Chocolate Chicks

You know, I'm at DNA quite often, and I have yet to be there on one of these nights... O My God


This find is courtesy of Jenne's site... thanks for the constant source of enlightenment Jen!




Where do I sign up?

Wilkommen

A hearty hello to Andrea way out there in the middle somewhere. She has recently launched her own blog which can be found here. I, for one, can't wait to hear how she adapts her witty, intelligent, running dialogue on life to the written word... much love Red.

California Misses You

Last night four old friends got together for dinner at Lotus in San Rafael. There were AT LEAST ten emails sent back and forth between us the week prior. Ideas were slung, possibilities generated and considered and finally decided upon. As it was two sets of Marin parents were out of town for the weekend so we had our choice of homes to settle at after our delicious Indian meal. Katrina kindly had us over for red wine flights, home made angel food cake, ice cream and strawberries, and some of the best conversation we've all had together in a long time.

We talked of friends and family, life and art, culture and film. It was concluded that this type of thing just doesn't happen often enough and that steps will have to be taken to ensure that such events are not few and far between.

California misses You, Jenne Raub, and You Andrea Gross, and all you others out there who are at home but far from 'home.' We'll always have this, and we are so lucky for it. I will not take these things for granted in my life, ever. There is nothing more important in my life than my friends.

Cheers.

Oof Da

So much going on these days. Last night was outstanding. In fact the whole weekend was awesome. The weather on Saturday was undeniable and I went with a friend down to Stanford to the Cantor Center for Arts to see "Edge of the East," a traveling exhibit showing some of the cutting edge, contemporary art coming out of China. It was a fascinating show that included an installation piece consisting of 12 traditional Chinese school writing desks, each had a character workbook, traditional ink and brush and there was this video playing showing how to make accurate strokes. In essence it was an interactive installation where the 'art' was being created by each visitor who took the time to sit and learn a bit.

And it is MUCH more difficult to draw/write Chinese characters than I thought it would be. It is an absolute art form. Precision and accuracy, of stroke and form are the only appreciated expressions.

We also spent quite a bit of time in the Rodin sculpture courtyard where they have more than a dozen casts of some of his finest works; including a full size cast of the Gates of Hell, the seminal work that was never delivered to the client because the commission 'fell short' of expectations. It is stunning, horrifying and moving all at once.

Later that evening I had the first professional massage I've had in at least two years out at Frog's in Fairfax. It was amazing, I achieved levels of muscular relaxation I had forgotten were possible. This is something that will become a regular part of life.... and at $1 per minute, it's cheaper than some phone calls I make daily. Of course on Sunday I was a little sore, but hey you know what they say, No Pain - No warm tingly feeling in my hands and back right?

Two Weeks in Review

Where is 2005 going? I blinked and it's tax day. The last couple of weeks have been nutty. On top of my folks finally calling me from their B & B in Bordeaux to let me know they are alive and have not, in fact, been kidnapped by the French wine cartels. They still have no house, but they don't sound worried about that. I have a plane ticket now and dates I'll be gone. There is something incredibly solidifying about buying a plane ticket. It doesn't matter how long the trip is, or where I go, just having the ticket means I know where I have to be and what I need to be ready for....

When Parents Leave The Country

You know I've been really fine with this whole thing all along. I think it is a fabulous idea that my dad and Sheila move to France. Today though, was actually their last day in California... and in a week they'll be in Paris and then moving on to the Bordeaux region. I think it didn't really hit me until this afternoon as we were all sitting together over coffee at Trieste in Sausalito.

There was somewhat idle talk several months ago by my father and step-mother that they were thinking of moving to Europe. Then in December they actually went to France and toured several regions of interest and came back buoyed by their experience and ready to move forward. They enlisted an attorney over there, several real estate agents, opened bank accounts and made the proper inquiries about citizenship, legality and insurance. Then they sold their house in Orange County, packed up the house, shipped their stuff and the car and hit the road for a few days. Spent the night with my sister in Santa Cruz, a couple of nights up here in Marin and tomorrow morning they jump a plane to Kansas to hang with Sheila's boys and the grandkids.

Fine. Really. It's just that OC is SOOO much closer both geographically and psychologically than the fucking Vendee region of France. I mean really, it's fine, it's amazing actually and totally the right thing for them to be doing. I tell you though, if I didn't have a German girlfriend with family near Berlin, I would be having a lot more difficulty with this. Now instead of just one good reason to up and go to Europe with any frequency, I have two.

As I'm getting older I am realizing how much I absolutely abhor Goodbyes. It isn't as though I don't feel anything, or that I'm somehow detached from the reality of a goodbye situation, I just remain healthily in denial until at least an hour later -- usually when I'm conveniently alone. I know in less than 4 months I'll be on my way to see my folks from Germany by train. But there is this whole period of intense change, evolution, transition, development, and in some ways upheaval that they will be going through really without either my sister or I, or our step brothers.

It is a grand adventure, that is my feeling. Grand adventures can be daunting though, and I saw that in their eyes tonight. They are prepared, things are going to be fine, but there is a strain behind their eyes. The strain of not knowing.

See the thing is they don't have a house in France yet. Yeah. They sold the OC house and are doing this move on speculation. Oh they know where they'd like to be, they have the proper contacts for seeing what's available... but they don't actually have a home base there yet.

I could really free write all night about this but I think I'll leave it at that for now. I'm stoked for them, and I really wish I could just go with them for a few weeks, just the first few weeks. Not to hold hands or help out even, but just to go see, to experience first hand their experience with this new adventure.

Sheila, Dad, I love you both very much and wish you absolutely all the best for a smooth, effortless, graceful transition into this new phase of life. Enjoy yourselves, and in three months I expect we'll be sitting in the garden, conversing in French, eating cheese and sipping a local favorite.

Bon Voyage!