attention to her). I really do like Bailey, but he's much more Geoffrey's dog. She's a big 'ol friendly girl and I love her to pieces. I thought I was more of a cat person until Zookie found me.

I hope everyone has a friend or pet to share unconditional love with. I am multiply blessed!

^_^

Time Capsule: Distant Sun

2007-01-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh - another one of those songs that I have been known to include on every mix tape or play with the "repeat" button on: 1993's "Distant Sun" by Crowded House. I do love "Don't Dream It's Over," but for some reason, this one sticks with me more. Here's the video:

In 1993 I was a second semester freshman working in the WSU Student Council office. I found pages from a jounal I was keeping around that time and it always surprises me how much I wish I knew then what I know now and how much more of my life was ahead of me. And yet, I still wouldn't change anything. I needed to be bored, rejected, desired, sleepy, angsty, happy, whatever, in order to be who I am today. If I had known then what I know now I would have either been an arrogant wench or a blase and jaded moper. I was still getting used to who I was and relishing not being the oldest one or the smartest one or even the oddest one.

I hope that wherever you were 14 years ago (yikes) that you are just as happy, if not more so, now.

^_^

Itsy bitsy teenie weenie...

2007-01-11T23:53:00.000-05:00

Itsy bitsy teenie weenie...
Originally uploaded by Kodamakitty.

Happy New Year, one and all!

Christmas was a low-key but fairly decent affair. I can't remember the last time the holidays spanned a Monday to Monday, but it just doesn't feel like we get as many days off. I know, I know, many people have to work the week between Christmas and New Year, so I can quit my whining, but beyond the work hours, the holidays just seemed to sneak up out of the blue. More so than usual.

At any rate, the big surprise of the holiday was a beauteous second generation iPod shuffle from Geoffrey (you may remember over the summer when I said I wanted one, apparently he did too!). I was looking for accessories for this and couldn't really find a good case. The iPod has the clip for your jacket or belt, but that doesn't mean I always want to carry it around that way. I am surprised that someone hasn't come out with a keychain or carabiner type holder.

But thanks to this nifty little change purse (thank goodness for a mom who sells Avon/Mark), I have a home for my new toy.

I hope you had an enjoyable holiday, whoever and wherever you are.

^_^

PS - This is my 69th post - yeah, baby!

Favorite Paul McCartney Songs

2006-12-15T22:52:00.000-05:00

My husband is a huge Beatles fan and doesn't have much use for Paul's solo work outside of "Wonderful Christmastime" and even that in small doses. I too, find myself not liking all of Sir McCartney's catalog, but there are a few absolute standouts that manage to make me happy every time. If you search in YouTube, you can find videos for all of these:

Here Today (1982)
No More Lonely Nights (1984)
Press (1986)
Put It There (1989)
This One (1989)

And this amazing clip from Give My Regards to Broadstreet
It's a medley of "Yesterday," "Here, There and Everywhere," and "Wanderlust."

"Wonderlust" is from one of my all time favorite albums, Tug of War (1982) I know it seems odd that an 8-year old would get into an entire album (well, with the exception of "Dress Me Up,") but I loved the whole thing - not just "Ebony and Ivory." I distinctly remember seeing the video for "Take it Away" and developing a HUGE crush on Paul right then and there.

(For a rather comprehensive and pull-no-punches commentary on all of Paul McCartney's post-Beatles work, try this: Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews. Their tagline is, "We listen to the lousy records so you won't have to" - LOL)

We're making Christmas cookies this weekend, which has apparently kindled a nostalgic note in me, not that it takes much. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend - stay warm!

^_^

Crazy days

2006-11-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Our cup ran over in terms of food, folks and fun, but I think everything came together nicely. Wednesday afternoon I left work at noon to pick up Geoffrey and meet up with his sister and cousin at Noble Fish for lunch. Noble Fish is a store in Clawson, Michigan that is 75% asian mart, 25% sushi bar. There are teeny tiny tables in the back for dining in, mostly tables for two. We decided to order our sushi to go, but thankfully a table opened up once the order was ready - I have no idea where we would have been able to take everything except all the way back to our house. I love shopping at Noble Fish - I just wished we were heading back home so I could have picked up some green tea ice cream and sweet red bean topping.

Thursday continued the furious cleaning and sorting that was supposed to have been happening all month - but at least I didn't need to pull an all-nighter this year! Thursday was my and Geoffrey's fifth wedding anniversary. We made brunch and exchanged cards and gifts. Geoffrey was really sweet and decided to give me a traditional anniversary gift by giving something made of wood - in this case, a Scottish Love Spoon. I was very surprised and touched. He picked out one with a heart at each end. It's carved from a single piece of wood and it's just lovely. According to one website, this type of spoon is referred to as Love Grows - "Cast a spell on the ones you love - this spoon symbolizes how love can grow"

Photo from Scottwebstore.com

I can't even believe it's been five years since our wedding day and almost 14 years since we met in 1993. Like all couples, we still have our bad days and our good days, but I love each day and I love my Geoffrey with all my heart (all together now, "awwwwwwww....")

But there wasn't a whole lot of time for kisses and cuddles, since we still had a turkey to cook (which we didn't start thawing until the day before - oops!) And a few more loads of china to run (we used our wedding china for the first time since we got married!). Geoff's family came over around 4, and his cousin Marcie stayed over so we could take her to the airport the next day. Well, with her flight being at 6 (the poor thing had two other connecting flights to get home), we decided to pull an all-nighter. I shooed Geoff and Marcie down to the basement to catch up and watch "Wallace and Grommit" and I cleaned up the kitchen and made Turkey Carcass Soup (no joke, that's what the Betty Crocker Cookbook calls it). Very domestic, I must say. True to form, I fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Friday was a bit of a blur, and Saturday I had a dress rehearsal for Handel's Messiah at the Cathedral before racing home to prepare for a dinner party with our friends. It was also a chance to get caught up on birthday celebrations (mine, Sara's, Doug, Sonia, and Steve.) Unfortunately, Patti and Ann Marie (who is also a November birthday) were not able to make it, but Patti called from her mom's house and we were all able to day hello.

Dinner was a delcious pasta with Italian Sausage, tomato and basil with grated parmesan cheese. I love thowing things together and having them come out well. Sara made a hilarious and tasty cake roll, shaped like a log (at our request, to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary - get it? Wood anniversary, log cake? HAHAHAHA). Bad jokes about giving wood were abundant. We'll all get together for New Year's, so that will be fun.

The concert on Sunday was standing room only, and it was quite a rush to know I actually sold 20 tickets! I almost never manage to sell tickets, either because it's on an odd Wednesday or because I don't send out notice until a week before the concert. The Cathedral looked lovely and Geoffrey took some really good shots:

Liza's 2006 Handel's Messiah Flickr Photoset

Monday was an honest to goodness do-nothing day, and now I am back to work. It wil probably be a few weeks before I can properly sit down and chronicle life in general, so I hope all is well with you and that you are staying warm and cozy.

^_^

November 11 already????

2006-11-12T00:36:00.000-05:00

Ok, that's just a little messed up - I mean, it was just my friggin' birthday! But it's true - I've been home from Indy for three weeks or so and Geoff's been to Edmonton and back (for pics of Geoff's adventure in the Great White North, go here).

It's been so crazy that I've I'm still way behind in my e-mail message replies - just ask anyone who sent me an e-mail requiring more than just a sentence or two. Honors students get to register three business days before everyone else, but there were a whole bunch of technical difficulties and students who hadn't had the chance to see me and all sorts of crazy fun that meant very little downtime for me once I got back from Indianapolis. Between November 1 and November 7, I responded to over 350 e-mails and my lead peer advisor, Craig, cranked out another 100 or so.

Still, I guess it's better to be busy than not, and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday should be fun. Geoffrey and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary on the 23rd, so it will be turkey and pie for our celebratory feast. We have plans to get together with friends that weekend and I am singing with the Detroit Archdiocesan Chorus for Handel's Messiah on the 26th. If you live in the Metro Detroit Area and want to hear an amazing work in a fantastic space (the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit), this is a performance I highly recommend.

Other than that, the house is overflowing with pet hair and unsorted paper receipts, I am trying to keep at least two brain cells firing at one point in time, and I have new pictures posted on my flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/kodamakitty

On one of the photos, I mention really loving the newest version of iPhoto (v. 6.0.5). I must admit, I am a total amateur but I love what I see in my photos and iPhoto helps me bring out that vision. The amount of tweaking you can do to a photo in edit mode is astounding, yet simple. It *almost* makes me want to go through all of my other pics and redo them...um, maybe not.

Ok, I am off to bed.
^_^

"Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!"
-The Truman Show

Thank you for the lovely day

2006-10-24T00:14:00.000-04:00

Just a little thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday, or who held down the fort while I was out of the office, and especially to my family and my sweet husband Geoffrey.

