thebeanfields

Resolutions?

2010-01-20T08:53:00.002-06:00

I've never really made New Years Resolutions before, and am not really considering these resolutions, but I do hope to make the following improvements in 2010:
1. Spend more time in my studio.
2. Floss a couple of times a week.
3. Run once or twice during the week so that playing soccer on the weekends is not the only exercise I get.
4. Walk or exercise the dog more.
5. Decrease tobacco use. I would like ot restrict my chewing to certain activities such as mowing/yard work, working in studio, cleaning and house repairs.
6. Watch less TV.
7. Read more.
8. Got to bed earlier.
9. Get back in the habit of riding the bus.

-Clint

LLWS

2009-08-31T14:51:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed, as usual, watching the Little League World Series this weekend. But this was the first time I had heard them say the Little League Pledge - why do they have to start it that way? Especially now that Little League is an international organization.

Pledge
I trust in God
I love my country
And will respect its laws
I will play fair
And strive to win
But win or lose
I will always do my best

P.S. I still can't believe that one kid is 13 years old - 6'2" and 214 lbs.

Reading again

2009-06-19T12:17:00.001-05:00

I have been quite successful in my goal of reading more books this year. So far I have read:

Under A Glass Bell by Anais Nin

The Corner by David Simon and Edward Burns

Walk in the Light and 23 Tales by Leo Tolstoy

The American West as Living Space by Wallace Stegner

Novels in Three Lines by Felix Feneon

The Wrong Stuff by Bill “Spaceman” Lee

Fermat’s Last Theorem by Amir Aczel

And reread the story The Artist at Work from Albert Camus’ Exile and the Kingdom.

I am a third of the way into The Lives of Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher by Lewis Thomas.

Clint

U.S. Air Guitar Regional Championships, Kansas City

2009-06-10T15:47:00.002-05:00

Last night Molly and I took a rare late weeknight outing to a bar to see the U.S. Air Guitar Regional Championships at the Record Bar. It was well worth being tired today. The contest was hosted by Bjork Turoque, the sore loser from the air guitar documentary “Air Guitar Nation” (highly recommeneded!) and last year’s Air Guitar World Champion Hot Licks Hulahan.
Molly and I made it through the first round of 15 to 20 air guitarists performing to the song of their choice. Performances ranged from very good to people who were obviously just drunk and looking for attention. I found myself tending to root for folks that performed to songs I like instead of the standard hair band songs, even if the performances weren’t as good. It was cool to hear The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary” and Jane’s Addiction’s “Stop”, even though one judge berated the latter as a poor song choice. Some performances were more entertaining than good, like the guy who did a sedated but hilarious “stoner” guitarist.
We didn’t hang around for the second round that took the best five from the first round and made them all perform to the same song that none of them knew. But we did read in the Pitch today that our favorite performer from the first round, Mean Melvin, was the winner. He heads to D.C. for the Nationals and a chance to go to Europe for the Worlds.

New Mower Post #2

2009-06-02T03:13:00.003-05:00

On Saturday morning I purchased the Neuton 5.2 cordless Electric Mower from Young's K.C. Mower Service at 81st and Wornall. Too many people unhappy with their powerless rotary mowers to go that route. I went to Lowe's to look at the Black and Decker, but they only had one on a shelf and I didn't want to buy a mower with out getting some feel for it and my friend Bill had let me try out his Neuton 5.2 and I was impressed. Plus I was impressed by the knowledge of the guys at Young's - compared to the high school kids working at Lowe's. Buying from a small business is always a good thing, too. And Young's is an authorized warranty repair shop for Neuton, which seemed like a good thing. I opted for the 5.2 instead of the larger 6.2 because of the lighter weight and lower cost and because I thought it would be nice to have a small, agile mower, especially if I decide to go back and buy the trimmer/edger attachment. My only concern was with the narrow 14" cutting width - compared to the 19" cutting width of the 6.2. But I decided it was a choice between pushing a heavier mower for a shorter period of time or the lighter one for a little longer. And if I decide the 5.2 is just too small, Neuton has a 6 month, no questions asked return policy, so I can take it back and get the bigger one.
I mowed with it for the first time tonight and very pleasantly surprised that I was able to finish my lawn in about an hour and 20 minutes. It used to only take an hour, but because I was without a mower, I hadn't mowed in close to 2 weeks. And half of the back yard was crazy tall because of my old mower dying mid-mow. But I was very happy that I made it through all of that on one battery charge. The narrowness of the mower was noticeable, especially on the easements which used to take three passes and now to 4 or 5. But the light weight of the mower made up for that, especially on the slopes and in getting the mower from the front yard to the back. And no emissions and not having to deal with gas was great - just grabbing the mower, pushing in the handle and going. It sounds like a loud vacuum cleaner, meaning I didn't have to crank my ipod all the way up to hear it.

New Mower

2009-05-29T10:08:00.003-05:00

About a week and a half ago I killed the hand-me-down Lawnboy we got from Molly's Dad, so I have been researching a new mower. I am pretty certain I will be going with either an electric or a no-motor, no-engine rotary push mower. Reports from two people that have the rotary push mowers are that they are a real pain unless you mow very frequently - which I don't. One of those folks has offered to let me try theirs out, which I might do. I also know that both these people have rotary push mowers that aren't highly rated by the internet rating sources I found. The Brill Razorcut is supposed to be much better than the other brands, but there is no way for me to try that one out and I would have to order it on-line. So I am considering giving up on the rotary push mowers and going with a cordless electric.
I have narrowed the cordless electrics down to two Neutron models or a Black and Decker. Both are highly rated by on-line sites - some preferring the Neutrons and some preferring the B&D. I tried out a friend's Neutron CE5 last night and was pretty impressed. I can go to Young's KC Mower Center to compare the CE5 and the larger CE6. Lowe's has the B&D CMM1200 that I am also considering.
If I decide to go with the electric, I mow look at all three and have a new mower tomorrow!

NIN/JA 2009, KCMO

2009-05-28T00:17:00.003-05:00

On a night that I should be exhausted due to yesterday's travel and Guinness the cat's meowing demand for attention all night as a result of our abandoning her for our vacation, I find myself wide awake, still pumped from attending one of the best concerts I have seen in a long time.
Nine Inch Nails was very good. They played a lot of songs in the middle that I was not familiar with, which resulted in a bit of a lull for me. The energy was there and some of the songs were still really good, but I wish I had found the time to listen to the new album a few more times before the concert. (The new album, by the way, can be downloaded free at the NIN website.)
The songs they played that I knew, though, were awesome. Hurt and Head Like a Hole made for the perfect encore.
As much as I enjoyed NIN, Jane's Addiction was better (though Molly is more of a NIN fan and disagrees with me.)
Three Days was an awesome opener and really set the tone. To me they really played great as a band and the music ruled the show - not Perry Farrell. Their two biggest hits - Been Caught Stealing and Jane Says - were actually disappointing compared to how good the rest of the show was. They closed with a pretty lame pseudo-acoustic version of Jane Says. But Ocean Size was awesome and Mountain Song was as good as any song I have ever heard live.
Farrell fell during Summertime Roll but, after signing for a few minutes while still on the floor, he got up and finished the show. From the beginning of the show he seemed less physically active than when I saw them in Albuquerque in the early nineties, but he still exuded a lot of energy and picked it up toward the end. And I was glad that reality TV and being married to Carmen Elektra hadn't depleted Dave Navarro's ability to play.
The crowd was friendly, happy and diverse. Though many of the people there were younger than I, I still felt you being there and enjoying it as much as I did.

Hey, where have I been?

