When I type I always put two spaces after each period.  It annoys slanky, so much so that when he was editing our new year letter he went through everything I wrote, which was practically the entire document, and took out all of the “extra” spaces (I think he also did this last year but didn’t complain quite so much so I promptly forgot all about it).  I learned to type in high school, on a type writer, and that’s what I learned.  Period, space space, beginning of next sentence.  Apparently, this is no longer the traditional typing method and in the digital world only one space after a period should be used.  We got into quite a discussion about it and here is what we found:  Double spacing at the end of sentences.

So we were all supposed to switch to the “french” spacing at some point in the last decade or so and I’m wondering how many of you have made the alteration.

One space or two?

I LOVE poached eggs.  Yellow, soft, warm, runny, what’s not to love?  Okay, well, apparently some people (Pat) do not love them.  Actually, that does not adequately describe Pat’s feelings towards poached eggs.  They completely gross him out, and I think he’d rather eat grass than poached eggs.  Which makes me curious, how do my fellow Roses feel about poached eggs?  Anyway, despite my adoration for poached eggs, I did not make them very often because they can be such a pain.  Until I came across these fabulous little silicone egg cups at King Arthur Flour.

Ingenious!!  I coat the cups with a little butter and the eggs slide right out of the cup.  No mess, no fuss.  Hooray!  I enjoy poached eggs a couple of times a week now.

And on another note, the butter in this picture is Bordier butter I picked up in Paris when we were there last June with the Stewarts.  I froze a couple packages, and that was the last of it.  Sigh.  The Moveable Feast people are a bit wrong about the butter, I think.  I personally was not a huge fan of butter (other than being a firm believer in using loads of it when baking) until I tasted the Bordier Butter.  Amazing.  Instead of the thin, meager layer of butter I normally put on toast, with Bordier butter I spread on an overly generous, very thick layer.  (white bread is best, but on this particular day I only had brown on hand).  And then lick the butter knife afterwards.  Though again, like poached eggs, there are apparently differing opinions on the fabulousness of Bordier butter (weirdos).

Not only is the iphone useful for music collection but it’s also a fun artistic tool! I’ve been loving seeing emilyfrances’ iphone photos on facebook and I’ve been doing a little experimenting myself, though I think I have a long way to go to make anything very artistic! I randomly picked a few photo apps to spruce up the photos and so far it’s been really fun.
My main problem with the iphone camera is that I like trying to take pictures of people with it and moving objects just don’t work very well. Even so, I’ve gotten some really cute ones of Jonah (and Jonah and Lila) in the past so I’ll keep trying.

Here are a few experiments so far:

Slanky and the red balloon

On the deck

Corbin, 3 days

As you all know, Gaje has been a part of our lives for a long time now. He turned 10 this November so that means we’ve spent a decade together. He was our first responsibility other than ourselves so I guess you could think of him as our practice run at children. He’s only a little quirky so I suppose that’s good news for our boys.

Yesterday we took Gaje to the vet to have major surgery. He’s had an exponentially growing lipoma on his side for the past two years and upon the advice of a vet we decided to have it removed so that it doesn’t start affecting his health before old age does. The surgery is risky but a common one for dogs, luckily Gaje did just fine and we get to pick him up today. The recovery will be about 3 to 4 weeks and he’ll be a fraction of his former self, which is a good thing.

These decisions are hard. This surgery is costing us a lot of money. He’s a dog. But he’s been a part of our lives for so long it’s hard to think about anything other than giving our all for his care. I’m so thankful that we have the means to do so. It’s hard for me to think about a time when he’ll no longer be here with us, sharing in our family moments, so instead I’m going to think about all the good times we’re going to have after he’s healed.

