Shower at 12:12. Up to M Street Grocery to pick up some tonic for my gin. Nice sunny day. Back at my place. I turn on the countdown clock for our New Year. Geez. We have 11 hours to go. Turn on France 24. They interview Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger about the business of making champagne. Yes. They're popping some corks in Moscow. It's 2011 in Moscow. С новым годом, Москва! France 24 has only a handful of commercials, but I love those Turkish Airline ads. "We Are Turkish Airlines. We Are Globally Yours!" Here is Manchester United playing soccer on the plane.
Go over to M & G's place. We see smoke coming out of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. I hear cross words between M & G, so I leave. Back at my place. Watch some South Park. Kenny can't die? What a bizarre twist of fate. I manage to stay awake for Midnight and New Year. I hope to hear some noise or fireworks. Nothing. But it happens. But nothing to see out my window. Watch some Fireball XL-5. XL5 to H2O is fun.
The song is catchy and brilliant. They use the 4 seasons in their video. For me, it's a connection to Berkeley, California where the band comes from and where my niece lives now. Another caller recommends This Is The Song (Good Luck) by the Punch Brothers. I love that one, too. A sad song in contrast to my happy song. I'm with the 5 Sea Otters most of the day. I give Pam some planning time and a lunch break. Kathy covers for Anne. The kids are playing in the Bike Room. I set up lunches while Kathy does the diapers. We open the gate so that the Sea Otters and Dolphins go back and forth. Greg likes me to read Elmo: Clap Your Hands. It's a puppet book.
Go to the staff lounge on my break. Lots of goodies - bagels, cookies, punch, veggies and dip. When I go back to the classroom, the kids are already going down for naps. Everyone sleeps (except me). Over to Dolphins for Kenn's break. Two are awake already. We go down to the Bike Room and hang out with some Starfish. Walk up Whole Foods. I need coffee, wine, soda and food. Down to my place. Play podcast of The World. A memorial to honor Germany’s gay Holocaust victims is being opposed by an unlikely group. Report - Lesbians Oppose Memorial To Gay Holocaust Victims. This is the movie in dispute.
Turn on the Nightly News and Hardball. Cholay chicken and spaghetti for dinner. Watch Star Trek Enterprise - Damage.
woensdag 29 december 2010 Up at 3:34. Turn on France 24. As of this day, journalists Stéphane Taponier and Hervé Ghesquière have been hostages in Afghanistan for 365 days. Their faces are protected on to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in their honor. Report - Grim Milestone For French Journalists Held By Taliban. Fall back to sleep after the weather report. Wow! Oslo is -19 °C (-2 °F). Brrr. The alarm wakes me up. I want to sleep. Finish off burrito for breakfast. Shower. Walk up to Kaladi for some of Lauren's tasty coffee. Walk down to 5th Avenue and up through the Rainier corrider back to my place. Watch some MSNBC news. I like the Winter Wonderland Slide Show. I love Sam Seeder's Weather Report mocking the global warming deniers on Fox. Walk all the way to work while listening to Weekday. It's another good show involving the Jazz Scene In Seattle... and interviews with local artists and playing a 6-minute rif called Saint Lawrence. Table And Chairs Music sounds interesting. I'm with the 7 Starfish today... giving Christin 2 hours of planning time and her lunch break. Blessed be the scheduling god. We get time in the Bike Room this morning. (It's rather chilly to play outside.) It's funny how they sit down for a "Book Break" in our Gross Motor room. They love the Cookie Monster - Good Time To Eat book. Walk up to Cal Anderson Park. Down Pike to my place. I ask Karen, "Who left a bag of groceries in front of my apartment door Christmas Day?" She has no idea. Watch KOMO News. I see reports of snowfall this morning (everywhere but Seattle). Watch some Hardball. Couscous and Oyster beef for dinner. Watch Star Trek - Where No Man Has Gone Before.
