wishbone clover

Up, Up and Away

For Jeff's birthday last month, we went up to Calistoga -- literally up, in this balloon that sort of looks like it should be catching fire, but is actually getting inflated.

We went up with Calistoga Balloons, who cleverly enough have a Calistoga water balloon.

 That's us in the shadow!

 And there's our shadow again, seemingly way far away.

Our awesome pilot, Jim. He had that classic pilot mellowness, nothing seemed to rattle him...or maybe it was classic Nor-Cal mellowness, we were close to Mendocino.

The view from the basket. Are you getting vertigo?

There was a second Calistoga Balloons balloon up that day. Yes, all of those people got in that basket -- it's huge!

Chief and me up in the balloon. He seems like he's having a fun birthday, right?

If you're thinking of going on a Napa Valley area balloon ride, I highly recommend Calistoga Balloons. They were super-organized, and have been in business for 30 years. You appreciate both of these things when you're 2,000 feet up, with only some hot air and a flimsy silk balloon keeping you from plummeting to the Earth below. A nice part of their package is that you get brunch afterwards, which is good because you have to get up at the crack of dawn. By the time you get down you're ravenous!

You can't bring a bag or anything extra with you into the balloon, except for your camera. So pack light! Also, you will be hot up there. Remember that the blazing fire that inflates the balloon? It's burning while you're in the air, which keeps you toasty. In fact, the top of your head gets pretty hot, so a hat is a good idea.

Wordless Wednesday: The Girls

 

 

 



 

Other Cool Stuff I've Been Doing ... At GreenDaily and Tonic

 

Why yes, this is a photo of me, Cat, holding a Flying Monkey salt shaker. And hour glass pepper shaker. Because I have a very excellent and attentive friend named Suzie.

While I continue my birthday month celebrations, here are a few reading selections from two more sites, GreenDaily and Tonic.

GreenDaily, the AOL green channel:

• Conservation Fashion -- which style eco-fashionista are you?
• Do you know about Plarn? And bags knitted out of Plarn?
• The bees are still disappearing, but some businesses are trying to do something about it
• What shade of green environmentalist are you?

Tonic, the "Positively Good" News site:

• A follow up interview with Ali Hewson/Mrs. Bono, on sustainable trade
  
• An interview with Mary Lynn Fitton founder of the amazing Art of Yoga Project
• Tom Szaky of TerraCycle shared his Garbage Mogul perspective on sustainability
• Fragrance magnate Harry Slatkin talked about his Autism foundation

Now that Clay is (openly) gay, I like him

Call me a liberal hypocrite, but Clay Aiken is now totally cool in my book.

Kudos to Clay for wanting to show his newborn son that being gay is nothing to hide or be ashamed about. And as everyone knows, a People cover story proves that everything is okay!

How cool this kind of admission used to be a career stopper, and now it's becoming a simple human interest story that gets you enough press to warrant an appearance on Dancing With the Stars. (Go Lance Bass! Woot!)

Seriously, it makes a big difference that he is out of the closet. Every public person who comes out makes it that much more "normal" for the sheltered folk who still see homosexuality as something deviant that can be prayed away.

Good or bad, as a nation, we make a lot of decisions based on what celebrities make normal. I have high hopes that the more "normal" gay gets in popular culture, the more ridiculous and inhumane it becomes to refuse gay couples the same protections and benefits as straight couples.

I imagine that all those laws trying to prevent gay marriage will finally shrivel up  the moment US Weekly publishes the wedding album of Lindsay and Sam. Celebrity lesbians, they're just like us!

Back to Clay. Let's hope this means he'll make an appearance on the next season of Kathy Griffin's show!

And a personal message to Kathy: Lady! I hope you sent Clay a lovely baby gift. This guy is now part of your posse.

Home is Where You Eat Cold Chicken in Your Underwear

“You’re going to die in this apartment,” my friend Sonya said when she walked into my new place on Friday.

While, from another source, this may have sounded like: “I sense an unhappy spirit presence...an evil presence” or “Probably a mistake not to replace the batteries in your smoke detector,” I knew what she meant. She meant: “You are home.”

Come Party With Us

Well, that went fast. We've been so busy here at WC headquarters in the City by the Bay traipsing around and sowing our internet seeds that we missed our own first anniversary!

To celebrate, here is a look back on a year of posts: rather a lot of drinks, compelling taxi cab conversations, and our deep, recurring love of Christian Bale. All excess, no regrets, we present (as modestly as possible): our greatest hits.

Hot Buttered Bliss with Baby

My birthday month got an early start two weeks ago, thanks to my friend Baby.

Yes, Baby. Exactly like in Dirty Dancing.

Although our plan was to shop for shoes, then drink, Baby surprised me with tickets to see Robin Williams at Bimbo's. And she had the brilliant idea of getting lobster rolls because The Lobster Shack was right on our way.

(Don't worry, we still got Baby the perfect pair of metallic ballet flats with a very au courant square toe and understated bow.)

Tina, Tina, Tina! Fey, that is, not Turner.

Tina Fey, our so favorite lady writer, is everywhere these days. And it's awesome!

At last, 30 Rock is back, and better than ever. There are tons of commercials for her new movie, Baby Mama. She and Amy Poehler even turned up on The View (my secret shame daytime TV love) today.

She's also Photoshopped to the point of near un-identifiability on the covers of Entertainment Weekly and Marie Claire. That's some kind of fame milestone, right? Yay Tina!

But most importantly, after years of desperately wondering, we almost found out what kind of glasses Tina wears, and where to find them!

Reader Appreciation Day

Today is Reader Appreciation Day, so let's start with a big THANK YOU! If you are reading this, we are deeply grateful. Yay for an audience!

We heard about RAD through Stefania at CityMama, one of our charter readers. Also we get many readers when she links to us. Thank you Stefania.

It is the brainchild of Robin at The Other Mother, and we also extend thanks to her, along with credit for the cool icon.

Friend-i-versary!

Funny that my friendiversary should come right on the heels of this article about how female friends should be better--well, friends--to each other. Less jealous, less sniping, more support. And more baths together, which I can't sign on for.

Seldom do you know the exact date you met someone. I've yet to have an official anniversary; I have no idea when I met important boyfriend #1 or important boyfriend #2. But I do know exactly when I met my friend Sonya, because it was chronicled on her blog.