Gaje on his new bed

I saw this fascinating article the other day and thought it would make a perfect Friday Music post, especially since I haven’t been listening to any other new music in the last couple weeks. Before this article I’d never heard of the “My Way” Killings or really anything about Karaoke in the Philippines. It also reminds me that even with my anthropology studies, I didn’t spend much time thinking about the Philippines in general. This is a long one so bear with me and I’ll post the actual song too.
~~~~~
Sinatra Song Often Strikes Deadly Chord
By NORIMITSU ONISHI
Published: February 6, 2010
GENERAL SANTOS, the Philippines — After a day of barbering, Rodolfo Gregorio went to his neighborhood karaoke bar still smelling of talcum powder. Putting aside his glass of Red Horse Extra Strong beer, he grasped a microphone with a habitué’s self-assuredness and briefly stilled the room with the Platters’ “My Prayer.”

Next, he belted out crowd-pleasers by Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. But Mr. Gregorio, 63, a witness to countless fistfights and occasional stabbings erupting from disputes over karaoke singing, did not dare choose one beloved classic: Frank Sinatra’s version of “My Way.”
“I used to like ‘My Way,’ but after all the trouble, I stopped singing it,” he said. “You can get killed.”
The authorities do not know exactly how many people have been killed warbling “My Way” in karaoke bars over the years in the Philippines, or how many fatal fights it has fueled. But the news media have recorded at least half a dozen victims in the past decade and includes them in a subcategory of crime dubbed the “My Way Killings.”
The killings have produced urban legends about the song and left Filipinos groping for answers. Are the killings the natural byproduct of the country’s culture of violence, drinking and machismo? Or is there something inherently sinister in the song?
Whatever the reason, many karaoke bars have removed the song from their playbooks. And the country’s many Sinatra lovers, like Mr. Gregorio here in this city in the southernmost Philippines, are practicing self-censorship out of perceived self-preservation.
Karaoke-related killings are not limited to the Philippines. In the past two years alone, a Malaysian man was fatally stabbed for hogging the microphone at a bar and a Thai man killed eight of his neighbors in a rage after they sang John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Karaoke-related assaults have also occurred in the United States, including at a Seattle bar where a woman punched a man for singing Coldplay’s “Yellow” after criticizing his version.
Still, the odds of getting killed during karaoke may be higher in the Philippines, if only because of the ubiquity of the pastime. Social get-togethers invariably involve karaoke. Stand-alone karaoke machines can be found in the unlikeliest settings, including outdoors in rural areas where men can sometimes be seen singing early in the morning. And Filipinos, who pride themselves on their singing, may have a lower tolerance for bad singers.
Indeed, most of the “My Way” killings have reportedly occurred after the singer sang out of tune, causing other patrons to laugh or jeer.
“The trouble with ‘My Way,’ ” said Mr. Gregorio, “is that everyone knows it and everyone has an opinion.”
Others, noting that other equally popular tunes have not provoked killings, point to the song itself. The lyrics, written by Paul Anka for Mr. Sinatra as an unapologetic summing up of his career, are about a tough guy who “when there was doubt,” simply “ate it up and spit it out.” Butch Albarracin, the owner of Center for Pop, a Manila-based singing school that has propelled the careers of many famous singers, was partial to what he called the “existential explanation.”
“ ‘I did it my way’ — it’s so arrogant,” Mr. Albarracin said. “The lyrics evoke feelings of pride and arrogance in the singer, as if you’re somebody when you’re really nobody. It covers up your failures. That’s why it leads to fights.”
Defenders of “My Way” say it is a victim of its own popularity. Because it is sung more often than most songs, the thinking goes, karaoke-related violence is more likely to occur while people are singing it. The real reasons behind the violence are breaches of karaoke etiquette, like hogging the microphone, laughing at someone’s singing or choosing a song that has already been sung.
“The Philippines is a very violent society, so karaoke only triggers what already exists here when certain social rules are broken,” said Roland B. Tolentino, a pop culture expert at the University of the Philippines. But even he hedged, noting that the song’s “triumphalist” nature might contribute to the violence.
Some karaoke lovers are not taking chances, not even at family gatherings.
In Manila, Alisa Escanlar, 33, and her relatives invariably gather before a karaoke machine, but they banned “My Way” after an uncle, listening to a friend sing the song at a bar, became enraged at the laughter coming from the next table. The uncle, who was a police officer, pulled out his revolver, after which the customers at the next table quietly paid their bill and left.
Awash in more than one million illegal guns, the Philippines has long suffered from all manner of violence, from the political to the private. Wary middle-class patrons gravitate to karaoke clubs with cubicles that isolate them from strangers.
But in karaoke bars where one song costs 5 pesos, or a tenth of a dollar, strangers often rub shoulders, sometimes uneasily. A subset of karaoke bars with G.R.O.’s — short for guest relations officers, a euphemism for female prostitutes — often employ gay men, who are seen as neutral, to defuse the undercurrent of tension among the male patrons. Since the gay men are not considered rivals for the women’s attention — or rivals in singing, which karaoke machines score and rank — they can use humor to forestall macho face-offs among the patrons.
In one such bar in Quezon City, next to Manila, patrons sing karaoke at tables on the first floor and can accompany a G.R.O. upstairs. Fights often break out when customers at one table look at another table “the wrong way,” said Mark Lanada, 20, the manager.
“That’s the biggest source of tension,” Mr. Lanada said. “That’s why every place like this has a gay man like me.”
Ordinary karaoke bars, like the Nelson Carenderia here, a single room with bare plywood walls, mandate that a singer give up the microphone after three consecutive songs.
On one recent evening, at the table closest to the karaoke machine, Edwin Lancaderas, 62, crooned a Tagalog song, “Fight Temptation” — about a married man forgoing an affair with a woman while taking delight in their “stolen moments.” His friend Dindo Auxlero, 42, took the mike next, bawling songs by the Scorpions and Dire Straits. Several empty bottles of Red Horse crowded their table.
“In the Philippines, life is difficult,” said Mr. Auxlero, who repairs watches from a street kiosk, as he railed about government corruption and a weak economy that has driven so many Filipinos to work overseas, including his wife, who is a maid in Lebanon. “But, you know, we have a saying: ‘Don’t worry about your problems. Let your problems worry about you.’ ”
The two men roared with laughter.
“That’s why we come here every night — to clear the excesses from our heads,” Mr. Lancaderas said, adding, however, that the two always adhered to karaoke etiquette and, of course, refrained from singing “My Way.”
“Misunderstanding and jealousy,” in his view, were behind the “My Way” killings. “I just hope it doesn’t happen here,” he said.
~~~~~~~~
Here are the lyrics to “My Way”
And now, the end is near,
And so I face the final curtain.
My friends, I’ll say it clear;
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain.

