Portland, we have upper teeth

Henry's two front teeth have finally pushed through, which means more teething fun for me. Ugh. We spent another day close to home base because Henry was not up for partying on the road. He took a nice long nap, we went for a hike, we played on the floor, and we suffered through the occasional bout of fussiness. At one point, Henry crawled his little self into the bathroom and discovered the roll of toilet paper.

Return to Zion

Ann, Monsieur Henry, and I returned to Zion National Park today. It is absolutely gorgeous. We arrived early and drove through the park to the Visitor Center where we caught the shuttle. We took the bus all the way to the end of the route and then went for a hike. When the official trail petered out, Monsieur Henry and I left Ann for a few minutes - she was wearing her most excellent pair of running shoes and didn't want to damage them with river water, plus she's planning on coming back with her husband - to go into the Zion Narrows. This is where you're walking in the river and the walls reach up to the sky and are quite, well, narrow. It was AMAZING. I could have walked forever in there. What's not to like about cool red sandstone walls and water? Okay, so yeah, flash floods are bad but since we didn't get hit by one I think that is Mother Nature's way of saying "Hey Christie and Henry, you're welcome here." Darr and I have got to come back here when Henry is a wee bit older because there is much hiking to be done and a plethora of photo opportunities. If you're intrigued and thinking of going yourself, consider arriving at the park early. This accomplishes two things - 1. You can do the hike without being burnt to a crisp by the blazing sun because the trail is shaded by the walls of the canyon until about noon, and B) less crowds.

These sheep sort of freaked me out. Why are they all staring at me?

Just a canyon wall - Henry and I walked through that water.

Heading into the Narrows.

Henry checking out the wall.

Squeaky wheels

Learning to drive from Christie on Vimeo.

Close to pseudo-home

We had a nice relaxing day at the resort today so there isn't much to report. There was a vista about five miles from where we're staying so we drove up to take a look. Brian Head Peak has an elevation of 11,307 feet and from where we were standing we could see parts of two other states, Nevada and Arizona. Ann fixed us some leftover spaghetti with salad and corn on the cob for dinner. Henry had his first corn and LOVED it. We will definitely be adding that to the menu for him at home.

Also, I downloaded the pictures from the backup camera and here is the proof Henry was a fantastic plane traveler. Is it just me or does he look really grown up?

One long drive

We spent a large part of our day on the road as we trekked through southern Utah to check out the petrified wood at the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. Henry performed fairly well, only requiring two stops to be let out of his car seat for a chance to stretch his little legs. We were a bit flabbergasted when we arrived and found this:
Um, that's it? I hadn't seen quotes around the word forest. There was one easily accessible path that took less than a minute to walk through. We had driven nearly two hours for that? Luckily, Ann saw the trailhead for a strenuous one mile hike that led to the top of a mesa so we headed up. There were a bunch of highlighted items on the pamphlet the Forest Service had prepared so you knew what you were viewing along the way - black boulder, balancing rock, pygmy trees, and scattered throughout lots of petrified wood. Petrified wood is a type of fossil, it's wood that has had all of its organic materials replaced by minerals. Different minerals give the petrified wood its wide range of colors.
Henry liked it but I didn't have him stand in one place too long for there were red fire ants afoot. I didn't think he'd take too kindly to an obscenely long car ride and getting bitten by fire ants. Here's what the stuff looks like close up:
Looks like wood, tastes like chicken. On our way back to the hotel we got held up by lambs and ewes crossing the street. I don't think that has ever happened to me before. I did spot a cow in the road once but it wasn't in the middle of the road and it hadn't prevented me from continuing on my way. (I did stop at the house I believed it was from to let them know, hey, escaped cow.) For tomorrow we've decided to stay close to our home base to give Henry a bit of a break from all of the driving. And now, I shall try to get some sleep. This persistent cough is keeping me awake at night.

A Zion National Park Story

Today we went to Zion National Park. It's in southern Utah. I got to crawl around on the ground.

I also got to touch a sand-like substance. I was happy to be out of the car because too much sitting in the car is not fun.

Then mom said we had to get the obligatory 'mom and baby on the rocks' shot.

Eventually we had to go back in the car but it was okay because mom gave me some string cheese. I love string cheese. It tastes very good. And I can pull it apart and make it look like a noodle.

At the end of the drive through the park we stopped at the Visitor's Center where I got to touch a very weird critter. All in all, it was a pretty good day.

