I figured Id spare youse from the super long load of the bacon thread. the nanny called in sick and the wife had to go to NYC for a meeting, so me and the shorty made some pics. Come on in!

wow. she's beautiful.

That Halloween sucks picture is priceless,I see she's mobile now better get locks for the cabinets and start child proofing the house.I bet it kills Nico to leave her.

shit, i had another post. oh well. the entire gallery including a few halloween pics is here thank you dave. i hear that a lot. and well. Im a bit at awe as to how to deal with it. Is it rude to say "i know, i know, im blown away by it every day" because thats the rock bottom truth. Both the wife and i are totally messmerized by her beauty. And of course when you see it in motion, its 10 fold. Not a day, at least a day when we are in public, goes by that she doesnt get these kinds of compliments. Strangers stop on the sidewalk, as they did yesterday. Old Armenian women in the grocery store go nuts, such as yesterday. especially when she wears I usually just awkwardly laugh and smile and softly say thank you. But really, I feel I have little credit to take for this. I mean, Im no troll, but Im no Carey Grant either. She gets it all from her mother.

Great, Patrick. Everytime you post new pictures of Eva Kazu gets the "baby" bug and can't stop talking about them. :P I suppose that's not a bad thing.

Its not, sem. Sometimes (ask eri) it seems like maybe you were on crack when you decided to have one, but trust me, it's not a bad thing at all. Cute as always, proud papa. Proud Papa Patrick. Patrick, Proud Papa I like that, maybe I will just start calling you pees for short.

how could anyone resist staring at this all day? plus, eva is the closest thing I have to a babyfriend since I left my cousins back home and they don't send me pictures.

i need to go buy that firewire cable thing so i can dump some streaming video. if you heard her laugh, or talk (she and I have this thing now, where if im in another room she goes hayeeeeeeeee and i respond "hayyyyyyyyyyyy" and we go back and forth in kind) you'd melt. Or like last night, she was on the virge of crashing, and i was laying on the floor on some pillows watching Queer Eye, and she was next to me in her bouncey lounger. I had my hand on her, as she likes to take my hand and nuzzle and bury her face when's falling asleep. Though she wasnt quite ready to give in, so when a minute would pass, she would make a "eh?' sound to get my attention, Id look over and smile, and she would smile and giggle back (its all about cause and effect right now with her) and then she would slap and pat my hand with hers. Its so god damn sweet, i nearly cry. her sense of being content, secure and happy just hanging out with me, when falling asleep.

she's a daddy's girl. Micki used to be the same way.

"i need to go buy that firewire cable thing so i can dump some streaming video." that will ruin me.

Damn, Kazu, that's the picture I was going to single out....it's like you can tell what she'll look like as a grown person in that picture. I can't wait until her hair comes in!

cleo got her 4th grade school picture back the other day. she's totally losing her "baby" look.

i hope i didnt sound conceited yesterday. i actually get uncomfortable with compliments to the baby, at least on the outside anyway. I'd be lying if i said i didnt like the compliments on the inside.

There's nothing conceited about accepting compliments about your baby!

well. see? thats what i meant. i wasnt really sure. Im gracious and quite humbled when accepting compliments to me, and I guess I am with her but, at the same time the baby can't speak for herself, because is she, who is beautiful. not i. mmmanyway, not important.

Oh, I get it...hey, you could always say, "If she could talk, she'd thank you." What color is the bit of fuzz on her head?

reddish brown thus far. in back its more a concentrated brown, but up top is light red/brown. her head is like a peach

Hayley has lost that whole little girl look, too. Getting her 4th grade pics taken any day now. Oh shit, they will be taken tomorrow. That haircolor, the peachfuzz, it can change when her hair comes it....with both girls they got hair on the top of their heads first. Hayley's got darker and more red (strawberry blonde?) and Micki's is still blonde, but a little darker (except where the sun has bleached it). She is cute as hell Patrick....

She's ridiculously cute. I heard her coo once. There is something about baby pictures and stories that makes me feel connected to the world. I don't know what it is...being in school everything is all about me and getting work done in this isolated bubble...this is going to sound cheesy, but babies are kind of a reminder of bigger, more important things in the world. I mean, I know that there are things that are more important than schoolwork, but babies just affirm that in a very powerful and unique way.

4th grade. http://www.fluffah.com/4thcleo.html dag, yo. guess where the gum accident occurred.