For more photos, click the cake!

^_^

OMG! Now I have a photo on John Hodgman's blog!

2006-10-20T21:57:00.000-04:00

And he thought it was fun. Gawsh. Wow - I wonder how much time is on my 15-minutes-of-fame-meter. You can view Hodgman's post from Thursday, October 19 here.

And of course, I've already squealed excitedly about my meeting both Mssrs Coulton and Hodgman (once more, with feeling - wheeeeeeee!). I've added a new photo, and here it is:

If you click on the photo, it will take you to my flickr page - snazzy!

I can't even tell you how pleased/chuffed/geeked I am. Geoff and I went up to Toronto last weekend to celebrate my birthday a few days early and wound up at Shopsy's for dinner right before "Gotta Skate 6.0" As we were waiting for the bill, it looked like I could create a nice tableau with the beverage napkin. I actually took two shots - one with the H and one without, and I didn't even bother keeping the non-Hobo picture.

I am currently typing this from my hotel room in Indianapolis, which has been not too bad (they have a really awesome Borders), but I have not had the opportunity to spot Hobo-sign anywhere. They do have a questionnable slogan that I will grab a photo of tomorrow before I leave, "Indianapolis, Amazingly Always New." Wha????

I'll post pictures to my flickr account soon. In the meantime, I need to pack and get to bed.

^_^

I'm linked from Jonathan Coulton's Blog!

2006-10-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

Wheeeeeee!

I almost can't think how to write this up, since I am at this point up way past my bedtime. I did indeed complete my "Geeky Pilgrimmage" described previously with an even geekier addition - I received an e-mail from the Barenaked Ladies HQ that the band would be performing and signing CDs at 12:30 on October 4. The Areas of My Expertise reading and book signing was at the same store on the same day!

I will now take this opportunity to say that my husband was an absolute peach about encouraging me to go, even though it would have been great fun for both of us (darn work and other adult responsibilities!).

So I left the house four hours earlier than expected, forgot the flash card for my camera, thanked God that there was a Ritz Camera on State street, and took some really great shots of both BNL and my true purpose for taking the day off, Jonathan Coulton and John Hodgman.

You can view the whole set on my flickr page: http://flickr.com/photos/kodamakitty/

To make the whole thing even more amazing, I sent the link to Jonathan Coulton and he included it on his site: http://www.jonathancoulton.com/

Pretty darn spiffy, I must say!

^_^

You Tube Time Capsule

2006-10-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

Wow - here's a gem I hadn't thought of in awhile What Does It Take from Honeymoon Suite. This was the song that played during the end credits of One Crazy Summer. I went through quite a bit to get the cassette copy for mix tapes when I was in high school. And since I didn't grow up with cable at home, I never did see the video (you would think that CBC Channel 9's video show would have shown it - Honeymoon Suite is a Canadian group). So, here it is - bad hair and all, plus a crystal clear acrylic baby grand piano - LOVE IT!

^_^

Geeky Pilgrimmage

2006-09-21T22:42:00.000-04:00

Ok, so a while back I mentioned my jumping on the Jonathan Coulton bandwagon (jonathancoulton.com), mainly as a side outlet from my obsession with John Hodgman (Hodgmania, to borrow a phrase). Never mind that I have yet to read any of "The Areas of My Expertise" and have not technically given any monetary support of Mr. Coulton's Thing-a-Week (sorry, I'll get on that eventually), I have, however, read quite a few of Hodgman's magazine articles on the net and think he's just nifty. Anyone who has Sarah Vowell (whom I have not read either, but mean to) describe their artistic adventures as "Mondo Pithy Entertainments," has to have some sort of merit. Well, that and it makes me giggle while not feeling like my brain is turning to mush (not that there's anything wrong with that every now and then). Being solidly in the midwest and not inclined to roam eastward, it is unlikely that I will ever be a part of the Hodgman literary salon. I feel like an outsider cyber-spying on a great dinner party, with the foggy restaurant glass replaced by several hundred miles and the internet.

So, upon hearing that Hodgman and Coulton would be touring to support the paperback edition of AoME, I have been planning what I can only call a geeky pilgrimmage to finally buy the book, take a few photos and hopefully, get a signature. I am thinking of printing off an actual e-mail exchange I had with Mr. Hodgman where I was called, "an admirable researcher." We'll have to see. I have a few weeks to think about it. I suppose I could also take a photo of the Hobo sunray somewhere on campus and bring a print of that for signing.

After practicing fandom at a few Star Wars conventions, I think I am ready. And, due to an odd quirk of scheduling, I am taking a Thursday off from work and going to Ann Arbor solo. Now, before you fling any mud at my wonderful husband for not taking the day off to make this trek with me, may I remind you all that I am an adult, with a cel phone. The trip will only require one hour of driving each way (if that, really) and I will be surrounded by numerous coffee shops. Believe me, I feel very fortunate to have such a great and indulgent partner who is willing to tolerate my odd, goofy literarly "crushes," He has Darth Vader and Gojira (that's Godzilla, to you Gaikokujin), I have BNL, some figure skaters, the Algonquin Table authors, and Hodgmania. Not that there isn't some overlap, there more certainly is!

Speaking of which, I am off to feed my Utada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utada) addiction, which was fueled by G's Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts connection. Later!

^_^

Blogthing-a-rama

2006-09-16T22:59:00.000-04:00

So, as I said earlier, I lost of few of my blogthings when I switched templates. Lo, and behold, one of my MySpace friends from high school had two of them on his (thanks, Erik!)

Funny thing about this one - I think I scored higher last time!

You Are 27 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

I am pretty sure this one is different too, but I still like the description!

Your Hidden Talent

Your natural talent is interpersonal relations and dealing with people.
You communicate well and are able to bring disparate groups together.
Your calming presence helps everything go more smoothly.
People crave your praise and complements.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

And now a few more new ones

You Are A Fun Friend

You're the one who keeps your group laughing
And you've always got an idea for something fun to do
The party's not complete without you
And you wouldn't miss it for the world

What Kind of Friend Are You?

Your IQ Is 120

Your Logical Intelligence is Below Average

Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius

Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius

Your General Knowledge is Above Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

You Scored 70% Correct

You are a solid child of the 80s
You'd never confuse Tiffany from Debbie
And while you may not know Prince's first #1 hit
You know every word to Little Red Corvette

How Much Do You Know About 80s Music?

If I could do it all over again...

2006-09-16T10:18:00.000-04:00

...I probably wouldn't!

Last night, my friend Patti (whom I have known since kindergarten - that's 27 years at this point) came over and we watched our graduation video from high school and a home movie from our sophomore summer before junior year. Let me tell you, it is very useful to watch footage of yourself, if nothing else but to breathe a sigh of relief that it is not good to stay the same always. I was really gawky, bossy, and not all that funny. Which was exactly as I perceived myself at the time, but didn't think I could change. Hmmmm...that doesn't make a lot of sense, but I'll try to explain it after I've had some coffee and breakfast. But, here is a short list of things that I am glad have changed:

1) Plus sizes for women are now everywhere, as opposed to being muu muus ordered through the mail (or XXL men's shirts)
2) There are much better choices in eyewear - even the "cool" kids at graduation were wearing some of the most hideous eyeglasses!
3) Atlantic Star was only a one-hit wonder with "I Miss You"
4) Men's boxer shorts are no longer worn over bicycle shorts - it looks like a baboon butt in the back and a camel toe in the front
5) No more sprial perm, surf the wave bangs, worn over one shoulder long hair (shudder)
6) I expanded my friendship base and can now stay in better touch with everyone through e-mail and myspace
7) Digital cameras - though this is both good and bad
8) I don't have to drag a guy to the dance floor to dance with me (thanks, honey!)
9) I think I'm a little more subtle now (lol - maybe)
10) My husband thinks the gawky geeky me is cute, though I am sure he's glad we didn't try to date in high school.

^_^

More Blogthings!

2006-09-14T01:59:00.000-04:00

I recently chose a new template, so many of my favorite blogthings are no longer on this page - so I get to re-take them

^_^

Your Seduction Style: Sweet Talker

Your seduction technique can be summed up with "charm"
You know that if you have the chance to talk to someone...
Well, you won't be talking for long! ;-)

You're great at telling potential lovers what they want to hear.
Partially, because you're a great reflective listener and good at complementing.
The other part of your formula? Focusing your conversation completely on the other person.

Your "sweet talking" ways have taken you far in romance - and in life.
You can finess your way through any difficult situation, with a smile on your face.
Speeding tickets, job interviews... bring it on! You truly live a *charmed life*

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

You Are Strawberry Pocky

Your attitude: fresh and sweet
Comforting, yet quirky ... quietly hyper
You always see both sides to everything

What Flavor Pocky Are You?

