John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment# 140: You're Late!

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can't get it back."

-Harvey Mackay

Weekend Assignment#140: Ever been really late to something really important? Share your adventures in tardiness! Yes, if you've ever slept through or forgotten a date, or neglected to get something out of the oven on time...with hilarious results or otherwise...we want to know.

Extra Credit: Do you wear a watch?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Ok, here's where you learn the boring truth about me... I am NEVER late. I am compulsive about it. If I have an appointment or if I make plans to be at a certain place, at a certain time, I will mow over heaven and earth to make it there on time. It has been a pet peeve of mine, since I was a child, that sometimes someone I will have an appointment with, will show up late, like at the doctor's office for example. The doctor I had before my current one, would get around to seeing me, as much as an hour late sometimes. Uggg. Now I know that sometimes unexpected things happen, especially in the medical profession, but when I asked her nurse one day if the doctor made a habit of being late, her nurse answered... "Yes." Uggg.

When I was dating Alan, one day I jokingly told him that I like to be on time for things, something he and I saw eye to eye about. I also told him that if he was late picking me up, I would wait as long as 15 minutes, then I would leave without him. LOL. And he not only agreed to that, but promised to do the same! LOL. He and I were never late for each other, and if we thought we would be, we called. That's just us. LOL.

I do recognize that sometimes being early to an appointment, can be just as frustrating to a host or hostess, as showing up late can be. I have learned that lesson over the years, and try my best to time my arrivals within 5 minutes of the agreed upon time. :) I bet you are wondering why I am so picky about time. Well, it goes back to when I was a child.

One day my mother, who was notoriously late for everything, took me to school later then she should have. All my classmates had already gone in the class, sat down and had their work ready for our teacher. In I walked, 15 minutes late. Suddenly, 35 faces all turned at once and stared at me. YIKES! That was it! From that point on, when it was within my control, I was on time!

Extra Credit: Nope, while I do won an extensive watch collection, I rarely wear them. :)

-OndineMonet
"Tiffany's Time"
Union Square
San Francisco, California
November 24th, 2005
11:45 AM

It's Black Friday... Do You Know Where Your Deals Are?

"I love to go shopping. I love to freak out salespeople. They as me if they can help me, and I say, "have you got anything I'd like?" Then they ask me what size I need, and I say, "Extra medium."

-Steven Wright

Ahhh... it's finally here, Black Friday, also known as, the biggest shopping day of the year! This is one of our unofficial holidays. Every year, Alan takes the day after Thanksgiving day off, and he and I mall hop. Some years we have gone as far as Sacramento, or as far south as Gilroy. This year, we will more then likely stay within the Bay Area. We don't usually do much actual shopping, we enjoy the people watching. Frenzied shoppers running to and fro... wide eyed with wonder and glee, searching for just the right hot water bottle for their Auntie Grazelda.

This year might be a bit different then past years however, see, I haven't done much Christmas shopping this year. In other years I would have it all done by Halloween, but not this year, I am afraid time has simply got away from me. So, tomorrow, I might just be one of those crazed shopping ladies, who will bravely make their way to the mall, in search of the perfect bargain. Alan wants to leave the house at 5:45 for the trek across the bay to San Mateo, our starting point.

From there it will be breakfast at IHOP, and then it is on to Bed, Bath & Beyond. After that we will drive into San Francisco, and hopefully find a parking place at Union Square, where we will have a late lunch, and then settle back with a hot chocolate just in time to see the tree lighting ceremony at 6:00 PM. Whew... I am tired already! He and I have such a good time together... :) Wish us luck!

-OndineMonet
World Market
San Mateo, California
November 21, 2006
Late Afternoon

Happy Thanksgiving :)

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to just utter words, but to live by them."

-John F. Kennedy

Thanksgiving & Autumn Haiku
By Carly Gordon

Timeless Thanksgiving
This season of friendship, love
Fills my grateful heart

From our house to yours... HAPPY THANKSGIVING :)


-OndineMonet
Thanksgiving
Berkeley, California
November 23, 2006

Polyphemus Moth

"Literature and butterflies are the two sweetest passions known to man."

-Vladimir Nabokov

I saved this back this moth from my weekly butterfly postings, because of all the butterflies and moths I photographed at the Conservatory of Flowers, this is the one which fascinated me the most. It was the largest of the display, with a wingspan of nearly 6 inches. Unfortunately, they didn't get many of the larvae of this type, so there was only a few to be seen. This girl is a little wing damaged, she had probably emerged just after my visit the week before. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to see her "birth," as I had been watching her chrysalis with a good amount of anticipation.

The exhibit also had Luna moths, but they were early on in the exhibit, around late March,which was before I got a chance to go. I bet you are wondering how I know for sure that this is a female? Simple, the males have a feathery antenna as opposed to the smooth, stick-like ones on the female. :) I learned so much about them this past two seasons, cross your fingers for me that the conservatory will bring them back next year. :) I promise to take lots and lots of pictures. :)

My good friend Steven, has been posting an amazing series on his AOL journal, chronicling the life of a Monarch. He started with a caterpiller, and will take us on the journey, as it becomes a beautiful Monarch butterfly. If you haven't been by, you must drop by and see for yourself... it's awesome! :) The series begins here, and as of yesterday's posting he was on day 16!

-OndineMonet
Polyphemus Moth (Female) Antheraea polyphemus
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, Ca
October, 2006
Afternoon

Two Diva's Dancing...

"The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinion and content with your knowledge."