Daaag. That is one beautiful little girl. In her hair.

freckles!!! dave., agatha, she's lovely. right where that little piece of hair is sticking out on her forehead?

She is a doll! While we are swapping kid pics: Hayley (Boo) Mikayla (Micki)

cute! hayley looks like she's got a little bit of the lazy in her left eye, jus' likes kazu does

I do, too, and I've noticed a *lot* of people do....and the weird thing is, it's usually the left eye and rarely the right.

damn dave. she's like, all grown up and shit. last pic i *recall* seeing was this wild blondish pixie who looked like hell on wheels. she's going to have, like, boyfriends and stuff soon.

my right eye is the lazy one. HAH! lookit Cleo! lookit that tilted smile. She's gonna cause some shit! It'll be so fun. who's smile is that, dave or agatha?

yeah, compare with this when she was 6. http://www.torturechamber.com/agatha/cleo1.html where'd the cheek go? i don't know. shut up about boyfriends -- she's supposed to be a lesbian. trace and eri, you should hope for lezdom, too. this is where having a cute daughter gets difficult.

shit. like lesbian spawn create any less grief. oh right. you dont work at the advocate. HA! i'll beat a butch down from the doorstep as quickly as a i would a male suitor.

I like this one cos dave. is so purdy I also like how you interrupted lucy's insanity with Cleo's adorableness i'm raising my daughters to be lesbians too.

that's her fake smile for pictures, which is getting better over time. she used to fake smile and it looked like she was in pain. her real smile is über-cute. the difference is in the eyes. her friend, bonnie, was standing next to the photographer making faces trying to get her to smile. i think i gave her a bit of a complex because i'd talked to her about not doing a goofy, fake smile this time, so she enlisted support from friends. now she thinks her head is tilted too far forward but i didn't say anything about that.

THATS the last picture i remember. as i recall that was taken on a visit to NYC. Look at her. So cute. So sweet. Ready to torch the building down and proclaim complete innocence. thats the first time ive seen a pic of you dave. you look kinda like my brother man.

You have no idea what you're all doing to me. There is a quote around here of sem saying that he is adamantly opposed to reproducing.

he IS your brother, man! i expected facial hair.

"There is a quote around here of sem saying that he is adamantly opposed to reproducing" yeah, but adopting doesn't count as reproducing. right?

right. but I'm less adamant about adopting. I still want to, but the idea of having at least one baby is becoming appealing to me, for a variety of reasons. Although, I'm still completely freaked out by the idea of having a human being inside me.

its even more freaky after the fact, or so the mrs. repeatedly says.

I've become very less adamant about the whole reproduction thing. I was probably in "Rollins" mode when I wrote that.

see? and if anyone could become a sappy cool dad it would be Rollins.

"is this bad performance art or are you really this lame?" -swine someone make this into someting i can wear.

I could ask Shannon to help me make it; she's the one who made my jude law teeshirt and chirstopher hitchens pillowcase.

Mr. Sem I. Llama, On Having Children: By Semillama on Saturday, October 16, 1999 - 11:35 pm As far as bio. urgs to reproduce, even I get them, and I am violently opposed to the idea, especially in an era where no marriage is certain to last. If I could afford it and if ic ould be seriously completely OUT when they did it, I'd get a vasectomy. semillama on Monday, December 25, 2000 - 01:00 pm This is my reasoning for not wanting kids: I'm letting people who rock like Agatha have them for me. The reality is that one needs to have sexual intercourse to have kids, so that's a big big reason why I don't have any nor am likely to have any within the next five-ten yaars as I can see (sorry mom! sorry dad!). The right lady could probably convince me to spawn. Not that such exists.

well, obviously he was wrong.

this is why our elders scoff at our youthful idealogy. and why we scoff at the next generation. and so on. . .

They grow up too fast,where does the time go?Love Cleo's earings,she's going to have you worried sick in a few years Dave,girls do that to their dads.

That quote is what, 4 years old kaz? I doubt he still holds the same views. You were not in his life then.

