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Awesome Album - Wilco

The latest Wilco album has been in heavy rotation here in Casa McGarvey. I love it!

I would not call myself a Wilco aficionado. I have a mild selection of Wilco songs in my itunes library - more of the mainstream stuff than the experimental, indie songs. Previous to this album, my most played Wilco songs were 1.) California Stars by Billy Bragg and Wilco, 2.) Jesus, etc on the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and 3.) Theologians on A Ghost is Born. I didnt listen to many of the albums from start to finish. I mostly just played the Wilco songs I liked.

But this album is rad. All of it. Actually there is one song I skip over (Bull Black Nova) but all the others move so beautifully into each other. I will listen to it from start to finish with a big smile on my face.

My favorite songs? Well, the first song I bought off this album was "You and I" (a duet with Fiest) so I think that's my fav. Its the one that stays in my mind the longest. Its got a really sweet flowing, easy melody and I love hearing the sound of Jeff Tweedy's voice in it. He sounds very intimate and natural. When the album came out, I sampled the songs on itunes, but I only bought "You and I." We were short on money so I only bought what I knew I would love. My propensity to spend money on music is legendary and I was really trying hard to temper it by not buying whole albums. However, the next day I bought a second song "You Never Know" after hearing it on the radio. LOVE that song too. Love how it changes tempos into the chorus. Love the hard pounding piano and the slide guitar. It was really soon after that last purchase that I went ahead and completed the whole album. It had to be done.

After buying the entire album, I got a huge appreciation for the time and effort it takes to make an album - for planning out how the songs roll. On Wilco, the songs blend so perfectly and effortlessly into each other. When I completed the album I was able to really enjoy the other songs on the album and how they relate to the first two songs I bought. I really like the title track "Wilco. " Its got a harder edge to it without being too out of hand. I love the feedback and amplified noises - kind of reminds me of "Im Waiting for the Man" by Velvet Underground but with a heavier vibe to it. I LOVE how the second track "Deeper Down" is like its negative image to "Wilco"- a mellow, serene, soaring type of song. The whole album is like this. Its a real pleasant experience to hear in its entirety.

So if you like music, check it out! :)

Retreat/ Recharge.

These pictures are from the place Matt and I stayed in Tuscany back in 2007. When I look at them, I feel peaceful and relaxed. I feel unburdened from the duties, routines and complications of my normal life. I feel light. In Italy there were no children to care for and/or worry about. There wasnt any stress concerning money and time management. I didnt feel judgement or expectations from others. In Italy, I was just me: a girl/woman who enjoyed adventure, beauty, art, nature, history and love.

Im feeling beat up right now so Im going to take a few days off to retreat/recharge. Im gonna try to channel me some Italy.

See you in a few days.

Lets Get Together and Feel Alright

"One Love, One Heart.
Lets get together and feel alright"
- Bob Marley and the Wailers

Bob was a smart man. Yesterday I was feeling the love and it was totally on account of being in the company of good people. These friends fill me up. I feel relaxed and contented when we're together. They are so easy to be around and are so easy to love. I adore these kids - I love them like they're mine. I love their mamas. Such brilliant women. There wasnt a bad egg in the house. Seriously. And I fed right off it - fed off the positive energy of everyone present. I needed to be recharged and yesterday did that.
In a nutshell: good friends, happy kids, hot weather, swimming, popsicles, laughter, scooters, pizza, Kool Aide, videogames, music, love, love, love.
Roll the pictures:

Bonfire Injuries

We had a bonfire last Friday with some good friends. I had a busy day and didnt plan well before leaving. My sweatshirt got left behind. Our flashlight suffered the same fate. And the glow sticks we use to keep tabs on the kids in the night were also left at home.

On Saturday morning I looked at Finn and he had all these little cuts on his face. When I asked him what happened, he said "I dont know. It was so dark and we bumped into each other a few times."

Note to self: not only do glow sticks allow me to monitor where the kids are in the dark; they also allow the kids to see each other. Good to know.

