Well, That's Embarrassing


I must remember not to overestimate my significance.

Wednesday night we dropped off the face of the Earth when our phone service and computer modems went *blip* and stopped working. I spent days hours many long, tedious minutes on the cellular phone trying to get to the root of the problem, and fortunately I discovered that the fault did not lie with me, this time. The damage was big and wide spread and they could not be sure when we would have service again.

In my mind I am detached... I have no dependance on these modern conveniences, these virtual realities. I can quit anytime.

No Internet.
No dial tone.
No incoming calls.
No calls out.
No email.
No blog posts.
No MSNBC.
Utterly cutoff from the real world... or...

Yeah. OKay. I see this is somewhat overstated. I was cranky and frustrated and certain that I was going to blow deals, miss deadlines, lose my bearings and fall completely out of step with friends, acquaintances, and total strangers. I was edgy, a bit disoriented. As the hours without my beloved Internet and email passed, I began to imagine my importance in a grander light... I began to consider how much I matter, how necessary I am to the flow and function of the universe. I just knew people were trying to reach me. They needed my ideas and suggestions, my wise counsel and sage advice. I felt the weight of my duty to keep Chickenblog updated, to finally answer lots and lots of emails and to finish photography jobs. I fumed and clenched my fist in angry scorn of the phone company and their silly cables. Heads would roll!

In my mind I am detached... I have no dependance on these modern conveniences, these virtual realities. I can quit anytime.

Now for the truly shocking part: Without my tools and resources, without any means of communicating or being engaged with the real world, I cleaned house and made actual progress, including folding laundry and putting it away. I cooked dinner and washed the dishes. I built a fire in the fireplace, crocheted a scarf, cleared the car, and flossed. I watched a funny movie. I churned butter, cleared the gutters, alphabetized our wines and replaced all the dead light bulbs... it's true... all of it... except the light bulbs part. Seriously, I did get stuff done and found inner peace, harmony and wisdom.

Then, early this morning as I was reclaiming my desk from debris important stuff, I accidentally bumped the mouse and lo and behold our server is back. It happened just as the sun rose above the horizon and a heavenly shaft of light illuminated the room and my heart skipped a beat. I held my breath as emails came streaming in. I counted them, the evidence of my significance and worth in the world, the proof of my existence.

23. Only 23 emails.
7 junk.
10 ads that I actually subscribe to.
3 housing listings, which are sure to lead to disappointment.
1 my beautiful mommy, because, thank God, at least I can count on my mommy.
2 from my cousin, and I better get back to her asap, because I am so happy that after 40 hours of being cutoff from all, that someone actually was trying to reach me.


After 1, 246 posts, after blogging since May 2002, I still cannot profess to know why I do it. Why do I hang out my laundry, dirty and otherwise? Why do I post the good, the sad, the ugly, the trivial, the happy and dear?

Every now and then I hope my Internet disappears, so that I can be reminded that I do not need it. I love it and like it and enjoy it. I depend on it and rely on it, but I do not need it... not everyday, not all day. For 2 days I thought I was missing something important, but it's when the service is working that I am more likely to miss something important, when I am distracted by the Whole Wide World and failing to notice my real world. This is not a total rebuke of computers and blogs and Internet... it's too good and useful to dismiss. My mistake is overestimating my place in it and paying it too much heed.

I'm glad I can talk to my cousin, that we can make a connection and make plans to get together. I'm glad mom and I are exchanging emails, discussing the details of Thanksgiving. And, with some embarrassment, I am glad I was reminded that it's not a big deal if I am out of the loop with Whole Wide World Web.

The More Things Change... Or Do They?


William, 14, Alex, Max and Geoff, October 2005... Disneyland

Sometimes I look back and see where we've been. I pick a year and read the archives from this week in 2002 or 2003 or '04, '05, '06, '07. This time I chose October 18-22, 2005. Regrettably, I see that not much has changed. Since then we moved again, but not to our own place. Geoff was in Hawaii again. He did look for a place for us, like he did 3 years ago, but mostly he was there to say a final farewell to a place we had held dear. Happily, the things that cheer and sustain me have not changed... except that they have grown... the children are as enthused and kind, as wonderful to be with as ever. Geoff is still intent on making our lives full and safe. I did wish for 3 hens, and I think we have hens now... is that progress? I'm not so sure.


