Perspective Duck

A big thank you to Rodeo Queen, who reminded about the magic Perspective Duck. It's all rushing back to me and making me feel better -- the life saving squeak-quack and all. I bet I still have that little duck in a box somewhere in the garage. Like I thought I was done with needing perspective. The search is back on!

Go Getters

I was in the bathroom at work when I heard in the next stall....clickity clickity clickity and then ping ping followed by clickity clickity click. That's right. The f*&cking Go Getters take their lap tops into the bathroom so that absolutely nothing interrupts their constant connection with technology. Would Miss Manners approve?

My Favorite Music of 2008

If anyone tells you that there isn't any good music these days, please give them a punch from me. These are just a few of my favorites from 2008.
Al Green "Lay It Down" (Blue Note)
*I played this CD for my mom and she thought I discovered Al Green.
Herman Dune "Next Year in Zion"
*French Scandahoovians? So sweet, the "safe place" lyric will make you weepy.
Dawn Landes "Fireproof" (Cooking Vinyl)
*you say Lucinda, I say Dawn Landes. Banjo alert!
The Dodos "Visitor" (French Kiss)
*local kids who tour with a giant marimba. Witnessed live at SXSW (thanks Scrabbel).
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds "Dig! Lazurus Dig!" (Anti)
*disclaimer, I've had a Nick Cave revival going on in my head for the last two years.
Kelly Stoltz "Circular Sounds" (Sub Pop)
* I saw Kelly sing a duet w/ his mom. Just add bubble machine.
Monade "Monstre Cosmic" (Too Pure)
* French! Stereolab! The perfect background music to ANYTHING.
Bon Iver "For Emma, Forever Ago" (Jagjaguwar)
*From Wisconsin, but the "wrote songs while living in cabin in the woods and eating venison" PR hype really cracks me up.
various "Calypsoul 70 - Caribbean Soul & Calypso Crossover 1960-1970" (Strut)
* just groovy.
Notwist "The Devil, You & Me" (Domino)
* Germans can sing blip hop melodies too
William Parker Quartet "Petit Oiseau" (Aum Fidelity)
* I always love it when the "out" jazz folk go "straight ahead".
Evangelicals "The Evening Descends" (Dead Oceans)
*cheery indie noise, nothing born-again about it.
Frightened Rabbit "The Midnight Organ Fight" (Fat Cat)
*disclaimer. Scotland!
2 Foot Yard "Borrowed Items" (Yard Work)
*disclaimer member Carla Kihlstedt played at our wedding as part of Tin Hat Trio
Ponytail "Ice Cream Spiritual" (We Are Free)
* Need some screaming? here it is!
Del the Funky Homosapien "Eleventh Hour" (Definitive Jux)
*old school hip-hop for old people. but young people like it too.
Son Lux "At War With Walls & Mazes" (Anticon)
* this has nothing to do with Son Volt.
David Byrne & Brian Eno "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today" (Opal)
* The Chef both downloaded this and then bought it on CD. This is his pick.
Goh Nakamura "Ulysses" (self-released)
*disclaimer, I am pals w/ Goh and his crew, including album art wizard DJ Big Cookie -- but I would love this album regardless.
Port O'Brien "All We Could Do Was Sing"
*Indie folk! Pleasant!
Mochipet "Microphonepet" (Daly City Records)
* disclaimer, I met David Wang and admire his punk rock attitude. However Mochipet is NOT punk rock. But he wears a dragon costume when he DJs which is totally punk rock
Flight of the Conchords s/t (Sub Pop)
* This is a comedy CD, and I like to laugh.
Minisnap "Bounce Around" (Pocket)
* NEW ZEALAND alert and former member of THE BATs.
Justin Townes Earle "The Good Life" (Bloodshot)
* disclaimer, I'm a Steve Earle fan and cynical, but son Justin Townes is his own real deal.
TV on the Radio "Golden Age (Universal)
* I usually think this band is over hyped, but this CD lives up to it.
King Khan & the Shrines "Supreme Genius" (Vice)
* Garage rock meets Little Richard!
Death Vessel "Nothing is Precious Enough for Us" (Sub Pop)
* Their name screams heavy metal, but that would be untrue.
Thao w/ the Get Down Stay Down "We Brave Bee Stings and All" (Kill Rock Stars)
* disclaimer, I was on a plane from NYC with Thao and overhead her conversation where she was explained to the woman next to her that she was in a band. I thought. wow! It's thao!

