Angst

Angst

I don't have the excuses or optimism for change of a teenager, but the angst wages on.

Totally.

Could It Be the Accent?

Could It Be the Accent?

Rumour has been circulating around the blogosphere recently about Britney and Nicki teaming up this summer to tour together. Well, Ms. Minaj is adding fuel to that proverbial flame with her straightforward and indirect responses during an MTV interview.

MTV Shows

In addition to superior show-womanship, questionable taste in fashion and upbeat pop tunes that push boundaries and stir controversy, these two women share a love for reasonably passable fake British accents.

If it were to happen, this would be a show I'd happily sell my left kidney to attend.

I'm gonna go put on a kettle for tea now.

Cheers!

Twilight and After

Twilight and After

Events of today leave me questioning whether I made a visit to the twilight zone. It all began normally enough, with a another fantastic Ambrosoli Family Fun Day. From there, I went to the Stanbic Bank at Garden City to withdraw my past-due rent, which I failed to do because I arrived five minutes after the bank had closed. Then I went to the Orange Shop to renew my internet subscription (thus being able to post on my blog again). A conversation might have taken place about customer-unfriendly systems that are in place that are convenient for no one, not even the business itself, so why not change the system? I went upstairs to the Cineplex to check out what was new this week. I will not be attending a film this Tuesday night. Even half price is too much to pay to see an Adam Sandler flick. To make it worse, it's that one with Jennifer Aniston. Sandler and Aniston, sharing the screen, shouldn't the audience be paid for the time lost while watching that disaster flick?

Cue Twilight Zone theme music here.

I went to meet a friend I'd not seen in ages in Ntinda. (On the way there, I stopped by Edison Mugalu's new exhibition at Afriart Gallery. Overall, it was not my favourite exhibition by Edison, whose work I love, but there were some really fantastic paintings, definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.) While waiting for my friend to get off from work, I did a bit of shopping at Quality Supermarket. Quality Supermarket in Ntinda a little treasure trove, with exceptionally bad parking, where you can find gluten-free pastas for only 2000 UGX for 500g and dark chocolate covered McVitie's digestive biscuits.

When my friend showed up, we were both feeling a bit peckish. Since I was not very familiar with that side of town, I let him direct me to a place to eat. We ended up at Buddies, a place I knew to be a bar, but he assured me they had decent food as well. I found parking in the rear on a mound of broken bricks, just outside of a Mormon meeting house--being in such close proximity to a bar that I'm sure blares music must lead to some interesting church meetings. The security guard at Buddies' entrance was over-zealous with his inspection. I think I even got a salute from him as I approached the door. When we entered the cave of a building, we started walking to the seating area to the immediate right. There was a guy standing at the rear wall, at an entrance to another area. He just looked at us and started flailing his arms. I had no idea how to interpret his motion, so I was sure they were not intended for us, and we kept walking toward the seating area. The guy obstructed out path, still flailing his arms, but never speaking a word. Well, with the guy standing in our way, it was pretty obvious that his fit-like movements were a sign that he did not want us in the seating area, so we went outside in the back.

Buddies is kind of gross. There were random piles of rubbish and stray cats abounded. The strangest part of the Buddies experience is that I did not just walk out and leave, but we stayed, ordered food, and ate. Eww. Why? Food eaten and bill paid, we decided to leave. I left a tip (not usually expected in Uganda, especially not in a place like Buddies). I didn't expect a thank you or anything, but I surely didn't expect the response I got: laughter. Yes, the rude bitch laughed.

From there we migrated to the Nob View Hotel. Now I had no idea what nob meant, so I looked it up in my phone's dictionary. Nob is a British term for a person of wealth or high position. The hotel has a pretty good view of Naguru Hill, so I guess the owner of the hotel wanted to make sure that the guests there knew they could have a look at all the privileged class's houses from his/her hotel. That's just weird. But not as weird as the enormous angel statue holding a lighted orb that rests atop the roof, just over from the bar.

Why? I guess someone thought it was pretty... or just wanted to be tacky as hell.

Earlier at Family Fun Day, I bought some roses to put in a vase at home. Well, I did not make it home before heading to Ntinda, so the poor flowers were suffering from lack of water in the back seat of my car. My friend told me that no one had ever given him flowers, so I told him he could have them. He decided it would be fun to carry the flowers with him when we went to the Nob View bar. He cradled them in his arms like a baby and made sure that all the waitstaff was aware that he had flowers. Then he stuffed the roses in the upper foliage of a potted ficus tree on the outside veranda, next to our table. I'm not sure if he meant his actions as a joke, but I sure had a good laugh inside, considering how bizarre the whole situation seemed to me.

