Smile if you can see what's wrong with this picture.

This picture was snapped just moments ago, over my lunch break. You can imagine the howls that broke out in the car, considering that all three lunch companions were professional writers/editors.

Not sure what possessed me

This morning as we were headed off to work, I gave Ted the customary good-bye kiss, and then said "Peace out, ma brutha."

My First Blog Meme

For those of you who don't know what a meme is, Wikipedia says it's a "unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another." In the e-mail world, this usually amounts to an "All About Me" quiz you receive in a message from a friend, wherein you replace their answers with yours and send it on to your friends, asking them to do the same. It's a big time-suck, but also is a charming way to get to know your friends, coworkers, distant cousins, etc. Not as good as actually talking to them, but good for a brief illusion of intimacy nonetheless. And a great opportunity to talk about yourself, because nobody gets enough of that.

Usually blog memes are about the same. I think the one I've seen most is "Tell your readers ten weird things about yourself." Now, I don't consider myself to be all that ordinary, exactly, but I had a hard time coming up with weird facts about me that other people would find remotely interesting--or that aren't deeply embarrassing or just gross (yes, everybody has something like that). So up until this point I have decided to spare you the tedium of discovering (or being tagged for) a meme on this blog.

All of that changes today!

I've been tagged for a meme that actually seems worthwhile--and doesn't require a lot of navel-gazing on my part as far as divining what you might find fascinating about little ol' moi. It's not about me at all! Yay!

So, here goes. The rules are:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find sentences 5,6, and 7, and post them.
4. Tag five people.

Here's mine, from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver:

"Local food is a handshake deal in a community gathering place. It involves farmers with first names, who show up week after week. It means an open-door policy on the fields, where neighborhood buyers are welcome to come have a look, and pick their food from the vine."

I'll add the final sentence in the chapter (#8 on this page), because it hardly deserves to be left behind:

"Local is farmers growing trust."

*******
Can't wait for the growing season!

And I'm tagging these folks to continue the meme:

Heetmyser
Writermom
RicoSuave
Lady Mayhem
Ringdahls

UPDATE, March 5: Lookee what showed up on our departmental word-a-day calendar today!

Stripes

Striped kiddos, on the couch. Arlo was "babysitting" while I got ready for work this morning.

It wasn't easy, but I did it. For YOU.

You might not think of it as a grueling task, but making a baby smile, open-mouthed, enough times to actually catch a decent photograph wherein her BRAND NEW TEETH are showing --and in focus--well, let's just say it's a little like wildlife photography.

But I braved the wilds, for you.

Enlarge the photo, peer closely at her bottom gum, barely showing behind her bottom lip, and you'll see them , in their natural habitat. Two baby toofies. One was born around the 9th of February, followed by its little next-door neighbor a week later.

As you might imagine, we are wading in drool at our house these days. And (TMI alert!) my nipples are quite tender indeed.

Stuart Davis - Nothing In Between

I heard this song on KUNI's "Night Music" show over the weekend, and was floored, again. Check out the masterful--and playful--guitar work by Stu here... and the achingly beautiful lyrics... oh, and did you notice that he's not wearing a shirt and how YUMMY that whole combination is?

Stuart has been playing this song in his live shows for years, but I think that there might be a studio version on the new album, due out next month. Yay! Stu is playing at The Mill in Iowa City at the end of March, too. Double yay! Now, if the snow would just QUIT ALREADY, March will be a banner month indeed.

Mom Chimes In

You remember this post from a few weeks back? I was talking about how Betsy had used the term "Repuglicans" and how that totally cracked me up. My mom sent a shot across the bow this morning with a reminder that the flip side of that pun coin is that they can call us Democraps.

Fair enough, Mom. Touche.

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

My, but that Barack Obama talks pretty.