My Date With Monet

"People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it's simply necessary to love."

-Claude Monet

Yesterday, I finally made it over to the,"Monet In Normandy," exhibit at the Legion of Honor, in San Francisco. I have to admit, while I have had a lifelong love for Impressionist art, and the works of Claude Monet in particular, I wasn't prepared for the amazing beauty I saw in that exhibit! I was stunned at the vibrancy, the colors were so alive, and the brush strokes of the master's that at times seemed almost manic in one work, would turn soft and ethereal in another. It would catch me off guard as I studied each one of the nearly 50 paintings in this exhibit, and a few that were on display another collection.

The sight of his actual brush strokes, sent chills up my spine. I was in the presence of love. Claude Monet loved the subjects he chose to paint, I know this absolutely, because of what care and passion was present. A little bit of his soul was on display with those amazing images. The beauty of "Water Lillies" was so stunning and mesmerizing that it actually brought tears to my eyes. For the first time I was able to see a small sampling of Monet's life's work, and at the end of the day, I left the museum with a new, and deeper, love and appreciation for his talents. That was something I never thought to be possible! Below are some of the works of Monet, and other pieces of art that especially touched me. Enjoy!

Also currently on display at the Legion of Honor...

"The Thinker" by Rodin

Guiseppe Antonio Guarneri del Gesu

English Worcester, ca. 1770-1772

Necklace, Cypriot, mid-5th century B.C.

"La Comtesse de Morel-Vinde & Her Daughter"

By Baron Franc-Pascal-Simon Gerard

"The Broken Pitcher" By William Adolphe Bouguereau

"Still Life with Skull, Leeks and Pitcher" By Pablo Picasso

"Mother and Child" By Pierre-August Renoir

"At The Milliner's" By Edouard Manet

"The Gorge at Varengeville" By Claude Monet

"Dorothy Spreckles Munn" By Salvadore Dali

"The Kiss" By Rodin

"Grand Canal Venice" By Claude Monet

The "Monet In Normandy" exhibit runs through September 17th of this year. If you live in northern California, please don't miss this amazing exhibit! Truly, it will be a day you will never forget! :)

-OndineMonet 7/27/06

Alive Again

"That beautiful season this summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape
lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I was outside Tuesday night, lying down in the tent, and starring up at the stars, just praying for some relief from the recent heat. I was feeling bad for the folks in Danville, who have been without power for several days. I was thankful that during the whole 11 day heatwave, we never lost our gas and electric. If we had, I don't know what we would have done. I was thinking about how I thought I was going to lose my Elvis this past weekend, to that damn excessive heat. I HATE the summer.

But as I laid there, nearly crying from frustration, I began to feel the most wonderful feeling, it was the cool, gentle breeze I have always embraced, flowing up from the bay. The fog was rolling in at last! Was this some dumb joke of Mother Nature's? Was I really feeling some relief at last? I decided not to question it, instead I smiled to myself at how the air seemed to be tickling me. It was sensual...and nice. When I woke up yesterday morning, I felt relaxed and refreshed. It was the first time in 11 days that my kitty Elvis, was lying next to me. It's the best feeling to wake up to his smile. He now feels a little more like himself. Ahhh.

I found a brown leaf today in my travels. A sure sign that autumn is ready to come into her own for this year. Sigh. :) I would rather have a bouquet of autumn leaves, then a bouquet of roses any day. Not that roses aren't beautiful, and arousing, but there is real character in a leaf. They are as individual as fingerprints, and they offer such hope. Sometimes, they float on the wind, and you gotta love that! Their colors are inspiring, and while some might think autumn a melancholy season, somehow to me, it is a promise of sweet relief, from the dead still of summer. That leaf I found today, made me smile, and the gentle, cool breeze blowing through my office window right now makes me feel like taking a skinny dip. Ahhh... see...if we just stick it out long enough, time will always bring us such wonderful relief and some really good ideas! :)

Sweet Seasons
By Carole King

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
And sometimes the blues get a hold of you
Just when you thought you had made it

All around the block, people will talk
but I want to give it all that I've got
I just don't want to waste it

Talkin' 'bout sweet seasons on my mind
Sure does appeal to me
You know we can get there easily
Just like a sailboat sailin' on the sea

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
And most times you choose between the two
Wonderin', wonderin' if you have made it

But I'll have some kids and make my plans
And I'll watch the seasons run away
And I'll build me a life in the open
A life in the country

I'm talkin' 'bout sweet seasons on my mind
Sure does appeal to me
You know we can get there easily
Just like a sailboat sailin' on the sea

Talkin' 'bout sweet seasons
Talkin' 'bout sweet, sweet seasons

-OndineMonet
"Sweet Relief"
Monterey, California
Summer, 2005

Round Robin Challenge: Ye Olde Watering Hole

"Three diseases without shame: Love, Itch and Thirst."

-Irish Saying

The temperature outside has been hot lately, really hot! LOL. But one thing certainly made it all a little easier to handle, and that was having a nice ice filled drink. My favorite thirst quencher, the past couple weeks, has been a tall Italian soda with just a splash of melon syrup. :) I have already shared with you that my favorite little watering hole is Caffe Strada in Berkeley, so how about I tell you about my favoite place in Nevada to wet my whistle, the famous, "Bucket of Blood Saloon," located in historic, Virginia City, Nevada.

Last autumn, Alan and I took a late anniversary trip to Reno, Nevada. There was a ton of things to see and photograph along the way. From the gorgeous autumn leaves, to the neon lights of Reno, it was a treat for an amateur photographer's soul. Well, you know what a history buff I am, so how could I possibly come all the up to Nevada, and not venture up into the hills to Virginia City, to take a walk back in time? So, on our second day in Nevada, up into the hills we went. :)

Virginia City, is a quaint little "Old West" town located about 40 miles or so from downtown Reno. If you were ever a fan of the television series,Bonanza, you might recall that the, "Bucket of Blood Saloon," was a favorite hang-out for the Cartwright boys. LOL. How many times did one of those, ruggedly, handsome Cartwrights get into a bar room brawl, and end up fighting it out in the streets? LOL. Well today, The Bucket of Blood, isn't quite so rugged, but it is still filled with some fantastic memorabilia. During the month of September, there are staged gunfights in the streets right outside the saloon. So while you grab something to quench your thirst, you can see a little bit of what it might have been like to have lived back in the days of the Comstock boom. And on a clear day, if you look out the back window of The Bucket of Blood, you can see clear across Nevada, or at least, that's how it seems. :) How much fun is that? Below are a few pictures of what you will see in this unique watering hole. Enjoy!

If you look over the edge of the back stairway, you will seem like you have truly stepped back in time...

A gold mining sluice, probably used for mining both silver and gold during the Comstock rush.

The "old west" meets the "new west" with the invention of the coin operated slot machine. :) They even had one called, "The Mermaid." LOL.

This is the edge of the awesome, hand carved original wooden bar. All around it are quaint antiques from the 1800's. There is so much to look at, it's hard to know where to start!

In the corner was one of the Comstock Boys, playing the banjo. It was the perfect sound to add to the already visually stunning atmosphere!

As you walk down the back stairs to the observation area, you will see some clear warnings about the dangers of living in the old west. One of them is...YIKES...baby rattlers! But if you just peek inside, you will see that what has really been captured are not baby snakes...but in fact are baby rattles. LOL.

