Why hello there!

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...

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

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!

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!

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"

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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?

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..."

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

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?"