West St. Paul

Check out this video, made by a friend of mine from high school - pretty cool stuff. And insanely popular in West St. Paul, apparently.

So Much to Catch Up On ...

... and so little time. I've been working on Stella Marie stuff, pretty much non-stop, for several weeks. I am doing my first spa night this weekend. Wish me luck! If you are curious about my new products, please check them out here or here. Also, check out a little vid I made of my appearance at the New England Motor Cycle Expo! (update: see this post for a pic from the spa night - it was very successful!)

Moving on.

We went to Cooperstown last weekend to check out the new and exciting 2007 Boston Red Sox World Champion Display. Awesome. I wonder what young Jacoby and Dustin are thinking now that they've wound up in the museum (I think Jacoby could someday find himself inducted - the dude is special, to use one of Francona's favorite descriptors). I can't imagine what kind of feeling that must be. Meanwhile, I noticed that Suzyn Waldman got a ton of coverage in the Women's section and she's never played a game of professional baseball in her life! What's the deal? She's not even a very good color commentator. So, when real players were trying to bust into this male-dominated sport, she was singing and acting in musical theater. I totally LOVE theater, don't get me wrong, but why does she garner so much praise and attention? Most of the old-timey ball players got tiny blurbs and they were the real pioneers of female participation!

I started a fitness regime in preparation for softball, as I mentioned previously. You may or may not remember, but I blew out my quads last year (very early on) and was forced to be catcher and have pinch runners all season long. It was fun, but I'd rather play second base and be able to run out a hit without crying in pain.

I've been meaning to mention a really cool art exhibit that a good and talented friend of mine, Katherine Martin Widmer, participated in. It is called War, Madness and Delusion and it is at the Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, MA until April 15th. It was a very powerful anti-war show and if you are in the area, I highly recommend that you check it out. One of the cool things about it is that fact that you not only get to see the work and the artist's name, but you get a small written piece by the artist about the work and their general concept and feelings. While I understand the value of interpreting someone's work yourself, I can appreciate - within this particular context - knowing more about the the artist's perspective an thought-process. This is a multi-media show, with 30 or so participating artists.

* Image: "Atomic Veteran" by Bob Stearns

Happy Valentine's Day

The eagle has landed! We dropped off these 2 large boxes filled with tons of bath products for the women at Rosie's Place! Thanks to all the family members, co-workers and friends who donated! I gave the ladies some loofahs and a bunch of my mango poppyseed soaps.



We enjoyed these chocolate coconut beauties after dinner. I just had one and this was my big treat of the week. I'm trying to drop a few pounds before spring. It feels good to get back in the gym. I want to be totally ready for softball season. And the beach.

That's some bad hat, Harry.

This weekend, we learned of Roy Scheider's death. Very sad news. JAWS is one of my favorite movies. Of all time. It's in the top 3, possibly the top 2. Scheider played Brody's character so well, I can't begin to imagine another actor stepping into that role. That movie represents so much to me. It was shot in Massachusetts, for one. A lot of the extras were people who shared my zip code. The movie takes place in the 1970s, during my childhood, so the sights and sounds are very nostalgic. From the music wafting out of the radio on the beach to the fashions. The acting is superb and the suspense Spielberg created is like nothing I've ever experienced. Chief Brody was the character that the viewer "became," I think. Everyone around him was so extreme (except for Hooper, but Hooper was not exactly a guy who most people can relate to).

*sigh*

Not the Best Ending

Well, that certainly wasn't the outcome we NE fans were expecting on Sunday. It was a total stinger. Being that I am primarily a baseball fan, this disappointment isn't as hard to take for me personally as the 2003 ALCS loss to the Yankees. That one reduced me to a shell of a human being for several days. But this was definitely unexpected and hard to handle. I wasn't even that nervous when there were only 2 minutes left on the clock. I figured: these are the Pats and they'll find a way to win. But they didn't. I blame Belichick for wearing that horrible, tomato red, 3-quarter sleeve sweatshirt. He looked like a moron in that thing and I firmly believe that it had an impact on the outcome of the game. Who manufactured it? I've seen some poor apparel designs in my day, but this one is right up there.

Well, fellow Patriots fans - think not about the loss yesterday. Take comfort in the 3 glorious championships we've enjoyed this decade. And the 18-1 record of the season. That is still one hell of an accomplishment, people. If this isn't enough, think about the 2 World Series trophies we now have and the great possibility that the Celtics will go to the big show this year. Pitchers and catchers report in a couple of weeks. Soon, the crack of the bat will be delighting our ears. And I'm sure the Patriots aren't done winning Super Bowls.