Little Latin Lupe Lu

The Beese are here!

2011-05-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

We've become bee keepers! We had always privately thought about bee keeping, the Professor and I. We did not even share this thought with each other for many years. Only recently, after seeing the documentary, "The Queen of the Sun", did we know that we HAD to keep bees- that we always knew we would.

(Please remember- you can click on the photos to enlarge.)

The Little Man and the Professor gaze in amazement at our box of Italian bees (via California).

Inside their traveling cage the intoxicated bees await their new home.

The Professor removes the feeder can and releases the first bee.

Emptying the traveling cage to their new home.

7,000 BEES!

The Queen in her cage.

Attaching the queen.

Taking flight.

Putting on the second Langstroth box.

The Little Man has made a friend for life.

Our furry friend.

If you seek all that is possible, then all that is possible will seek you.

2011-02-25T16:43:00.000-08:00

Imagine you are a squirrel. You don't really know where the nut is that you buried last fall but you are pretty sure that you did a lot of work to get ready for the winter. The squirrel doesn't know how many nuts there are where she lives but she believes that there is an abundance and she goes about her business to find them. She finds many.

Now, imagine you are living in poverty in a land where there is little water or food. If you don't leave, you will surely die. You have heard of this place called "america". You have heard that in this land everyone has food, everyone has water, everyone has a place to live and there is this thing called "opportunity". You BELIEVE this to be true and decide to leave your native country and seek all that is possible in this place called America.

You cross the ocean by boat and they say you will know when you arrive when you see a lady. A proud, tall lady with a crown and a light, pointing the way towards all the possibilities. In the distance, you see her and you know now that it IS possible. ANYTHING that you need, want, desire is there, is here, with you, inside you. You just needed to seek it so that you could find each other.
photos by LupeLu

On the Road to Shambala

2011-02-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

I came late to the "LOST" series. I started watching it, not on network TV, because I don't HAVE hook-up to either cable or even the "regular" stations, but via the internet on Netflix. I LOVE watching shows this way, no commercials AND if I want to watch 10 episodes a day...I CAN! If I had watched the show as it played on TV, I don't think I could have waited a WHOLE week for the next episode...it would have killed me!

Anyway, this post isn't about my addiction to LOST, it's about the themes that LOST uses and the themes that have been reoccurring in my life.

Connections and faith are portrayed in this clip from LOST.
About connections: People, as the humans we are, desire to be connected to other people. This is why blogs exist, this is why Facebook is such a hit. We are not creatures who feed off of isolation, that is uncommon AND I would argue, not healthy. We join groups, we belong to churches, synagogues, mosques. We join run clubs, adventure groups, bands, gangs, anything to be connected even if it is a negative influence. We want to be accepted, for who we are, not who we could become or what people want us to be. When we don't get that acceptance, we can become bitter, self-indulgent, depressed. Children, if not given positive attention, will go for negative attention (e.g. when you say "no", I'll do it again, just because I can and you are giving me attention).

I've found that my connections to people have lead me either one way or the other- good vs. evil. I guess, if I think about it, it all depended on how I felt about myself at the time. Insecurity lead to evil. Self love to good. Either way, it was the connection that I was longing for.

On faith. I truly believe that if you BELIEVE...it will become reality.

At age 6, I never doubted this. I could BE and DO anything! I WAS an actress, I was a world traveller. I was an awesome mom. The possibilities were endless. Faith has been challenged since then. As I grew older, I was told and believed that I COULDN'T do things. I was told there were limitations. I now think that this is the worse thing we do to our children.

So, now I am trying to get back my faith. Trying to be Hurley, driving down the hill at 60mph headed straight for the rocks with eyes closed saying, "there is no curse, there is no curse". Just like Hurley, I'm hoping that the VW will start and I'll go driving in the promise land with Three Dog Night singing Shambala in the background.

Wish me luck!

Refreshing the blog in NYC

2010-11-14T07:28:00.001-08:00

I have decided to refresh the blog once again. It is time for me to park myself in this cyberspace place, I will be transient no more.

The inspiration came to me in NYC. A friend asked me if I still was blogging. I had to say "no, not for quite some time now". Facebook has been consuming my computer time. Not that I am against Facebook but it doesn't allow the creative muse to be satiated.

So - this will be short- just an introduction, a refresh of the blog. As I am a just traveler of of this blue planet, I wish you a Romani "sastipe" from NYC. Enjoy the video below from one of my favorite "gypsy" bands, Devotchka.

Winter Memories

2010-04-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

The family went snow tubing this winter with the little man's school at a place we have never been to before.

This was snow tubing like no other snow tubing I have ever seen. No trudging back up the hill with your tube, a moving sidewalk carried you and your tube effortlessly up the hill to repeat the cycle again and again...swiftly down and effortlessly up. As you can see in the video, they even had snow banks on the side so that there was no worry about killing each other as you flew down the hill...very safe, LOVED IT!

The Professor relished this event (as you can see, he was deprived as a child)with multiple solo runs with the little "Flip" camera.

I wanted to go down together as I find these events more fun in groups but for my introvert husband, he found more joy in the solo adventure. Either way it was a beautiful day that I remember fondly.

We even got the sullen teenager to tube once or twice after sitting out for hours.

I only have time for poems...

2010-03-25T08:15:00.001-07:00

3/23/10

The caw in the naked crook
fears black
screaming
the chill of the wind
scars my naked breast

Originals

2010-03-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Putting some poetry out there again. Not sure if they are quite finished. What do you think?

Poor Man’s Special

Sorrow, the bitter glass of chardonnay
beach boys tinned ceiling décor
my weary elbows rest on the robbers countertop
stuck to the spot, the black hole of my existence
surrounded by Monkeys, the poor man’s special at the door.

Unnamed

You’ve put me in solitary confinement; duck tape mouth and platypus feet
I am the excessive sense of self importance drizzled over a peanut buster parfait
Your shadowy creaking slippers cannot hypnotize me no more
Cannot hypnotize me no more
I sensed your absence from my side
Dredged from the talk show in my mind, David Letterman as God
Even children get champagne
It’s my revival - full of splendor and magnificence
Straight jacketed fervor boiled brew.

Freya's day

2010-02-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

I am taking this from Wikipedia...a bit of a paraphrase...'in most countries with a five day work week, Friday is the last day of the week giving us cause for celebration and/or relief.' However if you lived in Saudi Arabia or Iran, Friday is the last day of the weekend, Saturday being the first day of the work week. I'm guessing that I would feel a bit differently than I do today if I lived there.

In Germanic languages, Friday means the day of Freya who is the goddess of love. Similarly in romantic languages, Friday is derived from Latin dies Veneris, "day of Venus", Spanish viernes or French, vendredi and vineri in Romanian.

This goddess comes to me at a good time.

I believe in the power of the universe, providing what you need when you need it. In my life, I run into people for a reason, have conflict and strife for a reason. I believe that all events are meant to help me evolve. My oldest child. The child that has pushed me to the limits from the day he was born...not sleeping through the night until he was three. If I didn't learn patience then, he continues to provide me with opportunities. He is here to teach me patience, acceptance, and gratitude.

The power and the beauty in the mother Freya is in me. I can draw from her energy, her passion and her strength.

Winter Solstice 2009

2009-12-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Professor and I in Mexico 1997

Today is a memorable day for me. It was on this day in 1997 (12 years ago) that The Professor proposed to me in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. The name Zihuatanejo comes from the word "Cihuatlan" which means "place of women" in Nahuatl. We went there to celebrate the baptism of our dear friends' first born son and it was the beginning of a six month journey for me and my eldest son in Spanish immersion. I studied at the University IberoAmericano while we lived with my friend's family.
All of us in the Zocalo in Mexico City.

The beach of the Cats, on the other hand, owes its name to the abundance of cat sharks (an inoffensive squalus that has a moustache and no teeth) that used to live in nearby waters.

I remember how difficult it was for me at the time, being away and having to think and speak in Spanish all the time. The Professor and our friends stayed with me through New Years but then went back to the Twin Cities to resume their lives. It was hard to be away from my love as I was newly "in love". The Professor and I meet two years earlier and had been living together for a year. We had a house and a dog and a 4 year old boy. The proposal itself was a surprise but knowing that I would marry this man was not.

On a sultry morning on the 21st of December as we were getting ready to start our day, The Professor pulls me aside to a balcony off of the hotel hallway. Years later I don't remember exact words, I just remember the feeling...excitement, elation...as he pulled out a beautiful ring with a turquoise stone and a silver leaf on each side of the stone, put it on my finger and asked me to marry him. The perfect setting. Perfect timing.

My plan is to return to this place in 2010. I haven't been to Mexico since then and it is time.

Just a poem

2009-11-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

I swim in a sea of uncertainty
treading slowing when I get tired
I maneuver through the black waves
that come
upon
me
I am a strong swimmer,
that is the problem,
I have practiced
all
my
life
with each turn of my head
I fill my lungs with air
to return it to the depths
once more
once more
once more
once more
once more

They're creepy and they're kookie...

2009-07-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Adams Family. Didn't we all love that show? Well, now my 10 year old loves it. He love it so much that it is all he can talk about. We don't have television but he "YouTube's" it. He watches it at the Grandma's house. Wherever he can, he sucks it in and memorizes it and recites it to me daily! Between this show and his obsession for The Lord of the Rings...hmmmm, this must be a phase.

Every night for at least a month, if not more, he has gone to sleep playing the same song from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. He has it on repeat so that it plays over and over and over. If we don't shut if off at night, it is all we hear all night long. He loves this song SOOOO much that he has learned to play it on the piano just by ear. This may seem mean of me but I have asked him to STOP playing it on the piano at times because I just can't take the same song over and over and over again!

Ok, tell me...was there a song that you remember that you loved SOOO much that you played it over and over and over until your parents yelled at you to stop playing that song? I am sure I must have done it but I can't remember what the song was or if they ever told me to turn it off. Maybe I blocked it out of my memory because it was so traumatic. I don't know. Let me hear your stories.

Camera thieves should have their hands cut off!!

2009-07-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have to start this post by saying I would like to have a number of pictures to show for the 2+ weeks I was in Barcelona and southern France with the Professor but that is the reason for this post. I do not have pictures because on the last day of our trip, we were at the beach in Barceloneta on the Mediterranean Sea and my camera was stolen with all the memory cards, battery charger and all. EVERYTHING was in my backpack and they took that from right beside me - one second it was there and the next it was in the hands of some thief among a sea of a thousand tourists on the sand.

Now I know that the title of this blog is a bit harsh, but I am PISSED! The THOUGHT of someone TOUCHING my camera, handling all the gadgets, the batteries, the case...possibly looking at the pictures as they delete them to sell the thing, it makes me want to vomit. I feel violated. It's like they were touching ME, my husband and our lives.

I am also struggling with the thought that it was MY fault. I should have been more vigilant, I should have left my camera in the hostel, I should have SAT on my backpack while I lay on the beach and not have laid it beside me. I should have left the full memory cards in the hostel. SHIT. I'd give anything to have that moment back, to have left my camera in the safe confines of the locker of our room at the hostel.

But, it was our last day. We wanted to see the sea one last time. As we approached the beach, people had surfboards...we wondered why. The last time we were there, there was nary a wave that could be called surfable. This day though, it was windy and there WERE waves, surfable ones. The Professor was soooo excited. He is a longboarder and that means he is a surfer as well. Even though he has never surfed, I think he imagines himself doing it when he is on his long board. So, he was out there, immediately, playing with those waves and although he didn't have a board, he pretended he did.

I got some great video footage of him that day. It was the first video I shot the whole trip. I hadn't wanted to use up too much memory or battery beforehand but since it was our last day, I thought, what the heck? That was the last thing I will ever put on that camera.

We got the camera before the Professor went to Vietnam the first time. It was our first digital camera. We went with a small, portable one so that it would be easy for him to tote around, a Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph (I am looking at the box right now with the manual and cords still inside). I loved it. It took awesome pictures for such a small camera and only 7.1 mega pixels.

It wasn't the actual thing that I was so attached to but what I was able to do with the "thing". Photography became a hobby for me. Getting cool, interesting shots of people, places and things - I have a good eye for a good shot AND my pictures of Spain and France were INCREDIBLE!

Provence, with it's lavender and sunflower fields, it's stone houses with colorful wooden shutters. The summit of Mount Ventoux, where the Professor and I were so scared of falling off the edge we didn't think we'd be able to drive back down. Those pictures were taken from the door of my car because I was too afraid to get out for fear I'd be blown off the mountain top (I swear they sweep up the bodies every evening). The multiple castles. The castle of the Marquis de Sade in Lacoste, the random Salses castle originally Spanish but now in France built on a narrow flat streak of land along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. So many more. Our tour took us to many Roman ruins as well. The Pont Julien (Julian bridge),in Bonnieux near Apt, France which we specifically went to to take pictures of for our eldest son whose name is Julian. It was built over the Calavon river but I'm sure the river has changed since the Romans marched over that bridge for today there is just a small puddle or two left of the Calavon.

Oh, I could go on and I just might in the next blog which will be more about my trip than the camera but I needed to vent. I MAY need therapy. The Professor says I should buy a BETTER camera - the Nikon D90 was suggested to me by the make-up counter lady at Macy's (I went there to replace all the make-up that was stolen as well). I just don't know, small and compact is nice, easy... but maybe I go for big and better now. It is just too soon. I have to mourn the SD1000 for a bit and be without.

Little Man Update

2009-01-19T10:20:00.001-08:00

We have made it out of the dark tunnel. This wasn't done alone. It was done with an incredible amount of love and healing energies from people near and far, people close to us and people I might not even know.

The Little Man is walking again. He is without walker or crutch. He has a slight leg length difference (his left leg is 3 cm shorter than is right) that he didn't have before, so he wobbles a bit. The doctors say that this should correct itself in 1-2 years. All regular activities have pretty much resumed although mom is a bit hesitant to allow sledding, skating etc...The Little Man though is resilient and oblivious to his wobble or what he has gone through.

At Gillette in October just after break

I guess this is the light that the nine year old holds...he is very much in the present (although he has already been planning his double digit birthday coming up this summer). The Little Man has physical therapy twice a week now. One day is land therapy at Gillette Children's Hospital and the other day is water therapy.

Water Therapy started in late November

Going to Gillette weekly, I see how lucky we are. The Little Man is walking, unlike so many who will never walk. He talks, unlike many who will never utter a word.

Minnesotans complain a lot about the weather. This incident has converted me from a fellow commiserator to a daily gratitude giver. I wake up thankful for all the little things. I am thankful for the snow, the cold, my heated home with warm bed covers that are soft and fluffy. I get out of that bed every day and I am thankful that I can. I walk out the door on my own each day...unassisted. I eat... unassisted. I taste delicious foods. I have a variety of food to chose from. How LUCKY is that?!

Yes, very thankful...for all the little things.