2009-05-27T16:15:00.003-05:00

I am going to give this another shot. I abandoned blogging for a time, as I was trying Facebook. FB has it's place, but sometimes I want to write more and FB doesn't really allow for that.
Recent trips to visit friends in Portland and upstate New York have Molly and I thinking even more than usual about what we want our lives to be like. Friends in both places provided a lot of inspiration for living life on your own terms. One problem we spoke about on the way home from the airport last night was that the friends we visited seem to have boundless energy to pursue their interests - while earning a living. We are trying to figure out how to restructure our lives to have the time and energy to pursue all of the things that fascinate us.
Clint

Hannover Principles

2008-10-03T13:42:00.000-05:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hannover Principles are a set of statements about designing buildings and objects with forethought about their environmental impact, their effect on the sustainability of growth, and their overall impact on society. They were first formulated by William McDonough and Michael Braungart for planning Expo 2000 in Hanover and are presented in a copyrighted 1992 document.
The principles may be summarized as:[1]
Insist on human rights and sustainability.
Recognize the interaction of design with the environment.
Consider the social and spiritual aspects of buildings and designed objects.
Be responsible for the effect of design decisions.
Ensure that objects have long-term value.
Eliminate waste and consider the entire life-cycle of designed objects.
Make use of "natural energy flows" such as solar power and its derivatives.
Be humble, and use nature as a model for design.
Share knowledge, strive for continuous improvement, and encourage open communication among stakeholders.
The original document states: "The Hannover Principles should be seen as a living document committed to the transformation and growth in the understanding of our interdependence with nature, so that they may adapt as our knowledge of the world evolves."

Palin / Planned Parenthood

2008-09-19T11:53:00.004-05:00

A friend sent me this. I find it amusing - some will not:

Dear Friends:

We may have thought we wanted a woman on a national
political ticket, but the joke has really been on us, hasn't it? Are you
as sick in your stomach as I am at the thought of Sarah Palin as Vice President of
The United States?

Since Palin gave her speech accepting the Republican nomination for
the Vice Presidency, Barack Obama's campaign has raised over $10 million
dolars. Some of you may already be supporting the Obama campaign
Financially others of you may still be recovering from the primaries. None of you,
however, can be happy with Palin's selection, especially on her positions
on women's issues. So, if you feel you can't support the Obama campaign
financially, may I suggest the
following fiendishly brilliant alternative? And best of all, do both -
Donate to Planned
Parenthood AND to the Obama campaign.

Make a donation to Planned Parenthood. In Sarah Palin's name. A Planned
Parenthood donation is tax deductible, while a political donation isn't.

And here's the good part: when you make a donation to PP in her name,
they'll send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her
honor.

Here's the link to the Planned Parenthood website:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
go to donate, then honorary gifts.

You'll need to fill in the address to let PP know where to send the "in
Sarah Palin's honor" card. I suggest you use the address for the McCain
campaign headquarters:
McCain for President
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor
Arlington , VA 22202

Stump Speech

2008-09-19T11:53:00.003-05:00

I am waiting for a candidate to stand up and say:
"Here is what I stand for, what I plan to do if elected and here are my credentials. I am running because I love this country and want what is best for it. If you believe I am the person to lead the country for the next 4 years, please vote for me - if not, I respect your decision."
What a stupid idealist I am, huh? So be it.
Maybe the next time I interview for a job I should find out who the other candidates are and tell the interviewee(s) what is wrong with them and all of the bad decisions they have ever made and maybe throw in some bad rumors I heard.

60+ days

2008-09-04T23:18:00.003-05:00

60+ days left of this political campaign hype. Can't come soon enough.
One website that I heard of today that I'd like to check out: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/attacks/

My non-knitting girls drummed up a new avenue of attack:
"Democrats for Change of Sarah Palin's Hair"

T-shirts coming soon.

artpad

2008-08-01T13:10:00.001-05:00

This is my painting:

http://artpad.art.com/?k4xp2r152uck

You can make your own.

Clint

Bus party

2008-07-16T11:44:00.004-05:00

The seats on my bus in to work today were, for the first time since I started riding, completely full. It was a great morning ride, as people were all talking and laughing, largely about how nice it was to see this many people on the bus. As people got on and glanced around for seats, those already seated would scoot over and speak up "there's room right here". There was even a bit of a cheer when the final seat was filled.
I had read in the newspaper and heard from fellow bus riders that other routes have been filling up for months, but my little route has lagged behind as it runs up a minor street. When I started riding there were many mornings when I was the only person on the bus.
Our president and his cronies have failed to mention such positive side effects of the high gas prices, attempting instead to take advantage of the opportunity to try and get their hands on our shorelines and Alaska. Can we trust Congress not to give in to this blatant political opportunism that solves nothing? Their approval of the wire tapping bill makes me wonder. Obama, especially, disappointed me on that one.

More Walden Pics

2008-07-14T15:27:00.001-05:00

Walden "noodling"

2008-07-14T10:42:00.008-05:00

We took our boxer, Walden, to the Lake of the Ozarks with us for the Fourth of July weekend and learned that, as long as he has his life jacket on, he is a good swimmer and actually likes to put his front paws over a noodle and just hang out in the water.

Puzzled

2008-06-26T10:03:00.001-05:00

So, I’m trying to figure out some things about myself right now. Clint gave me a fantastic little book which has been a great starting place. It’s called “Rules of the Red Rubber Ball” by Kevin Carroll.

I’m working on answering these questions right now.
-what would you do for free?
-what activities enthrall you?
-what in life do you find irresistible, a source of inspiration, a reason to get out of bed?
-what dream do you chase?
-what topics do you love to discuss and ponder?
-what’s your primal source of joy?

They’re surprisingly difficult questions for me to answer.
How would you answer these questions?

365 days later

2008-06-23T12:36:00.003-05:00

Seven years ago this October, Clint and I met on my first day of work. Our conversation went something like this:
Clint: “We have a similar last name. Except mine is spelled …”
Molly: “How funny.” (Thinking in my head…our division assistant told me that your last name was pronounced “Pew”.)

Almost seven years and wedding vows later, I laugh now when I am “Pew’d” by people that don’t know how to pronounce our last name. Thanks to everyone that has supported and celebrated our journey. Thanks especially to Clint for your love and support. I love you. Happy Anniversary.

Crazy dog

2008-06-20T13:12:00.004-05:00

As Molly and I struggle to deal with our own crazy dog and his separation anxiety, a friend sent us this video of a dog entertaining itself while the owners were away.
The story is that the family set up the video camera because the suspected neighborhood kids were breaking in and using their pool when they were away. It wasn't the kids getting the pavement and furniture around the pool all wet.

Please leave a message after the tone…

2008-05-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

So I pick up the phone at work and say, “This is Molly”. More often than not there is a pause and then the person calling me laughs their head off. Since starting my new job, I have been told so many times that I sound like a recording. This happened twice yesterday and Clint finally told me last night that sometimes when he calls me at work, he doesn’t know if it’s me or my voicemail. Lovely.

I’m hoping this is some odd issue with my phone and not some robotic takeover of my voicebox. My boss has told me that I just have a calm approach on the phone…This new oddity makes me feel like an invisible drone. Maybe I should look at the positive and market this skill. I could be the new voicemail or automated phone system lady.

Windy days

2008-05-01T12:37:00.002-05:00

Stepping outside on a windy day does something to me. It makes me reflective. Sometimes it makes me sort of melancholy, but not so much that I don’t want to linger and soak it in. It seems to have always been that way.
I have to be alone, save for maybe my dog.
I am not sure why this happens. It doesn’t make me think of a particular event or time in my past that involved a windy day – at least no that I am conscious of. It does make me think of other times and places that I have stepped outside and felt that way, which brings back memories and feelings about those times and those places.
It never seems to last very long, often being interrupted by my hectic schedule, or the arrival of some one else, or the feeling just goes away on it’s own if I stay longer than a few minutes.

Great shot

2008-04-25T14:41:00.002-05:00

Sacrifices

2008-04-25T11:18:00.004-05:00

At work this morning I was talking to a guy that does some contract work for us and he said he thought he had seen me a while back at McCoy’s Public House, a local brew pub. He then explained that he doesn’t go to McCoy’s as much anymore, even though he loves their beer. Apparently he was able to convince his wife that by purchasing another fridge for the basement, they could get kegs from McCoy’s, pay about $.70 per pint and not produce all those brown glass bottles that are getting harder and harder to recycle. We all have to make sacrifices for the environment, right?

Am I bitter?

