verbatim

In My Book

Today I got a lovely gift in the mail—and there's enough for me to share! Read on.

Robin at In My Books sent me three wonderful bookmarks. No, wait, greeting cards. Yes, they're both! Imagine you're giving a friend a gift that just happens to be a book. You fill out a card that says, "Enjoy! Get well soon! I loved this book and hope you do too!" or whatever. After your grateful recipient reads your note, he or she can simply tear it along the perforation and have a swell bookmark to keep forever and ever.

There are many different styles, each with an original pen-and-ink drawing by artist Meredith Hamilton and with a cute dedication: "In my book ... you're quite a character." "In my book ... you're novel." "In my book ... you're the happy ending."And so on. They can be purchased for $3.95 each at the website.

Robin was kind enough to send me three bookmarks (each comes with its own red envelope)—one to keep and two to give away to you. If you'd like to win one (still in its cellophane sleeve so you can give it away with a gift), leave a comment telling me what book you're reading now, and what you're using for a bookmark in it. I'll take entries until Sunday midnight, my time. Good luck, and happy reading!

Update 10/4/10: The contest is over, and Pam and Mark are the winners! Congratulations!

From Here to ... Where?

Last week came the not-surprising but still disquieting news that Six Apart (home of Typepad, the host of this-here blog o' mine) had been sold. Immediately the sound of Typepad's death knell could be heard far and wide. I began to panic. What would happen to my 6+ years' worth of blog posts? Would I be able to migrate everything over to WordPress or would it all be lost? I felt encouraged when I read Six Apart founder Mena Trott's blog post, in which she assured us that Typepad would still be supported. To further bolster this claim, she reminded us that she is not just a Typepad owner, she's a customer! She doesn't want to lose all her blog posts either. Worst-case scenario: If Typepad does indeed vanish, I'll do whatever Mena does to save all those old blog posts for posterity.

What I would surely lose in such a case would be my URL, which would be a crying shame. But I could probably get over it. I promise to keep you all posted (ha ha! blogging word play!) if anything changes. But rest assured that one way or another, I will still be out here on these Interwebs, and I hope you'll follow me wherever I end up. I promise that no matter what, I will still never run ads or use white type on a black background or have music play as my blog loads.

Thanks for staying with me all these years, and I hope we have many more together.

Wild Play

NPR's Weekend Edition interviewed Chris Palmer today—he's the author of Shooting in the Wild, the wonderful book I edited for Sierra Club Books last year. It's worth a listen—and a read!

That reminded me that I never told you about another wonderful book I did for Sierra early this summer. It's called Wild Play: Parenting Adventures in the Great Outdoors. The author is David Sobel, who is perfectly suited to write such a book: He's a father, an outdoorsman, and a professor of early childhood development and education. The book is aimed at parents who want to incorporate more nature—and, specifically, more nature play—into their kids' lives. 

Sobel makes a compelling argument that we have gotten away from nature and from allowing our children to learn how to make their own fun in the natural world. Certainly computers and TV and video games are at fault, but so is our over-reliance on organized, supervised activities. We don't let our kids just explore and invent and create anymore. We are always there to mediate and intervene and guide and direct their activities.

One problem is that kids don't know how to make decisions about appropriate risks anymore, because they are so used to looking to a grownup for the thumbs-up or -down. One extreme antidote to this idea is to teach children how to build and extinguish fires safely, how to know which plants are edible, and how to determine whether a body of water is frozen solid enough to skate over. These are important lessons, but may be daunting to some parents. But even less risky lessons present themselves daily: Let a child get dirty outside while exploring, learning about the plants and creatures that live nearby. Go swimming or skiing or camping or canoeing or hiking as a family and build memories of adventures and learning experiences. Take advantage of young children's eagerness to personify the stars and the moon, to communicate with squirrels and dogs, to imagine being a tree or a lake. 

Sobel mentions Lenore Skenazy (remember her?) and the idea that every parent ought to decide when his or her child is ready to take the next step toward being independent. Some kids are ready earlier than others, but I think in most cases kids can handle—and, indeed, should handle—more than we let them. Working on this book gave me a lot to think about in terms of my own kids. I do wish I had immersed my kids in more nature play when they were very young, but I also think I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping them "down to earth." (Yes, we are still the only family we know who doesn't have a video game system!) Granted, I would somehow feel more guilty if my kid broke a leg falling out of a tree than playing soccer, but I'm working on it. This letting go thing is not as easy as it sounds.