Reflecting on tonight's events now, they do not seem so oddball. They seem like just another Saturday night in KLA. However, at the time, I really felt like I was in another dimension. Maybe it was heat stroke... or just exhaustion.

Or maybe none of the above.

It was a good day. Lots done, including messing up a website.:-) Fun run! No water. Internet expired. Comfort food.

Word Games

Word Games

As much as I love words and using them (especially through talking), I suck at word games. Just ask anyone who has ever played a gave of Quiddler or Scrabble with me. My Ugandan friends, who speak English as an additional language, stomp my ass in the ground when I face them at either of these games. Take tonight for instance, I lost a game of Scrabble to Leo by almost one hundred points!

I repeat: As much as I love words and using them (especially through talking), I suck at word games.

In less humbling news, Brit Brit has released her new video for Till the World Ends.

My Travel Scrabble consolation prize.

The Roommate

The Roommate

I'm getting better at these rest days. I figure if I keep myself busy enough, I have less time to be frustrated. Multi-tasking is key to making that happen for me. I'm like the metaphorical ADHD kid who has multiple plates spinning on sticks and must run amongst them, keeping them spinning so they do not fall down and break. This Tuesday evening's activities once again included going to the Cineplex, half-price tickets on Tuesdays! Last week, Nina made me think. This week, I only wanted to be entertained: no thinking required. Lucky for me, The Roommate was showing.

In this season of Gossip Girl, Blair Waldorf leaves Chuck, Serena and New York University for a new life in LA as an art student at fictitious ULA. She becomes roommates with a hybrid of Jenny from the Block and Britney à la In the Zone. We'll call her J-Zo

Blair misses her BFF, Serena, so much that she begins to obsess over J-Zo. True to fashion, Blair must be the center of attention. She does not want J-Zo to have any other friends; she wants to be the queen bee of J-Zo's life. Before long, Blair is up to her manipulative tricks again, and this leads her to the seduction of multiple partners, masochism and a brief lesbian affair that includes cinnamon lip gloss (this whole film is like a prolonged lip gloss add) and some extreme bondage.

If you thought Gossip Girl was "mind-blowingly inappropriate" before, Blair takes it to another level when she moves to LA. She adopts new parents, forgets to take her medication, puts the cat in the dryer, and bullies students and professors alike. Does she get her way in the end? Or does she die trying? For the answers to these questions and more, go see Gossip Girl: The Roommate season, now showing at Cineplex.

I'm raving:

"It was supposed to be a comedy, right?"

"The best so-bad-that-it's-good movie to hit Kampala since Burlesque!"

"Haven't you hear? Even with bad hair, Blair Waldrof's still the crazy bitch around here."

Manic Depression

Manic Depression

If I suffered from manic depression, then last weekend would be described as my mania. Lord, I'd be afraid of the depression that I'd be on the verge of falling into. It would be like coming home from a shopping trip to find your brother had cooked up a storm while you were away. The kitchen would be full of a dozen different dishes that really did not complement each other; flour would be on every surface; there'd be a pile of dirty dishes by the sink. Then when you said that you would only eat a small bite because you'd already eaten out; dishes would be thrown; you'd be cursed for everything you were good for and then some; you'd be the bad guy. Luckily, I'm not manic-depressive and I can still enjoy the buzz from the high of the fabulous two days I'm coming off of.

It cannot remember a Satuday better spent. It began (as many good Saturdays do) with a 9km run with Robyn. We were blessed with a lovely, cool morning, and tried out a new running path that proved to be quite enjoyable. She and I had a very pleasant breakfast afterwards at Cafe Java's: the best place in Kampala to refuel after a good run.

Later that morning, Rowena led me out of my comfort zone to much better things. Yes, the grass can be greener. She and I joined a group of her friends, and we all went to visit the children's cancer ward at Mulago Hospital. People with cancer hold a special place in my heart; I had to accept her invitation. We took with us supplies and gifts for the patients and their caregivers. Beautiful smiles, appreciative handshakes and that lump you get in your throat when holding back emotion were our rewards. I'd not done anything like that in a long time; I've recognised something that is missing in my life: service to others. It was such a beautiful experience, being a part of this group of people who took time out of their weekend to assist people they had no other connection with besides community.

