who me?

On our camping trip this summer, my dad told me he thinks I'm an introvert, telling myself I'm and extravert. I've been thinking about this. He says if I was really an extravert I wouldn't write poetry.

I've been thinking about this comment, and my own sense of ease in my life, and I'm wondering a lot about it. I think there is some truth in what he says. We agreed that very few people are one thing or another. We're all lots of different things, and for each measure. In this case it ranges from extreme introvert to extreme extrovert, with all kinds of calibrations in between. Further, a person could be inclined differently in different situations and life phases, while basically being one way in general.

I think I live the life of an extravert. I don't take/have/demand a lot of solo time. I do crave it, and I find it in my own ways - during my blogging time, in which I entertain myself with myself, and in the car (that's when I sing, recite poetry and sometimes cry) and probably when I exercise, now that I think about it. Even in the cycle class, once the endorphins kick in, I zone out and take a private thought expedition quite frequently. hmmm

During the course of a normal, busy day, I am surrounded by people at home and at work, and in my leisure life. I thrive on laughter, intellectual stimulation, attention, appreciation and enjoyment of friends and family. It feeds me. I seek it out, build my life to get as much as I can and do as much as I can. Mostly it is very satisfying. I am blessed with good physical and mental health and abundant energy that allows this high level of interaction and activity. I go for it almost all of the time.

I think part of my resistance to acknowledging the other side of myself comes from being snobbish about jumping on pop-culture waves. So I am resisting the "simplicity" movement and everyone who says they're looking for "balance." Even if these are good things, I don't like to join in the mantra of the masses chanting precious platitudes about this year's version of how to live the inner life.

But that other side is there, even if I don't refer to it in terms of balance. It's the part of me that wears pajamas until the last possible moment when I have somewhere to go. It's the part that carries a book around in my briefcase so I can hide in a corner and read, even for five minutes when the opportunity arises. It's the part that writes poetry, blogs and actually loves doctor's waiting rooms, buses and long car rides. At its heart, it wants its very own quiet place to be alone for indefinite periods of time.

So if I refuse to look for "balance," maybe I'll just have to think about this part as a partly overlooked part of myself, talk to it once in a while and find out what it needs and what it can do for me. Hey there intro-self. What's up?

question: how many parts make a whole?

mompoet - asking my intro-self if she wants an apple muffin

does your chat wear un chapeau?

A friend at work is creating an art installation consisting of photographs of cats and dogs wearing hats. She has sent us home with little straw hats in which to photograph our friendly beasts. Your dog or cat (or hamster, budgie, gerbil etc) could be part of this work of art. Just send your picture to me by Canadian Thanksgiving (October 9) and I will forward it to the artist. The display will be at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby and I'll let you know the dates later.

Here's my special email address for pets in hats only

dogsandcatswearinghats@yahoo.ca

question: do you dress your dog for special occasions?

mompoet - our dog was a fairy princess once for Halloween

New Year's Resolution

I think I just found my New Year's Resolution. Before you start thinking, "How Type-A can she get?" I'm not trying to be super-organized or fix myself. At least not with this impulse. September has always seemed like more of a new year to me than January. More people start more new things and more cycles of activity commence in September than ever do in January. Maybe I won't even bother with a New Year's resolution when January rolls around.

If you know me you also know that I like New Year's resolutions that add something rather than take something away. I am not into denial and deprivation. I prefer enhancement.

Yesterday I watched another movie from the foreign movies section of our local video store. I enjoyed it so much I think I'm going to try to work my way through those movies and any others that I come across. That's my resolution. Watch more foreign movies. They're mostly rentable in packs of 3 for $9 for a whole week, so it'll probably be in binges. Heck, I might even go to the theatre to see some.

Yesterday I watched Osama. It's a movie made in Afghanistan about a family living during the time that the Taliban were in power. In the story, a young girl who is made to dress as a boy so that she may go outside the home to support her mother and grandmother after her father and uncle die. The movie was filmed in Kabul after the fall of the Taliban regime. The actors are local people who the director found there and asked to be part of the project. As I watched it, the stark landscape and constant menace of the Taliban made me keep thinking I was watching science fiction. But I knew it was a true story, that represented the reality of the lives of the Afghani people in Kabul during the time of the Taliban. I kept thinking that it is impossible that in one world, life can be so different for people. We are all the same, but our lives are not.

I watched the movie at 5:30 in the morning. I think that I can find a day here and a day there to do this. Seeing the work of film-makers from different places in our world will help wake up my mind and heart to new worlds.

question: are you doing something new this September?

mompoet - happy new year!

wordless wednesday

most of the time

I love my job but today, well, ehhhhh.

We've been extremely busy at the office since I came back from holidays, but mostly busy in a fun and productive way with a bit of manic black humour thrown in. We have this mechanical angel in the back office. When we're at a loss for how to handle things we can push a button and she gives us a platitude. The other days she said, "Keep your temper. No one else wants it," in this kind of Stepford Wife voice. She cracks us all up.

When I left for vacation I knew that when I got back, I would have a report to write for a public meeting. I write this same report every year, so I know how to do it. I have to ask about 25 people to send me data. I compile it all in a nice chart, write a summarizing cover page, and Bob's your uncle. I even thought to ask for approval to submit it to the October meeting (rather than September), seeing as I took holidays later than usual this summer, at the end of August.

So a couple weeks back I emailed everyone asking them to send me the usual stats and trends, but this year's version. I reckoned that I'd have a week to work on it, an hour here and there and get it in to my boss in plenty of time to be edited, formatted and sent out to the official people a week before the meeting. What I forgot to do was to verify the due date. I had some hazy idea it would be in the first week of October.

wrong

Yesterday my boss leaves me a message saying I need to have the complete report in by Wednesday (tomorrow). I felt sick. Not only had I not even begun compiling the information, I knew I was missing more than half of the data. Missing it is usual. I just call around and people say, "oh yeah, I'll email it to you today," and I get it all together in plenty of time. But there was NO time, this time.

So I holed up in my office like some drama-bureaucrat, took no incoming calls and commenced to track everyone down and badger them FOR THE DATA - RIGHT NOW! LIKE, IN THE NEXT HOUR IF POSSIBLE. Boy did I feel like the Nag Hag of the Universe. I was bugging secretaries to chase people out of meetings and leaving double voicemails with backup emails. I think I have not been as obnoxious at work in the last 10 years put together as I was today (well, there was that time I tried to convince everyone to wear Christmas pants to the office party, but that was just silly obnoxious - today I was bossy obnoxious). I was totally embarassed at how I was being. Then in the middle of it, I get a voicemail and an email from my boss. Crunchy Crap! She needs the report "pretty much perfect and ready to go" by mid-afternoon TODAY!!!!

So I went out and pushed the button on the angel and she told me to "Count your blessings. No one else wants them," which didn't make sense but I think maybe I was a more than a bit off-balance by this point.

Anyway, I tracked down everyone, and some of them called me back, and I got the damn thing done. It is not the most polished or creative piece of work I have ever submitted, but it's done. And tomorrow I will start making it up to everyone who hopped right to it and got me THE DATA NOW! when I asked/pestered/demanded. And next year I will confirm the due date before I go on vacation, then build in time so I can ask people nicely for more info, or the info that they owed me yesterday, but there's no problem, plenty of time.

I think the angel might properly say, "You made your own bed. Now lie in it. Nobody else wants you lobbing pillows at their heads." And she'd be right.

question: how was work for you today?

mompoet - hanging in there

Are you an extravert or an introvert?

1. Check your belly button. Is it an innie or an outie?

innie
outie


2. Do you like to suck lemons or spit sunflower seeds?

spit sunflower seeds
suck lemons


3. Which is longer, your big toe or your second toe?

that's personal
wait, let me check


4. What do you do just before you fall asleep?

fart
snort


5. Can you curl your tongue?

yes
no

What does your score mean?
5 - extreme introvert
15 - extreme extravert
any other score - perfectly normal, but probably a bit silly to play along with this quiz

lookeeee!

The CBC Poetry Face Off 2006 CD is now available.

question: what's irresistible to you?

mompoet - still boggled by the whole thing

calendar girls

My birthday is coming. If anyone is thinking of getting me a calendar, this is the one I want.

question: did you ever play twister with a nun?

mompoet - I'll give the firefighters a pass. Send me the women in wimples!

last ride of the season (probably)

Alex drove into Vancouver to Playland for his student driver practice today. He cashed in his skee-ball tickets from the whole summer and we took a couple of rides on The Coaster before heading home (one in the front for the best view, one near the back for the noise and the rush and the whip-around-corners).