During the filming of this episode, a wasp's nest high in the rafters of the studio was somehow disturbed, and many cast and crew members suffered stings as a result. As this happened on a Friday, the weekend break allowed time for the swelling to go down; Shatner, however, required additional makeup to hide the stings during shooting the following Monday.
dinsdag 28 december 2010 Up at 3:38. Turn on France 24. There's a new in-depth report about Kosovo on Europe District - Kosovo Seeking Recognition. They visit the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica. The Culture Show looks back at the major cultural events of 2010. Who made it big at the box office? Who's the new enfant terrible of the art world? Report - The Best Of Culture 2010. Sean Rose comments about the controversy of the Larry Clark Exhibit. Toast with hummus and a fried egg for breakfast. Nice hot shower. Turn on Weekday. The subject is Apologies. "From Whom Do You Want To Hear An Apology?" I sympathize with a lot of the callers. They feature Keith Olbermann's Apology Hall Of Fame. Try to get up to minute 4:22. LOVE IT! "Good morning, U.S. Economy!" says George W.
I'm with the 7 Dolphins most of the day. I meet them in the Bike Room. They play for over an hour in there. Kenn has fun with them building towers, bouncing balls and some light rough-housing. I need some fresh air, so I lead 3 of the kids out to the deck. It's all ours! I set up lunches during my break. Elaine comes back from her planning time. We settle down for lunches and naps. 1 - Over to Seahorses for Patty's lunch. It's not a very magical nap time. Never mind. 2 - Rachel is subbing for Charmaine. Alex wakes up and Patty tries to get him back to sleep... to no avail. Walk up to Capitol Hill. Cruise down B'way. Drop off stuff at my place. Up to Whole Foods to get some salad bar, Oyster beef, salmon mouse, Italian soda, etc. Watch MSNBC News. Make a batch of couscous. Watch movie - 2012.
maandag 27 december 2010 Up at 2:23. Toss and turn. Turn on France 24. The Talking Points people talk about China. As 2010 draws to a close, barely a day goes by without some headline about "China buying up this", or "China taking over that". Report - China 2011: The Rise And Rise Of A Superpower. Refer to Martin Jacques' book When China Rules The World. Rice and tofu for breakfast. Watch the Today Show. It's all about the crazy snow storm in the Northeast. Travel miseries. Report - Monster Blizzard Pounds East Coast. Hooray! The water is very hot for my shower. Up to Kaladi for some of Luka's flavorful coffee. Walk up Westlake to work listening to Weekday on KUOW. People from The Vera Project talk about the latest news for Seattle's music scene. Start work washing dishes. The dish washer is working. I head outside with the 8 Dolphins. They're scrambling around on the deck as usual. 11 - Elaine's lunch. Back in the classroom. I manage to keep the peace among the Dolphins while lunches are set up. 12 - Over to the Starfish for Cristin's lunch. The 5 of them go down for naps. 1 - Anne's lunch. Four Sea Otters nap. It's a quiet hour. 2 - When Kenn goes out the gate for his lunch, the latch snaps and wakes up a couple kids. I take them to the Bike Room. Streetcar to d'town. It's starting to rain. I head home after I get my Monday Mondo Burrito. Watch KOMO News and the Nightly News. They talk about the historic snow storm. A catagory 2 hurricane force storm? My friend - Kamen - sent me a photo of the snow from Rhode Island... from their favorite French bistro Chez Pascal. This is different for me. Chris Matthews does movie reviews on Hardball. Burrito for dinner. Watch Star Trek Voyager - Good Shepard (in German) - Der gute Hirte. I love this opiniated review of this episode.
