Premonition

Sometimes it is 2 P.M. on a Friday afternoon, you've finished all of the work you need to and it makes sense to leave the office to pick up your friend, who has also finished all of her work, to hit the theatres for a matinee. Today, I grabbed Tan downtown and we headed to Tigard to catch Premonition, the new Sandra Bullock movie. This movie did not get great reviews but I enjoyed it for what it was, pure entertainment. Who cares if all of the loose ends weren't neatly tied up by the time the credits roll, if we don't know why Linda (played by Bullock) had premonitions, or how the weekdays in Linda's land run differently than in all other areas on earth. That's the beauty of movies, though - suspension of disbelief.

Autzen growing up

Brother Nick, Megan, and Autzen came over for dinner last night. The little guy is so frickin' cute I had to take a couple pics just so I could create an entry and post a few. The cats weren't sure what to think about the puppy. Ellie fled the room and hid under our bed but Mabel came down from her perch on the hideously ugly cat structure (one of those carpet and sisal rope covered wood contraptions) a few times to get a closer look. Autzen's ears are already standing up and he's learning commands like "sit" and "down". Before dinner we hit the park next door where Autzen, the youngest pup at the park, spent the majority of the time greeting the other humans and hiding between legs to avoid some of the more rambunctious dogs.

Autzen plays with Beaut's Barbie ball.

Still small enough to pick up.

Visiting the Bickels

Saturday night our friends, the Bickels - including Sara, Josh, Noodle, Mikah, and Bear, invited us over for dinner. The menu? My favorite, stew. But not just any stew. Sara broke out the trusty Cook's Illustrated and prepared us some carbonnade à la flamande, a Belgian beef, beer, and onion stew. (Darr and I have made this a few times ourselves. Yum!) What's not to like about that? Served with asparagus and mashed potatoes it was just about as perfect as a meal can be. Probably I should not have started the political conversation that kept me yakking until far beyond the relatively new parents' bed time. But such is life when you have me over and then allow me to start talking about world affairs. At least I'm not apathetic.

Blood Diamond

I rented Blood Diamond yesterday. It's a stunning film. I didn't really care for part of the storyline that focused on the budding romance between journalist Maddy (Jennifer Connelly) and diamond smuggler Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) but it doesn't completely detract from the overall film. I don't know how real-to-life this movie is but it presents a story that explains why the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was established in 2003. The effort, to stop the flow of blood diamonds into the diamond market. While my initial thought was "Great, one more thing to feel guilty about." I have since learned that there are companies that are working to strengthen the Kimberley Process to ensure the diamonds that reach the market are conflict-free. Conflict diamonds are diamonds smuggled out of war-torn regions by persons who seek to finance violence. You can help by refusing to buy diamonds from companies that purchase diamonds from countries that do not fully participate in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

I finished the book this morning and yeah, I cried. I don't see how you could be human and not cry. Reading how crazy hectic someone else's life can be because of an unruly pet makes you really appreciate the angels that live in your house. But you can commiserate with those pet owners if you've ever had a less than ideal pet of your own. One that comes quickly to mind and stands out as a misbehaving tyrant to those in my family is Maggie.

We discovered a tiny black kitten pitifully meowing in an empty lot when vacationing at our parent's cabin at Fishhawk Lake one summer. She had a broken tail. As we had been told to leave it alone so its mother could return to it, we were left to watch from a safe distance. And watch we did. All day. Our plans for a rescue solidified as dusk hit. There was no way a defenseless kitten would survive the night with any number of woodland creatures ready to hunt once under the cover of darkness. And my mom and dad, ultimately big softies when it came to pets, weren't about to let that happen, either. So, after a heated discussion where promises were extracted from us to provide all care and adopt the kitten out to a good family once we returned home, we were allowed to go and rescue the cat.

The kitten we later dubbed Maggie, was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand or sit quite comfortably in the opening of my shoe. Her eyes were open but they still had that milky fogginess and the color had not yet been defined. When we first tried to have her drink some milk out of a bowl, she submerged her head, came up coughing and sputtering, and then proceeded to do the same thing again and again and again. I think she sneezed more milk out than she actually took in. Maggie became my pet as I took ownership of the round-the-clock care required of such a small kitten - 2A.M. feedings, using a syringe was far more effective than a bowl, trips to the litter box, play time, and naps. Maggie and I bonded. It probably was no surprise to my parents that I began lobbying for Maggie to stay the moment we pulled into our driveway. And it was no surprise to me that I was able to do so successfully. Without too much fuss, Maggie became my pet, and was accepted as the latest addition to the family.