Alex, 11 years old, upstairs in the TreeHouse

One big improvement is that the boys have bedrooms now. No more bunk bed in the kitchen/dining room/living room. It was cozy. Truthfully, I would be happy to return to smaller quarters if the space were a space all our own. Our zest for pumpkins... pie, bread, cake, roasted seeds, decorations, carving... that has not changed a bit. We still love it.


Maria, 11 months old, at the Wild Animal Park... oh, and Me, 38

We still love exploring in our community and making road trips north and east and south, and as far west as we can get. For all my longing and disappointments about housing, I cannot complain about our adventures. We have been many places and taken full advantage of our homeschool flexibility. I can see missing that, if we ever get tied up in a mortgage and house repairs. I relish the chance to complain about something new.


Max, 7, and Alex with baby Maria

I wonder what they will remember... what they will carry with them, what they will discard.


Remember last spring, when I moved all of the sewing things in to the garage? Alex and I have shared a section of the garage all summer. Surrounded by stacks of boxes, tools and treasures, he and I played and worked at our hobbies. Alex with robots, circuit boards and wires, and Maria and me with fabrics, pens, papers, chalk and thread. It's been a nice arrangement, but this week I am making a whole new mess arrangement. Alex needs more room, and we need to make better use of the odd square footage at the top of the stairs. The house is big, but there are a lot of useless spaces... we do not need a dining room or formal sitting room, or a foyer with pillars, or a landing. Now the landing is a sewing room, or it's becoming a sewing room, and soon the extra space in the garage will accommodate garage kinds of activities, like building robots, making toasters, designing rockets etc... I hope everyone will enjoy the new possibilities.


Alex's entertainment for Maria, October 2005

Our bed is green now. We still share our room with Maria, or does she share her room with us? I still love that quilt... not one that I made.

And now it is time to get William and Alex from school. It's 2008 again, and time to move forward.

An OCYD Update


Did everyone see Anna Banana's comment? She found a link to a TP cosy, and I swear I thought it was a top hat! I was staring at it for the longest time and humming Putting on the Ritz. I know that art is subjective... do I need to post an apologetic disclaimer, in case I am hurting anyone's feelings? I have to say though, this is the line, for me, where art and craft parts way with aesthetic beauty, function and form. I am also uncomfortable with coconut monkeys, googly eyes on seashells and this.

There were a lot of good and funny comments from the OCYD post. Sara, I don't know why I suggested that knit hats on chickens would be too much... the very idea is gaining favor with me by the hour. And some mini croissants would be good too. And I see Nikki appreciates the possibility that the chicas might look spiffy in hats and knit accessories.

Hello River, of Australia. You are so right: I wouldn't want to send out homemade gifts that are not unique. In my post what I meant by "unique" was that they might be a bit unpolished or a little too amateurish, or less gently put... ugly. I am laughing, when I say this, so no worries.

I think Mtn. Child is right to suggest I try Afghans. I am not disciplined or ambitious enough to try anything as cute as this dress from "Oiyi's Crafts." But I really, really want to try my hand at a ripple blanket, like the one I saw at "Cats and Quilts."


I finished another brown hat last night. I love it. But I am not unaware that it may resemble a toasted acorn. Now I am working on another scarf... same brown with flecks of orange and lichen green. I am laughing again... I've been so drawn to this color palette, the seasonal browns and pistachio green, deep oranges and golden ambers, and I wasn't even aware how drawn I have become until I looked at my picture. I am wearing the same brown with orange and green as I am crocheting, and I may even try to fix a dinner to match.


And the owl is my other crush. This summer Max and I read a wonderful thrift shop find, called "Owls in the Family" by Farley Mowat. We absolutely loved this book with its adventures and suspense, and it's rather politically incorrect narrative about boys, nature, bullies and life's hard lessons. I like its open and honest approach to describing the good and bad antics of these children's lives. And I have become fascinated with the beauty and charm of owls. I miss hearing the pair of owls that called to each other when we were perched high up in the home we called the Tree House. I miss seeing the collection of dear owls Grandma Eunice kept in her home... she has an owl crush too... she might like to read that book.


Last year I added this tiny owl to the Halloween decoration I made.


So far we have 3 costumes ready for Halloween this year. Max gathered articles from different closets so he can be young Indiana Jones. He looks really good, ready for an adventure in history and archaeology, like Henry "Indiana" Jones. Alex has been preparing to portray Dex of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." Alex was born to this role, an inventor in a steampunk world, with a high moral code, impromptu skills and a ray gun. Maria consistently tells everyone she is going to be a pumpkin for Halloween. She wore this costume last year, the same one I made for William's first Halloween in Minnesota, 1991! Maybe I can crochet some kind of pumpkin hat to cap the pumpkin suit...

