Free Champagne

Open Up Your Plans

2009-03-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

Stop the Madness

2008-10-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I love lambs? How people could even fathom biting into one, I will never, ever know.

What He Said

2008-10-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1802

God, I Miss The Swirl

2008-09-29T01:23:00.000-07:00

Michael just moved to New York last week. I called him tonight while he was at dinner with my dear friend, Francesca. She owns a block or two in the Lower East Side, including a little bar called Welcome to the Johnsons. I heard her voice in the background, glasses clinking, restaurant humming, and I started to cry. Thank god for Virgin America!

Fiscally Frazzled?

2008-09-26T23:38:00.000-07:00

What every girl needs these days.

@$!!# Economic Downturn

2008-09-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

Now I have to work at a real job!

Bottoms Up

2008-09-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

Some days, you just need a drink!

My Next Car

2008-09-12T23:15:00.000-07:00

Just because it matches my values. And Teddy.

Let's Go Girls!

2008-09-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

"I am an 85-year-old mother of three, grandmother of two, and have voted in every presidential election since the fourth term of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I am philosophically a Democrat, but I respect other party alliances and opinions if they are based on what they deeply feel is best for the country. The selection of Sarah Palin is an insult to the country and to the women of this country — her stated beliefs are antithetical to what women have fought to gain the right to vote, and to what we want for the future of our children and our grandchildren. Political pandering is disgusting, but, above all, extremely dangerous to America's future."
– Gloria E., Los Angeles, CA on Women Against Sarah Palin

Walk on Water

2008-09-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Eco action hero Mark Massara, Pipeline Master Gerry Lopez, and friends skim around New York City at the 2nd Annual Surfer's Environmental Alliance Paddle Fest. Put on list of things to do next year.

Politicians make nice rugs, too

2008-08-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

Teddy and I believe, among many other things that involve evolution, education, and environment, that people should leave their aerial shooting to Kodak.

La Dolce Fido

2008-08-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

After much deliberation, Teddy has finally settled on a simple doghouse.

Cap and Trade

2008-08-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

This morning, as Brian and I walked along the Skyline Trail at Jack's Peak, we came across these amazingly fragrant pockets of sun-warmed air that one might describe as "fresh," "clean," and perhaps even "home." Then I realized that this perfect pine-meets-musk-meets-summer sun scent is what every man-made chemical is trying so desperately to emulate. Perhaps we should all trade in our spray bottles for few native trees and simply open the door...

An Endless Source of Inspiration

2008-08-21T23:51:00.001-07:00

"I cannot help thinking that it is more natural to have flowers grow out of the head than fruit. What do you think on that subject?"
- Jane Austen

Whatever You're Wearing...

2008-08-20T00:22:00.001-07:00

Oh, Waiter!

2008-08-19T01:03:00.000-07:00

This summer is too cold and gray. Will you bring me a sunnier one, please?

A Toast

2008-08-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Peri! May your effervescence only escalate...

...the cupcakes multiply...

...and many an Italian Greyhound land amongst your presents.

Have I mentioned...

2008-08-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

...that my sister looks like Steve Perry?

Welcome Back

2008-08-17T23:28:00.000-07:00

After much to do about my blogger's block, I have decided to pick up a bouquet of roses and begin again...

Valenteddy

2008-02-14T11:18:00.001-08:00

Wishing you lots of love and kisses!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

To the most beautiful man I know.

It's Official!

2008-02-14T11:04:00.001-08:00

My new beau proposed last Saturday evening on Carmel Beach. A nice Syrah, alfredo pizza, a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, and one engagement ring later...

Bali Hijinx

2008-02-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

I hope the good citizens of that small island know what they are in for. Before they can say "Te aari helteinen," life is going to be all sunshine and bonfires.

That's the Ticket

2008-02-06T13:28:00.001-08:00

Teddy can't stop wagging his tail about a possible Clinton-Obama presidential team. That would be so 21st century!

Be There

2008-02-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

Looks like Dave Matthews will be the guest star at the Jack Johnson's Fifth Annual Kokua Festival. This totally chill eco event just keeps gettin' groovier!

Stop It

2008-01-30T23:34:00.001-08:00

Damn if there aren't some days you wake up and love the guy more than you did the day before!

The Wet Set

2008-01-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

It's pouring so hard on our little house, I can't hear myself type! Fortunately, it's nothing that a pink see-through umbrella won't cure.

Drip Dry Dog

2008-01-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Teddy has taken to drawing in bed.

Houston, we have a problem

2008-01-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

Who's idea was it to send my hot new boyfriend to a far off planet for an entire week?

