Buyza

MetroTimes review's D's album

2009-08-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

And they like it!

Check it out HERE.

You can check out the label that put it out, (and buy it through iTunes) at Moodgadget.

OH -- and HERE is an awesome video made by Danny DiMaggio of one of D's new songs!

The new Ford Taurus!

2009-07-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not here to tout the programmable key on the new 2010 Taurus -- though it makes me excited to see what technology will be in place when Claire gets her license.

Dan has been working at a music house since January, composing music for commercials. Some weeks are busier than others, but on any given day he's working far more than full-time hours, creating original music for everything from Papa John's pizza and Jiffy Lube spots, to baby shampoo and down home grocery stores.

There's no shortage of car ads around these parts, and Daniel, who submits his songs along with a roster of other freelancers, won his first two spots recently! One is a U of M song that will play during football games for years to come, which is currently in production.

The other is a Ford Taurus spot, which he just wrote a couple of weeks ago, but went live on Ford's Web site today. His is the spot "The Sophomores" all the way on the right.

You can check it out HERE.

Feeling it!

2009-07-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Here is secret footage of Claire totally feeling it in the car the other night. This kid loves the Ting Tings. You have to wait until about the 20 second mark to the end to see her really break it down.

This kid could be makin' bank modeling for JC Penney, am I right?

2009-05-21T19:35:00.001-07:00

Before we set off to Claire's dance recital (which I SO wish we had video of) we snapped a few shots at the house. You should know that all I said was, "Let me get a couple of pictures of you," and she started posing like a pro!

Aw. Aren't babies adorable?

2009-05-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Officer JBiZzNys

2009-04-16T09:45:00.001-07:00

My baby brother Joe, aka J. BiZzNys, was on CSI last night. He's the handsome cop in the background in these photos...

Leave my food alone!

2009-04-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

There is an online petition that has been started to stop HR 875 -- I've signed it and so should you!

In its current form, the bill could prevent small local organic farms and community gardeners from growing and selling you nutritious, truly fresh, organic produce. It would crush our small local food producers by imposing heavy government regulation that only large corporations could adhere to. Imagine:

* No more farmers markets.
* No more garden fresh, seasonal ingredients from the local farmer at your favorite restaurant.
* No more roadside stands with fresh picked sweet corn, juicy ripe tomatoes, or refreshing
watermelons in the summer.

Americans would essentially be forced to only eat corporately manufactured, chemically treated, hermetically sealed, irradiated fruits and vegetables. Stop this abomination now.

To prevent this bill, act now by signing the petition!

NUMBER SEVEN!!!!!!

2009-03-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

There's a new music show on WDET every Saturday and Sunday hosted by Ann Delisi called "Essential Music." A few weeks ago, I was listening when I heard they were holding a contest for a theme song.

My squeeze Dan composed a piece of music and threw his hat in the ring, along with 57 others -- but screw them!

VOTE FOR NUMBER 7 HERE!

It's true.

2009-03-26T17:43:00.001-07:00

We're moving.

Again.

This will be the third move in a year. A YEAR. Ugh. The good news is, we found a great house in Ferndale. The bad news is, we love our landlord. New landlord Jim has some big shoes to fill.

I'll let Dan explain why we're moving HERE.

And you can see what the view is at our current home, around which a construction crew recently descended from the sky. Check it out HERE.

We're (hopefully) moving in over the course of the next few weeks, so we'll be sure and update with photos of the new pad!

Tiny Dancer

2009-02-22T20:12:00.001-08:00

Actually, if you look at these pictures, you'll see Claire is not the tiniest of dancers compared to some of her dance classmates who she towers over. But she's still pretty damn cute.

Dan and I were front and center watching her third-ever dance class with teacher Miss Elizabeth and about 20 other kids at the Borgo School of Dance near our house. As you can see from the pictures, she's got pretty good form -- far better than many of her classmates! (Not that I'm biased.)

Steal a Pencil for Me

2009-02-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

Today I watched one of the most touching and heart-wrenching love stories ever, the documentary Steal a Pencil for Me.

The movie chronicles the love and lives of Ina and Jaap, who met in Holland just before they each were sent to a concentration camp, where they fell in love through letters while in the camps. I tend to watch all kind of random documentaries and occasionally find one that I just love for one reason or another. I'm so glad I tossed this into my Netflix queue on a whim. Oh -- and if you subscribe to Netflix, you can watch it through their site.

Say it with me now.

2009-01-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from about a year ago -- might come in handy for some of you who are sick right now!

Oscillococcinum. Ah-sill-o-cox-i-num. There. That wasn't so hard (but, yes, it took me a few days).

It's flu season, which a few of us have been reminded the hard way. Last week the flu took me down. Granted, it was only 24 hours, but it was a long 24 hours. I'll spare you most of the gory details (and gory they are) but the worst part of it probably was the crippling stomach pain, as if someone were squeezing my stomach in their hands and trying to rip it from my intestines. I would have to stop in my tracks, breathe, and wait for it to pass, much like I imagine a woman in labor experiences.

I was lucky enough to have someone attending to my every tear-filled whim – from massaging my aching calves to getting me a cold washcloth for my forehead and drawing me a bath. After the bath and shower, I experienced that brief honeymoon phase all sick people experience. Where you're able to tell yourself for a good half hour that maybe the shower fixed you and you're all better now.

I knew that feeling was fleeting and off we went in search of remedies and something – anything – that I could get into my stomach. So I loaded up on lentil soup from Beruit Palace, crystallized ginger and ginger beer.

And on the advice of a friend who works at Foods for Living in Okemos, I went to Whole Foods to seek out a French homeopathic flu remedy – Oscillococcinum. He told me, "Just start spelling it and they'll say, 'Oh – we have it right here. It's on sale right now.'" He was right. I got a three-dose pack of the tiny magic pellets, made by the company Boiron, its sole manufacturer.

According to Wikipedia, the name Oscillococcinum was coined by a French physician in the 1920s who had studied the blood of victims of the Spanish Flu epidemic during the previous decade. He reported finding a vibrating bacteria he believed was responsible for not only the flu but many other diseases including cancer and measles and eczema (which obviously since have been disproved).

Because it is homeopathic, my friend advised me not to touch the tiny pellets in the single dose-sized vials. Open it, pour it in your mouth, let the pellets dissolve and I'll be feeling better in about 20 minutes. Having spent the day too nauseous to knit or even look at the TV as I tried to watch movies, I certainly didn't believe it. By the time I stood in the checkout lane at Whole Foods, I was back on struggle street – the post-bath honeymoon period was over. But I felt so sick I didn't dare take a dose until I was back at home.

I chewed some ginger, cracked open a ginger beer, managed to get down about half a cup of soup and went for it. It tasted like candy. Twenty minutes later I was, in fact, knitting and watching a movie. I may have even cracked a smile here and there for the first time in a day. Holy crap. This stuff really works.

So, I wanted to share my newfound flu miracle with any of you who never have heard of it. If you're skeptical, I say, it's worth a shot. Maybe it's all b.s. Maybe it should totally disgust me that it's somehow made from something extracted from duck liver and heart. But maybe I don't care if I'm doubled over in pain like I was last Thursday and yet was able to party with many of you at the Manor on Friday.

Finding new treasures in Downtown Berkley

2009-01-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

Perusing some local yarn stores last weekend I found this baby alpaca yarn and knew it had to be mine. I rarely (OK, never) make myself stuff, so last weekend I decided this would be it!

I have had a lot of success and positive response from the new cowls I have been making, so I decided I needed one.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am only beginning to baby-step into wearing color. For more than a decade, black has been my color. (In high school, one of the administrators used to say, "Is it Johnny Cash day again just about every time he saw me).

Going through the piles and baskets and compartments of yarn stacked high at Have You Any Wool? and felt this amazing yarn. (Did I mention they give you a mimosa on Saturdays? I swear it made the it even softer.) I didn't even know what it was. Then one of the employees said, "That's what that vest is made out of." and pointed to this cool sweatery-vest thing. As I made my way around the room, I kept looking at it and when I got there -- everything else went back on the shelves. This is what I was going to make my cowl out of.

I bought two skeins of the yarn just in case I needed more. Well, it only took one, so that means I can make a cowl to sell. I've just posted it in my shop. Within a few minutes a friend ordered a custom one for her sister-in-law and I've gotten several views on the one I posted. I love it!

After I visited Have You Any Wool? I decided to walk around downtown Berkley and check out some shops, etc., which I never had done.

I stopped into City Style where I met the owner, Carrie. She was really nice and told me a bit about what was around downtown Berkley. There are some awesome shoes and bags in City Style. It reminded me of one of my favorite Chicago shoe haunts, Lori's, but a little smaller and with less product. But I will definitely be stopping back when I have a little more dough (or any, for that matter).

I waltzed into Catching Fireflies, which had a lot of cute gifty things, kitschy stuff for everyone from the home cook and babies to newlyweds and friends. I'll definitely be going back when I have more time. By the time I got in there -- and there's so much to look at! -- I had to go to the bathroom and was starving.

On Carrie's advice, I decided to go to the sports bar 24 Seconds. Originally, I had planned to go to my favorite pizza joint, Amici's, but they weren't open yet. So, I took Carrie's word for it that a sports bar would have plenty of vegetarian options.

When I walked inside, my ears immediately were assaulted by cranked up speakers blasting various sporting events. A bowl game here, a basketball game there. I don't think I ever truly adjusted to it, and still don't understand why it had to be THAT loud. But the other, sports-loving patrons seemed to be find with it, not to mention the 20 or so TVs that were plastered throughout the place.

BUT, Carrie was right -- lots of food to choose from. I ended up going with a side of the cucumber, onion, dill salad and a giant grilled vegetable salad for lunch. It had greens, pine nuts, Gorgonzola cheese, tons of grilled veggies including asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes, and had a great citrus balsamic vinaigrette with it, and was served over toasted ciabatta bread points.

Who knew -- at a sports bar! I'd go back again for sure. Just maybe not during bowl game season...

Last but not least, I discovered another little yarn store. Twisted Stitches. It's basically across the street from Have You Any Wool? so it's odd that I never saw it. If I hadn't been walking by, I wouldn't have seen the yarn through the window and never would have known it was there.

I had a great talk with Maureen, the owner. We sat down and talked about yarn, my experiences in the Detroit Urban Craft Fair, and all things Etsy. She gave me the most adorable, teeny, tiny, miniature buttons that she bought from a button vendor in Manhattan. She's having a big sale right now -- especially trying to get rid of her lot of scrapbooking supplies and bookbinding supplies so she can focus more on yarn and things. She had a some great hand dyed yarn and a dozen or two other kinds, much of which will be half off in the coming weeks. I bought some really great lumpy, bumpy wool in varying shades of blue for half off and started a scarf out of it last night.

Maureen has made a new friend and customer for sure -- I will soon be back!

So, that's all about my day in Berkley, my new discoveries and how my new baby alpaca cowl came to be.

Buyza is Knitting for the Cure!

2009-01-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

Check out my blog about how I'm going to knit for a cure for cancer and how you can help HERE.

Making Christmas

2008-12-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

Just about every year, Daniel records a Christmas song. Sometimes it's a cover. Sometimes it's an original.

