Andy Smallman

Ella took this picture about an hour ago, soon after she finished decorating our Christmas tree. The photo is among several we took, prompted by an email request from Chloe to send her photos of the tree. Knowing how much Chloe always enjoys the decorating of the house, I can imagine she feels she’s missing out a bit up at Quest.

That being said, Ella also took on Chloe’s traditional role of making snowflakes and decorating the windows. Look for a photo in the next day or two to represent that part of our family’s holiday traditions. Speaking of Chloe and paper snowflakes, when she was home for Thanksgiving she showed us photos of those she made to decorate her dorm room.

As I write, Melinda and Ella are enjoying the living room, chatting quietly in front of the fire. More moments of what the holidays are all about.

Yesterday, Dwight & Michele picked up Ella and together they met Greg & Perrin at the Seattle Yacht Club for brunch. Now this wasn’t just any ordinary brunch, this was the annual Christmas brunch. When Chloe and Ella were younger, Melinda and I would attend, too. It became one of my favorite events of the holiday season. Today’s picture of Michele with Ella and Perrin comes from yesterday’s event.

Of the many things I enjoyed about the SYC Christmas brunch, getting dressed up and having a sit down meal with dozens of other families with young kids ranks near the top. Okay, I admit it, I always looked forward to the bacon, too. Lots of it. Ask Dwight. But on top of there being bacon, each year Santa Claus pays a visit and delivers presents to all of the kids. Among my cherished memories of this event include Ella getting scared over seeing Santa, and the year Chloe, excited to be opening her gift, got a set of holiday dishes. Her reaction, “I got … dishes?” was priceless and he remains one of Michele’s and my favorite stories to remind each other.

I’m pleased Ella was invited along and I hear Perrin loved having her cousin be present. Fun times, just what the holidays are all about.

I received an email today from Bernard in Nantes under the subject line I’ve used as the title of this entry (translation: Hairstyling Aesthetics). Today’s photo was attached to the email which reads in full:

Hi Andy,
Could you fix my hair please? Meet me at ligne 1, arrêt Halvêque.
Andy, ligne 1, U Express and blue sky. What else?

The email and photo made me laugh out loud. I called Melinda to take a look and she laughed out loud even longer than I did. You see, I read her the email and then slowly scrolled down to reveal the photo, Bernard’s follicle-impaired dome being the last part of it to emerge.

To Bernard I say this. Bernie, I can think of few things I’d like more than you, Ligne 1, a U Express and blue sky. Toss in Chrissie and Melinda and you’ve got a double-date. Deal?

Those Bertails in Nantes, we love them.

A year ago today Chloe slipped down the icy stairs in front of our house in Nantes and bruised her backside. Later in the day, she was relating the experience to her cousin Stephanie, seen in this photo from a year ago, who was in the midst of her visit.

Really, though, why I included this photo today was because of that patch of sunlight at the top of it and the person in it. That’s Melinda! Upon exiting the house and noticing the sun patch, Melinda darted across the street to soak it up, ice on the stairs be damned! This is her regular modus operandi when it comes to spotting sunlight. She’ll zigzag across streets to be in the sunlight.

Melinda’s got one of those sun simulator lamps that she basks in each morning. I think a better plan each year would be for her to fly south for the winter.

The house in which we lived in Nantes was well insulated and solid, and therefore was much warmer in the winter than our Seattle house. As we get deeper in December and the darkness stays around longer in the morning and arrives earlier in the afternoon, we are really feeling it, “it” being chilly. Add in the typical damp Seattle fall and it can feel downright cold. When one is inside and it feels cold, it can be kind of frustrating. I mean my nose is even running!

I decided to warm myself up by looking through some photos from this past summer of us sitting by the pool in Nantes or playing in it. Not wanting to embarrass other members of my family by including photos of them, I chose this one of me. Look, I’m smiling and obviously comfortable. I’m not only warm, I’m even tan!

Ah, a good way to warm up. Looking at these photos.

It’s just past 10pm and we’re just home from school. Today is one of those L O N G days that sometimes happen when you work for a school. Not only did we have a regular school day in length, but Wednesdays also include our weekly 2 hour staff meeting, so we had that today, too. But then from 7-9pm was a community-wide event, a dessert potluck. It’s a great event, one that allows the parents and others to absorb more of the school culture. But for those of us on staff, it makes for a tiring day.