Happy Monday.:)

People Let Me Tell You About My Best Friends!

My kids have had a banner week.
Lots and lots of friends around.
Summer is so cool because we definitely get to hang and play with lots of people we normally dont get to see during the school year.
People like my cousin Emily:

And Christian Battle (my college roomate's son:)

And a whole mess of other friends:

Life is good.
Happy Saturday.

"This is Not My Beautiful House... This is Not my Beautiful Wife!"

You know that song "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads? David Byrne sings that part "And you may tell yourself... This is not beautiful house... this is not my beautiful wife!" I had a moment like that this week.

On Monday, we were homebound all day. Thats not normal for us. In the summertime, the boys and I try to get in a playdate or outing each day. When we dont have something scheduled, we hit the pool. Its very rare that we stay indoors for an entire day. But this past Monday, I was tired and it was hot. We had a busy weekend with reunion stuff and frankly I needed some down time. I sat on the couch all day long and watched about 9 hours of Veronica Mars on hulu. Im not exaggerating. 9 hours. I got up the couch to pee and eat. Thats it.

Here is my Talking Heads moment: the boys were perfect all freaking day. Let me say that again in caps: MY BOYS WERE PERFECT ALL DAY LONG. At first, I barely noticed. They were quiet. I didnt hear that annoying music coming from their Nintendo DS or the computer. I didnt hear them arguing with each other. When I got up to check on them I walked down the hallway and saw both of them playing legos in their room. They werent talking to each other. They just sat there on the floor,creating lego stuff, side by side.

Let me interject right here to say that legos are RAD! If your child does not own some legos, go buy him some right now. A milion blessings to the Danish people for inventing legos! They created a toy that is fun and engaging, but truly educational. Legos help develop fine motor skills and enhance a child's imagination. They are awesome! My kids have been into legos for years now and they are undoubtedly the best toys I have ever bought them. Legos might be expensive and they might kill like the Dickens when you step on them, but take it from me: they are worth their weight in gold. I have never seen my kids play for hours with a toy like they do with legos. And hello? My kids are ADHD. They have problems focusing. Not so with legos. Sure, they can sit in front of a videogame for hours, but we all know that's not a good thing. Videogames are like drugs. Legos are like vitamins!

So anyway, my kids were occupied with legos from 8am till 5pm and they were perfect, little angels. They didnt fight: no yelling, bickering, whining or crying. They didnt plug into any videgame or computer the entire day. They barely bugged me for a thing. It was seriously one of the best "me" days Ive had in a long time and the fact that they were here the entire time is nothing short of a miracle. They did take the legos outside at around 1pm and the nirvana state continued outdoors. They did make a pretty big mess in their room and in the hallway, but it was so worth it. They made an abundance of cool vehicles, buildings and gadgets and the three of us coexisted in harmony for hours.

I was so damn relaxed and happy that day. I lauded them to anyone who would listen: my mom, my sister and Matt. I was so fracking proud of them that day. Heck, I was proud of myself! As as ironic as it seems, I felt like a fantastic mother that day. Yeah... I know I was sitting on the couch watching tv for hours (something I literally NEVER do by the way,) but only a great mother could ignore her kids for that long and them not get into any trouble while playing beautifully together, right? I dont get many "Im a great mother" days but on Monday, I reveled in it. I got to chill and veg all day long and my kids, though with me, didnt spoil my self indulgent party. Ahhhhhhhh!

As I was making dinner that night, I looked out the window and had the thought to take a picture of them with their legos. Im sharing two of them here. I'll tell you what, as dorky a hobby as scrapbooking may be Im glad I do it because this day will never be forgotten. Not ever!

Bragging.

I am not a photographer; not by a long shot.
Im not schooled in how my camera works. Aperture and shutter speed confuse me. I have to take dozens of pictures to get that one good shot. I still have a hard time taking pictures in low light. I cant talk shop because I dont know what any of it means.
But every blue moon I get a shot like this one and I surprise myself.

