vrijdag 30 april 2010

vrijdag 30 april 2010 Up at 4:09. Turn on France 24. Top story - Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill. They say that this could be America's Chernobyl. Interesting interview with the author of Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith.

Paneer Tikka Masala with Spinach Basmali Rice for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Laura Flanders and John Fugelsang join Steph for some liberal fun. They talk about Sarah Palin's appearance yesterday on Fox News defending Arizona's new immigration bill.

Sarah is getting a little screechy in this sound bite.

Up to Kaladi for coffee. Wow! Look at the line. Luka joins the fray. Jeremiah asks me, "What are you having today?" It's a shame to respond - after listening to some very complex orders for lattes - "A small drip, please." Take a short walk around First Hill back to my place. Shower. Walk up Terry to work. This is Nancy's last day. Lots of foods upstairs. We need to say good-bye to some families, too. 10 to 11 - Patty signs me up so that she can do some NAEYC stuff. The 6 Sea Otters seem rather hyper... So, we take them outside to the deck. The playground becomes available. We see the Trailblazers and Explorers celebrating Superhero Day. I don't have my camera. 11 - Charmaine's lunch. We stay on the playground. Sharyn sets up our lunches. 12 - Pam's lunch. The 5 Dolphins are not eating much lunch. Diapers, clean-up, naps. 1 - Teresa's lunch. The Dolphins keep asleep until 1:30... the Stella wakes up. I take Stella outside. She tells me, "Outside... All done." So, I take her into the lobby. 2 - Frustrating nap time with the Sea Otters when Patty takes her lunch. Alex coughs hard and wakes up Evanan. Evanan is raging for 20 minutes while everyone else sleeps through it. 3 - Nancy gives me a hug. This is good-bye. She says to me, "I enjoyed working with you." "Me, too... Thanks for everything." (Everything is a huge thing.) Up Yale over to Stewart to my place. Bump into J. R. Drop off stuff and change clothes. Watch France 24, Hardball, Countdown and The Rachel Maddow Show. Some rice and butter chicken for dinner. Watch movie - When Worlds Collide.

donderdag 29 april 2010

donderdag 29 april 2010 Solid night's sleep. I want to keep sleeping after the alarm goes off. Turn on AM 1090. They mercilessly mock Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on the Stephanie Miller Show.

McConnell is a relic. As are most of his compadres in DC. Coconut rice and Chipotle Orange Beef for breakfast. Long hot bath. Walk up Terry Avenue to work. 10 to 12 - Planning time for Pam. Kenn covers for Teresa. Pam hangs out in the classroom to fix some posters. Stella comes in late. We make toy animal towers. The twins love it. We head outside to the small playground. Kenn originates a new phrase: The Whole Is Greater Then The Sum Of Its Farts. He makes me laugh out loud. I see that the Trailblazers and Explorers are taking their newly-hatched butterflies to the park... So, we take possession of the Big Playground. The Dolphins and Sea Otters love it! The big slide! The big trucks! The big balls! Everything is big and heavy for them. So exciting! Kenn and I take the Dolphins in for lunch early. Nolan is having a tough day. He wants Kenn to hold him. 12 - Pam's lunch. Six Dolphins eat lunch. I eat "Mike's lunch" with the kids. Wow. The kids can say "Mike's lunch" now. I change the diapers while Teresa cleans up the lunch mess. She also gets the Dolphins down for naps. (I'm asking myself, "What's the rush for nap time?") They wake up early, and then they wake up the Sea Otters. That is exactly what happens. This is exactly what I predicted. Mike's Tao Of Teaching: Nap Time Is Something That Is Perfect In Its Disorder. Piper doesn't nap. Nolan wakes up sad. 1 to 3 - Patty's lunch and Planning Time. Patty went to visit the Bright Horizons At SLU open house. It's going to be huge! "Corporate-style child care... Yuck!" Our conversation wakes up Alex, then Evanan, then Caitlin, then Wyatt... More nap time chaos. Oy! When I leave, I say "Good luck!" Patty responds, "No way!" Walk up to Capitol Hill. My back hurts too much, so I take a #49 bus downtown. Turn on The World. Report - Guam People Ponder Their Identity. There are plans to move some Okinawa Marines to Guam. Guam is a US territory, but as the report states, plans for the military build-up there have ignited soul-searching about just how American people there feel. And the Chamorros, Guam's indigenous people, first populated the island approximately 4,000 years ago, have their perspectives.