One of my favorite sights of this lovely old saloon, were the antique lighting fixtures. The ceiling had about 50 or so hanging lights of different colors, styles and eras. This one happened to be my favorite. The colors were so appealing to the eyes. :)

So there you have it! This was more then just a place to stop along the way, to stop an quench a thirst. It was a place of history and it had an ambiance one doesn't find everyday. But you see, that is what was so cool about this challenge, and all the challenges for that matter, the chance to show the unusual in the common. To look beyond the obvious, and bring out the experience. Photography, is a wonderful way to step out of the linear view of things. Even if you favorite place to grab a beverage is Starbuck's, I bet there are plenty of things that make the one you go to special. Thanks goes to Maryanne, author of the journal, "Inside The Gilded Cage," for choosing this subject for us.

So there you have it! This was more then just a place to stop along the way, to stop an quench a thirst. It was a place of history and it had an ambiance one doesn't find everyday. But you see, that is what was so cool about this challenge, and all the challenges for that matter, the chance to show the unusual in the common. To look beyond the obvious, and bring out the experience. Photography, is a wonderful way to step out of the linear view of things. Even if you favorite place to grab a beverage is Starbuck's, I bet there are plenty of things that make the one you go to special. Thanks Maryanne, for choosing this subject for us.

Be sure to visit the rest of the Round Robin Participants. :) You can get the linking list from the official Round Robin blog, or you can simply click the links below! :)

Round Robin Participants

Maryanne... Inside the Gilded Cage POSTED!

Karen... Outpost Mavarin POSTED!

Carly... Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly POSTED!

Pamela... My Photos

Suzanne... New Suzanne R's Life POSTED!

Julie... Julie's Web Journal POSTED!

Valorie... Retrospect USA

Tammy... The Daily Warrior POSTED!

Tess... First Digital Photos POSTED!

Janet... Fond of Photography POSTED!

-OndineMonet
The Bucket Of Blood Saloon
Virginia City, Nevada
October 28, 2005
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Yawn!

"A good laugh, and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book."

-Irish Proverb

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Get a picture of someone yawning and/or stretching. Clearly, pets are eligible for this photo shoot as well.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

This is Elvis's friend Ernst. No one embraces a good nap the way Ernst does. His way to beat the heat consists of taking long, lazy naps on his porch. I came home one day last year, to see him sleeping, upside down, on the back stairs of his house. I just happened to have my camera with me, lol, I don't remember the last time I didn't, so I captured this series of Ernst...in celebration of the NAP,the YAWN and the STRETCH. All three are among the great joys of life, no matter what species you happen to be. :)

The Yawn!

The Stretch!

John is absolutely right about a yawn being contagious. One time I was watching an episode of, I Love Lucy, the one where she and Ethel share a ride to Florida with someone they thought was, Evelyn Holmsby, the hatchet Murderer. LOL. And Lucy steps out of the car, in the Florida Everglades, to stretch, and when she does, she yawns. When she yawned...I yawned! LOL. That episode was more then 50 years old, but that yawn had lived on immortal. Tee Hee. Gee, YAWN, doesn't a nap sound wonderful right about now? :)

-OndineMonet

Ernst 1, Ernst 2, Ernst 3

Berkeley, California

Summer, 2005

Hell's Bells

"There is no need to fear the wind, if your haystacks are tied down."

-Irish Proverb

Some people tell me I am cute when I am in a grouchy mood. I don't feel cute...I just feel grouchy! It's hot...it's WAY too hot, there are ants covering my entire house, I went out at 11:00 PM, to buy a bag of ice, but there wasn't a bag of ice to be found in the entire of the East Bay, I have a weird rash on my foot, my computer is trying it's best to die...more on that later...the situation in the Middle East has me on edge, I can't seem to connect with a good friend of mine, I am sweating so much that I look like crap, with the exception of my hair, because I am actually having a good hair day! Go figure! We are continuing to break records with the HOT weather, but the spooky thing is, they were records that were set just last year! Gas prices are ridiculous, and what does George Bush do? He rolls back emissions standards as an incentive for the oil companies to lower the cost. Hello, Global Warming! AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE LOWER PRICES GEORGE!

Elvis has me worried. He was so sick today, and on the news were stories of how pets across the Bay Area were passing away from heat related illnesses. I put my boy in the bathtub and cooled his body down. He liked that. Then when he wouldn't eat or drink, I got some cool water and gave it to him with a spoon. He didn't want to take it, but after a little bit of patience with him and some cooing, he had a little. It was something anyway. Sigh. With weather like this, folks have to remember that their pets have to be given some extra attention. Even if they are indoor pets with access to air conditioners and fans, check them a couple times a day to be sure they are eating, drinking, and doing all their normal bodily functions. It was hard to see a cat, who looked like Elvis, hooked up to IVs and an oxygen machine.

Why do folks, sometimes think other folks look cute, when they are actually grouchy? LOL. My whole life I have heard..."you're so cute when you are grumpy." Then again, I suppose there are worse things someone could say about you! And believe me...they have! LOL. Mummphff...I think I will sleep in my tent tonight. Oh yeah, I didn't tell you did I? I got a new tent a couple days ago. It's big and roomy, and there is a skylight. LOL. I can watch the airplanes take-off and land at OAKLAND. LOL. There's nothing like getting back to nature! LOL.

-OndineMonet

Gas Prices Hit All Time High

Games People Play

"The cool thing about being famous is traveling, I always wanted to travel across seas, like to Canada and stuff."

-Britney Spears

Well, we have a whole new poll on the sidebar! But before I tell you about the newest poll, and why I chose the current topic, I will just let you know that the results for the previous poll, "Favorite Family Game," can be found here. I really enjoyed that poll, I like playing board games, card games, and even some video games, like SIMS 2. My family didn't play any of those games when I was a little girl, so sometimes it felt like I had missed out on a lot. It wasn't until Alan returned from college, and we because best friends, that I ever even played Monopoly. I really enjoyed it a lot, and from there it was on to Dungeons and Dragons...YIKES...did I really just admit that? LOL. Hey, I made it all the way up to a 12 level warrior named Deidre. LOL. Anyway it was a lot of fun finding out what the most popular game is among those who read Ellipsis, so thank you for your participation!

Now, about our current poll, "Who Is Your Favorite Celebrity Behaving Badly." I have to admit, I am not usually one for the tabloids or celebrity gossip shows, but lately there seems to be so much bad behavior going on, that I find myself, at times, enthralled. LOL. Will Heather Locklear and Ritchie Sambora work it out? Will Naomi Campbell smack yet another assistant with that wacky cell phone of hers? And what the heck was up with our president giving that...uh...hum...umm neckrub to German chancellor, Angela Merkel, at the G8 Summit? Did you see the episode of Jay Leno, where that strange lady approached Colin Farrell? How weird was that? Inquiring minds want to know! LOL. Ok, the thing is, sometimes I prefer to contemplate this stuff, as opposed to the things in the news that frighten me. Lately, there has certainly been enough to be frightened of. :( So, if you want to, chime in and tell me which of the 10 celebrity silliness, listed on the sidebar poll, have you scratching your head in wonder. If your current favorite incident of celebrity who is misbehaving isn't listed, feel free to share with me in the comment thread of this entry! I look forward to your responses! :)

"Look guys, if you are just going to stare at me, I'm just going to bed."

