30 questions

I stole this from Frank.

1. Person with the same name as you?
A market research manager in Brasil. A lawyer in Frankfurt. A student at UC Santa Cruz. A nun in Philadelphia. A member of the New Jersey Ski Patrol. A 6-foot transgendered "Southern Gal" in North Carolina. A bronze-medalist Special Olympian in Canton.

Cool.

2. Where was your first kiss?
Very first: At the fence, in the shortcut from my street to his. We were 7, I think.
First French: In his sister's bedroom, with her looking on making gagging noises. I was 15 or 16, he was a year older.

3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else’s property?
Unless TP'ing counts (aka "rolling"), no.

4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
I spanked a boy I babysat when I was a teenager. :-(

5. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
Yes, in elementary school choir. And I did some rather inebriated karaoke with Frank and Chuck and Judy at Lori's wedding. I think. The details are fuzzy.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Unless he's a total hunk, his eyes probably, or more specifically, the attitude his eyes convey.

7. What really turns you on?
Intelligence and humor. IOW, Frank.

8. What do you order at Starbucks?
Tall caramel Frappucino with extra caramel.

9. What is your biggest mistake?
Hmm. Probably beating myself up for choosing things that didn't measure up to other people's expectations of me.

10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
No.

11. Say something totally random about yourself.
I am really enjoying the fall colors this year.

12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
When I was in high school, Brooke Shields. And the girl in "My Girl" looks a lot like I did when I was a kid.

13. Do you still watch kiddy movies or TV shows?
Of course.

14. Did you have braces?
Yes.

15. Are you comfortable with your height?
Yes.

16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you?
There've been some memorable gifts over the years, and quite a bit of HDS, of course, but I think the most romantic thing Frank has done is years and years of little things. Backrubs. Cooking. Dishes. Filling the gas tank in my commute car. He takes very good care of me.

17. When do you know it’s love?
There wasn't one particular moment. We just knew. We talked about getting married within a few weeks of our first date. And then there was another rosy period several years ago, when I really came to know this was it.

18. Do you speak any other languages?
Some rusty Spanish. Some beginning Italian. Pig Latin.

19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon?
Once to prep for a Caribbean trip in the Winter.

20. What magazines do you read?
I can't say I read any magazine with any discipline. But we get some. We cycle through subscriptions. We've done travel magazines, sailing magazines, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Tattoo, Spin, TV Guide, Cycle, and others. Right now, I think we only get Gourmet and Chloe's anime magazine. Oh, and I really love the one that the Nature Conservancy sends.

21. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Yes. 1950s Rolls Royce to our wedding picnic. Big stretch to a girls' night with some Maier cousins. I think that's it.

22. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
Yes. Both paternal grandparents, my maternal grandfather, my step-grandparents, some cousins, my Aunt Barbie.

23. Do you watch MTV?
No, it's not as fun as it used to be.

24. What’s something that really annoys you?
Want a list?

25. What’s something you really like?
Hanging out with unschoolers.

26. Do you like Michael Jackson?
Some of his music, yes.

27. Can you dance?
With great enthusiasm but not necessarily any skill.

28. What’s the latest you have ever stayed up?
More than 24 hours.

29. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
No. But I rushed myself there for an asthma attack once.

30. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out?
Yes.

I can live with that

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Katharine!

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Friday fill-in

1. Follow the joy!

2. Curiosity is something I always take with me on vacation.

3. To achieve your goals, you must act.

4. What I choose to tell you is something I'd like you to know about me.

5. I have a computer and I'm not afraid to use it.

6. Rootbeer floats.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to being home, tomorrow my plans include a number of tasks from my sadly lengthy to-do list, and Sunday, I want to watch the Seahawks, give gifts to my nieces, and read!

A few words from a hero

In the debate tonight, Senator McCain once again brought up remarks made by Representative John Lewis. Here's the full text of those remarks, from Politico:

As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.

During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate.

George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.

As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better.

McCain's previously stated respect for Representative Lewis is apparently forgotten. Instead of examining these remarks for merit, instead of reading them as what they are—the plea of a man who was there in the thick of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama when those little girls died, and who must feel a tremendous obligation to speak out if he sees similar circumstances forming—McCain has used them as an opportunity to further bash Obama!

Say what?!

Consider these earlier words from Rep. Lewis on the occasion of Obama's nomination:
If someone had told me this would be happening now, I would have told them they were crazy, out of their mind, they didn’t know what they were talking about... I just wish the others were around to see this day... To the people who were beaten, put in jail, were asked questions they could never answer to register to vote, it’s amazing.

That is the context of Lewis' remarks. He's not talking about some vague threat; he's talking about the reality that he lived for years—a reality that encompassed not only the deaths of those little girls but the assassinations of Evers, King, Kennedy, Kennedy, and too many others.

I think Barack Obama is in danger every single day, and I think the McCain-Palin campaign is inciting violence with their "terrorist" rhetoric. For someone—especially for an elected official—with John Lewis' background to let that crap slide would be unconscionable.

Gollum bailout

I know, I'm behind the times. But just in case anybody else was, um, phoning it in last month, check this out from the fertile minds over at the Daily Show.

http://crooksandliars.com/media/play/wmv/6539/23216

More on the theme:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/opinion/11collins.html

Speaking of Twilight

The movie comes out just before (American) Thanksgiving. And the guy who plays Edward might actually be cute enough.

Look out the window... or not

Sometimes being an unschooling parent is hard.

When Frank and I travel, we have this just-shy-of-desperate need to be busy, see as much as possible, seize the day. MJ and Chloe don't share it. Their more usual daily activities remain a big part of their days when we are traveling, and they aren't afraid to (ahem) sacrifice some sightseeing time in favor of keeping up with the usual.

For example, they started reading the Twilight series while we were in Italy and found it quite compelling. So, one fine day, I had to leave them in the hotel room while Frank and I went to explore Venezia. THIS WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME and I expect big, fat kudos for doing it.

Then there was the day in Dublin when they stayed in the B&B watching the first presidential debate while Frank and I went wandering down to Temple Bar and Grafton Street.

Then there was the day when MJ preferred sitting in the cottage alone with a book and a bad DVD to visiting the Waterford factory and the Dunbrody famine ship.

Then there was the day when Chloe was busy drawing and wouldn't get out of the car to explore the Burren.

I remember endless roadtrips when I was a kid when my boredom was addressed with the deathless advice, "Look out the window!" I tried to keep those moments in mind when the girls made these (ahem) bad choices, all the while hearing a little voice in my head chiming, "It's not at all the same thing!" But to them, it really is, even when what's out the window is one of the most famous sites in Europe.

And, hey, at least they are rarely bored.

Malcesine photos

The waterfront


Just our favorite car park, but this photo gives an idea of the drama of the shoreline all along the lake


My namesake ship. (Shonna, do you guys know what "siora" means? Or is it just a name?)


I actually don't know what this building is/was, but this is the ceiling in the interior...


...and this is in the lakefront garden outside.


Afternoon spritzes (a traditional, slightly bitter afternoon refreshment)

Lake house photos

The Inimitable Chiara

One of our lizard friends


Nighttime views


The Maiers do laundry the European way

Live and Learn photos

Yes, these are all the photos we took. What can I say, it was a busy weekend!

All photos by MJ.