-Elbert Hubbard

Tell me, did anyone else see watch The View on Tuesday? I have to say, yesterday's episode left me wanting to fire off an email to the powers that be at ABC, to ask them to perhaps rethink their hiring of Rosie O'Donnell as the moderator of The View. I know I am only one fan, but more and more the ladies, seem to be becoming a little thuggish. I don't like feeling that way, about Rosie,I like the lady, I just feel uncomfortable about some of the things she does, like yesterday, when she accused Kelly Ripa of being homophobic, because of the remark Kelly Ripa made to former American Idol winner, Clay Aitkin.

I saw the episode of, Live with Regis & Kelly, in which Clay Aitkin was subbing for Regis Philbin, and in my opinion, Aitkin seemed to be carrying an attitude from the outset. As tensions grew, he clearly jumped his own shark, by choosing to put his hand over Kelly Ripa's mouth, as she tried to ask Emmitt Smith a question about his Dancing with the Stars win. It seems he felt Ripa had been talking over him and wasn't allowing him to speak. Things did seem somewhat confusing, but bottom lining things, Aitkin was a guest on Ripa's show, and some courtesy was in order. Right? When Aitkin placed his hand on her mouth, Ripa became clearly angry, pushed his arm away, and made the comment, "I don't know where that hand has been."

That was last Friday. By today, Kelly Ripa had set the matter straight, by stating that she found Aitkin to be disrespectful, and rude and she was setting him straight. I can understand that. Having seen the incident, and having heard Kelly's explanation, I can see that being the case. So, why did Rosie O'Donnell have to bring the whole incident to a new low, by implying that Kelly Ripa was somehow homophobic because she was angry that he had put his hand over her mouth? Huh? Why in the world would that have been the case, considering from everything I have read, Clay Aitkin has not admitted openly to being gay? I have to admit, I was kinda flabbergasted at that assertion. A little while after Rosie said what she said, Kelly Ripa phoned into The View to have her say about Rosie's opinion. Ripa contends that Clay Aitkin had shook hands with many members of the studio audience, and she didn't appreciate his possibly passing those germs onto her, with it being cold and flu season. She has 3 children to think of.

Rosie would have none of it. Stating that her show was called The View, and that she was therefore entitled to HER view. Personally, I don't think it is as simple as that. Freedom of speech does not give one the right to malign others, because you have an opinion about what their motives are. As far as I know, no one has ever come close to accusing Ripa of being a homophobe because there hasn't been an incidence such as this one. She seems to have a good reputation with her peers, so how could this conclusion have been reached with such little evidence? An accusation that could ruin a career in some circles, based on an opinion... not proven to be truthful.

After the phone call from Ripa, in which Kelly set her straight about her accusation being irresponsible, Rosie went on to say that Clay Aitkin had had a hard time of it, and should be cut a break. That offended me. He may have had a difficult time in life, we all have to a degree, but it doesn't give him free rein to run over anyone he feels like, just to lift himself up. And neither does Rosie. I had to wonder about the other ladies today, as they sat there biting their lips. Joy Behar used to have some backbone, instead today she sat quiet, looking at Rosie like she had six heads, and saying very little.

The one bright moment came from guest host, Sherry Shepard, who actually agreed that folks, such as Ripa, have different comfort levels. Who wants some man putting their hands on you, not only out of anger, but with a good deal of disrespect? I have to say, I would have done the exact same thing Kelly Ripa did. His hand would have been removed, and he would have been told by me, exactly what I thought of what he had done. It would have nothing to do with his sexual preference, it would have to do with a shocking lack of disrespect on his part.

After the ladies finished their Hot Topics segment, The View ladies went on to their other scheduled segments, but right at the very end of the show, where they usually do a sign-off to the audience, Rosie through one last snippet of her right to freedom of speech, and said, "I have 4 kids, and I don't care where you touch me." I suppose she simply couldn't let the whole thing go. Sigh. The View, as Meredith Viera recently said, has indeed "become a joke," with the bells and whistles, and the self-centered attitudes in general. The fact that Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Joy Behar don't seem to be comfortable at any time, and the fact that Barbara Walters seems to be forever reeling in Rosie, and her brash opinions, makes me wish they would all either grow a backbone or just go away. Of course Rosie has a right to her view, but she doesn't have a right to make up the facts. That's not what freedom of speech is for.

Opinions please. Did you see The View yesterday? How about the episode of Live with Regis & Kelly, which was co-hosted by Clay Aitkin? What do you think? Is Rosie over the top or is Kelly a Homophobe?

-OndineMonet
Technorati Tags: Kelly Ripa, The View, Rosie O' Donnell, Regis & Kelly

Anger Management In Hollywood

"A man is not old until his regrets take the place of his dreams."

It has been a strange week. The big buzz late last week, and over the weekend was the book, "If I Did It," which was penned by O. J. Simpson. I wasn't going to address that whole situation, because lets face it, does he really need one more person giving him attention? Also, I found the fact that he not only wrote a "fictional' account of how he would have murdered his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, if he had he actually done it, in the worst possible taste. The thought is gruesome. The whole O. J. phenomenon to this day, makes me shake my head in wonder. Wonder at how he was ever promoted to near god status in the first place. Ok, he was an awesome football player, he might have even been considered a first-rate sports announcer, but the man personally was a thug. I don't think there is much defense for his conduct on the 911 tapes, months before Nicole Brown Simpson was murdered. He was a violent, angry man, and he had a reason to kill her, but as Bill Maher once said, "the L. A. Police was so incompetent, they couldn't even successfully frame a guilty man."