Yes, but I like finding these old quotes in between research tasks. We feel pretty much the same about it. In any case, babies aren't even an issue right now. His family is coming to Lowell to spend thanksgiving with my family. My soon-to-be sister-in-law asked my parents, and then my step-father asked me if Sem and I had an important "announcement" to make.

and?

nope. my step-dad will bring it up though and ask Sem's parents if they want to chip in for the ladder he's going to give sem.

ladder? is that some kind of dowry? j, i don't think i'll ever be able to really like any man in her life. i mean, how can i? more pics. the top one was taken last night. one of those "hey, cleo - *click* - knock it off, dad" shots. the others are from earlier this year. http://www.fluffah.com/4thcleo.html

she's gorgeous. sem's got to use the ladder to come up to my bedroom window the night we elope. it's a running joke that no one but my step-father thinks is funny.

lol @ the bad ladder joke. You should make it like you ARE going to do the big announcement thing, have sem stand up all solem and everything, and then have him say.... something hillarious that i can't even imagine right now. GOLD. i can't think because i'm jealous as heck of Cleo's haircolour.

sem should say "everybody, i have an announcement to make, i'm pregnant."

I was going to announce that we were going to go work for the Bush election campaign.

you should announce that whatever you're eating is fuckin great. "everybody, me and kazu have something to say..... this turkey is fuckin' GREAT!"

I was talking to my mother last night and accidentally refered to him as "Sem" instead of Andy.

oh wow, cleo's hair IS really red. they say (you know that non-descript group of whomever that propel common ideas and sense) red hair skips a generation. eva's hair is starting to grow a bit and its coming through as brown, for now. when did cleo's red hair really start to come through as red?

That's what they say, but I know several red-heads who have red-heads for parents. My mother's hair is red, mine isn't, but there are definitely reddish highlights. And I have what my hairstylists refer to as red "undertones" whatever the hell that means. In any case, that's why my mom never flipped out when I dyed my hair as a teenager because it was usually some red color and I think she was flattered and happy I never tried to regain the blond of my early childhood.

My mother is a natrual redhead, but that kind of red that looks blonde sometimes and looks red sometimes....I call it chameleon hair. My hair is super dark brown, like my fathers, only it had red highlights, and now is dyed to hide the lovely grey highlights..... My mother used to complain that none of her kids looked at all like her, and I thought she was silly, and then I had kids..... My ex (Tom) had dark brown hair, shit brown eyes (maybe that's cuz he was always full of shit). But amazingly Hayley came out looking just like my mother, blue eyes, chameleon hair (red in this light, blonde in that light). When Hayley was born her hair was platinum blonde, and it just got darker and more color in it over the years. The red started showing up when she was about 4-5 years old. Micki came out with blonde hair and blue eyes and the only difference is that her blonde got a little darker and her hair highlights in the sun easy, with light blonde streaks all over. Hayley also got my mom's freckles and my mom's eyes (they kinda squint when she smiles). Micki got Trace's huge smile and his family's huge eyes and long eyelashes. Now I know what my Mom went through, cuz neither of my girls look anything like me. In our family, the red hair does skip a generation.

Hayley may not *look* like you, but she looks like she's your daughter. I'm not sure what that means, but when I first saw pictures of her (long time ago), I thought you guys made a good mother-daughter pair, must've been something about the way the camera captured your smiles and mannerisms.

Hehe, Eri, there's a saying, "you're so full of shit you have brown eyes." I was just thinking about it yesterday. There's an Irish saying -- the three hardest things to rid a family of are drinking, thieving, and red hair. My best friend's a redhead, and she gets it from her grandmother. Her mom is blonde and her dad has dark hair. Come to think of it, my best friend when I was little was also a red-head, with a blonde mother and dark-haired father. And she looked a bit like Cleo in that school picture.

umm, it's henna. she just broke off half of a front tooth last night and stubbed the hell out of her toe. when it's dark out, she insists on running full speed between the house and garage because she's afraid of the dark. they're like 4 feet apart, maybe less. we tell her over and over to knock it off but she knows best and she's so stubborn. so, last night she wipes out and breaks her tooth. there's blood and screaming and snot and tears and i'm fighting back the urge to just call her a dumbshit and go back to working on the car. but i don't. i broke off my front teeth when i was about her age and i used to stub my toe all the time from running around barefoot. so i know how she felt. but it was all so avoidable last night. it's like we tell her not to do something and she does it with double gusto. i imagine what's gonna happen in 5 or so years when we tell her not to go out and fuck boys.

