War

Huh! Good god, y'all! What is it good for? Fashion, apparently! This was *by far* my favorite part of the IDF Museum yesterday.

Picture Book

A Wednesday afternoon in Tel Aviv.

Hella good!

Love my sislaw.

Drinking shots of arak with the  bartender.

Wait And See

Some of the parrots I was blogging about last night joined us on the roof this morning for breakfast! This isn't the best shot, but you can see that it's green and parroty, no question. I'll try to get a better picture during our stay here in wild Israel.

Birdhouse In Your Soul

These beautiful green birds fly around my in-laws' place every morning and at sunset, squawking loudly and reminding me that I'm not in my normal environment. 

I've noticed them every time we come here, but this time I've figured out what they are--namely, Indian Ringneck Parrots. They really are pretty amazing, bright green and with long tails. They congregate in this big tree with equally gorgeous red flowers, cleverly managing to eat the sweet insides of the not-quite-yet-open blooms then dropping the intensely colored petals to the ground. 

While on a walk this morning, the kiddo and I collected some of the bright red leftovers to take home as souvenirs, and we wondered if these were left behind by the parrots. Thank you once again, internets, for making it so easy to find out so many new and useful answers to our "I wonders" and our "what ifs.

So Happy Together

Some of today's highlights include:

Beach time in Tel Aviv!

Fighting jet lag at Bait ha Thailandi...

...and subsequently loosing the battle.

We are having a blast, spending lots of time doing fun stuff with the family, and really enjoying the springtime weather. We are quite lucky to be here during a few family birthdays and anniversaries so as to ensure that the kiddo's ice cream and cake requirements are consistently met.

Everybody To The Limit

Loving me up some Israeli family! After a lovely day siteseeing in London, we have completed the last leg of our journey to Israel. We arrived at six this morning, staggered around for a bit, then got our Max Brenner fill with a side of selfies. More to come...once I win my battle with jet lag, I'll recount the fun we had during our seven hour lay over in London.

Fly Like An Eagle

Yes. As long as eagles have three huge suitcases stuffed to the gills. Also, do eagles have like 15 different personal electronic devices and a ziplock back of various foreign coins?

Whiner's Bio

Another MRI completed, and if you listen closely, you'll hear the sound of a thousand high fives around the world. I have managed, once again, to retain my status of Medical Miracle by lying in an insanely loud tube for 45 minutes, then sitting in a tiny exam room while Ol' Dr. Recht says "Looks great. See you in four months."

I'll indulge myself by harkening back to those days in 2009, lying in the hospital with a half-shaven head and a 98% chance of freaking the fuck out, when the kindly old surgeon look sadly into my drugged up eyes and said, "I'm sorry." After giving me a dire prognosis indeed, 18 months to live, well...I'm sure I did or said something meaningful and/or courageous, but I can't remember most of what happened between 2009 and 2012. So let's just say FOO ON YOU, ODDS OF SURVIVAL. See you in four months.

We Are Family

Who wants to be a boring old race car? Pushaw. Nobody, that's who. A Scotty dog? Please. A thimble? Well, yes, I like to be the thimble. But in this weekend's epically colossal game of Monopoly, the kiddo's ingenuity took over and manifested itself in this tiny plastic token. Max, of course, shortly followed suit. Clone Trooper tokens = awesome.

Don't Stop Believin'

When I was a kid, I was absolutely obsessed with My Little Pony. *Just for clarification, when I was a kid, this was My Little Pony, not this. And sure as hell NOT THIS.* I had dozens of them, and my friends had dozens of them, and we spent hours playing inside, outside and everywhere in between with those little plastic magic makers. (Side note--I've spent many hours in therapy learning to forgive my mother for donating them to Goodwill when I was in college. I'm still working on it. Slowly.)

There was a predecessor to pony mania, a larger version, less squishy and with hair long enough to really style: My Pretty Pony (this. NOT this.). According to this fascinating article about all things Pony (yes, it is quite creepy), I was one of the lucky few to get my five-year-old paws on this treasure--in fact, I'm pretty sure that driving to the toy store and holding the box on my lap in the car is one of my earliest memories. It is a memory made of absolute joy and anticipation; a place where I feel only happiness and excitement for the wonderful things that await me. But's such a afuzzy memory, sometimes I wonder if I made the whole thing up--nobody else seems to remember My Pretty Pony...so of course I was thrilled to remember that the internet can do wonderful things, like confirm distant, foggy memories and assure me that it actually did happen, and I wasn't imagining it.

