Recently

It's all about the little things:

-Visiting with Cappy's Mom and my parents this month. Good times.

-A week long break from Boot Camp.

-Re-connecting with my long lost friend Michael via Hipster. i first met him at a JET conference at the Portopia hotel Kobe in 1994. We lounged about for 2-3 days in various seminars, enjoying the time away from our small towns. We were on the lookout for other LGBT life forms, laughing at/with quirky Canadians, and chatting up Ingrid from London.

-A new Cafe Del Mar CD

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Repeat viewing needed, especially for the first 15 minutes. Though, i missed the house elf situation with Hermione and a lot else that wasn't included in the film.

-A bit of Christmas shopping done early.

-A very odd dream where i was salsa rollerblading in my elementary school gym. i was totally smoove and wearing all brown.

-Pistachio gelato from Ciao Bella at the Ferry Building.

-The Tubular One's red rain jacket and the happy way she flaunts it.

-Consuming Gia's biography like potato chips. Perfect bart reading. Now i've got to see the movie which i've totally not seen yet.

-My new happy boots.

And another Tuesday gone...

Pidgin

pidgin n. (pjn) A simplified form of speech that is usually a mixture of two or more languages, has a rudimentary grammar and vocabulary, is used for communication between groups speaking different languages, and is not spoken as a first or native language.

My friends have always told me, "Your parents have an accent." Unless they were from Hawaii, they may have assumed my parents weren't native English speakers. My parents speak pidgin English but they switch to standard English when not around others from Hawaii. After studying linguistics in grad school, i was finally able to tell my dad that he was not just a Kona boy who never lost his accent, but one who is bidialectal and therefore linguistically complex. Ha! That's exactly what he said.

My favorite comedian: Rap Replinger "Poi Dog"
I listen to bit of Poi Dog at work sometimes when i need a good laugh...

Match the numbers and letters:

1. Who wen cockaroach da cookies?
2. Geev um!
3. Try wait!
4. No talk li'dat!
5. I go talk to you bumbye.
6. Shoots!
7. No make A, eh?

A. Hold on!
B. Try not to make a right fool of yourself!
C. Who ate/stole all the cookies?
D. Talk to you later.
E. Don't speak in that manner, it's unbecoming!
F. Bring it! (Give it your all)
G. Sure, I'm game!

Check your answers here! (Thanks Tara!)

i speak pidgin:

-with my parents and extended ohana
-with certain friends from Hawaii
-with Desiree but not Trinity
-when i'm tired and can't be asked to speak properly
-at times with Cappy (who is picking up pidgin slowly but surely)

Aloha and Happy Thanksgiving!

Seattle

Top 10 things i love about Seattle:

1. The crisp chill

2. Ivar's Fish and Chips especially that chowder...

3. Friendly drivers. Though, sometimes friendly to a fault.

4. The Cascade Mountain backdrop behind the city

5. Thai Ginger. The best Thai food outside of Bangkok

6. The energy, the laid back friendliness, diversity, quirkiness--think back of pre-dot.com San Francisco...

7. The Harvard Exit Theater

8. Linda's Tavern

9. Capitol Hill

10. Pike Place Market


Today:

Dim Sum for Dad's birthday and then Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...individual popcorn bags for me, my mom, and Cappy. Just say no to extra salt and butter i say. Maybe no popcorn. After dim sum at Sea Garden, there's usually no need to eat for 3-5 days.

Boom Boom Chak

Think for a second. Can you name one thing you really love to do and could happily do it everyday--but have not really done much of it in your life? It has to be something exciting yet meditative, challenging, yet easy to learn and totally fulfilling on a psycho-emotional level? It's also something that has ruined lives as well as created them. Now, do you have that thing in mind? Or, possibly more than one thing?

For me, this describes the way i feel about the drums. Those who know me understand my drum thing. When i see a drum set, am near a drum set, or am playing around with my electronic drum set--it's always an exciting thing. Perhaps i was born with the excitement of drums in my blood. Maybe my birth peeps were rhythmically inclined. Or maybe i was a drummer in a past life. Whatever the drum thing is, i have it. It's an extremely meditative and wonderful thing.