zondag 26 december 2010 Awake at 1:10. Play Star Trek The Next Generation - Half A Life and The Host. Doze back to sleep. Up again at 7:00. Turn on Mind Over Matters. Zoughbi Zoughbi talks about the long struggle to find peace in the Palestine-Israel conflict. Eileen O'Connor, Olle Johansson talk about the Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields. Then The Sound of Change: Hip Hop in Cuba. Walk up to Whole Foods to get my breakfast. Take it home with me. Turn on A Prairie Home Companion. It's their Christmas Show! I like Garrison's conversation with Santa. #72 bus tunnel to Uwajimaya to get some Pad Thai and tofu. #150 bus tunnel back to my place. Drop off stuff at my place. Take a short walk around the neighborhood. The city seems quiet. Back again. Play Star Trek - The Empath and Lost In Space - Wish Upon A Star. When Dr. Smith and Will discover a magic wish-granting machine, the family becomes intoxicated with greed. Watch movie on my iPad - Billy Elliot... a charming, offbeat, coming-of-age story about a kid who is crazy about ballet.
donderdag 23 december 2010 Up at 7:30. Nice to sleep in. When I turn on my computer, I am greeted by this rather festive page by Google. Turn on Hal Sparks. Fried egg and couscous for breakfast. Skip shower. Walk around the town in our drizzle - shopping for groceries, etc. #7 bus to Uwajimaya where I shoot my Joyeux Noël From Mike.
Catch a train back. Wow! It's packed with people coming from the airport. The train is one big luggage rack. I ask a cute couple, "How was the airport?" Surprisingly to me, they say that it was rather quiet. At noon, the streets are crowded with last-minute shoppers. Back at my place, I turn on KEXP. I love their eclectic selection of music. Turn on KOMO News. Watch the news on my laptop while taking a nice hot bath. Finally! Hot water! Thank you, Santa. Watch RENT. Turkey and stuffing for dinner.
woensdag 22 december 2010 Up at 4:10. Turn on France 24. The situation in the Ivory Coast is becoming a big deal. The Ivorians are on verge of a civil war, and France is urging its citizens to leave the nation.
Couscous and tofu for breakfast. Turn on Hal Sparks. Wow! Hal tunes into the breaking news from CNN. Obama Signs Repeal Of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy. Hot shower. Up to Kaladi for some of Luka's delicious coffee which I take to my place. Switch to the Today Show. I see how much rain California is getting. A lot! Report - L.A.-Area Storm Cuts Off Roads, Eats Up Beach. Walk up Westlake to work. 10 to 12 - Planning time for Charmaine. After my STARS course in Un-directed Play, I let them play without direction. It's cool how constructive the kids can be... building towers, playing with trains and tracks as well as puzzles. 12 - Charmaine's lunch. Liz does lunch prep. Kenn and I take the Seahorses for a rowdy walk to the Fountain Park. Whew! Patty and I sit down lunch with the kids. I get my break from Sarah. I need it. When I get back, the Seahorses are going down for naps. 1 - I'm still rubbing backs while Misti meets with Charmaine and Patty. 2 - It's quiet for a little while. One wakes up early. We read books like the popular. Walk up to B'way while listening to the whole hour of The World. I like this story - Palleja bar patrons win El Gordo. A story of winners! Yay! Get some Coconut Jack at the liquor store. Turn on KOMO News. The weather man says that L.A. is going to beat us in the rain record. Seattle = 7.08 inches. L.A. = 7.35 inches. Watch - Star Trek Enterprise - Storm Front. Rice and Tandoori chicken for dinner. Then MSNBC News. Paul Krugman, Noble Prize-winning economist and columnist with the NY Times, talks with Rachel about the disturbing gap between what the economy needs to recover what obstacloes - political, partisan, cultural and global - stand in the way. Report - The Worse The Economy, The Better For Republicans?
