How To Drive All Night

For Christmas this year, we drove to Kansas.  We drive straight through, which is about 20 hours of driving.  If you've ever driven that far with little kids, you'll know that the easiest way to accomplish it is while they are asleep.  So we drive most of the 20 hours during the kids' bedtime.  And this leads me to the subject of this post:  How did I manage to stay awake and drive all night?  Body Evolution Boom.  This is a pre-workout caffeine drink that's equivalent to several Dr. Peppers.  A cup of that and I was wide awake.  And the rest of the car was fast asleep.  To pass the time, I made mental lists on a variety of subjects:

1.  Possible chapter titles for a possible somewhat autobiographical novel about the dangers of dating in Provo Singles' Wards.  Here are a few examples:
-The Live-at-Home Dilemma
-Dating a Bad Boy
-First Date Syndrome
-The Unattainable One
Yes, I have real names to go with all those chapters.  They would definitely have to be changed.

2.  My set list if I were ever to be on American Idol (after they change the age limit and I learn how to sing).  It was mostly inspired by what I was listening to at that moment.  I can't remember most of what it was now, but I think a lot of it was songs by Heart, Bon Jovi, and Pat Benetar.  Oh, and Guns'N'Roses.  And that "Jar of Hearts" song.   

3.  Places I would rather be than in the car driving in the middle of the night with no one to talk to.  The short answer to that would be anywhere, but here are some actual places I thought of:
-Ireland--so green!
-Greece (ever since I read "This Rough Magic" by Mary Stewart.  I want my own little cove with dolphins.) 
-New Zealand, for so many reasons.  I blame Lord of the Rings.
-A Cruise.  No driving.  No dishes.  No laundry.  Warm weather.
-A Bon Jovi concert.  Then I could sing along as loud as I want without waking anyone up.

And then the caffeine wore off, and I was home.

A random assortment of thoughts

Wow, it has been a long time since I blogged.  Oopsy.  I blame my new phone.  I have become addicted to my sudoku app.  Plus I've been reading a whole bunch.  But here are a few thoughts that I would like to mention:

1.  Every month at book group, the time comes when we recommend books for our next read.  It always gets me thinking of my favorite books, so here is a list of what I feel are must reads, but don't necessarily qualify for book group: (in no particular order)

"Beauty" by Robin McKinley (I read it at least once a year.)
"Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging" by Louise Rennison, and all the other Georgia Nicholson books (Please read these books.  You will thank me.  I read these when I've had a bad day and need a good laugh.  HILARIOUS.)
"Archangel" by Sharon Shinn (also the rest of the Samaria series. Romantic, unique and entertaining.)

2.  Shopping this time of year can be frustrating, to say the least.  Here are some things I really wish people would consider while pushing their carts through Walmart:
-The entrances to aisles are NOT places for stopping to chat. 
-Walking super duper slowly down the very middle of the aisle makes it impossible to pass. 
-I see the aisles like the road, and the carts like the cars.  Except, we don't have tail lights on the carts or our behinds.  So stopping suddenly in the middle of a busy aisle instead of pulling over to look at those Santa mugs is dangerous. 
-Pushing a cart into oncoming traffic is like pulling out onto Washington in front of a bunch of cars.  Not nice.
Don't get me wrong.  I love the holidays.  I  just get a little put out when I get stuck behind a slow, aisle hogging, suddenly stopping, cell phone chatting person when I'm trying to get those last stocking stuffers. 

3.  I love Netflix streaming.  LOVE.  To cheer myself up and get a good laugh, I've been watching old episodes of Psych.  My favorite episodes:  The one where Juliet joins a roller derby team (because it's a dream of mine), American Duos (Tim Curry makes everything better), Scary Sherry, the one where Shawn ends up on a Spanish soap, and Black and Tan: a Crime of Fashion (the model one).  Another show that I've been patiently waiting for by mail, but that has had "very long wait" next to it in my queue for 3 months, is Bones, Season 5.  And it is now available for streaming.  I forgot how much I love that show.  Brennen, Booth, Sweets...so good.  This is why I've been so bad about blogging. 

4.  If you're looking for another vampire book series, give "Vampire Academy" a try.  It's not the same old story, and has a different feel than "Twilight."  The writing isn't awesome, but the story is entertaining, and it makes for some fun winter reading.  I'm on the 5th book of the 7 book series.  I'll let you know how I feel about it for sure when I finish all of them. 