My first drum "lesson" was in Nishi-Aizu, Japan. My teacher was the drummer of the town band, "Paradox." By day Sato-san delivered chocolate milk and peach juice to places like the town offices and the board of education. I went to his studio a few times a week. i learned a basic beat and played that to his keyboard rendition of every Beatles song you can think of.

i had my first proper drum lesson last night. i could go on and on about it. One hour felt like about ten minutes. My teacher has a studio in the building that houses Moulton Studios and Club Seen magazine at Polk and Sutter. This drum lesson was like visiting a remote tropical island. Absolutely heavenly, but impossible to live there. Ahmed convinced me that i could fly into the island pretty regularly and that it didn't have to be a once a year fantasy vacation hour. So now, with regular lessons i might be able to add a few more new beats to my "boom boom chak tiss boom boom chak..."

Pennylane Productions is bracing for some Jupiter in Scorpio action. Apparently, i have from now until November 2006 to be consumed with inspiration.

My Favorite Piscean

Last night as i left work there was a breeze that passed over the parking lot that felt atypically tropical. i heard the nearby seagulls at the shore and felt a wave of nostalgia. Not sure for what precisely. My thoughts wandered to the days i spent in rural Japan. I was in the midst of my 20's and had a lot of time to read, think, and smoke. A lot of smoking, unfortunately. One writer that kept me positively buoyant was my favorite Pisces gal, Anais Nin (1903-1977). This woman really knew how to use a diary.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes of hers. Each of these have been profound at different times in my life--especially the Japan/Korea years and thereafter:

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country."

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

"If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it."

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

"Living never wore one out so much as the effort not to live."

"People living deeply have no fear of death."

"There are many ways to be free. One of them is to transcend reality by imagination, as I try to do."


Are there any other Nin fans out there? Reply silently, telepathically, or anonymously. i'll take calls off air.

Lucky Penny

i am superstitious and overly conscientious of things like:

-Voices that ring out from nowhere in native american museums
-Attending to salt that falls out of a dispenser
-Black moths that appear on door screens
-Prescient dreams
-Black cats
-Deja vu
-Lucky PENNIES!

Recent Lucky Penny Story:

While walking along the shore of Lake Tahoe this past weekend, i saw a bright shiny penny in the middle of the turtle grass a.k.a. Thalassia testudinum--the blades are large and flat, kind of like golf grass. Knowing that we were heading to Reno later in the evening, i happily picked it up.

Hours later the pennylane crew arrived in the heart of Reno. We walked through the Silver Legacy to the casino of Circus Circus. Agreeing to meet in an hour near the escalators close to the slot machines, i set out on my way to fortune and glory. My first stop was a roulette table. i bet on the day of my birthday, and won. Beginners luck. Cappy cheered me on, "It's the lucky penny!" After the thrill of winning $5, i needed a slight break from gambling. i then watched Cappy slay everyone at the blackjack table. OK, she won a few hands. Well, she won occasionally. Well, let's just say the dealer Arlene from New Jersey had a good night.

i wondered how Sandra and Leti were doing. i stopped by the roulette table where they had parked themselves. They seemed excited with some wins here and there. i took a seat at their table and thought about placing a bet on the two green numbers. With my lucky penny firmly in my grip, i quietly pushed my chips up to the line that straddles green 0 and 00, and took a deep breath...

People all around were putting chips down all over the number grid. The roulette dealer then waved her hand over all the chips on the table, "No more bets please!" She then tossed the little white ball on its way around the roulette wheel. i looked away from the wheel and after a while it started to slow down. i was chanting "green, green, green!" in my head. The little white ball bobbed around from number to number like a freaked out popcorn kernel. It finally slowed down and settled on the green 0!!! Completely stunned, i asked the dealer to cash me out.

i did not think it could happen again, but decided to try again. i was caught in the temporary addictive thrill of winning. i wandered over to a completely empty roulette table, and plunked down chips--again for either the green 0 or 00. Yes, i hit it again. This time, the little white ball landed on the green 00. Again, i cashed out immediately.

So i won twice. Unbelievable. How much did i win? All total about $300, but considering i only spent about $50, i was very happy.

It was steak and lobster for all of us, courtesy of me, and my lucky penny. i'm going to write something cheesier than Fondue and French brie here, but i don't care....

Mid-sized rental car for the weekend: $95
Travel size shampoo/conditioner: $6.50
Roadtrip dinner at In and Out Burger: $12
4 Mexican hot chocolates by the lake: $9

Being able to treat my friends with unexpected winnings: Priceless

A Night with the Larry Mullen Band

Yeah, i wish i took this photo... i was lucky to have worshipped in the church of Bono for a few hours on Tuesday night. It was a true rock and roll show with amazing pixel light curtains, and a wonderful playlist. Bono and Edge were en fuego. And, there was an amazing stroke of luck that i'll get to in a minute...

