Cute Pug

Top Chef

is on tonight and it's the season finale.
I am hoping Marcel will pull through and
kick Ilan's ass. i think both of these guys
are cocky, but I like Marcel a little more
because he isn't there to make friends and
it's entertaining watching him say so. As
for the food, I'm excited to see what the
final challenge will be and who's dishes
will be more appetizing to the judges.
**Marcel didn't win.

Great Song...

"The most tender place in my heart is for strangers..
I know it's unkind but my own blood is much too dangerous.
Hangin' round the ceiling half the time,
Hangin' round the ceiling half the time.

Compared to some I've been around,
But I really tried so hard.
That echo chorus lied to me with its,
'Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on'.

In the end I was the mean girl...
Or somebody's in-between girl.
Now it's the devil I love.
And that's as funny as real love.

I leave the party at three a.m.
Alone, thank God...
With a valium from the bride,
It's the devil I love.
And that's as funny as real love.
And that's as real as true love.

That echo chorus lied to me with its,
'Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on'."

--Neko Case

For Those Who Finished Painting:

We Salute You!!!
Craig and I finished painting our living room this
weekend and it looks great!
The color we chose is called 'Red Hot' and since it is
such a deep color, it took a few coats on each wall. We
literally worked all day Saturday, but it was totally
worth it. Craig and I didn't bicker once! I will post
some pics as soon as I take em'.

We had lunch yesterday at Cafe Tecolote up
in Santa Fe and that was fun. They have these baskets of
freshly baked goods that are brought to the table and it's
really hard not to eat the whole thing before your actual
breakfast arrives.

Tonight Anthony Bourdain is in Russia, it should be good. I love his monologues at the end-- they're always a bit cynical, but totally heartfelt.

I wish I had

a photo of our dinner from last night, it
was absolutely delicious! Craig made us
spicy sausages with red, yellow and green
peppers, sauteed with onions just til they
were staring to caramelize, garlicky marinara
and topped with mozzerella on a baguette.
Let me just tell you, it was FABULOUS!
I want one right this minute.

On the baby front, I went to visit my friend Lori
yesterday who recently had her 1st child, Mathias.
He is super cute and such a good baby. When she had
him, her and boyfriend hadn't decided on a name yet.
They finally decided on Mathias because she said he
had been lifting his head and kicking a lot so they
wanted a strong name for him and Mathias seemed like
the perfect choice... and it is.

In other baby news, Alison and Miss Ruby Lou will be
in Albuquerque next month for a visit, so we're
super excited to finally meet this sweet girl. She
is also super cute... we plan on giving that bebe some
major hugs and besos.

Stinging Velvet

"Rain falls, I fix my eyes...
Let go of the focus and I blur out all the lines,
Just to remember, remember.

Crying 'cause it's not my fault-
Water through my lashes look just like Christmas lights.
And I still remember, remember...

Cold and shivering,
Cold and shivering,
Cold and shivering warm.

Sing please, rock me to sleep.
Quiet as a canyon up under heaven's eaves.
I surrender, surrender...

Downstairs the furnace swells-
Safe from all the horrors in your stinging velvet arms.
And I surrender, surrender...

Cold and shivering,
Cold and shivering,
Cold and shivering warm."

--Neko Case

FAVORITES...

TOP 5 FAVORITE SONGS TODAY, FOR NO REASON:

1. Ms. Jackson-- Outkast
2. Devil In Desguise-- Gram Parsons
3. Set Out Running-- Neko Case
4. Son of A Preacher Man-- Dusty Springfield
5. Twist the Knife-- Neko Case

We're painting our living room-- red hot!-- and
my arms and back are sore. Ow.

Tuesday's Gone...

Not a lot to report. Work has been busy and
a bit crazy, but it makes time fly, so I can't
complain too much. I have been recieving all
sorts of cool mail from the postcard exchange
I've been doing. It's so fun to get creative
things in the mail! Maybe I'll post a few of
the super cool cards and stuff later.

"Train roll on, on down the line,
Won't you please take me far away?
Now I feel the wind blow outside my door,
Means I'm leaving my woman behind.
Tuesdays gone with the wind.
My womans gone with the wind."

--Lynard Skynard

Supposedly, yesterday was the most depressing
day of the year... according to some
random study that was done. It was a pretty
rough day, I'll have to say.

Thanks Baby for the random fact.

