The Blog of Sloan's Mom Jen

Purposeless Dry Erase Board?

2009-11-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

A glowing white dry erase board! What an interesting thing! A blank canvas equipped with an array of colored markers and magnetic erasers gets parents so excited. We envision black, red, even purple swirled in a mess of quotes? lists? silly drawings? Fun, thoughtful and responsible parents we are! All really in effort to motivate or briefly inspire our kids.

Tonight it hit me like a heavy brick tossed by an angry overworked mason. The dry erase board will soon see brighter days! To hell with the itemized "chores" list for kids.

My motivation for getting right with the blog? (Thanks, Lucinda) I was told tonight, by the 13 year old boy, that if I want him to feed his animals when he has cleaned his cages early on Sunday, to "write it on the board". Are you fucking kidding me? So in addition to "clean the cages" which entails replenishing food & water, I need to whip-out my marker for clarification? Lame ass dependency and an interesting stalling technique at 9:00 p.m. on a school night. Especially when cleaning a cage & feeding the rats has gone hand in hand for years now...Call me crazy, or having expectation but "I forgot" doesn't work too well.

One can imagine how much we adults enjoy being told what to do by a child, let alone a 13 year old pre-pubescent boy.

Repetition forms habit. So shame on me! Writing essentially the same thing on Mr. Board for the past 2 months with brief deviation has run its course. Now I have kids instructing me what to write on a board because it's not specific enough? If I didn't write "wipe your ass after you poo", then you shouldn't do it?

Weekly I monitor both kids and give them direction when needed. I believed the dry erase board would be a positive, central place for all of us. I mean...it's hard core! Very militant. Super extreme. Just the way we live our lives. Haha! Most weekends as I write on Mr. Board, I laugh at my meager requests. MY parents never wrote shit on a board. I also had the pleasure of cleaning in the late 70's and 80's, when we kiddies didn't have laptops, desktops, iPhones, iTunes, iPods, cell phones, texting and xbox for inspiration. I don't think Larry & Jodie Clarke even wrote chores down. They just laid it out! I routinely had to vacuum, clean all 3.5 bathrooms including the toilets (yes, and my Dad's), cotton swab 20-30 plants and their leaves with spray, dust all the furniture, mow the lawn, help shovel and take care of my own space. Hell, they probably had me write my own damn chore list. In the end, my incentive was about downhill skiing and equipment, bits of freedom in Girdwood and Anchorage over the weekends, a very small allowance, sleepovers & lots of outdoor time with friends.

Since I'm so old now, I'm certain I'm forgetting other chores. Let's face it ~ it was a bit of a different time and I was an only child (apart from my 3 much older half sisters). I used to beg my parents to have more children. I could've sworn they were advocates for child slave labor...especially with their middle to upper class financial status! Truth? They just happened to understand that teaching an only kid some discipline would ignite the value of hard work and reward. It did! At the end of the day, my contribution was just part of the deal I had with them. But so freaking what?! How many parents focus on that today? We expect less from our kids now because they're more privileged? It's bullshit. Wait, maybe I'm bullshit.

The board that I'm so at odds with? Well...Mr. Board reads something like this...

Dear Boy & Girl,

Please do the following!

*Clean your portion of the bathroom; sink, counter & mirror

*Bedding & Clothes to the laundry room

*Fold Laundry, put it away

*Clean your hamster/chinchilla cages and vacuum your room

INSERT the quote and a thank you!

Time to change tactics and have the kids replace their chores on the dry erase with a bit of their own forward thoughts. Time to give them that responsibility without the control of a stupid board. The $5.00 allowance on a Sunday night will still be their's for the taking upon completion.

Thinking their lofty goals might look like a combination of...

Professional Paint ball Sniper with Monster Sponsorship

Lead singer in a female Rock Band

Pilot's License by Age 21

Attend Dramatic Arts School and audition in L.A. or N.Y.C.

Learning a foreign language as a student abroad

Math genius

In any case, this is a lesson in using the board more wisely as a parent and as a kid. The dry erase board still holds purpose, but that of goals & inspiration, not control.