Firstly, i have to say that neither MLK, Bad, nor The Unforgettable Fire was played. All was forgiven (by me) when i heard the first few chords of a song i adore. It was way underplayed in its day: One Tree Hill. Although Bono seemed to have forgotten the words to most of it, it was a brilliant three minutes.

Back to our gorgeous stroke of luck....

Cappy and i were happily settled in our unreasonably pricey nosebleed seats in section 202. The unforgiving roof even curled over our heads, blocking our view to those directly across from us. In order to see the stage, try doing this: look down and to the right on the floor three feet away from you. Let's just say i could "crush" the whole stage with my thumb and forefinger. All that notwithstanding, we were giddy and loved the set by Damian Marley.

So it was about 15 minutes until U2 was to come on. The buzz and excitement in the arena was palpable. Suddenly some guy runs up the stairs and shouts out to the section to the right of us. Immediately, people jumped out of their seats, grabbed a ticket from this man, and tore down the stairs. Worried that they might be tickets to the floor (not inside the now full ellipsis) i didn't really worry about it. After a few minutes of watching people in the right section flying down the stairs, my fabulous Cappy stood up and hiked up a few stairs to see what was going on...

The next thing i know, she's shouting, "give me your ticket, give me your ticket..." i hand her my ticket and in exchange we were given two seats to section 107. For a clear idea of where we were and where we ended up, look here. Look where it says section 202. Now find section 107. We were about 4 rows up from the floor. Perfect. Front and center. An already amazing night became magical. Two minutes later, the lights dimmed. And Bono appeared about 100 feet in front of us.

i've said before that i admire my girl's intuition and quick action...well, tonight i became an even bigger fan of U2, and Cappy too!

Note: We found out later that U2 generally buys out many tickets in the best sections, and then releases those seats shortly before the show--to obviously prevent severe scalping and ticket profiteering. Then, the venue staff picks a severe nosebleed section, and lets those folks exchange their tickets for the best seats in the house.

So thank you Larry Mullen and your bandmates, for the amazing seats and thrilling show.

Dig Dug and Turkey

Does anyone else but me enjoy playing Dig Dug on a Game Boy? i'm totally addicted. It's a great game to play on the bart. It wakes me up better than coffee and i see tunnel patterns during the day whenever i look up from my cpu screen. Another favorite game: Galaga. Totally reminds me of Waikakea Plaza's Fun Factory (Hilo, Hawai'i) circa 1982. Other than Tetris, i can't be asked to play any other video games that are out now. They confuse me and bring out a side of me that is distinctly Korean in nature.

A friend just got back from a month long trip all over Turkey. Over the years, i've been lucky to meet many Turkish students who have been the warmest and most generous people i have met. i've not yet been to Turkey but i'd like to. Did you know that a typical Turkish breakfast is fresh tomatoes, white cheese, black olives, bread with honey and preserves, and sometimes an egg omelettes? This sounds wonderful to me.

97% of Turkey lies in Asia, but it is grouped as a European country for the World Cup...and for their bid to join the EU. Many Turkish people tell me that they see Turkey as a Middle Eastern country. i had my Turkish coffee grounds read in Paris a few days before 9/11. Thankfully, it was a nice reading that has since proved to be unbelievably accurate. Also, in Turkish, "C" is pronounced like a "J."

My friend Ozlem in Istanbul says:

-Girls like to play basketball in Turkey, but not soccer
-All kids in Turkey love hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries.
-Hockey is not a popular sport in Turkey
-People do not eat turkey sandwiches in Turkey
-You pronounce the city "Izmir" like this: Iz-Meersh
-The hero of Turkey is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He established the Republic of Turkey and saved the country from attacks by other countries.

All of this information is related to a work project i'm currently involved with.

Speaking of work:

It's recording time again. I'm looking to cast voice talent (read: my friends and acquaintances) for interesting bit characters. Specifically, i need people who have accented English, or not. i'm currently seeking: Thai speakers of English, a man and woman w/a British accent and/or a Scottish accent, and/or an Irish accent...and anyone else with a velvety smooth kid friendly voice. If you've ever wanted to do some fun voice over work, or have in the past--talk to me.

MLK

A funny and true story:

My co-worker Peter was attending a service at Glide Memorial Methodist in San Francisco earlier this year. He brought his parents, who were visiting from New York. In the middle of the sermon, a woman came to the front to pass a note to the Reverand Cecil Williams who muttered, "Yeah, OK, at the end..." When he was done, he called out to the crowd, "OK you can let that young man step forward now..." A short man wearing all black and dark glasses made his way to the front of the church. Realising it was Bono, a small wave of cheer and gleeful shouts also made its way to the front of the room. He stood at the front and declared Reverand Williams "The Pope of San Francisco." Bono then proceeded to sing "It's a Wonderful World" acapella.