2008-04-24T11:08:00.001-05:00

Do the polls not suggest that the majority of people in this country feel the country is headed in the wrong direction?
Is there not an overwhelming call for change – real change?
I don’t think I am assuming that others feel this way just because I do – isn’t this the general feeling of the country?
How can people expect a politician who’s personal and family success (or fame and fortune, depending on how you want to look at it) has been built on “politics as usual” to bring real change?
Doesn’t real change involve a risk? Shaking things up?
Bringing in someone new? A new voice? New ideas?

Obama

2008-04-23T16:41:00.001-05:00

I shouldn’t have listened to my friends on March 5th. After Obama failed to win in Texas, Ohio and Vermont on March 4th, I told them that I had resigned myself to the fact that he was done. She had stolen the momentum and could hold onto it until the next major primary in Pennsylvania. Had I not been talked out of this, I would not have cared about yesterday and would be happier today.
You can try again to tell me that it is not over, but I will not be listening.

The radio stations here in Kansas City are pretty poor. Country, classic rock, and adult contemporary. In the past six months, two of the radio stations I could actually stand listening to have changed to Christian music. But this morning one of the classic rock stations to which I am forced to listen actually got me to work with this nice set:
“Levon” by Elton John
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen
“The Promised Land” by Bruce Springsteen

This helped me, at least for a few minutes, forget about the election and think is might be a good day.

I am considering giving up on politics…again. I did so in November of 2004, but got pulled back in by Mr. Obama. Damn my own audacity of hope.

A little “Homeward Bound” goes a long way.

2008-04-14T12:09:00.001-05:00

I don’t know if was a sadder time in the lives of Michael J. Fox, Sally Fields and Don Ameche or for me and Clint. We caught 20 minutes of “Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco” this weekend and evidently it made a lasting impression. (Fox, Fields and Ameche carry the voices of the two dogs and cat in the movie.) Last night I dreamt that we were with my folks at a house with a patio that butted up to the deepest part of a lake or ocean. People were swimming with giant sea turtles and sea lions. Walden took a dip and got lost. We saw a sea lion bite off his collar and tags and thought the worst. And just as Shadow, Chance and Sassy made their way home in “Homeward Bound II”, Walden, who swam like a sea lion in my dream, came swimming back home. I think that I need help. At least Walden didn’t talk in my dream.

MLK

2008-04-04T11:33:00.004-05:00

Interesting article on the beiliefs of Martin Luther King, Jr. outside of civil rights: http://www.onlinejournal.com/TheocracyAlert/html/071605nall.html
A quote from King on the Supreme Court ruling outlawing prayer in public schools:
"I endorse it. I think it was correct. Contrary to what many have said, it sought to outlaw neither prayer nor belief in God. In a pluralistic society such as ours, who is to determine what prayer shall be spoken, and by whom? Legally, constitutionally, or otherwise, the state certainly has no such right. I am strongly opposed to the efforts that have been made to nullify the decision

The photo is a terrible reproduction of my favorite photo of MLK at home with his daughter - currently on view at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in the "In the Public Eye: Photography and Fame" exhibition.

Wendell Berry

2008-04-04T11:13:00.004-05:00

I have just begun reading "Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry". I had never heard of this author before Molly bought me this book. I haven't even made it through the first essay, but some passages, such as the one below, have blown me away.
I seem to be most excited these days by finding inspiration from unexpected sources. Or perhaps, more accurately, people who haven't bought into, and don't fit into, either of the two polarized "camps" of liberal/conservative.

"We have lived by the assumption that what is good for us would be good for the world. And this has been based on the even flimsier assumption that we could know with any certainty what was good even for us. We have fulfilled the danger of this by making our personal pride and greed the standard of our behavior toward the world -- to the incalculable disadvantage of the world and every living thing in it. And now, perhaps very close to too late, our great error has become clear. It is not only our own creativity -- our own capacity for life -- that is stifled by our arrogant assumption; the creation itself is stifled.

We have been wrong. We must change our lives, so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and to learn what is good for it. We must learn to cooperate in its processes, and to yield to its limits. But even more important, we must learn to acknowledge that the creation is full of mystery; we will never entirely understand it. We must abandon arrogance and stand in awe. We must recover the sense of the majesty of creation, and the ability to be worshipful in its presence. For I do not doubt that it is only on the condition of humility and reverence before the world that our species will be able to remain in it."

window unit heater?

2008-04-03T12:03:00.003-05:00

Has anyone ever heard of a window unit heater?
There is an odd little house down the block from us that has what appear to be 3 window unit air conditioners, but when I walk the dog by the house every day, I can hear them running. It doesn't seem to matter how warm or cold it is, I can hear them. Any thoughts?

Moderation

2008-04-01T13:29:00.002-05:00

Molly and I have made a change to the way the comments work on our blog. We will now be reviewing every comment before it is posted, since we kept getting "comments" from jerks we don't know with links that were evil.

Frank Magnotta Interview

2008-04-01T13:25:00.002-05:00

Click this link to see an interview with my friend Frank, with whom I went to grad school. You can see images of his drawings, too.
http://www.fecalface.com

-Clint

color + light

2008-03-21T14:00:00.001-05:00

I went to a talk by graphic designer, April Greiman, last night. I haven’t seen her early work—she is labeled as a pioneer that embraced the Macintosh as another design tool in the early ‘80s. Her recent work is more architectural—working as a colorist and interior designer on commercial and residential buildings. One of my favorite works that she mentioned last night was the Art and Architecture building at Prairie View A+M University. Designed by Roto Architecture, they describe the innards of their building as a “canyon”. My favorite are the yellow ochre colored floors.

Her use of color and light are pretty incredible. I also envy her ability to work clients through the bigger picture of an identity system (logo, letter head, brochures/collateral, web/e-mail, physical office space etc.). Most clients that I worked with didn’t flow through that continuum.

http://www.rotoark.com/proj_scho_prai.html
http://www.madeinspace.la/home/home.html#

Your Inner Bark

2008-03-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

My bark is a high pitched “bark”. Clint has a lower-pitched “woof”. We practiced our barking (or woofing) last night in the attempts to get Walden to speak. It was funny to discover what pitch and word naturally came out of our mouths. I hope that these results have nothing to do with our personality types. Clint thinks my bark sounds like a yippee dog. I don’t think of myself as the “yippee” type. I hope that this is an accurate perception.

In any case, neither of us were alpha dogs. Our barks (or woofs) had no umph or command to get Walden to speak. As part of his training, we’re trying to label his bark so that he’ll speak on command or when he needs to go out etc. Our problem: He’s just not a barker. We’ve heard him bark just a few times in a couple of months. Clint’s dad has an impressive bark and was able to get him to react over the weekend. Maybe we’ll have to tape his pseudo-bark or develop more commanding dog speak of our own.

DON"T click HERE

2008-03-17T09:08:00.002-05:00

We have now received our third "comment" that just says "click HERE" with a link. Molly tried one and her computer crashed. I am now deleting these and will do so in the future as soon as I see them, but if you see one before I get to it, DOWN CLICK ON THE LINK.
Clint

Pizza Dough

2008-03-14T14:31:00.003-05:00

I've never been good at baking with yeast. However, I've just found a recipe that seems to be fool proof.

From Giada D.

Pizza Dough
3/4 c. warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 c. (or more) all purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3 T. olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and form into circle, square, rectangle etc. Bake at 500 degrees for about 15-20 minutes on greased surface.

I've made pan pizza with this dough. It was incredible.
I have two batches in the fridge now...one whole wheat. I'm anxious to see how that bakes up.

