Monday, December 29, 2008
Happy New Year
So what are you doing for the New Year's celebrations? Personally, I tried my hand at a little arson last night. That is to say, I almost burned down our house...or at least our kitchen. This is what happened: we purchased these lean beef shishkabobs (sp?) at the market and I was sure that the way to cook them would be to broil them. My mom turned me on to broiling as a great way to do meat and make it tender, and since I have never yet succeeded in making beef tender EVER I thought surely broiling would do it. As an added touch I added quite a lot of olive oil in the pan for the meat to sort of "marinate" in as it cooked. Suffice it to say this was not a good idea. The boiling oil was splashing upward & hitting the red hot oven heating coils & you can probably guess what happened....we had a full fledged fire going on in that pan in the oven. I mean, you opened up the oven & flames were leaping out. I vaguely remember yelling, "Jeffery Doss, get the fire extinguisher!!"....then my wonderful husband came & saved the day. He took that flaming pan out of the oven & the fire went out. All was well until the smoke detector went off, making us all deaf. But he handled that too! What a hero of a husband I have. Thanks, honey. I joke about this, but I was really seriously scared for about 30 seconds. I told Jeff, "God, thanks honey for helping me....I was picturing us standing out in the street watching the house burning down & the firemen spraying hoses." And over by the sink, my wonderful husband & hero starts laughing & says, "Yes, and listening to Miu (the cat) inside meowing & roasting to a crisp! ha ha ha!" Hmmmm. What's that saying about a lot can be told of a man by what exictes his laughter? Disturbing.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Hello, all. Merry Christmas! I've been pretty busy for the past few days, baking, etc. Never a dull moment! We're not going to have anyone over this year, just us to cook for, but it seems to be quite a lot of work nonetheless. What have we been making? Last night we did a cookie baking marathon, doing chocolate chip, oatmeal, and Christmas cookies. The Christmas cookies we got as a present from Frank & Kara last year....the mix only, of course. They came with these neato little decorating boxes full of sugar sprinkles, all different colors and shapes...just the sort of thing that is meat and drink to a 3 year old. Well, we started to bake & opened the bag, and it seems that in the year that the thing sat on our shelf it had gone sort of rancid or something...didn't smell good. Did that stop us? Oh no. We rolled, sprinkled & baked every last one of those things. Noah keeps eating them when I'm not looking & says they taste really good. Hmmm. What a good mother I am. We (Noah & I) also baked an apple cake for tomorrow. (12/26 update: this cake turned out SPECTACULARLY bad. I am throwing it away today.)
Speaking of Noah: he's been full of funnies this morning. In the spirit of sharing at Christmas, here they are:
(We were in the bathroom, talking about this and that. Noah had made this little paper wreath at church last Sunday and we put it up prominently in the living room, and since we know he likes attention, Jeff has several times said to him, "Who made that beautiful wreath? Who?" and he always says, "Me"!)
So Noah says: "Daddy needs to stop asking me who made that wreath. He keeps asking and asking and I telled him so many times." (I laughed so hard...he must think Jeff is an idiot who can't remember a thing.)
I gave Noah a little pukka shell neclace and he uses it as a cowboy rope for some reason. He was prancing around the living room pretending to be a cowboy & I asked him, "Cowboy Noah, will you rope in those diapers all over the living room and put them up for me?" He sort of struck a pose and then said in this weird accent: "AT YOUR SERVANT!" And picked them all up.
After doing the above, he wanted to tell me a story. This is it in it's entirety:
"Once upon a time there was a girl named Julie. And her had a wife. And her had her Christmas stuff out. And her wife went into the woods, and there were monsters and tigers and lions and cheetahs there. And then a cowboy came to save her….me! And then I got her and then once I got her and next her wife and they went home. That’s the end of my story.
Once upon a time, the naughties in the forest came to their house & knocked out the door (sound effects)…and they opened the door & they runned away. And then they went and get a fork to sword them. And then then they said “Hmm, this is the wrong one”. And they went & got spoons and they didn’t know what to do about their spoons & forks to sword the naughties. And guess who came? Cowboy Noah. And he fight those naughties away. "
Merry Christmas all. May God bless and keep you from the naughties, or if not, may you have a Cowboy Noah to fight for you. Or failing that, a good fork or spoon.
