Sunday, December 31, 2006

waves waves waves

i always try to make it out to the beach while we're in michigan. and this year, without any snow, the beach was superb for visiting.

while sitting on the beach listening to the waves, i remembered why that place was so hard for me to leave 8 years ago to come to minnesota. when i'm near the lake, my mind sort of empties out of all the rifraff, and i get a certain clarity that doesn't come very easily when i'm away from nature.

the waves said two things to me:
1. in your head, you keep referring to some of the decisions you've made in the last few years as 'mistakes'. you hate that word, and you know it's not right, but you keep using it on yourself. let go of that word and the judgment that goes along with it. give yourself permission to live.

2. please don't forget how important this nature thing is to you. when you sit in your wonderful house that you love, you think you can get the serenity that you get in nature, but you can't. seek out more nature. spend more time finding it, even if it's just at the park down the street. nature is a great listener.



i know the waves said some other things to me too, but these were the main themes.

alicia- artwork

she's well on her way to becoming a fine artist...





















...don't you think?

christmas kids- noah, cole and alicia

so here is a little video of our niece and nephews that i took while we were in michigan. of course, this may only be cute for those of us that are actually related to these children.



near the end, there is a clip of alicia opening the skirt, shirt and purse i got her for christmas (very excited).

none of us should drunk

so after i had my last big interview with allen, i went over to lindsey and michael's place to do a little celebrating.



ya know, we had a good time.

(by the way, no one drove [drunk] home intoxicated)

Friday, December 29, 2006

fantastic read during transition/difficult times- thanks saire!!

i hit some pretty strong situational depression while recently digging through myself, trying to ask hard questions and struggling with the answers. it was the first time in recent history that i've had to rely so heavily on my friends for support. as i may have mentioned, all my friends came through for me with an overwhelming wave of love and encouragement. you all helped in some incredibly important way and i thank you.

while at one of my lowest points, my friend saire cookson recommended this book to me:
What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self
by Ellyn Spragins


i'm telling you now, this book is most fantastical. women who have succeeded in every way you can imagine write a letter to themselves at a younger age, seeking to impart some deeper wisdom they now possess on a struggling younger self.

the result is an encouragment for the reader like no other. it gives perspective, hope, reassurance, all the things we struggle so hard to find in the moment when we need them most, delivered to us by women we can respect and admire. i found myself crying often, the answers almost bleeding out of me as i read.

this book is a must MUST read by anyone working through hard times in their lives. i would recommend it to everyone, but it seems like this book would be so much more powerful at the right moment, it almost makes sense to save it until the struggle is most intense. i want to buy my own copy, so that the next friend that needs it can borrow it from me just in time for their own salvation.

saire, your recommendation was priceless. thank you.

first day at my new job =)

so last thing i mentioned on my blog about the job situation was that i had an invitation to join a new company. i have accepted their offer and actually had my first day with them already today!

last monday i gave notice and said my last day would be january 9th. the new company asked me if i could get a little time in ahead of my january 10th start date, and since we're on holiday today and tuesday, i agreed to work at the new place both those days.

so my new job started today, and it felt like such a great fit, i'm so excited! i know it's the right thing to do, to work through the 9th and give a full two weeks, but i'm so ready to move on already.

it was pretty hard to give notice and revisit all the questions i've asked myself over the last six months. this time, i had to face them from my colleagues, none of whom were present during my lowest moments of depression in searching out the right answer for myself. i can't really expect them to know as surely as i do, but it's hard not to re-ask myself along with the rest of them-
- it's only been 6 months, are you sure it's not a fit?
- aren't you interested in helping build this thing?
- what is it that you just don't like about it, and aren't those things fixable?
- the company sees you as part of a bigger picture here, aren't you interested in that path?
- the client really likes you and will be so disappointed...

i've known that this was the right decision, but that doesn't mean it's an easy transition.
the great feeling i had at the new place today makes the rest of my transition that much more difficult. they'll be telling my current client this coming week along with the rest of the agency, so i'm sure i will hear the questions above many more times. hopefully, the answers will flow a little more easily.

maybe i should follow my friend lori's advice- when asked why i'm leaving, she suggests saying: 'it's simple, they won't let me drink at work, here.'

