Oscar and Jaime's Random Thoughts

2011-03-13T10:39:00.000-04:00

More than a week after the ureteroscopic stone removal procedure and I am still not feeling well. I keep getting fevers at night, which normally drop down and out by morning time. Then, I begin to feel better throughout the day. When the sun sets, however, I start feeling my temperature rise, the cold chills hit me, and no amount of sweaters/sweats/blankets/tea make me feel better. It doesn't help to feel so dehydrated. I keep drinking as much water as I should, and nothing helps me feel better.

Now the baby is fighting her nap. I gotta go.

Don't make me go in there...

2011-03-06T22:29:00.001-05:00

Remember those words? Part warning, part threat. Yeah, well...it also applies to kidney stones. Some kidney stones just don't want to come out. I managed to pass one, another was partially broken but would not come out...and that left me with a lot of back pain and a new doctor I became intimately acquainted with as we shared fatherhood stories and suggestions for kid-friendly restaurants in the Valley.

Now, I pretty much tried everything. I pleaded. I begged. I bribed. None of it worked. The last fragment would not go quietly down the ureter. The extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy didn't work either. That's pretty much a procedure where you are asleep and your kidneys are pounded with shock waves to break up the stones. So after several ultrasounds, four months of pain, one extracoroporeal shock wave lithostipsy, and (finally) one ureteroscopic stone removal treatment - yup, we had to go in to get them out - I am free at last of the little tyrant that would not leave.

If only it had been as easy as when Joey has kidney stones. Done in 30 minutes, less when you take commercial time into consideration. I swear, Hollywood has the easiest endings...

More than ever...

2011-02-21T20:25:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year when people are looking for a change. It could be something small, like wearing a different color or jeans to the office instead of slacks. It could be something large, like selling everything you have and moving across the country to someplace you picked out by throwing a dart at a map.

I have no desire to sell everything and move to the other side of the country right now. Nor do I want to change my wardrobe to the office - I am already a jeans and dress shirt kind of guy. The change that I am looking for falls somewhere in the middle. It is both within my control as well as out of my hands...

Good times indeed...good times indeed. :)

A note on Valentine's Day...

2011-02-14T20:05:00.000-05:00

Fatherhood...

It has been almost a year since I last posted on this blog. So much has changed; so much has remained the same. Jaime and I now have a daughter. We named her Ix Chel Paz - Paz in memory of my mother.

I always heard people say how having a baby changes everything...that life is never the same. I say, GOOD. It should not be the same. Life should change and bring new experiences, new challenges, new rewards, new tribulations to overcome, new joys to fill your heart, mind and soul.

I would be lying, however, if I did not disclose this little piece. I am afraid of some changes. I try not to think about them, for they would shatter my entire foundation and being if even one of them ever materialized. So I look at my growing family instead and push thoughts of mortality away. I choose to look at them and fantasize of amazing futures and endless, wondrous, amazing possibilities. I work harder today to lay the foundation for those dreams and aspirations.

I do not typically celebrate Valentine's Day. Instead, I cup that love as best I can and take it with me everywhere I can...it is the light that shines my way in the darkest of moments, and pushes me to greater heights.

Perhaps a lot has changed, and I am glad it has. What hasn't changed is just how much more I love my family with every passing breath. I guess this is the only thing I want and hope never to change.

End of Winter

2010-03-28T19:48:00.001-04:00

Nothing like filing your taxes to signify the beginning of spring. The crocuses are popping out of the ground (some that we planted last fall actually already have around a small tree we have in the front and around a maple in the back), forsythia is turning that beautiful yellow-green just before blooming (we cut a few branches today and put them in a vase, love the contrast of the branch against the almost in bloom buds), and the tulips are spreading their blossoms gently inviting the warming spring days (we have red and white ones that we planted in the front bed of our house coming up now).

Part of me is amazed at just how much politics is like the weather, predictable in some cases and totally wild in others. The political storm that was health care reform always seemed to me like much ado about nothing. Sure, sabers were rattled and waved in the air by conservatives and tea baggers, I mean partiers, but it was all more for show than anything else. People, I think, want to have their needs met. Few out there would realistically say they would rather die than have a health care system that could actually save their lives. If anyone would make such a statement, let them sign away all their rights to all government-paid health care...forever.

Just like the yellow blossoms of forsythias, we see the yellow streaks of cowardice from the Republican party. Now that they are faced with a real solution to a problem they would not address, they hide behind empty threats and scare tactics. Cowards, through and through. They no longer truly care, nor do they truly represent the interests of every day people. I feel sad for those who follow the GOP blindly and do not question their leaders, but if they choose to float down the Yellow River to see the other side, so be it. Not my problem.

End of Black History Month

2010-03-01T21:29:00.001-05:00

Black History month has once again come and gone. One of my former colleagues from the library asked a bunch of us to talk about our favorite African-American author or authors. There are many who have done incredible works, who do not receive the recognition they deserve. Then there are also all those incredible writers who are now part of the Harlem or the Chicago Renaissance, as well as the Black Arts Movement, where we saw the rise and growth of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.

I sat to think about those whom I have been privileged enough to read, whose works I have had the opportunity to learn from. From the slave narratives to the works of Caribbeans and Garifonas in Central America, there have been plenty of amazing reads. There are many who laid a great foundation towards the freedoms I enjoy now, and there are many more of us working across inter-racial barriers to achieve even greater and better freedoms. I believe that someday, our narratives will also add to the pillars reaching towards the heavens' body of arts and social commentary and justice.

I think there are two works that have greatly influenced me, The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley and Invisible Man. They are two very powerful stories that must be read from cover to cover to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the human experience, particularly that of the oppressed, and the journey taken in self-discovery.

For now, the journey for a new generation continues...and I wonder what great works my generation will create that my children and grandchildren will someday read.

French Toast and Sunday Mornings

2010-02-28T11:22:00.006-05:00

Waffles smell great. Yet, they never taste as good as they smell (yup...that's one of the many things I've learned from Jaime). Eggs are nutritious when not consumed in large quantities, but I always get hungry a few hours after eating them. Cereal is great for workdays when I have to run out the door.

Weekends, however, are meant for fresh, home made French Toast. Don't get me wrong, out of the box has been a salvation at times when the craving is strong and the time to make them exists in theory and not yet ready to be applied. Nevertheless, the mess in the kitchen is worth the full, satisfied belly. I am no French Toast expert, but I do enjoy variety and sampling different recipes. Alton Brown has one of my favorite recipes on the Food Network. I've experimented around a bit, and I've used that recipe with a Toasted Walnut Raisin bread in the past from Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, RI. We don't live anywhere near there, so I can't get their bread. But it was the best French Toast I've ever made.

Enjoy your Sunday morning, and hopefully with some French Toast.

Professional Pictures

2010-02-27T22:09:00.002-05:00

Who has two thumbs, is the size of a spaghetti squash, and attended her first professional photo shoot? That's right, Ix Chel. Actually, Jaime and I did something we never thought about doing before. We let someone else take the photographs for once.

It was a lot of fun to be on the other side of the camera. Unfortunately, we do not have many pictures of us together. It was a nice treat, and a much welcomed one at that, after the long week we each had. After the baby is born, we will be headed back for a second session (let's hear it for buying two for one during last Christmas time!!!). Of course I will continue making little videos and mini-films of our adventures, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed this. Thank goodness it's not like getting inked up. Now that can be a really expensive hobby.

Working on the new look...

2010-02-25T23:30:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone,

We have good news...and some bad news. Good news is that I spent the evening waiting for a doula that never bothered to show up fixing and updating the blog. Bad news is that she never showed up or even bothered to call. Completely rude...and unprofessional.

Now that the blog is almost up to snuff (just need to update the search box and the archives subpage) it should be almost no time before we are fully up and running again. Thanks to Claudia for the incredible template...it's been fun going through the crazy XML coding to get this closer to fully operational and customized to my preferences.

Good night all....

Pants on the Ground Jimmy Fallon

2010-02-25T22:09:00.001-05:00

This is by far one of the most creative remakes I've heard in a while. Thanks to Jenny Morgan for telling me about it.

Now...let's talk about the genius of the real Neil Young. There are few musicians that I can think of who carry the thunder of an entire generation and deliver it with such gentleness. Not only has he been able to inspire more recent generations of musicians, he continues to be a driving force in the music industry. His power and persuasion surpasses what some may perceive as "ideological liberalism." This, in my opinion, is most evident in his anti-war work.

Neil Young manages to capture the true feelings and rational ideas for opposing war on many levels. Stripped away are the logical fallacies that weigh down sound arguments and true debate.What you end up with is an honest and humane study of the impact of war on the global community (the soldier fighting, the occupied people, and everyone else in between). And for all his work, he is more than strumming one cord...I urge you to visit http://www.neilyoung.comhttp://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/index.html/lwwtoday/index.html to learn more.

Smoothies

2009-12-28T17:19:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been craving smoothies. Banana-strawberry and kiwi-passion fruit are the strongest cravings. Let's see if the Stonyfield 10oz Organic Strawberry Banana Smoothie does the trick. I hope it does, it's not the same as the banana-strawberry smoothies, but I have to do something to take care of the craving.

