Just Don't Ask

Bipartisanship

You can't negotiate with crazy. As long as Republicans can only offer more and more tax cuts as their sole solution to this (or any other) problem they're useless. I have to give credit to blogger John Cole for this quote, which I think accurately summarizes efforts at bipartisan action in the current environment:

"I really don’t understand how bipartisanship is ever going to work when one of the parties is insane. Imagine trying to negotiate an agreement on dinner plans with your date, and you suggest Italian and she states her preference would be a meal of tire rims and anthrax. If you can figure out a way to split the difference there and find a meal you will both enjoy, you can probably figure out how bipartisanship is going to work the next few years. "

Cautious Optimism

I've been trying very hard to tone down my expectations and to remain realistic, but optimistic. In my opinion, President Obama will inherit a more complex and difficult situation than any president in my lifetime, and the solutions to these problems will require a long, difficult course of action. Things are very likely to get worse before they get better. It's taken us 28 years to dig this hole and we won't be out of it quickly.

My tone of caution, however, was shattered this morning when I was on my way to work, listening to NPR, and heard a children's chorus singing "God Bless America," and I realized that maybe, just maybe, this was MY country again. I've been in tears ever since. The 8 year nightmare is over. I hope, oh how I hope, a time of reason and thoughtful action is here.

"But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."--President Barack Obama

Nothing is more important to the future of our nation or the world than understanding that we cannot put off unpleasant decisions any longer. We've lived for too long as though we thought our past assured our future. We've used limited resources as though they were endless and we've rung up debts that our grandchildren will struggle to pay, all without keeping our house in order. We have to face some years of struggle and sacrifice. There will be those who will tell us that our struggles are foolish or that our sacrifices are not needed. These people are liars.

The Pearl Fishers

Some of you who were paying attention may have noticed I endorsed opera as an interest, but that I hadn't posted any entries about opera. Well, I'm about to remedy that. Today, I went to see The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) by Georges Bizet by the Seattle Opera at Marian Oliver McCaw Hall.

This is a wonderful opera, the music is outstanding, particularly the duets and the choral pieces. You have to give a pass to the weak attempt to be exotic by setting the story in Ceylon--about which Bizet clearly knew nothing. That kind of thing is common in opera, though. Madame Butterfly is hardly evocative of Japan, and La Fanciulla del West is the worst western ever, but a great opera.

In The Pearl Fishers, the motif for the female lead, Leila, is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. It repeats and is used in duets and even used in variation in a minor chord when the death sentence is announced in Act III. The soprano (Larissa Yudina, Leila) in today's performance was wonderful, and the baritone (David Adam Moore, Zurga) was very powerful. Sadly, the tenor (Brian Stucki, Nadir) was weak. His voice barely left the stage. When he first appeared, I thought someone else was singing offstage for him, his voice was so muted. He couldn't hold his own in the duets, which are the best part of this opera.

As in any French opera, there was a lot of dancing. The dancers in this performance were great. The choreography was athletic, a lot of tumbling going on, and it really worked pretty well.

I was with Gary and Sarah, and they enjoyed themselves. We went out for dinner afterwards, to the Bhan Thai on Roy Street. I had scallops in a curry sauce, very spicy and cooked to perfection, with an excellent Gewürztraminer from Washington.

Zackery's First Birthday

Believe it or not, Zack is now one! We had a birthday party for him, Becky made an amazing cake and we all had a great time. Zack had a small cake of his own, which he reduced to powder before starting to eat. He got great presents (a zebra he can ride!). I was lucky to get a picture of him wearing the crown. He is obviously a Democrat, and uncomfortable with the trappings of royalty, as he would quickly take the crown off his head and throw it to the ground whenever we placed it on his head.

Post-Christmas Christmas with Becky

On the Saturday after Christmas, I went up to Whidbey Island and spent a day with Becky and Mike, and Lukas, Emelia and Zack. They were having a great Christmas, and had just gotten back from seeing the Wizard of Oz at the Seattle Children's Theater. We had a great time together, and the kids didn't seem half holiday-ed out. Well, with the one gift, maybe Zack was a bit past his prime, but it was late and he'd been sleeping in the car for quite a while.

I love to watch Becky and Mike interact with their kids. They're such great parents, with patience I certainly never had, and those are such great kids.

Becky's big smile is for their gift--two tickets to see Swan Lake at the Pacific Northwest Ballet in April. That's a long time to wait for Christmas, but Becky is a real ballet fan and she hasn't been to the new McCaw Hall in Seattle, and Swan Lake is such a classic, it just seemed right.

Christmas at Ben's House

THUMP!

That was the first sound I heard on Christmas morning, as one of the kids opened and then "gently" closed the door to the room where I was sleeping. I have to give them credit, they'd been up for about an hour, waiting for me so they could start opening presents. Meanwhile, I was oblivious. I got up, and then it was "bring on da noise, bring on da funk" for the rest of the day.

I spent Christmas Eve and then Christmas morning with Ben and his family. It was a load of fun, the first time I've spent the day with them for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Sarah came over and we shared one of their traditions--Chinese take-out for Christmas Eve dinner. I don't know the origins of that one--I couldn't find it in the four gospels anywhere--but it was great. Christmas Eve will never again be complete without Orange Beef and Walnut Prawns.

The kids all got matching pajama bottom pants in a Mickey Mouse pattern from their Grandma R., modeled above by Sam. They changed into those and also were wearing (except Ammon) t-shirts I'd brought back from the Philippines.

On Christmas morning, they opened the rest of their presents. Their Grandma R., Sarah's mom, made an amazing array of beautifully crafted items, a dress for Lura, matching shirts for Sam and Ammon, a bow tie for each of the boys, among others. Gay is an exceptional skilled tailor. They also received some toys, some gifts from each other and from Ben and Sarah. Sam got a new bike--a real beauty. I gave Lura an "American Girl" doll (Kit Kittridge), robot kits for Sam and Ammon, and a set of "Thomas the Train" DVD for Joshua. Sarah made me a cloth grocery bag with a baseball fabric (lined in perfect Green Monster green). Since Seattle will start imposing a $.20 per bag fee on plastic bags in January, that is a very timely and useful gift. She used a regular plastic bag as a pattern--the apple did not fall far from the tree in her household.

After present-opening, Ben and Sarah had prepared a brunch with breakfast casserole, bread pudding, hot chocolate (homemade), muffins, breads and fresh pineapple. Their friends Steve and Apple came over, with their daughter Samalia. The little girl was born at the same time as Joshua and was also very premature, and the two families met when those little kids were in Mary Bridge together for several months. It's been fun to see the two of them develop and grow so beautifully after such a rough start.