A Jolly Holiday for Jaime

I went away on vacation in April! Usually I just go to California to see friends and family (which I still plan to do as well) but now that I have three weeks' worth of vacation time I went to England to visit my old grad school haunts. Wait, actually, I didn't even get near Hendon, London, but I was in London, the Birmingham area, and Manchester to see old friends and new, like the children of the old friends. I also had a 'Busman's Holiday' by attending London Book Fair. Since I wasn't being paid to go, I didn't have to sit at the company booth unless I wanted to, which I did. I attended various panel discussions and took notes. I only fell asleep during one panel because the room was overheated! Despite my being there to goof around, I visited clients, chatted with fellow industry folks, and even attended the company dinner in Soho, although I think I crashed it by accident. People kept asking me if they'd see me there and I thought I better go! LBF was at Earl’s Court, much more convenient than where/when I last went to LBF.

Granted, I didn’t run into The Doctor whilst there but this TARDIS looked dodgy anyhow:

I mostly stayed with my friends Tracey and John in Finchley. They live close to a spot you'll have seen on film, the shop where Shaun worked in 'Shaun of the Dead.' I slept on their couch which is so comfortable that one night I dreamed of buying it and shipping it to Minnesota. I pretty much knew it was going to happen but had no idea Tracey was going to make me a Sunday Roast this gorgeous:

They also introduced me to a cafe down the road with this amazing breakfast that I admit to having a few times. I blame my love of free wifi:

Here, a close-up for your computer desktop wallpaper:

On top of great food, great banter and the deadly comfortable sofa, Tracey and John also introduced me to their friend Alex, who looked more than a little familiar...

Thankfully it was Alex Ferns, a real sweetie-pie! Screw EastEnders during my grad school years, this guy has moved on and doing ‘South Pacific.’ Here’s a shot of him performing (he totally nailed it!) at the Olivier Awards that same night:

I got to see my friends Purvi & Gilles as well as Asad & Ale, both couples who met at Middlesex University and married. One night I stayed at Asad & Ale’s house where I got to meet Christopher. He’s such a cutie and showed me all his toys, naming them as he went:

He then showed me what London traffic typically looks like:

Despite renewed American confusion with the stations I managed to hop on the correct train to Birmingham to see Jenny and her family. I lived with Jenny in San Francisco and would regularly see her and her future husband James when they came to visit London from where they were living in Scotland. Now they’re back near their hometowns and have two little crazy-cakes, Scarlett & Ava!

Scarlett, Ava and I spent about an hour playing with a whoopie cushion. It wouldn’t work on me! It just quietly became my third butt cheek. Only days later would I make whoopie-cushion noises in their bathroom and need more bog roll. I tried to blame it on Harvey but he had a weapon.

It makes sense now, the sign in the nearby park:

Jenny and I left the girls behind with dad James (who Scarlett called ‘Mr Chonies’ and scored huge points with me!) to take the train to Manchester to see Maria, her boyfriend Jamie (yes, awkwardness abounds in which Jaime/Jamie being addressed) and of course, Sophie! Last time I saw Sophie she was only 3 but now she’s nearly 10 and can knit like a pro.

Here we are at a park in Manchester, the biggest urban park in all of Europe. To think I met these two in 1999 in San Francisco.

But we haven’t REALLY matured. I mean, look at what I kept giggling at from the petting zoo portion of the park:

Coming home from the park that day we ran into Jo and Dave and their little boy, Charlie! Charlie was the last of the kids who paid no attention to me until I said something, and then he, like the others on my trip, had the same look on his face: She sounds like the Disney Channel!

All in all it was a great trip, really relaxing even when missing Tube trains, breaking some toes, having ‘trainsickness,’ and getting the bank statement this week. I thought the weather was perfect, the flights perfectly fine, and the queues miserable, as they should be.

Nerd Minny Farms, 2012

This past Saturday I went a little crazy buying plants at the Minneapolis Farmers Market. I must have spent $15 but what a deal after losing my few seedlings to Bob the Maine Coon and going away on vacation for too long to water the survivors.

Wet Books, or A Border that Crossed the Books

Oh man I love this video clip. It protests book bans with wit and zingers that one hopes will shame the book banners. Become a Librotraficante! Be one anywhere you live where books are banned, either formally or informally. If you're not sure, ask around and you'll know soon enough.

I have a bumper sticker on my car that reads, 'Words are chemicals.' That's why people are threatened by some books. An old joke is that the most dangerous person in America is a black person with a library card. These days, it's you and me and everyone we know who picks up a history book or maybe a memoir that tells it like it really was or wonders of an alternative way for the future.

For the last few years I try to read 10 minutes from three different books each night on top of whatever else I'm reading. It's okay for me because I'm in publishing (so yes, a bit biased towards books) but pick up a challenging book and start reading it just 10 minutes each day. If you miss a day, write it on the bookmark and catch up later. Pick up a nonfiction, a how-to on something you'd like to try, a novel you couldn't bear to finish back in school, anything. Trafficking books begin at home, Baby!

For this Halloween, Night of the Living Will!

