25 Things

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Today, because it's the 25th, I am listing 25 Things you may or may not know about me. Because that's what you want for Christmas, right?

1. I make a mean balloon animal.

2. In the first 3 minutes of meeting you, I already decided what I thought about you. So, you can stop trying now.

3. My eldest nephew, Logan, was born on my birthday. A year later, my cousin Chloe was. I think this is beyond rad.

4. I am an excellent parallel parker but I have depth perception problems. I can fit my car into the tiniest space with one try and then on the way out drive right into a pole.

5. I'm always listening to music, unless I'm watching a movie or sleeping. I don't even like working out or doing yoga in silence.

6. I can lick my own elbow. No, it's not pretty.

7. I like to be scared. Horror movies, roller coasters, zip-lining. Bring it.

8. I think intimacy is complete access to someone's iPod.

9. Kate Capshaw once helped me put a new license plate on my car in the parking lot of AAA. I was crying and she told me women don't need men to do things.

10. I am way sillier at home than I am in public. Be thankful!

11. I remember lyrics really easily. I know lyrics to songs I've only heard a couple of times. It's really a useless skill. I mean, at karaoke the words are right there...

12. My favorite color is a toss up between sea foam green and light grey. Yes, like in hospital waiting rooms.

13. I've been to Turkey, France, England, The Netherlands and New Zealand but I've never been to me. Just kidding, I meant to say (write) I've never been to New York City or Washington D.C.

14. Concerts are the best thing ever.

15. My sister and I tell each other some really weird shit.

16. I like people born on the 19th.

17. All my exes live in Texas.

18. I love games. All games. But I'll kill you at Othello, Pente or Celebrity.

19. I take a deep breath and list what I'm thankful for in my head right before my plane takes off.

20. I have a thing for owls. And for the 70's. Oh, wait, is that the same thing?

21. I am a Mac. (Thanks, Mom.)

22. I like books and movies with a "chosen one" theme. Some of my fave books = Dune, Ender's Game and Harry Potter. My favorite movies include: Lord of the Rings, The Dark Crystal, Neverending Story and The Matrix. I noticed this recently. Not sure what that's about.

23. My favorite things I've written are the children's books. Stay tuned and cross your fingers.

24. I love having a dog. I will always have one and I'll always adopt from a shelter. I heart mutts!

25. I'm working on a memoir so be nice to me! ;)

Okay, all done. Now you can go back to your eggnog.

The Sensitive Baker

Upon reading the blog where I whine about living gluten-free, my Aunt Doll did a little research. Online she found a gluten-free bakery right here in Los Angeles. Within the day, thanks to her, I was armed with their menu, their website and their address. More importantly, I was armed with a desire for cupcakes.

The Sensitive Baker is located in Culver City on Washington. Because that is pretty freaking far from Los Feliz, we decided to hit it on our way down to Redondo Beach this past Sunday. The bakery closes at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. Tim and I wandered through the door at 1:30. This may explain the lack of yummy bakery smells and the fact that their selection was completely picked over. I think arriving at the end of a holiday weekend might not have been the best idea. However, we scooped up half a dozen cupcakes, 4 mini-pizza crusts, a loaf of bread and a bag of chips (which we totally ate in the car).

Here is one of the cupcakes. They were quite delicious! Linda and Tim even tried them to confirm the awesomeness. (I figure if a regular eater likes it, it must be good.) I never imagined being able to have a cupcake again without it tasting like cardboard. Hooray! I found out they do custom cakes if you give them 3 days advance warning. My birthday is in March, in case anyone is wondering.
The pizza crusts were a different story. While they weren't horrible, they simply weren't good. They were very crispy, too crispy really and kind-of tasteless. It's true that I did eat the whole thing but it didn't satisfy the pizza beast within. So, the search continues. I will not give up!

So, Sensitive Baker wrap-up: Cupcakes - awesome. Bread - good. Pizza crust - eh. I still consider it an amazing find. Maybe next time I'll stop in earlier in the week and see if there are any cookies! Thank you, Aunt Doll!

But I Also REALLY Like This One

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee. It makes me dance around my office like a big ole' dork.