Last night

we watched "Little Miss Sunshine" and it was great!
It was funny and I am thrilled to finally have seen it. The
girl who plays 'Olive' is absolutely adorable! We especially liked
her dance at the end.... watch it!

Dixie Chicks are on 'Austin City Limits' tonight... I hope to stay awake long enough to catch it. I like the Dixie
Chicks, they remind me of my sister Lydia.


We stopped at the Farmer's Market today and Craig made his famous salsa for us.
It has green, red and yellow jalepenos, onions, cilantro, tomatoes and lime.
It's delicious and hot and when it sits it gets even hotter. Here's a photo of
it's goodness:


Top 5 Songs For Staying home and Eating on a Saturday Night:

1.) Miss Fat Booty --Mos Def
2.) Scarlet Begonias-- Sublime
3.) High Fashion Queen-- Chris Hillman/Steve Earle
4.) Pigs In Zen-- Jane's Addiction
5.) Porchlight-- Neko Case

Today,

I thought of a new post idea. I am menstrurating
and am all over the place emotionally (sorry baby!), so
I thought I'd do a "Top 5 Songs to Describe My Feelings
During Aunt Flow's Visit" type of thing. I will try to do
a "Top 5" theme daily, a la 'High Fidelity' -one of my
favorite books about music and relationships.
Ok, here goes...

1.) Shitlist-- L7
2.) Come Away With Me-- Norah Jones
3.) Mood To Burn Bridges-- Neko Case
4.) American Girl-- Tom Petty
5.) To Be Young-- Ryan Adams

BOOMIN' GRANNY...

"Well I'm 26 And You're 80-
The Clock Is Ticking So You Better Not Front
We Can Go To My Place Or We Could Smoke A Blunt.
Well You're A Lovely Girl, Just Like B.Arthur
Just Turn Down The Lights So We Can Go Farther.
Boomin' Granny, Boomin' Fanny
Boomin' Granny, Good And Plenty...
Because I Saw Ya At The Check Out Line-
You Dropped Your Coupons And You Were Looking Fine.
Sophisicated, And So Mature,
I Couldn't Really Care If You're 50 Or 74.
Becaues I Want Ya, And I Need Ya
Hey Boomin' Granny You Could Be My Teacher.
And I Could Be Your Pet, Bet.
Listen Old Lady I'm Gonna Make Ya Sweat
I Know I'm Younger, And Your Much Older
You Look So nice On My Chevy Nova.
I'm gonna Take Her To The Low Ryder Show, And Flaunt Ya
I Gotta Tell Ya Lady I Said I Want Ya, Boomin' Granny
Because I Need You Boomin' Granny...
Boomin' Granny, Boomin' Fanny...
Boomin' Granny, Good And Plenty..."

--Beastie Boys

this song is so funny.

'No Reservations'

is on tonight and Chuck Palahniuk will be
a guest on the show! Tony will be in the
Pacific Northwest where Chuck is from and I'm
soooo excited, I can hardly wait! Here's some
more info on the show if anyone is unfamiliar
with it: click this.

I've been thumbing through "Fugitives & Refugees'
all morning with the hopes they stop in some places
that Chuck writes about.

I did a previous post on this, so I may be repeating
myself, but I don't care--I'm excited!

"Be Here To Love Me:

A Film About Townes Van Zandt" was on the Sundance
channel today and it was GREAT. It's a documentary on
his 'troubled life and prolific career.' It was incredibly
touching and sad and I hope to come across it again.

I love this song...

"If I needed you
Would you come to me,
Would you come to me,
And ease my pain?
If you needed me
I would come to you
I'd swim the seas
For to ease your pain.

In the night forlorn
The mornings born
And the morning shines
With the lights of love
You will miss sunrise
If you close your eyes
That would break
My heart in two."

--Townes Van Zandt

On another note, we're going to have dinner
at Padilla's tonight. I love that place. They
always have a wait, so we're going a little bit
earlier than we'd normally go. .."the early bird"
dinner as we like to call it. Yum, I can't wait.

This was our dinner last night:

Braised short ribs, risotto with parmesan, bacon and
oyster mushrooms, and artichokes steamed with lemon,
parsley, garlic and mint. Craig did a fantastic job as
always--it was delicious!

What a Day!

'IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH'
is a movie that is being filmed here in New Mexico.
As a matter of fact, they are shooting a scene in
our neighborhood tomorrow. We were asked if someone
could come by and melt the snow in our front yard for
the scene. As it turns out, Charlize Theron and Tommy Lee
Jones are filming between 8am and 4pm ACROSS THE
STREET from our house! WOO-HOO, you better belieeeve
I will have my camera out, all paparazzi-like. I hope to
see one if not both of them, as they are both great actors.
I will post any pictures I may be able to take. For more info
on the film and cast, go here: here.

