Happy Thanksgiving

My daughter and I have our Thanksgiving on the Wednesday before the official holiday; it is a tradition we started when she was in college. We invite people who have family Thanksgiving Day plans or no plans and we serve BBQ salmon since we know everyone will get their fill of turkey the next day. We maintain tradition with the side dishes by serving white trash starchy foods; green bean casserole, dressing, mashed potatoes, spoon corn bread and cranberry sauce are regular fare. And of course pumpkin and pecan pie. I sometimes make a mince pie but I'm the only one who really likes it so, like this year, I often skip it. We also serve some green salad and plain broccoli just to make ourselves feel nutritionally sound. Wine flows.

This year we'll have between 10-15 people and they'll start arriving around 3. Drop in if you're in the neighborhood. While you're waiting for the food you can read this article about an odd duck who seems like she'd be fun to have dinner with. My favorite part:

That was a few years and a million somebody elses ago. Jules is in preschool now -- and (as we go to press) still single, though she has been seeing one Mr. Bennett Orenstein, who is not only potty-trained but was recently awarded a medal for swimming with his face in the water

What Should I Rent

Listening to NPR on the way to work this morning, I learned about a new website which recommends movies based on a profile you provide. I went to the site, answered a bunch of questions about myself and then got a recommendation. whattorent doesn't require you to provide an email address but does ask you to set a login name just so they can remember you when you return.

After I answered the questions, I asked for a recommendation, indicating I wanted something which matches my usual movie. I could have chosen to get a recommendation for something a little or a lot different than I would normally choose. The suggested movie is for The Five Obstructions. I have not yet seen it and so will probably rent it. I'll let you know how it works out.

NPR Funny

Listening to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me on NPR this weekend I heard:

"Bush saying he's waiting to make more decisions on Iraq until he hears what Petreus says, is like Edgar Begen saying he's waiting to hear what Charlie McCarthy thinks."

Bad Writer, Bad Writer

"LaVerne was undeniably underdressed for this frigid weather; her black, rain-soaked tank top offered no protection and seemed to cling to her torso out of sheer rage, while her tie-dyed boa scarf hung lifeless around her neck like a giant, exhausted, pipe cleaner recently discarded after near-criminal overuse by an obviously sadistic (and rather flamboyant) plumber."

And if you want to see the winner of the bad writing contest. click here.

More SF Adventures

Today is my last day here in beautiful San Francisco. The conference ends at noon and AM and I will go to the Beach Chalet for a long lunch. Maybe we'll visit the beach afterwards. Then AM will drop me at BART and I'll be on my way back to Las Vegas.

Two nights ago we ate at Boulevard. The food was excellent, equally as good as the food at Aziza. Last night we ate at Hunan's which was good spicy Chinese food. After our other meals, this was definitely mundane. Not bad a all, just not WOW! food. I'm so spoiled.

Two nights ago was also the night the fire alarm went off at 3. O'clock. A. M. Yes, A.M.! My fellow floor mates (only our floor got alarmed) and I trudged down the emergency stairs and stood on the street until the fire department came and declared a false alarm. Then we went back to bed. Of course by then the adrenaline had me fully awake. The next day I complained bitterly to the hotel manager. Not about the alarm which wasn't the hotel's fault but about the complete lack of response by the hotel staff. I asked one doorman if we had to stay outside and he said yes. Then I realized someone else was going in and asked another staff person and they said we could go in the lobby but the elevators were not functioning. I told the front desk clerk lots of others were outside not knowing they could come in. He did nothing. Nothing. Then another guest finally figured out the elevators were functioning again. The staff never made any announcements, never explained the problem. It was a dismal performance. Bad Hotel Nikko. Bad, bad, bad Hotel Nikko. Oh, is my Hotel Nikko post getting higher up on search engines? No? Well then, you could help by linking to this post with a Hotel Nikko link.

All SF All The Time

Another great day in San Francisco. AM picked me up about 9:30 and we went off to the Ferry Plaza. There we got a delicious smoked salmon platter and had brunch sitting outside by the ferry dock. We meandered through the shops and tasted olive oils. Then it was off to Beach Blanket Babylon. We learned from AM’s friend that just showing up wasn’t a great idea so we phoned first and reserved two seats. It’s a good thing we did. The line started in front of the theater over an hour before the show and seating started about 45 minutes before the show. We got a perfect view first row seat for a fabulous show. The songs are funny, irreverent and not at all politically correct. They do a great job keeping the show current. There was even a lyric about Paris Hilton going to jail and I think that verdict was just handed down a couple of days ago.

After the show we headed to North Beach and had a nice glass of wine at The Blarney Stone, a little Irish pub near the restaurant. We listened to the brogue of the people around us and watched part of the Giant game. Then we met Ilmar at Aziza, a Moroccan restaurant. The food was even better than Saturday’s. We shared a delicious escalar, some couscous, some Mediterranean spreads and fava beans. It was all excellent.

Today I will spend most of my day in workshops and then meet AM for dinner for some more good food. If the food is better than last night's I’ll reach nirvana

Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart

I'm here in the city that owns part of my heart. San Francisco! I'm attending a conference Monday thru Wednesday so I came into town early to enjoy the city. I got another great Priceline deal at the Hilton in the Financial District. My room look pretty much like the one in the picture on the front page but I have two beds. I'm sitting at the desk with a great view of the bay and Coit Tower. In a bit, my Aunt Mary is coming to pick me up and we're going to Ferry Plaza where we will browse little shops and find some place to have brunch. Then we're going to see if we can get tickets on short notice to see Beach Blanket Babylon. If there tickets available, we'll see the show, otherwise we'll find something else to do. Because it is San Francisco! There is always something to do.

