notes from the commute

Have I mentioned that we commute with Middle two days a week? Yeah, he can't believe it either.
Anyway, we do. We arrive in town and K takes a train to his office and Middle and I walk down town about ten blocks. I am in love with this walking of the ten blocks. Middle? Well, some days he is sullen and "tired" and some days he is just a little chatty. Those days are pretty terrific as Middle has always been very quiet and I am eager to draw him out - but I'm getting off track here. What I really want to do is show you The Friday Morning Commute (read: walk) during which we played: Halloween? Or Just Freaky?



Hey, said Middle, is that ice?
He pointed to the shiny looking stuff on the sidewalk.



Is it ICE?



Shiny like ice, I slid my boot into it.
It was NOT ICE.
It was GLUE.
The walls of a construction site had been plastered with posters. It was a flour-y kind of glue.
It was kind of gross to slide my boot into.

Look at this great old bike.



We are going to try to figure out if it is abandoned. Not that we'd do anything about it - we are just wondering if someone rides it.



There's plenty o'grass available in the flower district. I've grown wheat grass like that - it comes up fast. I wonder how much it is to buy...



yes, the flower district is all kinds of Autumnal right now.



But, what about the PEOPLE? Are people celebrating Halloween in my neighborhood?



We aren't sure about this guy. He may just be wearing two different colored pant legs -IT'S HARD TO SAY.

Sidenote:



if you seek an incredibly embellished handbag, email me and I will give you the address of this place.

I think I see Halloween!



Orange socks with jack-o-lanterns qualify, don't they?



Will you look at that huge cement thing?



We have a quick debate. Is she dressed for the holiday or just a little freaky?
Just a little freaky wins.

There is no debate, though, about the baby, in his stroller, dressed as an astronaut. Or the tot in the superhero costume. Halloween wins!

We part at the corner near our favorite dining establishment:



America Gourmet Food. Oh, we've never eaten there. We just love the name of the place.
We left each other (and did our customary fist bump) and went about our business.
Middle has some invitations to some zombie events in town and I'll be answering the door and doling out candy.

Youngest is still somewhat interested in the festivities -



he's going as a hit-man from a video game (don't know who or which one).



Sometimes this hit-man wears a mask.
Don't ask me, I have no IDEA.

I wish you all a good weekend!

Survivor

People.
Did you know that Verne Troyer is Mini Me?
I didn't know that that was his actual name.
How did I learn this?
Today, when he was standing, below my sight line, in my office - awaiting an appointment with my boss!

Can I get beyond this unexpected turn of events and report seriously on last night's Survivor episode without joking?
Will I, in the future, google image search ANYONE AND EVERYONE, who requests 30 minutes with my employer?
I'm going to try.
But, people, do you REALIZE how small Verne Troyer IS?
Truly, he can be measured against the small table lamp resting upon my desk! He's no bigger than a minute...he is 2'8" tall!

Okay. I'm going to calm down now.
It's day 16 and things look soggy but tranquil at Foa Foa.
No one has been sent home.
Everyone looks filthy - well, their clothes do, and Bad Russell has a plan.

At Galu, they contemplate electing Shambo chief. Erik thinks it's a good idea and will aid them in betraying her. He tells her and she says they have to vote.
They vote her in.
Monica doesn't understand how it happened but Shambo wants to act with motivation and kindness. She will honestlyhonestlyhonestly try to not be bossy, she says.
Kevin Spacey is happy with this plan.

But there's a challenge!
The sun is out and Shambo tells Jeff she isn't surprised that she's been made the leader of her team.
The teams must play a Concentration type game wherein they uncover needed items and choose which ones to keep.
The winners will go on a boat picnic.

(How much weight would I lose if I were on Survivor? Would I be able to wear boy-shorts? How would I ever be able to not shower for all those days? - these are the things I contemplate during these boring challenges.)
Ho hum. Galu scores a point.
(No ones hair looks especially dirty. Why is that? I think not being able to eat wouldn't bother me especially.)
Galu scores again, but so does Foa Foa.
Time lapse!
It's 6 to 3 with Galu leading.
(Jeff has sweat marks on his shirt. I'm not good in the heat. Maybe I couldn't do Survivor.)
6 to 4. Galu need one more point.
Galu win reward.

Laura is sent to Foa Foa because there is no Exile Island this time around. She makes fast work of bonding with Bad Russell and he wastes no time bargaining with her to protect each other in the final three. He "works her" and she falls for it - he even tells her that Ben has the Immunity Idol.

The winners paddle out to a tall ship for their reward. They haul the sails up and set off for a cruise. I have to say, it looks pretty spectacular. The feast is brought out on to the deck and everyone eats stew and bread and scones. Kevin Spacey has a great time. Shambo thanks the Lord for the reward. Monica thanks Shambo for not sending her to the other camp.

At Foa Foa, Laura continues to bond with the opposing team. Liz is annoyed that Natalie is sitting around chatting with Laura instead of helping to get the fire started. Bad Russell thinks Natalie is smart to talk with Laura and that Liz is stupid to complain.

Challenge time!
For immunity the teams both tribes paddle into the water to retrieve puzzle pieces and then solve a puzzle on shore.
Does this sound boring?
Yes!
Foa Foa have left their Leadership Necklace back at camp as they think it's bad luck.
Is it?
Nope. Galu win again.
Bad Russell: These idiots might cost me a million dollars.

It's day 18. The female Foans are making fire and Bad Russell tells us how much he wants Jaison to go home. He tells Mick. Liz talks to Jaison, who is embarrassed and feels like dead weight.
Bad Russell talks to Liz about who should go and tells Liz it should be Jaison. She's thrilled it could be Jaison - because it's not her.