To illustrate that my focus today was all on PSCS, I’ve chosen a photo I found yesterday on the school camera. It comes from a couple of weeks ago when I was facilitating a game at school. It was a pretty crazy game, one that involves waste paper baskets, throwing crumpled pieces of paper over your head, and some silly competition. In other words, it’s supposed to fun.

Speaking of fun, that’s an important word at PSCS. Even on these long days.

I’ll tell you, kids in the 4 to 5 year-old age range make the coolest drawings. Take a look at this one, Exhibit A. And it’s not just the exceptional subject matter that makes it stand out. It’s just outstanding art.

From left to right, study the subjects. That’s about as good a likeness you’re going to get of Melinda, down to the multi-colored dress. Next up is Ella, also well-drawn in a multi-colored dress. Chloe, clearly, was a bit harder to capture, considering the artist had to work from memory. And if the top hat on my head doesn’t impress you, certainly the red shoes will (undoubtedly an Elvis Costello reference as in The Angels Wanna Wear My…), not to mention the glasses and facial hair.

Last night I mentioned that Perrin had completed many fine drawings at Michele’s 75th birthday party. This one we got to take home.

The title of this post refers to a cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, sugar and champagne. The photo is of Michele, Melinda’s mother. Tallied, yesterday was Michele’s 75th birthday! So last night we gathered at the home of Dwight and Michele to celebrate (no gifts, please).

In attendance were Dwight & Michele, Brenda, Greg & Perrin, and Melinda, Ella & me. At one point in the evening, Dwight, Greg and I were involved in a conversation about our wives. We looked over at them and, while sipping our French 75 cocktails, commented how good they all looked. I’m not about to suggest that the cocktails had anything to do with the topic of conversation. I’m just trying to be an unbiased reporter presenting nothing but the facts.

Other facts of the evening include that we ate lasagna for dinner. Ella pronounced it delicious, an evaluation I happen to agree with. Perrin completed many fine drawings. The adults sipped cocktails. The men adored their wives.

Every Sunday morning since we’ve been back from France I get up early and go for a run. Last Sunday, of course, that run was the half marathon. But, typically, these runs are quiet and solo, time for contemplation. I love it. Today’s run included the morning sun and blue sky!!

My usual path takes me from our house to Magnuson Park, around the park for a bit, and back. It’s a run that has some serious hills, which makes it a good training run. Although I’ve not measured it, I estimate the distance I’m running to be right around 7 miles.

The quickest I’ve ever run this route is 62 minutes. I’ve run this speed consistently but today vowed to complete the run in 60 minutes. I pushed myself hard from the start when I normally coast while I get warm. Having not run at all since last Sunday and pushing myself, I found myself getting tired. This started playing on my mind, especially as I climbed the killer hill from Sand Point Way to the top of View Ridge, but I kept going. Getting home, I found I had shattered my record, running in 56 minutes.

I took this picture this morning (with my French cell phone) as I ran along Lake Washington at Magnuson Park.

When I was a kid we had a dog, a miniature dachshund by the name of Gretel. Gretel had a number of allergies, so many, in fact, that my parents made her homemade dog food. Every 4-6 weeks or so, they’d get some cheap lamb bones and boil them with plain white rice. The remaining meat and rice formed the basis of Gretel’s meals, which were measured out and frozen for future use.

Now on the days my parents made her food, Gretel would go nearly crazy. She knew this food was hers and she wanted it all. Now. She’d get underfoot. She’d whimper. She’d beg. Thinking back on this (and other scenes from my youth), I think I’ve got the material for a TV sit-com.

Moving forward, I have renewed sympathy for Gretel. You see, today’s photo is another of the three Laurent sent me earlier this week. It’s the meal Frédérique served last Saturday night. Seeing it, duck confit, makes me feel like Gretel must have felt on the days my parents made her meals. I’m begging…

The picture also prompted me to go online and search for duck confit. I found it on Amazon, but it’s so blasted expensive. I went so far as to add it to my cart, then removed it at the last second.

Gretel, help me!