Oodles of hoodoos

Day two started after a fitful night of sleep for me. Every time Henry coughed or I coughed or car drove by or people walked on the path next to the resort, I woke up. Every time Henry moved, I bolted up in order to catch him from falling over the edge of the bed. (He wasn't even close to falling.) By two o'clock in the morning, I gave up trying to sleep for a while and started reading another book from the recommended reading list. ("A Civil Action" - the book was later made into a movie with John Travola.) When Henry and I woke this morning, Ann was dressed and busy checking out maps of the area. Today's destination - Bryce Canyon.
Pretty much everything we want to see requires a bit of a drive from where we are staying. For the most part, Henry has been a trooper but I have to give credit to Ann who has been our chauffeur while I sit in the back with Henry and try to keep him entertained. (And, it's rather embarrassing to admit, I napped a bit, too.) There are only so many times you can read "I Know a Rhino," and it is a lot less enjoyable to listen to when your voice sounds like that of a chain smoker suffering from end-stage emphysema. It didn't take too long to drive through the park and check out the various vistas. We stopped at all of them although I didn't get out to see the last one as Henry had fallen asleep and I didn't want to drag him out of the car when we were just going to get right back in it and continue driving. Sightseeing wears this little guy out. I did learn that hoodoos are more abundant in Bryce Canyon than anywhere else in the world. I hope this means it is listed in that book "1000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List" so I can check off one more item and reduce the pressure I've felt to travel since I received that book from my friend last Christmas. Hoodoos are gorgeous. There were a surprising number of foreigners vacationing in southern Utah. Who knew? A bunch of little German girls spotted a chipmunk and I was able to get a shot of the bugger before he scampered off the trail and over the cliff. (Presumably, he knew where he was going and didn't, um, unexpectedly perish.)We ended our day with a trip to the closest town to stock up on supplies. Living in Portland we are quite spoiled. I am a walk away from New Seasons, where I can buy any number of tasty, organic items and there is a huge selection of fruits and vegetables. And if they don't have what I need, Zupan's is just across the river. Here, in the land called Brian Head, there is one country store called Apple Annie's. To be fair there is food there but it's the kind of food (think Twinkies) that might survive a nuclear blast. The vegetables were limited to onions and tomatoes. It's difficult to make Henry a meal out of that. So today when we landed at what appeared to be a regular old grocery store, I went through it like a mad woman. What will Henry be eating the rest of the week? Pear and apple sauce, bananas, blueberries, string cheese, cheddar cheese, potatoes, yams, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, and perhaps some spaghetti noodles. Ann and I will share some of those things and have beer. Mmm beer.

Planes, rental cars, and mobile baby

We're blogging at ya from the great state of Utah, home of the Rocky Mountain Elk and where the television series "Touched by an Angel" was filmed. I'd like to begin this post by extending a hearty thank you to one Monsieur Henry for his outstanding plane behavior today. He was a flying dream baby. It all began when we arrived at the airport. Henry was so enthralled by the swarms of people he did nothing more than stare at the masses while I checked in for the flight, obtained our boarding pass, dropped off the one bag we were checking, went through security, and walked to the gate.

While I admit I haven't been flying recently, I was surprised when the crew starting admitting passengers before giving parents of wee ones time to board. Upon further inquiry I learned that Delta no longer offers early boarding for parents. I was disappointed - aren't these types of perks one of the reasons you have kids? - but we still made it onto the plane and into our seats without too much fuss. Henry nursed during take-off and was asleep before the wheels left the earth. We received little attention from any of the passing staff. (I did use my Hooter Hiders but when Henry pulled it away from his face so he could see, I did not cover him up again, although my bahoobies were well hidden.) The two folks who did notice Henry were grandparents sitting behind us who Henry easily charmed with his good nature (the two minutes they saw of it before he fell into a deep slumber). As Henry was still sleeping when we made our descent into Salt Lake City - factoid: It was originally named Great Salt Lake City, but the great was dropped from the name in 1868 - I popped a binky into his mouth to help relieve pressure in his baby ears. It must have worked as we didn't hear a peep out of him until we were on the ground and taxiing toward the terminal. After a grueling four hour drive we reached our destination. We settled into our hotel, letting Henry crawl all over the place and get into nearly everything and then headed out for a quick drive to the local store, stopping along the way to stare at the awesomeness that is Cedar Breaks National Monument: North view.
A nice cleansing rain just fell outside, which should do wonders to cool us off from a rather uncomfortably warm day. The bad news: The cold I caught from Henry earlier this week seems to have morphed me into an almost-completely closed throat, stinging eyes and running nose ball of sickness . And Ann, our gracious travel companion, was bit by a native creature on the top of her foot and now her foot is going numb. Assuming we all make it to tomorrow there will be more updates to follow. Oh, and to our husbands (that's one for me and one for Ann, lest ye be confused given our current location) the cell service is for $*&@ here but we'll call when we can.

Joining Blogger

Is 280 days old too young to start blogging?

I think not.

Bags are packed!

I managed to pack seven days worth of clothing for both myself and Henry, one Peanut Shell sling, the first season of The Sopranos, three cds, diaper wipes, toiletries, one swaddling blanket, and two books (one board book for Henry, one recommended reading book for me) into one medium-sized backpack that's slightly bigger than our smallest cat Miss Mabel McMabelson (see pic at left). My carry-ons include one diaper bag and one camera bag. In said diaper bag is my laptop, which I've decided I just cannot leave behind. Do you have any idea how far behind I'll get with Blog 365 if I don't have it with me? (Answer: Seven days. Yikes.) I also have six diapers, wipes, changing mat, several toys, a board book (Funny Farm - Henry highly recommends it), food, sunglasses, mini blanket, and Henry's passport. We decided it would be a bad idea to attempt to board the plane with Henry's silverware. Those plastic-tipped Gerber spoons for infants just scream nefarious schemes in play. So those are tucked in the backpack that will be checked. With an early flight and long drive ahead of us, it's time for me to try to get some sleep. Sweet. Darr and I just checked and we are going to drive through the town where Brigham Young is located. It might be time for a collegiate sweatshirt purchase for the little one. I'll also be on the lookout for anything resembling this.

Visible liquor

After spotting Henry checking out the liquor bottles on the counter...

Me: Henry, if you're going to drink our liquor, remember these two things. Don't empty the bottle. And don't fill it up with water.

Darren: Yeah, the first is rude, the second is sacrilege.


In our house, it's never too late to start the conversation.

