Kindred Folk

We've Moved

2009-07-13T21:40:00.005-06:00

kindredfolk.posterous.com

Stay tuned.

2009-07-11T12:04:00.002-06:00

We don't want you to forget about us. We're working on setting up a new blog so please check back soon for the link to the new site.

help!

2009-07-05T22:00:00.003-06:00

why are none of my photos showing up on my blog? i can see everybody else who uses blogger but can not see mine? ever since i started using picasa it has had problems. boo. help, please.

GOD BLESS AMERICA. LAND THAT I LOVE.

2009-07-04T11:57:00.001-06:00

Autism High School Graduates

2009-07-02T12:28:00.006-06:00

We are back. Got some amazing sun and I will post later on all that. I was just reading CNN and came across this moving article and video. I teared up reading and watching the video because it is so full of HOPE. I love GOOD news. I would so love to work at this school, what an amazing program.

Party Year

2009-06-21T20:16:00.003-06:00

We are looking at our relocation as a year long party. So why not start the party year off with a party? We are off to the Dominican Republic to party for 1 week. Adios.

PNW

2009-06-06T15:35:00.008-06:00

I like to refer to the Pacific North West as the "PNW". Anyway, Jake and I made a quick trip to Portland before he left to visit some of our besties, Britt and Wyatt. We luff them, a lot. I stole all these photos from Brittany. They are so much better than mine.

This is Jake riding Wyatt's mini bike.

The Columbia Gorge

Top of the Portland Magic Bean

Oh just the Carver Cafe. For all you Twerds out there, this is the restaurant where Bella ate with her dad (multiple times in the movie).

Mount Saint Helens

My friend Shelley came in last weekend. We ventured every inch of Seattle but I only got 2 pictures. :(

I look like my dad.

Special Needs

2009-06-01T21:03:00.010-06:00

I am feeling sentimental about my job. I have been tearing up (as in crying) when I think about leaving my sweet sweet pre-school peaches. The beginning of the year was very hard but I have grown quite fond of my profession. I don't mean to toot my own horn but I think I am a darn good teacher.

Most of these pictures are of me because I don't want my students faces up on here.

Number Rock

Great reading program found here

Mat Man {Great handwriting program found here}

Tender hearts. {Earphones to reduce over stimulated audio}

Coloring on the underside of a table. So good for students who have low muscle tone and poor fine motor skills.

I assure I do not sit in this chair all the time. This is the only time when our kids are sitting and we can actually take pictures. My day is mainly filled with tissues, hand feeding, dirty diapers, art projects and music. And lots and lots of love.

Gualala 2009

2009-06-01T19:45:00.002-06:00

Just a heads up I am OBSESSED with my nieces and nephews (on both sides of the fam). I went home for Memorial day weekend. I was literally in San Francisco for 45 min, Sonoma for 1 night, Gualala for 2 nights and then 3 hours in Sonoma before I flew home. Short trip but I loved every second of it.

Gangy and her grand kids. {L to R} Macy Lou, Elias, Gangy and Merrick.

Elias fist bumping Monti. He loves to pound Monti but only Monti.

Cousins playing. Just like we used to back in the day. My brothers dream coming true.

If you can't tell from these photos Koda is such a sweet and mellow dog.

Conan O'Brien came to party for a night (Karaoke night). For sure Micah and Nicole are the only ones in our family who can carry a tune.

My mom threw Monti a surprise party (his birthday is in July. My mom is so great.)

Mom and I destroying trek ball.

Ty feeding Merrick.

Typical look when she sees Monti or Dad.

Merrick looking so good and how awesome is his chicken toy?

I am fully aware of how frightening I am for having a picture of my dog on my blog. I don't really care for dogs and I loath cats. However, Scotty will hold a special place in my heart. He almost died a few months back and I thought my dad was going to loose it. He was crying all the time and soooo sad. Well, my mom fed him some of her pyramid health juice and saved this mutt.

Poor Elias was sick but still so dang cute and happy!

It was so nice to see my family for one last time before we leave. Everybody was there except for Jake, we missed him A LOT. I love you all so much and am going to miss you all.

Homie Home Home

2009-05-22T00:17:00.002-06:00

I am flying home tomorrow night for the annual Gualala family reunion. I am going solo because Jake left for a month today (Philippines again). I am so excited to see my niece and nephews!
Macy Lou

Merrick

Roxana and Elias

Relocating

2009-05-15T19:02:00.003-06:00

Jake and I will be moving this summer. We are moving for Jakes work and the assignment is currently for 1 yr. We are SO stoked. We will be living in an international community outside of Manila.

p.s. Beirut is really good.

p.p.s remember this video from last November?

