Ketchup

Although we're getting ready to close on our house on Monday and are very excited about it, not too much has happened this past week.

I have been getting a lot of requests from a lot of you asking how some of our other friends are doing, so I thought I'd help everyone catch up on what everyone else is up to.

Tom, Kira, and Dante, (who just cut his first tooth!) are currently in Puerto Rico. Tom's shooting a movie with one of those insanely popular teen girls of whom anyone over the age of 25 has no idea who they are. Kira just finished shooting a sizzle reel presentation of a show she's created called "Blueprint Reinvention." I saw it a couple of days ago and it looks wonderful. Please send her good vibes on getting it sold.

Shelli, Aaron, and Rory are still in Taiwan, and I suspect that they will not come back to live in the U.S. for a great number of years. However, they're planning to come back for a visit in July and we're thrilled that they're going to be swinging up our way for a few days. We miss them horribly. I don't think there's a day gone by yet that Max hasn't mentioned Rory in some capacity. But, they are doing beautifully in Taiwan. Shelli's enjoying herself hugely in her job (heading all the Starbucks stores there), and I wouldn't be surprised to see her take over the whole company one day! : )

Bruce is Bruce and shall be forever, world without end, amen. He's been getting a lot of interest on his scripts lately, so hopefully one of those will pan out. In the meantime, he's living the good life in L.A. auditioning, going to celebrity golf tournaments, and dating the lovely ladies.

Joy, John, Julianne, and Jack are doing beautifully. Joy and John bought a house around the corner from them in Santa Monica and are looking to renovate it and then resell it. Given the ASTOUNDING job they did on designing their own home's remodel, I imagine they will give a repeat performance and create another gorgeous home. If you could see Julianne and Jack, you'd be floored by how much they look like mini-John and mini-Joy. But they are without doubt, individuals in their own right and flourishing in school.

Bob and Minako have had a busy year. After leaving off producing for the L.A. Kings last year, he's producing the TV games for the Mighty Ducks this year. He's been on the road a ton, and although he had a Chicago game earlier this month, we weren't able to hook up because of work obligations. But he's well and happy. As is Minako... and she's in good health, too. No more cancer recurrence, thank God!

Collette and Olivier are in New Zealand! Olivier has continued his stellar ascent in movie computer animation and is now working for WETA. It looks as if they'll probably be there for at least two years. I'm not sure how Collette has settled in (AHEM!) but when she writes, I will pass along the update.

The Harpers! Bill, Jana, Grace, and Ben are doing great! Bill's option was picked up for Grey's Anatomy, so he'll be back there again next year! Yay for Bill!!! And Jana manned a massive event at Grace's school and came through not unscathed, but successful. Still I wonder, who in God's name would hassle Jana!?!?! Grace and Ben are enjoying school immensely and had a great spring break last week.

Let's see, who else, who else... oh yes!! Joelle! Joelle and her husband Andy bought a house in Silver Lake and they've gutted the whole thing and are doing a lot of the remodel themselves. They're working on getting some bambinos, so please send a few good wishes their way as well!

Tammy's in Phoenix and these are the last few months of her graduate studies in business. She's been absolutely crazed ever since getting back from her school trip to Argentina. I don't even know how to say how proud of her I am. She's going to get out there and kick some major business butt once she's unleashed on the world. My Tammy Tiger!

And my sister, she's found a wonderful man and I predict that there'll be a wedding before too long here. ( I won't be using her name on this blog since she's a police officer, and also because the dickhead loser father of her kids really doesn't need to know where to find her and that fuckweed just might be looking) His name's Mike and he's SPECTACULAR to her and the kids. He works as a police officer as well, but currently with a different department. We're really, really happy about it, as we find him to be a stand-up quality person.

Rowen's still in New York and still with his girlfriend. I wish him well, but I really don't know if that relationship is going to make it or not. A lot of issues there. A lot of love, yes... but a whole lot of issues. On a positive note, he's almost done with his portfolio and will be putting himself out there to get his own jobs.