That's what's been bouncing around in my head.  I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas.  Hugs and Hersheys kisses from me!

Another show to add to my DVR list

I have a super long list of shows to watch, and I was trying not to add any more.  But then I'd be watching Dancing with the Stars and get distracted by my crossword puzzle, and I'd look up, and it would be the beginning of Castle.  And the 2 minutes I saw before the recording ended were pretty dang good.  So now Castle has been added to my list. 

Let me tell you what I like about Castle:  Nathan Fillion.  He's a GENIUS!  He has a million different facial expressions.  He doesn't even need to say anything and you can laugh for hours.  And then he does say something and it makes it even better.  I love him.  He's the best.  I also love the detectives on the show, of course, and the cases are exciting and interesting.  But mostly I just love the Castle character.  Great show. 

Some firsts I've experienced lately:

1.  I made a tutu.  I have 2 boys.  There's just no opportunity for me to make tutus and fairy princess dresses and things that are sparkly.  But I signed up a while back to play my flute for a church activity, and I decided to play "Flight of the Bumblebee."  I had a little nudge from my friend to dress up like a bumblebee with a tutu.  So I made a tutu.  I forgot to have someone take a picture, but eventually I'm sure there will be another opportunity to wear it and have someone take a picture of me. 

2.  I had my first public barfing incident with one of my kids.  It was bound to happen.  I'm just glad my friend and her mom happened to be with me at McDonalds when Tyler ralphed all over the Play Place.  I stood there in shock next to Tyler, while other moms around us rushed their kids away from the mess.  My friend found the mop guy and her mom handed me a pile of napkins.  It was gross.  For everyone.

3.  I was a PTA mom and helped with the school carnival.  I'm starting to feel my 33 years more and more as I become more involved with school stuff.  I am a card-carrying member of the PTA.  It's a little surreal.  But kind of fun (although I keep hearing that I won't do anything after I'm done with my first kid).  I plan on helping again next year, and when I do, I'm wearing a tutu.

So, not that many firsts, but it felt like a momentous week.  I plan on making tutus for the rest of my Halloween costumes, unless I happen to end up with a girl someday.  Someone's got to be girly around here.

Annoyed

This blog is called Rac's Random Rants.  Well, I need to get something off my chest.  So here's a true rant.  Blogger stinks.  Yes, I am ranting about Blogger while using Blogger. 

I have a family blog, and the number one reason I have that blog is so my parents can ooh and aah over my children and make flattering comments about them.  And for some strange and really annoying reason, Blogger has started up a lovely spam filter for comments.  There is a cute little inbox on my blog settings for published comments, and another one for spam comments.  What's wrong with a spam filter?  Nothing, unless the only thing it filters is my mom's comments.  And the only reason I even know she's making these wonderful comments is because every time someone makes a comment, I get it in an email.  Her kind words about my children don't even make it into the spam inbox, which means I can't mark her comments as "not spam", which means her comments continue to show up in my gmail inbox, but are otherwise lost in cyberspace.  I would love to just turn off the spam filter and not have to worry about people's comments getting tossed like a dirty diaper, but after spending the last 45 minutes clicking on everything I possibly could, I had no success. I am super annoyed.  I have no control over my blog anymore.  ARGH.  Thanks.  I feel a tiny bit better.

An Admission

So...I know in the past I've posted about how I really don't get texting and the whole cell phone deal.  I thought it was such a weird and lame trend, and I felt like it was something I'd never EVER get into.  It's time for me to confess.  I have had my smart phone for about 5 months now, and I feel like I can't live without it.  I LOVE TEXTING!!!  There.  I said it.  Let me tell you why I love it so much. 

1.  No need to interrupt someone's busy day with a phone call they can't answer right then.  I'm a bit chatty, and I tend to waste people's time when I call because I like to talk.  Instead, a quick little text for when they have a sec to glance at their phone.  Easy peasy. 

2.  My kids have a tendency to raise the decibel level the second I pick up the phone.  It is impossible to make phone calls, especially the kind that include pertinent information.  Reading the info is so much better.

3.  I have a QWERTY keyboard on my phone, which eliminates the hitting the key a million times for each letter problem.  It would take me about an hour to text one sentence.  ANNOYING.  Not a problem anymore. 

And that is why now I get what those kids are all excited about.  But one thing.  I don't use those abbreviations.  For one thing, I can't remember what they are.  Also, I think a lot of them are kind of lame.  LOL. 