Redemption


I had to keep it real, which typically means being glaringly honest, but it's not fair to paint chickens as completely without redeeming qualities. My last remarks, about their less than glowing characteristics, was colored by having just cleaned out their coop. Er... Swabbing down the poop deck, as we pirates like to say. Gee, some things really do feel better when spoken in pirate!

The lady geek at "Farm Natters" reminded me that the chicas have much about them to love. Their feathers really do smell sweet, especially when they've been dozing in a fresh pile of clean straw. In the evening, when they're too mellow to be flighty, they are fun to sit with and hold. Their feet are surprisingly soft and very warm on the underside, their pads. And yes D.A., those fuzzy bottoms... I guess we were including that under the general heading of "funny." Ruffly, downey, ample chica b00ties are very dear. Bug eating= awesome. Dear Diane spotted another thing to love about the chicas: Their sleek feathers are pretty, and just under their feathers they are warm and downey. And thank you Chris, who is not "completely whacked," for pointing out to me that there is something spiritual about chickens and what they do for my soul. They have tiny heads and tiny thoughts and they do their best to get on with their silly day and it's a calming, amusing, endearing sight to witness. And we have to mention "dust baths." Dust baths is in the Top 5 of Reasons to Keep Chickens. A sigh of relief just naturally alters my state, even thinking of them. Unless, I've been swabbing the poop deck!

Now, don't forget: It's Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Ooh arggh, ye land lubbers, sail over to "Farm Natters" and watch the very important, yet dazzlingly entertaining, documentary about preventing scurvy reclaiming our rightful treasures keel-hauling the White House lawn, because food matters!

Now step in to the galley fer yer hardtack and ale... these "Cake Wrecks" be the height of hilarity, but I think the professional bakers responsible will be walkin' the plank.

Blast! The crew be stirring and I has to be setting the mainsail. We're short a man, since Chango the Pirate Cat, is recovering from an emergency procedure. Yesterday was a nail biting day. Seriously. Releasing my inner Buccaneer has been great fun, so I give ye fair warnin'... avast me hearties, I may be back for more!

What We Saw

We were very good farmers yesterday. Max learned how to prune roses. Our landlord is responsible for the landscaping and upkeep, but his hired help have been neglecting a lot lately. I took it upon myself to cut back unruly vines and deadhead lilies, roses, daisies, and pull weeds. Our yard waste is picked up for recycling, but if I want to cut back any more plants we'll need to bring home another barrel to haul the stuff away. We swept and dusted. We tossed odds and ends. The chicas seemed happy for the backyard company, and Max and Maria were happy for the industrious garden chores. Max and Maria worked together to pull up the sad and scraggly remains of the tomato plant, then they planted green beans. Max pulled dead flowers from Lola's garden, and maybe we'll get around to planting zinnia and dianthus today.


Before doing any more farm work, we filled our water bottles and made our way to a nature trail. Recent bluff failures closed the trail we usually we take, and did not know we were headed for an extra long detour, but as usual the hike was beautiful and worthwhile.


High above the Pacific Ocean, the views are refreshing and captivating. It sure would help to have the ocean to look at, to motivate my senses and muscles, on our way up!


We hiked for an hour and a half, or as Geoff noted, for an hour and twenty-five minutes. I could kick him for being such a stickler for accuracy. Lucky for him my endorphins were up, and my legs were wobbly. lol


Like we did on our last hike, Max wanted talk about gardening. Geoff told him he would love to have a garden, because he loves to see how happy we are in the garden. Maria wanted assurance that her daddy sees how happy she is in the garden too.

William and Alex were talking about Spore. I doubt I ever blogged about "Spore" and considering the 3 years of anticipation, I should have mentioned it once or twice. Now, finally, it is available, a game so elaborate and innovative it took since 2000 to complete. William has been filling my head with bits and pieces about the ingenious ambitions of this video game for a long time and I got an even greater appreciation for it after seeing this TED video. I think this is one of those milestone moments in gaming, and it's exciting to read, "Will Wright announced at E3 2008 that National Geographic would do a television documentary on Spore, as scientists use the game to explain real-life biological, physical, and evolutionary science; this is the same documentary that will be included with Spore: Galactic Edition. He also announced a partnership with SETI... " The game is installed here, on the new computer, and I know this won't be the last we hear about SPORE.


