Waffles!

Thought I'd share the first piece off my loom (notice the colors are kind of similar to the Brazilian flag which I didn't notice until I was finishing it). I finally completed the ends of it last night. It is a waffle weave made from cotton I bought with my friends at the Ann Arbor Festival last year. The weft is a rik rak rayon. It is 96 inches long! I lost about an inch in width when I washed it but the length stayed. Guess it will be a good scarf to tie around a couple of times during those cold evenings in Brazil (not!)


I am going to dive into my Habu stainless steel/wool next. It is so thin you can't call it yarn...it is more like thread. The pattern is an 8-block shadow huck and I am going to combine the stainless/wool with some leftover alpaca/silk from another piece. Wish me luck.

Ah! Brazil!!

After a grueling month of layoffs and cutbacks at work, I raced out of Detroit probably a little too early so I could get to Brazil to see my brother Tim and his girlfriend Jennifer who were visiting. They were leaving on Friday so I landed mid-day on Thursday. What's my rush?? When I got here, they were having a relaxing vacation. It was exactly what I needed. I can learn a lot from them. After a big beef dinner at a churrascaria Thursday night, we had a nice visit and trekked around Ibirapuera Park on Friday. The park has a modern art museum, beautiful paths and bridges and lots of people running and biking. What a pleasant day and a great chance to breathe again after all the stress.

It is really nice to be home.



These pictures were taken at the Monumento às Bandeiras, just outside the Park.

Home to SP

I had the hardest day today. I had to let two really talented people go from my Automotive News team. They were in way better shape than I was when I gave them the news. Both were real professionals as I ripped their world apart. I feel terrible.

This was a grueling month of duty.

But, I get to go home to Sao Paulo now. I am flying home (through Toronto??) tomorrow night.

Say a prayer for my friends.

Still in the US

I am starting my third (!) week here in the States. If I stay all this week, I'll have been home longer than I have been in Brazil. I have really hard, hard work ahead of me at Crain, but if nothing is slated to happen for a few weeks, I am going to high tail it back to SP. I can do a lot of it long distance. I should know more about timing tomorrow.

I must say though, I do so love my friends. In the last week, I've dined with Trish, Linda, Kim, Miriam, Shelia, Paula, Sean and Amber. I even went to the St. Clare Auction last night and caught up with so many wonderful people. I am very lucky but if I keep eating this well, I'll never fit into my clothes.

Today I went and saw Slumdog Millionaire. I am so glad I did. Awesome movie!

Cross your fingers that I get to return to my family soon.

Catching Up with Friends and Family

One good thing about being home for a week or more is that it has given me a chance to see a bunch of friends and family. On Saturday, I stopped by my weaving class (oh, how I miss that group!) and then went to Dawson's first birthday party. He fell asleep during his gifts. I bet this is the only year in his whole life that he'll crash as he opens presents. By next year, he'll get it. Saturday night, I went out to dinner with the Santoscoys and Thomases and then saw Rosemary in Godspell. Very fun. On Sunday, I was driving through Highland after stopping at the funeral home for Aunt Ellen Jo and dropped in on Lori. Good to see those Emme Boys. Man, are they getting big. As nice as the visits are, I really want to go home to SP. I still have no clue when I can leave.

Back in the D

I'm in Motown for a few weeks. Times are tough all over and my company is looking at everything...and I mean everything...to cut expenses. I'm the corporate communications person so they needed me here to help with announcements. This has been one of the hardest weeks ever. I am a wordsmith...not a numbers person. This week has been all about looking at numbers. People are so, so stressed. I will be glad when this phase is over and we can return to producing great publications.

Say a prayer for Dan's Aunt Ellen Jo. She died yesterday in a car accident. I wish I had my photos with me so I could post a photo of this special lady. She will be missed. Her funeral is Monday.

Carnaval!

I've never been to an event where they handed attendees a condom when they arrived. These smiley girls put one in everyone's hand right after you came through the gates. With that good giggle and a sense of protection, we entered Sao Paulo's Carnaval celebration last night.

The four of us went with our friends Prateek and Nandita and their two boys. We probably got there too early (9:30) because things really didn't get rolling until 11:00. We were in the table section so we were able to order beers and food which was really nice. The kids were very into the "beef on a stick" which was delicious.

