"If you can't feed 100 people, just feed 1" - Mother Theresa

Sometimes I feel like 1/2 the world is starving because they have no access to good food, and the other 1/2 is starving themselves on purpose. I've had friends in both camps.

Not to sound like a PSA, but It's National Eating Disorders week, and if anyone you love or you yourself are struggling with food issues, please check out their website.

"we don't have a pair without fur, so we can't do a reliable test." -sij

In my recent Torontonian adventures (I learned to ice skate backwards! Granted, it's like baby steps, but still), my boots were the subject of much debate.

For the record, I got them at Nordstrom Rack for $26.00. What I like: They are insulated and fuzzy and kept my feet nice and dry in the mounds of snowy Arctic conditions in Toronto. What I don't like: They have tanks on them. As in, military tanks. On the flap where you lace up, so it's not really noticeable, but it is disturbing to me that I'm wearing them. They were the only snow boots there that looked reasonable and practical, however, so I bought them anyway. I don't really think a pacifist should wear things with tanks on them. There is probably more to this story, but I'm stopping here.

Sij wanted to know if the fur was merely decorative or really kept snow out. She suggested dragging a leg through a snow drift just to see what would happen. I didn't take her up on this idea, although it would have been great product testing. I think it's pretty decorative, but I also think the lining is superb enough and does not require fur.

I put the boots away in the back of my closet when I got home this week, only to drag them out again yesterday morning when it snowed. Seattle weather is beyond me.

"This is an extraordinary time in our country, an extraordinary time to be working on education" - Arne Duncan

- from the Confirmation hearings, published in the Washington Post, Monday, 2/19

I met Mr. Duncan once several years ago at a Teach for America event in D.C., and was blown away by the passion for kids he exuded simply sitting in a room. My favorite part, highlights mine:

"I believe the fight for quality education is about so much more than education. It's a fight for social justice.

I come to this work with three deeply held beliefs.

First, that every child from every background absolutely can be successful. Rural, suburban, urban, gifted, special ed., ELL, poor, minority -- it simply doesn't matter. When we -- when we -- when we, as adults, do our job and we give them opportunities to succeed, all of children can be extraordinarily successful.

Secondly, maybe the flip of that, when we fail to properly educate children, we as educators, we perpetuate poverty and we perpetuate social failure. And that's not something that I want to be a part of.

And third, our children have one chance -- one chance at a quality education, so that we must work with an extraordinary sense of urgency. Simply put, we cannot wait because they cannot wait."

LOVE it.

say my glory was I had such friends - w.b.yeats

I love that poem.

I'm on my way to visit a glorious friend in Toronto for a bit. I'm sure I'll have some good stories when I get back. For now, read a good poem and have a great week!

"that's a lot of prepositions" - Javier

I went to see He's Just not That Into You last week, having not yet read any reviews for it. I figured it would be shallow, have at least a couple laugh out loud lines, and an ending I'd be mostly pleased with.

While it delivered on two of those counts, upon reflection, I've got a couple problems with it.

1) the opening scene in which women around the world complain about men. The scene of women in africa was painfully demeaning.

2) the movie was set in Baltimore, a city I love and lived in for 3 years. But this was not a Baltimore I recognized...it had a glossy, happy veneer on it. It was the nice, polished Fells Point, Inner Harbor, or Mt. Vernon neighborhoods, except airbrushed versions of even these. And it was very, very, very white. For more thoughts on this, see latoya peterson's review.

"Try to place it near an outside wall closest to the direction of Colorado." - Clock owner's Manual

About two weeks ago, the clock in our large conference room suddenly appeared possessed when the handles started churning around and around and around. They wouldn't stop until I took the batteries out.

We thought it was broken and recycled it - Arthur at least, got a few screws out of it.

Another clock, same model, came to the office today, and it turns out that apparent demon-possession is actually par for the course - it's part of the clock attempting to get on standard time with official U.S. gov't time... the manual says if the clock hasn't synchronized within a few days, the Colorado wall might be a better location....

