Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy Jig...

We made it!   Left early Friday morning, arrived home late Friday night, slept in a little and, *shazam*  We're home!  (Mate is leaving for a baseball game tonight... oddly enough, he can't find anyone in the house who wants to go with him.  Weird.  Go figure.  It's not like, you know, we've been gone for a WEEK or anything!  Okay-- the little kids wanted to go with him.  I'm pretty sure they were just trying not to fall asleep at six at night.  I wish him luck!)

But we're tired and happy, and we had a great time!

The thing about a vacation like Hawaii, though, is that very often you're having too much fun having fun to stop and take pictures of having fun, and that even if you're laughing constantly in the presence of your family, you're not stopping to record it because, well, you're on vacation!  But here's some random bits about the Lane family running rampant around the Aloha State!

*  The morning we left, Big T came out ready to go.  He was wearing a zip up jacket, the gray hat he bought in Oregon, plaid pajama bottoms, flip flops, a shirt that said, "I AM the Chosen One" and a red, blue, and gold fish scarf that I made him in 5th grade.  I said, "OmiGOD!  You're wearing THAT?"

So he went back into his room and took off the scarf.  Yup.  You can see by our return dinner of triumph picture, he wore that all the way back home.

Yes.  That's the hair of mystery,
Why do you ask?

*  Our second day out to the beach (and YES!  my fat water mammal body was FINALLY able to submerge in the ocean, not just one day but two!) we rinsed off, got in the car, and went driving back to  go shopping at one of the many tent fairs that we saw around Kauai.  I saw my hair in silhouette enough to be mildly alarmed, but it wasn't until we stopped in the bathroom of the Old Schoolhouse shopping center that I realized I now sported the hair of mystery, and small animals were running away from me in an effort not to get lost in the stiffened spirals of mom's hair minus the gel and plus salt water.  I turned to Chicken in horror.

"You let me go in PUBLIC?  Like THIS?  I thought you LOVED ME?"

She told me that she DID love me, she just didn't see how bad my hair really was, but she was laughing so hard I DIDN'T BELIEVE HER!

*  When we went to the tent fair, I managed to keep Zoomboy from buying a drum by buying him a tiki mask instead.  I was so proud.  When we went to the ABC store on our way out of town, he went up to his dad with another drum and his dad said yes.  I decided it was kismet.  Fucking drum.

The one out of four who was not
disappointed.

*  Chicken asked us if we'd gotten any tchotchkes for her friend Stevie, who watched the animals for us while we were gone.  I said, "Yeah-- here, some bracelets, some magnets... good enough?"

"I don't know, mom-- the dog crapped in the hallway and peed on the rug.  I'm thinking more!"

We bought a sarong.

*  Three out out of four kids wanted a ukelele.  One out of four kids was not disappointed.

*  Squish wore her p'ua poi (I hope that's right!) outfit all the way home.  The Hawaiian airlines people LOVED HER.  As they should have.  Our wahini princess was so damned cute she probably cured airsickness.

*  At the first beach, we got to fight the breakers.  I LOVED that part.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  But the best part?  Looking out and seeing Big T and Zoomboy rolling around in the surf together and not trying to kill each other.  Damn.  Those television commercials about a bringing a family together were SO RIGHT.

*  This picture here that looks like beach towels?  That's Squish.  We called it a Squish-sandwich.

*Mate burnt his nose.  And wore my straw hat (not pictured here) all the way home.  And went to fetch the carry ons that had to be checked because the luggage bins were full.  And let me buy not one muu muu but two.  He laughed a lot and made us go out to dinner when we were all exhausted and we enjoyed the hell out if it and it was nummy.  It was his idea to go see the Arizona, and he enjoyed tooling around the island and getting to know it just like I did.  He thought the ABC store was as cool as the kids and didn't mind a little kitsch in our luggage.  And he was all around awesome, and he was Mate.