Re-tasting Austin

2009-06-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

After an early 3:30 a.m. wake up call, Sloan and I put the finishing touches on our packing and were delivered to the 4:45 a.m. Bainbridge-Seattle ferry by Gary's Taxi Service. Getting up so early isn't too bad when you know you'll be airborne for Austin, Texas at 7:10 a.m.!

Our trip south has a certain bittersweetness. We'll spend time together for the first few days with Lynda, Olivia, Esteban and Isaac Gonzales. They are as close to family as they come and long time Austin friends. We're sure to have many adventures including snow cones, Barton Springs, plentiful and cheap authentic Mexican, live music, running Town Lake in the humidity and lots of play and laughter. Come Sunday, however (Father's Day coincidentally) Sloan will be picked up at noon by her Dad for a 2 month stint with him, her stepmom and new half brother (who was born just 2 weeks ago). I'm content to know Sloan will have much needed time with the other part of her family...but, I will miss her this summer! August 30th will mark her return date to Bainbridge Island and in the meantime I look forward to those intermittent texts, emails and facebook postings.

Onward to Austin!

Troublesome Gloom, Really?

2009-05-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

As I sit here at my mahogany colored makeshift desk, I wonder how I got here. Here being the Pacific Northwest. North of Portland, west of Seattle, on this little island called Bainbridge. In all seriousness, I know how I got here. By choice, for something greater than I had before. Above four wheels, via the highway. Endlessly I could plug this island, but today I am troubled, tortured and not the biggest fan. Why? Well, mainly because of the weather. It's windy, spitting rain and the massive amounts of grey clouds are unstoppable in their path of sky born fury. I search for the crystal like, yellow beams I like to call sun but there are none. None! The temperature? Well the thermometer reads consistently over 40 degrees in the morning and hovers in the mid 50's throughout the day. If you're recovering from an Interior Alaska winter, this would in fact be a place similar to heaven on earth. But it doesn't work that way for me.

My mood? It hasn't been the best as of late. I'm unable to go as far as to describe my mood as toxic but when you place 4 individuals in a house that prefer heat, blue sky and 90 degrees, clearly it takes more effort to detoxify. Instead I'll refer to my mood as gloomy. Gloomy. Dismally and depressingly dark. Like Bainbridge. Well okay, not quite that far gone. Having a frowning or scowling appearance. Okay, that description works on todays date. Grrrr! So I embellish a bit.

On these gloomy days I can't help but retrieve memories of my Alaska Training. Training was really living, but in retrospect it seems the plugging of my car, wearing a face mask and utilizing hand and feet warmers was ludicrous! All in effort to survive sub zero temperatures and I was there by choice. No wonder I moved to the inevitably warmer climate of Austin, Texas for a number of years. But I have to say the never ending grey gloom of this place called the Pacific Northwest is tougher than any winter experienced in Alaska. I mean, come on! At least tossing hot coffee out a Fairbanks window at -40 degrees gives you an appreciation for what the weather can do.

So cross legged I sit donning my black Teva flip flops, hoping for something like summer to appear. I stop to look around. Pretty much business as usual at 4:30 p.m. on a Monday. My 10 year old has a friend over and they're playing in the hot tub and pool in the back of the house (pretending they're nearer the equator). The 12 year old boy is watching the ever gore-filled CSI (set in Miami or Las Vegas, no doubt). Mr. Handsome has just started our 130th wood burning fire, in as many days (clearly a record on the island). The Akita is resting but guarding our business as usual. In the time taken to write I've noticed just the slightest change in the gloomy weather. A few hurried gusts followed by the constant clashing of wind chimes. Perhaps an announcement of crystal like yellow beams? I stretch my neck upward and peer out the sky light, hoping for a ray, a beam, a glimmer of sun. A touch of blue appears. For a moment the gloom has dissipated.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...

2009-04-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

After a typical weekday afternoon of ushering both kids in from school, I slipped back into homework-nazi mode, only to realize I'd failed to remove frozen chicken from our industrial sized freezer. Grilling and veggies at home? No! Alas, an undeniable pull to a new restaurant on Bainbridge Island called Penelope's. Just opened a week but boasting home cooked Italian dishes, we left the confines of our home with open minds and hungry bellies.

