Artist of the Week
Oingo Boingo

Album of the Week
Dead Man's Party

Song and Video of the Week
Dead Man's Party



Music Story of the Week
There is no better band to wax poetic about on Halloween than Oingo Boingo and this is the perfect song for the day.

Oingo Boingo silly? Maybe.
Tongue in cheek? Definitely.
Brilliant? Absolutely.

Danny Elfman was a god then as he is now. Did you know he, the voice of Oingo Boingo, is also responsible for the soundtracks for the following films: Beetlejuice, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many more. And let's not forget The Simpsons :).

This week's album isn't actually the one I consider to be the best - just the best for this occasion. I am pretty staunchly against the whole 'Best of' album phenomena but if you do not know much of their music I would suggest Skeletons in the Closet (The Best of Oingo Boingo) as a launching off spot. If you like what you hear, dig deeper into their candy bowl. I think you'll like what you find. And if it isn't up your alley - try this band on your kids - PickleBoy LOVES them!

That is how much peace my sister enjoyed before I came blazing into this world and set the family dynamic on it's head. She was not pleased with this new little sister for quite some while. We have old Super-8 footage of my first birthday. Me sitting on a blanket on the lawn surrounded by my new toys, happy and smiling. Suddenly at the edge of the frame, movement. In comes the girl who had turned five a mere few days earlier and had received the hula hoop as one of her gifts - it was deftly spinning round her little hips. She moved quickly into center frame until that hoop was a mere few inches from my baby bobble head all the while with the angelic smile on her face. I mean, what the hell was this loud baby stealing all the limelight for? Yes, the adults stopped that hoop in time - that time.

Then I got older and took on the battle myself. We pitted ourselves against one another for years and years - warfare. It took a long while (too long) but, then, our babies came - the light changed, our lives changed. She has become my near and dear confidante. A sister. A friend. A love. I could not live without her and her loving support. And especially without our raunchy, belly laughing humor.

Happy Birthday, dear Sister.

If this next year is filled with even half the love, joy and light that you bring me each day it will be one glorious year, my dear.
A glorious year indeed.

So maybe next week I will be a good blogger?
I have so much love to share but not the oomph for the writing of it.
Geez, LeS.
Get with the program.

More writing next week?
I do think so...

In the meantime,
My true friend,
hula,
with the
photobooth.

PickleBoy.

October 10, 2006.
Musee Mechanique,
Fishermans Wharf,
San Francisco,
California.

So the trusty vintage photobooth spit out it's prize.
I plucked it out.
And belly laughed out loud.
And while slowly shaking my head, I asked him if he had rehearsed this time - thought it through - this, the very best series of four I have yet to encounter (you can see why I simply could not present them individually). And in complete innocence he said,
"Nope."

Which makes it even better.

(now go chase more photobooth here
and have a most excellent weekend.)

Wow.

I believe I am officially out of the habit of posting. The only way to remedy I suppose is to jump back in head first...

I live in a little town called Mill Valley, California. It is ten miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge and is best described as a hamlet. We are nestled at the foot of Mount Tamalpais which is home to the stunning Muir Woods. This mountain and these woods stand between us and the big blue expanse of the Pacific. It is magnificent here. I am one lucky, lucky girl.

So, Oktoberfest (nice segue, LeS).

This particular celebration was held several weeks ago. On this mountain. Above these woods.

Every year there is a big throw down at a private and a not-so-secret location called the Tourist Club nestled above Muir Woods. Other than this (and two other celebrations each year) this is a members-only kind of place. If you are not a member (i.e. none of our little crew) then the most you can hope for during the rest of the year is a nice big cold mid-hike stein of beer on their deck. Which is not bad.
At all.

tourist club 'n' sky.

I went for the first time this year with Molly & Willem. Their kids Camille, Annabelle and Julian. And our friend Adam. We purposely parked one hill over so we could do a sweet little hike in/out to add to the fun. When we arrived, there were so many people that we had to wait just to enter only to find wall to wall bodies and no more bratwurst. But leiderhosen, dirndls and live polka music at a Swiss lodge in the mountains of California with fabulous friends? Sign me up.

everybody POLKA.

We eventually tired of the crowd and wandered off to find a rope swing, hang out together and drink just a bit more beer. The weather was stunning. Luminous and warm with a slight gentle breeze from the sea.

top: Mid-swing butt and l to r: Adam, Camille, Julian and Annabelle.

I actually have to admit that the most glorious part of the whole day for me was the hike back. Look...

three trees.

Adam and Willem howling at the view.

self portrait.

california poppies.

sunset.

Yep. I am one lucky, lucky girl.

...and the good stories keep backing up.

There have been Oktoberfest celebrations, phone calls from 'the teacher', birthday parties (count: 4), packed concerts, a towed car, friends in need, lack of funds, some sewing, more birds getting into the house, five fresh new photobooth strips and, yes, I have lots and lots and lots of pictures.

But no time to share.

I'm off for a five hour drive up the Pacific coast to a three day weekend with the girls. Lovely Mary is turning forty and we will be celebrating in grand style.

(now if I would just remember to post about all of it when I get back...)

Noticeably lean around here this week. Working on brewing up good life things. But feeling a bit like I look in this photobooth shot. Hopeful, angst, bewildered all at the same time. Life - she's a doozy.

Please go visit my darling hula for many more photobooth friday beauties.

______________________

On a lighter note...we received our first rain of the season this week and I couldn't be more juiced up. Just look at the post-storm sky through my kitchen window yesterday.

Now please go and have a great early Fall weekend.
Yeah, you.

Kids, I am in the weeds and have next to no time to post today but just wanted to let you know that to get a whole hell of a lot of traffic on your blog all you need to do is post the lyrics of a really good song that not many people know yet, wait for the song to be used as part of a pivotal scene in a huge television show's season premiere, and then sit back and watch your google hit numbers go through the roof (and apparently know how to write a reeeeeally long run-on sentence).




(Then, if you are me, go one step further by asking yourself..."Why the hell aren't I the music supervisor for a show like that?")