This is a test

I love crossword puzzles. The challenge of finding answers is rewarding to me. I especially love crossword-puzzles-by-committee, where two or three or five brains are working together to fill in all those little blanks. Frank, on the other hand, hates crossword puzzles, by committee or otherwise, although he will occasionally let me pick his encyclopedia brain when I'm stumped.

I think we can all can accept the reality I've just described: I enjoy crossword puzzles, Frank does not. Who cares? After all, nobody's life depends on a crossword puzzle, so it doesn't really matter if either one of us ever completes one.

Replace "crossword puzzle" with "test," though, and "Frank" and "I" with the names of a couple of kids, and you get another reaction. Suddenly that paragraph up there is rife with problems. It's no longer a matter of personal preference but of weighty issues like "career" and "future" and "consequences." Even the fact that I like to collaborate (a skill that is highly valued by employers!) becomes a problem.

So, we conducted an interesting little experiment last summer. It was unintentional; we were just being good little compliant homeschoolers by completing our annual standardized tests.

(Background: Unschoolers are subject to the random homeschool laws of their particular state, which range from Texas' "do what you want" to New York's "tell us every last thing you are doing and it had better be good enough." Washington regulates homeschooling, but the requirements are pretty simple: (1) file an annual declaration of intent to homeschool, (2) keep attendance records, (3) cover each of the required subject-matter areas, and (4) test or obtain a teacher's assessment each year. The parents keep all records (including test or assessment results), there is no administrative review, and it's not a big deal to comply each year.)

Our daughters kind of enjoy taking the tests. We test at home, so it's relaxed and flexible. For us, the tests are a strewing device and nothing more. The girls are allowed to ask questions, look things up on the Internet, talk to each other, rest whenever they want, and so on. For those reasons, or maybe just because, they enjoy the challenge. When they stop enjoying it, they make pretty patterns with the remaining dots on their answer sheets and move on to other things.

With Chloe's school-induced hatred of math, there were a couple of years where her enjoyment of the Math Computation section ended after about 2 minutes. But this year, she found it fascinating. I think the rules for the section allowed her 35 minutes, but we spent an hour going through it together, working problems (she did her own) and talking about what they were testing for and why. She was having fun and would have kept going, but I encouraged her to stop since we were both getting tired and she had more than done her time. She made a pattern in the remaining dots (about a fourth of the section, I think) and called it a day.

Chloe's score on that section is three grade levels above where she's "supposed" to be.

So, what does this tell me about Chloe? Not a damned thing. But it tells me quite a bit about schooling and test results.

The suppositions about this test include:
1. The test asks questions that represent the key skills for the student's grade level.
2. If the student cannot answer enough questions correctly in the time allotted, he or she has not learned the key skills.

Right? We must assume those things are true. Otherwise, what is the point of the test?

But the only conclusion I can draw from those "facts" and the scores that schooled kids are achieving and that Chloe the unschooler achieved is this: Our schools are failing utterly to teach. What schooled kids can do on this math test in an unfriendly 35 minutes, after all those years of school, is comparable to what my third-grade dropout can do on this math test in a friendly hour.

So what exactly is Chloe supposed to have missed?

And, perhaps more interestingly, what have all those other kids missed by being in school?

---

What if...

• our schools and our government cared more about learning than the proof of learning?
  
• we stopped assuming there are key skills for any grade level?


• we stopped assuming that all kids test equally well?


• we stopped assuming that all people should work at the same pace?


• we stopped assuming that the average result produced by a broken system is a standard to strive for?

Why is all of this so hard to imagine?

Hello, is there anybody in there?

People! I'm feeling lonely! Leave me a comment!

Friday fill-in

1. One of the best concerts I ever saw that I really didn't think I'd like was the Vibrations at LIFE is Good 2008, when they opened for Amy Steinberg. Okay, it wasn't that I didn't think I'd like it, but my expectations were pretty low. Kid group, ya know? But they were amazing and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen.

One of the best plays I ever saw that I really didn't think I'd like was "Hello, Dolly!" with Carol Channing in the lead role. She was probably about 70 at the time, but you couldn't tell by watching her. She poured joy and energy into her performance and received a whooping, cheering, grinning-like-fools standing ovation at the end.

One of the best movies I ever saw that I really didn't think I'd like was — it's a three-way tie: Terminator, The Sixth Sense, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. (I know, I know.)

2. Fish tacos is a meal I recently ordered in an Irish pub that was delicious!

3. It's time for some peace and quiet.

4. LemonSoda is quite refreshing.

5. If I never hear the word Palin again, it'll be too soon.

6. To one side of the curving road was a 13th-century abbey, and on the other was a cow.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading and sleeping off the jet lag, tomorrow my plans include reading, unpacking, doing laundry, and sleeping off the jet lag, and Sunday, I want to read, post some more Europe photos to my blog, and sleep off the jet lag!

LnL gratitude

To Frank, MJ, and Chloe for putting up with my nerves for weeks, for listening to my talks several times (each), and for being you

To Steph for driving up from Georgia to offer moral support — GUH!

To Robin Bentley for being at my talks, flat but beautiful (she had Beth tape up her picture right there in the front row)

To Kade, for "Bohemian Rhapsody"

To Alec Traaseth for being a good friend, even if it did mean I had to cry when I told him good-bye on the last day

To Caren and the whole LnL Drum Ensemble for one of the most amazing experiences of my life — I'm kuku for cocoa puffs and I want some more!

To all the teens who came to my teen talk and provided the perfect (disgusted) reactions to all those nasty quotes I opened with

To EVERYBODY for being fun and creative and inspiring

And especially to Kelly, Ben, Cameron, and Duncan ("the Dunkster" Frank says) for hosting, for their incredible contribution to—no, creation of—our unschooling community, and for making me a part of the last Live-and-Learn-in-its-current-incarnation. You guys rock!

LnL reports

I've finally had a moment to cruise blogs and read people's posts about Live and Learn. Wow. I'm right back in the conference groove now. Too cool. We didn't have our usual post-conference period of euphoria since we jumped right into jetlag and headcolds. Nice to enjoy it now.

I have "Bohemian Rhapsody" playing to help with that. What a fun 5 minutes that was! Anne has some photos here.

Ren (who is even more beautiful in person) has her writeup, photos, and links to a bunch of other conference posts here.

---

So, all this reminiscing has led me into thinking about—no, anticipating—LIFE is Good 2009. Mary has honored me with an invitation to speak there. I'm pondering what to talk about. My "Unschooling the Wrong Way" talk was so fun to do, I'm tempted to reprise that. But I think the teen one challenges me more (and perhaps my audience). But doing something all new might be fun, too.

You can help! If you heard my talks, drop me a line at hmsdragonfly at hotmail dot com and tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you wish I'd said, what you thought about afterward, etc.

If you didn't hear my talks, drop me a line anyway. I am craving feedback.
:-)

Journal excerpt: Peeking at the Knights of Malta

9/18/08

Gianguido's friend Mauro and his wife led us from Trastevere up to a swank neighborhood that is home to foreign embassies and Italian movie stars. Our destination was the Priory of the Knights of Malta, not to visit the grand master of the order (who still lives there) but to peer through the peephole in the front door. Through it, you see a fairy-lighted, tree-lined avenue and a perfectly framed view of the lighted dome of St. Peter's. Very pretty.

Local lovers visit this spot. Some of them sit in their cars and neck under the tolerant eyes of the machine-gun-toting guards, but one couple wasn't content with that and instead engaged in a little nooky at the peephole itself, he peering through while his hands roamed and she giggled. They weren't in the least concerned that we were standing just a few feet away.

