The Piano

When I was a 13, I started taking piano lessons. I took them off and on for a couple of years, and then, mostly because our piano was horribly out of tune and untunable, I quit taking lessons. I took a couple of group piano classes in college and practiced a bit in the practice rooms at my university. And that's as far as it went for a long time.
When Giancarlo and I bought a house large enough to hold a piano, we bought one immediately. I refamiliarized myself with it and dabbled around for a couple of years, trying to teach myself songs. I stuck mainly to music that I already had, which wasn't much: the theme from Ice Castles--Looking Through the Eyes of Love, Fur Elise, Nadia's Theme (The Young and the Restless), a bunch of church stuff like Infinite Worth by Janice Kapp Perry (whose son I met, incidentally, and happens to be gay), some Neil Diamond--You Don't Bring Me Flowers, and then some show tunes from a book I got from my voice class in college. Kinda cheesey, right?
But then we adopted Diego and it all came to a screeching halt. I didn't touch that piano for three years.
A few months ago, I began working with Sarah, and in conversation I found out she teaches piano. What a great opportunity! In short, she started teaching me lessons about two months ago, and I feel like I got my groove back! Even though I'm not very good, when I play I get such a sense of satisfaction--especially playing the new music that Sarah has introduced me to. Enya songs are my favorite, and right now I'm learning some David Lanz. And...be still my heart...some Tori Amos.

Sarah is a great teacher....knowledgable and patient. Very patient.

I now play every day for about an hour. I'm so proud of myself!

My All-time Favorite CDs

Well, some of my all-time favorites, at least. These are in no particular order. I have a feeling my brothers are going to mock this post.

Of course, I had a very hard time narrowing it down to just one Madonna album. But I couldn't very well put ALL of them here, could I?

This one is too fun to be true.

This one is melancholy and mellow. When I'm in the right mood, it is soo satisfying.

I really like their unique sound.

Who knew anger could be so much fun?

I love every single song on this CD and I know them all by heart.

Tori, Tori, Tori. One of a kind and so incredibly talented and strange all at once. I love all of Tori's work equally...so this one represents them all. I actually belive Tori is my all-time favorite artist. I admit I have spent the past 15 years obsessing over this woman and her music. I'm actually what they call a "Toriphile."





And of course, Depechemode. I like all of their CDs as well. This one is particularly outstanding.





Seal, without even knowing it, walked me through the roughest patch of my life with this CD. Thank you, Seal.







This one is definitely Sarah's best work. I probably have listened to this album more than any other.



I went to Madonna's Confessions tour in Los Angeles. She blew me away! This one is her latest, and it is my favorite.

k.d. Lang has one of the best voices around. I like this CD because it is so calmly and confidently happy.

You don't know what catchy music and fun lyrics are until you listen to Ta-Dah!

Does anyone agree with me? What are your favorites?

The Perfect Dress

'Nuff Said!

Diego and Diego

After watching the same Go, Diego, Go DVD for the tenth time, Diego cupped my face in his hands and said, "Daddy, I like to watch Diego too, too much because he's Diego and I'm Diego, too!"

Happy Dad's Day!

To my Dad

To my father-in-law, Pietro
And to Giancarlo

They're all so different from each other, but there is one main thing that they all have in common: They each have very kind hearts!

Top 12 Country Songs For 2007

I received this as an email forward today...and being the country music lover that I am, I thought these were hysterical!


12. I Hate Every Bone in Her Body But Mine.

11. It's Hard to Kiss the Lips At Night That Chewed My Ass All Day.

10. If the Phone Don't Ring, You'll Know It's Me.

9. I Liked You Better Before I Got to Know You So Well.

8. I Still Miss You Baby, But My Aim's Gettin' Better.

7. I Wouldn't take her to a Dog Fight 'Cause I'm Afraid She'd Win.

6. I'll Marry You Tomorrow, But Let's Honeymoon Tonight.

5. I'm So Miserable without you, It's just like You're Still Here.

4. If I Had Shot You When I First wanted To, I'd Be Out Of Prison By now.

3. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend and I Sure Miss my buddy.

