Thanksgiving in DC

Calvin and I spent Thanksgiving in DC with his mom and her family- it was a lot of fun, tasty too. Here are a few pictures.

Thanksgiving

I was very nervous about making a pie for Thanksgiving. I have only made one with out supervision from Grandmary and Barbara, and that was for my friends, who of course are always supportive. This was my first pie for an audience of people I haven't know for 20 years. I did really want to make one, though, because it was having store-bought pie at last year's Thanksgiving that inspired me to learn how to make one. For all my fretting, it turned out quite nicely, if I do say so myself. Several people asked me if "I took a class" to learn how to make pie. Which seemed like a very New Yorker question.

Are there pictures from other Thanksgivings around the country?

My Pie

Otis smiling after tasting the pie. (Seriously)

Does anyone else . . .

. . . have the Beyonce single stuck in their head?

Need some free Christmas music

Until Friday at 4, you can download Orpah's Christmas album for free.

3 going on 16

Anders went to a party this weekend at an arcade which had junior go kart racing. He got to drive as part of the party. Here are some videos of our little racer.

Is Anyone else getting irritated with Keith Olbermann?

I have enjoyed hearing Keith Olbermann hold forth on topics from the World Series to Quantanamo for many years. But I didn't really need to see clips of him making pies with Martha Stewart on his own show, over and over and over again.

Keith is beginning to remind me of Stephen Colbert a little bit, and not in a good way. Seeing Keith enjoy his celebrity is getting on my nerves- is this part of some grouchy election withdrawal syndrome?

Fire House Games Endure

This is Anders and his best friend Ava playing fire station on the jungle gym at school. They play every day. They slide down the jungle gym legs (the fire poles) a lot and the red pails are their field-expedient fire helmets.

The Wonders of Skype

I am a huge fan of Skype but I had no idea its many capabilities. Here is a good primer.

Trip to Lookout Mountain, Golden, Co

Anders is a prodigious rock climber



With Dak and Andy's encouragement

Ezra has made his peace

and is now taking on a guarding role

G-mail users

What do the G-mail users think of the new themes? I like them, though I think the actual part where you see your e-mail could be integrated better. Right now I have Ninja on.

Puppy Cam

Free TV : Ustream

Pictures stolen from Sarah's Shutterfly account

In case you don't know, there are more pictures of Sonja and Anders to be found on Sarah's Shutterfly account. Here are two of my favorites.

Power to the People!

A gift from her Aunt Kate, for when she is a little bigger.

Congratulations Kym

More congratulations are in order. Kym has been funded by the National Science Foundation for her dissertation project "Fighting the Wall: The production of local space in the face of moral panic on the international border in Brownsville TX." Go Kym.

Go Molly, J.D.!

Congratulations! It's official, she's been sworn in!

Sonja Petunia

Lawrence Summers as Treasury Secretary?

A thoughtful analysis of the former Harvard president's flaws.

I still can't stop obsessing!

Guarding against the villains

So I am in San Antonio for a few days visiting with Molly and Jerry. Mom and Dad are arriving later today so that we can all go to Molly's swearing in ceremony tomorrow morning at the Texas Supreme Court. I spent yesterday with Molly volunteering at the First San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon. We worked at mile 19 from 5:30 in the morning until just past 1:30. But we will blog about that later.

I just felt the need to blog about the crazy night visitors that Molly and Jerry had last night. They slept through the whole thing but I was in the front room and neither Asta nor I nor Nola could sleep through these crazy people. Someone pulled into the driveway around 1:30 and started getting in and out of their car over and over again. Then they came up to the front door and started banging on it. Asta went crazy and started barking. She may be small but she sounds really big from the other side of a closed door. Clearly she got her bark from the lab side of her family tree. So after Asta chases them off I hear them get back in their car and I glance out the window and see them weaving off down the street. I think, maybe they are drunk or high and had the wrong house. Okay, glad Asta was here and Asta and I head back to bed. Half an hour later they come back and start the entire routine over again only this time they use the doorbell. This time both Nola and Asta both go crazy and I expect Molly and Jerry to come flying out to see what is happening. But as I learned this morning, they slept through the whole thing and only woke up to hear Nola barking. They figured he was just being annoying and made him stop barking and go back to his crate. Asta kept up her barking until the car drove off again. She likes to protect me from the villains. Apparently she is very good at it. They didn't return for a third visit and for that I am glad but I am still somewhat freaked out, and not only because Molly and Jerry could sleep through such a visit. At least they have Nola and next time they say they'll trust his nighttime barking and let it continue. After all, when Asta and I go home, someone will have to guard against the villains.

