AussieGirl aka Princess Peachy, I understand why people bring their children on flights, but I don't see why they don't give them sedatives, like you did. And there's really not much you can do! I didn't get to see Avebury, we just didn't seem to have the time, but I bet it's a lot less commercialized than Stonehenge. When there's a giftshop filled with stuffed sheep that have Stonehenge sewn on them, you know something's wrong. But I bought one anyways, because he was just too darn cute.
YaY!Thursday! Sorry to all that could not see the magnificence that is Survivor.

AussieGirl, unfortunately that link wasn't to any sort of interesting site, just to a photo of me doing my best goofball/tourguide impression and Tah-daaaaaaahhhh-ing one of the Avebury stones. (And, apparently, wearing the world's ugliest windbreaker. In my defense I will point out that I never liked the jacket on its own merits, just because it belonged to the guy I was infatuated with at the time. I have photographic proof that the awful jacket visited Stonehenge, too.) I think I fixed the links. Here's an actual Avebury page that's not about me. Here's a less official-looking site. Somebody else agrees that Avebury is better than Stonehenge. Okay, enough Googling.

I had that same problem in college, but fortunately the people running the blood drive weren't very bright. I got on the scale wearing my backpack that contained at least 12 pounds of book weight to get me over 110, and they never batted an eye. I was a little nervous the first time, but when I had no adverse symptoms and I got all the cookies I wanted afterwards, I was hooked. I still maintain the weight thing for blood donation should be on a sliding scale based on height. I was healthier at 100 pounds & 5 feet tall than a 115 pound 5'10" person would be.

Happy Friday!

OK, so just when my brain had adjusted back to "single" mode, whiplash! I hear from Guy For Whom I'll Eventually Come Up With A Concise Nickname. Turns out he (which I knew) was really upset about losing his job, so after he talked to me, he was on the phone crying with his mom and she gave him a plane ticket to come home and regroup for a bit; he just got back to NYC today and called me (allegedly) the second he walked in--he (allegedly) didn't take my number with him. I'm also apparently the first guy he's ever told his mom about. I made it very clear that while I was happy he was OK, I was quite upset he didn't call and didn't find that acceptable whatsoever. He really seemed to feel bad and everything he said is plausible and makes sense, so I guess we'll just see where it goes. But I'm definitely in "proceed with caution" mode--he's on probation!

Funny you should mention donating blood--I've been in altruistic mode lately myself. I have a bunch of high-carb food that's been clogging up the top shelf of my cupboard and space is at a premium, so I did some investigating and found out that there's a food pantry at a church just a block away from me; I called them to find out the logistics and they sounded so happy! Made my day.

Also...have any of you ever done an AIDS walk or anything like that? There's one coming up here in NYC and I'm seriously considering entering.

Tonight I'm going to an alumni meeting for my college...it was in Chicago, but I just recently found out they have regular alumni events here and LA, which would make sense since it's primarily an arts college. Hopefully it'll be fun and I can either reconnect with some people or meet some cool new people. Because after that, the bulk of the rest of the weekend will be eaten up by taxes. Joy!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Yar! I tried to post earlier but was getting board errors. I don't remember half of it as I just walked all over the city & back.

Last Dodo, I did an AIDS walk in DC. For that one, it's not so much a race or anything, just groups of people and friends and organizations, lots of fun. I walked with my gym which had a group of cheerleaders - trainers, members, etc. - who led the warmups on the National Mall & then we walked. Of course, when we got to a strip of bars, some needed to stop for refreshments. Mind you I was feeling parched...but it was great.

Also I am sure I asked you this, but you grew up in Chicago or the 847 area code? You had mentioned your folks living near you ? when you went to school & I can't remember.

Ok, time to do the work I walked away from 2.5 hours ago! One of our program graduates & now board members had her senior thesis on display. She's graduating from Parsons this May & has worked her tail off. Then I had to go get a purse for SkaMama. And then a birthday gift for a friend. Then a Megamillions ticket to buy my imaginary house & puppy from the shelter.

Both...sort of. I grew up on the Northwest Side of the city til I was 6, then we moved to the suburbs...but the Downers Grove area, or 630, rather than 847-land. My parents are both still there--my mom in Willowbrook and my dad in Montgomery. Then when I was 19 I moved to the city and lived in various apartments in the Lakeview area (Belmont/Broadway, Wrigley Field, the Halsted strip, etc.) until I moved here in September 2001.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking...I'm not a racer by any means, but I love walking and I've been exercising regularly, so it would seem like it could be fun.

pretty yes, Avebury is a lot less commercialised than Stonehenge, because not many people know of it. My sister was living in Oxford and had been there, so she suggested we go, but I suspect that many tourists just go to Stonehenge because they don't know of other places that are even better.

jennblevins thanks for posting those links, I had a look at all of them and they brought back some lovely memories. And BTW, I think you look great in the photos.

Dodo proceeding with caution sounds like a good thing to do. It could be true that he did forget to take your number with him, but don't you have operator assistance there? I guess you will have to give him the benefit of the doubt, and see what happens from here on.

All this talk of Chicago has made me miss it! I lived for a few months in Wilmette, near Evanston, and then right in Chicago on Sedgwick Street. I had an apartment right above an antique bridal shop, and opposite a school. Number 1720, if my memory serves me (this was in 1982). I haven't been back there since 1987 - so many years ago. God, now I feel old.

Speaking of lottery tickets skagirl, we heard on the news here that some guy in the US, a retired truck driver just won a HUGE amount of money, the equivalent of $311 million in OZ dollars. Incredible. I'm still hoping, there's a big lottery going off tonight and I have my tickets. Fingers crossed!!!

