because i don’t wanna, that’s why. start with January 2009 and read away, if you feel so inclined. I am now fighting 2 (two!) infections with 2 (two!) kinds of antibiotics because the little dose they slipped into my IV was not enough and the first round i took last weekend was not enough either. Drama queen over here, as always.

Ouchy Owie Wacky Mommy.

i will tell you that i’m excited that 2010 will be Year of the Tiger because I like tigers. Meow. Here, kitty, kitty. And that this year, finally, oh for the love of God will they ever just commit and do it, that we move to the west side. (The UrbanMamas — or as I prefer to call them, The Pioneers Who Saved the Ghetto — in unison, Oh thank God I hate that bitch.) (Honestly. Cannot believe that someone said “circle jerk” and they never pulled the comment. You kiss your babies with that mouth? hahahahaha.)

We’ll be closer to Steve’s work, we’ll get out of the asthma-fest that is North Portland and hell yeah, we won’t have to deal with the school b.s. anymore. Hell. Yes.

This will be the first time in 10 years that we have moved. That’s a lot of Legos, i’m just saying. Also, due to the fact that all four of us have too many hobbies (writing, music, gardening, art, for starters), we have a lot of junk.

So wish us luck on the whole packing thing. First up? The classroom guinea pig. We’re sending her a-packin’ next week, back to school.

thank you and good night. hope you have a grand, glorious, peaceful and healthy new year.

— wm

Creativity: Kuumba (koo–OOM–bah)

To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

“When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, FAITH is knowing that one of two things will happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.”

love you, L, you are an amazing woman.

— wm

NIA Purpose

Today is the 5th day of Kwanzaa, called NIA.

It means Purpose.

KWANZAA
DAY 5 NIA (nee-AH)
To make as our collective vocation, the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Wouldn’t you rather be skiing right now? You could if you were over in my neighborhood.

that’s all.

oh and my belly button hurts. also this eyboard sucks i want my (new) old one.

took the kids all of fourminutesflat to get outside to play in snow.

(did i mention keyboard sucks? space key works sporadically.)

there are five kids playing here. all v. nicely. the littlest one is the cutest. “Where is him?” she says when she spots a picture of Wacky Cousin 2.0.

“He’s at his house,” I told her.

“He looks nice,” she says, then adds, “I got 5 grandpas.” (holds up her hand, fingers outstretched.) “I gotta lotta grandpas.” (Her sister: “She doesn’t. YOU GOT TWO.” Little cutie turns to me, holds up her hand again for emphasis, five fingers: “A lotta grandpas.”)

Whoops, she just coughed on me — “i gotta cold!” says she. Some people bring me soup cuz i’m recuperating. Miss Honey Butt brings me a sick kid. Oddly, she avoids me when we’re sick.

i gotta go wash hands now!

xo

wm

edited at 8:30 to say: Vit. E on sore, scarred skin — yes. Watching “Ace of Cakes,” gotta go Spocky. I fixed the mouse — you have to hit the button on the weird looking thing under the desk, then it resets. Stupid wireless mouses and your mysterious ways.

ps it’s still snowing. there’s like, I don’t know. six to eight feet of it out there?

pss that post, by the way, includes my favorite quote ever from my kids. (Baby is our large black and white kitty cat.) So, just to leave you with something delightful to chew on:

Wacky Boy: “…that would be like if some stranger came into our house — Stranger Danger! — and bit off Baby’s leg. That would be sad. The end of Baby. And his leg.”

Wacky Boy: “Same as me!”

On the night stand this week:

* Laurie Notaro is funny.

* Greg Mortenson is a pretty amazing individual. My daughter would like me to tell you that this book is also available in a version for young readers and in a picture book format.

the. end.

— wm

On the coffee table this week:

* “The Boy Who Drew Cats” was a gift from Zip — it’s a great book. Wacky Boy gives this one a stellar review of two-thumbs-up.

* I never read the “Julie of the Wolves” books when I was a kid — I missed out. They’re still fairly popular today, which thrills me. Read them and you’ll see why.

