Work and Play

These boys love to stay in a hotel.  They both pooped out at the same time.

 These are composition book covers I made for Kati who wanted bears.  I couldn't find bear fabric I liked so I did some drawings myself and had them printed at Spoonflower.  The bear above was a sketch that I then cut out of paper.  I scan the images into Illustrator and use Live Trace to make them vector images that can be manipulated. 

Catching Up

I don't really know why it took so long to get back to this - we've had a few things going on I guess.  Still there's time for fun.  Theron and I made cookies tonight, for instance.

 His team, the Blue Ninjas, are undefeated.  In this picture you can see the banner Ashley and I made.  I don't love it, but it'll do.  I was really hoping Theron's suggestions of Blue Sharks or Blue Serpents would have won, but it's a democracy and ninjas are big.  I really wish I could have done the banner for the Purple Cat Princesses - how fun would that be?  Anyway, no more for me unless they happen to name themselves something like the Red Wine Stains. 

 Ash and I both went to Portland to speak at a conference.  We were all going to go up together but Theron got an ear infection at the last minute - so - flights were changed.  I went Friday through Sunday, Ash went Monday through Thursday.  I was happy to have some unencumbered shopping time, but everywhere I went I just felt sad thinking how much Theron would have enjoyed it.  So I brought him home some joy in the form of Voodoo Doughnuts.
I had to stand in a long line and it was worth it.  I got him some voodoo dolls (raspberry filled chocolate eclair in a doll shape), one topped with Capt'n Crunch, and a maple bacon bar. 

 While it rained in LA the whole time I was gone, Portland was sunny and gorgeous light sweater weather.  Fallen leaves and acorns, long, long midday shadows, and green, green everything. 

It's a heavenly place.

The Happiest Season

No snow in LA but lots of color and spirit
Christmas tree pinata

We spent Christmas Eve with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Richard. Legos were had. Then we drove to Santa Maria to see Grandpa Flip and Grandma Rita. More Legos. Oh my. I actually can't even say how many more Lego sets. Theron hit the jackpot for sure.

Next, up to Morro Bay to see Joan and her family. We ate a Thai buffet extravaganza made by Joan's step-mother, Rose. Theron played Wii.

The next day we took Oli for his first trip to the beach, both at Morro Bay and Montana de Oro. Oli says, Thumbs Way Up!!!

Their feet barely touch the ground. When I think "Happy" now, I will probably picture this. We hit Morro Bay first, then Montana de Oro.

Where all the puddles were jumped into

All the seaweed was tasted

All the waves were chased

And all the waves were dodged

Nebraska Getaway

Window display at a lawyer's office, Omaha

I usually say things like, "I can't believe it's (fill in the month) already!" because it always seems like I'm 8 weeks behind, but right now I can't believe it's still January. Enough already! This month I have been to 4 states, not counting airports, took on a new intern, worked on a business mission statement with Ozge and Rebecca, joined a gym (and went!), Ashley went to San Diego for a consultation, Obama became president, Theron got suspended for getting in a fight over freeze dancing, and I took a 5.5% pay cut. It just seems like shouldn't it be February now?

Last weekend, as I mentioned, I went to visit Rebecca in Omaha. I couldn't believe I actually found 4 pairs of matching socks and my good coat and gloves, so I was ready for snow. When I got there it just looked brown all over, but we headed toward Lincoln to visit the lab and drove into a storm. I was so delighted I didn't really notice that Rebecca was becoming more and more silent, and finally we abandoned that idea and turned around to go back to Omaha. We stopped at a super fun truckstop for snacks and browsing. I bought a really cute jackalope magnet that I can't find now. You can also buy sheets there for your truck cab and take a shower. And buy hunting supplies and romantic stimulants.

More from the lawyer's office. I don't know what kind of lawyer.

Wow

In the conservation lab at the Ford Center

Rebecca is my muse and she helped me flesh out some ideas for our infant business. She showed me what she's working on - so inspiring!