Time to vote!
Foa Foa have lost 8 challenges, one of the worst performances of any season!
Bad Russell is confident that no one can outwit him!
Liz trusts her team!
When is the damn merge?
There will only be four Foas left!
Who will they be?
Bad Russell, Natalie, that guy whose name I don't know, and Jaison.
Surprise!
Liz gets voted out!

some thoughts from Wednesday night

A while ago I heard on Oprah (gosh, I think I really can't stand Oprah) that women (why just women?) have the kind of skin that makes them become either Sinkers or Saggers, as in: some of us have faces that will wrinkle (sinkers) or droop (saggers). I am blessed with the latter. I am rapidly achieving Old Lady Neck and, as I pointed out to my fellow BlogHers in July, I already have a case of Old Lady Armpits (no, I'm not going to describe them).

I need to report that I purchased and absolutely love my Hunter Wellingtons. It's monsoon season, here in Tuvalu, and I've worn them for several days running whilst running, in fact, and they are comfortable and groovy looking and only sometimes a little sweaty on the calf area in the middle of the afternoon. I do, however, believe that they are really best worn with skirts and was not terribly comfortable with my pants tucked into them. Also, I do sometimes feel like The Queen when I wear them and there is nothing wrong with THAT.

I'm still pretty devoted to Sweettarts. I just went downstairs to see if I could score some from Middle (score!) and was successful. His stash was sitting on top of a lamp and was downright HOT from the light bulb. This made them melty good. On this front I need to report that my boyfriend, K, bought me the giant chewy kind, last weekend, and they are NOT the same thing. He's sweet though, isn't he?

My Jeep is leaking. My Jeep IS LEAKING! Do I hear a weekend project knocking? (It's the sunroof drains, clogged with leaves. Such a THING.)

Finally, my Gap camisoles with the underwires, which I love, are POKING ME. The wires have broken loose in two of them and I am very annoyed.

Okay. Going to bed now.

today I am

... reading French Feasts. An awfully nice looking book that would make a wonderful Christmas gift.

... listening to Lebanese Blonde, sent to me by Pandora. Liking it.

... watching The West Wing. Watching The West Wing the past few evenings has been somewhat instructional as I had to behave in a CJ Cregg manner just the other day and was brave enough to be informative without being emotional at work. Cryptic?! Why, yes!

... eating apples! Lots of apples!

... drinking champagne at work. Twice in a week!

... making tarte tatin and FAILING. Have I mentioned this? Am beginning to think I'm not a very good cook.

... waiting. Um. I don't think I'm waiting for anything.

... wondering what we're doing this weekend.

... hoping my FAOAunt is doing better today.

... thinking way too much. All the TIME. Gotta stop thinking so much.

Halloween

I'm not a great fan of Halloween.
I probably was when I was a kid, I did like dressing up, but, even when my boys were small and I spent hours on end making their costumes I don't think I was particularly thrilled.
And I'm not sure what I was doing on the Martha Stewart website last week but that's where I saw these:



according to a well-connected friend of mine, these photos are not new



which is not to say they aren't appalling -



this last one is even worse with the inclusion of the pie server, don't you think?
What?! I'm sure it's not sharp!



Okay. This one? Not so bad. Not as terrible. Less bad.
But who, WHO I ASK YOU, has a long white skirt like that AND a five month-old baby? (We are instructed to make the yarn "web" over one of our existing skirts.)

Once we move beyond the baby costumes (and I have never been sure WHY babies need to dress for Halloween) Martha does a much better job (IMO) with kid costumes.
She covers Red Riding Hood and royalty pretty well, but it's these contemporary costume concept ideas that I like very much...



who wouldn't want to be the wind? I do. I want to be THE WIND.

I would love to be Ice...



minus a few teeth and as a blond, of course.

I would even be a wave -



I love the ocean.

OR, I could just go as ME -



your bb.

notes from the commute

Each morning, minutes before people wander on to the 7:26 out of Tuvalu, a small team of workers walk through the train with shoulder bags. It is their job to pick up trash left by commuters. There are newspapers, coffee cups, stray papers lying about and these people have the task of clearing them away. I don't know how often that particular train goes back and forth to the city - it's possible that it makes the 30 minute trip five or six times before I get on it, but by the time I/we board it is littered with trash. Dozens of coffee cups (never completely empty), five or six newspapers, leaflets, and the occasional fast food bag can be found on seats and in the aisles. What does this trash team do? They each walk into the train at the far end and pick up the cups and papers near the door and then LEAVE. Their trash bags are not full, they seem to be in no hurry, and, worst of all, they seem not to check very many other cars.
One day, a couple of weeks ago, K and I got on the train and it was filthy. We noticed it just as the trash team was leaving. Incredulous, K went out to the platform and asked if they had "done" our car. Yes, they said, to which he replied: but there are coffee cups and newspapers everywhere! One of the team grudgingly came back into the car and picked up a cup here and there and two papers...and left. What burns my britches is that so many people in our town/city need work and these people seem not to care about their work. It's not even the kind of employment that one might argue is disgusting or demeaning. These people walk through the cars of an empty train, before anyone is there and pick up paper. The train is heated/cooled there is no heavy lifting, the trash is "clean trash," the workers wear gloves, people are not discourteous to them - and yet, they do a quarter of the job and walk away.
The very same thing happened on Friday. Middle and I had a hard time finding a place to sit without pushing trash onto the floor and the workers were just outside the car. While we talked about it another commuter said: I heard that last week someone from this train went and got one of them and made him come back to pick up. I told her that was K.
Now I think I need to speak to the Station Manager (who stands at the end of the platform looking very important). And I'm not a complainer - especially not HERE.
It makes me growly when people behave that way.
I don't think a Railroad Maintenance position is easy to secure and I have known other railroad workers and, if I remember correctly, they are nicely compensated and have terrific benefits.

I'll stop now.

Look who I saw on my way to work later that morning...




The leaves are turning in town! They have only just started near my house but in the park just beyond my office they are gold.

