Art Acquisition!

A few weeks ago we were visiting the Roq la Rue Gallery and saw this excellent collection of pop surreal art. Now those of you who have seen my Wolpertinger know I like this kind of weird art, but this stuff was a little beyond what we had hanging on our walls.
I took a liking to several artists' works, but one in particular I decided to check out when I got home. Turned out to be a lucky break - the framed prints at the gallery were going for thousands, but I was able to get my hands on a delightful little Travis Louie print for a song.
The one I bought is titled Naven Overcomes his Phobia. I love it, and can't wait to find the perfect little oval frame to hang it on the walls here. Looks like one of those creepy ancestor photos, doesn't it??

NPR Homework at Mike's Wedding

Sunday when we were driving home from Portland (and Mike Rabby's wedding), I heard a request on All Things Considered. Their Homework segment is an opportunity for listeners to speak up about something, and in this week's segment they asked folks to write in about a song that meant something to them. The timing couldn't have been better - I was thinking about this all weekend. I was compelled to write.

Here's what I sent them:

A few weeks before his wedding, my high school friend Mike told me he had put a song in the dance mix to remember Dawn, a friend of ours who had died. He wouldn't tell me what the song was, but he expected me to know. There was only one song for Dawn, and the memory of it playing still makes me laugh and cry.

Twenty years ago we were all high school seniors, finishing our last semester of school, writing for our school newspaper and getting ready for prom, graduation, and college. One day during a particularly intense deadline run, we all stopped, put on some music and just danced. I remember Dawn, full of life, on a desk with her bra swinging overhead to Erasure's A Little Respect. The joy was palpable, the future ahead of us. Nothing could stop us.

A few days after graduation, Dawn learned she had a brain tumor. That fall when we all left for school, Dawn stayed behind, resentful and hurt. She died before Christmas.

Two days ago I stood in the sweltering heat dressed to the nines, watching Mike dance with his new bride, still wondering if that would be the song. It was. When it came on, there was a dizzying moment that felt like I'd jumped off a building - and I ran to the dance floor, hugged him, and we laughed and cried the rest of the song.

Postscript:
Two days after I submitted this, I got a call from NPR. They recorded my story for the coming weekend's Homework selection, and I'm now waiting to see if it got selected for the on-air spot.

What's next in the JIP?

I think yoga again over the winter, and continued walks when we can.
And I also think I'll take a class through UW on Memoir writing. It's about time.

Canyon Ranch 2008

Okay, so Mom and I spent the hottest weekend possible in Tucson this July - and loved every minute of it. For Mother's Day I got Mom a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa and I went along as her cheerleader. We spent a crazy 5 days sweating and exercising, loofa-ing and soaking in the tub. It was awesome.

The grounds were beautiful and our suite superb. We each had a bed in the big bedroom, and there were two separate bathrooms (one with a giant soaking tub and a big window), a washer and dryer, and a living room. I think the suite was larger than our house. Right around the corner was a pool and I spent several hours there reading and sitting in the hot tub.

Also nearby was the spa complex, where each of us spent many hours a day. All of the treatments were in there - from massages and facials to body work like salt scrubs, Ayurvedic treatments, and the sweat lodge. The exercise rooms were in the spa building too, as were the racquet courts, the gym, and...best of all...the women's locker room. I know this will sound bizarre, but hear me out.

When you arrive at the Ranch, you get a locker for your entire stay, as well as slippers to wear in the spa. Robes and towels are abundant and fresh, and I grabbed one anytime I went in. The locker room had huge showers, a steam room, sauna and inhalation room (tea tree and peppermint oils in steam), two whirlpools and a cold plunge, a naked sunbathing patio and a quiet room. I took at least one nap in the quiet room, snuggled in my robe under a chenille blanket with cool cucumber and mint water at my reach. Fresh squeezed orange juice every day at 4pm - in the locker room! Need a razor? No problem. Need an icy cold towel? No problem. Need anything? No problem.

I got ambitious my first full day at the Ranch and started with a World Dance class. It was only 45 minutes and I wasn't the oldest there (nearly the youngest, I think), but I was dead beat when that was over. I headed for the locker room and spent a couple of hours just chilling out inside. Actually, I found it to be the most relaxing place in the spa. No phones, no noise, just the sounds of water and quiet whispering. It was perfect.

