Giada De Laurentiis

An e-mail excerpt to my Mom when she asked me how the book signing event went with the celebrity chef, Giada De Laurentiis today. I got a couple of pictures while she was being interviewed by a local paper. I was lucky enough to score a place in line directly opposite the window.

It was fun. The signing was 12:00 - 1:00. I left the house at 10:00
to go to Powells to buy the new book, then headed to Williams Sonoma. I
got to WS right at 11:00 thinking I'd be one of the first people. Boy was
I wrong. I was about 100 people back, and by the time the line started
moving at 12:00, there were at least 500-600 people behind me.

But,
around 11:30, directly opposite me, through glass in the store's main display
area, a reporter and photographer began arranging furniture to accommodate an
interview. Around 11:40, Giada arrived to much fanfare, and entered the
store. Within seconds she was with the reporter and photographer,
literally 6 feet from me, but through glass. People gasped at
her beauty. She really was stunning, and we all agreed the T.V.
does not do her justice. She was very tan, had her hair down, and, of
course, lots of makeup. The makeup was a bit darker than what she uses on T.V. She was wearing an interesting cardigan-type sweater with
roses and skulls on it, and her tight jeans were low-cut and had
silver crowns sewn on the back pockets. Black boots. During the
interview, she was VERY animated, just like she is on her show.

The interview finished up right at noon, and then she was ushered into the book
signing area, and the line started moving forward around
12:05.

When I first arrived on the line, Williams Sonoma workers
were coming down the line with sticky notes to put on the title page with the
names with which Giada was going to personalize the book. I asked if
she would sign the cover of the book, and I was told no. There was lots of
congenial chatter among the people in line, talking about Giada's Chefography,
recipes they had tried, and all the typical things you'd expect. 75% of
the line were women between 40-65. The lone guy in front of me was gay and
about 45. A few young, seemingly heterosexual guys like me, but few and
far between.

The line snaked through the store, to a waist-high
table, behind which Giada was sitting on a stool hamming it up with each
person. She spent about 30-45 seconds which everyone. I had
rehearsed a bit what I was going to say, so I stepped right up with a big smile,
leaned in, and said, "Welcome to Portland, Giada. It's a real pleasure to
meet you in person." She said, "Thank you, Rob [having glanced at the
dedication sticky note], it's a beautiful city." I said, "You are
really inspirational." She said, "Do you do the cooking for your
family?" I said, "In the last year I've begun really enjoying it, and with
my new job, I have more time to experiment. Your recipes are fun to
make." "Good for you! Have fun with all recipes in the new
book!" "Thanks Giada!"

To:
Rob
XO
Giada

And, she signed her first book that you gave me
for Christmas, XO Giada.

It was fun and exciting.

Teeth

My son, Grady, lost his first tooth last night. It was a fun event. We captured it on video.

We Did It

Our intense 3-day house hunt in Boston netted us a nice home on 4 acres of land in South Natick, MA. We feel like we got a great deal compared to some other homes we had been considering. It was shocking to see what little house so much money could buy in the western suburbs. I mean $750,000 for a 1960s raised-ranch? $700,000 for a 1300 sqft home in a decidedly lower middle-class neighborhood? We managed to avoid that madness and ended up with a newer home in a great neighborhood & school district.

Our 5 1/2 year old will enter an elementary school this Fall that shares land with a working farm. As we understand it, the kindergartners have weekly "chores" where they milk cows, shear sheep (or more likely watch) and harvest chicken eggs. Grady will love that. Of the 650+ elementary schools in the Boston area, this one is ranked #73, so in the 90th percentile.

Colleen's commute will be about 17 miles into Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. Mine will be 8 miles against traffic to the local Exit Realty office. Although Colleen's commute will be about 3 miles less than it is here in Oregon, it'll most likely take 15 minutes longer because of the congested roads in Massachusetts.

More later.