On my way home last night I was standing in the station waiting for them to call my train.
A blind man was wandering about 15 feet away from me and was shouting. He wasn't angry, I noticed, and went closer to hear what he was saying.
Am I still in McDonalds?
He was YARDS from McDonalds and had his cane and a soda in his hands.
Hello! You are NOT in McDonalds - do you want to be?
The station was, at peak commuting time, swarmed with people!
I would like to go to the waiting room.
I took his sleeve (he was wearing a very nice gray canvas jacket and the fabric was wonderfully heavy) and started to move through the crowd.
I loudly asked people to excuse us (people did not excuse us!) and moved him, with some speed, across the station (it's a big place!) and through the lines of people buying tickets.
He was very tall, taller than K and though I know that he should have held my arm as we walked, both of his hands were full so it was tricky navigating.
People aren't paying attention to me asking to let us come through, I told him.
You get used to that, he said quietly.
Finally, we got around the corner and arrived at the waiting room.
Would you like me to find you a seat?
No, I'd like you to find me the fella who works here.
And so I did.
I left him there, feeling a little goofy, and thanked him (see? goofy.) and rushed off for my train.
I wish he was shorter so we could have talked a little. He was too tall for me to hear clearly through the noise of the crowd.
But his jacket was wonderful.

10/25

Happy birthday to my very dearest love, K.

I love you ten and twenty five at the very least.

iChat

AIM IM with Middle
9:44 PM

bb: Slap a tail on me, shove a banana in my mouth, and call me George.

Middle: ?

bb: which is totally different than "put a bow on it and call it Christmas"*
and a line worth mentioning
it's from my favorite bad fashion blog gofugyourself.com

Middle: ah

bb: which you could look at once a month and smirk
and which is well written
Slap a tail on me, shove a banana in my mouth, and call me George.
it's good

Middle: it's good

bb: yep

Middle: these dslr video cameras... haunting me.

bb: oooh. that's not good. that sounds expensive

Middle: they keep getting cheaper

bb: ride it out!

Middle: but the ones that are worth it, are still expensive.

bb: stay on target!**
or choose a cheap one, slap a bow on it and call it christmas***

Middle: it bugs me a bit though, because i just bought a dslr (obviously).
the cheap ones aren't worth it

bb: see how we've come full circle here?

Middle: ?

bb: I'm doing a full circle hand motion now that you can't see****

Middle: uh huh

bb: interesting crap on Antiques Roadshow right now - nah, maybe not

Middle: ahha
woah
totally inverted laugh
anyway
i'm watching a thing on colors right now

bb: k
take care

Middle: lata




* I say this, with some frequency, when I feel we are finished with something.

**We use this Star Wars line often as well.

***See? There it is again.

****I had just told him about a friend at work who uses many hand gestures whilst speaking. Like a hula dancer. Maybe you had to be there. It was very Full Circle. With Hand Gestures. Trust me.

Survivor

People.
I need to do the short form tonight.

Galu is doing well - Shambo is the only thorn in their, um, bouquet.
Bad Russell is making enemies.
It's been raining.
Only five Foa Foa's are left - 14 Survivors all together and it's day 15.

Jaison is battling and shivering. Seven days and nights of rain have beaten him down.
Bad Russell sees it as a test that will weed out the week while it makes him stronger.

Mom tells us that she saw a commercial wherein something bad happens to Good Russell tonight - she saw him lying on the ground....

With great fanfare and scenery we see Good Russell fishing.
The rest of his team are huddled under a tree trying to stay dry and warm. John blames Good Russell for their not having a tarp while Russell stokes the fire.
Brett knows Russell is busting his butt but explains that he needn't do that.
Russell explains that he feels he must do something for the team.
He walks back to the shelter and tells his team that he has a chill.
Kelly thinks he's pushing too hard.
(Notice that I'm not doing the SHORT VERSION? )

We are sure that the camera crew is well equipped and dry.

Bad Russell thinks they should man up.

The next day there is a rainbow. Even the most jaded are moved.
Good Russell thinks it brought the tribe together - just in time for a challenge.
So, imagine, you are strapped into a giant sphere and you must instruct your team to push you, whilst blindfolded, through a maze and puzzle.
Both teams will vote someone out and, I don't know, someone (?) everyone (?) gets pizza and they are all at Tribal?
Whatever.
The ball pushing thing (blindfolded) is tough. You should maybe go find video of it as I cannot do it justice.
Both teams end up at the puzzle at about the same time.
Something IS wrong with Russell. He can't breathe it seems and collapses on the puzzle table.
Jeff calls for MEDICAL.
Crew and med people swarm him. (Mom was right!)
COMMERCIAL!

Russell is on the ground saying he's good and let's go.
Jeff tells the team that they can remove their blindfolds.
He calls the challenge over and says that neither team win and sends the teams back to camp.

Galu is very worried about Good Russell. It's raining again and they wait it out.

The medical team sit Russell up and he passes out again.
His heartrate drops and they tell him he's out.
Jeff tells him he has to go and he argues.
Jeff explains that he's not a quitter and that he needs treatment.
Russell has a little cry - and we do too.

We notice that there is little coverage of what the teams are eating this season. Is there rice? We see them eat all the time but aren't sure what it all is. Certainly there is plenty of fresh water - and we make no assumptions about what this kind of living situation can do to a person, but still, isn't it interesting who suffers the most? Russell seemed pretty robust going in.

The Foas start talking about who will go home. Liz feels like it could be her and Natalie feels the same way.
Bad Russell tells Natalie that it should be Liz.
Why, we wonder, don't the women band together and try to vote a guy out? Couldn't they convince one of the men to vote a guy out?
Natalie is thinking...and I am too...why not lobby for Russell to go?!

Galu talk about Shambo going.
Laura sees her a liability.
Shambo states her case - she's worked hard and been honest, she says.
The guys say that Monica is the weakest woman on the team.
They want to keep Shambo.

Youngest comes in to tell us about his incredibly tedious homework.

The guys tell Shambo that she should be "consistent." She asks some questions but it becomes clear that they are voting for Monica.