What I Want For Christmas

2009-12-23T20:54:00.000-05:00

In all fairness and honesty, I already have my Christmas present. But I got it 10 years ago when Jaime and I first met.

new test

2009-12-04T18:31:00.001-05:00

Jaime and I joke that there is an association for just about everything and anything out there. A little while ago I came across an interesting art piece on Trend Hunter about stained glass. It was by far the most interesting piece of stained glass art that I've seen around in a while.

Naughty Stained Glass - Eroti-Glass ‘They Call Me Wilson’ Art Is Clearly Sexy (GALLERY)

[More]

After some light digging it turned out that the SGAA (Stained Glass Association of America) will have their annual conference in Oklahoma City from June 17th to 20th. Of course this made me start thinking of other stained glass displays and what other people have been doing with stained glass as an art form and perhaps social justice work.

Sadly I wasn't able to find any works that are both stained glass and social justice. So I am going to try to find anyone else that might be wondering if there is any connection between the two. Stay tuned and we'll find out together.

Bitter, bitter chocolate

2009-12-04T18:30:00.000-05:00

It was pretty nasty out this morning. Started the day off with -7 degrees Fahrenheit. Right now is a balmy 14F and I am not going to say anything else to jinx it. Instead, I'm going to discuss the delicate nature of chocolate.

Where should I begin? How about with movies that have chocolate in the title?

And our most popular finds include:

testing

2009-12-04T18:27:00.001-05:00

----------------------------------

Late-Night Thoughts

2009-12-01T23:04:00.002-05:00

Tonight is cold. It is around 27 degrees outside right now. The living room is about 40 degrees warmer but quickly dropping in temperature. Even though the fire in the stove is completely out I can still feel some warmth escaping from the cast iron. It won't be long before the heating system kicks on.

Now and then I hear ambulance sirens whaling and I usually manage to ignore them, but it is the flashes of red from the lights that draw my attention. I often wonder where it is they are going. Will they arrive in time? Will their haste be cause for the joys and miracle of life or will it be for the somber realization that unlike time itself, we are finite?

I am neither tired nor peppy. Nor am I suffering from some sleep-deprived, melancholic late-night thoughts. I am in awe of the beauty and fragility that is life.

I will go to bed in a few minutes with a calm happiness to warm me through the night. Tomorrow morning I will kick the bed sheets off of me, prep for work, carry in my pocket the knowledge that I am blessed in so many ways to have so many wonderful people around me, and at the end of a long day come back home to the warmth and love of my family and my best friends.

Summertime Grilling (and Garden Envy video)

2009-07-20T17:42:00.003-04:00

Now that we have the grill, I have cooked every dinner and lunch (on weekends) outside. It is so great to not have the kitchen getting so hot.

There is something about food cooked over a fire. And I've been using Cowboy Hardwood Charcoal with a chimney starter. This way there's no need for any lighter fluid. I've also noticed that the hardwood charcoal burns cleaner and lasts longer than typical charcoal...so I highly recommend it. Also, one bag has lasted me a lot longer than the typical charcoal bag.

Check out the product at http://www.cowboycharcoal.com/ where you can also find recipes.

Happy Grilling to all...

No Office Voicemail...

2009-07-19T07:49:00.004-04:00

This past week I went back to work and there was plenty for me to catch up with. A large portion of it, in all honesty, was going through all the messages, replies, and forwards that accumulated in my email's Inbox throughout the week. As I began to read the email in chronological order from oldest to newest, I remembered that my (physical) mailbox had no memos in it. I looked at my phone and the red light indicating I had voicemail was lit. I checked it. Wrong number.

Because it is summer and it is our slow season I only had slightly more than 250 emails to go through. (sigh of relief)

Jaime Explains: Why there is a toad in the living room and rocks in the kitchen

2009-07-10T21:09:00.001-04:00

After an eventful and fun weekend in Canada, we are back at home. But just because we are home, however, we are not done with adventures. When I came home from a doctor's appointment (yearly stuff, nothing to worry about), I found a frog that Jaime had saved earlier back in the house...

I'll let her explain it in this video (and if it's hard to watch, double click on it so you can see it on youtube)...

Back Porch Project Begins

2009-06-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

And so begins the next project...we are now working on the back porch. We've started with the wood around the screens (since we don't actually have glass windows out there). It's going to be a really cute area to sit out and have lunch, breakfast, or dinner when it is really hot out or when the weather is perfect. There's a really nice breeze that blows from west to east on that side (and since it faces north, the sun doesn't really hit it hard at all.

I am hoping to finish it by mid-July. I am really excited about being able to hang out there in the afternoons, and out in the front porch in the mornings. I think Maggie will also enjoy the back porch as it will be a lot closer for her to the yummi birds she has her eye on all the time. ;)

The Future of Greenfield

2009-06-09T19:15:00.003-04:00

I am not a negative person; nor am I a blind optimist. I do consider myself to be a rational person who prefers to make informed decisions. And no matter how well I prepared myself for today's election in Greenfield, I am sitting here typing this blog with a heavy heart.

With an important election, neither of the leading candidates addressed the issues that will impact me, and the rest of the town, the most. No discussion of the proposed biomass incinerator that the state approved, and by doing so broke federal law and will soon be going to court. No discussion about the big box stores other than "the people have spoken and they want a big box store" from Siano (and he is obviously only listening to some people). For that matter, he has only spoken w/ people who support the incinerator and has already made up his mind that it would be a good thing. Bill Martin is no different in my eyes.

I hope that there will be enough grassroots movement to keep both from happening. If they think that there are high unemployment rates now even with local business hanging on for dear life, they are going to be surprised when a big box starts closing the few mom and pop stores that are still around.

The problem, in my opinion, is that both candidates only see what they want to see, and listen to what they want to hear. They are both in their 60's and frankly out of touch with the real challenges that my generation faces as we will be responsible for cleaning their mess (like a biomass incinerator and high property taxes from a lack of business tax).

Today I voted for the lesser of two evils. And I am hopeful that he will not run this town into the ground.

I am neither a pessimist nor an optimist...I more often than not follow rational thought. But today, I am left with a gnawing feeling in my stomach. My gut instinct tells me to prepare for a political and activist run in this town sooner than I anticipated.

Front Porch Project June 2009

2009-06-08T15:01:00.002-04:00

We were a little busy over the weekend. We started off by cleaning up the front porch. There were a large number of cracks and mortar that was falling off, so we touched up those areas. Next we through some primer over the foundation wall and the porch and cleaned up the rest of the walkway.

Although we were only able to stain the porch and main entrance area, we are hoping to finish the foundation this summer and the rest of the walkway this weekend.

It feels really good to be able to do these things. We are finally able to make changes to something that is our very own. Today's project will be to seal it, and let it dry so that we can place our rocking chairs and little table out there. It's going to be a really nice spot for us to hang out and have tea or do some of our work when it's hot (it's mostly shade throughout the day).

Now we are looking forward completing other projects. it is tough to do all of these things in the first year, but it is so well worth it in order to be able to enjoy it when it's done (as well enjoy the fact that we just did this for us). :)

Good times...good times...

Library Promo 70's Theme

2009-06-05T19:44:00.001-04:00

I am glad to see that some organizations have a sense of humor, and know that it is important to have it if you want to attract new students. Part of the problem with institutions is that they begin to take themselves too seriously, and forget that humor if often a great ice breaker.

We know that the intention was to make it cheesy, we know that it is meant to poke a little fun at the stereotype that librarians are stuck in the past. Yet I can already imagine the criticism: we should be doing things to take us seriously, not make fun of us.

Yet it is in these little moments of comedy that we see just how serious our work is. It is in these little tidbits of challenging the stereotype and perception that demonstrate awareness and acceptance of the challenges ahead in library sciences, as well as other organizations.

Social Media is by no means the magic pill that people want, or expect, to eradicate their lack of coverage woes, but it is one tool in an arsenal of many that we can use to highlight our services, our mission, and our goals...provided those are sound to begin with.

I'll have a gun w/ the wine please...

2009-06-05T10:54:00.004-04:00

So this week two very interesting little items came across the news. Well, truth be told, there were many really interesting items. Let's look at what are, in my opinion, not the brightest of ideas.

First, Tennessee lawmakers decided to override the governor's veto to prohibit firearms in restaurants and bars. Apparently, the wisest elected officials in Tennessee decided that it is a good idea to have guns in close proximity to alcohol. I can see the NRA's pitch now: "we can all look as sexy and seductive as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt dancing in Mr & Mrs. Smith, you know the scene...where they are feeling each other up to see what weapons they have on them."

Second, a pastor in Kentucky thought that the best way to celebrate the 4th of July is by bringing your gun to church. Of course they will have private security and safety measures to make sure that no one is injured. Besides, what is more Christlike than bringing a 9mm with you to service.

Now, what do you think the possibility of getting folk to go to service on Sunday, drink holy wine if offered, then go to a fourth of July bbq, followed by drinks at the bar with absolutely NO incidents is? Be honest now, remember the last time you saw someone hammered at a bbq? If you wouldn't let them drive home, would you give them a loaded weapon?

Even local law enforcement authorities in are shaking their heads. I understand and appreciate and support the right to arms, but this law and this call to arms at church are ridiculous at best, idiotic at the mid-range level, and extremely unsafe and dangerous.

Mixing booze with religion and family outings is not a good idea. And at this point, I have to question a lot of people's intentions, interpretations of the bible, intelligence, and common sense.

Backyard Clean-Up

2009-03-26T00:52:00.002-04:00

Just before I flew out to Chicago, Jaime and I decided to do some yard work and clean up the back yard. Although not in the video, we did see where a hawk has made residence in one of the pines in the back.

After a while the hawk came down to check us and see if we'd be trouble or just noisy neighbors. We think it's settled on us just being noisy neighbors. :)

Hooray for Compost Bins

2009-03-25T01:33:00.002-04:00

Our first compost bin. Not bad for $35 through the state. We have plenty of stuff to put in it too. Way too much stuff actually. :)

All on a Saturday

2009-03-25T01:29:00.001-04:00

Stained Glass

2009-02-11T21:56:00.006-05:00

Naughty Stained Glass - Eroti-Glass ‘They Call Me Wilson’ Art Is Clearly Sexy (GALLERY)

Long cold winter...

2009-01-31T21:45:00.002-05:00

Yup...it's been cold...and winter isn't anywhere near being over yet. Watching Jaime go up and down the stairs picking up stuff and putting stuff away. I wonder what she'll say when she reads this blog.
I think I'll ask her if she wants help. She said, "No, it's ok." Let me ask her again and make sure. She said she's almost done. Can't say I didn't offer.
Did the New BCEL orientation today. It's been a long week. Next week will be better as I am only working three days and then taking some much needed time off.
Oh yeah, and John Updike passed away this week. It's amazing to be living through so much. And I know that everyone says or thinks it, but it's another thing to experience that feeling for yourself.
When did Wesley Snipes make it back into the county, by the way? I thought he was running from the law because of taxes he hadn't payed or something like that. But now I see him on commercials with Chuck-y Norris for the Total Gym. Strange!!!!!!

November 14th

2009-01-12T16:17:00.002-05:00

So I'm really not working on an entry for the 14th of November. That was the last day that I have on my George W. Bushisms calendar. The poor calendar hasn't gone anywhere since that day. So let's see what it says before I rip it off, like a band aid, all at once and suck in the pain.

I think it's important to bring somebody from outside the system, the judicial system, somebody that hasn't bee on on the bench and, therefore, there's not a lot of opinions for people to look at.
~On the nomination of Hariet Miers to the Supreme Court; Washington, DC, 10/04/05

Ok...I did it, but now I have another one before me...and I must resist the temptation to read it and tear it off. How else will I keep the Bush Legacy alive if not in George W. Bushism calendar quotes? I am taking a page from many out there...I refuse to look to the future and will remain with my head buried in the past, at all costs...having said that, time to listen to Ricky Martin's latest hit, "Livin' la vida loca".

Early Evening

2009-01-10T17:55:00.001-05:00

Keeps getting darker earlier in the day. Gotta love this time of year. There are some real idiots on television. The show I'm watching and shaking my head in disbelief is "Newlywed, Nearly Dead" on Fine Living Network. Wow...what a bunch of emotionally messed-up people.

Here comes the sun...

2009-01-10T11:43:00.003-05:00

...well, not really. But what we do have coming our way is another snow storm tonight through tomorrow morning. We'll see how it goes. Although I have to say that I'm pretty tired of shoveling it. ;P

I will definitely buy a snow blower next summer when they are at their cheapest.

I'm hoping Jaime does buy the J Crew dress she likes so she can turn it into a jingle dress. I think she should do it. (Jaime, if you are reading this...I think you should buy the dress; we can try taking Underfoot with us and see if the store wants to do a trade). :)

My Not-To-Do List

2009-01-09T13:19:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking long and hard of my lists for 2009. Here is a list of things I will NOT be doing in 2009.

Hire Roger Clemens as my physical fitness coach.

Take dog-training tips from Michael Vick.

Sell chairs to the Senate floor.

Call any sports talk radio to discuss the state of the economy.

Accept government contracts from Bill Richardson.

Roll my eyes at the walking, breathing, living stupidity that is Bill O'Reilly.

Try the cider squirrel (southern style) recipe I found on-line.

Feel sorry for anyone associated with Rock of Love.

I'm sure the list will keep growing. But this is what I have for now.

Blind....Confessions

2009-01-08T11:31:00.004-05:00

There's a lot of fun things going on right now. I am in the process of working on multiple projects (let's hear it for multi-tasking, even though experts claim there is no such thing). Last year - feels funny to say that - I finished short of my task to read 10 books for pleasure.

I've started off strong finished reading Blindness (which was made into a movie, which I still haven't seen) and I'm now working on Confessions of an Economic Hitman. There's a large number of other books that I want to read, but I know I will not be able to get to all of them this year. At least the list keeps growing and someday, oh yes, someday, I shall conquer them. Well, maybe not all of them, but it's worth a(n economic) shot.

Slush and Bad English

2009-01-07T17:05:00.003-05:00

It was a thick and heavy snow. It was an absolute pain to shovel. I've noticed there are a bunch of supernatural movies out right now, but as always they are about those evil dead. I can't wait for the fad to be over with.

Last night I was tormented by Aspen Dental and Bad English. During an Aspen Dental commercial, the song in the background was Bad English's "When I See You Smile" and the song, along with bad 80's power ballad memories, came rushing back (lyrics verbatim and to the point that I knew the cadence and could follow along some 10 years later). Wow...the power of suggestion and how the human memory is triggered.

I'm beginning to wonder how many other songs have to do with smiles? My favorite smile anything however, is in Friends when Ross gets his teeth whitened...ha ha ha.

Goodbye Frosty

2008-12-13T13:29:00.002-05:00

I am saddened and happy by Susan's departure for sunny California. The Robert Frost Library will have a tremendous void in filling the loss of Susan. She is a wonderful person, full of heart and determination. As a librarian, she knows her stuff inside and out. I do not say it lightly when I say that Amherst College's loss is UC Berkeley's tremendous gain.

I am happy for Susan because this is a great opportunity for her. I know she will do fantastic at her new position as the new Head of the Education, Psychology and Social Welfare Libraries
Not saying goodbye...because I know our paths will continuously cross and we'll be seeing each other at the exciting ALA conferences.

What day is it today?

2008-12-11T07:31:00.004-05:00

Just have a little more to do with my PowerPoint presentation and I'm done for the semester. Well, not really, I still have to attend an online presentation and answer questions about my presentation next Tuesday evening.

Believe it or not, my DMCA paper came out nice. There are so many things within it that I could focus on even more on access and "open access"; and I have an idea for a collaborative project on how "open access" is not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination.

Carpet is out of what will be our office and bamboo floors are going in today. This means that we'll finally be able to paint that room and move in the desk and other storage stuff that's been closed up in one of the other bedrooms. Let's hear a big hooray for office organizing. ;)

I think it is Wednesday, but I'm honestly not sure right now. Too tired! Soon enough, I'll get my rest.

Sunday afternoon blues

2008-12-07T13:11:00.002-05:00

it started snowing today and it was nice while it lasted. But everything is pretty much gone now. Oh well. I'm not really sad, by the way, I'm just trying to figure out which kind of blue to paint the office after we put in the bamboo floors. We have it pretty much narrowed down, but still...just need to think about it a little more before making a final decision. We are looking at going with Freshaire paints because they have very low VOCs. So here is the color selection from Home Depot for anyone interested.

Friday, Friday, Friday

2008-12-05T10:35:00.005-05:00

It is a crazy Friday. So much to do, so little time. I just finished submitting another portion of my evaluation paper for my informatics course. Tonight and tomorrow I'll be working on the government documents course paper. I can't wait to finish all of that work for the semester and take a break.

Next week we are having floors put in what we are turning into an actual office. If we had enough time we'd do it ourselves. But right now time is the one commodity we cannot afford. :( Soon enough, however, we should be able to have a few things come off the calendar and be able to do more home projects. We are supposed to go to the inauguration next month. I am looking forward to it. I hope we can. Getting the tickets for it from my congressman's office. yay...power to the people. ;-)

So, even though it is Friday...the work week is just continuing for me. Wish me luck.

So It's Been a While

2008-12-04T21:56:00.002-05:00

Yeah, it has. Things are going well. Jaime and I bought a house and we are still doing a few small repairs to it. I am really happy to have a place of our own. I look around every now and then and it is as if for the first time it dawns on me that this is now our house.

So much more to write. But I have even more homework to go finish. ;)

My left eye is Blepharospasming...

2008-07-23T13:50:00.007-04:00

Luckily it doesn't last long. It usually goes away in a few seconds and my eye goes back to normal. Not sure what causes the blepharospasm, more than likely it is just tension and nerves. Or the anticipation of getting my very first i-Pod (thanks Jaime). Just not sure on which of the colors to choose. HMMMM...decisions, decisions, decisions. We are thinking a small and cute i-Pod shuffle (on the right) for the road and for when one of us goes to the gym. How I wish they had it in gold like. That would be really nice.

And for those moments when we want everything in once single, convenient place...why there is the I-Pod classic for the house to hold all of our music and videos. I think we can manage to place all of our music into it since it can hold up to 40,000 songs.

One of the things that I really like is being able to listen to audio books, lectures and presentations. Oh technology, how you astonish us. I think that I am going to start creating my presentations as video so I can save them and load them for when I need them or for samples of my work. They are not that hard to do and it would be great practice for me to do it.

Monday morning blues on a Tuesday

2008-07-22T11:14:00.004-04:00

It's been gray and wet and muggy today. I'm just in the mood to read a book, take a nap, eat some lunch, and read some more. Alas, I have work to do (again). :(

Over the weekend Jaime and I went to the Green River Festival. Actually, we first went up on Friday night to watch the concert and the balloons. It was pretty cool to watch the balloons light up. Not sure I would want to do a balloon ride, however. At least not for $225 per person. Eileen Jewel was pretty good, as was Jimmie Vaughn. But on Saturday we got to watch Crooked Still, Los Straitjackets, and Mavis Staples. Crooked Still was great and Mavis Staples was phenomenal...the purest definition of an icon. Los Straitjackets...they had a gimmick that wore on my nerves really quickly. They kept speaking in an anglicized Spanish...and it was soooooooo bad; their music was very repetitive.

Staples really did a great set and took it through the Civil Rights era. An honor just to hear her live.

Prepping for Portland

2008-07-17T12:03:00.008-04:00

Next month J and I are headed out to west to Portland, OR. Jaime is going out for a conference at the end of August. I'll be flying out to meet her when she finishes. We have some friends over there and it will be nice to catch up with them before coming back to the east coast. This will be our first time in Oregon. Everyone we've met who has lived, or still lives, there says that it is an absolutely beautiful area. I am really looking forward to checking out the area for myself and see just how much I am going to like it.

One of the places I am hoping to have enough time to check out is the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. Actually, there are a number of places I would love to check out, but I know we will not have enough time to do so. And of course, we wouldn't be us without going to a bookstore. Our plan is to check out Powell's City of Books. And while we are there hit up World Cup Coffee & Tea.

So, maybe a second trip out there later on (?!?!?!). And of course there are a number of bakeries and coffee shops we have starred written down from the travel guides at Barnes and Noble. As you may already know, I am always on the look for a great cup of coffee. oO(So much coffee out there...so little time to enjoy it all). There's a doughnut shop that I want to check out (open 24 hours) and they are supposed to be good - or at least famous. And of course there's always the local cuisine...I have my eye on a Roast Duck with Orange Chipotle Glaze at Milo's City Cafe. And of course that doesn't even look at Eugene, which we want to check out as well.

Feist on Sesame Street

2008-07-16T20:29:00.002-04:00

I can't wait for kids to play them this stuff. Pop culture goes Sesame Street!!!

Hand Sanitizer and Other Thoughts

2008-07-15T15:14:00.005-04:00

It's been a quiet week so far. But I figure to give it a few days since it is only Tuesday. Yesterday I bought a CVS brand hand sanitizer with shea butter. Not too bad, actually. Come think of it, I'm running out of my sanitation wipes. And since I'm in the process of endorsing products right now...I highly recommend Method Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes. The french lavender wipes are nice, but I think I am going to try a different scent next time. Vary it up a little now and then. Method also has other really good cleaning agents that are non-toxic and biodegradable. Imagine that...a company making money off of green products. ;)

Hard to believe that Summer is almost gone. I have no idea where it went, either. On the one hand I am happy because of all the really cool things that are coming up for the Fall.

The things we learn from watching Sam Champion

2008-06-23T13:01:00.004-04:00

Just before having breakfast, we turned on to the old tube to wait for the weather forecast. In the meantime, we watched a clip of our favorite Good Morning America personality, Sam Champion. He was at the Bronx Zoo and had a radiated turtle in his hands. Well, it turns out that those big buggers weigh less than Underfoot. The typical turtle weighs around 15lbs. I don't know when the last time Underfoot saw 15lbs was, but I know that he was at about 18.5 last week when we took him to see the vet for his annual check-up.

Even when Underfoot is shaved he doesn't come close to 15lbs.!

Garden Gnomes and Plants

2008-06-22T10:16:00.009-04:00

About the Gnomes...

I'm not sure how I feel about Garden Gnomes. On the one hand, they are great in commercials, such as those in this Travelocity commercial, and in films like Amelie. On the other hand, they can be a bit creepy, in particular like those I found at Gnome Outlet. (The picture on the left is from the Gnome Outlet....disturbing, I think). I'm beginning to lean towards "they are creepy" more than anything else.

The last few days I've been doing some gardening again. It's been great to be able to get back to work with my hands, particularly since it will be something that will go right onto our dinner plates. Grow, veggies, grow. We also have some herbs. Cooking with fresh herbs always makes a huge difference for me, and it's always evident in the finished meal.

Let's talk gardening...

Since we are not the only ones who like to eat veggies, I decided to start looking around for organic products that could eliminate any fungal or bacterial diseases that will munch away at the garden. I found several websites and do-it-yourselfer-sites that recommend Neem Oil. According to the back of the label, Neem Oil is supposed to work on preventing and treating the following:

powdery mildew
black spot
mildew and scab
anthracnose
rust
leaf spot
botrytis
needle rust
tip blight
alternaria

Another thing that Jaime and I have heard work is pouring beer in a dish and place it in your garden. The beer, for whatever reason, attracts slugs and kills them, keeping them from eating the vegetation. Only problem is that you might also attract human slugs looking for a free beer after they've been kicked out of the bar. (If you do wake up in the morning and see a bunch of humans sucking on the beer next to the tomato plants I recommend calling the cops; you can try to hose them but I find cops to be more efficient).

Aluminum foil is great for more than just keeping alien transmissions from penetrating into the good ole gray matter. If you wrap a little foil around the base of your tomato plant, it will (allegedly) keep some worms from eating the plant.

Those are the tips we've heard about. We'll let you know if they seem to work...or if you try them out (or have tried them out before), let us know if they work.

What's Wrong with GMOs?

2008-06-19T10:38:00.002-04:00

Although many people already know that Genetically Modified Foods are not good for us and the environment, it is good to hear what is being done on the anti-GMO front.

Cold June-No Vespa

2008-06-17T09:34:00.006-04:00

Summer isn't here yet and we've again gone through the ups and downs of our typical New England weather. From obnoxiously hot and humid last week to cool and damp the last few days. My birthday went fairly well....yup...another year older, still waiting to see if I turned any wiser. My guess is that I probably didn't. :)

I almost had Jaime convinced that I would be safe on a Vespa, and then some knucklehead ran into a young woman driving a Vespa scooter last Sunday. I wish people were better drivers and actually did things like: obey the speed limit, watch where they are going, obey the speed limit, follow the law! You know, the little things that make big differences. I do hope that young woman is alright. Jaime said that when she was on the ground and the 911 dispatcher was asking for her age, some of the folk standing around were yelling, "In her 30's" "Definitely 40" and other ages. The woman looked up, irritated, as she managed to squeeze out, "I'm 21!"

I guess I'll have to stick to a Vespa tie and someday a pony called Vespa Granturismo 200. :)

SuperNews! - Social Networking Wars

2008-06-05T09:20:00.002-04:00

One of the funniest films I've seen in a long time.

Back from NY

2008-05-08T08:09:00.008-04:00

So...Jaime went to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues last month. I don't know how often visitors to forums get an opportunity to go up and down the entire building, but we managed to go up to the 8th and 9th floors. We stopped by the UN Webcast, UN TV, UN Radio, Photography Library, and the Photographer offices. It was really interesting. I have to say for as cool as the place is, they have a bad case of the "Whaddayatalkinehhbouts?" As with any large organization, one office has little idea what the other does or plans to do for special events, etc. I'm glad I was able to go with her for a few days. I had an opportunity to listen to the issues on Indigenous languages and education.

Since there were no major meetings on Friday, we walked around Manhattan. We pretty much walked everywhere. We went to the New York Public Library...then we walked over to the West to get cupcakes. We had to walk through "Crazy" Times Square. Talk about a Tourist Central.

She had a great time mucking through the concrete and asphalt jungle that is Manhattan.

I was with her for a little bit and got her used to the "Grand Apple" (ha ha ha...little joke from the show Will and Grace). We pretty much walked everywhere. She won't admit it, but I think she is a New Yorker at heart.

She did manage to find some civilization (and she hugged and hung on to it for dear life, not wanting to let it go at all).

Two for the road...

2008-04-24T08:22:00.006-04:00

Jaime returned from Tucson last night...and we are actually both in Manhattan for a few days. I will be with her through Sunday afternoon(ish) and then she stays here through next week.