I had a couple of spa treatments while I was there - the first was a North African hammam-type treatment, complete with a coffee ground and lime pit rub down, and a soak in a tub full of rose petals. The treatment was luxe, like nothing I can get in Seattle. It was a perfect start to the weekend, and made me realize that as long as a bathroom has high enough ceilings and appropriate lighting, you don't have to have windows. Sure, it feels subterranean, but peaceful.

The second spa treatment I had was the Shirodhara, an Ayurvedic treatment in which oil is dripped onto the forehead. I was led through the treatment carefully, and it was extremely meditative. I left exhausted but relaxed. This is something I can easily get in Seattle and will probably look into it more.

The third - and most challenging - treatment I had was a Native American sweat lodge-type treatment, made appropriate for Ranch visitors, but still very hard and very tiring. Kevin was my guide, part Lakota and part Navajo I think - superb. We had Miles Davis playing for the whole first hour - intense body work in the hydromassage tub, and then deep tissue work in the steamroom. It lasted almost 3 hours, and I drank about 10 containers of water, about 16 oz each. Afterwards I was drained and disoriented, and I went back to the locker room where I slept a bit and rested before dinner. I loved it.

As I said, it was beautiful being there and I'd go back again if I could save the money to do it again. I think Mom really enjoyed herself too - eating that well and playing racquetball our last two nights - we both slept well and felt great as we left. I'd totally encourage people to go, if you can get past some of the hokey stuff.

Here are some pictures from our trip. There were lots of animals on the property, although the one I really wanted to see (a javelina) never appeared. Boo.

An anniversary, of sorts

I can't believe it. It's been a year since we brought Lucy home, and 6 months since I lost Grendel. I can't imagine our home without her, but still I can't believe my little man has been gone that long. His urn's still sitting next to the computer, waiting for us to decide if we're putting him into the foundation of the house (long story, ask next time) or if I'm going to parcel him out to friends to spread everywhere.
And Lucy's something else. Since becoming lone dog in the pack, her princessy behaviour has gotten even more noticeable, and she's absolutely and completely Todd's girl. Finicky about her food, she still fights nail clippings - but at least she's started to chew her own nails when we sit down to watch movies on the computer. Weirdo.

Lucy Bland at the Triple Door Musiquarium

Lucy Bland had a terrific couple of sets recently at the Triple Door Musiquarium here in Seattle. The crowd was good, foot traffic even better, and although the stage was tiny, they really got in there and played at crowd-level. Nice job!

How goes the plan?

So many long months ago I started (again) another little improvement plan. While I haven't been in the gym as much as I might have liked, I've changed quite a few things and I think it's going well.
The first thing I did was get a job that I liked. Actually, lucky for me - I love my new job, and I think it loves me back. I get to walk to work and home every day (about 1.2 miles), and I work like crazy when I'm in the office. One of my officemates (Dianne) and I have started walking around Greenlake each morning (3 miles), and that's been absolutely terrific. Lucy gets a walk early in the day, and I feel like my mornings get off to a good start.
I'm still in ballet class once a week, and now that I'm in my third or fourth session, I can really feel the difference in my legs and butt. This stuff takes time, but it's working slowly.
I head to a couple of day retreat to Canyon Ranch with Mom in mid-July and I expect that to be a much-needed reboot. More on that soon!

Favorite Things: Pecorino with Truffle Honey

I had this once (and again) at Lampreia, and have finally been able to reproduce it. I still need to perfect the melting of the cheese, but damn, this is on my last supper list.

Lucy Bland Reviews

I've noticed some great buzz out there, so I thought I'd share some of the great press!

3/14/08: Kenya Jones at ACED Magazine
3/17/08: Kathleen Fennessey at Fuzz.com
3/24/08: Rod Modell at PopMatters
3/27/08: Eugene Weekly
5/7/08: NPR's Second Stage
6/12/08: Three Imaginary Girls

Lucy Bland On Tour!

Hey folks! Lucy Bland is hitting the road this Wednesday, and they've gotten a nice little write-up in the Eugene Weekly for their first show.
If you're in one of these places, check them out!