"digging in is a way of showing certitude, and they're showing certitude because they're lost." - peggy noonan

I like Peggy Noonan because while she is conservative, she noted that Sarah Palin did not have the necessary tools for the v.p. spot, and also because she shares her opinion oh so gently. I could learn from this.

She had a few observations on the economy last week, and while she waxed a bit maudlin about losing generations like Sully, I think she's right on the money about people digging in when they are lost. It's that whole "the lady doth protest too much, methinks" thing....

"it's called a skicicle"

-Evan, on a combo ski and bicycle that someone is apparently selling for a lot of money. Say it 3 times fast.

As always, the 2/13 Coffeehouse had a stellar line-up.

if love is the answer, could you rephrase the question? - lily tomlin

I only wrote one Valentine this year, for Mrs. G. She was the best.

caveman g-chats

erickson: unfrozen caveman lawyer

turner: is frosting adorable cupcakes

evs: is rockin' the side pone.

♫ val: is wondering if it's okay to be counting down the days until summer vacation.

marsh: Bill Gates wins the crazy award of the week: http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92249?fp=1

"He should fill that pond full of piranhas." - Dad

My dad is not known for his bloodthirsty ambitions in most areas. Once he found a rabbit on the side of the road after it had been run over by a car, twitching and barely holding on to life. He thought it best to put the rabbit out of its misery by hitting it on the head with a hammer, but he cried after doing so.

However, in the realm of basketball, there are things that make his blood boil. The whole Sonics/Clay Bennet/Nickels quotes saga was a very trying time for him. He switched allegiances upon leaving Chicago 27 years ago, but his beloved Sonics are no longer.

Well, they're sort of around. If you can call a 12-38 record playing.

So I was at dinner at the parents' a while back with one of my friends, whose dad is an aquascaper. He happens to be building a pond this month in Oklahoma City, for Mr. Bennett, and this came out in our dinner conversation. Dad went from zero to angry in about .23 seconds.

His rant started with "That greg nickels, saying he dealt well with the sonics situation. What would have been bad? If the whole team got on a plane that went up in flames and they all died?" and ended with the bit about piranhas...

Sorry, Dad.

"Sometimes when I look at myself in the mirror, I forget I'm not Michael Landon." - A.D.

See the 17 point scale, although I don't know if that will provide any reasonable explanation.

"I saw that going differently in my mind." -Hitch

You know that scene in Hitch when Wil Smith shows Eva her great-grandpa on the list at Ellis Island, and she bursts into tears and runs off? Not quite what he anticipated....

This weekend, Woods and I got dressed to the nines. I even had clickety-clack heels on - not really normal Saturday grocery-store attire. We stopped at the Renton Safeway and were ably checked out by the assistant manager, Mike. He happened to be pretty good looking, let me tell you. If I weren't on a man-fast, I would've asked for his number.*

Mike: What're you two up to?

Gretzky: A funeral.

Mike: (Blinks, nods his head, finishes putting the veggie tray in a bag.) Okay.

Woods: Not where you envisioned that one going, eh?

Gretzky: (Laughs. Then rearranges her face into a more serious expression as Mike hands Woods the bag.)

Mike: Have a good day.

Gretzky: You too. (Walking out the automatic door.)

Woods: I think that made my day.

*I know, it's super shallow that this is what I was thinking about as I was headed to the funeral, but I'm being honest here.

i am not going to do that effing 25 things, peeps

no matter how many times you send it.

Thanks Seth and Noelle, for sending this along....

a-team g-chats

johhny v: a-team theme is now stuck in my head

rk: http://www.wouldyoudothatifbarackwaswatching.com/question.html

♫ evs: has more records than the KGB.

cowboy: "probably the person they hired will make terrible coffee."

k8: believes in democratic republics again...a proud day for hand-made toy crafters in the USA!

and

new favorite website: http://victorygardenoftomorrow.com/posters.html

"I grew up in Seattle but always knew I wanted to leave" - David Guterson

I admire people who fearlessly speak their truth, and a lot of what Lisa Albers said yesterday on Crosscut resonated with me.

I truly love this city, but we're way too self-absorbed and way too defensive about being self-absorbed. (Check out the comments she got for confirmation.) The world is bigger, peeps. Expand your horizons.