P.S: A prize to the person who can come up with the best title for the above story. My submission is: "Brokeback Mountain II: Cowboy Noah, the lesbians, and the silverware."
Speaking of Noah: he's been full of funnies this morning. In the spirit of sharing at Christmas, here they are:
(We were in the bathroom, talking about this and that. Noah had made this little paper wreath at church last Sunday and we put it up prominently in the living room, and since we know he likes attention, Jeff has several times said to him, "Who made that beautiful wreath? Who?" and he always says, "Me"!)
So Noah says: "Daddy needs to stop asking me who made that wreath. He keeps asking and asking and I telled him so many times." (I laughed so hard...he must think Jeff is an idiot who can't remember a thing.)
I gave Noah a little pukka shell neclace and he uses it as a cowboy rope for some reason. He was prancing around the living room pretending to be a cowboy & I asked him, "Cowboy Noah, will you rope in those diapers all over the living room and put them up for me?" He sort of struck a pose and then said in this weird accent: "AT YOUR SERVANT!" And picked them all up.
After doing the above, he wanted to tell me a story. This is it in it's entirety:
"Once upon a time there was a girl named Julie. And her had a wife. And her had her Christmas stuff out. And her wife went into the woods, and there were monsters and tigers and lions and cheetahs there. And then a cowboy came to save her….me! And then I got her and then once I got her and next her wife and they went home. That’s the end of my story.
Once upon a time, the naughties in the forest came to their house & knocked out the door (sound effects)…and they opened the door & they runned away. And then they went and get a fork to sword them. And then then they said “Hmm, this is the wrong one”. And they went & got spoons and they didn’t know what to do about their spoons & forks to sword the naughties. And guess who came? Cowboy Noah. And he fight those naughties away. "
Merry Christmas all. May God bless and keep you from the naughties, or if not, may you have a Cowboy Noah to fight for you. Or failing that, a good fork or spoon.
P.S: A prize to the person who can come up with the best title for the above story. My submission is: "Brokeback Mountain II: Cowboy Noah, the lesbians, and the silverware."
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Happy Birthday, Rebecca Rudow!
There, how do you like it? I was trying it on again for you, so you can see what you think about maybe possibly changing it back from Niki. Anyway, Happy Birthday, even though it's late. E-cards don't really seem to cut it, so I'm sorry that's all I sent, but I did want you to know you're very special to me & I love you! You're a very talented, intelligent, fun & well-spoken person, full of love for life, and very courageous. I wish I had half your music talent!
I know you've been through many things in your 27 years, things that many other people don't go through in a lifetime....and you should be very proud of yourself that you've survived & thrived (?? Throve??). Anyway..I feel that we're very similar in many ways, and I've always been able to relate to you & felt like when we're together, we get along well. I have many good memories of Dad's place, and of your recent visit.
Ok, well, I guess anyone that knows you knows the things that I've written above anyway, so I don't want to belabor the obvious, but I did want to write a little tribute to you, now on the eve of your departure into the great unknown that also happens to coincide with your birthday. Keep going, don't quit, continue to be courageous, and great things will happen for you. Think about what YOU want and don't settle for anything less. I know God wants to see you happy too, and you deserve it.
I love you haney, Happy Birthday.
I know you've been through many things in your 27 years, things that many other people don't go through in a lifetime....and you should be very proud of yourself that you've survived & thrived (?? Throve??). Anyway..I feel that we're very similar in many ways, and I've always been able to relate to you & felt like when we're together, we get along well. I have many good memories of Dad's place, and of your recent visit.
Ok, well, I guess anyone that knows you knows the things that I've written above anyway, so I don't want to belabor the obvious, but I did want to write a little tribute to you, now on the eve of your departure into the great unknown that also happens to coincide with your birthday. Keep going, don't quit, continue to be courageous, and great things will happen for you. Think about what YOU want and don't settle for anything less. I know God wants to see you happy too, and you deserve it.
I love you haney, Happy Birthday.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas Time!
This work entitled: "Moo Cow in Perspective" or, "I, said the Bovine in Shadow". (I was trying to get artsy fartsy. Didn't quite turn out.)
Christmas is for children. 
Our bookcase "village".
