Dear Pentrified,

So hello you,

I wanted to point out the obvious issue of how differently we eat oatmeal. I mean you heat your water up and then pour it in, you prefer a smaller bowl and let it sit to gain consistency. Totally strange. I mean i prefer a bigger bowl and cook it into a nice hearty consistency. Not soulless as you contend. But I digress.

Next up obviously is how your kids love me. So that's awesome. And I do like giving them a hard time. The ferry was great and the aquarium entertaining. I mean how do fish exist in the world- i do not get it! I mean there they are- the sea horse! my favorite puffer fish?! Wow.

And we did it- action packed day-- roadtrip, ferry, aquarium, snacks, shooting range (which i'll totally tell you all about tomorrow), cornbeef brisket and cabbage, and fondue! Increab. Oh man, such a good time. It was so nice. I think we, sans kids, just sunk back into our chatty selves, maybe me more chatty after the irishcoffee. But I like us, i really do, which of course brings me to the fact we're going to go on an a surprise road trip, (friday) of which screenplays are written. Possibly we're too cautious for it to be a true misadventure, and granted it is on the way to your grandma's funeral but it seems meant to be-- we'll do the 10 hours, and the visitation, and the funeral- catholic mass and all and i'll get a ride into new york with your brother. I resist random but then I gravitate toward it at the same time. So this seems inline. And I'm happy to be there for you. Obviously also, I demand fizzy water, dark chocolate (no soy) and other snacks and lots of fruit and a good book or two on tape but otherwise, besides a good lunch, comfortable clothes and letting me sleep the first few hours, i demand nothing at all. ;)

m.

Pentilion,

So the day was a success yes? I mean far be it for me to put a stamp of approval on your birthday but? You let me sleep in, which led to the pumpkin orange and sad/happy banner. And you know pedicures- where they may or may not have been chanting blessings over us as they lotioned our legs, and sure we saw 4 vultures circling overhead once we got out of the store and into the parking lot, but i'm sure that's a good omen, and doesn't bare anything whatsover but awesomeness for our possibly impending roadtrip to pennsylvania. They were sort of more to the right of us anyway. And then of course there was the suitcase expedition, because who wants those bastards to have the satisfaction of charging me yet another $20 on the way home. Jerks. American Airlines is getting a letter from me. Is all I'm saying- a 1/2 in over the line? Really? Jerks!

Anyway I digress, so then there was the dress i found-- i mean the dress you found, and your birthday pizza which looked delicious, and the flower purchasing, and the mario karting and the sushi for dinner. All in all win/win right?

I don't know yet (i doubt highly) if my stuff is going to fit into the new suitcase, but whatever, it'll work out. I ate all the rest of the veggie strips by the way. What else, what else- that cake looked amazing... and the frosting admittedly was delicious. And yes, the fish tank, lets do it, that deafening water dropping sound thing is harrowing to the 'nth degree. And tomorrow, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. And it's going to be flippin' sweet.

m.

MY DEAR PENELOPE,

Happy Birthday My Good Friend,
Perhaps the end of 31 is filled with more slings and arrows than future 32? Either way I'm glad to be here for the tightrope walk between. Sometimes you need to have someone as a nonverbal, possibly cheeky anchor with you 24/7 all week to manufacture fun beach memories and steal your husband away to the shooting range. Either way, its pretty fabulous you were born.

Today despite the non-yoga that started the morning, it's probably good i didn't sleep in till 10, and I got a shower. And the beach! Frolicking in the atlantics and the carolina blue sky!

And now the day awaits-- shopping, pedicures?, good food stuff? spring garden purchases... anything and whatever because you are you, and you are FABULOUS.

Dear Pentastic,

I'm not psychic but it seems like we're having a good time? Sort of like I never left. Besides the fact that I know I need to get a laptop so that we can all be plugged in at the same time. Though it is forcing me to finish e@tpray,love- which i confess, i'm leaning toward not liking, but not in the hate sense, but is it possible that as talkative and nice and compelling as she is, she's ultimately shallow? even in all her deepness? having all these experiences but not really completely reflecting any sort of change, but just taking on character after character, living them right but not really? Or rather thats how it seems to be conveyed. As the newness of the first i left. I have some pages left so we'll see.