Baby Vacation Prep: Flying

Monsieur Henry and I are leaving Portland this coming Friday for southern Utah so the trip plans are under way. Lists galore are needed to ensure that everything is considered, categorized, packed, and taken to the airport. I wasn't sure what the current rules were for traveling on an airplane with liquids and such so I contacted Delta's customer service this evening. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi. I'm traveling with a nine month old baby and was wondering if I could bring puréed food for him for the flight?

Customer Service Rep (CSR): Hold, please.

<insert musical interlude here>

CSR: Yes. Food and milk is not restricted to the 3oz. rule. You may bring both but you need to advise the workers at the security checkpoint.

Me: We're breastfeeding. Is there a problem with that?

CSR: Hold, please.

<insert musical interlude here>

CSR: From what I can see, the milk has to be in a bottle but it is not subject to the 3oz. rule.

Me: It needs to be in a bottle?

CSR: Yes.

Me: Are you sure?

CSR: Yes, the milk needs to be in a bottle.

Me: OK. Thank you.

It occurs to me that I have never actually fed Henry with a bottle. Why would I, I'm breastfeeding him, which in its very essence negates the need for a bottle. So I did some fact checking. If there is going to be a scene on the plane because Henry gets spastic and I go to shut him up with my boob, I want to know what my rights are.

Oregon currently has three specific breastfeeding laws on the books:

• Or. Rev. Stat. § 109.001 (1999) allows a woman to breastfeed in a public place. (SB 744)
• Or. Rev. Stat. § 10.050 (1999) excuses a woman from acting as a juror if the woman is breastfeeding a child. (SB 1304)
• Or. Rev. Stat. § 653.075, §653.077 and §653.256 (2007) allow women to have unpaid 30 minute breaks during each four hour shift to breastfeed or pump. (H.B. 2372)

Utah has two:

• Utah Code Ann. § 17-15-25 (1995) states that city and county governing bodies may not inhibit a woman's right to breastfeed in public.
• Utah Code Ann. § 76-10-1229.5 (1995) states that a breastfeeding woman is not in violation of any obscene or indecent exposure laws. (H.B. 262)

And just when I think I'm covered, I start to wonder if a plane is a public place. Anyone?

McCain Vogue

1000

This entry marks our 1000th post. Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" is running through my head. The best part of blogging for me? The record we're creating of our life. An added bonus is that it makes writing the Christmas newsletter a breeze.

Many of the writers of the blogs I read, most of them moms, eventually post about their concerns about writing so much of their lives online. Who doesn't worry about this? It doesn't matter so much now but what if later, when Henry is a bit older, he's embarrassed that so much of his little life was shared with anyone who stumbled upon our blog? For me, posting the pictures and writing about his daily doings is a way to memorialize his babyhood so that I don't forget. When Henry has a voice that can form more coherent sentiments, I'll respect his requests to be left off the blog if that is his wish. But for now, expect more of the same from us folks at Life at the condo.

Slow growing

Darr and I were shocked - Shocked, I say! - when we went to the doc's office for Henry's ninth month checkup. Here's why:

Weight: 16.08 lbs / 5%
Height: 28.25 in / 60%
Head Circumference: 17.25 in / 25%

We've been advised to have this kid eating at all hours. Our doc did specify we shouldn't ply him with burgers and fries to get the weight on him, although what's the harm in a few glorious fries, eh? But she did recommend oatmeal more than once a day and yogurt, which I promptly purchased on the way home. I am pleased to report that, despite a wee bit o' spit up, Henry appeared to enjoy the blueberry yogurt and was all over the string cheese. We've been asked to bring him back in a month to ensure the dietary changes are having the desired affect (read: heavier baby).

Henry was quite the charmer, reaching for Doc's hands and face and baby babbling the entire time, including when she was trying to speak to us about his stats. This lead her to proclaim "He's very social! He probably doesn't have any stranger anxiety." He does, of course. We've determined he just likes professional ladies.

Visual representation of last night's dinner post

Bacon 1

Bacon 2

Wordle takes your words and creates art. The more you use a word, the larger it appears. Many thanks to Ms. Prata for sharing.

Redefining exploited worker

Mr. Gramm said that the former chief executive of AT&T, Ed Whitacre, was “probably the most exploited worker in American history” since he received only a $158 million pay package rather than the “billions” he deserved for his success in growing Southwestern Bell.

If that's what it means to be an exploited worker, sign me up.

Backyard bacon dinner

That's right. Bacon dinner. It was the featured menu item and, really, is there any better ingredient than bacon? Seriously, I challenge ye. The inspired dinner plan was created by none other than culinary goddess Ms. A (of McMiller PDX fame). Bacon abounded - from the grilled bacon-wrapped, goat cheese stuffed peaches, to the grilled prosciutto and cheese pizza, and the grilled bacon-wrapped rosemary trout - it was all bacon, all the time. I think we know what we're going to get these folks for Christmas. And, yes, it was all grilled. The McMillers are in the midst of a kitchen renovation so tonight's dinner was done on the barbecue. Throw another shrimp on the bar-b*? No, throw on some bacon. Mmmm.

Truth be told, Henry was more than a little out of sorts and his rather obnoxious, no-afternoon-nap behavior not only made his parents bad conversationalists - I find it damn near impossible to concentrate on anything when the baby is upset, you? - but it eventually rubbed off on Ms. Erin Beatrix, who was completely nonplussed. Sure, the two little tots have known each other since day one (for Henry) and three (for Ms. E.B.) but they still don't see each other that much (this will change when Henry joins Ms. E.B. at daycare) and Henry was all up in her business, playing with her toys, diving unexpectedly into her pool, and even accidentally-on-purpose groping her in the chest region.