Thursday, December 28, 2006

i promise...

... to upload all my pics and some video from our trip home this weekend and post a link.

... to blog all the cool things that have been going on for me recently.

... to blog all the interesting sites i've found recently on this thing- the internet.

... to love all my friends as much as they have loved me.

... to repay all your blog patience with good bloggin' activity all through next year.

thanks for being cool.

Monday, December 18, 2006

happiness is...

...reading this phrase in my email, today:

"...I would like to offer you a full time position as a producer..."

worship at every meal with jesus pan

yes, i thought this was a joke, but it's actually real!

jesuspan!




















how hilarious is that??

thanks for sharing, jj!!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

thanks for the love and friendship

the support of all my friends and family has been so huge for me this last year.

all of you have contributed your listening ear, your kind words, your good energy.

i wouldn't have come through so well if it hadn't been for you. i really feel truly thankful that i have such great friends.

thank you.

sincerely,

sq

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

doubt

i've got a lot of it. doubt.

i find myself bending down so close to the ground. and then bending the opposite way minutes later.

i want to give what is wanted.

i want to rest even more.

brain, please stop. i can't think anymore.

tears are just below the surface, all the time.

laughter, too.

fear, mostly.

too much fear, suffocating.

focus. perspective. let go.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

accountability breeds passion and desire

i've been wrestling lately with some internal soul searching. questions about what i should, could, can do with myself.

this post was helpful to me.














take a gander.

(thanks pamela)

Sunday, December 03, 2006

alen- update

not too long ago, i blogged about the birth of alen, our friend's new son. well he's about three months old already.






































here is a little update video if you're into baby's and their precious babbling (there's also a good clip of buddy holding him).



alen, you are a treat to be around.

our awesome saturday

saturday- part one

for the holidays, our dear friends linda and rob bought us tickets to go see 'carols and cantus', which is christmas music performed by the saint paul chamber orchestra and an all male a capella group (cantus).

i would like to tell you how wonderful and amazing the concert was, but words just don't seem to capture the essence. we had front row seats, and the cantus group, if you haven't ever had the opportunity to hear them, was phenomenal.

my favorite piece of the night was when they sang 'o holy night', which is my all time favorite holiday song in the whole world. yes, there were tears. yes, it was that great.

thanks linda and rob!!

saturday- part two

so many of my friends have told us not to miss the body world exhibit while it's in town at the science museum. well, since this was it's last weekend, we knew it was now or never. thank goodness the science museum decided to keep the exhibit open round the clock over the weekend, or we may not have had the opportunity to see it.

after our 'carols and cantus' concert, we made our way to the science museum and prepared ourselves to be amazed.

i'll never forget dissecting a frog in Mr. Barnes' 7th grade science class... i fainted while the teacher demonstrated opening the skull and joe chmelar kicked me cause i fell on his shoes. the next year dissecting the rat didn't go much better for me.

so although i felt sick to my stomach and close to fainting throughout the entire visit, i'm really glad i had the opportunity to see the exhibit. the work that was done to provide a window into the human body was well worth it. i actually feel a new connection to my body, and a renewed sensitivity to how i treat it.

i hope you had a chance to see the exhibit while it was in town.

all i want for christmas is my two front teeth

chipping a tooth sucks.
barry gerst and associates is the best dentist office in town.

here's why:
1. i managed to chip my front tooth the night before a busy work day which involved client meetings.

2. i called (desperately) first thing in the morning to gerst's office, and they only had a 3pm appointment available, which wouldn't work because i couldn't go to my meetings with half a tooth, and i couldn't reschedule them.

3. i called another dentist who was able to get me in right away.

4. he 'fixed' my tooth by grinding at least half of it off, grinding off some of the one next to it as well (since it was also a little unstable), and then filling it with enamel to match the rest of my teeth (by the way, do you know how vulnerable a person feels laying in a chair, just after their two front teeth have been grinded away, hoping that everything works out for the best?). so my teeth are fixed, right? problem solved? not so fast...

