Well, that certainly changes my perception of the whole thing, Last Dodo because I had a very similar thing happen to me that completely creeped me out. I started receiving cards and gifts with a guess who sign attached. It was distressing. I lived alone. I had no idea who guess who? was. I was dating Mr. Yogi at the time. Simultanous to the gifts and cards, I started to get lots of phone calls and hang-ups. Lots. Sometimes five or six in an hour for hours at a time. Finally, I found out one of my dearest friends, one of my favorite people in the world, a performance artist I had met in art school, had been sending me the cards and gifts. (He told me that he did not make the phone call, so I have no idea what that was about.) After years of friendship, he told me when I confronted him that he was sending the cards and gifts and also that he was not marrying his longterm girlfriend, even though she had recently had their child, because he was afraid that if he did he would look down the aisle at the wedding and see the woman he really loves. He was afraid that woman was me. I did not find that story from my bestest friend romantic, I was unnerved. Totally unnerved. So yes. Definitely, I would be creeped out. However, it doesn't mean the doer is a creep. Just behaving creepily at this time. Yikes. I need a bath now.

We definitely suffer from the same syndrome, Hildy. Premature Packulation. Heh. Put it all in the basement! One just can't sashay worth a damn in a pair of hiking boots. One just can't. And what of ballet dresses bought on sale? And all the new pink clothes in the windows of shops all around the city. This snow is just damn criminal, I tell you!

Oh dear. I guess then that this prediction is not going to be greeted with open arms (or open-toed sandals, for that matter?)



So have fun at the TWoP reading tonight! I'd love to go see that.

I'm declaring winter over. OK? Everyone cool with that? You sure? Ok, then it's done.

The are all sorts of pinkish flowering-tree-type petals on the sidewalk outside my office this morning. Very pretty, but verrrrrrry curious ... as there are no nearby pinkish flowering trees that I can see! I have concocted an amusing little fiction in my head about a guy proposing to his girlfriend in the courtyard, with the not-yet-removed Christmas lights in the background, and their friends showering them with flower petals from the upper levels of the building. I clearly do not have enough creative outlets if I am wasting my brainpower on this!

I think that is completely cool! I immediately started thinking 'proposal' myself as soon as I read about the lack of Petal-falling tree in the area.
So, right now I have in the house, as a result of testing recipes:
peanut butter and chocolate phyllo 'purses'
chocolate hazelnut torte
chocolate strawberry pinwheels
Help! Somebody save me from myself.

On the other hand, this weekend I'll be testing a couple rack of lamb recipes.
mmmmm. Garlic hoisin lacqured RoL and Pinenut-rosemary encrusted RoL.

Hildy, am I invited for dinner? I told winter to go away & everything!

Come on down, skagirl! The more the merrier. Don't forget to pack your pink princess dress.

Would you believe I totally forgot about Survivor last night?
I went out for St. Patrick's day. The fiancé was feeling so festive! Weirdly so since he is Italian. Just Forgot.
Had nice trip to Chelsea today, but I really want to see the Whitney Biennial. There is something about traveling with a bunch of art kids! Makes you see the world differently. I was trying to rig it so I could stay in the city and see the reading/CON, but alas I am back in Jersey awaiting the non-Spring weather. I have this cool poet(ress) coming in tomorrow to work with Latino and ESL students and all week she kept saying "what about the weather?" Here I was thinking she was a weather-chondriac or something, and now look!

Dodo, I think I mentioned that fiancé was on Atkins? He has switched to South Beach. I already mentioned my "computer friend" was on it as well. Any tips?

Ok also, I don't want to call him Fiancé anymore. Ok? Ok. Mr. Ricci to you.

Hildy, I currently have a pretty pink princess sweater on and chipped unpretty pink nails (I am so neurotic & insist on taking off polish in the morning before showering because I swear the smell lingers). Does that work for now?

Ricci, you can call fiance anything you want! Bob, Man, Mr. Ricci, Water Bottle. Whatever floats your boat.

St. Patrick's Day was a long night of much misbehaviour and lots of the stuff with the alcohol. I actually surpassed the my maximum number of Guinness in one evening - I don't think I'll need any iron supplements for a while. And I get to go home & watch Survivor, yippeee!

Not really...just follow it as closely as possible, and make sure you exercise and take a fiber supplement from day one. I didn't do either at first, and it wasn't until I added both components that I started seeing results.

