Thursday, November 29, 2007

A favorite.

Before I left graduate school, a beautiful dear friend named Kim made a gift for me. I can't seem to get a good picture of it, so I'll do what I can to describe it to you.



She's very artistic; was, at least, and I hope to God she still is around to be so creative. It's sad, at this age, that when I haven't heard from someone in so many years, that I fear they're gone. I think of the last time I heard from her, telling me how she had dressed and posed old mannequins in her front window so that people wouldn't know she was out - and would think, instead, that she was having a party with beautiful, achingly desirable people filling her living room.



One year - I can't remember anymore if it was Christmas, or a birthday, although it doesn't really matter now - she made me a beautiful wooden box, small, like you'd have on top of your dresser for watches or foreign coins or tiny things that you didn't know what to do with but knew you didn't wanted to lose and wanted to be able to pull out and look at and sigh when you thought of where they came from. It's painted blue, and antiqued with bronze, and looks like something you've had all your life, that your parents and maybe even their parents had, that no matter how hard you try you can't ever quite get the dust completely off of it but it doesn't matter because that's how you want to remember it.



The two most treasured components - besides her having made it for me - were the painting by Picasso, and the poem by e.e. cummings:


stand with your lover on the ending earth -

and while a (huge which by huger than

huge) whoing sea leaps to greenly hurl snow

suppose we could not love, dear; imagine

ourselves like living neither nor dead these

(or many thousand hearts which don't and dream

or many million minds which sleep and move)

blind sands, at pitiless the mercy of

time time time time time

- how fortunate are you and i, whose home

is timelessness: we who have wandered down

from fragrant mountains of eternal now

to frolic in such mysteries as birth

and death a day (or maybe even less)

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

New to my Blogroll

Check out Slap Upside The Head. A new favorite. And Canadian, eh. I love my Canadian blog buddies!

Friday, November 23, 2007

Thanksgiving

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving yesterday. The weather was cold, but sunny; the food came out okay, the wine was flowing, and we had wonderful people around us.

It's hard for me to take pictures while cooking and socializing, but we do have a select few:


What the hell am I doing up this early?!?!?



La Table.



Scott enjoying appetizers and wine.


Our new friend Haikugirl joined our feast! She is thin and rich. But mostly, cute and fun and sweet. We love her.


Scott and Boyd - I'm hoping the non-verbal communication isn't referring to the food ...



Our friend Luz's Mom, Haikugirl, and our friend Kevin after dinner.



Scott showing off the aquarium to Griffin, our youngest guest. Scott sure loves that aquarium ...



Boyd and Jeannie in deep discussion.

Just before leaving, Griffin wanted to play with Hunter. Hunter wasn't so sure about it.

Overall, it was a perfect Thanksgiving. We were surrounded by an abundance of food and wine, and more importantly by great friends. Take a look at Scott's Thanksgiving post - it speaks volumes more than I could write here.

Happy Holidays to you all.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

A couple of updates ...

  • My phone is working again - all of it. It's magic. Apparently it dried out enough (and is now in rehab). Matterdays happy.
  • Five days until Thanksgiving. This year, again, at our house. Last year, I had more time to worry - and panic - about getting it all done. This year ... not so much. No extra time, so I'm getting what I can get done this weekend, and the next few evenings, but whatever happens happens. No Martha Stewart gourmet holiday like the Other Matt, but I think we'll all have a good time.
  • For those who don't know the movie Amelie from my previous post, a little teaser. This isn't the actual trailer, but provides some of the flavor of the movie. I think we're going to watch it again soon ...

Back to listening to "Says You" ...

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

A Beautiful Scene from a Beautiful Movie

As I mentioned in my 12 of 12 post yesterday, I came across a favorite scene from one of my favorite movies on YouTube last night. If you've never seen Amelie - please do. It's too involved to describe everything leading up to this scene, but watching the entire movie is well worth it.

Enjoy.


Monday, November 12, 2007

November 12 of 12

Once again, thanks to Chad for the 12 of 12 phenomenon.

These pictures were all taken on Monday, November 12, 2007, in Seattle, Washington.


Welcome to November in Seattle. Rain and wind.



We lost a few of our budgies in the past year. The lone survivor is Kylie, on the right. Yesterday we got Chirpie, on the left, so she (he?) wouldn't be lonely.



Fulfilling my duty of posting a pic of myself on 12 of 12. Home, exhausted, and laying on the floor in the front hall.




Maybe there's a way to get that (obviously sorely needed) new camera after all.




Our flag is up pretty much all year. Thanks on Veteran's Day to all who have served our country.



Somehow, this has to become dinner.



Kali wants to help.



Hunter has a new toy. Just like a child - the box is the best part.



A beautiful scene from a beautiful movie. I'll post it soon.



Making dinner.



Dinner - chicken, rice and broccoli. Needed some comfort food. Notice Stoli's nose in the lower left corner.



Getting ready to slip into the most comfortable bed in the world.