My parentals are doing pretty well. My mom has been dealing with workman's comp stuff from work and it's brought her down a little. With her fibromyalgia she has some good days and some bad, but she's been spectacular at helping us with childcare when we need it... I tell you having my parents watch Max has been life-changing for us! And we're really grateful for everything they've done and are continuing to do for us. (I know it's quite a different song than the one I've been singing for the past 20 years, but things have changed and I'm always down with trying to improve relations)

My dad's going to be keeping busy with all the outdoor projects we've got planned. We're going to be fencing about 1/2 acre for a garden we'll be working on together. We're building a large chicken coop and goat pen. And later this summer we'll be digging in a root cellar. All on their property since they've got so much space.

I guess that's it for now... if I skipped anyone, please let me know who you'd like to hear about... or if you've got something to pass along to anyone... just let me know. Much love to you all.

Signs of Spring

Despite the pile of snow in the background, it's a balmy 40 degrees
and the kids're playing in the mud.

I'm perched on a tiny stool soaking up the sun while planning my seed
order for our summer vegetable garden. And I'm not even wearing a
jacket, my L.A. compadres! Who'd a thunk it?

I adore being back in touch with the seasons.

Now the kids are jumping in puddles. Life is good.

The Color of Stupid

So in  my quest to find the cheapest, best-looking ways to decorate and furnish what is soon to be our new home, I've fallen hard for a local chain of stores called Menard's. Great selection, great prices, but not so great with the marketing apparently.

Perusing their brand of paint chip colors, I was surprised to learn that certain things do indeed have colors. For example, "Global Warming."  According to the paint splosh on the strip, the color of "Global Warming" is an ominous mix of rust, terra cotta, and brown. 

And "Suspicious Love?" The color of "Suspicious Love" looks like moldy pink, which, come to think of it, makes a lot of sense.

But still... do you want to be in a room surrounded by a paint color called, "Overwhelmed" or "Dark Abyss?" 

Some other names that gave me pause were ""Washed Up," "Lonely," "Camel Hair," "Orange Dibble," and "Crabmeat." Honestly, "Crabmeat?!"

Being the helpful person that I am, I'd like to offer up these colors to the paint namers at Menards. How about "Egregious Green" or "Bunghole Burgundy?" Why not go for the gusto and come up with a shade for "Full-Blown Depression?" Just consider the color "Smegma!" (And I'd keep that exclamation point, too. It's like the color and feel of an off-off-off-off-off-off-off-off Broadway show's bathroom.)

I could keep going. Alliteration makes me giddy. But I've got to go read the kids a chapter of Heidi. Another subject for another post. 

The Best Way Ever...

to nap.

And, yes, that is a Packers sweatshirt worn in mourning.

We'll miss you, Brett!

Beezenemeez and Ellie's Butt Corn

I may have mentioned once or twice before. I love food.

And one of the reasons I love Madison so much is the delectable variety of foods here. As a matter of fact, the title of this post are the names of two of our favorite restaurants, as interpreted by the three monkey butts we live with.

We were sitting around talking about what we wanted for dinner a few weeks back, and I asked Arianna what her vote was for the night. She said, "beezenemeez." 

Beezenemeez... hmmm.

"Arianna, can you describe beezenemeez for me?"

"Yeah! You get a big bowl of soup and you get noodles in it and you squeeze lime juice into it and you put bean sprouts in it and you put patis in it ( a type of fish sauce). Beezenemeez!"

OH! VIETNAMESE!!! 

Girl wanted some pho for dinner! Of course, now we say let's go to Beezenemeez because it rolls better off the tongue.

As does Ellie's Butt Corn. 

The name evolved naturally enough. We were on our way to our favorite restaurant to go to with the kids. It's a local place called Ella's Deli, the pictures above were taken there. As you can see, it's somewhat geared toward the kiddies. The giant, smiling banana that greets you at the door kind of tips their hand.

On the way there, the kids were chanting, "Ella's Deli, Ella's Deli" which morphed into "Ellie's Deli, Ellie's Deli" which slid into "Ellie's Bellies, Ellie's Bellies" which, naturally, at that point turned into "Ellie's Butt Corn, Ellie's Butt Corn."

Now I don't know about you, but butt corn makes me laugh. So now Ella's Deli has a new name in our house.

Something else that makes me laugh, but in a wary kind of I'm choosing to laugh at this shit instead of being deeply disturbed by this shit is this post by my favorite blogger at

 www.15minutelunch.com 

it's the one with the title "CBH-- Live at the House of Blues" 

I'm pretty sure one of those hateful things grew up to be the Bee Boy at Ellie's Butt Corn pictured above.

