Rowan's Stand-Up Debut

The day before her 5th birthday, Rowan participated in the Enchanted Valley's Annual Untalent Show. Needless to say, she was a hit!

The quality on the video is pretty poor, so turn up your volume! I've added annotations hoping that will help.

Coincidence

Since we moved to Sacramento 2+ years ago, I've been running into a lot of coincidences connected to my childrens' names.  My kids don't have the most common names, so it's been surprising each time.  These aren't just singular coincidences,  either.

First, there was the homeschooling mom named Molly with the daughter named Lydia who had the same midwives as me.

There was a family we'd see at all the childrens' functions at the library.  Turns out they are homeschoolers.  They know a lot of the same people we do.  They have a daughter named Lydia.

One day at the dance studio I noticed a woman reading the exact same book I was.  You know I don't read anything current.  This was the 1972 Wallace Stegner book Angle of Repose.  I later found out she has a daughter named Molly.  Molly is in all of Rowan's dance classes.

Last week a woman approached me at the dance studio and asked, "Did you say her name was Rowan and his is Desmond?"  I, of course, said, "Yes".  She went on to tell me that her maiden name was Desmond and her brother has a son named Rowan.  Yup,  Rowan Desmond!

I wonder what the odds of all these coincidences happening are?  Anybody out there smart enough to figure it out for me?

Hello, White House...

Today we called the White House.  I didn't think anyone would answer, I just thought it'd be cool to see what the answering machine said.

I put the phone on speaker and dialed.

Guess what?  Someone answered!

(Not President Obama, himself,  as my photo would mislead you to believe...  Just a secretary, or operator, or the like.)

When the woman's voice said, "Hello, White House", I was pretty stunned.  I hadn't prepared to say anything!  I almost hung up, but instead stammered, "Uh,  how's the weather there today?" (I know, so lame.)  In a bit of an irritated voice she replied, "I don't know, I haven't been outside in 5 hours."  I thanked her and hung up.

Molly wouldn't believe us that we had called, so she hit redial on my phone.
"Hello, White House."
"Is this really the White House?"
"Yes."
"How hard is it to get to talk to the President?"
"You would have to go through his scheduling office for that."
"Okay,  when is the President's birthday?"
"You can go to the website and find all that information in his bio."
"Okay, bye."

I wonder how many idiotic phone calls like ours they get per day?  If you'd like to be one, just dial (202) 456-1414.  Say "hi" for me!

Japanese Company Turns Diapers Into Energy Source

Slashdot Idle Story | Japanese Company Turns Diapers Into Energy Source

A great idea!  Thanks for the story, Matt.

Taco Wednesday

A recent veg plate of purple onion & cabbage,
green tomato and black olive.

That's right,  Taco Wednesday...

Taco Thursday has reigned in our home for at least 8 years, but our hectic schedule just won't allow it anymore.

The tradition started when we decided to combine our favorite meal with our favorite television show, Survivor.  As luck would have it, the schedulers at CBS were aware of our late night dance classes on Thursdays and moved our show to Wednesday as well!  Thanks, CBS!

Survivor Nicaragua airs tonight, enjoy!

The Day Gwen Stefani & I Got Married

Not to each other, of course...

While that is, for now, legal in California, (yay!) it wasn't back in 2002.  

(I wouldn't marry Gwen Stefani anyway.  Her asinine song lyrics irk me to no end.  I  imagine her conversations are full of whining remembrances of old boyfriends.)  

But, I digress...

On September 14, 2002 I married Wave, Gwen married Gavin.  They married in London, we married in the Enchanted Valley.  Both brides were an hour late to the ceremony, oops.  I can't speak for Gwen, but for me, it was a nice day full of friends and family.

We've (that's Wave & I, not Gwen & I) had our ups & downs since then.  Two more beautiful children.  Loss of loved ones.  A couple moves.  New jobs, no jobs.  Countless days of happiness & fun.  Countless fights & misunderstandings.  We are only human.

I guess the important thing is that we keep trying.  We keep going.  We do our best to make each day a little better.

Eight years now and on to 9.  I, for one, am excited to see what comes next.

Fun With Walmart & Safeway

Share Tar Sands Truck Slogans and Create Your Own!

My personal favorite!

Okay, so some of these are funny, some are pretty dumb.  The point?  There is a price to be paid for the low, low prices.  You personally may not have to pay it, but someone out there does.

We all have to make our own decisions regarding how we live on this planet.  My boycott of Walmart stands.  Safeway, on the other hand, I occasionally patronize.

The difference, for me, is the necessity of the products they sell.  My family needs groceries.  We don't need the junk Walmart sells and there is no way I'd purchase food there (blech!)

Gingko Biloba

One of my favorite trees. The name is fun to say and it is so pretty! This is a female tree. The males do not bear seeds.

Check out the Wikipedia entry, (Ginkgo Biloba)  it features a beautiful picture of the ginkgo's leaves.

Gingo Biloba by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This leaf from a tree in the East,

Has been given to my garden.

It reveals a certain secret,

Which pleases me and thoughtful people.

Is it a living being,

Which has separated in itself?

Or are these two, who chose

To be recognized as one?

Answering this kind of question,

Haven't I found the proper meaning,

Don't you feel in my songs,

That I'm one and double?

Happy Birthday, Rowan!

Everybody's best friend, super little athlete, happy-go-lucky, smart-as-a-tack, this kid rocks!

Happy birthday, baby!

Lucky Birthday Omens

On the eve of Rowan's birthday, her Daddy cracked these eggs into her cupcake mix.  Five yolks (from 3 eggs) for our soon to be 5 year old.  That has to be lucky!  

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Mmmmmm...

If you know me even a little, you know I like pizza. This branch of the Watson tree has been making pizza nearly every Friday for 7 or 8 years. This beauty was mushroom, spinach and havarti. It was good!

Little Sapling

Little Sapling Toys for my little sapling.  Des received these cars and hills as a gift from his Granddad.  He loves to drive them, I love that they are eco friendly and beautiful!

Little Sapling Toys plants a tree for every toy sold!