Ooooooh...pretty

2006-09-13T08:59:00.000-04:00

So I'm packing up to go home yesterday afternoon and Geoffrey calls and says, "the new iPods are out and the shuffle is HAWT!" Ok, maybe he didn't say it exactly like that, but when I saw it, that was certainly what I was thinking:

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/

It's so new, I can't find anything more about it other than what's on Apple's website (which I am sure will not be the case for long). It can play approximately 250 songs for around 12 hours and it only costs $79 dollars. My fingers twitch around my credit cards just thinking about it. It's ridiculously tiny.

Thank goodness my birthday's coming up, I can justify the splurge (in addition to going back to Toronto in October to see BNL and Kurt Browning). But goodness, it's just beautiful.

^_^

I apologize in advance

2006-09-12T21:32:00.000-04:00

I added a song to my MySpace profile (links to the right). I know it gets annoying. I'll try to change it periodically.

Right now, it's set to Geggy Tah, "Whoever you are." It's a totally fun song, and I hope you enjoy it!

^_^

Survey

2006-09-12T21:06:00.000-04:00

I have to dig them up, but I have a survey just like this that I had my high school friends answer. I wonder how their answers would compare now....

ABOUT ME - RANDOM SURVEY QUESTIONS
Name?	Liza
Birthday?	October 23
City and State you live in?	Harper Woods, MI
Eye Color?	Brown
Hair Color?	Dark Brown/Black
Height?	5\'3\"
Are you underweight, overweight, or average weight?	Overweight, which I guess is better than side-by-side
Smoked in the past 30 days?	No
Drank alcohol in the past 30 days?	Does vanilla extract in cookies count?
Number of brothers and sisters?	1 (biological, many in the adopt-a-friend sense)
Own a house, rent an apartment, or live with parents?	Own, though it\'s more accurate to say it owns me
Ever smoked marijuana?	No
What style of underwear do you most often wear?	Clean
Ever been suspended from school?	No
Ever fall asleep in school?	LOL - yes, indeed
Ever fall asleep at work?	Yes, and once while I was trying to advise during an appointment!
Ever been fired from a job?	No
Ever gone to work or school while buzzed or drunk?	No
Ever been beaten up?	Emotionally, but who hasn\'t?
Are you in a relationship?	Happily so - married 5 years in November!
Do you play an instrument?	I noodle on the piano and I sing in a choir
Do you have any children?	No, but I would like to
Number of things you regret from your past?	Regret\'s a strong word, it\'s more like I\'m wistful about a few things - but I certainly don\'t keep count!
Number of tattoos? What and where are they?	No - I have a strong dislike of needles
Number of piercings? What and where are they?	My ears are pierced
Ever driven a car after drinking too much?	Too much water - and then you can never find a rest stop!
Has anyone ever taken a picture of you without clothes?	Them, or me?
FAVORITES
Pizza toppings on one pizza?	Onion, Mushroom and Pepperoni
Ice cream flavor?	Peppermint
Non-alcoholic drink?	Diet Pepsi
Alcoholic drink?	Grand Marinier and Hot Chocolate
Fast food restaurant?	Arby\'s - darn Potato Cakes
Expensive restaurant?	PF Changs - it\'s not that expensive, but I love the ambience and the food!
Make/model of automobile?	Mini Cooper - it\'s adorable
Color of underwear you wear?	White or black, generally
Breakfast meal?	Harvest Grain pancakes from IHOP with Canadian Bacon and Hashbrowns
Dinner meal?	My mom\'s cooking or Steak with Baked Potatoes
Vacation location?	I am good almost anywhere
ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX
Preferred height?	Vertical?
Preferred weight?	I like men with mass
Preferred age?	Legal
Preferred eye color?	Hazel
Preferred hair color?	Brown with little hints of red
Preferred race/nationality?	Heinz 57
Favorite type of clothes for them to wear?	Their own - better to get a sense of their personal style
Turn ons?	Sincerity, Intelligence, Humor, Compassion, Technique
Turn offs?	Shallowness, Lack of gratitude, Not being playful
Tell us YOUR answers to this survey! Click HERE!
Created by , taken 2 times. Created at Kwiz.biz - Kwizzes, Polls and Surveys!

Old Friends

2006-09-09T00:52:00.000-04:00

A friend from my undergraduate days called today. Thanks for the wonderful conversation, Maureen. There's something about the fall that seems like a good time to connect with old friends, especially ones I have met through school. Maureen and I met, I think, in an Honors Political Science class. If it wasn't in that class, it was right around that time (which is also when I met Nedda, Heidi and Becky). I just took a look at my transcript, and that would be fall 1993. 13 years ago. Zoiks!

We spoke for an hour about nothing and everything, which means it was perfect. Friends we have known have lost parents, had children, or moved into/out of Michigan. I love catching up, though I am not the world's best correspondant (just ask my friend Maureen in London). But as I told Geoffrey the other day, and Maureen today, as long as I know where people are and that they are doing well, I'm good.

Which is one of reasons I really like MySpace. It's established enough at the moment that some of my classmates are starting to post their pages, and Geoffrey figures it will be about two years before the whole thing collapses under its own self-importance. In the meantime, I can find some of the people I haven't spoke with or thought about since I graduated from Bishop Foley.

The nostalgia jones are bad enough that I am typing and watching a very old VHS of my high school graduation. It's pretty much the same as most high school videos - footage of a pep rally, prom and graduation. I just watched myself cross the stage. I had long hair and a sprial perm. It's pretty darn funny. I'll have to scan in a prom photo sometime.

If I were the drinking sort, I would probably be bleary-eyed from a mist of nostalgia. But you know, by the tiime I was a senior, I had already been though a house fire, three months living in a Residence Inn (which, I assure you, is not a glamorous as it sounds), and my father passing away. My yearbook entries my senior year were pretty bland, and I slept for a week after graduation. And I really liked high school. I am happy to say I am still in touch with many good friends (shout out to Patti, Lori, Doug, and my newly rediscovered MySpace crew), I just felt like I couldn't relate. I am not saying this was anyone's fault. I imagined myself as the maiden aunt and resorted to extreme sarcasm to keep boys at bay who I thought wouldn't like me anyway. I didn't give myself the chance to find out.

By the time I got to WSU, it was time for a fresh start. I got involved in Student Council and made up for the fact that WSU was (and probably still is) 98% commuter. I say probably it's probably still 98% ccommuter since many of the res hall students go home on the weekends. But this was 1993, and we moved into the offices in the Student Center and made it our home for three or four years.

Oh man, it's at the part of the graduation ceremony where I led a small crackpot choir in our Alma Mater. I grafted the start of a song in "Sing" to the beginning and then we went into the Foley Alma Mater.

One more time
Sing the song
There's a power in our voices
Hopeful and strong

Years from now
Somewhere down the line
We'll remember and we'll all sing
One more time

And then, oh the horror!, Jeff C. and I sing "Just for a Moment." Many of you know the song as its instrumental version "The Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire." Dan created the instrumental on the computer, and it went just a touch too fast. Oh, I'll have to digitize those parts of the video, at least.

I'll try to post more on this later. The big thing is, I am so completely blessed. I married a friend I grew up with during those undergraduate and graduate years, and I have kept many of my friends from high school, some of whom I have known since kindergarten.

I'm pretty sure this is just the start of a (hopefully) short maudlin phase.

More later!
^_^

Blogthings

2006-08-19T18:37:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, this is yet another guilty pleasure. When did this blog becoome a list of my vices and time-sinks. Oh right, it's what I do when I'm supposed to be typing up yet another e-mail or alphabetizing my socks. Anyway, here are a few blogthings whose results I particularly thought turned out well (except the "dimpomatic" thing - maybe it means I smile a lot?):

You Are a Peacemaker Soul

You strive to please others and compromise anyway you can.
War or conflict bothers you, and you would do anything to keep the peace.
You are a good mediator and a true negotiator.
Sometimes you do too much, trying so hard to make people happy.

While you keep the peace, you tend to be secretly judgmental.
You lose respect for people who don't like to both give and take.
On the flip side, you've got a graet sense of humor and wit.
You're always dimplomatic and able to give good advice.

Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul, Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

You Are a Natural Flirt

Believe it or not, you're a really effective flirt.
And you're so good, you hardly notice that you're flirting.
Your attitude and confidence make you a natural flirt.
And the fact that you don't know it is just that more attractive!

What Kind of Flirt Are You?

