Happy Flag Friday

Today's Friday post is meant to teach you some important stuff.
Flag stuff.

June 14th is Flag Day, which is one of those holidays I knew nothing about until I had a chat with my dear friend wikipedia.

Way back in 1777 the US adopted our flag by a congressional resolution.

I'd be lying if I told you that I have long felt some kind of profound connection to American flag. But recently I had the chance to visit the Smithsonian to see this on display there:

It's the flag.  As in The Flag.  The one our National Anthem is about.  The museum spent a lot of time restoring the cloth (people were suspended over it to clean the fabric by hand, a process that took 6 years) and detailing the process that Mary Young Pickersgill went through to sew and construct the flag that ended up being larger than her own house.

So when I say that I didn't feel a profound connection to the flag, it was the story of restoring the flag that hit me a bit that day we went to see it.  It was hearing about the people who were committed to saving and restoring something that they treasure so deeply that really struck me as profound.

For me, that kind of devotion is what sticks and turns something so old and fragile into something immortal and timelessly relevant.

image from here.

Happy Victorious Return of ME Friday

It's been nearly a year since I've posted anything here.  Which is terrible.  I'd apologize, but I wouldn't really mean it.  I've missed writing silly posts about silly things so here I am!

A quick rundown of some of the things that have happened since July 13th, 2012:

• The Dark Knight Rises
• I moved into the city
• We all survived 12/21/12
• I got hooked on the new Doctor Who
• Got promoted
• A new season of RuPaul's Drag Race began and ended
• Portland had a Comic-Con
• My favorite blog about comics shut down (possibly)
• Iron Man 3
• My favorite blog about nothing and everything returned (possibly)

Alright.  Now you are all caught up and we are Friday friends again.

Today, May 24th, is Brother's Day!  Which seems particularly appropriate because I just learned recently that my wonderful younger brother was accepted into an MBA program!  Congrats to him.  He is much smarter than I ever gave him credit for when we were younger.

Happy First Day of Summer Friday!

Wednesday was the first day of Summer!

I firmly believe that there are few better places to be in the summer than Portland.  Having spent big parts of my childhood in the Chicago suburbs where the humidity during the summers smashed you flat against the sidewalk, summer here always feels like a big, wonderful, blue sky-filled breath.

Now, admittedly, as I write this, it’s cloudy and kind of sad out, but Wednesday was 80ish degrees.

So I’m going to do some suggesting for all of us to take advantage of the UH-MAY-ZING things that happen in our lovely hometown (or adopted hometown, as the case may be).

Movies in the Park – which start next Friday

Trek in the Park – totally nerdy, but super funny and a great crowd attends

Shakespeare in the Park – this year it’s Hamlet, which is one of my least favorites of the Bard’s plays because he’s such a whiney fool, but still.

Brew Fest – 25^th anniversary this year, which is kind of cool.  And usually the weather is lovely.

Concerts in the Park – Some of these are a little more my parents’ flavor, but you know.  probably lovely.

Sand in the City – The beach.  In the city.  And for a good cause.

Also, in general, the Portland Art Museum has free admission the fourth Friday of every month and there is a Farmers Market in NW Portland on Thursday afternoon evenings-ish.

Image from here.

Happy Father's Day Friday

It’s been ages since I put up a Friday post, so I’m happy to say I’m back!

This is my dad.

He’s pretty great.  Just like mom.

This upcoming Sunday is Father’s Day (or Grandfather’s Day, or Uncle’s Day, or Brother or Brother-in-Law, Foster Dad, Adopted Dad, or Significant Other, or Cousin, or Great Uncle, etc.)

Recently, my dad has decided to take up blacksmithing.  To be clear, my dad works for a software company.  He’s a geek (in a super cool, 3D modeling, computer game playing, sci fi watching, home theater building kind of way). 

What I’m say is this blacksmithing thing came as a big surprise to me (although, mom didn’t seem surprised at all).

Part of this new hobby is that he spends a lot of time talking about different types of hammers and trying to decide where in their backyard he would like to put his forge.

Let’s spend our weekends thanking them for putting up with all the years of eye rolling and embarrassed, exasperated shouts of “Daaaaaaad!  You’re embarrassing meeeeeee!”