2. She Got the Ring and I Got the Finger

And the number 1 Country Song is:

1. I Ain't Never Gone to Bed with Ugly Women But I've Sure Woke Up With a
few.

NOW Who's the Bunny Killer?

Awww, cute, right? We have lots and lots of little rabbits that live around our neighborhood. I like seeing them around, even when I can tell they've been nibbling my plants. Spring time is fun because there are always little tiny bunnies around, the kind that can fit in the palm of your hand. In fact, one mother rabbit dug a hole in a pot on our patio and had her babies in it. We enjoyed peering into the small, dark hole and seeing them all tiny and nestled in warmth and safety.

But then, they grew enough so that they wanted to hop out of the pot and start exploring the world. Elsa kept very close eye on the whole situation, giving us all hourly reports on their progress and whereabouts. She even started accompanying the dogs out into the yard to do their business, just to make sure that they wouldn't attack the bunnies. She also gave me strict instructions that I was to do the same. I figured she was being overly cautious, thinking that the noisy dogs would scare them away before they could even get close.

Wrong. I let the dogs out to go to the bathroom, and in an instant I heard a shrill screaming, the kind I'd only heard earlier in my life when we raised rabbits. Patches had a tiny little bunny clutched in his teeth, shaking it back and forth. Needless to say, the bunny didn't make it. Needless to say, I was scolded by several members of the family.

You would think I had learned my lesson. But the next morning, I went outside before the dogs to try to scare away any bunnies that might be around. Satisfied that the yard was bunny free, I let the dogs out. And what did Patches do? He instantly found another one, and killed it immediately.

So now I ask the question....now who's the bunny killer?

A Tiny Bit More About Me

Believe it or not, there are actually a few things you may not know about me, even if you are a very loyal, avid, reader of The Jason Show. Since I love to copy good ideas, here is one that my sister copied from someone else, then Kira and Laura copied, and now I am going to as well.

My Roomate and I once: put sugar in our other roomate's bed, booby trapped his door so a cup of water fell on him when he opened it, and Saran Wrapped the toilet bowl in the middle of the night. But he got me back. He snuck into the bathroom while I was taking a shower and stole all the towels, rugs, toilet paper, everything, and I was forced to either stay in the bathroom all night or walk naked through the apartment while they had a bunch of girls over. What do you think I did?

Never in my life have I: gone hunting. It is wrong to kill animals for the sport of it.

High school was: Better than junior high, that's for sure! I enjoyed high school pretty much...but I'm not sure yet about the upcoming 20 year reunion coming up this August.

When I am nervous: I put my hands under my armpits and then I smell them, like this. Only kidding! My stomach feels quesy, my heart beats too quickly, and my palms sweat.

My hair: Is thinning and starting to go grey a bit on the sides...but I have the same amount of hair that I had about 10 years ago. That's good, right?

By this time next year: Amelia will be preparing to get her driver's license

My favorite aunt is: Aunt Jerry, married to my Uncle Jim. She is so nice, could always make me laugh, and is easy to talk to.

You know I like you if: I go out of my way to make conversation with you.

My ideal breakfast is: None. But I'm turning over a new leaf these days. I'm drinking only one cup of coffee and actually eating a healthy breakfast every morning. Usually oatmeal...one thing I swore for years and years that I would never do. But it is filling, made with whole grains, and reduces cholesterol.

If you visit my hometown: I think you'll like it! It's a pretty good place to live, clean, safe, and close to all the things that Southern California has to offer. Oh, and don't forget that we don't have nasty, harsh winters.

If you spend the night at my house: You'll probably get barked at by our dogs, played with by Diego, and talked at a lot by my mother-in-law

My favorite blondes are: Kim, Jen, Denise, Kira, and Tami (when she's blonde)

My favorite brunettes are: Giancarlo, Diego, Hilary, and Amelia

The animal I would like to see flying is: Ummm, a bird? What kind of a question is that?