By this time people were on their feet, cheering and singing along in wide-eyed amazement. Peter's parents were totally caught up in the excitement too. Imagine an older Jewish couple bobbing up and down, singing along "....I see skies of blue..." clapping and cheering. It wasn't until the end that Peter asked his mom and dad, "Wasn't it amazing to see Bono here?" "Who's Bono?" asked his mother and father in unison. Cute.

The crew at pennylane productions have finally put away the codeine and tylenol. i've finally stepped out of my flu fog. For the past 8 days, my life has been all about: cough syrup, soup, tons of water and juice, no patience for reading, a few mind-numbing and awful MTV shows (Real World, TRL, Laguna Beach...i know, pretty disgusting indeed) and little or no appetite whatsoever.

It's odd how your body weakens. You nearly forget what it's like to be healthy and going about your daily routines. i was dying going up and down the stairs--hello, there are like 5 of them. i was a bit over zealous this morning by attending Boot Camp. It was windy and arctic, but i'm feeling more amongst the living more now than i have in a while.

And i'm happy to say i'll be seeing U2 tonight for the third time since the early 90's. This will be Cappy's first time, and i know she'll love it. If you've seen them in concert, you know firsthand how they can make an arena feel like a small venue. You experience that "band + audience = one" feeling. Cheesy, i know, but i really don't care....

Possible playlist tonight:

Main Set: City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, The Electric Co., The Ocean, I Still Haven't Found, Beautiful Day - Many Rivers to Cross, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One - MLK

Encore(s): The First Time, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, With or Without You, All Because of You, Yahweh, 40

If they play "MLK" tonight, it will be worth the whole arena experience and the fact that i don't know much of their stuff since the Joshua Tree. Hearing "Bad" will be unbelievable and very much appreciated. But hearing "The Unforgettable Fire" will certainly be a religious experience for sure.

Damian Marley, son of Bob, is the opening act. In this tour, loads of musical guests have been known to appear. In Las Vegas, Mary J. Blige and Brandon Flowers from the Killers shared the stage.

i wonder who will appear tonight...

At Home

New site discovered: Generation Kikaida

New favorite song: "The only one" Readymade FC

New movies out that i want to see: None

New cereal at home: Maple Brown Sugar Mini Wheats

Newly added Friendster friend: Kochun

Exciting new Trader Joe's discovery: French Truffles (thanks Lorrie!)

Recent itunes puchase: 4 Strings

Days taking spoonfuls of Codeine cough syrup: 3

Number of extremely odd dreams since the above: 4

Number of days until i return to work: 1 or 2

Days until Hawai'i holiday: 54

New Calling

This year i morphed into a smarmy Goth Captain Manson. Cappy became "Elvira the Mortal Immortal." A swashbuckling goth pirate and a vampire seductress. We took our alter egos on the road for a night of debauchery and public acts of wackiness. i pillaged for drinks and yummy appetizers. Cappy distracted people with her deathlike pallor, and brought a 17-month old bumblebee to tears on two occasions. Good times. Not good however, for a budding flu bug that's kicking me down as i type this.

Back in the day, pre-play dates, gps, ebay, and kid leashes, my brother and our friends would set out for hours into the neighborhood on Halloween. After a few hours, we'd return home with our large plastic pumpkin buckets filled to the brim. We'd turn over the pumpkins in the living room and meticulously divide up the candies. All candies sour, apple, cinnamon, and those nasty Necco wafers to him, and all chocolates, lollies, and chewy things for me.

Costumes of yesteryear:

-Jaws 4th grade
I was very sick a week before Halloween, but felt better the day of. By the time my mom and i got to the local drug store, the only costume left was Jaws. Great. The entire costume was packed into plastic bag which consisted of: a plastic shark mask, and a plastic frontal cape with "JAWS" written across the chest and a peaceful beach scene. i was a walking billboard for the movie. People didn't know if i was a girl or boy. My dad walked me around to a few houses on our block. We went to Universal Studios that year. i somehow ended up with a Jaws beach towel. It was a Jaws year and i hated Jaws, actually. Can i type that one more time in this paragraph? Jaws. Jesus.