My husband and I started South Beach last October, and both did very well with it. He has lost 26 pounds and I've lost almost 20. It was pretty drastic at first during Phase I, and I am still loosing now. At this point ("Phase 3") we stay away from sugar, pasta, white rice, and white flour. By cutting these out we have increased our vegatable intake.

Was Survivor on a day early there? How come?

Yogi hope you get to wear your pretty pink shoes real soon. I'm sure some lovely spring weather can't be too far away. Sending you lots of sunshine!

Hildy "premature packulation" - hee. Oh, can I come over for the party? The food sounds delish! I sometimes wish I had a female child so we could do all the girly things together, like ribbons in hair, pretty dresses, and of course, fairy princess parties. All I have are Nintendos, Play Stations, cars and trains etc. But I do have some adorable nieces so I spend a lot of time with them.

The Last Dodo glad to hear things are looking up with the dating scene. It's funny how it goes like that, not much to choose from, and then all of a sudden it's raining men. And speaking of creepy, when I lived in Chicago I used to get all these strange phone calls which scared the hell out of me, as I was often alone in our apartment. Turned out it was a man I knew there, who wanted to date me, and thought I'd get a laugh out of it when he told me it was him. I was so furious I couldn't even talk to him for a long time. But anyway, your friend sounds nice, let us know how it all goes.

[I]Edited to say that I saw an ad on TV last night - MB talking about his new show, The Apprentice, coming soon to Australian TV. Worth watching???

Two words Aussie Girl: March Madness. It's a big college basketball thingy. I don't really understand it because I don't follow basketball, but all the college teams compete. I guess it's a big deal because they cancelled daytime television! Gasp. I missed Maury. I'm not sure if next week it'll be the same deal, but I hope not.
Yogi, I hope you get to wear your pretty pink shoes soon!

Oh my dear Lord, YES! Watch this show - it's freakin' fantastic! I never liked Donald Trump at all, but watching him give the smack-down to various skank-hoes and scary-crazy dudes is priceless. DT's got a BS detector that's second to none. And there are two "viceroys," DT senior employees who watch the contestants do their "tasks" and who advise DT on who did well and who didn't, who are worth watching all on their own. Also, there's The Hair. (DT has the Combover From Hell. You've got to see it.)

Seriously, you really need to watch this show, it's great fun. TWOP's Apprentice forums are pretty lively, too.

Tracey Bee is absolutely right, AussieGirl, the Apprentice is really excellent television. Plus, you get to make fun of The Donald, which is quite fun. Not only does The Donald sport the most atrocious hairstyle ever seen on television, but he also is absolutely shameless in promoting his hilariously tacky homes and business as the very best in all the world. Heh. It's good times.

How was the reading, Last Dodo? Did you have fun? Did you go skagirl, or was this weather we are having just too ick?

The sun is shining outside my window right now. Melt snow, Melt!

Let me just add that Hildy's house sounds mighty appealing - you get to dress like a princess and eat like a king there! You may never get your guests to leave!

Though I'm all for eating fruits and vegetables, there is no way in the world Mr Yogi could ever stop eating pasta. Even though we only have it a couple times a week, he absolutely could never give it up. It's the fuel of his life. So hats off to the JDGs and Last Dodo for showing such excellent restraint.

You forgot to mention the best thing about Apprentice - Miss Alli does the recaps. She read part of the first one last night in NYC along with Sars & djb. It was a really fun night, right Dodo?

It's sounds like fun, IMissEthan! Glad you all had a good time. Weren't you brave to trounce through the slush? It sounds like it was definitely worth it.

Absolutely! The only downside was that it was insanely crowded...I saw you when I first walked in, but there was no way in hell I could get to you or have any place to be even if I could!

I honestly wouldn't mind going back to that series on a different night. Lots of fun. And no charge and reasonable drinks to boot!

Today, however, I think I'm coming down with a cold. Besides the sniffles, I just have that general rundown feeling. And I'm supposed to have a date with the 21 year old tonight. #!@#@%$#@$!.

Hola amigos & stuff. I think I have rid myself of all of the shamrock's & leprechauns. Ahh.

Sounds like the KGB event was fun...next time. I finally saw Survivor which is a tad boring, especially if your local radio station, unlike any other day after, gives the boots. Blah!

One of my friends is in town & we were talking about doing the Cloisters Sunday. However, it's supposed to cruddy weather again and tomorrow is supposed to be nice but he has a business event. Drat. I think we'll still go up there but I wanted to go on a relatively nice day.

Last Dodo feel better!