Hi All. boy was Florida awesome. Not only for the beautiful weather and fauna but I met some of the cool researchers I am always quoting. It would be like having a class with Rob M and Rupert (you kind of enjoy disliking them). It was neat.

Spring break for a week. Not the greatest weather for it. I am pretty depressed to tell you the truth. I thought the SADD days were over.

glad everyone is still in one piece and moving forward. Feels like I was gone for a month instead of less than a week!

Welcome back, Ricci. Glad you enjoyed some warm weather in Florida.

Well, mother in law arrived this morning after a long long flight from Montana. So we are off to the beach tomorrow for a few days of fun and sun.

Talk with you all in a few days!

Happy (?) Monday, everyone! Anyone else hate losing an hour of sleep?* It was worse because MrBee and I sang in a concert Saturday night and so were up way past our bedtime. (We are not old! Excuse me, I have to go chase some kids off the lawn.)

*ETA: The US (or most of it) went on Daylight Saving Time Saturday night. We set our clocks ahead one hour.

So, anyway, the concert went well - several people told us they enjoyed it. The weekend started badly, though, when I sliced open my left index finger with a kitchen knife on Friday night. I was cleaning the knife after dinner, something slipped, and I was suddenly bleeding all over the place. MrBee wanted to take me to the doctor, but we couldn't find out what Urgent Care clinic I can go to with my insurance, because no one seemed to be answering the phones at my insurance company's hot line. Although I was bleeding a lot, there doesn't seem to be any tendon damage, so I just bandaged the finger up, kept my hand elevated for a couple of hours, and took some Advil for pain. I'm going to try to get an appointment at my clinic today, though, just to have things checked out. The bandage is playing hell with my typing. And, in case you're wondering, yes, that is my picture in the dictionary next to the word "klutz."

TraceyBee, I feel your pain. Yesterday we were moving our 32 inch broken TV (to make room for the new 24 inch flat screen) which is a bitch to move. I dropped it on my left index finger. Nothing broke, it didn't bleed, but there is a chain of nasty blood blisters on the tip, and you can see bruising under the nail. It is useless. I iced it yesterday, today it was fine unless it touched anything.

The old TV is now in the dining room (instead of the basement) and I am hoping that a woman from work's tinkerer son will come take it. If he can fix it he can have it, as long as it is out of the house. And we got the new TV hooked up in time for the Orioles Red Sox opening day game.

Happy Monday, Tracey Bee (Ouch!!! Your poor hand!) and all other Meet Marketers.

I have been away for awhile - not physically away, but my mind shut down from overuse. I think my eyes started circling around like the little rainbow circle on my I-Mac when I open too many windows. But I want to take a moment because there is so much to celebrate here at the Meet Market.

Congratulation, KarateKate!!! I am thrilled for you. Like Hildy, I can't wait to hear all the wedding news. I hope that all your planning activities are as joyous as the day itself!

I'm so pleased to hear that you got that raise, Last Dodo! What a wonderful thing to have your worth acknowledged by your bosses. And I know that the money will come in handy (it always does!) especially as you ponder a change of jobs.

A toast to the mom of skagirl's friend! She is clearly great example to us all, a generous and good hearted soul. I feel inspired by her gesture to do the same thing one day. Unfortuantely, I have no daughter. Perhaps I could rent the groomsmen's tuxes?

Welcome Home, Pink One! Many congratualations sent your way - for a wonderful holiday well spent, for a new look without braces and glasses, and for seeing Stonehenge, whether you enjoyed it or not, it is a good place to say you have been to. One of those checks off the list of things to see, so to speak. And...... [small voice] I actually loved Stonehenge.

Cookies to Jennblevins for donating blood. I never do it. I'm a fainter, and they would just rather I didn't. When my son was getting open heart surgery, I learned how important it is to donate blood. He has the rarest blood type, so neither Mr. Yogi or I could donate blood to him (his type is a composite of both ours). I'm very thankful to the people who could. And also, thanks for the googling. It was very enjoyable.

Hooray for Aussie Girl's Beach Vacation. I hope you and Mr. Aussie Girl take advantage of the privacy to have lots of great sex. Since having Little Yogi, that's pretty much my number one vacation goal. But while your at it, enjoy the beach!

And not to leave anyone out, Congratulations ImissEthan on you wonderful height to weight ration, to Ricci for brilliance with researchers in sunny Florida and to Birdlady for bringing your happiness around for me to enjoy!

If Hildy is still alive out there, I'm here to congratulate you on your cookbook the moment the last recipe is typed and sent. In fact, consider yourself congratulated right now on all the work you've done so far. Great Job!

I went to a three day workshop this weekend that was like a cool rain on my tired and parched soul. I spent a whole day with Jon Kabat-Zinn doing lovingkindness meditation. I also spent time with Don Miguel Ruiz, Gail Straub and Oriah Mountain Dreamer. On Sunday alone, I experienced a 45 minute meditation in the Buddhist tradition, an invocation to the Native American Spirits, and a traditional Palm Sunday mass at my home church. What an experience! I learned so much, and I'm so grateful for all these amazing teachers. And even though it filled my mind with even more stuff, at least it was the kind of stuff that gives me a sort of rest!

ETA: Ouch to you too, JDG! But Hooray for opening today, which is tomorrow for all you Mets fans out there!

Yogi, you sound completely refreshed in your post! What a great getaway.

TraceyBee, your post almost got me going on my "ARRRR! Insurance Evil!" rant, but I held in. Barely. JDG ugh on the finger...is it a middle one? That you can use in traffic?

Our little Dodo is quite a prolific spoofer - he's got some very funny entries in the PC Challenge. It's under TV Potluck. And I'm assuming he graduated from DGS or DGN, then?