I love our manger scene. It's just beautiful & so lifelike.
Another creative photography attempt. Notice my reflection in the baubble.
A little blurry, but I'm so proud of our outside lights.
Front door wreath.
The village, pic sensibly taken by Jeff with lights on.
Our Christmas.
Dillon "helping"
Caught in the act.
This is why we had to put a gate around the tree.
Noah & Daddy putting the angel on the tree....
Oh no! Disaster strikes!
Ahh, that's better.
Dilly's first "colored light" experience. Notice the wrestler choke hold by Noah.Thursday, December 11, 2008
R.I.P, D.
It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my beloved friend & boon companion, Diet. He was with me for at least six months, constantly at my side, and, although exacting & a real pain in the ass sometimes, at least made me feel really good when I followed his advice. With his help, I was going places. I had plans for a whole new life, not to mention wardrobe.
Sadly, it was not to be. Tragedy struck over Thanksgiving, ending his young life before it was hardly begun. Reports differ as to the actual cause of death, but it seems that he may have been crushed by...I weep as I write....thousands of pounds of turkey and cranberry sauce. Candied yams may have also been involved and are under investigation.
We have kept him on life support now for the past 3 weeks, waiting in agony to see if he will pull out of it & return to us, but we are past hope. He is dead & cannot be revived. I will be pulling the plug this weekend, supported by my friends, Starbucks and Pastries. Dessert has promised to follow shortly afterward.
Services will be held at the Church of Our Lady of Obesity. No flowers, please.
Sadly, it was not to be. Tragedy struck over Thanksgiving, ending his young life before it was hardly begun. Reports differ as to the actual cause of death, but it seems that he may have been crushed by...I weep as I write....thousands of pounds of turkey and cranberry sauce. Candied yams may have also been involved and are under investigation.
We have kept him on life support now for the past 3 weeks, waiting in agony to see if he will pull out of it & return to us, but we are past hope. He is dead & cannot be revived. I will be pulling the plug this weekend, supported by my friends, Starbucks and Pastries. Dessert has promised to follow shortly afterward.
Services will be held at the Church of Our Lady of Obesity. No flowers, please.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Copperlasion Station
The following conversation, which, in the words of the immortal Dave Barry, I SWEAR I am not making up, occurred the other evening. Noah had his helicopter and was "flying" it around in the air, saying in a montone voice to himself:
Copperlasion. Copperlasion. Copperlasion. Copperlasion.
Me: What’s a copperlasion?
Noah: It’s like a mergency.
Like a flu, or a challenge, or a flower bed.
Pause....
Which one?
Me, struggling not to laugh: Probably the flu.
Another thoughtful pause, and then the flying resumes:
Copperlasion: the flu. Copperlasion: the flu. Copperlasion: the flu.
In other news:
Dillon is going to be a plumber when he grows up. In fact, he thinks he's one now. The kid has an unnatural fascination with toilets, and specifically, splashing in toilet bowl water. We have to literally lock all the doors to the bathrooms of the house so he can't open the door & start his water play. But it's not only the water: he also likes to "inspect" the different toilet fixtures, try to turn the knobs, flush the toilet, etc. He's just all-round fascinated. I can't tell you how many times I've realised all of a sudden that it's suspiciously quiet and have made a beeline for the toilet to find him guiltily jerking up from a toilet bowl, sleeves and hands & face all wet, with a big joyous smile on his face. Or maybe he just enjoys watching Mom become a screaming, jabbering idiot, yelling, "GROSSIE! GROSSIE! No no Dilly!" over & over.
(Grossie alert: do not read on if you want to keep your supper down):
A true story: one day I had been taking a shower, so I had him in his walker in our large bathroom to keep him out of trouble where I could see him. Jeff & I were looking at something for, I swear, only like 30 seconds, and we look over to Dillon & see the following: the toilet bowl is open & hadn't been flushed after the last...shall we say....number 1. Dillon, who had opened it, is sitting beside it contentedly, sort of splashing his hands around on the tray of his walker, which, as we look closer, contains a USED PEE TISSUE, considerably disintigrated, and he is SUCKING ON SOMETHING which turns out to be another portion of this tissue. I just about had a stroke. Had to monitor his vital signs for a couple hours.