Beirut

2009-05-15T18:30:00.003-06:00

Jake here. Been really into this lately. Make sure you push the HQ button and listen in High Quality, it's worth it.

BTW, we're moving but I promised AJ she could announce our destination.

Key Largo

2009-05-07T20:39:00.006-06:00

Loved Key Largo and the amazing (cheap) Hilton resort we stayed at!

D-World

2009-05-07T20:24:00.005-06:00

The Beezums have a friend whose dad works for Disney and got us into the park for free $. Jake was whizzing himself with glee. I have never met anyone who loves Disney theme parks as much as my adorable husband.

Naples

2009-05-07T20:01:00.007-06:00

Naples is one of my top fave beaches. The town was quaint with good shopping and LOTS of older folks. They also had a KFC buffet - hilarious. I can't remember seeing pelicans before Naples but I loved watching them off the pier. We also saw a few dolphins. How dreamy.

Everglades

2009-05-07T19:22:00.006-06:00

A half day was spent in the Everglades and the other half in Naples. We went on a rockin airboat ride and saw lots of crocs and gators. We saw some amazing fowl too.

Florida Day #1

2009-05-07T19:11:00.005-06:00

We had a great time in FL. The company was grand, weather was perfect and the scenery delightful. We took many a photo so I am going to break it up by day.
I have an awesome friend from work and her awesome parents live outside of Miami so we crashed at their house for 2 days. The rooms were set up like a hotel suite with individual bathrooms, water bottles and chocolates on the night stands, bath robes and toiletries galore. Shallcross Manor was amazing!

The Shallcross family were by far some of the nicest and most sincere serving people I have met. We loved them.

South Beach swanky hotel.

Getting Jiggy With It

2009-04-27T19:34:00.002-06:00

Jake and I are catching a flight out tonight to party for the next few days. Enjoy yourselves, I will.

We Love These People

2009-04-19T18:26:00.004-06:00

I constantly think about how blessed we are to live around such fantastic people. Jake and I have such good friends (and family) up here.
Yesterday we went with the Burnhams to SAM Taste and SAM Shop. It was delightful weather and good company. Van tugs on my heart strings.

fantasize this

2009-04-13T18:21:00.006-06:00

just downloaded my free album FANTASIES from ilovemetric.com.

I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE THE FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD IS OVER. SORRY FRIENDS. But you can download Help I'm Alive for free if you go to their website.

FLORIDA

2009-04-11T20:58:00.003-06:00

Jake and I are taking a trip to Florida to meet up with some awesome mates from BYUH. We are flying into Miami and spending a few nights there, going to the Everglades and driving down the Keys. We need advice on places to go. Anyone have cool suggestions or know any cool things to do? They better not suck.

Mas

2009-04-03T19:23:00.000-06:00

AIW

2009-04-03T02:07:00.001-06:00

Here it is.

Alaska In Winter

2009-04-03T01:25:00.004-06:00

Jake here. We just got back from an awesome Alaska In Winter show. At about 9:30pm I stumbled across his MySpace and saw he was playing at Chop Suey. I immediately called AJ, she bailed early from her YW's activity and we made it to the show just as the opening band finished up. Super entertaining and unique show. He had a bunch of pre-recorded videos of himself playing different tracks for each song which he projected on a big screen while he sang and played the keytar. And he changed his outfit for each song to match the outfit he was wearing in all of the prerecorded videos. At the end of the show he claimed to have cassettes for sale but when we tried to buy one from him he said it was a lie so we bought AJ a t-shirt instead. I'll try to find a good video to post later. Until then, enjoy Speed Boat to Heaven.

2009-04-02T00:46:00.000-06:00

Jake here. Stephen Colbert says America loves narcissism so here I go. Follow me on Twitter @jacobfolkman.

