Look at this gorgeous little man. I just couldn't resist.

**cue music** You all know the tune....

Duh duh...duh duh. Wiilllllllllllllsoooooooooon.
Duh duh...duh duh. Wiilllllllllllllsoooooooooon.

They can still have fun!*

Hugs and kisses to the whole Q family. Excuse the bad parody. I only indulge myself.

*Coventry version

I think in retrospect that NaNoWriMo might have been better for me. I'm not sure that I would have been able to write 50,000 words, but I would have written a lot and I would have done a lot less agonizing on a daily basis. Having to post every day means making your words public (not just a word count). There were days (like tonight, frankly) where I simply didn't have time. There were days (and you've read them) where I simply didn't have anything to say. And there were days where I simply couldn't get the words right...but I had to put them out there anyway. I don't write like that. I don't want to write like that. NaNoWriMo would have made me write, but kept the bad stuff private until I was ready to re do it or to pitch it or to post it.

So tomorrow we're off for a secret long weekend. If you think hard enough about it, you'll figure out where we are. I might post about it when we get back and I might not. I will post, however. I'll do my best to find some happy medium between a post a month and a post a day.

And I might actually start that novel, too.

1. Take the quiz: What was your Thanksgiving horoscope?

Aquarius: You're the sign most likely to do your own wacky thing for Thanksgiving - like skydiving in a Turkey costume.

Your signature dish: Tofurky (tofu "turkey")

Your signature dessert: A cocktail

This holiday: Give in to all your freaky ideas. Buck tradition!

2. Did you have either of those two dishes on your Thanksgiving table? Of the two, which would have been your choice? Cocktails, of course. Kir Royales beforehand and Port afterwards. Does Port count as a cocktail?

3. Which single food do you blame most for your weight gain? Wine. Next question?

4. Take the quiz: How thankful are you?

***You Are 66% Thankful***
You are a very thankful person - for both the big and little things in life.
Your optimism is powerful. Getting through hard times is fairly easy for you.

Really? Hmmm. Interesting.

5. Which are you more thankful for: your family, your friends, your career or your possessions? I am always thankful for my family, but this year I was most thankful for my friends because I actually HAVE some that came to Thanksgiving. After a year of missing our friends in California, I sincerely toasted having people to - well - toast with this year.

6. Did you do any shopping at all on "Black Friday?" I was working. Went shopping yesterday, tho.

Jo is here from the States this week and - bless her - she's brought me presents. Most of the presents are things that I've ordered from Amazon or such and had shipped to her, including the DVD and soundtrack for TLG's "Rock and Roll Band," the concert film that Justin Kreutzmann made of the boys at the Fox Theater in Boulder earlier this year.

I have been waiting for this set for a while and I can say unequivocally that it's worth the wait. But not for the reasons I thought it would be, however. The music is excellent - it's as good a show as anything I've heard them play this year, the jams are interesting and the songs are strong. Trevor and Josh are both becoming more refined, picking their moments and playing to their strengths. Ben's equally more creative and expressive, stamping around the stage like a fool in love with the groove. And Scotty is Scotty...understated and lovin' it (though I did think he got ahead of himself in places). The CD sounds wonderful, too. It's always great to get a CD-quality soundboard recording, especially when the show behind it is so good. And there's a Jezebel, which is always always welcome.

The DVD...well...Justin's dad may be a genius, but the DVD leaves a lot to be desired. It's a solid concert movie: the band's only demand was that the DVD leave the full jams intact - no cutting in and out just when the music's going somewhere - and that makes for a satisfying listening experience. But sadly, while there's so much exploration in the music the exploration of what makes TLG tick is stunningly anemic.