Can anyone say EWWWW?
And on that note, have a wonderful Tuesday.
Copperlasion. Copperlasion. Copperlasion. Copperlasion.
Me: What’s a copperlasion?
Noah: It’s like a mergency.
Like a flu, or a challenge, or a flower bed.
Pause....
Which one?
Me, struggling not to laugh: Probably the flu.
Another thoughtful pause, and then the flying resumes:
Copperlasion: the flu. Copperlasion: the flu. Copperlasion: the flu.
In other news:
Dillon is going to be a plumber when he grows up. In fact, he thinks he's one now. The kid has an unnatural fascination with toilets, and specifically, splashing in toilet bowl water. We have to literally lock all the doors to the bathrooms of the house so he can't open the door & start his water play. But it's not only the water: he also likes to "inspect" the different toilet fixtures, try to turn the knobs, flush the toilet, etc. He's just all-round fascinated. I can't tell you how many times I've realised all of a sudden that it's suspiciously quiet and have made a beeline for the toilet to find him guiltily jerking up from a toilet bowl, sleeves and hands & face all wet, with a big joyous smile on his face. Or maybe he just enjoys watching Mom become a screaming, jabbering idiot, yelling, "GROSSIE! GROSSIE! No no Dilly!" over & over.
(Grossie alert: do not read on if you want to keep your supper down):
A true story: one day I had been taking a shower, so I had him in his walker in our large bathroom to keep him out of trouble where I could see him. Jeff & I were looking at something for, I swear, only like 30 seconds, and we look over to Dillon & see the following: the toilet bowl is open & hadn't been flushed after the last...shall we say....number 1. Dillon, who had opened it, is sitting beside it contentedly, sort of splashing his hands around on the tray of his walker, which, as we look closer, contains a USED PEE TISSUE, considerably disintigrated, and he is SUCKING ON SOMETHING which turns out to be another portion of this tissue. I just about had a stroke. Had to monitor his vital signs for a couple hours.
Can anyone say EWWWW?
And on that note, have a wonderful Tuesday.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Pics
Noah was afraid of the birds (below) and so sat on the door of our car
Our "showtelle" (Noah thinks that hotel is a showtell....?? Show-and-tell, perhaps?) in Phoenix
The jacuzzi outside our room in the hotel in PhoenixHappy Turkey Day
So we're back! We had a whirlwind vacation (term used loosely), and we're back in old El Paso. East, West, home is best, as they say. Thanks to Paula for putting us up in CA, as usual! We had a very good, if not restful, time, and below are some highlights:
Jennie & Tyler's wedding! They got married the Saturday before Snakesgiving, with a great little ceremony & nice reception at a local OC place. It was a very nice event, great also for seeing family & friends that we otherwise wouldn't have. Tyler is a great guy & is a welcome addition to our/their family. We got to see a lot of him, as Jennie & he are living there in Paula's house. Good times!
Jeff & I got to do karaoke with a couple friends & relatives, which was SUPER fun. It reminded me of when Jeff & I used to be footloose & fancy free back in the Triassic Period when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Everyone was drinking & singing & showing off, really. You sing better when you're trying your best to show yourself off, you know. Also having some booze in you helps. Very fun. Then we did it again, the last day we were in CA, with the whole family, dragging Paula & Jennie & Tyler & kids along. We enjoyed it & hopefully didn't pierce their eardrums with the high note of "My Way".
Thanksgiving was nice...we 'did' the usual family thing at Paula's, and then I persuaded Jeff to drive us all the way up to see my family that evening, which he did, and we had a good time there too. Got to see the Uncle & Aunt, of course, and also Grandma Mary, all of whom seemed delighted to see us & the kids. Gotta take advantage of these opportunities to see everyone, as we live so far away now.
What else? Let's see: Jeff awoke at the ungodly hour of 3:30!!! AM with his Mom to go shopping for the exceptional deals they have on Black Friday (the day-after-thanksgiving-super-sale-day, for the uninitiated)....can you believe it? I thought he was crazy, but they seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Got some new bedding that is featured prominently in the next paragraph as "Huge impediment to leaving California with all our stuff in the car".
