Derring-do

A Minor Change

2009-01-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting a new look, and it was too complicated to figure out how to make the changes I wanted on this current blog, so I've started a new one. You can find it here. Come visit!

A Name's A Name

2008-12-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

That's what this father says. I don't think I can agree in this instance. Why, why, and HOW could you saddle your kid with a name like that? (Check out his other kids' names.)

Here are some more:

Talullah Does The Hula
Moxie Crimefighter
Rocket
Pilot Inspekter
Tabooger

There are many many more, but those are just some examples. Why? Why would you do that to your child? Do you hate him in advance? I don't get it.

2008-12-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Irony Is Thick

2008-12-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

T-H-I-S is a terrible, horrible happening. More and more there are stories of kidnappings in Mexico and sadly, it's made me never want to visit again. It's a terrible thing that's going on there. But isn't there something just so ironic about this particular case? (Not to be irreverent or diminish the awfulness of it.)

A Long and Rambling, Boring Diatribe Regarding That Offensive Subject of Global Warming

2008-12-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

I will likely regret bringing this up, and I'm disappointed in advance that it will be considered a "political" post because it's anything but that. This subject isn't important enough to raise anyone's ire, to make someone's head explode, etc. But this is merely, simply, an honest curiosity I have. I'm increasingly fascinated by a common thread of thought regarding global warming. Right now it's unusually cold in many places, it's snowing in strange and crazy places---New Orleans, Houston, etc.---and it's just COLD, right? So over and over I hear or read the comment, "Where's the global warming??" Often this is accompanied by a healthy dose of snickering. Which, like I said, I find fascinating. Also, in my initial ignorance, I didn't realize the bodies of thought are neatly split down political lines: Left believes; Right mocks. Those seem to be the two main players. I imagine there are plenty who trickle in somewhere in between on either side.

Here are some of the intriguing parts to me:

1) I don't remember anyone ever saying that global warming means we're all going to be dying of heat. As I understand it--correct me if I'm wrong--global warming refers to climate change. It increases extreme weather events: hot, cold, rain, snow, tornado, hurricane, etc. Global warming is about climate sensitivity and weather changes, etc.; not: "no one's ever going to need a coat again."

2) Why are some people so violently opposed to the idea of global warming? It's like a personal offense against them, as though the entire world is saying in a loud and ominous, booming voice: "It's YOUR fault that this is happening. YOU ALONE are responsible." Why does this evoke such a visceral reaction?

3) Why is it so hard to imagine that years and years of pollution could have had an adverse effect on our environment? Why is it so crazy to imagine that we as humans and inhabitants of this earth could possibly have contributed to a less-than-stellar environment? Is it so unreasonable to think, "Wow, hey, it looks like there's a possibility that some damage has been done to good ole Mother Earth and some of it can possibly be attributed to (*gasp*) humans, so hey---let's all pitch in a little and alter our routines slightly and see if we can maybe undo some of this, or at least not continue to make it worse"?? Is that really so far-out there? Is it really so Al Gore? Can't it just be we're-all-in-this-together?

4) And if there's absolutely no such thing, is it really so bad to try to be more environmentally-friendly anyway? I know that there are dollar signs involved, and that's what makes a lot of people mad. Especially if you don't believe there IS such a thing as global warming, it seems like throwing money away. But I guess I can't figure out how it's such a far-out idea that maybe pollution is bad and maybe we should try to breathe cleaner air. Just as one example.

So I'm a bit confused. I'm always somewhat taken aback by the complete derision I sometimes hear regarding global warming---and I understand now, I understand that it's mostly political. I guess I get it. But seriously. Isn't it a tiny bit like maybe burying our heads in the sand? Maybe? I mean, what if (a wee wee tiny possibility, I know), what if it's...........

true?

And Yet Another.....

2008-12-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

I'm just a sucker for these kinds of stories.

Awww

2008-12-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

I just found this picture in my computer. I'd forgotten how cute my little boys used to be. They're handsome now (if I say so myself), getting all grown up....but they were so sweet! :) I wouldn't be their mother, would I?

I Dare You...

2008-12-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

...to watch T-H-I-S and not shed a teeny tiny tear.

Braxton Hick

2008-12-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

So a couple is racing down the breakdown lane on a highway in Massachusetts. Have they robbed a bank? Can't be bothered to wait in the stop-and-go traffic? Trying to get all their Christmas shopping done? Not quite. The woman is watermelon pregnant and having contractions three minutes apart...desperate, yeah? I mean, who wants to deliver a baby in the car on the highway in a traffic jam? Not me, thanks. I was there, and it's not a fun place to be (on the way, barely making it to the hospital).

So they see a cop up ahead--hooray! oh what a relief---but wait! He doesn't escort them with lights and sirens blazing. No no. Instead he makes them WAIT while he finishes writing another ticket and then Writes. Them. A. Ticket. Insult to injury: he makes her "prove" she's pregnant. Wants to see her belly because, you know, so many people try that "I'm pregnant" story when they're speeding.

Am I way off base in finding this a bit ridiculous?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2008-11-27T01:52:00.000-08:00

Good food and lots of it. Family and lots of it.....
Have a great turkey day!!!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

2008-11-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

What is this insistence on playing Christmas music so early?? Now it starts before Halloween. The problem (among many) with this is that by the time Christmas comes, I'm so tired of carols that I can't enjoy them at Christmas!! Cease and desist. December 1st---that's the earliest I should ever hear anything about Christmas.

Maybe Santa?

2008-11-08T20:10:00.001-08:00

I'm really intrigued by these (new) mini laptops. Does anyone have one? Do you love it? Hate it? Are they decent for basics----checking email, playing scrabble, stuff like that? Let me know.

In-da-bid-a-bid-able

2008-11-02T22:25:00.001-08:00

ONLY in America

2008-11-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

TRICK-OR-TREAT!!!!

2008-10-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

1 3

2008-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

How is it possible that my sweet, sensitive little boy is now a teenager?? When did that happen? It was 13 years ago that he came into the world---on time, in a hurry, and not in the mood to wait around. I was at home when my water broke, and I called my parents to come be with our five year old. The contractions were coming pretty quickly and strongly (ask my mom; I almost broke her hand during one of them!) and suddenly I just knew there was no more waiting around---even though the nurse at the hospital said, "oh, just walk around, drink lots of water." Uh, no. Bad idea. We took off for the hospital (2 in the morning) with my Dad following in the car behind us (I'm trying to remember why he was following in his car?) We ran every red light and pulled up into the emergency room entrance. Thankfully my Dad moved our car---if my husband had, he would've missed the whole show. I could tell that this baby was coming any minute and I couldn't even get out of the car. The ER guys came with a stretcher, picked me up on it, checked me out in the triage room and said "I think we can make it upstairs." Down we flew through the halls, me hanging on for dear life, still in my "uniform" (a jean dress that my husband had come to truly despise by this point). We got into a room and they hoisted me onto a bed, still dressed in my clothes. About three minutes later, here he was---a sweet, funny baby who now has become a handsome, kind, smart....teenager (he enjoys reminding me about that part!). Happy Birthday!!

I Can't Wait

2008-10-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Dido has a new album out soon. Yay!

If I Were A Rich Man

2008-10-24T14:53:00.001-07:00

...this is the puppy I'd get! So cute:

(wee-chon)

But it's rather hard to justify spending $750+ for a (sweet, sweet) puppy. I know people do it, and I would if I could (I think), but......I guess not. Waaah. :)

The Dog Days Of Summer

2008-10-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

....are over. But speaking of dogs, I'm wondering----quite tentatively, mind you!----what kind of dog best meets these requirements: low maintenance (short-haired), non-hyper, kid-friendly, small, CUTE. Anybody have any ideas or suggestions??

Pause

2008-10-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

I am stuck on:

and I can't seem to get unstuck!! Help!!