Also, I just heard JJ Jackson, one of the first MTV Djs died of a heart attack. He was only 62 and I totally remember him from back in the day.

Yes, but that means he was going on 40 when he was hired for MTV. Can you imagine them hiring someone that age now to be on-air talent?
Sorry he's dead, but I didn't think he was anything great on MTV. He always reminded me of one of the lesser-known Jackson 5 brothers gone to seed.

There wasn't a lot of slush last night, honestly. And I actually picked the correct exit to use out of the 2nd Avenue subway stop to be at optimal closeness to the venue. That hardly ever happens to me and my non-existent sense of direction. And I said it to him in person, but let me say for the record that Dodo's hair looks fantastic.

Thanks and thanks! Yay for skagirl's (and now my) stylist!

Man, between JJ Jackson and Tammy Faye having inoperable lung cancer, this is one depressing day.

Actually, I remember JJ rather fondly as he was there for the unveiling of KISS without makeup, scary as that situation was, and at 62, that's still young to pass away.

And Dodo, I am a big Tammy Faye fan, and that's very distressing news. I saw the clip for Larry King during 360 and meant to flip over to see what that was. For all of the craziness that has surrounded her life, she's got a heart of gold.

Yes, ska, that's right. Her odd-couple friendship with Ron Jeremy was one of the sweetest things on the strangely moving The Surreal Life. And she's always been herself, black mascara and all. Here's hoping for a miracle.

I'm only playing devil's advocate here, because my strike exercise plan (walk every #$%" place) is letting me eat cake, ice cream, pasta, and more crap than usual. And still lose a little weight. But what about whole grain pasta? Can you low-carb eaters eat soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) or whole-wheat noodles? Because, like, I wouldn't give up soba for anything!

Okay, who's Tammy Faye? I can only assume from the comment about the black mascara, it's Tammy Faye Backer. Is that right? She's got inoperable lung cancer? We haven't heard anything about that here. And I have no idea who JJ Jackson was. We had the Aussie version of MTV here.

Speaking of depressing days - yesterday I opened the paper to read that a friend of mine was murdered last Thursday upon her arrival in India for a meditation retreat. Apparently a taxi driver killed her and stole her passport and $8,000 travellers cheques. It's just too horrible to imagine. I just got an email from her last week telling me how much she was looking forward to her holiday in India and Sri Lanka. It's been a pretty depressing week for me, but hey, even with the sadness, life goes on.

Dodo I hope your cold cleared up and you had a great time on your date! And by the comments here, your hair sounds like it looks great.

Okay, I'll definitely be watching The Apprentice when it finally airs here. And I'll be looking out for The Don's atrocious hair. What, can't he afford a good hair stylist? And I'm looking forward to reading Miss Alli's recaps too.

Oh, Aussie, honey, you're just not having a good time, are you? Poor love, I'm sorry to hear about your friend.
On a happier note, I'm leaving for England tomarrow! YaY! I have a five-thirty flight out of Seattle, which means I have to leave mega-early, but that's okay, as long as I'm going and have a safe trip.
Suctionprints, your exersise plan sounds uncannily like mine! Well, besides softball, but rest of the year? Strikingly similar. I could never go on a low carb diet, I love bread too much. That and rice.
See you guys when I get back!

Oh Aussie! I just don't know what to say! How incredibly awful to lose two friends like that, in such a very short time. I feel so horribly bad for you! Did they catch her murderer?
On a much lighter note, I think you'll love The Apprentice. I had never watched it before, then I caught the clips show last Friday night (Saturday morning actually at 1:00 AM). Of course then I had to read Miss Alli's recaps, and they are absolutely hysterical! So now I'll have to watch the show/read the recaps regularly.
By the way, how's the weather been lately? We've had snow and rain here, but it feels like spring is FINALLY just around the corner. I can't wait!!

AussieGirl - I'm so sorry. What tragedies for you and for your friends' families and other friends.

I haven't seen The Apprentice so can't offer my opinion, but after having heard all the recommendations, I wish I had started watching.

Tammy Faye is indeed Tammy Faye Bakker (now Messner) - I saw a snippet on TV, and it sounds like it's a metastasis to the lungs of the colon cancer she had several years ago. Doesn't sound very good, but, as she says, she's a "tough old broad."