Apr 2 2008 8:00 PM Eugene, OR
Sam Bond's
407 Blair Blvd., Eugene, Oregon 97402
with local band the Fast Computers

Apr 3 2008 8:00 PM Chico, CA
Cafe Coda
65 Humboldt Ave., Chico, California 95928
with local bands Surrogate and Belda Beast Cafe Coda is all ages beer/wine for those of age Cover’s are $5

Apr 4 2008 San Francisco, CA
Retox

Apr 5 2008 8:00 PM Merced, CA
The Partisan
432 W Main St, Merced, CA 95343

Apr 6 2008 8:00 PM Los Angeles, CA
Tangier

Lucy IS a pit bull

Okay, so I had a scary experience yesterday - probably my first real one with Lucy, and I figured I ought to share it.
I took Lucy with me to run errands yesterday - I picked up a pair of glasses, headed to the pharmacy...all of the things you do on Saturdays. When we had a few extra minutes, I took her down for a walk along Leschi. This was her first visit to that part of town, and there's a big walkway there and plenty to look at, so I thought it would be good for us to do something different. The weather was beautiful, and after about half a mile of insane Lucy behavior, she finally calmed down and started to walk well.

We stopped just past the marina and sat down to watch the dragon boat teams practice. The sky was clear enough to see the mountain and the weather was great. I had brought treats and a bone for Lucy to chew on, and she was by my feet gnawing away happily while I talked to Mom and Dad on the phone.

To my left I could see a stroller approaching, and a toddler wobbling ahead of his dad. He teetered in my direction, and I promptly hung up on Mom, knowing I had to play good ambassador with Lucy the crazy and a small child. His father told him to ask before petting, and he did from about 6 feet away. I had my hand on Lucy, with one hand under her collar and the other gripping her leash like my life depended on it. She's always been pretty good with kids - I can wave a treat in front of her and they can pet her all they want. This one was different. He was small and uncertain in his steps, and he was bundled up like it was winter - a coat with the hood pulled over his head, sunglasses and a pacifier. I think it was that combination - and the silent approach - that scared her because all of her hackles went up and she growled a deep, frightened growl. She bore her teeth and then started barking a panicked bark, the whole time standing in front of me and pushing me backwards.

I was horrified. I apologized profusely to the father, saying that perhaps it was the pacifier and the sunglasses, and that maybe she just got startled. But Lucy wouldn't calm down. I pulled her aside and made her sit - and then made her do a trick or two to show the little boy that she was a funny dog, but just not one to talk to at that moment. The dad said it was OK, and that this was a good lesson for his son, and that it was probably just a surprise to the dog. He then asked if we took her to the dog park to get her used to small kids (we do, but not off leash I explained), and what kind of dog she was. There it was, the big question. I said she was part pit, and yup, he said he thought so, and that she looked like a staffordshire bull terrier. He picked up his son and I walked away, heading right for a crowd of small kids. Lucy didn't even flinch that time.

Down to Sea Level Release Party

Last Wednesday night (3/19/08) I had the pleasure of attending Lucy Bland's excellent CD release party at the High Dive in Fremont. I'm not sure exactly how many people were there, but I have to say there were at least 200 people through the door when the band was on. The show was fantastic - the stage at the High Dive is big enough for everyone to get some visibility, and the sound guy who had started out as sort of a jerk earlier in the evening really got them sounding good even though they'd had no sound check.
They debuted a couple of new songs - Memory and Skyscraper - and the entire set was really upbeat and had a lot of energy. They did a terrific job (my photos don't do them justice), and I'm really excited to see their CDs for sale on CD Baby, iTunes, and at Easy Street, Cellophane Square and other places around town!!

Lucy & Mars - it's LOVE!

Yes, they're in doggie heaven when they're together - and we love it too because we don't have to baby sit them. Enjoy these pictures!

Lucy Bland's Down to Sea Level releases 3/18!!

There's plenty of great news about Lucy Bland!!

Last Friday night they had a killer show at the Sunset in Ballard, and on 3/18 they will have a CD release party at the High Dive in Fremont.

Check their site for complete updates - and tour dates for the West Coast!!

Did you know I'm taking ballet?

Indeedy.
I'm in week 7 of 8 this week, and we just started doing pirouettes. Tough, but love it.

And no, there are no recitals or public viewings of my humiliations.

The Eagles are back at Montlake

On the bus today, I saw one flying overhead...

Do Something Good Today: kiva.org

In January I made a promise to myself - no more gifts. I mean, we have a house full of stuff, we can barely fit already, and I'm really at a place in my life where I want less stuff. Less stuff means less waste, it means less cleaning, and more importantly, less junk. And for my friends, I'm going to try to follow the same rule and give you something you can use for the benefit of someone else.