Huge impediment to leaving California with all our stuff in the car: we had too much stuff. We couldn't fit it all. It was literally a scientific, mathematical impossibility, like travelling faster than the speed of light, or me fitting into a size 6 jean. You get the idea. Why? We were trying to fit 4 king sized comforters (don't ask) & a few bedding sets to go along with them (decorative pillows, sheet sets, Euro pillows, etc), about 7 bags (including suitcases, duffles, etc), 10+ fully wrapped presents for Christmas, 2 ...um...King sized adults, 2 children with oversized carseats, 2 huge bags of toys for the trip (ha! couldn't reach anything to get any toys out of 'em the entire time!), a DVD player, a "snack" bag, a stroller (NOT UMBRELLA), and a standard "TOTO" porcelain toilet in our 5 seater Toyota Avalon sedan. THIS IS ALL TRUE EXCEPT FOR THE TOILET. And I'm surprised we hadn't thrown that in just for good measure. Oh yes, and a fan. For white noise at night. And diapers. Many diapers. So guess what we ended up doing? We sat there, friends and neighbors, and vacuum packed everything we owned that could have air sucked out of it. All our clothes, the bedding, everything. I was SO afraid that when we stopped in Phoenix overnight we would come back to the parking lot to find our car had blown up like a balloon in the middle of the night. If everything had reinflated, we would've been in BAD trouble. Thank God it didn't. When we reached terra firma of El Paso, I literally danced a jig of happiness that we arrived home with our stuff intact, and us intact too. Well, almost intact...pieces of my scalp with hair attached are strewn along the 10 due to the never-ending whine fest that was Noah & Dillon. Road trips with young children are SUCH a joy. But that's a whole other story.
In closing, I'm thankful for:
My husband, and my children. My boys, my loves. I've been so blessed and so happy. Every day with you is a gift.
My larger family, my parents & siblings, my in-laws & out-laws (cheapshot), who have all been so good to me. I've been so lucky there too. I love & miss you all.
My health.
Our house.
Jeff's job in this bad economy that allows me to care for our boys at home.
My friends, most of whom I haven't seen in awhile. Miss you!
Wine, karaoke, and good times. Happy times.
Increasing peace as I get older.
That's all now. See pics above. Comment, or I will track you down & sit on you.
Jennie & Tyler's wedding! They got married the Saturday before Snakesgiving, with a great little ceremony & nice reception at a local OC place. It was a very nice event, great also for seeing family & friends that we otherwise wouldn't have. Tyler is a great guy & is a welcome addition to our/their family. We got to see a lot of him, as Jennie & he are living there in Paula's house. Good times!
Jeff & I got to do karaoke with a couple friends & relatives, which was SUPER fun. It reminded me of when Jeff & I used to be footloose & fancy free back in the Triassic Period when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Everyone was drinking & singing & showing off, really. You sing better when you're trying your best to show yourself off, you know. Also having some booze in you helps. Very fun. Then we did it again, the last day we were in CA, with the whole family, dragging Paula & Jennie & Tyler & kids along. We enjoyed it & hopefully didn't pierce their eardrums with the high note of "My Way".
Thanksgiving was nice...we 'did' the usual family thing at Paula's, and then I persuaded Jeff to drive us all the way up to see my family that evening, which he did, and we had a good time there too. Got to see the Uncle & Aunt, of course, and also Grandma Mary, all of whom seemed delighted to see us & the kids. Gotta take advantage of these opportunities to see everyone, as we live so far away now.
What else? Let's see: Jeff awoke at the ungodly hour of 3:30!!! AM with his Mom to go shopping for the exceptional deals they have on Black Friday (the day-after-thanksgiving-super-sale-day, for the uninitiated)....can you believe it? I thought he was crazy, but they seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Got some new bedding that is featured prominently in the next paragraph as "Huge impediment to leaving California with all our stuff in the car".