BONUS PIC: "Grateful"


Scott, home from work, with Lola on his shoulder. It seems that every being in this house is grateful to be here. I know I am. I'm grateful that I have this every single night.

Happy 12 of 12!!

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Matterdays and Gadgets Just Don't Mix

About three weeks ago, I bought a new cell phone. This was a big thing for me - I'm not anti-technology, but I never intentionally spend money on new gadgets. Whatever I already have is just fine, thanks. (Yes, I have officially turned into my Dad).



Mmmmm .... purdy, ain't it ...



Last night, after Scott got home and before I made dinner, I was sitting at my computer with a glass of wine. My shiny new cell phone was sitting on the desk. One of the dogs had just been let into the house, and was going crazy and jumping around 'cause she was so happy. Do you see where this is going?

Yes - Stoli came bounding into the room, jumped up against my arm, and a full glass of wine went flying all over the desk - mostly on My Shiny New Cell Phone. I picked the phone up, and wine was literally pouring out of it.

I took it back to the Qwest kiosk at Northgate Mall today ... thinking (hoping) that my warranty covered stupid pet tricks. I seem to remember the guy who sold me the phone saying that anything was covered for a limited period. I was wrong. The phone I bought (which I love) is discontinued - I got it at a special price since it isn't made anymore. And since I was getting a special deal for renewing my contract, I now have to pay full retail to get a new phone. I passed. It functions - barely - so it'll just have to wait.

Also having to wait is my new digital camera, which I desperately need. I was kinda excited that maybe I'd get one today, just in time for 12 of 12. But, now facing the need for a new phone, I decided I shouldn't spend the money on the camera.




I guess I'll just pay the electric bill instead ...

Saturday, November 10, 2007

And now for something completely different, part 2 ...

I need silly humor these days:



A polar bear walks into a bar and says, “I want a gin .......................................................................................... and tonic.”

The bartender asks, “What’s with the big pause?”

The polar bear says, “I dunno, I’ve had them all my life.”



*ba-dum CHING*

Thursday, November 08, 2007

And now, for something completely different ...

To balance out my bitchy, self-centered rant of yesterday - a bad joke!!!! But one of my favorites:

A grasshopper walks into a bar. The bartender says, "You know, we've got a drink named after you".

The grasshopper says, "You've got a drink named Bob?"

*cymbal crash*

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

"Yay!" or "Grrrr ... "

This is a venting post.

Our department has been on "retreat" the past few days. Which means team members from our Columbus office have been here in Seattle and we've been in intensive workflow meetings here in our Seattle office (cost effective) and trying to address big-ticket issues. And a lot of team-building goals have been met - effectively, I think. Some fun things, some aggressively intense meetings. We've gotten a LOT of work done, and some incredible gigantic steps/processes nailed or at least implemented. I'm proud of my team and the things we accomplished and are about to move forward with.

"Yay!!!!"

And also, I've tried to deal with a complex, honestly stupid issue in between our full-day meetings. I thought that I was addressing it correctly and professionally (it's with an outside vendor in an overall f****d up arrangement of which I am not in control and only have an "after-the-fact" responsibility for), and that I was fully capable of handling it. Well, it came around and bit me hard on the ass. While I THOUGHT I was handling the situation, it then went over my head (without my knowledge) and other management individuals "bailed me out" - without me knowing that I needed bailing out. It went WAY over my head, to the extent that our Finance Director was contacted, and someone else took care of something that I THOUGHT I was fully capable of handling. And now I'm pissed off, knowing that I'm going to get my ass chewed out - MAJORLY - for something that I shouldn't even have been involved in.

"Grrrr ... "

I know I'm being vague and that this doesn't make any sense. I just hate the fact that I was hired to do a job, and am COMPLETELY capable of doing it, yet I'm not allowed to handle the difficult issues that come up. If "they" feel that they need to handle all of these kinds of issues - fine. Then handle ALL of them and don't waste my time and yours, and your money, to have me come in and be a monkey sitting at a desk in your world. Knock yourselves out. Do my job on top of yours. Don't throw the crap that you don't want to deal with on my plate, and then play the savior card and pretend that the world can't live without you, but can live without me. Because that's the world you'll live with - the one without me.

Sorry. I'm done now.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Who are you leaning towards for President in 2008?

It seems the more debates and conferences and news about all the candidates that are available, the murkier my ideas of who I want as our next President become. This, via Huffington Post, is pretty cool. It only takes a couple of minutes, but it shows which candidate matches your views most closely. Take a minute and look at it. I was slightly surprised by my results - which I'll share only after hearing back from some of you ...

Update: My results/thoughts in the comments section.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Halloween MMVII - The Pictures

The Angel of Hedge:


Getting the yard ready:

Various friends watching over our front path:

Friends who came over for the festivities:

Scott before the haunting ...

... and after:


Me before the haunting ...


... and after:



Hope y'all enjoyed these. Once he gets a chance to post them, Scott has some great pics from yesterday, too!