What do real estate experts and wannabes always say? Location, Location, Location! Penelope's is easy to find from the ferry terminal ~ take a left on Winslow Way, a right on Madison Avenue and a left into the Pavilion where the movie theater and other local businesses are located. Penelope's is nestled in between Chinese and Mexican eateries on the 1st floor.

Upon entering Penelope's I quickly embraced the deeply muted lights, dark colored tables, richly painted red walls and racks of wine perfectly assembled near an open and buzzing kitchen. Discreet touches including multi-colored mosaic candleholders and reddish-yellow glass blown hanging lamps left me nodding approval. Penelope's had succeeded in supplying an exceptional first impression. One of the first groups to arrive, our party of four was greeted by a young gal who quickly ushered us to an oversized back table, in what I would consider a lackluster area. Bummer! Unfortunately the up front moody ambience was not duplicated in the rear. Although we love our sporadic sunlight in the Pacific Northwest, dark window treatments and air vent coverings would be a lovely touch and might soften this portion of the restaurant, lending to the overall atmosphere. Feeling a bit misplaced, we then requested an intimate booth nearer the front, closer to the kitchen. Better and now a bit more "Accalorato!"

Presented with easy to read menu's by our Italian word dropping server, Pat, my incredibly handsome date and I opted for two glasses of Chianti. Reasonably priced and suitably paired with our Antipasto, this signified the beginning of our Italian meal. The plate included cured meats (prosciutto, ham & salami), various cheeses (provolone & gouda) and delicious spreads (spoonfuls of goat cheese, pesto and bruschetta). More please! By far my favorite part of the meal and affordable, at under $10.00. We opted to pair the Antipasto with an order of perfectly baked breadsticks and lemon garlic butter ($3) which was an ideal compliment and a hit with the kids.

To my surprise and always an added bonus, the Proprietor and Head Chef, Will Lawrence Grant stopped by to welcome us to Penelope's (named after his wife and Co-Proprietor) and answered menu questions. He did a fantastic job of explaining his ingredients for bolognese and puttanesca (among other dishes) and then told us a story of cooking gouda mac and cheese for all the neighborhood kids. Gotta like a man who makes scratch smokey mac!

After Chef Will left us in favor of the bustling kitchen, Server Pat reappeared to take our entree orders. By this time the joint was really filling up and staff a scurrying! The 10 year old was first to place her order ~ a dependable Spaghetti and Meatballs as offered on the kids menu. For convenience all children's items are affordable at $5.00 a plate and aim to please a finicky demographic. Their selection includes pizza, lasagne and other pastas. Fortunately the 10 year old seemed satisfied and after I snuck a taste of the zesty meatball, could see why. Very flavorful and tasty!

Next up was the 12 year old who has made a habit of forgoing any interest in the kids menu or crayons and orders with the adults. His choice, the Veal Marsala ($15) with Risotto. Unfortunately the Veal was hitless with the 12 year old and everyone else at our table. Expecting something tender and flavorful this plate was near impossible to stomach and ended up in our napkins. Server Pat was overloaded with tables and hardly nodded acknowledgment when we revealed the dish was less than substandard. The Risotto on the other hand was flavorful and a success, but not enough to save or compliment the young calf.

That handsome date I mentioned? Well his hunger was up next. Contemplating for a moment the family style portion ($15) he opted instead for the individual mass of Baked Pasta ($9) with the addition of Italian Sausage ($3). Good to know a majority of Penelope's pasta dishes come in a larger size, always ideal for sharing with several. Typically a critic (unless it's Asian influenced) I could tell Mr. Handsome had an adequate first bite. After stealing my own off his plate, I savored the hint of ricotta, parmesan and sausage infused marina. All in all a dependable presentation.