Setting in the sun, this little lizard on the buckwheat was not too shy.


Sheltered from the sun, Maria did a fair amount of the hike on her own 2 sturdy legs. She liked seeing the sunning lizards and finding the last of the season's flowers in the dry scrub. She's convinced we are climbing mountains when we are on this hike, and I guess from her point of view, we do scale some remarkable heights.


Sometimes we don't talk at all. We just walk and see the trail ahead.


Breath deeply.


Marvel, and sigh.


Just relax.

Anything, But Cleaning

Yeah, I'm not sure I have anything significant to say here, and it occurs to me that I may very well feel compelled to blog, because anything has got to be better than cleaning. My day away was stimulating and good, but back home a certain amount of chaos ensued. Now, Maria is eating her cereal with the last clean spoon. I looked around for 1 uncluttered surface... something redeeming, and alas there are none.


The culprit? Not the 4 children. Not the husband and father, the man of the castle. No, the one I blame is the new computer, Wall-E. "Computer Wife," our dearly departed computer, the one the boys assembled with their dad, has been dearly departed for a long time and we have finally replaced her. Now the boys will have a 3-D Studio Max, homework, Maya machine so they can practice their sweet skills. It took all day to install software and network cards. It took all day to make 3 trips to Fry's (sorry Al) and to find the right spot in the house to make wireless connections work. It took all day to do the things Geoff knows how to do to make a computer sit up straight and fly right.

By the time I came home everything else was pretty much in disarray, and Geoff asked me if he could use an old school workbook to stand under the monitor. I hesitated, then agreed it would be fine. He detected reluctance and offered to use a magazine instead. I said, "Sure, whatever." This morning when I saw Martha's publications propping up the new monitor... well, it was almost offensive. Just kidding. Sure, I save all the back issues, and I love some of the fantasy that woman can weave, but seeing her magazines under the monitor made me realize that nothing she does or promotes is ever going to come true in my house.

Our formal living room is a rambling school house, computer hub, and playroom with horrific stains on the carpet. Our master bed room is a nursery too. The kitchen is not small, but it is not efficient either and if the ants don't carry away the whole operation it will be a miracle. I cannot bring myself to explain the bathroom situation(s.)


Today is the day. Kick my butt. Rattle my cage. Knock some sense in to me. But please sympathize too, because it is debilitating not knowing what comes next, to believe that in 2 months, or 3 months or soon, very soon, you will be moving, and we have been living this way for 5 years. I did not move in to this house with the frame of mind that this would be our home for 2 years. We are not unpacked. We are not settled. And even now, I cannot decide whether to resign myself to 1 more year and actually move-in to Garage Mahal. Or if I should clean by packing more of our stuff; put things in boxes and be prepared for either a home of our own or our inevitable eviction (no actual threats, but after all, this not our house.)

The enormity of my stress and fears is soothed and eased by this drawing of Maria's dog. Art heals.


So, should I look for dining chairs, since we have only 5, and 1 more is about to fall apart? Or should I wait until we can buy the right set for our own home? Should we clean the carpets, even though they look good for 1 week and then worse than ever afterwards? Or should we actually replace the carpeting? Should I give up on being a gardening, farming, crafting, sewing, cooking, artist type of homemaker; purge all excess and accept a pared down, suburban-chauffeur kind of lifestyle? Should I make Geoff save my fantasy magazines, or should I finally make good use of them and let them hold up the new monitor?


Now he is a curly dog.


I really do not know what to do. I could sit here and write about how happy Maria is when she wakes in the morning. She is sunshine. I could tell you about Alex's plans to build a flying chair, so he can get to school on time. We still haven't got any eggs from the chicas. I've finished about half of the quilting for the special quilt I am working on. The nice people at Costco were able to save my glasses, which I was still wearing even though they were ridiculously mangled... they're pretty now. Adding flax seed meal to the pumpkin pies worked.

Good and bad things are happening all the time, but I have to stop avoiding the issue: What to do, and how to do it. Cleaning, the normal business of maintenance, feels futile enough, but without a solid plan, a vision for our destiny, I know I will never succeed.