As expected Henry was asleep by the time we arrived home and I was able to successfully transfer him from the car seat in the back of the Mini to his crib where he is still currently snoozing. This, I assure you, is no easy feat. Per usual, we were snap happy parents and got some pictures to record the evening's festivities. Many thanks to the McMillers for another delicious meal. We owe you one.



*I totally googled this to see how it was spelled. "Barbie" seems wrong unless I'm actually cooking things on those little anatomically wrong dolls made of plastic. "Bar-bee" seems weird. Is it a bee in a bar? I don't know. So I went with bar-b. What do you think?

Month Nine

Dear Henry,

Nine. That's three quarters of the year. (It's never too early to start learning about fractions, son.) You are nine months old and so grown up already. I know it won't be long before you're asking for the keys to the car. If you drive like your father, you're welcome to them. If you drive like me, you won't see car keys until you graduate from college.
It took us a little longer than expected but we have finally placed you in your crib in your room at night. This does not mean we no longer cosleep because inevitably you wake up and refuse to go back to sleep until you are cuddled beside us - we are softies who give in without too much fuss. But at least you start the evening in your bed. You wiggle quite a bit while you sleep. And you have this habit of flipping onto your stomach and shimmying up until your head bonks into the headboard. Lately, getting you to sleep has been a challenge. You know you are tired. We know you are tired. And yet it is nearly impossible to get you to fall asleep. So we've had to resort to swaddling and your dad reads you Proust. Some day you are going to have this incredible urge for madeleines and you will not be able to resume life until you satisfy this craving. Thank your father. Madeleines are not to be missed.
Your little fingers are continuing to work on grasping things. You usually reach for your Hippie-Os (our organic version of Cheerios minus the high fructose corn syrup) with your left hand but to get the O in your mouth you require the assistance of your right hand. So, you might be left-handed, you could be right-handed, or you just might be one of those ambidextrous fellows. On the food front you are eating more and more each day. We are combining all sorts of things - leeks, sole, cheddar cheese, parsnips - and you are a gracious diner trying everything. I'm enjoying your culinary prowess for now even while knowing it will most likely end. As a former picky eater myself, I'll be happy to serve you peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch every day when the time comes that you can eat peanut butter. Drinking from a cup is problematic. You don't want to tip your head back far enough to get any water. Plus, you're a little jerky from excitement when any cup approaches the vicinity of your mouth. Add that with grabby baby hands and you've got either no water at all or too much water, which ends in a choking, sputtering mess o' baby. But we're working on it. It's easiest to do so in the bath as there is already a ton of water around you and your nakedness means no sopping wet clothes when we're through with the day's drinking practice.
We have finished our first session of swimming lessons. To be frank, it went from OK to not OK to worse to really, really bad. You do not appreciate being dunked underwater. At our last class you clung to me with the most ferocious grip ever used by a human, which made it all the more difficult to pry you away from me long enough to hand you over to the swim instructor who dunked you a total of four times. Four times. Passersby probably thought your world was ending the way you were howling. I have been told that I should sign you up for more classes, that you'll eventually get used to it and perhaps even like it. You are super cute in your purple swim trunks. And we do have fun in the locker room stuffing you into lockers before and after class. Maybe we'll just go and do that for half an hour every Tuesday afternoon.
It's a good thing that the saying isn't "Curiosity killed the baby," because you are into everything. You especially like the dog bowls. You make a beeline for them whenever you leave the living room. Oftentimes, when you journey away from your parents, you do so using aptly named baby steps. Scoot. Scoot. Scoot. And then you look back to make sure we are both paying attention and getting ready to follow before continuing on your way. You enjoy examining the contents of cupboards, something I let you do when I'm trying to cook dinner. The mobility is on the rise and with it has come new things like wanting to stand in your highchair while eating. And rolling over when getting your diaper changed. And crawling away when it is time to change your clothes. All this means your parents are quite frequently exhausted. I'm not sure where all of your energy comes from but I'd like to tap into that source if I could, please.
This next month is the last month before school starts and it makes me infinitely sad. Sad because I will no longer be the one to drop you off at daycare or pick you up at night. Sad because my time will be consumed with reading and studying and learning all things lawyerly. I am hopeful we will be able to find the right balance. So that you have as much mom time as you need. You are only going to become more fantastically wonderful. And I don't want to miss a second of it.

Love,
Mom

Word Genius!

This is another HULU find. It's got a sort of a Kevin Smith vibe. (Clerks, Jay & Silent Bob, Chasing Amy)

Best Obama New Yorker Cover Quote

Best quote ever!!

Barack Obama should in no way be upset about the cartoon that depicts him as a Muslim extremist, because you know who gets upset about cartoons? Muslim extremists.

--Jon Stewart

Watch the clip here, especially the man-on-the-street.

Priceless

In the opener: The cost of living skyrockets, but death remains surprisingly affordable.

Law blog up and running

Who knows how long this will last once school begins, eh?

Industrious child

This is not a post about my child. Nay, it is about some industrious girl living in the burbs who I'd say is probably trying to earn cash to go to band camp or space camp or some camp that guarantees access to a high quantity of nerdy folk. Last night, after returning from a visit from our friends who live in the area we found a piece of paper stuck in Brother Nick's front door. Since it was just folded over I thought it might be a note for us housesitters. Probably something that would read: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE GLYNNS? WE'RE WATCHING YOU. THE POLICE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED.