Everyone warned us to not wear jewelry and to not carry purses because the crowd can be rough. I'm sure there is some of that but I found everyone really nice and helpful. We were a bit stressed out when we found out that our seats were on the opposite side of the dome and that the crowd had to walk counterclockwise around the place to get in since there was no way to cross the parade grounds. So instead of walking 100 yards to the right, we had to walk about 3/4 mile to the left around the outside to get to our seats. The kids loved that! Especially when we had to do it again at the end of the night.

I always thought of Carnaval like Mardi Gras with street parades and things. Not so much. In Brazil, it is a serious competion between the area's samba dance schools. The Sambodromo is a huge parade ground and each school enters with thousands of dancers, floats, drums, singers and the most amazing costumes. It takes 45-60 minutes for each school to go from beginning to end. We learned that the costumes and floats are only used once and that the schools spend the entire next year getting ready for each Carnaval.

What a riot. Some of the best dressed women in the schools are guys. One group had the men dressed in the tiniest of purple loincloths and lots of glitter. The schools of course highlight their most beautiful people, but they also let seniors, children, handicapped and others join in the fun as they march through. Even the clean up crew is part of the show. The crowd is dancing and singing along with the music the entire night. It was cool to see people cheer on the schools like they were sports teams. My ears are still ringing.

We left the area about 3:15 and we only saw four or five schools. I bet it went on until at least 5 or 6:00. We were all exhausted but I am really glad we went.

I loaded a couple dozen photos on Facebook. If you want to see them, click here (even if you don't belong to Facebook).

I even took a shot at posting this video from my camera so you can get a sense of the music. Check out the guy in the white shirt on the lower left. He's not the youngest of dudes but he danced and sang all night!!

Hardworking Students

Hannah and Jackson seem to have adjusted really well to school. Graded is an amazing place. Class sizes are small and the work seems really interesting. Jackson is loving the art. Ro gave a talk to the IB art students the other day about clay modeling and Jackson prepped some clay for the "show and tell" part. (They used my Crock Pot to warm up the clay. I'm glad it is being used for something.) Hannah has done a million things in her English class with the book, "Secret Life of Bees." Last night, she was finishing up a poster on the importance of family. They have no school next week due to Carnival. We're going on Saturday night so my photos should get more interesting by the weekend.

Java is good too! She's as busy as always.

Good News/Bad News

Good News: Daylight savings time ended last night in Sao Paulo so there is only two hours time difference between the D and SP.

Bad News: Ro forgot about it and woke up at 6 a.m. today to take Jackson to baseball, rather than 7.

Good News: He made waffles with his extra time!

Bad News: I'll have to run extra to work off the waffles.

Good News: I found a great park for running. It is called Parque Burle Marx and it is located one giant hill away from the apartment complex. Really nice trails through the woods and over a few streams.

Bad News: Somebody at dinner last night told me to watch out for the monkeys in the trees in that park. Monkeys?! I'll have to pay more attention.

Good News: We went for a fun Valentines Dinner last night with a bunch of the GM crowd to an Italian restaurant called Tomatto. Really nice people. We took a taxi so we could have a few beers.

Bad News: No drinking and driving here. They have breathalyzer lanes all over the place.

Good News: I feel like I know my way around well enough now to venture out in the car (sober of course).

Bad News: I can't get the car out of the garage! Our second remote control to the apartment complex garage gate is broken. So far, we've bought two of the wrong ones. So frustrating.

Good News: We are going to go the Mall AGAIN today and buy yet another remote at the electronics store and then ask the apartment maintenance staff to program it for us.

Bad News: It will probably be the wrong one again. Boy, I need to get better at Portuguese.

Good News: I'm one week into lessons with my new teacher, Regina. I have classes in the apartment on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30-10 a.m.

Bad News: I haven't done my homework for tomorrow yet. So tchau!

Brazilian Softball

Brazil is all about soccer. My boy Jackson is a hardcore baseball player. He is on a really good Japanese baseball team down here that plays on the weekends. At school, they only have a guy's softball team. Most of the kids have never played baseball or softball before. It drives my "oh so intense" son nuts....but he is playing anyway. I like that he is on the school team. They have to wear ties on game days so Jackson gave his bud Sunny a lesson the other night which cracked me up.

Graded played Pacca yesterday. Let's just say they showed a lot of potential. Here are a few snaps. Hannah had fun with her girlfriends during the game too. She is on the volleyball team.

Saturday Mornings!