As Maggie grew into a strong-willed, fiercely loyal pet, it was clear she was only fiercely loyal to me and was strong-willed when it came to everyone else, no exceptions for parents or siblings. I remember a friend of mine, Brad, sitting on my dad's Barcolounger, who decided to mess with Maggie's tail after she had jumped up and settled on his lap. "I wouldn't do that," I warned. But Brad didn't listen and pretty soon Maggie was growling, this deep, guttural 'I will kill you' sound that stopped Brad immediately and had him quietly and respectfully asking me to remove her. But Maggie, even though she liked me best, wasn't to be messed with. Brad had to sit there until Maggie was good and ready to leave of her own volition.

For all of her moody behavior and occasional inappropriate furniture scratching, Maggie was a great frickin' pet. As were all of the others - Ruffless, Oreo, Tilly, Trixie, October, and Hannah. I imagine all pet owners reach this conclusion no matter how infuriatingly difficult a pet can be.

Not helping the poor to help the rich

You must read this article in the NY Times. Some of my favorite quotes are as follows:

"Subprime borrowers will spend nearly 37 percent of their after-tax income on mortgage payments, insurance and property taxes this year...This is about 20 percentage points more than prime borrowers and 10 points more than what subprime borrowers paid in 2000."

"The government has provided an ever-growing pile of subsidies to the buyers of homes." [Seems like a good idea until you read about who benefits from these subsidies.]

"From 2000 to 2005, homeownership rates increased significantly only among households in the top two-fifths of the income distribution, those earning more than $46,883... Homeownership declined for families in the bottom two-fifths of the income scale. In the lowest fifth — where families make less than $20,180 — homeownership was only 42.4 percent in 2005, which was 3 percentage points less than it was 25 years earlier and 26 percentage points below the national average."

"Part of the reason is the structure of government subsidies, which are worth very little to low-income families but quite a bit to families with big incomes. Those well-off families typically do not need government support to buy a home but use it to buy bigger places than they would otherwise purchase."

The example provided shows a person carrying a $1 million mortgage earning a mortgage interest deduction worth about $21,000. Whereas a family buying a $220,000 home with 20% down, would only receive a mortgage interest deduction worth about $1600. <insert grumbling here>

Gather those ol' lawyer jokes

Corruption: Today's standard of living in the Bush administration

Are we just so overwhelmed with the seemingly unending supply of corruption this administation has exhibited since Bush took office that we no longer care? Here's the latest news on the firing of seven federal prosecutors:

Lie 1 -
Initially, White House officials claimed that President Bush's aides saw and approved the list of prosecutors to be fired only after it had been compiled.

Truth -
Last October, President Bush talked to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about prosecutors who were not aggressively investigating voter fraud. The president did not advocate the firing of particular prosecutors at the time but he was clearly aware that the process to identify which prosecutors would be fired was under way. Senator Pete Domenici (R), from New Mexico, complained directly to the President about a federal prosecutor in his state who was one of the seven prosecutors later dismissed. Ms. Perino, White House spokeswoman, has confirmed that White House officials did consult with the Justice Department in preparing the list.

Lie 2 -
The seven attornies were removed "based on performance and managerial reasons." --Ms. Perino

Truth -
The department first denied that the dismissals were performance related, then later said they were. Documents of an extensive e-mail conversation that Mr. Sampson and Ms. Miers had regarding the prosecutors did not provide a clear motive for the firings. There was no mention in the entire thread of public corruption inquiries or failure to pursue voter fraud cases as explicit reasons to remove the prosecutors. It has been reported that five of the seven even received good reviews from the DOJ shortly before they were dismissed.

There are other lies but who has the time to list them all? I blame the Patriot Act. In our rush to feel safer after the events of 9/11 - please note I said "feel" safer, not actually be safer - we allowed our fear to override our common sense. Now, our president is using a small provision hidden deep in the act to appoint interim U.S. attorneys for indefinite periods without having confirmation hearings by the Senate. Who does that include? Read on...

Tim Griffin, U.S. attorney for Arkansas, aide to White House political advisor Karl Rove.

Jeff Taylor, U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., aide to Sen. Orrin Hatch, counselor to Alberto Gonzales and former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Alexander Acosta, U.S. attorney for Miami, protege of conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

Edward McNally, U.S. attorney in southern Illinois, senior associate counsel to President Bush.

...to name a few. But do not give up hope. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) and Rep. John Conyers (D) have filed bills that would restore to federal judges the right to name interim appointees when vacancies develop. And, thankfully, Sen. Arlen Specter (R), who created this problem by inserting the language into the Patriot Act last year, is supporting Feinstein's bill. This week a debate will be held on the Senate floor over this legislation, which will roll back the provision of the antiterrorism law that allows President Bush to appoint interim U.S. attornies. And yes, it is fair to conclude that the Patriot Act is one scary piece of legislation. We should never sacrifice our civil liberties under the guise that by doing so we are made safer.