These Newfangled Inventions

2008-10-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Mom passed this along. It does have sound---you have to turn the volume up. Quite funny:

Cable PSA For Old People - Funny bloopers are a click away

Goofballs

2008-10-10T16:32:00.001-07:00

What A Relief

2008-10-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to unca for pointing out a light at the end of the bailout tunnel (see video below). Maybe this explains how AIG executives were able to head to a California resort for some relaxation after that stressful bailout week while the rest of the nation panicked and eyed its grim financial future. Just watch. Maybe you, too, can help:

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

(P.S. What's with the doll?)

Mars?

2008-10-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

On what planet can a guy defend making over $480 MILLION since 2000 while everyone else has been sliding down into the toilet?? He's sad, though, that the company failed. In fact, it's a pain that will stay with him the rest of his life. While he wanders around his mansion in Connecticut and ponders the state of things from his lounge chair in Florida, he'll feel sick about it all. Just sick.

A Strong Case For Lasik

2008-10-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

Watch till the very end!

My New Nephew

2008-09-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Kwame (pronounced KWAH-may) Frederick Matingou. Isn't he a cutie? He looks a little worried in this picture, but I think it's because he's not sure when we'll ever get to see him. If he wasn't so far away, I might actually get to hold him before he's driving a car! Anyway, congrats to the new mom and dad!

Rain??

2008-09-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

This morning I was helping my son put his chain back on his bike so he could ride to school, and we both thought we felt a drop of water. I looked up at the clear sunny sky---perhaps a cloud here and there---and figured that we must surely have imagined it. About 20 minutes later I was running an errand, and as I was driving back home, a goodly little rain came down! I couldn't believe it. It was sunny, almost 70 degrees--people were out walking and jogging in shorts and tank tops.....and rain! It even lasted long enough that I finally had to use my windshield wipers. So I guess that perhaps the weather might be thinking of changing. And I feel a bit excited somehow---Fall is my favorite season, and while I get tired of cold and rain, at first the change is invigorating and enjoyable. For sure, this little precursor is a great motivator to get the final boxes out of the garage! At least on the one side where I'll want to park the van. It would be quite silly to have a nice garage to get to park in out of the rain and not be able to use it because I never got around to finishing the unpacking. For shame.

Perspective Again

2008-09-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

So in my last post I mentioned that some things happen to keep things in perspective. Like today, for instance, when we attended the funeral (another one, yes) of one of our friends. She was 24 and lost her 3 year battle to cancer. Like was mentioned today, hers was a life taken but also a life given. She was so positive and so giving and so caring, even up to the end. I can't imagine being her parents right now. How do you bury your child? It isn't supposed to work that way. So: perspective. I'm lucky that I just have to be bummed about replacing a processor and what that might involve.

And I'm lucky to be alive, and I don't want to waste a minute.

Hear Today....But Not Tomorrow

2008-09-19T22:17:00.001-07:00

Well, not exactly no hearing but diminished hearing, I guess you could say. It happened like this:

we left our house, ready to go to my inlaws' house about an hour and a half away. We drove the five minutes or so to the highway, turned onto the highway and picked up speed. After about three minutes of acceleration, something went flying off the windshield/hood. It seemed to have come from around the area of the windshield wiper. As soon as I saw it fly off into the wind, I had a sick sick feeling that I knew what it was. Sure enough:

"Um, is it possible that you don't have one of your processors on?" I asked my youngest son. Right before we left, he had been on his scooter, waiting for us to get in the car. In order to wear his helmet, he has to remove one of his speech processors. The rule is that they can never never never put a processor anywhere but in the house on a table, in the car in a safe place, etc. A place to NEVER put a processor, for instance, is on the hood of the car or sitting on the windshield or something like that.

The answer to my pointless question was, "No, I don't have my left one on." We stopped on the shoulder, backed up about 200 yards, and my husband and I got out and combed the side of the highway. We found about twelve pieces of it. Twelve pieces don't a processor make. It was amazing how completely stripped that puppy was. It's too complicated to go into, but suffice it to say that its days of usefulness are over.

I think these things happen so that everything can be kept in perspective. We thought it was a bummer that we'd left a little later than we'd wanted, but soon we realized that it would be lovely to only be bummed about that.

Plastic Surgery Anyone??

2008-09-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

If you have further morbid fascination with Cat Woman (like I did), you can go here.

In Which I Punch Them In The Face

2008-09-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

Wow! Kind of violent coming from a peace-loving girl like myself, don't you think? But it was about my boy, you see---he was riding his bike in the park and maybe it was because his helmet was on or maybe it was because the other boys were a little too far away. But when they tried to strike up a conversation or asked a question or whatever it was, my boy couldn't hear them. And so after several times of asking "what?" and likely desperately trying to make out what was being said or even attempting to guess and maybe fill in an answer, they laughed at him. Maybe it was just a chuckle amongst themselves, a murmured laugh and a shared look. Whatever it was, it broke his heart. And he came home, relaying the story, thinking he could just tell it. But then he cried, from the depths of his heart, he cried for maybe three minutes and said, "I wish I wasn't this way." Deaf, he meant. Different. Not part of the crowd. His anguish spilled out, and then he pulled himself together. But it's there. Still there, and how do I convince him that he's worth 100 of them, that he's luckier than most people on this earth because he's kind and compassionate and empathic and caring? How do I convince him that really there are so many people out there who battle worse disabilities than his, who live broken lives with no hope, and he's fortunate? I don't want to diminish or minimize his very real struggle. But I want him to have a perspective of hope and possibility. It's a hard age. It's a hard time to be different. It's a hard time to parent a child who maybe stands out a little because he's not exactly like all the other kids---but mostly he stands out because he's a stellar human being. Unlike those boys. Whom I want to...well, you know.

We Remember

2008-09-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it was already seven years ago that the awfulness of September 11 occurred. I didn't know anyone personally who was there, who suffered, who even was really affected. But it changed our world in so many ways; and I was realizing today in thinking about it, that for so many many people, it changed their entire lives. It reminded us all that we're not completely invulnerable, that evil does exist. It also reminded us that heroes are all around us.

There's a tendency in all of us, I suppose, to lump everyone into a category. It would be a huge mistake, on this anniversary of sadness and evil, to assume that everyone associated---by religion, by race---with those who perpetuated the happenings of Sept. 11, can be lumped into the same box. This article, so excellently and eloquently written, should be read by everyone. Unfortunately the people who likely most need to read it and consider this perspective and have a alternative viewpoint to consider, possibly won't get past the first or second paragraph. But I challenge you to do so. It's long, it takes a little time and thought, but there might be something in it that will make you think, "Huh. I never thought about it that way." I'm not saying that we should accept things that are contrary to our very beliefs and convictions. Of course we shouldn't. But a message of peace--a life dedicated to peace--should resound with anyone's beliefs.

At any rate, for any of you who were directly or even indirectly affected by the events of September 11, I hope you find a meaningful way to honor the memory of a loved one, a hero, a family member, a friend.

Motherhood And Politics

2008-09-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

These are dangerous waters that I rarely get into for several reasons: I'm not very political. I'm not heated about my views. I don't have all the information. I absolutely hate angry and emotional and irrational debates about politics--especially among people who know each other. It's not worth it and many times, it's not an appropriate subject if it's causing angst. That's just my personal opinion.

THAT SAID....(and this isn't an invitation TO a political debate. I've no desire for that. Just making an observation): this line in an article--this question asked--caught my eye. Speaking about vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin: "Does the fact that she's a woman and mother affect her abilities as a politician." I would think it couldn't NOT affect one's abilities, but that to me wasn't as big an issue as the fact that her being a politician, without a doubt, affects her abilities as a mother. She has young children and even more, a special needs baby, and there is NO way being a politician allows her the time needed to be there for her children. Period. I'm not saying every mom MUST STAY HOME ALL DAY WITH THE CHILDREN. Let's not get into that debate. It's a complicated issue in many ways. I have my personal feelings about it, but I know that nothing is ever black and white. But I do know that children require time and effort and attention. Being a politician requires time and effort and attention. Just as much. There are only so many hours in a day. I'm not saying I couldn't be convinced otherwise about this; it's just that the math doesn't add up for me.