-Elvis Presley

Note: My friend Patrick has posted an excellent article regarding some of these incidents. Drop by and give him a read. :)

"Celebrities Need A Reality Check...And So Do We!"

-OndineMonet

Like Seven Inches From The Midday Sun

"The coldest winter I ever saw, was the summer I spent in San Francisco."

-Mark Twain

The Bay Area has been experiencing some pretty severe weather the last couple days. Unbearable heat, no air, no breeze, and temperatures that are breaking records. Livermore is estimated to reach 110 degrees later today, which is nearly 20 degrees above normal. Here in the East Bay hills it has been so oppressive, that there wasn't even the sound of children playing outdoors yesterday. That is sad indeed, because isn't that one of the very best sounds of summer? I heard very few birds today, and there hasn't been the usual visits in the night by the opossums. That worries me. Twice today I have gotten "Severe Weather" desktop alerts by the Weather Channel, and right now as I type this, it is 97 degrees in my cottage at 12 midnight.

Elvis isn't doing well, so I have had to be especially careful with him. I make him have some water every couple hours, and I wash him down three or four times a day with some cool water from the bathroom sink. He and I haven't been able to go swimming this year, my foot is too swollen from the dampness of the weather. In order to get into the pool I would need to take my pain medicine, which makes me woosey. I don't think it would be a good idea with Alan at work to swim by myself, so Elvis and I just dip our toes in. The sun overhead has been too much. And to think, on the 4th of July, it was 45 degrees on top of Twin Peaks in the city with winds at 35 miles per hour. The Bay Area microclimates can be difficult to handle, especially if one isn't used to them. Funny thing about the above quote by Mark Twain, according to Snopes.com, Mark Twain never said that! He may have mused on the strange weather patterns in the Bay Area, but he actually never said that particular quote.

Have I mentioned that I am longing for autumn? LOL. One thing however, the sunset on a Bay Area summer day can be stunning! This is a photo taken at the Berkeley pier, facing Angel Island. :) The scene to the left, is a magnificent view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Fort Point. Even on a day like yesterday, when the summer heat was so hot I couldn't seem to even think clearly, my camera will always help me find the relief I seek. :) I am not used to these temperatures, or the pain it is causing in my leg. Sigh. Send me some cool thoughts please. :)

By the way, we have an upcoming Round Robin Challenge, which is taylor made for a hot summer day. "Ye Olde Watering Hole." There is still time to sign up for the challenge, it's easy. All you have to do is pay a visit to the official Round Robin blog, and leave your name, your journal/blog's name and the full URL in the comment thread and you are all set. So tell me, what is your favorite summer drink, and where do you most enjoy having it? Or better yet, take a photo, and join us next Wednesday for the challenge!

KGO Heat Wave To Last Through The Weekend

-OndineMonet
"Berkeley Sunset"
July 21st, 2006
9:20 PM
Note: Thanks Redsneakz for the great error catch!

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #121: This One Goes To 11!

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."

-Albert Einstein

Weekend Assignment #121: Do whatever you want, so long as it somehow involves the number 11. Memories of being eleven, lists that have eleven positions to them, collections of eleven similar objects...hey...whatever you want. As long as the number eleven is somehow involved, it's all good. For those of you thinking about being sneaky and using binary notation: no "11, base 2." We're talking binary number 1011 here, pal.

Extra Credit: Grab a book, open it to page 11, and write out the 11th sentence.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

How about a list of 11 things about the number 11, including a brand new original poem by me. :) I know what you are thinking..."Oh no...not one of her poems." LOL. Hey, practice makes perfect! LOL.

1. Eleven Minutes Ago, (A Free Verse Poem)
By Carly Gordon

I think it was in November when they met
Two human souls on one path
One walking toward and one walking away
From their individual pasts.

They stopped and spoke of polite things
For eleven minutes that November day
He and She thinking words not spoken
In a silent dialog of suppressed desires

The closer they came to each others life
The further they seemed to drift apart
Until a chasm was all that remained
Of a once great November filled day

Then both walked away in reluctant silence
As both momentarily considered the future
And what could have been changed in the past
Only eleven short minutes ago.

2. A rocket must travel at over 11km per second to escape the Earth's gravity.

3. According to Numerology, 11 possesses the qualities of intuition, patience, honesty, sensitivity, and spirituality, and idealism.

4. NBC 11 is my local NBC affiliate

5. Eleven, 11 lettered words.
1. Caressingly
2. Dressmakers
3. Foolishness
4. Truehearted
5. Documentary
6. Foretelling
7. Girlfriends
8. Knucklehead
9. Summerhouse
10. Tranquility
11. Yesteryears

5.The symbol for the 11th anniversary is STEEL.

6. The 11th president of the United States was James Polk.

7. Eleven Pipers Piping, from 12 Days Of Christmas, would cost $2,053.

8. 11 is the atomic number of sodium.

9. The 11th moon of Jupiter is called Himalia

10. In Astrology, the 11th house is of Ideals, Friends and Allies

11. Apollo 11 was the first mission to the moon. July, 1969.

Extra Credit: The 11th page and the 11th sentence of my favorite book, Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman. Autumn will be here soon, I read this book every autumn. :)

"She did not as the aunts for special favors, or even request those small rewards she deserved."

-OndineMonet
"A Day In The 11th Month"
Berkeley, California
November, 2005
Afternoon

Beer Bad

"Maybe because popcorn explodes."

-Brian Lehman, owner of, The Amish Country Popcorn factory, answered,"Maybe because popcorn explodes," when asked why he thought his popcorn factory was placed on a list of potential terrorist threats.

Sigh. As President Bush, delivered yet another smug speech from the White House yesterday, I mused to myself about how odd, and surreal it was to hear him dictate about morality and human ethics, after vetoing a bill which would have allowed an increase in federal funding into stem cell research. Research which would have the potential to improve, if not actually save, the lives of countless Americans who suffer from various cancers, Alzheimer's disease and debilitating spinal cord injuries. It was frustrating and infuriating that the impassioned pleas of such proponents of stem cell research as, Nancy Reagan, and Michael J. Fox, fell on the ever deaf ears of our president.

Is it because he has never had to face watching a loved one suffer through an illness such as Alzheimer's? Or had to sit up with them all night because they were lost in their own mind. Or face watching a loved one die a little every single day, as their personality and memories slip away into oblivion? There were days when my mother, didn't know me from a door knob, there were days when she would become violent, and some days when she simply played as if she was a small child, her favorite comfort toy was a stuffed giggle doll I bought her. She could play with it for hours. My fear, pain and sorrow was nothing unique, many, many American families face this struggle every day. It is both financially, physically and emotionally draining. And sometimes I wonder , in that my mother suffered from that hideous disease, will that be a part of my future as well?

I think about the struggle of Dana Reeve. She loved her husband, Christopher Reeve, so much, and she stood by him after his near fatal horseback riding accident in 1995, which left him with a broken neck and devastating spinal cord injuries. It was their dream to see him walk again in his lifetime. It wasn't to be. I think about how sad I was to hear that Dana Reeve lost her own battle with Lung Cancer at the age of 44 earlier this year. Is there ever enough money to research medical atrocities? Heart disease, Leukemia, Alzheimer's, Lung Cancer, Spinal cord injuries, are killing American's at an alarming rate. It's unconscionable to me, that he could so smugly surround himself with people who share his views, for the sole purpose of having a cheering section while he yields his mighty pen. To date over $297,285,156,121 has been spent on the unecessary war in Iraq. And we still have no clear exit plan, at least while Bush is in office. A war which carries various American made atrocities of it's own, and a still missing couple billion dollars.