Journal excerpt: Roman gladiators

9/18/08

The motorcycles are the new gladiators. At every red light, they move between and alongside the cars to the front of the line so that, when the light changes, they all leave at once in a big roaring pack.

People from all walks of life travel by "moto" and scooter: kids, business people (the women in high heels), some studious looking fellows in corduroy and tweed. It is understandable on the one hand—two-wheeled vehicles get twice as far in half the time—but I also think they must be a little bit suicidal. To drive in Roma at all is to engage in fierce (yet also pretty calm) battle, with lane markers and stop signs regarded as mere suggestions. Stop lights, though, are obeyed always, since running a yellow can cost you two points off your 24-point license, and the fines are hundreds of Euros.

We have been surprised by the lack of Italian motorcycles. Japanese bikes hugely outnumber them.

One amusing note: The Ducati Il Monstro that is sold in America is here offered as the Monster.

The cars here are distinctly different from those in America. Private SUVs and vans are very rare, and I have seen only one (smaller) pickup truck here. Also, as Chloe and I noted in England, the auto manufacturers offer different models in Europe, smaller and boxy and very cute. Smart cars are hugely popular, since they fit into the motorcycle parking spaces. It's entertaining to see them nosed up against the curb next to the Vespas and Yamahas.

Journal excerpt: Helicopter tour of the Dolomites

9/16/08

Gianguido treated us to a one-hour Dolomite tour in one of ItalFly's helicopters. I prepped my stomach by drinking little, eating, and taking some Dramamine. Maybe it helped.

Me as we boarded the 'copter: Are there air-sickness bags?
Gianguido to the pilot: Sacchi di vomito?
The pilot (in a "there is no way you are going to need one" tone): Oh, no, no, no!

My mistake: I didn't insist. Fortunately, MJ had brought along a shopping bag which served in a pinch.

But all of this is secondary to the flight itself. Wow! Totally, spectacularly beautiful. I took 7,000 pictures [on MJ's camera, fortunately - see photos here]. And Frank was on Cloud 9. Or maybe Cloud 999. He was really short on sleep and not feeling 100% when we arrived at the airport. By the time we left, he was cured, ecstatic, and energized.

Roma

Gianguido, Gloria, Chiara, and some random tourist in front of the Colosseum.

Me and my girls and some random tourist in front of Constantine's Arch adjacent to the Colosseum. The cobblestones you can see in this shot are called "San Pietrini," little St. Peters. Some of the roads around the Colosseum are still paved with these.

Chloe and the cop. You can't tell by looking at him, but he did agree to this photo. This is near the Spanish Steps.

Party at the Spanish Steps. Click to enlarge (but it won't help much).

Family photo (and a couple of goofy faces) in front of La Fontana di Trevi. This area was packed with people even in the pouring rain.

Trento

A random building in Chiara's "boring" town. Click the image to see the details.


I can't remember if this is a church or part of the university. Anyway, it's gorgeous.


MJ's birthday party. Gloria, Max, Chloe, MJ, and Chiara.

Lago di Garda

This was our view from the lake house. Don't you feel sorry for us?

Chiara and Gloria:

Beauties by the (chilly) pool. Note that Chiara is wearing her Zenmomma art, the chocolate lollipop purse, which she just loves.

My favorite one-two punch

Saturday at the conference was sort of "advanced unschooling" day, with a series of talks by and about teenaged and 20-something unschoolers. I enjoyed the whole day (well, aside from an extreme case of nerves about my own teenager talk), but the combination of Brenna McBroom's and Cameron Lovejoy's talks was a real highlight.

Brenna spoke first, sharing stories about her life as an academically inclined unschooler, her decision to go to college, and her preparation for that path. Brenna is tiny, but her intelligence and drive give her a presence beyond her height. Plus, she's a knockout. She talked about prom (she went to one and was unimpressed) and being valedictorian (she got an hour to talk instead of only 5 minutes). And she talked about the things she's gotten to explore as an unschooler that she wouldn't have had time for if she'd been on the AP track in school.

Then Cameron had his turn. He talked about starting out unschooling as a kid who didn't want to do anything. He was shy and something of a hermit. This image is hard to reconcile with the Cameron we got to know. He helped run the conference, for one thing, and he's a talented drummer who accompanied Amy Steinberg brilliantly, and he is just the neatest guy. Anyway, he talked about his gradual emergence from his shell and how unschooling gave him the space to do that. His plans for the near future include(d) working as a junior staffer at Not Back to School Camp, followed by some world-schooling with Eli Gerzon on a multi-month trip to Mexico.

The two talks complemented each other beautifully, especially because Cameron and Brenna are really close friends—something that might not have been an option for them without unschooling, even if they'd attended the same school. And the talks in combination really illustrated how unschooling can be tailored to suit an individual without forcing the individual into a mold.

Grief

It looks like ~400 of my Europe photos are lost to the Evil Gods of Digital Destruction. I can only be thankful that MJ was taking photos in most of the same places as me. Exceptions: Murano, Waterford, the Dunbrody famine ship, Duncannon Beach.

We'll take the camera card to a technician and see if s/he can recover them, but for right now it doesn't look good.

Woe! Woe! Woe!

24

We're home! Dublin airport hotel to our front door took about 24 hours. Phew! What a trip!

I actually slept last night (in my own bed!!!), so I'm at work this a.m. Frank and the girls are settling in back at home.

Trip report posts will begin later today. Promise!

Ah, Italia!

Greetings from Milano. I actually have a sufficiency of Internet time today and yet have no idea where to start with this blog post.

Yes, I do. Venezia. Always Venezia. Ohmigod, can a place be more special?! You know how Americans hopelessly romanticize Europe? Well, Venice is better than you think.

But before that there was Roma. It was moving and significant and delicious (we are eating our way through Italy, ya know). For Frank, it was just a bit poignant, coming face to face with modern Roma and its abundant traces of the Rome he learned about in all those years under the Jesuits. Gianguido put us up in a truly lovely little boutique hotel out near the beltway (Grande Raccordo Anulare) that circles Roma. From there, he was our guide, taking us to the usual, fabulous places (colosseum, forum, Spanish Steps, Trevi) and a few less publicized fabulous places.

The girls' favorite was, I think, our visit to Trastevere, a trendy little neighborhood "across the Tiber." We went there to join some friends for dinner, but MJ, Chloe, and Chiara made their escape early to roam the energetic streets. They joined the party on the steps at a piazza, where a junkie declared his undying love for them. Quite an education my girls are getting here. :-)

Our least favorite was the day we spent walking the streets downtown in the pouring rain. It was a tragedy of etiquette, since we were all too polite to simply say, "This is miserable. Let's stop." Even that day had its highlights, though, especially our visit to the Pantheon, a stunning church that holds the graves of some Italian notables (Vittorio Emmanuelle being the most recent). It's a spectacular place. The domed ceiling is open to the sky, so the rain comes in to fall on the marble floor. I overheard one woman say that on Sundays when it rains, the parishioners stand there with their umbrellas up.

I skipped our drive to Roma, but the drive north again was just as lovely, if a bit lonely since Gianguido had to fly to Sicilia for work. Through Tuscany and the Appenines, past Firenze (we didn't stop, saving it for next time). Positively gorgeous countryside, dotted with cathedrals and castles and vineyards.