Where in the Whirl

2008-01-20T06:38:00.001-08:00

I'm afraid the holidays blogged me down. Highlights? A delicious Christmas in Sonora, ten days with Michael, a thousand musical versions of Auld Lang Syne, and the gift of a trip to Venice to start the New Year con l'amore dall'uomo nuovo. Now, has anyone seen Teddy?

Save As

2008-01-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

Venice is a lovely old girl. Lapped at for centuries by the Adriatic Sea, raped by Napoleon, and passed from one tourist to another, she is cold, cranky, and charges an exorbitant amount to peek up her skirt. Alas, her bloomers crumble at the touch and she is quick to slap the hand that feeds her. Seems that what was once a full on flowering of humanity is nothing but a charming bed of thorns.

Dio Mio

2008-01-20T05:55:00.000-08:00

All of the cats have disappeared from the streets of Venice. That's because the old ladies who used to feed them are gone. I miss the old ladies who wore shawls and delicate gold chains that got caught in the wool. One of my favorite old ladies used to come into the bar and order grappa. She would say 'Gimme two grappas. One for me and one for Franca.' She would pay and drink hers, all the while looking around and saying, 'Franca? Where's Franca? She must have gone to buy something...Madonna, I'm tired of waiting. I guess I'll have to drink hers, too.' This scene would be repeated daily, and Franca never showed up.
- John Berendt quoting Mario Stefani, The City of Falling Angels

The Story of Stuff

2007-12-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

Kudos to Annie Leonard for putting the kibosh on consumption.

Who Needs the New York Times?

2007-12-07T02:31:00.000-08:00

The best news is when the man of your dreams runs out on a lazy Sunday morning, comes back with a blender, and makes you margaritas in bed.

Teddy To Go

2007-12-07T02:20:00.000-08:00

From his lookout perch, this sight hound can scout the horizon for the next In-N-Out Burger.

That's Smart

2007-11-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

Neil Turok is proving that there was life before the Big Bang. His theory? Oh, we just ran smack dab into a parallel universe.

That Smarts

2007-11-29T19:11:00.001-08:00

It has been said that your task is not to seek for love, but to seek and find within yourself all the barriers you have set against it. Only then will Cupid get you good.

Attitude of Gratitude

2007-11-21T07:28:00.001-08:00

What's not to be grateful for?

One Month

2007-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone’s heard of a Magnum of Champagne. At 1,500 ml, when a standard bottle is only 750 ml, a Magnum makes a definite impression.

A Secret

2007-11-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

When you're in love, you see red Mini Coopers everywhere.

Mighty Mighty Good Man

2007-11-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

How do you win a girl's heart? Make four cheese macaroni with proscuitto on top.

Primordial Soup

2007-11-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

A stolen white rose, dark chocolate, filet mignon, Petite Syrah, a black German convertible on a warm, sunny day. The rest is history.

Back from the Hunt

2007-11-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

Think I may have caught me one!

Break an Egg!

2007-10-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Jeffrey Stock has just started a blog called Fooditude.

Jef and I go way back to an off-Broadway play in the early '90s called Manhattan on the Rocks with a Twist. He was music, I was lyrics (Give me the bright lights/Give me that tantalizing rhythm/Give me a guy who winks his eye/And has a couple in him)...and Ronald Ernest Clarke Shelton Padgett played Gertrude. She was to come out from behind the curtain at the crescendo of the play, find her husband cheating, shoot at him, take a bullet, and die on the bar. Now Gertrude's a big girl, and one night, she took down the whole curtain trying to get on stage.

Jef - may your gastronomic adventures be such a showstopper.

Can't Hear You

2007-10-29T08:42:00.001-07:00

Ronald Ernest Shelton Clarke Padgett continues to top herself as silent film star Alla Nazimova conversing with her little blue friend.

Idea No. 259

2007-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Speed bumps for tornadoes. If the mountains on the island of Manhattan could be flattened, then certainly the reverse is possible. Why not create some scenic hills around whirlwind prone cities?

Idea No. 568

2007-10-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

Heat activated sprinkler system that saturates the outside of the house from piping membrane in the roof. Can also be remotely controlled by fire personnel.

Priorities

2007-10-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

People were loading up their SUVs in their driveways of $3-5 million homes and mansions with three primary things: people, pets, and pictures. Add to that vital papers and passports and that’s pretty much it. People said over and over everything else was just stuff.