And in other mindless spending, a recent congressional audit of the, Department of Homeland Security, found some unusual expenditures which may rise to the level of fraud. My personal favorite expenditure was for a beer brewing kit, for the Coast Guard to brew it's own alcohol, while on duty, as a social activity for the Coast Guard Academy. What is this, McHale's Navy? Nope. It isn't anything that entertaining...just more governmental incompetence, greed and selfishness taking place while no one watches. The Department of Homeland Securities problems don't end there. Just last week came a report of the uneven disbursement of funds for increased security measures against potential terrorist targets. According to the inspector general of the D.H.S, the Nation Asset Database is so flawed, that as of January, Indiana, with, 8,591 potential terror targets, had more than twice as many potential terrorist targets then California, with 3,212. Indiana is now the most targeted place in America.

So what's in Indiana that makes them so attractive to terrorists ? How about The Amish Popcorn Factory. It doesn't end there, the citizens of Columbus, Tennessee, can feel safer at The Mule Day Parade, the residents of Woodville, Alabama, can go to Old MacDonald's Petting Zoo, without fear, and the ever mysterious, "Beach at the end of the Street," wherever that is, has received it's funding. The Department of Homeland Security, which hands out the antiterrorism grants, cut funding to New York City, and Washington by 40 percent. New York City, had their funding cut by 40 percent, so that a tackle shop, a donut shop, and Nix's Check Cashing, could be added to the list of possible targets by terrorists? 571 nursing homes, 1,305 casinos, 163 water parks, 3, 773 malls were also listed in categories. I resent the fact that antiterrorism funding was cut to California, in favor of states such as Montana, one of the least populated states in the union. Montana received more assets then North Carolina, New Jersey, and Massassachusetts. Tell me, do you feel safe?

Anyone can surround themselves with "yes" people. Just once, I would like to see our president make one of those smug speeches, like he did yesterday, with an accurate audience of the American voice. According to a poll on AOL, 82 percent of American's support the increased funding for stem cell research. Unfortunately, as long as George W. Bush is in office, our voices will fall on his deaf ears.

There really isn't much to say is there? The word of the day is...

"Unconscionable."

1. Not guided or controlled by conscience
2. Excessive, unreasonable
3. Shockingly unfair or unjust

-OndineMonet
"Tow Away Zone"
Berkeley, California
July 19, 2006
Afternoon

A Well Stocked Camera Case

"Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be."

-Duane Michals

One thing every good amateur photographer must have, is a well stocked camera case. Extra batteries, a good digital camera cleaning kit, maybe even an extra lens cap. It's also a good idea to have a pen and some paper for writing down notes about the weather, and special notes about the area one is photographing. I always check my camera case before I leave the house to make sure I have everything I need...and then some.

Being one of those, "girlie girls," there are quite a few items that I take with me on photo jaunts, that you probably wouldn't expect to find in most camera cases. See, instead of dragging my purse along with me, I simply add all those, "girlie girl," necessities to my camera case. Only the most essential items mind you.

1.Breath spray... in case I happen to meet David Duchovny.

2.Make-up... in case I happen to meet David Duchovny.

3.Jasmine Perfume... in case I happen to meet David Duchovny.

4.My cell phone... So I can call all my friends if I happen to meet David Duchovny.

5. My Voo-Doo sock monkey Ernst, because I like monkeys.

6. A CD of music to inspire me, I just love the David Duchovny song by Bree Sharp.

7. My wallet, in case I meet David Duchovny and he hasn't had lunch.

8. Sunblock, so I don't look like a lobster, if I should meet David Duchovny.

9. Sunglasses, so I will look cool if I should meet David Duchovny, but I never wear them to take pictures outside in the daytime. :) Your pictures will come out better if you have an accurate view of the lighting around you. :)

10. An extra set of car keys. Trust me on that one! LOL.

11. Some feminine needs products. Again, trust me on that one! LOL.

12. A plastic shower cap. LOL. When it rains, sometimes it pours. LOL.

13. 2 Tea bags, 2 Hot Chocolate packets, 2 Hot Apple Cider packets, 24 Equal packets, 4 Lipton Chicken Noodle Instant Soup, 4 napkins, 4 plastic forks, 4 plastic knives.

14. A nail clipper. There's nothing worse then having a hang nail while trying to take a photo.

15. 6 medium and 6 small band-aids, for when the hang nail bleeds. Sheesh! LOL.

16. 1 Lavender eye mask, so I won't have tired looking eyes should I meet David Duchovny.

17. 2 Hair clips, for putting my hair up. There's nothing worse then having very long hair on a windy day. I should really cut it one day.

18. A small bottle of aspirin for those unexpected aches and pains.

19. My wallet... it costs $3 to cross the Bay Bridge, and $5 if I am coming across the Golden Gate into the city. It's all in the paths you choose. :)

20. Apple Dippers. I always stop at McDonald's, on my way out to wherever the picture is, and grab some Apple Dippers in case I don't have time to stop and eat. Apple slices pick me right up. :)

I have managed to put everything I need into my camera case, I like being well prepared. I also have a spare T-Shirt and pants that I keep in the trunk, because sometimes birds can be wacky. LOL. And yep, my camera still fits in it's case just fine. :)

So tell me, what do you carry in your camera case? Just the basics? Or do you have some specialty items of a "must have" nature? Come on you guy readers of mine also... fess up... do you have anything in your camera case which might be considered out of the ordinary? Share. Tell me what you never leave home without... not including your American Express card! :)

-OndineMonet
A Well Stocked Camera Case"
Berkeley, California
June 18th, 2006
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Life In Negative

"There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are."

-Ernst Haas

Your Monday Photo Shoot: With photo editing tools, take a picture of yours and turn it into a negative. The idea here is not to take just any picture, mind you, but one that you think will look particularly striking with the colors inverted.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

I hope it doesn't break any rules to display more then one photo, but I couldn't decide which one I wanted to display. It had never occurred to me to invert the colors of a photo, so I had lots of fun with this Monday Photo Shoot. :) The photo above is one in a series I am doing on the discarded couches of Berkeley. It is quite a phenomenon, but every late summer/early autumn the streets around the University of California at Berkeley, become lined with discarded couches as new students fill the frat and sorority houses. I have never seen this in other college towns, just here in Berkeley. I don't know...somehow I just found it inspiring and unique. :)

Here are some other subjects I found fun...

Squirrel Eating A Cracker

Bathtub Diva (Mannequin)

Pink Lily

Queen Dananus gilippus Butterfly

Drum Set (Greg Kihn Concert)

Lone Cypress, 17 Mile Drive, Monterey

Hot Air Balloons

The Moon Over Lake Tahoe

There they be. :) This was a fun assignment. :)

-OndineMonet

...And Someday I Would Like To Learn To Ride A Seahorse

"My life has a super cast, but I can't figure out the plot."

-Asleigh Brilliant

Sigh. Things have been stressful lately. There I said it. I think for the most part I am a fairly upbeat person. I have my moments, like most humans from the planet earth, and most of the time all it takes to set it all straight again, is a little time away from the problem. Meditation works, so does Qi Gong. Sometimes however, it doesn't matter how many five-minute sessions of thought processing I do, things simply don't fall back into order. See, I can't change the world outside myself, and I can't change the people in my environment...nor should I try. The problem is, I have certain expectations in life, and I expect things from others, such as believing that commitments made to me should and will kept.