5. i went to work, had a couple meetings, then ate lunch. i'll be damned if the pizza wasn't just a little crunchier than it should have been, if you know what i mean (the filling on the back of my front tooth broke off, and left a sharp edge for my tongue to play with).

6. i went to my big client meeting with half a tooth, though visually, it looked okay.

7. i rushed to the 3pm appointment at gerst's office, which was thankfully still available.

8. after dr. sims fixed my tooth (a little more fixed than the previous dentist) he said- i think you've been through enough today, we won't charge you for this fix.

9. i had the urge to kiss him directly on the mouth, but refrained, thankfully.

10. the tooth is now fixed, and beautiful if i do say so myself. i happen to think the gap is even more lovely than it was before the chip ever happened, don't you agree?















11. dr. gerst and associates, at 2701 nicollet avenue, minneapolis, is the best dentist office in the whole world. i thought so before this situation, but it's now written on my blog, so it's forever.

thank you, sweet dentists, for saving my teeth, and being so nice about it!!

irony

so my friend, lori, and i were talking recently about my sister, stephanie, and the situation she's in. her husband has been abusive to her and she's trying to end the relationship and start new with her son and daughter.

so lori says to me- why doesn't she call a woman's shelter for some help.

and i said- well, i think she would be willing, but she's in western michigan, which is somewhat rural and more than somewhat republican. there isn't so much support for a woman in that environment.

it's interesting that i got a call from my sister the very same day. she informed me that after there had been a fight which involved john banging her head into the ground, she did call a woman's shelter for some help.

here's the ironic part- the police came out to investigate, and since the wounds on her head weren't showing yet, but there was a defensive wound on john, they actually arrested her and took her to jail.

she now needs to hire a lawyer to defend herself against abuse charges. oh, and she wasn't allowed home because there was a no contact order against her.

just to add some visuals here, the police came to a home with a 5'3" woman and a 6'5" man... and arrested the woman... in conservative western michigan.

john finally went down to remove the no contact order- he needed someone to take care of the kids.

i'm not dealing very well with the situation.

i love my sister.

Friday, December 01, 2006

how pregnancy happens

did you ever wonder how it happens? or maybe you think you know?















i thought i knew, but i was wrong.

when, exactly, and how, exactly, does a woman get pregno?

time to go inside and find out!















(peter gets so excited, doesn't he?)

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

my interactive buddy

my friend michael showed me this little stress reliever- interactive buddy.




















after a long day at work, it felt good to take some of it out on napoleon dynamite (but my lips hurt real bad).

i don't know why but my fav is catching him on fire and then throwing rubber balls at him. what would a therapist say about that??

okay, i'm seriously scared about the pleasure i take in stun gunning my victim repeatedly. must... stop... now...

the cave

i know i've told quite a few of you about the cave i work in, but it's time to show and tell.

my coworker (and friend) julie has posted pics of what i call 'the cave' on her blog.

check out julie's blog!















now tell me, does anywhere you've ever worked compare to this?

i wish i had this much time on my hands

who has time to break the record for most t-shirts worn at the same time (155 total)?



matt mcallister does.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

$150,000 challenge

since aaron and i took out life insurance policies, we've been joking about who's going to get the money. it makes for fun ongoing conversation... like when i fell down the stairs recently, aaron rushed down to make sure i was alright and when i caught my breath and could finally talk, i accused him of rushing to see if he had hit the jackpot.

today we were sure someone would win the money since we decided to put up christmas lights on our house, which required us to climb a ladder, walk on the roof, and basically scare the crap out of each other.

unfortunately, it was not to be. we completed our project safely (as well as on time and within budget).





























the house looks really cool. better than we had imagined and we're pretty proud of ourselves. make sure you drive by and check it out for yourself.

