friday night hilarity

Stuart had a face perfect for licking this evening. And as Nano amply demonstrated, little dogs never say die. Allow him to show you.

Climb on his shoulder:

Have a seat:

VICTORY:

last night's loudest truth

I was pretty damned impressed with Senator Obama's speech last night. I will say that I noticed a smoothing, a streamlining, of his fierce and powerful voice and rhetoric, until we came to 35 minutes into the speech, and Obama said this:

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America.


So I’ve got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.

That moved me; the truth of it was strong in his voice and his delivery. I hope, more importantly, it moved people who weren't already Democrats to their core.

election fever

I have to say, although I voted with clear eyes and a full heart (who's in FNL withdrawal?) for Senator HRC and I truly stand by my vote, I'm really starting to feel the excitement coming from Denver and the DNC. I'm looking forward to being totally floored by the Junior Senator from Illinois - I've heard he's got a knack for this whole speechifyin' thing.

millard says relax

We're back from England, spoiled for R&R and weary with jetlag, ruthlessly dunked back into our work routines (not sure what Millard does for a living but I'm guessing something in venture capitalism), and wishing we had another two weeks of vacation.

Actually, if we can bring Nano this time, go ahead and make it a month.

vectis

Originally uploaded by Kidsturk.

For two years, this has been my desktop image on my computer. Going home to Ventnor with Stuart is always a wonderful thing, but after a summer this hectic, the time to slow down and walk hand-in-hand down the seafront and relax with family and generally unplug and wind down, well, it's a godsend.

Hope the next two weeks are as beautiful for you as they will doubtless be for us.

The Cross Off List, fifty one through seventy five

51. Conquer my fear of bike-riding in New York.
52. Be on a radio show.
53. Skydive.
54. Visit southeast Asia.
55. Grow my own basil and parsley in our apartment.
56. Take dance classes with Stuart.
57. Live in Astoria again.
58. Go on vacation with Beth and Josh.
59. Redesign this website.
60. Adopt a seeing-eye dog after his work is done.
61. Legally change my name to Krissa.
62. Get back in touch with the kids I took care of, and their family, in the summer of 2000.
63. Learn how to make pasta.
64. Be a godmother. Maybe even a fairy one.
65. Own a house with a yard.
66. Throw a benefit party for a good cause.
67. Visit Kristin in Vancouver (I promise! I promise! One day).
68. Live near(er) to my parents; live near my brother; live near Stuart's family.
69. Help effect - or at least contribute and support - equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in my lifetime.
70. Get some steady freelance editing work.
71. Take regular family vacations somewhere; maybe the Catskills.
72. Visit the Alameda Flea Market with a suitcase a handful of cash.
73. Make a quilt. (I know! I'm insane.)
74. Help a friend with a project or ambition of theirs'.
75. Write an article for the New York Times.