This is what I sent to all of my friends on January 2:

Are you looking for an excuse to do good this year? Got some resolutions to give more? Well, rather than wait until the end of the year to send out a bunch of money, I've decided to start my year with a bang (and a plan) to lend money through Kiva.org. And I'm going to keep doing this all year long, and try to get more folks involved. Why? Because we have so much, and this is such a simple gesture.

Kiva.org is a non-profit that allows you to make a small 0% loan to low income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). We can help provide affordable working capital for the poor -- money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc. -- and empower them to earn their way out of poverty.

You know what's amazing about Kiva? It's how fast it's growing. At the end of last year I heard a speech by one of Kiva's founders about microfinance. I decided to take a look at their site to learn more. When you log in to Kiva, you can see the folks who have applied for loans - what they want to use the money for, where they are, their payment history - everything. They ask for so little, it's completely humbling to read. But the coolest thing is that after a few minutes, you can literally see the applicants loan requests filled and they move from the 'Need' column to the 'Active' column. I've sat for hours watching people come on to the list of applicants and roll off faster than I can loan them funds. It's thrilling and makes my skin tingle to think that there are enough people logging on and loaning money that sometimes you'll catch the system saying 'Congratulations, we've raised enough money to fill every application that's been submitted!' I've seen it once and nearly cried at what a beautiful thought that is.

Here are some stats from last week (New Year's week), for the skeptics:

• $794,525 loaned (over the holiday week, I saw this number at ~$950k - in a WEEK!)
• 786 businesses finished paying back loans (incidentally, the delinquency and default rates hover around 0. That's ZERO percent. Check it.)
• 1160 businesses were funded
• 11921 new lenders joined (NEW! NEW people loaning money, all at a minimum of $25 = ~$300000 last week alone from brand new people!)
• 3.5 hours to fully fund a business

Okay, this is enough from me. I'm done with my soapbox. Please, if you can and you're interested look at this. It's nifty cool, it's easy, and will make great presents this year (no waste, no junk, no 'giftrocity'). Good karma, you know?

Happy new year, everyone. Thanks for reading, and pass the word.

So far, I've made 6 loans and I've given 3 friends gift certificates on Kiva to get them started too. I've watched with excitement when my first loan was distributed and I proudly showed off my borrower's first payment back into the system. I can't tell you how amazing it makes me feel knowing that I can have this sort of impact.

There is a drawback, something quite unexpected I saw and felt in January - and I have to warn you about it because it's always a possibility. I had gone to the site to check on some stats when I saw a large number of journal recommendations for borrowers in Kenya. This was in the middle of the fighting there - chaos had descended on Nairobi and we were getting our first reports on kiva as to the impact. By the time I finished reading, I was exhausted and angry and crying. So many people who had asked for so little had everything taken - sometimes their houses were burned down, sometimes their businesses looted and burned, and on many, many occasions, the people were butchered, killed, or missing. The money had nothing to do with my anger. It was like I'd been present when we planted a tiny seedling, and now I saw that someone had come in and practically poisoned the earth so nothing would grow back. Everything these people had worked for was gone, and I felt as touched by it as I could a million miles away.

Check out my kiva page, and join in. Make a difference.

Dinner at Lampreia

Lampreia, Scott Carsberg's joint on 1st Ave in Belltown, has been beckoning for a while. I'd been there once long ago, but Todd hadn't been so we made reservations for Saturday night and got all dressed up for it.

I'm here to blow the lid off the Lampreia experience. So many people I know have opinions about the place - the chef's a tyrant (I'm told), the food inspired but expensive, it's dated, the waiters skitter around like they're walking on eggshells...

And when you walk by the place or try to get more information, you know why. The windows are completely covered and lit from the outside so you can't see in. No menu is posted on their door or their website. In fact, it's not really a website as much as it is a full-color business card with no links to anything. All you hear about is the chef's rep and how magical the food is. So here goes...

The interior looks like an old hotel restaurant. Creamy walls, muted lighting, quiet service. The window to the kitchen is open to the dining room (but slightly obscured), but it is absolutely silent in that place. White tablecloths, maybe 13 tables total - and when we walked in there was only 1 other table there. We saw only 25 covers (diners) the whole evening, and most of the tables stood bare all night. It was Saturday night.