One crazy meal

2008-03-13T16:05:00.003-05:00

While in Italy, the owner of the company with which we were working would often take us out for these 3 to 4 hour dinners, during which he would order all of the food and wine for the table. One night he took us to a seafood restaurant – one of those where everything was bought straight off the boat earlier that day. I am not a big eater of seafood and as the meal started one of my co-workers leaned across the table and asked “Is this a challenge for you, too?”
“Uh, yes.” I replied. “Very much so.”
For he and I this meal would become our own version of “Fear Factor.”
The meal began with tiny shrimp about the size of a nickel that had been fried whole. You just popped them in your mouth - eyes, tentacles and all - and ate them like crunchy little chips.
This was followed by two more appetizers - one with three types of raw seafood, the other with squid, octopus and clams. The raw shrimp was large and some people, after eating the tail, were sucking the heads out. I decided I wasn’t that adventurous, so I pulled the head out and thought I could then eat it. But along with the head came a brown ooze, which stopped me in my tracks.
I managed to at least try everything. The crispy shrimp, though, were the only thing I came close to enjoying, though the tentacles did sometimes jab the inside of my mouth. I drank a lot of water to get some of it down.
The pasta course was angel hair pasta with squid in it. As the waiters approached the table with this, I knew before I even saw it that I wasn’t going to be able to eat it. The smell of the squid was really strong. The kind of smell I imagine you relish if you like seafood. I ate some of the pasta from around it.
For the main course, the waiters first brought out the whole, uncooked fish for us to see before they cooked it. I don’t remember the name of it, but it was that fish that starts out swimming straight up with eyes on both sides of it, like your average fish. But as it matures, it turns into a bottom feeder and swims on its side, like a ray. Over time the eye that was on the side that is now basically the bottom of the fish, migrates over, so that both eyes are side by side on the top. After cooking the fish, the waiters brought it back out and “carved” it at the table. (We had already noticed that waiters in Italy tended to be older than here and watching them carve the fish seemed to confirm our suspicion that waitering there is a “career” and not just something people do while in college or while working towards something else.)
The meal ended with a nice variety of desserts.

Reduce water bottle usage

2008-03-13T14:19:00.002-05:00

A guy on our recycling task force at work mentioned this:
http://www.filterforgood.com/

Italian Cars 7-11: Fiats

2008-03-11T16:06:00.002-05:00

Despite their brief and disappointing stint in the US, apparently the Fiat is still alive and well in Italy. It was explained to us that the company's founder did a great job building the company based on quality cars. But when he passed away, his offspring ran the company into the ground with cheap cars and the ill-conceived foray into the American market. But apparently a third generation has now taken over the company and gotten things back on track. These cars are all over the streets of Milan - old and new, cars and trucks.

Arrested Development / Curb Your Enthusiasm

2008-03-11T15:51:00.003-05:00

Maybe I missed something, but I thought Curb Your Enthusiasm was pretty lame. Molly and I got the first disc of season one from Netflix, so we saw about 6 episodes, so I think I gave it enough of a chance.
My impression was that, during the unscripted parts, the actors thought they were being really clever and funny and assumed it would transfer to the audience. And, scripted or not, acting matters.
I felt that, maybe if I thought Woody Allen movies were funny and not repetitive, I would like this show. But I don’t, so…

Maybe I expected too much after Molly and I recently completed all 3 seasons of another show that came highly recommended by (usually) reputable friends - Arrested Development. I thought this was one of the funniest and smartest comedies I have ever seen. Though I am still upset with Michael Bluth for thwarting George Michael's happiness in the finale.

Tiny Italian cars #3, 4, 5, 6

2008-03-04T15:27:00.003-06:00

The Smart Car for 2 (now available in the US) and some similar vehicles by other manufacturers. While there, we also saw some Smart Cars for 4 and the sports car version, the Smart Car Roadster.

“Dog” Training Class

2008-02-28T13:54:00.000-06:00

We had Walden’s first dog obedience class last night and very quickly found that the instruction was meant more for us than the dog. Class started and Walden was the worst dog in the room for a good 15 minutes or so until a 5 month old boxer joined the class. Walden was pulling like a maniac and wouldn’t sit still. The instructor brought him up as an example and showed us ways to curb his jumping (via a squirt bottle and leaning our hip into him as he jumped) and his pulling (keeping the leash slack and pulling him 3 quick times each time he pulls). Needless to say, both of my hands were sore from tugging our leash to no end. We were given homework for the week. We’re supposed to walk him in a zig-zag fashion so that he begins to try to keep up with us (rather than the other way around); hand him a treat and say, “Here, Walden”; and put a treat outside of the front door and tell him to “run home” and point to treat at the end of our walks. We’re also supposed to work on dominance issues by eating before we feed him, walk out of the door before him and close the door or kennel door on him, so that he has to ask to go outside or leave his kennel. We have a big stack of handouts to read as well.

We’ll let you know how things go.

Tiny Italian cars #2

2008-02-28T12:56:00.003-06:00

The original Mini Cooper.

Tiny Italian cars #1

2008-02-27T13:48:00.004-06:00

The first in a series of pictures I took of those tiny italian cars.
This one is perhaps my favorite because it is a FORD - but you don't find this here in the US. Its just called a Ka.

Italian TV

2008-02-27T13:46:00.001-06:00

Italian TV has an odd assortment of dubbed American TV shows: Happy Days, Daniel Boone, The Flintstones, Law and Order, CSI, Desperate Housewives, Family Matters, and, of course, Walker Texas Ranger. They also have Italian versions (not U.S. shows dubbed) of our game shows – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Deal or No Deal, Wheel of Fortune. Rambo is also really big over there. About every time I turned on the TV there was a Rambo movie on and there were posters for the new Rambo movie all over the place.
One of the most interesting things on TV was what I initially thought was a reality TV game show for soccer commentator wanna-be’s. I kept seeing a show that would go from videos of people as they call soccer games, then they would cut to the studio where a panel of what I thought were judges would speak and argue. What I eventually found out from an Italian is that they cannot show soccer games on regular TV in Italy. It is all pay-per-view. So all they can show is the commentators calling the game, so that is what they do. But they often cut from one game to another and then go to the studio where experts further discuss what is going on in the games.

Walden's close to E=MC2, I can feel it.

2008-02-20T09:50:00.000-06:00

We have the smartest dog on the planet.

This is evidenced by:
1. Walden can peel a banana. He fished a banana out of my purse this morning, peeled one section nicely and then, as judged by a diameter of drool, licked the banana to death.
2. Or he possibly peeled the banana in the spirit of the old “slip on a banana peel” trick and then positioned said slightly peeled banana right in the path I would take to put him in his kennel.

Walden looked so pathetic this morning when I scolded him for eating my breakfast. I’ll have to take him for a longer walk tonight. And by the way, it was somewhere between 8-11 degrees this morning.

untitled

2008-02-19T20:45:00.000-06:00

Clint’s been out of town going on 2 weeks. A few things that I’ve noticed:
Slowing life down for a bit is delightful. I can always watch “Amelie” to make myself feel better. It’s nice to get a hug from your dog. I love my husband. “American Idol” is one of the stupidest shows I’ve ever seen (sorry mom and dad). Kurt Vonnegut cracks me up. I like to draw, but it’s frustrating. I like my life with Clint (a 7 hour time difference stinks). I’m a soon-to-be somewhat organized person (you would have freaked to have seen my closet over the past couple of years…yes, years.) I’m not good at aiming (I’m a horrible pool player and last week at soccer I played a couple of minutes of offense and actually took a few shots, but somehow what I was trying to tell my feet never really quite happened.) I have too many shoes and I would really like to visit Utah.

Your life in six words

2008-02-13T12:52:00.002-06:00

Heard an interesting piece on NPR about describing one's life in six words.
A new book with six word submissions has been published: http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/

If you had just six words to describe your life, what would they be?

Surprise, surprise.

2008-02-06T10:35:00.000-06:00

On Friday night we went down to the River Market to attend the opening of our friend and neighbor Josh's exhibition of paintings. We were working our way around the room, looking at the paintings, when we realized we were looking at a painting of our house.
We grabbed Josh, who couldn't believe he had forgotten to tell us about it. We don't actually have the white picket fence, so apparently he built a stretch of fence and had a friend lean on it (and hold it up) while he took a photo, from which he then painted this. He said he knocked on our door at the time, to get our approval, but no one was home.
We can't afford to but the painting, but we may get a print of it.
http://web.mac.com/jrizer/Site/Welcome.html

Sun and Moon

2008-02-04T11:23:00.001-06:00

Purple elephants like art

2008-01-28T08:47:00.000-06:00

After Walden was done playing with him, this is where he ended up.