*  We watched Lilo and Stitch about six-thousand times between the time we left and the time we got back home.  We still love it, except I think we love it even more.  Someone who LOVED that island had a hand in the making of that movie, you could tell.  I head a man (very native) say to his friends, "See you later, cuz-- we talk story then!" and I suddenly very much wanted to live in a place where I could say things like, "We talk story!" and "Mahalo!" and "Hanai!"  About the only thing that put me off was the one lane bridges.  I swore up and down that there were about five-hundred of them between our hotel and the beach farthest north.  Chicken said there were three.  She conceded that the number was probably between five-hundred and three, and she thought that would placate me, but when we got to #7, I shouted "HA!" in a deeply triumphant voice, because one of those things is too many.

And I'm going to leave it like that for a while.  I have poems in my head (don't laugh!) and maybe I will write those in the coming days.  I actually need to "go back to work" and write, because I have a hard deadline coming up in August, and the kids still need me, and...

And it was wonderful.  It was everything people say it was.  It was blue sky and blue-green sea and lovely smells and salt on your skin.  It was pretty fish in snorkeling pools and kind people and horses and herons (and sometimes herons riding horses!) and happy kids and the sound of rain at night.  Vacations must end, and life must return to normal, but for the moment I am happy and relaxed and so full of joy... that's it.  Full of joy.  I'm gonna ride the buzz of this while it lasts, right?  Aloha, Kauai-- you were frickin' awesome!

I haven't gotten to swim in the ocean yet...

But it's coming.  

We went to Waikiki, visited with my friend Mary and her lovely, amazing, warm and generous family. We saw Diamond Head, Sandy Beach, and shopped in the International Market at Waikiki.  We visited the Arizona memorial where we had our hearts broken, and then the mall where Squish had her mind blown by a store devoted to Hello Kitty and all things pink.  

We at sushi from conveyor belts, and even Zoomboy wanted some.

We arrived in Kauai this morning, and rode that terrifying road.  Tomorrow, we'll venture very early to Turtle Beach.  

I WILL swim in the ocean at Kauai.  I will.  It's so beautiful, maybe some of that will seep into my soul.  Here's hoping.  

We're having a lovely time.  May everyone else's summer be just as lovely.  We bought a Hawaiian skirt for Squish at the International Market-- she knew she was the loveliest wahine on the island.  People told her so.  

That alone was worth the trip.  

Packing... blargh!

I'm down to my least favorite part of getting ready for the trip:

Packing.

It's heinous.  I know some people can look at their clothes and think shirt, shorts, underwear, bra, done!

But what if I want to wear a skirt?  And I need both bathing suits.  And I need two different nightgowns, in case there's not a washer and dryer.  And then there's the whole extra pair of shorts to make up for the skirt in case I don't want to wear the skirt thing.  And then there's this whole wave of tank tops under shirts, because I've got a rack, and I need a bra and a tank and a shirt, and, well, that's and extra shirt!

And don't even get me on about coordinating.  Or the burning need to deconstruct my room for the pants I bought and haven't worn once but I know are somewhere in my room because they're the perfect length and color to match absolutely everything.

In short?

I'm a mess.

And it doesn't get better the longer I wait to pack.  Or even the earlier I pack.  It just is.

It doesn't help that Steve thought she'd help me fold clothes, either.  Of course, Steve seems to think I need help doing a lot of things, and I do wish she'd figure out that if she'd stop swishing her tail between my ass and the toilet, I'D STOP SITTING ON IT.  Just saying... there's a certain momentum to these things, and that cat likes to live dangerously.

Anyway, in addition to the cat, trying to get her tail squashed flat, there's also basic weirdness-- the same weirdness, but, you know, it's ours.  We love it.  And as we get ready to leave (Sunday morning, ass-crack of dawn!) I'll share with you some weirdness.

Me, to Mate, upon discovering the wonder that is dried, seasoned snap peas.  "Here, what do you think?"

Mate:  They're okay.

Me:  OKAY?  Are you kidding?  They were wonderful!  Chicken and I saw God, we heard angels, there were different colors and magnificent smells!  They're just okay?

Mate:  Yeah, they're okay.

Chicken:  Really, Dad?  Sucks for you-- that was my first religious experience in at least a month!

***

Big T:  So, mom, what are we doing on this vacation?

Me:  After we visit Mary on Oahu, we're going to Kauai.

Big T: To do what?