I shouldn’t have been: a cub scout or a boy scout

Last night: I went to a play called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which was recently on Broadway. It was a lot of fun. I recommend it!

I’ve been told I look like: Julian McMahon, my sister, my brothers, Giancarlo, and Diego. Oh, and uh, Ricky Martin!

If I could have any car it would be: any new, sporty, quiet, luxurious car that got 100 miles to the gallon

Rennen

This is Rennen, Hilary and Amelia's little sister, Claire's youngest daughter. Her name, Rennen Seele, means "Racing Soul". Highly appropriate name, considering that her parents are busily involved in car racing. Since Rennen was born, I have loved spending time with her! She gets to spend a few days with us now and again, and it is always so much fun.

To make this girl happy when she visits, all I have to do is have an ample supply of dill pickles in the fridge, along with plenty of chocolate milk (which she used to call "cold hot chocolate").

We'll be seeing her soon! Watch for more pictures and some funny stories.

Things That Lurk Under Trailers

What is this creature creeping out from underneath this double-wide? No, it's not Gollum, it's my littlest brother, Paul. What in the name of all that is holy and good is he doing under a trailer? And dressed in a ghost costume, no less?

Well, he does it for the excitement of it. Weird, I know. Some thrill seekers scale skyscrapers, others jump out of airplanes, others race cars at impossible speeds, yet others go deep-sea diving. Paul dresses up as a H.A.Z.M.A.T. worker and slithers around in trailer crawl spaces.

Speaking of trailers and their crawl spaces, we once moved into a trailer that had been recently condemned by the health department. After a few weeks of living there, we began smelling something vile coming out from under the trailer. My dad called someone to investigate, and it turns out that the main sewer line under the trailer was broken and had been for some time. Consequently, sewage was being dumped directly from our squatter's hut onto the ground underneath. And it just sat there, collecting as we flushed toilets and drained bathtubs. What is it with my family and raw sewage?

During this time, my mom was also pregnant with Katrine. This means that during those most critical weeks of the gestation period, my mother was breathing methane fumes all day long.

I think this just might be the explanation we've been looking for!

Buon Viaggio, Amelia and Riley!

Giancarlo took Amelia, Riley, and Elsa to the LAX yesterday to send them off to Italy for three weeks. As you may recall, Riley is a nominee for best newcomer in a series as well as our obligatory quirky sit-com next door neighbor. He is such a great guy.
Amelia is going to have a very entertaining time with him!

Elsa will miss Diego more than she misses anyone else.

-

With such an exciting trip ahead of her, why is Amelia so sad? Is it because she'll miss her Dad?

Nooooo, it's because she's leaving this young man behind.

-

This is Casacalenda, Italy, where Amelia and Riley will be spending most of their time. It is a little mountain village in south-central Italy, about 45 minutes from the Adriatic coast. I'm sure she'll bring back a gazillion great pictures of this amazing, quaint, historic little town. Believe me, I will share them with you!

Need a Good Book?

I've been appointed historian of my book club! This prestigious honor has prompted me to update the list of books that I posted last spring. So here it is....so go on....choose a book.....and happy reading! Oh, if you've read any of these, I'd love to hear your comments about them. And if you have any great recommendations, I'd love to hear them.

Looking for some good summer reading? Your search has come to an end. For the past three years I’ve been in a book club, which is something that I had always wanted to do. We meet once a month for dinner to discuss the book of the month. It has been so much fun. I have enjoyed most of the books, some more than others. One of the best parts of the book club is that it guides me into reading things I would never choose on my own. In my pre-book club years, I was stuck in a rut, reading only a certain kind of book, which usually fell into the category of trashy supermarket novels. Now, my horizons have been expanded! I’ve rated these books on my own very exclusive 5-star scale:

.

The Other Boleyn Girl*****

By Phillipa Gregory

Fascinating, entertaining, and historical! I avoided this book for a couple of years, but then it was chosen as a book club read, and I'm very glad.