A Bit of Happiness

Fresh cut flowers from my garden (and a few wild sunflowers from a field) make me happy.

Going on bikes rides with my boys in tow makes me happy.

A new season of Vampire Diaries makes me happy.

Life is good.

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, by Susanne Collins

Because I know not everyone has had a chance to read this trilogy, I am not going to go into great detail, nor will I give away the end to any of the three books.  But I want to jot down my impressions of the series before they completely escape my brain.  Before I tell you what I think, here's the main idea behind the books:  America has been destroyed, and in its place is a nation that is divided into 13 districts and is ruled by The Capitol.  After an uprising from one of the districts, The Capitol has instigated a yearly reminder that The Government has supreme control of the nation in the form of what is called The Hunger Games.  All children from age 12 to 18 are eligible to be chosen to participate in a competition in which a boy and a girl from each district fights to the death.  It is brutal, violent, and cruel.  The books follow the story of one of the participants, and the effects the games have on her and those around her.  I am not going to say more, because if you've read it you already know the story, and if you haven't, I don't want to ruin it for you.  I think best in lists, so here are my basic reactions and thoughts in list form:

1.  I spent the entire first book angry.  The book is written in first person, allowing you to see into the mind of one of the victims of The Capitol's cruel treatment.  Collins' writing engages you and brings you into the world she's created so successfully that you find yourself wanting to fight The Capitol and everything they stand for.  You feel deeply for each of the characters, and want to jump in and save them from the cruelty they are sure to face.  And these feelings carry you through the second and third novels as well. 

2.  I love fluff books.  Anyone could tell you that if they've seen my bookshelves.  But it was good to read young adult fiction that had some depth to it.  Every night after I read, I found myself thinking over what I'd read.  There's not a lot to think about when you're reading about vampires or a 14-year-old British girl who's obsessed with kissing (which is part of the appeal), so my rusty brain was happy to be put into use as I read these books.  I think I will be rereading them in a month or two, just so I can process them again.  They address topics such as grief, war, compassion, and humanity. 

3.  One word for Mockingjay.  Wow. 

I seldom spend the cash on hardback books that I haven't read yet, but these books were all the rage, and I figured they were a safe bet.  I am so glad I invested in them, because I will be reading them again and again, and if you haven't tried them yet, let me know and you can get in line for my copies. 

Saving the world again, puppets, and super techno girl

Let's just get to it.

I finished watching the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  You know I like lists, so here's what I loved about the series:
1.  It was really funny.  That Joss Whedon has one crazy sense of humor.  For example, the episode "Once More, With Feeling."  Imagine a demon who can make people burst into song and dance any time, and also burst into flames when they can't stop dancing.  I've heard this episode referred to as "Buffy the Musical."  It is hilarious.  Another illustration of Joss Whedon's wacky sense of humor is "Hush," in which creepy evil floating guys suck the sound out of Sunnydale, which makes the whole episode silent, until Buffy screams and one of the best endings to an episode occurs. 
2.  Spike, also known as William the Bloody.  There is just something about a vampire with peroxide hair and a long leather jacket who has a chip in his head that prevents him from harming humans that is very appealing.  I don't know if it's that he tries so hard to be bad, when hes really kind of a nerd, or if it's that he is desperately in love with Buffy and tries so hard not to show it.  He's funny, interesting, and a little sexy. 

What I didn't love about the series:
1.  The smut factor.  Ick.
2.  The whole Willow/Tara drama.  I got tired of all that.  Read into it what you will. 
3.  Faith.  She was obnoxious.  And slutty.  And annoying.

Moving on.  I also finished watching Angel, and I have a few things to say about it. 
1.  I could have skipped the whole Cordelia/Connor what-have-you.  It was gross.  Connor looked like he was 14 years old.  And Cordelia looked like his mother.  Ick.
2.  The puppet episode:  Best. Episode. Ever.  So funny.  You can skip the rest of the series if you want, but you really should watch that one.
3.  I heart David Boreanez. 