Me:  Well, first Mate is going to make us visit every accessible beach on this little tiny island, and then when we're done with that, we're going to swim until our fingers get pruny.

Big T:  Well, can I have my own adventures?

Me:  Doing what?

Big T:  Walking around the island.

Me:  Knock yourself out.  Did I mention it's really teeny?

Big T:  Yeah.  It'll be an adventure!

Me:  I'll be in the pool.

***

Zoomboy:  Want to hear my new joke?  I got it from Disney!

Me:  Knock yourself out.  (This is becoming a theme!)

Zoomboy:  What did the screaming monkey say when the two scarlet parakeets wouldn't stop fighting?

Me:  (Seeing it coming!)  What?

Zoomboy:  "I don't see what the fuss is about--these Angry Birds aren't fun at all!"

Me:  Got that from Ant Farm, right?

Zoomboy:  I changed the details.

Me:  Not bad!

***

And this next thing is more of a ponder than a thing.  See, someone wrote me a letter (e-mail) asking if she could give some books away for a contest to get audience up on her blog.  That wasn't a problem, and then she brought up that she'd reviewed my books several times-- she'd seen on my website that I had posted my reviews, and she wondered why hers weren't up there-- she was hurt.

And I felt like a dick!  Now, some of you may remember, that when I first started getting online reviews, that I did a whole lot of happy dances.  For those of you who have been around forever, you know that I'd been stinging with all the nasty shit people said about Vulnerable and the editing, and it was lovely to see other people saying nice things about my work.  And I WAS happy about those-- I am STILL happy about them.

But after I got a certain number, doing the happy dance started to feel like hubris.  Too much pride.  Arrogance.  That thing that's going to bring a good happy hero DOWN.

So I kept my happy dances to myself, in my kitchen, invented the Wallace/McSpazzmatron and did THAT when I got a good review.

And I thought that I was being grounded.  I had not counted on this thing called synergy-- wherein, when someone gives me a nice review, and I brag about it, people traffic to their blogs, and they feel like their hard work has been appreciated.   And then I felt bad!  People had taken the time to say nice things about the work, and I wasn't giving them their due!

So, in an attempt to strike a balance, I'm gong to have Mate update the site (probably next week... little busy here!) and put the blogs that HAVE reviewed me up on the review page.  That way, they should get some traffic for my website, and I can keep my own douche-bag-o-meter from going off ad infinitum.  What do you think?  Will that work?  I'll let you know when it's updated, 'kay?

And in the meantime?  This little clothes-packer, cat-sitter, dinner-maker and all around mom, must needs go to bed!

A Very Quiet Holiday

Okay-- the kids have been complaining-- raw throat, a little bit of dizziness, general meh.  Mate's been complaining--lots of phlegm, and even more meh.

This morning, as I was climbing into the 80 degree pool in the 85 degree air, I was achy and my throat hurt a little and I generally felt...

Meh.

Oh crap.  We had the crud.

Suddenly, my policy of not fighting them all as they slept made me seem like a much better mother than I had felt like.  (I'd felt like a crappy, lazy mother for not shoving them outside more using the flat of my foot.)  And suddenly, all of the exciting plans I'd had about spiffing up the house for company (even though we weren't going to have any because our usual company had other plans) and having a barbecue and going to a movie seemed secondary to resting in, what for us, was a comparatively clean house.  (I cleaned the kitchen table last night--nobody swoon!)  So we did see a movie, but we got some take-out, and we'll light fireworks tonight and probably have ice cream, but in general?

We're going to have a very quiet holiday.

It doesn't give me much to write about here--but hey--we're getting on a plane in (oh crap... is that all?!!!) four days, and I want us to be rested and HAPPY, dammit!  I'm looking forward to this vacation!!  We're spending two days on Oahu and the four on Kuai.  Oahu is going to be a blur-- lots of touristy things, being appalled by the cost, running around, that sort of thing, but Kuai?

Is going to be sleeping and playing in the water and reading a book and playing in the water and...

VA-CAY-TION.

Now don't get me wrong-- I'm all for the "Let's visit this and enjoy the ever-pummelling snot!" school of vacation.   I like to get a good gander and lots of history and lots of "Oh, neat!" moments when I get my ass out of dodge.

