there is no mafia!

i am unashamed at how much i love television. i also love to cook, and shop, and read but television, oh i fall happily in love with television shows. i've shared my love about television before. LOST, new girl, sex and the city, the wire..the list goes on. and on. and on. 

but my absolute favorite show ever? 

the sopranos.

now i don't believe that i was ever the audience the soprano's was going after. when it first premiered, i was a 14 year old girl. i didn't know much about life, let alone the inner-workings of a crime family.

but every sunday, my dad and i would watch the sopranos.

despite numerous occasions where the scenes were so uncomfortable one or both of us would leave the room.

it was our little tradition. something we shared.

our love for tony. 

we were always pulling for him.

always giving him the benefit of the doubt. even though he was so hopelessly flawed.

and we still reference him at times. like he's an old friend.

there just aren't enough shows like the sopranos.

there aren't enough actors like james gandolfini. 

and i am so so sad that he's gone.

when i called my dad last night he didn't even say hello before i blurted out "TONY SOPRANO IS DEAD!"

my dad said, "what now? no he is NOT!" 

"yes dad, he is! he had a heart attack. and i'm like irrationally upset about it." 

"well hell, anna maria, so am i!" 

oh, dad. i am so glad so glad the apple didn't fall far from the tree. 

dat's my man

this afternoon, this guy is officially done with his first full year of implementing the city year service model in 5 brand new schools, with 50 corps members, and a completely new program staff.

i'm so proud of you. 

and

i love you so. 

star wars

i have been laughing about this picture for a solid 24 hours.

love you patricio. 

or should i say, darth? 

what about what?

when my dad was visiting this weekend, we were watching kanye west perform on snl, and i was pleasantly surprised to see him bob his head and then exclaim "man, this guy is a TALENT!" if you know anything about me and pat, you know our shared love for kanye. so i casually said "oh yeah! he's great dad! and he's kim kardashian's baby daddy." 

my dad shuddered. literally. i thought he was going to make a comment about the term "baby daddy" but instead he said, "there are a few things in my lifetime that i really wish never happened. the kardashians are one of them." 

my dad was born in 1950. think of everything that has happened in those 63 years. to name a few:

kennedy's assassination

the civil rights movement

vietnam

the munich massacre

the iran-contra affair

9/11

i couldn't stop laughing, and then finally asked "what about bennifer dad? do you wish that never happened?" his response: "what about what?" 

the capital t truth.

the capital t truth is about life before death. it is about the real value of a real education which has almost nothing to do with knowledge. and everything to do with simple awareness. awareness of what is so real and essential. so hidden in plain sight all around us all the time. that we have to keep reminding ourselves. over and over. this is water. this. is. water. 

every so often, when i feel enormously overwhelmed, i read david foster wallace's this is water. 

another favorite.