Now that we're back from our California coaster trip I can say with assurance that nothing anywhere I have been beats this ride. In particular, the two other wooden coasters we rode in California (Colossus at Magic Mountain and Ghost Rider at Knott's) don't come near to it. Both rides were bigger and more complicated, but they lacked the grace of our wonderful wooden coaster. Our version is every bit as fast and swoopy, with lower-tech seat restraints so more off-the-seat time on hills. Most important, it's smooth. I think someone decided that wooden coasters are supposed to rattle your bones right out of your body to be good. They're wrong. Playland's Coaster knocks your socks off, but leaves your teeth in your mouth, your breasts in your bra and your brain un-concussed. I like it the best.

Nice to know the best is here at home.

question: what did you do on the first sunny day of fall?

mompoet - coasting

potluck

We had our Shoreline Chapbook group meeting last night at Helmi's place. Supper is always a free-form potluck. It usually turns out very well, partly because Helmi always has a main course and her perfect corn fritters, plus a dessert, so we could pretty much bring nothing and have something. I like surprise potlucks. Planning and committing to bring a specific dish just don't work for me because I'm never sure what I'll feel like, how much time I'll have and what's good on the day of the potluck.

I do have a hang-up about potlucks. I am always afraid that nobody will bring vegetables. I have got over most of my unhealthy food rules/limitations but a meal without veg filling half the plate is something I dislike intensely. I can't enjoy the yummy other stuff unless there's a load of veg to balance it. And the veg has to be yummy too. An iceberg lettuce salad from a styro takeout box does not count. Nor does a veggie platter unless there's something unusual and nice about it.

As a result of this obsession, I always bring veggies to potlucks. Sometimes a big salad with real lettuce and other delightful ingredients, sometimes something cooked. Last night I found eggplants looking like gifts from heaven at the produce store so I made a really easy and simple and yummy eggplant and mixed-veg casserole. Here's the recipe in case you are going to a potluck.

1 big mama egglplant - you could use 1 or 2 of the long Japanese kind if they look better
1 big red onion
as much garlic as you like
2 handfulls of fresh mushrooms
2 red or yellow or orange bell peppers
1 plumpish zucchini
2 handfuls of ripe tomatoes

Wash and cut up the vegetables into big chunks. Toss the zucchini and bell pepper and eggplant pieces in olive oil and roast them in a 450F oven for about 15 minutes, turning to brown both sides. When the corners of the peppers start to get toasty it's time to take everything out.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic and mushrooms just until they let go of their crispiness.

Let the tomatoes sit on the side and toss them in after everything else is cooked. The heat of the other veggies is enough to cook them a bit without turning them to mush.

Throw everything into a big casserole (3-4 litres). Stir in about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine if you don't have the vinegar. Season with salt, pepper and oregano, or whatever you think will make it taste nice. Keep it simple.

Sprinkle feta cheese over the top. Take it to the potluck just like that.

When you get there you can stick it in the oven (about 350) until everyone's ready to eat or nuke it in the microwave for about 10 minutes to fully reheat, just before serving.

question: what's your potluck specialty?

mompoet - vegetable assurance specialist

beautiful soup

Today I booked off work to be with the kids who have a Pro D Days (the teachers are in workshops and the kids stay home from school). We had a screaming hot Szechuan lunch, practice driving for Alex and two movies. Before breakfast this morning I curled up on the couch with Elling (made in Norway, 2001) which took my breath away and activated my laughing and crying mechanisms in turn. It is a beautiful movie. I have just discovered a pretty impressive foreign movie section in the Kensington Square Rogers Video in North Burnaby. A movie with breakfast is a wonderful treat. I will be visiting Rogers and bringing home breakfast movies as frequently as I can.

After the Szechuan we went to the multi-googolplex. Fi and her friend watched Barnyard. Alex was going to see The Black Dahlia, but I talked him into seeing Little Miss Sunshine with me. (I reminded him that going to see Napoleon Dynamite was my idea before all the kids at school had caught on to it). We both loved it.

I have to give up the computer now, but it's just as well I don't give the plot away in some awkwardly enthusiastic review. Just go see that movie. And rent Elling if you're tired of reading the newspaper with breakfast.

question: from what source comes such richness?

mompoet - wallowing in happiness

The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee is not my Hero

Our City Council in Port Moody has struck a task force to work on projects around the Olympic Games - scheduled for Winter 2010 in Vancouver. Oh, I'm sorry, did I say Olympic? I mean "The Games." Oh! did I say 2010? I mean 2009+1.

The VANOC has declared exclusive rights to the words "Olympic" and "2010." Our city's group was ordered by VANOC's lawyers to rename itself and destroy its letterhead when it first launched as the Port Moody 2010 Olympics Task Force. Don't worry, the mayor says he will cut the letterhead up and use if for notepads. The task force has been renamed "The Games Legacy Task Force." Now the Olympic Committee's lawyer is busy pursuing the holdouts "Olympic Pizza," "Olympic Powerwashing," and a few homeowners who are unfortunate to have the address "2010 whatever street."

Several other proactive suggestions so we stay out of trouble until after the games are over:

• banks can develop brochures to help people learn what to write on their cheques for the entire year of 2010, when it's illegal to write "2010." If you don't like "2009+1" try "the year that cannot be named."
• Washington State can have a referendum to rename the Olympic Mountain Range and the Olympic Peninsula.
• We can go on using the word "Olympic" but transpose the vowels to make it substantially different and annoy VANOC at the same time. This should be used in reference to the actual games as frequently as possible - "Ilompycs" or "Ylimpocs" both sound rather sassy.
• We can go out and raise a ton of money for "The Games" and "The Legacy" then take it to the VANOC office and say "NOT THOSE GAMES! NOT IN A MILLION YEARS - OR AT LEAST NOT IN 2011-1 YEARS!!

question: did you ever hear of anything so stupid?

mompoet - just call me mimpiet for now - I'm sick of O's

librarians are my heroes

I found this notice at a local library. I think this is just the nicest thing.

I've heard of tax amnesty and gun amnesty. Library book amnesty just seems so decent, civilized and encouraging. It's the nicest thing I saw all day.

question: Do you go to the library?

mompoet - secretly desiring to be trapped overnight in the library

Word on the Street 2006

Coming up this Sunday in Vancouver it's Word on the Street. I'll be there helping at Poet's Corner all day. It's a great event, a huge, free, outdoor (mostly) celebration of books, magazines, writing and word-sharing. I hope to see you there.

question: what are you reading today?

mompoet - word at the breakfast table

wordless wednesday somewhere in the world

what defines "aging?"

I keep thinking about the label "aging rock star" and thinking, "what the heck does that mean?" And just to clarify, I am really asking myself that question, not just asking it rhetorically here as a way to say something little and make it sound more important.

I've been thinking about where the lines are that define young, aging, old. We all begin to age the minute we are conceived and we keep aging at the same rate throughout our lives. It's just that there is a line, and when we cross it, our age is in the "getting older" category, rather than the "in the first part" category. I won't use the "you are as old as you feel/act" platitude. We are, chronologically and biologically aging. What I may disagree with is people's concept of what we should be doing/thinking/feeling at a certain age, although there are some broad guidelines that usually work.

Getting back to what aging means and when it's appropriate to categorize someone as aging. I think usually it's in the second half of their life. I'll be 45 this fall which means that I will be aging, except that several of my female relatives have lived well past 90, my grandma past 100, so maybe by that definition I'm not quite aging.

Aging might also depend on the context. For example, a beauty queen or supermodel could be aging when she's 27. A physics professor wouldn't be aging until she was at least 50. And categories that are defined by generations could have a reverse effect imposed. A 60 year old grandmother is "a young grandmother" in my books.

What prompted this all in my thinking was thinking of the Red Hot Chili Peppers as aging. I think of them as aging because they are about my age. They've been playing since the 80s. They are most likely all in the second half of their lives. They are older than most of their fans too, I'd guess. They're not in the same category as Mick Jagger or Rod Stewart. Some aging rock stars exceed all expectation. I suspect it happens when you have lots of wives and kids. You can't afford to stop being a rock star.