Guilty Pleasures

2006-08-09T01:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I was up in East Lansing and picked up the soundtrack to a movie titled, "Swing!" in a cd store that was closing up shop (RIP, Wazoo's). The movie got so-so reviews (think "The Committments" - "The Full Monty" X "Brassed Off" and you get the general idea) but get this - Lisa Stansfield sings most of the songs. You probably know her from "Around the World," which was a major single for here in the US. Many people couldn't believe she was this little petite English girl singing with the large, bluesy voice.

You can hear sample clips at artistdirect.com. Not all of the songs are winners, but it definitely counts as a guilty pleasure. This should make a great addition to a brunchy playlist.

My other guilty pleasure has been Charlotte Church's new pop album, "Tissues and Issues." Yes, that-little-girl-who-sounds-like-a-castrati-Charlotte Church. Seems she's gone all Melissa Joan Hart on us, looks-wise, though that's not a bad thing. She looks like a beautiful big 'ol friendly girl, with a phenomenal voice. The album has an early 90's R&B flavor (which I guess are still fairly popular over the pond) so I am debating about importing it, but then again, it might be easier than grabbing each track individually from iTunes UK. You can listen to samples from the album and hear commentary on the tracks here. Her speaking voice sounds like Helena Bonham Carter with a head cold and a teenaged vernacular.

Cool trivia: Charlotte explains that "Even God" was written by a 17 year old Boy George. I am hoping that someone releases the sheet music to it soon.

There are microsites for two of the releases from the album, which so far are the ones I like best:
Moodswings
Even God Can't Change the Past
The videos are great - good for her, I say!

On the main site,www.charlottechurch.com, you can find videos for two other songs, Crazy Chick and Call My Name, which are catchy, but I don't like them as well as the other two.

Which, brings me to my third guilty pleasure - staying up way too late blogging. Bedtime for bonzo! At this point, the dogs have given up trying to get me to go to bed at a decent hour.

^_^

Like riding a bike...

2006-08-08T23:59:00.000-04:00

Actually, there was no "like" about it - after three long years in storage at the back of our garage, Geoffrey and I actually took our brand new bikes for a spin around the block on Sunday. When we first moved into our house, my mom agreed to get both of us new bikes, so we went all out and got outfitted with a six speed Huffy for me and a seven speed Eddie Bauer for Geoffrey. We also picked up bike chains, water bottles and helmets, though I grew up never wearing one. So on Sunday, we were cleaning out the garage and the weather had fiinally started to feel less humid, so we went around the block. There were quite a few false starts and stops - adjusting the height of the seat, tightening the handlebars, pumping air into the tires. It seems like ages since I felt the wind blowing past me and felt like I wanted to bike somewhere, anywhere.

When I was growing up, our house was on a cul de sac. There really weren't sidewalks, but the street was extra wide to allow for parked cars and, I suppose, us kids to play outside. Let me tell you, when you are one of two Catholic school kids on the block and no one really wants to play with you, riding around the block in an endless circle gets boring really quick. I wasn't a very athletic kid (can you tell by my comfy pillow-ness?) and my dad didn't really want us going out of the block without his permission, so I stayed indoors a lot. So much so that I didn't even know that the mall near my house used to be cool, with a GAP and other stores until it really began to die out, which it has verrrrrrry slooooooowly been doing since 1992 or 1993. But there was at least a Winkleman's and a Woolworth. Now Universal Mall just has a bunch of discount and craft stores and imported boutique stores in improvised store fronts. There is a 16 theatre dollar show, but it's decorated like a giant neon watermelon, so I woudn't say it adds class to the venture.

I used to work in Universal Mall, at a coffee shop where I met my good friend Sonia. I learned how to make espressos and cappucinos and iced mochas. There are many days where I miss the simplicity of that job. We didn't have tables or anything to clean up, and there wasn't a whole lot of prep work. It was a good time people watching and gossiping and OD'ing on coffee-flavoring syrups. There was also a brief stint selling novelties (meaning a LOT of those plastic little trolls) for a Hallmark store spin-off called "Today's Trends" or something like that. Since we got a discount for working there, I spent a lot of money on some fairly useless crap. I didn't manage to buy the "Where's Elvis?" glitter wand, though. Darn.

After that, I worked right next door in a Perfumania, where the goal was to earn a higher commission by trying to substitute name brands for perfumes and colognes that were in the same family. Not a bad gig, but I only sort of miss it. It was kinda fun, seeing the new merchandise and learning how to properly fold tissue for gift bags (the trick? find the center of the sheet and pull the ends out, like a large hankerchief. Stick the pointy end in the bag. Oh, and if you want to add another nice touch, staple a bow to the bag so it doesn't fall off). I was a "third key" which is a sort of third or fourth level assistant manager deal where I could open and close the store almost by myself. Heady times, I must say, or was that the fumes? Hahahaha.

Anyway, I didn't start working in the mall, which is literally across the street from my mom's subdivision, until I could drive myself there. It just wasn't an option to ride a bike there for some reason. And I had a couple of great bikes, too. The first one was sky blue with a banana seat (remember those? You could fit two people on them) and my mom won it for me selling gift wrap and stuff like that to her coworkers. You pedalled backwards to break. I was a bit of a late bloomer, and my parents worked opposite shifts, so there wasn't a whole lot of instruction on how to learn to ride the darn thing. I remember my dad helping me, and I remember very painfully scraping my toes on the pavement, and I eventually got the hang of it. I don't remember what happened to it, it probably went to a cousin when I moved up to a 10 speed. The problem with going from a banana seat to a 10 speed is that your butt is pretty sore after being on a 10 speed. Once I could drive, that was it for the bike. Even after spending almost $100 (which was a pretty big deal at the time) to get the bike tuned up and have the tires replaced.

I should also say that I get hopelessly lost at times, and this was the pre-cel phone era, so I guess it's understandable that I didn't want to go for a ride up to the store to then find myself out in another city or state. My other biking memory was renting bicycles on Mackinac Island and being able to go almost anywhere. It was as though we couldn't get lost (and we probably couldn't, there are two main paths around the island, as I recall).

So happily, I have mostly good memories of being on a bike and Sunday brought that back to me. Hopefully, it won't be another three years until I get that feeling back again.

^_^

Well played, CLERKS

2006-07-24T23:07:00.000-04:00

Well, it wasn't opening night but it was full price and included popcorn, humongous pop and $1 Buncha Crunch. Craig, Nicole, Shad, Geoff and I went to go see Clerks II. I don't think there was a moment when I wasn't reacting in some way - revulsion, attraction (Dante has a nice set of puppy dog eyes, but not as cute as my honey's), breathtaking anticipation about where in the heck this crazy thing was going next, all while laughing my butt off (don't worry, it's still there - there's a bit to laugh off and don't forget, I did have Buncha Crunch with my popcorn),

If you've seen the trailers, you know that one of our heroes is in love. A gooey sloppy sort of love. However, I will say that the sugary coating is more than enough to help the nasty stuff go down easy. Kinda like a coney dog with extra chilli and onions with a great big glass of fizzy pop. In fact, the stuff that my brain was saying, "ewwww...that's kinda gross" was exactly the stuff that made the funny stuff funnier. I could analyze this crap all day, but I won't. Somehow, a good analogy occurs in the first third of the movie when Becky says, "in the heat of passion, it's sometimes okay to go ass to mouth." The passion and love for these charaters plus the potent combination of some of the best slapstick, pop culture riffing, and exquisitely timed comedy creates a hedonistic frenzy where the scatalogical jokes and potty humor take that premise to a figurative, if not literal level ("I miss my donkey...")

Please do not take all this as an endorsement, 'cause there is something to offend everyone in here. I would hate to say, "Good God, what do you mean you haven't gone? Get thee to the theatre - NOW!" And then have you absolutely hate it. I did that once, and it was Ally Sheedy in Maid to Order. Since then, I don't recommend movies to anyone. But I will say, as Buddy Christ is my witness, that I had a fantastic time. To quote SNL, "I loved it. Much better than Cats. I'm going to see it again and again."

^_^

More Blogthings!

2006-07-05T03:11:00.000-04:00

My birthdays on the cusp of Libra and Scorpio, so I thought the juxtaposition of these two things were kinda interesting:

You are 73% Scorpio

How Scorpio Are You?

You are 73% Libra

How Libra Are You?

73% on both - what does that mean? I'm apparently 146% a bit of both! I did think it was interesting, because many of the questions asked for each blogthing really did seem to capture my Scorpio side and my Libra side. I think I am more of a Libra though - it includes more of my flirty personality that has started to emerge in my late late 20's and 30's.

Ok, I have to get to bed. I stayed up late to finish a report and now it's way to late to be up playing with blogthings and not sleeping.