Beyond the young children, my thoughts were especially on the child with special needs. My two youngest boys are deaf and while they're doing excellently today at 10 and 12, I can tell you that those early years, those first four years or so, required exhaustive care and attention and time and more time and even more time. The thought of being a leader of a state, let alone a country, while being a parent of small children and the parent of a special needs child, makes me want to laugh hysterically. Sure, she could run circles---mega circles---around me. Of that, I have no doubt. But there are still only 24 hours in a day. In my world. In her world. Perhaps the children are minding the children and maybe that works. Maybe it's a stellar plan for them. I find it doubtful and unlikely myself.

SO. I'll probably regret bringing this up, but that's what I wanted to say about that.

I Followed Me Here

2008-09-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

The weeks have passed and we've settled in some. So many boxes still unpacked (they just won't put themselves away!), so many things yet to do to be "done". But it's good. Things are good. The newness has worn off a bit, things have settled down---partly due to time passing, partly because of summer being over and school starting. It's good.

But I've discovered that I've followed myself here. I'm not magically a more productive person, a high-energy, get-stuff-done person suddenly. How disappointing. I'm not more organized and more efficient and less a time-waster and less a procrastinator. How disappointing. I'm not a new svelte me, I'm not suddenly a healthy eater and hyper exerciser. Darn. I'm not better, thinner, nicer, kinder, not even happier. I followed me here.

But it's okay. It's fine. And all is well. And life is good.....

Even with me here.

There But For The Grace Of God Go I

2008-08-29T15:54:00.001-07:00

I read the news sometimes and I feel humbled by the inequity of life. It's 107 here and my dryer has been deciding to shut itself off and so I had to go to the laundromat and deal with that whole scene with 12 loads of laundry and my middle son had issues again with his cochlear implant processors because of sweat making them fritz out and my oldest son discovered this morning that someone bashed out his window in his car and stole his stereo from the car he bought with his own money. Frustrating day! But then I hear about some friends of ours who just delivered their precious daughter two months early with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around her neck two times and she didn't make it. How do you bear that? With that in mind and news stories like these, I realize: I. AM. SO. FORTUNATE. I. AM. SO. FORTUNATE. It will be my new mantra.

How Do You Know??

2008-08-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

"Brother James Jordan thinks the patterns do resemble Jesus better in person than in these blown-up pictures...." And I ask again, how do you know??? Did you meet Him in person and you immediately see the resemblance? I don't get it.

I know, I know. I've hammered this topic into the ground. I just think it's kind of funny how everyone's seeing the image of Jesus in the craziest places and none of the images resemble each other and NO ONE knows if they resemble Christ. Like I've said before, it most likely could resemble the next door neighbor way more than Jesus....But I guess you don't get on the news for that: "JimBob Sees Next-Door Neighbor on Fruit Loop." Doesn't have the same ring.

You Too Can Start The Day This Way If You Want

2008-08-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

My plan was to go walking through the lovely hilly streets of my neighborhood. Almost ready, I passed through the kitchen when miscellaneous misplaced items by the pool caught my eye. I thought I'd just step out there first and pick that stuff right up and then be on my way. While doing a quick straightening up, I noticed a few pool balls back behind a palm tree so I carefully maneuvered the pool net over in that corner, captured the football, was carefully stepping back a bit to bring it out when..........oops! Too close to the edge and in I went---clothes, shoes, glasses, the works! Thank goodness I didn't have pockets or my cell phone would have gone swimming as well.

From upstairs my husband heard a yelp of surprise and then **SPLASH** and then, likely, hysterical laughing. I lugged my wet self out, giggling as I went, just imagining the sight that must've been. I wonder if anyone saw? Probably not, but boy did they miss out.

I guess that's one way to get me in the pool. And oh, hey, the football? Got it. No problem.

Beauty Bends The Rules

2008-08-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

The story about Joel Osteen's wife's supposed altercation on an airline flight has been mildly intriguing. It's a classic "she said/she said" kind of story, and it's not really that important in even the tiny scheme of things, let alone the big scheme of things. But I wonder to myself: if Victoria Osteen were not clearly beautiful, rich, well-dressed, etc., would this be receiving any kind of attention? Mega-churches leave a bad taste in my mouth anyway, but that's another story, and these co-pastors of the Lakewood Church in Houston clearly seem to think they're something special. Perhaps they are. How do I know?

I watched a short clip of Victoria defending what she calls a non-event, and it was so syrupy sweet and gushy, it was somewhat gag-worthy. If she did nothing, why did the FAA fine her $3,000 for interfering with a crew member? And if she did nothing and was totally innocent, why did she pay it and try to sweep it under the rug? Turning the other cheek? Seems likely not. Anyway. It barely qualifies as an interesting story, but it's always interesting to me how beautiful and rich excuses a lot of behavior. At least in the person's own mind.

Or maybe I'm just jealous because I'm neither one and I want her to go down. Pay, perfect shallow annoying one, pay!............. Jus' kiddin'.

Not What A Mom Wants To Hear

2008-08-04T16:32:00.001-07:00

I'm working inside the house, the boys are outside swimming. I can hear them through the window (and I check on them all the time. The rule is, they can swim without me there as long as they're both in the pool. Neither one can ever swim by himself). I can hear them playing, negotiating their next move. I'm not paying too much attention until I hear my youngest say: "Fine. Fine. But if we die, it's your fault." Warms a mom's heart.

Some Fun In The Sun

2008-08-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

There's Brandon:
and Nick:
and friends, Trent and Jared!

tricky stuff:

and Byron, who soon will be joining the bigger boys with all the fancy stuff:

(pictures courtesy of Elaine, who's mean with a camera. Thanks!)

The Story Of A Sign

2008-08-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

I "borrowed" this great short film sent to me in an email (thanks, Mom). It's worth the five minutes it takes to watch.

Quiz

2008-07-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

1. Who should be in jail? T-H-I-S guy (remember him?) or T-H-I-S guy? It's a tough call.

Do You Know This Man? You Should.

2008-07-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you have heard about The Last Lecture. A question posed to selected beloved professors at Carnegie-Mellon: If you could give a last lecture, what would it be? Randy Pausch, the man you should know if you don't already, gave a now-famous and astounding "last lecture". He was dying of pancreatic cancer, and his lecture---meant for his children---inspired millions. If you haven't ever seen it, you must. You must. If you don't have the book, get it.

I bring this up because Randy Pausch died today in Virginia. After watching his lecture, reading his book...you feel like you know him somehow. Or you sure wish you had. You want to be like him and live life like he did. And to hear that he has died is just.....sad.

So take a little time sometime and become acquainted if you aren't already familiar. Two places to start are H-E-R-E and H-E-R-E. It's worth the time it takes; believe me.

? ? ?

2008-07-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

Can someone even explain how THIS is possible? I find it very disturbing--how does a judge allow this? What rationale could there be?

Could You Do It?

2008-07-22T12:19:00.001-07:00

My feet are terrible and I'm in desperate need of a pedicure. But I really don't think I'm brave enough (or crazy enough?) to do T-H-I-S. Would you? People seem to love it---claim it's the best pedicure they've ever had. Hmmmm. Jury's still out for me.

Perspective Once Again

2008-07-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Almost two years ago I posted about a sweet courageous little girl we knew who was battling cancer. Her spunkiness and charm were endearing and her courage was humbling. She lost her battle to cancer last week, and this last weekend we went to her funeral. She just had her 4th birthday. I'll never forget the sight of that small little handmade casket, piped inside with pink ribbon. Her favorite little stuffed animal lay beside her as she was finally, finally resting without pain. I can't imagine being her parents, her grandparents, her siblings, her cousins. It's hard enough losing her and just being a friend.

Life is short. Don't waste it.

Summer

2008-07-15T10:01:00.001-07:00

I'm finding that it takes me a very very long time to empty a box. I circle it, ponder it, take something out, avoid it, work around it....and then finally I'll empty it and put everything in it away. At this rate we'll be moved into our new digs in about 2012.