2009-03-27T22:24:00.003-06:00

Jake again. I just wanted to jump on here again and tell everyone how excited I am about this movie. Probably to an unhealthy level. I've definitely never been this excited about a movie in my life. I downloaded the HD copy from Apple and have watched it at least 20 times. I predict the following Oscars (at least nominations):
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor (but they discriminate against youngens so more likely, Supporting Actor)
Best Visual Effects and/or Costume Design
Best Cinematography
Most Bitchin' Movie Ever
Best Adapted Screenplay

Round 3 for Spike Jonze

2009-03-25T21:46:00.004-06:00

Jake here. I've been waiting for this for a very very long time. There's been forward and backward rumors going on about this for over a year now and I've been biting my nails the entire time. Spike Jonze takes his time with his work which is why Being John Malkovich and Adaptation were so pristine. The trailer for this makes it look like his finest work.

Baby Zoey In The House

2009-03-23T12:10:00.002-06:00

Jake's brother and his wife welcomed a beautiful baby into the world on Friday night. Zoey is such a BEAUTIFUL newborn. Congratulations to Pete and Becca.

2009-03-12T10:04:00.000-06:00

Robin Sparkles

2009-03-04T20:02:00.002-07:00

Oh Ashley and Spencer you do not know what you have done for my life. Thank you for letting us borrow season 2 of this awesomeness. Just finished watching this episode:

Glamour: American Icons

2009-03-04T13:45:00.004-07:00

I love the fashion idea behind this shoot and feel that they expressed all of the women fairly well.

I still get bugged that all of them are SO thin. Some of the comments that the models made about the icon they were portraying were a little lame. Come on ladies, use your heads and think of something with substance. It should not be that hard considering the women they were commenting about.

UW Arboretum

2009-02-28T22:19:00.005-07:00

We had a beautiful day today. It was warm (for WA) and dry. L & L drove down from B-ham and we had a great day. We love hanging out with L & L.

D-Land

2009-02-28T12:48:00.006-07:00

I am aware of how frightening this photo of me is. Not sure why I look so homeless and impaired.

During our 1st day we ran into some family friends from Sonoma and hung out with them for a few hours.

On Splash Mountain Jake had to sit in the front 2 times and got soaked.

The adventure begins

At this delicious food...

while hanging out with these delicious people.

Juana Molina

2009-02-23T23:38:00.002-07:00

Jake here. Been a long time since I blogged so I just wanted to let you all know I'm still in the game. I've just been busy with work lately and we were out of town and I got FIfa '09. All of which have been occupying my blogging time.
On the 10th we saw Juana Molina at the Triple Door in Seattle. My first show there. It was a cool place to go to a laid back show. If you haven't heard Juana, here's a sample. She does live looping throughout pretty much the entire show. Sort of like this guy. A kind of electronic latin folk sound. She's from Argentina and used to be the star of an Argentine sitcom in 80's... I guess in Latin American she's actually pretty well known for her acting and not much at all for her music.

We're Back

2009-02-21T12:43:00.002-07:00

more to follow.

how hideous was our rental?

We Are Off

2009-02-14T09:40:00.004-07:00

Taking a jaunt to Disneyland for a few days. Be back soon.
{photo circa 1957. found here}

Some What Sugar Cookies

2009-02-14T09:18:00.005-07:00

As mentioned many times before I am a special education preschool teacher. Almost 90% of my students have a diagnosis of Autism. Many of their parents choose to follow what is called the "Gf/CF diet" or gluten free/casein free diet. I substituted almost every ingredient to make these cookies.

I used brown rice flour and almond meal for flour, Tofutti sour cream for sour cream, Tofutti cream cheese for cream cheese and earth balance for a butter substitute. Surprisingly, I had everything on hand (from my wack-a-doodle allergies) except for the butter substitute. I was having a bad case of my allergies so I could not taste them but Jake said they tasted like "healthy cookies." In my afternoon class one girl ate 3! I think they were a success.

*On another post I will give my thoughts and opinions about Autism and the GF/CF diet specifically. Another time... I will leave saying that I am excited to see about Obama's Autism support for more research (not sure if it is going to make parents more demanding or have more peace, we shall see.)
**One last thing- Did anybody read/hear about this article?

Kung Hei Fat Choi

2009-01-31T13:09:00.006-07:00

{photo credit here}
This post is a few days late but I wanted to say Happy Chinese New Year- Kung Hei Fat Choi. When I was teaching in Hawaii we (the class) studied and learned a lot about the Chinese holiday. I miss how much culture was imbeded in Hawaiian education.

One of my students feeding money to the dragon dancers.

The principal of my school. She was great.

