Thursday, August 28, 2008

gasp


I stepped outside my office building early this morning, and it smelled like trout. By the bay, the scent of the day changes with the tide, the time of the year, whether or not the wastewater treatment facility nearby has drained into the bay...but this morning, it smelled like trout. Like during summer up in the mountains north of Truckee, when my grandfather would clean the fish they caught in the early hours on the makeshift sink we had at our campsite. He would lay the fish out, side by side, on newspaper, and deftly clean them. I would watch, elbows on the counter, eager to see if the fish were boys or girls....whether or not they had eggs inside. This morning, outside smelled exactly how that moment smelled; visceral, algal, and pescado.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

because sometimes Tuesday needs an uplift

Come As You Were In High School party, Halloween, 2007.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

These are the pictures you always wanted someone to take.

Two Weeks ago:A bunch of folks loaded into a rather large van and went to see Motley Crue. Dressed for the occasion, we drank $12 coronas and watches with quirked eyebrows while Tommy Lee ran around with his "titty cam." The show was entertaining (mostly), the music was pretty terrible (entirely), and most strong was the awareness that things that seem awesome and carefree to do when you are 25, look a tad sad when you are late 40s. And wearing your own bands teeshirt.

One Week ago:Bill and I went up to the Sierras, to the cabin and Lake Alpine. We caught a Steely Dan concert at the Ironstone Winery in Murphys and watched middle-agers get reprimanded because their lawn chairs were too high. It was pretty rad.

This Last Weekend:I flew to San Diego to spend time with my Crosby. Fun fun undiluted girl time, we dancy danced, laid on the beach, shopped till we actually almost dropped, and ate the most fantastic breakfast: strawberries and ricotta on cranberry-orange-walnut toast, topped with drizzled honey. Color me happy.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Tuesday, August 12, 2008



Old cd in the car stereo on the way to work, and a Tori song comes on, one that I haven't heard in a long long time, but marvel that I remember every inflection, intonation, gutteral slide. If I were to make a video of this song, it would be a montage of images....driving at lunch in high school in a maroon volvo with tan interior, sunny and Crosby's hair trying to sneak out the sunroof...Mel singing purposefully off-key because she suspects she can't hit the notes anyway...picking out the piano portions on the upright in the fancy living room (all white) while I wait for someone, anyone, to pick me up at my house...

Songs are funny that way, all flashback and reminiscent-ish. Made me want to turn around my car, go home, and pick out the song all over again, not waiting.

But I have a report to write.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Soylent green is CROCS


My morning was made when Bill sent me this Newsweek fashion article. The focus? CROCS, and the author's flabbergasted abhorrence of them. I never caught the CROC train. I work in a land of biologist and gardeners where CROCS of many shades abound and I live in fear of actually seeing the fur-lined CROC in practice. Apparently, in their last gasp for air, the CROC manufacturers are branching into high heels.

There are barely words. Most of them are guttural.