Pot Roast, Blue Koi and Kenya

2008-01-27T21:58:00.000-06:00

I feel like I've reach a new era in my life. I made my first pot roast today.

12 oz. new potatoes
8 small carrots, chunked
2 small onions, wedged
2.5-3 lbs. pot roast
2 T. cooking oil
3/4 cup water
1 T Worcestershire
1 tsp. instant beef bouillon
1 tsp. dried basil

Place veggies in pot. Brown roast in oiled skillet. Combine water, worcestershire, bouillon and basil and pour over meat and veggies. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours in crock pot.

Flavors were good and the meat was way tender. I'd really like to replicate the pot roast at Blue Koi--it's Clint's favorite.
Any suggestions?

I also made West African Peanut Soup this weekend for a friend's birthday party. The party was Kenyan themed. Kenya is on the east side of Africa...woops. I at least had the continent correct. We learned that peanuts are called "ground nuts" in Kenya and that they are believed to enhance male prowess.
Molly

Riding the bus

2008-01-23T15:40:00.001-06:00

I have now been prompted to do, out of necessity, what I have wanted, out of environmental responsibility, to do since we moved into our house – ride the bus to work.
Molly’s car died, so we have decided to try life as a one-car family for a while in order to both save money and burn less fuel.
While the decision to hold off on a new car certainly was partially influenced by our desire to do the right thing, it is a shame that it took this to get me to walk a half block to the bus stop, get on the bus for a few minutes and get back off a block or three from work (depending on which building I am going to.)
Over the last few years I have been hearing bus stories from a co-worker who rides the bus up Main street to the northland. But his bus is much more interesting, people-wise, than mine. I seem to see the same few introverted people everyday. It is actually surprising, based on how few people are usually on my bus, that they keep the line running. Kudos to the city for seeing this as a service and not a money-making venture.

My hope is that by the time Molly and I have to buy another car, they have made more significant strides in alternate fuel sources and that environmentaly friendly cars are actually affordable.

UPDATE

2008-01-22T15:32:00.000-06:00

MORE PHOTOS OF WALDEN AT OUT FLICKR SITE:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebeanfields/

Introducing Walden

2008-01-22T14:26:00.000-06:00

On Saturday Molly and I drove to Wichita to adopt a dog from Boxer Rescue. His name is now Walden (it was Oakley.) He is about 18 months old and has a lot of filling out to do, as you can see his spine and his hip bones. But he is already really tall, meaning he will probably end up being a pretty big boxer - maybe 75 pounds or so. This is a big difference from the 47 pounds we were used to with Jem.
Walden was given up by his original owners because they were tired of dealing with health issues. But it turns out it was all allergy related. Once Boxer Rescue figured out he was allergic to beef, poultry, lamp and rice, they put him on sweet potato and fish food and he has been fine. He loves rawhides and thinks he is a lap dog. He has a lot to learn.
We'll get more images up soon.

fossil (infinity)

2008-01-17T15:49:00.000-06:00

Materials

2008-01-14T15:27:00.000-06:00

In this new work with clay, I am trying to stick with as natural materials as I can. Besides the clay, I am creating the images and textures using dirt, sand, grass, chalk and, recently, spices that Molly says have been in the cabinet too long. The piece below with the rhinoceros has cummin rubbed into/onto the clay for a nice red dirt color. I am not sure if this is good or bad, but so far the scents of the spices have evaporated with the water as the clay dries. This is probably good. Strong smells may add an element to the work that I am not sure I want. In my conceptual work, I have always tried to keep tight control over everything - pieces were minimal because everything that was there was there for a reason. So if scents become a part of the work, I will have to consider why and what that means. I also use flour to lighten things up or as clouds.

Animals

2008-01-08T14:52:00.001-06:00

more art

2008-01-07T13:17:00.000-06:00

Images of a couple more pieces from my studio. Working with the clay has been rewarding - I love the tactile nature of it. The work seems like it could lead in several different directions, but I have not committed to any one yet. I am just making whatever comes to me.
These two are from the abstract landscape "painting" direction. I will post images of some of the more conceptual pieces in the coming days.
Around the holidays some family and friends, who had seen the earlier pieces on this site, got to see them in person in my studio and were surprised by how small they are and, as a result, how much different they look. They are only about 3' x 5".
Clint

An experiment

2008-01-06T20:20:00.000-06:00

A friend of a friend has started an experiment. What would life be like if you followed the advice of Oprah for a year?
Track her experiment: http://www.livingoprah.com/

"Difficult times will soon pass"

2008-01-06T20:01:00.000-06:00

At dinner on New Year's Eve, my fortune read, "Difficult times will soon pass". We had decided that day to junk my limping 12 year old car and were both a bit freaked by the thought of a car payment, increased insurance etc. I laughed that off as my "difficult time."
On Wednesday afternoon my mom called to tell me that my dad was taken to the emergency room with chest pains and had an angioplasty and a stent put in that day. Since then, he has had an aneurism (sp?) and blood clot in his leg and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
On Thursday, a good friend of mine called to let me know that she had postponed her wedding.

What's next?

Gladly, my dad seems to be doing much better and chalks this up as a heavy-duty warning sign. He seems up to making some significant changes in his diet etc. If anyone could come up with an O'Doull's-like substitute for good bourbon, drop him a line.

Molly

Best Mac and Cheese Recipe

2008-01-06T19:55:00.000-06:00

A couple of years ago Clint and I began making super-rich mac + cheese on New Year's day. This was our second year of inviting folks to join in the tradition. I'm really happy with this new recipe. The bay leaf makes a huge difference.

Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (Brown's show "Good Eats")
6-8 servings
45 min 15 min prep

1/2 lb elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon mustard powder
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onions, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh black pepper
Topping
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter.
Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes making sure it's free of lumps.
Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
For the topping, melt the butter in a sauté pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat.
Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Butternut Squash-Pear Soup

2007-12-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

I'm finally getting around to posting from October. The knitters were amazing and participated in the first ever Orange Fest. to celebrate fall. We had red pepper hummus, wine with orangey labels, butternut squash risotto, butternut squash-pear soup and orange sherbet with dark choc. chips. As promised, here is the recipe for the soup (via Williams Sonoma).

Butternut Sqush-Pear Soup
3 T. unsalted butter
1 c. peeled and diced pear
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar (32 oz) butternut squash puree (Williams Sonoma or just roast and mash your own)
2.5 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. heavy cream

In a dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pear and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8-10 minutes. Add the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the butternut squash purree and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occassionally, for 20 minutes.

Blend the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Score one for the little guy.

2007-12-12T10:43:00.000-06:00

I am not a coffee drinker, but I was still psyched by this story:
http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/399745.html

2007-12-10T10:39:00.000-06:00

We didn't quit blogging - we just have'nt been finding, or taking, the time to sit down and do it.
I am also back in my studio, after a long break of about a year. I hadn't made anything since my solo show at (now defunct) DalArts last fall.
Spending time in my studio a few weeks ago, I quickly realized how important it is to my happiness and well-being. Even if I never figure out if art is important to the world or anyone else in it, I at least know that making it somehow makes me feel better.
I got from work some small (approx. 3" x 4") pieces of glass that I wanted to work with. I like the idea of making small work - something new for me - and of using recycled materials. I started playing aorund with them and sandwiching things between them. I also looked at backing them with sculpting clay. I soon found, though, that once the clay dries, it no longer sticks to the glass. But when the glass fell from the clay, I was left with materials stuck in the clay, which I really like. And this is the direction I am heading in now. I will have to find a use for the glass pieces at another time.