Earthquake Day

2009-01-31T01:02:00.007-07:00

This morning I woke up at 5:30 am to our condo shaking. I was thinking out loud and said, "Either a car just ran into our building or we had an earthquake." Sure enough, an earthquake.
This is the 7th earthquake I can remember being in. 2 1/2 Years ago we had an earthquake that took out the power for 24 hours. We called it Earthquake Day and celebrated.
Photos documented below.

Liane modeling her Jar Jar Binks shirt. I love Jar Jar. And Liane.

*I lived in a 3 story house (top floor) that had a regular base but a layer of Styrofoam for walls. You could push your thumb into the foam and make a print. This house was also located on a peninsula of land. Needless to say, I felt really safe. (p.s. we are still missing 2 roommates in this photo. Living with 10 girls was crazy.)

Anxiously Awating

2009-01-22T19:20:00.008-07:00

I have a radical friend from high school who works for SPIN and he recorded this at Coachella this past year and recently shared it with me.
I am anxiously awaiting the release of their new album.

Joaquin Phoenix

2009-01-19T12:58:00.005-07:00

Jake here. Just can't pass this up. Remember a couple of months ago when Joaquin Phoenix announced he was permanently giving up acting so he could focus on his music career? Here's a little update.

Favorite Things

2009-01-18T14:07:00.006-07:00

I found this AMAZAZING umbrella at CostPlus. The purchase was purely lust as the umbrella is completely impractical. It will be a piece of art in a future home. Until then, it is my prop.

Seattle Bites

2009-01-11T00:37:00.005-07:00

We went and got some delicious licousness in Seattle last night. Dicks Burgers are comparative to In-N-Out just a little dirtier.

Fifa '09

2009-01-06T21:01:00.002-07:00

Jake here. Got the new Fifa for Christmas and have been kicking some Arsenal butt with Chelsea. Take a look at Michael Ballack's mad skills.

Semiahmoo

2009-01-04T14:47:00.006-07:00

We visited our awesome family members (Luke and Lindsay) in Bellingham again this weekend. They took us to a rad place called Semiahmoo. It is a spit of land with a small road on it and water on both sides of the road. At the end of the spit there are some condos, marina and a small grocery store. It was amazing because parts of ocean were frozen, something I have never seen before. It was so cool to see snow on the sea shore.

The snow and the shore.

The frozen bay.

I thought the rocks looked so neat being cover/uncovered by snow.

This was frozen moss. It was like a frozen blanket. You would step on it and sink.

You can see the differentiation between the water and frozen water.

Seen It - Sewn It

2009-01-02T12:36:00.005-07:00

A few months back this J Crew jacket was hopping around the blogosphere. With snow days I had some extra sew days. Here is how my version turned out.
Sorry about my really awesome photography skills. I got lazy with the jacket and did not make a liner.

2 Years Down....Eternity To Go

2008-12-30T20:47:00.005-07:00

Best decision of my life...marrying this man.

Photography compliments of Heather Mildenstein Photography. You must go here.

Leavenworth

2008-12-21T22:31:00.015-07:00

This weekend Jake and I joined some of his family for a wonderful white weekend in Leavenworth. Leavenworth is a Bavarian inspired town with a delightful downtown area that transports you to Central Europe. We stayed at the Sleeping Lady just south of downtown. The package we got included breakfast and dinner, the food was mouthwatering. We enjoyed ourselves and relaxed.
Here is the gang.

A small Eskimo child that was on our cabin doorstep.

I NEED ONE OF THESE. They are clothing warmers/dryers {or bum warmers}.

Sledding was thrilling and fun but so cold at 7 degrees.

This is Zack's run before he racked his back.

Round Robin was awesome.

An icicle dagger.

24 Hours of Air Traffic

2008-12-18T13:25:00.003-07:00

Jake here. Don't know how accurate this really is, but it looks cool. Each yellow dot represents 1 airplane.

A Change Of Temperature and Heart

2008-12-18T11:52:00.009-07:00

Yay for snow days in the great state of Washington. People shut down anything and everything for snow days here. Schools have been closed down for 2 days and will most likely be closed tomorrow. I am thrilled, seeing as I needed a break and can not kick this 2 week cold.
This was the snow on Wednesday.

{A little snippet for those who know I LOVE Target, you go down the street and past the trees, voila!}

This is what we woke up to today. This was taken through the screen, sorry!
When we lived in UT for a few months I literally shed tears when we in Park City and it sprinkled snow. I am infamous for hating snow. We walked around last night running errands and I realized that maybe I can appreciate snow. It really is pretty and makes everything so light out. Seattle is gray a lot of the time so a nice white blanket isn't so bad.

