Freaky

Jo and I found this bunny at Goodwill. I believe it is evidence that the creative designers at Ty are doing drugs....hard drugs.
I think what frightens me the most are his tiny, shiny hooves. RABBITS DON'T HAVE HOOVES!!!!!

Uncle Sam wants YOU!!!!

Well, W said that we should support our troops by going shopping. It's an interesting concept that discloses that he knows nothing about living in poverty. Nevertheless I'd hate to seem unpatriotic so I headed out with the fam to support the troops. We went to Powell's, which will be my personal library should I ever become rich. We also checked out the robust delights of Whole Foods, Crate & Barrel, and some store that starts with a Z that only Travis remembers the name to. By afternoon, Jo and I were beginning to lose our shopping buzz, so we left the parents and headed out for a food source. Taco Bell it was. Jo, who apparently was hurt by my discouragement with her modeling abilities set out to prove me wrong...


I got all excited when I saw the Saguaro cactus in front of Taco Bell only to discover it was only a not-so-well shaped bush.
We were so very tired, so I gave up and went home leaving Jo with her parents to continue supporting the troops.

The End.

There is a Bomb in Gilead

Well, it was a Christmas. Since I didn't get to go home to my birth parents (I'll see them next week), I spent it with the next best thing, an aunt and uncle and my cousin. On Sunday, Jo (the Cuz) and I met her parents to view the Egyptology exhibit at the Portland Art Museum. It was rather good for something about dead people. Although she did point out things she wanted for Christmas, I reminded her that a felony will keep me from getting licensed someday and she won't be able to move into my poolhouse because if I were lucky enough to have a poolhouse, I would be the one living in it. After we left the museum, I felt the need to take a picture. We're going to have to work on her modeling poses and my focusing abilities. (she's the pink blob you see). Apparently my work isn't headed to an art gallery near you anytime soon.
After leaving P-town, we enjoyed something (can't remember what, but I'm guessing it was food related) and then we sat down to open presents. This came as a bit of a surprise to me as we've always opened them Christmas morning, but hey, I'm breezy and it's fun. Now Nicky, is the Christmas cat, so this is her special time. To commemmorate it, we did portraits. If you'll notice, Jo has a beatific look on her face and Nicky's scowl, is well.....we'll just call them the yin and yang of Christmas.
Then, Uncle Bruce read us a short excerpt from a Nicholas Sparks book. Oddly enough it didn't make me cry like it usually does. (I hold him personally responsible for the rising rates of depression in the US.)

Of course we had the traditional family portrait time. It was not as adventurous as is usual in my family, but nevertheless took a few attempts to perfect and finally it came the time for Jo to pass out (insert Ted & Scott joke here).....the presents. One of the high points of this Christmas, was the apparent theme of smelling good. There was all sorts of colognes and perfumes and bodywashes for all to sniff and swoon over. I didn't think we smelled bad before, but perhaps I missed some memo (it often happens).
My family likes to give practical gifts. Although no underwear was gifted, we did have a share of practical gifts.
Jo with scissorsJo with clock

Jo stunned with the amazing brilliance and the lack of practical use of her gift from me.
We also learned that this may be the most effective way of getting a good family picture.





After opening all the gifts, Nicky enjoyed the luxury of hanging out with the three wisemen. You'll notice that the one on the left is a devout Muslim with a lousy sense of direction (after all he's praying towards Alaska, otherwise known as the second great land of Mohammed).

The next day after a relaxing morning that included hot tubbing, we ate Christmas dinner (complete with recipe from the North Dakota Library Association cookbook). I assure you it was more interesting than it appears (there was also more food than appears).

All in all it was a very good Christmas. Hope yours was as well.

Tomorrow at the Museum

Best line heard today...

"Tomorrow at the museum, I'll point out a few things that I want for Christmas."

Fireflies

A friend introduced me to a new (to me) poet. Here's a sample...

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

ARE THERE NOT STILL FIREFLIES

Are there not still fireflies
Are there not still four-leaf clovers
Is not our land still beautiful
Our fields not full of armed enemies
Our cities never bombed to oblivion
Never occupied by iron armies
speaking iron tongues
Are not our warriors still valiant
ready to defend us
Are not our senators still wearing fine togas
Are we not still a great people
Is this not still a free country
Are not our fields still ours
our gardens still full of flowers
our ships with full cargoes

Why then do some still fear
the barbarians are coming
coming coming
in their huddled masses
(What is that sound that fills the ear
drumming drumming?)

Is not Rome still Rome
Is not Los Angeles still Los Angeles
Are these really the last days of the Roman Empire

Is not beauty still beauty
And truth still truth
Are there not still poets
Are there not still lovers
Are there not still mothers
sisters and brothers
Is there not still a full moon
once a month

Are there not still fireflies
Are there not still stars at night
Can we not still see them
in bowl of night
signalling to us
our so-called manifest destinies?

Addendum

Apparently the voodoo pins work. I'm adding Brooklyn, NY to the list!

Where are we going? And why are we in this handbasket?

Well Time Magazine named me their person of the year. Well actually it was "you" in a collective sense, but I need every bit of inflated self-image I can muster to get me through the ego-battering internship application process. I've now heard from everyone except for two sites; one which I'm sure is a "no" and the other which could go either way. Both of them were supposed to notify me by the 15th, which makes the wait even more frustrating. So, with the exception of these two sites (and they know who they are thanks to my little fabric voodoo site dolls with pins in them), I might be moving to Honolulu, HI, Fort Meade, SD, Syracuse, NY, or Coatesville, PA. I'm very pleased with these options.

Some of you may have heard about the storm we had out here on the left coast. Apparently it was the worst one since the 1930s, although I missed most of the news information given that I was without electricity for a day (which meant the only thing I had was cold water). About the time the temperature got below 40 degrees in my house, it came back on, something for which I was very grateful. The hardest part was not being able to obsessively check my email to see if internships had contacted me. Fortunately my sister came through and did it for me from Arizona. I spent most of the day in bed under my down comforter with Simon and Garfunkel cuddled up to me for warmth. On the upside it wasn't bad timing as the applications were beginning to send me into the fetal position anyway (two days later and I've now finally started to uncurl).

I'm now done with school for the semester and have time to catch up on things I've pushed from consciousness for the last five months, such as finances and organization. My cousin from North Dakota is coming to visit over Christmas which means a lovely Saturday night of eating popcorn and apples and watching M*A*S*H reruns until we fall asleep. I can hardly wait!! Then we will make apple pie and head up to her parents for the holiday. Oh, I love this season!