"A few cups of imaginary joe and I'm good to go all day."

"A few cups of imaginary joe and I'm good to go all day."
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

We took a pile of pics when we were back East. Good times were had by all. Here's a few of my faves.

Story time with Maya's new friends Baxter and Aviva.

Story time with Maya's new friends Baxter and Aviva.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

Maya spots what everyone hopes was a Snickers bar.

Maya spots what everyone hopes was a Snickers bar.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

"And the biggest insult was that my 'slam dunk' reference dealt almost entirely with Georgetown's shot at the Final Four, which I forecast perfectly."

We've returned to Vermont for a few days and already it feels like a place we never left. Friends are so apt to make you feel that way. Expect pics and plenty of shtick about said trip in the days ahead. But for the time being, I'm fascinated and enthused by the snippet of the sure to be jawdropping interview George "Is this Medal of Freedom redeemable for anything?" Tenet has given to "60 Minutes" to be aired on Sunday. Call it just one more brick in the wall being built to house the eventual universal condemnation of the Bushies. Or just call it compelling as hell TV from an obviously pissed lifetime civil servant. Unless you work at CBS, you haven't seen the whole spiel. As if that matters. Watch it regardless. Or just check back here early next week to get my full frontal take on Tenet's foggy bottom line.

Hope your own sugaring season is still in full swing. Rock on.

Which is harder to fully grasp - the cynical politics of the Bushies or a 100-gallon tank full of bathtub toys?

For those Dems that were worried that their newfound power wouldn't be used to stick enough fingers in the eyes of Bushies, you got a doublepoke today. The House Oversight Committee approved a subpoena for Condi "I'm sort of still here" Rice to chat about, oh ya know, lying our way into the War in Iraq. And the House Judiciary Committee granted immunity to Monica "I'm supposedly long gone" Goodling and also chose to subpoena her to testify about her role in the firing of the 8 U.S. Attorneys. This comes on the heels of the announced investigation into Karl "I don't work for you" Rove and his political operation within the White House that might be in violation of the Hatch Act. Not to mention the undeniably compelling testimony yesterday by Kevin Tillman and Jessica Lynch about the Pentagon's cynical manipulation of real suffering by our military. You can't swing a lame duck without skidding though a new mess left by those unlovable loyal Bushies. This is what a gathering storm looks like. Like it or not.

Two quickie Beantown reviews - the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is a newish, coolish building with a relatively small amount of gallery space. I imagine the theatre is pretty impressive for the sorts of dance/film/kitten juggling events I see on the upcoming calendar. Go for the architecture and bring a sandwich to enjoy out back looking toward the harbor. But if you're going for a punch in the gut mix of contemporary art, expect to be somewhat disappointed. My rating - an overly critical C-plus. If you've got kids, the even newer Boston Children's Museum is a neccessary stop along the same area of waterfront. When we went this morning, Maya was melting down like Chernobyl before we even got inside. She nonetheless quickly got fired up by all the hands-on diversity. Then she got herself soaked to the gills by the "Boats Afloat" room. So I'd suggest all other parents plan better than we did and bring along a change of clothes for probably the whole famn damily. No matter - we'll be back. My rating - an incomplete but strong B-plus, since we didn't get to see everything.

Hope your own style is matched by equal parts substance today. Rock on.

Maya lets Mrs. Mallard lead the way

Maya lets Mrs. Mallard lead the way
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

After a ride on a Swan Boat around the Boston Public Garden, Maya took to the "Make Way For Ducklings" statues like a duck to (insert obvious cliche` here).

Checking in with the Class of '23

Checking in with the Class of '23
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

Technically, Amos is '24 and Cassie (not pictured) is '25. But you get the idea, I'm sure.

Five college roomies do what they can to pull together another generation added to the group picture.

Five college roomies do what they can to pull together another generation added to the group picture.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

Maya soaks in the luxury of her own seat on a flight to Boston. As did we.

Maya soaks in the luxury of her own seat on a flight to Boston. As did we.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

Doin' the Cambridge shuffle

Since we figured that the burly Nor'Easter that ruffled skirts and toppled maple syrup collecting pots across New England was so last week, we're in Boston soaking up the sun. Actually, it's partly a worktrip for Sarah, with some extra time taken for catching up with friends and a quickie visit to Vermont, the land of Maya's fabled yet unblogged conception. Glorious, soaring thoughts come from days like this. You can almost bite off a hunk of the youthful, informed optimism in the air and chew on it for days. We left this general neighborhood of the World almost 3 years ago. I'll be bold and claim that it feels distinctly familiar, even though I never actually lived in Cambridge/Boston. I don't exactly have my finger on the pulse of any new must-linger spots in and around Harvard Square, near where we're staying. So I go with what I remember - Darwin's Ltd. is a necessity (where I'm currently perched). But all you really need to do on a day like this is set your iPod on shuffle and wander amidst the crowds on and around campus. Or just listen to the crowds wherein for every 9/11 conspiracy whackjob or overbearing busker, there are 100-fold others being young, smarty-pantsish, or just plain damn glad to be here.