Shower before breakfast... before the hot water is gone. Yes! The water is hot. Fried rice and fried egg for breakfast. Watch Hal Sparks on his U Stream. Hal says that he could achieve the "super-human ability" of reading the whole START treaty in one evening. What are those other guys whining about... stalling about? Kerry called them out about it - John Kerry Rips Republicans For Playing Games with START Treaty Passage. Hal plays the clip. Turn on Weekday. Listen to Agenda For A New Economy on my walk to work. They have a conversation with one of my favorite people about the subject of money - David Korten. Do a few breaks upstairs. I read Knuffle Bunny to the Moons & Stars. They love it! It's full of emotion, communication and problem-solving. Will they find Knuffle Bunny? Anything is possible. Down to Starfish. Jessica deals with an emergency. Kathy and I take the rest out to the deck. Tanja does lunch prep for us. I change diapers before lunch. Over to Seahorses. The kids are going down for naps. And they sleep well. I would like a #8 up to Capitol Hill, but the buses are packed and off schedule. I just walk home. Watch the Nightly News. Interesting report about the Census Data. And there are political implications. Rice and Tandoori chicken for dinner. Watch Hardball and Rachel Maddow - Yes, Obama Did. Watch Star Trek Enterprise - Countdown. With time running out and the Xindi weapon about to be armed, Archer has to persuade the Xindi-Aquatics to help destroy the weapon. The Xindi superweapon is awesome.
sickmaandag 20 december 2010 Up at Midnight. I'm throwing up. I call in sick at 1 AM. Turn on France 24. Wow! It's snowing in Europe again. The third day in a row. Report - Snow Disrupts Christmas Travel Plans Across Europe. It's chaos at Heathrow, Charles De Gaul, and Frankfurt. Oh, my stomach. I just rest in bed. I like watching The World Youngest Tenor Sings On France 24. Beautiful, Amaury Vassili. Switch to Stephanie Miller. Hal Sparks subs while Steph and the mooks are on vacation. I like his happy kitty t-shirt. Edie McClurg joins the show later. Finally, I have a little appetite. I eat some couscous and a h-b egg. My shower is luke-warm again. Listen to podcast of The Conversation - Learning Styles: Fact Or Fiction. Watch 13 Heures - France 2. Watch some old TV. Batman - Surf's Up, Joker's Under. The Joker plans to become the king of surfing, hoping the fame will give him control over the hearts and minds of Gotham City. Hilarious! Next - BeastMaster: The Golden Phoenix. Then Star Trek - Whom Gods Destroy. Kirk and Spock beam down to the Elba II asylum and meet a dangerous new inmate - Garth of Izar.
Devote the rest of the evening resting in bed watching MSNBC - Hardball, Countdown and Rachel Maddow. Her show comes from the 92 Y in the Upper East Side. Yay! She asks: DADT Repealed, Now What?
Next, they interview Nadav Greenberg about the movie Budrus which is showing in Seattle with and Q & A today.
Fried egg and couscous for breakfast. Switch to yesterday's Rachel Maddow's show. I love her comments on F.R.A.P. - Frenetic Random Activity Period. This is the first time that I hear Rachel refer to her partner Susan. I'm getting a lot done before 9:00. It's raining a lot. Turn on my Pandora. Maybe something will make me feel cozy in my room. Yes! Sugar Ray. And Jason Mraz - Life Is Wonderful.
vrijdag 17 december 2010 Up with alarm. Chili on toast for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. She talks about Larry King's Good-Bye Party. After 25 years, Larry King, his family and a cavalcade of well-wishers headed over to Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant to celebrate the last 25 years of his show.
Shower. Play with Google Earth. I'm visiting San Francisco again... the Ocean Beach neighborhood. I would love to take the N Judah Line up there. Stroll down the beach. Watch the surfers. Get a coffee at the Java Beach Cafe. Enough dreaming.