Music, Music, Music

Boy am I on a winning streak with music I'm discovering. Much of this is might not be new to you, reader, but wow am I excited to have these new albums playing in my iTunes player as I sit here blogging (on my PC). It's like a license to a new life.

Nada Surf - Let Go: It's a wonderful romp that reminds me of Semisonic mixed with Wilco. The front man's voice is crystal clear, but the music is predominantly chunky and warm. Highlights are Fruit Fly, Blonde on Blonde, and Hi Speed Soul.




Eels - Souljacker: I have been a big fan of the Eels' Bright Lights and Other Revelations album, even seeing Mark Oliver Everett's Eels With Strings concert last summer. I just began exploring his other work and Souljacker is superb, while Shootennanny is very good. How do I describe the music? Hmmm...it's the musical equivalent of a dry-humored comedian. Everett's voice is kind of gravelly and measured, but he punches it up just enough to expose rare gems within his smart songs. Highlights are Dog Faced Boy (I challenge you not to at least rock your torso to this one), Woman Driving Man Sleeping, and Friendly Ghost.


Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit: I am so excited about this Scottish band. I'd read a few good things about them in the last few months, then saw the great reviews on Metacritic and couldn't resist. The lead singer's alto voice is unique and takes a little getting used to, but once your ear attunes to it, the rest of the experience is infectious. My first impression of the album was that it sounded like the 80s English band, The Housemartins. That comparison doesn't hold up so well after several listens, but it's fair for an initial reaction. The whole album is a highlight, but to choose three: Act of the Apostle Pt. 1, White Collar Boy, Funny Little Frog.


Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood: Neko is equal parts Patsy Cline, Mazzy Star and Loretta Lynn. I've heard the album described as the perfect soundtrack to a David Lynch movie. Although her roots are in country music, Neko's voice is universally good and the production of the album gives her voice kind of a dance-hall echo. It has an old-time feel that just make me feel good. Highlights are Star Witness, John Saw That Number, The Needle Has Landed.


The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics: This is a brand new album by the band that loves to experiment with computers, samples and other un-worldly sounds. I have been a BIG fan of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, and decided to check out their new album. They left their concept album approach behind and put together 3 great tracks and 9 good ones. Highlights: Yeah Yeah Yeah Song, Free Radicals (I agree with a reviewer that said this song compares favorably to Prince in his prime), and -- check out this title -- "It Overtakes Me - The Stars Are So Big, I Am So Small. Do I Stand A Chance." I've also begun listening to The Flaming Lips most heralded album, The Soft Bulletin, and it is packed with lucious, interesting songs. There are so many different sounds and samples, that I often have to turn the music down to make sure my sons aren't making mischief in the next room or that an ambulance isn't fast approaching while I'm driving.

Monday KidSpeak

From the mouths of 5-year olds. (If Lucas was a cat, he'd have only 4 lives left.)

Have you ever NOT followed a safety rule?

Josh: “I don’t think so, I pretty much try to stay safe most of the time”

Maddie: “Since I’m a good listener I always listen to rules but when the fire is going sometimes my Mom will say its ok that I can put something in it. I only do it if she says it’s okay”

Grady: “ I don’t know….Well, I think I have jumped on the couch and once I stepped on the floor and slipped after my Dad told me not to because he was cleaning it”

Jackson: “I always follow my Dads safety rules”

Lucas: “Ya, once I put a match in the stove when I was two and then once I put paper in the plug-in and it caught on fire and I also touched a knife once too and I put paper in my ear and once I put a bean in my ear too”

Annie: “No, I always listen and I swim on Thursdays too”

Kaitlin: “ No, I always follow rules, like cleaning my room so people don’t trip over my toys”

Pierce: “ Well, I have eaten things off the floor, like fruit snacks because they’re so good and once I found a piece of hot dog on the floor and I ate that too but now that you told me that kids might eat things that are bad, like medicine because they think it’s candy, I’ll be more careful”