Hogan McSmalls: In Places He Shouldn't Be

We're pretty strict with our dog. He's not allowed on the furniture and he's forced to do tricks on a daily basis. He isn't allowed to bark or jump on people. He's a city dog, so we can't afford to tolerate a lot. Even so, our willful mutt is constantly pushing the envelope, as you probably know if you read my blog even sporadically. We're convinced that as soon as we leave the house, he runs on the furniture. He's very quick and sneaky but I'm pretty speedy with the camera or the cell phone if I do say so myself (must be from the year I spent blogging my drinks). Here are Hogie's worst offenses of the last year. The photos aren't very good but they are evidence, nonetheless.

Offense #1: Nasty Dog Park Tub

Offense #2: Couch

Offense #3: Our Bed.

Offense #4: Acting like a seal in the laundry basket.

He is sooooooo grounded for the rest of the decade.

Or maybe this is my favorite holiday jam...

Nothing says Holidays like "The Shining"

Last night, at our Christmas dinner with The Parsons, Tim and I had a lively discussion with his Dad and brother about the impact of music and editing in films. This trailer of "The Shining" as a romantic comedy is a perfect example of what music can do. Enjoy!

Gluten for Punishment

I don't think I was meant to eat last night. I try to play off this whole gluten-free thing like it's no biggie but sometimes it's a big ole' bitch. Last night, I wanted something yummy. I was sick of brown rice, fish and veggies. I narrowed it down to tofu pad thai or pizza. I'd gotten two different kinds of gluten-free pizza crusts from Whole Foods and I was eager to try them. (The last crusts I'd gotten there were corn-based and tasted too good to be true. Turns out they were, there was wheat right there in the ingredients. Hey, I'm learning! How can I be expected to always remember the complicated action of reading the ingredients? What am I some sort of detective?) Tim chose pizza.

The first crust I took out was already crumbling. It looked like paper mache made of grocery bags. I started putting pesto on the pizza and then decided to read the instructions. Turns out your supposed to thaw it, bake it at 500 degrees for 5 minutes, then top it. Oops. Again, I can't be bothered to read the back of the box. (What am I, a genius?) The second pizza crusts I used were tiny personal-size discs that curled upward and were hard to top. At least these baked in the usual manner. After they were done, we sat down to our meal. I bit. Tim bit. I groaned. Tim spit. It tasted like it was made of felt. It wasn't just so-so like most gluten substitute foods. It was full-on disgusting.

We trashed our pizzas, put on our shoes and coats and walked down to Fred 62, our local hipster diner. I usually stick to omelets or salads but I noticed a Rice Deli on the menu. Ingredients were: rice and Thai town vegetables. I ordered that and added tofu. When it came, I noticed it was drenched in teriyaki sauce. Oops again. I'm not sure why I didn't think about the sauce. At this point I was hungry, embarrassed and frustrated. I sent it back and the nice waiter brought it back sans sauce. Basically boiled veggies over rice. Boring, bland and perfectly safe for me to eat. Which I did gratefully.

I tell myself I need to be patient. You don't learn a completely new way of eating overnight. However, I am mourning the days of ordering a pizza while watching a movie or having a pint of something that isn't sickeningly sweet at the pub. I will continue my search for yummy gluten-free pizza until I am old and grey and don't have teeth to eat it anyway. Our friend Tri, upon learning about my dietary restrictions said I was a "Gluten for punishment." Funny and true.

*photo by Ivers.

Santa-faction

I don't remember how old I was when I discovered that Santa wasn't real but I remember the circumstances. My Meemaw made me loads of clothes when I was a kid. I had a particular blue floral dress that I really dug. I would wear that thing as much as my Mom let me. On Christmas morning, Santa brought me a doll and a bunch of doll clothes. Amongst the loot was a cute little dress for my doll made out of the exact same fabric as my dress. Aha! I knew that there probably wasn't a Cloth World at the North Pole so I asked my Mom if Meemaw was Santa. (Turns out, everyone is Santa, which is all mushy and gooey and existential.) I felt okay about this and even better about knowing something my sister and cousins didn't except that when I started really thinking about it, it kind of freaked me out. I spent a long time trying to figure out what else would end up not being real. I deduced that things people spoke of but you never saw probably weren't real. For instance, the sky = real. I could see it up there. But, air was decidedly not real. I wondered if I would have to find these things out on my own (like the Santa discovery) or if adults would reveal these lies to me as I got older. Like, for my 9th Birthday, would I find out that mountains were not real? (If you've seen West Texas, you'd understand.) For my 10th, would germs cease to exist?

