Happy Halloween from Amy Winehouse, Pamela Anderson, and an Amish guy.





(We went to downtown Orlando for the Halloween craziness on Saturday night. Lots of great costumes, including "sexy" versions of just about everything, and at least ten dicks-in-a-box. The $3000 contest winner was a group of eight girls representing all of Britney's phases. Everyone said the third place guy should have won instead: he was the rabbit vibrator. My favorite costume overall was a Nicole Richie who stayed totally in character, unsmiling.)

Just quickly read Atlas of the Human Heart, the memoir by Ariel Gore. She's not a great writer, but she certainly is a profound one:

In the beginning, there was darkness. From darkness sprang chaos. From chaos rose the wide wandering goddess of all things. She separated the ocean from the sky, danced alone among the salty waves. As she danced, her movement stirred a wind, and when she caught it--behold! She was pregnant.

To dwell on the past. Maybe Lance hoped my memory would fade like the bruises into pretty sunset colors. But memories don't fade. Forgetting is a deliberate act. We cut and splice the footage of our lives, keeping what we think we need, discarding scenes, rewriting lines, smoothing over transitions, representing whole seasons with montages or jump cuts, editing out characters and complexities at will.

I got twenty some books at a library sale today, a lot of poetry and classics that I will hopefully someday read. I don't really care if I don't though, I just like to collect books. I need more shelves though.

I went on my first trip alone, without anyone at all, solo, all by my lonesome, and had a sublimely wonderful time! I went to Maryland for three whole days and visited Brigette and her new baby angel, did some glorious shopping, saw lots of friends and cutie kids, stayed at an amazing farm house with one of my favorite families, and enjoyed the beautiful mid-Atlantic fall weather as I drove all over with my windows down and WRNR blaring, hair tangling in the wind. I will go away like this once a year from now on, I think. Next year it should be Vegas with my best girlfriends.

The boys did fine without me of course, although Merritt had frightened and/or manipulated himself into a huge bedtime hassle with his father which took days to resolve when I got back. Right before I left Justin got attacked by fire ants, about 70 bites on his tiny feet which looked positively grotesque and I was rather relieved to escape from seeing them. He is not old enough for his histamines to really kick in yet so the bites didn't bother him at all. They just grossed out everyone around him. Besides a rather nasty cut and bruise near Merritt's eye from a dancing accident on Saturday, they were fine without Mommy.

Now my parents are coming and Halloween festivities begin in earnest. Merritt insists on wearing his alligator costume from last year. He doesn't care that it highwaters to midcalves. And I'll dress Justin in the little lederhosen and matching hat from Andy's childhood in Germany. Too fricking adorable.

He truly, truly is. In the best and worst ways.

Also check out Merritt's word for word interview with Mommy.

Report: Many U.S. Parents Outsourcing Child Care Overseas

The new items in my Cafepress store are showing up.



There's just something so satisfying about having my painting on a tote bag.

Top Chef finale is on tonight! I'm really hoping Casey wins. I've been impressed with her since she won the blind tasting quickfire challenge (Chinese five spice powder--who has heard of it much less can identify it?). Who cares if she can't chop onions at top speed.

I'm addicted to Tell Me You Love Me on HBO as well...it's very real. Almost too real.

I watched the Miami Vice movie last night. Colin Farrell was totally sexy but there was definitely something missing in the film. I think Michael Mann missed some of what made the show special. For one thing, the opening credits! Have something to set the same tone, instead there was nothing. And the story had a million holes in it. And I know linen gets wrinkled easily but it was very distracting to see the rumpled suits when you expect sleekness. The music was pretty good and I loved the speedboat trip to Cuba (I dream about going there someday) but dare I say I could have made a better Miami Vice movie.

I ignored the kids today and got some web stuff done.

Before and after pictures of our bedroom:












New painted objects posted:






New things in my Cafepress store featuring my sort of self-portrait Deity, which is now part of the Andrew Rice Art Collection and no longer for sale. But it's not showing up in the store--I wonder if I'm being censored?