MAGGIE IN CALIFORNIA

My Maggie had a busy week here visiting. We started out with a family dinner on our way home from the airport.

She and Tom went out on a long bike ride. We went to Shakespeare in the Park, she and Ally went to Capitola for a day on the beach.

Maggie and I made a foodie pilgrimage to Chez Panisse. We ate upstairs on the cafe and had a delightful evening together.

She went down to Monterey to spend some time with Zac and get a little more beach time in Carmel. She squeezed in lots of visits with old friends including a trip to Fenton 's in Oakland for ice cream.

She and Tom went on an adventure. They took BART to San Francisco. Made their way across the Golden Gate Bridge and into Sausalito. They took the ferry back to SF and stood in line to get some famous Blue Bottle coffee before hopping back on BART to come home.

We rocked out to some Latin Rock Friday evening at the free concert in the park, then Saturday she went down to Big Sur to hike and confer with Dr. James Wanless who is a resource for her senior thesis project.

She flew home today - a long flight with weather delays. "Home" safe in Philadelphia now.

Loved our visit and love my girl.

MY POSTER GIRLS

At the Women's Colony there is the occasional posting of Secret Girlfriends to counter or accompany the Secret Boyfriend posts. I have women I have admired throughout my life. But my interest in these women has mostly to do with their bodies. So I will call them my Poster Girls.

This started when I was a young teen and watching the movie "How to Marry a Millionaire". I told my mom I wanted to look like Lauren Bacall. She was tall, elegant and sophisticated. Mom told me I was never going to look like that - I was more the Marilyn Monroe type, which wasn't a bad thing since men seemed to like the way she looked!

I never got over my admiration for the tall and elegant - and I have lived much of my life as a curvy woman of average height.

In my 20's I started working out. I was an early adopter of weight training due to bad knees which didn't allow me to run, the need to burn calories and the obsession of the guy who ran the gym with a certain woman weight lifter named Lisa Lyon. He was certain he could help me get my thighs to look like "tight little sausages" like hers. This poster was on the wall at the gym. And on my wall at home.

I was not so certain my thighs would ever meet that expectation, but I loved that she had such a big round bottom and was proud enough of it to bare it! Ladies, this was in 1978, long before J Lo and Beyonce and the cult of the booty.

All that was half a life ago. Now I am about as round as I am tall and I must do something about it. So my new poster girl will be Helen Mirren.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

Last night Maggie and I went to see the current SF "Shakes" production of The Comedy of Errors. As ever, the production was set outside of Shakespeare's time and place - jazzed up with music, creative costumes, some slapstick silliness and in this production, quite a bit of juggling.

The Comedy of Errors is a story of mistaken identity and the 12 member cast made the most of their roles (sometimes double roles.) There were bewigged and made up on crayola colors, some were dressed in jumbles of thrift store finds. It was perfectly silly and perfect for a hot summer night.

TIME FOR THE FAIR

Nancy and I took some time out to go to the Alameda County Fair. It was Two Buck Tuesday! We love to see the animals and the exhibits. We avoid the games and rides and the food. We are cheap dates.

We started pout by seeing the baby animals then went in to see the cute rabbits, noisy chickens and some strange pigeons. Nancy is thinking of turning her kids play stucture into a hen house. There are some cool looking chickens.

We went over to see the cows and pigs, but they were missing. Probably because it was 102 degrees. Smart animals.

So we visted the garden displays and some of the air conditioned buildings with art from local school kids, quilts, baked goods which were looking pretty bad on day 13 of the fair and 3 long tables with very creative place settings which were a contest I hadn't seen before. I would have taken pictures but my battery was running out and I had to save it for the best part....

The Pig Races!

THINGS I CAN'T SAY TO MY HUSBAND

I can't say this to Tom because his love for the Tour de France is going to get me to France someday. It is his dream to see the Tour - it is mine to spend time in France.

Coverage of the Tour is on daily, several times daily. He soaks it all in. He talks about reincarnation so he can ride in it in a future life. The man has 7 bicycles. (He has the good sense to avoid spandex, however.)

The commentators go on and on about how hard it is, how tired the riders are. They don't actually see the lovely countryside, just a sea of colorful spandex. They talk about all they give up, all they go through. On and on. Pain. Anguish. Hydration. Crashes.

And I am thinking of men bent over, working in the fields to feed their families. Children being orphaned by bombs. People pounding the payment looking for work. Old ladies suffering in hot apartments.

Real life hard stuff. Not sought out and chosen. No support staff for them. No massage at the end of the day. No sponsor throwing free clothes at them.

Just a ray of sunshine this week. That's me!

MAGGIE ON THE WEB

My daughter is blogging about religion on this site: Trading Eights. She is a Religious Studies major at Penn. The blog is run by a friend.