During the Scott Peterson trial, over and over, you would hear the same things being echoed by the man, or woman on the street. "If we can't get O.J. we have to get Scott." What? It didn't make sense to me. Did they mean justice? Were they sure in their minds that Scott Peterson did it, or were they assuming because he was married to her, and statistics say that the number one suspect is usually the closest person to the victim... the spouse. I had a lot of unanswered questions about Scott Peterson's guilt or innocence. I know what my gut told me, I know what my instinct said, and I know what my thought process was telling me. Not always the same thing.

I guess the main thing that stuck out in my mind, was that the police testified to their theory... there was very little direct evidence. The most striking evidence came by way of Amber Frey, Scott Peterson's mistress. To think he would still be lying to her on New Year's Eve, by telling her he was enjoying the fireworks under the Eiffel Tower, was sickening to hear, knowing his wife had already been dead over a week. Amber Frey's testimony did indeed prove that Scott Peterson was nothing less then an ass. Did that alone make it possible he was a killer? No one could say that there was ever an instance of domestic abuse, prior to Laci Peterson's disappearance, but does that point matter? People snap all the time. The police investigators presented a theory of how they believed Laci Peterson was murdered, but is theory enough? I suppose so, Scott Peterson was convicted and sits on death row in San Quentin. Based on theory.

One of the elements that bothered me so much in the O. J. Simpson case, was the fact that prosecutors decided against asking for the death penalty, because O. J. Simpson was a celebrity, and they felt it would work against them getting a "guilty" verdict. What? I thought the criteria for the death penalty applied to everyone. It was a strange dynamic, in that I am not pro death penalty, but it seems to me to use the fact of his celebrity as a way off that possibility was an affront to the victims. Hypothetically speaking, had they found out someone else had indeed committed that murder, would they have been given the same break? Who knows. Sigh. I am really glad that the book O. J. Simpson wrote has been pulled, and the sweep week's special has been canceled.

What's Up Kramer?

Did you catch David Letterman's interview with Michael Richards? As you have more then likely heard, Michael Richards went a little, or a lot, off his nut and decided to spontaneously break into an impersonation of Mel Gibson... at his racist worst! The incident took place at L. A.'s Laugh Factory, where Richards shouted racial slurs at a group of hecklers in the crowd. Monday night, Richards told David Letterman, "I'm not a racist, that's what's so insane about this." I am wondering why it is he came up with those particular slurs as opposed to either ignoring the heckler or asking security to have them removed. I think I can understand becoming frustrated, but I don't understand why it would follow into a long tirade of mean spirited racial epitaphs had it not been the norm for him.

Michael Richards close friend, Jerry Seinfeld, encouraged him to take the opportunity to explain himself, and offer forth an apology. He did. I watched it, but the two things that stood out, in my opinion, was the friendship that was being shown by Jerry Seinfeld, by appearing with him and offering his some strength through his support, and the fact that Michael Richards seemed to be sad, frightened and sincerely unaware of where all that apparent anger originated from. That is the scariest part. Anger repressed for a long period of time, will manifest when it feels like it. There comes a point when we no longer have control, and it might just be where Michael Richards has found himself. Hopefully Jerry Seinfeld will continue to be his friend, and suggest he get some help dealing with his anger.

Tell me your thoughts. Did you see Michael Richard's interview? What did you think of his explanation and apology?

-OndineMonet
"Untitled"
Carson City, Nevada
October 26, 2006
Early Morning

Pappy Skiving

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see;
Father in heaven, we thank thee!

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Where was Ralph Waldo Emerson when I needed him? LOL. Last evening, as I was getting out all the kitchen items I need to prepare Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, I was thinking about Thanksgiving 1989, the first Thanksgiving Alan and I shared after we became engaged. Well, we had actually spent more then one Thanksgiving together, but it was as friends, this was our first as a real couple. we have known each other since we were teenagers, so there were several holidays spent together... but separate. Anyway, as actual marrieds-to-be it all seemed different somehow, it was now "festive," and I was invited to have the holiday dinner at his parents house, which seemed like it would be nice, because my family and holidays was never a good combo.

I arrived right on time, and everything was lovely. They had put up the Christmas tree in the living room, and you could smell all the usual holiday scents wafting from the kitchen. Yams, fresh baked bread, cornbread stuffing, and an assortment of pies. YUM. And then there was the smell of the turkey in the oven. YUCK! See, it had only been about a year since I had experienced the worst case of food poisoning in the history of food poisoning, and at the hands of my former boyfriend's mother no less, by way of what I imagine to have been a very pissed of turkey. Oh my, it made me tremble to think about it. How was I going to get through this dinner? Alan had told me I didn't have to eat any of the turkey, but I couldn't NOT have some of the turkey, after all, she made it herself, and it would have been rude... right? And she was a professional chef, so how dangerous could it be? Right?

When the time came, we all sat down to the table, Alan, his parents, Alan's aunt & uncle, two of my mother-in-laws friends from church, Alan's best friend, and his girl friend and Alan's brother Daryl and his fiance. It was a nice big gathering, and that seemed nice, as it would take a lot of pressure of me. the conversation was flowing nicely, as everyone seemed to take turns asking Alan and myself about our wedding plans, and honeymoon plans. We hadn't planned too much at that point, just the date and my dress had been decided on. That conversation flow went quickly. LOL. Before too long it was time for the arrival of what looked like a 65 lb turkey. I was really hungry, but with that turkey in front of me, all I could think about was...BARF. I must have been 9 shades of green. LOL. Then it happened... my future mother-in-law asked me to say GRACE. Oh no!