(if aaron is out front, do me a favor and run him over with your car)

ike reilly rocks!!

buddy and i went to see ike last night, and he was f'ing amazing!!



seriously...

sushi inspiration

aaron and i were inspired to go out for sushi on tuesday when we received this fabulous housewarming gift from my best friend jj and her husband eric.















it's from japan, and her card said 'you'll probably figure it out, but if you need to know what it is, call me'

well, no matter what it is, it made our mouths water for sushi, so that was a plus right away.

here's our theory, we think it's a sake set, but if we're right, then we're not sure what the third cup is for. we might be totally wrong though.

so we're asking for your help (jj, don't give it away too quickly)...

what is this, and what should we use it for?

regardless, it's from japan and it is absolutely beautifully made and gorgeous. thanks jj and eric!!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

what do you think of this animation?

i just saw this animation...



...and i'm still processing it a little. what do you think of it?

know any teen boys?

Here is an email a friend of mine sent recently. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please call the number in the flyer below.


Hey everyone,

I'm still looking for some male teens to participate in my study on
parent-teen argument and conflict for my Ph.D. dissertation research.
So if you know any that are 13-19 and fit the criteria (see flyer),
please send them my way. I already have 5 female teens in the study,
but I would like to include the male perspective as well. Each
participant will receive a $20 gift card to either Barnes & Noble or AMC
Movie Theaters. The first interview has been lasting about 1.5 to 2
hours. After the interview is transcribed, there could be a follow-up
interview to clarify some information.

Ideally I can finish my interviews within the next month and begin data
analysis and writing in January. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Chris

Monday, November 20, 2006

neat artists site

this site is fun to check out...




















i wonder how this artist could use their work to inspire people to think deeply about social issues that affect us all. ya know, put all this good work to use for social activism, give it more meaning... take it to the next level...

okay, so i'm a little nutty today. i guess it's nice to just check it out, eh?

another calming interaction

when you find that you've lost a little time to a simple interaction like this one, you have to ask yourself, what is it about the internet and stuff like this that keeps us engaged.

how do we lose ourselves... (we've all done it, if not within this example, within some other one) ... and with the power to engage people, what is possible?

i think we're only beginning to touch the possibilities of this internet thingy.

okay, sorry, back to earth.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

i'm no longer an atheist!!

this video has done it!!



somebody snip my umbilical cord and spank my ass.

another addicting game- copter

yeah, so you fly around and try not to hit the stuff in the way.

seems kinda simple and not all that fun, but it occupied a bunch of folks at work for at least a half hour or more as it got passed around this week.

my best so far is 912.















betcha can't beat that, yo!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

new social mapping tool

so there is this new social mapping tool called frappr. you can create a map, and either post it on your site or send people to it on frappr. people can add themselves to your map with a picture and other information.

so, for example, if you wanted to identify yourself as someone who likes church, and you wanted to see other people who like church, you might create or join this map.

here's an even more interesting use- nintendo ds lite enthusiasts learned that some stores were carrying the new unit before the planned release date, so they created this map to show which stores were selling them early, where they were located, and how many units were available.













(can you say 'geek')

so of course, i'm thinking in my head about different ways the map could be used, and i'm doing a couple searches to explore, when i stumble upon this little gem... (and laughed my ass off)

Monday, November 13, 2006

mark & saire's wedding- revisited

mark and saire sent us a link to check out their professional pictures taken at their wedding by david kern.

there are a lot of great photos, really there are. but i think this one is the best, hands down:














okay, this is a good one too.














i'm sure the ones of mark and saire were nice as well, but these are surely the best, don'tcha think?

thanks for sharing mark and saire!

Sunday, November 12, 2006

southside pride- i wrongly assumed you were journalism...

so i finally picked up the edition of southside pride that has been on my porch since before the election, and was surprised to find some articles and language that i didn't expect.

now, i'm all for neighborhood papers reporting on the truth of the situation, and if that hurts bush or the republicans, well, sometimes the truth hurts.

the first article that surprised me was one about a clinic that is laying people off and may potentially shut down, written by Dwight Hobbes. the first paragraph surprised the heck out of me...

"Layoff notices went out Nov. 1 to staff members at Community University Health Care Center (CUHCC), with those layoffs taking effect the end of the month- right after Thanksgiving and just in time for those people to wonder what in the hell they're gong [sic] to do about next month's bills, including Christmas shopping (after all, jobs, despite George Bush's fictional economic recovery, keep getting harder and harder to come by)."