There were two events on the Metro that I want to discuss.

Man in drag with unshaved legs and a hairy rear. I think if you are a man and are going to go drag...it's your business, but at least shave. And if you don't shave, at least wear something that isn't so short that I have to see just about everything. It reminds me of the film To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Love Julie Newmar.
A man walked into the train cart we were in and sat a few seats in front of us. About three stops later a group of kids (anyone younger than me nowadays is a kid) boarded. The were not speaking English, and had dark skin. At first I thought the man wasn't feeling well as he was sweating and red and fidgeting. But then he grabbed his things and hurried away as the kids talked and joked (yup, not in English). He stood up looked around for another spot and picked his luggage and moved to the back of the cart where a group of white females were sitting. Now, these kids were just that, kids. They weren't loud, they looked clean, and they didn't smell like the guy Jaime had to sit next to on the flight back home. Who says we don't have a race problem in America? I've been a recipient of enough racism to know when it is happening around me. And much credit to Jaime who called it: he would get up and go sit with the white people on the other side of the train cart.

Both of these instances brought me to think about the world we live in. It is such an amazing place. The differences we have are minute in comparison to our similarities. We try to find ourselves, and sometimes stumble on the way there. We have irrational fears based on the color of skin or the language being spoken.

I applaud the man in drag. He has the courage to search for who he is and takes great risks (particularly in our homophobic culture). Nothing a little more practice in high heels and a wax won't take care of as far as appearance goes.

I jeer the second man. In my opinion, he is a coward and hides in the comfort of his own skin.

I often wonder what kind of world we will leave my children and grandchildren. And seeing those two things last night reminded me of just how much work we have ahead of us. Our society, in America, is nowhere near as inclusive as it believes it is. Of course, this doesn't apply to everyone...there are some wonderful people I know who are inclusive. Yet as an entire community, we have much work ahead and a limited amount of time to move forward before we hand the reigns to the next generation.

What kind of world will I leave my children and grandchildren? I don't know. But I will work my hardest to give them a better, more inclusive and accepting world than the one I inherited.

Last day of our HI trip...

2008-04-14T20:37:00.014-04:00

So we are REALLY late with posting the final day in Hawai'i. Not our fault...we've been tied up with work, school, and work. But here goes the rest of the story...

So we decided to go out for breakfast at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (the night before we stopped by and watched some native Hawai'ians and Maori folk dance...but it was geared towards the tourists, unlike the performance we caught the Thursday before). Jaime kept talking about the pancakes and coconut syrup, so I ordered the buffet and she ordered something else. Nonetheless, her fork managed to successfully assault my plate and escape with a coconut syrup covered pancake. She gave me a peace offering - chunk of pineapple, which I already had on my plate anyway - and I accepted it so all was forgiven. (Don't know why she did that, I could have gotten up and picked up more fresh pineapple from the buffet).

After eating we went to sit on the sand again and get a little more sun before leaving. On our way back we stopped by the penguins and watched them run behind the people feeding them. One of the penguins reminded us of Underfoot because he kept begging and crying for more food. He was much cuter than Underfoot, however. He stopped eating and begging for food long enough to take a picture of him. There were other animals running around. There were some pink flamingos and gorgeous fish in the pond.

The trip back was uneventful, which in my opinion is a great thing. We had a nice view of the big island and flew over Waikiki Beach. We saw where the hotel where just a few hours ago we were having breakfast and taking pictures of penguins, lotus blossoms, and flamingos. Funny to think that in a matter of hours, we were in the planes that we had just been watching ascend into the clear, blue skies. In a matter of hours we were in Seattle waiting for a connecting flight...and then in Minneapolis for another connecting flight.

It was in Minneapolis that I saw two very interesting things. First, I saw an IPod vending machine. First time I see one of those anywhere. I had to do a double take when we walked past it. Second, we saw a taco stand called...

New Week...

2008-04-14T20:30:00.004-04:00

My dad came to visit over the weekend. He flew in last Wednesday and drove out here on Saturday morning. We pretty much ran him ragged on Saturday with a bunch of errands we needed to do before Jaime goes to AZ next week and then returns only to rush immediately to NYC for the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

All of that got me to thinking about our last trip to NYC during Superbowl Weekend.

Might Just be 70 degrees

2008-04-10T14:07:00.003-04:00

The weather is finally cooperating for a little bit. At least until later today because tomorrow is supposed to rain. It won't stop until the Sunday evening, maybe Monday morning. Alas, life in New England.

The national and international news, as always, are interesting. I think that I should make it even more interesting by announcing my candidacy for Planetary Czar. It can be a position in which I do nothing all day, but get paid by every country in the world - sliding fee scale, of course - to do nothing. It can be one of the most monumental gigs in the history of politics.

YMCA Cover

2008-03-27T10:45:00.002-04:00

This should become an instant classic any day now...enjoy. :)

No Cookies in the Library - Classic Sesame Street

2008-03-27T02:32:00.002-04:00

Last Full Day in HI (part 3)

2008-02-11T21:24:00.003-05:00

We drove to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We thought about going in and checking out the dinner and show. But instead we drove up some more so we could catch a bit of sunset at...Sunset Beach.

As we drove (southwest now), there were several private resorts. I don't remember how many golf courses we passed, but there were many. As we got closer to Sunset Beach, we noticed that there was no parking anywhere on the side of the road. We learned the next day, Tuesday morning, that there was a surfing competition that day.

The beaches and countryside reminded me a lot of Honduras. Mountains and valleys within an hours drive to the beach. Also, there were the fruit sellers on the side of the road. Mangoes, bananas, coconuts, and other fresh fruits probably picked that same morning. I miss having that option, of fresh fruit right off the land, particularly on days like today when it is about -7 degrees with the wind chill.

The light was great for photography. The tide was out and just beginning to come in so we were able to walk along some of the volcanic rock that normally hid underneath the Pacific waters.

We kept on driving so we wouldn't hit traffic. We drove past the Marine barracks. We drove past farms and wondered how they've managed to keep their land when so many resorts keep popping up to buy the little land that is left.

In all, it was a great day and I only wish we could have had more time to explore the island. Renting the car, despite the problems of trying to find parking in the city, was completely worth it. It was now time to go back to the hotel and start packing for the flight home on Tuesday.

Last Full Day in HI (part 2)

2008-02-11T20:34:00.002-05:00

We kept driving North and got a little bit lost...if you can actually do that

on an island being that the worst that happens is you go in a circle and your back where you started...and stopped at one of the spots that one of the waiters at the hotel recommended, Kailua Beach Park.

He told us it was the most romantic spot on the island as far as the beaches go. The sands were really white and fine...and the water was the clearest blue. It was a bit chilly as the wind was picking up but we had to jump in. You can say we were beach hopping. :o)

Although you can't see it here, there were people kayaking out to a small island called Popoia. There were other people swimming out to it as well. If we would have had enough time I think I would have liked to kayak out to it. Maybe next year. ;o)

We stopped for a quick lunch and then we were on our way again...Northbound! and then Southbound! and then Eastbound!

We wanted to make sure to make it to Kaneohe Bay so we could check out Mokolii Island (also referred to as Chinaman's hat). Leaving the city was good because we got to see the other side of the island and the valleys.

We drove through large mountains cascading with greenery. At one point we wondered how long it would be before yuppies figured out how to build into the mountain.

At Kaneohe Bay we saw more of these little red birds. They'd been practically following us everywhere we went. Finally, we were close enough to snap a photo of one.

Because the winds and currents were much stronger here, we saw large quantities of rubbish drift onto the beach. I wonder how far away a bunch of that junk came from. Just goes to show that our waste never disappears...it just goes somewhere else.

Last Full Day in HI (part 1)

2008-02-11T19:30:00.002-05:00

So on our last day we started from where we left off the day before. We continued driving up the coast and came across some gorgeous and dangerous beaches. We stopped just a bit after Hanauma Bay and saw some gorgeous cliffs where the water was crashing hard. What's more amazing is that someone was in the water amongst the cliffs...with his dog. I hope the dog was alright. I'm still in awe of how he made it down there.

Our next stop...

Sandy Beach Park, which you can see a picture of on the far right of this paragraph. It was absolutely amazing to watch some of the guys out on their boards. At times they disappeared altogether and you couldn't tell where they were going to come up (or even if they were going to come up). The red flags were up as a warning, but a bunch of people still went in regardless. I don't envy the lifeguards who have to watch this part of the island. The winds pretty much ripped right through.

Just a little farther down Kalaniaole Hwy we came across Makapuu Beach Park. We had a great view as we were going downhill of the park and Kaohikaipu Island. We didn't stop at the park, but we pulled over and took some really cool pictures...

Dr. Evil

2008-01-29T15:51:00.002-05:00

Sometimes we all need a good laugh.

More Pictures I Promised

2007-12-31T12:13:00.003-05:00

Been having a nice quiet couple of days. Eating, cooking, cleaning, doing some reading here and there for class. Fly out to Tucson on Wednesday and Jaime goes there Wednesday the 9th. We both come back on the 12th around midnight or so.