It's been an amazingly busy summer so far. We just returned late late Sunday night from a family reunion in Colorado. We were in a stunningly beautiful area outside of Denver called Winter Park, I believe, but the altitude completely wiped me out. The first two days I could barely lift my head off of the bed, which was a bit of a bummer. It was either the altitude or it was a combination of that and exhaustion and low immunity, etc. After the first couple of days, though, I felt a little more normal (if being completely stuffed up and learning to take very shallow breaths is normal) and so I was able to enjoy the fun of being with my mother-in-law's family---and a great great family it is. We had a great time.

Our flights to Colorado were out of the Bay Area, though, since we bought the tickets before we had an inkling we were going to move. It felt very strange to land in San Jose and then leave to come two hours north---it felt a little backwards and strange until we got here and then everything felt right and okay. The flight out of Denver heading to California was at dusk and the sunset there was beautiful. The best part was that we got to chase the sunset for over an hour. A perfect way to come home.

I'm hoping to post a picture or two as soon as I can. I'll be getting those shortly, I hope, from people who were smart enough to actually remember a camera!

Stages Of Moving

2008-06-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

Moving day was a fright. Hours and hours of frantic work, made easier by wonderful friends and help. We got into our new town after four in the morning, got a hotel room, and then got to work mid-morning the next day. By that night, everything was in---either in the garage or in the house.....and now: where are my clothes?? where's the iron?? where are the sheets?? how about the towels! It's an adventure game. A big game of hide and seek.

It's been fun to start putting stuff away. I still feel like an imposter, though, in this house at times---a house so different from the one we left. And after several days of trying to get some semblance of order, I feel a sort of letdown, a melancholy, a strangeness overtake me. I know it's part of those stages of moving. A friend shared a wise thought passed on to her when she moved: when a plant is transplanted, there's often a period of time where it wilts before it blooms again. I don't feel like I'm wilting, by any means, but there will be adjustments.

That said, it's been as smooth an experience as we could've hoped for. The rest is gravy---I'm sure it will take a fair amount of time for everything to find its spot and place. Meanwhile, I intend to enjoy the ride and enjoy every lovely aspect of my new lovely spot.

Moving Day

2008-06-24T07:22:00.001-07:00

I can't believe the day is here already. It's a typical beautiful---actually stunning---Bay Area morning. I will miss this weather; I will miss this house, my house; I will miss this town; I will miss my friends; I will miss my family, my parents; I will miss my 18-yr-old son who has moved out and is starting his own new life chapter; I will miss 7-11 being just around the corner; I will miss close access to Santa Cruz and San Francisco. That Said: I am looking forward to a new place, a new adventure, new experiences. If I can just survive this packing, cleaning, and moving process, all will be well!

To Infinity And Beyond

2008-06-22T22:09:00.001-07:00

Just a quick little mention that last week---at an untimely but already planned event---my two youngest sons and I were in St. Louis for four days. One of the planned outings was a trip to The Arch---to the very TOP of The Arch. I don't like close spaces and I don't like heights, but it was awesome. SO....if you're ever in St. Louis, if the floods don't cover the whole entire state, make sure you get a chance to take a ride to the top. It's worth it. (Plus, visit City Museum...It's fabulous. A very unique experience for sure.)

Moving Is....

2008-06-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

OVERWHELMING.

Do you ever recover?

Big Brown's Big Loss

2008-06-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not much into horse racing, but I've been seeing the hype lately over Big Brown. He was favored to win but bombed completely, coming in dead last. In fact, he apparently became the first horse seeking the Triple Crown to finish last in 140 years of running the 1 1/2-mile Belmont. All that aside--really, it's neither here nor there to me--my favorite quote from an article I saw, spoken by Big Brown's trainer: "I feel like a big loser right now and I don't know why."

Um...because your horse just lost?

A Sign

2008-06-07T08:26:00.001-07:00

So we decided that if our house didn't sell, we would know we're supposed to stick around here. That seemed a decent and logical measure. Is it reasonable, then, to figure that if our house sells in 12 hours for over asking price, cash, as is, that it's okay to go?? It's been a wild ride.

The Quick Scoop

2008-05-17T08:30:00.001-07:00

Nothin' like a cliffhanger....:)

So the quick scoop is that things have fallen into place for us to move north a tiny bit, just past Sacramento. Obviously anything could happen to change that---for instance, our house not selling!! It's not exactly the market for that. Now, two years ago we could've put it on the market and watched 'em fight over it. Not so much now.

This wasn't decided on a whim of course, wasn't an impulse. Lots of thought and care went into deciding if this was the right thing to do. We know lots of folk up that way and the kids would enjoy being around some of their friends, and that seems like a nice way to finish growing up.

SO....we'll see what happens! While I'll miss the lovely place we live now and all our friends and family here, it's exciting to think of a new place.

I'll keep you posted.

Guess What's New

2008-05-16T20:16:00.001-07:00

Who knows what will happen--will we stay or will we go? It's anybody's guess........

Awwww...Isn't That Sweet??

2008-05-16T20:12:00.001-07:00

It's kind of hard to see but this is a mother turkey and all her little chicks. We had to wait for them to cross the street.

Of Utmost Importance

2008-05-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

It's been plaguing me lately: what did he mean when he sang "Once, Twice, Three times a lady"??? Lionel---help me out here!! Once, twice, three times? I don't get it. Was he hallucinating? Was she plus-size? It's really been keeping me up at night.

Also (and apropos of nothing, apparently): the greatest piece of exercise equipment out there, hands down, is this:

Cardio is not a chore anymore....woo-hoo!! Virtual reality has never been more useful. Go check it out at www.expresso.com. Convince your health club that they need to add one of these. If they'd just bring the price down a tad, I'd get one for my very own and bring it with me everywhere I go.

Ouch!!

2008-04-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

My brother is in the process of building their new house. Today he suffered a bit of a side effect:

One Hit Wonder

2008-04-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm sure hardly anyone but me remembers this song but since I first heard it---in the 80's I guess (yikes!)---it has always remained one of my top ten favorites. Few songs can I say that I've never gotten sick of, and this is one of them. I'm not sure exactly what the appeal is, but it's stuck for sure. I mention it because I just saw today where the singer/songwriter Paul Davis died yesterday. He had a few other hits, but this was the one that had any sort of staying power. For me, anyway.

The Last Hurrah Of Spring Break

2008-04-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

We don't very often do anything major during the school breaks. This time was no different. The kids did a lot of bike-riding around the neighborhood, some computer, lots of sleeping-in (Monday morning is going to be very painful), comic-book reading, etc. Saturday was the first day of the new hockey season so there were hockey games. But Friday I decided that I was tired of being around the house, tired of the same ole everything and made the kids get in the car (they're very much homebodies so I have to twist their arms to go anywhere), and we headed over the hill to Santa Cruz. It wasn't very warm, but it was a beautiful day. And the thing about Santa Cruz---which I love---is not just the destination: it's the trip as well. The ride over to Santa Cruz is absolutely beautiful. Pictures can't even really capture it, but they'll have to try:

All in all, it was a great day. I introduced my kids to the Saturn Cafe, which is a health-food "hippie" joint that's been around Santa Cruz for years and years. Things like tofu burgers are on the menu (my kids opted for grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese. I guess that seemed safer to them) and they've got the best fries anywhere.....

So now it's back to the routine. If it weren't for waking up so early, getting back to the routine would be something I'd thoroughly look forward to.

A Fine Young Man

2008-04-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

My 18-year-old just bought himself his very own car. Ain't he a handsome chap and isn't it just a cool little ride? I'm very proud of him for doing this. Seems like most of the kids his age I've come across have had a car handed over.....so I'm proud of him for working hard and buying it himself. He'll have a much greater sense of accomplishment and pride of ownership. Good job!