^_^

Random brain fart

2006-07-05T02:53:00.000-04:00

It's funny - you would think that having to memorize words and notes would be more difficult than just words alone. But we remember thousands of song lyrics and tunes and can't recite the Gettysburg Address or the Nicene Creed. And sometimes, those songs come unbidden, unrelenting, and incomplete. I have one song from choir that's been kicking around my head for almost 15 years. I don't know who wrote it, and the last time I tried to smuggle a copy out of the old music room, the box was there, but the music was gone. I've tried to Google, but the lyrics are fairly basic and so many things come up as similar. Plus, a lot of websites that sell choral music reference the music, but don't necessarily show you the goods.

Anyway, here are the lyrics I remember, and if you know who the composer is, drop me a line. I think it was written for SSA, and it sounds a lot like something from the Sound of Music...

My Shining Hour
I have heard it said, that into each life there comes a time
A time to laugh, a time to learn and a time to love
To each their own, to each their day, to everyone their time
And when that day is here and now, you will hear this song

Chorus
This is my shining hour
This is the best of times
This is my finest day and this day is yours and mine
This is my shining hour
This is best of times
This is my finest day it belongs to you and me

I am sure it's very popular at graduations.
^_^

Kickin' it old school

2006-07-02T00:18:00.000-04:00

Fall is usually my more my nostalgic time - it's the start of a new year, friends seem to come out of the woodwork and there's something kinda exciting about fresh school supplies (if you ever doubted my geekiness - doubt no more).

But like everything, nostalgia is quickly become a 24-7 commodity. Pop culture seems to be trolling through its high school yearbook, trying to answer the age old question of "Where Are They Now?" (And really, that question is almost an age old - the show premiered in 1998). Just look at our movies - the comic book characters we could only dream of seeing in real life are now on their third or fourth sequel (Geoff and I went to see "Superman Returns" Saturday night, mom and I saw X-Men III a few weeks back). Even the Transformers are coming back with a live-action movie directed by Michael Bey. I doubt they are going to include the universal greeting, though (and if you Google Transformers and universal greeting you get "Bah Weep Granah Weep Ni Ni Bong" - gotta love it!)

And to put it in print to my ever-lovin' husband, Geoffrey - you were right, babe - we should have bought stock in Marvel when we had the chance. I'm very sorry about that.

I am finding increasing evidence on the web of people I would have been in high school with (who would now be anywhere between 28 and 35), posting pieces of their childhood online, demanding their favorite songs on iTunes and writing tributes to their glory days of eating Froot Loops and watching He-Man (or She-Ra). From IMDB to TV.com to the growing number of TV series available DVD, we are cataloging to an amazing extent the things we grew up with and loved. We're not waiting for the experts to remind us of what life was like growing up in the 80's and 90's. We're basically making fun of ourselves and celebrating the best and worst of it all before someone else gets the chance to. There are pros and cons to this, of course, but I'll leave that to another time.

On Friday, rather than working on work (too obvious), I was digging up the following list of songs I loved to dance to, but I either haven't had the cash or inclination to buy a bunch of dance compilations or the original cds and they haven't yet shown up in iTunes. And not only could I finally look up the lyrics without having to buy a copy of "Song Lyric" magazine (I am not kidding, and I think it's still in publication), I could listen to 30 seconds of it, or watch the video on YouTube and remember if it was actually a good song or just the pixie sticks talking:

Come on and Get My Love
Cathy Dennis and D Mob - Cathy's solo career didn't last, though this track was quite popular. She's more known now for writing hit singles (such as "Can't Get You Out of My Head" with Kylie Minogue) and co-writing the "American Idol" theme song.

It Takes Two and Joy and Pain
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock - Blame my brother for these two. He had 12" LPs of both of these. If someone says they hate rap, they very well might still dance to either of these tracks.

Show Me How to Dance
BingoBoys with Princessa - The video for this is on YouTube. We didn't get cable in my house for a really long time, so I didn't see it when it first came out in 1991. Did you know that this year's incoming freshman class was three years old when this song came out? THREE YEARS OLD!

Ditty
Paperboy - This song that went platinum in the US in 1993, and the reviews for Paperboy's first album are actually pretty funny (I can't tell if they're serious or not). All I will say is this: when you find yourself in a sports bar type place in the middle of a seriously suburban outlet mall and you think you're there to dance, know your audience before you place those requests at the dj booth, kids. You may find that you and your friend are the only ones on the floor. Props to Becky for not leaving me alone on that dance floor!

If all five of these songs were to be played in a row, I would need to sit down and catch my breath, so I think I'll stop here for now. Have a great weekend and hopefullly you don't have to work on Monday!

^_^

Long day

2006-06-28T19:57:00.000-04:00

I feel compelled to post, even though there really isn't any new news. Perhaps I could start with a weather report - it is currently damp, a little on the cool side, and overcast here in Michigan. This has to be one of the longest spring-like stretches in recent memory (yes, I know it's now officially summer, it just usually goes from freezing to blazing in a matter of a day). It's been great - the lawn has not required watering, and I am hoping the lake levels won't be nearly as anemic as they have the past few summers. If I wasn't still full from dinner, I would say a pot of darjeeling with cream and sugar and some toast with marmalade would be very nice indeed.

I am leaving for a conference in Lincoln, Nebraska next week - I am not sure what all there is in Lincoln, Nebraska other than the University of and this conference, but I am hoping it will be useful. Despite my constant movement, I am finding that I am not by nature the most disciplined of people and I am, sad to say, rather lazy. I can't even begin to tell you the number of articles I have set aside to be read, or piles of documents to be sorted or shredded, or winter wardrobes that should be put away for summer wardrobes, etc.

At any rate, I am off to play a video game and perhaps turn in early. I hope this post finds you good and well.

^_^

Sentimental lyrics, part 3

2006-06-13T23:06:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh...so I am a bit late jumping on the Jonathan Coulton bandwagon, but I was sidetracked following every bit I could read about John Hodgman (he's more than just a PC, but that's another post). Coulton does this amazing, "Thing a Week" post where he tries to write a song once a week to keep the creative process going. This particular song is number 28. He is currently much beloved by artists and web geeks because he become an unofficial champion of creative commons. Coulton allows other folks to use his work, within certain parameters, without the need for contracts and lawyers and the impending doom of endless court costs and so on.

Anyway, that's just the quick background. Check out his website and Google the guy. Go to iTunes and subscribe to his Podcast. And while you are on his website, look for this lovely tune:

When You Go

Only a moment ago we had nothing but time
Everything lasted forever and you were all mine
Only a dream I know
Thinking you’d never go
Tearing off pieces of myself
Just for the time it buys me

Fold my heart up small
Or break it into pieces
Find somewhere and keep it there
Take it when you go

There in the frame of your face in the cast of your eyes
I saw this coming but still I am caught by surprise
All of this time I knew
That I’d be losing you
That doesn’t mean that it’s OK
That doesn’t mean I’m ready

Fold my heart up small
Or break it into pieces
Find somewhere and keep it there
Take it when you go

Some things we always remember, some things we forget
No way to make it up now no room for regret
That’s no good for anyone
And so I come undone
Now I am less than what I was
Whatever’s left is yours now

Fold my heart up small
Or break it into pieces
Find somewhere and keep it there
Take it when you go

I would say that this ranks right up there with "Adieu" as one of my all-time sweetest songs. It takes a few tries for it to really bloom and take hold, but now I can't stop listening to it.

^_^

Song Sung Blue

2006-06-11T02:05:00.000-04:00

You Are Indigo

Of all the shades of blue, you are the most funky, unique, and independent.
Expressing yourself and taking a leap of faith has always been easy for you.

What Color Blue Are You?

Race for the Cure 2006

2006-06-11T01:11:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post - today I volunteered as a photographer for Race for the Cure down at Comerica Park. I've been volunteering for this thing with my mom since it started at the Detroit Zoo. Since the office was nice enough to purchase a Canon Rebel XT for office events, I figured volunteering as a photographer would be great practice and more interesting than distributing t-shirts (which mom enjoys for various reasons). Mom wasn't able to make it this year, the 7:00 am call time would have been a long day out in the sun and on her feet, since you can't leave the area until the race is over around 11:00 am. I took about 200 photos, but they are going to be used for various promotional things, so I haven't posted more than a few images on my flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/kodamakitty)

The event is a humongous undertaking and very moving in terms of the number of people who participate to support friends and loved ones who have battled breast cancer. I had a great time getting people to smile. For more information about Race for the Cure, including a link to where the photos from this year's event will be available, please visit the website at www.karmanos.org/detroitraceforthecure

^_^

Blogger Karaoake

2006-06-03T23:05:00.000-04:00

I am going to cue you with a song lyric and you have to sing the next line -- it's fun for the whole family (provided said family was listening to the radio in the 80's and felt the need to jam to songs like this)...