But it seems like... I dunno, FORFRICKINEVER since the fam and I have ever just... kicked back, enjoyed the surf, and vegged.  It's supposed to be good for the soul.  And you all KNOW how I feel about water.  It's my HOME.  So we get to go swimming, and we swim well.  We laugh and joke, and paddle and play, and most of us stay in until our fingers are pruny.  I'm bringing books.  I'm bringing sunscreen.  I'm bringing a big floppy hat for Squish, and another one for T, both of whom have the complexion of a dead-fish's underbelly, they're so pale.

Goddess.  With any luck, I'm bringing peace.

So today, we're not going balls-out Fourth of July mode.  It's never really been our holiday anyway.  Today, we're resting.  We're indulging in some legal pyromania.  At the moment, Squish and Zoomboy are outside, sipping lemonade and listening to somebody's pocket dog bark at our aging whatshound.  Mate is sleeping, I'm listening to The Italian Job, and all-- repeat all-- is right with our world.


We can ride the whirlwind tomorrow, and damned if we won't enjoy it.  Today, we're resting up.

Lazy Sunday

Okay-- the little kids went out and played in the little pool, and they had a blast.  They're tired.

Mate went out for a long run-- he pooped out before the end of the run, and he's TOTALED.

Big T went out and mowed my parent's lawn.  He's recovering.

Chicken walked to her friend's house.  She's elsewhere.

And me?  What did I do that leaves me drooping over my keyboard at not quite eight p.m.?

Well, I proofed my galley for Believed You Were Lucky, the embarrassingly long novella in The Three Fates anthology.

I feel embarrassed--usually I'm the fountain of physical activity, but today, I went shopping for vitamin water (on kid request) and pretty much that's the total of my involvement in the outside world.  Ah, well-- I did get 1.5K started on the steampunk story, and that's something, right?

So I've been trying to save up some funny kid moments for you, and I'm afraid they might have flown the noggin, but usually when I say that, as soon as I start accessing that memory bank, they come flooding back-- let's see if I can pull up a few.

*  In the rented Pathfinder in Oregon, which needed two seats shoved forward EVERY TIME the family got in or out of it, we found a gauge for how far back to shove the front seats:  "Keep shoving it back," I told Mate.  "Don't stop until you hear Big T grunt!"

*  This morning, when the little kids were watching Mythbusters:

Me:  "Are they seriously doing an episode on fart myths?"

Mate: "Yup!"

Me: "Awesome!"

Chicken:  "What are they doing an episode on?"

Me:  "Fart myths!"

Chicken:  "Awesome!  Where's Big T-- he needs to see this!"

*   Zoomboy, yesterday before we were all supposed to leave for a baby shower, stands up and announces, "I am going to the bathroom where I may have diarrhea, and I may vomit."

He did not vomit, but we didn't bring him to the shower, either!

*  Squish, upon guessing how many colored M&M's were in the glass jar:  "Can we put 100?"

Me:  "How about 100 plus your age.  How many is that?"

Squish:  "106!"

And then, upon winning, "Mom!  Look what I won!  I guessed that right all by myself!"

(But she DID help maintain her mother's streak of winning at least one game at nearly every shower I've been to.)

*  Chicken, upon looking at my phone.  "My God, how many texts do you and Mary have?"

Me:  "Probably a lot.  I haven't deleted it in forever."

Chicken, skimming further and further up the smartphone and blessedly ignoring the porn:  "Yeah, mom.  June 11th.  That was like... like... a lifetime ago."

"You're awfully smart for someone who sends herself some of the (non-porn!) pictures that Mary sends me."

Chicken (with narrowed eyes):  "Well played, mother.  Well played."


*  Mary and I were texting about something, and I meant to text the word "Came"-- what came out was "Cane".

Mary:  "If I'd been texting that, it would have been 'Kane'."

Me:  "I am aware."

Mary:  Because every time I text 'sex' it comes out 'Dex'.  I texted my husband and he sent back, 'Who the hell is Dex and tell Amy to keep him out of our private conversation!'

Me:  "What did you say?"

Mary:  "I told him he's YOUR character-- you know he's hot!"