Also, happy Passover to all on the board celebrating.

And I wanted to toss in a "WHOOOT! Go Cubs!" on their win today. It's all fun & games until they break my heart in a few months.

Poor TraceyBee! Would it make you feel better if I told you I brought you treats galore from Hawai'i? I'll call or e-mail you very soon and we can set up a time to meet.

Big congrats to KarateKate on her big, big news!

Congrats, as well, to The Last Dodo's raise. I believe someone ***cough*me*cough*** predicted it!

Everything went well with our house in Hawai'i. It passed inspection, and we're due to close in about a month. We feel extraordinarily lucky.

Love to yogi and AussieGirl and skagirl and Ricci and Ricci and PiP (may I call you that?) and imissEthan and birdlady everyone else.

Babalu, I assume you're talking to me? Of course, call me anything you please. Just as long as it's not mean.
Speaking of injuries...... I had a softball tourniment this weekend, in Richland, WA. We played 6 games. We won one, lost four by one run, and the other two scores were four to six and 18 to 0. Horrible, but only our first tourny, hopefully we do better in the next one. In the second game, while playing center field, a grounder was hit past the second basewoman to me. It popped out of my glove and hit me in the face. I thought I could make it through the inning, so I didn't call a time out or anything. So we got the third out and went in. The coach takes one look at me and goes Oh My God. The intire team turns around and in unison just gasps. I started laughing because I didn't think I was that hurt. Then I felt my face. All around my eye and cheekbone to my nose had swollen up almost instantly and was bright blue. The games were on time limits, so our coached asked the ump if it was close enough to limit to call it off. Our time was close to expiring, so he said it'd be fine to call it. We iced it so I could see for our last game of the day. The next day I couldn't see that well, but we only have nine players, including one pick-up, so I struggled through our last three games on Sunday. We'll do better next time.
Hope everyone who's hurt gets better! Love to everybody and hugs and stuff.

Hopefully, this links to an action photo of me and some fellow strikers bowlin'. I got a digital camera. I'm hoping to get pictures of the kitschen and the pink puff to share with you, and I can use the CP site to host for the time being. Just don't hit the "edit picture" button. Thanks.

Yikes, PiP! (I love that nickname. I have two friends named Pippa, both darlings.) What a trooper you are to keep playing injured! You deserve the tylenol play through the pain award for this week, that's for sure. I'm glad your nose wasn't broken. One of my dearest friends from college, a real jock, broke her nose playing softball, and her eyes were black for weeks. She was not thrilled about that. I hope you are already on the mend.

Hooray for your new home, Babalu! I'm so glad things are moving along swimmingly. Be sure to let us know when you are ready for guests.... Heh.

Tonight is Mets opening day game in Atlanta, and of course all eyes will be glued to the television. Mr Yogi's entering into his baseball mode. He is trying to stay pessimestic, but even the most jaded fan becomes a bit hopeful on opening day. I hope they do well.

I have convinced my little family that we must start seeing the world, so tomorrow morning we are driving down to Valley Forge for the day. I have made and burned numerous CD compilations for Mr. Yogi, and I'm making his favorite snacks. He is not thrilled, as he would rather be home or at the office, but I have convinced Mr. and Big Yogi that venturing out of Manhattan is a good and safe thing to do on occasion. Heh. I think we are going to have a great time!

Happy Passover! May we all appreciate both the bitter and the sweet.

ETA I love the photo suctionprints! I'm glad that there is some fun going on in strikeville. Good for you! I've been checking in at the blog from time to time. I can't believe how this is dragging on without some reconciliation. How unpleasant for everyone. But on a happy note, I can't wait to see the pink stuff!

Babalu, welcome home! And thanks for bringing me goodies! I'm on vacation next week, so maybe we can set up a get-together then - this week is crazy, as it's Holy Week and we've got church every day through Easter.

yogi, I used to live right near Valley Forge. My project for my last class in my Master's program was an informational video about VF. I taped at around this time of year, and it was absolutely gorgeous - trees all in bloom, violets in the grass, deer everywhere. Have a great time!

suctionprints, I heard this morning on MPR that Roger Moe may try to help the negotiations along. Do you think that will help? I also heard something about the legislature talking about privatization, which surprises me not at all.

Cheers to everyone!

Oh Tracey Bee! How lucky for me - is there any chance you know where we could get a good cheese steak in the area? It's the one thing that will make the whole trip for Mr. Yogi (and I'll enjoy it too!) Also, if you have a "must see" recommendation, I'd love to hear it.

And Hooray for favorite snacks and sandwiches, Tracey Bee's and mine!

It might, if Met Council ever calls a meeting again. They are parked on their heels, just waiting. And, yeah, some folks in the Minnesota House are trying to tack that provision on the end of the Omnibus Transit Bill. Never mind that the Twin Cities transit system was privatized 30 years ago, and it didn't work! It took millions to get it back up to snuff.

Here's a link from a driver who deals in the hard facts (I usually deal in innuendo and silliness). Tracey, I hope you're holding up well. I wish to hell we would get back to the table. And have something happen for once. Oh, well. I always wanted a City Pages cover story, and now I'm part of a whole package about the strike. And I got most of my garden weeded, and seeds planted and all this other stuff today. Why, striking just rules. Except for the no money and no job part of it. ;)

Glad to be back! I need to visit more...

ETA: Baba and Tracey, if you want company, next week looks kinda free for me, too. And the week after...

Can't think of anything nicer - oh well, maybe getting the transit strike resolved. That would be good too!

