The iHatTrick

I just got the new iPhone for my birthday last night even though my birthday isn't for a couple of weeks. My son and husband couldn't wait to give it to me. I'm so excited. I now have the iMac desktop, an iPad2, and my new iPhone. They all talk to each other like a little passel of electronic employees.

I'm really excited about being able to take photos and share them super easily now. No bringing a camera with me anymore! My joy is only reduced a little because my youngest son is sad he has the crappiest phone in the family. If he didn't spend all his money on skateboard stuff, he might have the moola to subsidize a phone purchase or at least appear as if he's responsible enough with his assets to deserve a smart phone.

Destination: Art

I love the artist Dale Chihuly. If you've been to the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, you've probably seen his work on the ceiling (right.)

The photo to the left was taken at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix in 2011. It was freakin' hot, even at ten a.m. My sons and I were there to look at the plants, but were delighted to find some artwork of Chihuly's near the entrance. Those two "plants" on the right are made of glass. Even though they're this vibrating neon green, they don't seem to clash with the natural surroundings. Weird, huh!

Anyway, Chihuly is from Tacoma, Washington and in Seattle they've built the Chihuly Garden and Glass installation. I'm dying to go see it.

If I went there, I could also see the first Starbucks location, too. I've heard there are always long lines, but I wouldn't need to buy a coffee there. Come to think of it, a trip to Seattle would guarantee we'd have good coffee at least. There's nothing worse than going on vacation and having to suffer bad coffee. (Carnival Cruise Lines have horrible coffee, FYI.)

Favorite Quotes #11

Election day is not very far away. I asked for an absentee ballot and when filling it out, messed up and filled in the wrong bubble. The instructions said if one did that, to merely fill in the Official Sample Ballot and submit that instead. Unfortunately, I marked that thing up and crossed stuff out when I changed my mind a couple of times, so that solution was out. I went to the website and it seemed to me, although I'm not 100% sure, that I can just take the whole mess with me to my regular polling place and  get a new ballot. Cross your fingers for me. I really care more about this election than I ever have before.

So, here's a quote I think is appropriate this year, especially for my fellow Californians.


Our elections are free -- it's in the results where eventually we pay.

--Bill Stern, (1907-1971) actor and sportscaster