*  Big T, just now, as I was dishing up dinner and trying to remember some of the funnier things we've said:  "Sometimes, I'm just in the mood for Brazil."

Me, confused:  "The Terry Gilliam movie?"

Big T:  "Yes. I like the satire."

Me:  "Good, because I don't think we can afford the trip just now."

*  Me, upon returning from a FABULOUS baby shower for Zoomboy and Squish's previous childcare provider, who was also (as well as her fiancé) a former student of mine.  (Her mother originally provided childcare for Zoomboy, and Brenda sort of took over after her mother and father went back to Dominica.)  "Yes-- I love Brenda's family.  I think her parents like me.  Her dad tried to get me drunk."

Chicken:  "How'd he do that?"

Me: "Well, he poured me some liquor that was soaking in a glass jar over wood chips and had to be strained through a net, then added some coke to it, and told me it was a little strong."

Chicken:  "Was it strong?"

Me: "I saw fireworks.  Dominican Rum does NOT fuck around.  Seriously.  Needs a skull and crossbones.  Don't drink it 'til you're forty."

Chicken:  "Good to know.  I'll put that on my list of stupid grown-up tricks."

Me:  "Well, it did ensure I'd stay until the end of the shower."

*  And this conversation that I may or may not have told you about before, on text, with Chicken, while Mate and I were lost in the wilds of Oregon, and Chicken and Big T were with Mate's father.

Chicken: "We're at the hotel.  Where are you?"

Me:  "Butt lost."

Chicken:  "This is AWKWARD!"

Me:  "Don't worry, we'll get there."

Chicken:  "I don't know what to say."

Me:  "Relax--if we go off a cliff, your relative will take good care of you."

Chicken:  "Grandpa's asleep."

Me:  "Hang on, honey, we're on our way."

And that's about all.  Did I mention I finished Stanley's story?  For those keeping track, that makes the three titles in that series, The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters, How to Raise an Honest Rabbit, and A Knitter in His Natural Habitat.  In honor of those stories, I'm leaving you with adorable critters, because I was a little short on suitable pix.

Okay... So It's Out, What now?

 Okay-- so I'm WAY EXCITED that Sidecar is out, and by this afternoon it will be out at amazon.com, and it's already out at ARe.  So, anyway, I'm staring at my computer breathlessly, like this: 0.0 : while waiting for the world to recognize the awesomeness of moi!

Alas.  It doesn't happen that immediately, or that cleanly-- we all know that by now.  But I'm still going to be... well, fidgety, until I see how this one is received.  I just am.  Can I give it a prayer again?  Holy Goddess, Merciful God, Let it Not Suck?  Cannagimmehallelujia, Iknewyoucouldamen!   Thanks, guys--I needed that!

But it's funny-- I just "ran into"  (i.e., finally recognized) a fan who won a copy of The Locker Room a while back, (as well as some prime yarn!) and I remembered how freaked out I was about that one.  And Keeping Promise Rock.  And...

I worry, I guess.  I always will.  It ALWAYS feels like a profound act of hubris to share that weirdness that goes on in my oversized noggin with the whole rest of the world.  I can't explain it, I only
know it to be true.  I'm just really excited when other people seem
to think that what I've got in my head is worthwhile.  (Maybe we can blame my old job for that constant fear that it's not-- it's as good a place to start as any!)

But that's why this next project after Sidecar is exciting.  It's still in editing stages right now, but it's an anthology-- Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes and I all contributed a story based on the mythological concept of the Three Fates.  What's funny is that while Andrew picked Greek mythology, and Mary went for Egyptian, I picked Norse.  We didn't plan this-- we just each looked at the fates and wrote our stories and enjoyed what happened next.  But the fun thing is that Mary and Andrew are both awesome writers, so it's not just ME throwing myself out there... I got friends and they got my back!  So it's not hubris so much as confidence--well, mostly in them, but confidence nonetheless!  And that's what's out next!