2007-10-18T16:16:00.000-05:00

As a kid I found it shocking that my parents always put things such as yard tools, kitchen appliances and clothing on their birthday and Christmas lists. Or, worse yet, that they would say they didn’t want or need anything. For me it was more a matter of deciding what toys I wanted most from the hundreds I had my eye on. I would spend hours with the Sears and JCPenney catalogs writing down everything I wanted and then ranking those items so that everyone knew what I couldn’t live without. I didn’t understand that my parents didn’t have things they really wanted – maybe not toys, but something that made them happy! One of the many things about being an adult that, as I kid, I always told myself I wouldn’t do.
But, of course, now that I am an adult, I am walking in their shoes. Making a wish list has become difficult, as I struggle to think of anything I might want or need. It ain’t easy. I don’t want or need much that I don’t already have. So I try to think of things that, throughout the year, I may have seen or heard of that interested me.
I am still trying to figure out if this is a good thing or a bad thing.
It may be good that I am able to entertain myself and find happiness without a new set of toys each year.
On the other hand, it may be good to really, really want a toy.

Butternut squash man

2007-10-18T09:10:00.000-05:00

Our friends Bill and Mary gave us a butternut squash that they grew in their garden. Molly put it in the oven last night, as she prepared to make something edible out of it. Before putting it in the oven, she had to puncture it, I assume to prevent it from exploding. In puncturing the squash, she inadvertantly created this creature.

Minutes, seconds, and blue hair.

2007-10-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

When I was little there were two things my parents told me that I refused to believe.
One was a minute was not a second. Whenever we had friends or family coming over and I was excited and impatient about their arrival, I would go to the doorway of the bathroom, where my mom was standing in front of the mirror doing her hair and ask ”how long ‘till they get here?” “About ten minutes” she would say. I would walk away, count to ten, go back, and ask her why they weren’t there yet. I remember this being a common occurance and her trying to explain to me every time that a minute was made up of 60 seconds, so I needed to count a lot longer. But I never bought into it.
The other thing I refused to believe was that I couldn’t grow up to have blue hair like Superman did in the comics. I still get crap from my family about that one.
-C

Interesting shots from last week

2007-09-25T09:06:00.000-05:00

Strike!

2007-09-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

We watched “The League of Ordinary Gentleman” this weekend. Our first Netflix DVD. I’m a sucker for documentaries and truly enjoyed this film that told the story of the rebirth of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). A few Microsoft retirees purchased the PBA for $5 million and then hired guys from Nike to rebuild the league’s image. It looks like they’ve done a killer job…even scoring Odor Eaters as a league sponsor.

On the humanistic side, “Ordinary Gentleman” had some hysterical and somewhat sad features on league veterans and newcomers. There is the bowler with WWF moves, the straight shooter (everyone’s envy) and the sad bowler in decline that ends his bowling career to pursue his second love—karaoke.

Check out bowling near you: http://www.pbatour.com/
Molly

2007-09-13T08:27:00.000-05:00

Molly and I put together a wedding CD for the small group of family and friends who joined us for our nuptials in Wyoming.

Below is the play list:

1. Ring of Fire Johnny Cash
2. Hey Good Lookin’ Hank Williams
3. Good Hearted Woman Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
4. Stand By Your Man Tammy Wynette
5. Buckets of Rain Bob Dylan
6. California Stars Billy Bragg & Wilco
7. L’estasi dell’oro Ennio Morricone
8. Part One Band of Horses
9. Sandusky Uncle Tupelo
10. Found A New Love Andrew Bishop
11. Brokeback Mountain 1 Gustavo Santaolallo
12. Head Over Heels Blue Rodeo
13. Guided by Wires Neko Case
14. The Blower’s Daughter Damian Rice
15. Trust (Closing) Justin Kawashima
16. Look Into The Air Explosions in the Sky
17. Big Heart The Lounge Lizards
18. At Last Etta James
19. Picture In A Frame Tom Waits
20. Windfall SonVolt

Tracks 7, 11, 14 and 15 are from films – The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, Brokeback Mountain, Closer and Trust (a Hal Hartley film), respectively.

Track 10 is by Andrew, a composer and jazz musician, and my best friend growing up.

Track 17 is by the Lounge Lizards, an awesome jazz band that never made it, but who’s front man is John Lurie, the actor from Jim Jarmusch films Down by Law and Stranger than Paradise.

Tracks 8 and 16 are by bands I have only recently discovered.

What the?

2007-09-12T15:03:00.001-05:00

***UPDATE***
The creature has been identified. It is the Camel Cricket, sometimes referred to as the Cave Cricket. Scientific name: Rhaphidophoridae.

Molly came to me one morning and said there was a spider in the cat's litter box and that when she got close to it, it jumped at her. I went down stairs but was unable to locate any jumping spiders, but I was at least able to assure her that it was not our old enemy, the brown recluse, as they are unable to jump and generally just run away from you. I put out some sticky traps in hopes that the "jumping spider" would come around again. A few days later I checked the traps and found the creature you see in these photos. It looks to me like some spider/cricket hybrid - a mutant, perhaps.
Anyone ever seen anything like this?

She may not drink milk, but...

2007-09-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

Molly got to take a tour of a local milk company and milk a cow for the first time.

In perspective

2007-09-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

If you can't see everything, double click on the image to view it slightly larger. That makes it easier to read some of the text.

The Motorcycle Diaries

2007-08-20T09:59:00.001-05:00

Last night Molly and I rented “The Motorcycle Diaries”. We thought it would be a good choice for the first thing we watched on our new television. We were right.
“The Motorcycle Diaries” is the story of the trip Che Guevara took across South America when he was a 23 year old medical student. Guevara and his long time friend hop aboard “The Mighty One”, their old Norton Motorcycle, and head south out of their home town in Argentina with a plan of reaching the southern tip of South America, stopping along the way to volunteer at a leper colony.
The film is based on the journal Che kept of the trip. The things they see and the people they meet made Che into the Marxist revolutionary he is remembered as today. It is nice to see the changes he goes through and what exactly lead him to his beliefs. The film gives a valuable account of the inequalities that lead many to Marxism. This is in contrast to the common American view of Marxists/Communists and their motives -- it shows the idealism of the movement.

Murder

2007-08-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

You work with a guy for 8 or 9 years. You don’t know him very well, but you have spent a little bit of time talking to him – enough to form an impression of who he is, what his life might be like. But one day something happens that makes you realize that you spend a lot of your time around people you don’t really know at all. You don’t know what they are like outside of work, what their problems are, what they are, or are not, capable of.

Everyone knew he was a little different. He seemed to spend a lot of time in his own world as he walked around the work place. When he did engage in conversation he was awkward, indecisive and reluctant to make eye contact. I thought perhaps he was a savant or autistic. But he was always nice, genuinely nice. He didn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body. And I still don’t think he does. I believe he had reasons for what he did – or that it may have even been a mutual decision. Some say they are not surprised – that he seemed like the kind of guy who might “go postal.” But even if you feel that way, this seems different. I associate “going postal” with snapping – basically turning into another person. Reports of the incident make it sound like a decision was made. Certainly a tough decision and one about which I am sure he was conflicted. But a decision was made and then followed through upon. And that is just the thing of which I would not have thought him capable. That has changed my opinion of him more than the actual act of which he stands accused.

goal!

2007-08-13T20:52:00.000-05:00

Clint and I have been playing indoor soccer for a couple of years now. Clint shoots goals like a maniac. I mostly play defense and often catch a glimpse of his long legs peddling down the field towards the goal. That man can move. During one of our first games I remember looking over and watching Clint score a goal as he kind of moved in the air horizontally...like he was floating. I didn't play soccer growing up and was kind of amazed by this move.

Last Saturday though, I did get a turn at offense and thanks to a well-timed pass from my husband, I scored my first goal!

My first goal in soccer in my midish 30s and my first (and only) peanut butter and jelly sandwich at 25-ish...ya think that I'm a late bloomer? Or maybe I'm just a picky eater with lousy aim.