First Christmas

2008-12-18T11:44:00.003-07:00

While this is not our first Christmas together this is the first year of decorating our own place. We opted for a fake tiny tree since our place is so small and we are going to be in CA.

Cost Plus World Market has the most amazing ornaments every year. I got this last year for 60% off.

Help I'm Alive

2008-12-18T10:48:00.011-07:00

Aj here. I heard this song on KEXP driving home from school. I am a big fan of female musicians (chic rock) and not ashamed of it at all. Emily Haines of Metric is very talented and I appreciate her creativity. Hands down Canada produces not only great bands but I feel they have the strongest outpouring of female musicians (Metric/Haines are Toronto based). Jake and I went on our honeymoon to B.C. December 2006 and were blown away by how much chic rock was on the radio (so did Jake- he is not the largest female musician fan).

Here is an interview with Haines sharing where her inspiration for this track came from. The track, Help I'm Alive, will be on the new Metric album due release early next year.

I tried really hard to find a better way to post the song. This is the best I could do. Compliments of a dedicated fan.

down, but not in the dumps

2008-12-08T14:29:00.006-07:00

Why hello friends. I see Jake has been keeping you busy with posts. I have not had much to blog about lately, so I just didn't. I love my students, a whole lot in fact. However, my job seems to be draining every aspect of my life and I have had no ambition or anything blog worthy. My job has got me down, but not in the dumps. I am in dire need of this Holiday break!
On to a happier note, we got into the Christmas spirit last night. Our condo is very tiny (470 sq feet) and no room for a real tree. We are on a hunt for a small one. Till we find one we just hung our stockings and ornaments on ric rack draped across our book shelf. {Pictures to come later}. I also followed Erica's words and got the Hotel Cafe Holiday album from itunes - amazingly jolly.
Last night I finished making my first baby blanket for my sister in law Becca. Here it is. All you sewers don't look too close! I never ever ever use a pattern and you can absolutely tell.

sorry for the poor photos.
Happier posts to follow. I pinky promise.

Benjamin Button

2008-12-03T21:54:00.002-07:00

Pretty sweet new TV spot for Benjamin Button featuring Arcade Fire.

Arrested Development

2008-12-02T20:58:00.002-07:00

Jake here. Click here for some sweet Arrested Development goodness.

The Economy Really Is In Trouble.

2008-12-01T13:31:00.001-07:00

American Airlines now charging fees to non-passengers. Read about it.

Slumdog Millionaire

2008-11-30T23:13:00.003-07:00

Jake here. Saw the most recent Danny Boyle flick over the weekend. Best movie I've seen this year. He seems to enjoy making films with kids and large amounts of money. If you ever get a chance check out Millions but make sure you see Slumdog Millionaire for sure.

Big Three Fly Private Jets To Washington To Ask For Taxpayer Bailout.

2008-11-19T15:10:00.003-07:00

You've probably seen this already, but here it is just in case. Keep in mind that many foreign companies build their cars here in the US and The Big Three do quite a bit of outsourcing. The Chevy Aveo, for example, is built in Korea.

Dubai

2008-11-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

This Place looks magical.

TROPHY

2008-11-18T18:49:00.003-07:00

Jake, Ryan and I wandered on over to Wallingford Saturday night. We experienced the richest delicacy of our era - Trophy Cupcakes. I venture to say they were the tastiest treat I have experiences thus far in my life. The little boutique is loaded with quaint trinkets. If anyone comes to visit we will surely make a visit.

Whoops

2008-11-17T23:18:00.003-07:00

Spin The Black Circle

2008-11-16T00:25:00.006-07:00

Jake here. Earlier this year I was able to resurrect my old record player from high school and get it running again. Took nothing more than a new needle found on e-bay and a 9 volt battery for the phonographic preamp. When I listened to CDs back in high school it was tough to make the argument that vinyl sounded any better but with the amount of low quality MP3s today one could easily make the claim that vinyl sounds quite a bit better. Either way, it's nostalgic and fun. I try to frequent Half Price Books for their sweet collection of records but am able to pick up quite a bit of newer stuff at Silver Platter and shows when I'm able to get to one. Here's what I've been spinning recently. I picked up The Fruit Bats earlier today.