Then again... maybe Im just in love with the subject.

Happy Tuesday.

Reunion Weekend

Welp, its Saturday morning and that means I survived the first night of my 20 year reunion weekend.

Was it nerve racking? Yes it was. And the crazy thing is that last night was the informal mixer thing. Tonight is the actual reunion. Also, I keep in touch with many of my high school friends. Erin, Kira, Lorena, Jen and Linnea are friends I talk with regularly. They were all there last night - in fact we went together. Some of us see each other more often than others, but we all keep in touch.
Last night:

Twenty years ago:

So why was last night such an intimidating experience? For me it was a lot of things, but it was all rooted in fear. First and foremost, I was afraid people would judge me: judge me by how I look and act and compare that to the person I was in high school. It was a weird feeling going into a room where most of the people there only knew me as a teenager. My four years in high school were not my best years and thankfully Im not that same person anymore. And yet... that is our connection. Its a pretty strange set up when you think about it. Thankfully it turned out good. I think many of us were feeling the same nervousness and it ended up being just fine.

Tonight=reunion. I think I can handle this. :)

Happy Saturday.

Photo Share

A couple days ago I bribed the kids to sit down with me and take some pictures. I dont do this often. They usually dont cooperate with me in this kind of setting and my frustration is not worth the pictures. Its much easier to take pictures of them doing their thing and in their element. But on this day I had the slip covers off the couch (they had to be washed) and had replaced them with these recently bought quilts. I got the quilts at a local antique/thrift shop. One quilt was cheaper than dirt; the other I paid way beyond what I should have. I wanted to get some pics of the boys with them as a backdrop.

Here are some photos I liked. There were literally DOZENS more that were just ok, crappy or out of focus. I love my 85 mm lens, but damn if it isnt temperamental. Even when Im using focal points, it doesnt always focus well. Oh well. Such is life.






Happy Thursday.

Dodgers vs Padres

Matt and my first date was a Dodger/Padre game at Qualcomm Stadium in late September 1995. My dad had a friend at work who had seats right by the third base dugout. They were amazing seats. I was a huge Dodger fan back then and the visiting dugout for the Padres was third base. Our seats gave us great access to the players and Lasorda. It was awesome. Unfortunately, the Dodgers lost that game and my mood became sour with the loss. Thankfully it didnt stop Matt from holding my hand and sneaking in a "first kiss" upon arriving home.

Fourteen years later Matt and I got to revisit that first date, but this time we saw the game at Petco Park. Matt and I are lucky in that we are usually able to sneak away alone and watch the Padres each year. Usually its around our anniversary in August, but this year we got to go early. My parents had tickets for the Dodger/Padre game this past weekend but didnt use them. My dad asked me if I wanted them and I snatched them up without thinking twice. We had a great time.

It was a beautiful day: sunny and warm but with a great breeze off the bay. The place was packed! When the Dodgers come to town the crowds come out - many of them driving from LA to root on their team. The game went to extra innings with the Dodgers winning in the 13th. In 1995, I would have been overjoyed with that outcome, but these days Id prefer to see the home team win. We had a great time though and enjoyed all 13 innings. I know it sounds corny, but I feel so joyful watching baseball at a day game. Its a warm fuzzy feeling for me. I was telling Matt that I think we need to celebrate our half birthdays with my parents and invite everyone out to the ballpark each summer so we can feel that joy with family and friends. Such a happy place. :)

Here is a shot of us in our rally caps. It didnt help. ha ha

And here is Matt in a sea of Dodger fans. There were so many of them there - all decked out in thier Dodger jerseys. They are always very vocal, but most didnt get out of control. There was this one lady down near the field who had a big poster that read "This is Dodgerville USA." Eeeeeeekkkk! It made me cringe a bit every time she put that thing up and waved it. Dont get me wrong, I like to see the Dodgers win - just not when they play the Padres. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Dodgers, but Ive never been into disrespect at another team's home park.