... but i chalked that up to a really intense election period.

then i opened up to page 12 and found this wonderful gem:

GEORGE BUSH STOLE MY JESUS
Ed Felien


















i have to say, that although this stuff works in the favor of liberals, sorta, and since i am definitely a liberal, there is a temptation to laugh and just say, oh well.

but a big part of me is disappointed in the paper for not being more responsible with their 'journalism'. give the truth, show appropriate balance, and let the people decide.

can you guess what's on the next page?

(if you guessed an article about how mike hatch is the savior, i'll buy you a drink)

Saturday, November 11, 2006

photo and video update

i finally posted some pics from kat and scott's fantasticular autumn party here...

and a bunch of us chicks went to see roller derby for the first time tonight, and we realized there is a whole world of people out there that dig roller derby, and for good reason. it was far out!

i posted some roller derby pics here.

oh, and here is a little video...



who knew?

pick on someone your own size!!!

have you seen the stuntman site?












the little stuntman comes out of the package...




















and you get to throw him around a little.

(hit the z key just for me)

it's a little annoying that the link to actioncity brings you to a dead end / under construction.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

do you just need to laugh?

cause if you do, all it takes is a little clicky clicky on the play button on this video. i guarantee, you will laugh.



it's not possible not to laugh. try it, i dare you.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

successful vote- woohoo!

aaron and i voted without too much trouble.

it should be noted that we both remember registering to vote when we applied for our new driver's licenses in march (after we moved into our new house), but when we got to our voting location, they didn't have us registered. so we had to re-register.

other than that everything went very smoothly.

i heard that in some locations where they've introduced all kinds of new voting machines, they had to discard them and go to paper ballot, since the machines were not working well.

for what it's worth, i imagine a lot of the voter problems have to do with just bad process in general- the kind of bad process that just plagues our society in general. of course, i'm also not convinced that there aren't situations where the vote has been compromised by badly intentioned people.

okay, hope you had fun voting. we did (aaron is still running around yelling 'i voted!')

video the vote

yeah, minnesota will be pretty tame, i think. but it just wouldn't be me if i didn't bring my camera.



things will go well. have fun voting.

Monday, November 06, 2006

the departed- it rocked!!

yeah, so i don't see a lot of new movies, but i'm glad we got out of the house to see the departed.



seriously, one of the best movies i've ever seen. worth seeing in the theatre. worth owning and watching several times. very very fun, laughed throughout. love love loved this film.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

ms. pac mondrion

this is the most soothing game of ms. pac 'man' i've ever played!!


















the music rocks, and it's interesting to try and figure out a new version of an old game.

hunny, this one is for you!

the essence of rabbit

i like it.




















i want to order it, but it's not available overseas yet. bummer.

if you look carefully, you'll see some very interesting bunnies...

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

morrigan is cute as hell!!

my friend tracy has a new puppy.



she is crazy adorable.

thanks for sharing, tracy!!

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

the flow

no, i'm not talking about aunt flo. i'm talking about this pretty neat game that i really like (and have given a half hour of my life to).


















it's very calming and yet somehow- survivalistic and intense.

yep

i have to remember- i've got a lot in my life that is going well. i just need some time to sort all this stuff out. need to get some perspective...

Sunday, October 29, 2006

messin with sasquatch

everytime we see this commercial on tivo, we have to rewind and rewatch about 4 times. it's hilarious.



makes me miss carmichael lynch a little.

random live webcams

live webcams, is this still in?

my favorites are the ones in other countries, don't know why. there's a cool one in a bakery in italy.

here's a cool pick from a sunset somewhere in america west of here:














okay, yeah, it's good to focus elsewhere for awhile. is that so wrong?

Friday, October 27, 2006

michael j fox just got political on your ass

okay, this is just plain brilliant...



...and very well done.

so if i were going to do a response ad like this one...



... the most i could hope for is that it would confuse people, and i think that worked, which might just take the wind out of mjf's sail.

damn, this election season is HOT!!!