It's a big Tribal with both teams. There is no pizza.
13 people at Tribal.
Jeff tells them that Russell was pulled from the game and that in 19 seasons he was never so afraid. He asks for Shambo's reaction.
She's sad.
Bad Russell doesn't want to beat Good Russell like this.
Kevin Spacey says it's an eye opener for him.
It starts to rain again!
Mick says that they feel like they would have won.
Eric says it was a tie...
but how to vote?
TURNS OUT: THERE WILL BE NO VOTE.

This is HISTORIC folks.
Each team has their own view on this piece of news.
Eric says they will bring IT, for Good Russell.
Both teams feel motivated.
Game ON.

Toast

Before we went to Italy I bought a cardigan from JCrew. Two days after our return from Italy I returned it. It was a lovely long black cardi in a mix of wools. When I showed Paola what it looked like, after wearing it on the plane and out to dinner one night, she wrinkled her nose a teeny bit and I knew the truth. Back it went, pilled and pulled looking. I still miss it as I had several outfits built around it in my head. It was to be a core piece in freshening my fall things. The sales associate at JCrew wrinkled her nose a bit too, but took it back and I have not found a replacement. Old Navy had a cheap copy - but, if the JCrew version didn't wear well, I'm thinking the $29.00 version wouldn't do much better...so I've been browsing.



Lovely, isn't it? I can almost feel myself snuggled into it.



This is one of those dresses that can be accessorized beautifully, or not, or worn with boots, or not, or belted or not. Sadly, it's NOT in my closet.



I'm guessing needlecord is corduroy? Isn't this tunic so very ME? I KNOW.



I have misplaced my black pashmina and my leather gloves* and it's making me a little crazy. The gloves had holes in their linings but the pashmina...well, I'm getting anxious about that.



Though it is completely out of character for me, I am inexplicably drawn to this wonderful skirt. I think I'd have to wear it with black tights and turtleneck to avoid feeling overwhelmed by color.

My practical side is drawn to this nifty denim skirt.



My present denim skirt is gigantic on me and looks silly.

And here is the saddest thing about this post: all of these lovely things are from the same place, Toast, which does not exist in Tuvalu.









*The gloves were located last night. Youngest had them incorporated into a Storm Trooper outfit.

a day off

• Slept a little late...seven is late, right?
• Cleaned the kitchen, it was my turn.
• Woke Youngest.
• Re-woke Youngest.
• Threw in some laundry.
• Youngest reports that he has thrush (hello steroid reaction!).
• Call doctor for prescription.
• Did a little victory dance as I find one dose of medication here at the house.
• Discover Jeep is leaking.
• Call dealer. Warranty repair? No appointments available.
• Take Youngest to doctor - am not allowed to remain with him for minor surgical procedure.
• Fidget in waiting area.
• Meet up with Youngest. Lose bet on how many stitches. Doc says only six. Doc looks like he's lying.
• Bring Youngest out to lunch.
• Return home to find repairman working on refrigerator.
• Call grandmothers with medical update. Discover telephone line is messed up.
• Report "trouble on the line."
• Watch All My Children! Don't recognize half of the characters.
• Direct telephone repairman to box on pole in yard, also leaking.
• Watch Flipping Out while folding laundry.
• As Middle sets up camera, prepare to make candy apples.
• Make candy apples. Succeed at candy apples.
• Receive Vermont Country Store Christmas catalogue.
• Hahahahahahaha! Christmas!
• Although, I've already bought a present for my mom.
• Announce to children that I need their Christmas lists by next week.
• Realize that Middle's birthday comes first.
• Vacuum steps, living room and kitchen.
• Speak to Favorite And Only Aunt.
• Time for wine!
  

answers

Ooooh, I'm especially impressed with the response to my swiped q & a post, especially for a Sunday.
And now, on to the answers!

bunny said...I know I am probably a TOTAL moron for asking this question, but is Tuvalu a REAL city? Or just a fictional reference to where you live? You live near/outside NYC, right? I know that's more than one question--and I promise I am NOT stalking you--I just always like to have a sense where people are on the earth, in general.
bunny, bunny, bunny, you are NOT a total moron at all. In fact, I get this question once or twice a month. After all, even when people realize that Tuvalu is a very real place they often find it difficult to believe that there is a Target, Ikea, or Plaza Hotel on the island. So they write to me and ask about it and I am forced to tell them, to tell you, dear bunny, that Tuvalu is a very clever pseudonym for where we live, a nom-de-place, if you will.

KmKat said: What did you study in college?
I went to a small private university where I studied The Humanities.

cindi & bill said: De-lurking to ask if you knit...I stumbled upon your lovely blog quite a while back & cannot remember how I discovered you.
I know how to knit but have not done any knitting in a while. I have been known to read some knitting blogs - perhaps I commented somewhere and you clicked back here to me? Anyway, nice to meet you.

ingrid said: What is your favorite room in the house?
Gosh! I don't know. I love our kitchen because we designed it but I'm fond of other rooms too. We've just moved our bed to a different wall and our bedroom feels new now.

Schmutzie said: What is your favourite article of fall clothing, a closet staple, that makes you look forward to this time of year?
Funny you should ask as I have spent this cold damp day in my Uggs and long brown from-the-thrift-shop sweater coat. I love having my sweaters back in my closet.

Is there a reason why you don't wear colours?
If you could choose anywhere else to live, where would it be and why.
Paola
I started to wear mostly black clothes in high school - you know, when kids go through that phase where they do that kind of thing. Somehow, over the years, I never really stopped. I realized along the way that I really do like my gray and black and white things. I don't feel like colors suit me...and where would I take my monotone wardrobe to live, if not here? If money were no object and I had no restrictions? I'd like a house on the ocean - maybe on the Cape, maybe on an island. I wouldn't mind spending a month in Positano each year either. But it's the sea that draws me.