I'll let you know when Wild Play is published next April—I think it will be a must-read for parents.

Weekend Edition

Here are the choicest bits and pieces of information and humor that I and others tweeted this week:

1. Yesterday was National Punctuation Day! I hope you celebrated by using commas responsibly.

2. Here's a cool bit of bartending flash!

3. Europe as seen by various nations.

4. The 12 People You Will Meet on Twitter (and the 27 People You Will Meet on Facebook).

5. Leah knew that I would flip over these Pantone-colored VISA cards! How could I ever choose just one?

6. Famous quotations translated into LOLcat.

7. This is a wonderful message for any teen who's having a tough time, but especially for GLBT teens. It gets better, really!

8. Ira Glass tries to explain "This American Life" at his high school reunion (from The Onion, 'natch).

9. Thank heavens I wasn't the proofreader responsible for this error! (I once worked on a Public Administration textbook and lived in fear for almost a year that this would happen. But a billboard? Oy.)

10. I had trouble getting much work done yesterday, because there was yet another hilarious meme going around on Twitter. This one combined pop stars and films, with results like "Journey to the Center of the Earth, Wind, and Fire," "Desperately Seeking Susan Boyle," and "Keith Urban Cowboy." Go here to read many more. I contributed quite a few, such as "Beverly Sills Cop," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rock," and "Smokey Robinson and the Bandit." Fun.

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) - Tom Waits
2. Come Together - Paul Weller, Paul McCartney, & Noel Gallagher
3. Brown to Blue (live) - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4. Wonderwall (live) - Cat Power
5. Right Now (live) - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
6. At Last - Neko Case
7. Please Pardon Yourself (live) - The Avett Brothers
8. Old Dan Tucker (live) - Bruce Springsteen With The Sessions Band
9. Turn Me On - Norah Jones
10. Train in the Distance - Paul Simon

Tuesday Trifecta

1. When I posted that review of Marc Cohn's latest CD, I forgot to include this photo of the CD:

Isn't that clever? (I mean the design of the actual CD, not my lousy photography.) I'm still listening to this a lot.

2. This comic will literally make butterflies explode out of your underpants!

3. What does the U.S. have in common with Cuba, Iran, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Pakistan? No gay soldiers, that's what. Shame on the GOP for refusing to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" today. I don't think I'll ever need to scrape the bumper sticker off my car:

 

Fun for Me, a Giveaway for You!

I had a very non-typical Monday!

If you've ever searched for recipes for baked goods in my archives, chances are you've come across one by Abby Dodge—I think I have at least half a dozen in there, maybe more. Her book The Weekend Baker is definitely the most batter-splattered in my collection. Abby and I follow one another on Twitter, and I was thrilled when she tweeted me an invitation to attend an event put on by Workman Publishing to promote Steve Raichlen's new book, Planet Barbecue!: 309 Recipes, 60 Countries.

Here's the story behind the event, if I got all my facts straight: Southwest Airlines held a contest in which the winner would get to fly 10 friends/relatives anywhere for a BBQ party. The wife of Command Master Chief David Twiford—the commandant of the USS Constitution (yes, "Old Ironsides," docked here in Boston)—entered on behalf of her husband, and won! Dave, however, chose instead to throw a party, cooked and hosted by grill-master Steve Raichlen himself, for all his sailors and their families. (I was also told that Southwest still gave Dave his 10 flights—to see games in 10 different baseball parks! Hope that's true!) So today was the day, and I was lucky enough to be invited!

Those of you who wonder why I live in Boston need to understand that every once in a while we get a day that is 100% perfect, and today was such a day—warm and mild and breezy and sparkling clear. Let's throw a barbecue! Huge kudos go to Beth Wareham at Workman, who orchestrated the whole event and who is a total blast to be with. I finally got to meet Abby, who is just as nice and funny and warm in person as she is online. She even gave me a copy of her latest book, which is called Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients. I can't wait to dig in to that!