Etch- A -Sketch Prodigy

2008-11-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

Ok - I suppose every parent thinks that their child is talented, special and fairly smart. I am no different. BUT... the Little Man, who is nine and in a cast is freakishly talented. No, he is not reading "Being and Nothingness" by Jean Paul Sartre or doing quantum physics...he is creating amazing pictures on Etch-A-Sketch! You know, the magnetic thing that uses one continuous line!

Now, if you have read my earlier blogs and have seen pictures of my house you will see the resemblance. This is a picture of our house, trees, bushes, wood-chip paths and all! I barely can write my name legibly on Etch-A-Sketch. Now, please tell me if I am blowing this out of proportion but I have never seen an Etch-A-Sketch picture like this...well, only in the movie "Elf". Pretty cool.

MN 80's music - here's to you Gary

2008-11-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

The Professor and I watched the B52's on Gary's site...it brought us waaaayyy back. The Professor said as he watched, he could smell the smells of the time.

As he and I are both very passionate about music we thought we would share one of The Professor's all time favorite bands of the 80's. He once wrote a personal note to Chan Poling, who is now in "The New Standards" and he wrote back. Beej Cheney is one of his all time guitar heroes.

Feel the feelings and taste the flavor of the 80's.

'80's flashback

2008-10-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

What makes you feel good when you are feeling down? A flashback from the '80's! I used to go dancing 6 nights a week in Minneapolis. I think the only night I didn't go out was Monday, every other night there was dancing... somewhere. I have tried to go out dancing in recent years but have not had quite the experience that I used to. I really believe it is the music. It is just not as good.

The best times I have had dancing recently have been in someones living room. Most recently it was to "Hung up" by Madonna. She's inspirational - I WILL DO YOGA EVERYDAY!!!!

Update on the Little Man

2008-10-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

He is home now, in better spirits and taking things in stride. The surgeon in charge of his surgery drew this witch on his cast to help make him feel better. His favorite holiday is Halloween - the first thing HE drew on his cast was a jack-o-lantern.

The hospital bed arrived yesterday evening and we put it in the front room. He also has a wheelchair that reclines that he is able to move around in. I would like to get him outside as the weather here has been gorgeous and the fall colors are bright and in bloom but it may be a bit too soon for that as he opposes the idea of anyone other than good friends and family seeing him in a wheelchair.

There is hope though that he will be able to maneuver around in crutches down the line since he has his right leg free from the knee down...we'll see what happens.

What good comes from something like this? A friend said that it is "love" and I believe she is right. We have had such an outpouring of love and support from our family, friends, co-workers, and schoolmates that it makes things so much more bearable. The Beatles sung it like this..."All You Need is Love".

Send prayers/ healing energy this way please

2008-10-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

The little man (my son, age nine)was born with a genetic bone disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta type I. He breaks bones more easily than most. Luckily his "type" is not the most severe kind. He doesn't break when you touch him or is unable to live a complete life because of his disease. Up until now, most of his breaks have been fairly manageable, not extremely painful.

Today though, I am sitting by his bedside in the hospital where they care for kids with chronic conditions. While playing on the monkey bars yesterday at school, he fell and landed quite wrong on his leg hearing his bone snap as he landed. We were unable to move him when I got there and called 911. He was in excruciating pain and it took hours to transport him to the ER. It then took hours to try and get an x-ray because he could not move his left leg and the pain was so horrible when anyone else touched it even with morphine.

What we know now is that he has a spiral fracture to his left femur. The x-ray they finally got was ugly. The doctor said that it looked more like the type of break you see when you are in a massive car accident.

We are currently waiting for the surgeon to tell us what will happen next. We know that he will have to have some kind of surgery to put the bone back into place and either put in plates or wires to stabilize it. After that he will probably be in a full body cast- BOTH legs and hips from his waist down to his toes for weeks.

If you at all believe in the power of prayer or healing collective energies, please send them to the little man. He will need to be strong and patient with himself. He will need to be brave in endure the pain and he will need have courage to not get DIScouraged...he WILL heal! I also pray that he will not have to go through another break like this again and that this will be his last large bone break.

We are lucky to have family around us at this time for strength and help as we will need it caring for him as the weeks go.

This is bad but could be worse. We have hospitals, we have medicine, we have food, we have shelter and our family is together. There are many people who have experienced worse. I send my healing energies to them as well as my own son.

Neko Case ROCKS or Peggy vs. Patsy

2008-09-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

I've never been to a better concert! Neko was everything I thought she would be and more. First Avenue was packed. Neko came on stage and the crowd went wild. She has an awesome band most of whom are Canadian. Her steel guitar/banjo player is from AZ and he was incredibly talented. Her on stage performance sounds just like her albums - that is the amazing thing. Many performers that you see live lack the talent to sound right on stage but not Neko, her voice is as crisp and clear and genuine as you hear it on her CDs. "I'll Be Around" sounded amazing live, it was the last song she did and left me with goosebumps.

I have great admiration for her. She promotes animal adoption and visited the Minneapolis Humane Society while she was here. In between songs she spoke of various cats and dogs that were up for adoption, dedicating her songs to each of them and she went.

Neko reminds me a lot of a variety of other woman singers of the '40's -'60's. Patsy Cline, Wanda Jackson, and Peggy Lee were woman in charge with sultry voices.

"Is That All There Is" is one of my favorite Peggy Lee songs. Check out this psychedelic video probably from the '60's.

Now, my good friend The Potter has been having people vote on singers and actors. It seems to be a very effective tool to get people to comment on your blog. I will do the same and see what happens.

So, who would you pick from the gals of the past...Peggy Lee or Patsy Cline. I'll just go with those two and see what we get. Have FUN!

No time, no time

2008-09-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

School has started. It is like a locomotive headed downhill on an icy slope unable to stop. It will go and go and go until it crashes. This may happen come Christmas and then I will breathe. As it is now, it is past the time that I should be up for one who awakes before dawn. But I can't help but love the night...I am an owl disguised as a lark.

Late night, Pandora and gin

2008-08-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

What more can one ask for?

If you haven't checked out Pandora internet radio...you are missin' out! It is customized radio at your fingertips and it is FREE. Well, as free as what you are already paying for your internet. You type in a song or an artist you want to listen to and then it finds songs similar to the song you asked for along with songs from that artist or the song you wanted to hear.

I should be sleeping soon but there is really nothing like being a little tipsy and listening to great tunes on your computer late at night while the whole house is asleep.

Buenas Noches....zzzzzzzzz

The Week in Pictures

2008-08-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

So much has gone on, I have been going non-stop ...and since I haven't had time to blog, I will give you the week in review in pictures.

Monday early in the A.M.: Tonsillectomy for the Little Man

Monday all day and night: In the hospital recovering

Tuesday: Went with The Teenager to his new school to work out his daily commute via light rail and bus . He did it the rest of the week all by himself! I can't believe school starts next week!

Wednesday: Laundry, cleaning and caring for the patient (not really picture worthy stuff).

Thursday: Kombucha making day - 3 gallons worth- I'm going to be so healthy!

Friday: Rattle My Bones Scooter Rally at Blue Cat Motors. Friday night was a BBQ and dance with music spun by DJ Aaron who spun the best ska and reggae all night long!

Saturday day: Rattle my bones continues with competitive scooter games.

Hard core scooter guys lining up for the "scooter pull".

Saturday night: Going away party for my good friend HG who is moving to NYC in a week. The events of my days and weeks will be greatly altered once she goes. I will miss her dearly.

Sunday: Rattle my bones continues...a 2 hour scooter ride along the beautiful streets of the Twin Cities. Took a picture with my cell phone but not quite sure how to get that here.

Here are some of the cool scooters that participated in the rally.

WHAT A WEEK!

Anniversary Weekend

2008-08-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Professor and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary Friday, August 8th. Our whole weekend turned out to be a wonderful celebration of some of the things we like to do best.

1. Listen to and play music.
The band that the Professor is in, "The Durty Nellys", played the talent show at the Irish Fair that was going on all weekend down at Harriet Island.

So, we started off Friday afternoon, listening to the various acts that were competing for $250 and the chance to open up for "Flogging Molly" on the main stage on Saturday.

In my humble and biased opinion, "The Durty Nellys" were one of the best bands in the talent show. The Professor dressed the part and put his heart and soul into it. They didn't win but it was good experience for all involved.

2. Stroll downtown.
After we listened to some of the bands, we walked over the Wabasha bridge to downtown. We considered going to the newest art museum downtown but it was closed already. So, we meandered the streets a bit until we came to one of our favorite bars. Which brings me to the third thing we enjoy doing.

3. Have drinks at the St. Paul Hotel.
The St. Paul Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in the area. It is elegant, regal and filled with history. When you sit at the bar, you can imagine F. Scott Fitzgerald having a pint, jotting literary notes on a bar napkin. You can envision the plots being hatched in a nearby booth by John Dillinger and his gang during the 1930's.

It was in the late '90's that The Professor and The Godfather passed Liv Taylor sitting at a table conversing with rock legends. My father was a bus boy at the hotel in the '40's . This bar has HISTORY and we love it.
The bartender treated us to this tasty beverage called a cucumber martini. Very refreshing. I would definitely have one of these again.

4. Keep Healthy.
Part of my incredible anniversary weekend included running the Irish Fair 5K. I haven't been able to run for the last 7 years. My knees and back have been bad and until I started swimming, I never thought I would be able to run again. Swimming has strengthened my back AND knees and I have started to run a bit. It felt so good to actually finish the race. I was very proud of myself. I hope that I can keep on running...just a little bit.

5. Nap in the shade.
This isn't us but it could be ...we were doing the same thing come Sunday under a tree nearby. What a fabulous weekend we had and what a great way to celebrate our ten years of marriage.

Los Dos

2008-08-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night was the night. The night to see both "Los Lonely Boys" and "Los Lobos". The Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater is an OK venue. The bleachers are a bit hard and you are packed in a bit close...but...if the weather is nice and the bugs aren't too bad, it is a beautiful spot to listen to quality music. The Professor and I brought our friends with. The Los Lobos crowd was an older group but very enthusiastic. A lot of 50 year old men in Hawaiian shirts. What is with the 50 year old men with Hawaiian shirts anyway? Believe me, they're in there.

My overall critique of the show was that Los Lobos has lost their "F-yeah" factor. That is what The Professor likes to call a certain groove that some bands or music just has. It is hard to replicate. Their music was slow where it shouldn't have been. They played only about five songs. David Hildago forgot the words to a cover he did by "Cream". It was pretty bad. Had they been up all night drinking or something? Who knows. Maybe they are just getting old. I loved seeing them but it was disappointing.

Los Lonely Boys, on the other hand, were amazing to watch live. I was never that impressed with their music in general but their live act was right ON! They had great showmanship, they were a tight band, and they are all awesome musicians. Los Lonely Boys should have been the main act for this one. I could have watched them all night.

In spite of the not so perfect concert, The Professor and I always enjoy a night out with friends. This was a great way to start our anniversary week. The big 10 is coming up on Friday...stay tuned.

Camping ...when pigs fly...

2008-08-05T12:23:00.001-07:00

My family loves to camp. It has gotten harder to do though as the kids get older. The teenager has had commitments practically all summer that have kept us in town. FINALLY...we got to go.

My middle sister is in to camping as well and she was planning a trip to Blue Mound State Park in southwestern Minnesota so we decided to combine our efforts and go together. It has been a long time since my sister and I went camping together and I have never gone with her, The Professor and the boys. It was truly an enjoyable time.

When we first started camping, we tented. Shortly after though, The Professor's aunt and uncle offered to sell us their 1989 Coleman Pop-up Camper. It came fully equipped with utensils, plates, cups, pots, cooking gear, towels, table cloths and sheets for the beds. EVERYTHING! We bought it and we have never regretted it.

We opened it up in our driveway to check our supplies.

Another "person" who likes to camp is Lupe. She prefers to stay in the camper while we go on hikes or bike rides - she truly is a city dog. The thing I think she likes most is the fact that we are all together and she gets to hang out with us by the campfire. One big pack!

Blue Mound is prairie. Luckily, the campsite had trees for shade because the temperature was near 100 degrees for three days. The nights cooled off and generally there was a breeze but it was hot and humid for the most part.

We hiked the prairie the first day and saw all sorts of wonderful sites.

Wild prairie flowers of all colors.

Giant bees pollinating the wildflowers.

Huge rock formations.

Lichens, thousands of years old.

Prairie, yet signs of the gateway to the wild, wild West.

And roaming in the distance...BISON!

The highlight of our trip had to be what happened right here, on the entrance to I90 from a rest area in southern Minnesota.

This little guy ran across the road as we were entering the freeway. Now, many families may have just continued their journey and not thought twice about what might befall the little porklet... but NOT US! We jumped out of the van and began a 5 minute circus to catch the thing! I finally captured him by the hind end and quickly handed him to The Professor.

Ain't he cute?!

Luckily there was a ranger back at the rest stop who took the little piggy and popped him in the shed until he could find his rightful owner. He said that this was the third one they found today. Some trucker lost 3 little piggies on his way to the market?

Great trip!

What is it like to move away....and come back?

2008-07-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

I'm up tonight watching one of my favorite movies,"Gross Point Blank". I like this movie not only because I LOVE John Cusack but it is a film that was meant for people just like me - 40 something, mid-eighties graduate. The soundtrack is filled with tunes from groups like, Aha, The Violent Femmes, The Clash, The English Beat, David Bowie, Queen and The Jam. All groups I LOVE!

I think that people can also relate to this movie because people do move away from the cities where they went to high school and then return for things like their high school reunions just like Martin Blank does.

I wonder what that would be like? I have only been away from the town that I grew up in for short periods of time, a year at the most. The house that I currently live in is less than a mile from the house that I grew up in. The house that I grew up in is still occupied by my mother and sister. I left home at 18 to go to college but only 5 miles from my parent's house. I now teach at the high school that I went to, my father graduated from and where he taught as well.

Now, I'm not complaining. It just has me thinking. I have NO idea what it is to leave the place where you have spent your childhood or youth and then return after a long period of time. I am interested to know if anyone has had that experience and what it was like?

The ten year reunion is something I think that many people, including myself can relate to. The high school flame that has never gotten out of your system. The one love that you wonder about years later. What would your life be like had you stayed together? Hmmmm....I guess that is why I like this movie; couple all that with the odd profession Martin has chosen in the ten years after high school - it makes a good movie and stirs up funny high school feelings again.

Live Music

2008-07-25T13:35:00.001-07:00

I went to see The Professor play with his new band this week, "The Durty Nellys". It was their first gig and it went well for a first gig. The Professor looked HOT playing the drums . He kept up the tempo and held the band together. I had an awesome time and everyone in the place seemed to be enjoying themselves and the band. They will play again at the Irish Fair in August not to mention in my basement weekly :)

More live music that I am going to see.

Bought these tickets today at The Electric Fetus. I hadn't been there in probably 20 years. It has evolved into the cool, everything store. Not only do they have vinyl but it they sell cool earrings, clothing, candles, incense and everything else you could possibly imagine.

