American Idol Auditions: End of the Road

What a trip! Literally and figuratively! Chloe will always be a star to me... More stories when I can upload from the other camera.

American Idol Auditions: Far and Away

Parents stay here. Those auditioning go all the way over there. After that, winners go left and everyone else goes right. Think LEFT!

American Idol Auditions: Into the Light

Can you say "sardine"?

American Idol Auditions: Are We There Yet?

We can see some light at the end of the tunnel...

American Idol Auditions: Make Mine a Double

I waited in line over an hour for this cup of coffee. I paid $5 for it.

I spilled it. *Sigh*

American Idol Auditions: Deja Vu

Surprisingly, we're in the same exact spot in line at the same time as last time. Unfortunately, we won't be out of here as quickly today.

American Idol Auditions: Time to Go

It's early. We won't be the first ones there...

American Idol Auditions: Day One Debrief

It goes without saying that today was a long day, given that it started at 10:00 last night. Don't think I've pulled a caffeine-infused all-nighter in twenty years... We arrived at the Rose Bowl around 4:30 this morning and joined the growing throng of people waiting to register. In the dark of early morning, the air was still slightly cool and our location afforded us a front row seat for watching the sun rise over the mountains.

The guys pictured above were in line right next to us and we couldn't have been better placed, from our perspective: they entertained us for four hours as we patiently waited our turn, belting out probably the entire contents of their songbook. The effect of the music was contagious, the circle widened, many people joined in the singing and even danced.

The event was impressively well organized, the operation moved efficiently, and we didn't see anyone who didn't look like they were having fun. When the line started moving at 7:30, it took us less than an hour to get to the front and get registered. It was almost a let-down to be done so early!

Luckily, we were able to check in to our hotel early and fell flat on our faces in bed for a couple of hours. After that it was all we could do to drag ourselves down the street for some late lunch and a movie. We've met some good singers, some amazing characters, and there's a heartwarming sense of camaraderie in the air. Now it's time for sleep...

American Idol Auditions: ZZZZZZ

That's Sleeping Beauty. I feel more like the dragon...

American Idol Auditions: In-n-Out

We've got wristbands! We've got tickets! We're outta here!

American Idol Auditions: In Motion!

So glad we're not at the end of the line...

American Idol Auditions: Sun Moved, Line Didn't

American Idol Auditions: Not the Only Line

American Idol Auditions: Not First in Line

So dark you can't even see where we are yet...

American Idol Auditions: Double or Nothing

Really, I'm too old for this.

"She believes that life is made up
Of all that you're used to
And the clock on the wall
Has been stuck at three for days,
And days..."

American Idol Auditions: Fill 'er Up

Um, somewhere in the middle of nowhere...

American Idol Auditions: It's All About the Hair

We'd have left an hour ago if we weren't waiting for the perfect tresses...

"I had some dreams they were
Clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee..."

American Idol Auditions: Ready to Roll

Even though my set of wheels isn't so glamorous, no road trip ever starts for me without a clean car; it's just one of those unwritten rules. Now we're good to go! This first set of lyrics is obviously a giveaway:

"Some of the work gets kinda hard

This ain't no place to be

If you plan on bein' a star

Let me tell you it's always cool

And the boss don't mind sometimes

If ya act the fool..."

American Idol Auditions: Live Blogging the Adventure

You've probably already heard (over and over again, in fact) about Chloé's plans to audition for the next season of American Idol. I'd been longing for a road trip this summer, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind: 7 or 8 hours on the road in the middle of the night to go stand in line at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with 12,000 other hopefuls for Lord knows how many hours in hopes of getting a wristband that will allow you to come back at 5am the following morning to vie for 15 seconds in front of a producer with 15 other contestants.

But hey! In for a penny, in for a pound, so I've decided to chronicle the experience from the road. Try as I might, I haven't been able to reset the format for mobile uploads, so the look may be boring, but let's hope the story will be entertaining. Heck, we may even throw in a few "Name That Tune" lyrics, just for fun: first person to correctly post the song title/artist in the comments section gets a prize. Here we go...