And now, I have an announcement to make.  Tim and I have moved forward into the world of technology.  After 6 years of having our sad little low-tech tracfones, we have finally entered into the world of contracts and smartphones.  Here's my new baby:

Isn't it pretty?  It has a real keyboard (like I want to push a number 3 times to get one letter), GPS, wireless, 3G, a fancy calendar, all the scriptures and manuals for church, etc.  My favorite is that I can do Sodoku and crossword puzzles on it.  Plus I can add my songs on there and use them as ring tones.  If you have a request for the one assigned to you, now's the time to do it.  I swore I was never going to be a cell phone person, but I totally am.  I love it!  All that's left to do now is buy a cute cover for it!

That's it for now.  Peace out.

Drum Roll Please...

...but first, some before pictures.

And I wish I had one of the kitchen pre-painting, but I can't find one. 

And now...

TA DA!!!

A Visit from Flat Rachel

I'm pretty sure a lot of the people who read my blog also read Rachel K's blog.  If you do, you know that she has been sending a flat version of herself to friends around the country to visit and enjoy the summer.  She drew my name out of her sombrero, and last week it was my turn.  Flat Rachel will now be returning to Rachel K. in California, and being shipped off to her next destination. 

Here is an illustrated narrative of her visit:

Flat Rachel arrived while we were on a week-long trip in Kansas.  She spent who knows how many days on my neighbor's counter sitting under a pile of junk mail.  Imagine her joy when she was finally released from her paper prison:

After her ordeal being trapped in her mailing envelope, she was exhausted, so she collapsed next to Jacob and had a nap on the couch.

Flat Rachel was cooped up so long, we headed to the park for some fresh air.  Jacob and Flat Rachel became the best of friends.  They ate lunch together and played together. 

We needed a little girl time, so we ate Starburst and watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer together. 

Knowing that Rachel K. has excellent taste in handbags, I knew Flat Rachel would be equally helpful when I went to buy a few summertime totes.   She came along and helped me pick out these cute bags:

It was time to head to Costco with the whole family to get a double jogger/bike trailer and some lights for the bathroom, and Flat Rachel decided to come along and risk her well-being by sitting by Tyler (or as we sometimes call him, Tyler the Destroyer).  She survived the trip, and helped us find some lovely bathroom light fixtures.

It was time to try out the new double jogger.  We walked all the way to library, which I wouldn't have done without Flat Rachel.  I know she loves books.  You know Tyler's up to no good.  Rachel tried very hard to stick with Jacob and be safe, but...

...there was a bit of an incident, and we had to perform emergency surgery.

Post-op treat of caramel cake:

After Flat Rachel's painful ordeal, I thought she deserved a night out, so we went to Eclipse together:

and then we blogged about it together:

Flat Rachel wanted to sit in on a flute lesson, so she listened from the piano:

As our week together drew to a close, we had a barbecue and some pool time to celebrate Flat Rachel's visit.  Flat Rachel sat under the umbrella with a smoothie instead of hopping in the pool (no matter how much Jacob begged for her to join us), because she didn't want her adorable top to smear.

And today, with tears in my eyes, I will bid Flat Rachel a fond farewell and send her back to the loving arms of Rachel K., who thanks to the curse we have (see #2 on her list), has been sick with the stomach flu.  Thanks for the good times.  Rachel K., get well soon.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, The Movie

Just kidding.

This post is really about Eclipse, of course. I've seen it twice now.  I figured after I had to redo my New Moon review after I saw it the second time, I should probably just see it twice in a week and get it over with so I could do one review instead of two.  I'm going to break it down into categories so I can gather my thoughts.

First, let's start with the Stuff that bugged me:
Edward's Grey V-neck.  Yeah, I know that seems petty, but that shirt exposed his chest hair and gave me flashbacks to that one scene in New Moon.  I won't make you suffer that picture again.  The good news is that that plunging V is all we had to see of his pale hairy chest.  But let's put some nice crew neck shirts on him. 
Could Jasper Relax his Eyes?  Have you seen Edward Scissorhands?  Great movie.  Amazing, really.  One of my faves.  So you'd think that the fact that Jasper seems to constantly be channeling Edward Scissorhands' wide stare shouldn't bother me, right?  But oy!  There has to be a different way to convey his special power.  I think instead of bugging his eyes out, he needs to master the smize.  I'm sure with their bigger budget they could hire Tyra Banks to coach Jasper. 
Bella's hair.  Tangle much?  Wiggy?  It's all about the hairline.  Most people's hairlines aren't a perfect straight line.  Anyway.  It bugged me.  Everyone else's hair looked fine.  More about that in a minute.
Victoria.  I have new info on the reason Rachelle LeFevre was canned.  Apparently she wanted more money.  Poo on her for messing things up.  She had the perfect evil sneer, I loved how she delivered her lines, and I was extremely disappointed by her departure from the series.  Bryce Dallas Howard isn't a bad actress.  She looked the part, red hair and all, she tried really hard to be evil, but she wasn't as good as Rachelle LeFevre.  She didn't look evil enough.  She was missing the attitude. 