I've never ever thought that these guys don't have a lot to say - I wouldn't be listening to them if that were the case. I guarantee you that's why I woke up the morning after the first show of theirs I saw - a disastrous night for reasons I won't go into here - humming their music despite having left the concert early. What they're writing and singing about may not be the most original concepts but how they express them is certainly unique. Trevor has a way with words and with lyrics that he himself admits is born out of immersion in the "old" San Francisco sound: Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish, the Dead, etc. etc. Josh admits that he's "a pretty big fan of the psychedelic jam." Scotty chokes up a bit explaining what headlining the Fillmore meant to them. Ben grooves his way down Haight St. with just the right amount of respect and goofy self-awareness. They have a lot of thoughts collectively on what makes music such a vital part of San Francisco and there's a lot to be said about what makes them such a vital part of San Francisco music...but Kreutzmann allows them to say very little and says nothing else himself.

Maybe he's trying to strip it back and let the audience draw their own conclusions, but I think it just feels unfinished. I've done a lot of thinking about the "new San Francisco sound" this year and I think there's really something there - something interesting and true and worth exploring. And I thought this would be a great vehicle in which to explore it. When the son of the drummer for the Grateful Dead makes a concert film about a young San Francisco band just starting to come into their own you expect great things from both the band and the filmmaker. I'm still just as impressed with the band as I ever was, but the filmmaker leaves me cold.

I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who wants to hear truly excellent music. But put the DVD on in the background and just listen to the music. Go to a show if you want to see for yourself what TLG really has to say.

I have been doing a bit of exploring British music to try and figure out why everyone's so obsessed with it, and why they're so obsessed with bands that no one else in the world has ever seemed to have heard of. Why is Pete Doherty such a "legend?" What is NME? Who the heck is Jools Holland? Where did Top of the Pops go? Why does everyone listen to the same thing? At the same time? And why oh why oh why do people like Jarvis Cocker and Oasis and Morrisey and Kate Bush still hold such mythical status?

Part of my exploration has involved picking a few really popular bands and buying their albums to try to figure out why they're so damn popular. So far, so good, actually. (I did some selective picking...sorry, but I'm never going to like McFly, no matter what.)

One of the nicest surprises has been Lily Allen - the teenage wunderkind that was this summer's hottest of the hot. The Observer Music Mag (really a wonderful publication...shockingly unpretentious and democratic writing, if a bit indulgent of wankers like the aforementioned Jarvis Cocker) "broke" Lily Allen last summer after she'd been discovered through her MySpace page. She's the daughter of an old English TV star or something or other and has lived somewhat of a vagabond life and is now currently settled on music, producing a weird hybrid of reggae and pop that's somewhat chavvy and totally addictive.

She was EVERYWHERE this summer and I was determined not to like her precisely because she was everywhere. I hate the flavor of the moment just on principle. But I saw one of her videos on Yahoo! Music one day and it was good. Not just good, REALLY good. Funny and silly with great lyrics and a totally infectious hook. Everything that good pop should be. So I bought the album and I love it. Sad to say, but the hype was right on...she sounds like what Liz Phair would have sounded like if Exile in Guyville was made 15 years later. She's equally wise and dirty and vulnerable and tough and I haven't heard a grrrl as authentic since - well - Liz Phair. Totally worth my time. Totally worth yours.

Does this mean I'm going to have to listen to Keane, Kasabian, and The Magic Numbers now?

The final menu was as follows:
- Curried pumpkin seeds, marinated olives, a cheese plate, and melon and prosciutto for appetizers (D and N brought the melon. Was GOOD melon, too. Must eat more melon.)
- Kir royales, champagne, and beaujolais nouveau with the apps
- Fennel and grapefruit salad to start (our own recipe, almost perfect but not quite there yet)
- Turkey
- Ham cooked in Coca-cola, which sadly fell apart and was more brisket than sliceable ham. But it was REALLY tasty.
- Cornbread, pecan, cranberry, sausage stuffing
- Mashed potatoes
- Garlicky green beens
- Butternut squash and creamed spinach gratin
- Cranberry sauce
- Sour cream herb muffins
- Gravy! (a personal triumph)
- Pumpkin pie
- Pecan pie
- Apple-cranberry crumble
- Lots and lots and lots of wine. And then some more wine. And then some espresso, and then some more wine.