On a MUCH happier personal note, Mr. Lu and I are planning to move to Hawai'i in a few years and are in the process of purchasing a house (which we'll rent out until we relocate). It's a huge step for us, so we're nervous, but very happy, as well, of course!

pretty, I hope you have a wonderful time in England! Have some Yorkshire pud for me. See you when you get back, and we'll be waiting to hear all about your adventures.

birdlady yes, they caught the murderer, it was the driver of a pre-booked taxi she got from New Delhi, apparently he has confessed to the murder, but the police have not found her passport or the missing travellers cheques. The police also think more than one person was involved. She was stabbed and strangled. I got an email from some friends of hers yesterday, saying her body was arriving home this week and they are having a ceremony to celebrate her life next weekend. She really made a huge impact on the quality of education here, something that is close to my heart. That's how we met. I am still getting over the shock of it, I keep going back and reading the email she sent me just a few days before and wishing there was some way I could turn back time or something. I don't know why she had to die in such circumstances, but I do know that her amazing achievements will live on. And that I will continue to hold her vision. It's just that with my other friend dying the week before, it's a double whammy to cope with.

As to the weather here, well it has cooled down a little. Finally. Up north from here, (about 1,000 miles away) in the tropics, they are having a bad cyclone, with flooding and devastation. And guess what they called the cyclone? Grace. Anything but, I think.

babalu how wonderful for you! Hawaii! What a lovely thing to look forward to. Here's a lei I made specially for you...aloha!

AussieGirl, how unspeakably awful. I'm so sorry.

babalu, did I ever mention that I grew up in Hawai'i? We moved there in 68, a couple of months before my 9th birthday, and I lived there until I went away to college in 77. I haven't been back since my dad died in 81, though, and no one in my family's lived there since the late 80s. Have you and Mr Lu found a house? Prices there are nuts (for everything). Which island are you planning to live on?

AussieGirl that is absolutely horrible and unthinkable. That is such a senseless act of violence. I'm so very sorry for your loss.

I'm so sad to hear of your friend's death, [/b]AussieGirl[/b]. It's particularly upsetting to hear that her last moments were violent. What a tragedy.

Congratulations to you, Babalu! What wonderful, wonderful news. As Sinatra might say, "you're living the dream, baby." I'm proud of you for taking steps to do something so very happy. Now you and Mr. Babalu must come to visit NYC so that we can convince Mr. Yogi to live the dream with me. I was thinking about why Mr. Yogi doesn't really feel comfortable outside of NYC. I think it's possible that one can become so comfortable with stress and difficulty that peace and calm feel a bit like death. That's how he describes the thought of living in a peaceful place - he says it would be like dying. Ugh. He kills me sometimes.

Who knew that our very own Tracey Bee is a Hawai'ian (sp?) girl? I always pictured you growing up somewhere in the midwest with all the cold, not somewhere warm and sunny with a surfboard in one hand and a lei around your neck. Isn't it fun that we are all so complex - getting to know folks is such a pleasure! So maybe you can teach Babalu to hula dance?

Have a wonderful time in England, Pink One. Can't wait to hear all the adventures. To me, every single moment is an adventure when I travel. But then again, going to get my hair cut is also and adventure. Heh.

How was the Princess Party, Hildy? I thought of all the princesses surrounded by various legs of lamb and an abundance of rich and creamy dessert treats. Such decadence! Which is one of my most favorite things. I bet a good time was had by all.

AussieGirl, wow. I am so sorry. I'm glad they caught the killer, but unfortunately that doesn't take away the loss. You have my deepest sympathies.

babalu, best of luck!

You know, I really should be sick more often; I had one of the most productive weekends in ages. I cleaned my apartment from top to bottom and made 8 new CD compilations for myself (2 focusing on 1986-87, 3 focusing on 1990, and 3 anything goes. Yes, I'm that anal that most of my CD compilations have a chronological theme.).

So everything worked out OK with the 21 year old; we had a great rescheduled date last night and he's definitely interested in me. And I swear, I've come to the conclusion that I'm one of those obnoxious people who can't just relax and be happy because they're too in their head worrying and overanalyzing. Because now that I've finally had a successful date with someone I like, instead of, you know, being happy about it or anything, I'm all like, "Wait! Do I want a boyfriend? Do I have time for a relationship? How is this going to fit into my life? Can't...breathe...need...air..." I swear, between this and the dieting, I'm only one "AACK!!!" away from turning into the gay male living embodiment of Cathy.

I do know that I plan to make sure that I want to be with him for him and not just because he's there and he likes me before I make the decision to be in a relationship with him. I think that's where a lot of my past ones failed; I jumped into them too soon before determining that.