Finally

2008-11-13T18:00:00.002-07:00

I think this speaks for itself. Didn't I see this at the BYUH Business Competition a few years back?

History of African-American Progress

2008-11-07T09:33:00.003-07:00

Jake here. Found this history in cool typography and thought you might enjoy.

Black man can't catch a break.

2008-11-04T22:59:00.003-07:00

Read the full story.

HSM ON ICE

2008-11-03T23:24:00.002-07:00

I went. I saw. I was blown away. High School Musical on Ice was amazing. They even had fireworks. I don't care who you are, you would have enjoyed it.

Ugly Betty + Mates of State

2008-10-31T21:48:00.001-06:00

Was it just me or did anybody else hear Mates of State at the end of Ugly Betty last night?

Hinting towards nothing

2008-10-31T21:38:00.002-06:00

To stop any questioning, Jake and I are not having a baby. Check back in 2 years. I just liked reading these baby names. Since before Jake and I got married we have talked about baby names. These names are really cool but I am happy to say that none of our names are on this list. There is only one that comes very close. {our kids are going to hate us until they reach high school and then thank us for having weird/unique names}

via Oh Happy Day

24

2008-10-28T22:50:00.005-06:00

I celebrated 24 years of life October 19. My life has been grand. I can honestly say I am so happy with where I have landed. My 3 favorite things about my birthday were...
1.

Thank you Mother and Father Folkman
2.

This KOKO insulated lunch bag my momma sent me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. I feel like such a hip teacher now.
3.

The flowers looked like someone had colored them with a hi-liter.

Jake surprised me the weekend before my birthday and we stayed in a fabulous hotel and shopped in Seattle all day. I loved this honey tap! We bought a small container and it is so delicious.

Thanksgiving National

2008-10-28T22:40:00.003-06:00

Jake's trip got postponed a few weeks later so he will be here for T-giving fortunately. Unfortunately I won't be able to go the Philippines because I would have to miss a full week of school as opposed to 2 days. But that means I get to spend Thanksgiving with family. Right here:

Thanksgiving International

2008-10-18T15:28:00.004-06:00

This year Jake and I will be spending Thanksgiving internationally. Can you guess where?

{This will be my 6th Thanksgiving off the Continental U.S. 4 in Hawaii, 1 in Italy and 1 in ?}

daily

2008-10-15T21:22:00.005-06:00

i eat this delicious licousness for lunch daily. i peel the top and pour local honey liberally. yum.

i do have dairy allergies but for some reason i can have greek yogurt. tender mercy.

the facts are these:

2008-10-15T21:04:00.005-06:00

Blogging has been slow due to job overload.
Apparently I really like post its. I have even added a few to the collection since this photo was taken.

My cubicle.

I will show some photos of my classroom soon. I currently have a bat cave in my class. I am such a cool preschool teacher. We are learning about creepy crawlers (spiders) this week. Bats last week. Pumpkins next week.

Merrick Roland Smith

2008-10-12T18:41:00.007-06:00

This post is long overdue. This sweet little guy was born last friday to proud parents of Tyler and Ashley Smith (my bro and sis in-law). He was born in San Luis Obispo and I am sure will grow up to be a rad little surfer.

I challenge you

2008-10-05T20:35:00.004-06:00

Jake here. I came across this band Grizzly Bear which I've been digging and I think you'd be hard pressed to find a music video more strange than this one. If you've got one, let me know in the comments and you'll get a sweet surprise.

Bill Haverchuck

2008-10-01T00:04:00.001-06:00

So sweet.

Recent Shows

2008-09-30T20:57:00.002-06:00

Jake here. I went to a couple of shows recently and had a great time. Last Friday AJ and I went to Calexico, who rocked. They sounded amazing live and we enjoyed a nice surprise of an opening band, The Cave Singers, with Derek Fudesco of the legendary Murder City Devils on guitar. They rocked as well. Then Saturday night I headed up to British Columbia to catch Liam Finn with two of my brothers in Vancouver. Liam Finn puts on a sweet show with all of the live recording and looping he does and I think he'd give Keith Moon a run for his money on the drums. The Veils opened for Liam Finn, they were ok.

Calexico

The Cave Singers

Liam Finn

The Veils

I Almost Cried

2008-09-28T00:35:00.003-06:00

when I watched the last episode. I did not realize it had such an abrupt ending. My eyes really got a little watery. I have watched 90% of this show yesterday and today.