If anyone here is an Elizabeth Peters fan, the new Amelia Peabody was just released. If you haven't read the series yet, I highly recommend it. They are very, very funny. And this one takes us back to the Lost Oasis with Ramses as a young (and oh so sexy man). Sigh. Ramses. Anyway, so far it's really good. Last year, Sher and I were eagerly anticipating her last book. She was a big fan too. So I'm thinking of her. I hope they have Amelia Peabody books in heaven!

I'm off to Valley Forge - no doubt you'll be reading of the shortage of cheese steaks after our visit.

Hi all - seems a little more like Winter Break here in the NJ area... Yogi -that retreat sounded amazing, I read some of John Kabat-Zinn's work before. Babalu Congrats! I am so jealous, so, so, jealous. suctionprints-great pic. I wish I had a more modern phone...I am not whining though. I have a nice little dog and I don't have to go to work today! Yea Me.

Ah, darn it, yogi, I didn't read your post in time. I don't know that I could have helped, though, the little place I used to go for a nice cheesesteak closed a couple of years before I moved. For the true cheesesteak experience, though, the places to go for cheesesteak are the two biggies in Philly, Pat's and Gino's.

Hey all! Just quickly checking in...everything's going well, but let's put it this way: I cancelled my therapy appointment tonight because I realized that taking the time to go would stress me out ten times more than just taking a night off!

Biggest news? One of the things I love about New York: saw Blondie for free yesterday! (I think I've talked about how she/they are one of my absolute idols, right?) They gave a free concert down in City Hall Park in conjunction with the domestic release of their new CD (there was an autograph signing afterward as well, but I bailed because the line was ridiculously long, I had things to do, you had to buy the CD and I already had the import, and I already got their autographs back in 1999). Anyway, it was excellent. They did nine songs and it was a mixture of new and classic. And she looks (and sounds) the best she has in recent years--I think she's lost some more weight. One of the things I loved the most is that they're so clearly having a blast when they're performing...I swear I was thinking attendance and a "What I Learned" essay should have been mandatory for certain Idol contestants!

It was a decent turnout, but I went early and was able to get fairly close to the stage. My cameraphone doesn't have zoom and the quality is crap, but this, this, and this should give you at least a vague idea of it.

What else...had my taxes done and discovered my refund will more than pay for my accountant...whee! That alumni meeting was fun and I reconnected with a guy I took a lot of theater classes with...he moved here in 98 and while I hadn't heard of it before, he's the host of a cable access show that's actually a fairly big deal...it's been written up in the Times and he landed an exclusive interview with Liza Minelli after the whole Gest debacle. So not only is it cool to reconnect with a friend, but he's a valuable media/publicity contact for me to boot! And Probation Boy's been really good. He's even called me just to say he'd be calling later, which was sweet. And he already has a new job as a bartender, which simultaneously has me happy for him and "then why the hell was I unemployed for two years?!?" for me. Unfortunately, our schedules have been colliding, but we plan to see each other this weekend.

That's about it...hope you're all doing well!

Hey Folks...just wanted to drop by & say "Hi" (and "Aloha" the 'Lu and "G'Day" to the Aussies) and happy Easter - getting on the big bird plane in a couple of hours & will be blissfully not attached to this metal & wood desk & squeaky chair for a couple of days & won't walk past the office either until Monday. Yay. So early Happy Bunny Day!

Every time I post it gets eaten! Or I shut the window accidentally. Because I am a big dork.

suctionprints, I am sorry to hear the labor dispute is dragging on. I know that everyone was hoping for a speedy resolution if it did come to strike. I can't imagine what it must be like in your position.

OK, wedding details. We're going to have a small family wedding (well, as small as it can be with our families... and notice that I didn't say "quiet"). My mom is coming up tomorrow so she, my best friend and I can all go dress shopping. Very exciting. I've done some preliminary shops, and we're looking at something in the strapless A-line with attached train but other than that pretty simple vein.

I don't have any good pictures online of us (mainly because I'm a slacker that hasn't updated my page really since October/early November), but here's one from Halloween. I'm going to probably wear the same tiara, but clearly a completely different hairstyle plus veil.

We're trying to get a local estate/park for the wedding, in one of the gardens. Wedding packages there come with a carriage ride through the grounds, too, which sounds kind of fun :)

What else? Oh, the ring! Well, we went shopping together, for styles and such, but he did the final trip himself. When we were looking at specific rings and settings once we settled on a store, I made the mistake of asking if all of their stones were round (I had been entertaining the thought of square cut, you see). The saleslady kindly said that all of them were that cut. I later found out that the store is basically the regional equivalent of Tiffany&Co, and they are likewise renowned for their signature cut (which is truly brilliant... 1/2 carats there look bigger and shine brighter than full carats elsewhere). Colour me embarrassed!

But the ring is white gold three-stone, with a center sapphire and side diamonds - just what I've always wanted!

Thanks everyone for the kind wishes and for letting me gush a little!

ETA - Dodo, I am soo jealous! Blondie! And you were right there! And I mean right there! And free! Too exciting! (I think I'm going to be charged for exceeding my exclamation point allowance)

Hi all, sorry I haven't posted in a while, but all this talk of Blondie dredged up an anecdote. One of my closest friends went to see Blondie at a regional rock festival last year and she said she had never seen anyone so wasted in her life. Evidently she could not remember most of the words to her songs and looked like she was about to fall asleep part of the time and about to jump out of her skin the rest of the time. Sheesh. Glad to hear that Blondie has cleaned up her act and was a pleasure to see, Dodo. We are actually going to the same rock festival this summer with our friends, but, sadly, no Blondie. But there will be Judas Priest and Saliva, both of whom I am looking forward to seeing.