Also saw a good documentary on Ann Wilson of Heart on Discovery Health. I've always felt bad for her because she has an excellent voice, but people have always focused more on her weight and it really hurt her. I remember in another special she said that no matter how well she sang, the review would always focus on how fat she'd gotten. Anyway, the upshot was that she had a procedure done involving an adjustable elastic band around her stomach and now she's finally losing weight successfully--70 pounds and counting.

TraceyBee you grew up in Hawaii? Wow! That must have been an incredible upbringing for you. Like Yogi I imagine that your life must have been one of beach parties and Hawaiian music. How come you haven't been back there in so long?

Yogi I think I am just the opposite of your husband. Though I was raised here in the city, I spent much of the last 12 years living in a little coastal country town, and every time we'd come back to the city, I swear I would get nervous driving, the noises would make me jump, and when I'd go into shopping malls I'd have to just wait at one side, to pluck up the nerve to join in the throng of people. I would probably be hopeless somewhere like NY. Although 20 years ago I loved living in Chicago, I think that that was partly the bravado of youth, don't think I could do it now. You have to convince Mr Yogi that peace and calm are life, and soothing, not death. What's he like when you get him on a beach? I've always found that works to calm people. Living my dream would be to go back to living right on the beach again. I'm aiming for it.

Dodo you are right to take your time and not just jump straight into this relationship. Enjoy just being! Take your time, it does not need to be serious right away. Glad you had such a good weekend.

Babalu, you lucky, lucky girl!! Please let us know all about your adventures in house hunting in Hawaii. How very exciting!
TraceyBee, details of Hawaiin life please!
Dodo, your weekend sounds wonderful. For what it's worth, maybe you just shouldn't worry about where it's all going, just enjoy the moment. If it works out, what a happy surprise! If it doesn't, there'll be another opportunity right around the corner. Remember, you said that you were having an awful time trying to meet new people, and then all of a sudden, you're having great dates, you're getting flowers from secret admirerers....ENJOY!!! You seem like a really nice person, you deserve to have good things happen to you!
And Hildy, how was the princess party? I still can't imagine exactly what that is, as I've said, I've never heard of a princess party. It sounds like a wonderful idea for a little girl.
AussieGirlakaPrincessPeachy, I'm awfully glad the weather's more comfortable for you finally. I truly hope that life treats you and yours more peacefully and mercifully from now on!

It is my husbands dream to live on the big island. When we win the lottery. He did go to college there, and fancy's himself a surfer.

Today our 32 inch RCA TV's picture went out, and started squealing. We had to unplug it. Major crisis.

You asked for it, you got it: some random facts about growing up in Hawai'i.

I didn't own a pair of closed shoes for years. Even when we got dressed up, we wore sandals (high-heeled, dressy sandals). In high school, I was allowed to go barefoot to school. At the public schools, many kids went barefoot every day.

Mu'u-mu'us are the greatest clothing invention ever. They're comfortable, you can sit any way you want to, and you can go for days without shaving your legs. They're not all baggy, either, most of mine had princess-style seams or other details that gave them some fit. The long, loose skirts were a serious blessing, though.

You could have easily spotted me on any beach in Hawai'i in the 70s. I was the one with reddish-blonde hair and white, freckled skin, trying desperately to get tan. I failed. Many sunburns later, I gave up.

I don't surf, but I swim very well. I know a little about the hula, but didn't study it seriously, and, therefore, I suck. I learned a little bit about some Philippino and Maori dances, too.

Our snacks included Hawai'ian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and many other delicacies. Babalu, when you move there, I may ask you to send me care packages of Chinese cracked seed (especially rock salt plum, yummy), I've never been able to find it on the mainland.

After about a year of living there, you think that it's cold when it gets below 70. The nightly weather report on the local news lasts about 15 seconds ("Sunny tomorrow, chance of morning or evening showers. High of 86, low of 78. Now, sports.") You don't need air conditioning, because of the trade winds.

AussieGirl, when I went to Cairns, it was a huge blast from the past, because there was so much vegetation there that reminded me of Hawai'i.

I moved away because I joined the Air Force. None of my family's there any more, and the few friends I keep in contact with have also moved away. I also like having four seasons, including winter. Hawai'i is a beautiful place, and it was great growing up there, but it's expensive and far from everywhere else.