Stuff that pleasantly surprised me:
Riley.  There have been questionable casting choices with this series (Rob Pattinson comes to mind), but give that casting director a raise for hiring on Xavier Samuel as Riley.  In the book, there's really not a lot about him.  He makes an appearance at the end for about 2 pages, and isn't described in much detail.  However, the screenplay included bits from the novella, "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner."  You catch a glimpse of Riley before he is changed, and he is a sweet, young college student.  The next time you see him, he is a blood-thirsty, angry vampire.  The transformation is convincing and complete.  I don't know where they found him, but two enthusiastic thumbs up.
The music.  Sorry to keep comparing this movie to New Moon, but the orchestral music in New Moon bugged the heck out of me.  The orchestral soundtrack is meant to enhance what is happening on the screen, not distract you from it.  So FAIL on that account for New Moon.  But obviously, the success from the first 2 movies have helped boost the budget enough that they could hire Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings music guy) for Eclipse.  Nice call, people.  I admit, the second time I went, I paid more attention to the music and couldn't believe I hadn't realized it was his music the first time.  Definitely similar to LOTR stuff.  I loved it.
Edward.  I know I have already mentioned his yucky shirt and hairy chest.  Those were Edward moments I could live without.  But there were moments that I understood the whole teen craze over Rob Pattinson.  I don't know if it was that they finally figured out that unruly hair, or got the light angles right, or put on just the right amount of makeup, but there were moments he was actually quite attractive.  One of the reasons he was more attractive was that he actually smiled.  Convincing smiles.  Maybe he found a happy place in his life.  Or maybe the director told him to stop looking crazed. 
The dialogue.  These movies are based on romance novels.  So there was potential for a LOT of gooey, sappy, lame dialogue.  And there was some of that, of course.  But there were some great moments, like Charlie trying to give Bella "The Talk," and Edward and Jacob's conversation in the tent ("You know I'm hotter than you."), and so on. 
Rosalie.  Finally, Rosalie had a decent wig.  It didn't look overstyled.  Her hair was sleek and shiny, and when it was pulled back I wasn't distracted by the hairline too much.  Her makeup was a bit excessive, for sure.  Whoa on that eyeshadow.  But she looked beautiful and I think they finally got her near the description Meyers gave her in the book. 
Jacob.  Still hot. 
The Action.  I LOVED the fight scenes.  They were fun, action-packed, and exciting.  I loved the impossible spinning leaps of vampires over werewolves, the crunch as vampires collided, and Edward pounding a tree down with Victoria in it.  Good stuff. 

So, what's the verdict?  Best of the three, hands down.  Others may disagree, but that's my take on it.  I didn't feel like giggling when I wasn't supposed to (except at one spot that I'm sure teenagers thought was totally swoon worthy, but was a bit ridiculous to a 32-year-old housewife).  It was one I look forward to buying and watching with my friends more than once.  Two thumbs up. 

Movie Time (and a little TV, too, because, why not?)

It has been a busy time.  Birthday parties, weddings, Fathers' Day, house guests, and all the clean-up that goes into those activities has kept me off the blog for a while.  As a result, you get blurbs about a bunch of stuff I wanted to mention.  Here goes:

Alice in Wonderland Meh.  I remember walking out of a movie last year and seeing a giant poster of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, and I was disappointed to find out that I had to wait almost a year to see him in Alice in Wonderland.  When Tim Burton and Johnny Depp joined forces for Edward Scissorhands, it was genius.  They have a history of creativity and quirkiness that I was looking forward to in Alice.  However, I was disappointed.  The story wasn't all that compelling, the girl that played Alice was kind of blah, and I found both queens really annoying.  So, thumbs down from me on that one. 

