And the Gay Shall Inherit the Earth

Ok, What The Hell?

Here is my favorite part:

Epple said she opposes domestic partnerships for gays and lesbians because of her Christian values.

"I think we're opening up a can of worms that we're not sure about," she said.

WHAT CHRISTIAN VALUES? Do you even understand what you are saying? This is definitely one of those times when I am not super proud of being aligned with Christianity.

Let's play a little game. I'm going to list off some Christian values, and you tell me which of them is being violated here.
Love
Commitment
Respect
Monogamy (although the Bible certainly has plenty of inconsistencies on this one)
Faithfulness

Hmmm, no, I'd have to go for No on all of those. Maybe instead, it's just your personal comfort zone that is being violated and you are masquerading that as so-called "Christian Values." Maybe you should take 5 seconds and try to figure out how your life, your values would change ONE IOTA if domestic partnerships were allowed. (Try looking at other states where this has happened: it doesn't make a damn bit of difference to already-married, heterosexual couples. I promise!)

Sometimes I can only imagine that people like this have never actually engaged with someone who is gay (and out) and in a loving relationship with a partner. It's the only plausible excuse I can come up with for this stuff.

Until this BS gets overturned and people can finally get the rights they deserve, I can only offer my deepest apologies to committed gay & lesbian partners out there. It's really a travesty.

Santa is Coming

Currently (as of 9:30 pm PST), he is in Greenville, Mississippi according to our trusty Santa Tracker. He better hurry up if he hopes to make it out to Portland before sunrise. My friend's 4 y.o. daughter, Io, will be VERY upset if he doesn't come down her chimney.

It hasn't been super Christmas-y around our house today. Our puppy Lucy took a bad fall between the slats of a park bench & we spent much of the afternoon at the vet. Big shout-out to our local vet, North Portland Veterinary Hospital on Lombard. I've been taking my kitty there for 6 years, even when I was living all the way out in Beaverton. Dr. Christine Fletcher is absolutely amazing. And Dr. Kirchner was wonderful today, talking us through the various scenarios. Unfortunately, the x-rays were somewhat inconclusive and it's hard to get a specialist on Christmas eve at 4 pm. If we're lucky, it's just a really bad sprain. Otherwise, it could be a ligament tear that requires surgery. Nothing like the super sad big eyes of a 5 month-old puppy looking up at you as she hobbles to the x-ray table to make you tear up. Poor kid.

What does Christmas hold in store for you tomorrow? We have a strict no-traveling-at-Christmas rule, which has kind of morphed into a no-family-at-Christmas rule, since our families live in New York, Texas, New Mexico and South Carolina. Thanksgiving is for family, Christmas is for relaxing spouse time. We have a few presents from our parents to open in the morning (we already exchanged our gifts last month), then it's off to see Juno at Fox Tower. Then hanging out with Lucy and Moby until we prepare a delicious dinner of ingredients purchased from Market of Choice. New Seasons is wonderful, but I do miss living closer to MoC. R bought everything today so it's going to be a surprise for me tomorrow. Last year it was beef pinwheels stuffed with feta, spinach, and bacon. Can't wait to see what this year brings.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, enjoy your day off.

Lists of the Year - Part 1

Well, it's that time of year when people make their "Best of" Lists. And there are few things I enjoy more upon this earth than lists. This is the only time of year when I get to bust out my list obsession and no one thinks it's (too) weird. So here I go...

Best Movies I Saw in 2007

Not all of these came out in 2007, but that is why God invented Netflixx.

1. Children of Men
One of the most amazing and powerful films I've seen in quite some time. Clive Owen is not only smoldering as is his norm, but gives a wonderfully affecting performance as a gradually transformed man. Michael Caine steals the show, though. A very moving look at a possible dystopian future.

2. Half Nelson
Ryan Gosling is in my top five of actors, and this movie is the main reason why. The elements are all there for this to be another Stand and Deliver/Freedom Writers/etc.: white young teacher tries to teach in poor, Black New York City middle school, overcomes obstacles to lead his students to achievement. But Gosling's turn as a drug-addicted teacher whose student catches him in the act, and the way their relationship plays out, is filled with nuance and surprise. A lovely and unsentimental film.

3. Knocked Up
Judd Apatow is clearly the man. And despite the fact that he writes his male characters so much more fully and sympathetically than his female characters, I still LOVED this movie. The relationship between Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd's characters is really the heart of this film, but of course Kathryn Heigl and Seth Rogen are excellent. And Seth's gang of stoner/porn-loving friends are a hilarious sidebar.