This year, he got his ladies in on the mix. Making Christmas was a group effort, both in the writing and the singing (Claire didn't need the same amount of whiskey that I did to get up and sing).

Maybe we can be like a miniature Partridge Family, paint the Jeep and go on the road.

The other three songs are performed by Daniel. "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" has been a favorite since I first heard it.

Happy holidays!

Kirst

Making Christmas (Feat. Kirsten, Claire and Lil' Wayne)

What Child

I'm Dreaming (Of a White Christmas)

Cold Hands, Warm Heart

(P.S. If you're having any troubling listening to the songs, click on the link and "Save As" then find it and listen to it! That should work!)

Help Sugar Kisses!

2008-11-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

Vegan-friendly Royal Oak bakery Sugar Kisses learned a few weeks ago that their building has been sold and they must move by the end of the year or close up shop, after 5 1/2 years at their Washington Avenue location.

In general, this would be a challenge, not to mention that bakeries often make the most profit at holiday time, so this makes the move especially hard to complete while hoping to keep the doors open.

And, they need some help! There are three ways we can help them:

1. Give them your business! They have a packed menu full of breakfast stuff (Scones, coffee cakes, etc.), cookies and cupcakes, candy, granola bars and much more. They have vegan and gluten free items. They also have a light lunch menu of soups and more and serve fair trade organic coffee.

2. Buy gift certificates -- you can purchase gift certificates to give as holiday gifts. Them getting the money up front will help them with the move.

3. Donate! They have PayPal set up on their Web site if you just want to give them a few bucks to help.

You can check out their menu, buy gift certificates or donate by going to their About section on their Web site.

And pass it on!

What do you say to the new administration?

2008-11-13T16:20:00.000-08:00

Jason Gaylor, one of Dan's friends from Springfield, MO, is part of a design collective there called Departika. He asked Dan to loan some music to an installation piece they did in the lobby of their studios this week where people wrote a message to the new president on the wall.

They filmed the whole event and cut the video in time lapse to an instrumental version of Dan's song "Heart of a Dog." I think it's pretty cool.

Check it out HERE.

Detroit Urban Craft Fair preview shout out!

2008-11-12T15:04:00.001-08:00

I'm vending at Detroit Urban Craft Fair on Saturday and the craft fair posted its first vendor sneak peak today.

Two of the nine vendors posted were me and my booth partner, Jennifer Joy Creative!

Check it out HERE!

Hope to see some of you at the craft fair on Saturday. I can't wait to check out all of the amazing vendors and eat all sorts of vegan goodness from the Detroit Evolution Laboratory!

Check out their menu for Saturday HERE!

Ninja Kittens

2008-11-11T08:53:00.001-08:00

Take a look. You won't be sorry.

A must see documentary. No, really.

2008-11-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters

A real Halloweenie

2008-10-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've been busier than ever the last few weeks, thus the severe lack of posts. There's a lot to report on, but I'll start with a quick post from last night's pumpkin-carving and karate session.

Claire had to change from her jeans and top to a dress, get her princess "cell phone," and her purse to get all gussied up to carve pumpkins.

We were finally able to get her off the phone long enough to help with the gutting of the pumpkin. She decided it was "Ga-ROSS!" and smelled bad.

I still was able to get her to help me pick up pumpkin seeds and set them aside for roasting.

After the pumpkin was complete, Claire and I proceeded to "hide" in the bedroom as Daniel would do a "surprise attack" on us. This led to a full on karate battle between Dan and Claire -- something that occurs at least once nightly at our house. These pictures don't come close to explaining how truly amazing these karate/tickle battles are.

21,929

2008-10-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have not smoked 21,929 cigarettes in the last three years. Yes, it has been three years since I quit smoking, which I think will continue to baffle me each year.

Here are some stats from the Web site I joined when I quit smoking in 2005:

Time Smoke-Free: 1096 days, 10 hours, 56 minutes and 53 seconds

Cigarettes NOT smoked: 21,929

Lifetime Saved: 5 months, 17 days, 12 hours

Money Saved: $7,124.00

I'm happy (and proud, I guess) to say I have never taken a single puff of a cigarette in the last 1,096 days. In honor of this occasion, allow me to post a blog that I wrote on the day of the 2006 Great American Smokeout, not long after my very first anniversary.

Nov. 16, 2006

Cough, Hack, Wheeze
Today is the Great American Smokeout, that day when even the smokiest of smokers are supposed to put down their pack for the day and contemplate quitting. For many years I tried and would make it approximately 13 minutes before I threw in the towel and turned to my delicious Parliament Lights for comfort.

I can't believe it's been more than a year since I quit. Not that I'm proud of it, but we all know I was the biggest smoker around. When Timmy and I lived together, he once said if MSU had a smoking team, I would be the captain. At the time I pretended to be offended. I'm finally ready to admit he was right.

I loved smoking. I've determined the only two things I did while not smoking were sleep and shower – and that's pushing it. As I rounded that one-year corner, many of you admitted you never thought I would actually quit and stick to it. Most recently a friend from high school seriously thought I was joking when I told him I quit last year.

I cried and cried the day I quit. I think largely because I had stayed up until 5 a.m. boozing and chain smoking. If I didn't go to sleep, it wasn't really the next day, and I didn't have to quit yet. But, I think I also was crying because I knew that I meant it this time. I wasn't going to let myself throw in the towel for once, and that was terrifying.

So, I got up after a few hours of drunken sleep to head to my second ever acupuncture appointment. I cried through that too – tears streaming down my face onto the table as this annoyingly happy and calm woman inserted needles into my "addiction points." She was sure to mention that the needle on the very top of my head was for my "mental health." Then I went off to work at the bar, handing out ashtrays and matches upon request for the next six hours.

It was much easier to quit than I expected or had ever experienced before, but it's tough to say whether that was because of the acupuncture or because I finally realized no 27-year-old should be walking around with a cough like that. No amount of gum, perfume or Febreeze could cover up that damn cough.

Three months later, I joined the YMCA. My panting at the top of the train platform each morning had long been an indication of the poor condition of my lungs and the rest of my body. But I don't know if I've ever felt more uncomfortable as the first time I walked into a gym. I came upon each machine in total confusion and as if it might attack at any moment. It was on this day I was introduced to an elliptical machine – a legendary creature I'd only heard of in the tales of my clear-breathing friends. If you had told me a year ago I would not only quit smoking, but that my lazy ass would get off the couch and start working out – if only occasionally – I never would have believed you.

According to one Web site's calculations, in the roughly 400 days since I quit smoking, I have not smoked 8, 232 cigarettes; I have saved two months and three days of my life; and I have saved $2,672. One trip to Hawaii and several pairs of shoes "that I deserve for quitting" later, I don't know if I can say I've tried to save much of anything.

I have had to relearn how to do many things including drive for hours, drink and complete a meal – all without a cigarette. I gained 15 pounds (and eventually lost 10), which means I still went up a size and that's fine. I sound better, I smell better and I've never felt better.

I understand why the American Cancer Society pushes and promotes this day each year. Smoking is not good for you. You gain nothing from it in the long run. Blah, blah, blah. All of that doesn't make it any easier to quit. Even for one day.

For me, the pressure to quit and the stress and guilt of knowing what it was doing to my body made it harder to quit. So, I guess my point is – don't quit. Smoke until you're ready to say good-bye to cigarettes forever, or you never will.

I'll be patient and I won't judge. You can still smoke in my car. I'll still pick you up some cheap smokes on my way through Indiana. I do, in fact, have a lighter you can use, and, yes, we can sit in the smoking section. I might even go on my back porch and freeze with you while you smoke it up. Sometimes I get lonely inside all by myself.

Two more Websites I have found hilarious.

2008-09-25T10:22:00.001-07:00

The first is Things Rachael and I Argue About.

While it's baffling to read the accounts of daily interaction between these roommates (yes, roommates, not his girlfriend, not his ex-girlfriend -- roommates), I think we've all known a person who we can see fitting nicely into the role of Rachael in these scenarios.

Another, which is more of a one-time read, is Guidelines for Cats.

For anyone who has ever owned or been near a cat (even if you hated it) this is like the kitty behavior bible they all must read.

Both have provided me with some entertainment in the last few days when I've been on hold and such, so I thought I would do the kind thing and share.

Enjoy!

This is my new favorite blog

2008-09-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

Cake Wrecks: When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong.

Crrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

2008-09-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a busy one. I got up, got some work done and headed out to my sister's to do some extreme cooking. I got back and continued the cooking, making soup and cupcakes for my L.A.-bound brother's farewell dinner. Finally, around 11:30, I sat down to watch Tina Fey do a spot-on Sarah Palin impersonation.

Not long after I sat down, I heard this "creeeeeeak."
I looked out the window and, through the dark and rain, saw taillights. So, I just assumed it must have been the car cutting through the parking lot next to our house running over a plastic bottle or something.

About three minutes later the loudest, most thunderous "CRAAAAAAAACK!" and I was sure the giant tree next to our living room was crashing into the house, destined to crush me. (It's amazing the thoughts that can go through your head in 1.2 seconds).

I yelled for Dan and ran into the bathroom. Not to the back of the house, away from the tree, but to the bathroom, on the other side of the living room, which makes no sense at all.

Once I realized the tree didn't actually crash through the roof, I ran into Dan's workroom in a panic and we headed outside. This is what we saw from our front porch:

A giant portion of this huge tree fell directly over Dan's Jeep, which was parked in the driveway. And when I say over, I mean over. It was hovering over his Jeep and on all four sides of it, but didn't actually come to rest on the Jeep and doesn't seem to have done any actual damage.

He backed through all of the branches to get his Jeep out of there. At the time we didn't know that that branch was still barely attached to the tree, so we weren't really sure what was going to happen.

But, he got it out and everything seems OK. The landlord is getting a tree service here first thing in the morning and we're trying not to take it as some kind of an omen. :)

Knitting for change.

2008-09-09T12:06:00.001-07:00

OK, so the knitting had nothing to do with Obama, change or wanting change, or needing change for a dollar.

But last night I had to cover Barack Obama speaking at North Farmington High School. The only problem? Press had to arrive about 2 1/2 hours early. One of the Secret Service agents searching my bag found my knitting (with wooden needles so as to not set off any detectors) asked, "Expecting him to be boring?"

I responded, "Not at all, when he starts in two and a half hours."

My two competitors and I took our spots behind the media barricade on the floor when we noticed they put chairs up on the balcony behind us for overflow press. We decided it would be a better vantage point and moved up there. It was perfect. Obama's press entourage took up more than the space below, so it was a wise choice to move regardless.

Although at first I kind of dreaded the circus I thought it would be, I actually got in and out quite easily. It was an interesting night, an interesting event, and no doubt a snapshot in history (in a way).

And to top it all off, I got quite of bit of knitting done on one of my custom orders done before it started.

Click HERE to read my story.

Click HERE to see what's been added to my Etsy shop lately.

Kirsten

A big month

2008-08-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's already closer to the end of August than it is the beginning...