Toy Story 3 Maybe I was disappointed with Alice in Wonderland because I had just seen this movie.  Wow.  I feel like where Disney is involved, they are fortunate if a sequel isn't super duper awful.  And I made the mistake of watching The Little Mermaid III, which was not only awful, but barf worthy.  So thank heavens for Pixar.  Toy Story came out when I was a freshman in college, and, like the rest of the world, I fell in love with Woody, Buzz, Ham, Potato Head and Slinky Dog.  Toy Story 2 was a pleasant surprise, and endeared me to Jesse and Bullseye as well.  After 2 extremely successful movies, I was skeptical that the third would measure up.  I worried that the writers would just recycle the last two movies and it would end the trilogy in a huge let down.  NOT SO.  Not only was it just as funny (if not funnier) as the first two, it was sweet and heart-warming and original.  It had my 5-year-old laughing hysterically, my mom rolling in the aisles, and me giggling quite a lot.  And it had me getting a little misty.  Okay, a lot misty.  At least 3 times.  It is one of those movies I'm not dreading to watch 500 times when we get it on DVD for the kids.  Two enthusiastic thumbs up.  Fine summer fun.

The Buffy/Angel Vampirepalooza It's summer.  Summer=crappy TV.  I have one TV show recording on my DVR right now that's not for Jacob.  Ugh.  So hooray for Netflix streaming.  I was browsing the Netflix instant selections on the website and came across the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and, on a whim, added all 7 seasons.  And for good measure, I also found Angel and added all 5 seasons.  So now I get my David Boreanez fix.  I decided to watch Buffy because I remembered being in college when it came out, and I'm pretty sure it was on a night I was out playing with my friends, so I missed the whole phenomenon.  Here's what I think so far:  Creepy demons with extra cheese is just what this summer ordered.  The first 3 seasons of Buffy are her high school years, and mostly consist of a Great Evil threatening the annhilation of mankind and Buffy and her pals kicking evil's butt.  Angel, a vampire with a soul, skulks around and gives the gang little nuggets of information that is usually the key to vanquishing the demons.  Plus he's Buffy's boyfriend, except when he turns evil and kills and tortures her friends.  Then Buffy goes to college and Angel leaves for LA, because things just aren't working out with the Buffster.  (Can we say spin-off?)  The college years are a bit skankified on Buffy, but Spike enters the scene and provides hilarity and amusement.  As for Angel, the series, I'm thoroughly enjoying it.  It's a little more dark and brooding, but has great story lines and fun characters.  All in all, it's making my summer a little more fun.  Whee!

That's it for now.  Time to hand off the computer to my hubby. 

Bits of Everything

I'm a little scattered.  Here's what's on my mind today:

1.  So You Think You Can Dance  I love this show.  I'm using the word love here.  But I get really annoyed with the inflated egos of the judges and producers, who lord their power over these poor kids whose hopes and dreams are resting on their answers.  Seriously, do you really need to be sure they are crying tears of devastation before you give them the good news?  It's cruel.  My least favorite part of these talent shows is the first few episodes, when the judges narrow it down to the top 20, or, this season, the top 10 dancers.  What I am happy about is that, since they decided to bring back past contestants to partner up with the current contestants, they chose to bring back Dominic.  He was my super fave, and it should be fun to see how Kat Deeley fights off his numerous advances this time around.

2.  My Head is a Giant Cornflake  For some reason, I can't seem to keep a thought in my head for more than about 5 minutes (which means this post is taking me forever to write).  I have no idea why this is happening, but as a result, I have been a real nuisance lately.  My son's birthday party is Friday, and it will be completely my fault if no one shows up, because, thanks to my ridiculous ditziness, I didn't get the invitations out until today.  I completely spaced watching my friend's kids, and all I had to do was remember for 24 hours that I was going to watch them.  While I was playing piano in Relief Society today, I kept getting distracted and losing my place, which meant bigtime trainwrecks in the middle of what were supposed to be calming hymns, and those poor ladies had to suffer through it. 

3.  Finally, Some Pretty Toes for the Summer (now where's the Summer?)  I wear flip flops for 9 months out of the year.  I love the comfort and breeziness of a nice pair of Reefs, but flip flop wearing means rough, callused heels with lovely little cracks.  My toenails get kind of gnarly, and I usually have chipped polish that looks slapped on (because it was).  So why have I waited until I'm 32 years old to get a pedicure?  I really don't know.  I jumped at the chance to go with my friend over the weekend.  My nasty calluses were scraped, my feet and calves were exfoliated, and my toenails are a pretty deep shade of red with cute little flowers on the big toes.  And now I can wear my flip flops with my head held high (although mostly I keep looking down at my shiny toenails).