We ate delicious healthy food at the vegetarian restaurant a block away from her apartment. I ate a portabello mushroom lovingly massaged with garlic butter. We ate there Sunday, too, and I decided to order something that had been given accupuncture. Saturday night I had an Omaha steak and oh, boy, they're not famous for nothing.

Doorbell intercom in Rebecca's apartment

Stamp on the back of Rebecca's toilet

Sunday the city was covered with a powdery white blanket. We drove to Iowa (!) to visit the little museum at the DeSoto Wildlife Refuge. The museum houses the recovered goods from the Steamboat Bertrand that sank in the Missouri River in 1865.

Matches tipped with such potent sulphur they lit a man's pants on fire, and spontaneously ignited in the conservation lab

Frozen lake at the DeSoto Refuge

Whose tracks are these?

Iowa

Rebecca is the perfect hostess - we had a grand time. I'm so grateful for the good friends that I have.

Fabulous Travels

Too tired for much writing tonight. Spent the weekend in Omaha with Rebecca enjoying the great company and the SNOW!

Blythe J.C. and Akemi

The perfect and beautiful sky over Hwy 2 tonight

I know it's terrible to complain that things are too perfect, but it's been TOO hot here lately. Snow was such a welcome change. When I got back to Burbank people were in shorts.

Ashley calls this segment, If It's Friday I must be in San Francisco

The week prior to Ashley's conference in Denver was excruciating as he had to assemble and coordinate assembly of swatchbooks of archival material for a workshop. Then he was off and Theron and I held down the fort. Theron helped plan the dinner menu. For instance, one night we had Rice A Roni, fried eggs, and sausage. He thinks his new job should be as the recipe-a-nator.

Friday I picked him up from school, drove directly to LAX, where we picked up Ashley at Terminal 7, put most of his luggage in the trunk, then headed to Terminal 6 for our flight to San Francisco. Our friends Kati and Geoffrey are in the States (from London) right now because Geoffrey's documentary, The English Surgeon, was in the San Francisco International Film Festival. Ash and I watched the film today at home and it is so beautiful. Really no wonder it is receiving such high acclaim. It won top prize in the Canadian Festival Hot Docs, last month. We had hoped to have dinner with them Friday and breakfast Saturday, but Geoffrey and Henry, the surgeon, had a busy Q&A session after the screening and Kati and I couldn't make our cell phones cooperate with each other. She says she can send and receive texts with her sister in Finland, but couldn't get anything from either me or Geoffrey. When she's complained before she's told "Well, it should work" and that this is the British answer to everything.

We stayed right off Union Square at the King George. We had a really nice little room with a very bright and cheery bathroom. Looking out our window at the rooftop across the street we saw what appeared to be really big dogs. I thought, oh look, sheep, ha ha, because I didn't have my glasses on, but then we heard bleating.

It's very funny because Ashley thought he was having a real vacation, getting away from the roosters that keep him awake in Echo Park. Those sheep were up kind of late.

The next morning we had breakfast with Kati while Geoffrey and Henry were being interviewed, then we went back to their hotel for a little visit.

Now I'm going to show something very embarrassing that I will call From 80's to Ladies. I'm making this first picture small because Kati hated her hair even back then, and the picture doesn't have to be any bigger to see mine - it can be seen from space.

Helsinki 1985

And now...

23 years and 75% less hair

It was a sweet but short visit as they had to start driving north. Theron shook hands with the men and told Henry, this brilliant neurosurgeon, that he looks like Alfred the butler from the Batman movies. Henry graciously accepted this observation as the compliment it was intended to be.

We had a super fun time in the city. I haven't been there in so long and sometimes I forgot it wasn't New York. We went to SF MoMA where there are some fantastic photography shows up and then we actually spent a long time in their store which is the very best museum store we've ever been in. It was so good that we even went in the one they have in the airport and spent even more money.

We went to Chinatown.

We walked and walked and shopped and shopped and then we took the Bart to the airport. It was just a short trip, barely a day all together. If it weren't for the opportunity to see Kati and Geoffrey I don't know when we'd ever have arranged to make the trip, but we'll be going back. The flight is inexpensive and only takes an hour. A terrific time was had by all. And now it is back to real life again.