Then I met Steve, the chef of the hour, who was busy manning the giant grill. He demonstrated how to cook everything, and was ably assisted by various sailors and their wives. We watched him make these dishes from around the globe:

Shrimp on the Barbie (Australia)
Caveman T-Bone Steaks (Universal)
Honey Garlic Ginger Ribs (Cambodia)
Grilled Corn with Butter and Cheese (Columbia)

Our lunch was amazingly delicious:

Village Hammers (Serbia)
Peri Peri Chicken (South Africa)
Thai Grilled Chicken (Thailand)
Planked Salmon with Juniper Rub (USA)
Potato Bacon Kebabs (Armenia)
Cactus Pear Crisp (USA)

I have to tell you about those "Village Hammers": It's a prune stuffed with a small chunk of fontina cheese, wrapped in bacon, then grilled. OH. MY. GOD. I ate about 50 of them and only stopped so as not to embarrass myself. Everything else was delicious too.

As if that wasn't enough excitement, Dave was kind enough to invite our small group—me, Abby, Abby's friend Ed, Steve, Beth, Beth's assistant Samantha, Dawn (another Boston-area blogger), and Will (AKA the Boston Foodie)—for a private tour of the USS Constitution! How fast did we all say, "YES!" Steve was over the moon, because it turns out he is a total ship geek, so it couldn't have been a more ideal setting for him. We got to see all the cannons and hammocks and powder kegs and everything else. It was way cool. I seriously considered not telling Andy about it because he would be so jealous. We even got to tour a section of the ship that no one ever gets to see, one that still has original features from the 1790s. It was an amazing experience. We even learned the origins of some common idioms that all originated on ships: scuttlebutt, shake a leg, mind your P's and Q's, groggy, down the hatch, square meals, loose cannon, son of a gun, scrape the bottom of the barrel, and more. Oh, and we also learned earlier from Steve that "high on the hog" refers to the meat closer to the pig's backbone, which is more tender and desirable.

In case you don't believe I really did any of this, here's a shot of me with Steve and Abby, down below the decks:

I got a copy of Steve's new book, as well as a swell bag o' swag, including a BBQ baseball cap, a BBQ thermometer, a brining kit, and some hand wipes for the busy (messy) griller. And ... (there is where you come in) I also snagged an extra copy of the book and an extra swag bag, which I'm offering up to my readers. In order to win, please leave a comment below telling me something about grilling. Are you good at it? Are you a little afraid of it? Do you have a favorite grill recipe or anecdote? Whatever you want. I'll take entries all week, up until this Friday at midnight my time, then draw a random winner. Please be a resident of the U.S. and willing to share your snail mail address with me for shipping purposes. Good luck!

Update 9/25/10: Please feel free to continue leaving comments about grilling and about how cool I am now that I've hob-nobbed with famous cookbook authors, but it's officially too late to enter the contest. The winner, chosen by Random.Org, is Tonya! Congrats!

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Penny to My Name - Eva Cassidy
2. Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
3. Ice Cream Man/Pride and Joy/Kansas City (live) - Martin Sexton   
4. Star Witness - Neko Case
5. Down South In New Orleans (live) - The Band
6. Unorganized Crime - Todd Snider
7. You Can Get It If You Really Want - Jimmy Cliff
8. Shadow Of The Sun - Paul Weller
9. A Lot Of Movin' (live) - The Avett Brothers
10. Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos) - Nanci Griffith & Lucinda Williams 

Movies for Kids?

I watched a lot of unsupervised TV as a kid. In those days there wasn't much on that was "objectionable" or "inappropriate," but I still saw some stuff that I probably shouldn't have seen. I also watched endless hours of inane sitcoms (I always say that the reason I don't have a Boston accent is that I watched too much TV as a child). For some reason the only show Dad didn't want us to watch was "Gilligan's Island." I don't know why, but that one struck him as beyond the pale in terms of inanity. Not "Hogan's Heroes" or "Bewitched" or "The Brady Bunch"? Regardless, we still watched it, and all the others. Is this why I watch no TV at all now? Who knows?

But Sundays were different. Every Sunday morning I watched a very overtly Christian program called "Davey and Goliath" followed by the nonsectarian "Gumby." Later in the day was the "Children's Film Festival," which I remember vividly. It was hosted by Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, who were already favorites of mine (Fran was a puppeteer and Kukla and Ollie were her puppets).

I specifically recall watching the film "The Red Balloon," and I have a vague sense that even then, I felt that I didn't quite understand what it was all about, although I was mesmerized throughout.

Another movie I remember was very upsetting. It was called "Hand in Hand," and all I can recall is that a boy and a girl are playing near a river, and the girl drowns. It was traumatic for me, and I only just learned from Wikipedia that in fact the girl does not die at the end. I must have known that at the time, but I didn't remember. I also didn't remember that the boy was Catholic and the girl was Jewish, and they thought that they weren't allowed to be friends. Coincidentally, since this memory only recently surfaced, the DVD of this movie will be released next month for the first time.