Saturday evening I was off to Munyonyo for a sunset cruise on Lake Vitoria, in vulgar parlance: a booze cruise. Once again I was Lynne's plus one. Oh, the places being an accessory have taken me! (xoxo) At the risk of sounding cliche, I will add that it was a three-hour tour. The setting was stunning. Conversation flowed and wine was poured. The meal was fine (can't expect anything more when it's prepared by Speke, can you?), and the caterers used damn cheap plastic wine glasses that were all scratched up from excessive use and washing. I noticed one glass had mold growing in the stem, and true to fashion, I informed the bartender who did not make an effort to get rid of it fast enough to suit me, so I pick up the glass and threw it behind the bar. Back to the stunning setting:

Sunday morning was the annual International School of Uganda Charity Run. This was was my third year (I think) to participate. I bill the run as The Most Difficult 10Km Run in Kampala. To describe it as hilly would be an understatement. This run makes me more thankful for the German language and the modifier über. The run in Lubowa is über-hilly. Because it was only 10km, I really pushed myself and completed it in my best time; however, it was not my best 10km time ever, remember: über-hilly. Over the past three weekends, I have completed the 7-Hills Run (around 20km run), the Lake Victoria Triathlon (51km of swimming, cycling and swimming), and this 10km charity run. Of all three of these event, only yesterday's run has left me sore. In my legs. In my abs. In my shoulders. Go figure. But it's a good pain: hurts so good.

The afternoon after the run I had a fabulous lunch at Peter's with Alex and Joe. On the menu were pork chops that had been marinated overnight in Guiness. After lunch was a lounge on the sofa, dozing off to Kill Bill in the background.

No, I don't anticipate any depression coming on soon. I'm not looking for any buzzkills either. It would be great to keep the momentum of the weekend going throughout the week. The hash was pretty great tonight. Perhaps tomorrow night will be another evening at the Cineplex. Anyone wanna join me to see a so-bad-it's-good film? It's likely I'll go see The Roomate, staring Blair Waldorf.

Everybody's Free

Everybody's Free

Quinton Taver was the child with the phenomenal voice that wowed us all in the mid-1990s' Romeo and Juliet with his cover of Everybody's Free.

Like many child prodigies, he's no less talented, yet struggling to make it as an adult.

One may question Britney's talent, but hey, she's still got our attention. She made the transition from child star. As did Ms. Natalie P.

Last night, I attended my first meeting of Freethought Kampala. I've been intrigued by the idea since the first time I heard of the organisation a few months ago. I have two friends (whose intellect I respect) who are regular attendees, so I decided to make an appearance. I gave up an evening run this week to go, so you know it was something that I valued a lot. The topic of the evening was alternative medicine; the documentary they showed was interesting. The discussion after was also interesting. Unfortunately, I turn in to a pumpkin very early, so I had to dip out before it was over.

The subtitle for Freethought's blog is: promoting reason in a highly superstitious society. I respect that and think that it is very necessary in our society. However, I question: If we are bound to reason are our thoughts free?

Oh, in response to the question of a fair scientific test: A "fair test" requires that you change only one factor (variable) and keep all other conditions the same.

It's basic. I trained to be a scientist in a past life, but I teach primary science in my current one. We cannot forget the basic principles.

I enjoyed the meeting and hope to make it to the next one. They meet every last Thursday of the month at 4 Points at Centenary Park.

Stumbling

Stumbling

Today I stumbled upon two gems of my iTunes library: Hello Heartbreak (Michele Williams, Unexpected) and He About to Lose Me (Britney Spears, Femme Fatale); one semi-oldie and one very newie. Both goodies.

I've raved that Unexpected was fantastically, unexpectedly amazing. Hello Heartbreak, with

I got a strange connection to pain

I can't seem to walk away from hurt

sums up my masochistic tendencies pretty well.

Alliterately put: Femme Fatal is fantastic, fabulous and phenomenal. He About to Lose Me (bonus track on deluxe version) gives us a taste of that deep Britney voice that we love and don't get to hear so much in her recordings. Rodney Jerkin's production is smooth and not over done. I'm not in a situation at this point where the lyrics speak to me, but I love the sound of this song. I can always pretend that someone by the bar keeps staring at me, threatening the situation of the person I (hypothetically) am in a relationship with. Touching hands with someone seriously beautiful sounds like a great idea. Where are you?