Thanks to Mom and Dad for the great tickets.
Happy Wednesday!

The Hat

A few weeks ago we went the the beach with some friends and Seamus' friend attended wearing a hat. It was black with a red and tan band on it. It might have had a small feather on it too. The hat kind of reminded me of the hats of the 1940s and 50s. Think Jimmy Stewart in A Philadelphia Story or Frank Sinatra. Anyhoo, Seamus kept taking it from his friend and wearing it. In fact, most of the boys were trying to wear the hat. At first I thought they were just playing some kind of game, but it became pretty clear that they all just wanted to wear the hat.

Then a couple days later we were at our friends' house and another boy had a similar hat. This kid was younger than Seamus. Once again, Shea mysteriously acquired the hat and wore it as much as he could before the kid took it back. It seemed weird to think of Seamus caring about his clothing or appearance, but his affection for this style hat was obvious. He thought it was cool. He thought HE was cool in it.

Segue to last week: I went to Target and saw the same style hat in the men's section. There were many different colors and among the batch I found one on sale. I decided to get it and see if Shea liked it. Boy did he! I think he wore that hat all of 4th of July weekend. Every single day. The hat is actually too big for his small head. When I saw it, I didnt even look at the size which is a M/L. I was looking at the price. But Seamus didnt care that it was too big. Before he wears it, he stuffs it with toilet paper so it fits on his head.

How stinking cute is that?

Happy Tuesday.

Busy Weekend Starts Today.

Because of the busy weekend coming up, this post is going to be super brief.

My parents gave me and the boys their season tix so we headed down to the ballpark Thursday to watch the Padres play the Astros. We lost badly, but the boys and I had the best time. Gosh I love Padre games at Petco! Its such a nice park to watch baseball. Yesterday was a perfect day - sunny and warm, but not hot. There was a wonderful breeze that blew into us most of the game. Two foul balls came our way and we didnt catch them. That was super exciting. Ive never caught a foul ball before and we were soooooo close. Then in the ninth inning, a swarm of bees flew onto the field and they had to delay the game for an hour. It was a trip!




I have some scrapping to do this morning. Im late on my deadlines. We have a birthday party today and 4th of July stuff going on tomorrow. This week has been a whirlwind! Im not going to be posting this weekend so here's wishing you guys all a Happy 4th of July and a safe weekend.

Happy Friday. :)

Rock You Like A Hurricane

In the summer time, the boys and I are at my parents' pool a lot. We will go there at least 5 days a week. I wait for summer all year long to sit under the palapa at my childhood pool and watch the kids play. It is my happy place. I did the page below to record how special the pool is for me and my family.



I call the pool my "parents' pool" because its located at my parents' house, but its actually my dad's pool. He loves it. He maintains it. He swims in it. Its been this way for 30+ years. On any given day you can see him down there reading a book under the palapa or taking a dip. I associate the pool as much with my dad as I do his love for the Lakers. Pool = Dad.

Another thing about my dad and his pool, he can be very particular about it. When he is around, he will admonish the kids about playing with their legos inside the pool. He will remind them over and over again about bringing all the toys and floaties out upon leaving. He will get irritated when the boys bring dirt or grass into the pool via the yard. He's not usually ok with diving for pennies and coins. The pool is his baby and he can sometimes come off like a mean old man defending it. Usually when we're there, Dad isnt and what Dad doesnt know wont kill him. We have learned to clean up well. But when he is there, we all know that he is prone to sudden outbursts regarding his dearest - the pool.

A recent pool activity Seamus and Finn have created is called "the hurricane." They dont usually do it when the two of them are alone because they cant create enough force for generate waves. However, if the boys have friends over they'll always do it. Each kid will take a floatie, mostly intertubes or boogie boards, and they will pound up and down on the water creating waves. Then, one or two of them will peel off and try to ride the boogie board or intertube amongst the waves. The problem with doing "the hurricane" is that a lot of water comes out of the pool once it gets going. The waves can get surprisingly big and the water will splash out of the pool in large quanities.