I went there to buy tickets for the Los Lobos concert. They are my all time favorite band. I see them every time that they come to town. I don't think I have missed a year. We have seen them in all different venues. I think my favorite venue was either First Avenue or The (old) Guthrie.

"I Walk Alone" is one of their favorites to do in a concert. It really gets everyone rocking!

The other song that I love to hear them do live is "Cinnamon Girl".

Now these aren't originals but they are classics and they are such a great band that they do it all!

While at the Electric Fetus, I couldn't help but notice other shows that were coming to town.

NEKO CASE!

I have never seen her in concert and within the last two years have really started to listen to her albums. I love all her stuff and now I am SOOOO excited that I have tickets to see her in person. First Ave. is a pretty good place to see her. The guy at the Fetus said, "gone are the days when you could see her at the Cedar"...yes, she won't come to a small venue like that again but First Ave is not like the Target Center or the Dome, it is still relatively small.

So, there you go. Live music ROCKS!

Celebrating

2008-07-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of celebrating going on at the Lupe Lu house. We have had a variety of events to go to celebrating other people's accomplishments. We have also had things within our family to celebrate.

Lucas wrote in her blog that we need to celebrate the small stuff more often. I agree that there are things that happen everyday that we need to celebrate. LIKE...

Having babies.

Ilona Caroline born July 20, 2008. My new niece. I'm an AUNTIE!

The little man has a new baby cousin to care for.

Getting new jobs.

The Captain is getting his dream job flying for Southwest

Turning one year older.

The Professor and Kris celebrate their belated 40th year.

Fresh paint and new designs.

The freshly painted and redecorated library. Lace curtain from SAVERS and closet curtain from HG. Flowers from The Professor.

From another angle. Our new bookshelf. Just love it!

Fun co-workers.

Getting together with my co-workers this weekend was not just for the birds :)

Food on my plate.

This has been my favorite breakfast/brunch of late. Bacon, toast, over-medium eggs, greens, OJ and chai. Mmmmmmm. Don't forget the Tabasco sauce.

And healing.

The teenager has been relaxing with new XBOX games while he heals.

Have you thought about hiring an attorney??

2008-07-22T14:15:00.001-07:00

This was my one and only line in a commercial I shot today. I'm not getting any money for this but it is a potential spring board for other projects from this talent agency that called me to do this shoot.

You usually meet nice people when you do this kind of work. Many times you have a lot of down time to get to know them. I generally like other actors. I guess we have some gene in common. Today I met a woman who makes a living acting. That's cool! It is what I aspire to do someday (if I have the guts). My goal this school year is to do as much acting on the side that I am able and to make some money doing it.

The money is the reason I sent my head shot to eight agencies in the area. As much as I love theatre, unless you have a lot of time to devote to it, it doesn't pay. Print work, industrials and commercials do pay and they take relatively less time. Also, as I started looking around at all the advertising there is out there, I figured, hey, they NEED me! I am a healthy 40 year old women with dark hair who can represent many "groups" of people. I can be "Mom", I can be "Hispanic", "Jewish", "Generation X", "Italian", "White", "Single", "Married"...no one really knows what I am.

Today, I was "Friend #1". Today, I was a white, middle class 40 something woman who walks in her suburban neighborhood with a friend and gives her good advise, "Have you thought about hiring an attorney?"

Good Days

2008-07-16T00:20:00.000-07:00

As I re-read my last post, I have to remind myself that there are good days. There are things to be grateful for. I will post pictures of recent things that bring a smile to my face.

Watching the fireworks on the 4th of July with my sister, The Professor and the boys.

My FAVORITE firework!

The best part of my FAVORITE firework...the glittering rain.

This photo actually makes me laugh...my first homemade lemon meringue pie. It was delicious!

Birthday gatherings in the park.

The Little Man's artistic shot...shadow leaves in the pool.

Have I Paid Off My Karmic Debt Yet???

2008-07-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

If anything bad could happen this past week, it did! I'm up to 3 so far. I'm still trying to hang on this week, hoping that the sky isn't going to fall.

#1. I mentioned that my dad and stepmom were paying for someone to come and paint the front of our house, well, the guy came by on Tuesday and said he could start work right away. I was pleasantly surprised because I was hard at work on the inside painting trim with a friend that day (I know, I know, too many projects at once...it's kinda my M.O.). Before I know it, this guy is power washing the front of the house and then the south side of the house. We didn't talk about having him remove the paint from the south side of the house but as it is happening I am a bit too busy to stop him, and I figure, if it costs me $100, it's worth it...right? NOT! I go outside after about an hour to see the progress on my way out...there are paint chips EVERYWHERE! All my south side is garden and mulch and the paint chips are in all parts of the garden/mulch! Yet, I look at the house and I can't believe how quickly it took him to remove the loose paint. What he did in an hour would have taken me days or weeks! As I leave, I thank him for the extra that he did but in the back of my mind I am concerned about the paint chips.

Fast forward to early morning the next day...my neighbor is at my door telling The Professor he is concerned about the paint chips all over our yard and in HIS yard. He says that we should probably test a chip to see if it is lead. He doesn't want anyone to get sick and he is concerned that we have a hazardous situation. The Professor goes to work and does what he does best, research. He sends me an email with the subject line: "STOP PAINT REMOVAL IMMEDIATELY!" Our house, having been built in 1878, is VERY likely to have lead paint under the top coat that we put on in 1996. Lead paint can cause learning disabilities in children, infertility, kidney problems etc... and we have this shit all over our yard, in our tomato plants, on our rhubarb! We test a chip, it is positive for lead.

#2 The same day, The Professor is riding the scooter on the freeway, in the rain back to work and it looses power. He takes it in to Blue Cat Motors to get repaired. That was a week ago and we still haven't heard what is wrong with it.

#1 Back to the irresponsible painter man. My sister works for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). I am in contact with her all day to find out what the clean-up procedure is. She gives me good information along with this law:

Subd. 2. Management responsibility; not transferable to occupant. (a) A person whose
activities produce residential lead paint waste is responsible for the management and proper
disposal of the waste.
(b) When residential lead paint waste is produced by activities of a person other than the
occupant of the residence from which the waste is removed, the person shall not leave the
residential lead paint waste at that residence and shall not transfer responsibility for managing or disposing of the waste to the occupant.

Ok, so I have to call this guy and try to get him to clean it up. This is hard for me. I HATE confrontation. I just want people to do the right thing. I HATE talking to them about it when they don't. I get a pep talk from one of my good friends and try to think of it as an opportunity for growth. I call him, it doesn't go well. He has been removing paint this way all his life and he thinks that the MPCA is blowing this "lead paint thing" all out of proportion. Bottom line, he is most likely not going to come to help me clean it up.

I call my stepmom, which is double-hard for me. AGAIN, I HATE CONFRONTATION and I hate it even more when it involves a relative. She and my dad were trying to do a favor for me and it turned into a nightmare. I was nervous, but I did it...another chance for growth.

The Professor has spent countless hours cleaning up the lead paint chips. We will never get them all. They are too numerous and the fact that they are in the mulch makes it double difficult to retrieve them. If you read the the link to "Removing Paint from Exterior Surfaces" from the Minnesota Department of Health, you saw that there is a fairly extensive clean-up procedure. We borrowed a HEPA filtered vacuum from a friend to try and vacuum up as many chips as we could. We also raked up a lot of mulch that I spent hours putting down in the fall (I had 15 yards delivered last November). Now, every time I pull up a weed, I see a chip. The boys have not been allowed to play in the yard since this happened. I especially don't want them running around bare foot in the yard. Now, we have outside shoes and inside shoes so as not to track paint chips in the house. This was a difficult life lesson.

#3 The teenager had a soccer tournament all weekend starting with two games on Friday. Saturday's first game was at 12:05. He had a great run with the ball, jumping over players from the other team, weaving in and out with the ball...just as he was leaping over the last defender, he is taken down hard on his neck and shoulder. He looks like he is in pain but he keeps on playing. They score and advance to the evening game.

The evening game isn't until 7:30. We take the teenager home to ice his shoulder and rest. He says he is having trouble moving his right arm and doesn't know if he can play. One of the parents on the team is a chiropractor and takes a look at his shoulder before the game and adjusts him. He feels better and says he can play. He is put in the game but I notice he isn't using his right arm to run. He is protecting it and isn't playing in his usual manner. He isn't in the game for more than 10 minutes when he gets hit hard by the opponent and does a somersault in front of the goal. He gets up but his right arm is hanging down by his side and he is asking to be taken off the field. It doesn't look good.

I knew from the other side of the field that he had broken his collar bone and I was right.

Ok, it is hard to take a picture of an x-ray. Can you see that break? It probably was just a hairline fracture after that first game on Sat. but after he got hit again, it REALLY cracked. Poor kid, 6 weeks of R&R. He is not good at that. This is the kid that unicycles, skateboards, ripsticks, snowboards, dives and cannot sit still for more than 5 minutes. Not to mention that by the time it heals, summer will be over and high school soccer will have already started practicing without him. I dare not say this in his presence. He is crabby enough.

#4???? I am waiting. What is that saying...what doesn't kill me will make me stronger? I'm trying here but did I tell you I'm STILL painting inside and now will have to paint the WHOLE outside because the painter man isn't coming back. Merde (excuse my French).

My Roots

2008-07-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've realized that I am getting older. I know this because I am saying things like, "I remember when they built that chimney." OR..."I went up and down those stairs more times than I can remember."

I have found I have a strange attachment to concrete edifices and metal structures, for now that they are gone, I miss them.

My father, grandmother and probably great-grandfather walked these stairs. They were 91 years old. I have MANY stories about these stairs.

I used to be deathly afraid to cross the bridge that led to the stairs at the top when I was a girl. I ended up conquering that fear by repeatedly crossing it. Recently, my exercise routine was to walk down the stairs, over the river and run back up all the stairs taking two stairs at a time...can you say "out of breath"?

In 5th grade, some of the boys that I used to hang out with used to scale the steel beam that connected the stairs to the bridge. I watched them, afraid for their lives, but oddly enough I never told an adult about it.

I also had my first cigarette on these stairs...Salem Menthol Lights. I luckily never became a smoker. I don't think I had another cigarette for years and probably have had 10 puffs in my life. My next door neighbors growing up, "the twins", did smoke and would pick me up on their way to have their daily cig on the stairs with the excuse to their mother that they were going out to hang out with me.

I remember quite well when this chimney was built. My dad told me that it was being built to help with the pollution by putting it up higher into the atmosphere. We crossed the bridge more than once a day and would remark on the progress of construction. Children, I think, find construction amazing and enjoy watching the work that goes into building something into the air.

My own children have seen this smokestack all their lives and have used it as a landmark going from south to north or north to south.

On the day of deconstruction, my middle sister and I woke up early to watch them implode the smokestack along with the hundreds of other Saint Paulites. It was strange to see it fall like a tree chopped from it's roots.

The bridge everyone is standing on is called "The High Bridge". It is the highest bridge that crosses the Mississippi River of the four bridges that cross to downtown St. Paul.

If you have time, watch this YouTube video. I didn't take it, my camera ran out of battery.

46 MILLION Americans do not have health care

2008-07-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

I heard this on the radio today. It is appalling to me. I have not expressed my political views that much on this blog but I find the health care situation in this country shameful.

The Little Man is going to need surgery in August, a tonsillectomy and adenoid removal. You won't believe the number of phone calls that I have had to make to ensure that our insurance will cover this procedure. Even with coverage, we will still have to pay through the nose because we have a high deductible. If I was given a meager hourly wage for the times in my life that I have spent on the phone with insurance companies, I'd have a healthy vacation savings (currently I have none).

The radio program that I was listening to interviewed Canadian ex-patriots who currently live in Minnesota. Some of them cursed the Canadian government run health care program while others said that when they want affordable, comprehensive health care, they go back to Canada. One Canadian also commented that not having to be stressed about being able to afford to see the doctor when you need to contributes to a happier, healthier life. The program did report that Canadians live, on average, longer than Americans and that babies have a higher rate of survival in Canada.

What do my Canadian neighbors say? What do the Americans say? Self-employed, no insurance...do you work for a big organization because you know you'll then have health insurance? It is a dilemma that we are going to have to deal with.

House projects

2008-07-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

If you own a home you know how time consuming house up-keep can be. I am very lucky that I have the summer off to maintain this 130 year old monstrosity. I don't know how people do it with full time, year round jobs. We have next door neighbors that are amazing at caring for their house. In fact, they are so good at it that they own TWO houses and work non-stop on both of them while still maintaining their full time day jobs and two kids...I bow to them in admiration.

The Professor and I do what we can but unfortunately we weren't born with natural house fixing -up skills. The Professor is so named because of what he does best...think, read and write. I am a little more of a hands on learner but there are certain things that I just CAN'T or DON'T want to do. I don't want to build anything, cut or measure wood, replace molding, try to put plumbing together, electrical stuff or reconstruction, like sheet rocking. I'm sure I could do it if I was forced OR I would enjoy doing it if I was helping someone who knew what they were doing and they could teach me.

When I was nine or 10 years old, my mother got tired of my sister and I fighting because we shared a room. The room was very large and used to be two rooms. So, she got a book from the library about how to construct a wall and build a closet. She read that book, built the wall, made a doorway from a linen cabinet and constructed a closet for the room that didn't have one. It all still stands today, some 30 years later! My mom now fixes computers for a living. I somehow did not get that gene.

What I can do is paint. I enjoy painting although what you have to do to prepare to paint is a pain in the ass.

The other thing I do is plant. When we bought our house, there were two bushes in our yard and that was it. Now, we have a variety of gardens, trees, bushes and paths. The Professor looks at me every spring, looks at the garden and says, "when did you do all of this?" (Again, this is where you can insert "absentminded" in front of Professor LOL)

This is what I am doing this summer.

The orange is the new color for the living room with the light green by the bay windows. The front room is going from "stone" to "a turquoise blue" with one white wall.

This is part of the 15 yards of mulch I laid last November. I also planted that tree you see, the circular garden with native plants and then the semi-circle grasses I did this May.

This is the continued outside house painting that I started in 2006. I love the new colors on the porch and can't wait until I finish the whole darn thing.

I was not looking forward to getting up on the roof here to paint though. Fortunately, my dad and step-mom have offered to pay to have a professional come over and do this part for me. Thanks so much!!

Fishin' in the north and cat scratching in the south

2008-07-01T00:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend we drove. Saturday we drove an hour and a half north east to a friend's cabin for the day, woke up on Sunday and drove an hour and a half south to a neighbor's cottage to do some biking and pick up the teenager.

Thanks to the fuel efficiency of the Toyota, Yaris, these trips didn't break the bank. In fact, I don't think we used a whole tank of gas!