Now, as for what I'm working on now?  Well, I just, (as of LAST NIGHT) finished the sequel to The Winter Mating Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters-- the second sequel, actually.  The first sequel (How to Raise an Honest Rabbit) was Jeremy and Aiden's story, and the second one A Knitter in his Natural Habitat is Stanley's story.  So that's almost submitted, and that's exciting.  And, of course, I thought I'd prove that I DO still knit,
and that's why I showed you, ta da! my knitting!  Yes-- lace and beadwork... I shouldn't be working on it.  I'm finishing a baby blanket for my old childcare provider, and that needs to be done tonight, but in the meantime... I love the colors and I love the beads and I love the cobweb pattern and... sniffle.. I mean, I fucked it up six ways to Sunday already, but I still loves it.  No one will know when I'm done, right?  I hope not.  I'm having so much fun working on it now!

And after Stanley (and between the knitting and the home improvement and the trip to Hawaii coming up in the next weeks!) I've got this:


You see all those pictures of superheroes?  (Of course you do-- they're most of the blog!) Well, Mary sent them to me as inspiration for the next thing on my roster.  It's a story I've been wanting to write for almost a year--it will be fantasy/steampunk, and it's going to have one of my favorite themes and I'm so excited about writing it I'm almost wriggling like a puppy.

Seriously, folks.  Steampunk Batman (NOT it's real title.)

It is time.

So that should probably be started tomorrow, along with some power house cleaning and a baby shower and some other stuff that I'll probably bore you with later.

But just know that as I go about my day and clean my house and take my kids to the pool and do water aerobics, behind my homely housewife exterior?

 Yeah.  All this other shit is going on.

Pretty awesome, right?  Makes you think about the people in the grocery store a little different, right?

Yup.  It's a scary world out there.  Even scarier when you know Batman is real!

*laughs maniacally*

Okay-- I'm done riffing.  Oh-- very quickly?  I blogged over at Chicks & Dicks yesterday-- about a sort of strange time in history.  It fits right in with Sidecar (ARe link) and even gives some surprise little snippets from it too!

And that's all for today-- gotta go snuggle!

God, I hope people like it.  THAT'S
what's going to be on in my head when Batman and Robin aren't humping like bunnies.  Just so's you know!

Schtuff

 Hi, all!

I'm gonna start off with book news, because you've all seen plenty of family stuff for the last few, and, well, because Sidecar is coming out, and I'm getting SUPER excited.  Did I mention the cover?  I originally got the cover "sketch" and loved it.  Fell completely in love.  I begged them not to cover it in--it was beautiful and perfect, and I kept it that way.  I know there's no man-titty, no promise of sex, no steamy, smoldering looks in this cover.  It's simply two people, locked together in a journey.  Well, isn't that marriage?  Isn't that a lifetime partnership?  Thus, the metaphor, right?  Sidecar.  When you get to that part of the book, I hope that the cover suddenly makes you weep--it did for me.  It was that perfect.  That and the sepia toned nostalgia color of the cover, along with that sunshine glow at the end of the road.  It was beautiful.  (Note:  This is not what the actual Sierra Foothills look like, btw-- they are dusty, dry mountains, and even the gravel road to Joe's house would be filled with less ground cover and more brown--but the emotional tone?  This is dead the hell on.  Enjoy it!)  Anyway-- Sidecar is out on Friday, and I'm simultaneously thrilled and terrified.  Oh God.  All of the chunks of my soul, both small and large, that I put into this one--please let them not be crapped on.  Holy Goddess, Merciful God, let it not suck!  Cannyagimmehallelujia?  Iknewyoucouldamen!  And don't forget-- there's a chance to win one of two e-book copies at Stumbling Over Chaos , where Chris was generous enough to post the contest.  (Because she's so efficient, and, well, I'm VERY MUCH NOT!)

Also in book news, is this:

It's a chat at Bethwylde and there's going to be a few of us on there (as you can see.)  I may give away a copy from my backlist (or maybe even of Sidecar-- we shall see!) and I'll be there on and off as the day progresses.  I'm looking forward to this-- I know a few of these people, have met a lot of them in person, and I think we shall have very much fun:-)



Also?  All Romance e-books is having a "Summer's Hottest Hero" contest-- and I think Jace needs to win this one.  (Or at least be nominated, right?)  So follow that link there, and enter Jace (or Jason Spade) from Gambling Men: The Novel
so Jace can get some love, okay?  (I've been told that he's responsible for melting several phones.  Seriously-- doesn't that get some sort of "hotness" award, right?