The final movie I remember was not necessarily from the "Children's Film Festival" series. I remember watching it at my grandmother's house, and I thought I saw it all alone, but my cousin remembers seeing it with me. It was called "The Boy with Green Hair," and it was also very upsetting. All I remember is that a boy woke up with green hair, and that felt very alarming to me. I learned from Wikipedia that the boy was a war orphan and was played by a very young Dean Stockwell.

Any of these ring a bell to the other old-timers out there?

Listening Booth

My most recent CD purchase, Listening Booth: 1970, is a release by Marc Cohn that consists of covers of popular songs from 1970. I am really loving this! I keep listening to it, over and over.

Not surprisingly, my favorite tracks are those songs that I especially loved by their original artists, like "Maybe I'm Amazed" (Paul McCartney), "Wild World" (The Artist Formerly Known as Cat Stevens), "The Only Living Boy in New York" (Paul Simon), and a few others. I don't think this set of covers falls into either of the usual traps: Cohn is not trying to reinvent the wheel nor is he simply mimicking the originals. Interestingly enough, he sounds exactly like Eric Clapton on "After Midnight," but it comes off as more of a tribute (with a slightly different ear toward production, including the addition of a piano) than a copycat.

I have always loved the rich, bluesy, soulful tone of Marc Cohn's voice, so it's not surprising that I'd like this collection but I do think he's done more than just sound nice on some old favorites. Even the (in my opinion) weaker tracks reveal a heart that's in the right place. I'm not sure that you can fully appreciate this collection if you're too much younger than I am, but we older folks can really enjoy it.

Let me know if you've heard this CD and what you think!

Update 9/21: I can't believe I forgot to include this photo of the CD:

Isn't that clever?

14 Years Too Late

Well, my work lull lasted just long enough for a client who occasionally reads my blog to notice that I'm available! I have a new cookbook editing project coming in a few weeks, yay!

I've been meaning to tell you about a recent proofreading project I did, one that was near and dear to my heart. It was written by a doula, for pregnant women who want to give birth naturally but are (for whatever reasons) planning to do so in a hospital. Perhaps they feel safer in a hospital, or maybe their health insurance won't cover a home birth, or they may fall into one or another "risk" category; regardless, they're doing it in a hospital—but without medical interventions unless absolutely necessary.

How I wish I had this book back in '96—or again in '99 or '01! The author, Cynthia Gabriel, uses the expression "cascade effect" to perfectly describe my first childbirth experience. Not knowing much, and perhaps being overly trusting of my OB, I agreed to a first medical intervention, which led to another, and then another, and before I knew it, I was minutes away from a c-section. I was fortunate enough to avoid surgery in the end, but I did end up with all kinds of interventions I swore I'd never get: having my water broken for me, an IV Pitocin drip, an internal fetal monitor, a "lite" epidural, forceps, episiotomy, you name it. I remember one nurse who kept mentioning c-section, which threw me into a panic. (I learned from this book that adrenaline cancels out oxytocin—the naturally occurring hormone that causes labor contractions—so it's no wonder that my labor kept "stalling.") This nurse kept saying, "A c-section is not a problem. It's a solution to a problem." I was sure I didn't have a problem, but all these medical people seemed to think otherwise. I am now much more aware of the reasons that doctors and nurses want things to go a certain way and within a certain timeframe, but I was vulnerable then, and I kept capitulating to them. One handy piece of advice that Gabriel gives is this: No matter what the doctors and nurses are suggesting, say, "Let's just wait another hour before making that decision." If it's really and truly a life-or-death emergency, you'll know. Most often it's a simple case of logistics.

I had a somewhat easier time with my next two births, although I still fell prey to certain interventions. I'm particularly angry that I was first hooked up to a fetal monitor, which required me to lie still on my back. Being on my back was excruciating, so then I agreed to get a "lite" epidural (instead of being encouraged to walk, squat, stand in the shower, or find some other way to get through my contractions). Only in this country are women urged to labor and give birth while lying flat on their backs, which is the least conducive position for pushing and delivering. The U.S. also has an unnaturally high rate of c-sections (and the complications that can come with them, up to and including death), which seems to be directly attributable to this "cascade effect" and to the micromanaging of doctors and nurses. I know that they all mean well, but they are often too impatient to let nature take its course, as it has since humans first walked the planet.