Hi Everybody!! Dodo I'm so jealous! Thanks for the pictures. I've never seen Blondie, but I've always liked their tunes. I went to see 38 Special a few years ago and I was about as close as you were, maybe even a little closer, to the stage. And they were awesome by the way! Birdman told me after the concert that he didn't really even like 38 Special before that, but they had such a great show and he had such a great time that now he's a fan forever.
Speaking of Birdman, he won two sets of tickets from a radio contest to see David Bowie this May. We're taking Birdgirl and Birdboy to the concert. My daughter just loves Bowie, and as my son says "Hey, it's free!" We took them to see KISS a few years ago (on one of their many "farewell" tours), and they just loved it. They both said, "Yeah, that was pretty cool", which, coming from my kids, is high praise indeed!! I have to say, I had a fantastic time at the KISS concert, they put on one hell of a show!!
Babalu I'm so excited for you! I can't wait to hear details, details, details about the house and island living.
Karatekate I love your costume! And I have to admit MrAlmostKaratekate looks pretty darn fetching too! Have you considered maybe having a flower wreath/tiara in your hair for the wedding? I just think you have such a beautiful face and flowers would just be the perfect accent for it. And your ring sounds beautful. I'm not really into diamonds very much, so I picked a tiny diamond for my wedding set, but the white gold band is so lovely, delicate yet strong and enduring-looking at the same time.
Yogi have you ever considered the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown for a vacation/getaway kind of thing? I'll bet MrYogi would love it. I've been there twice (even though I really couldn't care less about baseball), and it's absolutely fascinating! All that history! And they have some really cool displays, they even have one small room devoted to Abbot & Costello's "Who's on First". And the gorgeous scenery on the drive to get there! The rolling hills and the farms nestled in them, so very lovely! But you have to go in the summer or the early fall when the leaves are turning, right now is not the best time of year to get the full enjoyment of the views.
Happy Easter/Passover to everyone! But most importantly, HAPPY SPRING!!!

I love to hear you gush! I think it's wonderful when we feel that the world has sent us a bit of luscious abundance, whether in the form of a tall handsome fiance, KarateKate, or Last Dodo's excellent free Blondie concert, or skagirl's few days off from work (and more importantly crazy co-workers) for Easter to visit Mom and Dad, or when we suddenly get a supply of crack from our favorite Hawai'ian transplant (Heh, Heh, Heh, I'm not naming names here!) It's all so very good. I'm so glad to see the Meet Marketers are enjoying this Easter and Passover week. Hooray for all your blessings.

And can I just say that your taste in music always makes me laugh Heidihug? I love the image of you baking cookies to Judas Priest! Don't let anyone try to confine you to a steriotype - you crazy head banger!



It was Ricci. He's a terrific speaker and a gifted teacher. I feel very lucky to have him as a teacher. But the speaker who blew me away was Oriah Mountain Dreamer. I took her workshop because she fit into my schedule. I was not so excited. I think it's the name. I have a bit of a cynical attitude about the whole name thing (isn't that a ridiculous thing to say as I write this under the name of Yogi Bear? Heh!) Anyway, let me just say, she's the real, real thing. If you ever get the chance, and you have any interest, try to take a workshop with her. I am definitely going to do it again.

And with that thought, Tracey Bee, your church must be really terrific to pull you back for services every day - how great that art! At times, I have attended daily mass at the Catholic church (in lots of ways, I enjoy daily mass more than Sunday services!) It sounds like a great way to enjoy Easter week.

So Valley Forge was very interesting. I failed to mention that I grew up very close to Valley Forge, but I haven't been back since I was 19 years old, which is a lot of years ago. I figured everything would have changed beyond recognition, so I didn't expect there to be any memories there for me. Boy, was I wrong. And can I be the first to tell you that you can go home again. We left very early and so finished seeing Valley Forge before lunch. I remembered everything - I used to take my horse up there and ride the fields. I spent the night of the Bicentinial at a Blues concert in the park there. So when I asked at the Visitors Center where we could get a good cheese steak in the area, and they sent me to Subway, I said "Oh my heck!" I was so annoyed, so I suggested we try to find the house I grew up in a lifetime ago, because there was a lunch shop in my old town that sold terrific cheese steaks. Who knew if it still existed? But the Yogi men were game, so we went.

My town has not changed at all. Truly. Even though it's only 20 minutes from downtown Philadelphia, the houses, the land, the little village, it's all the same. I walked the cracks in the sidewalk to my elementary school; I showed my family the grocery store lot where I rode a cart across the parking lot until it hit the concrete stop and I sailed through the air to land in a perfect flying forward roll right next to the street; I took a picture of my house, exactly the same except the shutters are a different color and the lawn is nicer without five kids and six dogs living there; and I passed house after house that held friends I laughed with, ate with, slumber partied with, got drunk with, and grew up with. What an amazing experience. I had no idea that my day would be filled with this. So I had a blessing this Easter Week too. Hooray!

And if you're out there, Hildy, I hope your blessing is finishing that damn cookbook real soon! Champagne is on ice!

Oh Yogi! Thank you for bringing us into your "core of childhood"! It sounds like you have many, many happy memories of growing up. Me too! I feel like I've been blessed in so many ways.
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and your lives. I really enjoy "hearing" from you all.

Man, I want to get to that rock festival, too. I saw Rob Halford (Priest's lead singer) solo about three years ago. What a performer, even though his figure wasn't quite as, um svelte as it was. (It might not have been so noticable if he wasn't wearing chaps over his jeans.) And Priest has a decent anthology out in early May - early editions are going to be wrapped in leather and studs and have some cool bonuses that I didn't get in my promo copy.