I am a Methodist. I was raised somewhat Baptist, and found out when I was 37 that I am actually Jewish. A fact my mother chose not to share with me. Sigh. But anyway, while I had spent a little time in church, and new what prayer was, I had never actually said grace. LOL. Now, here I am, in a room with people I felt I needed to impress, and no clue what to say. My eyes darted to Alan, who was sitting there beaming with pride, he was no help. It was clear he had no idea of the sudden onset of terror I was feeling. I was alone. Can I faint now... please?No, of course not, so I took a deep breath, bowed my head, closed my eyes, and jumped right in...

"Oh dear Lord, thank you for this wondrous day and the fine bird which gave up it's life so we could nourish our extending bodies. (Extending bodies?). And thank you for making it ok to eat these feathered friends of ours, these noblest of all birds. (Noblest of all birds?). For they are our friends sent by you and placed in the hands of ones, mothers, and fathers too I suppose, like this mother and father, who cook for their children and near children and the friends of children and their relatives, and of their bosses. GOD, I ask that you bless all their bodies, the people not the turkeys, well the turkeys also I guess, who again, gave up their young lives, their young but plump lives. And thank you for the hands and feet of the woman who prepared this meal, and her back also, which I am sure is sore by now, from all the preparations, thank you for the whole of her.(Whole of her?). (SHIIIIIIITTTTT!) Ummm...In YOUR NAME I PRAY... AMEN"

In my head, a rather LOUD version of "Turkey In The Straw" was playing. Why oh why hadn't I just gone for, "Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks God for the grub?"

I reluctantly opened my eyes, and what I saw was a table full of blankest faces you ever saw...which all erupted into a huge belly laugh of hysterics. ROFLMAO! It was funny, I knew it was funny, so I laughed also. We all laughed for close to five minutes. Mom put the turkey back in the kitchen, Dad carved it in there because the scent was really getting to me, and in fact, Mom had fixed Alan and I a pork chops, I just hadn't realized it when I sat down at the table. The only reason she had brought the whole turkey to the table, was because she didn't know that just the sight of the turkey upset me. LOL. I could have been more forthcoming about that, I was just wanting to be a good daughter-in-law to be. She and I laugh about that terrible prayer every year. We will probably call back east on Thanksgiving, to wish she and Dad a happy holiday, and I know she and I will be laughing together again. It's Thanksgiving.

PS If you are wondering about the title of this entry, that is how I pronounced "Happy Thanksgiving when I was a child." LOL. :)

-OndineMonet

Under Fog & Sun

"Photograph: a picture painted by the sun, without instruction in art."

-Ambrose Pierce

The sun this autumn has seemed to cast a slight orange glow onto things, at least it has seemed to me. Usually in autumn, I see more of a golden or yellow tint, but since I began taking my autumn photos last month, I have been seeing orange. I photographed this sunflower and bee about a month ago in Half Moon Bay, on a day when it was somewhat overcast and there was a small amount of wispy fog rolling through the area. Because Half Moon Bay is right at the waters edge, the scene in front of the lens can change pretty quickly. One has to decide straight away if the scene presenting itself is snap worthy, because it will change in seconds.

It's amazing what the subtleties of fog can do to light and coloration. Just a few minutes earlier, the sun was shining straight down on the sunflowers and there was a bright orange glow to them. It was early morning so they were still damp from the dew the previous night. As soon as the fog rolled through, everything took on a matted finish and you couldn't really tell that there was a slight glistening to the petals, and the bees wings lost all their shine. Still, I was happy with the way this one came out. :) The picture below, better illustrates the orange glow and shows a more striking light. It was taken the same day, a couple miles up the road, just outside the town, at Pastorino's Pumpkin Farm, which sits about 2 miles inland.

So tell me, which do you prefer when taking photos? A softer more muted look from natural shadows, or a more striking direct sun glow?

-OndineMonet
"The Bee & The Sunflower"
Half Moon Bay, California
October 22, 2006
Afternoon

By Any Other Name...

"The war against hunger is truly mankind's war of liberation."

-John F. Kennedy

852 million people across the world are hungry. Worldwide, more that 1 billion people currently live below the international poverty level. Six million children under the age of 5 die every year as a result of hunger.In New Orleans, requests for food and shelter remain at 50% higher then before Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005. Of the 6.4 million Americans who requested emergency food from an America's Second Harvest Food Agency, 4.6 of them were seeking food assistance for the first time.

After reading statistics like those, I became more than a little perplexed that the Bush administration would even try to justify or defend a recent, Department of Agriculture, report which removed the word, HUNGER, and replaced it with the new terminology of "food insecure." The report finds that number of households in America last year, which had difficulty feeding themselves fell from 11.9% to 11%, and included families without enough to eat or families with parents who went without eating in order to feed their children. At that time they were classified as "food insecure with hunger," this year it is being called, "very low food security." You can call it what you want, but it is still, and always will be HUNGER.

"When they hear 'very low food security' it sounds like bureaucratic jargon. It doesn't sound like the people who can't get enough to eat."

-Deborah Leff, Public Welfare Foundation

I am lucky, I have plenty of food in my pantry. I will be sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner , later this week, with little worry about how I will be able to afford to put it on the table, but there will be folks who will be hungry, right here in Alameda County where I live. Probably right here in Berkeley. I have some bags of canned/non-perishable food ready to be dropped off at the Alameda County Community Food Bank, located in Oakland, but it won't be enough. It's obscene that our government can always find the money for war, but social issues, such as hunger, the homeless population, of which approximately 50% are veterans, education, healthcare, and the environment are always made to hold the lowest priority. It's wrong.