Aging is not a bad thing, in my books anyway. There are lots of advantages to aging. People take you more seriously, and you stop taking yourself so seriously. It gets easier to do your own thing because you've tried lots of things and figured out at least some of what you want to do. You can still do most of the things that you like to do. In the aging category the body still works, the brain's alert, you usually have some money and you have lots of friends and experiences and choices. You've had time to get good at some things that make you feel a sense of purpose. There's been time for spiritual/intellectual/artistic exploration. There's still lots of time to do a lot more. These days, there's a long time between "aging" and "old." The beginning of "aging" is a pretty good place to be.

question: when do you know you are halfway through your life?

mompoet - aging, yup, definitely aging

maybe a bit more than you really want to hear about the Chili Peppers' concert

I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Thursday in Vancouver with my friend Vicky. She's the one who introduced me to this band while I was doing my big "listening to music" project a couple of years ago. I now have a pretty good CD collection that tickles my happy-music-self with strong lyrics, mostly acoustic sound, some kind of sense of humour/quirkiness and all kinds of styles/genres/eras. I keep asking to borrow my friends' music, and now I have some I can loan back, so it's fun. I'm listening to the radio less, and to music of my own choice more.

So when the Chili Peppers announced their concert tour I was over the moon. Tickets sold out in less than an hour, but I got a couple of seats up in a section where I can verify, those guys still have all of their own hair. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

After a salad and a glass of wine in Burnaby, Vic and I began our concert experience with a Skytrain ride downtown. Neither of us has been to a concert in a while (well, I saw Jann Arden a couple of years ago at the Queen E but this is something different altogether). Neither of us has gone to the earsplitting/stadium filling/rock-music/maybe see our friends' kids there and wish we didn't kind of show. The skytrain was packed with 20-somethings including a young couple smash-face-smooching about 2 inches from my face all the way from Broadway station. Now that was funny. When they came up for air we talked with them about the concert. They seemed like nice kids.

The crowd at the stadium was pretty young. Not so many buying beer. Lots smoking pot in their seats. By the midway through the show, the air was blue and thick and we were dying for water. The nice young man beside me offered to share his marijuana with us. Vic and I are the only ones our age left in the world who have never smoked pot, ever, not even a little bit, so we grinned and declined. We probably smoked a fair bit just breathing up there.

But the show. Well, first on was The Mars Volta, which was hard for me to understand and enjoy because I have never heard of them or heard their music. The were a big group - maybe 8 or 9 on stage. High energy, but they were squished into the front quarter of the stage by their equipment setup. They played about 4 exceedingly long songs in one hour and I couldn't hear what they were saying or singing. I think that the backup band must have limitations put on what they are allowed to do and how good their technical support is, so it's not fair to judge by this performance. If found out some encouraging stuff when I looked them up later. Their new CD is produced by Rick Rubin, who has produced a few of the Chili Peppers albums, including Stadium Arcadium. Also, Flea and John Frusciante, the bass and guitar players for the Peppers have mentored The Mars Volta, played with them, and have toured with them before. So I think they're worth a listen again. And I got a peek at some of their talent at the end of the show, but more about that later. I read on the band's website about the sources for their songs and concept albums, and noticed they had this cloth screen backdrop with sci-fi type images projected during their show, so I don't know if I'll get the references when I do listen. Oh well.

After about an hour of opening act and another half hour of setting up the stage the Chili Peppers came on. Everyone went wild. We were on our feet enjoying the music and singing along for most of the show. The sound was good, and they played a ton of favourites, about half from their new CD Stadium Arcadium and half from previous albums. The did sing "Can't Stop," "Scar Tissue," "Dani California" and "Californication." They didn't sing the Zephyr Song or Under the Bridge (the latter of which I missed more). I really wished they sang their version of Higher Ground. But they didn't. Flea was flamboyant and exuberant. He ended the show by walking off the stage on his hands. I couldn't figure out what he was wearing. Some skin-tight pants and shirt combo with big sneakers with red laces. The outfit was all-over patterned so it looked like he was dipped in a comic book page and came up coated with primary colour images and scribbles. I kept wondering if the shirt was a tattoo but I'm pretty sure it was a shirt. Anthony Keidis, the lead singer was clear and engaging, and he has very shiny hair. He seemed to enjoy the crowd's response, but he didn't chat much between songs. I wondered about his costume choice - sweatshirt capris and a long tank-top that stopped in the wrong place and made him look hippy - which I've never seen on a guy. He looked like I do when I put put on slouchy old clothes to clean the house. John Frusciante, on the other hand, was elegant in a slate blue velvet pants and jacket. And boy can he play the guitar. That was probably the best thing about the concert for me, hearing him play. Chad Smith, the drummer had his usual bandana-band and an aqua button-shirt. I thought about what I would wear if I was an aging rock star. Hmmm, maybe manpris and a comic book shirt, but probably the velvet suit. It was kind of retro. The lights and effects were very cool. Just before the show, 4 camera operators climbed up to a catwalk over the stage and tethered themselves there for the whole show. Amazing closeup images of faces and fingers were projected in a shifting image montage. That was good.

Enough about their clothes. The playing and singing was good, but I was really bugged by one thing, and I'm not sure if this is just what musicians do at concerts or if it was them. Leading into songs, Flea and John did a bit of jamming with their guitar and bass. It was nice sometimes, especially when it sounded like they were having a conversation with their instruments, but it got out of hand (I think) during the encore. For the encore they sang "Give it Away," then they want into an extended wank-jam that lasted for about 20 minutes. They were joined by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the guitarist from The Mars Volta, and he was very good. For about 5 minutes it was fun to watch. Then it kept going, and going and going. Vic said "Let's leave" but I was hopeful that they'd wind up with something that might indicate communication with the audience. Instead they all huddled up in front of the drumset and played for each other. I guess if I was an aspiring young musician I might have enjoyed fantasizing that this would be what it's like to jam with them. Or if I had a finer-tuned appreciating for guitar and bass playing I would have found it a privilege to witness the creative process. But it got boring, then they wound up and finished boom-boom-twang. Then they left (except Flea stayed and walked on his hands for a minute). That was disappointing.

After the show we smashed back into the Skytrain. We were deaf for a little while and we definitely smelled a lot like marijuana, and also Axe body spray, which was the second prevalent scent during the show. We agreed that it was a good concert on the whole, and a boggling experience of something we've been missing for a while.

So that was the concert.

question: what would you wear for a show if you were an aging rock star?

mompoet - logging off to clean my bathrooms (but not in a blue velvet suit)

one rat, 2 corgies

Question: Did I correctly pluralize corgie? corgi? dogz?

mompoet - woof

wordless wednesday

the weekend

We're back, and while the camera is not talking to the computer I'll draw you a couple of pictures with words.

The place we stayed in - a house on the Sunshine Coast of BC - was the nicest we've ever had. Its foundation was on a big rock perched out into the ocean. There was a rocky beach, water view on three sides, big windows, a huge deck, hot tub, luxurious beds and kitchen. In a word, it was perfect. We loved it so much we raced home from farmer's market and shopping to just be in the house. Instead of roaming out to parks and beaches we explored our beach, clambering over boulders, finding sea stars and watching the birds and the boats.

The place down the road had corgis, two of whom appeared on our deck each evening. They surprised us the first time, galloping up on their short little legs, big ears flying. They were all smiles and hello-bounces. As soon as they'd greeted each of us they flew back through the woods to their own place.

We cooked long, luscious meals with stuff we bought at the local store and farmer's market. We ate more than we planned to. We ate pretty much non-stop the whole time, except when we stopped to talk about what we were going to eat next.

The bedrooms upstairs all had glorious views of the sea. I chose the murphy bed in the living room, never having slept in one before. It was amazing to open my eyes in the morning to a panorama of pink sky and changing sea. I was a bit scared the first night, all by myself in this big space, in an isolated house and surrounded by windows. I imagined someone creeping down our dark driveway in the middle of the night and stealing onto the deek to peer in the windows, but the corgis probably would have come over and licked him/her, so I knew I was safe. Just to be sure, I slept with 3 flashlights by my pillow. I didn't need them.

I brought Nelson the rat along. He liked it too.

We played all kinds of card and board games, and we laughed our heads off, and we missed our friend who couldn't come. We will definitely book the place again next year. It's a real treasure. So are my good friends with whom I spent this wonderful weekend.

question: none this morning

mompoet - breathing out happily

Ladeez in the 'Hood Weekend

We're packing our bags and going, we five ladeez to our annual weekend of laughing our guts out, sitting on the beach, drinking wine in pajamas and possible air band performances, fueled by wine in pajamas. We're missing one friend who has been called away on an urgent matter, but that just means we'll have a recap/catch-up meeting in a couple of weeks, which will be fun too.