My turn! After shuffling between two or three pasta dishes, I finally decided on an individual plate of Puttanesca ($8), also known as "whores pasta." The name of this dish originated in Naples after the local women of easy virtue. Hmmm! "Puttanesca" translates in Italian to "pasta, the way a whore would make it." I think it has something to do with the smell ~ I'm just saying. I found this dish robustly flavored with capers, anchovies and red chili but the portion of sauce was inadequate to please my bowl full of rigatoni. More sauce would've easily given this dish a B+ to an A-.

The icing on the cake wasn't quite dessert. Our bellies were so full from wine, appetizers and entrees we instead opted for the comedy of Server Pat. He was most happy to deliver our final bill (yes, the veal was part of the ticket) while uttering Italian words or quips, such as "Excellente" and "Here is some light reading for you!" We eventually paid and scattered, putting our Italian meal to bed.

Pros: Atmosphere & Decor, Open Kitchen, Service, Antipasto, Kids Menu

Cons: Not enough quality control out of the kitchen or by Server

Suggestions: Add a few barstools so patrons can enjoy wine & app's while peeking into a VERY cool kitchen

Penelope's ~ 403 Madison Ave., Bainbridge Island, WA (1st floor at the Pavilion)

The Reward, as I see it...

2008-12-06T16:08:00.000-08:00

In approximately 20 days, Sloan and I will embark on a 2300 mile journey from Austin, Texas to Seattle, Washington. This will no doubt be a road trip like none other because we're relocating, leaving, exiting the Lone Star State for greener pastures. When people ask "Why?" my favorite and most precise response is, "For Love!" And that is the truth.

After 7 years in the Capitol of Texas, we head to the Pacific Northwest in our medium sized SUV, with hitch and trailer attached. I've had many suggest selling my possessions and starting over, but with age I've become attached. To my hand crafted bookshelf built by Dave Laird, that 13 year old dining set purchased in Alaska and the four antique ice cream chairs found at some random antique store for $200.00. I don't have 15,000 pounds of belongings, but what I do have means something to me.

So with our limited time in Austin, we now immerse ourselves amongst our favorite friends, places and things, holding this city dear to our hearts. In the same breath we look forward to our future and all its possibilities. To create a family and to share a love that is true, kind and real with not just my lover and friend, but with our children, is the reward...

A Flower to Appreciate

2008-07-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Ralph Waldo Emerson

THE RHODORA:

On Being Asked, Whence Is the Flower?

In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,

I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,

Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,

To please the desert and the sluggish brook.

The purple petals, fallen in the pool,

Made the black water with their beauty gay;

Here might the red-bird come his plumes to cool,

And court the flower that cheapens his array.

Rhodora! if the sages ask thee why

This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,

Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,

Then Beauty is its own excuse for being:

Why thou were there, O rival of the rose!

I never thought to ask, I never knew:

But in my simple ignorance, suppose

The self-same Power that brought me there brought you.

Unifying Pub Crawl for Democrats

2008-06-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

The local gang in Austin which supports Barack Obama for President recently planned a grassroots unifying event for the Democratic Party. Obama supporters started at one pub and Clinton's at another. Unifying? Still a showdown in ways. Think Club de Ville offering Obama-rama Ritas and Barack Beers adjacent to Bull McCabes Irish Bar serving up Hillary Harp Pints and Irish Mules with a Clinton Kick. Painting Austin's Red River Street "blue" was the event slogan, but the goal? Get both camps a bit sauced and unity will follow. Actually unity from the Clinton folks. They're the ones who must unify, right?

So now that the dust has settled and a Nominee has emerged from this sordid political mindscream, most Democrats can only imagine their kind in office. With that said rallying HRC supporters seems a logical move. So does capturing her 18 million votes. To me it's a toss-up. BO needs what HRC has. Will Obama and Caroline Kennedy consider Clinton as his running mate or encourage her back to the Senate floor? It's certainly not a crazy idea, but at what cost to Obama and the election? He's new to politics, inspiring, and vows to make a difference. He goes against the grain of the career political machine called Clinton and Washington D.C. Should he bring the machine on to insure a win and in doing so compromise his own integrity? Or does he really need the white working class vote and a bulldog in a running mate named Hil? Unless the Democratic Party truly unifies, Obama's association with Clinton might just make him lose.