Sticker Shock

2008-04-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

or something like it. I just put gas in the ole van and almost fell over in a dead faint, right there at the pump: $78.32 to fill up my tank. That's a first and unfortunately not a last. I know that a lot of people see higher numbers than that, and I'm certainly glad I don't drive diesel right now...but this is nuts! Soon it's going to be a choice between eating or gas in the car. Well, maybe I'll lose that last 15 pounds after all.

Sometimes Your Heart Just Breaks

2008-03-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

My middle child is a smart, handsome 12-year-old. He's kind and empathic and wants everyone around him to be happy and comfortable. He's polite and accommodating and most of the times selfless in his endeavors. Sometimes I'm not sure if he's real. My middle child is also deaf, and although he has bilateral cochlear implants, he's still deaf and he operates and functions every single day with greater effort than I can probably ever comprehend. He has to try harder to hear what's being said, he has to concentrate harder than anyone around him to keep up in some measure with any conversation, any directive, any social happening. He's usually on the fringes of any activity---hearing enough to not be completely outside the circle but not hearing enough to be in the center of it and to really "get" it.

Most of the time, I think he cruises along okay. That's what I think. But then every now and then there's a night like tonight where, in tears, he admits he wishes he wasn't deaf. Tears because of the impatience of his peers as he struggles to catch all the conversation, the exasperated "what?"s of his unworthy peers as they try to understand the thing that he's saying. His hearing is excellent when you consider that this is a boy who is completely deaf. His speech is excellent when you consider that this is a boy who---without his implants---wouldn't hear a jet landing ten feet from him. He'd feel it and probably know it was coming before you did, but he wouldn't be able to hear it. He wants to be the same as everyone else.

But when you're 12, you don't think about how much harder life would be if you didn't have implants. You don't think about how much luckier you are because you can hear and talk. You don't think about how much greater your life is going to be because you're a kind person and nice and you care about other people and you're not a jerk and self-centered. You don't realize the importance of those things when you're 12. You only know that you're different and the struggle to fit in and be the same is overwhelming some days. You only know that you're not "with it" and not inside the unworthy circle at all times. You don't know that that circle doesn't even matter, because when you're 12, 13, 15, 16, it does matter. And I say "unworthy" because most of them aren't worthy of the selfless, kind boy that he is. So many of them are unkind, punky, mean, impatient, foul-mouthed, snotty kids. Many of them are not, I know, but many of them are---the ones who hurt his heart are. And they're not worthy.

And so your heart breaks. I would become deaf if he could hear. I would lose a limb if it meant he could be hearing---in the full, true sense of the word. But I can only, painfully, stand by and know that he has to grow up deaf in a world that hears and he has to learn how to navigate it for himself. I know he'll do it but the process can be oh, so painful.

And in case that's not enough, his 10-year-old brother is deaf as well. His hearing is excellent, his speech is excellent....but he's deaf and he'll soon be 12 and in middle school and trying to fit in with a bunch of kids who won't have the maturity to be patient or kind.

And my heart will break all over again.

Do You Suffer From Apocolocynposis?

2008-03-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

In case you're not sure, let me explain. Apocolocynposis is the fear of turning into a pumpkin. That's right. Turning Into A Pumpkin. So if you're hiding in your house, jumping at the sight of anything round and orange, fearing Halloween and midnight, not sleeping lest you awake a pumpkin--you now have a name for your pitiful condition.

Are there really possibly enough people with such a phobia that there's actually a name for it?? How is that possible?

Defense Against The Dark....Weather

2008-03-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

Parts of this country are getting completely bombarded with terrible weather---now it's horrible rain and floods everywhere. It must be terrifying to be swept away by massive walls of water. Makes me feel almost guilty for enjoying the sunshine and mild temperatures we've been having here in the northern part of this fair state of California. At any rate, I know the conditions are terrible in places (Missouri comes to mind) and I don't mean to make light of people's suffering, but I have to admit that this photo made me laugh (notice the guy):

Do you think that little pool floatie around his waist is going to do the trick? Poor guy. I hope he doesn't count on it too much.

"Grand Opening"

2008-03-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the Grand Opening of the place where the kids play hockey. The definition of a "grand opening" is apparently open to interpretation because we've been going there for at least a year. But at any rate, it was a fun day---a lot of the Sharks hockey players were there (yeah, the real thing!) and the kids got to get their hockey jerseys autographed, so that was fun for them. There was food and music and, of course, all the hockey games to watch (all the boys won, and that's the most important part, of course). And last but not least, there was face painting. Only my youngest was game:

Up Up And, Sadly, Away

2008-03-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

I listened with fascinated horror to the news about a guy who thought he had a romantic and original way to propose to his girlfriend. And he did, though he might've wanted to give it a wee bit more thought. In short, he put the $12,000 engagement ring (that's right--$12,000) in a helium balloon with the thought that as she popped the balloon, he'd pop the question. Clever, eh? And you can guess what happened. Oh, and this wasn't some playboy with money to burn---he was a carpet/floor layer and probably had been saving for ages. Or went into some serious debt. (I have a whole other rant about the engagement ring scam, but I'll save that for later). So, I was feeling sorry for the poor dumb fool, but when I read the story in the news and read about his girlfriend's reaction, I really felt sorry for him. You can read about it here but basically she's refusing to talk to him until he gets her a new ring. Excuse me??!! Not: "I'm so sorry you just spent your life's savings and it went up into the ether! I'm so sorry that you wanted to do a romantic thing and you lost it all. Oh, how sweet of you and I'm so sorry." No. Nothing like that. The silent treatment until he coughs up another one. Well, here's what I hope happens: I hope he magically, by some amazing twist of fate, gets the ring back. I hope he returns it and puts the money straight into the bank. And then I hope he dumps her. She doesn't deserve him--or at least he doesn't deserve her. Or maybe he does. I don't know. There clearly could be more to the story that could possibly (doubtful) justify her response. But outside of that, I find it just tacky and self-centered and immature. Maybe he should fish a new ring out of a Cracker Jack box and give it to her. That seems more fitting.

Jerk

2008-03-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Is there any other term for you: nameless, faceless person who took a key and swiped it across the side of our vehicle? Is there really any other name to call you? And a mini-van?? It's not like it's a hot little sports car and you're jealous that another person who worked hard and earned the privilege of owning a fun car is getting to drive it instead of punky you. Actually "jerk" is mild compared to what some people in my shoes would probably call you. Why don't you get a job and get a real life, earn some money and get a car for yourself and then maybe you'll understand and appreciate the cost of repairing even something as minor as a key mark down the side. That's always an option.

Things Are Not Always As They Seem

2008-03-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Years ago I read about----and possibly it's an urban legend----a girl who was in a terrible car accident. When those responding got to her body in the car (this was before airbags), they found a book lodged between her and the steering wheel. So naturally there was outrage and disbelief over how crazy it was that this girl had been reading while she was driving. Possibly she was, but I just bet that she was doing what I do all the time:

I like to read and I read a lot---but because of coming and going and busy schedules and being a taxi driver for my kids, much of my reading happens in the car. Not while I'm driving, mind you! but while waiting for a kid to get out of class, waiting at an appointment, or---most commonly--waiting at a red light. Many a book I've read in fits and starts while waiting at a light. So here's how it goes: I've got the book open to the page and read a line or two, maybe even a paragraph, while the light is red. The light changes to green, I lay the book (open to my spot) on my stomach, and continue to drive. There'll be another red light just up ahead and I can thus quickly pick it up and read the next line or paragraph. And so on. It works like a charm. Not as pleasant a reading experience as, say, curled up on the couch with a diet coke handy, but still it works. And I just think the possibilities are great that this girl I mentioned was doing just that. She wasn't reading while she was driving (though I know sometimes people stupidly do) but she was just creating a reading shortcut.

So the next time you read about someone in an accident and there's a book lodged between him or her and the airbag, don't just assume it was some crazy who was reading while driving! It was just someone really smart with a clever system and the accident was completely unrelated.

That's all I'm saying.