I’ve lived a life that’s full -
I’ve travelled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Regrets? I’ve had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course -
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried,
I’ve had my fill – my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way -
Oh no. Oh no, not me.
I did it my way.

For what is a man? What has he got?
If not himself – Then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.

Yes, it was my way.

As one of our Valentine’s Day activities at school, my kids made Valentines for their families. While they were working on them, Kristen and I went around and asked them what they would like to say on their Valentines, which I then typed up and they glued on today. Here are the messages from five of my 3 year olds:

I love you. Next time I won’t be mean to my sisters. And thank you for my family.

Thank you to my family. I love my dog. I love my sisters.

I made this for you! I did it for you and you can have it when I go home.

For my family!

I love my Mom. I love my Dad and my sister, Eva. I love cats.

Here’s another Shazam find.

I just knew I recognized the voice singing on the radio the other evening but it was no song I’d ever heard. Sure enough, for those of you Shins fans out there, it was James Mercer doing a side project with Danger Mouse and they’ve announced an album to be out at the beginning of March.

From the reviews, it sounds like people are pretty excited about the mix of sound these two are creating. I’m just feeling darn proud of myself that I know some current news happening in the musical world. It’s definitely been a while!

Since I don’t actually have the album I’ll leave you with the Broken Bells website. It’s kind of cool so hopefully that’ll make up for having to use an outside link. This is the album’s first single, called “The High Road.”

One of my mental New Year resolutions was to listen to more new music in 2010. So far I think I’m fairing better than last year and I have my phone to thank for that. For those of you who have applications on your phones you might know about Shazam, which I have to say is totally awesome and helpful for my musical improvement.

Shazam is a little program that lets you record something you’re hearing – it records about 20 seconds for you – and then analyzes what you are listening to. As long as it can figure it out, and it’s quite good, it’ll bring up a link of the song and album and then further links to where you can buy it on itunes or read reviews about it or send a note to yourself about it.

A couple weeks ago I was at Sip and Ship and this catchy little song came on that I just had to get more info about so, boom, Shazam to the rescue! It was a strange sounding song. 80s beat, slightly Davie Bowie sounding vocals in the beginning and then cutting to this totally 70s sounding falsetto. I couldn’t believe the instantaneous mix of genres going on in the song. Anyway, Slanky downloaded the album later that evening for me and it’s totally fun and peppy.

The band is called Empire of the Sun and the song I heard was Walking on a Dream. The group is actually an Australian group classified as electronic but they really mix genres throughout the entire album. I think at least one song also has some live guitar in it. It’s a pretty fun album, though not for all types of listening occasions.

I won’t include lyrics here because a) I don’t know what they are saying anyway and b) this review doesn’t really cover the meaty stuff like what the song’s about and whatnot, i don’t see that as being the point when it sounds fun.