Molly

The Privileged Planet

2007-08-06T09:47:00.000-05:00

This is the DVD that was loaned to me by a family member. It is based on a book of the same title by a philosopher and an astrophysicist whose assertion is that there is a wealth of scientific support for the fact that the universe was designed around us. So, basically, without using the term, they are arguing for intelligent design. The upside is that this argument for intelligent design is in support of scientific and space exploration – to the point of suggesting that the reason there is so much out there beyond our planet is that we are supposed to explore and, perhaps, eventually, colonize it – a sort of “Manifest Destiny.” While the DVD didn’t convince me, I was intrigued by some of the arguments and certainly learned a lot because of the amount of (undisputed) scientific information used in their argument.
One point they spend a lot of time on is the solar eclipse and how perfectly everything has to be aligned, spaced and proportioned for us to get the perfect solar eclipse that we get. The moon exactly blocks out the sun with no over lap and no part of the surface of the sun showing – only the heat and light that come from the sun’s surface. The authors assert that this perfect eclipse has allowed us to learn more about the sun than we otherwise could have. This, they say, is too perfect to not have been “designed” and that it was designed to enable our exploration of the universe.

Conflicted

2007-08-01T16:51:00.000-05:00

I’m teary-eyed about a man that I didn’t really know and that I met just a few times in my life. My mom told me today that her dad died a few weeks ago. I think that her emotion coupled with the final loss in my set of grandparents has gotten to me. I had a great relationship with my paternal grandparents and my maternal grandmother and great aunt and uncle. I miss those folks very often. They were a hysterical, wise, kind, nutty, unique and loving bunch.

At holidays, my family tends to digress to stories about my great aunt's tale of a 2,000 lb. moose running around her neighborhood or to the time one of my grandmothers returned a gift of a clothes iron to a department store only to realize that she had been given a fruit cake housed in a clothes iron's box. Her question to the sales person..."Was the cake in the shape of an iron?" You can't replicate those times or stories.

So, please, please if you’ve got ‘em … give your grandparents a huge hug next time ya see ‘em and appreciate the time you have with them.
Molly

Doing it at work

2007-07-27T15:32:00.001-05:00

My place of employment decided a few years ago that cardboard recycling was a frivolous activity we could no longer afford. Between then and now we have gone through a major expansion, which lead to a massive amount of boxes, cardboard and paperboard in my department. From the beginning, I felt that tossing this amount of recyclable material in the trash was more than I could accept. So I asked my assistant to join me in stashing these materials until we could take them to the recycling center ourselves. Since the hubbub over the expansion has died down, we have had the time to take all of this material to the recycling center. We filled my vehicle to the brim twice and hauled it away. I was a bit nervous that the recycling center manager might ask why we had so much stuff and take issue with us filling up what little space they have for cardboard. I thought I might be told that the recycling centers were for individuals, not companies. But if anyone working at the recycling center saw us, they didn’t say anything. Plus the cardboard bin was pretty much empty when we got there.
I feel good about my decision and my assistant and I have decided to continue with our own recycling program, even if the institution as a whole doesn’t value it.

Bea Nettles in Iceland

2007-07-23T14:49:00.000-05:00

My former professor at U. of I. and friend, Bea Nettles, went to Iceland recently as an Artist In Residence. To view some of the beautiful pictures she took and the work she did while there, go here:
http://web.mac.com/nettles3/iWeb/Site/iceland%20week%20one.html

Solar Power

2007-07-20T09:40:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I got to speak with a friend of Molly's parents who was in town from Palm Springs, California and works as a solar panel salesman there. Now, he admitted that where he lives is probably the best case scenario for solar power in the country, being sunny all the time and all, but it is amazing what they are doing with it out there. The businesses that invest in solar power are paying for that investment within a few years. He also admitted that, at this point, solar power is not realistic for smaller businesses that cannot afford the upfront costs. But he explained to me that, because of a new law in California, those who do not have solar power are using the excess solar power from businesses with solar power. Apparently, with the abundance of sunshine in that part of California, businesses with solar panels are actually creating more solar energy than they can use in a day. A new law requires that the power company buy that excess power from them, and at the same rate that the power company sells power. So not only are the businesses with solar power not having to buy energy throughout the day, they are actually making money by selling power back. The power company can then sell that excess solar energy to others - which further reduces the need for the power company to produce other forms of energy. He described to me how the power meters actually physically run backwards as the excess power is sent back to the power company, which, to me, was a funny image.

Sicko

2007-07-19T16:21:00.000-05:00

Molly and I went to see Michael Moore’s Sicko recently and we both felt it was a strong, effective film. But just like we said with Brokeback Mountain and some other films, we felt it would probably never be seen by the people who need to see it. My friend Bill and I were talking about that at the bar the other night. We both felt that, by really pushing things with Fahrenheit 911 and, to a lesser degree, Bowling for Columbine, Moore has limited his audience. In F911 and BfC, Moore may have gone too far in trying to make his point and in attacking “the other side.” This is in contrast to Roger and Me and, now, Sicko, where he takes a more subtle approach and allows the audience to draw some conclusions on their own.
Personally, I have appreciated all of Moore’s films - but I tend to agree with his political stances. For someone who supported the war in Iraq, however, Fahrenheit 911 was probably the last Moore film they will ever see, if they even saw it. So no matter how good, effective, or necessary Sicko or subsequent films are, Moore will never get that portion of the audience back.
This is an observation and, in no way, a criticism of F911. When we are entering a war for the wrong or no reason and people are dying, you pull out all the stops and do whatever you think you need to do. I am just saying it may have adversely affected Moore's ability to reach a larger audience the way he did with Roger and Me.

Lovett / Lang

2007-07-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

Molly and I went to the Lyle Lovett / K.D. Lang concert at Starlight Theatre with our friend RY last Friday night. Lyle had his big band but, fortunately, took time to do enough of his country stuff to keep me happy. Most importantly, he did “If I Had a Boat” and “This Old Porch.”
Lang has an amazing voice, which was most prominently displayed in covering Patsy Cline’s “Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray.” But her stage presence was pretty weak. I suspect she goes for kind of a lounge singer type of thing, which just doesn’t work on an outdoor stage while it is still daylight.
Overall I would say it was a good show, but not great. My two companions rated it higher, probably due to the fact that they like Lyle’s big band stuff.
It is still weird to look at this guy and think he was once married to Julia Roberts. Most people say “what was she thinking?”, I say “what was he thinking?”
-Clint

Uh, duh...

2007-07-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

Whole Foods Chief Mackey Criticized Wild Oats Online

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=arBE3wOOTTQc&refer=home

Wedding and Honeymoon photos

2007-07-12T12:25:00.000-05:00

Photos we took on our Wedding/Honeymoon trip to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are now on our Flickr site.
Simply go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebeanfields

Why did we come home?

2007-07-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

Our friend Heidi took this picture. This was just before the ceremony.
Molly

A True Scaredy Cat?

2007-07-09T19:59:00.000-05:00

Guinness the Cat has always been a unique feline. She comes when you call her name (most of the time), she plays hide-and-seek and chats like a maniac. Over the past year, her behavior has taken a weird turn. She acts like she’s seen a ghost or is being chased by a specter or something.
Behavior:
-acts completely skiddish
-crouches to the floor and runs the perimeter of rooms
-howls
-is physically HOT and pants like crazy

I’ve taken her to the vet a number of times because my description above doesn’t even scratch the surface of her behavior. Tests have been run and nothing has been found.

So this morning while this behavior was happening, I went to the basement and cleaned her litter box. While in the second box (yes, second box…) I mistook a HUGE spider for a clump of liter. This HUGE spider jumped out of the box. Seriously, it didn’t scamper. It jumped. It was close to 1.25-1.50 inches in diameter, had HUGE legs and body. I was freaked out. This is the second spider that I’ve found in her box in 6 months or so. Maybe Guinness the Cat is scared of spiders?
Molly

Ask the Atheist

2007-07-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

My friend Jaime’s blog (www.myspace.com/musicjaime ) lead me to this site: www.asktheatheist.com. It is pretty much what it’s name implies – a site for people to question atheists about their beliefs. It is interesting, and often funny, to read the questions and learn what some people think atheists are: immoral, pessimistic, hopeless, lost or misguided.
The preconceived notions about atheists are, probably, no more outrageous than the stereotypes of christians, catholics, jews, etc. But there are plenty of forums for learning about these beliefs, while atheism, not being an official, organized group, lacks such forums.
In an era of division and intolerance, the attitude of this site is a nice relief. The host neither takes offense, nor gives offense, no matter what questions are asked.
Clint

bruised banana

2007-07-09T08:31:00.001-05:00

Grand Prismatic Spring

2007-07-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

These pictures, by someone else, are of Molly and I's favorite spot in Yellowstone. It is Grand Prismatic Spring at the Midway Geyser Basin. The reason the pictures are not ours has to do with my accidentally deleting about 2 days worth of our honeymoon pictures from our digital camera - but we will always have the memories, right?
A scientific explanation of Grand Prismatic Springs from Wikopedia:

The vivid colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria in the microbial mats that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The bacteria produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat.
The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from a light-absorbing overtone of the hydroxy stretch of water . Though this effect is responsible for making all large bodies of water blue, it is particularly intense in Grand Prismatic Spring because of the high purity and depth of the water in the middle of the spring.