This quilt was made in about 6 months time, by hand. Just consider those hundreds of points to match and curves to ease. I don't suppose she knew how long it would take. She probably just began and kept going until she was done, and she did finish. Having tried my hand at this kind of quilt square, I am in awe of what this quilter accomplished. One step at a time... something to learn in this, I think. Lesley and I both were impressed with it. I wonder if the secret of avoiding madness is to not look too far ahead, to not worry so much about the enormity of the journey, but to go step by step.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Did I mention we were going to the big city? I believe I did. And Los Angeles is a big city, no question. Tuesday, bright and early (read: slightly blurry,) we made our way to the L.A. Convention Center. Geoff met us on Figueroa and he took William and Alex with him in to The Conference, SIGGRAPH2008. This is the same cutting edge, mind blowing computer graphics conference that Geoff has been attending since the 80's, when he would come home with VHS tapes of computer generated graphics, rumors of feature length CGI movies, and other seemingly fantastic developments. Maybe you remember the first time you saw "Luxo Jr?" Computer graphics have so seamlessly seeped in to our media, our entertainment, news, our everyday, I think we forget how new it all is... well, new in geologic time. The pioneers of computer animation have been hard at work since the seventies. And since this year SIGGRAPH is in California, we thought the timing was right for William and Alex to have an introduction into the professional, academic, scientific and artistic frontier of computer generated animation.


SIGGRAPH is an adults only conference. La Brea Tar Pits is not. La Brea Tar Pits, Page Museum, is a destination for all ages, and it's the best place I know of to introduce children to the ice age. Max, Maria and I headed west on Wilshire and pulled in to the George C. Page Museum parking lot, and that is where the fun began. La brea is Spanish for the tar, so it's redundant, but there is so much tar, everywhere, maybe it's appropriate to say it twice. Small sections of the parking lot have been fenced off, to protect people from falling prey to the black, sticky ooze that is still seeping up, just as it did 40,000 years ago. But nature has a way of getting out of hand, and cannot always be contained.


Max and I slipped over to a remote section where we found lots of exposed and unfenced tar pools. "Can I poke it with a stick?"
Oh, yeah. I definitely let him "poke it with a stick." He poked it, and pulled it. It came up slow and thick like cold molasses. It smelled like hot, steaming tarmac. Every day about 8 -12 gallons (32 - 48 liters) of tar ooze and bubble to the surface, and apparently animals, including dogs, lizards, rabbits and humans still get entrapped in the tar.


We were very careful. I didn't fear entrapment, but cleaning tar off of hands, shoes and clothes? Yeah, that would be scary!


But, you know, sometimes you have to get up close and personal to learn, to experience and understand. So we got as close as we safely could. And it was really cool.


If you have not been, and you can... Go! It's not a huge museum or particularly expensive. It provides a unique history of Los Angeles, the Ice Age, and a first-hand view of paleontology in action. It is an active museum, where research, and digs are ongoing. And there are creative, interactive displays that make the experience more meaningful. Max remembered 4 years ago, when we were last here, and how he and his brothers tried pulling up the metal bars submerged in tar. It's such an effective way of demonstrating the struggle and strength it would take to try to get out of a tar pit, and probably the futility... it's really hard to pull the rod up, and I am sure it would be worse still with both legs in that heavy muck.


My mom brought me and my brothers here, when we were children. This was the first visit when we were able to visit an open pit, in the process of being excavated. Pit 91 is huge and deep and Maria will tell you "It's stinky." Max thinks he would like the job of being in the lab and cleaning off fossil pieces. This place is where they pull the stuff up... things like the extinct camel, giant sloths, the Dire wolf, saber toothed cats or Smilodon.


La Brea Tar Pits and Los Angeles County Museum of Art are adjacent to each other in the same city block of Hancock Park. Before going in to the LACMA we visited the climbing trees. Max loves a good climbing tree.


By the way, children and their accompanying adult can enjoy free admission to the Art Museum on the second Tuesday of the month. We visited the gallery hosting "The Age of Imagination: Japanese Art, 1615–1868, from the Price Collection." It was beautiful. Max recognized particular Samurai pieces, including armor and katana, favorite subjects of Alex's. I loved this day. We had a relaxed excursion, full of sights and insights. It was a lot of fun.


Throughout the day Geoff was calling me and giving me updates. William and Alex were enjoying the Computer Animation Festival, and Alex got to have a chance to use exoskeletal robot arms; he used the handles to manipulate the robot arms into picking up balloon animals. We made plans to meet, so Geoff could spend time with Max and Maria, while I had my first ever SIGGRAPH experience. My loving husband got me a pass to attend the Competition Screenings. This is a screening of animated short features, special effects, art and scientific visualizations and a preliminary awards competition that selects pieces for Academy Award nominations.