The Eye Of The Beholder, or something

2008-03-05T11:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know that art is subjective. What one person likes, another person doesn't necessarily like. Modern art is particularly this way. There are things I've seen in modern art that a toddler does every day, "art" that gets tossed in the trash, masterpieces gone--never to be seen again. Even an animal could manage some of this modern art---oh wait! A rat is doing just that!

To me, this is a combination of: your-pet-is-not-a-human-and-isn't-thinking-anything-creative-sorry! and if-you-think-this-is-art-you-need-your-head-examined.

That's just my humble opinion.

(I think my favorite quote--and there were many--was: "What Tony has created is of his own initiative; it's not with my influence at all." Uh....yeah. Gotcha.)

Star Wars In A Nutshell

2008-02-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

I'm not much of a Star Wars fan, I have to admit, and I don't know much about the storyline even. Maybe there are others of you out there like me, and so here's a quick summary.

California Dreamin' On Such A Winter's Day

2008-02-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

This past week, while much of the country was battling ice and snow and fog and storms, my husband and I were enjoying heavenly weather--balmy 70's, clear blue skies, bright beautiful sunshine---in the Capitola/Santa Cruz area. My in-laws came down and stayed with the kids for three days and three nights while we lounged and biked and relaxed and ate and ate some more. My mom pitched in on one of the days while my in-laws had other plans, so a big hearty THANKS to all the 'rents!!! Especially since the entire time all my kids were sick with fevers and coughs. That's true sacrifice right there....

Anyway, it was a fabulous get-away and I'm ready to do it again next week. I'm not so sure that there's a ringing endorsement for that plan coming from the parent department, though! Okay, okay. We'll do it in a couple of weeks.

The Out Patient

2008-01-28T21:23:00.000-08:00

Here's bandage-head boy :) As you can see, he's not feeling 100%---though he's doing pretty well, considering. No purple bandage this time. I guess by the fourth surgery they figure you're not royalty anymore.

Everything went well---Dr. Joe just went in and performed a brief bit of magic, getting the magnet back where it belongs. No damage to any part of the implant, so all is well. The bandage has to be kept on for hopefully one more day (we'll see if that happens) to keep internal swelling down and minimize the possibility of fluid building up in that area. He can't wear his processor on that side for a week and no rough-housing for two weeks! Yeah, right! That also means no hockey for two weeks, which he'll be quite sad about. I'm not sure that I will be, though.

Here's hoping this is the last time!

Of Magnets, Surgery and Tinnitus

2008-01-24T13:30:00.001-08:00

We did a psuedo-ultrafast-pre-op yesterday so that we can get squeezed into a surgery slot on Monday. Surgery is at 9:00 at Stanford, but we have to be there at 7:00 (just in case waiting around during an 1 1/2 long surgery isn't enough sitting--not to mention the hour to two hours of recovery time). Around 10:30 Dr. Joe should be able to come out and give us the details. They'll have a new implant on hand just in case he gets in there and discovers there was actually damage done to the implant and not just a magnet that got dislodged. Apparently he's only seen this happen one other time. When his assistant heard it was one of our boys, she said it didn't surprise her that it would be one of them charting new territory. They'll videotape it for training purposes, just like they did when we had to go through the re-implantation---another "can't-and-won't-happen" that did.

Since the fall, my son has been complaining of extreme tinnitus--head noise, ringing in the head, etc. Call it what you will. It seems to mostly be a problem at night---coincidentally at bedtime. However, it doesn't seem to be just a ploy but an actual aggravation to which there's not much that can be done. I don't remember him talking about this before he hit his head, and it seems like it must be connected. Could the magnet not in place be causing some sort of interference? Could it be creating this condition of tinnitus? And if so, will it go away after surgery? It'll be interesting to find out and to ask the surgeon if he thinks there's a connection. Since he left for a conference in Vienna minutes after examining my son yesterday, there isn't much chance to chat with him now about it.

So that's the latest. I'll post a picture of bandage-head boy after surgery.

School Of Hard Knocks

2008-01-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, my two youngest sons are deaf and have cochlear implants. They both were implanted on the right side initially (one surgery apiece) when they were very young; a couple years later the oldest of the two got hit in the head and the implant had to be replaced (another surgery for him); a couple years later, they both got implants on the left side (another surgery apiece). They're rough-and-tumble boys, not inclined to just sit for long periods, and I'm constantly wincing as they hit their heads and knock into things--I'm immediately seeing hospital beds and tubes and big bandages on heads as they have to get yet another implant replaced. We-l-l-l-l-l....two days ago the oldest one (again!) was wrestling around with the younger, playing some sort of tackle football in the living room--naturally--and he cracked his head on the bottom shelf of a bookshelf in the room. I could tell it really really hurt and it was, of course, right by where his implant is (always my fear: hit your head anywhere but by that spot, okay??). At the same time this happened, the phone rang and someone was at the door so I couldn't really give it much attention. I just figured, well he hit his head again, moving on now.

Two days later, still hurts, still a fair-sized bump. My husband took him to the ear institute this morning to ask about a different problem with his processor, and the audiologist checks out this bump on his head and the fact that it still hurts too much to wear the processor (which is, by the way, attached via a magnet under the skin). She calls in the surgeon who has done all their surgeries---an amazing hero, Dr. Joe Roberson--and he checks it out. Conclusion: the magnet in his head has been displaced and is no longer in the "slot" where it's supposed to be. He hit his head just right and just hard enough to dislodge it. How is this possible?? So Monday he has to go back under and get the magnet put back in the right spot. For now, there's the possibility of it "migrating". It kind of strikes me comically now and then when I picture it traveling about inside his head, checking out warmer spots. Is east warmer than west? south? north?

Seriously, though, I don't look forward to this new surgery or whatever it's going to be. For sure it will be nothing like getting a new implant---very minor compared to that. But it's always scary when someone's messing with your kid's head. I think that maybe kids should have to wear helmets until they're about 18.

I'll keep you posted. Literally.

a therapeutic rambling

2008-01-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you so badly want to just drive away into the sunset? Or maybe not the sunset, since it's the morning and you don't even want to wait until evening and a sunset....just drive away into the now, the next town, the unknown---as long as it's away from the dark that you feel and the hurt. You ignore it, I think. You work out and work off the tears that you cried, sitting in your car in the morning, and you temporarily feel better and determined, even, to smooth over the fissures, the pieces that are showing cracks, and to act normal. You determine to find a place of calm, of numbness if that's what it takes to be able to hug your young children who still need you and love you and depend on you to be there; to be able to speak in calmness to them, nothing betraying the storm brewing within, continuing to help them find their clothes in the morning, help them get to school, help them with their homework, put some sort of supper together, drive them to practice....all the things that keep life normal. You determine to cling to that place of calm, or of numbness, in order to be polite and unemotional when dealing with your teenager who has told you several times--in direct and indirect ways--that he doesn't like you, that your rules are stupid, that you're basically ineffectual as a parent. If it didn't echo your own worst fears, maybe you would be able to separate yourself from this obvious teenage angst, shelve it in the round file, and move on. But the echoes are loud. And after months and months and maybe even years of battling passive aggression, not-so-passive aggression, rudeness, scorn, disgust, dislike, disrespect from someone who you've spent untold, countless hours and years serving, helping, grieving over, stressing over, lying awake at night wondering the best next possible move---all with his ultimate happiness in mind---you start to notice the cracking in the facade. You finally can't stem the tears that come unexpected at all times of the day. You hear the echoes that confirm your worst fears: you never parented him well or even right--in his youngest, most formative years, alone and inexperienced and self-absorbed, you did it all wrong. And this, this, is the consequence. Payback. Justice.