"for the record, I much prefer worms over cats." Gretzky

- July of 2008, when I made BeCs put the compost in the worm bin while I shooed away the striped stray cat lurking on our porch.

But if I were a cat, I would be a library cat. How cool is that? If I were in charge of a library, though, I would get a library dog. That would be pretty near perfect.

"you're still wearing grown-up clothes." - ringo

I went to see a movie after work the other day and didn't have a chance to change out of my work clothes.

Umm, if you haven't seen it yet, you should watch Slumdog Millionaire. Funny, sad, brutal, sweet, atrocious, beautiful - kind of like life. There were several moments I clenched ringo's hand and wouldn't let go. I'm not giving anything away, and you shouldn't read all the reviews, you should just go watch it.



And if you can watch it at the Columbia City Cinema, even better. The place reminded me of the Charles and the Senator, two of my favorite theaters ever. The Senator, by the way, had FREE seats on Superbowl Sunday, and I so would have been there if I were in Bmore...Anyway, at CCC, you can rent out the top room to play wii or have a big party with your friends....Super fun. I felt like I was watching a movie with my neighbors.

"I've taken the liberty of copying and pasting interpretations and bolding my favorites" - K8

It used to be that dream interpretation was the realm of prophets. Think Daniel, who interpreted king's dreams... Like everything else these days, dream interpretation has gone twenty-first century and you can get some great interpretations online.

So last week when I had the 3rd most disturbing dream of my life, my dream became the subject of a flurry of furious e-mails back and forth between girl friends. No conclusions have been made quite yet.

Basically, I had a dream I was getting married. Talk about nightmares. I had one of those HORRIBLE poufy cinderella dresses on, the strapless corseted monstrosity that everyone wears these days. It was disgusting. And showed too much cleavage. And these terribly uncomfortable, elegant white satin heels about 5 inches off the ground. Which is ridiculous, as the groom, who I KNEW from my real life, was only 2 inches taller than me. And it was in a huge church, with candles lining the windows and the pews full of people. Hushed, and reverent and all that. Ugh. Not my idea of a good time. I am going to elope if it ever comes down to it. Or go to the forest and get married in the trees. Or in my parent's backyard with a potluck. I will probably wear a pretty dress, but it will not weigh over 20 pounds, and I will not wear 5 inch heels. Unless the groom is 6'5".

Anyway, that's really neither here nor there, the thing is, in the dream I was marrying someone I know, someone I consider a good friend. We'll call him Groom A. And then, right before I walk down the aisle part of the wedding, someone from the right of the church yelled out,
"Who really wants to marry Gretzky?" And it was so embarrassing, on many levels, but then Groom A only half-heartedly raised his hand. I wanted to throw my bouquet at him and curse. But then ANOTHER PERSON I KNOW FROM REAL LIFE, who I also consider to be a good friend, waved his hand in the air and yelled "I do!" We'll call him Groom B. Also, he is also only about 3 inches taller than me, so again the heels are too high. So then in the dream, I am up at the front of all these people I don't know, towering over my groom, and I married him!

And then I woke up and was severely disturbed. And I wanted to call Groom A and Groom B and tell them I had just had a dream in which I married them, but I didn't think that would be a great start to any of our mornings or do any favors for the continuance of our friendships. I mean, really, how stalker-ish is it to tell someone you had a dream about marrying them? It's like that crazy girl from the bachelorette who had a vision board and put Jason's name on it. WEIRD.

So instead I e-mailed my best girl friends about it all, and k8 found some good stuff on my dream, courtesy of Dream Moods:

To see a marriage in your dream, signifies commitment, harmony or transitional period. You are undergoing an important developmental phase in your life. The dream may also represent the unification of formerly separate or opposite aspects of yourself. In particular, it is the union of masculine or feminine aspects of yourself.Consider the qualities and characteristics of the person that you are marrying. These are the qualities that you need to look at incorporating within yourself.

To see a wedding in your dream, symbolizes a new beginning or transition in your current life. They reflect your issues about commitment and independence.


Here's to new beginnings, peeps. In whatever way they come.