.

What the Dead Know****

by Laura Lippman

This book is a twisty, turny mystery that will keep you guessing til the end.

.

No One Belongs Here More Than You***

by Miranda July

If you like quirky short stories, this book's for you. I do, and I liked it.

.

Water for Elephants****

by Sara Gruen

I never imagined I would love a circus story so much. But this story had it all, mystery, intrigue, passion, and murder.

.

The Tortilla Curtain***

by T.C. Boyle

This is the story of illegal Mexican immigrants living in a a dry river bed in Topanga Canyon, just a mile away from a prestigious upper scale community. This story is too close to the truth.

.

Shattered Dreams****

by Irene Spencer

Ohhh, boy. Ready for an amazing true story written by a polygamist's wife?

.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch*

By Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

I usually like offbeat and slightly bizarre books. But this one was beyond me.

.

Notes from a Small Island*

By Bill Bryson

Okay, I have a confession. I ordered the wrong book for this particular month's book club, so didn't really read this one. I tried, kind of, but I couldn't get into it.

.
The Glass Castle: A Memoir *****
By Jeanette Walls
This book is one of the best memoirs I have read. Loved it!

The Barrytown Trilogy **
By Roddy Doyle

Very Irish, very funny, when you can understand it.

Mirror, Mirror ***
By Gregory Macguire

This author also wrote Wicked. His style is very weird, yet enjoyable.

A Long Way Down ****
By Nick Hornsby

A funny book about people who want to commit suicide.

My Sister’s Keeper ****
By Jodi Picoult

Gut wrenchingly sad, but a great story

The Five People You Meet in Heaven ***
By Mitch Albom

A nice little story, but I was a bit bored

The Year of Magical Thinking**
By Joan Didion

Another memoir, about grieving , I didn't love it

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter ****
By Kim Edwards

Interesting story about a doctor who gives away his Down's Syndrome baby

In Cold Blood
Truman Capote

The true story of multiple murders

The Davinci Code *****
By Dan Brown

Very famous book, and for good reason. If you haven't read it yet, get on board, it's exceptional.

Naked *****
By David Sedaris

By far the funniest book I have ever, ever read. Also a memoir.

The Birth of Venus *****
By Sarah Dunant

A captivating tale about reinaissance Florence and a woman who wants to be an artist, which was unheard of at the time

The Thirteenth Tale *****
By Diane Setterfield

Ohh so good! Suspenseful, interesting, "ghost" story. If you don't read anything else on my list, read this one.

The Family Tree ****
By Carole Cadwalladr

A story about a dynfunctional family and depression. Very insightful.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books **
By Azar Nafisi

This book was written at a post-doctorate reading level. It was very high quality, great story, but I had a difficult time understanding it.

The Kite Runner ****
By Kahled Hosseini

Sad historical fiction about Afghanistan. Great story

Other People’s Dirt: A Housecleaner’s Curious Adventures ***
By Louise Rafkin

The title says it all. Mildly interesting and funny, but nothing remarkable.

Little Children *****
By Tom Perrotta

Fascinating! The movie was equally so.

Love in the Time of Cholera *
By Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Yawn. I did not join the book club to read classics. I'm sorry. Too hard to follow.

Breathing Lessons *****
By Anne Tyler

My most treasured author, and one of her best books. She takes the every day and turns it into something amazing.

The Great and Secret Show **
By Clive Barker

The most memorable book we've read, simply because of its truly bizarre nature. Science fiction.

The Secret Life of Bees ****
By Sue Monk Kidd

Wonderful, meaningful story

The Life of Pi ***
Yann Martel

Great story, fiction. One of my book club friends read the whole thing thinking it was true and was sooo bummed when she found out it wasn't.

Middlesex ****
By Jeffrey Eugenides

A riveting story about a hermaphrodite

The Power of One: The Classic Novel of South Africa *
Bruce Courtenay

This was a nice story but bored me to tears.