And now, a small rant: Hawai'i is a state. It's been a state longer than I've been alive, and I'm well into middle age. You don't need a passport. The people there speak English. You will use American money (and lots of it, because it's expensive). (A high-school classmate of mine--who was, like many, many people in Hawai'i, of mixed ethnicity, with a high percentage of Japanese--was chatting on the bus with a tourist couple, who then asked him how he learned to speak such good English. He responded, "The missionaries taught me.") [/rant]

I know that the lovely and intelligent people who post here would never do anything so stupid, but the ignorance of many American tourists who visit Hawai'i is astounding.

My mother's friend taught college in Hawaii. The year I was in college in London, he was on sabbatical there. His kids were about 5 & 8 and were suffering culture shock living in Oxford after Hawaii. They had been there 6 weeks and were still wearing their bathing suits under their clothes instead of underwear. They were so cute. I swear if I grew up in Hawaii or Puerto Rico or coastal Australia, I can't imagine wanting to live anywhere else.

Well, sorry to be so tardy checking in with the lovely MM folks. I'm still recovering from a long weekend of shrill, excited little girl shriekery, along with one little boy shrieking tossed in for good measure.

The party was a success from the little girl point of view. Essentially, a princess party is any party that involves people pretending to be princesses, Birdlady Many times, it involves the "Disney Princesses" that are so heavily marketed to little girls. Why Cinderella and Snow White must be told and drawn only from the Disney point of view is beyond me, but such is life. At any rate, since I have the aforementioned irrational hatred of Disney marketing tie ins, I tried to minimize their presence at the party. We did have a Disney Princess pinata, picked out by HildyGirl, but I didn't mind an activity that involved literal Disney bashing. At any rate, the little girls came in and got dressed up in princess clothing. Hildygirl's Cinderella costume turned out to be light blue, by the way, Yogi. Not pink! I was shocked! Then they colored in paper crowns with which to play pin the crown on the princess, which we then played. Then they did a craft project that involved decorating little fairy princesses made out of felt, and creating a little felt board flower garden for them to play in. Lots of glitter glue and sequins involved in that one. Also some whining about sharing. Then we played the pinata game. Then we had pizza and decorated our own cupcakes, sang songs and opened presents. Then the guests left, except for Hildygirl's 2 little girl cousins who were there for the weekend. Then Hildy and Hildy sister collapsed on the couch and stuffed our faces into large vats of chardonnay.
THEN people took naps, and my parents came over and we had more cake and presents, this time for the family. I never did get around to making the racks of lamb. I made chicken sauteed with mushrooms garlic and tarragon in a cream sauce. Completely edible, but more than 3 ingredients, as I'm sure that you have noticed. Ah well.
The kids actually held up very well under the constant barrage of sugar and excitement.

So all this talk of Hawai'i is causing me to really want to go lie on a beach and bake the winter right out of these tired old bones. Babalu, that's so wonderful that you guys found a house so quickly! Is there any chance that you can use it for a vacation getaway in the years before you move, or will renting it out preclude such activity?



I did the exact same thing many times, Dodo. Taking a little while to kick back and make sure that things are right for you makes a lot of sense.


Aussiegirl, you are not having a good couple of months here. I'm so very sorry to hear of the tragic death of your friend. It's unspeakable.

Aloha Gang at Meet Market!
Though the princess party sounds like one of the best parties ever (I mean it. I may have one for my friends!) I find it terribly, terribly sad that HildyGirl opted to wear blue rather than pink. Now I have nothing against blue, in fact it is my second favorite color, but what self respecting Princess would choose blue over pink when there was an option?


I totally understand those little girls. I lived in Southern California for two years when I was about their age and went to school in the Malabu canyon. It was beautiful then. I'm not sure I even owned much underwear at the time. I pretty much lived in my bathing suit from morning to night. It's the bestest way to live!

In honor of our red-headed beach baby, Tracey Bee and our beach baby to be Babalu, I have just put in a Beach Boys CD into my computer. Plus it's sunny today in NYC, so I am letting those winter blues just melt away into a endless chorus of Endless Summer....

Aruba, Jamaca Girl I want to take you
To Bermuda, Bahamas............
We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow.
That's where I want to go......

Wow. The utter stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me.

So that's what a princess party is! I guess I was picturing Diana, Jasmine, Camile, and Leah from American Idol being the guests of honor or something.

And thanks for the advice, everyone. Hope all's well with all of you!