Every year, a week after school starts, the moms pack up and go away for the weekend, leaving the spouses and offspring to fend for themselves (which they do just fine). It's a time of friendship, relaxation and reconnecting after the adventures of summer and before we plunge into all of the routines and responsibilities of the school year. I would post a picture or link to our luxurious location, but it's top secret. Suffice to say, these words would all fit in the description:

beach
hot tub
fireplace
provincial park
champagne
privacy
ferry
coffee
books
games
gumboot
chocolate
no hurry
moon

I'll be back Sunday night.

question: what words would describe your perfect getaway?

mompoet - grateful for the company of the ladeez

while we're talking anyway

Somehow I thought this was appropriate - a sign we found on a clothing rack at a Fisherman's Wharf souvenir shop.

question: got feeces?

mompoet - ug

Worthy of some words, even on Wednesday

ABC Television and Walt Disney have produced a docudrama miniseries called The Path to 9/11. It's scheduled to air Sunday and Monday nights. The Democrats have pointed out some lies in the show, and the rebuttals include some interesting info. The miniseries claims to be based on the findings of the 911 Commission Report. There's a storm brewing about this film and its version of the truth. This will likely result in many more people watching it.

I will skip it, but I bet a lot of people will watch it without thinking. That's what TV is for, right?

question: why oh why oh why?

mompoet - politinks stinks

wordless wednesday

roller coaster pics

We rode more than a dozen extreme roller coasters on this trip. Some of them we rode a dozen times. We rode wooden and metal coaster, stand-up, sit-down, dangle-foot suspended and hang-glider position coasters. We did loops and inversions and even rode a coaster in pitch darkness so there was no idea what was coming next. Here are a couple of pictures taken by my intrepid husband, who thinks it's fun to carry a camera way up into the sky to capture the experience.

question: do you coaster?

mompoet - coaster-lover, scared to death of the giant swings

pics

That's all for now.

Question: Did you go anywhere this summer?

mompoet - uploading,uploading,uploading

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road-revved, star-struck, bee-stung, Angelina-lipped, g-forced, inverted (multiply), fog-licked, Alcatrazed, sun-baked, Interstate-5-notized, theme-songed, gubbernatored, checked-in, checked-out, mountained-by-space-and-splash, night-giggled, fart-joked, well-spent, map-boggled, water-bottled, firework-dazzled, continentalled-to-my-last-cornflake, hot-tubbed, cheap-wined, vicariously-oscarred, bridge-spanned, beach-goggled, sun-screen-marinated, bicker-jabbled, wind-blown, laundromatted, bar-fridge-salad-fed, soda-sizzled, not-very-well-rested but that wasn't the plan...

and glad to be home.

The best thing about a good vacation is when it's over and you feel like you saw and did what you wanted to see and do and the best place is still home.

And the best wooden coaster is at the PNE in Vancouver

And the best family is the one you just spent 2 weeks with, 24 hours a day and you made it and everyone is satisfied with the holiday and happy to be home

And now I can stop making salads in hotel bathrooms, pet the dog and get back to real life where they don't pick up your towels for you and play a theme song when you walk down the street.

ahhhh

question: lots in mind, none jumping forward

mompoet - running out the door to meet the new minister

here!

It's hard to believe that just two days ago we were locking up the front door and driving down the highway to our vacation. Now we've been in San Francisco for a day and a night. We're staying south of the city, riding the BART in each day. Our hotel is fabulous with a waffle-maker in the breakfast room and free internet.

We saw Mount Shasta, got scared by rattlesnakes, laughed at every funny town-name along the way, rode the cable cars (definitely more dangerous and lurchy than anything at Disneyland), shopped Fisherman's Wharf, toured a vintage square-rigger sailing ship and a turn of the century car ferry and laughed a lot. Today we will take a boat out to the Golden Gate Bridge and tour Alcatraz, then go to our friend Heidi's house for supper. Her request from Canada? Tim Horton's Coffee. We're bringing her the jumbo tin.

I have to go, everyone is waffled up and ready to travel into town. Tomorrow we push on to Magic Mountain for 3 days of roller coaster riding.

question: how did I get so lucky?

mompoet - on the road

packing

We have this pile accumulating of things to take with us to Disneyland. Everytime we think of something, we add it to the pile. It will all go into our bags tonight, the car tomorrow morning.

Fi put the entire nailpolish bag in the pile. We share all of our colours. We actually discussed bringing the whole big cornucopia of talon varnish, but agreed that would be excessive. So we'll choose 3 or 4 colours only. We both like to have bright toes. Fi does her fingernails, but only with clear polish. I never waste my time. My hands are in and out of the water so much, and I like to keep my nails short to I don't claw people by accident.

So we'll pack 4 for the toes and leave the rest at home.

Question: if you could take any 4 colours of toenail polish on vacation, which 4 colours would you choose?

mompoet - wondering what we'll forget...

friendly, friendly, friendly

A year ago Carol of A Revision left a comment inviting me to be part of her Friends of the Friendless marching band. I was curious and flattered to be asked, so I said "sure!" Since then I have met dozens of fellow blog-writers - a diverse community of artists, parents, students, musicians, people of faith, readers, animal lovers and food-fiends, just to name a few. I have found so much in common with Carols FFMB blog-roll that I look forward to the weekly march. Today is the anniversary celebration. Friendly members are marching from site to site, visiting each other. We are reminded that the world is small and friendly, and not matter where you are, and how you're feeling, somebody has just posted something warm, interesting and amazing. And someone is waiting for you to do the same.

Thank you Carol, our Friendly Leader, for inspiring us to know each other in this unique way.

question: have you joined yet?

mompoet - recommending it

...and the Tonight Show too!

This afternoon a euphoric Alex phoned me at work. Grandma and Grandpa (my parents) had just dropped by with "some letters for us" and a letter from the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I told Alex to open it for heaven sakes and it was what we wanted: tickets to a taping. There's one night when we could go, when Fiona (who's not yet 16) will be visiting with a friend in Palm Springs. I had mailed away for the tickets a couple of months ago and we'd decided that they probably weren't taping that night. But we got them! Mom and Dad picked them up from their US mailbox and delivered them to our door. Now we'll see Jay the night before we pack up and leave LA to start out for home. What a nice ending to our visit that will be. Andy and I have seen Johnny and Jay in previous visits, but this is a first for Alex. I'm looking forward to his enthusiasm. Thank you Mom and Dad, for making Alex's dream come true by bringing us those tickets, and thanks for "the letters" too. We'll treat ourselves to something nice.

Question: have you ever been in the studio audience at a TV show?

mompoet - goo goo over the gah gah

we're really going

On Saturday we will get in the car and drive to California. We've been planning this trip for a year, and saving for almost 3 to get the money together. Finally it is happening.

When I was very little, I had a love-hate relationship with Disney. I watched "The Wonderful World of Disney" on Sunday evenings on CBC TV. I adored my Disney storybook records of Cinderella and Peter Pan (turn the page when you hear Tinkerbell!). But we didn't go to Disneyland because it was so expensive and because our family was a hiking, camping, backpacking family. I learned to say things like "Disneyland is fake. It's not worth it." Secretly I yearned to go.

When mom finished her years as a stay-at-home parent and returned to the workplace teaching high school English, she paid off the mortgage, then took us to Disnelyland. My most lasting memory of the trip is actually of Knott's Berry Farm, and Mom screaming in my ear from her seat behind me on the log ride. I was about 13 years old, and already thinking my mom was hopelessly out of touch with the contemporary world. The Disneyland trip fixed that. We had so much fun in this plastic-fake-over-the-top-silly place that I knew Disneyland was okay, even if it was not the real world, or the only place to go on vacation.

Later, Andy and I included Disneyland visits on our California road trips before kids. The focus was beaches, but we loved the rides and the fun of that place.

When we had kids we bought a house, got retirement savings plans and life insurance and two cars and a dishwasher. We didn't have any money for big vacations so we returned to camping holidays and the occasional weekend in Victoria for family fun. The kids wanted Disneyland, but they understood. Then when Alex was 13 he won a trip to Disneyland for the family, all expenses paid. We flew down, stayed in the Disneyland Hotel and were given the VIP treatment. Alex had a job to do, taping "kid reporter" spots on the opening of the new Tower of Terror ride, so we were in the park before opening, with a Disney TV crew and Disney escort, and lots of behind-the-scenes treats. It was unbelievable, sudden and overwhelmingly lovely. At the end of that trip, we decided as a family to make a real old-fashioned summer car trip our next Disney experience. So we've been putting all of our extra money into a special savings account, researching affordable hotels and planning an itinerary.