Watch episode of The Outer Limits - The Man With The Power.

Finish off the coconut rice and chipotle beef. Watch movie - Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith.

woensdag 28 april 2010

woensdag 28 april 2010 Up at 1:54. Too early. Turn on France 24. Toss and turn. I listen to the business report - Stocks Are Falling After Downgrades Of Troubled European Debt. Lemon Quinoa for breakfast. It's rather filling. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Hal Sparks seems to be in New York City and streaming the show with Steph.

Shower. Read diary. Stop in Bartell's to buy some Mother's Day cards. Walk up Westlake to work. Bump into Rebecca Allen. Fill her in on the changes coming to Hutch Kids. She thinks that it's difficult to picture Hutch Kids without Nancy. 10 to 12 - Planning time for Charmaine. Jessica covers for Patty. We take the 8 Sea Otters on a rope walk up to - and inside - The Arnold Building. The budget must be good for Objets d'art. I'm in the back of the line... thinking... "That looks expensive. And that looks expensive... And that..." Hutch Kids... Hmmmm. We see Kenn getting a coffee. We say, "Hi Kenn!" Kenn does something funny and everyone laughs. After our walk, we go to the Bike Room. Patty comes back, so I go set up lunches for both Dolphins and Sea Otters. 12 - Charmaine's lunch. I set up nap mats while the 8 Sea Otters eat. A couple parents visit for nap time. 1 - Teresa's lunch. Kenn and I fold some laundry. The 5 Dolphins sleep. 2 - Patty's lunch. I browse through the Sea Otter's NAEYC book. I can barely get through Chapter 2 before my eyes hurt. The kids keep sleeping until 2:45. Babies "shhhh!" in the hallway. Get a new key card at Transportation. While waiting for the streetcar, I see this fancy ship in Lake Union.

Streetcar to Whole Foods. Get some salad bar, Chipotle Orange Braised Beef, sparkling lemonade and Shiraz. Walk up from there to my place. Walk down to the d'town Post Office to mail Mother's Day cards to mom and Nana. Back through Freeway Park to my place. I sit for a while to watch the seagulls fly. I feel the warmth of the sun. My neighbor, JR, sits with me to chat. Inside again, watch MSNBC News, Rachel and Keith.

dinsdag 27 april 2010

dinsdag 27 april 2010 Up at 2:48. Turn on BBC News. Report - Chaos Erupts In Ukraine Parliament. Even with egg throwing and smoke bombs.

Doze back to sleep. Strange dream about Eric Nies.

In the dream, Eric tells me that he was beat up. He has scrapes on his face and a fat lip. Wow! The show - The Real World: New York - was made in 1992... 18 years ago. Awake again at 4:18. Lay in bed listening to BBC. Interview with Annie Lennox. Burrito and egg for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. She chats with Greg Palast about his report - Behind The Arizona Immigration Law: The GOP Game To Swipe The November Election. The law... In Greg Palast's words the Soviet-style show-me-your-papers law. Up to Whole Foods. Something new - Lemon Quinoa Salad. What is Quinoa? Sit outside to take a couple bites. Yum! Walk up Terry to work. 10 to 11:15 - Breaks in a variety of places and with various groups. Hang out with the Dolphins. Kenn sets up an interesting contraption which Piper and Nolan enjoy.

Upstairs with the Wildflowers. Some kids are fascinated with their Lego catalogs.

Jake does his Le Tigre for me.

Meet with Celeste for 20 minutes about our futures. 11:45 to 12:45 - Pam's lunch. Sit down and eat lunch with the 5 Dolphins. Easy-going transition from diapers to naps. 1 - Kenn's lunch. Seven Dolphins are sleeping or going to sleep. 2 - Patty goes to lunch. Fairly peaceful nap time, but some noise from the Baby Room wakes some up. I manage to get them back to sleep. Close to 3, the Sea Otters wake up one-by-one. Streetcar to d'town. Short walk around Union Square neighborhood. Up to my place. Turn on The World. The story about Manuel Noriega weirds me out - Former Panamanian Dictator Appears Before French Judge. Is this propaganda? Do a couple loads of laundry. Watch France 24 in the meantime. France 24 - The Debate. Germany seems rather reluctant to help Greece. The rescue package for Greece is still in debate. Watch Countdown. Report - Protests Against Arizona Continue. Finish burrito for dinner. Watch episode of The Outer Limits - ZZZZZ.