Instead, much to my delight and surprise, we got this:

Just you, your Beloved...and the kids
There's a time and a place for family bonding but not with reservations at a nice restaurant for two.

Tests have shown that time to yourself is important for a young growing family. For times like these you need a babysitter.
However, where are you going to find one for a reasonable price?

I'm Nicky*, 14 years old, certified babysitter; and ready to help
<insert phone numbers for home and cell here>
I can come to watch, care, and entertain you children. Did I happen to mention to feed them too!

I particularly love the "tests have shown" part. This girl is truly a gem and if she wouldn't mind hauling her butt out to Sellwood for a night every now and then I'd hire her. (After meeting her parents, of course.) Which brings me to this thought...does anyone know anyone in the Portland metro area of babysitting age? I need to make me some reservations at a nice restaurant for two.



*Name has been changed and partially omitted to protect her identity

A Swim Story

Today was my last day of swim class and the first day I ever got stuffed into a locker so, yeah, it was a pretty busy day.

The pool where I go has gents and ladies. Can I get a "woot! woot!"

Mostly I cling to my mom like I'm about to sink with the Titanic and she's the last life preserver.

I don't so much appreciate being handed off to Ryan the swim instructor for these underwater journeys. I started out sort of liking it but have now decided I definitely prefer to be above water. On dry land. With Ryan the swim instructor nowhere in the vicinity.

But at the end of the day I still get to wear purple swimming trunks while my mom sings "You are too sexy for your swim trunks. Your little purple swim trunks. You're going swimming."

Obama has Aides

There is this great South Park Episode "Jared Has Aides" lampooning the guy who did all of those commercials about losing weight while eating (strictly) at Subway. In case it's not obvious, Jared goes around telling people that it wasn't eating Subway that caused him to lose all the weight, it was the help he had from his dietitian, personal trainer, etc. You know, aides.

Traveling the country recommending that to lose weight, people should just "get aides": not advised. And perhaps it's not the best idea for a comedy show either, but Matt & Trey can make 22 minutes of hilariousness about this. They are that good.

Anyway, South Park rarely leaves an opportunity to poke fun at itself sitting on the table, and at the end of the episode they unveil a monument celebrating the fact that, after 22.3 years, AIDS is finally funny. Or at least, you can make a joke about it.

I thought of this because the NYTimes has an article today about the difficulty late night (white) comedy hosts have making jokes about Barack Obama. Work harder fellows! It can (and must!) be done:

“There’s been this question about whether he’s black enough. What does he have to do? Dunk? He bowled a 37 — to me, that’s black enough.”

-- The irrepressible and irreplaceable Bill Maher

The burbs

This week Life at the condo is coming at ya from the burbs. We figured it was high time we extended our house and pet sitting skills to Brother Nick and his wife, Megan, since they are always more than happy to care for our pets while we're away. (They are celebrating their third anniversary down at the coast.) So, yes, as I type this post these are the things I note:

• Brother Nick and Megan have a fairly large backyard
• They live in a neighborhood with rows of streets filled with houses
• I can see some of the backs of those houses from where I sit
• I cannot hear the distant din of the freeway like I can back home
• There is no dog park within walking distance
• I cannot see a river from any of the windows
• Their house is huge
• I can see one cat (Tessa) but she doesn't take too kindly to strangers
• Brother Nick has all sorts of electronic games (playstation, wii, etc.)
• And he has a GINORMOUS t.v. on which to play them
• Autzen, their German Shepherd Dog, is much younger than Beauty the wonder dog
• Henry seems quite comfortable sleeping in Miss Amels's rocking swing

We are slaves to our own desires

This is a very interesting article about how habits are formed, intentionally or otherwise. I saw myself in this quote:

“If you regularly eat chips while sitting on the couch, after a while, seeing the couch will automatically prompt you to reach for the Doritos. These associations are sometimes so strong that you have to replace the couch with a wooden chair for a diet to succeed.”

You know those Carl's Jr. commercials that intone "burger, fries, coke" over and over? I'm "couch, tv, chips"; "dinner, candy"; "beer, nuts"; "wine, chocolate". Sigh.

Hulu is grand

A while ago we discovered the wonderful hulu.com to feed our Battlestar Gallactica fix. Pursuing the list of shows I saw Hill Street Blues which I must confess, television wise, history wise, and otherwise was interesting in the extremeis. (Those above the age of 40 might recognize who I'm channeling in that last sentence.) Anyway, I wanted to share this:

Belker: "...You gotta get straight. You gotta put yourself back in reality."
Captain Freedom: "What is reality, Mick? Ever seen the nucleus of an atom? Yet the existence of the entire universe depends on it. You ever touch the human soul? Yet it drives you more strongly then any muscle in your body. We step in and out of reality at every instant of our lives and yet we persist in reducing everything that we see to bland and secure terms. A single fly is capable of laying more than twenty million eggs. Leo Tolstoy pulled "War and Peace" from the nothingness of pure thought. The gold in your teeth was manufactured in an interior of an exploding star. What is reality? Who governs it? What are the rules? Who is to say that at this very moment I and everything around you are nothing but the creation of your own cosmic dreams."
Belker: "Yeah."
Captain Freedom: "Actually my goal is to have a sandwich named after me."

Any other hulu gems you've found?