Walk up Westlake to work. Wow! 10 to 10:30 - Open space. Charmaine takes my time for planning time. The 4 Seahorses have some free play. I see one of them is wound up like a top, so we head outside to let it out. Toni is outside, so it's convenient to give her a break. 11 - Lunch prep for Starfish and Seahorses. 12 - Cristin's lunch. The Starfish are rather grumpy. Naps start at 12:05. I need to do a few diapers. 1 - Up to Wildflowers for Olivia's lunch. Darnell is subbing for Kris. It's a quiet hour... thankfully. 2 - Toni's lunch. Cristin takes 3 early-risers to the Bike Room. I stay with the others who are sleeping. When they wake up, I bring out the play-doh. We make cinnamon rolls and waffles. Streetcar to d'town. Deposit my holiday bonus at my bank. #10 up to Capitol Hill. Walk around a little. Down to Whole Foods to get some goodies. Back to my place. Watch Star Trek Enterprise - Silent Enemy. In the episode, Enterprise encounters a non-communicative alien ship that fires upon them. Enterprise is unable to defend itself as it was not fitted with phase cannons before it left spacedock. Trip and Reed create and install phase cannons into the ship. Watch some Hardball. Ron Reagan, Jr. and Willie Brown help Chris Matthews with the 5 Biggest Lies Of 2010. Couscous and garlic chicken for dinner. Next is Lost In Space: Wild Adventure. Dr. Smith blows all the fuel into space... to his chagrin. Oh, Dr. Smith. After stopping at a refuel station, Dr. Smith discovers that they are being followed by a mysterious green woman.
donderdag 16 december 2010 Up at 1:04 to pee. Turn on France 24, but I fall right back to sleep. Up with alarm. Toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. They talk about extending the Bush tax cuts. The Senate overwhelmingly passed sweeping legislation Wednesday to prevent a Jan. 1 income tax increase for millions and to renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. A House vote is expected by today. Jim talks about John Kennedy's tax cuts. They were big. Report - A Reaganite In Camelot?: The Partisan Battle Over JFK’s Tax-Cut Legacy. Shower. Check Survivor - Nicaragua. Jud made it! I watch his little video. His voice sounds scratchy and he has lost weight. Jud's video - I'm Stoked, I Won. I gotta watch this episode tonight. Walk up Westlake to work. I help Kenn in the kitchen for an hour. 11 - Patty's lunch. The 6 Seahorses are playing on the deck. "I wanna bike! I wanna bike! I wanna bike!" I listen to this sad song for 15 minutes. Oy! Tanja sets up lunches while I keep the high-energy Seahorses on the deck. That works out for all. 12 - Pam's lunch. The 6 Sea Otters goes down for naps. Anne cleans up the lunch mess. 1 - Anne's lunch. Most of the Sea Otters are sleeping. I take the non-napper to the Bike Room. Cristin brings in her early-risers. 2 - Michelle's lunch. I take a couple awake Dolphins to the Bike Room. We head back for snack. I love it when the kids say "Bye, Mike" with their cute little voices when I leave. Streetcar to d'town. #73 bus tunnel to Uwajimaya. Hakutsuru, avocado, satsumas, crushed garlic and Fritos = $25.20. I get my new 2011 Japanese calendar! #74 bus tunnel back to my place. Make my own guacamole out of the avocado. Listen to podcast of The World. They tell us why some AIDS patients in Zambia have stopped getting their medicine, even though the government gives it away for free. Report - Rationing Health Care In Zambia. New perspective - Survivor: Nicaragua. This is heavy... The contestants talk about meeting their loved-ones. I well up with tears when Jud sees his mom on the Smart Phone. Hugs and kisses when they all meet. I have mixed feelings about this program. This is a set-up and a put-on... when there is actually suffering in our world. CBS is making money from this farce. Fajita beef and rice for dinner. Watch Countdown.