Please donate some canned/non-perishable food to your local shelters and food bank programs this holiday season. You can find your local donation center by visiting the web site of America's Second Harvest. While at their site, you can learn more about them and read up on the facts and figures for yourself. Educate yourself, you will be glad you did. John Scalzi wrote an amazing essay some years back, on what it is to be poor. As with all excellent writers, he writes from his own experiences with honesty. It is so worth the read, especially during this holiday season. You can find his essay here. Don't let the Bush administration change what we all know is true... HUNGER is HUNGER... not "food insecurity."

Being Poor by John Scalzi

America's Second Harvest

Alameda County Community Food Bank
P.O. Box 2599
7900 Edgewater Drive
Oakland, Ca 94614
Phone: 510-635-3773
http://www.accfb.org

-OndineMonet
"Please Help"
Berkeley, California
December 24, 2005
Late Afternoon

Steven's Feline Friday... Elvis Goes To The Doctor

"The cat is above all things, a dramatist."

-Margaret Benson

If it's Friday, it must be time for Feline Friday! Elvis had a big week, so I thought it might be fun to share about his adventures. The look on his face, is because he sees his cat carrier as we were getting it ready to transport him to see his friend, and doctor, "Dr. B." A whole year has gone by, I can hardly believe it. Time goes by fast with this character. He had an assignment this year, which was to try and drop a few more pounds. At one time he weighed over 25lbs, and that just isn't healthy for my boy. He is big boned, but still, he had a goal to reach and I am pleased to tell you he did! He is now at 23lbs, but there is more work to go. He is a good boy, and really understanding, so we have him on a special diet formula crunchy food by Purina, and we try not to indulge him with snacks. On Thanksgiving, he is always invited to share the table with us, and he minds his manners. He has his own plate, and we give him a taste of the white meat only, no bones. He never fusses... he just enjoys being included. Alan and I worked with him when he was a kitten, and he is a well behaved kitty. Can you tell how proud I am to be his mommy? LOL.

If you would like to play along, you can visit my good friend Steven's blog for all the details. Steven honors the kitties in our lives every Friday, because after all, cats RULE!

-OndineMonet
"Off To See Dr. B"
Berkeley, California
November 15, 2006
Late Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #139: White Meat v. Dark Meat

"I hate turkeys. If you stand in the meat section at the grocery story long enough, you start to get mad at turkeys. There's turkey ham, turkey bacon, turkey bologna, turkey pastrami. Someone needs to tell turkey, man, just be yourself."

-Mitch Hedberg

Weekend Assignment #139: It's time for Thanksgiving dinner! Which do you prefer - white meat, or dark meat? Explain your answer. Because it seems that most people have a preference one way or the other and sometimes they can get testy about it.

For those of you who for some reason disdain the whole turkey scene, answering "neither" is acceptable, but you need to explain why and offer an alternative dish for consumption.

Extra Credit: Being Thanksgiving, note one thing you've been thankful for in 2006.

-John Scalzi

White turkey meat? Dark turkey meat? There was a day, not too long ago, when I would have passed on both choices for Thanksgiving. In fact, Alan and I rarely ate turkey at any time during the year, all because of a nasty bit of food poisoning we got on a lovely June day in 1987, while having a "Thanksgiving" meal at the home of my then boyfriend, "All American Guy." His mother was a wizzzzz in the kitchen. LOL. Come to find out, she poisoned all of his dates, so I didn't take it personally, but I have to tell you, I did learn a whole new respect for turkey after that!

A couple years ago, Alan and I decided to get over our mutual disdain for the turkey, and give it a try in an effort to have a proper Thanksgiving meal. It was the first time I had ever tried to make a turkey myself, so, I did some research, programmed the phone number to the Butterball Hotline into every phone in the house, got my nerve on, and roasted up a nice 12 lb. turkey that was, if I do say so myself, delicious. Particularly the white meat. Alan on the other hand, enjoyed the heck out of the dark meat. It's good that he and I have differences like that, no unnecessary food fights in front of Elvis, no telling him the drumsticks fell on the floor and then eating them when he isn't looking. Not that I would do that! LOL. Nope, he prefers dark meat and I prefer white meat, no fuss, no muss. :) As for Elvis, well his taste is simple... "It's all good!" :)

Note: I decided this year to program the number to the Butterball Hotline into the OnStar system in my car. One can never be too careful! :)



Extra Credit: I am thankful for so much, it's impossible to name just one thing, but to be honest, I think I am most thankful for my cat Elvis, who makes me laugh every day. He is my sunshine.

Butterball Hotline
1-800-BUTTERBALL

-OndineMonet
"Gobble, Gobble, Gobble"
Berkeley, California
October, 2005
Afternoon

365/420

"One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things."

-Henry Miller

Today is the one year anniversary of, Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly, on Blogger. It has been a great year over here. I have learned new things, and met some wonderful new people. I like it here. I feel that I have been at my creative best in the last 12 months. So, here are 12 photos from different times this past year, photos that challenged me in one way or another. Steven has also written an entry, with his reflections about the AOL Exodus of 2005. Stop by here to read his post.

Enjoy!

-OndineMonet
"Spice Tree"
San Ramon, California
November 12, 2006
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: In The Kitchen

"My recipe for dealing with anger, and frustration: set the kitchen timer for twenty minutes, cry, rant, and rave, and at the sound of the bell, simmer down and go about business as usual."