It was a lovely evening, relaxed and casual with good friends and good food and good conversation. Lots of leftovers, and everyone went home with food, too, though I barely remember who I gave what to. I barely remember anything after Midnight, but I do remember having the presence of mind to spot bleach and throw the tablecloth in the washer. Heh. I love Thanksgiving.

Photographic proof below.

Thanksgiving is still going on...go away!

Turkey and ham are sitting out on the porch. We have a LOT of wine.

The bathroom is clean, and Mike's almost dead from the fumes.

The house smells like an odd mixture of sage, brown sugar, and Dettol with bleach.

Thanksgiving! Woo!

Despite not having a day (or two) off of work and it not feeling a whole hell of a lot like Thanksgiving over here (we'll do our best to make up for it on Saturday), we started out the day with something wonderful to be thankful for, as we learned that our dear friends (and sole blog readers) JQ and LQ had their baby boy on Monday.

Little Wilson (King of Rockridge!) looks happy and healthy, if slightly puzzled as to what the heck he's doing in the great big wide world. No worries, little dude, you've got some awesome parents. We can't wait to meet you.

Big love to the Qs and many kisses to MiniQ. We were singing his theme song loud and proud this morning.

Updates will be short, but hopefully the food porn will be good.

Every once in a while I'll download a particularly great new show or I'll rediscover an under-appreciated gem on my iPod. That's the BEST. There is nothing like having to actually stop working because you're so compelled to listen to what's coming over the headphones. Usually while working the work is more important. As it - ahem - should be. But when I find myself completely zoned out, focusing blankly at my keyboard thinking "Damn...how do they do that?/I've forgotten how got that was/Geez, Trey could you just shut up about the olive loaf and get back to Harpua already?" then suddenly I'm having a really good day.

I had one of those today. I've been listening through the 7/15/98 Portland Meadows show off of Live Phish lately and there are points in that show that leave me completely incapacitated. I pulled it out again after reading a terrific interview with Trey where he talks about suddenly hearing the Tweezer > California Love > Tweezer combo while driving carpool for his daughters and some friends. The hopeful nature of his comments (he says "we stopped the car and they got out and I started listening sort of without prejudice, and it was that jam from the California gig. It's got that 'California, knows how to party,' and it was really good, just so gentle, and I could hear what everybody was playing. It was a really great experience. I called Mike and I called Fish and Page and talked to them about it.") led me to want to hear it again. And it IS that good - super creative, loose, relaxed, funky - everything that's good about Tweezer when Tweezer's good...and everything that was particularly good about them at that time in their career.

And the whole show is like that, and somehow it's been such a long time since I gave it any time that I had completely forgotten and the experience of re-listening to it was truly awesome. Does Phish still matter? My good God, YES. Yes they do.

The show is one of the very best examples of what made Phish so very special in the first place. They're relaxed and chatty; joking with the audience like it was a small club show but playing as if it were Madison Square Garden. They're testing out some new stuff - Roggae, LxL, and Birds (which gets an especially rockin' jam for such a new song) - while still playing the shit out of the old chestnuts (see above re: Tweezer). When I had originally listened to the show it was when it was released as one of Mike's Picks, and I was listening for the bass. You can tell why Mike loves it - it's every bit as transcendent as he makes it sound. And the recording is incredible - I can't recall another one where Page is mixed so well (and so incredibly ON, taboot). They sound like nothing you've ever heard - and the amazing thing is that wasn't unusual for them.

The best part, though, might possibly be the filler track: Bathtub Gin from 7/29/98...arguably the best Gin ever. I think I listened to it 3 times today.

No wonder it took me until 7pm to actually finish my work.

1. When a bill arrives in the mail, what do you do with it: pay it immediately, hold it with others and pay at once, or put it off until the last possible minute?

Well...we don't really get bills in the mail anymore. Most are paid by direct deposit. The bills for things like American credit cards and such are sent to my parents who aggregate and send me a bunch of crap every month, so by the time I get them it's too late. I have to remember to pay bills that aren't automatic online. Usually I'm pretty good about it.