We'll drive down. First stop for a couple of days is San Francisco to visit old friends and go to Alcatraz. Then on to Six Flags Magic Mountain - home of the best roller coasters in the western states. Finally, 7 days in Anaheim. We'll go to the beach and Hollywood and of course, Disneyland. Andy will visit the big mecca of Technicolour in Hollywood (he works in the Vancouver lab) and we will have fun. It will be an unreal vacation from the point of view of plastic pre-fab entertainment, but a real one for our family to spend time together and realise a goal we've had in our hearts for some time. We'll spin and turn upside down, scream in each others' ears, stay up too late and lounge by the pool when we're not wearing out our sneakers traipsing the streets of Mickey's home town. We're really going.

question: did you ever have a place you wanted to go?

mompoet - heading south soon

taken by mistake

I got the wrong bagel today
slinking in to work wet-haired, two hours late
grabbing breakfast in a bag
you, dry and well-dressed
ordered next
got mine (I think)
I hope you like everything
whole wheat's okay with me

***

Other woman named "Sue"
or so you said
took my sushi before I arrived
paid, so no harm done
while the chef sliced and rolled again I wondered,
did you not have time to order your own lunch?
and how do you decide which name to use?
sue for sushi?
pete for pita pockets?
phil for falafel?
or maybe you really are Sue and you just ordered from the wrong place
should I go find and eat your sushi
thus restoring balance to the cosmos?

***

in the bottom of my
chocolate ice cream
a strawberry

some days are just like that


question: 'djeet today?

mompoet - often confused, rarely hungry

Some words about our camping trip

in random order

• Getting ready to leave, I put our precious "border ID" (birth certificates, my citizenship card) on the stairs leading to the front door so we would not forget to take them. Then Alex and I ran to the bank. When we returned 30 minutes later, the the id and the bag that held it were spread all over the floor at the bottom of the stairs, with a hole chewed in the bag. I counted the birth certificates and could not find Andy's. OH NO! The dog ate Andy's birth certificate! Now how will we go camping? How will we cross the border to go to California on holiday in a couple of weeks? I even checked the dog's mouth - Is part of the birth certificate still in there, intact? Then I found it in another place. It was never on the stairs. I will remember that our birth certificates are considered edible by the dog.
• Driving down to the campground, I recalled I had not said goodbye to the cat. I wasn't concerned that the cat's feelings were hurt, just that she might be trapped in a closet or worse the attic, after the getting-of-the-camping-gear. Using my cell phone from the border lineup, I phoned our neighbour who let herself into the house and could not find the cat. Now I'm worried. Eventually the cat turned up but only after several stupidly panicked cell-phone calls to neighbours and our daughter, who was roamed the house calling for 10 minutes before the cat sauntered into view. "You were looking for me?"
• It was cold on Whidbey Island. It always is, so I came prepared with lots of layers. After supper I got into multiples of pants, shirts and jackets and Andy and Alex made a huge fire. Luckily we have very warm sleeping bags, although our dog was chilly one night, so I put my fleece jacket on her and she was very cozy. Good thing we wear the same size.
• There's a naval air base on the island. Every so often a fighter plane or planes will zoom overhead. The town of Oak Harbour is a patriotic place, with lots of navy guys and their families at the grocery and banners welcoming them home. A few years ago, there was a big sign at the entry road to the base. I remember it said, "Pardon our noise. It is the sound of FREEDOM." Now it's unmarked. You'd never know it was there.
• The sun is like a big orange lollipop when it sets over Vancouver Island in the distance. And you can see the back side (well, a different angle from what we're used to) of gorgeous Mt. Baker from the ferry to Port Townsend.
• Dogs who walk onto the ferry for a day-trip to Port Townsend stay on the car deck, which might be called the poop deck, but all of the dogs were well-behaved. We rode one way into thick fog with 3 dogs all nose into the wind like they were looking for something. On the way home it was bright and sunny. Andy and I took turns with Soleil down on the dog deck.
  
• There is community theatre - The Oak Harbour Players are presenting Alladin through August. In Port Townsend, you can see The Taming of the Shrew.
• There's a movie theatre in Oak Harbour showing Talladega Nights, Miami Vice and Pirates of the Caribbean 2. We did not go. The campfire is much more interesting.
• Alex drove all over the island with his learner's license, and Andy and me taking turns co-piloting. He drove 55mph (about 80k) for the first time. He liked that just fine.
• We drank a $3.50 bottle of wine from the grocery store in Oak Harbour. It tasted okay. But that was at the campfire. It was a fine accompaniment to s'mores.
• Only at campfire can you eat peanuts at 10:30 at night and throw the shells into the fire. Only at campfire can you stick raw marshmallows inside your glasses and do a Stevie Wonder impression. Only at campfire can you make really bad jokes about lighting farts on fire and everyone will laugh. (Nobody did any actual lighting)
• We did not sea any walruses or seals or woodpeckers or bears. We did see squirrels and bunnies and a few dead possums on the road. I wished I at least saw a woodpecker.
• There were hot showers for free at the campground. That was nice.
• The State Park attendants were comedians working at their day job, I am so sure. Either that or they are very smart and bored so they wisecrack all day.
  
• Port Townsend is one part coffee shops, 2 parts new age bookstores and the rest galleries and ice cream parlours. I did find a Mary Oliver book of poetry at a used bookstore.
• We all forgot our pillows.
• Wind up flashlights aren't as good as battery flashlights.
• My mini-maglight is the best flashlight in the world. I wear it on a lanyard around my neck so I'll have it handy. When I bend down to pet the dog I clonk her on the head with my maglight - every time.
• The dog still loves me, but probably because I feed her peanuts and let her wear my fleece.

Question: do you camp?

mompoet - it was a good trip

do you know mompoet?

A strange and wonderful moment at work yesterday. I'm talking with my new co-worker, Valerie. We're discussing our families and camping. I say, "Let me show you some photos of where we were on the weekend." Then I pull up my blog on my office computer.

Valerie says, "Do you know mompoet? Why are your pictures on mompoet?" I said, "I'm mompoet." Turns our Valerie found my blog a year or so ago when she was searching the internet for mention of a play that she directed. I had seen the play and written enthusiastically about it on my blog. She remembered. The world is small and full of good people who know each other.

question: have you ever met someone who has met you already, only you didn't know?

mompoet - mompoet, yup. that's me

wordless wednesday

pictures about our camping trip

question: How was your weekend?

mompoet - words later

Auntie Again and Barb's Birthday

My brother Mike and his wife Emily just had another baby, their fourth, on Tuesday morning. A healthy boy, 9 lbs 11 ounces. Mom and baby came home the same day. That makes 9 grandchildren for my parents and confirms that the number of offspring increases with birth order in our family. Andy and I have two, Barb and Kim have three, Mike and Emily have four.

Speaking of Barb, it's her birthday on Friday. I emailed her early because of the time difference. They are always a day ahead of us in Africa. I'm not sure if they're still on vacation in Mozambique or back home in Eritrea. Barb usually posts a blog on Wednesday (Thursday to us in the Western hemisphere) but nothing yet. I hope she has an excellent birthday. She'll be coming home soon after her next birthday. I will like that. I miss her. In the meantime, I owe Barb and her family a letter. I am working on getting some fresh photos printed to send, along with a few comforts including a big giant chocolate bar (my favourite thing to send). Kim's cousin Shelley visited Africa in July. I asked her to send us some photographs, as we have seen none (internet is awful in Eritrea, and mail is expensive so we get only airmail mailer type letters). Our kids are all at the age when people are astonished to see them after just a few months. They are morphing into big people. I worry that I'll hardly know my niece and nephews when they return.

Other than that, the world is turning at its usual pace. We're shaking our heads thinking we should be on holiday right now, but we have to wait a bit longer. We've switched our vacation dates this year from second half of July to second half of August. A family road trip to Southern California is shaping up. We are going to ride roller coasters until we burst, and also go to the beach and visit some friends and maybe lie around the pool and read a book for just a bit. When we return it will be time for the kids to go back to school. Life goes by so fast these days.

I can hardly wait to hug Mike and Emily and hold little Mr. I-don't-know-his-name-yet, but I'll probably have to wait a few months because they live 2 days' drive away in Northern BC. I can hardly wait to sit for a few hours or a few days with my sister and ask her every question under the stars about her experiences in her far-away home, and just look at her and hear her voice until it feels normal to do so again. In the meantime, this big happy family of mine is keeping me pretty busy and surrounded by love, which is the most important thing.

question: any new arrivals or special days among your friends and family?

mompoet - milestones flicking by like fence posts

All kinds of delicious

Nothing big or important to report, just a collage of delicious things that I noticed or that happened around me during the past few days...

• At Costco (which is not my idea of delicious, but I needed salad and they have those big boxes for next to nothing) there are always ladies in hairnets and aprons serving tidbits of whatever's new or yummy. I never take the tidbits. It's so contrary to my idea of how food should be consumed (slowly, definitely sitting down, and noticed). But there was one of those same ladies (they all look the same - youngish grandma types) demonstrating a karaoke machine. When I came in she was singing "Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on? Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?" She was actually pretty good, and I've just never seen anything like that, least of all at Costco.
• Fi received a birthday email from her cousins who are vacationing in South Africa which included an announcement from her twin cousin Lukas (born on the same day as Fi).
  
