Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Papa, you ignored the chocolate almonds?

I came home to a crazy sight: two dozen dark chocolate almonds, arranged in a crop circle.

Oh no, of course: After the 11 chocolate donuts incident, this could have been another disaster, both health- and home-wise. My living room carpet can’t handle much more of Papa’s stunts.

Yet while I hesitate to praise Pops about this, I do find her self-control admirable.

Good girl, Papa?

Saturday, July 24, 2010

The Byrne Identity premiere

Steve Byrne’s special, The Byrne Identity, premieres at 10 p.m. ET July 25 on Comedy Central. I'm going to Michelle's to eat Chex mix and watch it!

Here's a new clip (with a twist on Asians being good at math).

Check out one of his live shows if you get a chance, too!

Friday, July 23, 2010

My new flower necklace

My metal flower necklace, “Bib in bloom,” is on the cover of the September issue of BeadStyle.

Working with metals (and cup chain) is a departure from my usual gemstone-y style, but I couldn't resist the metal flowers when I saw them. Unfortunately, I ordered them and then let them sit on my desk for a couple of months. I was glad to finally turn them into a project!

By the way, the flowers are from The Beadin' Path and Ornamentea), and the cup chain is available at Michaels or Alacarte Clasps & WireLace.

I did a lot of trial-and-error with positioning the flowers, but the necklace was super easy to make. Check out the issue for a complete supply list and instructions!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Oh no, Mr. Tippy!

Hal has a rabbit named Peter Tippy. Here's how he describes him:

“The pads of his feet are gray, which makes him look like he’s wearing little slippers. He loves to eat dandelions.”

Mr. Tippy also seems to enjoy books and looking like an adorable butterball.

But do you see the gleam in his eye?

On a regular basis, he bites Hal — and only Hal. Why bite the hand that feeds (while being fed, no less)?

It's a mystery. Oh no, Mr Tippy.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Pants

Though I played tennis this weekend, I spent most of my time sitting. That’s what happens when the weather hits the high 80’s. Bleh.

Yesterday Christa and I had lunch at Pizzeria Piccola (part of my Tosa repatriation). We sat inside.

Later I watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with Carol. Because we missed the beginning (two minutes? twenty minutes?), she had to explain the concept of the magic pants.

Speaking of pants, Pops has been making lots of noise while she sleeps. She hasn’t figured out that she’d be cooler if she weren’t leaning against me while she slept.

Today Kristin and I got Laika and Pops together for a playdate, but we spent most of the time eating cherries and talking. Inside. The canine cousins did spend a few minutes romping around outside — Pops ran herself ragged with the Frisbee — and then they enjoyed some Frosty Paws.

The good news: Pops' reign of terror has come to a temporary halt. As if it's too hot for her to be naughty. Or maybe it's just too hot for me to blog.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Three nights in Tosa

I don't know that there's any connecting thread here, but I wanted to share these photos of my hometown friends.

Thursday
I had dinner with a few Tosa East '88 friends at Café Hollander. Steve got us all together and we talked about memorable teachers, kangaroo farms, college Frisbee teams, and who pre-partied before the reunion.

We had a blast but because Steve and Beth live in Seattle, Kris is in Sheboygan, and Bob is selective about the time he spends in Tosa (“It’s inbred”), it may be another year before we are reunited.

Friday
I had a mixed doubles match at Hart Park. After my marathon match on Wednesday, I didn’t have much left. It felt like it took forever for Jess and me to lose.

Fortunately we went to Leff’s afterward, where we numbed the pain with burgers and beer. Here’s Jess taking out his frustration by pummeling Shappy.

It was another fun outing as lots of the gang came to hang out.

Saturday
Sarah, Molly, Katy, and I grew up on the same block in Tosa. Molly (class of '90) hosted dinner for three generations of the Mevis clan.

It was an evening of brats, brownies, coconut cake, and catching up about neighborhood goings-on (like the world travels of a kid we used to babysit for who liked to be called The Lord). Plus Danny tromped around with one red boot and we enjoyed the musical stylings of Ella and Charlie.

I recently heard a saying, that one old friend is better than two new ones. But I feel lucky to have both!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

34 games and more

At one point tonight, our teams were tied. Two Highlander tennis teams, two wins each.

Patrice and I, because we were the last court to finish, got to play the deciding match. Against Beth and Gail.

Why the pause? Because they are both good tennis players. And also runners. Major, hardcore, miles-and-miles-at-a-time runners.

I wish this story had a “triumph when the pressure’s on” ending. (Actually, we didn’t know the team results during our match. There was sufficient pressure without that.)

But alas, after two hours and 45 minutes, they won: 3-6, 7-6, 7-5.

I have to admit, it was hard to lose, especially when it was so close. It was also hard to not fixate on the overhead I hit long late in the match, or the easy backhand I tanked in the last game, or the 3-0 lead we blew in the third set. Moments that any player would like to forget.

But then we came off the court and Jan, Sandy, Marilee, Colleen, Carol, and Lisa high-fived us. Kevin and Chris had come to cheer us on, too. We all ate tacos together.

It’s easy to love a winner. But when you don’t win, to hear your teammates say “Great match!” — to know they understand you gave it your best effort — makes it feel wonderful to be a non-winner.

So thank you to Patrice, who is a great partner in any situation; Beth and Gail, who are fierce competitors and gracious winners; our teammates who showered us with appreciation; and our friends who didn’t play but came to support us anyway, win or lose. You are all awesome. Go team!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Newfound independence

This holiday weekend, there were many things to celebrate: grilled meats (hot dogs, brats, Italian sausages, chicken wings); kids hurling water balloons; our Kalmbach friend JT getting a new job.

But tonight, with my tennis pals Chris, Carol, Mary A., Fred, Mary E., and Rick, I celebrated a truly historic moment: the smoking ban going into effect in Wisconsin.

We ate quesadillas, potato skins, and nachos at Boulder Junction. In a smoke-free environment!

This really is a big deal. Never again will my eyes water at a happy hour. Never again will I have to air out my winter jacket after a few hours at a bar. And the best thing: Never again will I go to sleep with stinky hair.

I'm free!

If you live in Wisconsin, I hope you made a big deal about this delightful turn of events, too.