DISQUS

Can't wait for that next post. The reason I don't use FF so much is because so far, it's just been easier to stick with the stuff I'm already using (FB & Twitter).

The Ferry Building is my favorite place to visit in San Francisco - we were there just after Christmas and the Farmer's Market on Saturdays is awesome! I fervently wish I could transport that one home - frustrating to be staying at a hotel and not really be able to take advantage of all the goodies on offer.

You raise a really good question here: WHAT is actually "healthy"? It does depend on the criteria you use... and that's why we all have to be diligent about analyzing those ingredient/nutrient lists! I think a lot depends on your current goals, as well. Someone who is trying to lose weight is going to care more about calories and fat content than whether the food contains chemicals. Personally, it drives me crazy that I can't buy a soda containing artificial sweeteners at Whole Foods. I understand why -- but I need what few sweet treats my carb-challenged body can tolerate. Some day, maybe I will care more about being organic/full grained/natural than I can afford to right now. I really hope so!

I didn't know today was your birthday! Welcome to MY side of the hill. (You look great - DG has inherited your talent for photography).

:sigh: Do you think the awful school district down here will have a better system in place in two years when my kid starts high school?

I don't know how I missed this! I wish I knew your grandma. What a great lady.

I find this very disturbing. I always thought of the right as people who see things in black and white, with no shades of gray -- that Democratic party is messier because we are more tolerant of differences. That has always appealed to me, because the world IS complicated and none of us is going to have the exact same opinion on EVERY issue. We don't need no stinkin' litmus tests, and I don't want to give credence to someone who applies them.

Sad and horrifying. A terrible week. Every time these events occur (and how awful that they occur often enough that I can say "every time") I re-evaluate whether or not we can move to my husband's homeland, the United Kingdom. I hate that firearms are so available here, but also realize that is something that will never change in this country.

I've been wondering what your take is on Anonymous. Great post!

You are correct about bipolar condition. It is biochemical.

It is quite frustrating to have a loved one who suffers from this condition. There is nothing reasonable or rational about it, it cannot be cured, just controlled, and finding the right combination and dosage of drugs takes some trial and error. I too am shocked that she was able to leave the hospital and I continue to be angry at the media for continuing to chase her around town. This woman's recovery will occur a lot quicker if she were allowed some privacy (which, she may not think she wants, but she surely needs).

Hey, even Maria Shriver married Schwarzenegger. You can't get any more Democratic than a Kennedy.

It's nice that you can make it work despite political differences. By the time my husband became a citizen, he had crossed over to my side of the fence. But the first vote he ever cast -- back in the UK -- was for Thatcher's Tories.

I feel your pain. Really. I'm not getting my updates on my phone, and I'm feeling really lonely right now.

Aww, thank you for playing along! Those are GREAT random facts!

I'm glad *somebody* is looking into a way to prosecute this woman.

I love this effect! Can't wait to see you get one that IS what you're going for.

Oh, to live in such a picturesque community! (Although I'm certain you would find beauty even where *I* live)

Amen!

I think faith and intelligence can co-exist in the same person, and your post proves it.

To the other commenters: Did you even READ what she had to say? Or the topics she has blogged about in the past. Because those seem like knee-jerk reactions to the subject matter, rather than the substance of her post.

I don't have a clever caption, but I think he looks the way I feel after a day of holiday shopping.

That is just creepy.

Good for Dancer Girl! I love her determination. I told you -- she really IS a champion.

I rather like the over-exposed & flash-bounced effect :)

I'm glad you all had such a great night!

I think it's the second thing -- the mental block that comes from having made the commitment.

I actually marvel at how good you are about posting daily... sometimes two or three posts (and I'm not even counting your political blog).

I'd not heard of this until I saw your Twitter feed yesterday. Now I want one really badly!

This is a perfect photo for the day!

What a heartbreaking, nightmarish tale.

It is rare to see this kind of account told with such compassion and understanding. This, of course, is the kind of thing we all fear in the back of our minds, the reason we don't tell our own kids what we might have been up to in our youth, because even though we came out of it intact, there is no guarantee your children would. I feel so sad for your friends, their son and the victims of his crime and fervently wish - like you - that we as a society could find a better way.