4. Waitress
Cuteness to the max, yet not cloying. A little modern fairy tale full of whimsy, kind of the cinematic equivalent of Pushing Daisies.

5. Pan's Labyrinth
A terrifying adults-only children's story that is astonishing in its creativity and visual effects. That this movie wasn't up for best film last year is somewhat of a travesty.

6. Jesus Camp
A wonderfully fair documentary profiling a fundamentalist Church camp in Kansas (I think) that trains little soldiers for Christ. It is very scary without feeling exploitative.

7. Casino Royale
Best Bond movie in a long time. Daniel Craig is exquisite in this role, and Eva Green really grew on me. This film makes me very excited to see what the future holds for the Bond franchise.

8. SuperBad
Not quite as enjoyable as Knocked Up, and far more crude, but still an excellent film. Michael Cera has perfected the art of awkward, comic sweetness. The ultimate 14 year-old boy film. Uh, in the good way, even if you're a 30-something female.

9. Notes on a Scandal
Two masterminds of the theatrical arts - Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench - face off in a film chock full of tension and bewilderment. The Phillip Glass score is almost too much at times, but it is a great 3rd main character in the movie.

Late to the Posada

I've had a dozen posts rattling around in my head and no focused time to sit down & write them. Business trip to the East Coast, last-minute Christmas shopping, and general puppy raising time have all sucked up my energy and resources.

However, I did manage to make it to La Posada in St. John's last weekend. I didn't really know what to expect, and it was pretty cool. So... some fun and interesting things about Posada.

1. Whoever they got to do face painting did an amazing, amazing job. These were no daisies and sunshines - these were complex, detailed little works of art on dozens of kids' cheeks. Had there not been such a line (and were I not convinced that the moment I got face paint on, the grey skies would finally open up for the day and leave me looking like a very sad clown), I would have been right there among the under-12 crowd.

2. Tienda Santa Cruz makes some mean tamales.

3. Tina Kotek was there! Tina Kotek was there! Tina Kotek was there! Standing next to me! In line for food! (For those of you who don't know, Tina is our North Portland representative to the State Legislature. She is also an incredibly smart and sophisticated advocate for kids issues and health care, and I kind of have a little silent secret crush on her. If my husband can have a man-crush on Sam Adams, I am entitled to my own girl crush.

4. Woodburn High School has a mariachi band?? How cool is that! Even more cool: it has at least 3 female members. They played at the end of Posada, and it was lots of fun. How many high schools can boast their own mariachi bands? Not many, I'm guessing.

5. I heard nary a word about the clustersuck that is/was Interstate Ave./Cesar Chavez Boulevard/SW 4th ave. There were upwards of 200 people there with what seemed to be a good mix of Latino, White and African American. Peaceful and supportive - a good small step for the community.

Seen Around the Neighborhood

Santa Checks to See if the Tiger was Naughty or Nice (Bad Santa!)


Wandering around the neighborhood was this little guy. We couldn't get the picture, but for awhile he was just walking down the street shoulder-to-shoulder with a little white cat. He seemed pretty content to peruse the front lawns and didn't seem to much care about us or our dog on the street.

Be a Beautiful Elf

How do you combine a fun, low-key social event with some worthy holiday philanthropy? Head on over to Trixie's Beauty Bar this Sunday, December 9th between 11 and 1. They are hosting a Holiday Open House to benefit families served by the Children's Relief Nursery in St. Johns.

Trixie's will supply the mimosas, snacks, and CHAIR MASSAGES! You bring a donation to the Children's Relief Nursery. Here are the specific items they are looking for:

• Thomas the Train set
• Thomas the Train toys
• Keyboard
• Indoor play structure
• Tricycle for 3-year-old
• V-Smile “Smartridges”: Day on the Farm, Noah’s Ark, Animal Adventures
• 3-hole shape sorter
• Cause-and-effect toys for 18 months old (push button to make sound or make something pop up, etc.)
• Wrapping Paper, ribbon, tape, boxes etc.
• Non perishable, protein-rich foods like chili, mac & cheese, soup, tuna
• A cash or check donation to support the Children's Relief Nursery

Trixie's is located at 4821 North Lombard, at the corner of Lombard and Fiske.
The Relief Nursery is a wonderful organization and I'm so glad that Trixie's is doing this for them. For more info on CRN, visit them at: www.crn4kids.org.

Donde Esta Santa Claus?

Oh wow, did my husband find the mother of all Christmas lawn decorations a few blocks over. I promise a picture as soon as this crazy torrential rain stops flooding the earth. It involves Santa and sunglasses and a motorcycle. Rock on, biker Santa!