TraceyBee, thank you, thank you, thank you for the scoop on Hawaii! I just love living vicariously! Seriously, my parents went to Hawaii a couple of years ago for a vacation (they originally left for their trip on 09-11-01, they got stuck in Chicago) and they brought back lots of absolutely beautiful pictures. I was absolutely blown away by the beauty, and my folks had some wonderful stories to tell. Someday, I swear, I'm going too! But I promise, I won't act obnoxious and be surprised when people speak English and use American money. Sometimes it's scary how stupid some people can be!
Hildy that princess party sounded so cool!! What a good mommy you are! I hope the chardonnay hit the spot. I'm sure some kind of restorative was in order after listening to little girls squeal all afternoon. It sounds like a good time was had by all, how wonderful!
And by the way, if I remember correctly, Cinderella's dress was a kind of silvery blue in the Disney movie. Sleeping Beauty's dress kept turning from blue to pink at the end of her Disney movie. Yogi, are you related to the good fairy Flora from that movie, who liked all things pink?
The weather is supposed to be springlike and warm here this weekend. I sure hope so, I'm so tired of winter. I just love spring, I can't wait until the flowers come out and the trees start budding. I do love having four seasons, but I think the only thing that makes winter worthwhile is that it makes you appreciate spring so much more!

TraceyBee - I loved reading about your growing up in Hawai'i! You'll have to come visit your childhood haunts by coming to stay with me. But we have to meet here first! I'm still planning to have you and Mr. Bee over for a TAR1 viewing, but things have been a little out of hand lately, so I'll get in touch when we return to the mainland. I thought about you a few days ago when I got an invitation for a free reception to meet Barry Osborne (LOTR producer) because I'm a Carleton alumna. I have no interest in going, not being an LOTR fan, but I was thinking of asking if you wanted to pretend to be me and accept on my behalf. It's probably a fund-raiser, cleverly disguised as a social affair, though.

Speaking of the fantasy genre, I started reading Wicked, yogi, based on your raves of the musical. For the first 20-30 pages I didn't think I'd like it but now think it's wonderful. I will come to New York to visit you, but I wouldn't be able to convince Mr. Lu to accompany me. He's the opposite of Mr. Yogi in terms of urban appreciation.

We're headed to Hawai'i on Monday! Mr. Lu got a frequent flyer ticket for himself and reasonable airfare for me, so we'll actually see this house we're buying before we have to commit (although I don't think there's any worry, given the pictures, the location, etc.). The inspection is Tuesday, and we'll look for a property management company while we're there.

Hildy - thanks for asking! I don't think we'll be able to stay there until we move (projected for late 2006), but that's okay. I'm glad your little Hildy party was a success!

Hee. I like Dodo's idea of a princess party the best. That would be some good fun to watch.
And Yogi, if it makes you feel any better, LittleHildy was kind of stuck with the blue dress, as it was new and she was the only one small enough to wear it. Her bigger cousins had to wear the pink dresses, as those were the ones that fit *them.* We had a Snow WHite in attendance, too, and a pink sequinned flapper number that had no discernable royal provenance.
Hildygirl is a funny one. She loves the princess dresses, but today she was very excited about wearing a bright orange stegosaurus t shirt. She's very much interested in dinosaurs at present.

Hildy what an amazing party. Sounds like you did a great job with it, and I reckon those kids will remember it fondly for years. Made me want to be 9 again! Will you be my new mummy?

Tracey Bee thanks for sharing your wonderful memories of growing up in Hawaii. Sounds pretty idyllic. We hardly ever wore shoes here either, and as for coats etc, I didn't even own one till I went to Chicago when I was 20. We usually have the same kind of weather reports too, except when there's a cyclone brewing. But we don't have the trade winds and could do with A/C. Your small rant about tourists made me laugh. I remember travelling on a train to Virginia and chatting with a bunch of locals, and after the usual questions like do kangaroos roam the streets (no, they don't, for anyone still not sure - although there was a story in the paper last week about a woman who was attacked by a kangaroo in her back yard, it's true, I didn't believe it but then they showed the poor woman on the news, those bloody things can sure deliver a hell of a kick), anyway, back to VA, one chap asked me if the days of the week run in the same sequence that they do in the US. I told him, no, we have Monday, then we have Thursday....And as if that wasn't enough, someone else asked me, after having talked with me for half an hour or so by this time, what language we speak in Australia! I told him we speak this language called "Australian", and that English was my second language, and he believed me. Hee.

JDG if your husband's dream is to live on a big island, come on down to the world's biggest island!