She Sells Sushi by the Seashore

James and I went out to dinner by ourselves this evening. Let me repeat that: James and I went out to dinner by ourselves this evening. I know. It's hard to believe. But once or twice a year, this actually happens. Tobiko with a quail egg was dessert...

Give the Dog a Bath

I don't think Louie enjoyed this experience, but the kids had a blast.

What not to do with the doggie dryer...

Crumble My Heart

"La saveur du pain partagé n'a point d'egale."

"There is nothing better than the bread you share."

-- Saint Exupéry

Jack and I are the perfect dinner partners: he loves the tender center of the loaf of bread and I'm partial to the crust, so things always work out between us. Usually, he just hands me the crust when he's done chomping out the middle. The other night, though, he set these two pieces down on his placemat and pointed at his heart, then the bread, then me. Of course, I melted like butter...

Scrumptious

There are a few reasons for Claire to appreciate summer school, such as a stop at our local French bakery on the way to class...

Flyin' High on Father's Day

James was crowned King for a Day and had his pick of activities, so he chose to go to the Oakland Zoo, where the kids rode lots of rides and we saw one or two animals...

Perfectly Beautiful

Gorgeous lilies from my adorable Grandfather. Divine. First photo taken with my new iPhone 3Gs, birthday present from my adorable husband. Also divine. I'm spoiled!

Qu'ils Mangent du Gateaux

I didn't ask where this quirky cake came from (it was inscribed HBDMH); I just ate it. A la mode. Maybe this is the year to subscribe to the theory that "Life's too short; eat dessert first."

(photo by Wynham)

teen·ni·tus

teen·ni·tus
Pronunciation: \ˈtēn-ˈnī-təs\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English tene, from Old English tēona injury, grief; akin to Old Norse tjōn loss, damage. Latin, ringing, tinnitus, from tinnire to ring, of imitative origin
Date: 13th century, 1843
1: a sensation of noise (as a ringing or roaring) that is caused by a bodily condition (as a disturbance of the auditory nerve) and typically is of the subjective form, due to the loud singing of teenage girls (or their boyfriends calling on the the home phone at 1:30AM...). archaic: misery, affliction caused by persons in their teen years

Comedy Central

You never know when you're going to get

dinner and a show at our house...

cur•munch•kin

cur·munch·kin
Pronunciation: \(ˌ)kər-ˈmənch-ˌkin\
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown*
Date: 2009
1: a crusty, ill-tempered, person who is notably small and often endearing. Ex: When asked if she wanted to go summer school, the curmunchin replied, "No way! I wanna go to LAW school!"

*Claire can be something of a curmudgeon at times, but since this is a noun that usually refers to an old man, we decided to coin a new word. And so the "curmunchkin" is born...

Coming of Age

So many rites of passage for Wynham this weekend! Today was his Confirmation at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, with the amazing Bishop Steven Charleston presiding. Even more pomp and circumstance than yesterday, and the clouds parted just for the occasion (photo slideshow here). All this "growing up" stuff knocked Wynham out: he was asleep in his bed three minutes after we got home this afternoon...

The Graduate

Wynham was looking quite handsome for his 8th Grade graduation ceremony, here with a proud granddad (who helped him a lot with his science this year). Lots of pomp and circumstance!

Later, the look was more casual as Wynham worked those disco moves on the dance floor at the afterparty. How his nice silk necktie ended up around his head, I don't want to know...

Par-Tay!

Claire was such a good sport at her end-of-the-year class party. One of the activities was a relay race which involved the members of the team changing into and out of this hula outfit. Mahalo to all the moms who pulled this event together!

Serenity

As we approach the bitter end of the school year and the reality of two months at home with four kids looms large, I find myself visualizing calm, quiet places more and more often. We can all dream, can't we?