Thursday, October 26, 2006

beck cellphone's dead- i like it

okay, i'm usually late to the whole cool music scene, so please forgive me if that's the case here, but i like this one.



yeah, i think it's cool, but what do i know?

oh yeah, and aaron showed me this one:



yeah, i'm almost too shy to say it, in case ya'll will judge me, but i like it.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Warthog Launch

senseless, but somehow fulfilling.





















the sound effects put this game over the edge for me.

smoking can seriously damage your health

another excellent non-smoking commercial.



i love you, sister.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

i smoked weed and nobody died.

'pete's couch' is one of the best, but all the commercials on The Office of National Drug Control Policy channel are kinda fun to watch.



aaron loves this ad, and i bet it's very popular with kids too, but maybe not in a serious way. i wonder if kids actually get the true message...

Monday, October 23, 2006

pretty spirals

it doesn't take much to amuse me today.















what am i saying, these are cool!! they would be cool to anyone!! i like spirals, do you?

Sunday, October 22, 2006

tide- could you be more insulting?

i went to target to buy laundry detergent (and a travel coffee mug for my friend aaron dewitt).

when i approached the laundry detergent aisle, one package in particular stood out to me right away. it said '25% More' across the top.




















well, of course i'm drawn to the package because i assume that what it's telling me is that i'll be getting 25% more than i usually get, at the same price of the original size.

not so fast. those clever tide package designers aren't really gonna give anything away, but they don't mind implying that they are.

when i get up close and read further, i'm stiffly insulted to find that i'm really going to get 25% more 'ounces' than a 100 oz package...














yep, you guessed it. that means, i'm getting 125 oz of product.












with no mention of a cost comparison, i have to assume i'm paying for all 125 oz of the product.

woohoo!

i was so impressed with their marketing strategy, i had to have my very own 125 oz package of tide detergent.

just wait until everyone catches on to this plan, then we'll have even more outlandish packaging, etc... i can hear the info-mmercial, now:
you get not ten, not twenty, NOT THIRTY, but 50% more than 10 oz. of coffee. that's right folks, you get a full 15 ounces of coffee, right here, for what you would normally pay for 15 oz of coffee!! what a bargain!

tide, you should be ashamed of yourself.
buyer, you should beware.

Friday, October 20, 2006

gucci launched their new site

and it's pretty sophisticated. shows all the brands, full screen imagery and video (find their runway shows right on there).













pretty.

okay, it's cheesy, but i do like DAWN dish soap

so i go back and forth on it. part of me is annoyed that dawn is a little over the top with their self promotion, and then the other part of me thinks, well, they are doing a damn fine thing, and i've always liked their product. they have a right to brag, i guess.

and, their site is an example of good promotion, since it's well built, provides good information and a little interactivity, too.
oh, and ellen degeneres is involved, and i've always thought she's had her head on pretty straight.

so anyway, check out the site if you want, and their webisode on youtube which is a little heavy handed as well.

and don't dump grease down your sink (freeze it instead).
and cut up your sixpack plastic holders before you throw them away.

okay, sorry... i'm done.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

saire and mark cookson

yep, they got married.



















check out all the picks here.

and here's a little video i put together of some of our favorite moments.



please disregard the part with me dancing like a freak. aaron made me put that in (bastard).

why are you picking on amy klobuchar?

no matter who you plan to vote for, you have to agree (okay, i guess you don't have to, but it would be hard NOT to agree) that this ad is just plain fake...



'because it's true' just seems weak.

also, that actress (beverly carlson) does a great job, and aaron and i walk around the house mimicking her all the time. you should hear our 'she wants to raise social security taxes and will give social security to illegal immigrants'. it ranks right up there with 'help, i've fallen, and i can't get up!

mark, think about getting a new ad producer.

dove- pretty cool commercial

i'm not sure if companies like dove really get the whole thing, as suggested by their latest ad...



...or if they just have really great marketing folks that know how to build a favorable perception.

shame on me for doubting, since i really like the ad. especially when they photoshop her, that's the moment that moved me the most.

i guess even if we have been duped by the marketers, they've still had the balls to address an issue that has plagued our society. and they've introduced some new thinking into the pot.