Man, I took some cute doggie photos (here and here) with my digital camera, posted them on the blog, and got nothing but hatred. I'm not taking the plight of riders seriously enough. I'm a pet-loving America hater. I don't think I've been so upset since I started this thing. I thought everyone could come together for PUPPIES! GIVE ME A @#$%"&@##$%"'n break!

Dodo, sounds like things are working out. yogi, liked your evocative look at your childhood. karatekate, it's been a bit of a drag, but I am one of the most fortunate ones. Hi to everyone else. I'm going to sign off and think of happy things, like, YES, PUPPIES!

Wow, suctionprints. The climate in Minneapolis is certainly unseasonably hot. Those were some nasty and unreasonable comments. What a strange reaction to that sweet and beautiful creature. I want to adopt the pooch myself! I would also be hurt by those remarks. But I guess being called a pet lover isn't so bad, it's a label I would wear proudly, and you know the other part is just bull shit spewed from an angry jerk. (Sorry to be so crude, but the situation demanded it. I'm mad.) As always, I suggest a nice bath to wash away all the real and emotional crud. And shake the dust from your Berks.

(And thanks for bringing us the pooch pictures - what a sweetie. I really do wish I could bring his chocolate self home...)



You're such a hoot, Birdlady! (get it? hoot, birdlady? snort, chuckle) It was a happy day of memories. It's a real gift to revisit your childhood from an adult perspective. I'm most grateful. And Happy Spring to you to too!

Cooperstown is definitely on our list. I actually think I can convince Mr. Yogi to do that trip pretty happily. This one worked out much better than he expected. But Little Yogi has been in pretty extreme distress these past couple of weeks, and the trip made him very nervous, even though it went well. We'll see if I can mount another expedition soon!

Hi all, I came by to post my ONE HUNDRETH POST! seems like I spend a lot of time at TwoP, but it has taken me a while to get to this number. Suctionprints - I got yelled at when I brought my small dog to a teacher's strike for not taking things seriously too. No one even cared that "The Bing" really supported the cause! My obsession with the weather has returned with the rain - this is not much of a spring break.
well, not much to say (as usual!) but wanted to put the big 1-0-0 here.

Well, anyone who would object to seeing pictures of a lovely dog like that, or having a dog along on the picket line, is just a big old doodiehead. Pooh on them.

I'd wear a t-shirt that said "pet lover." (I do have the Edward Gorey sweatshirt that says, "Books. Cats. Life is sweet.")

The comments made by those nasty people on suction's blog made me ill. I'm being inconvenienced by this strike, and I understand the frustrations of strikes in general (my own union struck last fall), but, good Lord, that vicious rhetoric gains nothing. Some people need to seriously tone it down.

Christ on a Bike.... Never would've thought a cute little puppy like that could be the center of a huge debate! He sure is a cutie though, I would adopt him, but well, there's that whole distance thing...
Have a happy Thursday everybody! Hugs, love and sloppy doggie kisses!

Hi everyone, I'm back! We stayed at a lovely apartment right on the beach. First day or two we had rain, but after that it cleared up and was hot and sunny. We spent time in the pool, spa and on the beach. Yesterday was one of those perfect days, the sun shining on the sea looked like diamonds. I just never tire of the ocean, majestic and soothing. I wanted to spend the whole day in the water.

We went to some nice restaurants and ate and ate! Yummy! I also caught up with some friends. One just had a baby, 12 years after her last child, and it was lovely to visit and spend time with her and her family. Another friend I saw has breast cancer, she had a mastectomy a few weeks ago, and has since had the first 2 of 6 chemo treatments. It was such a shock to see her, even though I knew what to expect. The chemo has absolutely ravaged her. The word I kept getting was "insidious". In the few short weeks since I last saw her, the chemo has just attacked her, it seems. But she is absolutely determined to beat this, so we did some healing and laughing, and went out to lunch together. She and her long time partner have decided to marry once her treatment is behind her, and her hair has grown back, so we also spent some time checking out a few places that might be good for a wedding reception on the beach.

I've missed all of you! It's good to be back. Happy Easter to you all.

Yow, suctionprints, that's a whole lot of vitriol for one cute puppy. Most strange.
I have to submerge back down into bookdom (They want us to make some small changes, so the deadline is Tuesday) but I wanted to quickly say hello to all, Happy Opening Day (Go Sox!) and hope that every body has a great weekend, and Happy Easter to those so celebrating...

suctionprints, you would have thought a puppy would have been about the most benign and non-controversial thing you could possibly post! I can't understand the level of heat some posters seemed to have worked up over it.

My mom came up to help with wedding planning. Last night we bought the dress, veil, and accoutrements. Today she and my fiancé secured the church, the photographer I wanted, and my mom even sprung for a Romance Package at The Jefferson Hotel for the night after the wedding:Sweet!

Hey, have a Super Happy Easter Weekend, everyone, and happy Monday off to those lucky so-and-sos that get it.

Oh my heck, karatekate, that's the perfectest church to get married in I've ever seen. And I think I forgot to mention how attractive you and mr-to-be looked in the Hallowe'en photo you linked to earlier.

AussieGirl - welcome back. I can't think of anyone who deserved a great time away more than you after all you've been through lately. Hugs to your friend with breast cancer. I'm a BC survivor myself, so I have special sympathy for her.

You're all welcome to come stay with us in Hawai'i! It looks like we're going to close the first week of May, but we won't be moving until [projected] the end of 2006. The house itself is okay but not a dream or anything. The decorative and maintenance deficiencies can be fixed, though. We could've bought a spiffier house with no need for updating, but in our price range, it wouldn't have had our view of Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and distant ocean! And it's only a mile away from my sister and brother-in-law. Now we're working on our mom - pretty successfully, too, because she's planning a trip to O'ahu later this month to look at townhomes.