It's been a busy one. Always a busy month for birthdays from all sides, Dan turned 32 on the first and I hit the big 3-0 on the 12th. After celebrating in '70s style with my fam the week before, Daniel invited friends over on the 9th to celebrate with a little more debauchery and a lot less children.

There was beer, cake in my favorite colors of black and white, sparklers and far too much Dorito dip. It was a great party, with my work and social lives meshing in equal parts.

(Not a day over 29)

My birthday bash also proved to be the last party at "The Manor" as many have known to call and love it over the eight years Dan has lived there. We've already moved a handful of boxes (and by "we" I mean Dan. He called me out tonight on carrying a single binder and a football tonight). The U-Haul trailer is reserved for Saturday, when we officially leave Ferndale and become residents of Royal Oak. We can't wait.

In fact, we couldn't wait. We got the keys last Friday evening and late Friday night we decided to camp out over there. We grabbed our futon mattress, some sheets, a candle, some easy food, whiskey and a computer stocked with TV shows and headed over for a little sleepover in our new living room.

Our super shaded house was nice and cool -- almost too cool. Maybe we won't even be needing our new central air. But the extra counter space? You know I need it! I can't wait to cook in my new kitchen and entertain in the new house -- it's much more appropriate there than The Manor. Not that I won't miss The Manor, because, in my own way, I will. But I'm ready for the new house and our new adventure.

Two years in the making...

2008-08-06T20:11:00.001-07:00

Two years ago, Daniel submitted an article to TapeOp Magazine -- geared toward the technical side of music recording and production.

He interviewed musician Adam Franklin, former front man of one of Dan's favorite bands of all time (if not the favorite) Swervedriver, who's now a solo artist also.

He originally submitted his interview, along with amazing photos shot by his friend Matt Nistor, a truly amazing photographer.

Dan posted a blog over on Wingstroke about how the article came to be -- check it out HERE. Though it's not online yet (but you can see the magazine and the fact that it's listed on the over at the TapeOp site), if you go into the fan forum Dan links to in his blog, one of the band's fans scanned it in and posted it.

I'm so proud of him and I'm so glad it finally ran!

You can check out some of Adam Franklin's music HERE. I especially like "Morning Rain" and "Seize the Day."

30

2008-08-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

My birthday's not for another week or so, but in honor of my 30th, Cousin Jeff threw me an awesome 70s-themed bash today, complete with Charlie's Angels on the tube, ABBA blaring out of the speakers, fondue and macrame. What more could a girl want, right?

Many of my family members dressed up in their own (yes, even my mom still had some old plaid maternity pants) or newly-purchased garb from Salvation Army. I went as my mom -- I had a T-shirt made to look just like one she wore to a picnic just before I was born. She had really short hair in 1978, so I just pulled mine back. Someday, perhaps when we unpack our belongings at our new house in a couple of weeks, I will find the photos from that picnic way back when and can do a side by side comparison.

In the meantime, here are a few shots of my whacky fam, in all their glory. While everyone contributed something, Cousin Jeff was really the genius behind it all -- he's the one in yellow.

You've got to be kidding me: Cutest baby animals ever

2008-07-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here is an alphabetical list with photos of baby animals.

Click HERE for the supreme cuteness.

Is that baby iguana kidding me?

It's hard to believe some of them are capable of ripping your face off.

Summertime, part 2.

2008-07-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

I had a great sleepover with my nephews, Anthony and Lucas, last night.

After taking a nap to recover this afternoon, we ate a dinner and then Claire went into her room and shut the door. After a few minutes, she emerged, announcing she was heading to "the ball." (At first I thought she said "the bar" and had a mild heart attack.)

The the three of us headed out for bike riding practice. Having accidentally skipped the tricycle and big wheel stages, she's still trying to get the hang of riding a bike, which she got last year from Santa. Thanks to her big noggin, the helmet she got doesn't fit and we still need to go shopping for another -- thus, Dan's close hand.

We took Claire and her pink and purple girly bike over to the park, so she could have a wide open space to practice pedaling and steering (the real challenge).

The original plan was thwarted, though, when we got to the park and all that fun nearby was too much. Claire opted for slides and swings instead of spending too much time on the bike.

Despite the wind, the weather today was near perfect. I wish summer could last forever.

Summertime

2008-07-10T17:28:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, Claire and I found ourselves on a hot Sunday with not much to do. With Dan away for a few hours I certainly didn't want to hole Claire up in the house all day and at the same time I wasn't sure I had the energy to do any heavy park-playing or anything like that.

Then it dawned on me -- kiddie pool time! Without telling her why we were going (on the off chance there were no affordable pools, I didn't want to break her perfect heart) we headed off to Meijer. Sure enough -- big inflatable "family pool" -- on sale for $15. Pretty little rainbow bathing suit -- on sale for $5.99. Air compressor to blow up pool -- $10 (although Claire didn't understand why I couldn't just blow it up myself as I searched and searched for a reasonably-priced compressor).

While she was taking a nap I got the pool filled up with air and water. It was too cold, so I spent about an hour taking pots full of hot water outside to the pool, lest Princess Claire catch a chill.

So she played outside the pool for a while, until it warmed up enough.

But all of the above -- more than worth it. The pure joy that emanated from this child on this day -- priceless. Not to mention we had an awesome girl day.

At one point, her old soul kicked in and Claire magically became 20.

But before I knew it, she was back to being 5, practicing her best Charlie's Angels moves.

After a while, Dan arrived to find his babes in bikinis. And, smart man that he is, he decided to join in the fun.

Life is good.

10 years

2008-07-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ten years is a long time. Ten years ago, I was....about to turn 20. I was working in Petoskey at my first real internship. I was living alone for the first time. I was in a town with no family or friends for the first time. I was immersing myself in Vonnegut. I was ready to leave my teens.

But this post isn't about me. It's about some friends of mine who just celebrated a pretty monumental anniversary. Ten years ago, Jason and Jay were newlyweds. They had no idea they would become parents to musical and artistic wonder Kiran and sweet and free-spirited Ari. That the planets would align just right so they would be able to buy a house with a ton of windows and a big back yard, perfect for barbecues and fire pits. That they really would get to live happily ever after.

I decided that the Lantrips, who do so much and are so much, deserved an anniversary party. I have to say, I think we got 'em pretty good.

This is us walking through the back door of Beggar's Banquet in East Lansing, with their two kids exploding toward the door. Also pictured is Jason's boss, Kirk, who was instrumental in getting Jason out of work at a decent time that day and inviting his Foods For Living co-workers and his wife, Elyse, who came even though it was her birthday.

Dan and I came to town and said we wanted to buy them dinner for their anniversary -- which had been a couple of weeks earlier, around Memorial Day. I figured by offering to buy, they couldn't argue about where to go to dinner.

I was going to buy a cheesy banner that said "Happy Anniversary" but Dan insisted he make a homemade one -- which only makes sense if you know Jason and Jay.

Carmen and I made a table full of desserts, I provided a few appetizers and we had our own bartender and waiter.

We made a card box so people could make contributions to their upcoming trip out west -- which I feared they wouldn't actually do without a little help. You see, they haven't actually been on a trip, together, outside of Michigan, since they eloped in Vegas.

It's about damn time.

They were very surprised and Jay just kept saying, "I'm so happy."

Family and friends came from near and far and I think everyone had a great time.

After the kids left with Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of the babies and parents went home, we all headed to good ol' Dagwoods. This is where the night gets a little fuzzy for me. But we sure look like we're having fun...

A couple of us I think had too much fun, but, then again, you only have your 10-year anniversary once. Jason and Jay had a great time, one night surrounded by their family, friends and even their kids (who were on kid crack for having had a secret from their parents for a few hours).

They were happy (as Jay expressed so nicely on her own blog) so I am happy.

Happy Anniversary, Lantrips!

Hello again, ye olde city of wind

2008-06-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

I recently visited my old stompin' grounds for a quick weekend visit. Considering it lasted less than 48 hours, I was able to pack in some fun.

I got into the city around 7 p.m. Friday, June 6, just enough time to slam a couple of cold ones with my lady friends and eat some french fries with curry dippin' sauce at Tuman's before heading off to see "Sex & the City." Awfully cliche, I know, but when I first moved to the city, we would gather at Lizzie and April's apartment to watch it -- I think I moved in time to see maybe one regular episode and the series finale.

After the movie, we eventually found ourselves meeting up with their man friends on Lizzie's back porch -- the site of many debaucherous nights.

The next day after some running around (including a quick consult with boob-master and good friend Lauren at Isabella Fine Lingerie) and a quick nap to get rid of my Miller Lite, humidity and lack-of-sleep headache, I was ready for the big event. The very first birthday of one of my boyfriends, Echo Alexander.

Yep. He's really that cute.

As you can see from his shirt, he was killin some watermelon that day. Little did we know, that was nothing.

Echo's ability to turn a lovely cake, decorated by his mom, Sally, into totally chaos in under 2.4 seconds was astounding. Somehow, we all lived to tell the tale.

Step 1. Sit down with baby.

Step 2. Sit back in awe.

Step 3. Rinse baby off in rain and hold on tight as he slips into a sugar coma.

After the birthday fun and dragging Sal's tired ass out the door, she, Jenn and I headed to the Metro to see one of my favorite bands of all time, The Smoking Popes. It was their CD release show -- the first CD they've released in many years. I saw them a few times before I moved, but I absolutely had to go to their CD release show since it was happening and I was there.

We were able to meet up with our good friend and former bar manager, Chris, who happened to go to high school with the Caterer brothers. While I was in the bathroom, Sal scored me a VIP pass, so I was able to watch the show from a vantage point where I could actually -- gasp -- see (the Metro is not good for seeing in general).

It was Chris' birthday weekend. He was very drunk and made us laugh.

All in all, I'd say the weekend was a success, other than the fact that as I was leaving Sally's house early the next morning I fell, ripping open my left knee, causing blood to gush down my leg, and leaving a long piece of skin hanging off my right knee. Instead of risking waking the baby and the dog going into a barking fit when I rang the doorbell, I choose to take my gimpy self to Starbucks for some coffee and napkins, as logic told me was really the only option I had.

At least this was one of the last things I saw before my knees (still recovering) met their demise...

...and I got to listen to my new CD all the way home.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

2008-06-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

You all know I'm back to my former life as a reporter. It's been a relatively smooth transition. Working for a weekly has eased me back into the life-changing that is being a reporter.

But, working at a weekly also means fewer actual deadlines, fewer adrenaline rushes, etc. This week I fortunately happened to get a couple of fluff stories done before the proverbial poop hit the fan.

One of them is about a couple of high school kids who made their prom outfits out of duct tape and are in the top 10 of a national contest for doing so. If they place in the top three (they're fighting for third right now) then Haley and Keith each get some dough for college and Haley's high school gets some cash too.

You can check out the story HERE.

They're nice kids, so I've been voting for them daily. For every e-mail you register, you can do the same, so if you feel like it...

So, that was the first part of the week, when people call you back and you've got all the time in the world and have time to eat lunch and go to the bathroom.

Then the day before your deadline hits, the tides turn and the madness begins.