* “Honus & Me,” by Dan Gutman, is part of his Baseball Card Adventures series — “Jackie & Me,” “Shoeless Joe & Me,” etc. They’re really good — I like Gutman’s style with all of his fiction. Appeals to the boys, which is always a good thing. (They also take to Matt Christopher books, by the way, even the young men who aren’t sports-crazy.)

Have a good Wednesday.

— wm

I am up and moving around a lot better than I was a few days ago. Last night, for instance, I walked (with my bodyguard Steve) to the acupuncturist’s office. Then I walked home. Last night I slept on my side for awhile; then I switched to my other side. The things you take for granted in day to day life. This morning, though, I woke up at 5:30 with a headache biting behind my eyes, so i thought i might as well stretch, eat breakfast, take more advil and write.

so here i am, baby. (more…)

On review for today:

Speaking of blood, I’m on page 483 out of 756 pages of “Breaking Dawn” (by Stephenie Meyer, 2008, Megan Tingley Books, Little, Brown and Company, $22.99). I am facing the wrath of my 10-year-old writing this but I have to say it: This book sucks. I mean, sucks. (Edited at 4 p.m. to say — just finished the book. Am standing by this review. wm.)

The vampires, the werewolves, the sex, the drinking of blood… it outdoes “Rosemary’s Baby” and I’m not meaning that as a compliment. I frickin’ love “Rosemary’s Baby,” both the Ira Levin novel and the film version and no, I do not care to discuss Roman Polanski. Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer are just brilliant in it, and I’ve seen it, I dunno. Twenty times?

“Breaking Dawn” does not give me the satisfaction of, say, Rosemary spitting in Guy’s eye when she realizes she’s been set up. I don’t know what else to say about this book, but it is not the book to read, or attempt to read, when you’re recovering from surgery. Or any other time. Who said this about “Twilight,” Neisha? That her favorite part of the book was the blank pages? No. When asked what her ten least-favorite books were, Neisha said, and I’m quoting here, “Can I just say ‘Twilight’ ten times?” Ha. Ha. Ha. I think it was Susan who said that about the blank pages. Anyway. You were so right.

OK. Enough about blood. Next topic: Wine! I am no wine snob, but I do like my pinot grigio (or gris, or what have you) and I like the fizzy stuff, prosecco — prosecco a la Brian Boitano (see? I told you I am low-brow here) with the grapefruit juice and the sugar cube. Well. This book, “Drink This: Wine Made Simple” (by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, 2009, Ballantine Books, 348 pages, $26) did not make me feel like an idiot for not knowing my wines. Also, she devotes a brief page or two to pinot grigio, which apparently is the Slut of White Wines (my words, not hers) and she also mentions the Ponzis and I love the Ponzis. They are such a nice family, those Ponzis, and they’re local.

She discusses all that you need to know about wine:
1. Type of grapes.
2. Where the grapes were grown.
3. How the grapes were turned into wine.

Also she discusses decanters, glasses, yadda yadda. I liked this book — it would make a good gift or purchase for your own self.

“The Edible Woman,” Margaret Atwood’s first book (1969) is just fantastic and you should just go buy a copy and read it right now. (Why does it fit so nicely into this round-up? You figure it out, I cannot.) You should especially read it immediately if you’ve been unfortunate enough to have read something like, say, “Breaking Dawn” or any of the other “Twilight” books. You need to get that taste out of your mouth and head. Wacky Cousin is right — it’s like you just ate a big bag of Cheetos and feel sick to your stomach once you’ve read Meyer.

The End. You vampire fans can just start throwing stuff at your screen now, I don’t even care. (More randomness: I actually liked the 2nd “Twilight” movie, we just saw it a couple weeks ago. Hmm.)

Love,

WM

PS — I just heard that one of the best editors/writers/reporters I’ve ever known, Mr. J, is moving on to some new projects. Good for him. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. In his honor, and because this post, in particular, fucking really needed an editor, I will leave you with a quote:

“You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.” — Arthur Plotnik, editor and author (b. 1937)