that's good stuff right there

In the beginning
there was Quik.

Then there was
Starbucks' Strawberry
Frappuccino.
For a truly grown-up,
yet oh-so familiar, taste:

free men's right to abuse their children

We went to see Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. It's easily the goriest movie I ever saw. (Dan says that is because I didn't see Passion of the Christ.)

Apocalypto is rated R. That means: "No one under 17 admitted unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian." A rating NC-17 stands for "No Children 17 and under admitted."

All this means that as a parent, or guardian, you are free to bring your kids to pretty much any movie you want. Very few movies get the NC-17 rating.

There were little kids in the audience tonight that cried. We went to a 7:40 show. Apocalypto doesn't really have a story, but a mom and her little boy spend almost all of the 2 hours and 18 minutes at the bottom of a deep pit. That alone is scary if you are a kid. All the gore is just trimmings.

that snow there looks an awful lot like those things of hay you see sometimes in the fields in summer

I made a gingerbread house today. No, I didn't make it. But I assembled and decorated the kit I got at IKEA.

If you look closely you can see that the windows have real panes. They are made from transparancies for the overhead projector. (Yes, I am a teacher.)
That's not a birthday cake candle. It's a gingerbread house candle. And a little gingerbread house man.I also made icicles.

dec 9

Happy Namesday all Annas!

I am all set. don't need a thing.

My new camera bag. I have put it right here next to the bed. I pretty much feel like I did when I started first grade, and got a new bag for school. It's so very pretty and red. Pretty and perfect. And red.

cactus

I bought a camera bag today.
It's red and very pretty.
I read 37 papers today.
They were alright.
I had 3 quesadillas today.
They were delicious.

My cholesterol is probably delicious right now too.

my car's faster older brother

I came across this Porsche today. I don't know how old it is, but you can tell it's related to the Karmann Ghia. (Hadn't I cut the nose off the car that actually would have been more evident.)

Anyway. I love the frozen peas shade of green.

the smell of potpurri coming from the crafts store next door was overwhelming

Dan and I had lunch in south San Jose, where of course as in all of San Jose you will find the best food in the most unexpected places.
Well they really are not unexpected, because you know they will be there in the random strip malls, next to the Walgreen's and the Albertson's, and the Michael's. But you never know what you will find, or where.
This one was part of a middle Eastern food store, and the falafels and kabob wraps were super tasty.

the dogs of los gatos

I overheard a woman at Trader Joe's yesterday saying she was looking for ground turkey for her dogs.

It's the truth that the dogs of Los Gatos eat better than most people in the world.

The 1985 film Letter to Brezhnev tells the story of an English girl wanting to emigrate to the Soviet Union to be with her boyfriend. They had met when he came to her English city on the ship where he was working.

At one point in the movie, when people around her can't understand why she would willingly move to a country where people don't even have food, she says something like "if you want to see empty pantrys, take a look in the kitchens in you own street". People were poor in Thatcher's Britain too.

The dogs of Los Gatos eat better than most people in the world, and they eat better than most people in San Jose.

exit muttering

My boyfriend says I am a smartypants for pointing out that Sinter Klaus (Sinterklaas) is Dutch, not Danish, even though the people writing the little pieces of trivia that come on before the commercials say he is Danish.

Americans just can't keep those little countries straight.

We're watching Miracle on 34th street, in case you were wondering.

japanese friendship garden

We went to Filoli Gardens today to take pictures, but it was closed. So we drove to the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose instead. (The girl below was not planted as a prop, she was part of a photo shoot.)

things that are round and white

The birthday cake Dan's mom made for him.
My new exercise ball.

hej ing

This is it.

3rd time is a charm

I was in the elevator in the parking garage after my class tonight, and we were just getting to my floor, when the woman next to me asked:

- So you go to San Jose State?
- No, I am teacher, I said.
- So you are getting your credentials?
- No, I am a professor!
- Oh!

And that's when I had to get off.

It's that leather jacket. I am telling you.

deal or no deal

Deal Or No Deal is my favorite dumb show. It's dumb because it's about nothing, but that's also what makes it so good. There are dumb shows that are way dumber, whereas Deal Or No Deal is dumb but good because there are no questions or complicated set-ups. The people just get to pick numbers one by one, and chance and timing are the only things they can rely on to win some money in the end. I think it's great.

And it's funny because I think they have a giant Deal Or No Deal wardrobe where the people get to pick out their slacks and matching shirts. Everybody (participants and their made up of family members supporting teams) who is on that show wear exactly the same kind of clothes. If Banana Republic has a Game Show line, that would be it.

gingersnaps. the hard facts.

For Annaa.
In America you know what you eat.

that 's a confusing mistake to make (bilingual)

lanky= smal (person)
lankigt= thin (coffee)

I just told Dan French presses make lanky coffee.

When you have two languages in your head at all times sometimes they come out funny. I was talking to a Mexican friend once and he said he needed to go help his friend move her ropes. Her ropes? Turned out he meant her clothes. The Spanish 'ropas'= clothes. His brain took the Spanish, pronounced it in English, and turned it into plural. Makes sense, in a way.

Sometimes when I type my fingers translate too. I may intend to type 'Tuesday' and on the screen I see appear 'tisdag'.

red

These berries come out in fall. They are everywhere. I don't know what they are or if you can make anything with them. No birds seem to eat them so maybe they are poisonous. I've tried drying them and they look good for a while. I know there is a trick to preserving berries. Hairspray? Clear nailpolish? I don't remember anymore but I think I will try.

julljusstake

Christmas in November.
Thank you very much IKEA.
I celebrated with a couple of gingersnaps.

And, oh, it's electric.
No need to worry about those plants there.

dark waters