(Like when they ask your friends whether they think the 3 pound or the 1 pound hammer is better.)

Happy Pride Weekend!

Happy Pride my lovelies!

Pride weekend in Portland is one of my favorite few days of the year.  And this year, so much exciting stuff is happening!

Between Obama finally deciding to be awesome and honest, and the fact that this year's Pride parade is at 100% capacity for the first time in a long time, it feels like things are finally headed in a truly positive direction.

To me, this feels like a big deal and a beautiful sign for so many of the people I care about.

Next step: http://www.lovecommitmentmarriage.org/

This is my mom.  She’s pretty great.

This upcoming Sunday is Mother’s Day (or Grandmother’s Day, or Aunt’s Day, or Sister or Sister-in-Law, Foster mom, Adopted Mom, or Significant Other, or Cousin, or Great Aunt, etc. whatever makes sense for your family).

In our family, Mother’s Day actually lasts the entire weekend. Which is lovely, and a little funny.  Those of you who have been anywhere near me during my birthday month, now understand why my birthday lasts much longer than a day.

Over the last few years, she has decided that instead of gifts, she wants to give and receive experiences.  I love this idea and so as I was preparing for the upcoming Mother’s Day weekend, I was looking forward to hearing about what we would be doing.  Spa day?  A day at Powell’s?  A trip to the beach maybe?

Nope!

This year, we will be visiting the exotic, adventurous, and exclusive…

Mom’s Office.

My mom is a photo fanatic.  She has been working on a picture project for the last several years to collect, preserve, and share family photos. 

So Mother’s Weekend this year will be spent crowded around mom’s computer, sorting, editing, and otherwise fantastic-izing thousands of pictures.

Let’s wish them a happy day/weekend and thank them for putting up with the phase we went through when all we would do in pictures is stick out our tongues or give the thumbs up.

Happy Easter Friday

I know that Easter means a lot of different things to different people and families.  But today, I want to tell you about how it works for the Kross family.

I have had the same Easter basket since I was 6 months old.  My mom made it for me out of blue, pink, and white yarn.  That Easter basket has travelled with us from Illinois out to Oregon, moved between at least 4 houses, and is older than my brother.

So, every year, my mom pulls out the Easter baskets from her secret holiday stuff hiding place: my pastel macramé basket of joy, a stand in for my brother and his wife, and usually some additional basket for an orphan friend or two who joins my family for the holiday that year.  She fills them with that weird shredded green plasticky stuff, and anxiously waits for us to show that same excitment from 1989.  The best Easter baskets I ever had were filled with Reese's and Lego’s.  There are few greater gifts in the world and I'm grateful that this part of Easter hasn’t changed.

Now that my brother and I are grown, the big thing that has changed for my family is that Easter is a pretty casual holiday.  It no longer requires that I wear an ugly dress chosen by my grandmother but instead, I get to wear sweatpants while my dad makes "Easter Paella.”  A few years ago, Dad travelled to Spain on a business trip and of all the things that happened on that trip, Paella is the thing that stood out for him.

Happy Friday.  Happy Easter.  Happy Lego’s.  Happy Reese’s eggs.  And perhaps, if you’re lucky, happy Paella.

Image from here.

Happy Oreo Friday!

On March 6^th (Tuesday) the Oreo cookie turned 100 years old!  You can use the link below to read the real, “official,” version of the cookie’s history.

But let’s be honest.  The question that matters is: do you dunk or twist?

Personally, I’m a twister.  When I was a kid, my grandpa taught me how to twist Oreos apart and stick the two sides with the most frosting together to make one giant Awesome-eo.  I certainly inherited my sweet tooth from him.

Celebrate Oreo’s birthday with some serious milk-and-cookie indulgence.  Out of respect for such an important institution, I am officially giving you permission to break whatever cleanse/diet/no sugar thing you are currently working on.

Images from here and here.

http://bites.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/06/10587326-chefs-celebrate-the-oreo-on-its-100th-birthday

Happy Popcorn Friday!

Yesterday was National Popcorn Day. 

I love popcorn. I love movies.  And movies and popcorn make my world go ‘round. 