Hope is the Thing with Feathers

On my way to pick Chloé up at work tonight, I passed a little patch of wetland that borders Highway 101. Even though we've lived in the North Bay for nearly a dozen years, I do a double take each time I see these majestic egrets by the side of the road. They always make me feel as though I've been transported to some exotic spot far, far from home. My soul soars.

Hello, Dali

Claire didn't fully appreciate the Daliesque face painting job

that Wynham performed on her this afternoon....

Marble Salad

Who knew tossing a few marbles

in a wooden bowl could be so fun?

Or so LOUD?

Flight Patterns

"Mama, come look what I made!" said Jack, from below the foot of the bed this morning. I hear this plea often enough, so I wasn't expecting the shivery, somewhat hair-raising feeling I experienced as I dragged myself out from under the covers. Why he went for my jar of Q-Tips and decided on this particular design I don't know, but I do know that I had a knee-jerk reaction to the image I saw on the floor. "I've seen that before! James, come look!"

"That looks like the Nazca hummingbird," I thought. The Twilight Zone theme played in my head. Nobody but me was at all impressed by the likeness, and then Jack corrected me: "It's not a bird; it's a robot, Mom!" That may very well be... Doesn't anyone else hear that eerie music?

Gimme an "R"

Some cheerleaders are more enthusiastic than others.

Little siblings at the Frosh Football Scrimmage...

Petallurgy

There's something so enticing about a rose in bloom, a simultaneous symmetry and lack of convention in its form. I bought a dozen roses on impulse at the grocery store the other day, when they were still tightly closed buds, because I was intrigued by their unusual rust color. They've put on an astonishing display since then, the petals slowly unfurling, no two patterns alike. It's as though there's an entire galaxy in each flower and I'm standing on the edge of time, watching the universe unfold. It's beautiful.

Juicy

Summer, hard to believe, is almost here and our weekly delivery of fruits and vegetables shows a colorful jump start on the season. For me, the best of summer is measured in the amount of juice running down my chin. Though June seems early for tomatoes of this caliber, I'm not complaining. Pass the paper towels!

Facebook the Nation

The jury's still out on the Facebook phenomenon, as far as I'm concerned. For two years, I sat quietly in my corner with only my initials for a name and no profile photo. I only opened a Facebook account so that I could have some clue as to what's going on in my teenagers' lives. Then one day Wynham said, "Gee, Mom, don't you have any friends?" That did it. So I post a photo under my full name and in a matter of weeks, I've got 146 friends (almost as many as Wynham, I might add...). Suddenly, I'm popular! Except that maybe I'm not...

Here's the thing: you say to yourself, "I wonder whatever happened to..." whoever it might be from however long ago, and you find them on Facebook, just like that. Cool. Like the guy who sat across the aisle in biology class, mesmerising me with his detailed drawings, who now makes these incredible robots. Or my high school debate team partner, who's a corporate lawyer in NYC. Or the bunch of friends I used to carouse with in college, who are flung to the far corners of the earth. So now we're all in touch with each other again, right? Maybe not.

It seems like, in many cases, you'll get a friend request from someone you haven't seen in 30 years, but then there's no message, no catching up, just this "friend" connection. You can see how it happens, when everyone has so many friends to keep up with, but it's weird. Teenagers, though, spend hours posting the most inane stuff; I just don't get it, really.

So I'm on the fence. For finding old friends, or being found, Facebook is a great medium. For communicating, it stinks. The message is all wrong, in my mind, but maybe I'm just way too old fashioned. Why do two people sitting in the same room text each other when they could be having a conversation? Pick up the phone, for heaven's sake, or write a letter. Get out your inkwell and quill! Then you can scan your lovely handwriting and put in on the Web...

(photo courtesy of Mike Rivamonte)

Coming and Going

Claire came in the front door proudly displaying her lost front tooth...

...just as Chloé, our newly-licensed driver, took the keys and headed out.

Two major milestones in one day!