Fat Bastard

2008-06-05T07:02:00.001-07:00

As we were driving to school on Monday morning, Sloan chirped up from the back seat after 5 minutes of silence. "Mom, can I ask you something?" "Of course," I responded. Innocent with tons of exuberance, Sloan shot out, "What does fat bastard mean?" My eyes opened up, lips parted and under my breath came a half laugh, half gasp. What 9 year old says fat bastard and where in the hell did she hear the phrase? In all of 5 seconds I thought of the cleverly named microbrew, a chubby son without a father and finally the unforgettable character in Austin Powers. Duh, Mom! Sloan recently revisited the Austin Powers trilogy with her friends Olivia, Esteban and Isaac and felt obliged to ask a question she had never before considered. Of course I gave my daughter an honest answer to her question, less the fat. So let's just say she appreciates the humor of Mike Myers, but won't be offending any fat bastards.

Surrender to Big Head Todd, Brownies, Mango Margaritas, Waterfights & Bob Schneider at the Lake

2008-06-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! Big Head Todd & the Monsters were in town this past Friday night, so I took my friend Lynda to see them live at Stubbs as a thank you for entertaining my daughter while I was out of town. I've been a BHT fan since the early 90's and believe it or not, this is the first time I've seen them up close and personal! No more discs!

What an absolutely memorable and breathtaking show. I think what struck me most was the sincere joy and natural talent of the lead singer and main man, Todd Park Mohr. He's obviously belted out these same tunes (Resignation Superman, Bittersweet, All the Love you Need, Please Don't Tell Her) and strummed on the same guitars for 20 years, but the joy never left his face. Although "Monsters" is a group, clearly Mr. Mohr's Big Head demands all the attention.

With great excitement, the gang will be in Texas again, just South of Austin in New Braunfels on July 12th. They'll be hangin' at the Whitewater Ampitheatre, which is a really cool venue. I'll be out of town, dammit, but should you feel the need for some of the best live music, go!

http://www.whitewaterrocks.com/

To download their new album "All the Love You Need" for free, visit their site and click on "Music".

http://www.bigheadtodd.com/

Saturday morning I awoke early to birds chirping and a delicious looking blue sky. Perfect for the little 9 year old Brownies. I hurriedly showered, poured my coffee and drove 10 minutes north to join Sloan for her bridging ceremony. Bridging ceremony meaning a passage of sorts from 4 years of Browniehood into the more mature Junior Girl Scout. (I think this is actually when I begged my Mom to quit) But not Sloan.

Later that evening I joined my friend Sarah for a low-key dinner celebration. There were six of us who convened at Z Tejas on W. 6th Street and broke the noise barrier with our chatting and singing. My ears are still ringing. Sarah picked the place not only because it was her 28th birthday, but because she had a lingering $50.00 gift certificate (which in the end we didn't let her use). Most of us had fish, but of course, mine was the best! I ordered this unbelievably tasty salmon topped with a sweet miso glaze that I could literally eat day in and out. Yum. Oh and if you're wondering about the best mango margarita in town...this is where you surrender to a few.

To wrap up the weekend Sloan and I headed out to Lakeway Resort & Spa on Lake Travis for the Live at the Lake summer series. (Completely kid friendly, btw) The kick off featured our favorite, the one and only Mr. Bob Schneider. We arrived just on time by way of a complimentary shuttle (parking was lame!) where a group of high school girls nabbed Sloan and took her under their wing for the 5 minute ride. I heard one of the 17 year olds ask

Sloan how old she was. When Sloan responded, they told her that 9 was the greatest year of single digits. The 9 year old was in heaven!

The weather was fantastic, nearly 100 degrees with sun kissed skies, a slight breeze off the pristine water and a ton of happy people in a variety of skimpy bathing suits. The four tiered pool was packed with dancing, hoots and all in view of Bob Schneider belting out "Metal and Steel", "Big Blue Sea", "Tarantula" and "Captain Kirk", among other favorites. At one point a massive waterfight broke out and Bob's response was, "you realize that 50% of this water has pee in it, right?!" A great weekend in Austin that I hope to repeat very soon.

http://www.bobschneidermusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/bobschneider

Seven weeks ago in Seattle? Who's counting.