And then Venezia. We were all exhausted and tempted to huddle into our Mestre hotel. Fortunately, Chiara insisted we go across to the island, so the Canal Grande at sunset was my introduction to Venezia. WOW!! And then we went to Piazza San Marco. WOW!! (Frank and I would later spend half an hour sitting there just contemplating the church.)

No, my thoughts about Venezia are just too scattered. I will write more about it later when I can include photos.

I do have a story to tell about Murano, though. This was yesterday. Chiara and her mom had caught the train back to Trento, and the girls had their own wandering to do (plus they were still engrossed in Twilight, which they bought for an outrageous price at a Roma bookstore), so Frank and I caught the vaporetto (ferry) on our own. We had done no research about Murano, so we were clueless about where to go and why. Our aimless wandering served us well, though, and we ended up in a swank little gallery. I fell in love at first sight with an ornate violet decanter and goblet set and asked the hovering sales man (who was clearly unimpressed with our casual dress and Crocs) about it. Trying to find easily translated words, I asked if the gold decoration was in the glass or "painted on." "It is 24k gold, madam," he replied snootily. "Gold cannot be painted." With that cleared up, we continued our perusal of the wares. I finally circled back, muttering to Frank that "I just have to ask," and inquired about the price of the set. Mr. Snooty glanced at the price tags and then wandered off, so I went up and looked myself. Six goblets at 200 Euros each and 400 Euros for the decanter. Ouch! Then the salesman returned and said, "650 Euros." Corrupted by 400-Euro Roman dinners (really! Gianguido is a terrible influence and a ruthlessly generous host), I remarked, "But that price is too low! Now I am tempted."

Just like that, we were no longer disgustingly casual American tourists but the salesman's very favorite people. He made us very comfortable and showed us the pieces up close and told us about their design, unusual color, etc., and then went to "talk to his boss" about the price.

And yes, I bought the set. Or rather, Frank did. He is a terrible influence, too. But the new price included shipping and everything! And we have an heirloom to pass on to future generations.

As we concluded the sale, I asked if there was a fornace that we could visit. The salesman took us through to the back and stayed with us, explaining each step as a murrina-embedded drinking glass was made before our very eyes. His accent was a little thick, but we think that glass will be in the package when our new set joins us at home.

Here in Milano, we are doing nothing but vegetating in our hotel room (which is a huge quad, easily our biggest room so far). Chiara recommended that we visit the duomo, but we just don't have it in us.

Dublin tomorrow, where we should have Internet access at the cyber cafe attached to our lodgings.

Ciao!

Crud, Torbole, and a little family porn

Frank was the last to get the conference crud, but it has hit him hardest, of course. He is sleeping a lot and missing out on some outings. We wandered Trento, Torbole, and Malcesine without him. :-(

In Trento the other day, we had our first taste of frescos, saw the duomo and the castle, walked the winding streets, etc. The streets are narrow enough (10 feet or less in some cases) and people are casual enough about sidewalk usage that I'll be wandering down a stradina, thinking of it as a pedestrian mall or something, and then be totally surprised when a car comes along.

I love Trento. Chiara, from her more youthful perspective, finds it pretty boring, and from an Italian perspective, it might be. But for an American tourist visiting her first Italian city, it's pretty darn special. (I took dozens of photos, but you'll all just have to wait to see them, because Chiara's computer is a dinosaur.)

Likewise, the drive from the lake to Trento, which Chiara didn't think we would find overly scenic, knocked our socks off. She's a funny girl.

Yesterday, MJ, Chloe, and I visited Torbole, a resort town on the north end of Lago di Gardo. We shopped, had maxi-pizze (individual pizzas that would each be considered sufficient for a party of three in America), and continued our quest for hot Italian boys. Pretty fun.

I am a little embarrassed at how intimidated I am to do simple things like make a purchase or walk into a ristorante. I completely freeze up when it comes time to speak a few words of Italian. This stems mostly from my Spanish/Italian confusion: I'm never sure which language is going to come out of my mouth, and the one doesn't consistently translate to the other. But we're muddling along (mostly because all the shopkeepers are tri- or quatri-lingual).

When it comes to understanding the Italian we hear and read, I do pretty well. I can get the gist of or at least the subject matter of conversations between native speakers, and I can translate the news pretty well with all the video providing context. I'm enjoying the attempts, anyway, and wish we could stay longer so I could keep learning.

Saturday night, the four of us sat down to watch a little Italian TV. The lake house doesn't get many channels, so we surf a lot, hoping for an American movie that we know well enough to be able to follow along. We caught 'The Matrix' the other night, for instance. (In English, there is no spoon. In Italian, the spoon doesn't exist. It's a subtle but important difference, I think.) But on this particular evening, what we found was porn. It was so strange that we couldn't turn away, even though it felt VERY weird to watch porn with my daughters. The program was sort of a travelogue, filmed in the 30s I think, in New York City. Our Italian protagonists toured the city, visiting the Empire State Building and so forth, and every so often the travelogue would be interrupted with a period nudie shot. The big conclusion was the protagonists' return to their hotel, where they proceeded to have very awkward sex (for example, their shoes were nearly the last thing to come off). It was pure (unintentional) comedy. And while the most graphic parts were fuzzed out, it was still like nothing you would see on American TV.

They also show nursing mothers in their Pampers commercials, and we saw a non-tabloid German newspaper at the newstand that had a full frontal shot on the front page. We're definitely not in Kansas any more, nor even the wild West coast.

Anyway, today we are back in Trento. Gloria, Chiara, and Max put on a little birthday luncheon for MJ: bruschetta, formaggi, pizzina, salami, etc., followed by chocolate torta and apple streudel. It was lovely. Later, we will go visit Gianguido's mom and perhaps do a little shopping: Chloe is dying for more reading materials.

In the morning, Frank and the girls and either Gloria or I are taking a helicopter ride to tour the Dolomites. Who will be the fourth passenger depends on the state of my stomach. I get queasy just thinking about being up there. We'll see.

Gianguido, aka the tour guide, arranged the helicopter and has made reservations for us all over Italy. Wednesday, we drive to Roma for a few days, and then we come back north to Venezia before returning to Milano and our flight to Dublin. Pretty nice to have such accommodating hosts!

I have a handwritten journal that contains so many more details than this, but I keep forgetting to bring it with me. Maybe tomorrow. I also have to remember to bring the reservation info for the Venezia hotel we no longer need. If I forget, my mom will be getting another phone call. :-)

Ciao! Biacci!

P.S. to Gillian: What do you want to know about Live and Learn? I've decided I kicked ass on my first talk; perhaps the delusion of distance, but it feels good to think it. :-) The other talks were all excellent: so nice to hear Ren and Anne in person, and Beth's Peaceful Partnerships talk was very special if a bit different from the one she did at LiG. I didn't get to any funshops except the sign-making one that Kelli ran. I spent all my spare time drumming, I think. The girls hit the ground running, knowing just enough people to be able to dive right into the teen groups. Frank and I felt more tentative, thinking we were surrounded by strangers, until we started putting faces together with screen names, blog names, and so on. Still wish you all could have been there.

Favorite moments: At my first talk, looking out from the podium at this big group of people on my right who were all there to support me (family, Steph, Traaseths, Stonebrakers, etc.). The end of the dance. The video tribute someone made for Kelly, sung to the tune of 'Live and Let Die' but titled 'Live and Learn,' which shows a classroom full of bored kids breaking free to run across a beautiful open meadow. Eating in the cafeteria with everybody else, even though the noise level was pretty overwhelming. Sitting in the first drum circle looking out over the hills -- er, I mean mountains. It was a good and beautiful time.

