Kate's Blog

Psyched!

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:24:00 GMT

T and I have tickets to see Leon Redbone at The Egg tomorrow night. We've hired a sitter, and we have reservations for dinner before the show... and we're likely to go for drinks afterwards as well. This is a pretty big deal for us; we don't get out often nowadays.

T and I both *heart* Leon Redbone in a big way, and we've been keeping tabs on his gig schedule for years in the hopes of seeing him. So of course, we're super excited that he's playing a mere two blocks away from our house tomorrow.

As I was getting ready to leave Los Angeles and move here, I seriously questioned my ability (as a pro music enthusiast) to survive in a town like Albany. But I've found, especially now that I have a kid, that this city meets my needs quite well. I no longer have the kind of money to spend on CDs, shows, etc. that I once did... so I am glad that I don't live in a place where I am constantly tempted to spend beyond my means. Albany attracts shitty (according to me) perfomers most of the time... and then once a year or so, the show of our dreams ends up happening right down the street. And sometimes, it's free!

Tomorrow night's performance isn't free, but I'm sure it will be worth every penny. Can't wait!!!

a.k.a. Martha

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:52:19 GMT

Taking breakfast to a whole new level...

Watermelon!

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:24:14 GMT

Piper really digs it:

Caliente!

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:02:40 GMT

Many thanks to Mark Henry for the lifetime supply of hot sauce (a portion of which is pictured above). We're psyched!

Free Show!

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:49:59 GMT

Cracker and The Lemonheads played a free show two blocks away from our house last night. I was particularly excited to see The Lemonheads, as I have loved them for years and had never seen them before. Both bands were great, and the Empire State Plaza is a phenomenal spot in which to enjoy live music. Piper was with a babysitter so we didn't have to worry about anything. An awesome evening! Check out my pics here.

Hamburger Helper Hell

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 02:11:06 GMT

One of Piper's most recent obsessions is this small box of Hamburger Helper, which came as part of a play food set I bought her a few weeks ago.She calls it "Helper," and she loves to carry it around the house and feed it to the cat and to her Elmo doll. Being the cheap piece of crap that it is, "Helper" was not designed to withstand heavy use and it has quickly become flimsy and misshapen. This wouldn't be such a big deal, except for the fact that my daughter is extremely anal-retentive and gets really upset when "Helper" falls out of its box formation. All you have to do is look at the damn thing and it caves in... so basically, Piper is constantly in a high state of anxiety when playing with it. To give you a little taste of what I dealt with on Friday:

And later that same afternoon:

I managed to wrest it from her clutches on Saturday afternoon, and it is now hidden in a pile of junk in my office, where she will never find it. She's still asking me for it, though. I thought "out of sight, out of mind" was the rule with babies. Guess not.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:25:19 GMT

This book is a surprisingly entertaining read, and it has been a real eye-opener for me in terms of my own personal food consumption and how my habits are adversely affecting the planet. To give you an idea:

Americans put almost as much fossil fuel into our refrigerators as our cars. We’re consuming about 400 gallons of oil a year per citizen – about 17% of our nation’s energy use – for agriculture, a close second to our vehicular use. Tractors, combines, harvesters, irrigation, sprayers, tillers, balers, and other equipment all use petroleum. Even bigger gas guzzlers on the farm are not the machines, but so-called inputs. Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides use oil and natural gas as their starting materials, and in their manufacturing. More than a quarter of all farming energy goes into synthetic fertilizers.

But getting the crop from seed to harvest takes only one fifth of the total oil used for our food. The lion’s share is consumed during the trip from the farm to your plate. Each food item in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1500 miles. In addition to direct transport, other fuel-thirsty steps include processing (drying, milling, cutting, sorting, baking), packaging, warehousing and refrigeration. Energy calories consumed by production, packaging and shipping far outweigh the energy calories we receive from the food.

A quick way to improve food-related fuel economy would be to buy a quart of motor oil and drink it. More palatable options are available. If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. That’s not gallons, but barrels. Small changes in buying habits can make big differences. Becoming a less energy-dependent nation may just need to start with a good breakfast.

This book will definitely make you think twice about what you eat, something we should all be doing these days. I highly recommend it to everyone... vegetarians and carnivores alike.

Adiós, Gilmore Girls

Wed, 16 May 2007 02:00:20 GMT

Sadly, my favorite television show came to an end tonight after seven seasons. T introduced me to Gilmore Girls when we first started dating, and I've been hooked ever since. Yes, it was a bit "girly" at times, but it was also original and clever. I liked the quirky characters and the pop culture references. Perhaps most of all, I liked being able to bond with my husband over a program (we don't watch much television and often find ourselves at odds when we decide to tune in).

Over the past couple of years, I have been given DVD sets of the first two seasons as gifts. I think I may endeavor to collect the rest of the series as funds permit. It will be fun to have a Gilmore marathon ten or fifteen years from now, when it is sure to seem extremely dated and even more quirky.... kind of like a time capsule.

The Reminder

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:45:58 GMT

Another great album! Check it out!

Get Involved!

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:44:30 GMT

Step It Up 2007 is a nationwide campaign comprised of over 950 actions being held on April 14, 2007 as part of a National Day of Climate Action. The actions range from a rally of thousands in New York City, to a handful of scuba divers off the coast of Key West, to a community of senior citizens in Ohio holding a global warming awareness day. Rallies are planned in every corner of the country, in 48 states, by people from all walks of life, which demonstrates the widespread demand for quick and dramatic change on the issue of global warming. Despite the varied backgrounds of the participants and the uniqueness of each event, they are united in delivering a critical message: For Congress to put America on a course to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2050.

T, Piper and I will be at the event in Albany's Washington Park.

Get involved! Click here to find the event nearest you and/or learn how to organize one of your own.