Naughty Teacher

LOL!! Wow, poor sexy teacher. Like she's really going to answer her door and chat about her DVD. Funny. Glad they reassured us that the G-rated version would be sent out soon.
So, do you think this teacher should lose her job?
Do you think a male teacher would have lost his job??

BEST restaurant in the world!!

I have wanted to experience El Bulli for quite some time (on my "bucket list")... in Dec. I hope to be announcing that I made the cut (8,000 out of 2,000,000) and will be flying to Spain in 2010 with my lucky reservation. If not, I will cross my fingers for 2011...

El Bulli recently won "Best Restaurant in the World" for the 4th year in a row. It is the ultimate culinary affair...average of 30-40 gourmet courses over the course of 4-5 hours (only open 6 months of the yr, with a new menu every yr). El Bulli is a cross between a research lab & an edible art institute, with dishes designed to entertain as much as nourish, to magically surprise the palate... Ferran Adria is obsessed with flavor... his creations provide sensual & intellectual pleasure...an emotional experience.

Video cameras aren't allowed, however this lucky fella landed a dinner interview:

In reviewing the top 100 restaurants for 2009, I see that I've had the fortune to dine at 3 of the 12 USA winners, so far... French Laundry (random surprise from my honey), Chez Panisse (b-day w/ my BFF), & L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (in Vegas, baby). 7 are in NYC, 1 in Chicago, and to my surprise 1 I've never heard of, Manresa, fairly close-by in the bay area.

Don't drink and...

...stick a firecracker in your @$$!! :O

Gross-- sorry.
HaPpY 4th of JuLy!!! :)

kiddie parfaits

Here's my patriot treat for the kid-infested partay this afternoon...
jello, pudding, & whip cream.

Does it get any easier?

Actually, I wanted to make these:
frozen watermelon pops (note all the comments:)
but I couldn't find a star cookie cutter!!
Oh well.

Spouse pet peeves?

“It is the ignorant and childish part of man that is the fighting part”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson :)

Love vs. Rights

I haven't been following this custody battle but I saw this clip last week on the treadmill. In my opinion, it appears to be another case of I-am-the-father-I-have-my-rights... not a sympathetic parent demonstrating love and a strong desire to be with his child. He hardly made an effort to even make contact until the mother died. I believe if this is really about being with his son, he should jump on the opportunity to have him back 6 days a week (unsupervised), even if it does mean temporarily relocating to Brazil. What is more important? He is fighting to win the battle, meanwhile losing the war (connection with his son). Seems he would be much more likely to get custody, if he had a relationship with his son. Heck, he could even try to "kidnap" his son back to the US & the fight from here.

Maybe I'm judging somewhat based on personal experience as a child in a custody battle. My biological father fought for sole custody & when he didn't get it, the visits and contact ceased. My father & I are close now, but he missed out on my childhood. My step-father was my "dad".

A child isn't impressed with how much you fight for them and they don't want to hear about it or be in the middle of the two most important people in their lives. What really matters is the love and connection that is shared through time and experiences. If fact, they are more likely to sympathize with the parent who is less angry and more loving. David Goldman doesn't get it. It does appear that his son is happy and well adjusted with his extended family in Brazil. Here is a link to the interview with the step-father & grandmother: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/cb-vmAzkZJnT_2MfUtefPUapQTrRSZxfDLX/exclusive_the_fight_for_sean/
Sad Situation.

Is your jar full?

When things in your life seem almost to much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar......and the beer.

A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "Yes." The Professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed."Now," said the Professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. "When he had finished, there was a profound silence. Then one of the students raised her hand and with a puzzled expression, inquired what the beer represented. The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers (or wine!:)."