-Cowgirl: 5th grade
All was fun and games until a neighbor hooligan sprayed shaving cream all over my new sheepskin leather vest that my grandparents sent over from New Zealand. i had a real holster and a cool hat. It was the early 70's--clearly, i had no role models.

I've forgotten most other costumes after that--fast forward to the 21st century--

-Crystalline Daniels, last year
Crystalline was my assigned character at our friends' Honky Tonk Homicide Murder Mystery dinner party. She was the town hussy. i had a faux leather/cheetah mini skirt, cowboy boots, and a pink webbed shirt. i poured whiskey shots for people all night. Cappy was Twyla Fleetwood, Bingo pro and trailer park owner. Sexy.

I'm feeling it's time for a wardrobe overhaul. Would love to rip all the Banana Republic out of my closet and be a goth pirate year round.

That's it, i'll create a new line, what do you think of:

Corporate Goth
Business Pirate Casual
Executive Goth
Smart Pirate Goth

Guidelines for my new line in the workplace:

Goth Pirate Casual is crisp, dapper, and should look appropriate even for a chance meeting with a CEO. It should not look like cocktail or party or picnic attire. Avoid pastel or khaki; Goth Pirate is classic rather than preppy.

Basics: Leather pants tucked into laced up boots, , and a non-pressed long-sleeved, buttoned solid shirt are safe for both men and women. Bauhaus t-shirts, unwrinkled, are an appropriate choice if you know the environment will be quite casual, outdoors, or in a very hot location.

Shoes /belt: Wear a leather belt and leather shoes. Athletic shoes are inappropriate in most occasions except for athletics.

Details: Everything should be clean, well pressed, and dark black. Any black after a few washings may not be your best choice. Note: velvets and shimmery fabrics suitable for parties are totally appropriate for long days at the computer.

Jewelry: If you choose to wear other jewelry, do not be conservative. Removing earrings and piercings are not acceptable. For conservative industries, wear more black than usual. Observe others in your industry to see what is acceptable, then go for the opposite.

Accessories: Keep your choices savage and leaning toward the questionable. Gravitate towards extremes of style and color.

Cosmetics: Keep makeup heavy and dark. A bit more is usually better than none for a polished business goth look. Maintain extremes of nail length and polish especially in conservative industries.

I might have to put off my Foley Artist/Zamboni Driver dreams here. i think i've discovered my new calling...

Jupiter in Scorpio

According to Penny's preferred astrologer Jonathan Cainer, Jupiter enters Scorpio this week and will remain there until November 2006.

Generally, this Jupiter in Scorpio thing most strongly affects these three signs: Scorpio, Pisces, and Sagittarius. i'm a Sun and Venus Pisces, and have my rising in Scorpio for my sins. Flooded with water. Too much water. I'm in for a ride, a waterslide, slip and slide, riptide, maybe totally mollified?

Prepare for a phase of growth and inspiration, says Mr. Cainer. The last time Jupiter entered Scorpio was November '93-December '94. At this time in history, Penny trekked through Thailand, met a girl in Paris, and visited Seoul for the first time. And in between that, she smoked a lot of cigarettes, became telepathic, and had recurring dreams of North Carolina.

Penny says, "What's in store for me this time around, Jupiter?"

1. The re-kindling of my drum dreams, and subsequent re-start up of my band, "d.v.l.?"

2. A dream drive around the rink in my own pink pennylane zamboni?

3. I'll quit my job and totally get into foley artistry?

4. Completing a half marathon by my birthday?

5. Witnessing Cappy make her professional dreams come true, and being inspired to do the same?

6. i'll join the San Francisco Commonwealth Club so i can tour San Quentin. A co-worker did this. i'm fascinated--with San Quentin, not the Club.

7. Seriously, a half marathon. A mini triathlon?

Hey folks, Wednesday, 3 a.m. GMT. Jupiter in Scorpio. The madness begins....

Radio Show

Listened to a great show on NPR this morning on our way back from San Jose. It was called "Finding Home: 50 Years of International Adoption." The stories were from Korea, Guatemala, and China. The photo above shows Korean babies on their way to the States, courtesy of Holt, an evangelical Christian adoption organisation.

Earlier this morning, we shuttled Cappy's mom to the San Jose airport. She's off for a week long boat cruise aboard the "Spirit of Discovery" on the Columbia river. We then stopped for lunch at my favorite Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area, Gombei. Gombei is the real deal. No funky cream cheese and salmon 49er rolls here. It's the best Japanese food in the Bay Area.

So we're heading up on 880 from San Jose and this radio program starts playing on NPR. It was heartwarming, truthful, and at times very sad.