2. Which actor makes the best James Bond?

Connery. Bar none.

3. Of the foods you enjoy, which one are you least likely to try cooking yourself?

Pad Thai, my favorite food in the world. It's so complex that there's just no reason for me to even try to make it. It's also very cheap, and there's wonderful takeout right down the road. Mmmm...pad thai.

4. Take the quiz: What does your birth month reveal about you?

Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very Stubborn and money cautious.

5. Of the results you just got, which one seems the farthest from the "real" you?

"Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved." Um, no. Hardly quiet. I am at my most - ahem - dynamic when I'm excited or tense, though. I'm reserved in that there are only a few people who really "get" me - my parents, my brother, my husband, and a few close friends. I'm not hard-hearted either. The rest is pretty right on, though.

6. Will you see your extended family on Thanksgiving Day this year?

Nope. But that's OK. Lots of friends and lots of wine.

Why yes, that is an Excel sheet above. How else do you plan your dinners?

Or know what grocery store stocks what, if you have enough cooking and serving dishes, and whether or not you actually have time to make everything?

What???

We started at De Hems, which is probably one of the coolest bars I've been to in London. Maybe that's because it's modeled after a bar in Holland. Seriously though, great beer on draught, lots of energy, and when I turned up after acupuncture there were LOTS of people there for our little escapade. We were there for a bit (long enough for a pint of Leffe Blonde) and then went on to the pretentiously named LVPO for another bit. At some point someone bought a round of Sol beer. I will never for the life of me understand the fascination with this beer. Corona can't be THAT much more expensive, right?

At LVPO, my friend F and I started making noises about getting food. Turns out both of our significant others have refused to put us to bed ever again after a night out without dinner. And since we know they mean it, we started whining at our ringmaster about dinner. Which prompted someone to - as predicted - stick a bag of French Fries in my face. I think the entire neighborhood of SoHo heard me shout "French! Fries! are! not! dinner!" Also? They're disgusting. Hula Hoops are MUCH better. (Note: A cry of "Still hungry" got me a pack of Salt and Vinegar flavored French Fries.)

We didn't stay at the next place - The Pillars of Hercules - long. Or at least F and I didn't. After one drink we discovered that our ringleader had disappeared...a quick call to his mobile determined that - gasp! - he was off buying kebabs (Britain's answer to greasy pizza) and would meet us at the next bar. F and I beat him there then spent 5 minutes fighting about how no, we didn't think this nice cocktail bar would be too happy if ten of us sauntered in and opened up kebab takeaway in their establishment. Which meant we ate our kebabs on the street. 'Cause we're classy like that.

We ended up not at Freud's (the aforementioned home of cocktails in pint glasses, and one of the main reasons I ended up in London...too many cocktails in pint glasses will make a girl agree to anything) but at a sweet little place called the Old Crown, where I had just had lunch on Wednesday. This is one of the few bars in London that serves wine in proper glasses which earns it a little place in my heart forever. It also has a lovely organic menu, a really nice bar staff, and what I've dubbed the "party toilet" - two commodes in one stall in the girls' room. Because you know girls are going to share a stall anyway, why not make it easier?

We managed to score the entire room upstairs and tried (unsucessfully) to get the staff to send up drinks through the dumbwaiter. They had really lovely drinks there, actually. Something with gin and black raspberries and something else? Mmmm. At some point F realized she'd left her purse somewhere, so we went on a reverse crawl to find it (luckily at the PoH...and not all the way back at the beginning...). At some other point there was an ice fight (boys). There was some good natured yelling, boob grabbing (not mine. Ahem.), more drinks, and at some point someone actually left to go take a conference call with the States (at 11pm. No I kid you not.). And there was lots and lots and lots of laughing. I made it home easily in one piece and don't actually feel rotten today. No barf, no fines, no staggering, no fighting, just friends and laughing and a nasty kebab on Shaftesbury Ave.

Yep, it was a very good night.