Monday, October 16, 2006

what do YOU think this little animation is about?

a co-worker tom sent me this link this morning (thanks tom), and as i watched it in my monday morning stupor, a few thoughts occured to me:

1. wow, did that chick just slice open that rabbit? damn.












2. what the hell kind of message was the animator trying to convey?
3. i better blog about this and ask others to respond.

so that's all i got. lemme know what you think of it.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

i got a letter from al franken!

the envelop says 'please help me get rid of republicans'...

the letter starts 'dear person i'm writing to ask for money' and continues on with a pretty persuasive, and hilarious, plea...
_____________________

'i've gotten more politically involved because i'm sick and tired of watching radical republicans mislead us into a costly and tragically stupid war, sell our government to the highest bidder, ignore the real priorities of real americans - and then have the nerve to question OUR patriotism and OUR values...

... the GOP has threatened our basic liberties, lined the pockets of speical interests at taxpayer expense, left our nation's most vulnerable citizens to fend for the themselves, and embroiled our country in a misguided war with no end in sight. not to mention cheney shooting that guy in the face...

...growing up in minnesota, i was taught to value the things that really matter - like honesty and hard work... equal rights and opportunities... strong and healthy families... common sense and integrity in government... and the belief that we're all in this together. also, following a friend to the hospital after you've accidentally shot him in the face...
_____________________

okay, so two 'shots' at the vp mishap, but in there he couches a very important point- cheney didn't even follow his friend to the hospital!! i love the way the GOP throws around the word 'values' so easily, but has no sense of what it really means...

so when al franken says 'please help me get rid of republican's', i'm in, and more importantly, i'm reminded of the strategy i envisioned back when W 'won' the second election... each democrat/independent/green party person should 'eliminate' one republican, doesn't matter how. then we'll solve all the countries problems with one fell swoop (including social security)!!

i think i'll send some money to al and tell him about my strategy!

understanding usa

so there are a couple of user issues with this site... big ones, actually. but it's still an interesting display of information.

















first of all, the information in most cases is too small to see, and when you click on the 'view full size' button, you get an error page. so if you really want to see the detail, and let's be honest, the details are what this site is about, then you have to 'download printable pdf's' from the bottom of the page and view them in acrobat.

but anyway, i like the premise of the site, and the information is well compiled, even if you can read it, really.

oh well, enjoy if you can.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

congratulations mark and saire!

mark cookson and saire dummer are becoming mark and saire cookson this weekend. we're very excited to go to their wedding tonight. they had their rehearsal dinner at buca's last night and it was a blast.

desert was especially yummy.














congratulations mark and saire! enjoy your special day!!

Monday, October 09, 2006

how did we not jump into this fine pile of leaves??

i love the fall. i love this time of year. aaron and i raked our first pile of leaves in our first home and bagged them all up.

and halloween is around the corner. i bought a bunch of candy for the neighborhood kids and hid it downstairs hoping aaron wouldn't find it and eat it all.

on saturday i realized he's found it, of course, and had eaten some of the snickers. i left him a little note and when he got home tonight, he was very upset with me for ruining his candy pillaging fun.

my note said:

shame on you! you're stealing from kids!


i can just imagine the disappointed look on his face.

pillowfight

http://movies.aol.com/short_film_festival?defaultItem=1461407

'for my wife'

aaron puts up with me the same way, but he knows better than to ask me what my dream was about.

thanks buddy!

Friday, October 06, 2006

if you're not voting, who are you electing?

these ads are pretty cool...

i think i like 'bag of leaves' best

but i can't help but think of my good friend lori when i watch 'spoiled yappy dog'

=)

Thursday, October 05, 2006

home runner!!



you're so good at covering my ass, i love it!

here are a few pics...

an emotional pile of snot

my friend lindsey sent me this link to check out, with a warning that it was a little long and set to the tune of a jesus song, but that it's worth watching.

after watching it, i learned i'm a little emotional right now in my life, cause there were definitely tears.

the reason for the tears isn't as simple as just awe and inspiration, as might cause others to tear up at watching this.

unfortunately, my tears are in sadness and even anger (even now as i write).