Thank You Kazoo. Hayley is my mini-me in personality. It's scary. And Dave, I can so sympathize with you right now. Hayley is in that same phase. You tell her not to do something and she either A. Does it immediately B. Does it and then lies about it or C. Asks 50 fucking million times if she can do it. It drives us up the wall. And her mouth is so outa control. She told her teacher that if she has to miss recess again her mommy is gonna call the principle on her......oy vey. She's even in the threatening to kick other kids asses on the playground phase. It drives me nuts. And once I get through this phase with Hayley, I have to go through it with Micki who is 50 times more strong willed and bullheaded as Hayley. She's so like her Daddy sometimes :)

if only they'd use their powers for good. but we, as parents, don't know what the hell we're talking about so why should they listen? i know there are things they need to learn for themselves but when you try to pre-emptively spare them some of the most unnecessary lessons and they screw up anyway . . . it's just frustrating to watch. my chipped teeth had a big impact on my self esteem when i was her age through junior high and early high school. i never smiled naturally because i had these ugly metal caps and probably made it into a bigger deal in my mind than it was. i see cleo display a lot of the social anxieties that i had and now, she gets the teeth thing going on as well. it's like watching a train wreck.

If it's any help, there's a great photo of Viggo Mortenson with his front tooth broken in half on the second disc of extras for the extended version of the Two Towers, in the section titled "Warriors of the Third Age" - it happened during the filming of the helm's deep battle and he just called out for some super glue so they could keep filming, but they made him go to the dentist. There's more stuff like that but I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

When you're afraid of the dark, running only makes it worse. It's over faster, but you feel like you're running from something and it's chasing you. And you fall down and break your face. . Singing is much more effective than running. And a lot safer. . I hope she can get white caps instead of metal ones. I had a big ol' metal tooth when I was a kid too. They tried me on a white cap, but I broke that too.

I have an announcement to make. I drank too much coffee this morning and am still shaking and hyper from the caffeine. I rode the bus downtown and began to sing before I remembered myself. I also might be moving to SE in a month or so. It is crazy and I am crazed today. I will live with my precious kitty again. (She doesn't look like me at all, except for her eyes. I spoke to her over the phone yesterday and she ws confused, looking at the ceiling.) Chipped teeth are cool. I have one right up front from a cattle guard.

oh mercy...what's SE stand for? me retarded.

South East. Back to back with another zoobomb house.

Really!?! Where?

Dave, make Cleo watch "The Last Unicorn." Early on, somebody tells Schmendrick you should never run from anything supernatural because it attracts their attention. You have to walk slowly and think happy thoughts.

I think she means South East as in southeast Portland. not as in 'The Southeast' as a geographical region. it's hard to drink coffee the night after you burn your mouth on a pizza.

I had a feeling she'd be more specific than that. Still, don't tease me like that pez. And come down here for your cousin's wedding.

We'll see. About my appearing in Atlanta. *Poof!* My mom promised me a ticket when she first mentioned it but I'll have to buy my own which may be a tad unpleasant on my part, I could probably afford it but my rent'll be going up. The house: top of a hill, southeast Portland, near Powell, about six miles from where I currently reside. I would be trading possible computering for the opportunity to set up the piano but I think it's worth it. Have to see it though, this is entirely based on spoken descriptions from friends.

so, after look at some of eva's pictures again, I have come to a conclusion. Patrick and Nico did not have a baby. they stole the gerber one

totally. she looks like a fun baby.

she is. she cracks us up constantly. she's becoming the crafty pick pocket and petty thief (gets that from her mother). she'll nab anything off your person or in your hands before you know it. she snag your hat, glasses, jewelry...whatever. and she knows what she's doing too. she'll often snag my knitted skull cap while we're playing on the floor. Immediately she knows she's got something of mine is going to run cuteness interference to delay my getting it back. or will immediately scuttlebtut across the floor making her escape. she's too smart, for our own good. just the other day she was sitting out front with the wife and a girl, maybe 12 or so rode by on her bike and eva spied her, yelled out hehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and threw her hand up and offered a wave. at first i was skepticle, thinking it was just coincidence that she really hasnt grabbed the idea of 'waving' yet. no. she does. she knows. she may not perform on demand, but she knows. moreover, we are seeing what promises to be the most stubborn, strong-willed, vocal, outspoken kid thereever was. she will lead the revolution ala joan of arc or die trying. aries' determination for sure. she's had a cold lately and we've learned just how cross and dramatic she can be. its becoming ever apparent what kind of a ride we have ahead so we're trying to squeeze all the fun we can.

