Ceremoniously.

Mariachi '07
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

Robert and I un-ceremoniously celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary last Friday by NOT having a Mariachi event at our home. Anniversaries past I never had to purchase a card or flowers! It was all about speaking wacky white Spanish to some dude and his eighteen bandmates on a cell phone at ten at night (or laugh on the couch while your super-gringo husband mangles through it), ordering a keg, brainstorming appetizer ideas,collaging an invite and stapling it on a telephone poll.
Instead, this year I've led myself down all the familiar roads; guilt, forgetfullness, laziness, and lets just heap on a bit more guilt and selfishness. Don't call Hallmark yet! I believe I have an ace in the hole, A REDEEMER!, a 'get out of jail free card'..... NEW ORLEANS!
I'm a procrastinator by trade. I take action after a swift punch of guilt. And I believe you plan your own 'luck'. So let's say.... I'm ready to hit black jack 21 times in a row (Thanks Thunderbird Casino for the first experience!).
I know there's one lucky man who deserves it all. NOLA, I'm here. I'm planning for us to take you by storm. Dear Senor Mariachi- you have a contender.

Vampire Weekend

far+near
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

After a week full of ping ponging between band dedication and vampire love fandom finally on Friday we loaded up the Great Food Experiment IV, Twilight on audio, road snacks and drove west to Forks, WA. Hayley's nose has been stuck in a book of epic proportions (uh thousands of pages worth!) for the last month. Robert and I had The Olympic National forest carrot dangling in front of our faces under the guise of tromping about Forks and catching a peek at fictitious teenage vampire's hangouts. We listened to half of Twilight on audio, and Hayley graced us with her reading.... so that we weren't waiting another 300 miles until Bella and Edward KISSED!!!! I secretly reminisced about all the Sweet Valley High books I mooned over as a teenager, and vowed to read Stephanie Meyer's Twilight trilogy.
The rain passed us up. The leaves were changing, the hot springs were smelly but clothed!, and Second Beach gets my 'best ever' vote. The bowling in Forks is vintage, blacklight, unmechanized awesomeness. Hayley saw all the Edward and Bella Twilight sites and got pics. Success!
I felt relaxed as soon as my foot hit the squishy floor of the rainforest and we were spotting the sunlight on Second Beach between thousands of hundred year old trees. I'm already planning my and Robert's weeklong hiking vacation next summer. (Don't worry Hayley! I'll give you a free pass on this one...)

Summer Ends....

Cosmic Sundola
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

And if you live where I live- you go to a state fair and stuff your
pie-hole with corndogs to medicate yourself.
I'm ticked that right now my nose is cupped intermittently in my hand. Its time to cruise Goodwill for sweaters- we might as well back up the truck. We have a date for storm windows next week. My Grandpa will be disappointed to know that I lost the battle for the 80 degree house, and YES! it will be 68 degrees this winter. All Winter Long. (We may have a brief 75 degree intermission between 6p.m. and 8p.m..... pray for me.)
What I can be thankful for is that I get to spend the next three months holed up with fun people I love. Last weekend Robert and I agreed to a 'time worked=time paid' chore chart. We assigned chores a work time amount (i.e. 'making dinner' earns you 35 minutes!) And some members of this house get paid a WHOPPING! Ten dollars per hour. We could discuss the Washington State Minimum Wage- but we won't.
And some other members like to hog the BIG chores so they can make the rest of us look like chore-whimps. We've been 'calling' chores. haha.
Its been fun to keep a spotlessly clean house. (Yes, Mom. I said that!) Hayley even commented that it was like playing 'Yahtzee'.
Recently I've been enamored by the people that surround me. My work, my home is filled with people that impress me with their dedication and positivity every day. I'm damn lucky.
Onto winter! I hope its short, sweet and full of hot chocolate.

'I Need A Human Right By My Side'

Bermuda Highway
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

Robert and I witnessed a spectacular My Morning Jacket show at McMenamin's at Edgefield. I sincerely wish that everyone loves Southern Rock. Jimmy James y crew delivered- rockin' high kicks, falsetto, love ballads, strobe lights,afro-hair iridescent in the sparkling dusky light.... it was a full meal deal. (Plus Seven songs).
Tori courageously led us through the P-Town public transit system. Dave laughed at all our jokes, and unwittingly egged us on. Armpit love vs. Kentucky girls= A shorter bus ride with a couple of drunks.

It was the most gorgeous weekend in Portland ever. The sun was bright and hot. Robert played soccer with some kid and an old shoe. I made a quiche- the first ever, and it didn't kill us from its 4 hour ride in the trunk. It was bacon-y delicious especially with Dave's mountain of tomatoes. We drank bloody marys, beer, and ate! A LOT! The chocolates at Pix were to die for- Thanks Tori& Dave!! We had a marvelous weekend!

Blog-Rite

Fuschia-d Fall
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

I wore leg warmers all day. I rode my bike and my head turned into a block of ice- it was 6:30am. Hayley warned that it would be a 'freezing' 68 degrees. During my ride I created a chart in my mind that compared the expense of proper cold weather bicycle gear vs. costs of gasoline. A balaclava was represented by a nice rosy color bar that outshot the decadence of my hefty thighs.
These are the days of fall that if I were to fast forward to January, I'd be traipsing about in a tshirt, leaving the front door open, and pouring myself a white wine spritzer.
My blog has been sapping my procrastinating energy. If my blog were a discount store it would be bins full of crappy internet lists and haggard cashiers rasping, 'anything else??'...
I'm in the mood to be along for the ride. Sorry, I'm not taking us anywhere. But I'll bring my Chromeo, my Michael Jackson dance moves, iced americano+honey skills, and some PMA to save your day.