What?

That was my reaction to the Lost series finale. After 6 seasons of a riddle wrapped in an enigma surrounded by mystery, I was looking forward to some answers. Who in the heck is that Japanese guy that "tested" Sayid by drowning him and torturing him? How did he get to the island, and what did he have to do with Jacob and the Man in Black? What was Walt's deal? Remember back when he kept showing up with water dripping from his mouth, muttering something creepy? And the whole thing about Juliet saying, "It worked" after she set off the nuclear bomb?

I was expecting at least a few of those questions to get answered by the end of the series. And THEY DIDN'T. AT ALL. Argh. I admit, I did enjoy seeing the alternate lives of the survivors. I liked seeing them find each other. I bawled my eyes out when Charlie and Claire were reunited, and again when Sawyer and Juliet found each other. I did enjoy all of that, and it was fun to see Boone again (not that I haven't seen him on Vampire Diaries) and Shannon and Juliet. But I really don't understand why they chose to spend an entire season, especially the final season, on one simple concept--how they find each other to get to heaven. They spent the other 5 seasons throwing one question after another at the audience, only to leave them hanging there, unanswered. Not cool. It doesn't change the fact that I absolutely love the show, and think the creators were completely genius. They just didn't deliver when it came to wrapping up the show. Imagine the Harry Potter series ending without knowing what happened to half the characters. That's how I felt. What did you think?

15 years older

On May 25, 1995, my friends and I graduated from high school in a class of over 700 seniors.  So, happy 15 years!  I found my stack of dance pictures from back in the day, scanned them in, and was looking through them this morning.  I thought I'd share a few highlights from the olden days (I know this post is totally dating me, especially once you see the clothes).  I need to add here that I have loads of incriminating pictures from band tour, some of which involve underwear on friends' heads in the middle of the night, as well as sneak pics of BTRs and snoozing band geeks.  I thought using dance pictures would be nicer, because we're all dressed up fancy.  Including myself. 

My first date:

The Best Part: Getting to borrow my sister's shirt, which I had had my eye on for months.
The Worst Part:  The belching contest at the table.  I had no idea boys were that gross.  At that point my only brother was 8.

Junior Prom, Spring, 1994:

The Best Part: It was the Big Dance.  Cool place, fun group.  Plus, look at that maroon velvet with the huge lace collar.  Fancy!
The Worst Part:  That moment when my heel caught on the fountain hose and caused a huge rupture that brought the dance to a screeching halt while they got the fountain turned off and the huge pool in the middle of the rotunda mopped up.  Oops.  Not a proud moment.

A Group Date, literally.  All the girls asked all the boys.

The Best Part:  12 tight friends, all having fun together without the pressure of impressing your date.  And who doesn't love a Hawaiian theme?
The Worst Part:  There was a fountain there, and with my history, at least 200 people had to point out the fountain to make sure I wouldn't ruin this dance, too.  At least this time they had the hose secured.

The Death Group:

I'm starting with The Worst Part first: A certain driver missed a turn in the canyon and parked her station wagon in a tree.  No one was hurt, but it was quite the shock. 
The Good Part:  My date was one of my best friends instead of some guy I'd only talked to twice, which meant we could deal with it without embarrassment.  Also, he had a 15-passenger van and saved the day.  Plus, everyone in that group kind of bonded over what could have been a tragedy.

Prom, Senior year:

The Best Part:  Everything.  It was a blast.  Fun date, fun group, no fountain mishaps. 
The Worst Part:  It was one of our last high school hoohahs. 

Since then, some of us have lost touch.  We've scattered across the country.  Some of us have dated each other, some of us have married each other.  There have been lots of babies, lots of college, illness, and the inevitable entrance into our thirties (Oy).  I know I'm waxing a bit sentimental, but high school was full of good times and excellent friends.  I'm looking forward to the next chance we have to reunite and catch up.  Cheers, class of '95. 

Reality TV Wasteland

I think it has finally happened.  I’m bored with reality TV.  I turn on Dancing With the Stars as background while I get stuff done, and I hardly ever really notice who’s dancing or what the judges are saying.  I think Bruno has done me in.  I just don’t care that much anymore.  And I forward through everything but the weigh-ins on The Biggest Loser now, and even the weigh-ins barely keep my attention.  I’m not interested in the weeping, the screaming, the back-biting and the challenges anymore.  The other day, when I was blogging about my current shows, I couldn’t for the life of me remember a single contestant name from America’s Next Top Model.  I could barely remember what the photo shoot was, which is really my favorite part.  (It really is amazing how a bunch of gawky 19-year-olds can turn beautiful with a lot of makeup and a fancy dress.)   