2008-04-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

If you've been keeping up with the blog, you'll know that I haven't been keeping up with the blog. Say it aint so! But really, if you've read my posting from 2 weeks ago, you'll know that we were in Seattle about 7 weeks ago. So why aren't there any Seattle photos up? Because yours truly is a self proclaimed procrastinator.

Our travels began with a layover in Dallas where we did homework, listened to music, took pictures of each other and counted how many people we saw eating McDonalds. Blech! Sloan had recently watched "Super Size Me" and decided that eating a Happy Meal may cause death. Fine with me.

Upon our arrival, Mt. Rainier of Washington State fame was spotted. Some oogle at Rainier from downtown Seattle, others wake up from a nap on the plane flying from Dallas to Seattle and snap a picture. My Nikon D40 took a great shot. Wait, I mean I took a great shot.

Once in Seattle we taxied downtown to check into our quaint, boutique hotel, The Alexis. After jumping on our hotel room bed and taking a hot tub in the king sized jacuzzi, we put on our walking shoes and peeked into various stores on 1st Ave. We topped the night off by ordering mac and cheese, pb&j & fries from room service!?

One of our main motivations for this trip North was to surprise our great friends, The Laird's. The Laird's consisting of Dave & Carla (Mom & Dad), Ashley & Josh (the Kids) and Ellie (the Dog). For those of you who do not know the story, Sloan and I met The Laird's in Austin during the summer of 2004. It was an August morning, cool by Austin standards and we were all gearing up for the first day of soccer practice. Soccer practice for our 5 year old daughters, not the adult version. As any halfway sane and indulgent parent would know, you show up to an early morning soccer practice with a hot mug of coffee. Clearly, I was the only sane and indulgent parent with coffee in hand...until I caught site of The Laird's. They had coffee too and were just about as sane as me! It didn't take long to strike up a conversation and realize that not only had Dave agreed to coach the kids, but he and Carla were from Seattle! Imagine my shock, as it's a rarity to find Northerners down in these here Southern parts. (Did I just write that?) So fast forward...we all became fantastic friends, built a lot of memories and then BOOM, the Laird's relocated back to their home state.

Orchestrating a surprise and then executing it is so much fun! This one will go into the memory books as one of the best. I had to spill the beans to Dave & Carla, but we were successful at keeping our visit from the kids. When an unknowing Ashley rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw Sloan & I sitting at the table, she was speechless! For the first and perhaps only time in her life Ashley couldn't find or say the words to express her excitement. Josh just kind of sat back in his sweet way and took it all in. As tears welled up in our eyes, Ashley dropped to the floor and let out a blood curdling scream. She realized she'd been "had!" It took perhaps another second then the hugs & mauling began.

After settling in, Edmonds Beach was our destination for exploring, rock throwing & beachcombing. The smells of salt water and crisp air and sounds of our kids laughing replaced any notion of it being a typical cloudy and cool day in Seattle.

Sloan and I left the Laird's for a bit and went out to see some friends on Bainbridge Island. We took our rental car on the ferry, saw the night sky from Puget Sound and even met a couple of Chinchillas! Bainbridge, tucked apart from the city, was peaceful and serene. A treat.

The rest of the trip was memorable and relaxing! Funny how Seattle is always like that. We also mixed in a quick birthday party, the Seattle Aquarium, Pike's Market and other sights. In the interest of time and actually posting, here are a few more photos. Cheers! Go to Seattle already!

Julia's and the Drag Show

2008-04-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

On a recent March visit to the University District in Seattle, Washington, my daughter and I had the pleasure of visiting my dear old friend, Joe (who some of you may know). Catching up and finding breakfast were our two agenda items. Now I've known Joe for 17 years and it wasn't until this moment I realized Joe is even more indecisive than me (especially when it comes to food!) God knows how this guy can profess, account, invest and lawyer!? I'm sure he was attempting to make me feel better about my own decision making skills or lack there of, after driving up and down every street in the U- District.