Thursday morning started easy enough. I had a few different stories I was waiting for a call back on but every confidence I would get everything finished by 3 p.m. Friday. Then the police chief calls to tell you they've solved a murder from 1979 and there will be a super-secret-announced-at-the-last-minute press conference announcing the arrest of two super cool guys who finally are getting what they deserve (in some people's opinions. I'm unbiased and objective of course...).

And then the same day, McCain announces he's opening a regional office in the city you cover. And then the U.S. Attorney announces 28 people have been arrested and are being charged with federal mortgage fraud charges and one of them is from your coverage area. And then a major automotive component company announces they're going to build a $27 million expansion in your coverage area instead of Tennessee because of a $2.5 million tax cut Granholm passed. And then you end your day going to a planning commission public hearing at 7 p.m. because the residents are up in arms about a proposed master plan, and about 4 dozen residents take their 5-minute turns, until they finally decide to adjourn the meeting to another date just after midnight.

So, that's when your week gets interesting. And your heart gets to pound for a change and your forearms grow weak.

HERE's the story on the murder if you care to read that one.

My new boyfriend.

2008-06-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

It was about 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2006 when I got the call I had made my mom promise she would make the second she got the chance -- my sister and brother-in-law had welcomed Lucas Ambrose into the world. I was an aunt.

That has been more fun than I could have imagined, but still tough, considering I was 300 miles away for most of his first 2 years. I saw him for a couple of hours, maybe once every two months. When I first moved here, he would still call me "April" -- who is his babysitter.

But round two was a different story. I set off to cover a city council meeting Monday night, knowing Lucas' baby brother or sister could come any minute. When I emerged just before 10 p.m. I learned Anthony Richard had joined the brood at 8:27. Lucky for me, this time I wasn't 300 miles away, but closer to three.

On my way home, I stopped by the hospital and got to meet Anthony, who was only an hour and a half old. Although he seems so teeny, he's a big guy (especially if you ask my sister), with giant feet and long legs. It was so amazing to be there less than two hours after he was born.

While we have had a few laughs already interpreting his facial expressions, with Dan, in his best Brando, saying "It's not personal, it's business...just give me the nipple..." while viewing Anthony's first (of many) Aunt Kirsten photo shoots, we've been instructed his name is "Anthony" and not "Tony" (like my mom and grandpa) just like Lucas is just that (and not "Luke"). We're going to have fun with it anyway...

So, here are some shots of my new nephew. It's true what they say. You can love the second one just as much. I can only imagine what it will be like when I have my own.

Life is busy. Life is good.

2008-06-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

I've not been doing the greatest keeping up with this blogging thing. What with all the babies to knit for and the school board meetings and the grocery store and dinner-cooking and the daily life things that seem to get in the way of things like blogging, reading and watching an entire movie at once.

We have done so many fun things lately that I can and should blog about.

Like go to the DIA with Grace and Alec, then hit up Northern Lights for some shuffleboard.

Or how about going to the Carolinas for Brooke and Jordan's wedding. We spent dozens of hours in the car (literally) over the course of 3 days and still went to sleep laughing at the end of it all. I'm pretty sure that's a good thing. Another good thing is the Nicaraguan coffee we got as wedding favors.

Or what about Claire's birthday party, where water balloons were the hit of the bash and lots of fun was had by all.

And let's not forget last weekend's carnival, where we met up with Colleen and Jon and their brood of four in downtown Birmingham. Rowan led the pack, while Jon and Iris fought for Claire's affections. Meanwhile Everil, the typical fourth child, chilled out in his stroller in an uber-laid-back fashion and occasionally hoisted on one of his parents' shoulders.

I can't post pictures yet of the super secret Father's Day project Claire and I made on Sunday...

So, there's the quickest recap ever of several weeks of fun. Dan's got more photos (and funnier captions) over on Wingstroke -- and always does so you should probably just go there first if you ever really want to know what we're up to.

Last night, history was made.

2008-05-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

I've long prided myself on the ability to chastise others for crying during movies. Sure, I've teared up from time to time. But I've never straight up cried or come close to weeping.

Yesterday was a frustrating day for me. I went to finally pick up my car and they said there was a new problem, that they believe existed before the crash and AAA wouldn't cover it. I spent a day arguing and being frustrated, two things I don't like to do. Just days after Dan's car was totaled by a drunk driver, I just felt like the universe was against us and it wasn't fair.

I came home grumpy, exhausted, and generally spent. We returned our rental car, went to the post office and finally made it home, in my car that is still broken. I sat on the couch and stared at my computer for a while. Dan seemed to be all over the place. Finally I realized the shower had been running for a while. When I asked why, Dan said he was rinsing out Drano he'd poured in earlier. I thought this was weird, since we don't have a clog or Drano, but I was too tired to question.

A few minutes later, he had started the kettle, and asked me what kind of tea I would like, "Awwww, you made me tea?"

He got the tea and said, "Come with me."

He led me into the bathroom where he had run a bubble bath, my robe standing by for when I was finished.

He brought a table lamp into the bathroom so the lighting would be softer than the overhead light and brought in a radio, playing the CD of some French composer. He set the tea down next to the tub, fetched the giant In Style magazine he ganked from work for me and said to relax.

I was blown away by the sweetness, even if it was to benefit him in the long run by melting away my bad mood. :)

After the bath, he had to work, so eventually I settled in the bedroom to watch one of my knitting movies and work on a blanket I was hired to make weeks and weeks ago. "Knitting" movies are A) often movies Dan wouldn't want to watch, B) nothing you have to concentrate on too much and C) generally pretty cheesy.

On the menu last night was "P.S. I Love You" starring Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Harry Connick Jr., Kathy Bates, etc.

The premise is this: Holly is madly in love with her husband of 10 years, who she rushed to marry after meeting him on her study abroad trip in Ireland at 19. Ten years later, he dies of a brain tumor and she is crushed. But it turns out before he died, he arranged to have all kinds of letters and messages sent to her, arranges a trip for her to go to Ireland with her girlfriends, etc.

I won't share anymore details in case you feel like you need a good cry at some point (and a good laugh -- there were a few), but just know that I lost it. I don't know what percentage of it is simply being tired, and stress and having this sweet man do something amazing for me and what percentage of it was finally being in true love, to the point where I just can't imagine what I would do if he died.

So, I came out of the bedroom, crying.

"Do you want to witness history?" I asked, pointing to the tears streaming down my cheeks. I went on to explain, but I was trying so hard to choke back really losing it that I struggled. So, I tried to cover it with a laugh and made myself a cocktail as Dan looked on in a look that seemed to be part confusion, part amazement and part a look that was replacing him shaking his head.

So, I cried and kissed him and cried and kissed him. "I just don't know what I would do if you died." Every time I emerged from the bedroom, I had to swing by the couch for more of the same.

I guess it makes me realize I'm a really lucky girl, in many ways.

And they should put warning labels on those things: "Do not watch this movie if you are in a fragile emotional state and/or suffering from exhaustion. It will not be pretty."

Blasts from the past.

2008-05-08T16:17:00.001-07:00

In recent weeks I have been lucky enough to reunite with some friends I haven't seen in years -- literally, unfortunately. First, Miss Brandi L. was in Royal Oak for a few days, a place she used to call home. Of course she had to fall in love and move to New York before I fell in love and moved back to Michigan.

Brandi and I met while studying abroad and for a short time did a pretty decent job of staying in touch. Eventually we lost touch, destined to be reunited thanks to Cara, with whom we both have remained in contact. Cara, Brandi and their girls headed out for a night of wine and desserts, and I dragged Dan along, not understanding it was for some relatively quiet wine-sipping at Vinotecca and not loud, crammed-into-a-dark-smoky-bar, drink guzzling. Duly noted.

Anyway, hopefully this will be the first of many reunions with Brandi.

The second visit came a couple of days later. My buddy Derek from high school was in Michigan for some family functions and had to spend a night in Detroit before jetting off to his orientation at Harvard. I snatched him up at his hotel and he joined us for some manicotti. Traditional Buyza fare he hasn't had it many years.

The last time I saw Derek was when he visited me just after I graduated from college and we went out for Mexican at El Azteco in Lansing. We determined this was likely 7 years ago, which is unbelievable to us, as we frequently e-mail, IM or talk on the phone. I'm just glad it's nearly impossible for him to be shipped off to Iraq for a third time, as he's just days away from officially bidding the Army adieu.

Before he left I asked Claire to take a picture of us. Though she claims she's going to be an artist and make clothes and be a ballerina and have a bakery, I think she should consider throwing photography onto the pile.

Just a few short days after DB's visit, the incomparable Erin Halfmann -- excuse me, Brainerd -- waddled into town for a family baby shower at her parents' new house in Howell. Saturday night we met at my sister's house and I got to capture both of my human incubators at one time.

We had fun the next day at her shower, where I was reunited with Collen (now) Price, who I haven't seen since before Erin moved to Maine seven years ago and she had just had her first baby. Now she's got four and one of them is in the form of a 3-year-old daughter, Iris. She and Claire became fast friends.

It was so wonderful to see Erin, who I still can't believe is about to have a little girl of her own despite the fact I've seen it for myself.

Now I must go try to make some sense of the old crap of mine my mom got sick of looking at so she gave it to me. Pictures from high school, pre-pubescent love notes. I fear the unpacking and throwing away in some form will never end.

BUT, something good did come from the transfer. SOMEONE was pretty pleased to inherit some tap shoes that are almost just her size.

Way to go, Tone.

2008-05-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

She did it! Not only did my mom make it to 60, she made it to one year without smoking!

Though her birthday was May 1, the immediate family gathered at my sister's for a casual dinner Saturday to celebrate Toni Ann's accomplishments. I was in charge of desserts. Learning my brother-in-law is a Key lime fan, I made a Key lime cheesecake. Although 60 is a milestone indeed, I decided we couldn't let the night pass without recognizing with a bit of fanfare that Tone has made it more than 365 days without a smoke. I'm so proud of her, so I thought a cigarette cake was appropriate.

I'm sure everyone is dying to know, so I'll share that I took a regular ol' box of Betty Crocker (she really knows her stuff) funfetti cake and made it in a 9x13 pan, then cut out the size I wanted (the entire length and about 2/3 of the width).

The filter frosting started with a white base with a lot of yellow, a little red and a single drop of green food coloring. The lit end of the cigarette was red frosting with crushed Oreos playing the part of the ashes.

The Key lime cheesecake seemed to go over pretty well, too. The six of us devoured it in about 2.4 seconds flat.

It's a really simple recipe and I should post it sometime over on I Eat Veg (clearly it's not vegan).

Anyway, the cheesecake turned out well and my mom was happy with the new Kitchen•Aid hand mixer we got her for her birthday.

Before Sarah went to bed, she and I compared her eight-months-pregnant body to my cheesecake-filled body.

It was a close one, but she wins!

Sarah and Loren haven't slept in days because Lucas is super sick, so Joe, Mom, Dan and I headed down to the basement for a little Cranium. Her first time up at Cranium bat, Tone knocked it out of the park. She can draw with her eyes closed, make a killer clay sleeping bag and impersonate Michael Jackson like you wouldn't believe (though I admittedly hope to never see that again).

Johnson and Buys talked a good game, but the Buys-Buys ladies team proved unbeatable. If it hadn't been for chimpanzees and Winston Churchill's damn American mother, it could have been a clean sweep.