Hooray for childhood, for plastic toys that make everything magical, and for a pocket sized device that can instantly confirm your most distant, seemingly unreachable memories.

Moondancer, the best Chanukah present ever.

Can I Do The Thing?

Finally! Getting out of bed does not have to mean leaving the tranquility of my under-covers burrow! For those times when everything just seems like TOO. MUCH. Also knows as ALL OF THE FUCKING TIME.

The Wrote & The Writ

I swear I uploaded a post last night. I don't know what happened to it, but rest assured that it was witty, charming, and just the right length. I can't quite remember what it was about or what it said exactly, but I'm sure it was helpful to you in many ways--reading it made you feel included and special, and left you smiling and hopeful for the week to come.

Perhaps there was a picture of me celebrating my vacation hat in Portugal in 2006.

Time To Get Ill

I am fighting one beast of a cold. Nightly blogging has been replaced by nose blowing and copious amounts of sneezing, coughing and complaining. My coworkers are avoiding me (smart) and the only person in our house who is worse off than me is Max because he can see what his future holds. That's right, buddy, your turn is right around the corner. I'll save you some Throat Coat.

It's Like It Was Meant To Be

I can't believe it's been nearly a decade since I've looked down and seen this:

The loom is half dressed and, so far, unharmed by felines. Score! After heddle-threading tomorrow night, I just have to tie on to the back beam. If all goes well, I should be weaving by the weekend. Huzzah!

My Evil Twin

Schizophrenic Purim! Happy holiday everybody!

Creation

New skill acquired this week! I can make these:

It's a button!

All it takes is a (stronger than expected) arm and one of these:

It's a button making thing!

Does anyone have anything that needs buttons? Furniture? Clothing? Bags? Pets?

Hot Boyz

My favorite thing about thrift shops? Treasure! I saw this white elephant gift-in-the-making at Out of the Closet on Church & Duboce. Priceless! Well, not priceless--$2.99 actually.

I love baby animals!

I didn't get it though. We all know it would end up in one of the numerous piles of crap strategically located throughout the house. Next to the Star Trek juice glasses or the Lance Bass bobble head.

True story: at a local thrift shop, I once saw a paperweight from the annual convention of the Paperweight Collectors Association. I did not buy it, and I have been filled with regret ever since.

Swinter

Man, that four days of rain last week totally sucked. I definitely prefer this 75 degree late winter sunshine gig.

Clear sky tower.

I know, I know, we NEED the rain and it's VERY IMPORTANT. All kinds of critical things like drought and low water levels and global warming and climate change. I 1% totally get it and 99% say nuts to all that, bring on the warm and bright and mood enhancing giddiness! Summer in the Winter FOREVER! It's like this, only not this...exactly like this, but the total opposite:

Loser

Tooth NUMBER FIVE came out on Friday. So that's a nice row of three teeth across the front top gone. My six year old now bears a striking resemblance to the jack o' lantern that he carved last fall...

I'm Still Standing

Yup, still standing. Standing, lifting, sitting, and...weaving! Nearly. Preparing to weave. More specifically, winding my warp and soon to be threading my heddles because I got a loom last week! And I have been completely consumed by the joy of what's to come--oh the blankets and table runners and general wooliness that await me! It's been nearly six years since I STUPIDLY sold my little Le Clerc jack loom, and I've let life and four flights of stairs stop me from righting that wrong.

But no more. I am victorious!

Rain

It's not about the rain. It's not about the drought or the trees or the daffodils. It is 100% about the puddles

What Is Hip

I just love me some Sutro Tower. A great perk from my "new" job (nearly six months!) is seeing the tower every morning at break. I walk past the Potrero Division Muni building and down the street to Coffee Bar, all the while gazing at the magesty.

Tower with no top.

Tower with no bottom.

No tower.

Next generation tower lover. 