Sem's mom's eyes lit up when I told her I've been thinking about babies. It was wierd. I can usually get out of being the center-of-attention in these discussions, but not this time. My mom thinks Eva is adorable. I had to show her pictures of who I've caught the baby bug from.

just wait. my parents, while visiting this weekend, bought us a really nice camera. as if you wanted to see those big eyes even better. in a couple of days i'll have some images uploaded that will probably send you into a slobbering fit.

kazoo., im going to try and send you a ridiculously large avi file of the little chatter box this morning.

sweet! you may want to send it to this address

yahoo wont let me.

how about this?

on the way, let me know if it works. anyone know of any free web based hosting, in which i could dump my videos on? i have image hosting.

some images taken this morning with my new nifty digi cam. http://www.printroom.com/EditAlbum.asp?album_id=164087

That link takes me to an ID/pswd prompt.

try http://www.printroom.com/ViewAlbum.asp?userid=accustat&album_id=164087

the next generation is beautiful. and I like your glasses, patrick. I can't believe cleo is in fourth grade. how was agatha's art show? I got married. we have a lot of trays now.

I'll hook you up with some hosting, if you want. You can either have your own domain, or I can hook you up with an account in my gallery. It can do videos as well as images.

congrats c. Patrick, I won't be able to tell you if it worked until I go to campus and use a computer there. Maybe tomorrow.

to those who are interested, drop me a line. nate was kind enough to set up a page in which i can dump small videos. i'll only send the link to those who want to see them, as i add them, in order to keep bandwidth low. thanks c. send me a email, im not sure if i have your addy anymore. the glasses are about to be tossed. One screw keeps coming out and they barely stay on my mugg.

In one of those photos, Eva looks like Winston Churchill. For a while there, it was looking like she would test the rule that all babies look like Churchill at some point in their first year, but it still stands as a theory.

does this look like a Phil Collins album cover or something like it?

Phil Collins and Elvis Costello sing your all-time polka favorites!

while y'all are staring at the kid, I'm more interested in seeing what patrick looks like.

eh, seen him before.

but im right there wisper. my big head competing for image frame space.

yes, i know. that's why i look at the pictures.:)

Cyst! I was wondering what happened to you. The Fluffah show is still up for another week or so. It went really well, and was a lot of fun. It got reviewed in Tablet. I think I wrote about it somewhere around here. How are you? How was your wedding? You're married!

I just saw the little milkdud move and make little milkdud noises. that's it. i'm done. kazu gone baby bye-bye.

I wanna see:)

I wanna see, too!

I'm so half-assed.

Patrick and Agatha, what are your e-mail addresses (again)?

shortycowboyatcomcastdotnet. Patrick, send me links of milkdudness, too.

thanks! I sent you a link so you could see the wedding for yourself. the weather was beautifully overcast, and my shoulders looked nice.

Awww she is so cute and so serious,I love those sounds crawlygators make when they're working up to talking.Orion talks constantly yesterday he said he was a vampfire:)

agtha, i would have but you neve respond, so i thought i had a dead addy. your sorabji account must have lots of cobwebs.

j, she's very serious

ohmygoodness!

She's a little cupie doll,I want one:)

I wanna see.

ok, moon and patrick, I sent you the link! oh, the fluffah show is in seattle, hurray! I want to go right now! patrick, do you pronounce your daughter's name like "eva braun" or like "deliver us from eva"? the couple I'm having dinner with tonight had a baby in the spring. for most of her gestation, she was supposed to be eva, but then they changed their minds. she's eleanor now.

(I realize now moon wanted to see eva, not me, but that's ok. my wedding pictures have gotten enough viewings. I've been carrying a set of 36 around in my bag, accosting friends and strangers alike.)

I was thinking who the hell are these married people... and now I know. You guys looked fab!