Things happen, mistakes are made, and unforeseen circumstances will occur. It's an absolute part of life. But how many times does a pattern have to occur before one realizes that there is a problem? Then what? I can't make the people in my life keep their promises to me, all I can do is ask that an effort be made to rectify the pattern of dropping the ball when it comes to whatever the situation is. Right? So, does it make me a bad guy that I insist that a commitment made be kept? From my perspective, if I have tried to deal with it and the same pattern continues over and over, how does it help anyone, if I just swallow my frustration and say nothing...pick up the slack myself, because it's easier then possibly hurting someone's feelings by being honest with them about how I feel.

I think most of you have known me long enough to know that I try to be fair. Ellipsis is about my fascination with the world around me. The sun, the moon, music, art, politics, animals, the strange situations I find myself in at times, my hopes, you name it...I am fascinated by it. But at times, like this past week, I just feel a little alone, because sometimes even I need to say that life isn't always a bowl of cherries, not even for me. Sometimes I have to insist that I be treated with respect and courtesy...period. And being in that position just doesn't feel very good, you know? But I have learned from my past that saying, "it's ok you didn't keep your commitment to me, I understand," when I really don't feel that way, is a cowardly way to live one's life.

I think everything is going to be ok, I have said what I need to say and I think the situation is on the mend, yet I still feel this sense of damage in me, because I stood up for myself and didn't let the other person off the hook. It's important to me to treat others the way I want to be treated. I always had this goal to hopefully leave those I meet a little better off then when I found them, but in reality, maybe that is unreasonable as a goal.

In a different situation this week I had to set a different boundary. I had to say to someone that they couldn't do something, because there is an ethic against it. I would never hurt someone's feeling on purpose, it gives me no happiness to think someone is hurting because I had to draw a line. Still, that doesn't change the fact that their feelings are hurt. I have tried to explain that I wasn't attacking them personally, and I tried to reassure them that it was my hope that they would understand my position. I really tried, but they are so sad that anything was said at all, that they can't seem to move beyond the intial hurt.I just needed to make a situation clear, so that in the future it doesn't happen again. Sigh. It's the most helpless feeling to not be forgiven for a slight. It's lonely, and it makes me question myself.

And in still another frustrating situation, I have a friend that I haven't been able to connect with for whatever reason. We are up to 15 reasons the last time I counted, but see, when I reached that number I simply stopped counting. Sigh. Our relationship feels fragile right now. I don't know what to do. My friend has been having a hard time with life in general, and it is starting to hurt him...really bad. Sarah, my therapist, made me say outloud this past week, that "I can't save him." Sigh. She's right. To say it, or even type it right here in the safety of my blog, feels like a cold knife running straight through me. Again, helpless is the word, and yes followed closely by loneliness. But I know I had to say it, so, thank you Sarah.

Ok, have I whined enough? LOL. It wasn't like the whole week was bad, I loved going on the 17 Mile drive. On Wednesday, I grabbed a pizza for lunch from my favorite little pizza place on Shattuck avenue, The Cheeseboard, which tasted like God himself made it...but then all their pizzas do. They serve one type of pizza, which changes daily, and you can by it by the slice, half or whole. I have never tasted anything like it. This past week it was, domestic mushroom, fresh herbs, French feta cheese, mozzarella,and yellow onions. OMG. :) Now THAT is happiness. In fact there were all kinds of little happinesses last week.

I love the little moments, like hearing a song on the radio you haven't heard in forever, or the way Elvis's whiskers feel on my cheek first thing in the morning, or when someone says, "I love you," without saying a word. ;) And today, I get to start yet another week...isn't that great? :) I am sitting on the brink of a whole new week, with new opportunities, new challenges, new joys, new sorrows, new wonderful moments waiting for me, and I am ready to take on the adventure, and someday I would like to learn to ride a seahorse. :)

"For fast acting relief, try slowing down."
-Lily Tomlin

-OndineMonet
"Someday A Seahorse"
17 Mile Drive
Pacific Grove, California
Afternoon

Beyond The Immediate

"The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach."

-Harry Beston

T.S. Eliot said, "April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain." I don't know, to me August is the cruelest of all months, and now it is sitting right in front of me, looming, and taunting. I hate August. It's only redeeming value is that every once in a while, during August, it will give you a little peek at the golden sun of autumn, as if giving one a little provocation to hold onto the future.

I drove down the 17 Mile Drive last Thursday, in an effort to escape the four walls of my cottage, and my mind. I knew the drive would be a physical strain, because my joints have been swollen and achy, but onward I went...and I am not sorry I did. It was a fabulous diversion from stuff that has been clogging up my brain. I was inspired by wild sea birds and animals, the Del Monte Forest, and the natural landscape ans seascape that changes by the moment. I have been on this drive many times, I have seen the usual sights along the way, but it is all so stunning and when you see it at different times of the year, and different times of day, it's like seeing it for the first time...every time.

I understand what Claude Monet meant when he said, "For me, a landscape does not exist in it's own right, since it's appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life...the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value." The air was cool, and a little misty. The sky was the bluest-blue I could have imagined,yet there was a blue/pink fog bank moving toward shore, the water was aqua and light blue in color, with waves of both shades coming together as one. It seemed like I was very close to what I imagine heaven looking like, when I dream of being my life on earth. It's fun for me to photograph certain places over and over, at different times of the year, and with different lighting opportunities. It's all such a gift.

Light, is a gift.

One thing that will make August a little easier to face is that I will be attending the, "Monet In Normandy," exhibit at the, Legion of Honor, in San Francisco. The exhibit is showing over 50 of his paintings from his time in Normandy, when he was inspired by the villages, the seasons, and the landscapes of the region. I am so excited to be able to see, for the first time, the actual brush strokes of the father of Impressionism. His paintings, and the Impressionism movement, has always inspired me as an amateur photographer. To look beyond the obvious, the immediate view in the lens, is to bring out the true life of a living scene. It is being able to show my impression of what I see, as opposed to the cold, uninspired reality of what life can be all too often...a never ending August of restlessness, that mixes memory with desire and a longing for a seemingly unreachable autumn of relief. I will always have that moment from the other day, when I was reminded by the light, that I will always have autumn, if I can just look beyond the immediate. :)

-OndineMonet
"Beyond The Immediate"
17 Mile Drive
Pacific Grove, California
July 13, 2006
Mid-Morning

Ye Olde Watering Hole...A Round Robin Promotion

"Why doe man kill? He kills for food. And not only food, frequently there much be a beverage as well."

-Woody Allen

We have a nifty new Round Robin Challenge to ponder. Our friend Maryanne, author of the journal, "Inside The Gilded Cage," has chosen, "Ye Olde Watering Hole," as our new photo challenge to meet. I love this idea. :) I do have a specific place in Berkeley where I like to go for a little relax and refresh, Caffe Strada, at the corner of College avenue and Bancroft. It sits right across the street from the University of California Berkeley. It's a fun place where one can go to read a book, do a little work on a laptop computer, or just sit an people watch. That's what I enjoy doing the most, the people watching. The cafe itself is is a lovely place with gorgeous trees all around it to keep it cool in the summer, and outdoor heaters to keep it warm, on the cold rainy days of winter. They have lots of coffee and tea choices, but the hot chocolate will curl your toes, especially with a dash of Torani raspberry syrup. If you ever go there never, ever, miss the Chocolate Mocha cake they have...OMG...yep, that's the stuff!