Outsourcing Inspiration

1999 sunset
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

I've been waving my hand at a smattering of all things inspirational this week.
I've perused book stores. Did you know that there is a book about all the dirty 'Star' secrets of every literary writer?? AND philosopher's tell jokes. Who knew?
I've been riding my bicycle. An old lady in a 1980 Taurus heckled me and cackled that I needed a helmet. Ugh. I hate bike helmets. I'll sneak in here that I joined a gym. They have a TV on each treadmill. Ah, that's a slice of heaven.
I took a swig of absinthe- stateside this tastes like the Czech moonshine I drank on a bus in Alaska. I may have to wax my chest tomorrow.
I've been acting goofy; dancing in unison with various peeps,watching Harold and Kumar. Some have witnessed me laughing until I fall off the couch.
Robert pimped our ride. I'm cruising around in a waxed, new white wall tired, detailed leather interior Buick LeSabre. Save your jealousy, and ask your Dad to give you a deal.
The icing on the cake is that Saveur finally did a whole issue on Breakfast. I'm suddenly in love with boiled eggs. I'm planning my next NOLA visit to Waffle House- Robert's never been scattered, covered and smothered. My mouth is still open in disbelief.

ZAP!!!!

Beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde
Originally uploaded by mollyinalaska

I brazenly stole this photo... so please don't think that I am eating beignets and drinking a cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde and be excruciatingly jealous.
Robert and I are taking a trip over Halloween to New Orleans and suddenly I am back in a time fifteen years ago... and its hard for me to believe that there is a time called '15 YEARS AGO'. I added two and thirteen together when I was trying to find a 'drinking establishment' I used to frequent and came up with 'NEARING MIDDLE-AGE'.
I attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge for a brief time, before they figured out that I was briefly attending. I gave my parents a lot of grief. I was nineteen. I've always hoped they expected it.
I loved the sickeningly sweet smell of the magnolias. The flying cockroaches that could be killed strategically. The best way to keep a single dorm room is to keep your roommate together with her boyfriend. I drank a lot of Turbo Dog, ate a bit of ettouffe(mmmm 15 pounds worth), and lived out my ill understanding of 'karma'. My professors sang karaoke at a bar called 'The Library'. I thought 'synchronicity' was a daily played horoscope. I was so young.
I paid $7 to see the Counting Crows, The Breeders and Jon Spencer's Blues Explosion. I saw a pulsating Krispy Kreme donut sign for the first time. I finally understood the collegiate 'Greek'- and realized they are easily dislike-able. People in the South are able to smoke in a grocery store! You can purchase a daquiri in a drive thru. Its possible to be generally friendly. Its American to love Southern Rock and fish off any bridge. I am stoutly American.
I succinctly learned that the world outside the Pacific Northwest is dirty, old, friendly and it tastes better. Now I just have to figure out my Halloween costume....

Zombie.

Zombie.
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

I'm sick, and this is what I feel like.

'I Can Lead a Nation With a Microphone.'

Normalcy
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

The title is a line from The Flobots, 'Handlebars'.
I feel compelled to talk about why I get verklempt when I
1. Watch the Democratic National Convention 2008.
2. Listen to 'Pink Houses' while driving home through corn fields. (sheez! wouldn't ANYONE have shed a tear during that one??!)

I'm sure the Olympics warmed me up.

Ever since I listened to Joe Biden's speech at the DNC about his wonderful wife and mother I have been a sucker for family centered sentimental nationalism. Ugh. I have never fallen for this ploy until now..... Damn you Joe. Tim Russett could have put in all in perspective for me, but on my own- I'm overwhelmed. I feel this deep responsibility to be involved.
Joe- It was your grey hair, your genuine smile. You're white. You're old. I was a Hillacrat.
Joe credited his mother with all life's idioms. He tore at my heart for a whole 20 minutes.
I was lucky my husband was watching I-82E through 'Pink Houses' lest he notice me hanging my head out the window to dry my eyes. My voice cracked a couple of times singing along.
After seeing 42 Million peeps at the Mile High Stadium- my expectations are UP. Way UP! I am ready to be a part of the ride.
Dear America-I'm ready to sit down to dinner with y'all. Its vegan treat at my house. I'll meet you outside the voting booth.

The Last Word: Debrouillard.

sakura vs. brock
Originally uploaded by wendysteere

Also known as 'System D'; I'm liberally slathering it all over life. A philosophical duct tape of P.M.A. that McGyver's life's speed bumps. We spent three days in an animated land; Kumori-Con, Portland Oregon. For the citizens of Portland it was Halloween. For the participants it was a gooey, glompy and akward teenage romance- in costume. Hayley sang her most amazing ever. Robert got a *little* choked up.
We ate crepes, saw Star Wars characters (Japanese Anime??), sang along to Steve Miller, tried to feed Shannon ANYTHING and mostly costume watched.
Tori and Dave hospitably endured a cut finger, dirty dishes, WINE! ON DEMAND!, and parted with 'I Like Killing Flies' : A documentary to start/confirm all of your fears about kitchen 'System D', and to renew your faith in the human race.
Life's never happenning the way you planned it. Its 'System D' all the way and hopefully you're attitude and brain power is equipped for the ride.
Its a low-riding Buick, changing into your costume in a Macy's bathroom, a 'diner' sushi rotisserie, a burrito-carnage infested Taco Bell, a plushy sword fight in a parking garage. The fun is never where I expect it. I'm adjusting to an ever surprising mythical teenage life.