The weather is beautiful though a little warm for natives I think. For a Las Vegan, it is perfect walking around weather. Yesterday I BARTed to the Embarcadero where AM picked me up and we went to SFMOMA to see the Picasso exhibit. The exhibit has Picasso exhibited with other American artists who drew from his work. Wonderful! After the museum visit, we headed off to our local watering hole of choice, Harry's Bar, for a glass of wine. Then we walked a couple of miles to meet up with one of my favorite people, Ilmar, and had dinner at Canteen. Dinner was superb. We shared some ceviche and I had the bass -- melt in your mouth bass. The food and the company was the best. After dinner we walked to a local coffee shop and chatted for hours. Finally, we had to say goodnight and I grabbed a cab back to my hotel - how SF is that?

And now I'm telling you about it. Later today, I move to the conference hotel. Hotel Nikko looks just as nice as my Hilton. I didn't have to get a priceline deal because work is paying. Yay! Mary and Ilmar and I will be exploring more restaurants in the coming days. I'll fill you in.

A New One Just Begun

So far 2005 feels a lot like 2004. I haven't made the traditional resolutions. I'm thinking about making a resolution to have a resolution for each month this year. "They" say it takes 21 days to implement a new habit so I'm considering testing that by creating a new habit every month. So far my list looks like this:

1. Eat more veggies and fruit


2. Exercise regularly


3. Start a new hobby


4. Start learning a language


5. Be kinder


6. Scrapbook


7. Manicure my nails regularly


8. Keep my office organized


9. Volunteer

I know that is only nine. I will think of another three before the end of 2005. I'll start January by eating more fruits and veggies. That one should be easy with a little planning because I really like most fruits and vegetables.

I did not drive out to see the fireworks in LV last night. I did stay up late watching TV and waiting for the new year. I did better than most years. Usually I leave the TV on and the noise of all the revelers wakes me up at midnight. This year I was awake at midnight and didn't fall asleep until the fireworks were over.

Today I'm just enjoying the second day of my three day weekend. I plan to stay home watching a Monk marathon and, while I'm watching, go through lots of papers I've let pile up over the past few months. And I'll finish taking pictures of my new countertop so I can upload the pictures for tomorrow's blog.

The Day We Got Her Back

And speaking of anniversaries, today is another one. Technically, the happier anniversary is on June 12, but since today is also relevant, I decided to post it now.

Twenty-one years ago today, I went to pick up my two year old daughter at her father's and discovered the house was empty. Her father was facing battery charges brought by me and he also knew I was going to challenge the existing joint custody agreement so he decided to award custody to himself.

This post is not about the miserable 9 months when she was gone; the days I wondered how I'd get through one more hour without her, the day the taunting letter arrived, the days I had to force myself to go to work so I could afford the costs of searching for her, the day the ex called to tell me I'd be sorry and probably never see her again. No, this post is about the day we got her back.

Nine months to the day after I found that empty house, I got a call from a friend who had been receiving phone calls from my ex. The FBI was recording those calls and had discovered where my daughter was being kept. This particular evening, my friend had just gotten a call from the ex saying he was in jail and Debra was in foster care. I immediately called the local FBI to speak to the agent assigned to my case. The agent said he knew nothing but would check it out and call me back. I paced the floor until the phone rang. It was true; FBI agents in Maryland had arrested my ex and had picked up my daughter. I could fly to Baltimore and get her at the foster care home. Hallelujah!

My mom and I made a mad dash to the airport. Crap. We missed the flight out by 5 minutes and would have to wait for 5 more hours for the next flight. We drove over to the house of my phone tap friend and waited - and cried and laughed. We also called friends and family to tell them that the day many of them thought might never come had really arrived. And then, at last, I was able to fly through Denver to Baltimore. During the Denver layover, I called the foster home and begged them to make sure no one but me picked up my baby. The woman assured me that even if my ex got out of jail there was no way he'd know where my daughter was.

When I got to Baltimore, I grabbed a cab and gave the driver the address. He warned me it was going to be a long and pricey drive across the bridge during rush hour. I told him I didn’t care, just get me there. If I could have paced in the cab I would have. The cab driver was chatty and wanted to hear all about my daughter and my search so that helped the time pass. The ride cost about $40. I gave him $60 before I raced up the front porch steps to the foster home.

The foster mom met me at the door and told me my daughter was downstairs. As I rushed toward those stairs she stopped me and told me to calm down. "Remember, she's had a tough day and you might be a stranger to her now. Slow down. Don't scare her." So I forced myself to walk slowly down the stairs. The foster mom's words echoed my own fears. What if she doesn't know who I am? What will I do?

Debra was at a long table in the basement room. Her head was on a pillow and she was facing away from me. She had a bottle in her mouth and she was twisting her hair with her free hand. I had watched her twisting that hair almost every night of her life before she was taken away. I walked around the table and approached her slowly.

"Debra? Debra, it's Mommy."

She took the bottle out of her mouth and looked up at me. Then she sat up and lifted her arms toward me. "Mama!" I picked her up and felt her arms wrap tightly around my neck. She put her head on my shoulder and hung on.

I cried. And hugged her as tightly as I could without squishing her.

Then she looked up at me and said, "Are you my new mommy or my old mommy?" Later we discovered her dad had told her the 'old' mommy died and they would find a 'new' mommy.

I answered her, "I'm your only mommy."