In the summer, I enjoy buying the Italian sodas. Usually I will order a Watermelon soda, but the Melon and Pink Grapefruit is pretty tasty also. The melon flavored sodas taste just like biting into a chilled Honeydew melon. It can be a nice treat on these hot summer days we have been having. :) No matter when you go there, you will always have something interesting to see or experience. I enjoy sitting at my favorite watering hole in autumn. The kids are back to school at the university, some for the first time, and there is a youthful enthusiasm in the air. An energy.

That feeling of passion for the future, that you can see on the faces of the young students who go their to grab a refreshment, is addictive. Sometimes you might overhear a good natured debate between them, sometimes in several languages. It all goes so well together. A lot of the time I can hear laughter among the patrons, and doesn't the sound of laughter just sound good in any language? Also, it doesn't hurt that the cafe sits less then half a block from the,Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive. :)

It's not always about the beverage being served. Sometimes we visit our favorite watering holes to enjoy the ambiance, sometimes because we need human contact, sometimes we have a craving for a soda, or coffee, or even something a little stronger. It's all good in moderation. Sometimes one needs to try new things. If I had never ventured into that lovely little cafe, I would have never discovered Italian sodas. Now sometimes, I make them at home, when I am not feeling well enough to visit Caffe Strada. I love inventing new recipes, and I want to share this one with you from the watering hole I visited today..."Ye-Old- Backyard-Of-My-House-Watering-Hole." LOL. I call this drink, "Apricot Autumn."

Apricot Autumn

8 oz Sparkling Soda
1/2 oz. (I Tbs.) Torani Apricot Syrup
1/4 oz. (1 1/2 tsp.) Torani Cinnamon Syrup
1 Apricot quartered

Fill the glass with ice...and go for it! :) When the drink is done, the apricot quarters will have a lovely, light cinnamon taste. MMMMMMMYUMMMMM.

Your turn, join the Round Robin Challenge, and share with us about your favorite ,"Ye Olde Watering Hole." It could be your favorite Tea House, neighborhood Bar & Grill, Coffee House, Juice bar, Smoothie Joint, Soda Shop, or maybe even the best little Lemonade Stand in your town. So, grab your cameras,venture forth and snap away. Show us where you like to go to wet your whistle. If you prefer to make your own libations, that's cool too. Show us that favorite drink that you make yourself, and then share with us how, why,when and where you most enjoy it. The date of this challenge will be, Wednesday, July 26th. You can post your entry anytime between the midnights of that day. You can find out all the information at the official Round Robin Blog. Hope to see you on July 26th. :)

-OndineMonet
"Apricot Autumn Soda"
Berkeley, July 13, 2006
Afternoon

NOTE! There have been some additions to the Rules of Play. Please go and read the new rules posted in the ***Welcome Entry & Rules of Play***, BEFORE, you sign up to play. Please everyone, lets try to stick to the rules, they are there to make things fair for everyone! Your cooperation is needed to keep things flowing smoothly!

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #120

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names."

-Chinese Proverb

Weekend Assignment#120: Do a Web search on a pet's name and let us know some of the interesting things that pop-up. It doesn't necessarily have to be a current pet... if you've got a previous pet whose name will elicit more interesting Web results, by all means use that one instead.

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always believed that my pet's came with their names. I have looked into the eyes of baby, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs, goldfish, parakeets, hamsters, bunnies, geese, squirrels, trout, guinea pigs, turtles, toads, grasshoppers, and even a road runner, and let them tell me their name. Ok, yes I know, animals can't talk, but somehow it was always like they told me their name, because before I knew it, a name would be in my head...and it ususally seemed right for the animal. Like when I looked into Elvis's eyes for the first time. Somehow I just knew his name was Elvis. His baby picture is below, now I ask you, could his name have been anything other then Elvis? LOL.

I Googled the name Elvis, and came up with the usual sites that feature "The King" Elvis Presley, but I also found sites for Elvis Costello, who just happens to be one of my favorite singers as well. :) I also checked for the name of Elvis's brother from the same litter, Jack Kerouac. He is the one featured in the above photo. He was a beautiful cat, so soft and so wee sometimes. We couldn't keep him, and I miss him at times so much, but I will never forget how loving he and Elvis were to each other. I think that is where Elvis learned to be such a humanitarian. Elvis took good care of his brother. :)

Elvis's name is Scandinavian in origin, and it means, "all wise." Yep, as it just so happens, he is the wisest soul I know. :)

Jack's name is Hebrew in origin, and it means, "the Lord is gracious." Jack was a very gentle soul, who was kind and shy. :)

I was very lucky to have been raised with a lot of different types of pets, and to learn to have a strong respect for them. I am pretty sure, that my pets came with their names, I could be wrong, but I really couldn't imagine having called either of my cats, Elvis Aaron P. Gordon or Jack Kerouac Gordon, any other name.

-OndineMonet
"Jack Kerouac"
"Elvis Aaron"
May, 1997

Steven's Feline Friday: This Is What A Bad Kitty Looks Like!

"There's no snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast."

-Unknown

Monday, of this week, was not a good day for my boy. He was hot, he was tired of the summer weather, he woke-up in a snit, he was mad because his father had the gall to leave for work, he couldn't find his Incredible Hulk doll, Ernie still isn't coming around much to play with him, he stuck his paw under the back door, trying to touch paws with his friend Molly, and got it stuck...and he tipped over his water bowl. He was not in a good mood on that Monday morning, at it was only 6:30 AM. LOL. Add to it, I had tell him "no, he couldn't go out and play because the gardener was coming,"and know what you get? Psycho Kitty! :)

He pounced on the bed, he pounced on the bags ready for recycling, he tried to use the phone to turn me in to kitty protective services, actually he was just replaying the saved messages, lol, over and over again, he decided to make a light show by touching the touch lamp on my desk. He got into my bathroom cupboard and lined up the rolls of toilet paper in neat aisles of 6. I swear he can count. He mewed, me meowed, then he pulled out all the stops and put on his
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!! Which makes the neighbors think I beat him. Sheesh. So, I got up, with about 20 full minutes of sleep, and let him out into the backyard to play. You can bet, when the gardener came with that big annoying thing that makes all the noise, a lawn mower, Elvis was only too happy to let his mommy bring him in the house, in her arms. :) He has been a good kitty ever since, he even let me brush his teeth with the new tooth paste and clean his ears with the Q-Tips. He is a well groomed little boy. And he is never really a bad cat. He's just Elvis. :)

Feline Friday is being hosted this time around by Julie, and her kitties, Midnight and Abby. Be sure to drop by her place and say hello. Steven will be hosting Feline Friday again this Friday on his journal, (sometimes) photoblog. And like he says..."Cats Rule!"

-OndineMonet
"This Is What A Bad Kitty Looks Like"
July 10, 2006
Berkeley, California
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: Americana

"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you."