Are you still with me? I am shaking with giddyness. Geeky, geeky giddyness. After the screenings Alex, William and I were sitting front and center in the Nokia Theater to see John Lasseter. Joining him was 2 time Academy Award winning animator Frédéric Back. (Please visit his website.) I was so excited to be seeing and hearing John Lasseter speak, I cannot tell you. What an inspiring, dedicated and talented man, and the funny thing was he was there to introduce a man he is inspired by. Frédéric Back hand illustrated every frame of "The Man Who Planted Trees," inspired by the story of the same name. If you have not seen this movie, I hope you can find it... we were mesmerized.


Frédérick Back is in his eighties. He has planted, with his own 2 hands, the same hands that illustrate such ethereal and poignant images, 30,000 trees. He spoke about the need to steward the Earth and as an advocate of the environment he was moved to hand draw thousands of pictures to tell French writer Jean Giono's story of a man who transforms a barren wasteland into a vibrant, forest, restored and alive because of 1 man planting trees. Mr. Back was grateful to John Lasseter and PIXAR and SIGGRAPH for supporting him and screening his movie, and John Lasseter was as grateful to Frédéric Back for his perspective, his skills in 2-D animation and for being a major influence at PIXAR.

Have you seen "Wall-E?"

Some people, and I know who you are, dismiss animation as trivial, trite, insignificant time-wasters.

Excuse me. I need to step up on this soap box:

Animation, computer graphics, storytelling, graphics software, artists, innovators of an industry that is revolutionizing communication in media, science, sports and medicine... these applications and products and the people of this industry, like Geoff, are amazing and skilled. PIXAR is more than a cartoon studio. It is more than a commercial industry. PIXAR is an exemplary component of a creative force. And SIGGRAPH is an amazing forum for presenting the best of all the applications and frontiers of computer animation. When animation is good, and PIXAR is good, it should be understood that this is because of a merging of decades of effort, study, craftsmanship in many different disciplines, so that "Wall-E" and "A Bug's Life" are more than cartoons. Those stories reflect an incredible history of art, story telling, innovations in technology and developments, and people that work hard, passionately. Those cartoons are a collaboration across industries and across time, and they are pioneers in a field that will redefine the very same disciplines that shared in their creation. And if you think you can blow-off video games too, and you know who you are, you gotta another think coming.

Many years ago Geoff was drawn to a field that was in its infancy. He applied himself, heart and mind, to the scientific, computational and artistic study of computer graphics. Success aside, it has been a journey of love and passion, a quest to make one image better than the last and to keep moving forward. He has worked in business, academia, science, medicine, geology, education and entertainment, and I have a powerful pride about his work. I love people that work, people that can make something, who are curious and creative and willing to get messy, make mistakes, try again and share the knowledge. It's about curiosity, interest and wonder. Those people are awesome. I felt privileged to be in that audience and witnessing the past, present and future of computer animation, and I am, and always will be, grateful to Geoff for making it accessible to me, for sharing his passion.


OKay. Next week: Ub Iwerks: "The Hand Behind the Mouse" and more PIXAR love after the viewing the Leslie Iwerk documentary "The PIXAR Story."

And now, I am going to make dinner, shower, kill ants, feed chickens, unpack, and recover from a day in the big city.

A Whole Lotta Random... With an Update (Please See Below)***


This is purely an exercise in avoidance playing catch-up... a mix of items for my to-do list, musings, deep thoughts etc, before I clean the house, save the world and make breakfast. I was going to post photographs from all of the houses we've visited in our endless quest to stop renting. I thought it would be slightly amusing to share the many places we are not going to buy, however, on careful consideration I decided this might not be such a hot idea. There are several ways it could go wrong. Just picture for yourselves things like dining rooms, tiled pools, wide open lawns, tidy gardens, low ceiling fans, assorted carpet shades, torn out siding, laundry rooms, lots and lots of queen palms, leaky roofs, closet size kitchens, chef kitchens, closets the size of small kingdoms, and a front entry that opens to a tiny kitchen... variety, a spectrum, a dizzying array, and a distant, remote possibility that one of these gems could be ours!


Geoff is out of town for a geek convention. Yesterday was all about getting him ready for his week away and getting us ready to join him for 1 day. Bear with me here. I wanted to update the blog, but I felt I should try to parallel process, so I will blog about what needs to be accomplished before I drive to the big city with the 4 children. The chickens will stay home, this time.

