Whilst watching stuff on my Tivo:

I came across this little bit of deliciousness.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
For Fox Sake!
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Hey Japan! Ready or not HERE WE COME!!!

So:
Where to begin.
hmmmmmm......

Well I could start at the part where Doug is ETERNALLY BONDED to his computer....no that isn't very interesting.
Or I could start at how awesome my b'day was but that is a little outdated....

AH YES this will do: WE ARE LEAVING FOR JAPAN in 4 DAYS!!!!

We are headed out early early Saturday Morning and will return on the 19th. Just in time for Happy Thanksgiving!
While we are away I will leave you with these little gems--if I get a sec I will also post some travel pics along the way. OOO if you want to check out one of the places we will be staying(complete with communal bath--look here to read all about Ryokans(traditional Japanese Lodging) here
Otherwise that's all til next time!





If you guessed that Doug was a Mormon Missionary for Halloween then you would be WRONG! We went as a couple from the 50's(inspired by the GREAT show Madman which all of our friends simultaneously pressured us to watch--glad they did!)

The Palm Pre and Me

I have been a Palm Pre user and Sprint convert for several months now(recovering from a very long term one sided and abusive relationship with Verizon)
Let me tell you this little phone is the first time I have fallen head over heals for
a device.
Ways it makes my life better:
1. it has an awesome camera--so less in my purse(or suitcase as some of you know it)
2. more than one app running at a time? FINALLY a phone that understands my manic multitasking!
3. Streams NPR live--wait maybe this should move to #1 since I am officially an all day listener(I just can't help it that Doug Fabrizio is so damn HOT--you too Teri Gross)
4. can you say virtual post it's?
5. full keypad--need I say more

6. Syncs with my life--After I got the Pre I stopped using my paper planner--let me tell
you, this was a BIG DEAL people--guess old dogs can learn new tricks afterall(assuming you get a treat like the Palm Pre :))

Reasons to dump your carrier and join Sprint:
1. Customer Care--REALLY? Do Verizon and AT&T think they can fool us with the name?
I actually got to the point when I was with Verizon of not being able to speak to them because I would automatically ask to cancel my account. Doug took over(because generally he is much more calm) about 2 calls in he suddenly started searching for a new carrier.
2. All cell phones are free? This happened to be a little bonus that happened about a month after I joined. Seriously? Awesome!
3. Since everyone I know if on Verizon and now all cell phones are free Sprint took the time to call and inform us we were WAY under on our minutes and that we could save about $50 per month if we went down in minutes we pay for. I almost asked the representative to marry me right there. It is hard to find a company to trust these days--the good ones are all taken(or out of business, or being put out of business by Walmart)
4. My monthly fee covers everything. GPS data, text--no nickel and dimeing--is this for real? I am a little traumatized still by Verizon and their schemes but I am learning to trust again and making so much progress!




OH and Dear iphone users:
DO NOT write to me about your phone--been there, done that, I've told you:
no religious wars on my blog, well, unless I say so!
(ps I am sure you are just redirecting your anger at me away from Apple, since you now have to pay A TON of money to upgrade--yea that would make me bitter too--get it? bitter apple?)

One more thing about the Pre and Palm: their attention to the open source community is rather refreshing. Anyone who has been through the Apple mess that is making apps for them can attest: open source is SO much more enriching and lets you keep your hair and your blood pressure where they belong.

So there you have it-me, declaring my unabashed love for the Pre. Time to go back to eating that lemon poppy seed cake my sis made for me for my b'day--Thanks Les!

Foster Art Program Report: John Sproul

Another piece that we have been fortunate to be fostering.
John Sproul's work was immediately intriguing to me because of the haunting nature of his subjects and the vibrant use of color--a strange and beautiful combination that made me want to see more, and more.
This piece has garnered universal dislike from all of our guests but for some reason, it calms me.
The comments have been mostly of intregue followed up universally with "what are they doing" many see athletes, some see slavery, others have commented on the strong same sex vibe of the piece. Me? I see common man and how we are all more the same than we are different--a lesson, sometimes the only lesson we should all learn over and over.

Mr Coffee-Tall, Dark and Handsome

So far in my life I have managed to escape with a few, harmless, yet ferocious vices.
They are, in no particular order: ice cream, bad tv and craigslist.

I have managed to avoid the oh so common: "I must have a cup a day of coffee in order to feel normal" -thing- but yesterday, while in Smiths something happened that I can only describe as genetics combined with a great sale.

My family, who's only real common worship of an identifiable belief can be summed up in: boating, coffee and Budlight, are COFFEE PEOPLE. Not: "espresso, must have the best beans, froofy " types either. Real, black, gritty down to earth Coffee People. And other than the a fore mentioned items, we are one of the most diverse of any family I know--and I like it that way.

All of my childhood memories are tied to coffee, the smell in the morning at our house, the sound of any one of my uncles at Flaming Gorge noisily rummaging through camping gear to make a fresh pot to share, and even every Christmas morning bargaining with my parents to get out of bed in the wee hours by offering to make coffee if they would finally get up(usually at 3 or 4 am).

So it may be interesting to note that Doug and I have so far resisted getting our very own coffee maker to make our home complete.
Long story short: I never felt the need to add yet another vice to my life and actually like to stop through the drive through at the local coffee shops for the occasional treat.

Yesterday though--yesterday when a very basic model was on sale for under 20 and some, coffee drinking, family tradition gene took over-- I caved.

So welcome to the family Mr Coffee! Here's to many good years and to low cal
options after the initial newness wears off when I start gaining "coffee weight"

Foster Art Program: I am in LOVE

When I was invited to join in on the first Foster Art Program I was at once salivating. The list of artists was even more intriguing, and once the first meeting came along I already had my list in my head.

We ended up fostering several artists:
The first, and the spotlight today is Thomas Aaron

We have known Tom for a few years as a friend and have always admired his work.
When we went to pick out our piece to foster we knew immedietly which one we wanted.
When we realized that it would not fit in the Fit(a first for us--sad day) Tom told us just to carry it home--I was incredibly doubtful(plus I was in heals) but without many other options we picked it up and started the 2 block journey home.



We hung it and now have been enjoying for about a week. This piece speaks to me on so many levels: it's design aesthetic, color, complexity and size all make for a perfect statement for what we have deemed to be our "feature wall"
Thanks Tom!

my sidekick

Yesterday Cleo and I wandered the streets photographing--we
were out for over 3 hours and Cleo was such a good sidekick
(and bodyguard)

Here are some of our images: