Alive and Well in Georgia!

Hi everyone!  I'm back from a totally unintended blogging break, which was the result of accidentally leaving my backpack (including my laptop) in San Francisco!  I had it all packed as my carry on--laptop, books, work, phone charger, etc . . . and left it in the car when I got out at the train station.  Thus, I've been sans internet for a while . . . can't wait to catch up on all your blogs!

As soon as I got home, my mama, sis, and I headed to Tybee Island for a little beach trip.  It was good, redneck fun. ;)  I'm really grateful to have had time to spend with them--we never get time just the three of us!  Plus, the overcast weather led to much Sons of Anarchy watchin.' :)

We drove back on Saturday for my cousin Stevie's wedding:

my beautiful cousin, Stevie, and her new husband, Josh

Mama, Kate, and me at the wedding

the bride with her two sisters (we're all girl cousins on my mama's side!)

sisters: Aunt KK, Aunt Pat, my mama

uncles ;)

Daddy and me 

The wedding was beautiful and fun, and the next day I got to hold this sweet baby (my cousin Jennifer's half-sister's brand new daughter):

Emma Kate: 6 lbs 12 oz of CUTENESS

Today, after accompanying Jason, one of my bffs, to his radiation treatment (he has testicular cancer; he's gonna be fine, and he has the most incredible attitude about it), we stopped for brunch at Social House, where I had the southernest of breakfasts:

fried green tomato crepes, cheese grits, sweet tea

And then I spent the afternoon with my 91 year old grandmother, who advised that instead of seeking romance and passion, I begin to look for a man who is "rather dull."  

Off for a ride on my dad's Harley . . . so grateful he's willing to feed the obsession!

Busy Weekend in Pictures

Why did I think summer would be so low-key and relaxing?  I had visions of spending my days lounging on my back porch with a Blue Moon, big sunnies, and some books . . . and yet, not so much how it's turned out.  Working a lot on my curriculum, meetings, babysitting, social engagements, stalking motorcycle clubs, visitors + travel = one busy girl.

Here's what I've been up to this weekend:

eating lots of these

dinner (Delfina Pizzeria) and drinks (Double Dutch; my fave) 

with my dear friend Monica

p.s. anyone know how to get the iPhone 4 to take better pics in the dark?

p.p.s. check out the awesome boombox on the Double Dutch homepage

p.p.p.s. go to Delfina Pizzeria and get the broccoli raab pizza stat.

sunny days at the pool with this guy & his impish brother

immersed in my new book

p.s. the co-authors, Keith and Kent Zimmerman,

teach creative writing in my unit at San Quentin

a beautiful San Francisco Sunday in Freeman's back yard

Tomorrow I'll be missing Leeann, who was supposed to be visiting this weekend, until I dropped the ball and took too long to email her times (the airfare sale ended) :(.  No doubt we would have torn up the town.  Instead, I'll be BBQing with friends during the day, and teaching at San Quentin at night.  Normally I wouldn't teach on a holiday, but I'll be out of town the next two Mondays (here I come, Georgia!  here I come, Cabo San Lucas!), so I'm sucking it up for the greater good.  Needless to say, my students don't have any other plans. ;)

Fittingly, I'll be teaching this poem.

Happy 4th!  

The Holiday Blues

Every year I go home to Georgia for Christmas, but the other holidays can be hard.  I always call my mama's house on Easter, where the entire family has gathered, and she passes the phone around so I can say hi to everyone.  I love getting to talk to them, but it inevitably leaves me feeling a little depressed that they're all together and I'm thousands of miles away.  Would that I could just wiggle my nose and transport myself home for every occasion.

My auntie Pat posted these picture of our family's Easter celebration yesterday:

my sisters

(Jennifer--on the left--is my cousin, but we grew up like sisters.  Lil sis Kate on the right)

sweet Nana on the left and my mama on the right

this year Nana will be 80, Mama will be 50, and I will be 30!

Uncle Mike & pretty cousins with spread of food

Uncle Ted on left, brother-in-law Andy on right

love the twin crossed legs, boys

Jennifer's son, Ethan, and our Auntie Pat

Ethan hunting for eggs in Mama's back yard

I would have loved to be there with them.  I miss everyone exponentially on holidays.  But although it was sad that I couldn't be with my family on Easter, I did the next best thing and headed up to the Freitags to watch Milo and Jude hunt for eggs:

the Freitags on Easter + the view from their backyard

Milo furiously hunting eggs

me and my little love

JJ and Judebug, both sporting seersucker

Thank goodness for the Freitags aka my home away from home!  It was a gorgeous day outside, and those boys always put me in a better mood.  Plus, after the uncles and aunts and cousins went home, Cari and I did something very Easterly: we watched a very intense, violent movie about post-Apartheid South Africa.  ;)

Notice anything about the cast?  Particularly the guy standing in the middle?  Yes, ladies & gentlemen, it's Tim Riggins.  And despite the fact that he had to lose 30 pounds to portray strung out combat photographer, Kevin Carter, he was just as fine as ever in this movie.

All hotness aside, it was a great movie, although devastating.  The story centers around four photographers who are trying to take the best pictures of the violence going on around them.  Kevin Carter (played by Taylor Kitsch--it's a true story) eventually took the following photo of a starving child in Sudan being stalked by a vulture:

from

Although Carter won the Pulitzer Prize for this photo (taken in southern Sudan in 1993), it was obviously surrounded by controversy.  The public questioned him: did you just leave that girl to die?  What did you do after you took the picture?  Unable to face these questions and the ethics of his job in general, Carter kills himself.  And while it was tough to watch Tim Riggins go through all that . . . it was worth it.  

Sorry for the downer.  Probably should have ended with Jude toddling around in his seersucker suit clutching plastic eggs.  What did y'all do for Easter?

Work Hard, Play Hard

That's been my motto of late (although seems I'm working harder than playing).  Today, for instance, after babysitting twin toddlers, I met up with my friend Diana for our bi-weekly poetry & dinner meeting.  She suggested the Saturn Cafe in downtown Berkeley, which is a sparkly, retro, space age vegetarian diner.  That's right.  And I had a salad and a milkshake--how's that for juxtaposition?

And speaking of juxtaposition:

WORK: California standardized testing this week at the high school.  Schedule all outta whack.


PLAY:  Dinner and beers with friends Saturday night included Heather's baby Rowan, who has developed an impressive pair of cheeks:

hi, I'm 3 months and I'm lookin' like my mama here

WORK:  Trying to create a powerpoint on Restorative Justice for my students.  Don't really understand powerpoint.

PLAY:  Planning for three back to back visits from far-away friends starting in late May.  Beaches, coastal hiking trails, Burmese food, rooftop cocktails, Napa wineries, Mission burritos--here we come!

Tomorrow morning it's back to the grind: teach teach teach, babysit babysit babysit.  But somewhere in between all that chaos, I will inevitably find time for my latest obsession:

from

I've got it bad.  I can't put this game down.  In fact, I've been neglecting my Words with Friends friends because I've been spending every waking iPhone hour with Tiny Wings.

Gonna call it a night, given that this post is already as erratic as they come.  Fingers & toes are crossed for a return to normalcy and deep breathing soon.  At least I've got prom to look forward to. ;)

Love Comes in Spurts + My Weekend

On Saturday I convinced my dear friend Anna to take a walk with me from my house in north Oakland to Raleigh's in downtown Berkeley.  There were three incentives: 1) a 5 mile walk, 2) girl time, and 3) the enormous salads and beers at Raleigh's.  It was a gorgeous bay area day and the perfect way to spend a Saturday.  First thing we ordered upon arriving at Raleigh's:

Anna's cider on the left, my Shock Top on the right

and then I hungrily ordered this, aka the best salad I've ever had in my life (well, I've had it a bunch of times, but it's always the best salad):

you can't tell from this picture that it's bigger than my head

We sat outside on the big, sunshiney patio and talked about jobs, dating, travel, etc.  I want to do this every Saturday.  It was perfect.  

On the way home, I remembered that there's something written in the concrete that I love to pass by.  I want to blow it up and frame it and hang it in my home (okay maybe I want to frame a better photo of it):

So true, right?  This little piece of "street art" has me thinking a lot about love . . . and if it truly does "come in spurts," and if we can will it into being, and what it would take to beckon a love spurt.  I am ready!