Don't call me when your toaster won't pop up
Don't call me just to cut your lawn
Don't call me when your radio cuts off
In the middle of your favorite song
Don't call me when your shower just went Uh-uh, no, baby, don't call me
I think I told you this about a million times
You know, it's not my cup of tea

If you suddenly busted into "Baby, I can rocket 2 U..." by The Jets, you win! Double bonus points if you can hit the falsetto in the chorus!

^_^

New Photos in my flickr

2006-05-30T00:11:00.000-04:00

I've been busy with picture taking lately, including this pretty one from the backyard:

To see more, including our three cats and two dogs, please visit here.

^_^

Memorial Day weekend

2006-05-29T23:46:00.000-04:00

So, not really knowing any of my relatives that have served in any military, I am not very familiar with Memorial Day, other than having the day off and knowing that it's a good day to work if they pay overtime. I happened to notice that there is an actual Memorial Day and an observed Memorial Day. Digging around on the 'net, I found that Memorial Day became a three-day weekend in 1971. I am not sure I have enough information to set my conviction about the matter, but I find it interesting that there is a movement out there to move the observation of Memorial Day back to May 30, and to consider it a national day of mourning and solemn respect, rather than a holiday.

Which of course, brings me to the idea of a holiday, or holy day, and how we observe these dates. This is similar to the debate about the "War on Christmas" or I suppose to a larger extent, the supposed death of our morals and values. I guess we could stage a fight by pittting crass commercialism ("President's Day Sales" make me giggle) against the idea that holidays are a chance to take time off to spend with family and friends. I don't know which argument would win or if anyone would even attend the fight. It certainly wouldn't be on pay-per-view.

As for Memorial Day, like I said it's hard to relate. I don't think anyone should be forced to serve, and yet I know some sort of call to serve the greater good should be something that we, as a nation, do togther. I admire those to decide to enlist and to challenge themselves mentally and physically. I hope that we as a nation are not taking them for granted or assuming that the right choices are being made on how to use the talents and stength of these brave men and women. I don't know if there is any true way to pay our respects, and I certainly don't know if once a year is even enough.

I think that if there wasn't a need for war or military force the price they have paid might barely (and just barely) be considered an even exchange.

Lookout, sidewalk, mom's clear for take off!

2006-05-12T09:26:00.000-04:00

Hello all (and you know who you are!);

I am happy to report that mom is definitely on the mend. She was given the all clear to start driving again. It's always such a good thing to know that you can leave your house and go somewhere, even if it's just to the corner store or to the dollar show right near her house. It's definitely a good milestone and I am very proud of her. This is a very sweet Mother's Day for me because anything could have happened between my mom not having surgery at all, which would have probably led to either a stroke or heart attack, to any combination of other complications or additional issues. So, this Sunday I will be kicking back with my mom, having dinner, going to mass and being grateful that she's here.

Now, don't get me wrong, my relationship with my mom has not always been a mutual admiration society. I have certainly had my emotional baggage packed by things we have said or done to each other that would not have made for good family tv (unless you're talking a reality show, and even then...). There was a period of about 4 - 6 weeks where my mom wasn't talking to me (long story, not worth repeating here) and I had to make some decisions about how to handle myself. I decided not to beg for forgiveness of whatever she thought was the problem, but I didn't make her grovel either. It was definitely a sea change in how we regarded each other. When we finally cleared the air, I think we both realized that nothing says we have to have a relationship with each other unless we wanted to work at it. I would like to think she respects my ability to take care of myself, and I would say that I don't take her presence in my life for granted.

On a much lighter note, if you haven't seen LEGO Star Wars, I highly recommend seeking it out. There is going to be a sequel, based on the episodes IV, V and VI, and the poster is a riot! Check out the minisite at LucasArts

More later! ^_^

Home again, home again

2006-05-03T06:54:00.000-04:00

Ok, so we've been home for almost a month, but hey, I have spiffy new photos!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kodmakitty

This is going to be a really short post, as I spent all of my time uploading photos last night, but I wanted to wish my hubby a Happy-Day-After-His-Birthday!

Geoff's birthday was fairly low-key, as we had run around like mad on Monday buying a new Subaru Forrester (pics to follow) and getting the dogs to the vet. He was able to sleep in just a little bit and then we needed to run errands. We ended the day with a great dinner at Steve's Back Room in St. Clair Shores.

Anyway, there are still more photos from Las Vegas that I will add to my flickr site and I will try to post more later.

^_^ Liza

Greetings from San Diego

2006-04-10T16:39:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are in week two of our vacation. I've touched base with mom almost every night since we have left and I am just now starting to feel the fatigue of the last couple of months lifting. Just in time to get on a red eye on Wednesday and fly into Detroit at 5:00 am. Wheee - at least I can sleep in almost any moving vehicle. Poor Geoff will have been awake for nearly 24 hours when we do get home.

Don't get me wrong - hotels are great and I am enjoying being on vacation. I have managed to reduce my compulsive e-mail checking to an average of once a day and I haven't spent more than an hour answering messages since we arrived in LV last week. Mom has been doing her best to sound upbeat and comfortable, but I will be happy to get back and help share the responsibility of spending time with her. My brother has been shouldering all of that for the past week and a half and I really admire the way he has stepped up.

Mom is still in the hospital, but she thinks that her care team is really working to have her go home soon. Her hemoglobin has increased, which means that her bone marrow is returning to normal and she doesn't sound like she's nearly in as much pain as she was in right after her third surgery. The poor dear has been in the hospital since February 25. She's had a triple bypass, an abraidment of her chest wound, and a muscle flap to fill in the gap between her sternum from where the bone infection wore away her bone. It's been a long 6 weeks and I can't imagine what it's been like for her.

Geoff and I did discuss not going, or delaying our trip, or even just having him go for his conference here in San Diego. Mom wouldn't hear of it. I am glad she insisted we go, I was starting to feel the stress and I knew it would only get more intense as time went on. Geoff's sister is staying at our house during the vacation to watch after the pets. I wasn't able to get the house as cleaned up as I would like, but when the time came to leave, there wasn't anything I could do but apologize and get on the plane.

When all is said and done, I can't help but be grateful for so many things - the love and support of family, the ability to wash my own hair and take a shower, the finanacial ability to take a two week vacation (partially sponsored by work). I know that when I get back there will still be mountains of paperwork to sort through and tons of chores to get done, but I think I will be better centered for this time off.

^_^

End of March, already?!?

2006-03-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

It's now been a little over three weeks since mom had her triple bypass. Her heart seems to be doing well, but now there are a whole ton of other complications. She actually has not been home since February 25. She had the bypass on March 1, after which she had a prolonged stay in ICU because her lungs were not recovering the way they should. Mom apparently has pulmonary hypertension, which combined with the diabetes has meant a much slower recovery time. Plus, being a 34-year veteran of the hospital you are staying in does earn you a break in the whole, "okay, you're not openly bleeding so off you go" sort of approach. Eventurally, mom was discharged from the hospital and tranferred to a rehab center for continued PT and OT. We were just about ready to take her home when she wound up with a fever and a quick trip to the ER.

Essentially, mom wound up with an infection in her sternum. There was some erosion of the bone, so right now her chest is open and she has a pressure pack keeping the area closed off from the air. She's back in ICU and the doctors hope to close her up on Monday. Unfortunately, they won't be able to bring the bones back together, so there will be something called a muscle flap, which is essentially grafted muscle bringing her chest together. I am cringing even as I type this, and needless to say mom can't quite imagine how the whole thing is supposed to work either.

For the most part, mom seems to be okay, she's being given drugs for the pain, but she can't sit up and she drifts in and out of consciousness. I was pretty near to collapse on Thursday and couldn't stop from crying when I spoke with her during my lunchtime visit. I had to sleep close to 12 hours on Friday to get myself back together. Of course, it's now allergy season, which leaves me in a constant drippy state which is not very conducive to visiting the ICU. I must have washed my hands 10 - 15 times today.

Mom is still insisting that we leave for Las Vegas as planned this Friday. I am a little scared to go, but I almost feel as though I need to. Never have I been more grateful for cel phones and the instant connectivity they bring.

There is so much to do, so little time. Mom will be okay, I know it, but it makes stupid insignificant things seem even more asinine. And big, important projects feel almost overwhelming in light of what little mental energy I have. Of course, in times like this, it is the love of family and friends, the aid of coworkers, and the solid partnership of my husband that keeps me from true dispair. I am grateful for all of my blessings.

^_^

March already?!

2006-03-03T22:51:00.000-05:00

Oh dear, what a long two weeks since Valentines Day!

First off, our office found out that a dear colleague had suddenly passed away from a heart attack. We will miss you, Guy, and the work will continue. Put in a good word to Ganesh for me!

