gotta love that steve

I've always liked Steve Martin. He fits my definition of renaissance man: comedian! author! musician! actor! philosophy major! art collector!

But mostly I like him because he cracks me up. He doesn't really even need to do much. He can move from point A to point B and I find it hilarious. (There's just something about his body language!)

I saw today where he married Anne Stringfield, writer for The New Yorker. It was a surprise wedding -- seems they had told their guests they were coming to a dinner party. They were married by Bob Kerrey, former U.S. senator from Nebraska, and fried green tomatoes were served. But by far the best part: Martin delivered his vows sporting the Inspector Clouseau mustache.

Yep, quintessential Steve.

barb & the bard...

Offspring #1 (far right) is on the tail end of summer quarter and gearing up for the start of the Skagit River Shakespeare Festival. Twelfth Night opens August 1st. I'm reaaallllly looking forward to seeing her in the role of Viola and enjoying Shakespeare under the stars. Who wants to come along? :)

They had a nice article in the Skagit Valley Herald today. You can read it here.

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Credit: picture by Frank Varga

arthroscopic adventure

Tomorrow morning Offspring #2 has surgery to repair his shoulder. He has had recurrent dislocations -- the last one at the high school state tennis tournament (pictured above) which was a major bummer.

So we'd appreciate any and all well wishes, prayers, and positive thoughts directed his way! :)

in honor of potter...

Saw this Harry Potter quiz over at Jan's blog so thought I'd give it a go. Why am I not surprised I turned out to be the über-student?! Here are my results: (Thanks goodness Voldemort ranks last for me!)


You scored as Hermione Granger, You're one intelligent witch, but you have a hard time believing it and require constant reassurance. You are a very supportive friend who would do anything and everything to help her friends out.

Hermione Granger		80%
Sirius Black		75%
Albus Dumbledore		75%
Remus Lupin		70%
Draco Malfoy		65%
Harry Potter		65%
Ron Weasley		55%
Severus Snape		55%
Ginny Weasley		45%
Lord Voldemort		30%

Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...?

inspirational quote of the day

"It never hurts to help!"
-- Eek! the Cat

(Of course this statement always preceded the cheery, thoughtful cat getting totally mangled while trying to 'do good', but we won't think about that...)

poof! and proof

We had an inexplicable electric surge a couple of weeks ago (poof!) which fried our family room tv. This was not a major problem for me because I watch very little television, but Hubby and Offspring #2 were eager to replace it. (It was an older set and would have been spendy to fix it.) Offspring #2 made the excellent point that it would be nice to have a working tv when he recovers from shoulder surgery (happening July 25th). So last weekend Hubby, Offspring #2, and I trekked to Portland to get a new one. Since Offspring #1 was not available to help me balance "the boys", we ended up with a BIG one. It sort of looks like the old one on steroids.

But I'll admit the new set is great for watching movies, and last night Hubby and I watched Proof , one of those movies we never caught in theaters but have been meaning to see. The film, based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, centers on the question of authorship of a breakthrough mathematical proof. Gwyneth Paltrow gives a darn fine performance as Catherine, a math prodigy who has been caretaker of her mentally ill father Robert (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant and famous math professor. Dad has gone to that Big Calculus Room in the Sky, and Catherine now struggles with her own confusing state of mind -- which is made more confusing by the arrival of her shrill sister to help with funeral arrangements and Hal, one of Robert's last students who wants to comb through Robert's bazillion notebooks (which had been filled during his years of mental disturbance) in hopes of finding something of mathematical merit.

Hmmm.... They probably should have just left this one as a play. On stage, I'll bet it was compelling to explore both the human connections and the fine line between genius and insanity. But on the big screen I think you need a bit more of a plot. And the problem with this one is that the mystery is sort of ho-hum for me. Imagine math class and the question: "Was it Pythagoras or someone else from his School who was the first to discover the proof of the Pythagorean Theorem???" I'd say if that sort of question seems riveting, definitely go ahead and rent Proof. If not, I'd wait for a stage production.

it's like this...

Yep -- too lazy to blog.
(Oh no! Could Marble's ennui be contagious?!)