I'm amused to see kids asking Santa for things and I find it all rather hilarious. I like to see children being bribed into good behavior for the six weeks or so prior to the holiday. I know if I had a kid, I would dutifully lie to him or her and probably laugh at their blind trust in whatever we tell them. I mean, it's funny. But, I still remember being a kid and finding out the truth. Messed up! Awesome! I don't know! Santa is like a culture-wide practical joke. I'm wondering if we can keep all of our nephews believing on into college. If we're really careful, it might be possible. Yeah, they might be social outcasts and they might require a lot of therapy when they get older but think of the hilarity!

*photo by A.Currell.

Texas State-ment

I wore the above sweatshirt to the gym this morning. This is a big step in my Bobcat pride. I wouldn't have been caught dead or hungover in school pride gear in high school or college. It's taken me 12 years to get to the point where I have a little school spirit. Back then, my college was called Southwest Texas State or SWT. They changed the name a few years back. Tim and I have often joked that the name change to Texas State makes it sound like a fake college from a movie. Well, this morning as I was getting on the treadmill, a guy tapped me on the shoulder. He told me he liked my shirt and asked what movie it was from. He thought it was like a Sunnydale High shirt (Buffy) or a Forks, Washington shirt (Twilight). When I told him it was a real school, he laughed and said he didn't believe me. Awesome!

Christmas Song for You Take Two

Okay, THIS is my favorite Christmas song. No, really this time.

Tweet Me.

Last night I was telling Tim about a conversation I'd had with Roxane. I realized as I was talking to him that yesterday I communicated with her by the following methods: IM, Facebook, text and plain ole' telephone. It got me to thinking that there is absolutely no excuse not to get back to people these days. You can email, Myspace, Tweet or text. You can Skype, iChat or leave them a message on their blog or website or specialty site like Dailymile. You can call them, by golly! Then there are the old standards: snail mail and telepathy. Yeah, yeah, this communication wonderland we're existing in is pretty awesome but at the same time I find it all a little daunting. I've historically been bad at keeping up with people. If I lose track of a friend at this point, I've failed on over a dozen fronts. No more, I lost your number. Perhaps I will end up being a better friend and relative this way but it's still a little freaky if you think about it. Whatever. See you on Twitter.

*photo by mollybob.

The Raveonettes ~ Christmas Song

This is by far my favorite Christmas song. Enjoy!

Pink Wall

We spent our long weekend getting our condo ready to put on the market. There were doors to hang, light fixtures to put up and shudders to clean. For some reason this took us the better part of three days, even with Tim's Dad helping us on Saturday morning. We are tired but our place looks amazing! Because it will be shown starting tomorrow, we refrained from putting a Christmas tree up this year. This was hard for me because it is one of my favorite traditions of the holiday season. We did, however, put up a wreath and our fancy shiny plastic trees. This morning, the sun came in through the window and, simply put, made my day. Who needs a big ole' Christmas tree when you can enjoy pink wall every morning?!

100 Things I'm Thankful For

Around this time last year, I posted an exercise where you list 100 things that make you happy. I've been noticing friends posting things they are thankful for as their Facebook statuses leading up to Thanksgiving. How lovely! I am amending my happy list to make it a thankful list because I thought it would be a great way to celebrate this holiday and to get in the spirit of things. There are many changes because, hey, it's been a year and things change, right? Isn't that the beauty? (To see the original post, click here.)

100 Things I'm Thankful For:

(in no particular order)
1. Old pics of Tim and I. (see above.)