Gabriel never once forgets that there are indeed circumstances that require emergency medical treatment. We should all be grateful that we live in a country where lives can be saved in dramatic fashion. However, too often our hospital teams are over-eager to get things done the medical way instead of the natural way. They should be there to supervise a natural process rather than orchestrate a medical procedure. I must have retained a tiny bit of this concept even when I gave birth the first time, because I remember getting a phone call the next day from a hospital employee who wanted to fill out the necessary forms to apply for Steph's social security number. Baby's name, parents' names, date and time of birth, and then "And who delivered the baby?" I replied, "I did!" Only after a brief pause did I think to say, "Oh, you mean which doctor assisted me?"

If you or someone you know becomes pregnant in the next few months (or plans to in the future), I strongly urge you to look for Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds next March. Every mom wants to bring a healthy baby into the world; doing it the natural way can be the most exhilarating, empowering, and life-affirming route—and gets baby (and mom) off to a healthy, natural start.

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Orphan - Sam Baker
2. The Greatest Hustler of All - Old Crow Medicine Show
3. Slim Chance - Todd Snider
4. American Tune - Eva Cassidy
5. Fish and Whistle - John Prine
6. Where Did I Go Wrong (live) - Martin Sexton
7. Wide River To Cross - Levon Helm
8.  A Lover Like You - Hayes Carll
9. Too Far Gone - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
10. Love Shack - B52's 

Vote for Me!!!!!!!!

Watch:

So, at least two questions come to mind:

1. Where, exactly, did he earn his MASTER'S DEGREE IN COMMUNICATION? (Sorry, was I shouting just there?)

2. Are his doctors aware that he's been fiddling with his meds?

(Thanks to Roger Ebert for this doozy. If you don't follow him on Twitter, you are missing out on all kinds of wonderful insights, links, photos, and observations. Doesn't hurt that he's a huge John Prine fan too.)

Lull

I seem to always be complaining that I have too much work or not enough work. Surely I sometimes have exactly the right amount of work, no? In any event, right now I have absolutely no work, and that feels just fine to me. I'm sure I'll start panicking if something doesn't come along in the next week or so, but for now I'm enjoying the break. This work lull coincides with the start of school, and I'm welcoming the chance to check off all those very glamorous things on my To-Do list like "return socks to Target," "make appointment for Honda servicing," and "buy water filter for fridge."

(By the way, when I say I have "no work," that doesn't include the bookkeeping I do in Charlestown about once a week—that's ongoing. By "work" I mean editorial projects.)

Things got a little out of hand toward the end of the summer, with Steph in the hospital and me with a bunch of deadlines and then trying to quickly cobble together some family vacation time before it was too late. I let a lot of household stuff slide that I'm just now attending to. Between all the backed-up errands (Pete and Julie need new soccer cleats!) and phone calls (time to schedule the cats' annual checkup!) and paperwork (all those emergency contact forms for school and Hebrew school!) and housework (Steph's camp sheets and towels are all laundered but still sitting in piles in the hallway!), and then all the day-in/day-out responsibilities (dinner! bills! laundry!), and then the volunteer stuff at the schools (library and Safe Arrival!), I'm finding myself plenty busy. But I do always wonder what the non-working moms who aren't so backed up and who perhaps don't volunteer quite so much do all day. I know that a lot of them exercise, but surely not 4 or 6 hours a day, right? And are their houses that much cleaner and more organized than mine? Are their dinners that much more elaborate? I expect that if, when I'm all caught up on household stuff, I still don't have much work going on, I'll sort of be looking for ways to occupy my time. Even I can't imagine reading and playing Scrabble all day.

Catching Up

1. We returned home from New Hampshire on Monday. Pete, Julie, and Andy went to the pool for their last dip of the summer. I went to Whole Foods, where my cell phone rang. It was Steph, home alone. Do you remember the last time she was home alone and had to call me? You guessed it. "Mom? I think I saw something gray fly from the living room into the hallway!" Oy. I came home but found myself unable to venture beyond the mudroom, where Steph was holed up. Instead I drove to the pool and swapped responsibilities with Andy. When I got home a while later, Andy had donned an anorak, ski mask, and gardening gloves and was prowling about with a tennis racquet and a shoebox. Minutes later, our neighbor Brad was over with leather gloves, a squash racquet, and a beach towel. The two of them combed the house but found no non-human mammals beyond Mr. Jones and Gracie. We decided that Steph had seen a shadow or a reflection or a really big moth (or a bat that is still lying in wait for us...).