Sunday meme

Since Blogger now allows you to schedule future posts, I'm going to take care of Sunday's post a wee bit early. There is a small chance we'll make our way to the beach tomorrow and if we do get there, I imagine I'll be too tired to write anything once home. Many thanks to Megan over at Casa de TiVo for the meme. The rules are you respond to each question with a single word and that word cannot be used as an answer more than once.

1. Where is your cell phone? counter
2. Your significant other? bed
3. Your hair? clean
4. Your mother? babysitting
5. Your father? asleep
6. Your favorite time of day? morning
7. Your dream last night? forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream goal? graduate
10. The room you’re in? bedroom
11. Your ex? somewhere
12. Your fear? condiments
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? bench
14. What you are not? conservative
15. Your Favorite meal? stew
16. One of your wish list items? socks
17. The last thing you did? blogged
18. Where you grew up? Newberg
19. What are you wearing? pajamas
20. Your TV is? small
21. Your pets? adored
22. Your computer? nearby
23. Your life? fantastic
24. Your mood? great
25. Missing someone? nope
26. Your car? mini
27. Something you’re not wearing? watch
28. Favorite store? amazon
29. Your summer? speedy
30. Your favorite color? blue
31. When is the last time you laughed? afternoon
32. When is the last time you cried? unsure
33. Your health? okay
34. Your children? snoozing
35. Your future? set
36. Your beliefs? atheist
37. Young or old? neither
38. Your image? skewed
39. Your appearance? disheveled
40. Would you live your life over again knowing what you know? absolutely

I miss Hillary, too.

NEW YORK - I miss Hillary.
By Beth Fouhy, Associated Press Writer

While covering the New York senator's White House bid for 18 often-exasperating months, I never imagined writing those words. But now that she's gone, I miss Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Puzzling, infuriating, electrifying Hillary.

I miss her story: the former first lady, freighted with baggage, trying to return to the White House in her own right. I miss watching her morph from entitled, inevitable nominee to scrappy underdog and how much better a candidate she became with her back against the wall.

I miss having a woman in the race and the excitement so many women felt at the prospect of electing the first female president. I miss seeing those women on the rope line at Hillary's campaign events, embracing and whispering to her as though she were their long-lost girlfriend.

I miss watching her shift her views to suit the fast-changing political environment. How her awkward squirm through questions about her vote to authorize the Iraq war gave way to whiskey-swilling populism as the economy went south.

I miss the debates. Hillary amid a group of men, her jewel-toned pantsuits vivid in a sea of gray, navy and cordovan.

I miss wondering which Hillary would show up on a given day.

Would it be angry Hillary, scoffing "Shame on you, Barack Obama"? Would it be self-consciously easygoing Hillary, trying to deflect skeptical questions with a belly laugh? Would it be valedictorian Hillary, primly showing off her knowledge of issues in encyclopedic detail? Or would it be empathic Hillary, hugging voters who shared their stories of medical challenges and lost jobs?

I miss Amy Poehler's wide-eyed, smug impersonation of Hillary on "Saturday Night Live."

I miss the raging arguments over the allegedly sexist treatment Hillary received from the political press corps. Whether true or not, it was a soul-searching debate worth having.

I miss the drama, which comes in such abundance around the Clintons.

Hillary's tall tale of dodging sniper fire in Bosnia. Bill Clinton's purple-faced rages — his political skills, once legendary, finally showing their age. Chelsea Clinton campaigning for her mother, cutting off questions about Monica Lewinsky with an icy glare.

Most of all, I miss the historic nature of the primary: The most serious female candidate ever to seek the presidency competing with Barack Obama, the most viable black contender. Watching two boundary-breaking figures vying for the hearts, minds and votes of the Democratic electorate was both riveting and moving.

Part of the letdown is personal. I logged thousands of miles on her campaign plane from the day after Christmas until she dropped out in early June, so I was privileged to watch the race play out across the country in real time.

And part of my disillusionment comes from watching the two "unconventional" nominees, Obama and Republican John McCain, behave like garden variety politicians.

Both candidates have changed their positions on a host of key issues despite promises of principled stands and straight talk. Their staffs hold dueling media calls and fill reporters' inboxes with e-mail spitballs.

Sure, Hillary and her crew were guilty of the same. But now she's gone and I miss her.

Yes, I know the fall campaign will still prove to be compelling — Obama's message of hope and generational change against McCain's sense of honor and duty.

Right now they're mostly shadow boxing, settling in for the real battle to come. And it's summer, the slow period before both parties hold their conventions. The millions of voters who drove primary participation to record levels are certainly entitled to a little time off.

But no matter what, I still miss Hillary.

--------------
Note: I just read somewhere that Obama is considering Chuck Hagel, a Republican, as a potential VP candidate. A Republican. Wtf?

Tan's bridal shower

For the one real shower game we played, I emailed the groom-to-be a list of questions prior to the shower. It was Tan's job to answer each question and for the guests to guess if she would answer correctly. The guest who got the most answers right won the prize. The list of questions I chose to ask are as follows. (The answers will be known only to those who were present at the shower.)

1. What's your least favorite dish Tan has made for you?
2. What type of deodorant do you wear?
3. What is your favorite romantic comedy? (This question is asked under the assumption that you have seen several romantic comedies with Tanya and is not meant to imply you watch these types of movies by yourself.)
4. Do you eat steak? If yes, what is your preferred cut and how do you like it prepared?
5. Are you registered to vote? If so, are you registered with a specific party or as in independent?
6. Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
7. Since leaving your parents' house have you ever taken your laundry back for your mother to wash for you?
8. Did you have your own pet growing up? If so, what type of pet was it and what was its name?
9. Which of Tan's body parts is your favorite?
10. Have you ever left the house without any underwear on? If so, why?