I suppose the biggest change besides the shocking fishtank move, which i noted in a blogpic once so i prepared myself not to be shocked- is klo's utter chatterbox nature. mymymy. Come forth extrovert friends. Also I was shocked to see how small your laptop really is and klos room does really look fantastic. More fantastic than pictures can be conveyed. Oh, and I love that jlo had rocks/mineral guides for me to look through. And that I did identify the stones I bought.

You just brought us strawberries, brie and salami. I'm totally excited. And amazing race is on. Oh man you'[re making me watch last weeks episode.

I'm totally not going to sign off.
You know, I don't have DVR. I dont know what its like. Well anyway, later I suppose I should stay up late and train for mariokart- as it is I still don't know what time it is. I got up 350am, flight delayed- arrived sometime 6pm est sleeping at 12am est and then with daylight savings, which i agree with you is completely lame, i woke up around 1030. Missed my potential husband but did get to have bacon and eggs and show up for a lovely tea- klos first, which i found charming, and i agree also, don't think were on our radars when we were kids. Maybe? And somehow the day has passed. ANd there is one more strawberry left---

m.

Pen,

So, off I went to the gem show at the LA arboretum. There was only one table with what I needed, so am sort of really kicking myself for not getting everything I needed when I went to PAS. These gems are for easter and the quality seemed less but still good? but still?. But anyway dad actually came along and so did mom- and everyone walked away with something fun to play with and all their money spent. Though dad refused to walk any further, mom and I had fun with the blossoms and dad insisted the peacocks were entertaining despite him not having left a 100ft radius of the entrance to the vast estate.

i bought him and took him home and am going to watch him grow and grow... here be vanity pics for FB profile pics, beware: i would delete this shot compartively speaking but i like the colorscape.
and then blossoms as big as your face!!! and my handy umbrella...
after all this me, me, me and mom... here's the rest- lunch (dad looking annoyed at either me taking yet another picture of myself or just me and my general shenaniganisms), hardware store (not pictured though i did walk away with a letter stamp set and a clamp for my jewelry making), drive thru starbucks, and checking for leaks at casa grande. then i was stolen away to eat garlic fries and not work on my jewelry. sacrifices, sacrifices.

Pentalope,

So here we are again. Look at me go! Documenting things and everything. Breathe soft though. My first adventure was to Little Tokyo. Thorne as always is hilarious. Very mod, though I felt overaccessorized with the red sweater. Her mother insisted however. Underneath is a very retro pinstripe longsleeved tee- She felt a bit like taking over the world and insisted on walking and being amused, and dragging plungers around the mall. It was a good deal for $5 though. At one point in our grazing of all things tasty the fro-yo guy was like, dude she's staring into my soul! It's freaking me out! Oh formidable girl. (We laughed at his pain and kept on eating our yogurt).

Previous to this we ate at a nonspecified eatery and I threw caution to the wind in the name of soy. I faired ok. The miso was good I thought, I adventured with the crab salad- not my forte but pretty good and the presalad was great, and the rolls were decent, the teryaki only so/so but hey good times. We tried "new". Followed with infusion tacos because we couldn't not try them. Obviously. I mean we were so full but still.

then after such a day and a talk on sin, by alisterb@gg the day began again with Callie and we were at first going to hike and then opted to explore the canyon instead. Wandered. Found this structure. I would be an angry hobbit too if my house was painted green. And then after looking all round the textures of the place were just crazy- dizzy and overgrown, and zigzaggy crazy. I did break out my guide books and identified 'bermuda buttercups' (notpictured) and a red-tailed hawk... sure I could be making it up but still... the things unidentified is what we really care about... possibly poison oak? cool puffy yellow tree, random wall with holes in it... strange terraces and signs of fire. And the lovely sound of water. It was nice.