The little man swore he would be bored at my friend's cabin because there would be no other children there and his brother was not with us. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised and occupied all day by fishing. I was amazed at the patience he had while waiting for the fish to bite. I don't fish because I am not that patient. For hours he didn't get a bite and THEN...using the right bait (the secret lure...bratwurst), he started to reel them in ...GIANT sunfish!

Look at the size of this fish!!

Then his father and he took the paddle boat out for a spin while I snapped some nature shots.

The boys are having WAY too much fun out there!

Moses the cat loved all the attention that the little man gave him on our second journey to the neighbor's cottage. It was the end of a beautiful, fun-filled weekend!

This is what has been in my head...

2008-06-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

It's all I have time for now. Been very busy painting. Finally rid of the cold. Left town this weekend and ready to get back at it come tomorrow.

This song brings a whole flood of feelings back to me when I hear it...thought I would share.

The Summer Cold!

2008-06-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Ugh. I'm ill. I can't breathe from my nose, my throat hurts and NOW, I've started to cough! I HATE being sick. I'm sure The Little Man gave it to me. He has been coughing for days now. I guess I should feel blessed that I am not as sick as he has been. He had miserable allergies this year, his eyes were swollen and teary and he couldn't stop rubbing them. He then got strep throat and right as he was finishing his antibiotic, he got this cold... and promptly gave it to me!

Why do I hate to be sick so much? Well, first you feel like crap. Second, it ruins your plans. I don't feel up to going out and enjoying the day because I feel run down. I have an agenda, stuff to get done and this cold is getting in my way.

Now yes, I could be very Zen about it, not fight it, scale my massive cleaning/painting back, put it on hold and just be one with my cold...BUT I DON'T WANT TO! The Professor comes home today and I wanted the house to be in better shape by the time he got back. I know he won't care, but I do and this cold is irritating.

The cold also puts my swimming/running on hold. I did three miles in the pool last week. I was shooting for 4 but felt too ill to swim yesterday. I also wanted to try a 5K on Sat. morning but was too tired and out of it.

Ok, ok, I'll stop whining. This too shall pass...right? I'll have to work at battling my ego today, decide whether or not to continue with my rigorous cleaning plans or go to Barnes and Noble, buy a good book, find a comfy spot in my house and read, relax and rejuvenate.

I want to get over this thing ASAP. I was reading an article that said a positive attitude will cure a cold. Ok, I'll try and be happy with my throat feeling like I swallowed sandpaper. I have also tried eating raw garlic in the past and that DID seem to help shorten the cold. When I lived in Mexico, they would have me sip tequila when I was ill. I'm all for that! I do think that the alcohol kills some germs. The Professor says that the Vietnamese say that Pho is good for a cold, especially with the hot sauce. I am willing to try it all...ANYTHING to get rid of it! Any advice on how to quickly get rid of this thing?

Swimming, swimming, swimming... cleaning, cleaning, cleaning

2008-06-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

Went another mile! I remember when I couldn't do flip turns all the way through the laps and now I CAN! I am building my lung capacity, making my heart stronger and hopefully toning parts of my body. I don't see any physical changes and I know I haven't lost any weight but it must be doing some good for the flab.

Instead of painting today, I cleaned. The Epilepsy Foundation is coming to my side of town tomorrow (or today, seein' that it is 1 am as I am writing this)and all I have to do is bag up my STUFF and put it on the curb. I have been stacking up things for the past couple months that I don't need, doesn't fit or is just taking up space. Today, I did a final sweep of the house to see what else I could put on the curb. I am proud to say that I have approximately 12 bags/boxes of stuff. The little man even made his contribution of a pirate's hat, puzzles, a tea set, a drum and some too small ties. Had the teenager and The Professor been here, I'm sure we could have gathered MORE STUFF.

Where does all the stuff come from? What kinds of stuff could you get rid of?

You just never know

2008-06-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

"You never know what will fall on you when a monkey is above you."

The Little Man

(This was said while riding in the car to the Science Museum to see the Star Wars exhibit. I have NO idea where the monkey fits it. It amazes me what goes on in their little heads. Not soo little anymore, he is almost nine.)

On another note...went one more mile today. I went fairly fast and BOY do my hip flexers hurt! You would think my arms would hurt but they don't. Overall, I'm just tired.

What was HE doing in my dreams?

2008-06-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not a HUGE Rolling Stones fan. The Professor is. He does have a picture of "Keif" hanging in the study. I was thinking about music before I fell asleep. The Professor IS gone so...maybe all these random things came together in my subconscious and created this bizarre dream where Keith Richards and I were together.

I don't remember that last dream I had with a celebrity in it. I used to dream about David Letterman a lot (in my 20's). I know this sounds strange but every David Letterman dream I had (and I did not have a crush on him during my waking hours)was a all encompassing "love" dream. When I woke, I just felt loved. It was never a sexual dream, just a good feeling dream that said, "you are loved for who you are". It was just strange that the person giving me this message came in the form of a late night talk show host.

How about you all? Who is in YOUR dreams?

Joy Division video made me think of YAZ

2008-06-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a lot of music today while I was painting the house. I was actually listening to the 4 disc set of Los Lobos...who are one of my all time favorite bands. They usually come to the Twin Cities annually and The Professor and I always go.

Well, as I was surfing the blogs tonight, I came across a blog that had a Joy Division video, "Love will Tear Us Apart". That brought me WAY back. So, I was going to put that video on my blog but I thought, I don't want to be a copy cat, so I starting looking for other old '80's tunes that I could put on. Joy Division made me think of Book of Love which made me think of YAZ. I found this on YouTube...another fav.

Ticking off the miles

2008-06-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ok. Since last week, I've gone 5 miles in the pool. The Y near my house has the outdoor pool which is a 50 meter pool and makes the laps go by quicker because there are less of them to equal a mile. I have to do 16 laps for a mile.

The little man is taking swimming lessons this week and while he is learning his strokes, I will be doing mine in the outdoor pool.

It is quiet in the house with both of the big boys gone. The little man and I are enjoying some quality time. He is so independent, more of an introvert. I go about the house work and he will just occupy himself for hours in his room creating and drawing fabulous stories and characters. I have to remind myself to engage with him so that he doesn't feel totally ignored. Although, he is the kind of kid who will tell me if he does with full dramatic effect.

My Camera Went To Vietnam...without ME!

2008-06-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

I will be without a digital camera in my life for the next ten days. It went to Tokyo, Bankok and then to Hanoi, Vietnam. When it gets back, I will post some photos of its journey.

I have the urge to run out and upgrade. I have a Canon Power Shot SD1000 ELPH. I would like to get a digital that could do a little more. Maybe one with a a bigger lens so I could get some action shots of the teenager's soccer games or diving competitions. I do like the pictures that I have seen at http://thesmittenimage.blogspot.com/ (ok, I wanted to do the thing where you put in a name of someone or something and it becomes a link - but I don't know how to do that). Hilary has such beautiful shots of wildlife and foliage. I would like to do more of that. With my current camera, I can't do the Macro thing when taking a picture of a flower without it getting all fuzzy. What's up with that?

The reality of the camera situation is is that I will have to wait to take digital pictures until it returns. As much I would like to buy another camera, it woud be excessive and there are many other things that I need to use my money for.

One of those things is PAINT. Tomorrow, I start painting the outside of my house (again). I started this chore in the summer of 2006. I was teaching then and had the summer off. I then got a year round job and didn't paint at all outside in the summer of 2007. I am now back to teaching and the summer of 2008 is a house painting summer. I HAVE to finish this year. In '06 I only finished the front porch. I still have 3 sides and the second story of the front of the house. When the camera comes back I'll show you what I am talking about.

I love the colors that I have chosen for the house. The main color is a sage/avocado green. I am accenting it with a red/orange and a maize yellow. Our house was built in 1878. It doesn't have a lot of decorative molding or artistry but it does have more than your 21st centruy cookie cutter house.

Soccer and sunshine

2008-06-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful night for soccer. The teenager's team played a late night game.

The waxing moon looked over the field.

The first official day of summer vacation, the little man and I bought a bird bath, filled it up and waited for the birds to take a sip. I got to see a sparrow have a drink but did not get a shot of it.

I went over to my mom's the other day to look at her garden blooms. It is obvious where I got my passion for gardening. Thanks MOM!

The question in my head before bed

2008-06-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is not MY question but a question The Professor posed to me this morning. I will ask you all and see what you come up with.

When a Republican is put into office in the U.S., the liberal says they are moving to Canada. Where does the Republican move to when the liberal Democrat is put into office?

Hmmmmm....ideas?

Back on the air and swimming

2008-06-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

I am officially on VACATION! Yipee! It still has not set in yet. I still feel the traditional panic I feel on the weekend. It's Sunday, and I have so MUCH to do before I have to go to work tomorrow...but wait....then I remembered....I DON'T have to go to work tomorrow! If I wanted to, I could SLEEP all day (sure I would have to ignore the kids and dog) BUT I COULD do it!

I swam outdoors last night and it felt GREAT! The outdoor pool at the Y is open and it is an olympic size pool. It is going to be great for me to practice my laps outside and in a longer pool because I have decided that I am going to do a mini-triatholon this summer, maybe two! Swimming outside in a pool better simulates a lake and that is where I will be swimming when I do the triatholon.

I did reach my lengths goal. A little later then I had wanted to. I think I probably acheived it during the first week in June...not bad. I am going to continue to have the same goal of 2 miles per week for the month of June. If I find I have more time, I might make it 3 miles per week.

I am thrilled to be back blogging. I have a bunch of photos to share from days gone past. I am SOOO happy I found my camera. That might be another story for another time.

Feliz domingo todo el mundo

Off the air...but will be back June 7th

2008-05-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

The blog will be up and running after June 7th. Until then I am swamped with the duties of a special education teacher finishing up the year and the responsibilites of a mother getting through the end of two school years with my boys.

I have some great pictures I want to share with you but am not able to put them on at work (which is where I am writing from most of the time). I have also misplaced my camera...eeeek! I know it is SOMEWHERE - had it this past weekend in Lanesboro. I have awesome pictures from my biking adventures along the southernly trails of MN - so...as soon as I find my camera and school ends, I will share them with you.

Please stay tuned for your regularly scheduled program!

Already THURSDAY?!!

2008-05-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

My week has flown by in terms of blogging. In terms of working - this has been the LONGEST damn week in history! I keep waking up later and later every day to get to work. Today, I woke up at 6:30 am and needed to be out the door by 6:45. Can you believe that I was out the door at 6:50 loading plants, shovels and gardening tools into my car to take to school so my students could work in our outdoor flower garden? Yep.

I can tell that I am ready for June 6th to be here (last day of school for teachers) because I am avoiding all the things I should be doing. I feel maxed out, tired and everyday that the sun shines, I just want to sit and bask in it like a lizard.

This time of year is a time of re-birth. It can also be stressful in my house. We are looking at options for the teenager for new schools for next year. He has not been successful at his current school and we are NOT impressed with the administrative or teaching efforts. With the youngest one at a Waldorf school, we expect more from a school and we expect an environment where our children can feel safe and be themselves. This is not happening in the public school that the teenager goes to.

Spring is also a time for cleaning and getting out those winter webs. I've been working in the yard and have parts done but am not finished yet. The nice thing about this spring is that I spent a good part of November (while at times it was snowing) spreading 15 yards of mulch to create paths around my gardens, having to avoid mowing one side of my yard! I am not a fan of turf. I don't like to spread chemicals and since I don't, the grass becomes a mixture of crab grass and creeping charlie.

I did swim twice this week and am closer to my goal!

We are sure to have a busy weekend. The teenager turns 15 and we will be doing all kinds of celebrating starting with a dinner of his choice (pizza) and a movie on Friday. Then, he is having friends over to go to the skatepark and do one of the things he loves best - skateboard. After we will BBQ in the yard and enjoy the spring sunshine (hopefully).

Hope you all have a great weekend!

One mile closer... the weekend and clean teeth

2008-05-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Wednesday I swam one more mile. It was harder this time. The first couple of times it seemed effortless but this time I had to mentally push myself.

I will go to the pool on Saturday again for the second mile of the week.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. I am getting my hair done after work today, that is always fun. I might do something a bit different, like bangs. I'm going to a plant sale with my sister after that. Saturday, both my children have sleepovers to go to and The Professor and I will be home alone. Now THAT is always fun!!

I had my semi-annual teeth cleaning yesterday. Many people dislike the dentist but I don't mind it and after I am finished with my cleaning, I run my tongue across my front teeth and enjoy the smooth feeling of a good cleaning. Don't laugh!! I know many of you have done the same thing.

Have a good one!

Swimming again

2008-05-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

I took swimming lessons all through my youth. My mom never learned to swim very well. When she was very young her older brother drown in a lake when he about 10 years old. As a result, she enrolled her oldest daughter in swimming lessons year after year for as long as I can remember. I LOVED it! Sometimes I would re-take a class that I had already passed just so I could swim. When I got to Jr. High we were able to join the high school swim team. I swam all through high school and in college as well. After college, it became easier to run than to try and find a pool to swim in so I abandoned my first love.

At 41, my knees and back have taken a beating and although I don't want to say that I will NEVER run again, I do want to be able to walk at 60. So, water, here I come!

Coming back to swimming is like riding a bike; the hardest part is getting in that cold water! Once in though, I go and go and go. Last Wednesday was the first day I decided to actually go a distance to see if I could. I thought, I'll go 40 lengths and see how I feel. Well, I did 40 and felt fine. So, then I thought, I could probably go mile...66 lengths, so I did! I did it again on Saturday and was amazed that I could go a mile and it didn't take me that long. I mean, I like to work out but I don't want to spend 2 hours doing it, I have other things to do. It takes me about a half an hour to do a mile.

Part of the pool is open swim space and while I'm doing laps, the little man is practicing his water skills and getting more comfortable holding his breath under water. The teenager likes to swim as well and has been on the swimming and diving team for the last 2 years. He likes the adventure of diving a bit more than the monotony of swimming laps but joins us anyway and has fun with his brother.

My goal is to swim 2 miles each week for 2 months. I'm not going to stress out over this. I want a goal that I can achieve and I think this is do-able. Wish me luck!!

Tired of the gang bangers

2008-05-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm SICK and TIRED and SICK of violence in my neighborhood! This incident occurred a block away from my house. My children were playing outside and had to run to the neighbor's house because they heard gunshots. The people involved are NOT from my neighborhood but are drawn to it by the annual Cinco de Mayo (I like to call it Cino de Capitalism) event which draws the scum of the earth to one central impoverished location.

Years ago I organized a block club which still meets. We are able to do some good but the amount of rental properties and properties that are unkept outnumber the houses that are owned and cared for. It is unfortunate but I can't see turning our side of the hood around. I have lived in this neighborhood all my life and it is all about location. The location of my house sits in an area that unless is bulldozed will never draw people with money who can care for their homes properly. It is also about values. The values of people who are in these types of altercations differ greatly from my values. I don't want to get in to a big sociological debate but it just makes me think about all that is going on in the world AND this is is just MY little piece of it.