Here and there and everywhere.

2008-04-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't been good with this whole blogging thing. I try, but, there are three with this, La Femme Monkita and I Eat Veg, and there is just not enough time in the day to get it all done.

I've found my new/old life back at reporting to be wonderful and yet wonderfully chaotic, in ways I know I will love at times and hate at times. But, with the city council meetings and the school board meetings and everything in between, I manage to find a little fun too.

Daniel has done a better job of showcasing some of the fun things our little pack has been up to, from chronicling our first day of almost spring
feeding ducks and making ice cream, to the more semi-debauchery that every night with Megs and Zozzy somehow always becomes.

I've finally had the time to hang out with my two close girlfriends in the area, Cara and Carmen. Cara's a friend I met while studying in Europe nine summers ago (which is almost unfathomable) and I FINALLY was able to meet up with her a couple of weeks ago for some sushi (and edamame and salad and drinks and more drinks) at Little Tree in Royal Oak. I imagine this to be the first of many (many, many) trips to Little Tree with Cara. (It's been exactly two weeks and I'm dying for their "This is it" roll).

Although Daniel and I did manage to make it up to Via Linda Salon to experience the genius that is Carmen giving a haircut, we finally managed to meet on non-work territory.

For Carmen's birthday last week, we made it up to Jason and Jay's for little cookout and bonfire. Of course my folksy friends even managed to have a good ol' fashioned sing-a-long.

It was great for Claire and Ari to have another girl to play with and they seemed to have a lot of fun. Meanwhile, Kiran was able to show us his sweet guitar chops.

So, there's a little snippet of some of the things I've been up to. I'm not going to make any promises, but hopefully I'll have more soon!

Young and Now.

2008-04-24T12:53:00.001-07:00

I found my way to a funny blog today, that got submissions from all over the place of people posing to match photos taken when they were young. I'll just let the photos speak for themselves. There are a few that are pretty funny. Maybe I'll have to try to create my own of the photo on my profile...

Check it out HERE.

It's true.

2008-04-21T18:09:00.001-07:00

My friend Jay continues to blow my mind with the amazing things she creates day after day.

Here's a taste but head on over to the La Femme Monkita blog to read all about the wonderful things she makes....

Just one of those days.

2008-04-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days where little things seem to be going wrong, but it's sunny outside (finally) and it's Friday so you don't even realize the signs are in place for a potentially horrible day ahead of you?

Yesterday was just one of those days for me. Maybe I should have seen it coming. Or maybe it's a good thing that I didn't.

The first little thing happened in the shower. I've only done this a few times in my life, but I'll be damned if I didn't lather up my face scrub (containing microbeads!) and put it directly into my freshly washed hair. I decide this is not as bad as the time I put conditioner on my face.

Then as I'm taking a schlug of my coffee, some spit or something goes down the wrong tube and I have to cough -- like, right now. There's no time to swallow or spit out the coffee. I make my best attempt at spitting the coffee into the sink before exploding in my coughing fit, to no avail. Coffee splattered all over the sink, the wall, you name it. It is now that I am thankful Dan is a heavy sleeper, or he would likely think I am throwing up all over the bathroom (which, admittedly, would have been far worse).

But, I remain optimistic. I get ready for my day. A gloriously warm and sunny summer-like Friday. The day of my very first deadline at work. A big day no doubt. I'm a bit nervous, a bit excited, a bit anxious for the weekend to come either way. All I had to do was run out to Farmington Hills to do my police rounds then head into the office to wrap up the one story I have left to write for the first edition, which lays out and prints Monday.

I go to one police station, gather all kinds of info on a string of car break-ins happening in the area (people, take your wallets, purses, and 42-inch plasma TVs in the house at night). Then I head off to the other police department I cover. The chief kindly stops by the conference room where I'm looking through reports to make sure all is well before he jets off to a M.A.D.D. awards ceremony. We leave the building at the same time.

I see in my rear view mirror that he runs back into the building from his car and I buckle up and turn out of the parking lot. About 100 feet ahead I begin to cruise through a yellow light and when I'm just about through it the little old lady across from me -- wait. what is she. she's not going to -- BLAM. Little Old Lady turns right into me.

It takes me a second to take in my surroundings. I am ingesting the noxious burning-like odor that is present after two airbags explode. I don't remember them going off, I just remember noticing they had popped. I was in a daze and realized my arms were killing me. I am momentarily convinced I have broken my right arm, just as my grandma did, thanks to her airbag when she was in a relatively minor crash.

I really am in a daze, and am not sure what to do or if I should do anything. Cars begin honking at me and Little Old Lady is looking at me and pointing, which confuses me anymore. I pull over closer to the side of the road.

Having driven past the crash just moments after it occurred, the police chief backs up his truck and gets out, coming to get me out of my car saying something about the airbags. I'm embarrassed to be crying at this man with whom I'm supposed to be earning trust and respect in a professional manner, as he speaks to me like I am his daughter and gets me out of the car.

When he called later in the evening to make sure I was OK, he said I was sitting in the car engulfed by a cloud of airbag dust going directly into my face, which, no matter what anyone says, can't be good for you. He says in all of his decades in policing he's never been in a car when airbags explode and he's sure it must be scary.

He walks over to his officer who has arrived on the scene when an older man starts talking to me. I have no idea who he is and for a moment wonder if he had been the driver of the other car and not Little Old Lady, because he's trying to say it was my fault, it seems.

Man: You drove right through the amber light.

Me: Yes.

Man: You see, if you go through the amber light, that's tough. You have to turn on an amber light because if you don't you have to turn on a red light and that's against the law.

(To which I think, who the hell is this man and is he really saying it's OK to turn into traffic to beat a light???) He disappears and finds the other drier to bother her some while Officer Wood gets my information. When we meet up with the woman, she asks if I'm OK, but never apologizes. She's easily in her mid-70s, and this is her first ticket.

I essentially had a couple of giant goose egg-like bruises with scratches on my right arm and some cuts and scratches on the inside of my left arm from the airbag. Nothing was broken though.

The car dealership where I bought my new car only four weeks ago is wonderful. Becky in the Service Department says she can hook me up with a free rental for 2 weeks and she's sending out Luca's Towing to come get me. I spend the next couple of hours sitting on a bench in downtown Farmington, in the amazing sun. I'm even able to pick up a wireless signal, which enables me to contact Dan whose phone is on vibrate in the bottom of his bag. He is able to leave work to come snag me, so I don't have to ride with Luca on the 40-minute trip to the car dealership.

While I wait, I realize I have 2 cans of La Croix in a cooler in the trunk of my car. I also have a salad leftover from dinner the night before, but no fork... BUT I threw a bag of frozen broccoli on top of the salad to keep it cold. Yes! Broccoli ice pack. Sadly, I forgot that I had an actual icepack underneath the salad, but that's OK, because the broccoli is able to reach all of my right-arm injuries.

By the time Dan drops me off at the dealership, I get my brand new rental and get to the office, it is 4 p.m. The crash has taken away five hours of my day and I have missed my first deadline by an hour. I collect myself as best I can, though tired, frazzled and in pain and write up the quick story on the break-ins. My editor says I can finish my one incomplete story over the weekend and I'm out the door by 5:30.

Jay mentioned I should get Arnica lotion for my bumps and bruises. After the genius that was oscillicoccinum (I'll have to repost that blog from Myspace later) I'm immediately on board. Being the awesome squeeze that he is, Dan runs to the store and gets me Arnicaflora Gel (the most expensive and preferred by the Whole Foods employee). Although I woke up today with a very tight and sore body, my Playdough arm is gone! It's still painful, scratched up and bruised to hell, but it's LEVEL. Not too bad for 24 hours after the crash.

After 3 hours awake, I decide I could probably go back to sleep. Dan convinces me I should and that my body is probably tired because it is healing. He gives me a great massage and wraps me up in the many blankets we refer to as my cocoon. Though I'm convinced I can't actually fall asleep, I lie there for a while, daydreaming about how I will attack my day. First the yarn store for Joy's blanket, then Meijer, then... I wake up at 5 p.m.

Now I'm feeling pretty well. I should be working on my story, but instead I'm blogging. This is my first Saturday since I moved where I didn't have to do anything -- and didn't. I wish it wasn't because I feel poo-like, but I'm glad I was able to rest and recuperate. I'm pretty sure my 24 hours of ultimate, supreme, uber-pampering is nearing its end, but I'm going to milk it for all its worth.

Four going on 14

2008-04-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

The following is an exchange that occurred Monday night between Claire and I. We were taking turns in a restaurant bathroom stall.

Claire: What’s this? (Pointing to stainless steel in-stall counter top), Where you can change a baby’s diaper if you have a baby?

Kirsten: That’s exactly what it is.

Claire: What’s this? (Pointing to metal sanitary products dispenser hanging on wall)

Kirsten: I don’t know. (not wanting to go there)

Claire: Well, what’s it for?

Kirsten: For grown up stuff.

Claire: What kind of grown up stuff?

Kirsten: Sometimes adult girls need special stuff.

Claire: You mean like tampons?

Kirsten: Yes. Exactly. (Shakes head, smiling)

Dear Kathy...

2008-04-09T13:12:00.001-07:00

Hey, Kathy! How’s it going?

I just wanted to pass on some of the calls I’ve gotten for you since I acquired your old phone number two weeks ago.

You are popular! Geez, woman, I didn’t have my new 248 number for three minutes before the calls started coming! That first day I got about 10. I only wish I was that popular!

I’m really sorry to hear about your debt problems. Times are tight, especially in Michigan. We’re all feeling the pinch for sure! You should probably stop giving people this number though, because it’s mine now – after all, you’re going to have to pick out a new one when you get your phone turned back on. I just thought I should point that out because I got a call last week from a woman up north who said she had just met with you an hour earlier and you had given her your old number. My number.

That one was nice because it was an actual human being. So was the woman at Business Solutions 101 calling on a reference check -- she sure seemed nice.

But some of the other calls haven't been so nice. Mann Bracken Attorneys at Law called every day for the first week, and Miss Greentree debt collection called five or six times a day. It was no surprise to learn they've been investigated for their debt collection tactics and badgering. Lucky for you, I’ve been the one who's had to deal with them!

I can’t recall too many of the others. The automated ones always are exciting though because the funny computery voice says your name differently every time. Sometimes it’s really clear – Kathy A. Brock. Other times the computer voice screws it up and it comes out “Kathia Brock.” It cracks me right up!

Oh, one of your girlfriends called too. I didn’t catch her name because I was in a 9 A.M. MEETING at the time. I don't think she was at work -- sounds like she was just getting in from the club! I won't even explain, I'll just play you the message:

iwontevenexplain

Did you get all that?

Anyway, the calls are down to a manageable two a day now. It seems all of that sitting through automated prompts until I reach a human to tell them it’s not your number anymore actually worked. The waits are usually only about five minutes and it’s worth it to help you out. It’s so funny – they always ask who I am and if I can help them get in touch with you. I tell them that I don’t actually know you – but I’m starting to feel like I do!

I hope this helps. Good luck, Kathy, and take care. If you're ever in town, give me a ring -- you know my number!