In other great news, my good friend Lori had her baby today!
It's a boy and he was born early this morning. As of this
afternoon, they were still undecided on names. I did see
a picture and he is adorable! Congratulations!

Listen here,'YOUNG PILGRAMS':

guess who'll be on Saturday Night Live this weekend...
YUP, the Shins! I remember the good old days of seeing
them @ the Launchpad- always for free. The way they've
blown up over the years, I wonder if they'll play any
hometown shows in the future. That'd be lovely.

"A cold and wet November dawn
And there are no barking sparrows
Just emptiness to dwell upon.

I fell into a winter slide
And ended up the kind of kid who goes down chutes too narrow
Just eking out my measly pies.

But I learned fast how to keep my head up 'cause I
Know there is this side of me that
Wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just
Fly the whole mess into the sea.

Another slow train to the coast
Some brand new gory art from way on high
I sink and then I swim all night.

I watch the ice melt on the glass
While the eloquent young pilgrims pass
And leave behind their trail
Imploring us not to fail.

Of course I was raised to gather courage from those
Lofty tales so tried and true and
If you're able I'd suggest it 'cause this
Modern thought can get the best of you.

This rather simple epitaph can save your hide your falling mind
Fate isn't what we're up against there's no design no flaws to find
There's no design no flaws to find.

But I learned fast how to keep my head up 'cause I
Know I got this side of me that
Wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just
Fly the whole mess into the sea."

--the Shins

Somebody's Got a Case of "the SUNDAYS!!!"

It's been a relaxing day so far. I made breakfast for
Craig and myself-- fried potatoes w/ green onions,
buscuits, gravy, eggs and bacon. It was very delicious.
Craig is making us a chicken for dinner - yum.

I also made some postcards for the book board I'm on.
We do a postcard exchange, so we try to make them as
original as possible. We all agree it's nice getting an actual
piece of mail that will not go in the trash. I got a few really
cool ones right before xmas, so I was excited to make some
new ones without a theme. I used old stickers, pieces in
magazines that caught my eye, concert ticket stubs, song
lyrics, glitter and pretty much anything else that looks good
and odd. Here are the ones I made today:









"I can't seem to make it through Sunday
I can't seem to make it through Sunday

Monday through Saturday I get by just fine
Every other day of the week I feel alright
But I don't know why
I don't know why

I can't seem to make it through Sunday
I can't seem to make it through Sunday

Sunday's supposed to be the day for kicking off your shoes
But how come that's the day I always get the blues
And I don't know why
I don't know why

I can't seem to make it through Sunday
I can't seem to make it through Sunday

Ever since you had to go I just carry on
But deep down inside I know there's something wrong
And I don't know why
I don't know why

I can't seem to make it through Sunday
I can't seem to make it through Sunday..."

--Lucinda Williams

Saturdays Rock!

I'm happy it's Saturday! We slept in a little, then Craig
got up and Withers and I stayed in bed a while longer.
Then, we had some delicious coffee, shared an onion
bagel w/ cream cheese and some bacon. I have to say,
it was a tasty breakfast.

I've been having this insane craving for nachos, so we're
going to make some later. I'm a huge fan of the nachos,
but there are very few places to get them the way I like
them. Rio Grande Cantina had THE BEST nachos ever, but
they've been closed for a while so boo-hoo. They had the
best chips-warm & salty, but not too greasy-, refried whole
beans, jalepenos, and melted cheddar. Then, you could add
sour cream, guacamole, & salsa. OOOHHH, they were the
best. My attempts at them are pretty tasty also, but they
will NEVER be Can-Can nachos.

We're also going to the library later, that is always exciting.
Craig's looking for something in particular, I'll get something
that catches my eye.

ON A RANDOM NOTE:

Chuck Palahniuk will be on Tony Bourdain's show,
'No Reservations',on Jan. 15th. They will be somewhere
in the Pacific NW, so I'm curious to see if they stop
in any places Chuck writes about in 'Fugitives and Refugees'
his book that is a walking tour of Portland, OR.

Here are some random pics we came across as we we're clearing
out our iphotos file...