Many adoptees agonize over their lost identities, search for their birth families, and loss of cultural identity. Although these are not light issues, it is also never true that life with blood relatives is perfectly happy and trauma free.

Listening to some of the adoptee stories reminded me of the most wonderful thing about adoption--gaining a family and an opportunity for a better life.

If you get a chance, have a listen.

Nitrous

Dreaded message that swept into my voicemail yesterday:

"Hi, this is Carol from Dr. Vicki's office. This is just a reminder of your 8.30 dental appointment tomorrow morning. See you then, bye!"

Lovely. i totally did not see that one coming. i hadn't written it down in my calendar for obvious reasons. i went back to work. My happy mood left quietly out the back door. Later in the day, i received another voicemail. Carol, again:

"Hi again, this is Carol from Dr. Vicki's office. Just want to let you know that our nitrous machine is not working properly, so it will not be available for your appointment tomorrow. Hope that's OK!"

OK? What is the world coming to? The nitrous machine is not working properly?? What will they offer instead? A shot of whiskey? Some rope to tie around my arm for distraction? Nitrous, along with Vicodin, are what i call consolation prizes for an hour's worth of torment. Take those away, or the prospect of either, and you've got Penny with a 1978 kind of attitude..."i don't want to go! You can't make me!"

What happened to the nitrous machine?? i started to visualise the possibilities. Maybe someone forgot to turn it off before leaving the office, leaving a slithering hissss to flood the office overnight. Maybe the next morning Carol was leaving messages to patients like "Heeeeeeyyy, it's Carol! You gonna come in for your filling tomorrow? You know you love it! Wheeeeeee! That's what i'm talking about!" Frightening--on many levels.

So anyway, it turned out this morning that there wasn't enough time for the procedure that needed a shot (hence the nitrous...) This is both a blessing and a curse. i am spared today, but i have to make yet another appointment.

In a few weeks it will be another round of "Hey it's Carol from Dr. Vicki..." another pre-procedure night of anxiety, perhaps another whiny blog entry, another reluctant trip up Park Boulevard...

Let's hope that the nitrous machine gets "fixed" by then!

Baby Like Heroin

The title of this blog is not to imply that babies enjoy narcotics, but rather how many women in my age range seem to need a baby like heroin. Insane. Crazed. Desperate? Obligatory? Fulfilling? Life changing?

My good friend Kelly's baby is now able to sleep in her crib which opens up a new life dimension for her--hopefully one where creative work and/or reading can have a chance to resurface. Kelly can finally have a bit more down time, time to watch movies, catch up on correspondance, etc. And selfish me--here i am writing in a blog about all the glorious foods i've indulged in this past weekend, thinking about my upcoming drum lessons (!) and whether or not i should put our wetsuits away...

Many women i know in my age range have either just given birth or have serious plans to make this happen in the near planned future. Why has the baby bug not bitten me? Has it? Am i really smart or excessively selfish?

Our friends recently got an English Bulldog puppy called Winston. i've never met such a cuddly, warm, and loveable dog in my life. His two daddies were fussing over him this past Sunday like a mother with a newborn baby. Perhaps i could go that road. Raise a puppy. Less psychological damage, no diaper changes, simple needs. Then i realised that some dog breeds live for only seven years. So when i'd finally get the hang of being a dog mom, its lifespan would swiftly come to a close?!

So what kind of mother would i be?

There's a Happy Mom at my work who gives out unsolicited progress reports (or UPR's) of her baby. Typical scenario: You wander into the kitchen, wanting to just grab a coffee and get back to your desk. Happy Mom is in there, lurking about for an audience. If you make eye contact, you can't help uttering those magic words, "So how's the baby doing?" Let's face it, saying this is just asking for it. After the basic UPR rundown, she'll then turn to anecdotes. Here's where it gets really tricky to get away--it's probably now going on 15 minutes and all you wanted was a cup of coffee. Happy Mom winds you up with the promise of the funniest story in the world. Usually it turns out to be something about the kid putting a magnet on the refrigerator. Now i wonder, if/when i become a mother, will everything my child does be the funniest and most amazing thing?

So what about being a mom?

i was on my way back from Beijing, standing in the extremely confusing and crowded airport. Apparently there was an Air France flight headed back to Paris. As i looked around, there were many happy French couples holding beautiful baby girls in their arms. It suddenly hit me, how amazing it must be, to travel across the world, and return home with a new family member. It's what my parents did, back in 1970. i thought of how excited they must have been--driving down to Eugene, Oregon to pick me up on a plane that took off in Korea.

