On puppy dogs

They're really God's greatest creation. They're the perfect cuddle-buddy after a long day of procrastinating on paper writing, and they are always ready to greet you with a big furry hug and a wet kiss (although the latter seems to be especially prevalent after a nice, long slurp from the toilet bowl). Their soft big eyes are known to easily manipulate even the hardest of hearts into throwing the ball just one last time, and the wagging tail ensures that you know they love you, often when the only thing you've done is look somewhat meaningfully in their direction.

And just like black bears are the best bears, doodles are the best dogs.

Especially when they've got cartoonishly large noses.  :o)

La piel que habito

The skin I live in. It has several scars - chicken pox, surgeries. It has a lot of freckles (Thanks for pointing them out and thus prompting me to wear sunscreen every day, R!). It's oily and dry at the same time, and as much as I take in from the world around me, I know I leave a small part of me everywhere I go, solely in dead skin cells...That's a bit icky to think about, actually.

But there's more to me than just my skin, and as integral as it is to my being, it isn't even my strongest defense against the world around me. Our skin may serve as a physical barrier against so many maladies of nature, but the soul often requires a different fortress, one far stronger and more flexible than the largest organ of the body.

And I think that that is what Pedro Almodóvar's newest film is about. Creepy? Yes. Disturbing? Definitely. (Beautifully shot and structured so that each image leaves you anticipating that he wouldn't possibly dare to do that...OH MY GOSH HE TOTALLY DID THAT!!!!!) But in the end it all boils down to how we define ourselves as individuals in this world, and how we assure that our own image is what the world sees when it tries to foist something else on us.

There is no such thing as simplicity in this lifetime, and we would do well to remember that that lesson applies most especially to those people who make up our world. 

Baby Nikko!!!

Friends Adro and Jake came to visit this weekend, and they brought their adorable little son, Nikko, with them!!

We went out for a nice, long brunch at a local Mexican restaurant that served delicious breakfast tacos, migas, and borracho beans, then headed over to a bakery/cafe for a bite of dessert.

Nikko is such a precious baby. He is so sweet and quiet, and his normal state of being is just straight-up adorableness. He tends to stick his tongue out of his mouth. umm...always.

Unfortunately, by the time we got around to taking some pictures of me and him, he had pretty much missed both of his daily naps, and he was feeling a bit tired and grouchy.

But even when he was grouchy, he still let me hold him without really squirming. Sweet li'l schnookums.