Two wounded in shootings in St. Paul

May 4, 2008

A 19-year old man and a 14-year old boy were shot Saturday evening in St. Paul in separate incidents and two teenagers are in custody following the attacks that took place on the city's West Side at about 6:40 p.m.

Police said that the 14-year old is in critical condition at Regions Hospital in St. Paul after being shot in the back. The man was shot in the leg as is in stable condition. (I have a 14 year old son! Thank GOD he was home. I don't even let him go East from our house alone. RIDICULOUS!)

The shootings took place within a one-block area, authorities said. Police said they could not confirm whether the shootings were related.

Authorities did say that they didn't believe the attacks were related to any activities held during the Cinco de Mayo celebration that had taken place nearby. They said that the festival ended about 45 minutes before the shootings. (Of course authorities would say this. How could they say that shootings were RELATED to the event activities unless they actually held a "drive-by" event. Stupid! Yet, every teenager knows that THAT is what goes on at Cinco.)

The department's gang unit is involved in the investigation of what motives may have led to the shootings, a police spokesman said.

Police stopped a suspicious car about 20 minutes after the shootings and reportedly recovered a gun believed used in the shootings. The two teenagers taken into custody for questioning were in the car at the time it was stopped, police said.

PAUL MCENROE

My First Film EVER!

2008-04-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Here it is...what you've all been waiting for. This is the first film I was chosen for in my professional acting career. I did this in March for a local Minneapolis band, " Now, Now Every Children". The guys who directed and produced the film are students from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). The song is called "Friends with My Sister".

Here is a link to their myspace page, check them out! http://www.myspace.com/nownoweverychildren

Birthday Bash Week

2008-04-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Birthday fiesta for The Professor

The Professor and The Captain enjoyed art and boarding in Chi-town.

The little man and I cooked a delicious meal. We ate by candlelight and had Total Eclipse Chocolate Cake for desert which we made from scratch...a healthy chocolate cake if there ever was one...tofu, cashews and dates are part of the ingredients.

After we were done, since our dishwasher is broken, this is what the kitchen looked like. Well, it actually still looks like that today...oh well, there is always tomorrow!

We're Forty...what does it all mean?!

2008-04-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

"Father Time is not always a hard parent, and though he tarries for none of his children, often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well; making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their heart and spirits young and full of vigour. With such people the grey head is but the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing, and every wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent life."

~Charles Dickens

Mark Twain said, "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm." ~Henry David Thoreau

"Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." ~Samuel Ullman

"I'm not 40, I'm 18 with 22 years of experience!" ~Author Unknown

A Guatemalan Proverb says, "Everyone is the age of their heart."

"The years teach much which the days never knew." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been." ~Mark Twain

"A man has more character in his face at forty than at twenty - he has suffered longer."
~Mae West

"Forty isn't old if your a tree." ~Anonymous

"She said she was approaching forty, and I couldn't help wondering from what direction."
~Bob Hope

"We don't understand life any better at forty than at twenty, but we know it and admit it."
~Jules Renard

"The body is at its best between the ages of thirty and thirty-five; the mind is at its best about the age of forty- nine."~Aristotle

"Everyone should fail once before reaching forty." ~Allen Neuharth

Quoted by Francis Bacon, Apothegm ~ "Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read."

"Grow old with me! The best is yet to be." ~Robert Browning

How we celebrated Earth Day.

2008-04-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

There is an annual Earth Day celebration down by the Mississippi River in Saint Paul. This year my little man was looking forward to the ritual of writing a wish on a kite and flying it high in the air. It was a gorgeous day...sunny, warm, a light breeze in the air.

Such different weather just a week later here in MN.

Enjoy these pictures of a warmer, sunnier day.

Bamboo hut with windchimes hanging inside. The chimes were by a microphone and heard over speakers that were set throughout the island.

My sister Amy enjoying the day!

LeSueur is in Minnesota and home of the Jolly Green Giant

2008-04-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is didn't know. I've lived in MN all my life but am naive when it comes to rural MN. Since I grew up in the city, I never knew that LeSueur is the GIANT of veggies. Jolly and Green to be exact. Mr. Green stands in the park as you go through town.

I shot a film there on Saturday. The weather wasn't the most desirable. Cold, overcast, about a high of 42 degrees.

On the bright side, it was good weather for the camera. Directors like it when it is not so bright, you get a better shot that way. So instead of taking the SYM scooter and freezing my butt off, I took the Yaris, listened to my iPod and enjoyed the scenery. Not much to look at on the way down. Rural MN from the highway is not all that scenic especially this time of year.

We were informed before we got there that the septic system was not in working order and that they would be constructing an outhouse for us. I was silently amazed that they would go through all that trouble basically for the 2 women on the set. The woman who played my daughter was a bit shocked by that piece of information, she had mentioned that she had NEVER been camping. Personally, it didn't phase me. I was bit curious to see what they would come up with.

I got to the farm where we were shooting about 1:00. Cool looking place, large barn with decorative silver steeples on top tucked behind a stucco farm house with long glass windows on a wrap-around porch. After the long ride, I did have to use the facilities. They pointed out the tarp at the top of the hill behind the barn. It was an A-class outhouse built in a few hours time. I couldn't believe all the trouble these young men went to.
For this movie I played a mom with one leg. I had to limp but did not have to wear a prosthetic leg - they would add it by computer later. The character, Mrs. Rook was fun to play because she was a bit odd and evil. She married a guy with no nose, she had one leg and her daughter used to have a twin that drowned. Mrs. Rook has two mean, wild dogs that she promises to set loose on the boyfriend if he ever gets her daughter pregnant. I didn't have many lines but I did get to take off "my leg" and beat my daughter and her boyfriend with it in a dream sequence.

I thoroughly enjoyed this crew. All the 5 guys were friends and 3 of them had gone to high school together. They all were artists, musicians and could talk about interesting things. I like colorful people, people with a story, people whose lives have been rockier than most. Those are the people that tend to come off as having more depth. I like getting to know these people, slowly peeling away the layers, each more intricate than the one before.

I did all kinds of things for this movie. I pushed the camera cart on the tracks up and down the hill for a shot. I called out lines when someone would forget one. I contributed ideas about certain shots. And when this old biker guy with a 3-wheeling outer space cycle dropped in to say hi in the middle of a shot (that I wasn't in but was giving lines for), I quickly turned on the charm, walked him over to his cycle, threw the script down towards the director and asked for a ride. The guys all laughed at that later on.

I am shooting another film on Sat. called "Garage Sale". I hope it is as much fun as this one was.

TGIF!!!

2008-04-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

It has been an exhausting week. I am ready for a vacation and I don't have one coming for weeks, Memorial Day to be exact. There are benefits to being a teacher but there are also drawbacks. I do get the summer off, but if I want to take a long weekend when school is in session, it's just something that you can't do.

Teenager angst...it sucks

2008-04-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

I have a teenager. He is in angst and it not only affects him but it affects the whole family. He has been in a funk for about 3 days now. On and off this has been happening for the past few months but everyday he wakes, I hope that I will see a smile on his face and hear something out of his mouth other than "whatever".

He'll be 15 soon and I notice his body radically changing. I hear that in order to do all that physical developing, the part of your brain that does the rational thinking, shuts down. As a mother though, I can't help but worry...is this normal or has something horrible happened to him? Is he doing drugs, has he found new friends that are a bad influence? Some of the signs could point either way. He has taken to wearing these baseball caps sideways and has found a pair of sunglasses to wear with them. I think he looks ridiculous and wonder who he is trying to imitate. This is probably normal teenage behavior though, right? Pushing limits, trying to find your identity, trying to "fit in"?

School is not going well for him. He begins to try, continues to get low scores and then gets frustrated and gives up. He has been tracked in his current school into academically low Science, Language Arts and Math classes. The science and language arts class are filled with kids who are struggling. These particular classes are supposed to be geared to their level. Now that he has been in school for almost seven months it is apparent that these classes are a breeding ground for sluff-offs and kids who have already checked out. Surrounded by kids who don't care and have given up, my teenager has risen to the occasion - acting like his peers, he sluff-offs and has started to check out.

I truly believe that you become what you surround yourself with. I learned this concept of "adders" and "subtractors" in a leadership course I took. We need to surround ourselves with adders; adders are the people that enrich your life, encourage you to do your best and be the best you can be. They like you for who you are and encourage and help you to reach your goals and full potential. You feel comfortable in their presence, you trust them. "Subtractors" are the opposite of "adders". Subtractors crave positive attention, validation and give nothing back. They are constantly negative and will suck you dry if you let them. There are times in our lives we have been both and we have surrounded ourselves with both. The teenager is being a subtractor and surrounding himself with them.

There is also this concept of "multipliers" and "dividers" which I will save for another day as this blog has quickly become very long winded... although very theraputic.

Thanks for listening.

The Film Shoot from HELL

2008-04-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

I started writing in my journal (wishing that I had brought my laptop) to pass the time as I waited for the air-head director to set up the shot.

We were suppose to start shooting this film at noon. This film shoot started weeks ago and was suppose to be done in a day. I since have returned to re-shoot this thing 3 times. Mind you this film will probably be 5 minutes long. It's not the sequel to anything and I have two words to say. Today, the other actor (who isn't really an actor but a friend of the film maker) didn't show. The film maker was an hour late. I waited at Dunn Bros. for her. It was a beautiful day outside. Trying to be Zen about the moment I paused to enjoy the setting. Alone, sipping chai, sun streaming through the window...ahhh...deep inhalation...and out.

When she arrived she didn't know what to do. She just sat there looking at me for suggestions. How the hell am I suppose to know what to do? All I know is that I left my living room in disarray, covered the painting roller smothered in Terracotta orange with saran wrap, scrambled an egg and drove down the freeway at 60 mph eating an egg and toast (not too hard as long as I don't have to change gears) so that I could be on time to this damn shoot. My 8 year old calls and is crying because his dad is busy writing a paper and won't help him scrapbook - geez...I have better things to do!

So, I suggest that maybe we could shoot the scene without him. I've driven here, I've wasted an hour of painting time and I'm not coming back to try this again. I'm doing this for free. She didn't even offer to pay for my chai (which any respectable inspiring film director should do). Couldn't we just set up the last scene where he comes to my apartment door and shoot me saying, "You're welcome" and cut him in later? Isn't that how they do it anyway, piece all the good scenes together? She doesn't think it will work but decides to end the script early without us actually meeting at the end. Did she ever think of re-writing it...duh?

The saving grace is that this location is a cool looking condo and while I wait for her to load the film and set up the lights, I'm sitting on a comfy couch admiring the large warehouse windows and the Eastern art placed selectively about. I could see The Professor and I ending up in a pad like this down the line. Low maintenance, close to the urban bike paths, and modern.

The two shots we took, after set up, took all of 15 minutes! I guess that is the difference between no-pay student films and the big time...Julia Roberts is never inconvenienced and is told to sleep, shop and relax while they set up. :)

ENTRANCE...the door to fame

2008-04-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

I have been actively auditioning for films around the cities, mostly student films. So far I've been cast in five films. I have yet to see any finished products but as soon as I do (if they are any good) I'll post one for all to see.

I've been typed cast already as "the mom". At 41 I guess I'm a mom to anyone under 25 years old. My first shoot was a music video for "Now, Now Every Children" where I was "the mom" of a teenage boy who I am having difficulties with....hmmm...was I playing myself in that movie? Then I did a longer film called "Little Thread Knots" where I play "the mom" of a teenage daughter. I'll shoot another one in a week where I play...you guessed it, "THE MOM" but this time I'm missing a leg and my husband is missing his nose (no, I'm not kidding). OH, I will be playing a bearded lady in a circus - that will look good on a resume!

In order for these films to work, the students scout out a variety of locations. I have been to St. Croix Falls, WI and Rice, MN for one film. I'll be traveling to LeSeur, WI for another one. I am going to try to document these journeys on film. Here are some pics from my adventures.

Old saws and truck in Rice, MN

Louie the dog from St. Croix Falls, WI

The bar in Rice, Minnesota

Genies and ice cream and pinball...oh my!

2008-04-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

The 8 year old had a good idea yesterday. He wanted to do something special with me so he said, "Let's go to Grand Old Creameries." What a GREAT idea! Who doesn't love ice cream? The place that has the best ice cream in town is Grand Ole' Creamery in St. Paul. We go there year round, not just in the summer time. They have a variety of yummy homemade flavors and they also make their own waffle cones...scrumpdillyicious!

I'm not too adventurous when I go there. I have three possible flavors that I choose from; Snickers, Pistachio and Maple Nut. These flavors I usually can't buy in the store.

Now, the 8 year old is more adventurous. He has tried more than three flavors in his short life. Yesterday he decided to have Lime Sorbet. In the past he has tried Bubble Gum, Birthday Cake, Cotton Candy, Peppermint Bon Bon, and a variety of others.

There is another reason he likes to go there. He loves the genie pin ball machine. I have to admit it is one of the coolest pin ball machines I've seen. If you live in the area, you will have to check it out for yourself. Pay close attention to the detail. It says cool things when you hit the ball into certain areas and it makes cool sounds. You can win a magic carpet ride or free the genie from the bottle. It reminds me of the fortune teller machine in the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks. Every boy probably has had some sort of fascination with a machine like this. It's just cool!

The 8 year old has a birthday in 3 months and he has now decided on the theme...ARABIA...complete with genies in the bottle, flying carpets and "Pin the Tail on the CAMEL"! This will be an event not to miss. Last year, I had to create a volcano cake...what kind of cake will he want for this... a pyramid, a genie in the bottle? Hmmm...

The Woman of Hwy 52...AGAIN

2008-04-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

It's a sign, some kind of message. I saw the Hwy 52 woman again just the other day. She had her guitar out, staring into the wind and I think I saw a sign attached to the fence that secures the walkway about the highway. Again, I saw her for only a few seconds as I whizzed by at 55 mph and I could not read what the sign said. But even though I couldn't read the sign, to me, it was a sign that said, " Carrie, this is for YOU! Get your act together because you know what you need to do in life if you just pay attention!"

It dawned on me today that this woman who stands on the walking bridge over Hwy 52 with her guitar was the initiator of my first blog. I didn't know what to write about when I first started this but she was my muse. Seeing her again has given me reason to write once more. I have been away too long, feeling as if my life was uneventful, boring and down right DULL. What is there to write about? Who really cares and reads this thing anyway? Plus, now that I am teaching I don't have hours behind the computer with nothing to do. I am busier than I want to be most of the time. So much so that is hard to think.

Seeing her was a sign. This theme of "women" keeps coming up for me and I need to take heed. Community is another theme. Communication. These are the things I need to pay attention to and to build around. There is something waiting for me. The right path, the perfect place for me to blossom, to feel at home and at peace. I thank you Woman of Hwy 52 for bringing me back to my creative calling and for urging me on to my Life's Path.