I want to see your wedding pictures C, I wondered how things turned out as you were concerned about the weather,I'm sure rain or shine you were beautiful:)

far, far more than you ever wanted to know about a wedding: it rained for five minutes like 15 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to happen, and I was like SHIT, because we had no real back-up plan. (uh, crowd everyone into the living room? walk down the stairs unstead of down an aisle?) it was way too depressing a scenario to plan for, so we never did. we didn't have much time to plan, so we just made decisions and didn't look back. my dress was the first one I tried on, right off the rack, at the only shop I looked in, and I had no alterations done. groom bought his prada suit on ebay for like 75% off. we never shopped for a caterer, just used the one a friend used. picked the cake shop and florist closest to the site. looking back, I'm not sure whether to feel relieved or cheated that I didn't try a half-dozen caterers and cakes and a zillion dresses before deciding. of course, we left all ceremony plans to the last minute. I wrote my vows the day before, while getting ready for the "rehearsal dinner" (bbq in a friend's backyard), and my fiance wrote his on the 40-minute ferry ride to the wedding (in his father's backyard). the only thing I knew I wanted to say before that point was the first line: "I have not dreamed of this day my entire life." (I hadn't. I wasn't sure if I would ever get married, and if I did, I figured we would both want to elope.) so the day came, and then there was the rain scare, and then there was the ceremony, which an old friend of the groom's agreed to perform. she officiated at the first wedding I had attended with my fiance. we were supposed to have two identical-twin flower girls, 4-y-o nieces of the groom. but I predicted we would only get one, at best, but that was fine. I figured it was sort of like a tv show with little kids. the producers hire identical twins for the one part. we did get one. the other had said all along that she wanted no part in this flower-girl business. gramma and daddy had pushed her for weeks (because what could be cuter than identical 4-y-o flower girls?), but I knew she wouldn't do it. the day of, she said she was too tired and went to bed right before the ceremony. I think my mother had assumed I would put up a fight about walking down the aisle with my father. "you are going to walk down the aisle with your father, aren't you? you know he's given away two other girls who weren't even his daughters, right?" but I was all for it. I wore a veil, too. sometimes women would ask me about that in whispered tones, like it was a shameful thing, "are you going to wear a veil?" I happened to walk by a wedding dress store while carrying my dress from the lingerie shop (for the funky bra that wouldn't show with the low back of the dress) back to the car, and I went in and tried on a veil and thought it looked so goddamn good that I ended up getting one, and not just a shorty, either. I didn't think we would have a best man and a maid of honor, but because the people we would have chosen for the roles were with us the night that I met the groom--it was me, the groom, the maid of honor, the best man, and the officiant, who went out and got drunk on a sunday night in summer 2000--that we decided that was a good story we could use as ceremony filler and that it should be the five of us up there, together again. we never actually rehearsed the ceremony, and when the time came (after the one flower girl and the rest of the party got to the "altar"), I walked down the aisle and stood in the wrong place. I don't know what I was thinking. maybe it was some subconscious aversion to getting married? but it looked like the groom was going to marry the maid (actually, technically "matron," but I hate that word) of honor. I was totally embarrassed but managed to rally. then the next part I wasn't prepared for was who was supposed to say their vows first. I mean, I don't know shit about weddings. I know there are all these rules, like what side the audience stands on based on who they know, and who dances with whom first, and something about a penny in your shoe, but this is not something I ever studied, not even for my own wedding. I assumed I would go first. I certainly wanted to get them over with first. so the groom and I had a little argument during the ceremony about who was going to read first. he insisted and I relented. (maybe it was tradition for the groom to go first?) his vows, which I had not yet heard, were more personal and pointed and true and a little embarrassing and sweet and happy that I felt like crying, which was yet another eventuality I was not prepared for. there are photos of me at this point in the ceremony, and I am looking up to the sky, both asking god (?) how on earth I can follow this performance and making sure that the tears welling up in my eyes don't fall down my face. then I read my two little paragraphs about how I had never been interested in the idea of marriage until I met him, a how-do-I-love-thee-let-me-count-the-ways type of recitation about him, and my idea of what I wanted from our future wedded life: more of the same, more of the wonderful same. I think it went well. apparently at one point during the ceremony, two herons flew up from the water behind us, circling around each other and flying to a tree across the water. (I guess if the identical twins couldn't upstage us, then some of the local wildlife just had to step in.) then we got drunk. it was a sunday afternoon outside by the water, and there was no dancing, no bouquet throwing, no reception line--just eating and drinking and talking, these are a few of my favorite things. for our guestbook I took the cheesiest wedding graphics I could find on the internet and printed them on printer paper, for people to color, deface, and sign. since I just wore a comfortable gown with a pair of nice sandals, I ended up not changing after the wedding. I rode the ferry back in my dress, totally drunk and stumbling at that point. we checked into our priceline.com hotel downtown and walked to a favorite bar, where we ordered dinner and drank margaritas. then we went to the bar next to that, and some guy in a jane's addiction t-shirt sat next to my husband and started talking him. (maybe the suit, gown, and veil didn't fully clue him into the fact that this was our wedding night?) but then it seemed wholly appropriate that he would end up talking to some geek about music at this bar. on the other side of us at the bar, one-half of a good-looking gay couple left. I started talking to the remaining guy, and he bought me tequila shots and we talked and talked for an hour or two. one of the things we had our officiant discuss in the ceremony was that we would not retreat from society once we were married. I am repulsed at the idea of nesting. we want to stay out in the world as individuals. I think it seemes right that we would spend time individually talking to strangers at a bar on our wedding night. for the ceremony we wanted to say all the things (that are true for us) that people don't normally say at weddings. like how I never really wanted this (until now), about how we're not going to shut ourselves off from everyone else like many couples do, and instead of "till death do us part" we had lines about how we don't know what the future will bring but goddamn it we're going to try. instead of a prepared list of readings, I had one chosen out of a hat, on the spot. we went back to the hotel and ate all the power bars I had intended to eat earlier in the day. we ate the king-size kit-kat bar, and the planters peanuts, from the honor fridge. we called domino's and had them bring a disgusting, rubbery extra-large pizza, which we devoured in minutes. I was super dehydrated from the pizza sodium and the dozen drinks I must have consumed and I felt like utter shit. we watched tv and slept badly in the room that I had bought on priceline but written to the hotel about, to make sure we got a view for our special night.