Add this to the recent disappointments in your life, the other losses, and you feel like you can almost hear normal giving way to grief, you can hear the cracks as they form. And you wish you could drive and drive, be alone to regroup and to remember all the good: the wonderful, smart, handsome, unfailingly loving husband you have; bright and lively young children who tell you daily in some way or another that you're the greatest mom in the world---an assertion that hurts, almost, because you know it not to be true but you're indebted to them for their belief in that; faithful parents who you now understand you probably and likely hurt as deeply as your own child does you; an unshakable faith in the creator of all things that will ultimately shore you up and keep you on your feet when every instinct is to lay down and never move again; a life that most people in this world would gladly live if only given the chance; a life better and easier than what so many are living. And even, finally, remembering that the good includes a son on the cusp of adulthood, battling demons and unhappiness within himself, who has many many wonderful qualities....and just hoping that time will mature what needs to grow, heal what is broken, and refine the gold that's there.

What you do when you can't just drive away is you cry and get it out, at least some of it, remember all you have to be thankful for and move on. It's life, right? The good and the bad, the tears and the laughter----and those trite things we know to be true. Just life.

Talk about IRONY

2008-01-09T23:14:00.000-08:00

Is this poetic justice or what?

Amendment

2008-01-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

So I said that 2008 hasn't been that exciting. While that's mostly true, it's not to say that it's been uneventful:

We had Ed A. and his nephew Joe A. at our house for three nights. It was awesome.

My wonderful husband--bless his still*gasp*beating heart--turned 41. He had the MOST boring birthday in birthday history.

My father-in-law scared us all by feeling more and more awful as the days went by, to the point where he had to crawl from the kitchen into the living room because he was too dizzy and weak to walk the distance. Like a true man, he didn't think it was time yet to get to the doctor (hel-looo). He was convinced differently and wound up in the emergency room, where they promptly admitted him. He stayed in the hospital for three+ days and discovered he has a bleeding ulcer. He lost so much blood that he was in a danger zone there for awhile. There are more details to his medical situation, but the long story short is that he's home now, feeling great and on the mend. Scary stuff. These old people.....I tell ya.

Hockey has started and now it's the hockey express--up and down Highway 101 (hey--that's an old country singing group) countless times a week. Good thing gas is so cheap. Good thing hockey is so cheap. Good thing we have three boys and not ten.

So....not so exciting but not without a few little bursts of life interjected here and there.

Yawn

2008-01-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

Well, 2008 hasn't been a whirlwind of excitement yet. Good thing that wasn't my expectation.

And as far as yawning goes, let's talk sleep apnea for just a minute. Already you're dozing off. Lucky you. Actually, dozing off isn't the problem for me; it's getting quality sleep--any sleep really--once I've dozed off. My lovely and most wonderful father-in-law found a potentially miraculous chin strap to use in conjunction with my sleep mask. It's a sight to behold, I assure you. At any rate, beauty secrets aside, it was seeming to indeed be a miracle. It was apparently keeping my mouth closed while I slept so that the air I was taking in wasn't immediately escaping through my mouth. Boring details. The last two times I used it, however, I woke up with the feeling that I was blowing out like a dragon or something. It was also incorporated into my dreams, though, so I'm not sure if it was reality or not. Which brings me to my next point:

When I use the sleep machine and actually get air to my brain in the night and actually get some minutes of sleep, I have the most bizarre, crazy, colorful, constant dreams. It's very bizarre. I conclude that maybe air/oxygen is the greatest drug around.

So....hopefully the apparati will continue to work (like "octopi", if you see what I mean). I'll keep you posted. Posted----get it? Anyway, stay tuned. I know you can hardly wait to hear the next update.

2 0 0 8

2008-01-01T00:54:00.001-08:00

2 0 0 7

2007-12-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

Things I didn't do in 2007:

I didn't play piano like this

I didn't make any moves like this

I never once sang like this

I didn't quite get to this point

Things I DID in 2007:

Played online scrabble.

Drank diet coke.

Got to the 140s in court reporting (even though I could've probably gotten to the 160s with more commitment and practice. Ah well) (And this is words per minute, just to clarify).

Lost 22 pounds.

Met two long-time friends for an overnight getaway for lots of fun and laughter. We solved the world's problems.

Bought my current favorite CD by Brandi Carlile.

Read some great books.

Apparently started to get Alzheimer's because I can't really remember anything else super amazing that I did or that happened in 2007, except that:

In the last throws of the year, two friends of mine went away/ditched me/disappeared. One was a cyber-friend (are they even real??) but the other was the flesh-and-blood kind. It will take some time to get over. I anticipate 2008 to be a healer.

And I anticipate a lot of good things in 2008. I can feel it in me bones.

What Will You Tell Your Kids About Britney's Sister?

2007-12-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

This was a headline I saw today on cnn.com. And it made me so glad once again that I don't really have to worry about these kinds of problems: what I'll tell my kids about Britney Spears' younger 16-yr-old sister becoming pregnant by her boyfriend. Not because it isn't an important discussion to have; not because it isn't of value to discuss why these kinds of choices and behaviors aren't the best. But because without a t.v. in the house, they don't even know who she is. They barely know who Britney Spears is. And this is okay with me. I know that some people think we're close to child abusers because we don't have a television set sucking up what's left of our kids' brain cells (after monitored computer games and hours of numbing homework). And I'm sure that, yes, there are very good and educational things to see on t.v. I'm sure that's true. And I'm sure that we're being completely and utterly deprived of some great entertainment. I guess I'll pass anyway; thanks, though.

So I guess this is just a brief plug for no t.v. and one of its many benefits.

Gluteus Minimus

2007-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

I know that's really small and probably impossible to read. The lady on the right is saying, "I like to remind myself that round is a shape, too." Ha! I like to comfort myself with that thought as well.

I've been working on trying to limit/deflate/minimize the roundness however, and my latest endeavor in that regard has been the spinning/cycling classes at my local Y. I love them! Ages ago my sister-in-law tried to coax me into trying a spinning class but I was always a bit intimidated by all that work and all those flying legs and a whole hour of it. But I gotta tell you, it's great. I'm quite often the "roundest" one in there---I don't exactly have the boyish lean biker frame, but I don't care. I don't have the cool biking clothes and the biking shoes, etc., and it makes no never mind. It's a great workout. Give it a try.

And maybe, someday, that comic strip won't really apply.

Not Again!

2007-12-07T10:16:00.001-08:00

The phantom Jesus image has appeared once again. This guy claims the image of Jesus has appeared in his X-ray. First of all, it took me ages to even see the "image" (you need a VERY active imagination). But after I finally did, I realized, "Man, this guy is gonna be so bummed." Cuz that's not Jesus---that's the guy from my 7-11. How on earth did his face get there?

And the other thing I'm wondering: All these images of Jesus and Mary (did I miss anyone?)---why are they always different? Whoever has that one very rare photo of Jesus ought to post it somewhere so everyone can make sure they're claiming the right person when they "see" something in their toast. Or X-rays.

Aw, Shucks

2007-12-03T18:55:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I walked into a meeting where a bunch of people were gathered and a man I've known for years, who happened to be seated next to my mom, leaned over and said to her, "Your daughter looks so young! She looks like she's 25!" Wow! Talk about making my week!! Or month! He's my new favorite person. My husband was appropriately pleased for me when I told him about it but he couldn't resist adding, "Do you suppose his mind is going or his eyesight?" Har-de-har.

House Rules

2007-11-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

In our kitchen there's a whiteboard and my husband has the two house rules written on it: House Rule #1, Everybody Be Nice. House Rule #2, see Rule #1. Well, occasionally I'll go out to the kitchen and notice that the rules have been changed. These changes are always made by my youngest (who, incidentally, turns 10 in two weeks...hard to believe. No more single digits in my house!). Anyway, yesterday I noticed some changes. Here are the new house rules:

#1: Everybody be mean
#2: So mean
#3: play COMPUTER! always
#4: see #1, 2, 3......even you, George Washington

**I was just informed that the last two rules were suggested by my 12-yr-old. So it was a collaboration of sorts.

I'm Just An Ole Cynic At Heart

2007-11-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight I saw a new twist on an old practice. There was a guy walking up and the down the sidewalk in front of some places of business at a strip mall-type place. He had in his hand a can (a large coffee can size) with a slot on the top to put money in. You know the ones----collecting for this and that. It's that time of year. And I know there are many folks in unfortunate situations and it's nice to help out where you can.