Fast forward through the customs line, the waiting area, and two hours into the flight back to San Francisco. i got up from my seat to walk around a bit. As i was stretching, i saw a little baby, standing on her father's lap, facing backwards, in my direction. This baby looked so excited, as if she knew where she was headed, and what lay ahead of her. She suddenly looked up at me with her cheery eyes, and noticed i was looking at her too. She bobbled up and down, and continued to look at me. Her eyes were consoling, reassuring, definitely communicative--then she broke out into a huge smile that was just for me. It was as if her look conveyed a simple message, "it's OK, i'm not that bad, i won't drive you crazy, look how much fun a baby could be...!"

OK so then it was cynical penny, 40,000 feet up in the air somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, no longer cynical but cheery, teary, and weary. Mostly teary!

Perhaps what scares me is that maybe i'll be the Happy Mom in the kitchen cornering co-workers with my lengthy UPR's, maybe it will be me blogging about my kid's first words, feats, and first steps?

i guess maybe growth in life is measured by the different reactions and sensations we feel to things we've considered over and over again in the past?

Malasadas and Ice Cream

Do you ever have days where you feel like eating everything including the tablecloth? This past sunny Saturday was one of extreme hedonistic indulgence with the Sharlita, the Cappy, and the newly de-furred Tubular One --i'll defer this explanation for now...

Our adventure started out Saturday morning with a hearty breakfast at Chloe's in Noe Valley. We had amazing egg scrambles with jarlsburg cheese, avocadoes, tomato, salmon, bacon (not all together), razor thin extra crispy bacon, walnut wheat toast, and orange juice. The coffee was just right, and the wait for a table not long at all.

We then trekked over to la casa de Sharlita. The Tubular One explored every square inch of the apartment punctuating each room with the "tik tik tik tik tik" sound of her little paws. Seemingly satisfied with the space, she settled down on the black and white checkered kitchen floor.

A little later in the day, it was off to Linda Mar beach in Pacifica, this time without our surfboards and wetsuits. Unfortunately so...there were no crowds, great waves, and spaces abound in the parking lot. Above the cove, a small circle of sun beat down on the surf, as a ring of surrounding grey clouds looked on. After unsuccessfully scaling the wall to the beach, the Tubular One raced out to dig to her heart's delight. She showed off her tennis ball retrieving skills, and rushed out to the shore's edge only to turn back at the very last minute.

On our way out to visit our foster pony, P-Middy, we stopped at the Linda Mar shopping complex. As i was turning the car into the intersection, i suddenly and joyously remembered that we were very close to L & L Drive Inn. i shouted out "Fruit Punch!" while maneuvering the car into the turning lane. We indulged ourselves with portuguese sausage and barbeque chicken musubi, fresh malasadas (nothing like the malasadas at Tex's Drive Inn in Honoka'a of course, but very good) and chicken katsu saimin. Hello, are we 16 year old teenagers?

Later that afternoon, after feeding a bag of carrots to our equine friends (carrots were the only thing we didn't inhale today), we found ourselves standing in line at Mitchell's...cherry vanilla, red raspberry, and white pistachio ice cream were the flavors, each dipped in chocolate in a small waffle cone. Very exciting.

And if all that wasn't enough, later that night for dinner....just kidding. After the ice cream late that afternoon, i didn't eat again until noon on Sunday.

Sometimes it's the sun and happy company that makes everything taste so wonderful. The only one who missed out on all the treats was the Tubular One. Speaking of her, i will get back to the previously deferred de-fur situation--

Our vet friend Sandy turned us on to a "Shedding Blade," something i've renamed as a "Fur Saw." It's a rounded metal contraption that actually slinks off clumps of loose fur. The Tubular One went from tubular to skeletal in less than three minutes. Her mommies will be sneeze free, until the next de-furring session (probably tomorrow) Fur will no longer reside in our space as a condiment.

Good times.

Fall

Fall is finally here, at least it feels that way today!

Last night was round two with the pod of Poppers. We clustered like bumblebees and stripped the ball from each other at times. From the sidelines, Cappy noted that it was a “kick and run” kind of game. You can generally see “kick and run” soccer games on Saturday mornings in the suburbs—you’ll see 4’ players in pink jerseys running between hockey sized goal posts. When I think of it, what were they thinking in the early 70’s? I recall playing soccer in 2nd and 3rd grade using regular sized fields and goal posts. No wonder we clustered and never scored any goals, the field was way too big!