Huge impediment to leaving California with all our stuff in the car: we had too much stuff. We couldn't fit it all. It was literally a scientific, mathematical impossibility, like travelling faster than the speed of light, or me fitting into a size 6 jean. You get the idea. Why? We were trying to fit 4 king sized comforters (don't ask) & a few bedding sets to go along with them (decorative pillows, sheet sets, Euro pillows, etc), about 7 bags (including suitcases, duffles, etc), 10+ fully wrapped presents for Christmas, 2 ...um...King sized adults, 2 children with oversized carseats, 2 huge bags of toys for the trip (ha! couldn't reach anything to get any toys out of 'em the entire time!), a DVD player, a "snack" bag, a stroller (NOT UMBRELLA), and a standard "TOTO" porcelain toilet in our 5 seater Toyota Avalon sedan. THIS IS ALL TRUE EXCEPT FOR THE TOILET. And I'm surprised we hadn't thrown that in just for good measure. Oh yes, and a fan. For white noise at night. And diapers. Many diapers. So guess what we ended up doing? We sat there, friends and neighbors, and vacuum packed everything we owned that could have air sucked out of it. All our clothes, the bedding, everything. I was SO afraid that when we stopped in Phoenix overnight we would come back to the parking lot to find our car had blown up like a balloon in the middle of the night. If everything had reinflated, we would've been in BAD trouble. Thank God it didn't. When we reached terra firma of El Paso, I literally danced a jig of happiness that we arrived home with our stuff intact, and us intact too. Well, almost intact...pieces of my scalp with hair attached are strewn along the 10 due to the never-ending whine fest that was Noah & Dillon. Road trips with young children are SUCH a joy. But that's a whole other story.
In closing, I'm thankful for:
My husband, and my children. My boys, my loves. I've been so blessed and so happy. Every day with you is a gift.
My larger family, my parents & siblings, my in-laws & out-laws (cheapshot), who have all been so good to me. I've been so lucky there too. I love & miss you all.
My health.
Our house.
Jeff's job in this bad economy that allows me to care for our boys at home.
My friends, most of whom I haven't seen in awhile. Miss you!
Wine, karaoke, and good times. Happy times.
Increasing peace as I get older.
That's all now. See pics above. Comment, or I will track you down & sit on you.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
In closing
I can't resist one last thought for the day:
So I'm reading online this A.M before we leave to CA, and came across this gem in an article about how this guy has changed since becoming a Dad:
"Since Kate’s birth, I categorize all things in life into two categories: Things That Can Kill the Baby and Things That Cannot Kill the Baby. Open jug of bleach? Category one. Angry boss? Category two. By dealing with ultimate peril, you are much more calm and collected about all the other nonsense."
Today, when a client goes apes**t or you lose a file that you've been working on for days, ask yourself, "Will this kill the baby?" And if not, you're good to go. See how much better you feel?
So I'm reading online this A.M before we leave to CA, and came across this gem in an article about how this guy has changed since becoming a Dad:
"Since Kate’s birth, I categorize all things in life into two categories: Things That Can Kill the Baby and Things That Cannot Kill the Baby. Open jug of bleach? Category one. Angry boss? Category two. By dealing with ultimate peril, you are much more calm and collected about all the other nonsense."
Today, when a client goes apes**t or you lose a file that you've been working on for days, ask yourself, "Will this kill the baby?" And if not, you're good to go. See how much better you feel?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Hello & Goodbye
Glory to ToryI am leaving tomorrow to CA for Thanksgiving & Jennie's wedding! Very exciting, all sorts of fun things planned. Will have updates when I return.
I forgot to blog the below, however:
When Amber & Steven were here, they entered Tory into a 5k marathon, an all down-hill one on our Transmountain road. And, wait for it...she came in 3rd place for her age division! WOW! Good for Tory. Won a trophy & everything. I wanna run a marathon some day. Maybe when I grow up.
In other news: Happy Snakesgiving, per Noah. This is really what he calls it.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A Swift Kick in the Pants
So is it just me, or does anyone else wonder why a person who PATENTLY CANNOT SING gets away with being, quote, "One of the hottest new country stars on the top of the glitter hill" or some such thing...namely, Taylor Swift? I watched the CMAs last night & she performed, and, DUDE, she can't sing! It seriously sounded like she was the friend that her posse got buzzed enough to persuade her to get on stage at Tuesday night all-you-can-drink Karaoke Bar and she's, like, just trying to stand real still & not have her voice shake too much as she's singing, praying to God her voice is on key enough to get her through the song. It's really bad. She speaks through half of her songs, for Gods sake.