Here was the twist, though: this guy's can said, "In Memory Of..." I didn't catch the name, and it had a picture taped to it of a little girl, maybe not even a year old yet. He says, "Can ya help me out. I'm collecting for my daughter's funeral." Now, I have to tell you, that takes the cake. Let's pretend for a minute that this isn't real (ya think??)---how low can you go?? I know, I know---it could be real. A guy could be wandering around in front of Little Caeser's several days after his little girl died, asking for dollars for her funeral. It could happen that way. I, for one, don't buy it. I didn't buy it even for a second. And I think it's pretty slimy (if it's not real and how could it be?) and he's pretty crazy.

But he's crazy like a fox, cuz guess what? Yep, you guessed it: I gave him a dollar.

What a sucker.

cuz.....ya never know.

Well! What would you have done?!

The Little Rock Nine

2007-11-19T23:46:00.000-08:00

My senior got the privilege tonight of hearing Elizabeth Eckford speak at his high school about her experience as one of the first black students to ever attend a white public school. I'm glad he got to see her in person, to hear her talk, to put a face to immense, incredible courage. Looking at some clips and reading some articles, revisiting that time, it's hard to believe that human beings can sometimes be so ignorant and blind and full of hate. It'd be nice to be able to say that those are bygone days, that it's all a thing of the past, distant history. We've made strides for sure, but we're not there yet.

The Cost Of War

2007-11-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

This isn't about the human cost---lives lost, suffering, the aftermath, the attempts to heal. There's no way to quantify that kind of cost of war. And I have no desire to engage in a political debate as I'm not very politically-inclined. I have some opinions and concerns but I'm not out for blood. And I think that while politics has its place and purpose, its place and purpose doesn't rank very high on my list. That said, I found this bit of data interesting: if you took the trillion+ spent on this war (so far) and dispersed it amongst the public schools in America, the amount would equal 17 million dollars for every public school. $17 million. That's kind of a lot of money.

And The Earth Shook

2007-10-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

We had an earthquake here tonight---a 5.6. Not enormous but definitely enough to feel. It was the first one that any of my kids had felt--the youngest was a bit freaked out but the two older ones thought it was quite cool. Um...I don't know if cool is really the word that comes to my mind but it's a bit awe-inspiring. You think that surely it's done now but no...keeps going. Anyway. No reports of injuries anywhere or damage. Wasn't the big one....but a little reminder that it could come someday.

Which brings me to survival methods. There's a theory called "Triangle of Life" which is interesting and possibly life-saving. Unfortunately, it's been discredited by the American Red Cross. They strongly hold to the "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" method. It's a mystery for sure. When the big one hits we're going to be running back and forth underneath stuff, beside it, in the fetal position, under a doorway....who knows. I just hope when it hits I'm visiting the east coast or something (where I'll likely be caught in a tornado or blizzard or some such thing). Most of us prefer the catastrophe we know, I guess.

At any rate, a little reminder that life is unpredictable and uncertain and that we're definitely not in charge--no matter how much we might like to think we are.

A Puzzler

2007-10-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

Many mornings I see a woman walking near my neighborhood---she's walks at a good clip and pushes a stroller with one hand.....an empty stroller. Every time I see her, the stroller is empty. So I'm confused. Or she is. Or we both are. Is she practicing? Is she delusional? Did she drop the baby off at baby school and is walking the stroller home? It's just strange. I'm not sure if I should feel sorry for her or steer clear.

Let's Give Them A Hand.....No, Let's Not

2007-10-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

When you consider all the things that people have to deal with, I know this ranks right down there in the bottom one percent as far as importance, difficulty, etc. etc. you name it. BUT. My kids do this thing that drives me absolutely batty. You ready? They clap incessantly. Sounds harmless? Let me tell you, some days I think I'll go nuts. They don't just clap like "yay, that was neat." They clap loud, deliberate, slow cymbal-sounding claps that make my head split in two. And if they're in a room that's kind of echo-y, it's astonishing how loud a clap can be. They've mastered the art of having just enough air between their palms---or some such thing---to make a simple clap become an act of torture.

Yes, yes, I tell them to stop. We're working on that part.

So if you ever see one of my children minus a hand or two, you'll know why.

I Am A Rock

2007-10-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like your heart is this hard little chunk sitting uncomfortably in the middle of your chest? Like it rises up to choke you when you need to swallow and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth? Like bits of it slough off and leave a gritty trail when you open your mouth and instead of kind, encouraging words, it's little painful pellets that burst forth, hurting and maiming? Do you ever feel like it'll take a complete season of rain and tornadoes, hurricanes and whirlwind storms to soften the rock that has settled inside?

Suffering

2007-10-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

I know that there are people starving all over the world. Unmentionable atrocities are happening in many places right this instant. Death. Sickness. Sorrow.

But I had to listen all morning to my youngest reading every single page of a Family Circus book. Now let me tell you about suffering.

The Weight Of Education

2007-10-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

The other day I weighed my sixth grader's backpack. It weighed in at a hefty 33 pounds. Thirty-three pounds!! It's ridiculous for a kid to be hauling around 33 pounds of books and crud, ruining his back in the process. So then we went to the rolling backpack, which dismayed my senior because it's so uncool. I do see a lot more rolling backpacks now than when he was a sixth-grader so I don't think there's quite the stigma attached as there once was. And you have to consider how cool it's going to be to have major back problems by the time you hit your 20s. It'll be really cool to be all hunched over by 25.

The problem is, the rolling backpack lasts about a week (at the hands of a sixth-grader). Because it often twists about when going over bumps or whatnot, it then gets dragged briefly on its side which tears up the side edges. From the looks of my son's backpack, I think that maybe he just pulls it exclusively on its side, thereby saving on the wear and tear of the wheels. I'm not sure.

At any rate, the sides are now not connected to the bottom and it's only a matter of time before it rips more and stuff starts to come out. He'll be leaving a little trail everywhere he goes. Lovely. More lovely than that, even, is that we tried duct tape. Yep. What a pretty sight that was. That lasted for about a day before the tape curled up and it now looks worse than the original open-air look. Back to the drawing board. Here's what we really need (excuse the crude, caveman-like drawing):

That's right. We need wheels all around the entire backpack. That way, no matter how much it might fall to its side or get twisted around, it can just be rolled from that position. Perfect! I think I'm onto something here.

(I know the artwork is startling in its precision and beauty. I think I should switch careers. My job as an artist, as you can see, will pay about as much as my current job: nothing).

I Have No Idea What They're Saying

2007-10-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

...but it really doesn't matter. This is one of the coolest things I've heard in awhile.

any guesses as to what language this is??

This is running neck and neck. To find out more about them, go here.

A Couple Of Things To Watch

2007-09-26T21:35:00.001-07:00

Nothing exciting around these parts, but I did happen to see this clip. If that's what I can expect as a court reporter, it might be time to switch to something else!

And then there's this that has had my two youngest in stitches all night. Silly boys. Though I have to say that I had a good laugh my own self.

Also, I just wanted to mention that I was looking over some old posts from several months back, and I used to actually write about some things. I don't know what's happened. I've got nothing to talk about anymore. Writer's block? Thinker's block? Caring block? I don't get it.

Contagious

2007-09-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Try not to laugh at this.

Silly Really

2007-09-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

...and kind of long. But if you're bored, it's kind of fun to watch.

Only Boring People Are Bored

2007-09-10T22:22:00.001-07:00

So says my dear mother-in-law, and I think it's a right pithy saying. The trick here is that I'm not bored, no, but I am boring. Nothing new to post about, nothing exciting, nothing earthshattering, nothing even ordinary-but-worth-mentioning. Sheez. So I just thought I'd check in and say hey and that I hope someone, anyone out there, is living some sort of exciting adventure. Tell me about it if you are.