OUTSTANDING!

Met Ball 2011

Dakota and Elle Fanning at the Met Ball 2011, dressed in Valentino.

It has been said that my daughter favors Dakota Fanning. What do you think? She certainly is my shining star!

Giselle Bundchen is the definition of gorgeous!

Michelle Williams is simply stunning! This look is both sophisticated and unique, which is hard to pull off in my opinion.

My question is how does one get tickets to the Met Ball? I Googled it and couldn't find an answer. The idea of attending this Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC has just been added to my list of favorite material things to fantasize about, joining the ranks with, what art I would buy if I could only afford it and my families favorite game of what to do when (not if) we win the lottery. An active fantasy life is a healthy thing right? It keeps the dreams alive and in my family that is a tradition.

Vancouver Riot Kiss

Shot of a lifetime!

Photograph by Brian Stetler at the Vancouver riot after the Vancouver Canuks lost the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins.

Dang, I wish I had taken this photograph!

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Bob Dylan and Muhammad Ali

Norman Mailer and Muhammad Ali

These photos show three of my dad's favorite people. Muhammad Ali is hands down my favorite boxer. I remember my dad telling me in the early 70's that Muhammad Ali was the most famous person in the world. I loved watching boxing with my dad.

When I grew up, fighting was considered a normal way for a kid to solve a conflict. I was so proud when my six grade teacher, Mr. Lavrov, called me "Lefty" for beating up a boy that was bigger than me. In those days the first person to cry lost. I think the boy cried simply out of humiliation, not because I had hurt him physically. I used all my might to fight back the tears that day. My friends got sick of me bragging about kicking that boys ass.

One of my favorite inspirational quotes is by Ali, "I was saying 'I'm the greatest' long before I believed it."

Thanks to Duncan for turning me on to this website:

http://awesomepeoplehangingouttogether.tumblr.com

Things You Will Never Hear Coming Out of My Mouth II

"Wow that tomato was delicious!"

"There is way too much cream cheese on my bagel!"

"May I please have olive oil instead of butter with my bread?"

When did it become popular for restaurants to offer olive oil and not butter? I shamelessly order butter with my olive now and while you are at, it how 'bout bringing me a big hunk of deliciously fattening cheese!

Ace

Do you have a favorite playing card? The ace of spades has always been mine. Not because of this, my self given nickname is Ace. I decided I wanted a nickname and I asked my husband to start calling me Ace. He obliged in email greetings for about a year, but I recently took note that he has not called me "Ace" in any kind of form in quite a while. Hopefully this is not due to any lack of ace-like behavior on my part.

"So why do you call yourself Ace?", you ask. Well, it is a little known factoid that while teaching English in China, I won a ping pong championship . This generally impresses people. I suppose this is due to the stereotype that the Chinese are master ping pong players. This is a like saying, "Wow, I am impressed that you won a game of horse in the U.S., because those Americans sure are good at basketball." This logic is flawed and I promise you that there are plenty of Chinese people who suck at ping pong!

I am proud of my accomplishment though, not because it happened in China, but because I take my ping pong seriously. My motto is, "Consistency wins the game!". I just try to return the ball and not get too fancy. I have played ping pong with many a man who loses to me, not because I am so good, but because he beats himself, trying to show off his masculine power by slamming down the ball, only to have it miss the edge of the table. Oops! I win!

So I am proud of my ping pong accomplishment. Feel free to call me, "Ace".

Things that You Will Never Hear Coming Out of My Mouth

"Wow, those mutton chops are soooo handsome!"

They weren't handsome then and they aren't handsome now!

What do think of Jermaine from "Flight of the Conchord's" mutton chops?

"Honey, how about wearing your sexy man clogs tonight?"

If anyone can pull off man clogs, Jake Gyllenhaal can?