Cake That!

Stacy and I have officially started our own cake decorating business Cake That! (cakethatslc.com).  We have made three cakes so far and have four more over the next two weeks.

Here are pics of the first three:

Bachelorette Party (chocolate butter cake, chocolate buttercream frosting/filling, fondant details)

Going Away Party (chocolate/chocolate/chocolate with fondant and gum paste detail)

Baby Shower (vanilla butter cake, vanilla buttercream frosting, strawberry filling, with fondant and gum paste details)

Here’s to the Violets

The following is the text of a speech Patricia Clarkson (LOVE HER) gave at a recent HRC Gala in New Orleans. It is a bit long for a blog post but it is so good I couldn’t edit out a single line. Side note: I saw her in person at Sundance a few years ago and she is extremely friendly, funny, and charming.

“I am so happy to be with all of you tonight. To celebrate the work you do–and to have a bourbon or two later.

The great Tennessee Williams wrote— –of course I’m starting with Tennessee Williams. I’m in New Orleans, at the HRC gala, and I played Blanche DuBois.

Which is why I never go anywhere without a paper lantern in my purse. Tennessee Williams wrote a line that I felt was appropriate for tonight. And appropriate to this time in our history, your history, and to the rights that everyone in this room is fighting for. It is a line that meant so much to him, it’s on his gravestone.

“The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.”

“The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.”

To me, its meaning is simple. The hard, the cold, the oppressive will–at long last–be broken apart by a force that is beautiful, natural, colorful, alive.

That’s what tonight is about, what the people in this room are about. We’re a bunch of violets breaking through the rocks.

And it is happening.

The rock is cracking away. The rock of hate and falsehood is being broken apart.

All across this country, regular Americans who were born and bred in towns where a gay couple wouldn’t dare walk down a street–all over these American Main Streets–something is changing.

Blue-collar guys are looking up from their work, grandmothers are speaking up at the dinner table; and they are saying something to members of their family, and co-workers, who are against gay marriage. They are saying in one, increasingly-loud American voice, “Honey, rather than worry about who someone else loves–and why, think about who you hate–and why!”

The violets are breaking through the rocks.

America has always been a country of common sense. A country of innate goodness–although a goodness that is sometimes slow to action. As Winston Churchill said, “Americans are always ready to do the right thing. After they have exhausted all the other possibilities.”

We have exhausted all the other possibilities. And it is time to call an injustice an injustice.

It is an injustice that we send a gay or lesbian soldier to die in a war–to give their life for a country that won’t let them be legally bound to the person they love.

It is an injustice that a soldier gives their life for a Military–an exemplary Military in every way–except one in which they cannot have the picture of their lover cut-out in the shape of a heart and taped to their locker because that would be “telling.” Such an ugly word.

It is an injustice that, in this room, many of you pay your tax money to the very public institutions that deny you rights other Americans enjoy; pay your tax money for public schools that will not accept you as legal parents; pay your tax money for the paper on which they print the goddamn marriage licenses you cannot get.

And while you are paying your tax money for all of the above, a preacher can stand in the pulpit of a multi-million-dollar mega-church advocating the damnation of gay Americans and not pay one thin dime in taxes.

You know, I occasionally watch those preachers on the Christian TV stations. I always think to myself: How can I believe your theology when I can’t believe your hair?

I find it intellectually offensive when people shrink the Bible to fit the small-mindedness of their bigotry.

Leviticus 18:22 and Deuteronomy 22:5…the famous list of the “abominations.” Bible verses which, by the way, also list as a mortal sin things like “the wearing of a garment made of two different kinds of fabric.”

Yes, the Bible verse they use to condemn homosexuality also calls Polyester-blend an abomination. Well, in this, perhaps the Lord has a point. But if you took away all the Polyester-blends in those mega-churches….most of the women would be naked.

In my Bible I see no evidence of Jesus telling same-sex couples they cannot love each other. And he could have. He was a carpenter–if he made good furniture every gay man in Nazareth knew Him.

The fact is: it’s happening. All the violets–gay Americans, lesbian Americans, Bi-sexual Americans, transgender Americans, people of color, and the people of this city forgotten by Washington in hurricane Katrina–we are all are starting to break through the mountain of straight, white, male lawmakers in Washington.

Their time is over. And they know it. Which is why they are looking increasingly ridiculous and beleaguered. To me those guys look like one, big casting-call for the lead role in a very bad production of Death of Salesmen.

Because America is starting to say those lawmakers are wrong about “Don’t ask don’t tell,” and wrong to oppose gay marriage. The way they were wrong, wrong, wrong about the war in Iraq.

A war that was created by who? A straight, white man named George W. Bush. A straight, white man named Dick Cheney. And a straight, white man named Condoleezza Rice.

The rocks are breaking. And it’s time to call certain people on the hypocrisy of their stance against gay marriage.

Newt Gingrich: against gay marriage, but on his third wife.