But you know what the wierdest thing is? NO ONE IN THE MEDIA SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT IT. If you're a bad actor, you will be burned in the worst way. No one else besides singers seem to be able to get away with this sort of fakery. I was totally expecting someone to say something about the elephant in the room, namely, that Taylor Swift is totally out of her league & should just give it up & become a model or something where she can keep her mouth shut....but no, just mentions about how she looked "cute & sweet" or something. Where is the media cruelty we have come to count on when we need it most? Where, people?
But you know what the wierdest thing is? NO ONE IN THE MEDIA SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT IT. If you're a bad actor, you will be burned in the worst way. No one else besides singers seem to be able to get away with this sort of fakery. I was totally expecting someone to say something about the elephant in the room, namely, that Taylor Swift is totally out of her league & should just give it up & become a model or something where she can keep her mouth shut....but no, just mentions about how she looked "cute & sweet" or something. Where is the media cruelty we have come to count on when we need it most? Where, people?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Fields of Gold
You wanna hear a true story?
I once knew a woman named Carol Jordison. I met her at ADP. At first I only knew her through work, and because of work, and she scared me. Not only because of her appearance, which was formidable (she was a very heavy woman and wore a lot of makeup & her lipstick was ALWAYS perfectly bright red), but she was very good at her job. And the reason that made me afraid was because I was just learning mine, and her's was to support mine, and I didn't always do things right. And she didn't abide fools lightly. With me so far?
So Carol & I got to know each other over time. And I realised that far from being scary, this woman was one of the nicest, most moral (in the best sense of the word), most giving & sacrificial women that I knew. I used to sit with her in the break room at lunch & watch her crochet someone a new blanket, which she was ALWAYS doing in her spare time, watch her drink her diet coke with the lipstick-stained straw, and talk with her about her life or mine. She was very self-effacing. She never seemed to think that she was anything but completely ordinary. But that woman raised 2 children alone after leaving an alcoholic husband. She saved money for her kids and lived in a trailer park. She drove a 20 year old truck 2 hours EACH WAY to and from work, and was always the first one in the office, looking like a million bucks while I, who lived 10 min. away, looked like I had rolled out of bed & got HIT by a truck. She lived for the summer vacations with her grandchildren when they would rent an RV & hit the road. And I found out that she had fought cancer alone about 10 years before, drove herself to and from chemo, all by herself. This woman was amazing to me. She was so humble. One time Jeff & I took her out to dinner and she seemed embarrassed the whole time, like she felt like she wasn't worth the effort. She made, as I said, blankets for everyone. If you had a baby, if you were getting married, you knew you could count on a Carol blanket. And they were worth having.
I say I knew her because shortly after I left ADP I found out one day that she had died. Her cancer came back and she passed away, when just a week or so previously she had been in the office working hard, as always.
So today I covered Noah up with a Carol blanket, one of the 3 she gave us, and I thought about her. It's nice & warm & has given us 4 years of comfort. And I think she would be happy to know that her generosity lives on in our home, covering our little ones, and that I think of her fondly every time I see her handywork. Thank you Carol. Jeff & I loved you a lot. I hope that someday, when it's my turn, I can have accomplished what you did: a legacy to the people that knew you of giving & caring.
That's what my heart is full of this afternoon.
I once knew a woman named Carol Jordison. I met her at ADP. At first I only knew her through work, and because of work, and she scared me. Not only because of her appearance, which was formidable (she was a very heavy woman and wore a lot of makeup & her lipstick was ALWAYS perfectly bright red), but she was very good at her job. And the reason that made me afraid was because I was just learning mine, and her's was to support mine, and I didn't always do things right. And she didn't abide fools lightly. With me so far?
So Carol & I got to know each other over time. And I realised that far from being scary, this woman was one of the nicest, most moral (in the best sense of the word), most giving & sacrificial women that I knew. I used to sit with her in the break room at lunch & watch her crochet someone a new blanket, which she was ALWAYS doing in her spare time, watch her drink her diet coke with the lipstick-stained straw, and talk with her about her life or mine. She was very self-effacing. She never seemed to think that she was anything but completely ordinary. But that woman raised 2 children alone after leaving an alcoholic husband. She saved money for her kids and lived in a trailer park. She drove a 20 year old truck 2 hours EACH WAY to and from work, and was always the first one in the office, looking like a million bucks while I, who lived 10 min. away, looked like I had rolled out of bed & got HIT by a truck. She lived for the summer vacations with her grandchildren when they would rent an RV & hit the road. And I found out that she had fought cancer alone about 10 years before, drove herself to and from chemo, all by herself. This woman was amazing to me. She was so humble. One time Jeff & I took her out to dinner and she seemed embarrassed the whole time, like she felt like she wasn't worth the effort. She made, as I said, blankets for everyone. If you had a baby, if you were getting married, you knew you could count on a Carol blanket. And they were worth having.
