happy guy

For some reason, I haven't taken a lot of pictures of Sam lately - perhaps because I spend all of my time chasing him. He did slow down long enough for me to take this shot, though. Even though he is a little impish at times, he's a sweet boy. We like him.

musical lyrics

It's no secret that musicals (particularly old musicals) contain some of the cheesiest and most ridiculous lyrics in the world. (And check out this cheesy and ridiculous promotional photo that I found for the 1954 film "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.") Don't get me wrong, I love old musicals. But ever since I married J (who has never seen or listened to many musicals), I am increasingly aware of the silly lyrics that I sing around the house.

Of all the musicals, I think that "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" takes the cake for having the silliest lyrics. I have always chuckled at songs like "Lonesome Polecat" (coupled with the axe-dancing performance in the film) and "Sobbin' Women." But for some reason, I never realized how silly some of the other lyrics are in that show. A few months ago, I was singing in the kitchen, when J interrupted me and said, "Wait a sec. Did you just sing, 'Bless your beautiful hide?'" And honestly, for the first time in my life, I realized how utterly ridiculous that song sounds.

What are your favorite cheesy musical lyrics? Can you think of a musical that's cheesier than "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers?"

Scooty McScoot

I thought our far-away friends and family members would like to see Sam's scooting skills. He's been scooting/semi-crawling for about a month, and he loves to explore the house. Although his "exploration" (ahem, mess-creating and the-putting-of-small-things-in-his-mouth) leaves me constantly on my guard, it's fun to have him scoot around. He loves his new-found mobility.

the unexpected "great day"

Last night while lying in bed, I said to J, "Wow, today was the best day that I have had in a long time. It was a great day."

He said, "Hey wait, didn't you have a good time when we went on our trip last weekend?"

I answered, "Yeah, I did. But this is different because I didn't plan on having a great day. I planned on having fun when we went on our trip. Today I didn't expect anything unusually great to happen."

Unexpected "great days" are the best.

Here are the reasons why my day was so nice:

• Two surgeons agreed that my mom is ready for surgery! She is scheduled for an operation at the beginning of next month.
• Target has darling Eeyore toothbrushes for babies and toddlers. I can't help but smile when I see this little tiny toothbrush. Now Sam is ready to start brushing!
  
• A professor from a local university contacted me, asking what survey and upper-division classes I am prepared to teach. He and his colleagues are trying to plan courses for the next academic year, and he mentioned that he was especially "intrigued" by my background in Portuguese/Brazilian colonial art. I was floored. I have worried that my extremely specific focus would make me unappealing to many art history departments. I'm so happy that someone is interested in what I have studied! Although this professor has not offered me an adjunct position or anything, I'm terribly pleased that someone might consider to hold a seminar on Colonial Portuguese/Brazilian art.
• I discovered a website for The Hispanic Baroque group. This is the first academic group I have found which has interests similar to my own. I have had trouble finding many American scholars that are interested in my field, but it looks like there are several universities in Canada which have like-minded scholars. Yay for Canadians!
  
• I received a package from Ixoj and Phin which contained my birthday present - new orange shoes! This was an especially unexpected surprise, since my birthday isn't for a month and a half. After seeing the tattered condition of my current shoe pair, I think they decided to send me a present early. Thanks, friends! It's just what I wanted.
  
• Before going to bed, I discovered that the well-respected art historian W.J.T. Mitchell is coming to lecture at Seattle University in a few weeks. Mitchell is one of the most prominent art historians/theorists that is practicing today. We studied some of his work when I was in graduate school. I'm very excited to hear this lecture.

What kinds of things turn your normal days into great ones?

adam lambert = indulgent

For this whole season of "American Idol", I've really liked Adam Lambert's performances. He is a great singer and has an amazing amount of control in his upper range. His vocal talent is quite phenomenal. However, I thought that tonight's performance of "Ring of Fire" was excessively indulgent and ridiculous. And also, uh, strange? Using the sitar in the accompaniment was kind of cool, but really, everything was a little "too much" for me. Plus, I don't feel like Adam shows any kind of connection with his music - everything seems really contrived and showy. I haven't connected with his personality either. Really, does the audience know much more about Adam Lambert besides that he's hungry for fame and wealth?

Each week I am increasingly drawn to Matt Giraud and Danny Gokey. I like both of their personalities and feel like they use music as a true means for self-expression. Danny and Matt don't have as much control over their vocal range as Adam, but I think that their expressivity and musicality makes them more appealing. If Adam doesn't start to show more self-expression and personality in his performances and interviews, I think Matt or Danny might win the competition.

What did other people think about the performances tonight? J thinks that Alexis will leave, and I think (hope!) that Scott will go.

yay for j!

I came across my new favorite picture of J from when he was little. Over twenty years ago, J looked like this:

Ever the trend-setter in the 80s, I think J is going for the sweatsuit cum midriff look. Isn't he the sweetest little boy?

And now, a couple of decades later, this is what J looks like on his birthday:

This past weekend we celebrated J's birthday by going on a short trip, our first getaway without little Sammy B. It was fun to wander around and do whatever we wanted. The first place we decided to visit was the Elliott Bay bookstore. If you love books, you should visit this store! I was in heaven.

We took a ferry and spent the weekend in Port Townsend, a small town that has a lot of historic houses from the 19th-early 20th centuries. We stayed at a Victorian bed and breakfast; the decor in our room even included prints of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. We ate lots of good food and got to spend some time along the coast. It was lovely.

I don't think I've ever had so much fun celebrating a birthday that was not my own. J, if you always want to celebrate your birthday this way, I won't complain.

beautiful libraries

Two summers ago, when I lived in New York City, I spent a good deal of my time doing research at the New York Public Library. I absolutely loved the beautiful architecture and ambiance of the reading rooms, even though often I was too distracted by the ceiling coffers to focus on my books! Beautiful libraries are some of the most wonderful things in the world. After looking at this site, I think that I'd like to visit the George Peabody Library in Baltimore next. Really, I want to go to ALL of them.

Which one do you like?