-Winnie-The-Pooh

In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt, while on a hunting trip in Mississippi, displayed an act of compassion and respect in a moment when he didn't have to. He chose that day to spare the life of a tired, frightened bear which had been caught and tied to a tree for his presidential hunting party, because he felt it would have been unsportsmanlike to take it's life. This act of reverence made national headlines the following day, when Clifford Barryman, an editorial cartoonist for the Washington Post, wrote a cartoon montage of the incident. The title of the front page story was, "Drawing The Line In Mississippi." After reading the story in the Post, a shopkeeper in Brooklyn, N.Y. began displaying bears in his shops window that had been crafted by his wife, who made them from soft plush and gave them two shoe button eyes. The shopkeeper, Morris Michtom, enjoyed an instant success with the sales of the handmade bears, and eventually asked, and then received,permission from the president himself, to call the bears..."Teddy Bears." The rest is cuddly, Americana history. :)

I have always been an avid bear collector. At one time, I had almost 200 bears of all shapes, colors, and sizes in my collection. One day they were stolen from my storage, in my sorrow, I made a decision to not continue with that hobby, but every once in a while I do treat myself to a new bear, which mostly sit in areas around my desk. I now have about 15 bears...and a moose, named Ross. LOL. And now I only purchase them from Boyd's Bears, of Gettysburg Pa. Each of my bears holds a special place in my heart, and because they are handmade, each one has their own special personality. LOL. Yep...on those difficult days when nothing seems to go right, I have been known to hold a conversation with my bears. But only if my cat, Elvis, is busy. :) Now remember...

"If the person you are talking to, doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."

-Winnie-The-Pooh :)

Cosette, author of the journal, "Pandora's Bazaar" chose "Americana" for this edition of the Round Robin Challenges. Thank you Cosette, this was a lot of fun. Tis the season after all. :) Please pay a visit to the other members of the Round Robin Challenges, simply follow the links below. And if you want to join us, you are most welcome to come along. Simply pay a visit to the official blog of the Round Robin Challenges, read the current entry, leave us a link as requested, and you are in! If you haven't played before, take a moment to read the ***Welcome Entry & Rules Of Play*** And don't forget to come back to the Round Robin blog on Thursday, to find out what our next photo challenge will be. :)

-OndineMonet
"My Bears"
Berkeley, California

Linking List

Cosette... Pandora's Baazar

Carly... Ellipsis... Suddenly Carly

Karen... Outpost Mavarin

Julie... Julie's Web Journal

Valorie... Retrospect USA

Maryanne... Inside The Gilded Cage

Pamela... My Photos

Brad... We-Is WELCOME NEW MEMBER!

Tammy... The Daily Warrior

Suzanne... New Suzanne R's Life

Steven... (sometimes) photoblog

Connie... MOMENTS TO REMEMBER

Janet... Fond Of Photography WELCOME NEW MEMBER!

Amy... My Life And Pictures

The Way They Weren't? What Happend To "The View?"

"There are two dilemmas that rattle the human skull: How do you hang on to someone who won't stay? And how do you get rid of someone who won't go?"

-Danny DeVito "War of the Roses"

I wanted to wait a few weeks before I did an entry about the venomous goings on over at ABC's morning talk show, The View. I wanted to see how things might play out between the ladies, Joy Behar, Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Star Jones-Reynolds. Would it be possible that a smooth transition for the ladies would take place, after Meredith Vieira departed for her new job, filling Katie Couric's shoes at NBC's, "Today Show?" Would it all be smooth sailing or would there be there be any power control issues going on?Would there be clear signs, even to the audience, that things would not be resolving themselves without hard feelings forming between the ladies? Or would everyone take the attitude of, the show must go on? Well, given the jabs, slams, and general cattiness of late...there is no longer anything to consider. The View is clearly not what it used to be. Of course the question really is...was it ever?

I liked Barbara Walter's idea of putting together a panel of women from different backgrounds, and experiences, who would share their unique perspectives regarding American culture, politics, family life, current events, and fashion trends. It was a good idea, and I was an avid viewer for a number of years. The ladies seemed to have a genuine affection for each other, despite the comings and goings of the co-hosts over the years. Debbie Matenopoulous, followed by Lisa Ling, then, most recently, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, filled the seat as the up and coming, younger member of the morning panel. It was that seat that changed most often over the years. Each of those ladies couldn't have been more different, yet they all share the same enthusiasm about the world that kept the topics fresh.The View, in general, seemed to keep that original vision, as the years went by. So what could have changed so drastically...so soon?

When Meredith Vieira announced she would be leaving, The View, to begin her new gig at, The Today Show, the search began for someone to replace her as co-host. It wasn't long before it was announced, that Rosie O'Donnel would be the new member of the panel. Frankly, it surprised me a little that she was chosen so quickly. When I thought about who might be chosen, I have to admit, she wasn't on my list. Don't get me wrong, I like Rosie O'Donnel, I think she is funny and very genuine, but at times I also find her to be a bit brash. I also thought that she really hadn't handled herself well, in that now famous incident with Tom Selleck, over gun control. Now, as you know, I am a big proponent of gun control, but the disrespectful way in which she handled things that day, kind of made her look rude, and so in effect, she set back her own point. But that's just my opinion about one particular incidence. Rosie herself, has been through a lot in life, and has made many decisions for herself that took a lot of courage to make. When I really considered the idea of her being a co-host, I could see how she would be at least an interesting replacement for Vieira.

Then fur began to fly. I read rumors here and there about how there had been a feud between Rosie and Star Jones-Reynolds regarding Star's recent weight loss. Apparently Rosie had made some pungent remarks that the weight loss that Star achieved, prior to her 2004 wedding, must have occurred by way of gastic bypass surgery, as opposed to Star Jones-Reynolds assertion that she lost the weight do to diet and exercise. Calling Jones- Reynolds, "dishonest." But according to Barbara Walters, Star Jones-Reynolds knew months ago, that her contract with The View was not going to being renewed, and no mention had been made about it being about Rosie O'Donnel. Still, it seems the hurt feelings were mounting, yet nothing seemed to be at the boiling point until after it was confirmed that Rosie O'Donnel would be next in line to co-host The View. Can it be that this is really what caused such backstabbing and public displays of ire to take place? Or was there a bigger problem behind the scenes all along?

The day after Star Jones-Reynolds, made the surprise announcement, on The View,of her impending departure, the fallout of the situation began with a striking bitterness.

"I love Star and I was trying to do everything I possibly could up until this morning, when I was betrayed,to protect her."

-Barbara Walters

"For Barbara to say she felt betrayed is the height of hypocrisy."

-Star Jones-Reynolds

Is this a situation of the sudden onslaught of hurt feelings? Was there enough betrayal to go around? Was it all a case of one straw too many, breaking several camels backs? Did Meredith Vieria decide to leave The View simply to pursue a larger, more lucrative career possibility? Or has a good deal of infighting been going on for a long time? Is there a possibility that Star Jones-Reynolds contract wasn't renewed because Rosie O'Donnel had once made a remark regarding Star's integrity? Was it a simple matter of popularity? Was Star losing her following? What is really going on here?

I have to admit, I was put off once by Star's admission that once, while working as a prosecutor, she "borrowed" the closing arguments of a trial she was currently prosecuting, from an episode of L.A. Law. It seems to me, that if you are talented enough to make it to the office of prosecutor, and entrusted with a case in that office, you should be able to come up with a closing argument compelling enough to hold a juries attention. She won her case by the way. And I do have to wonder about how fair that really is. To me that seems like a manipulative thing to do...to everyone involved. It's situations like that which make me wonder, was justice served that day, or was it solely about the win?