After nearly an hour in transit, we were still undecided on our morning fare. Luckily we had it narrowed down to; 1. IHOP (yuk!) 2. Julia's and 3. Somewhere else. Joe said Julia's was funky and known for it's pancakes, eggs benedict and "atmosphere." Once the 9 yeard old realized the adults would outrule her hope of IHOP, she became intrigued with Joe's candid explanation of "atmosphere." It went something like this...

Breakfast and lunch by day, drag show performance venue at night. Now don't let that scare you because it certainly didn't scare the 9 year old! If anything, the term "drag show" was foreign, demanded curiousity and deserved a poignant question. "What is a drag show, Joe?" I looked amusingly at Joe and awaited his answer. A father of five, my guess was that his kids too had been to Julia's and asked the same inquisitive question. Nonchalantly Joe responded, "A drag show is when grown men dress up as women and promenade on a runway." Yes, my daughter looked at me with eyes that said, "what the heck?" I suddenly found it difficult to remove the smirk from my face.

Luckily, the hostess who was performing multiple tasks (serving and possibly cooking too?!) seated us. Any further explanation was unnecessary as the smells of sweet syrup and sight of other plated tables overtook our tummies. As a threesome we hungrily ordered pancakes, omelets and fruit. Then the "atmosphere" started to take shape. Our morning dining experience soon started to pop with these supervillian-like mannequin's dressed in boa's and gawdy jewels. To make their appearance even more entertaining, scarlet make-up and wigs insured our wide-eyes. At one point, the 9 year old grabbed my Nikon and assertively walked the scope of the floor to take pictures. She now tells me the lady with the black wig and purple feather boa "creeps her out!" Undoubtedly!

As if the creepy ladies weren't enough we explored the back of the restaraunt, anticipating we'd find some hidden secret in this offbeat place. Lurking about with our full stomachs, guess what we found!? Hidden not so discreetly behind a wall of bamboo paneling, Joe, the 9 year old and I discovered a runway! Yes. The type of runway that hosts only a drag show in the University District of Seattle, Washington. So thanks to Joe for satisfying our two agenda items and teaching my 9 year old that men too can walk a runway.

Shining Stars

2008-03-31T06:52:00.000-07:00

I know, you're all anxiously awaiting a little dose of Sloan! Well, here she is. Let's talk dance. Sloan has been involved in a dance group called the "Shining Stars" for two years now. She's come a long way from that 4yr old who I'd question taking out in public because of the contstant bum shaking! :) She's now learned to fine tune all of that energy and dances with 30+ other girls - modern, jazz & hip-hop. Recently, they competed at the annual Leander Dance competition and placed well! Thankfully the director understands and motivates the self esteem and positive energy we want all our girls to ooze of. Even though the girls contest and perform, it appears that the Mother's in general are not psychotic, nor do they push their girls to that crazy edge of competitition! (even though it is a bit hurried prior to show time) As Sloan's Mom, I relish in the laid back, let's have fun attitude that the Shining Stars generates. I mean, come on...look at Sloan's smile. That says it all!

Feel free to check out the Shining Stars link: http://www.shiningstarsdance.com/Home.html

1st day of the blog

2008-03-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

An Alaskan at heart, I currently reside, explore & breathe in Austin, Texas. About 4,000 miles from where I grew up, I'm now in Commercial Closing, have a gorgeous & kind hearted 9 year old daughter and continue to love life and explore all things. The South isn't really all that different from the North! (Well maybe a little) I still hike, mountain bike and camp although the frigid winters and skiing have been replaced with hot sun and lake adventures. Like many I've wanted to start a blog and now seems like the perfect time to share. My interests and modes of communication are varied, so I expect some surprises here. I may ramble, write about Meadow, Hannah, Kelli & our innocent discretions, share a poem or post some pictures of Sloan and our recent shananigans or travels. Truly ~ our lives are full and I can't wait to share!