Maryhill Museum of Art II

2008-09-27T23:27:00.007-06:00

Maryhill had one of the finest Native American exhibitions I have ever wondered through (and believe it or not I have been to quite a few Native American museums). It was titled Native People of North America and features ancient petrogylphs, intricate baskets and beadwork and a vast array of artifacts from Pacific Northwest and North American tribes.
The very first Baby Bjorn.

If I had been a Native American I would want to be a Chippewa, look at this amazing bead work.

There was also a small section of historical artillery.

Maryhill Museum of Art

2008-09-27T15:14:00.007-06:00

A few miles down from fake Stonehenge there is a surprisingly cool art museum, Maryhill Museum of Art. They were currently showcasing Andy Warhol and other famous faces. My favorite exhibition was Theatre' de la Mode. Theatre de la Mode is a post WW II French fashion exhibition from 1946. I ate it up. It was so incredible and fascinating. All the figures were about 1 foot tall.

Stonehenge

2008-09-27T15:02:00.006-06:00

While were in Eastern Wa we drove a little south and went to a Stonehenge replica and Maryhill Museum of Art. They were both so neat and in the MIDDLE OF NO WHERE.

Booze Cruise

2008-09-27T14:53:00.005-06:00

We went to Eastern Washington last weekend and stayed with my aunt and uncle. My mom, Aunt Marsha, Aunt Jody and Uncle Jim and Grandma were all there as well. On Saturday night we went on a Columbia River dinner cruise. It was very similar to The Office Episode - "Booze Cruise".

Sorry there are no scenic pictures. There was pretty much the desert and neighborhoods on the banks of the river.

Gas Works Park

2008-09-27T14:46:00.004-06:00

A few Sundays ago we went to Gas Works Park with some friends. It was really unbelievable. I love Seattle.

Worst. Album Covers. Ever.

2008-09-19T13:53:00.002-06:00

Awesome. Click here.

Pie Chart

2008-09-19T10:23:00.002-06:00

Bluegrass

2008-09-13T10:16:00.001-06:00

Jake here. Check this out.

One More Thing Tonight...

2008-09-10T21:40:00.002-06:00

How badass does the new Bond look? Daniel Craig is like a cheaper and more exciting version of the LHC.

More From Singapore

2008-09-10T20:33:00.003-06:00

I took this awesome picture while I was in Singapore. Singapore is famous for this type of stuff.

More On The LHC

2008-09-10T20:27:00.002-06:00

If you're still into the Large Hadron Collider, you should definitely read this article and enjoy a good laugh. Make sure you watch the video. I don't think the author is quite the moron most of the commenters make him out to be.

End Of The World?

2008-09-10T17:36:00.004-06:00

Jake here. Has the Large Hadron Collider destroyed the world yet?
...and check out the source code if you're into that sort of thing.

Philippines, Singapore, India

2008-09-09T12:03:00.008-06:00

Jake here. A few photos from the trip.

Philippines. I believe it is the single strangest place I have ever been. I was in Eastwood City and it's about a square mile in suburban Manila with a bunch of high rises that suddenly appear in a really flat area with nothing but houses surrounding it. There is a gigantic Dell building and an IBM building and several other huge sky scrapers. This city is filled with call centers. And because it is on the other side of the world most of the work is done at night so from 8:00pm to 6:00 in the morning the city is really busy and that's when they get the most traffic, etc. Also, the entire city is a planned community with apartments and everything was built at the exact same time and everything is super nice. There are probably 75 really nice themed restaurants in this tiny city center. I ate at a pirate themed Italian restaurant. This place is probably best described as Disneyland with no rides. There is security everywhere, weird decorated and themed restaurants everywhere and super nice service. The whole city was pretty much built for Americans to go over and set up call centers so it's really just an outsourcing center and unbelievably strange.

Singapore. Spent about 5 hours walking around the city on a layover. Nicest big city I've seen in my life. Didn't see a car more than 2 years old. Awesome.

India. Disclaimer: Stop reading if you have some sort of respect or romantic idea about this place. Dirtiest, most crowded place I've been. People were great but Chennai was dreadful. 15 million people and so chaotic and disorganized there isn't even a downtown area. Just a massive pulp of traffic, rubble and garbage. I'd go so far as to say Worse than Tijuana. Again, no disrespect to Indian people. They were absolutely wonderful. The nicest most service oriented people I've ever met, but the city was awful.