maandag 26 april 2010

maandag 26 april 2010 Up at 3:58. Watch some France 24. There's still the case of the Muslim woman wearing a black niqab, that covers the face but leaves the eyes exposed. The police gave her a 22-euro ($29) fine, saying her clothing posed a « safety risk » to her driving. The matter is escalating, with it emerging that the husband has now been accused of polygamy and that his nationality may be revoked. Switch to Stephanie Miller. They discuss a possible backlash to Arizona with the recent passage of their new immigration law. People call in to say that Arizona "is off my travel list for sure." Report - Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), a civil rights activist, spoke on Sunday to thousands of people gathered at Arizona’s state Capitol in Phoenix and called on President Barack Obama to fight the state’s new immigration law, promising to march in the streets and invite arrest by refusing to comply. Arizona Governor - Jan Brewer - made a terrible mistake to sign this law.

Salsa con Queso omelet on toast for breakfast. 10 to 11 - Breaks for Erin, Teresa, Pam and Patty. Kris and I take the Seahorses out to the playground. I see the Sea Otters take to the deck. 11 - Charmaine's lunch. The 7 Sea Otters listen while I do some felt board stories. Then we head down to the Bike Room. It's a challenge to set up lunches. 12 - Teresa's lunch. I hang out with the 6 Dolphins while I eat my lunch with them. I do the diapers while Kenn cleans up the lunch mess. 1 - Kenn tells me to take my break when Kenn is supposed to take his lunch. OK. Kenn goes to lunch when I come back. Nap time for Dolphins and Sea Otters. 2 - Patty's lunch. Seven Sea Otters sleep peacefully. Nice quiet hour. Walk all the way to Benaroya. It starts to drizzle... more drizzle. #74 bus tunnel to my place. Turn on The World. I enjoy the music from Togo by the band Elikeh.

Watch Hardball. Chris Matthews talks with James Cameron - writer and director of Avatar - about how to take care of the planet. Watch Stargate SG - 1: Enemy Mine. The creatures - the Unas - are similar to the aliens from the movie by the same name.

Stargate SG-1 [07x07] Enemy Mine (part 1 of 4)

Mondo burrito for dinner. Watch movie - Enemy Mine. Lou Gossett, Jr. plays the role of the alien. Good job!




I conked out close to the end of the movie.

zondag 25 april 2010

zondag 25 april 2010 Up at 5:00. Mind Over Matters at 7. Kristina Borjesson, Charlotte Dennett, Peter Dale Scott - The Accountability Movement: High Crimes, Mass Media, and Deep Politics on Guns and Butter. Heavy Weather, Part 1 on Making Contact. I find a movie of Michael's in my laptop - The Farmer's Son. No hot water for a shower. Catch a #43 up to 17th. Walk over to Trader Joe's. Get some Dutch goat cheese, chips and salsa. My clerk is Miljen. Cute young guy. I like his energy. Walk down Pike to my place. Listen to A Prairie Home Companion. They're in New York to enjoy Spring in the city. Play with Google Earth to explore Croatia. Listen to The Splendid Table. She interviews Raj Patel - the author of The Value Of Nothing. Watch movie - Pirates Of Silicon Valley.

A little nap. Watch movie - Good Dick.

zaterdag 24 april 2010

zaterdag 24 april 2010 Up at 2:08. Turn on France 24. I toss and turn. Play a movie at 5:09 - The Protector. Thanks to Wikipedia, I can keep up with the plot. It's a story... about a boy and his elephant.











Listen to Wait, Wait. Walk down 4th Avenue to Uwajimaya to get some rice noodles, shrimp, Sho Chiku Bai and peanuts. #255 bus tunnel back to my place. Turn on Rick Steves' program. A local Munich guide describes how laid-back, traditional Bavaria, where pretzels and beer combine with legendary castles and fairy tale scenery, plays host to some important anniversaries this year including Oktoberfest and Passion Play. Daniella Wiettel talks about the Solidarity Tax. And she talks about the slow pace of life in Bavaria. We enjoy our siestas in the Biergarten. The Oberammergau Passion Play. Watch The Dominion War on the YouTubes.