So why do we choose to live so differently when our world isn’t on fire? We’ve created a hyper-consuming society that has made the accumulation of stuff we mostly don’t value our religion. We have elaborate shopping rituals and even perform daily human sacrifices. The humans we are sacrificing are ourselves. We sacrifice our time and energy working and commuting so we can buy stuff that in the end, we don’t have much value for. We sacrifice our family and friends and hobbies, that genuinely enrich us; meanwhile, we increase our pace on a speeding treadmill fueled mostly by trivial goals often forced on us by others. Just what are we working for? What are we really trying to accomplish?
- Will Marre, Author

Eat in Peace

2007-10-19T01:12:00.000-07:00

Check out the cool tees at Drop Soul. Made from good morale fiber.

Cruelty Free

2007-10-19T00:57:00.000-07:00

Teddy would like to give a shout out to the sheep, geese, bunnies, cows, pigs, silkworms, and other animals in the world that aren't happy like he is. Please go to Caring Consumer before you make your next purchase.

Sneak Preview

2007-10-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek at Teddy's new portrait-in-progress by an artist friend, Bo Wakeman. He just turned 40 and decided to trade in his possessions and travel around the world, making his way by creating virtual art pieces. Send him your photos and your big mod portrait can be the first thing they unwrap this holiday!

And the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize goes to...

2007-10-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Yeah, baby!

Oh, Behave!

2007-10-11T23:15:00.001-07:00

Today, Teddy and I were stung by a big bumble bee. Teddy's eye is swollen shut, I have a big welp, and we're both on Benadryl. And the bee? Still going strong when he was removed with a Bug Wand, which makes a great hostess gift.

American Ingenuity

2007-10-08T00:25:00.000-07:00

The Aptera just may be the coolest car on the planet.

In the Palm of God

2007-10-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

"It was very brief. It was also very eternal. It was as though the scales fell from my eyes and the openings of the universe were shown to me. What I felt was pure, divine, eternal, knowing, compassionate love, and it was obvious. It wasn't even exhilarating. It was like, when you look at an optical illusion and all of a sudden, 'Oh, I see.' It just switched like this. 'Oh, I see. I am that. I come from that. That is what I am. And that is what everything is.'"
- Elizabeth Gilbert, Author of Eat Pray Love

Beauty and the Brush

2007-10-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

Romantic Head by Maria Kreyn

To Crash or Surge

2007-10-04T21:10:00.001-07:00

I can't seem to choose between these two David Molesky paintings:

One on hand, Crash is a crescendo suspended in mid-air.

Ah, but Surge has worked the entire canvas into a lather.

Autograph Hound

2007-09-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Nothing like curling up with a good book!

The Twilight Zone

2007-09-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

"If anyone can live on spite alone, it's Fidel Castro."
- Ann Louise Bardach

Relax in Savasana

2007-09-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

After five 90-minute sessions of Bikram Yoga in 105 degree heat, I can only say...it really works. Amazing!

The Goracle Has Spoken

2007-09-27T17:30:00.001-07:00

"...I fear that I’m losing my objectivity where President Bush and Cheney are concerned. Not much surprises me anymore. I have a lot of friends who share the following problem with me: Our sense of outrage is so saturated that when a new outrage occurs, we have to download some existing outrage into an external hard drive in order to make room for a new outrage."
- Al Gore: Man on a Mission, 02138

Author Author

2007-09-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Teddy is looking forward to meeting Marley's dad at this weekend's Carmel Authors & Ideas Festival. The only writer that's missing is the illusive Aerophant.

Alice's Restaurant

2007-09-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

The queen of the sustainable table gives us a taste of the best place to purchase food these days. Grab a basket and find out how to work a greenmarket.

The Carmel Dog Calendar is Rigged!

2007-09-22T13:08:00.001-07:00

Teddy has taken to his bed and refuses to accept visitors. The 2008 Carmel Dog Calendar results are in, and he was beat out by not one, but two, dachshunds. Concerned with the judges' obvious character oversight, Teddy has come up with his own calendar pinups choices below (of course, he would be on the cover).

January

2007-09-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I like my New Year with a little attitude.

February

2007-09-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

This face was made for kissing.

March

2007-09-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Whose hair better to blow the wind through?

April

2007-09-22T12:50:00.001-07:00

Wonder twins activate! Shape of...springtime.

May

2007-09-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

She's all sunshine and flowers.

June

2007-09-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Annie is jet set and ready to go on one of her Mom's all-girl getaways.

July

2007-09-22T12:41:00.001-07:00

A little star spangled sparkler.

August

2007-09-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Lord Wellington has always inspired Teddy to get out of town.

September

2007-09-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Back to school with Professor Sam.

October

2007-09-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Boo!

