summer blooms

Last weekend Marc and I went out to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to see the lotus blooms and marshes. The water was low in the ponds because it has been hot and dry here.

light lunch.

This week I made panzanella (bread salad) and had a wedge of brie to make a light meal. The salad is easy and delicious--crusty old bread soaked in balsamic vinegar and oil, then mixed with fresh vegetables and a handfull of herbs. Yum-o!

Manufactured Landscapes.

Over the weekend I saw the powerful and disturbing film "Manufactured Landscapes." It's by an artist who has been shooting pictures for the past decade of landscapes (natural and man-made) created by modern industry. The artist takes a very neutral tone in the movie and lets the images speak for themselves (usually there is no dialogue).

Then the movie moves on to a metal recycling yard where people on their knees sift by hand through mountains (literally) of scrap metal to pick out the valuable pieces. It's no surprise that there's an entire mound of nothing but metal bases from old irons.

From there we see many images from mining operations, ship decommissioning yards, the 3 Gorges dam project in China, and other industrial sites that are desecrating the earth in horrific ways. We also get a feel for the people this is affecting. I wish there was something upbeat to say, but mostly this is a fascinating and nauseating look into what modern industrialism is doing to the planet and people. Clearly this is not a sustainable way of living. We need to curb our rampant consumerism & energy usage!

Film homepage & trailer.

Working Moms...

Davenport mulling comeback after birth of first child

Three-time major champion Lindsay Davenport is considering a comeback after being off the pro tour since the end of last year while awaiting the birth of her first child.

"I hope so," she said Tuesday on a conference call from her Laguna Beach home. "I haven't made any final decisions. It's a small goal I'm working towards."

This would be great! (And BTW, this is tennis we're talking about here.) Full story here.

A trip back.

Since I don't have my camera to take new ones, how about some old photos!

The cliff-hugging road to Hana! You can see a cut in the mountainside where the road is. I don't think there is a twistier road around, especially one with over 30 one-lane bridges! Not everyone's stomach made it intact...

Congrats to Marla and Jason! A really fun group of us went out to HI to help them celebrate their wedding.

Marc and Jeff walking along the sand.

All the news that ain't fit to print.

Sure internet news is convenient and quick, but why does the quality have to be ridiculously poor? Love the headline above...way to go AP for third-grade-level journalism!

Back in the hood, I mean heat.

Camping with my family last week was really great. It felt funny to be surrounded by lots of open space...I definitely need to escape the city more often. I can skip being woken up early in the a.m. by the birds, though!

I hope to post some pics...I've been having camera problems. And then I left it in my parents' car so they'll have to mail it to me!

I've had a full week and two weekends off...work tomorrow will be difficult. But since tomorrow will be close to 100 degrees again I'll be happy to be indoors for a little while.

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Having coffee w/ mom dad and sue

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This week i'm camping with my family in gettysburg.