The Time Traveler’s Wife ***
By Audrey Niffenegger

Pretty good read, keep an open mind with this one

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary **
By Simon Winchester

Interesting, but I wouldn't recommend it. The best part of this book was when we all had to form lists of our favorite words.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time **
By Mark Haddon

Everyone loved this book, but I just couldn't get into it. Autism is the main theme.

Mrs. Dalloway *
By Virginia Woolf

Bleck. Read The Hours instead. Reading Virginia Woolf is like trying to make sense out of insanity. Oh, wait. That's what it is. It did have some interesting insights about depression, though.

Good Omens *
By Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett

Quite humorous, but I couldn't get past its quirkiness and difficulty to understand in order to enjoy the humor.

Wifey **
By Judy Blume

Betcha didn't know the author of Tales of a Fouth Grade Nothing and Superfudge also writes porn! Tra-aaaa-shy!

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These are outstanding non-book club books that you might consider:

The God in Flight *****
By Laura Argiri

This was an amazing, beautifully crafted story that left me thinking about it for weeks to come.

Running With Scissors *****
By Augusten Burroughs

Hysterical! Unbelievable! Loved it!

Dry ****
By Augusten Burroughs

The sequel to Running With Scissors. Also very good.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim ****
By David Sedaris

Same author as Naked

Angels and Demons *****
By Dan Brown

Same author as The Davinci Code. Outstanding

She’s Come Undone *****
By Wally Lamb

Very funny and touching

The Lovely Bones****
By Alice Sebold

Sad but meaningful story about a murdered girl who watches her family from heaven

Well, what are you waiting for? Go find some books!

Mount Timpanogos

I grew up at the base of this mountain. I used to take its beauty for granted, but the last few times I've been in Utah, I have had to stop and stare.

Ingesting Miss Clairol

My sister strikes again. This kind of thing only seems to happen to her. Do yourself a favor and read about her latest mishap! I lifted this from Katrine's blog, Squibs and Crackers. I'm sure she won't mind.

I Nearly Dyed

"As a SAHM I have to sacrifice things. That’s okay because the definition of sacrifice is to give up something good for something better. So, I give up getting my hair colored at by skilled beauticians in fancy salons and do it myself with Miss Clairol in my bathroom. I figure I save about $80 every time I do it. And, unfortunately for myself, I hate doing it. But last night my hate for this need to color my grey grew.
Before I began my beauty routine I had to convince John to watch the baby. Then, as I was mixing the two solutions together I knocked the container of the counter. At that moment I opened my mouth in a scream. I knew how bad this could be. But I should have kept my trap shut because the hair dye splashed off the floor and into my mouth. Have you ever tasted Miss Clairol? It’s not cheesecake! I turned to the sink and began desperately flushing out my mouth. After the burning subsided I turned to survey the damage.
It was like a scene out of CSI. The hair dye was the color red so it looked like blood splatter. Up two walls, two doors, the bathroom counter, and even the ceiling. And it looked like I had been part of this domestic disturbance because the red splotches extended across one arm, up my shirt, and across my neck and face. This was not good!
I began desperately trying to get Miss Clairol off the tile. The bad part was once it dried it reappeared! I turned my attention to the walls. Not coming off. I felt a need to confense my sins to my husband. After all, it’s his paycheck that pays for our home. And my Clairol.
“Honey, you do realize that I save $80 everytime I color my hair.”“Is this about the baby?”“No. I spilled hair color all over the bathroom. And I ingested Miss Clairol.”
He jumped up into the bathroom. He didn’t notice my face but he surely noticed the ceiling that I hadn’t noticed yet. “Crap!” I said.
He told me I should try Thurow, Fingernail polish remover, and Pinesol. After 20 minutes, none of that worked. And now the hair dye has changed to a grey color.
And my husband didn’t even seem to care that I had eaten toxic dye. So, today I am painting. And with the cheap home builder pant it is taking many coats.
Oh, I still have grey hair."