MJ

MJ is 16 today. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I can't believe it. It seems like about two minutes ago that she was a newborn. What she is now is an amazing, beautiful person who makes every day of my life more fun.

Happy Birthday, Baby!!

Ike

Chuck and family experienced downpours and a lack of electricity. Otherwise, they are fine.

Only six more weeks of hurricane season!

Garda Lake and Trento

We have had a lovely couple of days at Garda Lake, adjusting to Italian time and enjoying the warm weather.

The 'lake house' is a little condo high on a hill a above the lake. It is warmly decorated in golds and reds and provides just enough space for the four of us, with a couch for Chiara to sleep on when she joins us. The walk down the hill to the lakeshore is very steep, but it is a wonderful trip, full of twists and turns and cobblestones and a little tunnel and beautifully ornate doorways. We enjoy the trip down much more than the trip up, during which we are entirely dedicated to huffing and puffing.

Yesterday, we went into Malcesine, a small village on the lakeshore, and played tourist with all the Germans. We had gelati and spritzi and shopped. I alarmed a newspaper vendor by reading a headline in USA Today aloud; he was quite sure I intended to read it without paying for it. But I calmed him down with a simple 'Quanto?' He was still a bit weird, though, and asked Chloe to move away from the English-language books she was studying three times so that he could sweep the floor. Chiara says this is every bit as rude to do to a customer here as it is in America. So we didn't buy anything else.

Today, we are in Trento, visiting Chiara's house and family and Cora the dog, and taking in a few sites. It is pouring rain, so this is less pleasant than we would wish, but it is very pretty here and the rain has at least cooled things off for our unaccustomed northwest selves.

I love driving here. Chiara's brother, Max, has very kindly loaned us his Yaris. It is tiny and does not appreciate it when we do the steepest hills with all five of us in the car, but it is otherwise very fun. And the winding streets are always an adventure, since they are not really wide enough for two cars to pass. The main roads are more spacious but less exhilirating.

Live and Learn

Hi, everybody! I'm writing to you from Jamaica, New York (aka the JFK airport area), where we spent the night after a wonderful weekend in Black Mountain, NC, at the Live and Learn Unschooling Conference. I only have a few minutes, so I can't go into all the detail you know I'm dying to, but here are a few tidbits:

• My talks went well, especially the first one, "Unschooling the Wrong Way." That's from my perspective; the "Enjoying Teenagers" one received some nice feedback, too, but the first one is the one where I had more fun. It surprised me, because I felt better prepared for the teen talk. I mean, I rewrote UTWW the day before the talk. But I got into a groove while delivering it, and I got some nice laughs, so I started having fun. For the other one, I was running on nerves.
• Drumming, drumming, drumming, drumming. Ohmigosh, I had so much fun drumming. Caren brought a vanload of drums and held several drum circles, each one different from the last. I thought I was really partial to "anarchist" drum circles—where everyone does his or her own thing and this really magical, organic thing happens—but Caren organized a group of us to learn Kuku (my spelling), a West African rhythm, and perform it in the talent show. I'm still high from that night. Our practices involved a lot of mistakes and laughter, and the performance involved a lot fewer mistakes and this feeling of total triumph. We rocked the house! Everybody was on their feet, and all the kids danced like maniacs, and Caren led us to go faster than we had in practice, and it was amazing.
• I got to meet so many people I have only known online. It's kind of an odd experience to walk into a room full of strangers and discover half of them are already friends, but that's an unschooling conference for you.
• I got so much out of the other speakers' talks. I went to all of them, I think. Some brilliant people and a few new ideas to ponder. I might write more about those as I continue pondering.
• We danced! As the masquerade ball wound down on Saturday, a group of us diehards (even not-gimpy Frank) danced together. The DJ played "Bohemian Rhapsody" and we all knew all the words, including 6yo Kade, who was so obviously thrilled to be included in the big circle of teens, and the Ohmans, who belted it out with great and hilarious enthusiasm. As the song ended, I thought, "That's it, that should be the last song," but there were more, and each turned as special as the last. For "Closing Time," we all danced in a big, goofy circle, and then there was "Delilah." We were all singing along to that one when the music suddenly cut off. Undaunted, we continued singing, led by Jake Ohman, and finished off the song. It was a fun and special bonding time.

Phew! Anyway, it was a beautiful weekend, and I was so honored to be a part of it. I just wish more of the LIFE is Good part of the tribe could have been there!

More about L&L here (at the bottom) and here and here and here.

Livin' and Learnin'

We'll try to touch base regularly, but no promises! :-)

Keep a good thought for the success of my talks!

Hugs to all!

Gustav update

Note from Judy

Gustav prep

Most of the New Orleans branch of the Maier clan is evacuating only as far as Judy and Marty's house, which is on high ground north of I-12 (a real demarcation line for Katrina's damage).

Jerry, Cori, and Molly are going a bit farther north and inland to Picayune, Mississippi.

Lori and Brian are going to or with his folks.

We're not sure where Bob and Anita are going, but he spent a good while yesterday making Gort as secure as possible. I'm probably more worried about Gort than the humans, because they are all getting to minimum safe distance while the Oak Harbor marina where Gort is was hit really hard during Katrina.

We'll keep you posted as much as possible as the storm moves ashore.

Only two!

Last week, Frank and I had lunch with Bryce-Bob, an old friend from our days at Book Publishing Company. Bryce hails from Hawaii and it turns out Barack Obama was in his sixth-grade class. So we—and you, Steph—have only two degrees of separation between us and the next president of these soon-to-be-re-United States.

And all of you, dear readers, have only three.

Never say we haven't done anything for you!

P.S. Bryce is doing well. He and Shari are still together. Their twin girls are 14, like Chloe, and they also have a 10-year-old son. Bryce is back at Microsoft as a contractor (working for ITWeb) after spending several years back in Hawaii resting on his stock options.

At last

Tired of all the media hype about how awful Hillary Clinton is, how much she and Obama hate each other, how uppity she is to participate in the convention? Me, too. Check out this article that provides some historical perspective (the real story would be if Clinton were not invited to speak at the convention) and ponders the mystery of why the media is so determined to make us think there's a story here.

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200808260005

All is well

Frank is home from surgery and doing great. The surgeon seemed to be doing her best to keep us from thinking this will give him a 20-year-old's knee again, but we already knew that, so we're just happy to have it done.

He has to use crutches for a few-to-several days, and he's not supposed to soak in the tub for a week. The latter is the more distressing for my beloved hot-water addict, I think. :-)

He's sitting in his big chair, eating fish and chips and watching the Olympics. Life is good.

Marty goes home tomorrow

Marty passed his swallow test and, while he's still coughing some, his white cell count is down, so they know they've addressed the infection. His replaced valve is still semi-functioning, and I suppose there isn't a lot they could do even if it weren't, so they are sending him home tomorrow.

Phew!

Just like the pros

Frank is having arthroscopic surgery on Friday due to a torn meniscus.

His recovery will be more challenging as we travel, but our hope is that he won't mind it because he'll feel ever so much better than he does right now.

Medical updates

Frank's doc suspects meniscus or MCL tear. He's having an MRI this afternoon.