Plus, I'm still listening to and tracking down the "Eccentric Soul" series CDs. Each one is a winner, no matter the year.

New Robe

Best X-mas robe ever. cats+snow+trees+flannel.

Resisting 2009

Why does it seem like I finally made it to the finish line, collapsed in a soggy heap only to realize I have to get up and begin again. Really? I was under the illusion that if I tried very hard my reward would be an entire year of sleep, but Borpoh & I have to start all over. Dammit. Why kant iz ignore mez? Don't tell Borpoh.

Okay, fine. Happy New Year. Just give me a few more days to get the hang of it and I'll be okay.

Cacti Claus in AZ

Ornaments Old & New

Thanks to Rock Mama, Papa M and Rosebud for our new tubular Christmas ornament. We love it! Note that the tiny spoon must have fallen off at some point on the journey, so we reattached it near the top.
This is one of my favorite ornaments from the Frau family tree -- glitter gnome's specially-abled pipe cleaner arm just adds to his holiday magic.

Celebrity Barman

Savoy Cocktail Night @ the Alembic, SF -- with surprise Underhill Lounge bartender!

Gingerbread Slide

Before

After.

Holding it all together.

Note: I did not participate in the making of this gingerbread house as I am um, inept. However, I shouted encouragements whilst eating gumdrops, shouting "huzzah" to the 3 o'clockers + kidlings. That's something, right?

Yule Tree

I forgot how much I love the smell of tree in the house. This is the first time in ages we've gotten out the hatchet and hiked up Mount Shasta to harvest a California Christmas tree. Or maybe we just went to the traditional Delancey Street outpost to support a good cause. Tonight I search for my John Denver & the Muppets Christmas Album and string up the lights. Holiday spirit here I come!

Hangar One Tour

It's just across the bridge.

Searching for Santa in NYC

My mother's response to my grumbles of having to travel to NYC on business the weekend after Thanksgiving? "Oh well. Santa will be at Macys!" Reason #723,834 of why I love her so.

In A Nutshell

"My work self is suffocating my life me" -- Liz Lemon to Oprah

Clementine Bitters

Local expert has been "toying with such concoctions" for several years!
hic. more mentions in the press. will it end?
Speaking of bitters, I feel a double dare challenge coming on.....! Is there any gentian root in Pardeeville?

Faux Thanksgiving Eve

The Chef & I are celebrating Thanksgiving....tomorrow...so that all the usual suspects may attend. We thought it would be a lark to postpone the turkeytime, but today we are feeling a little melancholy and lost. We substituted the family drama by going to a matinee showing of "Rachel Getting Married" and just when we thought that the recorded voice of Kaiser Permanente was our only holiday pal, a good friend rang to say hello. Still, thankful no matter what day we celebrate!

The Big Show

Stage Peek

Julia's UKE

Magic Moments

Thanks to the recent visit of M&N from the UK -- the past few weeks have been a blur of activity. Halloween, the historic election *yay*, dining at neighborhood restaurants, Speakeasy Brewery open house, walking on beaches and a trip up the coast to Point Reyes National Seashore. Oh, and we finally made it to the new California Academy of Sciences -- is it ever amazing! We are in search of the next visitors who will accompany us there. There even is a penguin cam!

this is a "frog fish"

Star of the Academy -- the albino alligator.

Halloween Bus Ride

Wedded Bliss

A happy (second) wedding day was celebrated earlier this week -- congratulations to Rodeo Queen and the Great & Powerful Oz on their shotgun nuptials. Those resourceful longtime sweethearts wanted to make a historic broom jump (again) and now their bliss is of the wedded sort. Again.

As they stated so beautifully in their announcement of this occasion to celebrate: As we have often repeated: if we needed legal & societal approval in order to sustain our commitment to each other, we would certainly have broken up long ago. So our wedding marks a different kind of tipping point: a moment of political & cultural significance-nothing less than a watershed between love and hate. The fact of our marriage signals this moment in history, when the State of California has reached a new level of commitment to us, the moment at which we are no longer seen as second-class citizens or as perverted, threatening monsters, but as legitimate, adult human beings capable of true love & deserving of equality under the law.

Our wedding, then, is a celebration not just of our relationship with each other, but of our evolving relationship to society, culture, and our home state of California. We would like to believe that we are entering a new era of love.

...and don't forget to vote No on the Hate, that's a No on Proposition Eight. It's a love vote.

p.s. we look forward to the cake.