stephanie, my sister, is going through such a hard time in her life right now. and i'm so amazed at the difference between a) what the guy in the video would do for, but more importantly with, his son, and b) what i feel like my mother is able or willing to do for my sister.

i'm so angry at her right now because i really believe she should support my sister right now- call her, visit with her, offer her comfort, don't tell her she is wrong, don't dismiss her needs, share experiences, share empathy and sympathy, be open and available, be a mother.

she either can't or won't.

but Dick Hoyt, he runs marathon's simply to see the happiness on his son's face.

and i'm angry because all this has reminded me that when i needed her most in my life, my mom really wasn't able to give me what i needed either.

i thought that she and i were past all that, but seeing the way she has been with my sister right now brings it all back for me.

i feel like i've ruined this wonderful story with my poisonous jealousy.

sometimes, living in another state still isn't enough space for me.

3/1/07 update- i wrote this post, published it, and then unpublished it. all this was real and heartfelt, but so much more about me than it was about my mother. she has supported my sister well, in her own way, which i accept and love her for. i'm only posting this now to be truthful and accept myself in my many moments of growth and struggle.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

fall colors camping trip- worth every moment of wrath from my kitty

in my humble opinion, there's no better way to celebrate a birthday than to go camping with some friends in northern minnesota at the peak of the fall color season. lori, lindsey, michael and aaron are definitely good camping friends.















we drove up on friday in the dark with no idea how gorgeous everything around us would be until the sun came up the next morning. we were in for a treat...















first, we hiked to the top of carlton peak near tofte minnesota. the hike follows the temperance river waterfall area for about a mile before heading into the woods, which were gorgeous and smelled like only fall can smell.




















then we headed up the side of the peak and were rewarded by a breathtaking view.















so after we exhausted ourselves, we headed back to camp for a nap and a little dinner over the campfire.

the next day we headed to split rock lighthouse for a bit.



















i've been to the lighthouse a few times, and i never get tired of it. there is a black sand beach nearby that i could visit for hours.















all in all, the weekend was amazing. just a group of good friends hanging out and loving nature.

check out all the pictures here
.
here is a little video-

Monday, October 02, 2006

camping was phenomenal!!

i promise to post pictures soon.

hiking was great!

lighthouse was great!

fall colors were great!

hanging with friends was great!

fun.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

kickball birthday party

i'm so lucky that my birthday comes smack dab in the middle of the kickball season every year. it means that i get to have a great time celebrating with all my friends.

this year was no different. first, they gave me a balloon and a hat and a pin and made me play kickball with it all.




















then they gave me a birthday cake and sang me happy birthday.















then they took me to the bar and made me drink beer.

then they all said something to me on video that i watched this morning to start my birthday off right.

and it was awesome.

thanks for a great kickball birthday party!!!

today i get to have lunch with my dear friend linda, who shares this birthday with me- HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINDA!!
then i have my cello lessen with my new bow (that i bought for myself for my birthday)
then, if everything goes right, i'm going to a burlesque show with jules at first avenue
then to top it all off, i'm going camping up near the north shore this weekend with lindsey, michael, lori, and buddy, where the fall colors will be peak, and the weather will be crisp!

woohoo, 31 rules!!

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

new poll

please take my new poll (if you want).


it's over there in the side column somewhere ------>

Monday, September 25, 2006

it will be a nice week

tomorrow night is time for aaron and i to be buds.
wednesday is kickball- woohoo!
thursday is cello lessen- oh yeah, and my birthday.
friday is the beginning of our camping trip near the boundary waters. weather.com says it's going to rain all weekend. that would stink! please be wrong. i want wonderful weather for hiking and checking out all the fall colors.

=)

why do people love love love sprawl?

cool site that shows panoramic views of sprawl (not so cool)

i can't imagine living in sprawl. i love living in the city, where i can walk to the corner store, or the train station (which is 10 minutes from downtown, tops).

there are people we know who love their house out in the middle of nowhere, within a sea of identical houses, which have only minor color differences to set them apart.

how, i ask you, how?

flipbook

this is a cool site where you can make your own flipbook:
http://www.benettonplay.com/toys/flipbook/flipbook_maker.php



















i always wanted to make my own flipbook. =)