Marty is pretty miserable. He is still coughing a lot and running a fever. Also, he is having trouble swallowing and has no gag reflex, so they aren't letting him eat and have him on IV fluids. He had a mini-swallow test yesterday that didn't reveal much and is having a full swallow test today. And as if all that isn't bad enough, his aortic valve (the pig valve he had put in years and years ago) is stenotic. They can't replace it, because he's too frail. I'll post updates as we learn more.

Homeport

Frank is home!

We picked him up about 2, then went out for Thai food, 'cause he's been craving it for three weeks. Now we're just lounging about the house and helping Chloe get ready for NBTSC.

MJ got packed early so she could spend the day with the Mad-woman (as Frank calls Madelyn) at Hemp Fest. Now they and Mercedes (Mads' mom) are headed to see the Apple War, Madelyn's brother's up-and-coming rock band.

Chuck called with the news that Marty is in the hospital again with another case of pneumonia. Frank was surprised to hear this, because Marty seemed okay yesterday. These lungs things really sneak up on him, I guess. His planned and overdue oral surgery, which was scheduled for tomorrow, is postponed yet again. Too bad, he's got a couple of teeth that are really bothering him.

I'll post updates as we get them.

In the meantime, we're together again and very happy about it. Frank is tanned and trim. He looks like he's the one who spent the last three weeks going to the gym. Sailboats are great for isometric exercise.

But his knee is in pretty bad shape. He hurt it the first time he was at Judy's, but it seemed like a little tweak at the time. It's gradually gotten worse and now, since they got off the boat, it's really sore. He's wearing a knee brace and has an appointment with his doctor on Tuesday.

Tomorrow is our first of two and a half runs to Eugene for camp. I took the day off so I can help with the driving on this run, but the other one and a half will probably be Frank's to do (with MJ's help on the last half run). The first couple of years, going down on the train was fun for the girls, but this year they didn't want to face it. We're taking Madelyn down, too, so we've got a little NBTSC carpool going. Pretty fun.

Chloe and Madelyn come home on the 25th. Harper is joining MJ at the Golds for a couple of days before he heads to Session 2, then Mary is going to bring MJ halfway home on the 29th. Then it's a trip to the Evergreen State Fair, and then it's time for our big trip.

And that's how summer is going, going, gone around here...

Delay

Frank's flight was late getting out of New Orleans, so he's stuck in Denver for the night. United can't get him home until afternoon tomorrow.

The girls and I were so depressed by this news that we *had to* run right out and get ice cream. It's only helped a little bit.

Friday fill-in

1. The last meal I had at a restaurant was tonight's Subway club with a double-shot of black olives.

If you mean a "real" restaurant, I think it was spaghetti at Romio's. Yum! Or maybe the sushi dinner was more recently that. I don't remember. (Like I said, we've been eating out a fair bit.)

2. Blind patriotism is something I intensely dislike and fear.

3. The full moon is gigantic and stunning after a hot day in Seattle.

4. "The mountains are out" is one of my favorite local expressions.

5. Sometimes it's best to skip watching the news.

6. Juno is still the best movie I've seen so far this year!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to Psych and maybe a little reading time, tomorrow my plans include picking up Frank at the airport!!!!!!!!, and Sunday, I want to be with Frank and help the girls get ready for camp!

Is it just me?

I get a little creeped out whenever I see a photo of Michael Phelps. Doesn't he look a lot like the evil mutant Sylar from
"Heroes"?

Is he on the list?

Please sign here

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims. This "rule change" doesn't need congressional approval.

Will you sign an emergency message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change right now? MoveOn will pass your signature and information to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which will deliver the signatures to Leavitt.

http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/

Quirky meme

Randi tagged me.

Mention six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them. Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged. If you participate, let the person who tagged you know you've posted your quirks!

1. Not lately, but sometimes my compulsion to nibble my fingernails is so strong that I can't resist it, no matter whose office I'm in or how stupid I look.

2. I have a few "systems" around the house (scissors in drawer A, razor blade for removing can labels on shelf B, etc.). It drives me BATTY if Frank or one of the girls messes with them. I turn into Mom-zilla.

3. When my bangs get too long, my allergies flare up.

4. At the health club, I split my 30-minute cardio routine between three machines because I get too bored staying on just one.

5. I don't like scrubbing pots and pans (especially cast iron!), but sticking my hand down the garbage disposal (when it's off!) to fish things out doesn't bother me much at all.

6. Lately, I'm lazy about working the clutch in the MR2. I don't press my foot down enough, so it doesn't engage (disengage?) fully, and then I have trouble shifting. Either that or the clutch is going out.

I tag Denise, Mom, Steph, and three volunteers MJ, Chloe, and Frank.

Check these guys out!

The Toucans just played Microsoft. They were great! Steel drum fun.

I especially enjoyed this, although the clip doesn't capture the coolest part of the song.

Insomnia Doings Report

I think my brain is too full. I specifically went to bed early last night so I would get a full eight hours, but no. I woke up at 5, in time to see one of those sunrises I was taking on faith a couple days ago. It's very pretty, but I'd rather I'd missed it. Oh, well, I'll sit here admiring the peach-toned sky and blog some doings.

Frank hasn't had time to tell us all his stories, but he did say one thing last night that was nice to hear: they had a very good time. That wasn't clear from our two-minute sat-phone chats, so I'm glad he finally had the chance to communicate it.

My talks are coming along. Drafts are due this week so that Kelly can prepare transcripts for some hearing-impaired attendees. I think the drafts won't be as long as the final versions, but they'll definitely be able to get the drift.

There, don't I sound calm? In reality, I'm all in a dither because I won't be completely done by this "deadline." Breathe, Ronnie. All is well.

MJ received her replacement lens yesterday. Did I tell this story? Probably not. On the 4th of July, I knocked MJ's camera off the couch. It was fine that day, or seemed to be, but a few days later, the lens sort of froze up, and then it broke. Or we broke it trying to get it unfrozen. Anyway, there was something rattling around inside it, which couldn't be a good sign. We *really* wanted to be able to take her camera to RU Fun, so we hustled off to Circuit City to get a replacement. Of course, they only had telephoto lenses in stock, so, damn, MJ had to have an early birthday present, and we got some very cool candid photos of people at RU Fun who didn't know they were being photographed, and MJ loved her new toy. But over the past couple of weeks, she has started really missing the old lens, since it was better for self-portraits and other close-range work. We priced them online and she was able to afford one, so she ordered it. It arrived yesterday.

This explains the flurry of STUNNING photos on her photo blog.

Chloe has been working on her story. I am not privy to many details of said story, so that's about all I can tell you, except that she's very dedicated.

The three of us went for a walk at sunset last night. Our neighborhood really is a pleasant place to stroll. We love looking at the 20s architecture, and a few of the neighbor cats will come out to greet us. Several people had their sprinklers going (not realizing that brown is the new green), and Chloe took big, looping detours to avoid stepping on wet sidewalks. I'm not sure why, but her mystery is part of her charm. My fairy child. Anyway, it was fun, and I took some photos finally, although I haven't posted them yet. (MJ is able to get her camera card to work in my computer, so maybe she can teach me and I'll get back into my pre-sailing routine.)

Steph said she's looking forward to my blogging from Europe. I had to confess that I'm not sure I'll be blogging then, because I want to live it more than write about it. You all might have to wait until October for pictures and stories from our trip.