When I was a kid I would camp out with my cousins in my grandparents’ rec room in front of the giant static-y big screen tv, and chow down on big buckets of popcorn split into 3 classic sections.  Grossly orange, salty cheese (gone first), caramel (gone second), plain (never finished, barely touched).

This usually involved bulky VHS tapes until we got interrupted by The Uncles so that they could watch the Bears play…or watch a tape of the Bears playing.  Or watch the news about the Bears playing.

In honor, please enjoy:

Image from here.

Happy Pre-New Year's Friday!

I AM GOING TO DISNEYLAND FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE!

A few of my friends and I have been talking about taking this trip in very vague dreamy terms for several years now.  But this is the first year that any of us took any of the others seriously enough to make a plan.  And so suddenly “wouldn’t it be cool to go to Disneyland for New Year’s?” turned into shopping for hotel/park pass deals online and assessing how much we all had in our savings accounts to make it work.

And so it is!

When I was younger, New Year’s was always one of those lame holidays that came with obligatory gatherings, but no one really cared about.  For many years, we just drank too much Martinelli’s sparkling cider and tried to look fancy.

As my friends and I grew up, we came up with our own traditions, including spending time out at the beach in Manzanita, having family dinners, drinking cheap champagne, and playing HOURS of bitter and spiteful Monopoly or trying not to freeze while watching amateur fireworks outside.

Be happy and safe as this year comes to a close and a new one begins.  I will see you again in 2012 my friends!

*image from here

Happy Virginia Friday

I read the Yes, Virginia letter every year.  More than any movie, song, or epic sweater, it makes me feel the merriest and least Scrooge-like.

I’ve always really loved the idea of Santa Claus.  In my family, he is still very real and very well-represented on Christmas Eve.  I’ll be honest, if I had my way, I would still believe in Santa.

So, even if Christmas or Santa Claus aren’t part of your life, I encourage you to read this.  It’s really about the Spirit of the season.  

Be jolly and joyful.  Enjoy whatever lovely break you may have from work and have a beautiful, healthy, happy, and safe end of the year, however you celebrate it.

image from here.

Happy Wally World Friday!

Over the last several years, my mom has started a new tradition.  Out with the old fashioned end of year mass mail letter to family detailing our every moment in a cheerful tone!  Out with pictures included in cards for odd holidays like Arbor Day!  Out with personal cards to every member of the family and everyone else loosely connected to us!

My mother, being ever so family focused and making an attempt to share the joy she finds each day with everyone she now spends days creating a photo book showing what we have been up to as a family for the past year.  Each year now, starting around mid-November, every moment or photo comes with an exclamation of, "this will be great for the book!"

The year my brother got married, the book was enormous in order to include all of the vital moments.  When I brought my dog, Stevie, home, the book was full of more pictures of a sleeping dachshund than I ever thought possible.

This year it will have some big travel moments and pretty excellent birthday celebrations, but the best part will be the cover.

I'm not much for staged family photos using a timer where everyone is wearing an ugly sweater, but that's what we've got this year.  Plus something a little extra special. 

Think Wally World, 1989, “save the neck for me, Clark!,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and non-nutritive cereal varnishes.

Happy family holiday card season my Friday Friends!

*image from here

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving in my family has always been full of “adventure.”

There was the year of the Turducken, which was exactly the disaster it seems like it would be.  My dad and aunts stayed up all night trying to get the thing to cook all the way through.  It is still questionable whether or not they succeeded.  That was the Turducken’s one and only invitation to the Kross family table. 

Years before that, my dad (somehow) was responsible for the mashed potatoes.  (My dad has, on EVERY attempt, made Kraft Macaroni and Cheese incorrectly.)  However, Grandma Magno felt that he needed to participate that year.  She set him up with her ancient Kitchenaid mixer, a pile of hand-peeled potatoes, and several sticks of butter and told him to get going while she went to dig who knows what out of the basement refrigerator.  Probably one of these.

When she returned to the kitchen, she caught my dad scraping mashed potatoes off of her kitchen cabinets and back into the bowl to continue mixing.  Frankly, they were pretty delicious that year. 

Come to think of it, maybe it’s really just my dad that makes Thanksgiving such an adventure.

Images from here and here.