Greatest Hits

T-ball is back! After the kiddo's first practice of the year got rained out, we attended a parent-player clinic yesterday. Two hours of hitting, catching, throwing and having a blast...I think it's going to be a great year for the T-ball Dodgers.

Jenny

Listening to the Mountain Goats' 2002 album All Hail West Texas. Such a great album for folding laundry!

Put A Little Love In Your Heart

Who remembers this guy? You know, the dishwasher puppy who grew to be a 70 pound lap dog? The doorknob eatingest, car chewingest, blockade destroyingest dog in the world?

I do. And I miss him like crazy. That pink nosed monster was easily the neediest, most destructive dog I've ever known, but oh what a lover. And the didn't just like be me the way a dog lives a person who has a piece of bacon in their hand. He loved me with entirety of his giant doggie soul, and I'm pretty sure I'll never be loved that way by any other dog.

Burning Down The House

Recipe for an awesome Sunday

Take one out-of-town friend and place in house.

Add a handful of local but rarely seen pals from all over the Bay Area.

Gently blend in bourbon, beer, and wine until frothy.

Combine with chili, chips, dip, Greek salad and one dozen donuts.

Simmer in medium heat in hot tub. Remove when thoroughly cooked and arrange around fire pit.

Sprinkle liberally with giggles.

Enjoy!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

My boss taped this one to my monitor the other day. He's got me pegged!

Celebration

The was some sort of wishing board outside the kiddos classroom today...

You and me both, kid. 

Don't we all!

Yum!

Checkers Speech

The kiddo and I spent the President's Day holiday in San Francisco with my in-laws, touring the Presido and talking about the soldiers who used to live there. Canons, barracks, munitions...everything is an army thing to this kid. At 6, he knows more about the military than I'll ever know about how to properly do laundry (sorry about that sweater, Max).

We had lunch at Burma Superstar in the Inner Richmond--noodles, noodles and more noodles. A fun, playful, delicious, beautiful day with great company. Hooray for presidents!

Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine

Turkey Sandwich does NOT like the division that has been delivered upon our household by the Little League powers that be. Not. One. Bit.

A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours

Who spent the morning installing bluetooth mood lighting around the hot tub? My boys are the best. Now I can spend the evening in the jacuzzi, watching the rain clouds roll in, listening to Morrissey. Strangeways, here we come!

Stubborn Love

Getting some puppy love from my Turkey Sandwich. It's easier said than done; she is just not much of a cuddler. You see, it's hard to be on duty when the humans have their arms around you. And if you're not on duty, well, we all know what could happen. THE SQUIRRELS COULD TAKE OVER EVERYTHING.

Schitzophrenia

Just got our little league team assignment. It's going to be a weird season.

It Don't Come Easy

For those special days when you just don't feel like blogging, but you're determined to post something every day...classic kid pictures!

Full Belly Farm, August 2010

What Is Hip

Floating tower this morning on the way to Coffee Bar.

*love*

In Five Years Time

Sigh. Five years ago, to the day. I miss these guys. Best dog ever, best awful dog ever, and best toddler ever. And best footie pajamas ever.

Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!

And then this happened:

Luckily, he totally bought my story about the Tooth Fairy retiring...that's why he/she left $20 last time. The kiddo had been the Tooth Fairy's last exchange, you see, after a long and illustrious career. So the Tooth Fairy felt it fitting to leave his/her last tooth transaction with an exceptionally generous trade. But the Tooth Fairy's replacement, of course, wasn't so flush--you know, being an entry level Tooth Fairy and all--so he shouldn't expect another big bill under his pillow next time.

It turns out that five singles under his pillow on Sunday morning was just fine. We had one happy kid on our hands; one toothless, ruthless, giant little kid on our hands.

Not this guy:

Those teeth are long gone. By the way, can someone please explain how this picture could possibly have been five years ago? Holy shit.

Tickle Me Pink

A night out! Child care! Meats on sticks! Musical performances! Smoke machines! Whimsical graffiti on bathroom stall! Too much fun to write in complete sentences!

Johnny Flynn at Rickshaw Stop last night!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Keeping warm in the frozen tundra that is the San Francisco Bay Area. It went below 50 this morning!