When we arrived at our table, our waiter brought over the evening's first foray - an albacore tuna tartare on savory biscuit with a little pureed avocado. When I reached for my plate, he said, 'no, you should take it with your hands.' When I started to move it toward my mouth, he said, 'the chef would like you to enjoy this in a single bite.' Uh-huh. So this was how it started.

A quick overview on the menu: in the bottom-left corner of the page, it told diners that they were to remove any papers, pens, pencils, writing instruments - anything that could document the experience - from the table. Phones were to be off. On the right side of the menu was a list of course choices. On the left was a short note that said, 'many of my customers asked me for the pleasure of cooking for them. To do this, please close your menu and let me cook' or something like that. It was the offer for a tasting menu. Todd and I picked that, 8 courses. We had already each ordered a glass of wine (bad, we should have asked what sort of wine would be suggested before we committed to the tasting menu).

Here's the menu:
1. Burrata with pureed mango
2. Locally caught Dungeness crab stuffed in a shaved Fuji apple cigar. Served with apple gelee and smoked salt
3. Celeriac veloute with smoked cream and celery leaves
4. Poached foie gras enrobed in hazlenut cocoa ganache, served with candied red pepper and kumquat puree
5. Steamed artichoke bottom stuffed with lightly smoked cow's milk cream-type cheese, served with pureed tomato, pureed Kalamata olive paste, and a tomato wafer
6. Cedar-smoked duck breast ham with date puree and a bitter endive pesto
7. Pacific bass seared (pan fried, really) with smoked paprika, served with 'carrots' made of yukon gold potatoes and pequillo peppers and a wilted scallion
*** At this point, we inserted a cheese course that wasn't part of the menu, but made the meal for me:
Todd's - shaved Parmagiano Reggiano with 25 yo Balsamic vinegar
Mine - Broiled Pecorino on an Alder plank rubbed with white truffle honey and served with a candied chestnut and shaved black truffle
8. Dessert (also different, I guess based on the feedback we'd given all night about each course)
Todd's - Buffalo milk yogurt mixed with blueberries, served with blackberries and raspberries sandwiched between vanilla wafers
Mine - Watsonville strawberries cored and stuffed with white chocolate mousse, served on a strawberry coulis with a strawberry wafer

We finished the meal with a selection of petit fours: a 65% cocoa truffle, coconut macaroon, peanut butter cookie, lemon cookie and cinnamon cookie.

The whole meal took 3 hours, and cost about the same as the Herbfarm. I'd come back here again.

And how did we remember all of the details? I wrote it all quickly on the only piece of paper I was allowed. My credit card receipt.

Favorite Things: Sottocenere al Tartufo

OMG. I don't know where this has been my whole life - but I found it after getting into truffle popcorn, which we got in Dallas the last time we visited Jessica (that will be another post). Something struck when I went to Whole Foods recently - and I grabbed a block of Sottocenere al Tartufo, a cow's milk cheese spotted with black truffles. You can smell it in the fridge even when it's all wrapped up. Todd couldn't eat much of it, but I could cut chunks off and just chow down.

Here's a link for more information...

Lucy's First Hike: Twin Falls

We took Lucy out for her first hike recently - and I bought her a nice, big pack from REI so she could get used to carrying her own load. The night before the hike we filled up 2 Nalgene bottles and I took Lucy for a walk in her new pack. She complained all the way to Third Place Books and back, but she was a good sport when I made her jump on ledges and sit down fully loaded. I figured it would help her get used to it, because that following morning we were going to load her down even more when we got to the trail.

In the end we only walked a couple of miles to the falls, but Lucy carried her pack with our water and snacks the whole way. In fact, neither Todd nor I carried a thing - but we had to hang on to Lucy, and she was still mighty strong. On our way back from the end of the trail we unharnessed her - we thought she might be tired - and realized immediately that was a bad idea. She was so excited to get the pack off that she nearly took off over a ledge with Todd at the other end of her leash. That lasted about 20 feet, and we saddled her back up again.

We'll keep working on her, and maybe by the summer she'll be ready for a night of camping at Goat Rocks!

Grendel 1994 - 2006

Not too long ago I read a book about the dead. It said that as long as there was someone alive to remember them, they went to another place, living out a happy life waiting for their friends and loved ones to join them.

This weekend, my little man joined them.

Whether the days were light or dark, he was always by my side and in my heart, and I would not be the person I am today without him. I only hope to one day be as good a person as he thought I was.

Remember him well.
Grendel 1994 – 2008