We had a few inches of snow overnight. The snow is pretty heavy and wet, which makes it perfect for SnowRoosters! I think this one here is my motivation for a SnowRooster. And what else would go better with a SnowRooster than a life size replica of of the cliffs just on the other side of Hanauma Bay? With the water crashing against the jagged rocks. Woo hoo...oh yeah, we saw some guy swimming down there too, which I think I caught on video.

Yup...that's what I'm thinking! I think we have enough snow to make it work. If not, we can always wait for the next big storm. In the mean time, there's always time to fantasize about the nice, warm weather. Before we went to the beach, we drove to the market outside of the old stadium. Ate some fresh mango and pineapple. Bought some coffee and a few souvenirs and things like that. Really cool...and affordable.

Hanauma Bay was really pretty. The water towards the center of the bay was calmer than that of the sides. We went to the furthest point away from the info center as we possibly could. There were less tourists and rowdy kids there. We pretty much just kept walking until we found a nice spot to catch some sun, sleep, and swim. This picture should give you an idea of how big the Bay is...

Swimming was a lot of fun. We took our goggles with us so we could look at the fish underneath. The one thing we hadn't thought about was getting an underwater camera. There were so many incredible fish and coral there. The water was a bit choppy and rough. And although it doesn't sound so bad, remember that it is over a bed of jagged lava rock. And when the water pulls you out and it's a bit shallow...ouch!

The rest of our Sunday we spent there and later went out to get a bite to eat. I really miss the warm and tropical weather and the sun. And I know it's more than just it being winter right now. If it were summer, I'd probably be saying the exact thing right now.

Here are some pictures of our Sunday...

Happy Festivus to All

2007-12-26T13:31:00.001-05:00

Hello all,

Just wanted to take a brief break from studying and writing and preparing for the trip out to Arizona, which is next week already. Should be a rather interesting trip. My dad might be able to stop by and visit me on Saturday. I am really excited about seeing him and about starting this new MA in Information Resources and Library Science degree. This will really set us up on so many levels for work. :)

Bob emailed us a very, very, very funny Christmas picture. It would not be right if I did not share this picture. One of the funniest I've seen in a very long time. (Remember to click on the picture itself for a larger view of it). Don't know about you, but the red nose just had me cracking up. I wonder what Rudolph would taste like. Would he taste better in barbecue sauce or as jerky?

MMMMMMMMMM...Lemon-zest grilled Rudolph. That actually sounds so delicious. (Don't blame me for being hungry. I just am).

Tomorrow Jaime and I are taking a few days off. I'll be doing a good chunk of reading and writing, but we'll still be able to spend some time together and maybe even catch a movie or two. (Perhaps even sneak some popcorn into the movie theater???? Gotta love winter time and big pockets!)

Christmas was excellent as Jaime and I spent it with family. For next year, our goal is to add one more mouth at Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners. Hopefully we'll be able to find a cute Mute Button like the one here to keep things nice and quiet for some parts of dinner.

Weather is going to reach the mid-40's today. At least some of the snow will melt away. But it's creating really icy roads at night. Still, nothing in comparison to the people in Tulsa who were without electricity and heat for a week. You'd think FEMA learned it's lesson after Katrina. Maybe if it were closer to election time we would have heard more about it than what was published in the media up here in the Northeast.

So what else is there right now? A lot. Too much to get into the specifics, but we'll catch everyone up a little at a time.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Holiday Season!!!!!!

Hard Rock with Jacoby...

2007-12-01T20:20:00.002-05:00

When I said there is no escaping some kind of pork product I wasn't kidding. So it went on my plate, because it would be rude of me otherwise. ;o) That and I was really hungry and needed to fuel up for the full day ahead.

So we went back to the convention early in the morning for our last day. I was still a little tired from the night before. We didn't go anywhere or do anything special after coming back form the PowWow, but I was still tired and dragging. Despite the fatigue I marched forward leaning in and searching for a spark to re-kindle my weary body. (I know it's over-dramatic, but I don't have too many of these opportunities to make myself sound like a hero...particularly since no one reading this will have any sympathy for me regarding this trip).

After we left the booth, we walked around a bit before leaving. We took a picture of the tee pee because there just aren't that many times that we are going to see that set up on a tropical island. So we figured, What the heck!

We went across the street to the Hard Rock Café for

a late lunch / early dinner. Being that Game 3 of the 2007 World Series was on the t.v., and that we were across the street from the convention, Hard Rock was packed with Native folk who came over to watch Jacoby Ellsbury (click here to see his bio) and it's safe to say that Navajo Nation is pretty proud of him.

Coincidentally, Jacoby tied a record and made history at the same time that night by becoming the second player in MLB history to hit for two doubles in the same inning of a World Series game - the only other player was Matt Williams of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 6 of the 2001 World Series - and Jacoby was the first rookie to do that. The Red Sox went on to defeat the Rockies 10 - 5 that night and on Sunday swept the '07 World Series.

“I know there are a lot of Native Americans who are interested in how I’m doing,” [Ellsbury] said. “I definitely have a following and am proud of my heritage and am trying to set a good example for my community. I know there are not a lot of Native American athletes. I am trying to be a role model on and off the field.” (NY Times article from June '07)

We went back to the Convention Hall to catch a cab to the hotel. And when we were there we decided to get a few pictures of this really cool statue (which is on your left). Now, you all know that I am very respectful of art in general. I think it takes a great amount of work, time and dedication to complete any piece of art. For me, one of the best forms of art is that which is functional and overall entertaining. And sometimes the functionality is entertainment in it's rawest form.

And being that these were the ultimate buns of steel we decided to do some posing...and it turned out we werent' the only ones who did similar things to the statue...I meant with, with the statue...

So afterwards we went to rent a car. This was SOOOOO much more difficult than we first thought. There were no cars available anywhere on Waikiki, so we took a shuttle to airport to rent a car. It took us a LONG time to finally get the car and then drive back. Looking back this was actually better as we could drop the car off at the airport on the day of our returning flight.

Parking, however was a problem. We didn't know there was a parking garage for $8/24-hour parking around the corner. So we drove around the hotel looking for parking. We finally got lucky in front of the hotel at an empty spot and we jumped on it. (Let's just say the next day we weren't as lucky). I love the islands, don't get me wrong, but motorists there are crazy. It was like NYC driving, which in my opinion is worse than Boston and Miami.

Friday - Pow Wow - Friday

2007-11-19T21:22:00.002-05:00

Nothing gets me going in the morning like a good cup of Kona coffee. Funny to think that this little cherry produces some of the best coffee in the world. The process is rather interesting. By the way, we just passed the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. Now we are going to have to wait until next year, make a trip to Hawai'i and participate. The things we do for a good cup of coffee. The Kona Coffee Council - a collaboration of small independent coffee farms - has a pretty good website that explains the history of Kona coffee, how it is processed and other fun tidbits of information for the coffee lover in all of us.

We had breakfast at the hotel restaurant. It was pretty good. So this is where I had my first cup of Kona coffee in Hawai'i. The buffet was really good and had so much fresh fruit. But the coffee was SOOOO GOOD. However, there were plenty of sausage, bacon and sausage patties too, which I dabbed in a bit...when in Hawai'i, there's no escaping pork products. After breakfast at the hotel we caught a cab to the convention center. Didn't want to leave the hotel restaurant. We were sitting out on the patio and the view of the beach was really nice. But, we needed to going to the convention so Jaime could work the booth...and for us to do some shopping.

We scoped the area one more time and were given freebies and information packets and leaflets. The first of my favorites is the Apology Bill, Public Law 103-150. Talk about an "oopsie...my bad" moment in US history. The Library of Congress has the full written bill and it is available on the 'Net. But if you don't have time to check it out, Bill 103-150:

Declares that the Congress: (1) on the 100th anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893, acknowledges the historical significance of this event which resulted in the suppression of the inherent sovereignty of the Native Hawaiian people; (2) commends efforts of reconciliation initiated by Hawaii and the United Church of Christ with Native Hawaiians; (3) apologizes for the overthrow and the deprivation of the rights of Native Hawaiians to self-determination; (4) expresses its commitment to acknowledge the ramifications of the overthrow in order to provide a foundation for reconciliation between the United States and the Native Hawaiian people; and (5) urges the President to acknowledge the ramifications of the overthrow and to support reconciliation efforts.

Here is the alternative to the US history books.

The second was a postcard for AM 940, on the web at www.am940hawaii.com (you can also click on the picture to the right for a direct link to the website), where they feature:

Community guests
Classic Hawaiian music, news and issues
OHA (Office of Hawaiian Affairs) programs and updates

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Throughout the day, Jaime worked at the booth and attended a presentation. The details are sketchy in my memory, but I do remember during one of her breaks we walked around the booths and picked up some clay - kind of sweet but grainy - which was a detox drink. We followed that up with a nice piece of chocolate from the nice people of Oklahoma City who also gave me a bunch of yo-yo's. But I know better than to think you get something for nothing. So, it turns out that the yo-yo's were part of their campaign to bring the NIEA 2012 Convention to Oklahoma City. So, I've learned that I can sell my vote for a yo-yo. Makes me wonder what Clinton, Obama, and Guliani will be giving away? Better be good if any of them want my vote! I'm thinking of something along the lines of a wooden spin top! Wooo Hoooo!!!!