75 Comic Books that will be made into Movies

Read about it on Den of Geek

Jacob Borshard

Jacob just released a new album that can be downloaded for free on his website http://www.creebobby.com/. It is great as always. Jacob is also now drawing a weekly comic. I am still trying to get him to do a graphic novel. You can see his comics at his website too.

Google adds video chat to Gmail

Google challenges Skype- read about it here

The Audacity of an email!

Kym and I discussed yesterday how annoying it is to still be getting emails asking for money from the Obama campaign. The most recent offered a "free" Victory shirt that as Kym rightly pointed out is UGLY. Slate wrote an article that sums it all up.

Neilson's Mom's Book

Neilson's mom recently published her 5th book. It is her third novel--she also wrote a memoir about her divorce and a book of essays and articles she published in magazines and newspapers, including the NY Times Hers column. She has received nice reviews in Library Journal and the East Hampton Star, and has also made gotten a good response on some book blogs, and is seeking out other reviews, and, of course, readers. Pass the word.

Community Colleges on the Rise

When the economy really started to tank , (My) Dad suggested that a community college is a pretty good place to work in an economic crisis. Looks like he was right.

Super Obama World

Check out Super Obama World

Dak and Sonja and Ezra

Dak is wearing Sonja's hat....

Change.gov

Obama's new website, change.gov

Guess I'm still obsessing.

"Serene" is her middle name.....

In her stroller, on the way to the library and the park



Ezra checking Sonja out. He slowly walked across her chest a few times while she slept on Grandmary's lap (his personal space, you know) -- very deliberate, full weight, alternating each paw. She startled a bit, and went back to sleep each time. Just another day in the the life of a baby.

Strangers on a Train

A friend of mine found another video of the subway ride of joy on YouTube, shot by someone else. You can see Neilson and, maybe, my hand. The only bad thing is some of the psycho -pro McCain comments some people made on Youtube. I was going to post a link to my video of the train, but didn't want the wingnuts to find me.

I passed the BAR

I just found out 5 mins ago that I passed the bar! I will officially be a lawyer after I am sworn in by a judge in about 3 weeks. The only thing that would make this week more perfect would be for Granddad to be here. I know he is watching and happy.

First Lady Fashion

I know that this is horribly shallow, not relevant, and probably demeaning, but I can't help reading all the articles about Michelle's dress. I for one said "what is she wearing" the minute she walked out.

Even the boys at Project Rungay had something to say. Michelle should give them a call, it would just make life easier.

Feel free to yell at me for caring about what this amazing woman wore.

I know this is small potatoes . . .

but I hope it is true that the Obamas plan to adopt a rescue dog.

Rachel Maddow on America's promise

I wish I could find some video of her on Martha Stewart yesterday.

I love this picture!

Neilson and Kate -- Upper West Side Obama Celebrations

(Taken by Andy Peach, Nov 4, 2008)

Celebration on the 1 Train

Neilson and I had a great ride home on 1 train. A group of kids heading down to Times Square were leading the whole train in chants of "O-o-o-bama" and "Hey Obama!" At each stop, they would insist on total silence just before the doors opened then break out in cheers and chants and dancing as new people came on the train. I'm sorry this video is sideways--I don't think my computer has the capacity to rotate it. Neilson also took (higher quality) videos--I will post them later.



I love New York.

Election scorecard cheat sheet.

Slate has a great article with a cheat sheet for which counties to watch and all the important poll closings. Read it here .

Voting in NY

Calvin and I voted at 7AM this morning, many people at the polls on the Lower East Side. Go Obama!

Phone Banks Relieve Stress

I just spent a couple of hours calling Florida voters who have been identified as Obama supporters to remind them of their poll locations. Calling voters made me less anxious than I have been while sitting around hitting the refresh button on 538, and the phone bank was conveniently located 3 blocks from my house in what normally is a neighborhood bar/ music spot. Among the tiny number of voters who actually answered my call, most had already voted but seemed relatively happy to get my call anyway.

Family Values

He not only takes time off the campaign trail to visiting his ailing grandmother, he also takes the time to take his daughter trick-or-treating. Hang on Toot!

Yes We Can Hold Babies

If you need a one day to go to the election stress reliever, you might want to go to Yes We Can Hold Babies, which consists most of pictures of Obama with babies and kids, as well as kids and babies who are wearing Obama gear. It will cheer you up.

Pundit Predictions in Washington Post

I wish I could sleep until Tuesday, I am going crazy with my election obsession.

Here are predictions by pundits from the left and right in the Washington Post.

Happy Halloween!

BOO!