In Detroit right now, a group of hardworking, creative and inspiring women are walking into Mollie's class at CCS for a morning of weaving, gossip and baked goods. I am doing the same thing here in Sao Paulo (although I only have coffee). My loom left Detroit in late September. As much as I like being reunited with my family, the loom is a welcome site! We parked it on the sunporch so I get to look outside as I weave. Makes me happy.

Random Observations

With just a few days here in Sao Paulo, here are some of my first observations:

1. Someone calls me everyday at 9 a.m. and asks me a question in Portuguese. I have no clue what they want yet they call everyday.
2. The roaches (in the street, not in the apartment) are HUGE. Hope they stay outside.
3. I love listening to WDET on the computer.
4. Java is mighty freaked out at the sight of the peacocks that roam our complex.
5. Driving should be interesting but it is time I did it. Maybe this weekend.
6. Sao Paulo students (not the international school that Hannah and Jackson attend) only go half days because of the number of people.
7. There are A LOT of maids that arrive everyday at 8 a.m.
8. Working without makeup while wearing shorts and flip flops is the bomb.
9. The rainstorms here are fierce and brief.
10. I am looking forward to going to Carnival at the end of the month. Ro is getting tickets for us to the Sao Paulo celebration. Schools are closed for a week and Ro has time off. Unbelievable.

Super Bowl--Southern Style

I was curious how American football would go over on Brazilian TV. We watched the big game yesterday at Nandita's on ESPN Vivo (with a great Indian meal...yum!) No American commercials and a weird 10 second delay that made Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson and Bruce Springsteen appear to be doing a bad lip sync version of their tunes but all in all we caught the spirit of the game. And of course Dan and Jackson were thrilled that their Steelers won.

There was a weird Volkswagen commercial with a fish-dog so I guess I got my fix of funky advertising. To watch it, click here.

I went for an energetic one-hour walk with two friends this morning through the hills around the complex. They go out everyday at 7:15 when the kids leave the house for school. It will be a nice routine to get into. I don't have to really start working until 11 a.m. (8 a.m. Detroit time) so it is a good way to get the day started.

We've had wacky power issues since I've been here. (Jackson said it is my fault.) We had no power most of the day on Saturday and none this morning. Thankfully, it is back on now. They were doing some demolition work in front of our complex so maybe they cut a line and that caused the problem. I just hope it is done now. A woman needs coffee in the morning!!

D Departed

Oi Sao Paulo. I am finally here. It wasn't easy but I departed the D as scheduled on Friday. We had to have one more going away party Thursday night (that sneaky Lynne). It was great to see all my friends but I think they're ready for me to be in Sao Paulo so they get to quit saying goodbye to me. They'll have to find another excuse to party now. My friends are amazing. Sure hope they make it to Sao Paulo sometime.

After a few too many glasses of vino at Lynne and Dan's, I had to pack up the last of the house. I finished at 2:30 and then got up at 6 to fill my three suitcases. After a quick brush through work for a department meeting, I was on my way.

Sao Paulo Airport was its usual chaotic self. I got through the passport line no problem but then the line after you got your luggage snaked all around. People were cutting in and causing problems. Of course, I had the world's worst cart so I couldn't make any of the roped turns. It was pretty comical. It took about an hour to get through that mess.

Java is here with me. She got to the apartment about 5:00 yesterday afternoon. She is sleeping on her new bed and acts like nothing is different. Oh to be a dog. She is panting a bit though. The switch from 10 degrees to 85 is quite tough on the system.













It is great to be a family again. Now if only I can get Ro to give up some of the closet!

Getting Ready to Depart the D

I have less than 40 hours left in Detroit. New Orleans was a lot of fun (and warm!) but now I am in serious departure mode. My buddies at work today threw me a "safe travels but you're not leaving" potluck lunch with some sinfully wonderful food and then I took off in a sprint to pick Java up at the vet and then get her (OK, me) mentally ready to be picked up at 3:00 by the Pet Transport company. She looked so puzzled as they shut the van door. Hope she's OK.

Stan came over today and we went over alarm codes and details. I feel so lucky to have him watching our house. I don't think any of the weirdness of an old house will phase him one bit.

As soon as I finish dinner, I am going to start organizing my clothes. I get to take three suitcases and man are they going to be full. Luckily, anything that doesn't fit in my bag I will take over to my Mom's and take it when I come home in March. All the remaining rubble in the house is going up to the third floor for storage until we return.

Better get back to it!

Off to the Big Easy!