-Phyllis Diller

How cool is this challenge? Jessica, author of the journal, QuickSilver Dreams, has chosen, "In The Kitchen," as the topic of our challenge. I love it! With Thanksgiving just a couple weeks away, it will be a lot of fun to be able to see what everyone comes up with. :) I have to admit, I was planning on testing some recipes for the holidays. Mostly some baked goods and desserts, but my oven went out on me this past week, and it won't be replaced until early sometime next week. Ugg. For the meantime it is stovetop, microwave and Crockpot cooking, which is pretty good, but oh boy, was I ever ready for that Red Velvet cake, with cherry filling. Oh well, maybe in a couple weeks. For now, how about some photos of dinners past...

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Macaroni & Cheese

Corned Beef

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Summer Salad Fresh From The Garden

Hamburger From "Hamburger Day"

Stuffed Tomatoes & Fresh Avacados

Vegetable Lasagna w/Fresh Crookneck Squash and Zucchini

Be sure to visit each of the Round Robin Challenge Participants! :)

Linking List

Jessica... QuickSilver Dreams
POSTED!

Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

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

Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
POSTED!

Kerrin... A New Day A New Photo
POSTED!

Danella... Deep Red Style
POSTED!

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

Julie... Julie's Web Journal
POSTED!

Janet... Fond Of Photography
POSTED!

Teena... It's All About Me!
POSTED!

Robin... R's Musings
POSTED!

Linda... Blah Blah Blog
POSTED!

Becky... Where Life Takes You
POSTED!



-OndineMonet

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Floaty Things

"When the tides of life turn against you and the current upsets your boat, don't waste those tears on what might have been, just lie on your back and float."

-Unknown

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Snap a photo of something that floats. It it's buoyant, it's in!

-John Scalzi

The quote above, offers some good advice! I snapped this photo about a month ago, while I was visiting the coastal town of Morro Bay, California. This little otter had the cutest feet! He was quite diligent about caring them, he cleaned them thoroughly, then laid back in the water and just floated with the tide. He was so much fun to watch, and doing so was more then a little relaxing. That otter didn't have a care in the world. Yep, I'd say he is buoyant! :)

-OndineMonet
"A Floaty Thing"
Morro Bay, California
October 12, 2006
Afternoon

Snow In November

"Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly."

-Ivan Turgenev

When I heard on the news that the Sierra had gotten it's first snows of the year, this past weekend, I thought I might have missed out on the chance to photograph my favorite bird... the Snowy Egret. I was beginning to think that it simply wouldn't be my year, as every time I went to a spot specifically to photograph them, they were nowhere to be found. I tried all along the coast, from Santa Barbara to Bodega Bay, and even slightly inland along the wetlands. No luck. I didn't see a single Egret. I was kinda blue about it, then while on my way to Nevada last month, I saw one, in of all places, the freeway median, just south of Sacramento. Go figure! That is the strangest place to see a water bird. LOL. And naturally I didn't have the camera ready, so I assumed that there had went my last chance for the season... until yesterday.

I went to the AT&T Business park, in San Ramon, to photograph the geese and the awesome autumn scenery. It is a lovely place, with a small manmade pond and every kind of tree you could think of and a nice assortment of ducks and geese. Lots and lots of color. To my delight, there was one Snowy Egret among them. What a beautiful bird. I was able to get pretty close without spooking it. I have never seen an Egret at that park before, so I think it might have just been a case of being at the right place at the right time, but I may go back next weekend to see if it might still be visiting. :) Of course seeing one that far inland, also makes me want to venture up to Marin County, along the coastline, in hopes that the population might have decided to stay a little longer. :)

Yellow Slippers

-OndineMonet
Snowy Egret
San Ramon, California
November 12, 2006
Late Afternoon

Between Sunset And Full Night

Click on the photo to see the enlarged version.

"The flower that you hold in your hands, was born today, and is already as old as you are."

-Antonio Porchia,Voces , 1943

Last Tuesday I woke up to find this "Real Simple Daily Thought" in my in-box...

"Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think." -Chinese Proverb

At first I was taken aback. I mean, how often is a quote of the day that pointed? "Jeepers, will I die today?" I thought to myself. Maybe it meant that I just really need to make the most of the gorgeous colors of autumn. You know, photograph all those leaves, before they are gone for another year. Strange how walking among autumn leave makes me feel alive, considering they are representative of the twilight of the year. "Twilight," I love that word. Yes, autumn is twilight, if summer is high noon. I suppose winter would be midnight, and as for spring, well I know very well that spring represents the year's dawning. I remember one especially warm spring sunrise, several years ago, when my whole bedroom was filled with the spicy scent of some mini-carnations that I had planted under the bedroom window. The sheer lace panels on the windows were billowing across the sill, slowly, and the windchimes were clinking together, it was a beautiful way to wake up. Ghostly, and yet sensual when presented all together.

I love this season. I am getting ready for Thanksgiving. I have my cookware all ready to make a feast. Alan is in charge of cooking the turkey, so he has decided to make it on the rotisserie, so the rest of the kitchen will be mine. I am making a nice Cranberry/Pecan stuffing, a Pumpkin Pie or two, and probably a Vegetable Pie. Hopefully, we will have a nice light lunch, right after the Macy's Parade, of maybe Vichyssoise and a Waldorf Salad, or maybe Stuffed Tomatoes, served on Pumpkin Pasta. We'll see. :) I know Elvis will be right there to lend a paw. LOL. He has always enjoyed sitting on the step stool, which allows him to sit just high enough, to be able to watch me cook. For some reason, watching what I cook fascinates him. :) He is a great cat.