  Hey FIFI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! guess what? At precicely 12 o'clock last night, I woke up and I felt like I had changes in my physical structure. I went to the the washroom and I looked in the mirror. Guess I what I saw!!!Yes excactly! I had grown 10 feet ( both ways), I had a wonderful moustache like Hercule Poirot, and a magnificent beard just like Abe Lincoln!! I quikly went and borrowed my dad's razor and cut my nose off by accident. SO I went to the plastic surgeon's house and asked if he had a replica of Michael Jackson's nose. He had one so he glued the nose on and gave me a boob job too. Then he shaved off my beard but left my moustache. Now I look like a mixture of Michael J. , Pamela Anderson and my hero Alex. My parents were thrilled!!! So I walked out into the street and right away every person in Johannessburg started whistling and winking at me and saying '' you're hot!!!''!!!!!!!!!!! So, did your physical structure change as much as mine did? Did you leave your moustache like Alex's? Anyways, HHHHHHAAAAAAPPPPPYYYYYYY BBBBBIIIIIRRRRTTTTTTHHHHHDDDDDAAAAAYYYYY TTTTOOOOOO YYYYYYOOOOUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd just like to wish you a very merry b-day and a joyful summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE END,
• My friend Irene Livingston emailed me to say that this white bird that comes to her place every year only on fireworks nights is back. Nobody can tell where the bird comes from or where he/she goes. It's just one of life's sweet mysteries.
• I'm reading this very good book.
• I was sleeping Sunday morning and dreamed about my friend Louise's kitchen. Andy and I were visiting her at her old house. We were looking out the window and there was thunder then a hole opened up in the sky and fire was shooting down from the sky to the earth. It was spectacular, and we felt no sense of danger. I hurried up to finish loading the dishwasher, which was in the living room, where there are no windows, so I could wheel it into the kitchen to hook it up and continue looking out the kitchen window with Louise and Andy. I had to roll it down a step into the kitchen, so they helped me. That's my second pushing things with wheels dream. I'm curious about what it means. When I woke up there was real thunder. It was 6am, so I let the dog into our bedroom so she wouldn't be scared. She wanted to come into the bed but she's way too big.
• Later Sunday morning it bucketed during the service at church. What a gorgeous feeling to be inside listening to it running down both sides of the tall roof of the church.
  
• I wore my pajamas until 12:30pm on Saturday.
• Alex drove the car 4 times this weekend with me as co-pilot. Getting better each time.
• Andy and I watched Syriana on Saturday night. Not really delicious, but glad I got to see it. Lots to think about there, especially with current developments in Israel and Lebanon.
  
• Mom and Dad brought us 10lbs of cantaloupes from Lynden WA. I like cantaloupes.
• Fiona's show was spectacular, awesome, wonderful. Not just from a mom. The precision and consistency of the ensemble work singing and dancing was next to unbelievable from children and teens so young and so many - there were 60 on the stage at many times during the show. Sure I cried, but mostly I cheered. What a good experience they had and what a magnificent accomplishment.
• Andy bought us a new tent today. We're back to tenting now that we don't have anything to pull our tent trailer. We're going for 3 nights on the BC Day weekend, to Fort Ebey on Whidbey Island. Now we have a tent big enough to park an elephant (and all to ourselves because Fi's staying with friends so she can go see Phantom of the Opera, and Alex has slept in his own tent since he was about 10 because he doesn't like somebody's snoring - I'm not saying whose - oh, we will have the dog with us in our tent. Oh well).

Well, I had better go, I have a couple of letters to write. Just needed to spill my jelly beans on the table and admire them. Life is sweet.

• Oh, one more! Myrna booked this for the ladeez trip. deeelicious

question: what's good for you right now?

mompoet - branches drooping with happy froots

first time in traffic

We celebrated Fi's birthday with the family at Andy's mom's place last night. Friends Robin, Ralph and Emma came too. It was just what Fiona wanted, everyone there. Everyone brought part of the meal, which is good. Totally yummy, the work is shared, and everyone's part of making the celebration.

Alex wanted to drive there, but that was rush hour, and involved merging onto and turning off of the Barnet Highway, so I suggested he drive home instead. He had his first "on the road" 90 minute lesson with a driving school instructor on Wednesday, so he was raring to go somewhere besides the church parking lot in my car.

To say I was nervous would be understating it. But we need to start and I trust my son and the other drivers. It's like when I first learned to ice skate I had to tell myself, "Those other people don't want to crash into me so I just have to go with the flow and trust that everyone's trying their best." I know, this is not a foolproof rule when applied to vehicle traffic, but it's a starting point anyway. The bottom line is, as co-pilot in my own car without my own brake pedal and steering wheel, I am not in control.

Alex drove home very well. He managed two lane changes, lots of smooth stops, a couple pulling out onto busy streets from stop signs, and the dreaded 360 degree ramp from the waterfront road (we took the back route home) up to the main drag. I tried not to give him too much advice except to encourage him to look way ahead. "Look as far down the road as you can, and your brain will automatically tell your hands what to do with the steering wheel for the road just in front of us." This seemed to help on that ramp. When we got home, he was ecstatic. Even better, the next-door neighbours, Rhonda and Chris, were driving behind us for part of the trip. Rhonda realised it was Alex when she saw my car with the Learner magnet on the back. Her comment?

"You did very well. If there wasn't an L on the car I would have just thought you were a senior." Alex liked that just fine.

question: have you recently found the need to examine the balance between trust and control?

mompoet - 2.5 practice hours logged, 57.5 to go

weebl and bob weather cartoon

It's pretty good. If you like weebl and bob.

question: how do you stay cool?

mompoet - water is always good, liquid or solid

the real show is backstage

If the audience could only see. A moment before the curtain opens and the lights come up, there are actors sliding, skidding, spinning, mugging, panto-farting, goggling, tangoing with dust-mops. Then the cue and presto! they are all together dancing and singing their hearts out. It's amazing to see.

Fiona's show opened last night for a two night run, celebrating the conclusion of a four-week musical theatre intensive. I helped at the dress rehearsal Tuesday and will see the show tonight. It's a "splooge" (our family's code for a spoof) called Oceans Eleven and a half. It's funny, with good singing and dancing (the camp is called Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance) and I will cry.

I cry when art starts, and not out of proud Mommy sentimentality. At the beginning of any performance with which I feel emotionally connected, I am swept by a force that is astonishing and overwhelming. And I cry. It's just during those first moments when I feel like I am being pulled through some portal into the world of the show. It's like a living thing that the players have created and the opening music or the silence before the curtain moves move me in a way that's hard to explain. I think it's not a coincidence that I went into labour with both babies at a show (Alex at John Grey's Rock and Roll at the Vancouver Playhouse, and Fi at a movie version of some Shakespeare play with Emma Thompson in it - I can't remember which.) It just gets me.

I look forward to feeling the feeling tonight, and knowing what it looks like behind the curtain just a moment before...

question: have you felt this way?

mompoet - connected

wordless wednesday

dreams again

"The Wrong House" replayed, but this time we were house-sitting for another family and my whole family was there. My husband and kids were all happy and calm but I was worried again, "Who is taking care of our house?"

***

I'm at a poetry slam, waiting for my turn on stage. I realise I haven't completely memorized the brand new poem that I'm about to perform, and I don't have the words with me on paper. Mike McGee is the host of the poetry slam. He tells me not to worry. If I make a mistake and recover, the audience and judges will be on my side. I can't decide whether to risk it, or go back to one of my older poems that I know well.

***

I'm camped with a bunch of people who are not my family in a trailer in a parking lot at a provincial campground. I'm vaguely aware that the park range will kick us out soon, because we're planning to sleep over in a parking lot, and you're only allowed to stay in the designated campsites. In the meantime, the trailer (which is like an older vintage construction trailer) keeps rolling from one side of the parking lot to the other, and we have to push it by hand back to the spot where we want to park it. At one point it rolls so far out of the way that we have to take it back through the interior of a building, including up a flight of stairs and onto an elevator.

question: what's on your dream tv these days?

mompoet - hot nights, weird dreams

the beach

There are a lot of beaches in and around Vancouver, but this is the famous one. My husband goes to this beach frequently. He enjoys the unique atmosphere. I accompanied him once to find out what it was all about. I discovered that a nude sunbathers are less provocative than people in bathing suits designed to flaunt nearly naked bodies. It's a cool, counter-culture kind of feeling there, with mostly respectful behaviour, appreciation of the environment and celebration of a very special place with like-minded people. The beach is stewarded by a not-for-profit society that lobbies in the interest of the people who enjoy the beach, sponsors events and maintains the website.