OK, I only have seven days left in the USA. So what am I doing? I am headed to New Orleans for the National Automobile Dealers Association meeting for four days. Makes sense? This is typically one of the biggest pow wows for Automotive News and it is one of the main reasons I hung around this long without Dan and the kids. However, with the auto industry implosion, we are expecting lean, lean, lean attendance. But, the weather is supposed to be 70 so I am hoping to at least sneak a run in amidst booth duty and the many events we host.

I have spent the last three days locked in the Marriott RenCen for another event, the World Congress. Poor Java. She hasn't seen me for more than a quick minute this week and now she's at the vet for four days. I will pick her up from the "doggie spa" Wednesday morning and the company is coming to take her to Brazil Thursday at 7 a.m. She is going to wonder just what is going on. She is going to stop in New York and visit the USDA for certification and then make the long flight. (The dogs fly in the pet cabin right under the pilots so it is warm.) They anticipate delivering her back to us in Sao Paulo Monday morning. So strange!

It is really starting to hit me that I am moving. If I start getting weird, I can always go in search of beads and big Hurricane drinks in the French Quarter to calm me down.

Good Friends

Last night was the "Mama Jama" (pronounced so the two words rhyme). A fun crew of my girlfriends decided a while back that we should have a pajama party while Ro and the kids were away. Last night was my last Saturday in the house (I am in New Orleans for work next Saturday) so it was TIME!!!

What fun. We drank cosmopolitans, ate good food, danced a bit, played Mystery Date and watched Sex and the City. Everybody wore their goofiest pajamas and really just chilled out. The six inches of snow we got yesterday helped the chilling part.

Jean, Lisa, Pat, Lynne, Patrice, Amber, Helen and Carol...you guys are crazy and so, so sweet. Thanks for the great send-off. I wonder what kind of pajama parties they have in Brazil??!!

We Have Furniture

Hannah sent this photo of our living room in the Sao Paulo apartment. It looks so different (and so much better) with furniture. Now all we need to do is add some art to the walls and we're in business. I am so glad the sea shipment finally arrived this week.

The Closet Wall

In my pursuit of finishing up the house so I can depart in 15 days, I am trying to totally complete two rooms a night this week. Tonight, I tackled the last of the rubble the kids left in their rooms.

Since the kids have been old enough to stand, we've gathered in Jackson's closet for a special ceremony on both Hannah and Jackson's birthdays. Ro has them stand against the wall with a book on their head and we measure how tall they've gotten. I love this wall.

Ro Has Changed

I think Brazil and the stress of missing luggage, delayed shipments and way too many tax forms must be getting to my husband. Jackson sent this photo from his phone. I wonder what '80s band Dan has playing on his new IPod?

The Party is Over!

The Sao Paulo Trio left today to head back to the warmth of Brazil. It was tough to drop them off at the airport this afternoon but man, we sure had an awesome time over the past three weeks. We saw so many friends and family and ate and drank so, so much! Dan worked his tail off and finished tiling and painting the butler's pantry and took care of a million things around the house. The kids visited their high schools, got their hair cut, became Wii afficinados and shopped a ton. Jackson and Ro even found time to get to the Ultimate Fishing Show.

I thought I would post just a few shots from my camera of the fun over the holidays.

My turn to depart in just three weeks....

Packing (Again!)

It is hard to believe that Dan and the kids will be leaving on Friday. We've had such a crazy busy time the past few weeks. Jackson and I did the New Year's Eve four-mile run on Belle Isle and we had a great time at Lynn and Karl's house to ring in 2009. It was terrific to see all the Milford gang again.

Hannah and I went and saw Wicked last night with my Mom and Dad and enjoyed a great Italian dinner at Angelina's Bistro. That is my favorite musical by far. We had seen it in Chicago two years ago with Hannah's girlfriends but it was nice to see it again in the D. Hannah and I have the soundtrack on our IPods and we know all the words.

Ro and Jackson took the opportunity for guy bonding at the batting cage and at the go cart track last night. They even went to Taco Bell. I like the girl version way better!

We're starting to get really serious about packing up the house. We shipped a lot of stuff to Sao Paulo in the Fall but now we're clearing out the cupboards, etc. so Stan and Barbara have their own storage room when they stay in the house. We've found lots of fun photos, news clippings and cards from the years. Hannah and Jackson cracked up at a photo album from my bachelorette party (Lori got you a stripper, Mom?) and we smiled at how little the kids were in the photos from the Japan years. We found my brother Dan's baseball mitt and freshman player of the year baseball. He died in 1998. There was also a lot of chewed up paper in the bottom drawers. Guess we had a mouse or two we didn't know about.