As we walked along the boardwalk to get different views of the spring, the heavy wind blew the steam across us. It was hard to see and provided a unique experience. It was pretty hot out - 85 to 90 degrees - but the steam and heat coming off the spring was overwelming. The wind was gusting, so we had periods of intense heat hitting our bodies, followed by moments of what, in relation, seemed like cool air. It was both exhilirating and disturbing. At times you could even feel part of your body being hit with the heat, while other parts were getting goose bumps from cooling so quickly. Molly wanted to get out of it as quickly as possible, but it was such a unique experience, I couldn't get enough of it.

Experiences and sites, such as this and others we had in Wyoming, have two polar opposite effects on me as an artist. They inspire ideas and a desire to make things that portray my inspiration. But it also sometimes make me wonder about the point of trying to make anything beautiful (not that that is usually the point of my work). And why I would try, or want to try, to compete with such amazing things.
Basically, what I have to figure out is this - with the knowledge that there is so much out there for us to see and understand and wonder about, what is the role of art?
-C

A Moveable Feast

2007-07-03T16:57:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, about his days as a young writer hanging out with other writer’s and artists in Paris in the 1920’s. It was a good book – quick and easy to read. One criticism is that he may have focused too much on the time he spent hanging out with famous people. Many pages were taken up by the odd behavior of Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and it got a little old. I am sure there were far more interesting stories and conversations he could have included, but didn’t because the person or people he was with simply didn’t turn out to be famous.
The book was interesting to me in two ways: how it changed my thoughts on Hemingway as a person and how it reminded me of my days as a young artist hanging out with other artists.
I have read a few of Hemingway’s other books and have certainly read and heard a lot about his personality. From that I have a picture of him as an ultra-macho, egotistical ass. But the Hemingway of this book, while self-assured and principled, does not seem pompous and, in fact, is critical of some of the more established writers he meets who are. Hemingway here is all about writing and not concerned with ego, fame, money or women.
The book made me miss my time as a student when I had the time and energy to work a job or two, spend countless hours in the studio, and then join friends (pretty much all artists, too) at the bar to talk about art, film, literature, etc.
Molly and I certainly have plenty of friends who are artists, musicians, etc., but I don’t find us talking about that stuff a whole lot. I imagine for most of us, and certainly for me, the way I approach the whole thing is very different. Looking, thinking and talking about art used to be a big part of my own art making experience. Now my art making is much more just about what I think or feel and not too affected by what others may be doing. I do wish I spent more time talking about it with others, but it is hard to find ways to talk about something that is so internal. While in school, my colleagues and I spent a lot of time with each other and looking and talking about our work in critiques and hanging out in each other’s studios. We had a deep understanding of one another’s work. I find it difficult to discuss art with other artists without that.

Film recommendation: TRUST

2007-07-03T11:12:00.000-05:00

I recently rewatched one of my favorite films, Trust, by director Hal Hartley. I first came across this film while I was in college, but home visiting my parents on a break. I came home after a night out at a bar with some friends and wanted a late night snack before going to bed. I saw that my parents had rented what looked like a low budget romantic comedy, but thought I would give it a try while I ate. It is somewhat of a romantic comedy , but I don't really care for the cover that tries to sell it as that - but it is a great movie about two people connecting.
Hartley has a unique, minimal way of writing dialog and directing his actors. It takes some time getting used to and until you do get used to it, you may think the acting is just poor. The characters often seem to be thinking out loud instead of talking and often aren't talking or listening to one another. The minimal, atmospheric music (also by Hartley), aids in the creation of a world in which the physical and verbal pretense are removed and dialog comes unfiltered.
Hartley has made a number of films and has a decent cult following. I don't think this is generally considered one of his better films, but to me it is his best.
-C

We're back!

2007-07-01T15:24:00.000-05:00

We have many, many photos and stories to share about our trip and nuptials etc., but wanted to pass along our adventures with wildlife...

Two years ago we visited several national parks in California (Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Death Valley) and had a goal of seeing some wildlife. The best that we saw that trip were some very friendly and hungry squirrels. So, in Yellowstone, the same goal stood: see some wildlife and mainly a moose or two.

What we saw in Yellowstone:
one grizzly bear, one black bear, yellow-bellied marmot, coyotes, herds of bison (more on those bison…), elk, prong horn deer, deer, chipmunk, American pelicans, trout, two boston terriers and Robert Wagner (twice).

We also were able to see bald eagles in the Tetons. Pretty cool.

Molly

Barber Shop

2007-06-20T15:24:00.000-05:00

Went to the barber shop the other day to get my "wedding cut." I have shaved my head myself for years now, so this was the first time I have paid someone to cut my hair in probably 15 years. For a balding head, $14 seemed a little steep, but hey, you only get married once, right? Hopefully.
While I was in the chair, my barber was being chatty, as barbers tend to be. So we were discussing the upcoming wedding when the barber working the next chair over says "You know what I don't understand is people who leave someone at the altar or even back out in the last few days."
I explained that I actually did understand that, seeing as how for the last several months I have thought about everything related to the wedding EXCEPT the fact that I am getting married. Fortunately, I consider myself to be in tune enough with my emotions that if I had any doubts I would have taken the time to think through them or to call my dad, brother-in-law, or Pete to talk. But I am sure there are plenty of people - men and women - who get so wrapped up in the wedding that they forget all about the marriage itself.

Prickly pear

2007-06-20T10:48:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the blooms on the prickly pear that dominates one of our flower beds beside the driveway. We didn't plant them - the previous owners did - but we really like cactus and hope to plant more when we get around to actually dealing with that sort of thing.
The bad thing about these flowers, like most, is that they only open up during the day. So every day I get in my car and leave for work before they open and return home after they have closed back up. It is my daily reminder of all the things we might be missing by having to go to work everyday. I had to take a day off of work to get this photo.

Today's the Day

2007-06-20T09:29:00.001-05:00

Clint and I leave today for our Saturday nuptials. We've been packed since Sunday and have really wanted to just be in Wyoming since then. Clint's folks and sister and brother in-law left last night, my brother left a 4 a.m. today and my parent's are annoyed with the airlines because they were greeted with a call from United today at 6 a.m. announcing that their flight had been cancelled and rescheduled with a 5 hr. layover in Denver (My Dad has now declared that he will never again fly a legacy carrier).

Safe travels to everyone making the trek to Wyoming.
More details of our adventures to come...
Molly

Print of Jem

2007-06-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

This is a print that a friend of ours had made from a photo she took of Jem a year or two ago. What a great gift.

Only in America

2007-06-13T15:40:00.000-05:00

The Kansas City Royals, in a desperate attempt to get people to the ballpark, have come up with a new promotion - All You Can Eat Seats! Apparently you can pay a little extra for your seat in a special section and get all the hot dogs, nachos, peanuts and soda you can swallow. What will they think of next?
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/kc/ticketing/allyoucaneat.jsp#whereare

Happy Birthday Clint!

2007-06-12T08:55:00.000-05:00

Love, Molly

Happy Birthday Guinness the Cat

2007-06-08T08:43:00.000-05:00

Happy 9th Birthday Guinness the Cat.
You are one CHATTY, hysterically playful, loving, did I mention chatty...cat.
May you have more long years of stalking us human folk.

-Molly