Hope your own Sunday afternoon strolls take you down a road you didn't even realize you missed. Rock on.

"Thanks for teeing one up for me, Daddy. Watch your five hole."

"Thanks for teeing one up for me, Daddy. Watch your five hole."
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

Maya bends it like Beckham. And with my new camera, I try to shoot it straight. Hope you have your own angle. Rock on.

"If it pleases the Chairman, I'd like to request more time to tighten the straps a bit."

Watching Gonzo get pummelled is almost porn. He's floundering so terribly I can see why all the leaks said that he was floundering terribly. It's just a few hours in, some kernal of cathartic brilliance still might be possible. And I'm not above assuming we'll get some other distracting pseudo-good news dumped by those loyal Bushies. Who, by the way, jumped the shark back when Dubya tabbed Harriet Miers as his Supremes pick.

Hope you've got a better excuse than "I don't recall" today. Rock on.

What can you say.

I expect we're all at a collective half mast while trying to process what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech. I will say that I find anyone talking about defending our unmitigated right to bear arms the ultimate archevil-politico-shmoe. But much more importantly - I join everyone in remorse.

Hope we all find out how to better defend ourselves without arming up. Rock on.

Dick Cheney - a truly "ridiculous notion"

Dick Cheney on "Face the Nation" yesterday chilled me to the bone. His creepy saccharine "oh, back in the day" glad handing of Bob Shieffer only worsened the tone. For all the minions of conservative dooshbags trolling blogs to flame on...I'm just saying he's an entirely frightening man with far, far too much power. Watch the interview. Tell everyone you know to also do so. The future he envisions for this country is deeply disturbing. Beeyatch.

For those "Sopranos" fans to which I'm sorta associated know what I mean, I must weigh in with a moment of deep appreciation. Little Carmine is for me a favorite. His fancy-pantsy flourishes can smell a bit too much like "ACTING!" But the scene in last night's episode at the golf course with Tony - undeniably wonderful. Ray Abruzzo is hereby cast in my next movie. Babe.

We lost our camera recently. Or rather, I lost our camera. But let's not play the blame game. Nonetheless, dang. So it might be bit before everyone sees how frickin' cute Maya is these days. Aunties Becca and Katie were in town for a family fest this weekend and Maya had ridiculous amounts o' fun. Maya's went to her first concert - "Dan Zanes and Friends" at the Moore Theatre Saturday afternoon. Dinner at Carmelita on Phinney Ridge Saturday - big veggiehead ratings somewhere between a B and an A from everyone. My rating - solid B. Partly undeservedly harsh since the wait we encountered was merely due to the fact that vegetarians are obviously painful table lingerers. Know what I mean? Great people, but MAN can they veg out after a meal.

Hope your own darkest visions for the world are limited to massive amounts of chocolate today. Rock on.

Rudy? Fuggeddaboutit.

In my own personal version of Hell, Peggy Noonan shows up half-wasted in a haltertop on all the late night talk shows. And they never shut off her mike. Never, NEVER, do I find her insightful. Snarky, yes. Insightful, no chance. Until now. Thankfully, I only need to eat this salty crow insofar as the Republican field for '08 is concerned. Her kernal of brilliance is that McCain is at least trying to present himself as someone with a longview - disasterously wrong, as it may be - while Rudy's a poseur and an utterly ridiculous candidate. Peel the onion like Noonan has and you'll realize that the GOP field is all stink, no veggie. So to speak.

Brewers got rained out in St. Louie last night. But they were soooo ready to play.

Hope you hit for the cycle today. Rock on.

The Longshot Flameout on my List - Simon Cowell

I don't know about y'all, but I definitely missed the money put on Don Imus in the high profile race to the exit pool. Gonzo has certainly always been the odds on favorite. And now Paul "Greet Me As a Liberator" Wolfowitz is getting heavy action for his latest round of screw-ups at the World Bank. But Imus? HE's the new Michael Richards? Sure, he's a cantankerous crank without a single proper cliche` mixed in with all the white man bluster. He's a stupid, ex-druggie-drunkie DJ, with an occasional gift for gab. HE's done over one particularly ugly soundbite. I only hope that this changes the playing field somewhat. Just imagine: Glenn Beck, Hannity, Rush, O'Reilly, Malkin, Coulter - the whole horrid bunch and their supporting minions risking truly losing jobs for sexist, racist, homophobic, or just plain moronic remarks. So long as advertisers continue tolerating FOX, they've always got a safe house. Maybe not as safe as last week, though.