How time flies...

2008-01-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that it has been over a month since I last wrote. I guess the holiday season had me running. I know that I didn't get to my Christmas letter or even Christmas cards this year. The break was wonderful but of course too short. I was back at school and we've already flew through January.

Job is getting better day by day although there are some REALLY hard days. I do what I can.

At home I've been trying to do less running to activities. It has been nice to be home with the family, cook dinners and sit down as a family in the evening. The wee one likes to draw for hours in his room while listening to his stories on CD. A-Z Mysteries have been his favorite lately along with the trusty standard of C.S. Lewis.

The teenager takes up more time these days. Driving him from this place to that but lately he has also been doing a bit of hibernating and staying home to work on homework, housework and just relaxing.

One of the best things I did for myself for the new year was to proclaim that I would no longer be doing all the laundry!! I have FREED myself! The wee one does his laundry with my help on Saturdays, the teenager does his own with little guidance and the grown man in my house is left to fend for himself. It has been working out great. I found out that I only dirty one load of colors a week. All the other 20 loads is NOT MINE! Ahhh HA! The wee one has one load of colors and maybe a half a load of whites per week so NOW we know who has all the dirty clothes in the house. I feel like I not only relieved myself of an overwhelming chore but I am giving a great gift to my children...they will leave my house one day and can do their own laundry!

I have also decided that I am going to move forward and pursue as much acting work as I can. I asked a friend to take some headshots for me and I got some quality shots that I can use to get my face out there. I got 250 copies of the shot I have posted on this blog now. I will eventually get the more serious shot printed up for theatre work. Right now I want to focus on commercial copy and industrials because I have heard that this is where you can actually make some money.

So, that's me! Great photography courtesy of Lucas :)

Next on the plan for the rest of my life is to exercise regularly. I hope that once I get into the rhythm of this job that I can at least exercise 3 days a week. Right now I do Yoga maybe once or twice a week. I feel so good when I do it, I just need to carve out the time. If I got up at 5:00 I could do an hour of Yoga but I REALLY value that extra hour of sleep and it makes a difference in my mood. Well, I'll keep trying to justify this to myself.

Christmas Vacation

2007-12-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

The bennies of being a teacher...CHRISTMAS VACATION! I now have 10 days to unwind, breathe and spend some time with my children. I hope it snows a LOT! I would love to do some cross country skiing, sledding, maybe I would even try down hill again. My eldest son snowboards and he has a season pass this year to a local ski place. He wants to go every day over winter break. I once tried snowboarding. I won't do that again, my tail bone would never forgive me but I skied in high school and that might be something I could do again.

I am hoping that friends from out of town will be in town visiting family and that I will have a chance to see them and catch up with them too. I would also like to pick a room or two in my house and organize it from top to bottom. I need to get rid of some crap that I have accumulated over the years. I have to put a plug in here for the wonderful work that my middle sister and mom have been doing on my mom's house. They have painstakingly stripped paint off of all the woodwork in the kitchen and re-did it all. They sanded and polyurethaned the hard word floors. They put in new appliances, cupboards...basically it looks like a brand new kitchen! After 40+ years of living there, the kitchen needed some updating an organizing. It looks so nice now that when I go over there I tell them that I want to live in the kitchen of my mom's house. I mean, if you were to pick a room, either that or the bathroom would be the place, right?

I hope you will all forgive me if I don't get a X-mas letter out on time or at all. It might not happen. It is on my "to do" list and I bought about 80 stamps but I'll have to see if I can fit it in between starting the X-mas shopping, baking the cookies, cleaning the house for the relatives who will come over on X-mas eve and the martini drinking :)

Thanks to all who read this. I really appreciate it. Love and Blessings to all!!

Let kids play with Play-Doh

2007-12-14T12:07:00.001-08:00

It is 2:00 in the afternoon and I am ready to close my eyes and go to sleep. I just have to take a deep breath and try to regain some energy. A second wind... to take home to MY children after the children that I have dealt with all day long.

I learned something new this week...some high school kids have never been allowed to play with Play-Doh. One of my students who has been a continual behavior problem was immediately calmed down when I found out he enjoyed manipulating Play-Doh. He told me that his parents never allow him to play with it because it gets into the carpet and they get angry at him for making a mess. This is truly makes me sad. As an incentive for positive behavior in one of my classes, I gave him his own container of Play-Doh. For the last two days, he has been calm in my classses. I met this boy's father today. He brought him to school because he was late and his brother was being readmitted to school after having been suspended. This man was scary. Dressed all in black, he felt and looked evil.

I feel that this is the hardest part of my job; knowing that I have to send some of these children home to environments where they have to use all their skills to just survive. I try not to dwell on this, it would be too depressing. I will do the best I can while they are with me and then go home, love and care for my own children and let them play with Play-Doh.

The Teaching Job Continued...

2007-12-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

I teach mild to moderate Developmentally Cognitively Delayed teenagers. I have 2 periods of Life Science, 1 period of Personal and Family Resource Management, 1 period of Study Skills, 1 period of Reading and an Advisory. Up until today I didn't have anyone in my Reading class which was nice because I am so overwhelmed with teaching science with limited resources and having never taught science before that I kept quiet about the reading class.

Today though, another DCD teacher delivers two students to me and tells be that these two and one more student will be in my reading class. They are not in my computer and she has not officially changed their schedules, she just brings them to me. I don't have any reading books except two short books that I picked up a week ago at the library for .25 each. I have nothing. Well, I did have the Pioneer Press today, delivered to my room by the hard of hearing students. So, we picked up the newspaper and started browsing. This held their attention though for only so long. The two students that I have to teach reading to are both either 9th or 10th grade and do not read! I'm not sure that they will ever be able to read. They might be able to read small words. They recognize the letters from the alphabet but don't seem to be able to put the sounds together. Comprehension is very low as well so the newspaper terminology and way of writing, even though I was reading to them, was going way over their heads.

So, after school I went in search for reading curriculum. Two teachers who have students with more severe cognitive disabilities had a very comprehensive curriculum that they started at the beginning of the year and are making good progress. The principal agreed to order another set of this curriculum so I'm going to go for it. We'll see if it works. It is very set and rigid in it's instruction and I will be able to do it as long as I don't have more than three students because I need to work individually with them. So, we'll see. Wish me luck!

The Teaching Job

2007-12-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago today I started teaching again. I'm in an inner city public high school teaching Special Education. The school is 25% Special Ed, 40% African American, 20% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 17% White and 3% Native American.

I wanted to recount my first day as a teacher. I walk in to a room that is maybe 20 x 20, no windows, one small desk, a chair, a telephone, a metal cupboard, a white board (no markers), 3 rectangular tables, 8 chairs and a new Dell computer. This will be the room where I will teach science, reading, life skills and study skills to cognitively disabled youth. I don't have students until the following Monday when the new trimester starts so this is a week that I will figure out how to best teach these youth. I have no curriculum, nothing. I have never taught science before and I begin to wonder what I have gotten myself in to.

I am greeted by one lone teacher from the Special Education team. I ask her about curriculum and a budget. She tells me that I have $35.00 for the year to spend on materials but that I will probably spend this on copies since I have to pay for any that I make. She brings me down to the office to pick up the few basic supplies. I get an eraser, white board markers, a stapler, rubber bands, paper clips and a few other office type supplies along with AN AMERICAN FLAG! I go back to my room to see where I can hang my American flag (of course I don't have a flag holder) and seeing there is no where to put it, I sit down on my adjustable desk chair and immediately sink to the floor. Not figuratively, but literally...the chair was broken.

Next, I get a brief tour of the building and as I am touring the third floor I witness a fist fight between two African American males. Within seconds I hear a whistle blow and the principal appears to break it up along with some other administrators. I ask the teacher who is showing me around how we notify administrators when altercations like this arise, she suggests that I invest in a whistle.

Stay tuned for more stories from ..."The Teaching Job".

Beckham is HOT!

2007-11-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law got my oldest son and I tickets to the LA Galaxy vs. MN Thunder game at the dome yesterday. They both performed pregame with a group primarily from Metro State for Veterans day so we got in free. They came onto the field and made a giant U.S.A. with people. It was pretty cool.

BUT...the BEST part of going to the game was seeing David Beckham! Boy, is he HOT! Nice smile, athletic, British. Now, I don't have a great camera, especially for motion so these are the best I could do...

Ok, here you can see the tattoo on the back of his neck as he passed me.

And here, you can see his cute little beeehind :)

The MN Thunder played an awesome game and LOOKED better than the Galaxy. They lost in a shoot out but I never did like that rule. I don't think it necessarily determines who the better team is. Beckham can't quite bend it like he used to but he sure does draw a crowd. Over 20,000 people attended the game last night. That is awesome for soccer in MN.

All Hallows Eve...Dia de Los Muertos...

2007-10-26T05:52:00.000-07:00

"For the inhabitant of New York, Paris, or London, death is a word that is never said because it burns the lips. The Mexican, on the other hand, frequently makes fun of it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it, it is one of his favorite toys and his most permanent love. True, in his attitude there is perhaps as much fear as in that of the others; at least it is not hidden and he doesn’t hide it, he contemplates it face to face with patience, disdain, or irony."

Octavio Paz

Whatever the name, it is coming...the city has signs of it all over and you can feel it in the air. The origins of this time of year are complicated but very interesting. I imagine that my Mexican indigenous ancestors celebrated in the ways of old before the Spaniards came and tried to convert the pagans into Christians. For the most part, they did their job but many Mexicans in many parts of Mexico still hold on the the old ways. I still have relatives in Guadalajara that may create an alter with sugar skulls, bread, salt and wine for the dead that visit on the night of October 31st.

In our home we have created stripped down versions of the elaborate alters that they create in Mexico but we always include the basics; photos of the dead, food and libations for those that visit to taste and enjoy. I think it is good for the children to see that death is not something to fear but the ancestors, instead of fearing death, embraced it. They believed that life was a dream and that only in dying could you truly be awake.

The Aztecs, celebrated a month long summer festival that was overseen by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1 in 835. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Even or “holy evening.” Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. On November 2, the Catholic Church celebrates All Souls Day.

From the other side of the family...

The Celts called it Samhain, which means “summer’s end”, dividing the year into two parts from Beltane to Samhain and from Samhain to Beltane. Samhain is not only the end of a season but also the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Celtic New Year's begins with the onset of the dark phase of the year.

Celts also believed that on this eve the souls of the dead, which may have included ghosts, goblins, and witches, returned to the earth. In order to scare away these evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.

Today, we incorporate the old and the new in true American style, this may include; attending scary plays, dressing up in costumes and going out for tricks-n-treats.

The little man will have another performance tonight of Bram Stoker's Dracula ...under a FULL MOON! Won't THAT be spooky!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog with pictures of the full moon.

The Dead Un-Dead...or

2007-10-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

...DRACULA

The little man is in another play. The last one he did was "A Christmas Carol" where he played Tiny Tim. Ghosts and all, it wasn't half as scary as Bram Stokers Dracula. He doesn't have any lines for this role. He plays a child who is about to be the victim of the vampire, Lucy.

Lucy looks nice in this picture but on stage she is a walking dead blood thirsty vampire who steals children in the night and brings them to her crypt to suck their blood!

The production is at Eagan High School and will run the last three performances this weekend, tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7:30. This cast of high school students do an amazing performance of this play and I highly recommend seeing it if you enjoy theatre at all. I have seen it just a few times now and am pleasantly surprised at the level of professionalism these young adults exude. Also, Eagan High School backs their theatre department on a whole and it is well noted. They use pyrotechnics AND a real rat! Costumes at times have been loaned to them from the Guthrie. They go way out to have a quality show.

The cast of Dracula listening intently to the directors feedback.

We are so proud of the little man AND thankful to Eagan High School for the opportunity to do what he loves...perform!

Fall in St. Paul

2007-10-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

We have had an unusually wet fall here in St. Paul, MN. Monday and Tuesday this week have been the first succession of sunny days in weeks! Outdoor rainy shots are not my forte...but I tried. The fall sunny shots turned out much better. Here are some shots that I have taken over the last few weeks.

This was yesterday. It became unusually windy around 4 pm. The little man and I were driving over the High Bridge at 5 pm, the clouds had these eye catching long, flat bottoms and the sun was peeking out and reflecting on the buildings downtown. We had to stop the car, run over the bridge and get this shot. As we did this, I realized that the little man had never walked on the bridge before. We drive back and forth over it daily but in his eight years of life he had never set foot on the thing....so that was something we remedied yesterday afternoon.

The wind was amazingly strong. The little man was concerned he might blow away and clung to me for dear life. If possible, THAT would have been the picture to take...us being pushed and pulled by the wind while I tried to snap this shot. Of course, by the time I got to the spot I needed to, what I had seen 3 minutes ago was gone but it is still not a bad shot of the city.

This is a Maple on the campus of the College of Saint Catherine. This fly is enjoying his last days in the sunshine.

This was taken during one of the many consecutive days of rainfall on my walk to my car.

My drive to work in the morning. I saw the train coming and did try to jump out of my car to get the shot of the engine in the rain coming down the track but was too late. Oh well...

I think this is a Maple tree. It sits on the end of E. Page St. and I go by it daily. It truly brings a feeling of wonder and awe to the sometimes hard urban existence.

When your working and you know it, do your blog!!

2007-10-09T13:53:00.003-07:00

The above title you sing to the tune, "When you're happy and you know it".
I feel very deprived. It has been over a week since my last blog. I have many pictures on my camera that I have not been able to load onto my computer...I have many stories that I have not been able to tell.

As the masses discuss the nitty gritty details of our special education system, I have a moment to express myself creatively. This is a poem I wrote a year ago and somehow seems appropriate now.

The Mallards
10/3/06

A cacophony
of echoing laughter
day after day a joke
silent to
human ears
quacking impostors
floating
on the pond

Vandals...

2007-10-01T08:46:00.001-07:00

One thing I hate...and I try not to use this word lightly or at all, is VANDALISM. It is a senseless crime done for usually pure enjoyment or idiocy. Our neighborhood has seen its share of vandalism and I'm just sick and tired of it.

In 1996 I started our neighborhood block club. We are now called the M.O.P'sters (Morton, Oakdale, Page St.). We usually meet once a month and as a group have put an end to some of the destruction and annoyances in our area. "It takes a village" or "there is strength in numbers" are some of the sayings that come to mind and this has helped me in the past deal with the helplessness I sometimes feel when crimes like this are committed.

Unfortunately, vandalism is hard to do anything about. Having a constant watch or cameras in and around our streets and alleys is not a practical thing we can do. So, the graffiti and the window breaking is something that thoroughly enrages me and makes me feel like moving to some distant deserted island.

Now, this is the beer bottle that was thrown through our van window. What kind of beer is this? Stupid beer. Stupid beer for stupid people who drive around and throw beer bottles out of car windows and into people's vehicles. Nothing in our van was taken. They could of had a nice CD collection, folding chairs, some window washing fluid or a first aid kit but NOOOOOO, they just wanted to drink stupid beer and break windows...senseless.