Oh, before I forget...next year's convention will be in Seattle. And there'll be MORE COFFEE. So I can't wait to be able to go. Hopefully either Jaime or I will have a paper ready to present next year for the convention. It would be really great to present at NIEA.

We bought a few things from some of the vendors. Sami Fevaleaki one of the local artist and some of his work is shown here. I bought myself a really cool hook made from wood and oxen. The piece that I really liked was more around $1,500. I definitely have my mother's taste in accessories. :o) Looks really nice and the craftsmanship is incredible. The latching and cord are made from a waterproof lines so if I ever have to wear it in the water I can. This was one of the sides to the table that he set up at his booth at the convention.

Jaime got a really nice piece for herself as well. And later on she even got a lei and a kiss from me. Lucky girl! I didn't get a lei or a kiss. :o(

I guess that's how the world operates. Oh well. Maybe next time we're over on that side of the world. :o)

We also bought a few books - I know, I know. I work at a library and I still can't help myself - and the cutest little moccasins, amongst other fabulous items. :o)

The PowWow was pretty cool. Farthest out west we've ever gone for one. We didn't stay too long because I was turning into a cranky little bugger. I was so tired and not even Kona coffee was working for me anymore. But we did manage to stay for a good bit of it. It was supposed to run through midnight...but I'm sure it ran longer than that. Can't stop a Good Time...unless you leave early. :o(

Po'aha...

2007-11-18T09:01:00.002-05:00

I've always read that one of the best things you can do to avoid, or at least minimize, jet lag is to force yourself to be outside as much as possible in the sun. This is supposed to re-calibrate your internal clock. At least it works for me. And this came in handy on Po'aha (Thursday) because we were scheduled for a long day, which included a full day at the convention and a luau in the evening. Throughout the day, Jaime worked at the booth and we walked a bit around to see what the other vendors had. Plenty of cool stuff, let me tell you!!! So we started scoping out the area. What were we going to buy? When were we going to buy it?

During the day, there was a demonstration from a Tlingit dance group from Juneau, Alaska. Also pretty cool stuff. They got a bunch of the elders to come out and participate. It was really cute to watch them. They did the same thing at the PowWow the following night.

Those were important questions that we had not contemplated earlier. It was crucial that we do a quick recon of area to best prepare ourselves. The evening was pretty good. After we left the convention we started walking towards the hotel to catch a bus. And the most gorgeous rainbow came out (it was raining earlier in the day). I was a bit busy checking out the rainbows, and I missed the accident at the intersection right in front of me.

After I watched the drivers were alright...I went back to looking at the rainbow and taking more photographs of it.

We went to Waikiki Hilton where we took some photographs from Miriam's balcony - Miriam is Jaime's supervisor. The views were absolutely breathtaking. The pure beauty is something that is rarely captured in imagery because it is the entire experience that makes it complete. So, remember if you can the smell of ocean water, the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline. The warmth of the setting sun caresses your face while a breeze cools down the early evening. That is the best way that I can describe it.

Right below us was the island where Jaime swam to as a little girl and got bitten by crabs. Not sure if there are any crabs there now...but neither one of us was willing to find out.

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So we decided to take the school bus to the luau later on. The line was pretty packed, but we entertained ourselves by checking out what pleasant activities the Pleasant Activities Center had to offer. (This is Miriam, by the way). So in actuality, we just took pictures there because it seemed like the right, random thing to do.

When we got to the luau, there was a large waiting line for food because the caterer ran out of plates. So we walked around a bit, got some Hawai'ian punch. Well, it was more just punch, but it was in Hawai'i...so it can be considered Hawai'ian punch.

We didn't get to eat, but we got great seats for the dancing. I managed to get plenty of really cool video, which I still have to download and set up for viewing. The dancers were absolutely amazing. They managed to do everything on this little stage. I thought they were going to knock themselves out, or off of the stage. But they didn't.

After everything was over, we walked back to the hotel to look for dinner. Everything was closed, so we ordered turkey club sandwiches from room service. The sandwiches were absolutely huge...and they each had an orchid flower. Good times, good times!

That pretty much concluded our first full day of activities. I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of details along the way. But you get the general idea of it all. So I leave you with a photograph of the city at night.

Off to the Islands - Day 1

2007-11-12T12:46:00.002-05:00

This was the first time we finished all our packing the night before. (sigh of relief) We were determined to not miss this flight. Funny thing is that I got the times wrong for the flight. But because I'm so uptight about making sure we get to the airport on time, we made it there with 30 minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off. Which means that after passing security we made it to the gate just as they were beginning to board the plane.

We flew from Bradley International to Detroit. Detroit was a pretty good size airport. And we walked what seemed like a relatively small eternity (hah hah) from one gate to the next. From Detroit we were headed to San Francisco. So far the flights had been uneventful, which to me is a very good thing. The one thing I don't want on a flight is excitement!

The food on the flight (and at the airport) wasn't that great. We tried to look for relatively healthy choices, but it was pretty difficult. Sandwiches at the gates were about $7 and bottles of water were about $2. Relatively inexpensive when compared to the $5 per sandwich on the flight. On the flight we also had the choice of either trail mix or Pringles (the mini-cans) for $2. Water is free! Hooorayyy! (Not that I would drink the flight's water unless I got my own bottle to open and not share with others). ;oP

Doesn't that just look yummi. Mozzarella, tomato, spinach and what I think they said was pesto. Airline food, mmmmmmmmmm.

Now, the flight from San Francisco to Honolulu was pretty cool. So many native folk all over the place. It was a great sight for us. And much needed. On the flight, I was a hero. Yup. A bonafied H-E-R-O! And all I had to do was give Scooter exact cash for our $7 meal (yummi sandwich on the right and a bag of trail mix).

Scooter was someone quite special. He was the angry flight attendant myth personified. During the review of the meal and snack, he told us to listen to the meal selection so he wouldn't have to repeat himself as he walked up and down aisle. Eventually, he changed his tune from aggressively passive flight attendant to passive-aggressive flight attendant. I think our jaws dropped when he told an elderly Native couple two rows ahead of us, "You are so polite. There just aren't any of your kind left. Oh goodness, you are a dying breed." Then when he came to us, I asked for the food, gave him exact change, and he called me a hero. So that is my Scooter story. Oh...and I did ask for a pair of the wings that Scooter was wearing. And it took almost the entire flight, but I finally got them. I got myself a pair of pin-less wings.

Jaime took a set of pictures from that overlooked the island...and here they are:

By the time we got into the hotel it was after 7pm. And by the time we were done with dropping our bags in the room and taking a quick shower it was past 8:30. So we decided to walk around a bit and look for something to eat. We ended up at a Mexican place, La Cucaracha, which had this incredibly delicious Kalua pork chimichanga. Yup, ate the entire thing. It was good and I chased it down with a cold beer. So we got to sit in the open air and enjoy the breeze. After dinner we were really exhausted and went back to the hotel room to catch up on sleep as it was reallllyyyyy early in the morning back home.

I Believe I Can Fly

2007-10-23T10:19:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow we fly out to Hawai'i for the NIEA convention. Really excited about it. Earlier in the week we visited our local Barnes and Noble to peruse the travel books and magazines on Hawai'i. We found some great reviews and recommendations. So much to see...so much to do...so much coffee to drink to stay awake to do it all. One of the things I'm most excited about is the landscape. I will definitely be taking my camcorder and digital camera.

We'll be staying at the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel. (Check out the view to the left).

I had a chance to view the presentations and workshops schedule for the conference. There are some really great things going on this week which I hope to be able to attend. I'm thinking that I will need to take plenty of business cards and a new notebook...and the digital camera. :o) I am getting so photos of Jaime. Ha...she won't know where to put them all. And...I want to make sure I get a good picture of Jaime at the luau and the landscape and the beach and some Hawai'ian men for Tracy - I promised Tracy I'd take pictures of the male dancers.

Will keep you all updated on the going ons. See you soon.

Go Wildcats! and Roosters!

2007-10-16T11:32:00.004-04:00

I've received my official email from the University of Arizona Graduate School to inform me that I have been admitted into the SIRLS program. I am now on my way to being a Wildcat. I'm not really into college sports, but I do like the sports nickname/mascot.

So what does this mean. Well, that I am about to embark on a second Master of Arts. This one will be in Information Resources and Library Sciences. Combined with my M.A. in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management I am off to a sound academic and professional career. Cool thing is that I get to stay here and do the degree from home with the occasional visit to Tucson and continue working at Amherst College. (Let's hear it for Jaime...and for spouse tuition rate...HOOORRAAAYYY).
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Jaime's trip in Arizona was something for the movies. She loved being at the NNI Executive Education for Tribal Leaders, and being able to meet people and hang out and talk with folks. She also sent me links to this really beautiful spa/resort. Which is also where the conference was held. Jaime said the views are incredible. I can't wait to go. I think the photography is going to be incredible. (Ignore the golf course; and concentrate on the mountains, photograph is linked, by the way).