Kirsten

P.S. Danielle texted you this morning -- it's her birthday and she hopes you'll come out to "bdubs" tonight!

Best April Fool's Day Joke of All Time

2008-04-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

If you haven't figured it out yet, the post "Be seated for this" was an April Fool's Day joke. You see, I e-mailed it out to a handful of my friends and family. VERY FEW caught on, and even then it was later in the day when they would have had plenty of time to be reminded that it was, in fact, April Fool's Day.

While I saw an incredible outpouring of love and support despite what any of them may actually have been feeling, here are some of my favorite responses I got when they found out it was a hoax.

"Jerk. You are a jerk." -- J.B.

"F***face." -- B.V.

"Did I mention I want to murder you? GOD I'm not on my game." -- L.C.

"My tongue has been bleeding now for half of the day. I was trying to come up with a nice way to say “you are out of you F***** mind!!!!” -- E.B.

"Actually I totally forwarded it to K. and said (behind your back)
that I was worried about you and that I was completely surprised that you guys would subject Claire to a life of child stardom (because those are never happy stories)... K. was just excited that you guys would probably meet "Gandalf." -- K.B.

"Oh my god." -- L.C.

"You really, really, really got me......my heart can't take that shit!" -- D.M.

Pals

2008-04-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Be seated for this

2008-04-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

I guess the best way to get the word out is to post this e-mail I forwarded to some friends and family this morning that Daniel had written to his family!

Sorry to keep any of you in the dark on this. It's all happened really fast and I didn't want to say anything until we knew for sure. Part of me is still in "I'll believe it when I see it" mode, but as far as I can tell, this really is happening... I'll know a few more details about a time line soon. I'm probably going to keep working for a few weeks and let Dan set everything up in L.A. That way I won't be screwing my new employer and the paper still can launch as planned on April 23rd. I've already started a stockpile of stories, so they should be good at least for the first couple of weeks and hopefully will have my replacement by then.

While I'm here, I'll work on getting most of our stuff from the house into a storage place 2 blocks away. If anyone has some muscle and a truck... :) Also, we're just going to get a car when we get out there. I just bought my 2005 G6, so if anyone is interested in buying car, let me know!

Again, sorry to let you know this way, but I figured the easiest thing was to just forward Dan's e-mail to his fam!

More soon!

Kirst

From Dan:

We've been holding off on telling anybody about this until we knew more for sure. But over the weekend there was enough confirmation that we think it's time to let everybody know what's been going on behind the scenes over at Johnsonland. So....

We're moving to LA!

Maybe not - probably not - permanently, but for at least a year. It seems that in addition to being magic, hilarious and phenomenally sweet, Claire is also movie star potential. We found out for sure Sunday that she's been picked as one of three child leads in the next Robert Zemeckis film, called Eve. (Her part is May Fairy 1, and she's geeked about that) We have to move to do the movie. If you don't know Zemeckis, he made Forrest Gump, Castaway and Contact (all three of which I loved) and he's been experimenting with a new kind of animation technique that mirrors real actor's faces in Polar Express and Beowulf. Eve is going to be in this photorealistic/animated vain, but it will look exactly like Claire because the computers will monitor her face. They want Claire to train with a speech therapist first. Her name is Julie Senoke and she's supposed to be one of the best. She's also going to prepare Claire for the very unique work of child acting, especially the longish hours. She's kind of like a child actor mentor and she's worked with a lot of famous kids. I've had a few hour+ conversations with her and I really trust her and think this is going to be an amazing experience for Claire on so many levels.

They're renting us a house in the Laurel Canyon area, near Zemeckis' preproduction studio complex. I guess these films take a very long time to make, much of which is done in pre-production. So we will be out there for a while. But in addition, Claire will be signing with an agency connected to Zemeckis' film production company and there's probably good reason to assume she will move into other projects once this one wraps. IF SHE WANTS.

Claire won't start Kindergarten classes in the fall as we had planned, but will have a private tutor, which should be infinitely better. Plus this is essentially a kids movie. There is, like, only one adult in the cast (Ian McKellan from X-Men), so she will stay socialized with all the other kids present in the cast and in the families of the crew.

Another benefit - and this is not the criteria we based the decision on - is that Kirsten and I will finally be able to get out of debt. The salary that Claire makes is all hers and will sit in fund that will essentially pay for her college and then some. But they've set us up with a ridiculously generous living stipend to pay for accommodations AND allowed us the use of one of the houses attached to the Zemeckis production empire, rent-free. Which means we will get to keep most of that living stipend.

As you can imagine, there are a ton of things to think about and we're trying to think of them all. For the most part we've been under the assumption that this wouldn't go through so maybe we're a little underprepared! For one, Kirst will have to quit her brand new job. (We're both going to try and plug the Zemeckis connection for writing gigs in the area.) I'm on a month-to-month lease so that's not an issue. Who knows, this could be a net benefit for us as well as Claire. But still, it's all really sudden and we've got a lot of work and preparation to do.

How did this happen? Three weeks ago scouts visited a bunch of day cares in Oakland County - none of us even knew this was going to happen - and Claire's was one of them. I'm going to assume that Claire was being the ON version of herself that day because they've told us out of all the Oakland County Schools, she was the only kid they followed up on. Then they contacted us to set up auditions. They wanted to do them the weekend of Kirst's move and I wasn't really taking it seriously and just told them I couldn't. But they insisted on doing it as soon as possible and so we did them last Tuesday and then again on Friday. Claire stayed ON, which I still don't understand (she must have some kind of ambition we didn't know about), and we got the callback Friday saying probably and Sunday saying definitely. It's insane.

I'll be posting about these crazy events as they happen. It should make for a few great reads. I feel like I'm forgetting a lot and I'm sure I am. To me, as crazy as all of this is, it somehow makes sense in the context of my life. And in the crazy life that Kirsten and I are building with Claire.

Ahhhhhhh.

2008-03-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

I finally can take a moment to sit, relax, and breathe. Granted, I really should be getting these last few boxes that are driving Daniel crazy out of the kitchen, but I want to sit and chill and finally post an update...

Clearly, it's been a very busy week. But here are a few highlights:

1. The move went well. OK, it was a struggle, but it happened. A heavy, wet snowfall last Friday delayed the packing of the truck and, as Dan pointed out on his blog, Wingstroke, I wasn't exactly all packed up when he arrived Thursday night to assist with the move.

Moving day began with some shoveling and salt placement. This made the back steps of my apartment only slightly less treacherous. But I have to admit, Dan scaled those steps about 7 times as much as I did that day, so he's the real martyr.

We started the day like this:

And it ended a little something more like this:

But after a quick cry and a moment of calm for my Chicago life to flash before my eyes, we were off. And remarkably (according to other couples who have moved) still speaking to each other.

We got in about 11 Saturday night and exhausted. Despite that, we couldn't help but giggle (OK, I giggled, Dan's was more of a manly guffaw) in excitement that we were officially co-habitating. Then we passed out...

2. We made it! Moving day is over! And despite extreme uber super ultra exhaustion the Easter Bunny didn't forget about the Bear!

But, speaking of the Bear, how cute is my new roommate? Seriously! We all had a great time at Easter brunch at my sister's on Sunday, then set to unpacking the truck. Claire was so helpful and took so much joy in handing stuff to Dan from inside the truck and carrying the few things she could carry into the house.

Monday we made pizza together and made a card for Grandma Phyllis, who had sent us an Easter care package. Then she asked... "What fun thing are we doing tomorrow night?" So, the next night she helped me plant the herb garden and sprout grower that I got as a going away present.

On her way to bed, again, "What fun thing are we doing tomorrow night?" So the next night we painted her nails with the nail polish from the Easter Bunny. I hope I can continue to be "fun" in her eyes, and accept that not every night can or will be a "fun night."

3. I started the new job this week, about which I only have great things to say at this point. Isn't the honeymoon phase at a new job great? Before you hear all the drama and gossip and crap that's going around?

As the reporter for a brand new paper, they didn't have an open desk in the newsroom so I have a cubicle over with the ladies of layout, who are really funny and nice. I kind of like being in their area of the building, as I don't have to worry about struggling to hear the person I'm interviewing while sitting next to some loud talker with a hearty laugh. I think it's going to be fun -- they've even already let me in on their group stash of snacks and tea.

It's a bit odd going from my own sizable office to a little cubicle, but I think I'm adjusting quite well. I've got a few weeks to settle into my position covering every beat for two cities, which is a welcome surprise, since the launch of the paper was pushed back 3 weeks.

But so far, so good. I'm really happy to be a reporter again. I feel very at home.

4. In fact, I feel very at home, at my new home. It's no secret that I'm eager and excited to move to a new place at some point this year, as is Dan, but we're doing what we can to combine all of our possessions and make this home as comfortable as possible for the time being.

We had the biggest pile of trash ever to take to the curb last night and we've got the car loaded for donations to the Salvation Army. It's amazing the amount of doubles (and sometimes triples and more) of things you find in your possession after combining the homes of two adults who have lived on their own for years.

For example, we have six cheese graters and three strainers (which would have been 4, but I threw one out in Chicago). We found ourselves with 2 microwaves (mine stays since Dan's was from roughly 1987), three coffee makers, about two dozen plates and three ladles.

What cracks me up about that the most, is remembering the first time I came for a weekend visit here, about a year and a half ago. For lunch that Saturday, Dan made us soup (and by "made" I mean heated up a can of lentil soup on the stove -- it's been proven that he can't cook). As he prepared to dump the soup directly from the pan to the two bowls waiting on the counter, he turned and asked

"What's the best way to get this soup into the bowls?"

"Do you have a ladle?"

"Um... what's a ladle?"

It turns out, he had two. He just didn't know they were there and didn't know what they were.

So, we continue to march our stuff out to the curb or into the car. At this point, each of us has given away many of our belongings, and I admit sometimes it's hard to give away something that's mine, just because it's mine. But really, it's finally starting to sink in that everything is ours now. There is no "mine" and "his."

It's good to be home.

Hello, Ferndale.

2008-03-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've made the fantastic voyage to Ferndale, with both my sanity and my breakables intact. I'll have to write about it in detail later, when I'm not up to my eyeballs (literally) in boxes and bags, but I thought I would offer an update nonetheless.

I'm banged up and bruised from head to toe, I still can't find my deodorant and I made the mistake of setting down my Chapstick this morning -- it's now sufficiently camouflaged among the wreckage.

But, on the bright side, I did manage to find my phone charger and wine glasses after hours of searching last night. As long as I've got my priorities straight, I think I'll be fine.

I'm exhausted, but I'm happy. And now I must get back to work...

Educational experiences

2008-03-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

This week has taught me many things. An old lesson is that I hate moving. Physically, emotionally exhausting, moving is for the birds. I have muscles aching in areas I didn't know I had muscles, and a black and blue foot accompanied by a limp, where I dropped my box springs on my right foot yesterday. I'm going to pretend it's nothing serious and keep on limping.