I think I've discovered the cure to my monthly Pouty Mouthy Shrew phase: exercise. I was completely cheerful all through the usual Days of the Grouch. I'm less chipper this week, but (a) nobody can maintain that good a mood indefinitely without pharmaceutical assistance, and (b) I'm really missing Frank this week, and (c) I'm stressed about my talks.

About (b): It occurred to me yesterday that this is the longest Frank and I have been apart since 1986. We've done two weeks before but never three.

The girls and I are reading the new Artemis Fowl book together. We're enjoying it, but the subject matter is a little on the grim side: Artemis' mother is dying. I'm sure Artemis and Holly will find the cure and triumph in the end, but it's still a less than pleasant theme. What is pleasant is reading with my daughters again. We do less of this now that they're teenagers, so it's been nice to get back to it.

The sun just popped over the trees, so I guess I'll go ahead and start my day. My (very few) early-bird coworkers will be quite surprised to see me so early.

Arrival

Frank is at Judy's. Bob and Gort are at a municipal pier because there isn't as much depth as advertised for getting into the marina where Bob had made arrangements for a slip. They'll move the boat tomorrow.

All is well.

The Rigolets!

Gort has reached the Rigolets (the not-straight straight into the lake, pronounced rig-uh-lees by the locals). They have huge wind from exactly the wrong direction today, so they're still motoring. Kind of disappointing for a couple of sailors.

They decided not to stop for fuel in Gulfport. Their supply seems good, and if they've miscalculated, well, Bob has tow insurance.

They are going to keep motoring through the thunderstorms and cross Lake Pontchartrain to Bob's slip. Frank will be at Judy's tonight!

I assume Judy knows this. Hmm. Maybe I should call her. :-)

A haiku from Chloe

Oh, sweet graham cracker!
How I love to munch on you!
You are delicious!

Mississippi

All is well. I'm having trouble finding them a working gas dock in Gulfport (continuing Katrina woes, three years later—so much for the land of opportunity), so they might end up taking a taxi to get some gas cans filled. But Gulfport is where they're headed. They'll anchor off Ship Island tonight, then head into port in the daylight tomorrow. I'm hoping they'll have cell service tonight so I'll get to talk to Frank again.

Update about 7:00 p.m. -- Frank just called via cell phone (they're near towers again!). They are anchored off of Ship Island and doing well. They are very much looking forward to being able to sleep all night tonight. They're going to check their fuel supply in the morning and then decide whether to go into Gulfport or just head for New Orleans.

A much calmer day

Frank and Bob had a much better day today, calm and uneventful. But it doesn't look like they made much headway (or maybe I had their position wrong yesterday). Frank says the wind is coming over their nose, so they're motoring. They plan to pull into Gulfport or Pass Christian sometime Monday for some diesel, and then continue on into New Orleans. After yesterday's progress, I thought they'd arrive a day earlier than that, so I'm feeling discouraged on their behalf. They seem upbeat, though, and mostly just relieved to be having an easy time of it again.

I haven't done a meme in a long time

These are from Sandra, who got them from Anet, who got them from Molly. (Keep the chain going!)

What is outside my front door: The little hill in our yard that all the neighbor kids love so much, our cars, neighbors' houses, a big (huge!) tree, the roof of the grocery store, the sky where sunsets happen.

What is on my mind: My talks, wondering how Frank and Bob are doing, the health club, my continued lack of phone at work (can you say "snafu"? I knew you could), my talks, wondering if the girls are awake, Bernie Mac, the election, my talks, amorphous happiness.

Things I am thankful for right now: Have you got an hour?

What I am reading: Nothing! Can you believe it? This is very unusual for me. But soon I will be researching my talks and reading lots and lots and lots.

Goings on inside the house: It's quiet. It's too quiet.

What I am listening to: The sounds of silence (lowercase). Yesterday, I listened to the Seahawks game during my drive home, between watching the first quarter with my favorite coworkers and watching the rest at home. Later today, I'll be listening to MJ's selections. (I'll bet you a million dollars that I will! That girl is as dependable as sunrise. Not that I ever see sunrise, but I assume it's happening.)

What I want: A fun last couple cruising days for Frank, and quickly passing time until he gets home. Happy girls. Fun and easy talk writing and actual talks that are even better. A reply from Chiara. A joyous trip to NC and Europe. Fingernails that continue to grow ('cause I haven't bitten them in weeks). A win for Obama in '08.

Things I'm creating: A healthier body. Stellar product documentation. Order out of chaos in my bedroom (or at least less chaos). Enthusiasm.

Things from the kitchen: (snort) Leftover takeout. I have cooked exactly once in the two weeks Frank has been away, and that was canned chili over pasta. But the teens that were here that night seemed to really enjoy it!

What I have planned for today: Going to the club with Chloe while MJ goes crabbing with Papa and Allesio. Writing my talks (dammit!). Emptying the remnants of Chloe's room out of my bedroom closet. (She used to sleep in there. "I sleep in the closet," she would tell people. But don't worry, it's a big closet. She had a double mattress in there! And lots of STUFF that she obviously doesn't miss much because it's been in there without her for years.)

What I have planned for this week: A week as fun and productive as last week.

Some current favorites: Lori and Brian (my favorite coworkers mentioned above). Psych (favorite TV show, but only because my other favorites haven't yet resumed). Those are the only favorites I can think of. I'm easily distracted.

But see this post for some things I'm really enjoying currently, and add "watching the Seahawks" to it.

*** If you do this meme on your blog, leave me a comment, k? I want to see! ***

Hawk Yeah!

Seahawks 34 Vikings 17

The Seahawks are looking good! A couple of the rookies seem pretty exciting! I can't wait for next week's game!

Not a good day

Here is where they are now.

Unfortunately, they had a lousy time getting there. A big squall rolled right over the top of them and kept them "busy" all day. It sounds like it slammed them. The mainsail tore, but Frank says the rip is below the first reef, so they reefed it in and it's still usable. Also, the compressor on the refrigerator went out (probably unrelated to the weather). I assume they'll still be able to use the engine to cool their food. If not, they might have a pretty boring diet for a couple of days.

Things have calmed down now (they're back on the engine and only doing 4 knots), so they're going to take turns getting some much needed rest.

A change of perspective

I felt really tired this morning as I dragged out of bed, but I let routine carry me to the club anyway. In the locker room there, I met a lady of 70+ who was pushing a walker around. I wished her a good morning and she responded in kind, and then she said, "I was feeling kind of tired this morning, so I came here for a change of perspective."

Indeed.

Where my Friday Fill-in led me today

To Australia, of course!

First to Julie's blog, and from there to

St. K.F.C., and from there to

footy in general.

Now I wish I could watch Robert Harvey's final season!

Did you ever have one of those moments?

Maybe you're doing the dishes, or sorting the mail, or getting the family ready to leave the house, and you look over at one of your kids, and it just hits you:

This is an amazing human being, and I am

immeasurably lucky to know her.

I love those moments. Heart wide open.

Friday fill-in

1. You know you're old when you're listening to the surprisingly conservative young woman who waxes your legs expound on her disdain for tattoos, and she refers to "older women," and you realize she's talking about women in their 40s like YOU.