After three trips to Home Depot for more bins, I think we've packed away most of the big stuff. The kids have to do their rooms before they leave. They keep avoiding it so I've told them they may have to pull an all-nighter Thursday but they are not leaving the US until it is done. We're storing the bins on the third floor. I'll pack up the last of the remaining rubble before I leave at the end of the month.

I think I have someone to take over my car lease. I posted the Enclave on leasetrader.com and a teacher from Novi replied. We're in the process of filling out all the paperwork with GMAC now but it all looks good. Guess I'll have to rent a car for the last few weeks which is no big deal.

Our wonderful neighbors are treating us to yet another fabulous home-cooked meal tonight. Lynne and Dan (and all our friends) have been so good to us.

The Robar Side of the House

I borrowed these photos from Rob's Facebook page. I really like these group shots of the cousins and the brothers and sisters from the party at Sue and Paul's house last Saturday. Happy New Year everybody!

I Love My Family

Christmas is a whirlwind. We've had such a nice time together over the past few days. The Wii we got the kids was a big hit but we haven't had much time to play. I sure like that game system since it requires you to move around. Hannah and Jackson seem to be enjoying the games. (I bought a Wii Fit for me too.)

We spent Christmas Day at my Mom and Dad's with Tim and his girlfriend, Jennifer, and her son Calder. What fun to have a six-year-old around again on Christmas. He's awesome. My Mom did her usual "oh my is this good" dinner and spoiled us all with presents. On the 26th, we hit Oakland Mall and loaded up on jeans, shoes and t-shirts for the kids to take back to Brazil. Such sales!

Saturday took us back to Milford for the Robar gathering at Sue and Paul's. It was a crazy, chaotic gathering with everyone there! Dan has five kids in his family so with all the spouses and kids, there are more than 20 people. Such fun. Sue made it look so easy to put together a meal for everyone (although I am sure it wasn't). She even took the time to get all the fixings together so the kids could frost and sprinkle cookies. They had a blast. We took some great photos but I'll have to post them later. Hannah sure had a fun time with her Cleveland cousin, Cooper.

Yesterday, we went out to visit Pete and Shannon in Troy. Pete is a designer with GM so it was fab for Jackson to see all his artwork from Pete's college days at CCS. Hopefully it inspires our young lad to keep working. They are moving to Sao Paulo in mid-January so it was fun to chat with them. We loaded up a box with syrup, PAM, Bisquick, spices and peanut butter for them to put in their sea shipment. It will be a real treat in four months when their stuff arrives and we get the care package. They took the photo above at our apartment when they were in SP around Thanksgiving.

Tonight, we're off to the Barrows for more fun.

Merry Christmas!

We have just completed the trifecta....church in Milford with Dan's family at 6:00 on Christmas Eve, church at 9:00 at St. Charles in Detroit and mass with my Mom and Dad in West Bloomfield this morning. In between each Mass, lots of eating and family time. Got to love Christmas. What a fab 24 hours.

Where Sirens Never Sleep

I just read the most honest and oh so sad story about Detroit in the Industry Standard. If you want to read it, click here. Add to that a comment in an email that I received this morning from one of my favorite people, Father David: "Bet you never imagined that St. Charles might outlast General Motors?"

What keeps Detroiters going? Our Mayor is in jail, our Lions haven't won a game, one in seven houses in our nice Detroit neighborhood are empty, only 25% of Detroit Public School students graduate and the Detroit 3 is the laughing stock of the world. So much sadness.

Why do I like it here? I think it the amazing resilient spirit of city residents. St. Charles was on the "hit list" of the Archdiocese for decades. We rallied and kept the doors open. Groups like the Greening of Detroit saw that trees weren't enough. They saw all of the city's open land and said "Hey, people are hungry. Let's start some urban gardens and grow our own food."

This morning, I got an invitation from my friend Trish to support the Colin Hubbell Memorial Fund. The group's theme: Improving Detroit, one connection at a time. So true. That is exactly what the City needs. It is not one blanket "fix-it." It is one little improvement at a time.

I am about to be part of the problem. I am joining the thousands of people who are leaving Detroit. When we get back from Sao Paulo in late 2010, what will Detroit be like? Will we want to live here again or will we take the easy path and bolt to the suburbs? I'm not sure.