Eliane said: What pajamas do you wear?
I have an odd variety of bed clothes...a long sleeved, calf-length henley shirt, a silky slip-like thing and some tee shirts. Why do nightgowns always end up tangled up around my waist?

The Coffee Lady said: Out of all these outfits you show us, how many do you actually buy?
None! I bought a pair of pants before I went to Italy and then the Wellies - but when I write about outfits at Anthropologie or Old Navy or somesuch, I never buy any of it! In my house we usually only buy clothes when we need them or as a present - never just on a whim because we really *crave* a long cardi from JCrew, for example.

Strictly said: Does Middle still wear the Quantum of Solace jacket bought this time last year?
Jen (formerly The Guider)
As a matter of fact, I laundered the Quantum Of Solace jacket just yesterday. Middle is the kind of fellow who will wear that jacket until it absolutely disintegrates. Plus, he loves it.

Little Miss Sunshine State said: How did you meet K?
I met K a very long, long time ago. At school. During his last week before he graduated. I don't remember the exact circumstances but I do remember him sitting at my table in the cafeteria.

Karen Dietrich said: What were some of your childhood favorites? -- games, toys, foods, books, activities, etc. I want to know more about blackbird as a little girl :)
I loved Barbie. I loved her clothes and her homes and all her tiny shoes. I had a bunch (but not dozens as I had my favorites) and I played with them very seriously for years. I liked doll babies too and spent long hours with a friend pretending they were our babies and feeding them tiny spoonfuls of hand cream.


You often say that nothing is stronger than your marriage. What makes it so? How do you guys keep that magic alive?
jbhat
That's a smart question and I'm not sure I have a concise answer. It may be that we are lucky enough to be in love. It could be that we listen to each other - or that we enjoy each other's company. Truly, though, it seems to me that when many couples face adversity they draw away from each other. That's never happened to us - oh, we've faced plenty of adversity, but we have always drawn closer together.

Daysgoby said: What do you do with all the apples? We've been eating them and cooking them as fast as we can, but I need to step it up! I still haven't done a pie.

Are your boys still really into their pursuits? Yep. Each one of them is still very busy with music/film/graphic arts. It's interesting to me that while K and I are creative by nature we don't pursue creativity every day - but the boys do...all three of them.

Are you still excited about working? I AM. It has given me a brand new life.

Tammy said: Long-time lurker... delurking to ask:
What is your best bit of advice for raising sons? I'm the mom of a 14-year-old son and love reading about the relationships you have with your boys. You seem to have found a nice balance of friend/mom. :) Be honest. Don't worry about being their friend - be the Mom. Make sure he knows he could tell you anything in the world - but don't press for information. Sounds easy, right?

Cookin'-in-Colorado said: Dear Abby-Bird,
I bought an Emeril Lagasse saute pan. It's perfect for soooo many things. It's deep, really deep and has a thick copper-clad bottom. Mostly, it's shiny. REALLY SHINY! It doesn't match my Caphilon Everyday but that's OK. It's perfect for omelets, sauteing ANYthing, and I can flip stuff in it like a crazy man. Did I mention it's shiny? Like a mirror. It looks great hanging in my kitchen! I kinda feel like a gorilla playing with a new shiny bauble every time I use it. The problem is cleaning the damn thing. I can't get the inside as clean as it was when I bought it.
So, my question to you, is it too early to start trying the Halloween candy I bought to give out? :0)
Dear Cookin: try a little Barkeepers Friend in the pot and then fill it with the Halloween candy which you should commence eating IMMEDIATELY. Dear Lord, it takes a WHILE to determine what is good enough for the neighborhood children!

AG said: Do you have a favorite post that you've written? What is it?
Although I tend to be humble about my own writing I also tend to think my archives are BRILLIANT. My airport post made me famous - and it's a good one.

How many of your blog friends have you met in real life? (Excluding conferences, at which I'm sure that number exploded!)
ErinH (not very lurky)
Hmm. I think I've met ten or 12 bloggy friends outside of conferences. I always get nervous about it. The last person I met was a fellow blogger who was stranded in Pittsburgh with me on the way home from BlogHer. It was comforting to look around, in the middle of the night in a strange airport and see a comrade in arms.

Eurolush said: Can you describe yourself in detail for those of us who have never met you in real life? I am 5'2" tall, I have L'Oreal Light Brown hair, presently cut in a short bob, and a pointy nose. My mouth twists a little when I speak, I have green eyes and small feet and hands.

How old is your dog? How did he come to be a part of your family? My dog is 14 years old - a beagle. Oldest begged for a dog from the time he was very small but I wouldn't have one in the city as I was unwilling to walk a dog every morning in my bathrobe. When we moved into our house we found a breeder a couple of hours away with a litter of puppies and brought her home in the snow. She has a very special bond with Oldest and still misses sleeping under his blankets in his bed. (He got too tall to have her in his bed comfortably.)

One more...Who is your favorite pastry-eating blogger, living in small-town Germany, with the word "lush" in her name? Just curious.
Who would that be? My pal EL - The Lady Lush! The Gem In Germany! The Pastry Princesse!

Kim said:
- when are you coming to Australia? Sometime after the trip to Paris and the one to Tokyo - or maybe as part of the Tokyo trip.

- You do know that when you're in Sydney I will be standing very close to you a lot? I might even hug you. So ditch any notion of only seeing me for one dinner or afternoon or some such.
And you say this because you know I LOVE it when people touch me a lot, right? As for how much time we'd spend together: FINE. You may have us day and night.

- what is the family's favourite standby dinner? Probably pasta. Pasta with veg, pasta with meat sauce, pasta with butter and garlic.

- what is your favourite food? Salty stuff. Pasta. Potatoes. I like to eat.

- what did you want to be when you were a little girl? Only one thing: a mom.