Hopefully, I will get up to Sacramento later next week to do some photography. It is a gorgeous town, especially the downtown area and Old Sacramento. They will be putting up the holiday decorations soon. Lots of history to be seen around town.When I was in Carson City last month, I took a lot of photos of the capitol building and the amazing trees that surround it. The above photo was taken very early in the morning, it was about 31 degrees, and I didn't even have socks on! Silly me. I lasted only a few minutes out in the cold, but I just had to get some photos. The colors were too vibrant and the air to clear and fresh to not get out in it for a bit. Yes, my bones and joints thanked me later... with emphasis... so what? LOL. That's what pain medicine is for... right? All I know is that when I was walking through those leaves, I felt warm inside. :) I have been doing some sketches for the painting. I hope to have it done by the late spring. We'll see. :)

So what about that ominous message that came in my email? Well, here's a thought...

"Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end."

-Unknown

-OndineMonet
Carson City Capitol Building
Carson City, Nevada
October 26, 2006
Early Morning

Technorati Tags: Leaves, Autumn, Thanksgiving, Nevada, Trees

Political Observations By A Resident Of Who-ville

"Hell, I never vote for anybody, I always vote against."

-W.C. Fields

Sometimes I feel like "Little Carly Who," resident of Who-ville. I know that my voice, and my little blog, probably amounts to a little bit of "Who-dust," but I can't help but put my questions out there for consideration anyway. Shrug. Last Tuesday, as I was watching to political tide in America turning, I couldn't help but think of a certain member of the Bush administration. A man named, Stuart Baker, who is the Director of Lessons Learned. Do you suppose that Mr. Baker will remain in his current post? Do you think any lessons have been learned and if you do, which ones? Were they learned prior to, or after, the election, and who learned them? Will we see real change now that we have both the senate, and the congress led by democrats? Is there any such thing as compromise? Or does it become simply the lesser of two evils? Will we see anything change? I am asking these questions now, as opposed to at the end of my post because I want you to consider them while you read on. I have a few observations, so feel free to share with me what you think about what I have to say.

I want to share a first for me, I voted for a Republican governor. Yes, Carly the democrat, did indeed vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold made a huge mistake a year ago, by holding a rather ill-advised special election. The polls told him it was a bad idea, protestors told him it was a bad idea, his wife told him it was a bad idea, but he went forward with the election full steam ahead. Bad idea. California voted down every single initiative on the ballot, and sent him a clear message. As a result his numbers sunk in the polls, and it was predicted that his political career might be over. But instead of lashing out, or threatening or focusing on partisan politics, he stood up, admitted he had made a mistake, and looked toward the future. He kept his promise to move ahead, and to work with California lawmakers in a spirit of bi-partisanship. He did two things right. He owned up to his mistake... and he kept his word to work with the democratic party, for the better of California.

I think the national Republican party could learn a lot from his example. The Republican party lost their majority seats not because Americans switched camps, no they lost their seats because of the rigid "all or nothing" policies of the Bush White House, and their failures in Iraq. But make no mistake, the Democratic party shouldn't get too comfortable with this win, because it wasn't about folks voting pro-democrat, it was about voting against Bush. It was a shame to see folks saying that on the one hand they might be happy with a senator or congressman, but voting them out anyway, so that there would be a chance that the overall picture could be improved. That's a tough pill to swallow, and boy did that take courage.

There has been a couple meetings this week at the White House, in which both sides met and seemed agree to cooperate with one another, but that was expected. Isn't that always at least initially attempted? Unfortunately, I found it disheartening that Bush made, what I considered to be a sexist comment, to the new Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, in his Wednesday afternoon news conference...

"I shared with her (Pelosi) the names of some Republican Interior Decorators Who can help her pick out the new drapes in her new office."
-George W. Bush, October 8th, 2006 -White House.

Do you suppose that he would have made that same, flippant, type of remark had things gone his way in the election? If it had been a man in Nancy Pelosi's position, would Bush have decorating on his mind? And what do you make of his admitting that he, at the very least, mislead the voters to the fact that he had plans to oust, Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, prior to the election? Isn't this just more of the same type of misleading and half-truths that inspired some Republicans to vote for a clear and decisive change in American politics?

I wonder if Stuart Baker marked that down in the book as a "lesson learned?" I suppose time will tell. Believe it or not, I am always prepared to hold an open mind, although not much has happened to make me believe that anything will change. After all, we can't force Bush to do anything he doesn't want to, even with the house and the senate in the hands of the Democrats. America can try to follow the example of those of us who live in California, and send Bush a message they way we did Arnold Schwarzenegger after the 2005 Special Election. We can answer polls, and protest, and maybe even send emails indicating how we feel, but if no lesson was really learned by the mid-term elections...is there any chance for bi-partisanship?

According to the National Journal, the Director of Lessons Learned, Stuart Baker, makes $106,641 per annual salary. The minimum wage in America hasn't been raised in eight years. One of the top priorities on the new Democratic agenda, is to see it raised from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour. They also plan to put more money into education programs, such as the Pell Grant, so that more of our high school graduates will be able to afford to attend college. The "No Child Left Behind" act has received $16.4 billion less then promised by the Bush administration, which has meant that some children were indeed left behind. And there are plans to hopefully fix the complex, and confusing prescription drug plan, by making it easier for seniors and persons with disabilities to use. Fixing these problems, and many others, by both sides working together, will lead me to believe that lessons have been learned. It's about time that we have some balance, and that there is more accountability and wider representation.