That recent convert to an anti gay-marriage stance, Rudy Giuliani: third wife. Rush Limbaugh: vehemently against gay marriage and….yep, third wife. A third wedding that was performed by none other than Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Clarence Thomas: second wife.

4 men, eleven marriages, and you must be lectured on love by them? This Mount Rushmore of Divorce!

Ladies and gentlemen, as all of you in this room know so well, political activism tells us now what history will tell us later.

The people who support “don’t ask don’t tell;” and who oppose “gay marriage” are wrong. And their children and grandchildren will know they were wrong.

This is the age of Obama. And the people who oppose these causes need to realize that.

But there is someone else who needs to realize that this is the Age of Obama. Obama. It is time, Mr. President. Do not fall behind others on these issues.

My God, Dick Cheney announced that he is in favor of gay marriage. And on that very day, the National Weather Service reported hell froze over.

So Mr. President, please catch up. Or you are in danger of being considered “just to the right” of a man who is “just to the left” of Vlad-the-Impaler.

Newsweek magazine just said about gay marriage–and I quote: “This train’s left the station. Time to get on board.” It is happening. Something is changing.

Oh–there is still a lot of work to be done. But it will happen. And when it does–when “Don’t ask don’t tell” is scrapped, when gay men and women can marry the people they love–when that day comes, people across this great land will be looking for a place to party.

And I say: Come on down to New Orleans! I’ll be so happy I might swing naked in a window on Bourbon Street!

Me and Rachel Maddow!

Yes, across America we will celebrate because, at long last, that day will have arrived. But to the people in this room–that day will not only have arrived for you, it will have arrived because of you.

Here’s to the violets.

Is there a bail bondsman for dogs?

Last Saturday after turning our backs for 3 minutes, Suki (our Chihuauhua-Pomeranian) disappeared completely. We looked everywhere and asked everyone. We checked neighbors garages, behind fences, the sides of the busy street (just in case). No Suki.

It wasn’t until 3:30pm, after we’d posted signs all over the neighborhood, been worried sick all day, and made two previous visits to the pound (where you have to GO, they can’t tell you anything over the phone),  we decided to try one more time before they closed for the weekend.

Low and behold, there she was, in lock-up. She had been nabbed by the “man” and had spent the afternoon riding around in the back of the paddy wagon, no doubt assuming it was just a fun adventure she’d tell her friends about.

After paying her bail (which was more than she cost in the first place) we finally sprung our little felon from the big house. Good thing we found her. A whole weekend inside and I’m afraid she would have gotten a prison tattoo and started smoking. We’ve already had to confiscate a homemade shank.

When Taking a Life Doesn’t Really Count

People can justify things in their minds however they want, however they see fit to fall into their belief system, despite the fact they’re being hypocritical.  Well duh.

I’m curious though, how exactly is it ok to kill an abortion doctor, but it’s not ok for the doctor to abort a fetus? Isn’t that technically the same thing? If you’re Pro Life, shouldn’t that mean for everyone, regardless? Not Pro Life when it suits you, fits into your “ideals”.

Could you image how great this would be? If your mere belief system was all you needed and you could justify whatever you wanted. Oh wait, that’s what all of these religious, ignorant types do, not to mention politicians. They bend their will onto you. Heaven forbid people actually respect someone else for their beliefs. No, we can’t possibly do that. Free thinking? The right to make your own choices? Please. We must all be the same, and because I yell louder than you, I’m right. Seriously, Stepford here we come.

I often wonder about where we’re going in this world. I still am amazed on a daily basis how prejudiced and ignorant people can be because someone is different than they are. Seriously. Hello? Have we really made it that far in the past 100 years? I just don’t know. One step forward and three steps back. Progress can just be so slow to the point of being stagnant. I’d like to really know how me being gay can hurt someone else’s marriage? What difference does it make to you? If we’ll all be judged by Her one day, isn’t that good enough? Let me be judged then and you just move along and not worry about it. Stupid. How exactly is having a black president the downfall of America? (Hello!  We just had a white president who did nothing but cause a huge mess, not to mention he isn’t the brightest bulb in the pack, but whatever) How a woman having control over her own body hurts someone else? Granted we would all love if instead of aborting a fetus, the woman would choose adoption instead, but again, shouldn’t that be HER choice? And really does killing the doctor who performed the surgery make any difference? YOU’RE STILL KILLING A PERSON YOU MORON! Oh but since this is your belief, it’s ok, you’re justified.

Why do people have to meddle so much? Can someone please explain it to me, because I just don’t understand. Honestly some days I wonder if we all live in giant hair salon, where meddling and gossip run rampant.

I guess I will never understand. Oh wait, I’m rational. That must be the difference.

Cake Class – chapter 1

Stacy and I started a cake decorating class. Both of us have certainly done our share of cakes over the years but we have never had any formal training and thought it might be good to learn some of the “official” methods.

We are in our second week of the Wilton I class. This is the first of four, 4-week classes we’ll be taking over the summer.