2. Venice Beach.
3. Cheesy Christmas decorations.
4. Gelato.
5. Boys in cool sneakers.
6. Swedish Fish in a movie theatre.
7. Shoulder openers in yoga class.
8. Lavender Bubble Bath.
9. The humor of 4 and 5 year old boys.
10. Seasonal pumpkin stuff. Like lattes or cheesecake.
11. When Tim and I say the same thing at the same time.
12. Stories about my favorite small people.
13. Dancing fat guys.
14. Will Ferrell movies.
15. My blue tooth, so I can sing in the car while looking like I'm talking on the phone.
16. Tomato soup.
17. Getting to buy presents.
18. Candles and Incense. And Febreze!
19. Hogie's weird noises.
20. Game night.
21. That part in Bruce Almighty when Jim Carey makes Steve Carrell's character make all the funny noises.
22. The last page of a good book.
23. Counting down on New Year's Eve.
24. Musical theater.
25. Sassy old people.
26. Sushi.
27. International travel.
28. Segmented serving platters.
29. The blogs of family and friends.
30. A new, healthy baby nephew!
31. Toasting with champagne.
32. Catching up.
33. KROQ-of-the-90's Weekend.
34. The Cowboys beating The Redskins.
35. Apples.
36. When I actually do wear it "all the time."
37. iChat.
38. Jigsaw puzzles.
39. My outline.
40. Being able to argue my point..
41. My little succulent garden.
42. The Smiths.
43. Chips and salsa.
44. Pretty little boxes with nothing in them.
45. Concerts.
46. That I still sometimes get carded.
47. Tim's dance moves.
48. Jayce's dance moves.
49. Boots.
50. Finishing a Sudoku puzzle.
51. President Obama.
52. The way I feel about 20 minutes in to a workout.
53. Flavacraze chapstick.
54. Holidays with family.
55. That Logan, Chloe-belle and I all have the same Birthday. ;)
56. Pajamas.
57. South Park.
58. When it looks just like the picture in the cookbook.
59. Downward-facing Dog.
60. Walking around a new city.
61. Dinner/Lunch/Brunch with friends.
62. Rain.
63. Getting to see Pixies do Doolittle.
64. My horoscope.
65. Phone conversations with the nephews and Chloe.
66. Ewan McGregor
67. That I can call my folks whenever I want.
68. Snorkeling.
69. Black currant flavor.
70. Karaoke night!
71. Graffiti art.
72. Patent leather.
73. Black and white photos.
74. Tim's popcorn-making ability.
75. My funky family.
76. Post awards show 'Best Dressed' lists.
77. Jeans.
78. Dark chocolate.
79. Pedicures.
80. The word "definite."
81. Grot.
82. Deepak Chopra or Shakti Gawain books that inspire me.
83. Walking instead of driving.
84. Hummingbirds.
85. Getting into a writing rhythm and forgetting where I am.
86. Reading the finished product.
87. Dark Italian restaurants that decorate with old wine bottles.
88. Red Zinfandel.
89. Vampire fiction. Even stupid vampire fiction.

90. That Crystal has accepted she is now Pistol.
91. Tea.
92. Roller Coasters.
93. Horror movies.
94. When you get the booth, not the table.
95. Synergy drinks.
96. Tulips.

97. The expansion of open-mindedness.

98. iTunes Genius Mixes to write by.

99. That there's always tomorrow until there isn't.

100. Lists.

Real 'Merica...

Things I think about when I should be working...

* I'm not as worried as I should be about the success of the book that Sarah Palin "wrote." I figure that the people apt to buy such a thing probably won't actually read it. They'll more than likely store it in their gun cabinets or on the shelf next to their collection of patriotic-themed Beanie Babies.

*I think that after a woman reaches the age of 30, no one (especially her significant other) should be allowed to tell her she looks tired. Even if she does. Even if she has been up for 52 hours and she's falling asleep as they're uttering the words.

*On the same note, I don't think women should ask their husbands/boyfriends/girlfriends/etc. if they look fat in something. I know that specific person may be the only one around to ask, but it's just lame. You're putting them in an impossible situation. If you're uncomfortable, just change!

*After seeing Food, Inc. the other night, I can't stop wondering why our government doesn't do something about the food industry. Don't government people eat the same foods we do? Do they not care about their bodies? Why are they so interested in countries halfway across the world from us but they don't think about what's on their dinner plates or in their kid's lunches? I am flummoxed.

Okay, I think I can work now. ;)

*photo by lyle58.