For those of us paying attention, the New Brew Crew is in St. Louie this weekend for a rematch of the 1982 World Series. Harvey's Wallbangers are sorely missed by a few of us (I think I saw "Stormin'" Gorman Thomas sleeping at a bus stop a week ago). But if you care about young teams with a dang good shot at surprising a bunch of peoples, Milwaukee's worth a looksie.

One bit of trivia for everyone to share amongst themselves this weekend. My wife's recent birthday allowed me to focus on the static and realize that she shares her birthday with boatloads of famous people. You know those audio buttons we all hear on the radio or in the background of our daily media - "And today William Shakespeare would have been 417, but would need to split his cake with American Idol Kelly Clarkson, who turns 22." On the other hand, my birthday is shared by a listful of losers. Jan Michael Vincent is my date's notable name. That's just sad. "Airwolf" was ruinous dreck.

Hope your own 80s flashbacks include a World Series victory today. Rock on.

A clear day's view toward Mt. Baker from the American Camp on San Juan Island.

A clear day's view toward Mt. Baker from the American Camp on San Juan Island.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

A few pics from our vacation follow. Hope your own images are crystal clear. Rock on.

The sun going down over the San Juan Islands, as seen from the ferry to Friday Harbor.

The sun going down over the San Juan Islands, as seen from the ferry to Friday Harbor.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

"The Raven and the First Men" from UBC's Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. Mondo impressive.

"The Raven and the First Men" from UBC's Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. Very impressive.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

Maya and Nanna as we headed out on vacation.

Maya and Nanna as we headed out on vacation.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.

Getting to know some more of the neighborhood...

We're back from a short but fabulous vacation to a few of the choicest spots in the beautiful Northwest. Oddly enough, we left Maya here in Seattle in the enthusiastic care of her Nanna and Poppy. So Sarah and I got to play like teenagers with a stolen credit card and wide-eyed grins for a handful of days. In that light, I'll offer a few recommendations.

We caught "Blades of Glory" in Vancouver on our first night. That might sound a bit cheesy, but it was perfectly timed. If you can do so, see this movie in a theatre packed with Canadian teenagers. The mere fact that even a Canadian toddler gets a bawdy Zamboni joke is reason enough. Hilarious cast, ridiculous production design, entirely enjoyable goofballin'. My rating - a solid B.

On the other end of the cultural scale, we checked out the impressive Museum of Anthropology on the University of British Columbia's campus. The "First Nations" of what is now British Columbia produced fascinating art. The MOA's in the midst of a major expansion, so a rating would be unfair at this time. But I do highly recommend it.

One restaurant worth mentioning is Le Hermitage on Robson Street - masterful French country cuisine accompanied by casually elegant service. Yada yada yada. But the real treat was seeing the couple that had walked in just prior to us get engaged at the end of their meal. On one knee, ring in a box, tearful acceptance - the whole romantic shebang. Neither Sarah nor I have seen such a moment for another couple before. And I don't expect to have the chance again. Yet that one vicariously thrilling moment will forever ink in this restaurant on our rock solid "oh yea, worth it" list.

After a few days in Vancouver, we headed south and caught a ferry out to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. It's just before the start of the high season, so the Island was largely devoid of too many people, um, like us. Which is nice. We went for morning runs, walked along the trails in both the "American" and "British" camps (from the infamous Pig War era of the 19th Century), and had some seriously disappointing overpriced meals at both the Friday Harbor House (our B&B/hotel) and McMillan's Dining Room in the Roche Harbor marina. Regardless, we'll be back, even if not to those particular restaurants. Riding the ferry through the San Juans in and of itself is reason enough to go.

And so with greater focus, we return to life here. Iraq's a quagmire with yet another summer right around the corner, Dubya's starting his 63rd Crawford ranch vacation putting the total number of days spent there comfortably over 400 during his trainwreck Presidency, the widely-beloved Milwaukee Brewers impressively took 2 of 3 from the Dodgers to open an entirely hopeful season, Maya's apparently found a new love in our absence (gardening), and the temp in Seattle's forecast to maybe hit 70 today. Take the incredibly bad with the hopeful goodness, I guess.

Hope your own Congressional testimony isn't fraught with legal jeopardy today. Rock on.