The List
1. go to bank and shuffle, shift, swap and cover... I was trying to be light and vague, but it almost sounds like a euphemism for a crime. I am going to withdraw cash for gas. That is all.
2. go to cell phone kiosk and buy replacement charger for Geoff's phone. Must remember to haggle. Kiosks are like malls... concentrated shopping centers, where someone wants you to remodel your image with purchases. feh.
3. there's something else...
4. leave more messages begging school district to return my calls and answer our request for transcripts. Bureaucratic b@$#@*d$.
5. purchase the big chicken feeder.
6. buy a stylish, hot-mom outfit to wear in big city. Not sure there is room in to-do list for wishful thinking, but if #4 works out, then anything is possible.
7. lens cap. Must buy new lens cap. My camera does not have an attachable one, so I knew this day was coming.
8. get gas. This really should be #1, or it's game-over before #2.
9. pack.
10. clean. It's unavoidable.
11. there's something else... but I'll think of it tomorrow, in traffic, on my way to big city. It'll probably be really, really important and vital.


I wish I could say I've been away from blogging lately, because life is so fulfilling and enriched with activity, but that ain't quite it. For one thing, my missing lens cap is keeping me from carrying my camera around, and the little camera is not producing the quality shots I would like to crop, frame and cherish. Another hold-up has been anger and frustration with someone who insists on being a crushing disappointment, thoughtless, inconsiderate, selfish... uh... sorry, I was going to lay-off this whole topic. Pardon. Well, you know, things are busy and I just have not had a whole lot of note worthy news.

12. I just remembered: Bury Rooster, the parakeet. He died, which is why he needs to be buried. It should have been done a while ago. Don't ask. Or ask: It's called denial, and I need denial to carry me through.


Last night we had an epic combination battle. Alex, Maria and I had water toys and William and Max were armed with Nerf launchers. We were all over the front yard, getting wet and pelted with Nerf darts. There were no teams, no rules and no tears. It was all out anarchy. There were human shields. There was laughter and squeals. We ran, ducked, dodged and danced. You shoulda been there. It was that good.

Well. There you go. Now it's time to defunk our junk and get the day rolling. Drop us a line, sing us a song, tell us about your days and dreams. We're here, drying-out, waiting and listening.

***Please note, I expect tons of feedback on this: "An Engineer's Guide to Cats." All of you cat lovers, engineers, geeks, friends, friends of geeks, friends of people with cats... all of you! Just come back here and tell me you laughed out loud. And thank you Anne. This was the best gift ever!

One of the Crowd

It's the original, and like no other: It's Comic-Con. It's comic books and artists, writers, characters, posers, geeks, nerds, superheroes and anti-heroes, it's garbage and flyers and swag, weirdness, classics, cutting edge and cutting room floor. Comic-Con began as a comic book themed convention, in San Diego, in 1970. It's grown and it's evolved, and I can't help but feel that it is forgetting its roots a bit... it's in danger of being over taken by the Hollywood-Corporate-Commercial Machine and all of those big spenders tend to drive out the smaller franchises, small (and skilled) talents, local talent. If I were a journalist I would have a hard time deciding my angle on this story... Comic-Con: History, Lore, Changes, Venues, Artists, Video Games, Genres, Movies, Animation, Manga, Anime, Toys, Fans, Graphic Novels, Comic Books, Comic Strips, and a fervent wish that the organizers and attendees would Go Green... swag, flyers, cards, leaflets and garbage were everywhere! What Would Wall-E Do?


It is a spectacle. Sights and sounds from all directions and plenty of people eager to see and be seen. There is some temptation to go in costume. The creativity, the atmosphere of play is inspiring and infectious. I think the attention you could draw might be overwhelming. I like that at Comic-Con there is an opportunity to attract attention to yourself, to be amusing and interesting and have people want to take your picture, and it has nothing to do with being an empty celebrity, famous for your inheritance or ability to promote your youth and shopping habits. We enjoyed seeing Chewbacca, and in the past we've met famous authors and artists, but the surprises and draw of the convention are the real people, the geeks and fans, the enthusiastic individuals enjoying a day, or 4, of playing with fantasy and creativity. And at Comic-Con anyone can be a part of the scene.


Anyone can be a part of the scene. Starfighters from "Star Wars?" Yeah, we saw the Tie Fighters getting lunch.