Your turn. Tell me what you think.

-OndineMonet
"Nevada State Legislature"
Carson City, Nevada
October 26, 2006
Morning

What's Your Fantasy?

"Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality; they are also dress rehearsals, and plans. All acts performed in the world, begin in the imagination."

-Barbara Grizzuti

When I was a little girl, a very little girl, I had grand ambitions for when I grew up. I didn't want to be a nurse, or a space cadet, or a lawyer, or even a politician. I wanted to be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Ok, that's achievable right? Nope. See, I wanted to be a balloon in the parade. In that I was a mere kidling of 2 or 3, I had no idea one couldn't grow up to be a balloon. It seemed perfectly reasonable to me, and who doesn't want to float about once in a while? LOL. Oh to be that young again.

I don't remember if my heart was broken when I found out the awful truth, that fantasies sometimes don't come true, but I do remember how bad I wanted that dream. Why is it true that wanting something, is almost always better then having it? Is it the yearning that we actually want? The burning desire to have the unobtainable? What if a fantasy is obtainable? How long after we have our desire fullfilled would we lose interest? I suppose that depends on the object, person, or dream. Sometimes, a fantasy is more of a flight of fancy, then an actual wanting. There is a fantasy I have, and have had for a few years now, I want to own the Victoria's Secret Million Dollar Bra. The 2006 will do...

Victoria's Secret $6,500,000 Fantasy Bra 2006

I like wearing frilly, girly-girl things and this bra certainly qualifies. I like the idea of going to the supermarket, knowing I have on an 800 carat, one-of-a-kind bra under my clothes... and no one would know!Think of it, 2,000 diamonds across both breasts and on the straps, and a nifty little 10-carat broach right in the middle. Oooh-la-la! Model, Karolina Kurkova, says its, "very sexy and very comfortable, and doesn't dig in." :) Sounds good! Alan says if he bought it for me, I would just wear it on the outside of my clothes. Nope. I would just wear it! Tee Hee. Although, I bet it would be cold in winter. LOL.

It was all this thinking about fantasy gifts, that inspired the new poll on my sidebar. You can find the results of the last poll, "Songs We Like To Hear In Our Cars," here. The song you chose was, "Light My Fire," by The Doors. Now that song can inspire one to fantasize! I love that song, I can hear it in my mind right now. Oh Mr. Duchovny... I'll be waiting! :)

Don't forget to take this months poll, already on my sidebar. If you chose the last option, feel free to share what your personal fantasy gift is, in the comment thread for this entry.

-OndineMonet

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Victoria's Secret

Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra

In The New Year

"The bird a nest, the spider a web, man... friendship."

-William Blake

I went to San Francisco yesterday (Wednesday) to photograph the dahlias in Golden Gate Park, but I was out of luck. The park department is working on the whole park, replacing flowers here and there and unfortunately the dahlias are a part of the project. It will reopen next spring, and run through the fall so that is something to look forward to in the new year.

So, in place of the dahlias, I have this set of photos, that I took in Santa Cruz, last August. That was a pretty great day. I set out to attend the John Waite concert on the beach, and ended up finding all sorts of neat photo opportunities instead, including a game of naked Frisbee I happened upon when I accidentlly came across one of the area's nude beaches. My goodness, the adventures I have! LOL.

When I am in the area I always visit the two lighthouses that are in Santa Cruz, Walton, and this one, Surfer's Lighthouse, which sits along HWY 1. On this visit, I noticed something a little different. Situated under the edge of the top of the lighthouse, were a line of about 30 or so mud bird nests. Most of them were empty, but I noticed that there were one or two that had babies inside. They were pretty high up, so the photos I got weren't as clear as I would have liked, still, I enjoyed trying out some settings I hadn't had the chance to use prior to that time. Look at those faces... how cute is that? You can bet, I will be better prepared to photograph the new birds, when I go back next summer. :)

"Surfer's" Lighthouse, Santa Cruz

Mama bird brings back "Take-out"

Mud Nests

If you look very close, you can see the nests in a line under the edge.

-OndineMonet
"Siblings"
Santa Cruz, California
Late August, 2006
Afternoon

"Today We Made History..."

"Today we made history, now we make progress."

-Nancy Pelosi
November 7th, 2006

We have real hope once again in America! We voted for talent, and change, and vision. And most of all we voted for TRUTH! Some Republicans voted for Democrats. Some Democrats voted for Republicans. A wonderful sign that the fear mongers, dirty tricksters and those who follow their pride, rather then the best interests of America, can't steal our collective souls. We get to wake up tomorrow in a new America. Now, lets not take it for granted ever again!

ABC News

With A Little Luck
By Paul McCartney & Wings

With a little luck, we can help it out
We can make this whole damn thing work out
With a little love, we can lay it down
Can't you feel the town exploding?
There is no end to what we can do together
There is no end, there is no end, there is no end
The willow turns it's back in inclement weather
And if he can do it, we can do it, just me and you

And a little luck, we can clear it up
We can bring it in for a landing
With a little luck, we can turn it on
There can be no misunderstanding

There is no end to what we can do together
There is no end, there is no end, there is no end
The willow turns it's back on inclement weather
we can do it, just me and you

With a little push, we could set it off
We can send it rocketing skywards
With a little love, we could shake it up
Don't you feel the comet exploding?

With a little luck, a little luck, a little luck.

-OndineMonet
11:43 PM Pacific Time