Catsteevens said: 1) What parenting advice can you give a mother of young boys, like myself? I love the way you have raised your children. They seem like amazing young men.
See smug advice given above. Please also remember that each of them are regular guys with issues and problems that I tend not to write about - but they are good guys, all three...while I'd love for everyone to think we did beautifully and that they are always amazing, it wouldn't be accurate. It's kind of normal around here, I think, and, some days, even kind of crappy, boy-wise.

2) Would you be willing to meet me if I happen to be in Tuvalu? Would you meet any of your blogger fans? I would be willing to me you (and would love to!) or any other of my blogger fans. You make that sound like a challenge!

Alice C said: All I want to know is this - what will you be wearing when I arrive at Tuvalu - (when I eventually do arrive) - I need to start planning an appropriate outfit.
Waitaminute, waitaminute, WAIT A MINUTE. Are you coming to Tuvalu? My heart!
I will be wearing some variation of what I wear every day/week/month/year: black leggings/tights/pants, black skirt, black turtleneck and an artfully tied piece of neck wear. BRING IT ON.

Miz S said:
I would like a picture of you in your glasses. Obviously, you won't publish a full-on pic, but how about a cropped pic?
We'll see if that occasion arises - I'd need one of the boys to shoot me and then it would have to be croppable.

Sue said:
Wait, you closed your comments ! Is your sink always sparkling?
Yes - too many questions now...and NO, my sink is full of dishes as I type.


Suse said:
I remember you saying once years ago that you would LOVE to have short man hair but K wouldn't have a bar of it. A year or so later you got the super short hair. Now you say K threatened to kill you if you got those glasses, and you got the glasses. So, given that K expresses strong opinions about what you should look like, what do you do? Do you just go ahead and do what you want cos it's your body/life/hair etc and his reaction be damned, or do you spend a great deal of time and energy talking him around and/or buttering him up?
Curious.
K expresses his strong opinions when asked - otherwise he never says a word or acts differently to me. I do what I want cos it's my body/life/hair and we spend no energy or time talking or buttering. If he had never seen the glasses and I had come home with them he'd have said: not what I would have picked but they look good.
And he'd be correct.

I do hope I've answered everything in a satisfactory manner.
We should do this again sometime.

xo

bb

glasses

(Thank you for all your wonderful questions. I'm working on my answers.)


One morning, just after we finished our coffee, in Positano, we walked a few paces up the hill to the optician. I had wanted to browse. I needed new eyeglasses but wasn't especially convinced that Italy would be the place to find them.
The great thing about shopping for eyeglasses in Italy was that there were many styles available that were not readily available in Tuvalu.
K wandered around in the shop while I held up frames for his approval.
I happened upon one particular pair that caught my eye.
Similar to the larger, squarer frames popular in my city, they were scaled down slightly - just like my face.
Before I tried them on I held them up for K to see...he took a quick glance at them and said:
I'll kill you.
And, by that, I knew he meant that these eyeglasses were the very antithesis of what he'd like to see me in. I knew he meant, in that short phrase, that once again I was drawn to an accessory, a garment, a haircut that he could never imagine his wife wearing.
But we see things very differently, me and K.
And when I put those glasses on? I knew in an instant that they were perfect.
They are perfect because they are a souvenir of Positano that I wear every day.
They are perfect because they suit me so well.
And, finally, they are perfect because now I have a story to tell about them.

Q & A

I did this once before - but that was a long, long time ago...so, now, totally stolen from Suse and Kim... all you lurkers, de-lurk and ask me something. Anything. And I shall answer to the best of my ability.

Apples, Part 2: In Which I Fail

We go apple picking every year you know.
I write about it every Autumn.
Some years we sit in traffic and moan, some times we zip up to the mountains and have a jolly old time.
Then, we haul scores of apples home and spend weeks cooking them up in every recipe you can imagine.
But, year after year, I fail. I fail at Tarte Tatin, sometimes I botch up the pie, and, without question, every year, I fail at Apple Pancake.
This year was no exception.

I arrived home from work, having scoured the internet for the perfect recipe and promising the boys apple pancake for dinner. I give them a lot of credit. Not one of them accused me of continuing to poison them with yet another TERRIBLE apple pancake. They were hungry. They were enthused!
Oldest was, as is his nature, starving and impatient. He purposely sat quietly, with his guitar, strumming softly whilst trying to ignore the clock and his growling stomach as I made the batter and let it rest and prepared the ingredients and preheated the oven and mixed and stirred and warmed and baked.

They were all very good about it - K arrived a short time later and took precautionary measures by slicing some Illegally Imported Italian Salami and cheese and preparing a platter. The boys kept themselves busy while I cooked.

It looked good enough -




















but looks are deceiving.




















I was unsure of the timing and, as was pointed out to me, should have been suspicious of the egg to apple ratio in the recipe....




















And I won't say it was inedible, but I will say that it was more of an apple omelet, if you will...an apple clafoutis, perhaps - an apple frittata, K suggested.
But it was no apple pancake.

All was not lost.
We had a good laugh - and there was some chicken stir fry leftovers in the fridge for Oldest, who was still very hungry and very patient.

Survivor

Well, let's see. It's coldcoldcold and raining here in Tuvalu and my new wellies are on the way!
I have high hopes and do not plan on changing shoes at the office after polling several employees who report that wearing them at work is perfectly fine! FINE, I tell you!

Meanwhile, in Samoa, it's raining and cold! No wellies to be seen! Many exclamation marks!
Ooooh, those shots of the ocean make me want to run to a beach somewhere. But I love cold weather, so I'll shut up.
Yasmine went home, in her high heels and Shambo alienated herself from her tribe.
It's night 11 and Shambo knows that she is the odd man out in the voting. The rest of the team talk about her after she's gone to bed. Monica knows that Shambo voted against her.

The next morning, the ocean is a beast, but Jaison is optimistic.
There is news of a food challenge and throwing up is mentioned.
I don't like these challenges - and could throw up just watching.
Ashley's team is worried that she won't do well in an eating challenge. Of course, Bad Russell is right there to stir things up. He's wary of Liz as she's trying to influence other players.