November

2007-09-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

Be thankful for warm friends.

December

2007-09-22T12:08:00.001-07:00

Because everyday is Christmas with No. 89!

It's Not If You Fall...

2007-09-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

...It's How You Land

I've begged them not to drop
Even considered scotch taping
The ticker tape of autumn trees
In a wink of color
The leaves give one last auburn hurrah

- New York City, 1997

How To Keep Your Girlish Figure

2007-09-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

Foresake the nectar of the gods...

...for a Bikram yoga class. Starting first thing tomorrow.

Sing Me Spanish Techno

2007-09-17T00:48:00.001-07:00

For everyone who has suddenly gone blonde.

You're Basking In It

2007-09-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Forget fame! A new study says we all need 15 minutes of sun.

The Greatest of Ease

2007-09-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Every girl needs a chandelier to swing from.

In Like Schwinn

2007-09-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Great news! The bicycle is the new must have accessory.

No. 28

2007-09-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

Once again, Teddy is attempting to become a pin up boy in the Carmel Dog Calendar. If he had to share the stage, he would pick his friend, Annie, and No. 89.

Last year, it was not the right kind of casting call.

Happy Birthday, Grandma Hon!

2007-09-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

My favorite memory of Evelyn Ann Morrasy is sitting next to her as she drove her pristine white car with blue vinyl interior singing along to "Song Sung Blue" by Neil Diamond. Born in 1901 to an upright political family (her father a Congressman and her mother a cousin of Woodrow Wilson), she rebelled and ran away to Gallup, New Mexico to become a Harvey girl. She married four times, the last to a Mr. Wright, but she confided that when all was said and done, there was no Mr. Right. My grandmother was all tailored suits and pearls, cream of wheat, honey and goodness...and I still miss her to this day.

Happy Birthday, Natalie!

2007-09-09T23:08:00.001-07:00

You're a ray of sunshine and breath of fresh air, both off and on the court!

Headstand

2007-09-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one.
-Dolly Parton

Distraction Drive

2007-09-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Never underestimate the trouble one ranger can cause.

Quelqu'un m'a dit

2007-09-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

No matter how many times I hear Carla Bruni, I never tire of her sultry voice accompanied by a simple guitar.

Why I Love Carmel

2007-09-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

This evening, Teddy and I were walking along the path overlooking the beach when we came across the entire fire brigade lined up against their fire trucks. "Is there an emergency?" I asked. The chief smiled and pointed, "Sunset."

To Wear or Not To Wear

2007-09-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

A little happiness for the Manolo from the most amazing Jane.

No Fooling

2007-09-04T21:22:00.001-07:00

Life is one big lazy susan.

Three Loins in a Fountain

2007-08-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

Bed Head

2007-08-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

Double Your Pleasure

2007-08-27T23:38:00.000-07:00

I've just read an article stating that more and more souls are foregoing the long tedious process of entering life as a child. Instead, these crafty clouds of conciousness opt for adults who are in reasonably good shape, but, for one reason or another, are ready to check out. Things to watch for include major shifts in personality, clumsiness, and general mayhem.

Lesson Learned

2007-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Never talk about the insurance industry before going to bed.

Endless Summer

2007-08-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Does it really have to stop? We've been having such a ball.

The 11th Hour

2007-08-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Leonardo DiCaprio's new eco-flick is out and about.

Happy Birthday!

2007-08-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

Woody Gwyn captures light and land and air on big, long canvases that make you feel as if you were there. He also tells some pretty hilarious antedotes, much to the chagrin of his lovely wife, Dianna.

What Would Audrey Do?

2007-08-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

There are so many deceased animals in the fall fashion issue of Town & Country (including the pelt on Heidi Klum's head) that Teddy and I have decided to cancel our subscription! Ironically, the Social Graces headline reads "Dressing for Dinner: What you wear can send a powerful message." Like a heartless distain for life? It is surprising that Pamela Fiori, a supposed Audrey Hepburn devotee, would allow such atrocities to soak the pages of her glitzy rag.

Thus far, I've counted:

- 4 Mink
- 3 Lamb
- 2 Fox
- 1 Chincilla
- 1 "Medley of Fur" from Gucci (Tom Ford would not be so cruel)
- 11 Crocodiles
- 1 Alligator
- 5 Calf
- 5 Python
- 1 Watersnake
- 1 Black Anaconda
- 1 Stingray

Tesla Time

2007-08-18T00:07:00.001-07:00

I'm a big Tesla groupie. This large, in charge electric sportscar does 0 to 60 in 4 seconds! For background, Who Killed the Electric Car is a must see.