I've also had a chance to observe some daytime TV, something I haven't regularly done since I worked the late shift at the State Journal. As my constant background noise (having packed up my stereo and CDs) I've learned that Drew Carey is doing a fine job hosting The Price Is Right, bringing a little sarcasm and wit (a bit much for some of the blue haired contestants) to a daytime TV classic. I've been able to shout wrong answers at the TV during Jeopardy, as it sadly is on at 3:30 p.m. in Chicago, so I've not been able to watch it regularly since I moved here. I've learned there's a game show about crossword puzzles and a whole lot of women on Maury who just aren't sure who their baby daddy is.

I've learned, in some ways, the friends who are really going to miss me and the friends who I'm really going to miss. Last night I had a lovely dinner and drinks with three of my favorite Chicagoans, who I will very much miss dinner and breakfasting with, Sally, Echo and Jon. We all were brought together by a job (or in Jon's case restaurant ownership) and our friendships have flourished simultaneously over the years. And Echo, well, he's stuck with Auntie Kirsten whether he likes me or not. I've learned I can never take enough pictures of him or tire of hearing his laugh.

I've learned that all of my favorite Chicago foods make me feel like a giant greaseball, but they are oh, so good. I've learned I'm going to miss my old neighborhood, as I sit here next to my man, each of us blogging and Scrabbing, while there are so many other things we should be doing. And, for that matter, I've learned that my lack of tears this week only confirms the fact that I can't wait to start our little family in the mitten.

Must...keep...packing......

2008-03-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

Just a quick stop in the hustle and bustle of packing. I haven't yet showered, I can't stop sneezing from ingesting dust and cat hair. Well, this should explain it all. I look like this:

Daniel posted my bed on Craigslist this morning for free and I got a call within about 1.44 minutes. I sold it to a nice man named Steve, who has been sleeping on the floor of his apartment because his air mattress popped. For me, the bed was old and starting to be springy. For Steve, it's going to be the best sleep he's had in weeks. It makes me feel good. I would feel even better if someone would throw a little cash my way and take my dresser and kitchen stand off my hands. But what can you do?

Yesterday was a busy and productive one. I decided to jet over to my nearby Treasure Island grocery store to hit its salad bar for lunch and found myself in the middle of an episode of "The Wire." As I was walking from my car to the store, police cars came from all directions, seemingly cornering me. I asked an employee standing outside whether I shouldn't go in and he assured me, "Nah, it's all under control."

I proceeded inside, and as I cut through one of the checkout lanes, was overwhelmed with the shouts "Down on the ground!" from about six cops who seemed already to have their target, the kid who so lovingly has weighed my produce for the last four years, face down on the ground. I'm not sure why 6 officers were needed to keep this 130-pound kid on the ground, to whom they then shouted "On your back!" although they were holding him face down on the floor.

Anyway, I wanted my salad, so I kind of tip-toed past them and went about my business. In the back, I saw another employee with bloodied arms who looks just like Nathan from The Wire, ponytail and all, shaking his head and explaining to other employees that it all started when he asked face-down-on-the-ground-produce-guy to get out of his way and the Spanish expletives started to fly. Ah... nothing like a fist fight between grocery store teens to give the Chicago cops something to do...

Sally and I headed out in the afternoon to get our nails done at Tres Bien Nails on Armitage, just east of Sheffield. Now, why would I be getting my nails done when I have some serious packing to do, which will no doubt destroy them? Logical question. I got Sal a gift certificate to the place for her birthday back in January and have not had the time or money to accompany her. Since I'm walking the Chicago plank, we scheduled it for this week (and a Wednesday when they have their mani-pedi special). I went with black for my fingernails, since it will hide their destruction better, not to mention whatever gets under my nails. I've been going to this place for years and have gotten several friends on board for their Wednesday special. I mentioned I was moving, as I gave my punch card type thing to Sally. Upon my exit, the owner handed me a little gift bag with a card (addressed to me -- must have gotten it off my credit card -- SMART) and a black OPI nail polish, along with a bottle of top coat and base coat. I was beyond surprised and very touched that they would do such a thing.

Then it was off to Cleo's for my favorite grilled cheese in the whole wide world -- giant and with a shallot-herb aioli. Even better was that Chatman was working! Chatman with whom I worked on oh so many Saturdays at The Local Option. A very drunk man took our picture, so we could commemorate the reunion and good-bye.

OK, I no longer can sit here and procrastinate. I have oh, so much to do. Greek outing with Sally, Echo and Jon tonight, just before Daniel's arrival on the train. Or, knowing Amtrak, hours and hours before Daniel's arrival. I guess this really is happening!

Let me fill you in on a little secret...

2008-03-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Daniel and I each have discussed posting a blog about this for months, or maybe even a year. But a new Kia (I think) commercial is compelling me finally to do it once and for all.

The point of the commercial is that gas mileage is so good on this new Kia model, that you will have to go to the gas station so rarely that you will forget what side your tank is on.

This goes on for a good couple of minutes, various Kia models in all colors having to navigate around gas pumps because they just haven't been there in so darn long.

Let me let you in on a little secret. When I got my new company car last year, I mentioned the fact that I would have to get used to driving up to gas pumps on the other side, when my boss said, "Well, just look at the arrow."

Um, what's that now?

The next time you get in your car, look at the gas gauge. There will be a picture of a gas pump with an arrow pointing either to the left or the right. Whichever way it's pointing -- that's the side your gas tank is on.

Pay it forward. Spread the word. And nice try, Kia.

Calgon, take me away.

2008-03-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'm hiding from the boxes in my apartment that are trying to eat me. I have found a nice quiet corner in the new Starbucks on Fullerton Avenue near Racine. It began with only a couple of people and slowly the toddlers are infiltrating the joint. What is better? Noisy toddlers? Or the racket in my head telling me to get to work?

My car is full of boxes and tonight the strangers who have stepped up to take some furniture off my hands will begin to parade into my apartment. I've managed to sell a couple of things too, which I guess will help fill up the UHaul with gas on Friday.

OK, the boxes win. I can't take these toddlers anymore.

A moment of calm in the chaos

2008-03-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in Argo Tea, which I have grown to love during my last 3 1/2 years in this neighborhood. Between a couple of appointments during the week of chaos, I thought I would reflect on the weekend send off activities.

It took me a couple of days to recover from Thursday's daytime drunken Chicago office send off. I spent my last half day in the office in a coffee and cupcake haze, managed to run a couple of errands and hit the sack by 2 p.m. to do some resting up before Jennifer's Friday night arrival. We hit up the Twisted Lizard for some Mexican and were happily vegged out on the pull out couch by 10:30, watching crap TV and drinking Coronas, all of which was more than what we had asked of ourselves for the evening.

But we had a good time. We have had so many nights like this during the last four years, it was nice to have one last Jennifer visit before I left. We started our Saturday dodging drunk St. Patrick's Day revelers who filled the streets of Lincoln Park before 9 a.m., headed to Nookies for breakfast.

If you are a Chicagoan and have yet to eat at Nookies, of which there are several in the city, you should do so immediately. This one sits on Halsted Avenue somewhere near Belden. They've got great specials, lots of vegetarian options and meaty options alike. I'll surely have to write something up about it over on I Eat Veg.

After wolfing down as much as I could of my veggie breakfast sandwhich with spinach, goat cheese, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes, we set off for a day of productivity. I had every intention of utilizing Jennifer to help me plan my attack. What to pack first and how. After more than one move to Seattle and back, surely she's a pro. Well, we managed to do a TON of shopping in my neighborhood. We were able to justify it, of course, and managed to try on everything and buy just about nothing. She walked away with some items for a birthday gift and I some Easter items for the Bear and some boxes and containers from The Container Store.

After all of this walking and shopping we deserved a little Sushi snack, so we stopped at Dee's near by apartment for a little sushi and some warm Sake and managed to rest up for a bit on the couch before heading out to another favorite restaurant on my list -- Bite.

I'll have to write about Bite, too, but it hit me on Friday that I couldn't leave this city without one more plateful of Bite's Buffalo tofu. I've tried to make it at home, to no avail. I just can't do it like Bite can. But, my worst fears came true when we learned it wasn't on the menu this month. I settled for Jerk tofu and BBQ tofu and a few other things Jen, Sally and I shared, along with vegan apple spice cake. You just can't go wrong with Bite's desserts. So, I left semi-satisfied that I had fulfilled my Bite longing, and with the knowledge that the trick to the Buffalo tofu is the deep frying...

We then set off for Shoe's Pub, where a handful of other friends were to gather to see me off. I love Shoe's, its staff, its location, and the fact that it was the one place in Chicago I could walk into and feel like I was walking into Cheers. However, the plan was somewhat thwarted by the fact that the bar was full of St. Patrick's douchebags who had been drinking since 9 a.m. Drunk girls were crying, others were stuffing their faces with pizza, singing Jimmy Buffet at the top of their lungs or dancing in a way they believed to be sexy in their drunken hazes.

I professed that it wouldn't be that bad, but believing there was nobody else who would be joining us, I agreed that we could take the party back to my apartment. The seven of us trekked to the nearest 7-Eleven to load up on supplies and off the apartment we went. We had christened the apartment four and a half years ago with a celebration for Holly's just passed birthday. It was essentially the same small group of friends back then, including Jennifer, so it was nice to kind of bring it all full circle.

Again, we had a field day with the Photo Booth function on my computer. Photo Booth + alcohol = fun. What can I say?

Needless to say, we had a good time, and didn't have to put up with any douchebags other than ourselves. I was so happy they each came out to spend time with me, with little fanfare and just the fun that we know we can have if you just put us in a room with each other (and a little booze). There were no tears. It was perfect.

It took me a full day to recover, however. I ordered some Thai food from Duck Walk last night, so I can check that off my list. There only are one or two places left -- a grilled cheese from Cleo's and some guac and veggie tacos from The Local Option, where I spent so many Saturdays waitressing I can't believe I actually miss the food. I thought it would take many more years than it has to get over that.

On that note, I've spent far to much time rambling away here in Argo Tea and must brave the snow/rain mix outside and get to my next appointment. My goal for the day: at least pack one freakin' box. We'll see....

Farewell tour continues

2008-03-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

The tour hasn't slowed down for one second since my final arrival back in Chicago. My last entry into the city as a resident. Yesterday I found myself at a nice lunch at the Erie Cafe, inundated with red wine, desserts, kind words and final farewells.

There was plenty of teasing, of course, my Chicago co-workers getting in all their last jabs at my not eating meat, moving to Detroit and being so foolish as to be in love. Now I sit and finish up the gutting of my windowless office. My first office ever. That I've occupied for four years. In a few minutes I'll hand in my keys, say my good-byes and begin the craziest week of all time.

Jennifer will be here tonight to help in the packing (whether she likes it or not) and the farewell tour festivities, which should help in my struggle to remain calm. I feel like I've been talking about and thinking about this day for so long. I can't believe it's here. This is really happening. Let the games begin!

The Buyza Farewell Tour

2008-03-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

It officially has begun. I have an office in Chicago, an office in Lansing, friends in both places... thus, the farewell tour.

This is my final voyage to Lansing for work. Yesterday I got a great gift from our office manager, Ethyl, a kit to grow sprouts (she's a meat-and-potatoes kind of gal, but she knows me well) and an herb garden, along with a really sturdy tool bag. The gift was unexpected and I love it.