2. Tuesday was the first day of school! Pete started middle school, so he and Steph took the same bus for the first time ever. I then walked Julie down the street to her third-grade classroom—she's made it to the second floor of the building! Everyone had a good first day, and I got some time to myself, which weren't bad neither.

3. The former vice principal at our middle school left to become principal at one of the elementary schools. However, he missed the first day of school! Can you believe it? He had a pretty good excuse, though: He was delivering his daughter in the family minivan! What a story!

4. Happy New Year to all those who are celebrating tonight! Regardless, I wish everyone happiness, peace, and good health.

Time's a Goon

I'm really on a roll with the books these days—not only reading one after another but also enjoying them all. I most recently finished A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. This novel (or, some might say, collection of interlinked stories, but I disagree) was unlike anything else I can recall. The writing is terrific—zingy, precise, fun, and inventive. The characters are introduced gradually, and we meet them in the past, present, and future. Each chapter is devoted to a particular character; some narrate in the first person, while other stories are told in the third or even second person. One is even told in the form of a teenage girl's PowerPoint "diary." Someone who is mentioned in passing in an early chapter later gets a solo chapter, which might tell of his adolescence or a defining moment from his future. Another seemingly minor character eventually shows up with her own chapter that goes off in a completely different direction. The characters are all flawed in one way or another, but many of them are likable—and all of them are intriguing.

The theme of music runs through the whole book. The characters are record producers, failed musicians, aspiring technicians, and music aficionados. Some make big mistakes but bounce back or catch a lucky break; others can't seem to get past that one dumb move. The other major theme is time, from which no one can escape, regardless of how lucky or smart they are. Some characters are given enough time to make up for their pasts; others ... not so much.

My only complaint was that I didn't love the futuristic final chapter, although parts of it were genius; in any event, it did not detract from the overall work. Another two thumbs up!

Fair Enough

All of us have in our lives defining moments that we forever refer to as "before" and "after." Our lives are divided into "before I had kids, and after" or "before I started meditating, and after" or "before I discovered fiber supplements, and after." Yesterday I added a new dividing point to my life: before I ate a deep-fried Twinkie, and after.

Yes, you guessed it, we were at our skytrillionth visit to the annual Lancaster County Fair. We already had patted the baby goats, admired the Belgian horses, oohed and aahed over the prize-winning 4H produce, toured and imagined living in various RVs, ridden crazy rides, given our life savings to the carnies in exchange for stuffed animals, pumped our kids' inheritance into the Coin Dozer machines, and savored the Robillards' ever-amazing apple crisp. And still something was missing. Then we spotted this:

 
What? Where do we sign up? After a few minutes of bubbling-oil time, we were presented with our delicacy:

Wow. Before you all clutch your hearts in sympathetic coronary distress, let me assure that you we five split one Twinkie, and that was plenty. But man, it was awesome. Hot and crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, with that delectable "cream" filling still intact. And of course dusted liberally with confectioners' sugar. Oh, behave! 

But wait! There was another first yesterday. Having decided somehow that the Ferris wheel did not go high enough above the fairgrounds:

we decided to take a helicopter ride. You may recall that last year Andy, Steph, and Pete did it, but Julie and I begged off. Not so this year:

 

I am not sorry I went, but I was also not sorry when I landed safely back on earth. It was very windy up there (remnants of Hurricane Earl, we were told), and that was only exacerbated by the fact that the chopper had no doors. It was really, really bumpy! I felt just a little queasy even after we landed, but everyone else loved it. So add that to the list of things I've done once and thus never need to do again: ski, soar, ride in a helicopter. I won't add the Twinkie to that list just yet.... (And, for the record, those deep-fried Oreos didn't look too bad, either.)

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Good Work - The BoDeans
2. Buck Dancer's Choice - David Bromberg
3. Nite Klub - The Specials
4. Don't You Get It - Mark Knopfler 
5. Freedom - George Michael  
6. Crazy Love, Vol. II - Paul Simon
7. Something In The Way She Moves (live) - James Taylor
8. Radio, Radio - Elvis Costello  
9. I'm Shipping Up To Boston - Dropkick Murphys 
10. Pretty Things - Rufus Wainwright