So, there's the stuff they have to eat, covered with flies. I'm a little queasy.
"Today you will eat."
Jeff will blend the ingredients chosen by a wheel spin and the tribes will drink them.
If they can get the smoothies down they win a barbecue.
Galu sits out Kelly, Laura and John. I don't know who these people are.
Giant clam and Jeff's choice are mixed first. He adds octopus.
Shambo and Jaison are first to drink.
Shambo does well. Jaison, not so much.
I CAN'T WATCH, but Jaison finishes.
The battle of the Russells. Jellyfish special, with milk.
Good Russell finishes first. Bad Russell spits it back, but manages to finish.
Brett vs. Mick. Don't know Mick either.
Giant clam, sea cucumber and milk.
I don't feel so good.
Mick scores first. Brett does okay after worrying his team.
Monica and Liz end up with sea urchin.
Liz plugs her nose, Monica chugs it.
Monica chugs the sea noodle Jeff has topped it with.
Monica finishes and so does Liz.
The teams are tied.
Dave vs. Ashley try some sea slug guts.
Dave is a little pukey sounding but he finishes.
Can Ashley do it? We don't think so. It's hard to watch. She cannot finish and Galu wins.
No surprise, I guess.
One member of Galu goes to Foa Foa and misses the reward - Good Russell sends Shambo.
"Had to pay for that chicken," he says.

Foa Foa is kind to Shambo but she wanted steak.
Mick blasts Ashley wjile she bonds with that other blond girl, who I learn is Natalie.

At Galu Good Russell explains why he sent Shambo to the other tribe.
Russell then messes with the fire and it takes a while for them to be able to eat and they begin to argue. Dave and Russell get into it. They come to terms with the power stuggle in the end and Dave saves the fire. It's a great meal and Dave realizes how important he is to the team.

Shambo reads her clue for the idol to Foa Foa while Bad Russell laughs.
Liz confronts Russell over the idol and he threatens her..."she's walking on thin ice."

In the other room, K and Middle go over Middle's employment contract...such things!
In the commercials, Curacao looks nice, doesn't it?

More rain on night 13. Everyone is soaking wet. Kelly tells us how wet they are.
On day 14, it's still raining, which is bad if your team needs dry wood for a fire.
Dave goes for the tree mail and reads it to the team with waterlogged fingers.
Brett feels unfocused and wants to keep the advantage and is hopeful.

In the torrential rain the teams gather and Shambo goes back to her tribe. No one seems especially happy to see her - but they aren't happy anyway.
For today's challenge one man and one woman hold a net while the opposing team throw coconuts into it. Whoever holds their net up the longest wins.
Dave, Brett and Shambo sit out.
It's a monsoon as the teams pitch coconuts.
Bad Russell is fighting hard and doing okay but lets go leaving Liz to hold tight.
Good Russell struggles and Liz falls.
Galu wins.
Foa Foa must vote someone out.

It's still raining. Jaison wants to quit. Everyone is all pruned and Bad Russell polls the group to see who want to leave. No one has gotten a chance to scramble and discuss the vote and Ashley suggests they figure out the vote while they are trapped in the shelter. She's going to vote for Liz because she doesn't trust her. Liz wants to vote for Ashley. Natalie's name is brought up too. Natalie is sure it will be one of the girls. Jaison isn't sure. Bad Russell is bummed cause it might not play out the way he wants and is wary of Liz, though he realizes that she is stronger than Ashley. Finally they go to Tribal.

It looks pretty dry and Jeff asks Jaison what the toughest thing about Survivor is...Jaison tells a water polo story. He thought it wouldn't be that big a deal but it is.
Ashley talks about how nice it is to be dry and warm at Tribal.
Natalie talks about how they couldn't strategise because of the rain.
There's some talk of trust and we see who trusts who...but I'm a little distracted by the contract talk in the other room.
Time to vote -
we see Liz and Ashley get some votes, but who goes?
(I'm thinking Ashley.)
And I'm right.
Bad Russell smiles in an evil and I thank my mom for bringing meatloaf.

Apples, Part 1: In Which We Succeed

I posted the call time: 8:00am, Japanese French Toast, 9:00am departure.
The crew gathered quietly at 8:00 and ate the French Toast and, equipped with cameras and iPods, climbed into the Jeep at 9:00.
The trip to the orchard was uneventful. We never encountered traffic. We arrived at about 10:45 and had to wake Middle and Youngest to get out of the car.
It was not terribly crowded (though there was an awfully large Japanese contingent at the farm) and the weather was perfect.



We roamed through the rows of apple trees choosing and tasting.



We chatted and ate and walked and looked.



It was quiet and cool and lovely.



We picked apples.
We liked: Honeycrisps, Cortlands, Macintoshes, and Ida Reds. We did not like Romes, Red Delicious or Fujis.



Middle took pictures and video and picked fewer apples than the rest of us.



We waited patiently on line for hot apple cider donuts. They were worth the wait.



It was a beautiful day and, that evening, I made an apple cobbler.

Last night I made an apple pancake. You can read about it when I post Apples, Part Two, In Which I Fail.

delete

From my ever-expanding email moved to trash (a sampling from last week):

From: press@wolfram.com
Subject: FOR 10/5/09: First-ever Homework Day to be initiated by Wolfram|Alpha on October 21
Date: October 2, 2009 11:08:10 AM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com

First-ever? Really? We tend to do homework EVERY DAY here in Tuvalu.

From: info@awrtsocal.org
Subject: MANY THANKS: "Reporting Live" Panel & Mixer was a big hit
Date: October 2, 2009 6:12:17 PM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com
Reply-To: info@awrtsocal.org

Sure. I don't know what I did...but, you're welcome.

From: press@adesouza.com
Subject: BookSwim, the Netflix for Books -- 3 Month Membership Giveaway Opportunity
Date: October 2, 2009 8:49:07 PM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com

The Netflix for books? yeah, SURE IT IS.

