A few months ago, our neighbors had their niece, Rose, over at their house. She is 2
and brought her friend, Carlis, 3. Yeah, Carlis is not a real name, but what are you going to do.
Johan played with Rose and Carlis all evening as Addie and I drank wine, and King and Bergen did...I can't remember. Anyway, since then, Johan always talks about Carlis. He makes me include Carlis in stories that I tell, and now his imaginary friend/baby is named Carlis.
Carlis is a VERY small baby. He fits in Johan's cupped hand. He goes to school with Johan (and gets to participate in all the activities at school) and Johan makes sure that Carlis the Baby gets plenty of naps and calm but firm discipline. He cups his hand to hold Carlis and lays Carlis the Baby gently on the bed so he can rest. Johan insists that Carlis be offered a cup of yogurt and fruit at breakfast so he isn't left out.
I love that Johan has an imaginary friend. I love it even more that his imaginary friend is a "baby" that must be approximately 1-2" long since he seems to reside only in Johan's pudgy tiny cupped hand.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
15 years
I know I already posted about Jamie's wedding, but this is so worth sharing. It remains in my heart a beautiful evening. My mom posted these pictures on the good ol' facebook tonight. I can't even begin to comment on how impressed I am that she figured out how to scan a picture from 1995.
Even better, I think these pictures do more to explain how and why I felt so emotional being together with Jamie and Alexei on Saturday (and Johan and Pelagia playing together) than any words I could write or say.
Here we are last Saturday night:
And here we are in 1995:
Even better, I think these pictures do more to explain how and why I felt so emotional being together with Jamie and Alexei on Saturday (and Johan and Pelagia playing together) than any words I could write or say.
Here we are last Saturday night:
And here we are in 1995:
Sunday, August 8, 2010
On Tacos
One of the things I missed most about Los Angeles is the tacos. The true Baja, California style tacos: palm-sized corn tortillas with carne asada, white onion, cilantro, lime, sometimes a little radish, and hot sauce. These tacos are best eaten from a taco truck standing on the street at 3 a.m.
The other day when Brianna and I were walking back from lunch, I noticed a truck selling food. My pulse raced as I became hopeful that Minneapolis finally had a taco truck...we got closer and the menu included "Lobster club sandwich" for $12 and a sausage sandwich for $8. Boo.
And seriously, who would buy a $12 sandwich from a truck? Or, even more disturbing, purchase lobster from a truck? Who are these people? Don't they know how much more popular they would be if they sold asada?
I went back to my incomplete existence as someone who only gets real tacos on my yearly sojourn to Southern California.
Then, lo! Sunday during the baseball game, I saw a Taco Bell commercial for "Cantina Tacos." From what I can tell, they have nothing to do with cantinas, but actually would be better named Taco Truck Tacos. I'm not sure if it's worth trying them, although Taco Bell seems to be making an effort to make them real- corn tortillas, onion, cilantro etc. I bet with a little hot sauce, they might not be half bad.
In the alternative, I should start planning my next trip to L.A. Maybe I'll go get some tacos and do that.
The other day when Brianna and I were walking back from lunch, I noticed a truck selling food. My pulse raced as I became hopeful that Minneapolis finally had a taco truck...we got closer and the menu included "Lobster club sandwich" for $12 and a sausage sandwich for $8. Boo.
And seriously, who would buy a $12 sandwich from a truck? Or, even more disturbing, purchase lobster from a truck? Who are these people? Don't they know how much more popular they would be if they sold asada?
I went back to my incomplete existence as someone who only gets real tacos on my yearly sojourn to Southern California.
Then, lo! Sunday during the baseball game, I saw a Taco Bell commercial for "Cantina Tacos." From what I can tell, they have nothing to do with cantinas, but actually would be better named Taco Truck Tacos. I'm not sure if it's worth trying them, although Taco Bell seems to be making an effort to make them real- corn tortillas, onion, cilantro etc. I bet with a little hot sauce, they might not be half bad.
In the alternative, I should start planning my next trip to L.A. Maybe I'll go get some tacos and do that.
Jamie's Wedding + Fevery Johan
Jamie's wedding was yesterday. It was a fantastic day.
It was good to get to know some of her other friends from college and Chicago and to see some old faces from high school. The ceremony was simple and lovely and the music was mostly 80s rock - pure Jamie. She was an absolutely exquisite bride. I will try to get some pictures soon.
Besides celebrating Jamie's new beginnings, for me the wedding was also a reunion of sorts.
Alexei, who was, once upon a time, one of the people I was closest to in this world, was there. We hadn't seen each other in a couple years but we have the sort of relationship that we are able to pick up just where we left off and feel intensely connected the moment we get together. It's been like that since we first became friends in 1993. There have been ebbs and flows with respect to how often we see each other or talk, but the connection remains. This was the first time that Alexei met Johan and the first time I met Alexei's daughter Pelagia (Pel-a-GHEE-a).
As we waited for the salad course to be served at dinner, Alexei and I were in the area outside the dining hall watching Johan and Pelagia play. It was intensely emotional for both us to see our little ones together. I suppose something about the passage of time and generations. I felt at once old and intimately connected to my youth in a way I haven't in quite some time.