FrankenMac

FrankenMac

If ever a lemon of a Mac was manufactured, mine is it. The computer I type on at the moment has very little remaining from the computer that was delivered to me in April of 2009. Straight out of the box the track pad needed replacing. The next piece of hardware to go was the SuperDrive, then it was the logic board. To their credit, Apple did cover all of these repairs; it only cost me getting to an Apple store to begin with and some time lost on my computer because they had to send it off for a few days. The power cord snapped last month; luckily I was in the US as could replace that immediately. Today, my monitor bit the dust. It was not a pretty sight to see, literally.

Like a solution sent straight from the gods of Mt. Olympus, Elite Computers in downtown Kampala one again came to my rescue. The guys at Elite are like technological demigods: they find solutions that work, but do not break the bank. I fought my way downtown after school this afternoon, almost 5:00pm—rush hour—and did not have much hope for a quick, affordable solution; my Greek chorus would have been spewing out expletives. After explaining to the Elite technician my troubles and hearing his most expensive solution, I battled my way to a very reasonable price for a new screen and the labour. What a fantastic job he did!

I watch what I type now with the images appearing better than they have in long time, which leads me to suspect the previous monitor was biting the dust for a long time, building up to today.

Now all I need to do is replace the keyboard and the hard drive, and I'll have a new computer.

I'm so thankful. Hmmm... I wonder if to express my appreciation I must travel to make burnt offerings at Mt. Olympus, or if roasting goat over charcoal in Uganda will suffice.

What about rolling sushi at Angela’s?

An amazing hump day night idea!

It's Britney and Nina, Bitch!

It's Britney and Nina, Bitch!

Found in my inbox this morning:

!!!

That's right, folks, Ms. Spears' new album, Femme Fatale, officially dropped on the world today. Femme Fatale is right up there with Black Out, being one of Britney's most consistently fantastic albums. While I love me some Brit, I cannot pretend to be a fan of E-mail My Heart, Bombastic Love, Shadow or Mmm Papi. None like those on Femme Fatale. You can dance the entire album away and not rush to the skip button for the songs that don't fit. Jody Rosen's review in Rolling Stone magazine says this "may be Britney's best album; certainly it's her strangest." And in this case, strange is definitely a plus.

New music from Britney, how could this day get any better? How about Black Swan finally made it to the Cineplex in Kampala. At last I could go see it, as it should be seen, in a proper theatre. I watched a bootleg DVD copy over a month ago, loved it, and knew it would be a gazillion times better on the big screen. And it was.

Black Swan is no simple film, and I believe it must be seen more than once to really appreciate how brilliant it is. While I agree with all the praise Natalie Portman received for her portrayal of Nina, I think her mother was hauntingly portrayed by Barbara Hershey. She was so creepy. Images in my mind of her and Sayid from Lost making out probably added to the creep-out factor.

Humour me a bit. Natalie Portman and Britney Spears connection beyond my blog: in the early 90s they were both understudies for Laura Bell Bundy (the original Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical and that rich blond chick that wanted her fiance investigated before they got married on an episode of Veronica Mars, season 2) in the Off-Broadway show Ruthless!.

Mother 'Effin' Monster

Mother 'Effin' Monster

Up Dem Damn Hills

The top five songs on my iTunes playlist for yesterday's triathlon were:

1. Monster (Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj). Nothing helped me pedal up those hills more than spouting out, "I'm a mother 'effin' monster!" And my growls and gunts would have lead many bystanders to believe it was true. Yes, Nicki's cameo is amazing and she deserves the recognition as the best contribution of to a single of 2010.
2. Roman's Revenge (Nicki Minaj featuring Eminem). Yes, another Minaj. I said before that Pink Friday was a great album for running. The aggression of this song can stir something strong within. No matter how tired you may be, this song will give you the energy to keep truckin'; you'll feel like a dungeon dragon!
3. I Wanna Go (Britney Spears). This song is so fantastic; probably my favourite on Femme Fatale. You don't have to wait to take on you freak until 'tonight'. You can do it on the running trail. In fact, that would be hotter. Love the whistles.
4. Dancing On My Own (Robyn). She quickly became one of my favourite pop artists with her Body Talk albums last year. Being 'in the corner, watchin' you kiss her' pisses me off and makes want to impress you more by 'givin' it my all'. Robs, we've all been the one not seen and the one not taken home. I feel ya.
5. Emancipate (Kelis). Yes, I, too, was in route.