Note: The groom-to-be accurately predicted all but one of his bride's-to-be answers. The bride's-to-be score was 4/10.

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--posted by Henry

Did I forget anything?

Tomorrow I'm hosting a bridal shower for my best friend who is getting married this fall in Hawaii. It's still up in the air whether or not I will attend. On the one hand, she's my best friend how could I not go? On the other, it's my first year of law school and while many have said it can be done, none of those folks have been starting their first year of law school with a kid just shy of his first birthday. I can't tell you how many people have said the first year at law school is the most HELLISH year someone can withstand. (Incidentally, the BAR earns top notch for being the most HELLISH exam you can take.) I take some comfort in the fact that the school I am attending has more of a cooperative atmosphere than you'd likely find at the Ivy League schools (read: I'm jealous I didn't get into any of those schools but since I didn't apply, we'll never know). Tales of having books in the library purposefully misplaced so that students who need them can't find them are plentiful. As are group members conveniently forgetting to pass along information gathered that might help you.

All that to say, that I'm currently in the process of completing last minute cleaning and preparing for tomorrow's luncheon. The details are as follows:

Menu
French dips au jus
Assorted chips (the bride's-to-be favorite is barbecue)
Fruit salad
Caprese salad
Cake

Refreshments
Sour apple martinis (the bride's-to-be signature drink)
Wine
Water (consumed for the sole purpose of staying hydrated)

There will be many ladies, gifts galore, lots o' food, plentiful drinks, music and mayhem. All in one afternoon sans kids. Woohoo! Many thanks in advance to my husband who has agreed (read: was volunteered by me) to take Monsieur Henry away for the afternoon whilst I host the event.

Upgrades

2 GB RAM $200
external hard drive $139
keyboard $49
wireless mouse $69

Reading lists

Primary reading list:

1. Law School Without Fear
2. One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School
3. A Civil Action
4. A Time to Kill
5. Verdict
6. High Albania: A Victorian Traveller's Balkan Odyssey
7. Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About the American Legal System
8. An Introduction to Legal Reasoning

Secondary reading list (not including recommended books on Supreme Court Justices (of which there are nine), fiction, and the intro to the study of law):

1. American Law in the 20th Century
2. The Spirit of American Law
3. The Life of the Law: Readings on the Growth of Legal Institutions
4. American Lawyers
5. Stewards of Democracy: Law as a Public Profession
6. Legal Culture and the Legal Profession
7. A Nation Under Lawyers: How the Crisis in the Legal Profession is TransformingAmerican Society
8. Lawyers' Ideals/Lawyers' Practices: Transformations in the American Legal Profession
9. In the Interests of Justice: Reforming the Legal Profession
10. Cause Lawyers and Social Movements
11. Introduction to the Law of the United States
12. An Introduction to Law and Legal Reasoning
13. The Nature of the Judicial Process
14. An Introduction to Legal Reasoning
15. Thinking Like a Lawyer: An Introduction to Legal Reasoning
16. An Introduction to the Legal System of the United States
17. American Law: An Introduction

Entertainment reading list (to be finished by Monday when the first shipment of law books arrive):
The Assault on Reason
God it Not Great
The Audacity of Hope
Raising Cain
The Discipline Book
Cell

A Room Story

Today my parents moved me into my very own room. It's been my room for a while but they finally put my bed in there. I like to hang onto the crib bars. Mom says my form is that of a dancer.
I was glad to see that Cow got to come too. I like Cow. When I pull Cow's tail, music plays but when I pull the cats' tails, no music plays. I find this odd.
My mom and pops even bought Beauty the wonder dog a new bed so she could sleep in my room with me. It'll be hard to be scared of the dark with a big dog nearby. I think Beauty likes her new bed but she often masks her excitement.I was glad to be reunited with Bartleby Penguin. Even though our video shoot was cold in the arctic, I really like that guy.We are both small enough to fit on my Adirondack chair and we have a lot of fun playing together. He's goofy, that penguin.But before bedtime it's good to wind down so I read a book to Bartleby before getting some shut-eye.

Where in the hell is Matt?

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

More of the same

I'm having a hard time reconciling Obama's latest vote on the FISA bill. I can't understand why, when the majority of the people in the country are clamoring for change, the Democrats unite to hand Bush what he has been asking for - greater latitude for the government to eavesdrop on people (the caveat is that they are "suspected of links to terrorism" - a rather broad and undefined description that can be tweaked to include basically everyone) and providing the phone companies with legal immunity.

Ugh.

UPDATE - 4:18pm
I swear I just heard on the Randi Rhodes show someone say that Hillary also voted Yea. She did not. Want to call Obama to let him know your thoughts? His presidential campaign number is (866) 675-2008.

Boxes of my stuff

Yeah, I just can't think of a more intriguing title to kick off a post about old boxes of my stuff my parents brought back for me when visiting from Montana than "boxes of stuff". Let's overlook the Milli Vanilli tape - not 8-track, mind you - and the Sweet Valley High books (circa junior high) and be thankful that after many, many years of hanging around the condo nearly naked Orange Blossom's outfit has finally been returned.

Before her clothing was returned, Ms. Blossom sported green and white tights, purple shoes, and a red cape with lace trim.

Now she's festive and bright in her orange and yellow skirt and shawl with matching hat.