Old School

These are mainly for Mim but I figured some of the rest of you would get a kick out of them too. I happened to have a bunch of these already scanned into the computer. I'm getting a big kick out of the cool 70's furniture in the backgrounds of these photos. And, also, out of how I'm picking a wedgie in the 2nd one. Haha! So rad! I'd be glad to email these to any of you family that want them. But, not to friends or regular readers because that's just weird. ;)

That stuffed lion was so cool!

Christmas in Midland!

Kody without pants. Shocking.

Chris, Crystal and I with the Winnebego.

Munchkins.

Today's Song

This song is amazing. I forgot. "Everybody wants prosthetic foreheads on their real heads."

Arrrrghhhh!

Riddle me this? Why is it when Liberals don't get their way, they write articles or stage peaceful protest marches but when Conservatives are on the losing end, they go apeshit and promote violence? I've been blissfully avoiding the news lately because I cannot handle the crazy but I watched this clip today and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Maybe these people should pull out those WWJD bracelets from a few years back and ask themselves if Jesus would want a t-shirt promoting death for the President of the United States. Unbelievable.

"There are not very many steps left on this insane path..."

Maudlin Me.

I've known for most of my life that I'm too emotional for my own good. In the above photo I'm overcome with joy because there's a bucket on my head. I'll admit it came in very handy while acting and it sometimes does me just right when writing but in everyday life it can be crippling. Nostalgia, for instance, is all well and good except for the fact that it isn't. It sucks. Tonight I was unable to go out as I'd planned because I either ate gluten or something else I'm allergic too. I feel pukey so I'm at home listening to music and looking at photos while everyone else is all party party fun times. I'm doing that familiar dance in my brain: wishing I could go back in time and see a friend again or do the right thing or handle something better. Or say the thing I meant to say. Not that anything matters now. But, the thinking about it, although silent, is deafening, isn't it? It's just too loud to be completely ignored. So, here's a silly photo for old time's sake. Cheers.

I heart Flight of the Conchords

Tim and I FINALLY got Flight of the Conchords from Blockbuster. I think it's been at the top of our queue for 6 months, not even exaggerating. But, it was soooo worth the wait. We watched 6 in a row last night! I was laughing as much at Tim laughing at the show as I was, um, at the show. You know. He was losing it! Anyhoo, here is my favorite clip. These Kiwis crack me up.

Chili: Real Good Like

A few months ago, Roxane told me about a vegetarian chef, Nava Atlas. I promptly ordered one of her most popular books, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. Sunday afternoon, I finally got around to making one of the recipes, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili. I wasn't really sure it would be good but I have to say, it was wonderful! Plus, it was really easy to make. We hoovered it down during the Cowboys' game and both of us loved it. Black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, chilies and cumin. Yum! If the other recipes in this book are anything like this one, I will be cooking out of this thing as much as possible. You hear that honey? No more delivery thai food. Whoohooo!

Colds Suck

Poor Tim. I am sick. The dog is sick. Tim is bored. It's just so tragic.

Hogie started coughing on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, I had him in the vet's office. He was diagnosed with kennel cough, something he had gotten a vaccine for. Apparently dogs catch it anyway all the time and he probably caught it at doggie day care on Monday. Okay, so why the $50 vaccine again? Anyway, by Friday, he was still coughing and puking every time he coughed. I would estimate I cleaned up at least 40 piles of dog puke in a 24 hour period but the worst part was seeing him that sick. Oh, and making him take his pills. That is no bueno. All day Friday he was wiped out, he barely moved except to puke but, thankfully, this weekend he started doing a bit better. He's actually got a little personality back and no puking.

That's when I got sick. Friday night I started feeling crappy because I have good timing like that. I've got some kind of head cold bullshit that is no fun but not that big of a deal. It's just annoying because I feel too bad to do anything but not bad enough to be laid up. I had to cancel plans this weekend and I didn't get to do anything fun. Waaahhh. I did get some stuff done yesterday like dusting, making dinner and going to the Farmer's Market but if I have to use my brain, I'm in trouble. I've been staring at the same page of my memoir all morning. Blerg. I'm gonna try to knock this out with vitamins, orange juice and hot tea. Be careful out there in the world. Wash your hands, use your hand sanitizer and maybe don't go bouncing around with a bunch of sweaty people at a concert.

xo,

K

Pixies Do Doolittle. Kendra Dies.