So on this Christmas Eve when I am feeling so blessed to be surrounded by my family, my hope is that all the negativity swirling around Detroit can be channeled into good. Even the homeless guy the writer in the Industry Standard piece interviewed had a sense of optimism.

Strangely Familiar

It is amazing how quickly things seem normal again. Dan and the kids have only been home since Saturday night but we've quickly gotten back into the groove. Yesterday, we went to church and decorated the altar tree. Denzel was over most of the day. We had a Thai lunch with Patrice and Taylor and then Hannah went to the movies with Rosie, Ella, Alex and Taylor. The girls were so sweet. They had all seen Twilight before but they knew Hannah hadn't so they went again.

I think the comment of the day goes to Jackson. "Mom, the temperature has changed 100 degrees for us." They were at the beach on Thursday and it was high '90s. Yesterday, there was a below zero wind chill in Detroit. Brrrrr!

What a treat it is to have the family home for Christmas! You can't believe how much it has lifted my spirits.

Here's a few photos of the St. Charles tree. I love how all the ornaments are only as tall as the kids who hung them!

Woo! Hoo!

They're here. Phew.

So Impatient!

Things I am going crazy waiting for RIGHT NOW:

*I want Dan and the kids to come home. Three more days is too long!
*I want George Bush to finally show some tiny sense of leadership and do something to help the auto industry. I'm ready to throw my shoes at him.
*I want it to stop snowing.
*I want to speak Portuguese as well as a four-year-old Brazilian.
*I want my house to be miraculously packed so it is easy to leave in January.
*I want the perfect gifts for everybody.
*I want automotive advertisers to book their pages so all my AN pals can relax this holiday.
*I want a smoking hot marketing campaign that everyone thinks made a difference.

I know....I want, I want, I want. I should be thankful.

*So, I want to be more thankful too.

Ready and Waiting

Java is ready for everybody to come home. Don't you love our tree? This is the smallest one in Robar family history but I picked it out at the Market, hauled it in, sawed off the end, straightened it, lit it and decorated it. I am woman, hear me roar! Now SP Three, come home!!

A Nothing Planned Weekend

This weekend is either going to be exactly what I need....or total torture. I've had a crazy week. I threw holiday parties for Crain in Detroit and New York on Monday and Tuesday. We also let about 60 employees (throughout the country, not just in Detroit) go in the last few days so I've prepped releases and announcements pertaining to those changes. Most worked for one book in New York. Add to that the stressful 24/7 stuff that the dumb ass Southern senators are (not) doing in Washington. Their selfish actions place tough, tough threats on Automotive News and the company that is taking us to Brazil, GM.

So, this weekend, I have absolutely no plans. Nada. Zero.

My fabulous neighbors are worried that I am never home. Will I freak them out by being here? Will it be great? Or not so much?

We'll see.

HACKED ENCORE!!! RANDOM web cam!!! from sao paulo!!

Hello everybody we got the webcam to work!! Check us out! Hannah and Jackson p.s. no geek squad needed (sorry mom)!

13 More Days!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...in hopes that Jackson and Hannah soon would be there.

Awesome friends

I know yesterday was December 5 but I think it was "Colleen's friends all called her on the same day" Day. I had a great lunch yesterday with my friend Trish at Russell Street, had dinner and lots of gossip with my bestest bud Lori at Sala Thai, my sister-in-law Sue called mid-day, my mother-in-law Sue called after dinner and in between I chatted with Amber and Helen. Ro and the kids "skyped in" from Sao Paulo at the end of the day. Trust me, I feel the love of all my pals.

I'm going to Noel Night in the Cultural Center tonight with my folks. One of my weaving pieces (below) got accepted into the CCS Student Show so we're going to see it displayed (probably behind the pop machine) and then poke around the museums and listen to some of the holiday tunes. Sure hope it isn't too cold!

I'm off to yoga now. I don't like running in the cold so I've been going to Bikram yoga (the room is set at 105 degrees) and sweating all the bad stuff out.

Java, are you ready to move to Brazil?

My pal Java has been neglected through this whole ordeal. Whenever I've had to travel for work or to Brazil, poor Java has had to go to the spa to hang out with the other dogs. She waits everyday for me to get home only to have me go out again most nights because I can't stand being home alone. Now, we're going to move her to a foreign country. It is a dog's life!