Favorite Restaurants: Azul is a Mexican type place in Mill Creek. I refer to it as a “Mexican-type-place” b/c it has Mexican flair but it doesn’t have the stuff that I’d usually order at the well known chain restaurants like Azteca. I recommend the Pork Tacos AKA “Mexican Pot Roast.” (Sorry Jody and Eve) Also, good are the Fish Tacos and the Creamy Seafood Enchiladas. For breakfast, I like their Strawberry Pancakes and the Classic Eggs Benedict. Clay Pit is an Indian restaurant in Mill Creek. They have a great lunch buffet. I’m sure it is very westernized but I love it. Both places have a vibe that makes us feel at home. We probably eat a least one meal a week at both restaurants.

Biggest Surprise: I’m a Taylor Swift fan. I know, I know! I thought it was the end of the world too when I figured this out. I still feel like this event has got to be in that end of day’s section in the Bible. What got me going was her Saturday Night Live performance this fall. I thought she sounded great and was pretty amazed by the quality of her performance. I’ve seen many seasoned musicians totally bomb on SNL. Vocalists esp. seem to have a hard time. Then I heard her song “15” on the radio when I was visiting my folks and thought that it pretty well written. Then I discovered that she has a whole line up of music videos and behind the scenes material via Comcast’s on demand programming.

Favorite Movie: “I Love You Man” Hilarious. This is the best movie you haven’t seen yet. I honestly liked it so much more than “The Hangover” which got so much buzz. “I Love You Man” is very funny in a refreshing way. Just when you think you know what is going to happen it goes in a different direction and makes you laugh harder. I strongly recommend a rent. See trailer here. www.iloveyouman.com/

Strangest Phenomenon: People think I’m a redhead now. Seriously, I’ve had 2 people say something about my red hair. One tech support co-worker said it was “great to help out a fellow red head” while over the phone. She explained that she had looked up my profile with picture on our company directory. I responded weakly with “ah, yeah…..we have to…like…stick together.” I looked myself up and couldn’t see where she’d come up with it but figured the color must be off on her computer. About a month later, another coworker (one that was sitting in the desk next to mine) asked “so was your hair super carroty red when you were a kid?” Still puzzled I explained that actually my hair had been white-blonde as a kid. Her response……REALLY??!! Couldn’t imagine it. This really makes me feel like coloring my hair. People can’t tell what color it is.

Best Invention: IngenuiTea. I’m not sure if this device for steeping loose leaf tea was actually invented in 2009 but I discovered it this year if that counts. I was visiting with my folks just before Xmass and my Dad bought this for me while we were browsing this little tea shop out in Puyallup. It works great! It has taken many cups of tea to get via 2009. Take a look. www.adagio.com/teaware/ingenuiTEA_teapot.html

Ok, here’s my list of Tops for 2009. It’s by far not comprehensive and I feel like I’m forgetting a lot of stuff that happened in 2009 but so it goes. Perhaps I should blog more so I can look back on stuff..

Favorite Restaurant (or where we frequented most): The Loft, a sports bar type of place that allows kids until about 10pm. It’s nice and loud so Jonah blends right in.

Best Meal of 2009: we had some great food on our travels this summer but Slanky and I shared a wonderful meal at Elemental (for his Birthday, I think) and I could still drink then so the wine also helped make it a memorable evening!

Top Album (not necessarily made in 2009 but what I listened to most frequently): This is a very hard one. I don’t feel like I listened to much music this year, if you don’t count kid’s music and older music that we’ve had around for years. So, I guess for single most listened to albums, it’ll probably have to be The Beatles re-released Revolver album.

Top 3 Books I read in 2009: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff and the Dead series by Charlaine Harris (I’m lumping those all together even though they are 9 books. I finished all but the last one in a matter of weeks and they all blend together to me now. Great fluff.)

Best Coffee Shop: Sip and Ship is still our most frequented but the best actual coffee I had was from the Lighthouse Roasters main place in Fremont.

Favorite Movie: I can’t totally remember all of the movies I saw in 2009 (not many but also not memorable) but what really sticks out for me is the new Star Trek one. I thought the prequel characters were dead on and I liked the playful quality of the movie.

Biggest Rant of 2009: Getting our stroller stolen off of our front porch. Very annoying and still makes me angry when I think about it.

Ok, that’s it for now. I’m sure there are more things I should document about ‘09 but they aren’t coming to me right now!