Lake Victoria Triathlon 2011

Lake Victoria Triathlon 2011

I spent last night in Entebbe to be sure that I was well rested and ready for this morning's triathlon. It had become tradition for some friends and I to camp at the Entebbe Sailing Club the night before the tri; however, this year the triathlon changed venues to the Lake Victoria Hotel, so my camping tradition had to change.

Change is often good. Considering the powerful storm that blew in last night around 2:00am, I am very thankful that I was nice and warm and dry at the Sunset Motel. It was also quite wonderful to have a light breakfast of fruits and boiled eggs ready for me at 6:00.

This year, the distance of the bike portion of the 'Olympic' category was increased by 10km to 40km. The swim remained at 1000m and the run also stayed 10km. A sprint distance was also introduced (swim of 400m, cycle of 20km and run of 5km). Another big change was completing the swimming portion in a pool instead of the lake. Because of the risk of Bilhazia from swimming in Lake Victoria, may people have shied away from the triathlon in the past. I think the organizers' efforts to attract more participants paid off as there were about 120 participants this year.

The spirit of the day is what attracts me most to this event. While it is a competition, that really takes a back seat, and the people who participate enjoy the sport and the physical and psychological challenges that come along with it. It's really a very social day: a day to get out of the city and have fun with people you might only see once a year at the triathlon.

Before I left for the event this morning, I made sure to coat my body with sunscreen--a very wise choice in this equatorial location with intense sun. Yep, I coated me body pretty well, but omitted my face. Imagine what I looked like after 40km on a bike and a 10km run while wearing sunglasses and later a headband. I'm hoping the red patches with fade and even out with the white splotched left around my eyes and across my forehead. It's just too funny, like a scene from more than one 80s comedy film.

March has been an active/fit month for me. Last weekend were the Alliance Francaise Fracophonie Run and The 7 Hills Run. Today was the Lake Victoria Triathlon. Next Sunday is The International School of Uganda's annual charity run. It's only 10km, but it's an exceptionally hilly and difficult 10km. It should be fun!

Associating with fantastic swimmers to pretend I'm a fantastic swimmer as well, psyching myself up before the start.

Documented: The first time I ever put on a swim cap.

I took along my cheering squad.

Trying to look strong at the finish.

The look of relief: finished!

Eve of the Tri

Eve of the Tri

Thai curry dinner.

Sleep nearby at the Sunset.

Morning will come fast.

Significant Difference

Significant Difference

It's amazing the difference a day can make. I'd like to express that mathematically, but I haven't figured out how to yet. To complicate the equation, I could include an encouraging SMS as a superscript to represent how one can exponentially improve a day.

Today was a good day. Tonight was utterly fabulous.

Oh, Katy...

Oh, Katy...

I thought for sure I'd blogged in the past about my general dislike for Katy Perry. After conducting a search, I found out I have not. There's always been something about her that just irks me; it always feels like she tries to hard for attention; and it's not always funny. That being said, I think I'm having a change of heart, Katy.

The answer to your question,

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin,
Like a house of cards,
One blow from caving in?

is yes. Yes, today I do feel paper thin. I cannot say that I've ever felt like a plastic bag, Katy. I hate them, so to me that would be über self-loathing, and I don't do that. But paper thin. Today. Yes.

Katy, thanks for your vote of confidence. I might not feel much like it now, but I am a firework. And Katy I'll think of you when I let my colours burst, become brighter than the moon and all that when I go 'boom!' But not today. Remember, the one blow from caving in part?

Thanks for validating the space I do not waste.

Overkill

Overkill

I was back in action today... perhaps too much. After quite an active day at work, I had cross country club, so that was an easy-breeze (if slightly hilly) 2.6km run with the kids. Then I talked myself out off, then into again going to the pool for 1100m. After that was a fantastic hour and a fifteen minutes of Pilates with Pascale. She's such an amazing instructor. I love her classes, and when I come back after taking time off, I wonder, "What was I thinking?" And not just because it hurts like hell to get one's core back in shape. I just feel so good during and after a workout in her class.

Strangely, I did not feel at all exhausted after these three workout; I attribute that to endorphins. Still, I think it was a bit too much and do not know what I was thinking. I have a triathlon to compete in on Sunday, I should probably be resting and carb-loading this week. Plus, I'll probably feel like a train wreck, hungover, after this natural high finally wears off.

(1932-2011)

Day of Rest

Day of Rest

Rest days suck. Yep.