Feelin' the Love

It's been a good week for Robert and me work-wise.

Last week we went to a business card exchange held by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce where we met some very cool people. Never having been to one of these dealies before, we were a bit nervous, but everyone was so friendly that we were able to shed our shyness (okay everyone, stop laughing) and mingle.

As a matter of fact, Robert and I did so well, that today, he did a photography job for the Alliant Center, Madison's version of the Staples Center, and the Rotary Club here. The picture above is from that event. ( geez, the pictures on blogger come up so dark!)

And that went so well for him that a women he met at the job, who happens to be the president of the Madision Area Technical College, wants him to come in and interview to teach photography and videography there!

In addition to the promise of future work by some people we met there, Robert and I also made the acquaintance of this really nice woman named Amy who is total potential friend material. She lives two miles away from where we're going to be moving to, and she helps developmentally challenged adults find work in places that traditionally have not turned to that group of people for employment. She was beautifully sarcastic and she reads a ton, so I know it sounds like a stretch, but we just may be able to hit it off.

I myself did an industrial in Chicago on Monday. "I may not be a doctor, but I play one on TV."
Yup, just call me Dr. Douglas. I had to work with non-actors, real pharmaceutical reps. It was, if I may be candid, a long, painful day. But. Being employed trumps all, and I am grateful

While talking with the producer from the studio, I mentioned what a great response Robert and I have been getting since we moved here, both with my acting and with our freelance writing/photography/videography, and she immediately asked for my business card. She said her company was always looking for writers, AND her husband owns a small ad/marketing agency and was looking for some additional support.

So we're loving living here, and it looks like where we live is lovin' us! What a freakin' relief.

Shangri-la Chalet

As a lot of you know we're going to be closing on a house come March 31st. I thought I'd post a few pictures we did 360-style for those of you who haven't seen them yet.

We're really, really excited. We've got a few things we're going to do... the kitchen floor and counters need replacing, and the walls need to be addressed as well. We'll do the laminate in the kitchen ourselves (someday when we've got the dough, we'll get a wonderful hard-wood floor made out of this hand-scraped oak I saw) and we'll do the walls ourselves, too.

For the walls we found this gorgeous stuff called American Clay, and that pretty much says what it is, clay plaster that we'll be using everywhere. And, by everywhere, I mean the ceilings, too. Robert's going to be cursing my ass because we've got semi-cathedral ceilings and that is going to cause some serious muscle pain the few days he's Michelangelo-ing those. But, damn, it is going to look GOOD!

Speaking of looking good, we found some lovely granite countertops offered by a local contractor. As of this morning we were going to go with ones from Home Depot, but then I saw an ad in a local pennysaver type-dealie with a coupon for $500 off countertops measuring more than 25ft. So we jumped in the car right away (our appt for measurements with H.D. was supposed to be Monday, and we wanted to be able to cancel our order asap) and went off to the showroom.

Before we walked in the store, I told Robert to shove the coupon he was holding into his pocket and not walk in with it visible.

Apparently, these two guys had just opened the store in the middle of December. The guy we were talking with, let's call him K, said that his partner had just left for a trip to Venezuela. Can I tell you... K was so nervous! Poor soul! It was obvious he wasn't the salesman of the two of them. His voice was a touch tremulous, his hands were shaking, and he only stole shy glances at us every once in a while.

After finding something we really liked, we told him we'd rather support a local business and could he please work up a quote for us. He gave us a price, at which point I glanced at Robert and then at his pocket. Robert gave me the coupon and, feeling so bad for this guy because I just knew he was going to be feeling side-swiped, I asked if he'd honor the coupon seeing as how we'd have about 50sq feet to do up. He looked a little taken aback, like he'd forgotten to factor that into his quote into the first place, but he stayed honorable and said that the coupon was good. In addition, they're going to give us a nice rolled edge, and curve a piece that's a part of a kind of breakfast bar...all included.

It was about $1000 less than Home Depot, the granite was a better match for us, and with all the extras and supporting a brand-new local business, we walked out feeling pretty good.

And then I came up with the idea of working up some marketing material for them to barter for a discount. They don't have a website, brochures, pictures, or anything. When K's partner comes back, I'm going to make a nice, little presentation. We were thinking that maybe Robert might even shoot some video of what they're going to be doing at our house for them to use. Maybe we can get these babies for free!

Crafty, crafty me.