I had to text Chicken from this
position: Help. Can't Move.
Come move a child so I can get up!

And as for my charming family?


I think it's very clear from the the pictures taken yesterday, that we are sort of all funned out.  Off to take a nap, my darlings!  Toodles!




   

Greetings from the Wilds of Oregon

I love it here, actually.  When I was a kid, our preferred method of travel was a renovated VW Bus (called Brother Bus, sweartadog!) and the Pacific Northwest was our playground.  We would journey to Oregon, Washington, and Canada, camping outside when we could, or smushing the five of us (once it was six and a dog-- we brought a friend!) into Brother Bus to get out of the ubiquitous rain.

As an adult, we're shoving everybody into a rented Pathfinder, but the loveliness and the adventure hasn't changed.


Yesterday, we met the charming, elegant and STUNNINGLY beautiful Roxie (and Bucky, the Roving Ram-porter, who is seen here, charming the socks off of Squish) for breakfast at the Bijou Cafe-- breakfast was amazing.  As a family we tend to do a lot of swapping food-- so Zoomboy got a big pile of strawberries on his nummy buckwheat pancakes, but that was okay.  Squish got yoghurt, but was not prepared for the organic stuff, so she didn't have anything to eat until Mate fed her the strawberries.  Big T ate the yoghurt, and Chicken wrapped an arm around her mushroom/cheddar omelet and dared anyone to mess with it.  For us, that is a standard meal--but I think it might have been amusing for both Roxie and Mate's father, Bill, to watch it in action.

From there we journeyed to Powell's Used Book Store, and the world fell apart.  Mate's father, Bill, had been feeling a little bit iffy at breakfast, and suddenly, he was feeling HORRIBLE (and looking the part.)  Mate was really alarmed, and we had all scattered when we hit the doorway of Powell's.  Powell's is a city block, three stories and something like nine different sections. It's AMAZING, but Roxie and I spent a good half an hour chasing people through it trying to get together and get organized so Mate could take his dad back to the hotel.  Roxie very graciously offered to take four of us (because that's all that would fit in her car)  back later.  Big T, Squish, and Chicken owe Roxie a BIG debt of gratitude, otherwise they never could have left the place with the pounds of books we managed to purchase.  (Zoomboy got some as well-- in particular, a book about unlikely animal friends.  Zoomboy is all about unlikely animal friends!)

After saying goodbye to Roxie (*sniffle*) we rested up and then went out again.  (Bill stayed at the hotel-- he says he's feeling MUCH better this morning!) We visited Washington Park--both the rose garden and the Japanese gardens as well.  At the rose gardens, Chicken and Big T tried to smell every rose in the garden, for comparison purposes.  We all laughed at the image brought about by "International Rose Testing Zone"  (Think about it--*clear!* *explosion* *poomph* *rose petals fluttering to the ground*) and somebody gave Zoomboy a treasure hunting map for the Japanese garden--let's just say it was not conducive to tranquility to have him tear-assing through the garden, screaming for the next thing on the list.

 Be that as it may, the world of Washington Park was lovely-- it was tough to leave.

Today, we've got the Saturday Market and I think back to Washington Park for the zoo-- but we'll see.  First we'll meet Bill for breakfast, and a lot of it depends on how he's feeling.

And I need to mention book news here for a minute-- Sidecar is out next Friday, and in the meantime, Chris, at Stumbling Over Chaos is offering a contest for a free copy of it, if you comment.  I'm REALLY anxious about the release of this one.  There are some beloved moments in this story--I'm hoping I did them justice.

And in the meantime, wish us luck!  We get home tomorrow morning, and on Tuesday, Zoomboy goes in to have his jaw evaluated... his lower jaw is freakishly narrow-- it makes his enunciation difficult, and we're going to see if he needs to get repaired before or after his mouth grows into his teeth.  Stay tuned... or, you know, just forget I ever mentioned it!  Wish us safe travels though-- Zoomboy busted the back of his ear open on the escalator at the Portland airport... we really do travel loud, don't we?