Mahabalipuram. About an hour south of where the remnant pulp of Chennai ends. Filled with tons of ancient monolithic sculptures. Very cool.

Also Enjoying

2008-09-09T11:33:00.004-06:00

Ratatat.

Montanita

Bruleé

Mirando

Only By The Night

2008-09-08T10:02:00.004-06:00

Jake here. Just got back from my trip and while it was very cool, I'll tell you about it another time. Right now I'm listening to Kings Of Leon and had a couple of things to say about them. Indie Rock seems to be all the rage these days (don't get me wrong, I love most of it). So much so in fact that a lot of it is not even really Indie Rock anymore. Indie used to refer to the nature of the music as opposed to the sound, and now it's really the opposite. Which is great because I feel like there has been A LOT of good new music in the last few years but every once in a while it's sobering to hear something a little different. Kings Of Leon are described from time to time as Indie Rock but their new record Only By The Night sounds far from Indie. I don't know exactly how to describe it. "Grunge" is wrong for many obvious reasons but the truth is, this record reminds me of my Jr. High years ('93-'96) and I'm loving the memories it's been bringing back. There's definitely a good old fashioned sense of rock to this album. It's great to hear something different right when sounding different seems to be the coolest thing to do. I will admit that they look absolutely ridiculous in that stupid press photo on their website though. Here's Closer.

8 Hours in the SLC Airport...worth it

2008-09-06T19:20:00.007-06:00

Here are some photo updates from my trip last weekend. We went to Timp Caves, Slide Rock (a natural rock water slide), ate at Kneaders and Cafe Rio, saw family and saw best friend.
His little crossed legs bring a smile to my face.

Hanging with Heather and her 2 babies. Only one is visible in the photo.

Roxana y sorella de Roxana, Monica.

Momma. Nice pose.

Proof that you have been in a cave Roxana!

Backs. Babies. Boys.

Nic and Macy looking oh so sweet.

The whole gang.

Just a model baby named Macy Lou.

This is how Macy chases her baby food. Amazing.

Home

2008-09-06T07:55:00.002-06:00

Jake here. I'll finally be back on Sunday afternoon.

Stew Surprise

2008-08-26T22:56:00.003-06:00

Just got this update from Jake in an email:
"I was eating some more pig face last night and had a disgusting experience. For lunch yesterday it was good. It was kind of crispy crunchy and it tasted pretty good. So I had some more last night and I ran into a piece of the face that I recognized. It was the eye socket and I almost threw up. I tried so hard not to look like I was going to, hopefully no one noticed because me and my boss were eating out with the entire office. The meat is just a bunch of ground up little pieces. It looks a lot like corned beef hash and tastes a little different but I ran into a meaty chunk and turned it over and there was a perfectly formed eyelid with all of the lashes sticking straight out of it and I almost vomited..."

Missy Miss Ya

2008-08-24T23:31:00.003-06:00

I am going to miss this little girl so much. I got to play (nanny) her all summer and loved every minute of it. It would be an understatement to say she is the smartest, sweetest, most intuitive little one. Thanks Carrie and Shane for sharing her with me.

Gone Baby Gone

2008-08-23T14:22:00.004-06:00

Sad day. Jake left today. He will be flying for 20+ hours today. He will be gone until Sept.7. A week in the Philippines and then India the second week. I am such a baby and miss him a lot.

2008-08-23T13:31:00.003-06:00

Thanks Cami. I never get tagged!

Quirk: a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; mannerism.

ACTION:
1. I bite the inside of my bottom lip on the right side.
2. I am constantly spinning a pen when I am sitting at desk/table for long periods of time.
3. When I am walking I swing my arms, big time.

BEHAVIOR:
4. I TALK a lot. I am trying to work on that. {When I am talking I usually agree with people just to agree, I am trying to be more assertive with my actual opinions/thoughts}
5. I am generally a late person. I learned it from my old man.

PERSONALITY:
5. I like to socialize. But I tend to over due it a little. I will come home and tell Jake about 5 appointments he had no idea we had and how he has to participate in all of them with me.

MANNERISM:
6. When I notice someone has lost weight I like to tell them. But again, I overdue it and then make them feel awkward {and then I feel awkward and realize I should not make such a big deal as if they were huge before.}

I tag: Kamaile, Carol, Charlotte, and Cody if you would like.

Golden

2008-08-21T11:39:00.002-06:00

I stayed up really late watching this game. This team is unstoppable. It made me miss volleyball a lot.