The afternoon after the funeral, one of our best men from the wedding called to say he and his wife have welcomed Abigal Dee-Ann into the world. Everyone is now home and resting comfortably. Much like the Jewish way of celebrating baby showers, the baby will be able to go to the party next weekend - I have a choir concert that afternoon, so we'll be sending along our gift with an additional bonus.

But then, in the wee hours of Saturday morning, my brother called to say my mom was having chest pains. Mom's a nurse, which means that she tends to ignore a lot of her own symptoms, so something had to be seriously wrong for her to ask to be taken to emergency. This was also the weekend I needed to be at work from 8:00 - 12:00 Saturday and Sunday, so I dressed for work and met them at the urgent care center. You have probably heard a lot of ERs advertising 29 minute or less waits in the lobby - which is true - they just can't guarantee you won't spend 5 hours once you are in one of the beds and waiting for a doctor to come and diagnose the problem. And in this case, mom needed to be admitted so they could make sure nothing was wrong and run a whole lot of tests. She had had a stress test late last year and knew there was a blockage, but I guess she figured it was fairly small and could wait. Now seemed to be as good of a time as any to get that taken care of.

So I spent the weekend bouncing back and forth between work and the hospital. On Sunday, Alex called to say that there was a lot more blockage than expected and mom would require a triple bypass. Yikes. Monday and Tuesday were spent getting paperwork together (mom had recently met with a lawyer to document her estate and draw up a will) and make sure that if anything drastic happened, we would have said what we wanted to say. It was very emotional and heart-wrenching, but I think it was good. To be sure, mom was in very good hands - after all, many of her friends and my brother work there. The cardiologist and heart surgeon both had good reputations amongst everyone who worked there. Mom was pretty popular - with each shift change a new wave of well wishers would pop through the door. One of my cousins came by - she and several other members of our extended family are expecting in the next six months. We're still trying, so keep your fingers crossed!

The surgery went decently well. It took from approximately 10 am - 2:30 pm. Geoff has been calm and supportive and I have received lovely notes and e-mails from friends. Mom spent an extra day on the ventilator, but it's finally out and she can start to talk, though it is very quiet. I didn't like all of the crazy machinery noises, so I brought in a cd player and some quiet music to play continously. Since everything went well (thus far), it's hard to truly grasp the surreality of the situation, even as this portends what it will ultimately look like when we do have to say our final goodbyes. But thankfully, it looks like mom will be around for a good long time and I would be willing to bet she comes out of this feeling better than she has in years. Her heart blockages were at least 80 percent or higher for three of the ventricles - she was essentially a walking time-bomb.

So, I am still bouncing back and forth between work, home and the hospital. It's actually very difficult to concentrate on any one thing, but that's an easy problem to have compared to how tired my mom is at the moment. I'm pretty much ready to sleep at the drop of a hat (more so than usual!!!).

All I can say is, thank God she's ok, and that we have amazing friends and family to show their support and love.

^_^

My love is like a big hard...book

2006-02-14T20:43:00.000-05:00

Happy hearts day, all!

This has been a decidedly non-sentimental Valentine's day, but by design, so I'm okay with that. I only sent out a couple of Valentine's day cards and made decadent chocolate cupcakes for my office mates. Geoffrey picked up two dozen donuts for his staff (if you have a Tim Horton's near you, I highly recommend the Cream Cheese Croissant).

Geoffrey and I decided that with finances being a little tight we would share a gift. This year, it's The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: the Complete Short Stories, a big beautiful hardbound set. It's slightly oversized and very heavy. I love it! We also had lunch together and grabbed a yummy bit of carryout from the on-campus Middle-Eastern restaurant on campus for dinner (there are serious advantages to working on the same campus).

In addition to displaying yet another piece of evidence of my geekiness, I would like to use my corner of cyberia to proclaim my love for my husband Geoffrey.
I love you!

And now, here's my pick for "Ladies Choice" at Skate World and the accompanying sentimental song lyric, dedicated to my love:

The Luckiest by Ben Folds

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here
And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?

Now I see it everyday
And I know
That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike
Would I know?
And in a wide sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize

And I know
That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you
Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties
And one day passed away in his sleep
And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away
I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong

That I know
That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

^_^

More sentimental lyrics

2006-01-21T02:02:00.000-05:00

At one point, like a lot of people my age, I made a lot of mix tapes. Geoffrey once noted that this Toad the Wet Sprocket song seemed to make it onto every one of them. It's a beautiful song, very simply arranged, and I love the lyrics:

"I Will Not Take These Things for Granted"
One part of me just wants to tell you everything
One part just needs the quiet
And if I'm lonely here, I'm lonely here
And on the telephone
You offer reassurance

I will not take these things for granted

How can I hold the part of me that only you can carry
It needs a strength I haven't found
But if it's frightening, I'll bear the cold
And on the telephone
You offer warm asylum

I'm listening
Flowers in the garden
Laughter in the hall
Children in the park
I will not take these things for granted
Anymore

To crawl inside the wire and feel something near me
To feel this accepting
That it is lonely here, but not alone
And on the telephone
You offer visions dancing

I'm listening
Music in the bedroom
Laughter in the hall
Dive into the ocean
Singing by the fire
Running through the forest
And standing in the wind
In rolling canyons

I will not take these things for granted

Many of my romances had a very strong telephone component. Nothing thrilled me more than hearing that a fellow normally wasn't one for talking on the phone and lo and behold, two hours have gone by. Even now, I love talking on the phone with my husband - his voice is so sweet to me. And yes, he did once tell me that he wasn't all that great on the phone.

^_^

Here Today

2006-01-20T13:15:00.000-05:00

Urgh.

I am sleepy. I called in sick today because I know it will be a full week next week. It's oddly warm outside (well, for January, anyway). And one of my bestest friends, Lori, called me last night because she was reading through a bunch of my old high school looseleaf notes. Apparently they fill an entire GAP bag. Those notes are more than 15 years old. Yikes. So, in honor of old memories and nostalgia, here is one of my favorite Paul McCartney poems/songs. On the Tug of War album it's simply, "Here Today," but in Blackbird Singing: Poems and Lyrics 1965 - 1999, it's actually titled, "Here Today (Song for John)."

And if I said
I really knew you well
What would your answer be?
If you were here today.

Well, knowing you
You'd probably laugh and say
That we were worlds apart.
If you were here today.

But as for me
I still remember how it was before
And I am holding back the tears no more
I love you.

What about the time we met?
Well I suppose that you could say that
We were playing hard to get,
Didn't understand a thing
But we could always sing.

What about the night we cried?
Because there wasn't any reason left
To keep it all inside,
Never understood a word
But you were always there with a smile.

And if I say I really loved you
And was glad you came along,
Then you were here today,
For you were in my song
Here today.

^_^

Bad chicken(pox) leftovers

2006-01-12T23:47:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't believe this if I had read it.

Or if a fortune teller had predicted it.

Or if someone had written about it in a blog and I thought, wow, that could be me!

But it happened: I, ladies and gentlemen, have managed to reawaken the dormant chickenpox virus that apparently has been hitching a ride in my spinal column, and now have a case of the shingles. Right on my left keister.

This is not something I would wish on anyone. Now thankfully, it's not as though I "caught" it from somewhere or that I could really give it to someone else unless they had never had chickenpox before (and came in contact on an open sore on my usually very covered butt). But it's not pretty and it kinda hurts, like being burned with a curling iron. And it takes a while to heal - two weeks on an anti-viral waiting for the shingles to scab and fall off. Mmmmmm-hmmmm tasty! I should go suck down a pound of tomatoes 'cause I don't think I'm getting a cold sore anytime soon.

So, sorry if this is more personal than you ever wanted to know about me, but it's just kinda funny (this usually happens in older people) and I am bound to ruminate on it in at least a couple more posts.

Oh, and for more information. not that you can do anything to prevent shingles really, I recommend this site: Shingles, an Unwelcome Encore

kodamakitty.com!

2006-01-12T23:39:00.000-05:00

How's this for a cool Christmas present? The hubby decided to immortalize me on the web by securing the following:
kodamakitty.com
kodamakitty.net
kodamakitty.org
all of which currently link to this site until I can figure out how to create my own webspace.

I also received my very own pro-Flickr account with with to inflict my camera mania on an unsuspecting public:
www.flickr.com/photos/kodamakitty/

It's a lot like being given my own little plot of land for a garden. Now I just need time to grow something other than weeds!

^_^

Holiday Blogthing

2005-12-18T15:53:00.000-05:00

Ack - Christmas is only a week away. I can't even end that with an exclamation point because it's so odd and bewildering to me. Most of my shopping is done, so that's not it, and the kiddies at work have been mostly quiet, so that's not it - hunh. Maybe I'm actually mostly prepared for this Christmas and thus my lack of overexcited panic. I have a tendency to try to do too much the night before and it's really starting to be a drag, so for Christmas this year I started around Thanksgiving to pack up the gifts I buy all year round. It pleases me to no end to find the perfect gift for someone and find a way to pack it up for maximum "ooohs" and "ahhhs."