woensdag 15 december 2010 Up 4:08. Turn on France 24. Yikes. Why are people so mean? Report - Kosovo Rejects Hashim Thaçi Organ-trafficking Claims. The Council of Europe report names Hashim Thaçi - prime minister and wartime political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - 27 times. Once again, riot police clashed with Protesters In Athens today as unions staged a general strike against the government's latest austerity measures. Seriously! Greek police were attacked with petrol bombs during a protest. Salmon and Havarti cheese omelet with toast for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. There's Hal streaming the show today. Hal lights into a Teabagger who calls in. Go, Hal! “My mouth is attached to a brain at least” HAHAHA! I do a load of laundry. Play with the internet. An ad for Survivor - Nicaragua for its show tonight draws my interest. Go, cute Jud! Shower. Walk up to 9th and Denny. Streetcar the rest of the way. I'm Elaine from 10 to 1. Michelle and I plan to go for a walk, but there's some passive resistance. We walk just a few feet and we head back. The 7 Dolphins prefer to go wild on the deck. Kenn does lunch prep. The kids get involved with an art project while I do the diapers. They eat their lunches while they watch me eat my Chicken Pesto. Naps are easy. Over to Starfish for Toni's lunch and an hour of planning time. It's quiet while the 7 kids sleep. Early risers go to the Bike Room. Walk up to Capitol Hill after work. Cruise down B'way. Down to my place. Watch KOMO News. Uff da! It's hard to watch... "I hate my budget," she said, tearing up toward the end of her press conference today. "I hate it because in some places, I don't even think it's moral."
Play podcast of Weekday - Bad Holiday Movies, And Some Good Ones. The dark side of Christmas. There are tons of holiday movies. Some highlight the joys of the season, like "It's a Wonderful Life." Others tackle the dark side of our traditions, like the new Finish film, "Rare Exports," about the folkloric Santa Claus who eats children. Someone calls in about a video tape he has of The Star Wars Holiday Special. Oh My God!
dinsdag 14 december 2010 Up at 4:00. Turn on France 24. James Creedon does an overview of the world's newspaper headlines in his show - In The Papers. Report - Is The End Nigh For Berlusconi? Gianfranco Fini started this. Fini, whose ouster from the ruling People of Liberty (PdL) party triggered the current crisis, claims Berlusconi has put his personal interests ahead of the country’s and is no longer fit to head the government. Il Giornale’s headline reads: Fini is afraid Red onion and blue cheese omelet with hash browns for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. They're still into the 60 Minutes interview with John Boehner. Feeling a little uneasy about a man in power who weeps so easily. Up to Kaladi for some of Jeremiah's Jolly Good coffee. I take it home. Here comes the rain again. Shower. More Stephanie Miller. She reviews an op-ed in the Huffington Post by Beth Broderick - Obama And The Age Of Unreason. Steph likes it. I like it, too. Beth really seems to define Obama's presidency in context of our crazy culture. Down to the streetcar for a ride to work. I'm Patty until 11:45. She has meetings and planning time. Charmaine and I take the 6 Seahorses on a "soggy walk" around the campus. When the weather blows up some rain, we take refuge in the Public Health Building. We get a little lost, but eventually find an empty staff lounge with a great view of Fairview watching seaplanes, birds, cars, bikes and people going by. The rain lets up and we walk back. Patty comes back early to set up lunches. 12 - Cristin's lunch. We have an extra person - Sarah. So, I eat my lunch with the 7 Starfish. Nice transition to naps. All the kids are asleep by 12:30. 1 - Kathy is subbing for Charmaine for her Early Day. It's her lunch. Only one is resisting nap. Patty quells the situation. 2 - Patty's lunch. Coughing wakes up Alex. Kathy hangs out with him. Walk to Eastlake and Denny. Catch a #8 up to B'way. Walk around Cal Anderson Park. Brrr. Steady wind makes me walk fast to my place. Watch some KOMO News and Nightly News. The weather is still about the weather - White-Outs Strand Motorists On Roads To Nowhere. It's actually warmer in Maine than in Florida. Watch Lost In Space - The Thief From Outer Space. I like Ted Cassidy's role in this as the slave who is trapped inside a jewel ring of the Sheik. He wants to escape. Turkey chili on spaghetti for dinner.