Yay! I get to meet TraceyBee and see suctionprints again within the next week or so! (I got your e-mails - will respond later today or tomorrow!) TraceyBee will have to tell me if the crack seed is everything she remembers it to be. It looks kind of gross to me, frankly, but not nearly as gross as the clam jerky and hot cuttlefish legs. I don't consider myself a narrow eater - love sashimi, calamari, Thai and Indian food, etc., but I guess I'm not as open as I thought.

Hi, everybody!! karatekate, sounds like your wedding planning is going along great! Good for you!
Happy Easter for those celebrating it, and happy Sunday for those who are not.
Boy, the weather around here has just been beautiful!
Welcome back, Aussiegirl, sounds like you had a nice, well deserved vacation.
Babalu, sounds like your (future) home is lovely!

Hey Hildy, make sure you come up for air, mate.

karatekate, that sure is a beautiful church! It looks absolutely beautiful. And the Romance Package sounds like, well...romantic! Just perfect for a honeymoon.

Babalu I had no idea you are a BC survivor. Did you have chemo and all that too? My mother had a mastectomy at age 69, and 14 years later, she is still going well. She didn't have to have chemo or anything, and we were so thankful for that. Apparently, the older you are the better your chances and the less you need other treatment. BTW your house in Hawaii sounds lovely! Glad you enjoyed your trip there. And remember, I'm just down the road, if you ever want to visit...

pretty, beautiful weather in Oregon, you sure are one lucky girl! I can't wait to get back there. Via Hawaii of course, to visit some wonderful TWoP'ers.

The Easter bunny came last night and the kids have spent the morning looking for all the chocolate eggs he hid. Boy, did he find some good hiding places! Today (Easter Sunday) we're taking mother in law and meeting up with all my family for a barbie (bar-b-que) in the park. Should be about a dozen kids there, lots of fun. In Australia, there is always a 4 day weekend at Easter, and the weather is so nice that probably many families will have the same idea to get out into the great outdoors.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Easter!

Hey all! Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

Mine can best be described by separating it into categories:

The Good: Saw Avenue Q on Broadway with fellow TWoPer Dougintx. HYS. TERICAL. Easily one of the funniest things I've seen in ages...and yet oddly truthful at the same time. You can see/hear audio and video clips on the site; I strongly recommend you do.

The Bad: Things are officially over between me and that guy...not that it probably comes as a huge shock to you or me. We were supposed to get together on Saturday, and he pulled another disappearing act. So he blew the extra chance I gave him. Even if I eventually hear from him again, I'm not going to emotionally invest in someone that flighty. I'm not really upset, even, just more in rolling my eyes "whatever" mode.

The Potentially Ugly: I think I told you I moved to NYC because a play I'd done in Chicago was supposed to transfer here and I was going to play the lead again, but then shortly after I moved it got cancelled in the wake of 9/11. Well, now it looks like it's getting going again, but no one's concretely saying I have the part. On the other hand, they're not saying I don't, either, but the vagueness is making me uneasy. I'm supposed to meet with them soon, so I guess I'll find out one way or another, but all I know is if I uprooted everything to move here when I was saving up to move to LA, which is where most of my friends are, then went through 9/11 and two years of unemployment and resulting severe depression with little to no emotional support, only to have this jumpstart someone else's acting career, I'm going to be HELLA pissed. On the other hand, if they weren't planning on using me, they probably wouldn't be keeping me posted on its progress, right? Say, did I mention I don't handle uncertainty well?

The Completely Random: Saw Ethan coming out of the Associated Supermarket on 23rd as I was going in. He looked peeved, for whatever reason.

And now I'm doing my absolute favorite task in the world here at work...a 250 piece mailing! I just love stuffing envelopes! About as much as I love having a root canal or putting lemon juice on a cut or the Sheer Blonde twits. Grrrrrr.

I remember hearing that Ethan was once waiting for the 23rd Street crosstown bus. In fact, it was Stuttering John on Howard Stern's radio show who said it. John leaned out of the window of his car & asked Ethan why he was waiting for the bus since he won a million dollars. I think he offered him a ride but Ethan declined. I'm guessing he still lives in the area.

I would like to hear more about this play Dodo, I think this was before I joined the Market. Good news for me today - my proposal for thesis is accepted for committee. Now all the members just have to "read" it and give it back before May 12. If everything goes right, I will be collecting data this summer and finishing early next year as planned. Right now I am about 2 mos ahead of schedule which is Amazing and Scarey.

Did I mention I hate rain. I bought a lizard sun lamp to sit under but it doesn't help. My dog loves to lay under though (my pro-union dog).

That musical sounds like a giant hoot, and I'd love it to come to Boston. Or me to go to NYC, where I would go and purchase Yogi and Dodo a beverage of their choice.
Way to go, Ricci, on your thesis! I can't imagine being ahead of schedule on anything; I'm just not wired that way.
Yogi, I wonder whether you grew up with my cousins, who also lived quite near Valley Forge, in Malvern/Frazer, Penn? They lived right near a golf course, if that rings a bell at all.

Y'all, I finished the thrice-damned book! Wheeeeeeee!!!!!
And in honor of that momentous event, I post the following recipe:

Bacon-wrapped Breadsticks

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Yogi and her husband Mr. Yogi, two very accomplished and ingenious cooks. Yogi loves to serve this at cocktail parties, where it’s always sure to disappear quickly. She says, “This appetizer (affectionately called Bacon on a stick) is a very popular appetizer for those guest with a hungry appetite. It is very hearty and delicious. The brown sugar caramelizes on the bacon as it cooks to create a tasty coating.”