that sounds lovely. I really liked that you said what was true for you, especially the part about not knowing what the future is going to bring. I only have one fantasy about being a bride and that is, if I have to walk down the aisle, I want to play "The Imperial March" from the Empire Srikes Back. At first that was a joke, part of the star wars themed wedding idea that I tormented my mother with, but its becoming more and more appealing. Actually, the more I think about it, I could have something "prettier" for right before the ceremony, like Yoda's theme to give hints to those in the know. I can just see the look on my cousin's face right as he figures it out.

I love the imperial march! it is very dramatic. for the procession, we had a friend arrange ravel's "bolero" for vibes, flute, cello, and whatever other instruments his and our friends ended up playing. I think there were five of them. each time the music repeated, a new instrument would join in, and another person/couple would start walking down the aisle. and then for the recession, our friend arranged and they played a satie piece I had never heard before. it was real nice. I want to think of a new name for here.

heron ?

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias fannini http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/pugetsound/species/heron.html The great blue heron is adapted for year round living along Puget Sound. It wades in shallow waters, forages in eelgrass meadows, hunts small mammals in fields, and nests in large shoreline trees. Great blue herons nest in groups called "heronries." Some heronry locations along the Sound include Samish Island, Camano Island, and Hartstene Island.

silly cyst, i was suggesting that as your new sorabji name. p.s. congrats!

oops. duh. I kind of like it, though it's a little too sierra club. I like that there's a definition that includes the word "oozy," like the last name. heron (from Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary ) (Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18), ranked among the unclean birds. The Hebrew name is _'anaphah_, and indicates that the bird so named is remarkable for its angry disposition. "The herons are wading-birds, peculiarly irritable, remarkable for their voracity, frequenting marshes and oozy rivers, and spread over the regions of the East."

I always liked raven and magpie as bird nicknames for humans.

c, i got nothing from you as of yet. accustat@yahoo.com. love to see the pics. its been a long way coming since your were bored witha 35mm in Kiev. and im not sure how eva braun is pronounced and your other reference is lost on me. but the E is long as in Adam and Eve EEEva, not EHva or AAAva.

cyst, i want to see your wedding photos please. sounds like a great wedding. did you have a band play any music at the reception even if there wasn't dancing? when i get married, i want all of you to help me plan it. if i had such great ideas like the imperial march i wouldn't need your help. dave wants to rent the upstairs of Tipitinas in new orleans (where he worked for 5 years) for the reception.