On Sunday I headed up to Marin to take care of the Freitag boys while their parents were on a mini-getaway for JJ's 40th birthday.  We made this sign for JJ:

and presented it to him, along with the above photo in a frame, upon their return (they went to Cavallo Point Spa, the "lodge at the Golden Gate," for those in the Bay Area who might be seeking an escape). And check out my Judebug eating pizza and watching Finding Nemo:

Ha!  I love that baby so much.

Hope your weekend was just as lovely.  I turned in my grades, but still have a long road ahead of me, preparing for my students' big event Thursday night, and mentally getting ready for babysitting five kiddos on Friday night.  I'll be packin' valium & a bottle of wine. ;)

Friday I'm in Love!

Yay for Friday!  This week has been busy, but also full of things that I'm lovin':

Summergirl

1. The Orange Cadbury Creme Egg

from

No more talk about this obsession because I am trying, desperately, to overcome it.  Moving on.

2. Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

Peep my nails:

Excuse a) the bad picture and b) the marker on my hands (we were making posters for our event in class).  But check out how cute my little fishnet nails are!  This is the second time I've used Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips and they seriously do last about a week.  It's incredible.  I'm smitten.

3. This Baby's Face

I know yammering on and on about babies can be tiresome, but this baby, Jude Freitag, is otherworldly.  I babysit him and his big brother (whom I also adore) every Thursday, and Jude pretty much smiles at me like this the entire afternoon.  He's unlike any other.  

4. Casey Abrams

from

American Idol makes me realize I'm a little snotty about music.  I totally turn my nose up when contestants choose lame-o songs to sing (eh-hem, Pia, Thia, and Stefano).  Which is why my heart swelled so big when Casey did me proud again by picking CCR last week.  How rad was he with his stand up bass?  I love this guy.  Possibly even more than I loved Andrew Garcia . . . which is sayin' a lot.  I voted my thumbs off on Wednesday night for this dude.  And speaking of American Idol, can y'all believe Pia got sent home?  The most attractive contestant in the history of this show?  With some bangin' vocals?  Crazy.

5. That Which Gets Me through the Week

thank you for helping me survive

Happy Friday everyone.  Hope the weekend's fun!  Now tell me what you're loving this week . . .

Kids Growin' Up Too Fast

And no, I'm not talking about teen pregnancy.  But speaking of which, we might have to talk about Teen Mom 2 soon.  I never thought I'd fall quite that low in my television habits, but it turns out working 60 hours a week makes you want to come home and do all kinds of crazy things (drink 40's of Blue Moon, watch Teen Mom 2, spend your remaining hours in a snuggie).  None of my friends are classless enough to watch Teen Mom 2, so I might need to call on some of you to discuss some things with (Jenelle is a monster beyotch who raises my blood pressure, Kailyn's baby is fugly, and please let baby Ali be okay!).


In any case, today is a very special day.  It is the first birthday of my favorite little person:

sweet Judebug

I know it's a little blurry, but it's the cutest picture ever so it's the one I had to share.  Jude Freitag is the most shining example of humankind.  He's cuddly, handsome, he never cries, and well, he's pretty much the dreamiest guy around.  I can't wait to celebrate with him!  And I'm also in denial that he is a whole year old.  Geez Louise.

And speaking of kids growing up too fast, check out this pic that Marianne sent me of my favorite celebritot:

Oh Suri and your pink Uggs.  

Please tell me that's hot chocolate in your Starbucks cup!

My love for Suri Cruise might be unexplainable, but it's steadfast.  Look at my girl gettin' all big!  Before we know it, she'll be spotted in hotel rooms with famous-haired tweens.  I'm getting old . . . 