20 Italian breadsticks
10 slices of bacon
1 cup of brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Cut each slice of bacon in half, crosswise. Wrap the bacon around the breadstick in a downward spiral from the top of the breadstick to about 1/4 to 1/2 the way down it. Roll the bacon wrapped breadstick in the brown sugar to liberally coat it. Place the breadsticks on a foil lined cookie sheet, leaving some space between each breadstick. Cook for ten minutes, turning halfway. Serve immediately.


Add it in: Mix a tablespoon of Mexican chili powder into the brown sugar. Oh my heck, it’s yummy.

Hildy that sounds absolutely yummy! I'm going to try it, just as soon as I get the metric conversion sorted out. Many thanks to you and to Mr and Mrs Yogi Bear.

Dodo, it sounds like that guy just blew it? Who needs people like that? I say you have done the right thing. Re the play situation, it's good that they are keeping you informed at least, but I'm sorry you had to uproot yourself so much, moving and unemployment and depression. And 9/11. I've often wondered how people that actually live there, like you and Yogi and others, handled 9/11. Watching it on TV is one thing, but to actually be there while it was happening seems incomprehensible to me. Anyway, I truly hope that things turn around for you - you sure deserve it.

Well the weather here is still so warm that today we may well take mother in law up to the beach on the Sunshine Coast. We have some friends we want to catch up with, so I'd better get going. Happy Wednesday, or Tuesday, or whatever.

Tentative Agreement reached in bus strike. We vote tomorrow and Thursday. I could be back to work Monday.

Yum! I gotta make those. I also gotta get the recipes for the breadsticks that Grumpy's Bar trots out for their gallery openings (Mr. Grumpy is a multifaceted bar owner) - they are not sweet, rather black peppery, and awfully good. Yay, Hildy - that book looks like it's going to be great! Yay, Yogi!

Suction, I think that's good news about the end of the strike? How are you feeling about the agreement?

My trip was fantastic, will write more tomorrow! Had yoooge dinner, and the strongest margaritas ever. I might just not eat or drink for the next 8 days. Blerp.

ska, I don't know how I feel, because the union just cancelled the vote until they get more information. Someone jumped the gun at the union office and said we were voting. But then on the TV news, the president of the union said we weren't until they got the missing info. Yikes. What a rollercoaster.

Hey, Gang at Meet Martket!

I'm glad to hear that there is some movement, any movement, on this strike, suctionprints. But really, how disappointing is it to hear almost moments after the good news that the vote has been canceled? I would feel a bit frustrated, that's for sure. I have been checking out your blog from time to time, and I loved you entry on a day at the picket line with George. The photos and stories were really both fun and interesting, as I've never been on strike. I was thinking, it would be wonderful if somehow your excellent work on you blog opened another door. It's a wonderful thing when something good comes from a difficult time, as I find is often the case.

Yum, skagirl, yum. I'm glad to hear that your crazy co-worker free Easter Holiday was a delicious success.

And major, major hoorays to Hildy! Pop, Clink, Slurp.... What's that sound? Why that's me opening up a magnum of champagne to celebrate! There's plenty for everyone, but if no one wants to join in, I think Hildy might polish off a good third all by herself. And also, thank you so much for the Yogi entry in the cookbook. I can't tell you how please both the Yogi's are to be included in your project. Thrilled really. And such nice words you wrote too! I'm fecklempt. (sp?)

Congratulations to you too Ricci. In all my years at university, I have never met an academic ahead of schedule. You are clearly a talented woman in so many ways, and now I just add efficient to the list of glowing adjectives I would apply to you. And let me just say, I'm not enjoying the rain myself.

Let's all go visit Aussie Girl who has the audacity to live near a place with the impossibly idyllic name of Sunshine Coast. I mean really, Aussie Girl, that's just too wonderful for words. I bet your MIL thinks she's landed in paradise, though Montana in the summertime is quite breathtakingly beautiful as well. I'm glad you had such a nice holiday with friends and fun in the sun.

I want to see Avenue Q, Last Dodo. I've heard such great things about it. I took my parents to see Wicked over Easter, and they really, really enjoyed it. It's actually gotten even better in the last few months. We also had a nice holiday with them - we had great meals at home and some great meals out, and they both left happy and ready to return for Little Yogi's birthday in June!

Things have been a bit... rocky in the Yogi household. Little Yogi's been having a really hard time of it. Really hard. There've been days in the last few weeks when I didn't know how I could make it through, bear it. So this weekend, I realized I needed more help - an couple of extra pairs of hands, a couple of extra brains. At one time, I had three assistants in various roles at either the office or helping me at home. So I started to pray really hard because that's how I find people, believe it or not - you should hear some of my stories on this. Lots of folks recommend an add or calling an agency, but I've never had the same success with that. So I prayed the very beautiful worded and elaborate prayer of "Help, help, I need help", and then, just to be coherent and useful in my search, I also called friends and old assistants to tell them I needed help and to keep an eye out for me. Well in literally two short days, I have help coming in this summer. One woman, who has been living in Buenos Aires for the last two years, is coming back for the month of June to work with me again. In a million years, I would never have expected that. She is wonderful - bright, energetic, beautiful, plus I love her. She has a great heart. And then I got an e-mail last night from another young woman, a freshman at college who is also an exceptional, beautiful human being. I've got to tell you, I've always been a big believer in prayer, but this time even I'm a bit amazed at the effieciency of the response to me request (or should I say despirate plea?). Hooray, help is on the way. And Lord, thank God. They'll probably find me crawling around on my hands and knees babbling if they don't get here soon.

Maybe I should go on down to 23rd to see if Ethan is available? He could stand around without his shirt on and cheer the rest of us up while we work. That would be pleasant.