New Orleans, huh? What was the name of the restaurant we had brunch or lunch at, Sarah? was it the Gumbo Shack or something like that? I'm sure it had gumbo in the name, but it sure wasn't a shack at all. it was GREAT. Gumbo hut? hell if i know. my advice is that live music is great but avoid "wedding bands" at all cost. AT ALL COST.

patrick, I told the photo service to send you a link, but OK, I'll send you a URL directly. sarah, remind me of your e-mail. music at the reception was the sad thing. we had a friend make us tons of wonderful mix CDs to play at the wedding. then we found out during the reception that the old stereo could not handle CD-Rs. music ended up getting played, records of the father of the groom, I think. I was unable to take charge of that situation. that sucked. I love the name eva! I was actually a big proponent of that name when my friends were waffling. this was just a silly movie earlier this year: http://www.deliverusfromeva.com/ I think hitler's wife was AY-va. I could be wrong.

my grandma's name is (ee'vuh), although she will not remember this before too long.

sarah's talking wedding!

yeah, probably prematurely, but i don't care. and jack, i hope you know you'll always have a place in my heart. cyst, here's one of my email addresses.

Can I see?

Here is one of mine janny917@hotmail.com

Last night I went to a party at a professor's house and another one of my professors came and she brought her two-and-a-half year old son with her. Then she told us a story. Apparently, after hearing him at his grandmother's, this little guy now asks for Bob Marley by name. Play Bob Marley! Play Bob Marley! Then one day he was playing with his animals and started making them dance and he started singing, "get up stand up stand up for your rights" and another day he was singing, "stolen from africa da da da da america" I thought it was adorable, but she was actually a little concerned about what kind of impression this might have on pre-school/kindergarten teachers. Or what parents would think if their kids came home singing "Buffalo Soldier" and asking what "dreadlock rasta" means. She's also sick of Bob Marley, so I suggested some p-funk, if nothing else, George Clinton kind of looks like a muppet.

That's so cool. So many youngsters are oblivious to music.

hey, j, I sent you a link before, through the photo site. I just sent a link to all three of youse. look for subject line "wed pics."

What the hell was George Clinton doing in a Nissan Sentra, much less smoking crack?

Those are great! . Beautiful. So happy.

me too? i didn't wanna be a pest, but let me on this bandwagon?

it's been so long since i've seen photos of you, i'd forgotten how classically beautiful you are. and wow, your shoulders look buff. i love littlescreamer. i love that you wore dark red sandals more than i love that you probably wore them to compliment his dark red shirt. is that your brother in your family shot? he's a babe.

hey kazoo and anyone else whom i might have shared the link with, there are two more eva videos up if you have any interest. thanks nate

Shoot, why didn't I open this thread earlier? I want to see beautiful Cyst and her red shoes.

me me me!

ok, I had the photo site send you guys links! thanks, sarah and tbone. I bought the dress from a woman I know, who made it, and when I tried it on, she's the one who said I should wear red sandals and a red bead necklace with it. the red fabric for the shirt was chosen later. my brother used to be cuter. when we were little, he could talk anyone into anything. he was totally brash and charming and fearless. when he was like 5 he would ask counter girls for pastries, and they would just give them to him. you'll be a beautiful bride, sarah. I think you should wear a sleeveless dress to show off your hard-won yoga muscles. as my wedding approached (and I stepped up my weight-lifting), it was reassuring to think that, if nothing else, my arms would look great.

ever-lovely cyst :)

I never got the photo's c

Do you have a junk mail filter? I just told snapfish to send them again. My name for that site is male, so it might be confusing.

one more pic. one of our sailings last summer. of course, that's cleo front and center. our friend, helen, on the left. me, smoking a fag and navigatin' the channel on the right. helen and her dad live on that sailboat. they're going to be leaving town in a couple days, which is sad for us but happy for them. http://www.fluffah.com/4thcleo.html

holy jeeezis christ! she got so old and so big!she's gorgeous!

no, she's the one in the foreground, sarah.

huh? what are you talking about sem?

I'm making a joke. I was acting like you were talking about dave (in the background). They're not all winners!

oh. sorry. so that's dave back there? neato!

yeah. that's why i thought it was sort of funny, you know, "So old and Big!" Plus gorgeous.

i thought it was funny.

me TOO they start smoking so young...

it is funny. its looks like a cut and paste. like the original shot of her was takin in front of the washington monument or something like that and the image of dave was taken from his college scrap book and he's really huffing a fatty at a kegger all pasted on top of some scenic post card shot of Hawaii