My intelligent husband commented. "Do you think this would ever be a can of Guinness or a Summit EPA?...NO!" Icehouse is the beer of choice for vandals!

Ah...The Renaissance!

2007-09-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

What an era! What a day! The family ventured to the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, MN this past Sunday. It was a gorgeous day, cool breeze in the air and sunshine in the sky. Only my intelligent husband had been to the Renaissance Festival before. I've lived in MN for almost all my life and for some reason (maybe because it is in Shakopee and I'm a St. Paul gal) I had never gone.

This year we knew that we had to go. Our youngest one has a flair for the theatre and his forte seems to be the medieval period. If you believe in reincarnation and past lives, this small one definitely lived few lives during this period that are hard for him to let go of.

Our first purchase for him was this wooden sword. The vendor challenged him to a dual and the small one was more than eager to oblige his request. The next stop was to find a shirt like the swordsman was wearing in a small size. Had my battery not died shortly after this, I would have taken a picture of him in his new Renaissance outfit.

This guy had a great job...he stood at the entrance on top of a stump and opened and closed his cape. When he opened it, this is what you saw! We never did get to the actual MUD SHOW but saw it in passing. There was so much to see and do, we just didn't have time for it all.

Julian showed off his jester skills. He could have entertained a court just fine.

People watching at the RF is definitely worth the trip. Many interesting characters sauntered in the streets decked in their finest attire.

Wine and beer flow freely in the streets and you can even get a giant turkey leg to go with it!

Transcendental Thought for the Day

2007-09-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

This song has been going through my head for days now. It is an amazing piece of work both musically and lyrically. This song is forty years old...just like me and yet it's relevance is timeless. I revisited the words and have been thinking about their meaning and life.

Within You and Without You

We were talking

about the space between us all

and the people who hide themselves

behind a wall of illusion

never glimpse the truth

then it's far too late

when they pass away

We were talking

about the love we all could share

When we find it

to try our best to hold it there

with our love, with our love

we could save the world

if they only knew

Try to realize it's all within yourself

no one else can make you change

And to see you're really only very small

and life flows on within you and without

you

We were talking

about the love that's gone so cold

and the people who gain the world

and lose their soul

They don't know, they can't see

Are you one of them

When you've seen beyond yourself

then you may find

peace of mind is waiting there

And the time will come

when you see we're all one

and life flows on within you and without

you

- George Harrison

Cold Scooter Mornings and New Car Nights

2007-09-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

I love fall weather even if it isn't officially fall yet. Crisp, cool air and sunshine in the sky is the reason I live in Minnesota. I would wish for fall year round but then I wouldn't appreciate it like I do or look forward to it after stifling hot August days.

This is the new territory for me and scooter riding. I ride the scooter to work in the morning and my professor husband rides it home in the evening. This allows each of us a turn at riding it daily and also allows us to fulfill our parental responsibilities of driving the small child to school and bringing him home in the afternoon.

I have found I enjoy the morning drive. I take the scenic route, not the freeway and because I leave at an un-Godly hour of the morning, there is usually little traffic. You really feel a part of everything when you are moving through the air at 30+ mph. The smells in the air this time of year are generally good ones, wood burning, grilling, morning dew. Every so often you do get the bad river smell but having lived near the Mississippi all my life, I'm used to it.

Now, 50 degree weather is not too bad for riding the scooter, I don my wine colored leather jacket, my cycle gloves and I feel very cozy. Yesterday...it was in the 40's! Riding the scooter in 40 degree weather FEELS a weeeeee bit nippy!! It actually feels below freezing. By the time I got to work (a 25 minute ride)I could NOT feel my fingers and my legs were pure ice!

Thank goodness for this neck scarf that I wore up to my goggles to keep my face warm. I found these leather gloves on the sidewalk and have inserted stretchy gloves inside for warmth but they didn't do the kind of job I needed yesterday.

This is me arriving at work after a not so chilly ride today.

This is me YESTERDAY after I removed all the head wear. Tired and frozen! I decided that I wouldn't put on my eye makeup until I get to work because my eyes water while riding and I look REALLY scary when that happens. I look really scary here as well but remember....this is very early in the morning frozen me!

My ride home from work these days is just as enjoyable - minus the cold. We sold our 2000 Buick Regal that we bought a year ago from my dad and stepmom. Our reasons for doing this were the same reason we bought the scooter...fuel efficiency! With a mini-van AND a luxury sedan we were spending a small fortune on gas. Financially and environmentally we just couldn't do it anymore. My sister inspired us first by purchasing a 2007 automatic red Toyota Yaris and we followed suit. Ours is a 2007 manual, blue Yaris and we just love it! The boys are big enough now that it is not an issue of getting them in and out of the car easily - they do it themselves now. A lot of the time I am driving just one child to activities or myself from place to place so we don't need anything big for city driving anymore. Right now the van sits on the street in the company of other "second" cars and waits for long rides and camping trips...I'm not sure that the Yaris could pull the pop-up camper but you never know.

Here is "Blue" head on, smiling for her satisfied owner.

This is her from the side. Small child says she looks like a bug. I'm sure Volkswagen would have issues with that.

Evolution of a box

2007-09-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

I vow that children do not need TOYS! From the time that they are able to play, I have found that the things they find most interesting are the things you have around the house anyway...keys, pots, pans, telephones and cardboard BOXES.

Both of my children look forward to appliance purchases, large packages and most recently the longboard that came in this box.

First idea...small child can fit in this box.

Second idea...if I can fit in the box, you can't see me smiling, so...I need a smile!

Third idea...it would be better if I could USE my arms and look like a REAL walking box.

This is small child's latest Halloween costume idea - problem is, Mom or Dad would have to carry him up and down people's stairways to get the candy.

Anniversary month

2007-08-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

August 8th was our 9th wedding anniversary. We unfortunately spent this day apart. Tom had to be in D.C. for work. I figured I make the best out of it and treat myself extra special that day. I started out the day having breakfast on my way to work in a cute little joint in Dinkytown called "Al's Breakfast". I probably would have never walked into this place, it is barely noticeable and it looks like a real greasy spoon but one day my dad and I got together to have lunch and he wanted breakfast. Al's only serves breakfast and what my dad wants, my dad usually gets, he's 77 years old, I figure he deserves it. To my surprise, Al's was more than a greasy spoon, their breakfasts were tasty and what I consider to be healthy. I had scrambled eggs with spinach and feta cheese and a side of whole wheat toast. I haven't gone there often but on my anniversary I thought it would be a nice treat.

Inside Al's is a row of stools, maybe fifteen of them. If there isn't a seat available, you wait against the wall behind the stools and try to be as skinny as possible. As soon as someone gets up, you let them squeeze out and dash for the stool.

I don't mind eating alone in fact I find it peaceful and inspirational. I like to take everything in, see what is going on and study people. Sometimes you even meet someone new. The man that I was sitting next to was having breakfast with his friend. We started up a conversation after the server saw us both talking on our cell phones and asked if we were talking to one another. I was being a moderator for my arguing children on MY phone. We started to talk about life, our children, our jobs. We could have chatted away most of the day. In the end, he told me to have a happy anniversary and bought my breakfast! I love those random acts of kindness.

Having breakfast at Al's with the kind stranger and his friend on my wedding anniversary.

Our celebration had to wait a couple weeks. We decided that we would officially celebrate the night of the Los Lobos concert. We had the tickets for months, they were playing at the Zoo.

It was perfect. Our very first date was at the Zoo, how much more romantic could that be?

Of course we had to have Mexican food prior to the show. Tom wanted to go somewhere close to the venue - not many Mexican food choices out in the burbs. It had to be the only Chevy's left in MN out by MOA. It had been quite some time since we had been out on a date.

Tom called this a "manage a trois".

This is my favorite entree when dining at a Mexican/American restaurant, cheese enchiladas with rice and beans. I ate the WHOLE thing!

After dinner we proceeded to the parking lot of the MN Zoo for a little tailgating. I can always count on my betrothed to surprise me with his graceful touches to add to a fun filled evening. He had just the right pre-concert music playing, The Paladins mixed in with a little KFAI reggae and St. Germaine. The cooler was fully stocked with my favorite brand of wine.

The moon was almost full and with a black reboza, I twirled in the moonlight.

The concert was AWESOME! Tom and I have been to see Los Lobos numerous times over the last twelve years - although the Zoo is not the best place to enjoy them full bodied. I had to move from my cramped seating arrangement about 4 songs into it because I was smack in the middle of a row of bleacher - sequestered people whom I was bound to elbow and knee as I danced to the beat of a cumbia. The dancers were down front on the stairs. I danced the night away and as per usual for Los Lobos, they let a few of the women up front hop up on the stage to strut their stuff. I had always wanted to do this in the past and what a better way to make this evening memorable, so I jumped to the stage and danced with the band ...

a photographer/blogger is always prepared for moments like these!

Me and Steve Berlin, Los Lobos keyboardist and saxophone player.

Me and Conrad Lozano, bass player for Los Lobos.

Ah, but the night didn't end there! After having seen these guys so many times and in so many places, I started to introduce myself to the road hands. I met Tony a few years back when they played at the Guthrie and had to say hi to him again. I told him to thank the band for letting me come up on stage and dance. He told me to go and tell them myself and proceeded to escort me to the after-show portable where the band hangs out. I quickly waved down Tom to get his ass by me before he was left behind.

I'd like to say that there is nothing cooler than "hangin' with the band". In good faith, I can't say this for Los Lobos. We've gotten to go backstage once before when they played at The Cabooze and it was the same, very anti-climatic. My guess is that is probably very draining being on the road, that you have hundreds of people, like myself, that you don't know, trying to get to know you - so you just smile, nod, don't give them any information and soon they go away. So, that was that.

The night didn't end on a bad note. From there we had been invited to a friend's birthday party that went into the wee hours of the morning. The boys spent the night at Grandma's house so we didn't have to hurry home AND we were allowed the luxury of sleeping in late the next morning. THIS is good because I don't do the 3 in the morning very well anymore and it usually takes me a week to recover.

It's now Monday and I could use a vacation from my anniversary outing.

Take me WAY back!

2007-08-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about things that have influenced my life - friends, books and music are the top three. My experience with each stirs feelings and like a recorder, plays back tapes when I encounter them. This video clip of Bobbie Gentry singing "Ode to Billy Jo", with it's creepy, mysterious sounding violins in the background brings back waves of childhood/adolescent memories and questions.

' 70's TV junky!

2007-08-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

I thought I was a lot older when I was watching these shows. Researching it, I found out that I was 7 - 11 years old...prime brain washing age. '70's TV was a daily part of my life. As I watched the old footage of these series, I remembered each scene vividly, like it was yesterday. You have to wonder how did these images, the portrayal of these "super women" influence my life, my choices, my psyche.

I forgot how Wonder Woman got her powers...this explains it all...During World War II, a pilot, Major Steve Trevor, bails out during an air battle over the Bermuda Triangle, home of Paradise Island. The island houses Amazons, beautiful, ageless women with great strength, agility, and intelligence. Amazon princess Diana rescues Trevor, and proposes a contest to return him to America, where she will remain to help the Allied forces. Her mother, the Amazon queen, is dead set against Diana being the one to go. So Diana enters the contest in disguise (a blond wig), and ties for first. The play-off is bullets and bracelets, where each of the two take turns shooting at the other, who must try to deflect the bullets. Diana successfully deflects all the shots at her, but her opponent deflects a few but is injured by one. So Diana wins, and then removes her wig and reveals her identity, and proclaims her loyalty and love to her people, her queen and mother. Her mother agrees to send her with her blessing.

The other show that I loved was the Bionic Woman which premiered in Jan. 1976 and ran until May 1978. The Bionic Woman was a spin off the Six Million Dollar Man which I also watched religiously. Jamie Sommers was a tennis professional who got seriously hurt in a sky diving accident. Oscar Goldman and Rudy Wells, who built Steve Austin rebuild Jamie to give her amplified hearing, a greatly strengthened right arm, and enhanced legs, enabling her to run faster than a speeding car.

Check out this scary episode clip!

The Gathering of Neighbors

2007-08-08T08:39:00.001-07:00

National Night Out was last night. Our block and surrounding blocks have active neighbors who enjoy a good party. We have put on a big shindig for 3-4 years now, complete with games, prizes, a pinata and lots of food!

Street decorations

Our homemade lion pinata

The three-legged race

This year there were 100 hot dogs and 37 burgers grilled and consumed. Our next-door neighbor John, so graciously grills annually without complaint. Word must have gotten around among anyone under 15 because I saw kids that I have NEVER seen before...I guess you just say the two magic words, "FREE FOOD" to bring people together.

Neighbors, like family, are people you don't chose but are in your life whether you like it or not. We live in a diverse urban neighborhood that has it's common city problems; poverty, crime, gangs and drugs. We are fortunate that some of the nicest city folk live on our block and want to work to protect peaceful city living. They donated their time, their meager resources and tons of energy to make National Night Out a fun, safe and attractive evening for all people from all walks of life. So, with that said, enjoy the photos from our successful event.

Station 6 paramedics visited and let us sit in the ambulance!

Lining up for the water balloon toss.

It's not easy being green...

2007-08-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

...but it is fun just hanging out.

This little guy was on this bamboo fishing net that my mother-in-law had propped up by her front door. Kailash tried to hold him but he hopped off his hands and into the woods just after he smiled for the camera.

Bye-bye Kermie.

At any moment...

2007-08-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Life happens. No one knows how much time we have. I truly believe that when your number is up, it is up. My belief helps me to try and live every day as if it were my last. I strive to do the things that are truly important...kiss my children everyday, read stories to them, have dates with my husband, listen to his dreams, call my mom and dad on the phone or stop by for no reason, stay in touch with my friends and try to treat complete strangers the way that I would like to be treated. At times, I fail and it is a struggle but I wake up to a new day with the opportunity to try again.

I never want to be too set in my ways to take a different route if needed. Children have forced me to take the odd path, see outside the box. If I come home with an idea about how the evening should go, I am usually challenged by each child's different agenda. The day could be going along quite smoothly when a bleeding child enters the door crying or I have to play referee between the oldest and the youngest. You just never know.

My family and the people that I know in Minneapolis/St. Paul were given one more day to live a life full of love and compassion for all people. I will embrace the opportunity, love myself and in turn love life.

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”
Buddha

Hwy 52 sighting

2007-07-31T06:13:00.001-07:00

I saw her again. The rock and roller who feels so passionate about music that she wants to share it with every commuter the passes under the walkway over Hwy 52 between Concord St. and Butler Ave. Not quite sure how she plugs in that Fender - she had a microphone this time but no amp. She's like clockwork. It was close to 5:00 the last time I saw her and again, as I passed under the bridge I glanced at my car clock, 4:45. Does she play the same song? Does she have a repertoire? It's too bad no one can hear her. The next time I see her, do I drive to where the walkway starts, get out of my car and listen? Maybe that is the point she is trying to make... are we hearing each other or is there just too much noise?