This week was our first week actually decorating. Our assignment was to bring any cake that we could decorate with a star tip along with all our tools.

Stacy made a moon and star cake (sorry, no pic) that depending on the angle also looks a bit like a scary clown. I made a bunny cake. I incorrectly assumed we would have more than 15 minutes to actually work on our cake so when I realized I wouldn’t have time to cover the entire cake I had to rethink my plan of attack.

I give you Maharaja Bunny:

Thanks to Jeff, our flamingly funny classmate who lent me his red icing so I could give her a bindi.

Ready to move to New England

Another couple states may be taking the same-sex marriage plunge.

Yesterday the District of Columbia voted to recognize ALL marriages performed in any state. This means that if a gay couple lives in DC and goes to Connecticut to get married, their marriage is recognized. DC is a funny place. Since it isn’t technically a state, it has a few more hoops they have to jump through. Technically Congress oversees the district, but most people expect it to happen and anticipate it will set up a future attempt at legalizing same-sex marriage withing the District.

And now Maine. Their legislature passed a same-sex marriage law and their Governor (who had previously spoken against same-sex marriage) announced today he would be signing the bill into law. There is the possibility of it still going before the citizens for a vote but that will be decided in the next 2-3 months and hopefully, should that occur, they’ll take a lead from their neighboring stated and vote for fairness and equality instead of bigotry and hate.

And finally, New Hampshire is on the verge of have legal same-sex marriage. Their legislature passed the bill and it is enroute to the Governor. He had also previously stated his reluctance but has more recently stated that he would probably sign it or let it roll into law without his signature (at least it isn’t a veto).

Come on west, the east coast is beating us. With California’s decision around the corner, I’m hoping we get a west coast victory soon!

Disaster-friendly

Under the heading of “what the hell where they thinking” comes the following coloring book.

It was created by a small Minnesota town emergency response department (FEMA affiliate). I believe their intention is to somehow comfort children who are watching/living through disasters. But I’m pretty sure that the images of impending doom are more likely to elicit nightmares and fear of all things beyond their control. See what you think.

Worried about 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, here, color a picture.

Did you lose your house to a fire? Too bad you didn’t have any warning.

Disasters can be confusing, just make sure you take care of yourself (what, in case you can’t find your parents?)

Sanity update: after they were bombarded with complaints, they removed the book from their website.

Let them eat cake

Stacy and I recently embarked on a new hobby–cake decorating. By saying hobby, I may be understating slightly. We’ve visited every store that sells decorating supplies, and purchased everything in sight . We have planned cakes for the next decades-worth of our girls’ birthdays.

Since this is our first cake post, we’re posting our first four cakes in order of attempt.

1) Milk Bone cake for book club (book was about a dog).

Almond cake with strawberry filling and creme cheese frosting covered in fondant. Our first attempt at fondant.

2) Lacrosse cake for Sam’s birthday. Sam didn’t want fondant so the work is not nearly as precise as we would have liked. Next time she’s getting fondant and she can just peel it off–it would have looked fabulous.

Funfetti cake with funfetti frosting (again, Sam’s choice, not ours, we prefer making it all from scratch).

3) Beach birthday cake for C

Devils food cake with chocolate fudge frosting, covered with fondant and decorated with beach paraphernalia made from fondant and molded chocolate .

4) Welcome home cake for Tay, modeled after her actual luggage.

Vanilla cake with vanilla bean frosting, covered with fondant.

. . . more to come, we got an air brusher for Easter!

Still fans of Caffe Niche

Stacy and I were out and about Sunday when we realized we were hungry. Not wanting fast food we decided to drop by Caffe Niche (779 E 300 S). We hadn’t ever tried their Sunday brunch even though they’ve had it for quite some time.

The verdict–YUMMY! Everything was excellent. From the fresh-squeezed orange juice, to the open-face grilled cheese and asparagus sandwich I had, to Stacy’s breakfast burrito.

I can’t believe we haven’t tried it before but we are certainly going to again, as should you! We just missed out on the last piece of their “quiche of the day” so I’m anxious to give that a shot.

Side note: I discovered Niche with Erin and Lacey and now Erin is moving back to SLC–WootWoot! and, it was the first place Stacy and I went to lunch together. Cool place, good memories, delicious food!

Cancer-Schmancer

Cancer sucks!

We can perform face transplants. We can give people new limbs that out perform their old ones. We can replace most of the organs in the human body. Why can’t we prevent/cure cancer. We can do so many amazing things yet we still know so little about the human body.

I know there have been huge advancements. It isn’t the immediate death sentence it used to be but it still takes the lives of a lot of people every year–565,000 US deaths in 2008. (statistic from American Cancer Society)

We have two friends who were very recently diagnosed. One with esophageal cancer and the other with a brain tumor. Both very aggressive, very deadly forms of cancer.  Both are undergoing surgery this week in the hope that they can at least get enough of the cancer to give them a chance. Neither prognosis is very good.

Any extra positive thoughts–please send them their way!