A few weeks ago there was a horrible incident that left my Great-Uncle Gary, age 75, brain-dead but on life-support in Arizona. I’d go on about details but it will begin my angry ranting over elderly abuse, especially our gay elderly and the outdated laws regarding definitions of ‘family.’

Gary’s next-of-kin situation was complicated and resulted in my grandfather having to drive from Missouri to Arizona to ‘pull the plug’ on his baby brother. Apparently there are still arguments over doing so and that is just not something one wants added to grieving. Wisely, my grandparents updated their health care directives before leaving for such a stressful trip.

Just before this I learned on the same day of two deaths: my dear friend Dante’s mother Estelita, a gorgeous woman who was very loving to me, and my colleague Jeanne, who was only 30 when she died of diabetes complications. This brought back memories of my friend and former coworker Kevin, who died in his sleep a month before his wedding, and David Thompson, founder of Busted Flush, a client who several of you know. Rory Root, founder of Comic Relief in Berkeley, died during surgery and it broke the hearts of many.

With all these deaths happening to friends and family, young and old over the last few years, this prompted me to plan my own living will as I’m way up and over in Minnesota with my nearest relatives in Missouri and the rest in California and Nevada. Anything could happen to me and though I’m comfortable with the idea of dying, I’m NOT comfortable with leaving a mess for my loved ones to clean up when they should be just glad I’m at peace.

At least I was lucky in timing: Minneapolis Community Education had a class in planning one’s own Health Care Directive just this last week. The instructor was a registered nurse who helped explain any medical questions just in case, and then since there were enough students to sign as witnesses, we just passed our forms around and completed them. But a note on the students: I was the youngest by probably 20 years and the instructor claims to have never had a male student in the class despite their greater risks.

Taking the class was very easy and I wished I had had the chance to take 'Avoiding Probate and Preserving Assets' this season but hopefully it will be on offer in Spring.

If you’re in Minnesota, the form is reasonably easy and doesn’t require a notary. You can find it here at http://www.accukare.com/Docs_PDF/Accukare_HealthCareDirectiveForm.pdf

Part II can be tricky but the best part about these forms is that you can always make changes and then initial and date: http://besthomecaremn.com/yahoo_site_admin1/assets/docs/Health_Care_Instructions_Worksheet.66182617.pdf

For those of you in other states and nations, search online for ‘Health Care Directive Form’ and avoid anything that might ask for money (unless it’s a nonprofit organization asking for a donation). You shouldn’t have to be charged for a form! And your town very likely has a class like mine did so for a few bucks and fewer hours you can be done with it.

Please, be sure to talk to the ones you want to be your agents about this form. Don’t surprise them when you’re in hospital, please! I’m guilty of it, however, as my agent is my brother and, um, he’s probably reading about it here...

Macy & Vinnie at Yesterday's Party

Pirate vs Roman Soldier!

Drunk charioteer!
Hot Dog Down!
Hot Dog Back in the Game!

He doesn't know it's a chair!

Polka on Cassette!
I Wanna Go Home!
Everybody Just Sod Off!

Toddler One-Two Punch

It's been a rough week for my mother's side of the family with a wedding and (most likely, sadly) a funeral on each coast making for tough decisions all around. I'll not go into details...yet.

Meanwhile, to cheer us all up, I've uploaded this video of mine in which two of my nephews enjoy watching themselves in the mirror whilst having a 'fight.' I'm too lazy to edit and I pretty much love every second of this video so sorry if you get bored in between the blows!

Another Day at the MN State Fair!

I returned to the Minnesota State Fair once again only this time with four others! This meant that I actually walked through the Midway, which isn't my thing, being a bad sport and everything. I felt bad for all the people winning these odd banana toys.

And then, 'Et tu, Domo-Kun?!?!'

Thankfully Japanophiles could enjoy this gorgeous birdhouse in the Creative Arts Building, my favorite part of the fair where I take pictures of everything I hope to pirate!

Except this, of course. It's amazing! Tinker-toys and a lot of patience to match the creativity.


I was very excited to notice this adorable Dalek from (I believe) Glass Endeavors.

And you KNOW who wears this scarf!

In the Fine Arts Building I saw this painting and immediately thought of SIL Monica, a big Hayao Miyazaki fan.

And the whole world can relate to this sculpture. May it unite us in peace!


I know what you really want to see, that's right, the seed art!

This one is very Minnesotan:

I'm always impressed by the Left Wing bent of seed art here. I just assumed it would be the opposite.




QR codes made their debut this year. I've been cross-stitching them, so I suppose it makes sense.


And look, the royal wedding! Awwww... I didn't watch it but the corgis were a clue.

This one has me scratching my head:

Today following a Twins game and a long nap I got online and read in The Advocate "Glitter Bombs Away at Minnesota (Un)Fair" and the following video clip.

I'm still surprised I hadn't heard of this BEFORE the fair, and it happened the day I was there! Good on you, glitter bombers, and boo on you, fair runners. I hope the story makes the rounds and points out how foolish it was to offer a booth to people who hate.