Introducing the new iRack

Shamrock Run 2007

While Darr slept, even though he had me register him for the event and even though he was supposed to be participating in the event with me, I headed to Tom McCall Waterfront Park this morning to take part in what is hopefully the first of many foot races I'll complete in 2007. The race - the Shamrock Stride, a mere 3.5 miles jaunt around the waterfront that crossed to the east side over the Steel Bridge and back to the west side via the Hawthorne. The weather was perfect, albeit a little gray. Beauty the wonder dog was the most wonderful Shamrock walking dog ever. She was attentive and well-mannered and was able to follow me as I shifted around the slower walkers. She received many compliments and was able to meet a few of her canine brethren along the way. She did sort of growl at the Irish Setters that were there from one of the local Irish Setter rescues but I sort of think that had more to do with the tiny green hats that were perched on the dogs' heads than any malice Beaut might have had for that particular breed of dog. Darr was just waking up when I returned home. Should you see him sporting a Shamrock Run 2007 long-sleeve green tee-shirt any time in the near future, be sure to give him a hard time. The man (a.k.a. my husband) only has that thing because I picked the shirt up for him while he was sleeping, in the bed, in the early morning hours of Sunday, while his wife (a.k.a. me) was out with the dog, walking, not in the bed, sleeping. (I sort of want to use even more commas in that last sentence but can I? I mean, is it proper?)

Word crash #896,873,554

Lord Jim

I started another book, Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. I'm on Chapter Two and already love, love, love this book. Here's an excerpt that is stunning in its use of language and punctuation:

There are many shades in the danger of adventures and gales, and it is only now and then that there appears on the face of facts a sinister violence of intention - that indefinable something which forces it upon the mind and the heart of a man, that this complication of accidents or these elemental furies are coming at him with a purpose of malice, with a strength beyond control, with an unbridled cruelty that means to tear out of him his hope and his fear, the pain of his fatigue and his longing for rest: which means to smash, to destroy, to annihilate all he had seen, known, loved, enjoyed, or hated; all this is priceless and necessary - the sunshine, the memories, the future, - which means to sweep the whole precious world utterly away from his sight by the simple and appalling act of taking his life.

Books

I've only managed to get through two books so far this year - Unless by Carol Shields and Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. Both were excellent reads and so far away from each other on the great spectrum of literature that I can feel good knowing I've exposed myself to more than the regular old novel. Unless features a mother and father that have lost their daughter to the street. It illustrates how life both stops and progresses when tragedy strikes. Running with Scissors, which has been made into a movie already, is the oft hilarious, always shocking memoir of Augusten Burroughs who was sent to live with the family of his mom's psychiatrist in his early teens. Using the ratings system I came up with last year, these books each earn a 3.

Introducing Autzen

Brother Nick called me yesterday to tell me that he and Megan had added another member to their family - Autzen the German Shepherd. Born on December 25, Autzen is a totally cute, fairly calm puppy with huge paws and sharp little puppy teeth. It had previously been suggested that we loan Beauty to Nick and Megan if they ever got a puppy so upon hearing the news Darr and I packed up the Beauty the wonder dog essentials and headed to Newberg with Beaut in the backseat. The idea behind having an older dog present when a puppy is brought home is simple - the older dog helps with training the younger dog.

I'm not sure how excited Beaut is to be on puppy patrol. When we left her last night she looked like this:
This is her "I can't believe you are abandoning me here with this puppy" look. She's quite the actress.

And yes, Autzen is named after the Ducks Stadium. Brother Nick and Megan are Ducks fans.

Recipe Corner: Rhubarb Pie

My mom called last week to say that she was enjoying a slice of rhubarb pie and as she ate it she was reminded that we at la maison de Gilroy Glynn liked rhubarb pie and as a result of this she thought it best to call to tell us about her eating of said pie. Thanks, mom. The following day I went to the store and bought the required ingredients and the day after that I baked a rhubarb pie. Try it for yourself if you've never had rhubarb pie. It's fabulous. And really, what the hell else are you going to use rhubarb for?

Ingredients:
Pie Crust
8 ounces cream cheese (not reduced-fat) at room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pie Filling
1 1/2-2 lbs rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch half-moons (about 4 cups)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4-1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt

Directions:
Pie Crust
Using a hand-held mixer on low speed, mix the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Add the flour, sugar, and salt until the dough clumps together. The dough will look crumbly but will hold together when pressed. Divide the dough into two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. If the dough is refrigerated longer than an hour and becomes firm, allow the dough to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling out. On a lightly floured service, roll out the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick circle, using the larger of the two disks for the bottom of the pie crust, and place into a 9-inch pie plate. Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Roll out the second disk to form the top of the pie crust.

Pie Filling
Adjust the oven rake to the middle position and preheat the over to 350-degrees. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, flour, and salt to the eggs and mix thoroughly. Stir in the rhubarb until it is evenly coated with the egg mixture.

Pour the rhubarb pie filling into the pie plate. Top the pie filling with the second disk of dough. Fold the edges of the bottom crust with the edges of the top crust. Flute the edges, pinching the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Poke a few holes at the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Bake until the pie is a deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Rhubarb pie goes well with a side of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Serves 8