2. My heart is divided between love and joy.

3. Sleep is what I need RIGHT NOW! (But I'll probably read for a while anyway.)

4. I have felt the cold, thin air up on the mountain, I have known the warm depths of the boundless sea.

5. Gah, won't these people ever stop punishing their children?

6. Start unschooling as soon as you can! (This means you! It's not just for kids!)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hearing the latest position report from Frank, eating our leftover bulgogi, and watching Psych, tomorrow my plans include writing my talks for Live and Learn, and Sunday, I want to go to the gym with my girls!

Progress

And here, this shows the difference in their position between yesterday at about 2:40 p.m. PDT and today at 6:06 p.m. PDT.

Becalmed and bumped

Here is where they are right now:

They don't have much wind and have been motoring more than they like. They're about to cut back on that, so they'll slow down a bunch. Up til now, though, they've been making excellent time, as you can see. Here's hoping the wind picks up (but not too much!) soon. Frank says the Gulf is like a lake, and it's really hot out there.

Their only bit of excitement was a sudden bump in the night. They ran around in a panic for a while, looking for the hole in the hull, before they figured out that a clumsy dolphin (part of a visiting pod) had run right into them.

Thursday 13

Thirteen Things I'm Really Happy About Right Now

1. Frank and Bob are enjoying themselves, they're safe, and their worst mishap thus far has been an encounter with a lobster pot. And the weather map is clear of tropical storms!!

2. I have my own office!

3. I have a new work computer and it's FAST.

4. I've been going to the health club, loving every minute I'm there, and enjoying an exercise high for hours afterward.

5. My asthma is nonexistent.

6. We are deep in trip planning and have decided to splurge on three nights in a Dublin B&B, less than a block from O'Connell Street. Virtually everything we want to see in Dublin is within walking distance. We've also reserved B&Bs in Counties Clare and Mayo, one night each, so we can swing past the Cliffs of Moher and the old McManaman sod (Achill Island) on the tail end of our trip. The rest of our time, we'll be based out of this cottage in County Wexford.

7. I get to see Chiara in less than a month!!!!!!!!!!!

(We are doing less Italian planning than Irish, because we're leaving ourselves in the capable hands of the Baldi. They are borrowing an RV from friends and plan to take us around. Chiara is beach crazy, so I'm sure a few southern beaches are on our itinerary. Other than that, we'll be doing the Trentino region, staying at Lake Garda. And we have definite plans to visit Venice.)

8. I read some good public-speaking advice and am feeling much more relaxed about my talks at Live and Learn next month.

9. I got my first paycheck (just in the nick of time).

10. Chloe and MJ are thriving despite their current lack of parenting. (Hmm...)

11. It's sunny and warm!

12. I have seventeen senses! (just a little inside joke)

13. I actually had an idea for a Thursday 13 this week!

(knock on wood)

Photos

Gail's blog has some photos of Frank, Bob, and Gort, not to mention some other people I'm rather fond of.

MJ's Flickr account has some photos from Chloe's play, not to mention some generally stunning photography.

No frog boilin' goin' on 'round here

Here's an excerpt from today's Daily Groove by Scott Noelle.

It's like that famous experiment where they tossed a healthy frog in boiling water and it leaped right out. But if they put the frog in cool water and raised the temperature gradually over several days, the frog would be able to *adjust* and stay in the water.

The slow boil seems more humane, but that "well-adjusted" frog eventually *died* from the heat! Whereas the non-adjusted frog's intact sensitivity protected it from being boiled.

Copyright (c) 2008 Scott Noelle. Used by permission.

(Hint: Your kid is the frog if you try to toughen him or her up! Beware of what works.)

Read the whole post here.

Ready, set, JUMP!

Frank and Bob have left Key West and are headed out into the Gulf! Winds are light and it's really hot, but they're on their way. They figure 5 days to reach the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and then another day plus to reach New Orleans and, more specifically, Bob's slip across Lake Pontchartrain.

They'll be calling in every day via satellite phone with their position and to hear the latest weather report, so I'll keep you all apprised of their progress.

Safe harbor

Frank and Bob are safe in Key West. They are drinking wine coolers and making plans for a day of chores and shopping tomorrow.

Tales from the Keys (2008 edition)

Other than Tropical Storm Edouard (currently hovering off Louisiana and headed for Texas), the Gulf has gone quiet (too quiet?), so Frank and Bob have reverted to their original plan. They will pull into Key West tonight, spend tomorrow resting and prepping for the Gulf.

They had a little help making this decision: a lobster pot fouled the prop last night and prompted them to anchor off Long Key with plans to dive down this morning and defoul it. In the meantime, a rainless squall blew over them, rocking and rolling the boat and putting on a lightshow. This morning, when Frank went down to see to the entanglement, it was gone, and the prop was undamaged, and the shark wasn't terribly interested in German-Irish breakfast. Hurray!

So, they are in better spirits this morning than last night, especially knowing that they don't have to rush through their preparations.

Connections

I was doing my weather-girl thing this evening, checking out the weather systems in Florida and points south and east. From there, I started clicking other Wunderground links and ended up on this page about the Northwest Passage opening up. That article links to David Thoreson's blog post about sailing the passage on Cloud Nine, a privately owned sailboat that does regular circumnavigations and which has been crewed a couple of times by my first stepmother and dear friend, Cherie.

Attentive readers will recall that I previously mentioned David in this post. And I have pictures from my visit to Cherie's place in May of 2007 here.

All of this brings to mind this news article I read just today. A recent study of instant messaging patterns across the world indicates that the "six degrees of separation" thing is dead on.

It really is a small world.

Lemme have it

Okay, I went a whole month without approval, and it's best to start slow with these things, so I've opened up the photo blog to comments. Right now, only today's photos have comment links, but I'll gradually add them to the older ones, too.

Rounding the cape

The "Cape of Florida" that is.

After a restful night in the last available guest slip in Fort Pierce, Frank and Bob are back on the water today. They're doing another overnight passage and might pull into one of the Keys tomorrow.

The original plan was for them to head to Key West on Monday, to sleep and reprovision before they jump off into the Gulf. Unfortunately, I had to inform them this morning that a new invest (area of disturbed weather) has appeared on the tropical weather map. Invest 90L is not terribly impressive at the moment, with winds at only about 30 mph, but the computer models show it heading over Cuba and, presumably, right on into the Gulf. It has measurable potential for reaching hurricane status.

If Frank and Bob are efficient (and efficiency is fairly easy to achieve with a system pushing winds your way), they are a solid two days ahead of the storm. I couldn't say at this point whether they'll think that is enough advantage or not.

Friday fill-in

1. If I could travel back in time, assuming I could come back to the future again, I'd go to all of these places:
A. The Pacific Northwest before the loggers came.
B. Anywhere with a stock broker the day Microsoft stock went public (with funds in pocket), and then anywhere with a stock broker the day before it flopped.
C. Group Health Hospital in Redmond, Washington, on September 15, 1992, with my best powers of persuasion, to tell my younger self about unschooling.

2. Give me advance notice or give me Valium.

3. I am listening to "Alien" on On Demand, 'cause the girls are watching it downstairs. "You are my lucky star... lucky, lucky, lucky star."

4. Somewhere, someone is thinking something stupid. And they don't even know it!

5. I'll always be in love with Frank.

6. My idea of a good time includes my kids, OPKs, Frank, unschoolers, or any of the above in combination. And chocolate. And sometimes margaritas.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to Psych (yes, it's an addiction), tomorrow my plans include leg waxing and a trip to the health club with MJ and maybe Chloe, and Sunday, I want to play with Colin!