Yippee! A new keyboard

I recently posted about the lack of space on my current laptop (a.k.a. Molly). I went to the Apple store today to purchase an external hard drive and more RAM. We figured out how to proceed and it basically entails moving our photos to the external drive for safekeeping. (There's a bit more to it but that is the biggest part of the process.) While there I started looking around at all of the beautiful things. School will be starting soon and it occurred to me that now was an opportune time to apply feng shui to my study area to ensure success. And let's face it, nothing says "successful student" like a brand new, ultra thin, highly mod Apple keyboard. I stopped short of bringing home a new Apple cinema display but it was very, very, very hard to do so. Someday, it will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine. But for now, I've got a shiny toy with that new keyboard smell.

They needed a study?

"Evidence shows that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly is unlikely to pose any significant risk to morale, good order, discipline or cohesion."

Study conduced by four retired military officers regarding Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" law.

It's 10:40 P.M. Do you know where your kid is?

Because ours is in the living room conspicuously not sleeping.

Gas price memories

I have a vague memory of a time when asking the gas station attendant for $5 worth of gas meant you could get enough gas to drive around for another week without worrying about emptying the tank. Two weeks ago we got a loaner Mini while Sophie was getting some work done - power steering went out - and being the cheapskate that I can sometimes be, I didn't want to return the car to the dealership with a full tank of gas, particularly not after learning it wasn't full when we picked it up. So, I'm driving around and the stupid light comes on to inform me the tank is running low and I stop at a gas station and ask for $5 worth of gas. For a brief moment I had forgotten that we're nearly paying $5 per gallon. And then I have to calculate if that will be enough for the remaining driving I have to do before returning the car. <sigh>

Independence Day

Huck Finn woke up early on his first Independence Day. For breakfast he had scrambled egg, oatmeal, and pureed fruit trio (mango, nectarines, and bananas). Then there was a spirited round of playtime. We hung out in his room, read books, played with some toys, and eventually got dressed. After a quick trip to the store for some baby treats, we returned home and Henry went down for his nap. This nap turned out to be a long one, approximately three hours, and when he woke up, Huck and his pops had to head out for a barbecue at Aunt Jyla and Uncle Bobby's house. (I stayed home 'cuz I am still fighting a cold. Drat.) I did convince Darr to take along the camera, though, to get some shots while they were away.

Henry eating cucumber.

Mr. Delano looking cute.

The menfolk arrived back home in time to catch the fireworks. Henry loved the loud sounds and bright lights. We had a pretty good show from our patio. I don't think I can describe what it was like to look at his tiny little face in the darkness, the way the lights from the fireworks danced on his features and shone in his eyes. He was so taken with the experience. Next year we'll definitely be handing him a sparkler or something. And I'll learn how to take a decent night photo so I can try and capture that expression.

Around the world

So I met this girl, Trina, a few years ago when I got a job in Tigard - she was the company's marketing genius - and tomorrow she is embarking with her husband for a year-long journey around the world. They are going to:

Ireland
Norway
Lithuania
Poland
Czech Republic
Hungary
Austria
Germany
Turkey
Hawaii
Malaysia
Vietnam
Laos
Cambodia
Thailand
India
Kenya
Egypt
Greece
Mexico

While I'm envious of such a trip, I'm also sure the marriage Darr and I currently enjoy would not last outside the country for that length of time, although we are fond of the idea of moving for a year to one specific location - like Tuscany, Italy. Or maybe London. How does one go about planning for such an adventure? If you own a home, do you sell it before you go? Do you rent it? What do you do with your pets? Jobs? Where's the best place to start researching the requirements that must be met in order to work outside the country? Will we need visas?

Anyway, Trina and Ron have their own blog where they'll be sharing their experiences if you're interested in what it would be like to completely uproot yourself and head out into the world.

FISA bill & more

Obama fans, care to comment? And expanding Bush's faith-based initiatives? Seriously?

<grumble, grumble>

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

From The Onion

Sad thing: I couldn't laugh. Just too true.

How do you say it?

The word: CRAYON

Christie: Cran

Darren: Cray-on

New month, new banner - just under the wire

Phew! Barely made this one in time. Many thanks to Darr for helping assist me in banner construction. And by "assist" I mean he did nearly all of the work minus the typing of "life at the condo" and deciding photo placement.

Come again? Who is a terrorist?

Apparently, until yesterday, Nelson Mandela. And this was no unfortunate circumstance of two people having the same name, they put him on the terrorist watch list for fighting the South African government under apartheid. My god.

Space

I have nearly 40GB worth of photos on my computer right now. It's too soon to buy a new computer and it is unlikely that a new one would have much more space than my current laptop. (Molly's only a year and a half old.) So, Darr has done a bit o' research and told me what I need to do when I get to the Apple store - 1. Don't buy a new computer; B) Buy a new hard drive and ask them to show me how to archive the photos on the new drive; c. Don't purchase an iPhone as my current phone works fine. Still. Bastard phone.

I wouldn't be in this predicament if I could just bring myself to delete a picture every now and then. But I can't. 'Cuz once I delete it, it's gone. And I will never have another Henry again and he is so frickin' cute ALL of the time, even in his goofy moments, that the thought of missing even one bad photo of him breaks my heart. I hear, in the event you have a second child (or third, fourth, etc.) this trend lessens. I imagine by the fifth kid you no longer even bother owning a camera, but Henry may be our only kid - unless Darr can guarantee me a girl or give birth himself, and every moment is priceless even if it's blurry, the angle's all wrong, the shadow takes out half his face, he's a snot-rocket, etc.