OKay, I will admit not every subject matter at the Comic-Con is family appropriate, or even particularly praise worthy from a peace loving, love and harmony perspective. Maybe some expression is a safety valve, an outlet to relieve pressures. Maybe some expression is simply scary and best avoided. It can be a microcosm, a sampling of the good, the bad, the ugly, the absurd, and the earnest endeavors of creative people. It can be really funny. When these Tetris pieces walked by, a spontaneous chorus hummed in the crowd... the distinct tune was a heartfelt tribute to these collaborative enthusiasts.


I've seen plenty of scantily dressed shegeeks... nothing any less naked than beach attire. Too my amusement this was the first year I came across hegeeks in their under-roos! Hilarious.


We go for the camaraderie, the talent of writers and artists, the encounters with enthusiastic people and to enjoy an atmosphere of play, where people can be themselves or be an alternate self... And we go for BIONICLE, and the comic book series that William, Alex and Max have been enjoying since 2000, or was it 1999?*** They met the writer, Greg Farshty. Alex spent a long time talking with a master-builder from LEGO.

***Update: William informs me their BIONICLE interest began in 2001.


Geoff and I took turns at the LEGO table with Maria... for hours!


Technically I am a geek by marriage. I brought my quilt and was happily immersed in my own fantasy. I wish I had done this other years.


I never could find the booth that was reputed to be selling Totoro T-shirts. Bummer. But I had a good time going around the convention floor, and taking in the sights. Watching people sketch, seeing familiar faces and publications, reading other T-shirts. I loved the graphics this booth was offering. I loved how he would light up enthusiastically when people admired his collection. Success? Success is loving what you do and finding a place where you can share it.


Eventually we have to leave. It takes awhile for there to be consensus about when exactly that time is. This year Alex wanted to stay much longer. I think we should seriously consider buying our 4 day passes for 2009 now. This guy lost his voice, which is one of the many hazards and risks we face at Comic-Con, but by next year we'll be ready to face it all again. Rest-up Howard, there are only 357 days until Comic-Con 2009.

Is She Is or Is She Ain't?


I can almost make light of this. Almost. If there were other indicators that our life is headed for calmer waters, if things were just a bit brighter and shinier, I might not burst in to tears every time I hear Amelia yodel in a cockophonous manner. 6 a.m., 0'dark hundred in military time, is her warm-up performance, and today she has extended the concert to a late morning matinee. She? She?! Would it even matter if she started laying eggs this very day? No, as long as she crows, none of our neighbors will give a flying fowl what she lays.

We can agree or disagree about whether or not I am funny, but there is no disputing that I try to use humor as a defensive shield. Even with that in mind, I find I cannot see the humor in this. My shields are down and so is my spirit.




Okay, maybe it's a little bit funny, but only as a dark comedy, or tragic comedy, but it's not going to be the least bit funny when I have to send Amelio away. Maria still asks us to bring back Pip. The way she sees it, Pip was a good guy and his time-out has gone on long enough. I don't even know where to go, or how to do it. I am a lousy farm girl. Feh.


They love Amelia. We all do. I wish we were home.

It could be worse. I know that, but somehow I find no comfort in the thought that other people are hurting, sad or are worse off. Even news of the oh-so predictable housing bubble debacle offers me little joy. I need some escapist, trivial, lighthearted diversion... maybe even something super Geeky...

We are busy, busy people. I don't know how we manage to get ourselves from point A to point B, but we do it and we even stop at Comic Con along the way! Fortunately we chose to show up at the conference on Thursday; as crowded as it was, nothing compares with the crowds that showed up on Saturday. By Saturday we found a charger for my camera, so Geoff, Will and Alex took freak 'n' geek pictures... too bad the camera was out of comission when we met Ray Harryhausen, and other greats in the art world. Okay, be honest, have you heard of Ray Harryhausen? How about Ray Bradbury? We have been stunned by how many people have no idea who these geniuses are. Harryhausen's work may be somewhat specialized, but it's fundamental to movies, video games and even popular culture in general. You don't have to be a geek to know their work.


Or how about Robbie the Robot?


Sometimes it feels like trouble just finds us.

It's still hot, and perhaps even more humid.
We revived our housing search; no changes.
Max finished his week at camp and did very well.
Alex and Will are at camp again this week, learning C++.
I cleaned the Odyssey.
Maria says: puppy, chi-chi, kaka, cooookie, pretty, meeeow, baa-baa, woo-woo, naynoo (thank you,) mama, dada, Nannie (Natalie,) agua, nana(banana,)
and many more chirps, whirrs, beeps, squeals and squawks.