There was a lunchtime pizza party and we all had a little fun playing with my new baby, Mr. Mac (I'll write about my budding love affair with Apple later). Here's some of the evidence and proof of the goofy bastards I work with.

After attending an annual awards ceremony in Grand Rapids with co-workers, I met up with Jay at Moriarty's, our old haunt. When Jay and I first started hanging out when I would come to Lansing, she lived nearby and we would meet there for Bloody Marys regularly. Now we're old, poor and tired and we mostly hang out at her house on the rare occasion that I stay in town and don't drive down to Ferndale. This being my last night staying in Lansing for work, we decided we would force our tired butts out for a drink, which turned into three. But we had a great time swapping stories about kids as I prepare to be a stepmom of sorts, laughing about past events and just a generally girly therapy session. It was wonderful, though I'm awfully tired today.

My last day in the Lansing office is today and our farm director, Janelle, was nice enough to bring in some cupcakes. A fine way to send me off and load me up with sugar before my final trip back to Chicago, which I've called home for more than four years.

Tomorrow I'll attend a farewell lunch with my Chicago work crew at a great restaurant down the street from our office downtown, across the street from the park where I've spent so many lunch hours along the river. Saturday I'll meet at my neighbor, Shoe's Pub, with my Chicago friends, most of whom are Michigan natives and themselves are plotting their escape from the city in upcoming months and years.

I'm going through changes...

2008-03-11T11:12:00.001-07:00

First allow me to say that's an Ozzy reference, not a menopause reference, in case I needed to clear that up. To say some things in my life are changing is an understatement. As I prepare to head back to Michigan to move in with my squeeze and his girl, I've continued to remain quite calm despite the mounds of boxes and chaos that surrounds me.

This past weekend I managed to move my cats to Ferndale, something I hope to never, ever (ever) have to experience again. After a recent trip to the vet, I found myself armed with about 10 kitty sedatives. She said to start with half if a pill during a trial run the weekend before and go from there. Considering Tobias and Lucy weigh in at 19 and 14 pounds respectively, the half of a pill caused them to be semi-drowsy for about three hours.

So, at 10 a.m. Saturday I loaded them each up with a full pill. I anticipated this knocking them out nicely and remained confident that I would get the cats, some boxes and myself into the car, on the road and to Detroit in plenty of time for a Nistorical 6 p.m. wedding at the Guardian Building downtown.

It's harder to get out the door with a car full of boxes, cat carriers and enough different kinds of clothing, shoes and coats for a wedding, three days of work and more. The cats were stumbling like half-drunk toddlers but as soon as they were forced into their plastic carriers, the yowling began. Tobias sounds like a human child crying and groaning and Lucy tries to follow suit but fails in the noisy department. Thank god. One was enough.

By the time I made it downtown for a quick stop at my office, it was clear that we all were in for about 4 1/2 hours of torture if I didn't do something. One at a time, I took them into the lobby of my building, as the security guard warned me the owner would be none too pleased with cats in the building, then proceeded to make googly faces at each cat as I struggled for nearly 20 minutes to administer more sedatives. I gave Fat 1 a whole one, since he practically weighs more than Claire and I gave Fat 2 another half. We were on the road by noon -- 1 Michigan time. It was not looking good for that 6 o'clock wedding downtown.

I kind of ruled with the driving, however, and I pulled into Ferndale around 5 p.m.
I only had about 20 solid minutes of quiet, but it was better than nothing and much appreciated. It turns out I should have played Smoking Popes on the front speakers only about three hours earlier and maybe I would have had a quieter ride.

Like superheroes, Daniel and I sprang into action and managed to get the litter box, food and water bowls set up, fool around and get dressed for the wedding. We pulled up in front of The Guardian at 6:01 and had a lovely time. It was a perfect and amazing wedding.

We capped off the night with some fun at the Blowout, which led to a fuzzy and late morning, not helped by the time change. The cats had settled in nicely however (full-blown addicts after the extra sedatives and the catnip I didn't put away during our rush to get to the wedding...). They were relaxed and primed for the attack of the Bear.

She proceeded to crawl around like a cat for the first couple of hours and, two days later, still seems excited and enthused by her new cats. Just this morning we cracked open the bathroom door to find Claire not only out of bed, but on the floor playing with the cats. This just seems to be working out for all parties involved.

Besides the actual move, I'm preparing to officially shack up with someone for the first time. While all signs point to success, the cramped quarters are a bit worrisome. Surely they won't cause too many stresses and rifts, right?

We're just wondering exactly how long it will last that he sweetly wakes me up by rubbing my back and arms, and when I finally wake up, I begin my slow rise with a big ol bear hug. So far we're at two days and counting...

Back to the lightside...

2008-03-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

For the last four and a half years when someone has asked me what I do for a living, I would tell them, "I used to be a newspaper reporter, but now I..."

I had found that A) this would clear up a LITTLE bit of confusion when I would then attempt to explain my mashup of jobs on the business side of news radio and B) I still took pride in being a reporter, even if I wasn't anymore.

I'm happy to say, I no longer have to refer to "my former life as a newspaper reporter," for I am a reporter once again! I've accepted a full-time reporting position with C&G Newspapers, a group of weeklies based in Warren, Mich. The company is launching its 18th paper in April, for which I will be its sole reporter (more or less). I'm 98 percent excited and 2 percent nervous, but even that is mostly nervous excitement.

But I always thought I would be back. When I took a part-time office job with my current employer upon moving to Chicago, my reporter and editor friends didn't get too worried. A "transitional phase" is all it was... right? When I was offered a full-time job at the radio networks eight months later and accepted, that's when the questions and comments started to rain down upon me.

For the nearly four years since, I've heard, "When are you leaving the darkside?" and my mom would e-mail me news stories and ask, "Wouldn't you love it if that was your name on the story?" I took it all to heart. I missed it like crazy, all the while stating that I was "sleeping better at night" and happy to be reading more again, etc. Basically, some things to make me feel better for abandoning the career I had been working toward since I was 16 doing paste-up and layout at my hometown paper, the Ionia Sentinel-Standard. (Note: This means literally cutting out individual stories and sometimes paragraphs or individual words, coating them with hot wax and sticking them onto a large rectangular piece of paper to create each page of the newspaper).

You see, about two weeks after I moved to Chicago I got a call from my former editor, Clint. And I remember it was mid-afternoon. I had just gotten home from my part-time job, more or less as a secretary. He said he had good news for me: my series of stories that essentially had taken down a corrupt police department had earned a first place for investigative journalism from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

Most people would be elated, right? Holy crap! A first place! At the age of 25! How many newspaper vets did I beat out for this honor!?!?

Instead, I cried. I was so upset. How in the world had I left this business, which, for nearly 10 years, I was convinced I was "meant" to do. And now I was a secretary 20 hours a week. What the hell was I doing???

Well, it didn't take long to calm down and at least try to appreciate this accomplishment in my career, which I'm happy to say is apparently back on track. Now I have to get over feeling silly about hanging a wooden Wisconsin-shaped award in my new cubicle. Actually, I don't know if I'm ready for that just yet. For now it may have to stay at the home office...

Good-bye, ye olde city of wind

2008-03-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

Or maybe I should say "See you later," because I, no doubt, will be back. Hopefully more often than reality and energy levels usually allow one to return to their former city for visits.

I'm moving back to Michigan. I officially will be shacked up with Dan, the Bear, the cats and the fish in two short weeks, which still somehow don't seem short enough. This will be the third time I've moved to another state and it is my last. Thank god.

It's stressful enough moving across town but throw another state into the mix and it's a whole new lot of expenses and stresses. UHaul, cat sedatives and more. Oh, and I should mention that I've been driving a company car for the last 3 1/2 years. So, on top of cancelling and changing appointments and services, taking the cats to the vet, renting a UHaul, buying and gathering boxes, orchestrating schedules and generally planning my attack -- I've thrown buying a car and determining which insurance company to use on top of everything. (Especially because you can't buy a car without proof of insurance and you can't get insurance without a Michigan license and you can't get a license without....)

And, just to keep me on my toes, I dropped my phone yesterday and had to get a new one. Although I spent more than an hour at Verizon last night, I walked away with a brand new phone -- free of charge. The phone gods were smiling down upon me (um... after I dropped the phone, apparently?) and "new Verizon guy" asked his boss if he could wave my $50 deductible. So, that sure was nice.

But despite all of the stresses I am certainly experiencing, I'm remaining quite calm, if I do say so myself. My apartment's a mess, but that's to be expected, I think. I found a great car at a dealership in Michigan -- it's exactly like my company car, so I already know I like it. Dan's going to test drive it for me tomorrow, though, and I should be able to pick my little red Pontiac up on Monday.

The cats are taking their drug-induced voyage to Michigan on Saturday. By then Claire's purple Beta fish, Tiara, should be safely perched on a new white shelf so the fatties can't get to her. Although, Tiara has been trying to commit suicide anyway, so maybe we would be doing her a favor by letting the cats have at her. I guess we'll have to see what Claire thinks about that...

My Chicago nostalgia already has begun. I've got my eyes on a few restaurants before I go. Thankfully, I hit up The Breakfast Club with Nicolle a couple of weeks ago, so that's off my list. I still need a grilled cheese from Cleo's, Panang curry from Duck Walk, all-you-can-eat sushi with my lady friends, Local Option guacamole and chips, and a few cheap whiskeys at Shoe's Pub. That's all I can think of for now. And, again, I'll be back and can eat this stuff anytime, right?

In the meantime, I'm taking many deep breaths and move forward, with my hands raw from constructing boxes and the circles under my eyes darkening each day. As temperatures have dipped in recent weeks to near zero with below zero wind chills, I've been driving to work. Most days getting lucky enough to get a "good" meter, which costs the same as the train. Yesterday, I decided to take the train. After all, it was in the upper 20s -- which is practically like summer during a long Chicago winter, and I have $50 on my train card to try to burn in the next two weeks. I decided I wouldn't even read on the train. I would get one of my last tea lattes at Argo Tea and look out the window as I took the trip to work, admiring the scene of the downtown hustle.

A quick stop at my chiropractor's to drop off a purchased scarf and a phone call to try to reschedule a doctor's appointment due the move stalled my boarding the train until after 8:30 a.m. -- always a deadly battle to squeeze on anytime after 8. I crossed the street toward the station just as a train was pulling away. Once on the platform, clutching my mate latte with my hood up to help block the chilly breeze, my usual 2-minute wait for the next train turned into 15. So, I pulled out My Antonia and started reading.

It's tough to turn pages with gloved hands, not to mention when one is holding a cup. So, I decided to de-glove because, after all, a train must surely be just around the corner, right? It was this thinking that allowed my hands to freeze for the next 20 minutes as I waited, unable to squeeze onto the one train that did stop.
Eventually I made it onto a train after waiting about 35 minutes. It was too packed to see out the windows so, with my hands red and stiff, I attempted to continue reading, holding the tea and steadying myself as best I could.

Everyone was grumpy and stinky, their morning breath and winter rush sweat invading my nostrils despite my best efforts. Forget taking the train. I'm back to my car. I can get reimbursed for any unused money on my card anyway. Screw this. And Say Yes! to Michigan.