The day I spent there I felt okay hanging out all day, swimming and sunning with no clothing. Everyone else is doing the same thing, and there are people of all shapes and sizes and ages. It was a lot less intimidating or embarrassing than I thought it would be.

Still, I don't go there. Partly because I don't really like lying in the sun all day. I'm more of a book in the shade person. But the main reason I don't go is that I dread meeting someone I know from work, or friends I know from the clothing-mandatory world. I think it would be embarassing to stand around and chat with people in this situation.

So there it is. I'm happy for Andy to go. I'm happy to stay away. I guess if we find a naked beach somewhere else when we are on vacation elsewhere, I would go there and be naked, but only if it was as cool as Wreck Beach.

question: do you have a nude beach near you? do you go there?

mompoet - chicken of the sea

hot

We have headed into a heatwave that the weather forecasters say has come our way from Nevada. My office was like a pizza oven without the pizza, which is really funny because it's in a skating rink. In a couple of weeks they'll put the ice back, so I can go stand close to it in my shorts and say "ahhhh!" At work, the camp leaders took the kids to the water park and stayed wet for as long as possible. Later in the afternoon, three girls (12 & 13) dozed in my car (not air conditioned) as I wove home through baking freeway traffic from their musical theatre camp. After supper, everyone came out of the hot houses and sat on the street until it got dark and the mosquitoes chased us back inside, except the dog walkers. Everyone waited until dark to bring their dogs out. Now it's sleep time. I'm going to grab a shower and climb into bed without seriously drying off. That should help.

All that said, I am not complaining. I love the heat and the way it makes us slow down and do what's essential. Supper is later, friends are friendlier. It's easier not to be in a rush. Tomorrow I have a day off work. I'll be getting my car brakes fixed so I can't rush about. I do have to tidy up a bit for Fi's 13th birthday party on Saturday, but it would be crazy to tidy too much before the house is invaded by teenage girls. Better to do that after the party. Andy's got the day off too, but I think he is heading to the naked beach, and I don't go there. (That is another whole post, which I'll save for sometime soon.) Mostly I feel like puttering, so that's what I'll do. And tomorrow night I'm going to the movies with my mom. The air-conditioned movies. ahhhh

question: what do you do when the weather is changing?

mompoet - noticing that Friday is the 33% point along the caterpillar that is summer

woooordless

poetry happens in our town

Last night we held our first-ever AGM (I hope that's not the same as saying "first annual," which I know is not right) of the Vancouver Poetry House. The meeting was small, short and sweet AND impressive in the list of accomplishments made by our small but mighty organization AND by the visions articulated for the coming year.

After that it was down to Cafe Deux Soleils for the Vancouver Poetry Slam. My friend Megan came with me. She's a Grade 11 student and blossoming poet. Out of 9 competing poets, Megan came in second (first was the incomparable Norah, newest member of the VanSlam team). What a spectacular and well-deserved achievement for Megan. Her first poem, a lyrical meandering walk/flight through a world of imagined natural beauty, made the audience sit still and listen carefully. Her second, "The Saxophone Player," made me cry. I was thinking about the person who I imagine to be the subject of this poem (someone who we knew and miss) and also about the acute perception and wisdom of the poet. I was overwhelmed.

Now I am cross-eyed with tiredness and happiness for a totally successful evening. Poetry Slam nights are brutally late for me, but worth it.

I almost forgot to mention. Mighty Mike McGee was the feature poet. He brought the house down with his extended laugh-mix version of the pudding poem, with the macaroni and cheese poem mixed in. Laughing to the verge of bursting is a mighty fine feeling, and a wonderful gift that only a few can give.

question: when was the last time someone knocked your socks off?

mompoet - the world is going to be okay because there are wonderful people growing ready to take care of it

Magnetic Red L

Alex got his learner's license last week. He's waiting for his "on the road" driving lessons to be scheduled. In the meantime, we set out together this afternoon to find a place for him to turn the key in the ignition all the way for the very first time.

We went up to university parking lot, but the security guard kicked us out. We went to the normally deserted lot between the elementary school and the outdoor pool, but as luck would have it, there was a swim meet and the place was bumper to bumper with parked vehicles and children running around in bathing suits. We debated going to the West Coast Express parking, but figured we'd get chased out of there pretty quick too. I wasn't ready to take him out in traffic - will be after the driving school teacher goes first. So we went to the church parking lot, which was finally empty by the time we got there at 3:30. (Three different churches use our worship space sequentially on Sundays, so it's a happening place most of the day).

Alex was giddy and nervous as we lurched around the lot, out into the alley, up the alley to the other driveway, back into the lot and around, and around and around. I showed him how to park it, back it up, and ease up on the brakes as the car stops so it's nicer for the passenger. By the end of the 20 minutes he was ready to give the keys back to me, so we went for a frappe and to talk about our adventure.

Unless I can figure out somewhere else deserted, we'll have to make do with the church lot for now. Pretty soon he'll have a lesson, and will be ready to drive through a quiet neighbourhood. In the meantime he has been asking me questions about collisions and insurance, so I guess he's really taking this seriously.

Andy and I took our co-pilot lesson last week at the driving school, so we have some idea about how to help Alex through our share of the 60 supervised practice hours that are required before he tests for his "N." In the meantime, we'll be getting to know Alex as a driver and learning how to be patient and encouraging in a new setting - from the passenger seat of my car.

question: how did you learn how to drive?

mompoet - easing up on the brakes a little more every time

Robert and Luci got married

Kathy and Betty and Michele and I have been together since elementary school days. On Saturday, the eldest of all of our children (Kathy's Robert - 24) got married. We had a blast at the wedding, which was an Italian extravaganza of elegance and lavish generosity. These pictures tell the story of our fun time. It's great to get together for happy days like this.

question: how do you keep in touch with old friends?

mompoet - blessed

something about thursday night

I went to family campfire this evening, at the day camp I supervise. It was my first campfire of the 2006 summer season. I've been coordinating this camp for the past 7 years, and we don't actually have a campfire anymore, after wildfires burned homes in several other cities during past hot summers. The camp is at a park right in the middle of our city, and the fire marshall decided it was just not a good risk to light a fire, no matter how well-set and tended.

We act like there's a fire though. But first, we welcome all of the campers and their parents. We let the moms and dads try archery, which is really funny because it looks a lot easier than it is. The kids impress their parents, because they've had some practice during the week. Then we play "Capture the Flag" with moms and dads chasing their kids and each other and the leaders all over the park. Then when everyone is all sweaty and giggling, we sing campfire songs and invite the groups up with their leaders to do corny campfire skits. I usually tell a story, while the leaders get ready to do their corny leader skit, which involves grown-ups dressed up like chickens and always a man dressed in a pink ballerina costume and a maniacal dairy farmer yanking on a rubber glove (I am not exaggerating). Then we all drink hot chocolate, which we used to cook over the campfire, but now we heat on a hot plate. Everyone is happy and relaxed and nostalgic about the fun we had all week. There are thank yous and hugs and "see you next summers" (or next week for the campers who have signed up for more than one week). It's a grand feeling on Thursday evening. After that, the leaders get their 3-day weekend, which is very nice and also needed because Monday to Thursday is exhausting, even for young, strong leaders. I just hang around and soak up some of that good feeling and try to let everyone know how much I appreciate what they've done during the week.

I remember for a few years, beginning with my first full-time job, I worked Sunday to Thursday at the Rec Centre. I liked having Friday off for whatever I wanted to do while everyone else was working, and I enjoyed Sunday at the office - no bosses, few phone calls, and a chance to be in charge of a team of people who mostly worked part time hours and really liked working at the rec. But I didn't know what I was missing. When I finally switched to a Monday-Friday work week I discovered the sweet loose-looniness of Friday at the office. It's like people started shedding their weekday serious-busy selves partway through the day and everyone got more casual and playful as the day went by. Being playful-to-the-bone I always tried to get people to be this way with me on other days of the week, and often they did (sometime I'll tell you about the mini-golf tournament I organized inside the office where my boss turned his office into a water hazard and mine involved a golf ball riding up to the top of a Fisher Price parking garage then rolling down the ramp). But on Friday, everyone just got that way on their own, with delicious and disarming spontanaeity. People said and did things on Friday that you'd swear on Monday must have been a dream. A silly and fun dream, that is.