Oh well, I keep imagining that perfect world. You know the one, where folks don't stab each other in the back, where integrity is still something one aspires to, where problems are solved between those involved, as opposed to in the tabloids, and the view is a little less depressing. Sigh. Tell me what you think. What's going on over at The View?

-OndineMonet

My Date With The Unibomber

"One never needs humor as much as when they argue with a fool."

-Chinese Proverb

My Date With The Unibomber...

On the 4th of July, Alan and I had plans to photograph the fireworks from up on top Twin Peaks, in San Francisco. That is one of my favorite places to go in the city, because of the gorgeous panoramic view. From up there you can see across the bay to Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, and Hayward to the right, and to the left you can see, Angel Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, Richardson Bay, in Sausalito, and, of course, the whole of San Francisco sits at your feet. It is an awesome feeling to be sitting up at Twin Peaks, looking down upon what I believe is the prettiest city on earth. :) But when you are in a less then happy mood...sometimes that beauty can be seen as dull or maybe even ugly. The downside of frustration and anger is that it can take an object, that would ordinarily appear to us as beautiful, and distort it seem...well...less then wonderful.

Alan has learned how to bring out my sense of humor when I am in a bad mood. He knows all the right words to say to completely drop me head first into humor. LOL. Talk about a mood swing. LOL. When he came home from work that day, I was in a MOOD! LOL. Not mad at him mind you...mad because of world events. Hey, even I get frustrated every once in a while. LOL. I can get a hefty pout on, trust me, but in my own defense...it is a rare thing, and humor, both at myself and the object of my ire, will usually have me feeling all back to normal. I learned a long time ago, holding onto anger or resentment or even frustration will harm only myself. Ok, lesson learned. So, it has never bothered me when he pushes all the right buttons in my soul to bring me back to a content existence. :) My Alan invented a new game, in the car on our way up to Twin Peaks to defuse my mood...it's called "The adjective Game."

Do you know that game called, "The Preacher's Cat?" It is played to a beat, and each player in turn comes up with a new adjective to describe the preacher's cat. "The preacher's cat is a HAPPY cat," "The preacher's cat is a SILLY cat," "The preachers cat is a BLACK cat." Well, in Alan's version, the game isn't about the preacher's cat, no his version is about President Bush. LOL. See, it is his theory that if I am forced to come up with all negative adjectives to a beat, like the preacher's cat game, that eventually I will begin to laugh. But it didn't stop there...I then have to repeat them back...in order! YIKES! LOL. He is a smart man. Alan knows I trust him, and I would feel guilty if I didn't at least try to stop feeling so negative, so I always at least try to go along with his diffusers. Because if the truth be told, I don't like dwelling on things, I would rather be laughing then crying, and I do like the world around me, especially when it has such a stunning view. :)

Well, it only took up until the "G's" to have me roaring with laughter. LOL. And per our agreement, I HAD to finish the game. And finish I did. It's important to me to keep my word to Alan. That means, being true to myself, feeling the emotion I need to feel, and then GET OVER IT! LOL. Besides being an excellent diffuser, it kept my mind off the fact that I couldn't find one single public bathroom open in the entire of San Francisco on the 4th of July. I simply HAD to hold it. LOL. Even the lovely paid bathroom available at Twin Peaks was out of order. LOL. Did I mention that the temperature up there that night was about 40 degrees with winds at 35 mph? LOL. IT WAS COLD! I was convinced that the lack of available bathrooms was because I had let the world get to me that day. Nah...not really. But just in case, I think I will remember "The Preacher's Cat" game, and keep it handy...and maybe make it my mantra.

By the way...the guy in the above photo is the most recent picture of Alan. Yes, once he got me seated, on the side of the cliff in my lawn chair, he decided to do his Unibomber impression. LOL. While I was setting up my camera, he quietly put on his disguise. (Insert eye rolling here). You should have seen the looks we got from my cackling. You see, I don't laugh little...I have been known to set my laughter free, complete with snorting and the occasional pitch that can neuter cats four counties over. LOL. Thanks a lot Alan! No really...thanks. :)

July 4th, 2006 Twin Peaks, San Francisco, Ca.

-OndineMonet

40 Questions-A-Palooza, About Me-A-Palooza!

"One day your life will pass before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching."

-Flora Whittmore

I have been seeing the cute little 40 questions meme here and there recently, well, actually, I saw it first at Shelly's, and then at Pat's, from there it was at Patrick's and then Anna's...and also over at my good friend Wil's. So, I thought I might also take a turn at it. I wonder if any of my answers might surprise you? (Insert wicked laugh here).

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops?
Yep...a long time ago...in a galaxy far, far away!

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters?
Nope, I enjoy the full experience of roller coasters.

3. When's the last time you've been sledding?
I have never been sledding, but it looks like fun!

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?
Depends. ;)

5. Do you believe in ghosts?
Yes! :)

6. Do you consider yourself creative?
Yes.

7. Do you think O. J. Simpson killed his wife?
Yes!

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie?
Both are wonderful actresses!

9. Do you stay friends with your exes?
When at all possible! :)

10. Do you know how to play poker?
Yep, it's a fun game!

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?
Yes, a long time ago.

12. What's your favorite commercial?
I like the California Cow commercials "Real Cheese"

13. What are you allergic to?
Aluminum, Pine Nuts

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around do you run red lights?
No, most cities have cameras mounted on the street lights.

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you?
Sure I do. ;)

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees?
Boston Red Sox

17. Have you ever been Ice Skating?
Yes, but I didn't do well at it.

18. How often do you remember your dreams?
Sometimes...when it triggers a memory.

19. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
The Fourth of July, Alan knows how to make me laugh!

20. Can you name 5 songs by the Beatles?
Here Comes The Sun, Yesterday, Penny Lane, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, In My Life.

21. What's the one thing on your mind right now?
Someone I miss.

22. Do you know who Ghetto-ass Barbie is?
Nope, I guess we travel in different circles. :)

23. Do you always wear your seat belt?
Yes!

24. What cell service do you use?
Cingular

25. Do you like Sushi?
No! Yuck!

26. Have you ever narrowly avoided a fatal accident?
Yes... :( Still scares me to think of it.

27. What do you wear to bed?
T-shirt and panties.

28. Been caught stealing?
Nope.

29. What shoe size do you have?
6 on my left foot/8 1/2 on my right. An effect of Fibromyalgia. Although tonight it is a size 6 on both feet. LOL.

30. Do you truly hate anyone?
No, not really. Hate only hurts me.

31. Classic Rock or Rap?
Classic Rock

32. If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be?
David Duchovny. :)

33. Favorite song?
I love so many songs, how would I choose? "Here Comes The Sun" always makes me smile. :)

34. Have you ever sang in front of the mirror?
Yes. LOL.

35. What food do you find disgusting?
Sushi :)

36. Do you sing in the shower?
Yes...to the top of my lungs, LOL.

37. Did you ever play, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours?"
Yes...many, many times! ;)

38. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back?
Yes, just like I know my friends make fun of me. :)

39. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?
Yes.

40. Have you ever been punched in the face?
Yes. :(

There you have it! If you have any questions you have been dying to ask me, that weren't a part of the above 40 questions, feel free to ask me in the comment thread of this entry. I will answer any questions specifically pertaining to me or my blog. So go for it! :)

Note: My friend Suzanne has also posted this meme, so be sure to drop by her place and read her answers as well. :)

-OndineMonet