The only gifts I don't have, and am not even sure I will have, are for my myriad of cousins. My mom is one of nine siblings and each of them has at least one child, if not four. I am one of 22 first cousins, and we have started to reproduce, so I have second cousins as well (is that right - they're my second cousins? I never quite understood how that worked). Needless to say, getting more than just a trinket or candy for all of my cousins has been a pain in the rear. Not because they expect anything, but because I don't want to leave anyone out. I suspect that next year we older, professionally employed cousins will have to be part of the name draw for a gift exchange.

Anyway, here's a bit of fun, in the form of my Elf Name:

Your Elf Name Is...

Ditzy Sticky Fingers

What's Your Elf Name?

^_^

Blue Man Group in London!

2005-11-30T08:53:00.000-05:00

Ah, this would be veddy veddy cool, indeed:

Blue Man Group opened at the New London Theatre in London on November 10. To celebrate, we’re giving away a trip to the United Kingdom for one lucky winner and their guest.

The prize package includes hotel accommodations at the Jurys Great Russell Street Hotel, as well as airline tickets and ground transportation for the grand prize winner and one (1) lucky guest of his/her choice.

Prize Package Details:

Round trip airfare for two (2) from one domestic U.S., Canadian, or European location to London, United Kingdom
Three (3) nights stay at the Jurys Great Russell Street Hotel
One (1) breakfast for (2) at the Jurys Great Russell Street Hotel
One (1) dinner for two (2) at Origin Bar and Dining Room
Two (2) tickets to Blue Man Group at the New London Theatre in Covent Garden, London.

To enter the contest (there's also one for the new show at the Venetian in Las Vegas) click here.

Here's crossing my fingers that I or Geoff are randomly chosen! ^_^

We hold these truths to be self-evident....

2005-11-30T08:44:00.000-05:00

*chuckle* It would be interesting to see what happens when e-mail forwards are dissected as folklore and common wisdom. In the meantime, here's a thought-provoking one forwarded to me by my good friend Ann:

Ten Thoughts to Ponder

Number 10 - Life is sexually transmitted.

Number 9 - Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Number 8 - Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich.
(Hey! Who's going to make me a sandwich? How's my hubby supposed to know which of the two I am?)

Number 7 - Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

Number 6 - Some people are like a Slinky.....not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

Number 5 - Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

Number 4 - All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

Number 3 - Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?

Number 2 - In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

AND THE NUMBER 1 THOUGHT FOR 2005: We know exactly where one cow with mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America but we haven't got a clue as to where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are located. Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration.

^_^

Just wanted to share the silliness....

2005-11-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

A long lost idol of mine sent me an e-mail with this link and I just have to share:
The Llama Song
As the composer puts it, "Not suitable for people who dislike Llamas."

In other news, there really hasn't been any other news. I sing in the Detroit Archdiocesan Chorus (an Archdiocese is an entity that encompasses a number of local Catholic Parishes). The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, where we perform for various masses and ceremonies, is governed by Cardinal Adam Maida. I generally don't think too hard about the politics of the Roman Catholic Church, which I know is not a good thing, necessarily. The truth of the matter is, I started in this Choir when I was 15 and have been a member off an on now for more years than not. I love my choir director and I love the music we perform. This time, our next concert is Dave Brubeck's "To Hope!" which is a jazz-infused mass. I don't think the choir parts are as challenging as the score, which is good, and it means that the jazzier stuff will happen with the instrumentalists.

This weekend passed way too quickly. We stopped by Alex's house to wish his girlfriend Kara a happy birthday. Seeing my brother with his friends and living on his own (with a roommate, but still...) was a little odd, like watching episodes of the Rugrats All Growed Up. I am very proud of my little brother. He really seems to have found his footing with Nursing. Saturday was spent lazing around in pjs and working on clearing the huge amounts of paper I have covering the dining room table. So many plans - so little time. Today sped by too - Geoff spent time with his grandfather and I worked on our household budget before going out and buying groceries. We've been eating out way too much lately.

Oh - and I got my digicam back. I had accidentally injured it and the Geek Squad at Best Buy clucked their collective tongues and promised not to promise anything (it's very difficult to think of them as single units - they're really Borg/Agent like in their demeanor - do they train that into you, or are you hired based on your ability to speak in clipped monotones while smiling mirthlessly?) Apparently, the warranty I had purchased was merely an extension of the manufacturer's warranty and really, at the end of the day, didn't do squat for me. You know, if I can mangage not to break something within the time frame of the manufacturer's warranty, then dollar per day I've probably broken even.

Ah well, I need to head off to bed. I have some pre-work work that should have been done during the time I spent not working on stuff Saturday.

^_^

Big giant bags of candy

2005-10-28T22:39:00.000-04:00

I really like giving gifts.

That's probably the understatement of the year, if you ask anyone who knows how much I love shopping for people, figuring out the proper presentation and then watching them "ooooh" and "ahhhhh." So, it makes sense that I really do like giving out candy on Halloween. This year, I bought five ginormous (giant + enormous = ginormous) bags of candy. I can't remember which one of us decided this last year, but in the Lagman-Sperl household you get both chocolate and non-chocolate candy. Oh, and if you're older than say, twelve, you have to explain what the heck you are. Be creative! I'd give up candy for someone saying they're a cog in the corporate machine or soul-less cube farm lackey.

Choir rehearsal has been moved to Sunday night, probably to allow those of us with candy dispensing tendencies can go home and spread sugar induced joy throughout the land.

The other upside of Halloween? Those giant bags will be on discount the very next day and it will keep my office candy dish supplied. I'll be able to pimp that stuff out for weeks!

^_^

I am truly blessed!

2005-10-23T22:00:00.000-04:00

Today is my birthday, but we started the celebration early by having a small dinner party yesterday. Actually, if the celebration includes receiving roses from Geoff's brothers and family in the mail (always a classy way to receive flowers) and the frantic cleaning that occurs before one has people over, then the partying began Friday afternoon. Geoff and I did some errand running, including gathering enough stuff for a triple batch of his mom's chili recipe. Being OCD about having people over, I shooed Geoff to bed and continued cleaning for the rest of the night and grabbed a short nap on the couch while waiting for the giant monster batch of chili to cool down enough to be put in the refrigerator.

We started Saturday's festivities with a trip to the Westview Apple Orchard out in Romeo. It's more geared towards kids, but it was kinda fun to watch kids run around and be, well, kids. The place doesn't have the whistles and bells of a mall or an arcade and it was nice to see that it didn't need it. It was a little chilly and I was dressed more for style than comfort, but it was a beautiful day and I got to nap in the car while Geoff and our friend Doug sat up front. We brought home Red Delicious apples, cider and pumpkins and donuts. Geoff doesn't like apples any other time of year and we haven't managed to get out to an orchard for a few years with crazy schedules, so it was well worth the drive and the cold to visit one.

When we got back, Sara joined us, bearing the most adorable birthday cake - it was yellow cake with white frosting and a hunormous Hello Kitty! I unfortunately bumped my brand new digital camera a little too hard at the cider mill (thank goodness for the extended warranty), so I don't have a digital image to share at the moment, but when I get the film developed, I'll have to show it off - it was absolute genius.

The full dinner party started at 6:00 with the arrival of more friends: Lori and Steve, Patti and Ann Marie, Curt and Fern and Sonia. We had a log in the fireplace and I got to pick the music (a mix of stuff on my iPod, the soundtrack to "O" from the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and the Barenaked Ladies's Stratford soundtrack to "As You Like It"). There was chili, burgers, salad, and of course, cake!

Everyone stayed for a good long visit, including a few rounds of "Dance Dance Revolution" (Geoff's present from my birthday last year). Then it was hugs all around and promises to get together soon. My brother Alex called at midnight to wish me Happy Birthday (he never fails to amaze me by remembering to do that every year) and I collapsed around 12:30 am. I got to sleep in today until 1:00 in the afternoon. Geoff's present to me this year, in addition to our buying a new camera and printer set up as a shared item (but it's mostly for me) was a great book on digital photography. It looks like it will be a great read and I can't wait to improve my skills.

My mom met us at the house and then we took off for Windsor for my Goddaughter Amara's birthday party. She is now five and was dressed up as a pirate queen (think Snow White embellised by Treasure Island). My cousins gave me a beautiful basket with a big bunch of Starbucks goodies and I had the traditional Filipino pancit (noodles are eaten for long life). Geoff and I took tomorrow off so we won't have to rush around after a busy weekend.

So I am now 31, but that doesn't bother me. Life is very good and I am grateful for everyone and everything in it.

^_^