Having a Gay Old Time in the Castro

San Francisco has some of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the world, one of which is most definitely its famous gay 'hood, the CASTRO!  Yesterday (nursing a bit of a hangover from a wild karaoke party the night before), I went to pick up my little boo, Freeman, and we headed out to lunch in the most colorful neighborhood in the city.

rainbow flags on every light post

And I really did have the most handsome little lunch date:

always a hit with the gays

Walking around the Castro, one is likely to stumble upon men walking tiny dogs in sweaters, shirtless bears in the windows of bars, and a plethora of sex toys in shop windows (yesterday even I came across something I didn't know existed . . . and that's sayin' a lot).  I'm always amused by the hilarious store names in the Castro:

on the left, my personal fave: Does Your Mother Know

and on the right, Hand Job Nails & Spa

A few months ago, I was driving home from babysitting Freeman, and was at a stop sign at 18th and Castro, when a totally naked man crossed the street (along with several other pedestrians who were clothed).  Now, this would not be weird at all had it been the Folsom St. Fair or Gay Pride weekend . . . but it was an average Wednesday evening around 8:30 pm.  

I love this city.

My little valentine

Jude Freitag puts all other men in my life to shame.  He beams at me, snuggles with me, and gives me lots of hugs.  He's my sweetest little valentine every day of the year!  Don't those dark brown eyes bear straight into your heart?

p.s. His older brother, Milo, who proudly gave me a Dora the Explorer valentine card, isn't so bad himself.

p.p.s. And a big thank you to their parents for sharing them with me!

Introducing Mr. Rowan Skye Yalin!

As many of you know, my dear friend Heather (whose blog, A Measure Of . . . , many of you read) had her baby a couple weeks ago!  It's such a trip to take a lil' journey down memory lane and remember all the wild (and maybe a little reckless) times Heather and I had in grad school.  We tore up the streets of San Francisco, that's for sure!  She was one of my first friends in the MFA program (we met in 2004), and we've been peas in a pod ever since.

I finally have permission to share baby's deets with you, so here goes!

Mr. Rowan Skye Yalin was born on January 27th at 3:17 am.  8 lbs 12 oz, 21 inches--big baby!  Though you wouldn't know it cause he looks so cute and teeny now!  Here are some pics from my visit today:

Serkan, Heather, and baby Rowan

papa & son

(and my favorite picture of the baby)

with Auntie Claire :)

I gotta brag on my friends for a moment.  Heather looks amazing.  Almost like she did before she got pregnant (what???).  And Serkan is the sweetest guy around--he's adorable, kind, totally devoted, and incredibly charming.  What lucky people to have found each other.

I came over with champagne & designer duds:

cause I believe in babies with style.  And drinking. ;)

Congrats, Yalins!  He's mighty cute.

And now I'm off to my friend Truong's art opening at a gallery in Oakland.  Goodness, I have talented friends.  Happy weekend!

Friday I'm in Love!

Summergirl

I've got a new shoe crush and it's taken hold of me.  Evidently, Rihanna and I have the same taste in Louboutins.  The one pair I own, she owned first (damn her!).  And now, she's bested me again, cause she has the Christian Louboutin Misfit 150s!  Thus begins my Friday I'm in Love post with

1. These Loubs:

other things I love about this photo: Vogue, Rihanna, Annie Leibovitz

OMFG

Believe it or not, I think I like them best in the creamy khaki color.  They're perfectly dramatic in black, but maybe a little too goth for me.  But the lighter color?  HOLY MOTHER.  I've fallen hard.  They're only $1500, so I only need to take 862 more babysitting jobs to get my paws on them!

2. Snooki's book being on the New York Times best seller list.

Don't believe me?  Click here.  

Did I just order this book from amazon?  Why yes, yes I did.  What can I say, I love to read. ;)

(What I'm not in love with: that I have $80K of student loans and an MFA in Creative Writing and yet Snooki's book is on the best seller list).

3. FREE SNOOKI

That moments after Snooki was hauled off by the cops and taken to the slammer, JWOWW was sporting one of these:

In case you've forgotten some of Snooki's finer moments, here's a little reminder:

4. Jude + Tim Riggins

Jude is nobody's fool, and damn straight he's paying homage to the fact that Tim Riggins has been released from jail and is back in Dillon, Texas!  Let's just say my Wednesday nights have gotten a little brighter (uh--hotter) now that Timmy's back on Friday Night Lights.  

welcome home, baby.  

tell me, what kinds of things did you miss while you were in prison?

Hope the rest of you have had a lovely week and have fun weekend plans.  I finally have a day off on Sunday (!!!) so let's just say the world is my oyster.  Happy weekend!