Thursday at camp is like that. I love Thursday.

question: what makes your favourite day your favourite?

mompoet - still going to work Friday, but I feel like it already started

wordless wednesday

I got a postcard

from Mike McGee in Germany - wheeee!

and it has a picture of Louis Armstrong on it, which is very cool because I have been listening to "Sunny Side of the Street" in my head for the past few days.

question: did you know that Mike is in Vancouver right now?

mompoet - I used to walk in the shade

but I love...

regional dialects

Our lovely Rev Mary at the church is a maritimer. I adore the way she says "on" instead of "un." As in: "We work together to mend what is on-just in our society."

and I met a woman at work who recently moved to BC from Oklahoma. Her words came out all warm and soft around the edges I actually kept talking with her just to listen. It was like music.

The best voices are from Ohio and Kentucky, where the letter r just gurgles along slow and lazy like there's no reason to hurry. Ohio and Kentucky are the only places where it is acceptable to say "uhhhh-huhhh" instead of "you're welcome," just because a midwestern "uhhhh-huhhhh" sounds like a big, dusky blue pillow of yum-yum. (whatever that is)

Okay, this day is almost over so I'm going to depose myself as queen of how we all should talk and go back to being irritating in more conventional ways.

Thanks for putting up with my rant (if you're still reading) - now that would sound much better pronounced by an Ohioan, forrrr surrrre.

question: where do you find your favourite voice?

mompoet - transplanted tongue, homesick ears

If only I had know-wun

It's back, that annoying verbal fad/habit/tic. I keep hearing it on the radio, tv, in conversation. I'm too polite to say something to the person (and it would be silly to talk to the radio anyway). Here's the problem.

"I would never have bought that mp3 player had I know-wun that a cheaper one was coming out the next week."

"Research has show-un that coffee drinkers are definitely crabby in the morning before they drink their coffee."

Interestingly (or not) I think these same pronouncers do not offer their dogs a boe-wun or go out after supper on a hot night for an ice cream coe-wun. So I think it's just for words ending with o-w-n.

I know this is incredibly picky. It's my thing. It sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me. I know that I shouldn't criticize because I don't have perfect grammar or pronunciation or spelling (remember sherbert er sherbet er fruity ice cream?). It bugs me anyhow.

question - how long until I can say that this particular bug has blow-un over?

mompoet - obsessing again

silly sites

petition.com

how to detect lies

how to wash your soccer jersey after the world cup

question: is there anything too silly for the internet?

mompoet - going to read a book

my town

question: how's your town looking these days?

mompoet - exploring

Bestway

Alex is taking driving lessons. He has 3 full days of classroom time, followed by sessions in the driving school car. On Monday evening, Andy and I do our "co-pilot" class to learn how to accompany Alex on practice drives without popping a vein.

I'm pretty calm about it so far, especially considering he'll be practising in my car. I remember I was pretty safe and responsible new driver when I was 16. Or at least I thought I was.

It's a lot longer and harder to get a license now, which is good, I think. Alex will need to log a lot of practice hours before he can test for his "N" license, which he then keeps for 2 years before being fully licensed. The N includes restrictions on how many passengers he can carry, and it's easier to get your N revoked for bad driving than it is to have a regular license taken away. I guess that's good too.

We'll see, anyway. I'll be co-piloting soon.

question: what does your family do in the summer time?

mompoet - still coughing and sneezing

wash your vegetables (a haiku)

a sneeze at Safeway
glistening snot javelins
target broccoli

question: grossed out yet?

mompoet - stand back from the nose, it's loaded

what to do if you can't sleep

Teenager who will not be named: Guess what I did last night, Mom?

Mom: What did you do last night?

TWWNBN: I taught myself to snore.

Mom: Huh?

TWWNBN: It was 12:30 and I couldn't sleep so I just went snnnnzzzz snt snnnnzzz...

Mom: You did?

TWWNBN: Yup. Now I can snore.

Mom: That's good.


question: what do you do when you cannot sleep?

mompoet: beam me up, snotty

stuff on my cat

dotcom

question: what snot to love about...

mompoet - sick

dream-frags

I have been sleeping more than usual this weekend (blasted cold!) and dreaming more... Here's what's been on the dream TV as I channel surf my unconscious mind:

-I wake up in a strange room in a strange house. The kids are with me, but not my husband. The people who own the house inform me that I am in "The Wrong House." These words keep repeating in every conversation through the rest of the dream. In fact, they are the only words I can remember. I try to get the kids and me out of the "Wrong House," but there are tasks to do. The son in the other family needs help with his homework, and I have to clean up the room I wrongly slept in. When we get outside I can't remember how I got to The Wrong House, so I don't know how to get home. The kids are passive. I am in that curious, detached state of dream-believing - not really upset or distressed by the situation.

-I am on a fishing boat. Someone catches a fish. I jump off the boat and swim behind the fish, trying to unhook it so it can swim away. I get jabbed by the fish-hook and bit and kicked by the fish (well finned, I guess). I can't get the fish unhooked. The fish seems not to want to be unhooked. The people in the boat are yelling at me to stop.

question: what do they mean?

mompoet - weird-headed

Mary and George's wedding

Fi had the camera at her show, so I have no photographs to share. But the pictures in my mind are wonderful. Still suffering with the awful cold, I hauled myself out to the church, lugging a jumbo water-bottle half filled with ice, which thankfully prevented any coughing fits.

The wedding was so Mary! Lovely, and small and warm. John, a member of our congregation who is licensed to perform marriage ceremonies, presided. A couple of other minister friends of Mary's did the readings and the meditation. The choir sang and our neighbour Steve (who's in the Vancouver Symphony) played his viola. There were also Marcia on the saxophone, Shelley on the organ and piano, and Chris on the drums. Mary was radiant. George looked the the cat who ate the canary. He's a quiet man, seemingly very modest, but he had this big spilling-over grin that made me want to jump up and shout with joy.

When the ceremony was finished and it was time for Mary and George to walk out of the church, Steve, Shelley, Marcia and Chris played the Maple Leaf Rag for Mary and George to dance down the aisle. What a happy day and a real expression of the creativity and love that fills our church and embodies our identity as a faith community.

I skipped the dance and reception at the legion and came home to the neighbourhood block party for Canada Day. I was starting to feel better. Some cider and some wine and some kahlua and some fireball helped me feel even better. The big water bottle made sure I even felt just fine in the morning.

Today we'll go out to the Golden Spike Day festival at Rocky Point. What a happy weekend, what a lovely Canada Day yesterday.

question: what song would you have played for your exit anthem?

mompoet - tra la la

If I were born 10 or 100 years earlier I would be all primes

Continuing in my obsession with prime numbers, I fixated on birthdays. How many people do you know who have birthdates made up of all prime numbers?

My birthday is November 29, 1961. Eleven and twenty-nine are good, but alas, 1961 is divisible. It would have been okay were I born in 1861 or 1951, but then I would have been somebody else who probably wouldn't have grasped the significance.

You can look up lots of prime numbers here.

question: how much about you is a prime number?

mompoet - 5 is still my favourite

snot

Descriptions of illness symptoms are number three on the all-time list of "boring" (falling just behind "what I ate" and "how I slept" and followed closely by a personal toilet journal). But, I'm sick and I don't often whine, so here it is. Promise, no lists of food, poo or minutes slept, anytime in the near future.

Somebody must have took a long piece of sandpaper and threaded it in through my nostrils, up around through my nasal passages and down my throat. All of the crud that shook loose onto the sandpaper has been deposited on my tongue, where it is stuck. My face just turned into a garden slug onto which somebody has recently sprinkled salt. All of the liquids in my body are seeping out through my eyes and nose, but my lips are dry and cracked. My head is buzzing. I don't have a fever, so I warrant no sympathy.

There, phewww. That's all.

question: how do you feel today?

mompoet - I owe it to you to listen to anything, after that

tyger on youtube

Mom sent me this link, a stunning animated short film based on William Blake's Tyger.

question: how does the future look to you?

mompoet - pre-apocalyptic

happy birthday canada

You are young and beautiful, but you seem are a bit unsure and forgetful. You are Canada. These people are your people, even if the other big country over there insists that they are bad. And there is room in your big, generous self for all people of all kinds, in all kinds of relationships. If you continue to let gay people be married, some people might make fun of you, but it will be worth it. Canada, you seem to be a 16 year old boy, well meaning and earnest but not yet fully aware, and also unsure that you can (and should) do things your own way. You can grow up Canada, you can be okay.

ps You'll need to watch the junk food now, more than ever or you'll contribute to global diabetes.

question: whose birthday at your house?

mompoet - celebrating in my pajamas with a box of tissues and a glass of orange juice (from that big country over there)