BECK

I saw Beck this summer with my good friend Lori and it
was a pretty amazing show. He had a whole marionnette(sp?)
thing set up on huge screens and he just rocked. If only all
white guys could get down like that...
anyhoo, this is areally good song.

"Oh yeah, come on...
I met you at JC Penny
I think your nametag said Jenny
I could step to you
With a fresh pack of gum
If somehow I knew you were looking for some
(oh no!)
Like a fruit that's ripe for the picking'
I wouldn't do you like that
Sanka chicken
'Cause only you got a thing
That I just got to get with
I just got to get
Get with you
And you know what we're gonna do
I wanna get with you (Oh girl)
And your sister
I think her name is Debra
I wanna get with you (Only you girl)
And your sister
I think her name is Debra
Girl, I only wanna be down with you
'Cause you got something
That I just got to get with
I'll pick you up late at night after work
I said lady, Step inside my Hyundai
I'm gonna take up to Glendale
Yeah
I'm gonna take you for a feel good meal
'Cause when our eyes did meet
Girl, you know I was packing' heat
Ain't no use in wasting no time?
Getting to know each other
You know the deal
'Cause only you got a thing
That I just got to get with
Got to get with
I just got to get with you girl
I wanna get with you (Only you Girl)
And your sister
I think her name is Debra
I wanna get with you (Girl yeah)
And your sister
I think her name is Debra (Ohhhh)
(Come on)
Oh lovely lady
Girl you drive me crazy
Crazy! (Oh girl)
And you sister
Debra
Yeah, you’re driving me crazy
Crazy (Oh)
Yeah
I got a little bit of sympathy for you girl
Yeah, 'cause I'm a, I'm a, full-grown man.."

Morning Song

this is how I felt this morning:

"Let the phone ring, let's go back to sleep.
Let the world spin outside out door, you're the only one that I wanna see.
Tell your boss you're sick, hurry, get back in I'm getting cold-
Get over here and warm my hands up, boy, it's you they love to hold.
And stop thinking about what your sister said.
Stop worrying about it, the cat's already been fed.
Come on darlin', let's go back to bed...
Put the phone machine on hold-
Leave the dishes in the sink-
Do not answer the door.
It's you that I adore-
I'm gonna give you some more.
We'll sit on the front porch, the sun can warm my feet.
You can drink your coffee with sugar and cream
I'll drink my herbal tea.
Pretend we're perfect strangers and that we never met...
My how you remind me of a man I used to sleep with-
that's a face I'd never forget.
You can be Henry Miller and I'll be Anais Nin-
Except this time it'll be even better,
We'll stay together in the end.
Come on darlin', let's go back to bed...
Put the phone machine on hold-
Leave the dishes in the sink-
do not answer the door.
For you, I'd be a poor man's wife-
I'm gonna give you some more."


--Jewel/Pieces of You

I'M SUCH A SAP.

I used to listen to this album all the time back
in 1995 when it came out. I love Jewel's voice
and her ability to write beautiful poetry/music.

I really did not want to get out of bed this morning-
it was all nice and warm and comfy. Craig and Bumbs
love to sleep and be in bed as much as I do, so I
know they felt the same. BUT, unfortunately we both
had things to do which required us to get out of bed.
We do get to sleep in tomorrow though-yay!

We rented some movies, so we'll watch those tonight.
We did watch 'Jackass 2' last night and it was so
disgustingly hilarious- we loved it! Tonight we'll
watch 'the Black Dahlia' and 'Talledegga Nights'...
we'll see.

I Missed the Point

today's sort of dragging, I wish it'd go by
more quickly so I could get my booty home to
see the boys, Craig and Mr. Withers. Mr. Withers
is Bumbs' name of the week- there are many variations
on it: Professor Withers, Old Man Withers, Capt.
Withers, Cololnel Withers... you get the point?

Neko is the best.

"I have lightning,
If the stars dry out to guide me.
I have soft clay,
To knit my bones astride.
What a miracle they say-
Dark clouds gather
Velvet holes
Gaping wide oh...
And they pour it down,
And they sing to me,
Of wonders
Unseen
Like clouds that rise
From the sea, oh...
And I'm sorry,
I'm so sorry
That I missed the point
Of this pageantry.
But I'm grateful
That you love me..."

--NEKO CASE

Good Times

Friday we went out to see the Reverend Horton
Heat and it was a blast! Kelli got snowed in,
but Amanda and Ashley made it out and we ran
into a ton of random friends. It was a snowy
night, but everyone out seemed to enjoy the show!