Month: December 2010

Happy New Year

I hope tomorrow to have a post about the year, because it’s been a while since I’ve found time to share more than a moment here, and it would be nice to chat.

In the meantime, here is sunrise in Seattle on the last day of the decade, taken (prosaically enough) from the parking lot of the grocery store. Yes, I was there early: I have learned that all the bread is fresh and there is never a long checkout line. The meat and fish guys are cheerfully sharpening their knives, the vegetable guys are putting brightly-colored produce into the bins, the deli people are laughing and making sandwiches for the lunch rush. There are birds who live in the rafters; they fluff and flutter, and you can only hear their little voices when there aren’t so many people. A market in the first hour is a place of becoming; everything feels wide open and full of possibility.

And so too does the sky. And so too does the year, the decade, the life.

Enjoy your day, and Happy New Year to us all.
 

 

My holiday present to you is a lizard!

I am so looking forward to Rango (and I will say that the list of Animated Films I Have Ever Actively Wanted To See is about two, maybe). Here’s the latest trailer, which has only increased my Glee Quotient for the movie.
 

 
And as a special holiday treat, here is a brief look at the “Making of” process. I love that the film wasn’t made with actors trapped in a booth voicing to existing animation. I would imagine that can be pretty frustrating — all talk, no action, as they say. But Rango was made with actors creating the roles physically as well as vocally. Actors doing and being. And they look like they’re having so much fun, don’t they?

Fun is Good. I like it a lot. I hope you’ll have some the next day or two. Happy holidays.
 

 

The prodigal website returns

Thank you to all who supported me during the recent difficult time in which my website went missing. You’ve all been wonderful, and I thought you should know that the site came home last night with only one shoe, no underwear, a tattoo on her right arm, an empty champagne bottle in her bag (a real feat of engineering, it took me five minutes to extricate it and oh my god, the cleaning bill…), and a goofy grin.

She’s sleeping it off now. I’m so happy to see her back, I’ll probably just give her more champagne later. Along with a stern talking to, of course. I’ll go work on that now.

Enjoy your day!

Seattle, get your Santa on…

Fabulous photographer Jennifer Durham is featured in today’s Seattle Groupon with a Santa/family photo special offer. Jennifer is a seriously excellent photographer: check out her portrait work and her gorgeous landscape photography.

Memories are a powerful thing. A lot of people can show you what the moment looks like: it’s a different sort of talent to capture the internal reality. If you’re in Seattle, go to Groupon and seize the moment for yourself or someone you care for.

And enjoy your day. I hope it brings you something lovely and memorable.

Another one of those great videos…

I’ve posted these before — the fantastic public-space songfests that T-Mobile sponsors around the world (and yep, they deserve that plug from me, I’ve had a lot of pleasure from these videos). Here’s the latest, from Heathrow airport. The really cool thing is realizing that no instruments are used: humans are the orchestra as well as the voice.
 

 
And, if you want a peek behind the curtain, here’s a lovely “Making Of” video that makes me feel even better about people and the things we do for each other sometimes…
 

 
Enjoy your day.