There are three albums I've worn out over the years and had to buy again and again. The Smiths ~ The Queen is Dead, The Cure ~ Disintigration and, of course, Pixies ~ Doolittle. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to Doolittle and if I could, I'd probably embarrass myself. It's simply a stunning, amazing album all the way through. It gives me warm fuzzies.

We saw Pixies two years ago when they came through. After the show, I declared to Tim that it was my favorite show ever. This time, we didn't get tickets. We figured we'd just seen them and we'd been to too many concerts this season, surely we could miss this one. (I think part of me was also afraid they wouldn't live up a second time.) I was starting to kick myself when Edi said she had two extra tickets. Thank you Edi and Dan! I can't imagine missing this show. They played my favorite album. I mean the whole thing. In order...including B-sides! When does that happen?! It was ridiculous. This monkey's gone to (concert) heaven. Imagine knowing exactly what they'll play next and still feeling like you're going to burst from excitement and anticipation. That was me last night. Yup.

It's funny how good music can make you feel. For over an hour last night I was 15 again: sweaty, amped up and bouncing around to my favorite band with my friends. A mosh pit even broke out next to us and while I didn't jump in, I found myself grinning like a goof and doing my part to push people back in. I'd forgotten that carried away, overwhelming feeling you get when it's all perfect. Concerts with seats and no sweat are awesome but for this particular show, being moved around with the masses in a hot little venue seemed somehow fitting and I loved every second of it.

After playing the entire album, they encored with "Into the White" and "Wave of Mutilation: UK Surf version" from the B-sides. (video below) Then they went away (for WAY too long) and came back with "Gigantic", "Where Is My Mind" and "Isla De Encanta".

Kim Deal asked if anyone was coming back tomorrow night. When people screamed, she smiled and said, "But, we're playing the same thing!"

Well, I've been listening to those same songs in that same order for the last 20 years. I think I could certainly handle another night. Anyone got extra tickets?

*photo by KellyLA.

A Ghost, A Bat, A Cat and Two Witches

Q: What kind of mistakes do ghosts make?

A: Boo boos.

This Halloween, I headed down to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to hang out with my Sis, my nephews, Rox and Chloe. We had way too much fun and it was over way too fast. The kids all did their best do be as adorable as possible, making it very hard to leave. Above, Crystal and I as witches, Jayce as a "big scary bat" and Logan as a ghost. Yes, he's wearing a baseball cap. Yes, it's part of the costume. No, I don't know why.
Here are Jayce, Logan, Chloe (as a kitty cat) and Patrick on Halloween day. We went to a pumpkin patch, rode a train, did some time with the bouncy houses and then went trick-or-treating. It was full-on Halloween craziness.
Here are Pistol and I on the Pumpkin train. The entire ride, Chloe was saying "Choochoo!" and doing the "Chugga chugga chugga" sound for us. Logan and Jayce were so excited they barely stayed in their seats!
Logan and Jayce made most of the decorations up in their house and they are super good. Here is Logan showing Chloe one of his scary creations.
One night, we got to go to Happy Hour because both Moms were off. Here are Rox and I after a couple of glasses of wine. What a fun trip!

Fuzzy Hauntings

Since watching Paranormal Activity last weekend, I've been thinking a lot about ghosts and poltergeists and demons. Fun thoughts, especially late at night and so close to Halloween! I don't believe in stuff like that and yet I still find the thoughts entering my head.

I have concluded, though, that a ghost demon or whatever would have absolutely no chance of spooking us. If we found something out of place, say, a toss pillow on the floor or a knick knack askew, we would most certainly blame Hogie. Loud noises in the middle of the night? Must be the dog. Windows ajar? Hogie. Door opening and closing? That darn dog! It is my opinion that the poltergeist or ghost would eventually get frustrated with us and leave.

And that is why you should adopt a mutt at your local animal shelter. You'll be much safer that way. Thanks.

Give Me My Pizza!

“Pizza is a lot like sex. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's still pretty good.”

Right now I am baking oatmeal raisin cookies for my friend's birthday. The sweet smell is wafting through the house, making it very hard not to shove a couple in my mouth. It's times like this when it is difficult to be gluten-free. I am still having recurring dreams where I "accidentally" eat a gluten-containing food. Sometimes it's a sandwich, sometimes pasta. A cookie or a cupcake. You know.