Actually, I was kind of looking forward to this one considering it's been a week since I last took one, and from Saturday to Monday, I ran approximately 40km. I envisioned myself coming home for a nap and then going to Cineplex at 7:00pm to see some eye-candy movie that would require no effort on my part to be entertained.

Flash to reality: I put in extra time at work, but still left feeling that my head was just above water. I came home to wait on a plumber that took about two hours to do a shoddy job. By that time it was too late to make the movie. Plan B: failure. Plan C: failure. Lately my free time really has not been free; it has revolved around my running and other workouts. When I don't run, I go to Pilates or to the pool. When I don't either of those... I'm lost, I guess. And that's frustrating.

I did get to doze a little in the sitting room recliner, but a hacksaw on metal does not provide an ideal lullaby.

The evening clouds were not without their silver linings. I was able to finish up a book on iPhoto (my first one) that I've been working on since January. I think it's ready for printing, but I want to give it one more edit tomorrow after my brain has been off of it for a few hours. Another great part of the evening was eating sun-dried tomato and green olive bread with Camembert cheese. Delicious. No guilt. One of the perks of all that damn running.

Before the sucky evening without a workout, I had a pretty good day. One of the day's highlights was the discussion I lead at staff meeting on intrinsic versus extrinsic rewards. I'm a big Alfie Kohn fan. His books always get me thinking; they force me to turn a mirror myself and question my practices as an educator. I was able to use some videos I found on YouTube (which as recently been blocked at school), and advocate the value of YouTube in the classroom. That's me, rocking the boat.

But did anyone listen?

Slow

Slow

The internet is so slow tonight, I really cannot get much done, and that includes my blog post. Thank you Orange. I'm at home ready for be, so I cannot let my frustration explode and shower down on you as debris like I did yesterday at breakfast after running 20km and having the waitress, after telling us there was no cheese and no cream cheese, come back from the kitchen and tell us there were no eggs. Me, sticky with sweat and mud, marching into the kitchen area of a restaurant demanding to know why there are no 'effing' eggs when the restaurant is no more than 300 meteres from two 24-hour supermarkets is a sight I wish that no one ever has to witness again.

The day went by so quickly, so I guess that means I was pretty busy. It was also an eye opener to how far I have let myself get behind. My organisational skills and work ethic must improve or I might just sink.

I had a good run, about 7km. Tomorrow will be my day off. I think I'll go see a movie.

Sushi Rolls, 7 Hills, Selena Gomez, Garden Art

Sushi Rolls, 7 Hills, Selena Gomez, Garden Art

My weekend can be summarised by these eight words.

Sushi Rolls

Angela had the most amazingly fun idea to celebrate her birthday: invite friends over, provide rice, nori and other bips and bops of small-cut food to be used as filler, and let everyone roll their own sushi. Considering only one person in attendance was Japanese and had a little experience in the area of rolling, I think we all did very well. Farcical it might have been, but tasty it definitely was. And in place of birthday cake (which I'm never a big fan of), lemon bars.

7 Hills

Like ancient Rome, it is said that Kampala was originally built on 7 hills. The Kampala Hash House Harriers annually organise an approximately-20km run that summits each of these hills along the way: Kibuli, Nakasero, Old Kampala, Namirembe, Rubaga, Lubiri, and Nsambya. This was my forth year to participate. The route is a fantastic challenge, and it is one of the running events I look forward to most each year. I made my best time yet this year, very happy.

Selena Gomez

I must admit that I love her just a little bit. Why?

• Maybe it's the fact that she love Britney Spears so much.
• It may also have to with the quirky fun of Wizards of Waverly Place.
• But I think it has more to do with the YouTube video of her doing Nicki Minaj.

There is a teeny bit of fascination that, if incubated, may turn into a new celebrity crush. And now that she's 18, that should not sound so creepy.

Garden Art

Another fabulous afternoon was spent in Bel's lovely garden with fantastic artwork and the amazing artists who created it. Once again, I'm appreciating the works of Anwar Nakibinge and Collin Sekajugo on my blog.

Accompanying all of this was great food and other incredible people. Few better ways exist to lounge away a Sunday afternoon.

Just one more random note...

On the episode of Project Runway I just watched tonight, Michael Kors criticised a designer (What's new?) by saying, "No woman in this world would want to intentionally make her butt look bigger." I think Mr. Kors, who is a brilliant designer, needs to broaden his world view.