Jamie and her new husband are now on their way to sunny Lincoln, Nebraska for a honeymoon (their real honeymoon will be in Bali next year), and Johan has spent most of today feverish. A little too much weekend for him, I guess. Or maybe he's feeling emotional about his youth, too.
No strep or ear infections, and the doctor at Urgent Care told Johan to drink lots of fluids including water and popsicles. What part of that do you think he heard? Yep, he sucked down four (4) All Fruit popsicles today. Can you say milking it?
It was good to get to know some of her other friends from college and Chicago and to see some old faces from high school. The ceremony was simple and lovely and the music was mostly 80s rock - pure Jamie. She was an absolutely exquisite bride. I will try to get some pictures soon.
Besides celebrating Jamie's new beginnings, for me the wedding was also a reunion of sorts.
Alexei, who was, once upon a time, one of the people I was closest to in this world, was there. We hadn't seen each other in a couple years but we have the sort of relationship that we are able to pick up just where we left off and feel intensely connected the moment we get together. It's been like that since we first became friends in 1993. There have been ebbs and flows with respect to how often we see each other or talk, but the connection remains. This was the first time that Alexei met Johan and the first time I met Alexei's daughter Pelagia (Pel-a-GHEE-a).
As we waited for the salad course to be served at dinner, Alexei and I were in the area outside the dining hall watching Johan and Pelagia play. It was intensely emotional for both us to see our little ones together. I suppose something about the passage of time and generations. I felt at once old and intimately connected to my youth in a way I haven't in quite some time.
Jamie and her new husband are now on their way to sunny Lincoln, Nebraska for a honeymoon (their real honeymoon will be in Bali next year), and Johan has spent most of today feverish. A little too much weekend for him, I guess. Or maybe he's feeling emotional about his youth, too.
No strep or ear infections, and the doctor at Urgent Care told Johan to drink lots of fluids including water and popsicles. What part of that do you think he heard? Yep, he sucked down four (4) All Fruit popsicles today. Can you say milking it?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
8
I can not completely articulate how absolutely full of joy my heart is that a Federal Judge in California overturned Proposition 8 yesterday. Here is the full decision. It is worth reading.
Proposition 8 was the one glum moment of election night 2008. Well, that and Michelle Bachmann getting re-elected.
I was not in Castro or Chelsea or West Hollywood where I understand some raucous celebrating to have occurred, but I have to say that I was pretty moved by the sort of virtual rally and celebration that occurred on Facebook. I seem to have over 300 Facebook friends, which, of course, is no reflection on how many actual friends I have, BUT it was very cool to see so many statuses of people from many walks of life and all over the country celebrating the same victory. And it reaffirmed that I know some of the best people in the world, even if I only stay in touch with some of them via status updates.
Finally, I think it's pretty clear that the next step in this Proposition 8 battle is the 9th Circuit and then the SCOTUS. If SCOTUS upholds the decision from yesterday, it will be a landmark civil rights case and likely recognizable by name similar to Roe v. Wade, Brown v. Board of Education, Gideon v. Wainwright, Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah...
Oh. Wait. You haven't heard of Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah? That was the case where SCOTUS overturned a Hialeah ordinance banning animal sacrifice as it infringed upon the religious freedom of practitioners of Santeria. You know, that pesky 1st Amendment and all. I wrote a paper on it in college and another in law school.
I have digressed into SCOTUS rambling. It happens too easily. I haven't even had any wine today. Sometimes I really miss law school.
My point, though, was that the name of the case that overturns Proposition 8 is Perry et al v. Schwarzenegger. This name will go all the way up to SCOTUS and if the esteemed Justices follow the U.S. Constitution, the landmark case legalizing gay marriage throughout the country will be named after Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This is totally awesome.
Proposition 8 was the one glum moment of election night 2008. Well, that and Michelle Bachmann getting re-elected.
I was not in Castro or Chelsea or West Hollywood where I understand some raucous celebrating to have occurred, but I have to say that I was pretty moved by the sort of virtual rally and celebration that occurred on Facebook. I seem to have over 300 Facebook friends, which, of course, is no reflection on how many actual friends I have, BUT it was very cool to see so many statuses of people from many walks of life and all over the country celebrating the same victory. And it reaffirmed that I know some of the best people in the world, even if I only stay in touch with some of them via status updates.
Finally, I think it's pretty clear that the next step in this Proposition 8 battle is the 9th Circuit and then the SCOTUS. If SCOTUS upholds the decision from yesterday, it will be a landmark civil rights case and likely recognizable by name similar to Roe v. Wade, Brown v. Board of Education, Gideon v. Wainwright, Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah...
Oh. Wait. You haven't heard of Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah? That was the case where SCOTUS overturned a Hialeah ordinance banning animal sacrifice as it infringed upon the religious freedom of practitioners of Santeria. You know, that pesky 1st Amendment and all. I wrote a paper on it in college and another in law school.
I have digressed into SCOTUS rambling. It happens too easily. I haven't even had any wine today. Sometimes I really miss law school.
My point, though, was that the name of the case that overturns Proposition 8 is Perry et al v. Schwarzenegger. This name will go all the way up to SCOTUS and if the esteemed Justices follow the U.S. Constitution, the landmark case legalizing gay marriage throughout the country will be named after Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This is totally awesome.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)