However, in waking life, it's not so bad. Especially when you can make gluten-free versions of your favorite foods that are actually yummy! Behold, the gluten-free personal pizzas Tim and I made Friday night. We loaded them up with our favorite toppings, baked them and voila! Instant awesomeness! We used the frozen organic Whole Foods pizza crusts made with corn. Yipee! Now if I can just find a gluten free cookie that doesn't taste like cardboard...

You go, Philip Spooner!!

Just in case you missed this video, here is testimony given by an octogenarian Republican veteran in favor of Maine's marriage equality bill. He can be hard to understand at times but his message is clear. I love hearing a voice like his from a member of the older generation. I love that this was up on Huffington Post. I love what he has to say. Check it out:

Vote McSmalls!

The other day, I had to wait over an hour to see my doctor. After finishing the novel I'd brought along, I looked around the tiny room for something else to read. What did I find? Good Housekeeping. Oh yeah, my fave. I opened it up and realized it was exactly what I thought it would be inside. I assumed it would be filled with recipes, articles about childcare and ads for mops and it totally was, but there was something that caught my eye. An ad for a dog costume contest. Now, there are three things that I'll admit are true about my entering my poor dog in a costume contest run by a magazine I don't read: 1)It is ridiculously lame. 2)A hot dog outfit from Target is extremely unoriginal. And, 3)I'm dangerously close to becoming "one of those people."

But, here are 3 reasons to vote for Hogie: 1)He's the only dog that seems to dig his costume. 2)The first prize is a trip to Seattle. I have friends and cousins there! (And a baby cousin!) 3)Do you really want a professional photo of maltipoo dressed like a princess in front of a blow up castle to win? So, if you have time to play what amounts to Doggie "Hot or Not", click here and vote for Hogie if he comes up.

Zip-lining. Doesn't Suck.

We try to do something fun, new and exciting each time we visit the beautiful island of Maui. Last time, a bunch of us went parasailing. This time, Tim, Stacey and I went zip-lining. I'm not sure what I expected it to be like but it was definitely fun. I would've liked to get more speed. (Like Tim, he was zooming!) But, flying over trees and canyons with the ocean on one side and mountains on the other is pretty darn cool in itself.

Here's the only photo of me that turned out. It looks like I could kick that tree but I was actually way above it. We did 8 zip-lines in all, ranging from 400 feet to 1100 feet. There was one where you got to run down a ramp and then jump! That was by far the best one.
Here's Stacey Macy, Tim and I at our lunch rest stop. Our guides were really cool, they answered all of our questions. We found out the longest zip-line is in New Zealand. I think they said it was a mile and a half long!

Stacey and I modeled our special helmets right before jumping on the short bus and heading home.

Here's Tim being silly on one of his zip-lines. So much fun! I would do this again for sure. I think I liked parasailing slightly better (you go way higher) but it was really close. Try it out if you ever get the chance. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Thank You, Dove!

This Dove commercial illustrates what I've been telling my friends (and myself) for years.

Pet Shop Boys at The Greek

My hand and arm hurt far too much to give this amazing concert a proper blogging (this hunt and peck stuff with my left hand is getting old) but here's a video. To be fair, the video doesn't do the show justice but at least it's something. Pet Shop Boys still bring it. We danced our butts off last night. I heart them. Okay, bye.

Caught in the Act

This is what Hogie does at the dog park. He plays ball for a good fifteen or twenty minutes. Then, when he thinks we're not paying attention, he makes a break for it, straight for the island in the middle of the park where well-intentioned owners have set up containers of water for the dogs to cool off in. Cooling off is not the appeal for Hogie. See all that lovely dingy water dripping off of him? He needs that to make mud with. After dipping himself in disgusting water, he'll gleefully leap off the island and roll in dirt. You should see him. He looks so happy when he does it. Inevitably people will laugh and shake their heads and say, "Whose dog is that?" When we claim him, they say they've never seen anything like it and laugh some more. Yeah, yeah. It's all so funny until you have to wash him. And your car. And the 3 towels it takes to get the mud off him before he can come in the house. Freaking hilarious.