Her first post is about atheism.

TV YOU WILL ENJOY

Had a little BBQ Saturday night at my sister's house. Our parents were in town and so we got together.

My dad has become more and more Conservative and cranky over the years and the briefest comment about Bush got his hackles up so we moved on to talk movies and TV. We talked about the heavy schedules of "reality" shows and which ones we watch or wouldn't. Tom and I sang the praises of the best show on this summer - So You Think You Can Dance.

This wonderful show was on for a couple of seasons before I found it. I think the name made me think it was one of those put down shows - that is what bothers me about so many of the "unscripted" shows. The negativity, the bitchiness and the focus on popularity rather than talent. This show is soooo different.

The judges are actually dance professionals who critique the performances respectfully and with

constructive criticism - and the occasional shriek from Mary the ballroom expert. She is a hoot.

They start with 20 dancers, pair them up and have professional choreographers teach them a dance - it could be ballet, hip hop, a Samba, a waltz, modern dance or even Bollywood. This is one of the things that makes the show so watchable. The dancers come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some are well trained from childhood, some are straight from dancing on the streets. Each has their own style, then they are challenged each week to learn a new form of dance. It is amazing what these talented people can do. Not only the dancers, but the choreographers.

I like that there is a combination of votes from the viewing audience and final decisions by the judges to determine who continues in the contest. As of this week, the couple who have been dancing together each week are split up. Now there is a random drawing for partner and dance style. Eventually the votes will come down to one "favorite" dancer who wins.

My favorite couple has been Brandon and Janette. But I have other individuals I have voted for, too. Yes - I actually vote. Something I never thought I would do!

I think the viewing audience wins every week by watching. Tune it in!

POTUS - THE HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD

I was watching the Today Show this morning and there was an interview with Levi Johnston, the Palin baby-daddy. During the period after the Presidential campaign he lived with the Palin family and reported that Sarah Palin was changed by the experience. She was less outgoing, quieter.

She also began to complain about how stressful her job as Governor was. How hard it was. And wouldn't it be nice to take some of the offers and money and "just run with it." I guess I can understand that. Easy money has always been an American Dream.

The part that scares and mystifies me is that 7 out of 10 Republicans would still vote for her.

She wants an easier way to make money. She doesn't want stress.

She just wants to be President of the United States.

THE LONG AND SHORTER

It's been a long week full of angsty stuff. The biggie being I "KILLED" my computer (according to my husband.) He swore he would not fix it (again) but he eventually told me what to do and I've mucked my way through installing and downloading and resetting for the last few days.



It is almost back. I lost all my e-mails and addresses and some other stuff that crashed before I could back-up. My iTunes won't install. I am calling Zac to help with that.



Today I ran a bunch of errands and finally got my hair cut. It had gotten so long that it was catching in things. I usually go much shorter in the summer, but now that the hot flash years are behind me, I don't mind having it longer.








Before

INDEPENDENT THOUGHTS

Went to watch the fireworks at the fairgrounds last night. I took Ally and her BFF. They finally put their cell phones away and watched and clapped.

I love fireworks.

*****

On the job hunt front - an amazing number of jobs posted this week - I'd say 25% have required Spanish as a second language. Another 10-15% say it would be "helpful" for the application. Is this just a California thing?

*****

I was on the stair stepper at the gym - they have moved equipment around because they are doing repairs so I wound up in front of a TV. (I usually avoid them and groove to my iPOD.) I was unable to take my eyes from the screen. A soap was on - one I must have watched over 20 years ago when I was home nursing the twins. I don't know which one it was but I sort of recognised some of the actors. Except the ones I recognised looked soooo old. Actually, what flashed through my mind was that they all looked like their faces had been smudged.

*****

Another TV was tuned into CNN (See? I just can't not watch.) There was a big BREAKING NEWS banner - so I kept watching. It was an interview with Colin Powell on his memories of Michael Jackson. Really?

*****

I will withhold snark on Sarah Palin quitting her job.

******

Tom has Wimbledon on at home. I happened across an article about how they choose which player will play on "Center" court.

…the All England Club admitted that physical attractiveness is taken into consideration. Spokesman Johnny Perkins said: ‘Good looks are a factor.’

Which explains why you will see #59 -

And not #5

This site, Sociological Images, is always an interesting read.

Off to the gym and a little pool time. Have a happy 4th!

NEWEST MOSAIC POT

I completed another pot over the weekend. I am happy with the black grout. (I find the grout the hardest decision. I have ruined a couple of projects with the grout.)

I need to make a saucer for it but I already make a trip to the nursery and planted it.

I am waiting for inspiration to hit for my next project.