So, anyway...

Quintessential quote of the week:

"The ideal modern brownie is simple and unadorned, but rigorously designed (like a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress)."

From: "Simple Pleasure, American Style" by Julia Moskin, New York Times, April 11, 2007.

I couldn't have said it better myself and as soon as the last of the Easter candy has been digested, I'm whipping up a batch, whilst wearing my Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress.

It's been quite a few...whatevers and this post won't come under the heading of apologies given that I'm not quite sure I want to continue throwing crap out into the blogosphere. But it's Saturday and it's a beautiful spring day here in Seattle and I just finished running 6 of the best miles I've run in awhile and--yeah, so...I'm here.

After PaNaMa's glorious trip to Spain, we downgraded, most abruptly, and went to Orlando for a week. Gosh, what a nasty-ass place. Nonetheless, we got some sun (a little more than anticipated, leaving Mr. Na with a bad burn and me heavily-burdened with guilt).

The following Monday, my stepmom passed away after a long illness. And while it had been anticipated for quite some time, I was pretty bummed. I'm not one for writing obits and she wasn't nearly as cool as Kurt Vonnegut, but she was a full-on mom to me for 30 years and she taught me a lot and she had the patience of a saint in all-things-my-dad, so she was cool enough for me. (I could be really trite here and write "So it goes..." but why?)

We're flying to NYC for the weekend of May 18 for her service and to give Mr. Na the opportunity of FINALLY meeting everyone in my family whom he hasn't yet had the pleasure. (<---note to self, this seems like a very bad grammar faux pas...but fuck it).

On the plus side, we're starting the home study process for adoption, number two, Ukrainian Bugaloo, and we hope to get over there sometime next winter. Mr. Na starts Kindergarten this fall (holy shit!) and you know me, I'm a glutton for punishment and I never want to finish my novel (I don't really mean that...really...) so it's the perfect time to find our "Ra" (get it? PaNaRaMa...oh, I know, we're just so witty).

And that's what's what. Next weekend, I get an extra dose of FREE TIME and I'm going down to LA all by my little self to see one of my bestest friends get married and to see my other friend who just returned from Lhasa, China and India and to visit
my other friends who just bought a bungalow in Santa Monica.

And you know...it's friends like those who help me to see the sunny side of life when shit goes down.