So anyway, though I actually managed to stay on the field for most of the game, it’s never fun to lose to a crap team. I noticed that many women on my team, as well as the opposing team, are soccer moms—not in the sense that they support their soccer playing kids, but they’re actually moms gone wild on the field. This amazes me. i know i mentioned the soccer moms before. For some reason I have this weird idea in my head that once you’ve given birth, things like soccer are out of the question. Clearly, I’ve got to sort my life out.

Tonight I’m hanging out with my friend Bob. I first met Bob in Seoul, in an internet café near the Kyobo bookstore. I was grounding out cigarettes in the coffee ground-wet napkin ashtray, and Bob was busy working on the legal aspects of our friend Sang-Woon’s new nightclub idea. Months later, Bob and I took the overnight ferry from Pusan to Shimonoseki, Japan to renew our Korean visas. On the ferry, I remember staying up all night playing hwatu (go stop card game) with all the chain-smoking harmonis. In Seoul, we hung out on the roof of our yeogwan eating melon popsicles, and talking about travels in S.E. Asia. I had to keep reminding him that the Canadian woman down the hall was called “Bardee” and not “Barney.” It’s funny, the little details you remember about people.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to Christmas and New Years in Kona and Hilo this year. We’re looking forward to plate lunch picnics at Lilioulakalani park, snorkeling, running around with the niece and nephew, Hapuna beach, a flume ride, and Itsu’s ice shave.

Is it December yet?

Don't Repeat After Me v2

Eeeewww...

-Let's DO this!
Predominantly a dude phrase, it needs to be extinguished.

-Low-hanging fruit
A corporate idiom that sounds vulgar and makes me cringe whenever i hear it. For example, "Let's go for the low-hanging fruit first and revisit the other issues later." That just kills me.

-Perch, Dwell, Cohabitate, Stumble, Frolic, Summer, Nest, Gravitate, Canoodle, Percolate
All of these verbs, when referring to humans in action. It's nails on the chalkboard to me and i'm really not sure why?

-Omelette Station
Seen in buffet restaurants, usually written in neon lights. Not sure what is worse, seeing/hearing these words together or the aforementioned lights.

-Good luck with that!
Usually in response to impossible situations. It's so dismissive, though it cracks me up to hear it.

-Up the Ante
Also sounds vulgar.

-Want to grab some lunch? OR Want to grab a bite to eat?
As annoying and in the same category as: "That's what I'm talking about" and "Good to go."

OK, there, now i feel better.

Heavy Rotation

Headphones today:

Precious- Depeche Mode
i play this one constantly, hopefully i won't get too sick of it

Nothing Stays the Same- Elastica
justine frischmann...those dark eyes...

Transatlanticism- Death Cab for Cutie
If i could draw my favorite type of music i would sketch this song

New Forms-Roni Size/Reprazent
Best played as loud as possible

Sea of Sin (Sensoria Mix)- Depeche Mode
Aquatic, dark, and lovely

Simarik-Tarkan
Turkish Pop...pretty flirty tune

Ducks

Here's a picture of the Oregon Ducks walking all over the Stanford Cardinals. We're sitting 30 rows up from the 50 yard line surrounded by Stanford alumni. Our friends Christy and Sarah were nibbling on chicken sandwiches and nursing endless lemonades while Cappy and i dealt with overflowing mustard and relish from our colossal hot dogs. We enjoyed the first half, but after half time, it was like watching a junior varsity high school team (Stanford) scrimmaging against the varsity (Ducks) team.

It was summer hot with barely a breeze. We cheered on the Ducks and thankfully didn't make any enemies in the process. That said, many of the Stanford alums sitting behind us quietly exited in the middle of the 3rd quarter. As we were walking out of the stadium we overheard a sad Cardinal fan exclaiming into her cell phone, "it was misery...misery, just misery!"

Final score: Ducks 44 - Cardinals 20

Kathleen would kill me, but i didn't wear any green and yellow...Luckily, Christy represented for me with her green sleeved shirt.

Until yesterday, i had only been to a couple of college football games in the fall of 1989. I remember enjoying the whole autumn feel of it. The light grey clouds, leaves, smell of burning leaves, and the happy energy of the crowds. I remember sipping coffee and Bailey's with a heavy wool blanket draped over my lap. i never paid attention to the game though, and usually left at halftime.

Yesterday however, it was a bit odd melting in the sun while eating frozen lemonade. My yearly football fix is done. We loved the game and the concessions. Good times.