From: metredway@bellsouth.net
Subject: National Kids and Seafood Study Findings
Date: October 2, 2009 9:36:22 PM EDT
To: metredway@bellsouth.net

Kids? Seafood? I can only imagine what the study found.

From: jzinno@5wpr.com
Subject: Story Idea: Young Mother Shares Weight Loss Success Secret
Date: October 5, 2009 11:00:43 AM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com

I won't keep you guessing on this one. It's a "cookie diet" - and she exercised too! J Zinno offers an interview with the Young Mother's doctor. I can hook you up if you are interested.

From: krista@ehy.com
Subject: Win $5K for Your Fav School! Presenting the Idaho Potato Harvest Online Video Game Sweepstakes
Date: October 5, 2009 3:46:24 PM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com
Reply-To: krista@ehy.com

I LOVE potatoes! Why not cut to the chase and just send ME $5K?

From: davidr@dssimon.com
Subject: Interview Opp: Cool, Clean Ways to Save Money Around the Home this Winter
Date: October 6, 2009 9:41:14 AM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com

I wasn't especially interested in Cool Ways to save money around the home this winter - but now that you've mentioned clean? SIGN ME UP!

From: michael@larkinvolpatt.com
Subject: New Site Offers Cash for Facebook and Twitter Status Updates
Date: October 6, 2009 11:04:22 AM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com
Reply-To: michael@larkinvolpatt.com

How stupid do you think we are Michael?

From: lharrod@oceana.org
Subject: Save the oceans, adopt a creature for the holidays
Date: October 6, 2009 2:06:54 PM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com

A "creature?" You want me to adopt a creature? For the holidays? You might have the wrong blogger....

From: jevans@5wpr.com
Subject: Story Idea: Healthy "Green" Makeovers for your families safety
Date: October 5, 2009 10:17:07 AM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com

Now I'm intrigued: healthy? green makeovers? family safety? How many more buzzwords can you throw into this subject line? I'm not sure that's the correct spelling for family in this context.

From: ksahnas@paramountpr.com
Subject: Tips to for protecting your kids teeth at Halloween
Date: October 5, 2009 10:48:26 AM EDT
To: blackbirdmail@mac.com

Obvious much? No candy. Tooth brushing. Sealants. Visit the dentist. Yawn.

From: ehancock@platformgrp.com
Subject: How To Make Teens the Life of The Party!!
Date: October 6, 2009 4:06:49 PM EDT
To: ehancock@platformgrp.com

Emily writes about mixing music! At least she didn't write "teen's."

Now you know why these emails were in my trash.

Wellies? or Blunnies?

I think I mentioned that my rain boots are cracked. Yeah, I don't know how that happened either, but both of them are cracked near the soles. They were about $20 from Old Navy when Old Navy first opened so it's not like they own me anything.
So, the situation is this: I need, I require, I will probably wear twice a week, a pair of waterproof (not water resistant) warm-ish (I have real snow boots) boots. They will need to withstand slush and rain and salt. My question to you: Blunnies? Or Wellies?



Blunnies, Blundstone 500's, are cute, ankle boots that are completely waterproof - even the stretchy gusset part. I don't know how comfortable they are, I do know that people swear by them, and though they are attractive (for what they are), they are very similar to a pair of black ankle boots that I wear a couple of times a week (and am wearing out). Blunnies are not, I don't think, especially warm but they are supposed to wear like iron. I have some concerns re fit as I don't easily fit in foreign sizes....



Wellies, on the other hand, may also present fit problems. And how comfortable could they be? (I am not one of those people who changes shoes at work.) While waterproof, I don't think they will provide warmth - though liners may be purchased to make them cozier. They may, in fact, be sort of cold to wear if one is standing in slush. Something to consider.

Wellies:



Blunnies:


Thank heavens for Zappos as I will probably order two sizes and send one set back...but, I ask you: which boots?

with thanks to Uncle B

I made this last night!

It was pretty damn good.

COUS

Trouble is afoot in Tuvalu, my friends.
It is the time of year when we, citizens of this island, must deal with the hazards of changing weather. We endure cold mornings and warm evenings, bring sweaters to our offices and then sweat, and confront all manner of insects who seek shelter in our little hut.
Spiders and beetles invade our windowsills, the occasional ant appears near the back door and crickets swarm our outer walls.
Yes, crickets.
Big crickets.
I'm not talking about those heartwarming crickets beloved by many cultures. I'm talking about leggy, jumping, sticky, prickly crickets. Crickets who enjoy jumping up into one's pant legs. Crickets who fear nothing. Crickets who live and jump and even mock us as we attempt to slow their infiltration.
Crickets Of Unusual Size.
Named for the Rodents Of Unusual Size from The Princess Bride,



(and, yes, this is the best clip I could find re the ROUS)

COUSes have out-lived all manner of assaults.
We have sprayed Lysol.
We have shot Windex.
We have carefully laid strips of gaffers tape (sticky side up) around the perimeter of our home.
And YET...COUSes have been found in our showers, in our washing machine (closed!) and, last night, in Middle's bedroom.
It's true.
This morning, Middle was especially tired on the train.
Coincidentally, I had been woken in the middle of the night by a thumping noise. At the time, I imagined one of the boys had gotten up for a drink or gone to the loo, but, it turns out, Middle was doing battle.
Apparently, he glanced at his bedside table and saw a COUS staring at him.
Being somewhat squeamish, Middle donned his gloves -



grabbed a pvc pole from his home-made dolly track -



and went to war.

He's not sure if he actually killed the beast but he felt secure in the fact that he stunned it well enough to go to bed.
In any case, I hope you'll wish us well.
We might actually have to buy some pesticide.

Here's another great scene from The Princess Bride



and here's a terrific thing to put on your name tag the next time you are forced to wear one.



Have a great weekend.