Watch movie - Teenage Angst.

Another movie - Disturbia.

vrijdag 23 april 2010

vrijdag 23 april 2010 Up at Midnight. Turn on France 24. They seem to be interested in the politics in the UK. Report - Heat Turned Up On Clegg In 2nd Debate. Back to sleep. Dream in English with a French accent. Awake again at 4:20. Interesting interview with Olivier Giraud. He's cute. He seems to like life in the USA. His show is How To Become Parisian In One Hour. Turn on Stephanie Miller. They're mocking Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who is Mr. In Your Face in his opposition to pending legislation that would regulate the financial industry.

Rice and hard boiled egg for breakfast. Shower. Walk up Westlake to work. Up in the staff lounge... There it is... a memo to announce that Nancy is out. Pam accepted the director's position. I feel weird about this. 10 to 11 - Help Tanja in the kitchen. I set up the 5:30 snack while she washes the dishes. I finish by 10:30. Out to the playground to hang out with the kids. A couple of groups are using the deck. The Dolphins and Sea Otters head outside, too. 11 - Charmaine's lunch. The kids stay outside. The Sea Otters get a taste of the Big Playground. Lots of fresh air. I need it, too. 12 - Pam's lunch. Back inside to see the 8 Dolphins eating lunch. I do the diapers while Teresa cleans up the lunch mess. Teo conks out when he hits his mat. They're all tired. 1 - Teresa's lunch. Pam is trying to pull some strapping tape off a cabinet. The sound of that grates my nerves... and Stella wakes up. Oy! 2 - Patty's lunch. Celeste is chatting with Patty and Charmaine about the future of Hutch Kids. Concerns. I am relieved to go home... after getting some Beef In Oyster Sauce, salad bar, Annie's Green Garlic dressing and Connie Chun noodle bowls. Drop off the stuff at my place. Turn on France 24. More concern about Greece. New figures show the Greek budget deficit for 2009 was higher than was previously thought, standing at 13.6%. Turn on MSNBC News. Oh! Stephanie Miller and Bill Press appear on The Ed Show. "Who needs those righties?"

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The government by Obama is worse than Al Qaeda? It's a new low for the American Family Association.

Watch episode of Voyager - Think Tank.

donderdag 22 april 2010

donderdag 22 april 2010 Up at 1:58. Turn on France 24 and go right back to bed. Top story - Belgium PM Leterme Resigns After Liberals Quit Government. I conk out again. Up with alarm. Turn on AM 1090. Chicken For Checkups catches Stephanie's attention.

I can't believe that Sue Lowden is a serious challenge to Harry Reid's Senate seat. Well, it's Nevada. Fried egg on toast for breakfast. Up to Kaladi. "Hey, Jeremiah." Get some Chamomile tea. Walk around First Hill. At first, it's sunny, then the clouds roll in. Back to my place to listen to more Stephanie Miller and to look up my niece's address in Berkeley on Google Earth. Walk up Westlake to work. 10 to 12 - Planning time for Patty. Student Jenny covers for Charmaine. The 7 Sea Otters seem interested in drawing with pens on paper... and ripping up the paper. Ryan fills up his paper with his "expressions."

I need to catch up with some diapers. I smell poop. The kids head down to the Bike Room. We have hula hoops! They have a lot of energy. They wear me out. 12 - Anne's lunch. The 7 Starfish start lunch and I eat with them. Kenn covers for Elaine. He talks about Food, Inc... a movie he saw on PBS last night. He seems obsessed ABOUT THE ISSUES. I understand them. 1 - Open space. I copy the Sea Otters' drawings for their portfolios. The Sea Otters sleep well. Alex and Wyatt wake up, and we read Ten Black Dots. The visuals in this book are quite striking. The art is a good reason to like this book, but I like its math side. For toddlers there is counting... which this group is getting to enjoy.

Walk up to Capitol Hill to B'way listening to NPR News. From MSNBC News >>> Obama Warns Of Impact If Financial Overhaul Fails. Seattle looks nice and green.

I like the new bike-route signs.

Over to First Hill and down University Street to my place. Turn on France 24. Report - Bloodshed At A Pro-government Rally In Bangkok. Watch Hardball. Episode of The Simpsons - Chief Of Hearts. The Outer Limits - The Galaxy Being. Kung Pao Chicken for dinner.