Hopefully, we'll be able to go hiking there when we go up in January for my first course and for her meetings. Here are the interesting tidbits of her trip: scary cab drivers; brain eating amoebas; the local news offers up-to-minute info on weather, sports, and immigrant arrests; scary Marines offering to get her drunk on the flight from Tucson to Vegas (like that's what she needs, to look nervous and drunk with security the way it is at airports); flying around Vegas on way to Philly because the brakes were too hot; a 4-hour delay in Philly, and a creepy middle-aged man who kept grabbing her thigh and then claiming he was doing it by accident because he fell asleep (what a creep). I guess this stop sign was a warning (we took the picture of it on our first trip to Tucson):

No wonder the poor woman hates to fly!
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Why roosters on this entry...well, because I wanted to tell everyone who reads this blog that my mother-in-law absolutely loves them. So, if you ever want to get her a gift, give her a rooster. I remember one Christmas I covered the entire house with little rooster cut outs...yup...it was a great Christmas morning...so unforgettable.

I saw this picture and I thought up of a poem.

"Perch at Home"

Little rooster,
With battered beak pecking
Away at the order.

Little rooster,
Stand alone no more
and join this crazy flock.

Little rooster,
you have a home right here
in Center Ossipee.

Aloha

2007-10-14T14:51:00.000-04:00

Aloha my dearest,

Jaime and I are headed to Hawa'ii on the 24th of this month. We will be attending this year's NIEA Convention and I'm really excited to go. It'll be my first time on Oahu. It'll be my first time on any of the Hawa'iian islands. ;)

One of the things I am looking forward to is seeing how Spam is used in the local culinary arts. Although I would normally be the first to admit that I would not make Spam a staple of my daily diet, I admit that I am a little saddened to learn that we will miss the Waikiki SPAMJAM (SPAM is a registered trademark of Hormell Foods, LLC). The next SPAMJam will be held on April 26, 2008. Now, here is an interesting little statistic from Hormell: since 1937 almost 7 billion cans of SPAM have been sold world wide and in the United States, sales are averaging approximately 90 million per year. That is a lot of sodium nitrite!

Oh...yeah...thanks for asking...what is sodium nitrite?

The kind people at Spam explain it (their words, not mine):

What is sodium nitrite?

A tiny amount of sodium nitrite is used to help SPAM® keep its gorgeous pink color. Without it, all pork items would turn gray. And no one wants that. Bacon, salami, ham, nitrite. It should really be renamed “pinkification.”

Don't be fooled, however. Sodium Nitrite is not good for you.

But seriously, I can't wait to get a taste of authentic Hawa'iian cooking, do some networking, and get some sun on the beach. :)

Underfoot and tomatoes from the garden

2007-10-04T17:02:00.001-04:00

Can't wait for J to come back home. She is doing well in Arizona. She leaves tomorrow night and will be here on Saturday morning. :o)

I think that Underfoot is a bit cold...as you can see from this image of him wrapped up in a Walgreen's advertisement. If it is true that historical memory is within our DNA, I wonder what happened to him in the past??????

Tomorrow will be fun at WSC. Teaching Spanish and then coming home to relax for the evening. I think I am going to go pick some tomatoes from the garden later tonight. This should be very close to being the last bit of tomatoes we have from the garden for the year. But they are soooo delicious. This is what some of our tomatoes looked like. I really enjoyed growing some of our own food this year and can't wait to have a nice spot of land to grow even more next year.

Tonight I'll be watching The Hollywood Librarian at the library. Should be fun and interesting. I'll tell you how the movie goes tomorrow. ;o)

Jaime in Arizona

2007-10-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

My lovely partner is in Tucson this week. I am going out of my mind and very restless. I can barely wait for her to come back this Saturday.

I've the menu for her birthday breakfast all set up. I will be preparing the following menu:

Birthday Breakfast Coffee
Birthday Waffles with Birthday Butter and Birthday Maple Syrup
Birthday Fruit Cup
Birthday Glass of Water for the Birthday Airborne Tablet (it's the cold and flu season)

"Elite" Institutions...

2007-09-28T14:52:00.000-04:00

When people learn that I work at Amherst College and at Westfield State College, one of the first things that I observe is how quick they are to assume that Amherst College has a higher quality of student. I grant that some Amherst College students are very bright and come up with some great research topics for their thesis and other work. That is not to say, however, that they are of a greater caliber than some of the Westfield State Students.

This week, for example, I assigned my Spanish students at Westfield a newspaper/magazine writing assignment. They started coming up with some really great ideas to profile ranging from Ipods and technology in Central America to baseball academies in the Dominican Republic and their impact on the local economy to very specific health concerns in leukemia and foods with high trans fats. They also took advantage of the instructional session that we arranged at the library for them to practice and/or learn how to conduct research in Spanish databases. The subjects I mentioned earlier are but a small example of the topics they are beginning to explore for their research.

What bothers me most is to listen and observe some WSC faculty I've met in the past month automatically default to the belief that students at Amherst College possess an intrinsic academic superiority to students at WSC and express it as an absolute truth. Of course this is not a reflection upon the entire faculty, but something that occurred enough for it to stick in my mind.

09/20/07

2007-09-20T10:53:00.000-04:00

It's been really nice outside. The weather is nice and dry, and cool without being cold. This is one of my favorite times of the year. The smell of cider donuts is in the air...the ever so gentle wafting of cow and bison manure fills the lungs, leaving behind an unforgettable taste from the tips of our tongues to the back of our throats...

Good times..Good times.

Jaime is off to Arizona (Go Wildcats!!! Meow Meow) in a little more than a week. But she won't be gone for too long (seven days actually...better than several months). I think I will take that opportunity to do all the things I have planned to do the past five years but have neither started nor completed. So, on the list of things to do:

Write a 500-page novel.
Sleep upside down for an hour and then immediately go outside to try to run a straight line in the backyard. (Thank you Kate for reminding me to have an ambulance ready...or at least the cell phone programmed to 911).
Make my bid for the White House official.
Figure out how much wood a wood chuck could chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood.
Read the Encyclopedia Britannica.

And now I have to think of what to do on the second day that Jaime will in Tucson...

09/18/07

2007-09-18T09:24:00.000-04:00

OK...so much going on right now. I've started working at WSC teaching Spanish. So far, so good. I like the classes and the commute is not bad. I'm sure it will be a little more difficult during winter, but I am used to driving through rough winters.

Last week we released Champ 2. To the right and above this line is a picture of Jaime holding Champ 2. Champ 2 is this cute little monarch butterfly that Jaime and I found underneath an apple tree at Atkins Farms. (The picture of the sky and an apple tree was at Akins).

Champ 2 was not flying well at all and it seemed that she would not make the night. So we took her home to feed her and keep her out of the cold for a few days. We got her some flowers and placed a mosquito food cover over her plate so Ms. Maggie Many-Meows Matrix and Underfoot would not get her. Jaime was able to feed her sugar water from a dropper. It was the cutest thing. Slowly, Champ 2 regained her strength. But we weren't comfortable letting her try to make the trip to Mexico-which monarchs attempt every year during the fall-when she wasn't fully recovered. Because Champ 2 was getting restless, and we could not just let her fly around the house as one of the cats might get her, we decided to sneak her into a butterfly conservatory.

Because Champ 2 is now within the Butterfly Protection and Relocation Agency, we cannot disclose where we snuck her into. All we can say is that she is VERY happy to be where she is. We miss her...but it's for her own good.

This week Jaime began working for NNI. She is doing well and is very busy learning the new ins and outs of the office.

On Sunday we went to the Garlic Festival. It was so much fun. And to top it off, I was told that I am cuter than Brad Pitt. YUP! That's me....cuter than Brad Pitt.

Until next time....

08/16/07

2007-08-16T10:49:00.000-04:00

Ok...yesterday was my first day of training for the Greenfield Triathlon. I'm shifting my SIT time to training time. I can't wait to actually sign up for it. It isn't a large triathlon, but it will be enough to test me and give me a challenge. I'm looking forward to it.

Of course I am excited right now. But let's see what happens in February when it is so cold and dark that all I want to do is sleep. I think the biggest challenge for all of these things is mental. But I will be running to raise money for cancer research, so I can't drop out. Not going to happen with this one. Nope!

My dad went to visit family in L.A. over the weekend. He was really excited about a great fried chicken place. I asked him where it was and he couldn't remember, but he did remember that they also served waffles with chicken. I asked him if he went to Roscoe's and he started laughing that I knew about it. Well, not too many places that I know of that sell chicken and waffles where you have to wait to be served. He went back to Vegas on Monday. He seems to like the weather and the environment.

Hopefully, Jaime and I will go away for the weekend. We want to do something before I begin teaching in September and she starts her new job at the Udall Center's Native Nations Institute.

Montreal would be nice for a weekend...hhhhhmmmmmm. But realistically it won't happen until next year. :(