Babalu have a great, great, great time in Hawaii (why don't you come over here after that - we're just down the road!), and hope that your house is perfect.

birdlady I reckon you will get to Hawaii, sounds like you are determined to make it happen. Good for you, mate! Also, I echo everything you have said in your post to Dodo! What's happening, Dodo?

HildyGirl is definitely a person with unique and discriminating taste! The only thing better than a stegosaurus t-shirt, is a stegosaurus t-shirt worn with a princess dress and a pair of cowboy boots. And bright orange and pink look fabulous together. In fact, I have a similar outfit I was photographed wearing just last year. ;) Heh. Heh. OK, not really. But I have been known to wear a pink marabu headband with a navy sweatsuit and a pair of Manolo Blahniks. Sometimes I have the taste of a five year old. Almost all my yoga shirts have a few little sparkles, and if they they don't, I can always wear some of the little jewelry I have specially made to wear while I practice. Sparkles make me happy! Perhaps I am related to the Good Fairy Flora, birdlady.

Off to Hawai'i next week, Babalu - what fabulous news. And even better, you and Mr. Babalu are going to be able to enjoy all that sunny Aloha goodness together. If that isn't good for the body and soul, I don't know what is, beautiful one! I would say have a wonderful time, but how could you not in paradise? Enjoy, Enjoy. And be sure to bring home some of that yummy snack stuff Tracey Bee described. You can bring it to our Funky drink, Swedish meatball, divine cookie, caviar party Twin Cities Party that we will be having at my house in NYC! Can't wait to see you!

Speaking of Wicked, I'm taking the GrandYogis to see it. My folks are staying with me Easter weekend, and I knew this was a show they would definitely enjoy. We are going to have a fabulous weekend. But beware, Babalu, the musical, though very thought provoking, has little relation to the events that occur in the book, which becomes quite disturbing in a few parts.

Hooray, tomorrow is the Grizzlies against the Knicks, and the whole Yogi family is going to go to the Garden to watch the Grizzlies trounce the Knicks with some of our bestest buddies. It's going to be so much fun.
Go Grizzlies!

Mmmm, Hawaii. I wonder if I can get my company to send me there? It's worked for a lot of people in my department ...

[/daydream]

Oh, well. Mr. Blevins got me a VCR for my birthday (a month early) ... maybe the library has Hawaiian travel videos. Hey, maybe I can get some TAR videos ... they went to Hawaii a lot, didn't they?

Let's all visit AussieGirl in shoeless Australia! Especailly now that it appears relatively cyclone free there!

Congratulations on the new VCR, jennblevins. When's the birthday?

I'm having so much fun planning a shower for my friend who is getting married it Abruzzo this summer. I designed and made the invitations - everything has a sunflower theme, so the invitations are written on a velum overlay with a field of sunflowers underneath all tied with a green ribbon - so pretty. And Mr. Yogi is going to cook a yummy Italian lunch. He's going to invite one of his little Italian friends over to help. This is fun for these guys - heh. I'm going to go to the flower district to buy hundreds of sunflowers to put everywhere. It will be so much fun! And I think it will have everyone in the mood for the July wedding.

Love this sunshine! I'm full of energy. I hope everyone is getting some of this good stuff.

I agree yogi. I loved the book Wicked so much, but unfortunately read it a little too close to seeing the musical. I think I would have enjoyed the musical more if the book events weren't so fresh in my mind since the musical is SO different. It didn't help that I felt most of the changes were for the worse, although some were necessary to make it a live action theatrical performance that wasn't 6 hours long. I still think the book would make an outstanding non-musical mini series. Are you listening HBO?

That is a good idea, ImissEthan. But unlike the musical, it would not be something to watch with your children and conservative parents.

It's very hard to compare the musical with the book. They were almost two completely different entities - like instant and brewed coffee are both coffee but bear no resemblance to one another. I think I would have been disappointed with the musical too had I read the book first and expected the show to follow that story, but I saw the musical then read the book, so I enjoyed both.

I looove the idea of a sunflower shower! It makes me cheerful just thinking about it. And clearly the amount of hard work you are putting into it will reflect in a joyful, loving occasion. What fun! The invitations sound lovely. Everything does.
And as I'm sure the theater version of Wicked will not be comeing this way anytime soon, I'll just read the book.

So I'm going here for dinner tonight. Not NYC exciting, but this restaurant is about 2 minutes away from my house. It's pretty heady stuff for the 'burbs. The menu is a little confused as to which way it wants to go, but I think it has potential.