Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year



My recycled New Year's Eve tradition for you all, kids.




Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. - Benjamin Franklin

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. – T.S. Eliot


In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want. – Traditional Irish toast


A health to you, a wealth to you, And the best
that life can give to you.


May you never lie, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in each other's arms. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink with all of us, because we love you.


Love to one, friendship to many, and good will to all.


Happy 2010, my friends. May the New Year always be better
than the old.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?



When the bells all ring and the horns all blow
And the couples we know are fondly kissing.
Will I be with you or will I be among the missing?

Maybe it's much too early in the game
Ooh, but I thought I'd ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's eve?

Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
New Year's eve

Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations
You received

Ooh, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance:
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Matterpics

Many pictures from the season that I haven't gotten around to posting ...































I hope you've all had good holidays, whatever and however you celebrate. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Ra, Ra, Ra ah ahh ...

Yeah, this is old, but I've always been behind the times on my Lady Gaga. Finally watched this all the way through, and It. Is. Amazing. If you haven't seen this before, enjoy.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

December 12 of 12

Props to Chad ... these pictures were all taken on Saturday, December 12, 2009 in Seattle, Washington.

7:39 a.m. - sun finally coming up:

7:59 a.m. - frozen koi pond and fountain:



12:59 p.m. - about to run errands - damn, forgot to turn off outside hose:



12:59 p.m. - front door mat:



12:59 p.m. - Christmas wreath on front door:



1:26 p.m. - SeaMonster Lounge in the Wallingford neighborhood, while running errands:



1:43 p.m. - at Archi McPhee's:



2:07 p.m. - Deck The Porch:



3:07 p.m. - Miss Stoli is ready to cuddle:



7:12 p.m. - at my company's holiday party - pics from the photo booth:



7:48 p.m. - The Mad Mirror:



11:02 p.m. - the stairway at my office, while dancing:



All for now - Happy Holidays to all!!!!!

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

We Need A Little Christmas

Originally from my grad school of Indiana University - Go Big Red!!!!


"Straight No Chaser":





Monday, November 30, 2009

What The Hell Is Wrong With Our Society??????



On Halloween night, two police officers parked on the side of a street near our home were ambushed, with one murdered. The city was in shock, with a huge memorial immediately forming at the site, candlelight vigils, the whole nine yards. Not just in our neighborhood - which is on and off a center of horrible violence - but everywhere. You just don't kill cops just because they're cops. You just don't.

Sunday morning at about 8:15, four police officers in a coffee shop in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma (about 30 miles south of here), were murdered. A man walked in, pretended to place an order at the counter, then turned and executed the officers as they were getting ready for their shift. The murderer is still not captured - although there was a night-long vigil at a home in the Leschi neighborhood (just south of us) where he was last seen, and apparently another surveillance tonight in Renton, just south of Seattle.

Now, I understand that there has been talk of retalliation against Seattle police for brutality in some arrests recently. I don't discount that. That, in and by itself, is disgusting. And hopefully, being investigated and corrected. I get it.

But "an eye for an eye" leaves both sides blind.

All of these officers were, quite blatantly, executed. These were not any officers who had any dealings, to public knowledge, in any case that would call for retaliation. These were hard-working members of a force that is sworn to protect us. These were fathers and mothers who leave behind families who will grieve for the rest of their lives. These were mentors, teachers, people who I wish I had known. These were people who were murdered for the mere fact that they wore a badge and had devoted their lives to the protection of people that they didn't even know. People like the cowards who decided that they weren't worthy of living.

This is all "alleged". Nothing has been solved. And I'm a pretty far-left leaning liberal, who is supposed to fight for the rights of anybody, no matter what they "allegedly" did.

But what the hell is going on in our society???

You kill because you have a beef with the police??? WHY DO YOU HAVE A BEEF WITH THE POLICE??? Is it perhaps possible that you did something that you SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE that got in into trouble in the first place??

I am less and less tolerant the longer I live in this neighborhood. Yes, it's true - you have been living a down-trodden, unlucky life. That in iteself is not your fault. Yes, you've been left out of the good-luck lottery. I get it. I DO get it. I support all kinds of things that will help you. I want you to succeed.

But really. Seriously?? This is what will lift you up, will make your life worthwhile, will show the whole damned world that you are as good as everyone else???

Our neighborhood, our city, our lives are in turmoil right now because there is no respect for authority, for right and wrong, for society, for anything but "an eye for an eye"?





This, truly, is our downfall. The idea that no one is better than "me". We're all in this together. C'mon - this isn't the way to do this. And the fact that this alleged assasin should have been put away for life (another idea that I strongly am disagreeing with - with some, there is no "rehabilitation") is even more dusgusting. How should this person have been "treated"? How far do we go in trying to rehabilitate someone? When do we know that someone should be released back into the world, with the risk that they're going to do something evil, and harmful, and life-altering to someone and to their friends and family and the world and that we should just take that risk???



I realize I'm ranting and am writing in frustration, so I'm ready to take my lumps. I just don't get it. I don't understand - or agree with - the "eye for an eye" mentality. You look at the pictures of these officers, of their families, of what this is doing to my city, and you explain to me that it's right. Please explain it to me ... I have no perception of this.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

There's No Place Like Home

Scott and I just watched a video of the Kristen Chenowith's last performance of Wicked (don't ask how) - which reminded me of this video. Enjoy, kids.


Friday, November 27, 2009

In Which Matterdays Is Visited By The Ghost Of College Friends Past.

My very dear friend Jodi - whom I went to college with and have not seen in at least 16 years - made the long trek from Columbus, Ohio to Seattle this week to spend Thanksgiving with us. I was, admittedly, nervous about seeing her - what if we had nothing in common and nothing to say to each other after so long? My fears were unfounded, since we have kept in touch on and off all this time. She reminded me quite quickly what a warm, gracious, intelligent and charming woman she is. It went by far too quickly.

My camera was not as active as I had wanted it to be, but our wonderful few days together - and her first visit to Seattle - are at least captured in a few highlights.

We ventured down to Pioneer Square - here's the big totem pole by the pergola:




First Avenue in Pioneer Square - my old stomping grounds, in a way. I really miss working down here:





The ferry terminal at Colman Dock:





Arriving at Pike Place Market:





Putting up the Christmas Tree at the Market:



Christmas decorations at the Market:





The famous "fish throwers" stand. Didn't see any fish thrown - but still entertaining:





The view from the back of the Market over Elliott Bay towards West Seattle:





Looking northwest at a barge:





The Space Needle and downtown from Kerry Park on Queen Anne - with a dramatic view of Mt. Rainier:





The Port of Seattle and West Seattle:





Panorama of Seattle:





Proving that Jodi really was here (how cute is she?):





Wednesday was her birthday - and Scott bought her a cake shaped like a turkey:





We considered posting this as our Thanksgiving dinner:





Jodi and Scott (yes, she's wearing a sweater from The Ohio State University):





Thursday morning - ready to go in the oven:





Jodi helping with dinner:





La Table:





Me and Jodi (nice extra chins, Matt):



During dinner:



The aftermath - table cleared:


Scott bought this - A Charlie Brown Christmas tree - I love it:



Friday morning - after taking Jodi to the airport at 5 a.m. - Stoli already misses her new sleeping buddy:



I'm absolutely exhausted from trying to get the house presentable for a houseguest ... and to be honest, I'm pretty lonely tonight. Jodi's back in Columbus, Scott is working late. But I have great memories and it was so wonderful to reconnect live with someone who has been such a dear friend to me.

Happy Thanksgiving Jodi and all of my friends ... you're all invited for next year.