What DIDN'T I do this weekend?

2007-07-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Soccer, soccer and more soccer - that is what I did, along with a few other things. Julian had a soccer game on Friday night, a soccer game on Saturday at 9:00 am and one at the same time on Sunday. His U14 team is playing for the State cup. They play four games and the 2 teams who get the most points get to play each other on Friday for the title. So far Julian's team lost one and won two. The got all the possible points on Sunday's game by shutting out the other team 9-0. So, we'll see what happens on Wednesday at 5:00. It is going to be hot - probably 90+ degrees. The one game they lost was a 5:00 game. I just hope that time slot is not jinxed. It would be nice to see them go on to play for the title - although, every parent who has to drive their kid in rush hour 30 miles north of the city to a 5:00 game is also secretly wishing that soccer season would end yesterday!

When I wasn't at a soccer game, I played taxi driver for the 14 year old and his friends. I maneuvered the city's giant freeway loop from the movie theater to our house repeatedly. Don't get me wrong, I volunteered to do it, I am glad that Julian has friends to hang out with. Also, by offering my services this time I have built up good karma, meaning that next time I will get to stay home while some other parent plays taxi. Julian also has his own earned income this summer so I don't feel like I am going broke in the process. He is working hard doing landscaping plus doing chores around the house, and mowing our lawn and his grandma's.

When I wasn't at a soccer game or driving the kid around, I assisted the other child in cleaning his room. This job should only take an hour, maybe two but it ends up taking DAYS! Sometimes I think he makes more of a mess while cleaning because he discovers long, lost, loved things that need to be played with. Just let me say, it STILL isn't done.

When I wasn't at a soccer game, driving the kid around, cleaning the other kid's room, I was at a neighborhood potluck. It wasn't actually in our neighborhood but the people who put it on USED to live in our neighborhood and they invite all their old neighbors. They usually get a great turn-out with hoards of kids running around - they block off the street for a band and the kids ride their many varied wheeled vehicles in the street, a rare treat! When a child is occupied for hours running outside with kids and dogs, the parents actually get to talk to other adults....that, my friend is a good potluck!

When I wasn't at a soccer game, driving the kids around, cleaning the other kid's room or at a potluck, I was preparing the house for a birthday party and then subsequently throwing a birthday party worthy of my eight year old's critical nature. Kailash's birthday was weeks ago. His summer birthday somehow throws me off. I find it hard to organize a party and by July (all the other family birthdays are in the spring), I am all partied out. Yet, this child is a party planner. He loves all holidays and would throw a party for each and every one of them. He had started gathering Hawaiian relics months ago in anticipation for his theme birthday party. Palm trees, leis, seashells, dolls with grass skirts - we had it all! Oh, and did I mention that he also wanted to have a volcano cake? Yes, I created a volcano cake to the best of my ability. It was multi-layered with chocolate chip fudge frosting to hold it together and red icing for the lava. Julian also had the great idea to use red gummy worms for an added 3-D effect for the lava. We adorned the cake with long candles in the hole in the middle and made it appear as if it were really spewing fire!My mother, my middle sister and two of Kailash's friends from school joined us to celebrate his day. Let me just say that these three children were attracted to each other from the first time they met. They have a certain flair or color about them. It wasn't until after a couple of years of knowing them that I found out the source of their attraction... both sets of parents were/are theater people! We attract like minded people...isn't that the law? Well, these three together are a hoot. Kailash generally is the ring leader or better said, the artistic director of all the activities. At his party these activities included swimming with the mermaid in his homemade pond, dressing up as princes and princesses and plunging plastic parachuting men from off the banister.

Grandma and Auntie Amy enjoying the party

7:00 pm on Sunday could not come soon enough. Although I enjoyed Kailash's happy face throughout the evening and Julian's thrill of victory, I was dog-tired and needed some down time. The parents came to gather their brood, my mom and sister went home. I smiled a weary smile at my husband as he cleaned the kitchen and I descended the basement stairs to start the laundry.

Moonshine and Trumpet Vines

2007-07-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

These white flowers only open in the moonlight. Kailash says that some of them only open when the moon is full. This was the first time that we saw them open. We planted the flowers from seeds that were given to us by our good friend Paul. Paul and Kailash had a long discussion one evening last summer about flowers. At some point during the evening, the conversation turned to flowers that would only come out with the moon. Shortly after that night, we received these seeds in the mail.

Given a little dirt, water and sunshine, it amazes me what Mother Earth births.
I also added pictures of our stunning Trumpet Vines - what a brillant orange they are!

Cycles

2007-07-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Cycles: an interval of time during which a sequence of
a recurring succession of events or phenomena is completed

Motorcycle: a 2-wheeled automotive vehicle for one or two people

Motor scooter: a low 2- or 3-wheeled automotive vehicle resembling a child's scooter and having a seat so that the rider does not straddle the engine

For the past months, Tom and I have been debating about getting some kind of cycle. For years Tom has half joked about wanting to be a chain wallet, leather wearing, bandanna boasting motorcycle man. I always said, "No way, too dangerous - you know what leather pants do to me." Haha. No, I knew the statistics, the way people drive it would be suicide. This is what I thought...until lately.

What changed my mind? Maybe turning 40 did it - a mid-life thing. Could be, but I really attribute the change to GBW. NO, not GBV(for all you fans out there)...GWB. Gas prices, this war, the economy...George W pushed me to it. I can no longer AFFORD to drive my mini-van solo around the Twin Cities while Tom drives his V-8 engined Buick Regal...it is just too damn expensive! I am also concerned about the environment and believe that global warming IS happening. A smaller vehicle would at least help me to do my part to put less poisonous gasses into the air.

For awhile we went back and forth between Motor Scooter and Motor Cycle. Tom's father was selling a Harley and would give us a good deal on it but it was big and potentially TOO big for me to ride. So, we started looking at buying two motorcycles. We got all excited and signed up for the motorcycle instruction class and everything. We TOLD people. THEN, we looked at our money situation and the lack of it. Some of you would say that we should have done that first - well, as creative souls we tend to operate in this way. So, we had to wait.

Months later, with a little more research under our belt and a budget, we found a place in St. Paul that sells and works on both scooters and motorcycles. We liked the sound of that, somewhere in town, supporting the local economy and small business. It is located on Vandalia Street under the water tower and when I left a message, the owner Ryan, called me right back. Blue Cat Garage. We even like the name.

It is such a thrill to go shopping for a vehicle. It can be a little stressful too. We had done the research though and were pretty positive about what we wanted. We chose a motor scooter. One, they are less expensive than the type of motorcycles we were looking at. Two, we liked the European look of the scooters. Tom had just been in Vietnam and had seen all types of scooters, it seemed just the way to go. Blue Cat had the kind we were looking for, SYM HD 200.

The SYM HD 200 can go 80-90 mph. It has the speed that you get with 200 cc's but the advantages of a scooter...automatic transmission and you are not straddling the engine. Tom drove it home July 13.

Now, even though it's a motor scooter, it is considered a motorcycle because it is over 50 cc's so you have to get a motorcycle license endorsement. After having enrolled in a motorcycle course months back and withdrawing, we thought we might be able to do without the course. We both studied the motorcycle manual for the permit test and passed the permit no problem. We started to gather our cycle "things". Helmets, gloves, goggles/sunglasses; bought myself a pair of Doc Martens. Yet, every cycle person we encountered seem to say the same thing, "Take the motorcycle class." They offered a couple through the state that were cheaper than the one through the private company we originally signed up for. They had an opening at Dakota County Technical College for Friday, Saturday and Sunday the 20th- 22nd. Cool, we would take the class and get licensed.The first evening is all classroom instruction. The next two afternoons, from 2:00-7:00 is range driving and then lastly, the test. We could have used our scooter but ultimately one of us would have had to use a motorcycle since we only had the one scooter, so we both decided it would just be easier to learn how to ride a motorcycle since that is what they provided AND we wouldn't have to be concerned about driving the scooter on the highway to get to the class (which neither of us had done yet).

Everyone got to choose their cycle, first come first serve.

This is mine. A 250 CC Kawasaki cruiser.

This is Tom's, also a 250 CC cruiser.

This is our instructor's cycle, a Gold Wing.

It is appropriate that this photo of our instructor is shadowy, that is how I would describe him. He reminded me of the "Cigarette Smoking Man" in the X-files, better known as CSM. It was a father and daughter instructing team. His daughter is there on the left. They BOTH smoked. We got many cigarette breaks.

I thought that the instruction was fair. They would set up the course and describe what the purpose of the drill was and how we would go about doing it. If you had never driven a cycle before, the instruction may have gone a bit fast. The boyfriend in my 20's with the motorcycle had changed the fact that I was not a novice. For me if was a bit like dancing. Follow and lead, hands and feet, together, apart, leaning side to side. I never had any problem picking up dance steps fairly quickly. It was a bit different for Tom. I could tell he was struggling after the first day. He had a hard time turning his head and looking where he wanted to go, trusting that the cycle would not fall over. I tried to be helpful and give him some tips - but when he is focused, the last thing he wants is "tips" from his wife who is having an easy time of it. I was getting praise from the instructor while he was not.

In life, it all comes down to a moment, "an interval of time" (see above definition of cycle). The moment for the test came. It didn't matter how you had done the hours before or how you would drive hours later. It was short and particular.

I ended up having to re-do part of the test because they said I wasn't going fast enough. That made me nervous but the rest of it went very well. Tom looked very nervous.

I passed.

Tom did not.

The elation I would liked to have felt was dampened by my best friend feeling let down. Like all best friends, he was happy for me (still is) but down because we both thought we would come out of this course with our motorcycle license endorsement.

Tom said to me, "It's a coordination thing. You have always been more coordinated than I." True. I was not picked last for kickball in elementary school because I missed the ball when I went to go kick it, Tom was.

Yet, the bottom line is - we don't own a motorcycle, we own a motor scooter. If you remember the definition from above it is the perfect cycle for us!

Motor scooter: a low 2- or 3-wheeled automotive vehicle resembling a child's scooter and having a seat so that the rider does not straddle the engine

Tom will pass the test with the scooter - and then the cycle will be complete.

A weekend with the Z Boys

2007-07-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Downhill: skating as fast as you can down the steepest of hills for the greatest of adrenaline rushes.

The "West Side" of Saint Paul is 1, 948 miles from "Dogtown", Los Angeles. A 28 hour car ride. Yet, there are comparisons. We've got the 3 G's, gangs, graffiti and garbage. We don't have an ocean or surfing scene but we do have the Mississippi River and a downhill scene. You can't go anywhere without going up or down a hill from our house. This would be an issue for some people but for my family they are viewed as good "downhill" spots.

How did this all start? I'll tell you.

My 39 year old husband (the Tony Alva of the family), bought the movie "Dogtown and the Z Boys" while we were on vacation the other week. Our 14 year old son, Julian, has been a skater for years so I thought it would be a movie that would help us to bond with our teenager. Tom had heard it was a good documentary and is always interested in historical origins. It is an amazing video with incredible footage of the original Zephyr team. Awesome interviews and out of this world still shots that even an amateur can appreciate. Ever since that night, the 39 year old male has wanted to relive his youth!

Some men who are approaching 40 go out and spend an exorbitant amount of money on a red corvette and change their name to "Buck". My man goes to Target and buys a $30 skateboard. He rode it into work the next day from his parking spot 15 minutes from the building he works in. He started watching YouTube videos of skaters and found a web site with a forum for "old school" skateboarders (http://www.oldschoolskateboarding.com/). He started listening to Julian who was telling him that he needed a long board to ride into work. Two days later, he bought a $150 Sector 9 longboard and a pair of VANS.

Julian has always been the most active of our family members. He was walking at nine months and running by the next. He plays competitive soccer and is on the high school swim team. He unicycles (straight unicycling and then has a Trials that you jump on and off things with like garage roofs, concrete walls, picnic tables etc...). He rides trick bikes and regular bikes; he has a pogo stick that propels him up into the air 6 -10 feet. In the winter he snowboards. He will play any sport with you for fun and is generally able to pick up any sport he tries. Until now, we have found it hard to keep up with him. We like to watch but it isn't the same as participating. His Dad's new found interest in one of his passions has lit a fire in both of their hearts and put wheels on their feet.

This weekend I posed as professional sports photographer to capture the amazing feats of the "Z boys" of the West Side. Even our 8 year old who is our Thespian and not our athlete has wanted in on the action but prefers to stay a little lower to the ground. Check it out!

Rockin' and Rollin' above Hwy 52

2007-07-11T13:12:00.001-07:00

I don't know who she was. I didn't hear the tune she played. Yet, the visual energy she sent out as I caught site of her at 60 mph - just as she left my vision- made a lasting impression.

She was a rockin' and a rollin', jammin' on her electric guitar, sandy brown hair blowin' in the wind, Fender Strat strung low across her blue jeans high above Hwy 52 during rush hour. I passed her twice...once heading south between Belvidere and Butler Ave. and then 1/2 hour later heading north. She was still there, blowing in the wind and rockin' to the tune in her head. She held no sign, she waved no American flag. Just her and her guitar.

From the mouth of babes...

2007-07-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

My 8 year old son is very wise...an old soul. He says things that you wouldn't believe have come from a child's mouth. Yet then again it seems to me that children in general say the wisest things. The profoundness of his thoughts is the inspiration for me starting this blog. I have been thinking about blogging for some months now, first inspired by Petite Flower's site. So, here it goes...
After weeks of summer vacation where he could stay up late (until 10:00 is very late for him) and enjoy the long summer days...not go to bed until dark (again, 9:30-10:00 CDT) and sleep in the morning until it so moved him to get up, this week he has had to wake up at 6:30 am to go to "Camp Runestone for Wizards". He likes the camp, for he may have been a wizard in another life, BUT he does not like getting up in the morning. He is a bit like his mother that way.
After pulling off his covers, turning on the light and gently telling him it is time to get up, he still does not open his eyes. I pull out his clothes for the day, plop them on his bed and again gently say, "time to wake up", now with a back rub and a tickle. He moans, grumbles that he is sooo tired, opens his eyes for a brief moment and then closes them again. This is about the time I finish getting myself ready and come back for another try in 5-10 minutes.
We finally get to the point in our morning where we are in the car, we have dropped off his brother at work and we are headed down the city street to Camp Runestone. We haven't said much in the car for the ten or so blocks we have gone. The radio is off and all we hear is the hum of the engine and the wheels turning on new blacktop.
The wise sage speaks from the back,
"Mama."
"Yes," I say.
"I like it in the morning when we are riding along and it is quiet like this and we have nothing to talk about and the smell of the morning dew is in the air. We look at new houses, no one is mowing their lawn (long pause)...I like that feeling."
"Yes," I say. "That is a wonderful feeling."