I say I knew her because shortly after I left ADP I found out one day that she had died. Her cancer came back and she passed away, when just a week or so previously she had been in the office working hard, as always.
So today I covered Noah up with a Carol blanket, one of the 3 she gave us, and I thought about her. It's nice & warm & has given us 4 years of comfort. And I think she would be happy to know that her generosity lives on in our home, covering our little ones, and that I think of her fondly every time I see her handywork. Thank you Carol. Jeff & I loved you a lot. I hope that someday, when it's my turn, I can have accomplished what you did: a legacy to the people that knew you of giving & caring.
That's what my heart is full of this afternoon.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Recent Happenings:
1. Who's glad that Obama won? I sure am. Let's all shout "Horray" and hope that this guy can do something good for our poor ailing country. He seems to be confidient & "Presidential"...but I guess presidential is as presidential does. Go ahead, Mr. O. Make us proud.
2. Nikki left us today. Sniff. We love you, my dear, and thoroughly enjoyed your visit. Please grace us with your presence another time, and have a safe journey.
3. I had a SUPER fun marathon session at the dentist yesterday, coming away with one root canal, one partial root canal, and one filling. It took them from 10 in the AM to 4PM!!!!! My mouth hurts like a MF. I was remarking yesterday that it's one of the great mysteries of my life that no matter how much work I get done at the dentist & how expensive & invasive it is, the next time I come back, be it in one month or six, I AM SURE TO HAVE AT LEAST 3 MORE CAVITIES. It's like an immutable law of nature. Pretty soon I'll have to have dentures...I don't know how they can drill anymore into some of these teeth. And Jeff, the rotter, doesn't go to the dentist FOR YEARS and he saunters in there & they say, "Oh, you just need a deep cleaning, no cavities!" My God, the injustice.
2. Nikki left us today. Sniff. We love you, my dear, and thoroughly enjoyed your visit. Please grace us with your presence another time, and have a safe journey.
3. I had a SUPER fun marathon session at the dentist yesterday, coming away with one root canal, one partial root canal, and one filling. It took them from 10 in the AM to 4PM!!!!! My mouth hurts like a MF. I was remarking yesterday that it's one of the great mysteries of my life that no matter how much work I get done at the dentist & how expensive & invasive it is, the next time I come back, be it in one month or six, I AM SURE TO HAVE AT LEAST 3 MORE CAVITIES. It's like an immutable law of nature. Pretty soon I'll have to have dentures...I don't know how they can drill anymore into some of these teeth. And Jeff, the rotter, doesn't go to the dentist FOR YEARS and he saunters in there & they say, "Oh, you just need a deep cleaning, no cavities!" My God, the injustice.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Take a gander at my son, the future rapper:
Twinkle, twinkle, little gangster.
"Puff, the Magic Dragon,
Lived by the seed,
And frollipped in the autumn mist
In a land called Honalee.
Little Jackie Paper
Loved that rascal Puff
And brought him strings and sealing wax
And other pantsy fluff."
Halloween Pics
Daddy & pretty Aunty Nik at Trunk or Treat
Mom & Dill
Whachoo lookin at?
See my tail?
Another Dino angle.
Noah James, as a Dinosaur, complete with smeared chocolate on chin.
Our mobile Pickle. He's actually standing on his own now, and the other day took his 1st two steps!
The below pictures are all fast snap shots taken of Dillon after we put on his lion costume. I posted quite a few because he's so cute I can't bear it...and even though it may be overkill, "It's my bloggie and I'll post if I want to"
We "did" a pumpkin for Halloween, our first ever as a family, because Noah wanted to so badly. I thought this picture actually came out kinda neat.
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