My dad hates this and will get very agitated when the kids do it at his pool. Hence, we dont do it (when he is around.)

Yesterday we went up to see our friends, the Whitneys. Summertime and school breaks are the only times of the year we get to see Tara, Jeff, Drew, Nathan, Mckenna and Anna. When we visit them, we can usually be found lounging around their community pool. Yesterday while playing in a pool that is NOT my father's, my boys convinced the Whitney kids to create "the hurricane." Im sure that the Whitney and McGarvey clans have generated the hurricane before, but yesterday was the first time I got some pictures of it.

So... without further adieu I give you the world premiere photographs of "the hurricane." Brought to you by Seamus, Drew, Nathan, Anna and Finn. (note* if you happen to have the song "Rock you Like A Hurricane" by the Scorpians it makes a great backdrop to viewing these pictures. I presently have it on right now.)



Happy Thursday! :)

Where The Turf Meets the Surf

Yesterday we went for our annual visit to the Del Mar Fair. We had a pretty good time. It wasnt too hot or too crowded. Still, I came home thinking it didnt go as well as it had in the past. I think Ive narrowed down the reasons why.

For starters, the boys are in between rides. Let me explain: at the Del Mar Fair there is a little kid area where they have a ton of rides for kids under 7 or 8 and then there is a big kid area where they have lots of BIG rides. In years past, weve gone straight to the little kid area where the boys have always enjoyed themselves. But this year, those rides seemed really dorky to Seamus. He wasnt into them at all. With this unexpected fact looming, we decided to brave the big kid area. They had some monster rides there - many that twirl you all over the place and lift you high off the ground. Matt and I could tell that Seamus was not ready for most of those rides, but thankfully there were a handful he wanted to try. That's when we ran into our second bump: Finn would not dare go on any of them. He was visibly afraid and quite adamant about staying off all the big kid rides. Acckkkkk! Its rough when you have one kid wanting to go on a ride and another who is begging you not to go. We decided we had to split up and while that was ok, it wasnt ideal. I would have preferred we enjoy the rides as a family or at least the boys enjoy them together, but that wanst happening. After circling the area we finally came upon a ride that both kids wanted to do: the bumper cars. Yes! But once again, we ran into a problem: the kids were too short to ride it alone. Last year at the little kid section, the boys LOVED the bumper cards. They ganged up on Matt and had a fantastic, car banging time. This year in the big kid area, they werent able to drive their own car and that, unfortunately, was a deal breaker.Bummer. Truth be told, Seamus was too short to ride alone on practically all the big kid rides. That was a little crushing for my normally self confident 10 year old boy.


There were lots of positives though. The boys were really into games this year and each of them won a few stuff animals. If they had a choice, Im guessing they would have spent their entire day throwing ping pongs or darts or baseballs for hours. A couple other highlights were the rock and gem exhibit and the livestock area. Since the kids were little, we have been checking out both those areas in detail. This year was no exception. One new thing we experienced was paying to see this gigantic horse named Hercules. When I entered the tent and actually saw him, I was shocked. He was HUMONGOUS! Ive never seen a horse that large in my entire life... never though horses could be that large.

And of course there was the food. You can smell its deliciousness as soon as you pull into the parking lot. Matt and I were surprisingly good yesterday. Each of us only bought funnel cakes and neither of us could finish them. It was sooooo goood though. Yum. The kids ate boring stuff; hot dogs and french fries. I would have liked to eat some brisket or pulled pork or a blooming onion or some fried mozzarella sticks but smelling them was enough for me. I cant figure out if Im thankful for that or not. ha ha




This year the fair threw us some curve balls. We went into it ready to enjoy our normal, status quo plan and instead had to hurdle many unexpected issues along the way. None of the problems were any one's fault. The kids are just growing up. Next year we'll be better prepared and Im sure with some tweaks we'll be running ship shape once again.

Happy Wednesday.