Here’s why I think this has happened:

1)  Netflix streaming.  I have a gazillion things waiting in my instant queue.  Why waste my time watching other people scream at each other?  Although not many movies are available for streaming, lots of TV shows are, and that gives me hours of shows that don’t involve real people and their personal lives being displayed for the world. 

2)  The bad weather.  My patience is very thin these days.  It’s May, and IT’S SNOWING.  So watching a bunch of people yelling at each other and hearing countless bleeps while Jillian screams and cusses at people while they sweat themselves to death really isn’t that fun to me.  Maybe if I sat down after spending the afternoon out in the yard, smelling the new grass and feeling the sun on my back, I would be able to tolerate it.  But I get to hear my boys screeching at incredibly high decibel levels and hear myself snapping back at them all day.  It’s enough yelling and noise. 

3)  There’s just a lot of TV going on right now.  It’s easy to pare down to the good stuff, and most reality TV doesn’t fit in. 

We will soon be entering into rerun desolation, and at that point, I may reassess my feelings on reality TV.  But I still have 3 seasons of Bones to watch on Netflix.  I doubt I’ll give in.  Maybe.  Except for “So You Think You Can Dance.”  That’s a good show.

A few TV thoughts

You knew it was coming...

Dancing With The Stars  I have a few things to say about the current season:
1.  Did anyone else feel kind of uncomfortable watching someone as respected as Buzz Aldrin dance so terribly?  His sweet partner did her best, but he was meant for more dignified things, like walking on the moon.  Also, his wife gave me nightmares.
2.  Hallelujah that Kate Gosselin is gone.  Double horrors that she made it as long as she did.  She always looked grumpy and pouted every time Tony asked anything of her.  She was awful.  And I was horrified to find out that she is starting up yet another reality series exploiting--excuse me--starring her kids.  SHAME ON HER!
3.  Brooke Burke is doing great, but could they put a top on her dresses?  Just a thought.
4.  Derek Hough always gets the hot chicks, and I love that, as hot as they look, they're all kind of dorky.  Nicole Scheringzer (sp?) of the Pussy Cat Dolls is no exception.  It's nice to know that hot people like that can loosen up and join the rest of the human race in our general dweebhood.  I think she's going to win...
5....but I'd actually like Evan Leczacek (could we get some easier names to spell please?) to win, because he seems like a fun guy.  It's not that he's hot or anything, but I bet he'd be a great guy to have around at a barbecue.  So what that he just got a gold medal.  I like him and I want him to win.  Not that I ever vote...

Bones You might be thinking, "Wait, she hasn't mentioned that one.  Is she adding another TV show to her already full list?"  Yep.  Here's the thing:  I now watch Biggest Loser in fast forward, if at all, because I am fed up with Jillian's therapy sessions.  I have eliminated The Bachelor/Bachelorette from my line-up.  And Project Runway just finished up for the season.  I had some free space, plus I can stream it from Netflix!  A few friends of mine recommended "Bones" to me, but I never was all that interested, once I heard what it was about.  A forensic anthropologist and an FBI agent team up to solve murders by examining the victims' bodies.  Once I heard "victims' bodies" I tuned out.  I get scared easily, and one of my secret fears is coming across a dead body while hiking or walking around in a big city.  But I finally decided to give it a try, and now I'm hooked.  Yes, it has its extremely gruesome moments, and it deals with terrible crimes that really happen, but I can't stop watching it.  Here are my reasons:

1.  Geek-o-mania.  I love watching super smart people look at a tiny shard of bone and say, "This came from a female that was 22 years old and played tennis regularly."  Not all that realistic, I'm sure, but fascinating.  
2.  The main characters are intriguing and compelling.  Take Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, a super genius that is absolutely gorgeous, but extremely unlikeable to those she encounters.  She's just too darn smart to get what other people are talking about.  And she has no idea how to interact with them.  Agent Booth (David Boreanez, or, more widely known as Angel from the Buffy and Angel series) is a former sniper who serves the FBI and is driven by his need to atone for the deaths he caused in his sniper days.  He sees each case as a chance to erase a murder he committed in the past.  And let's face it.  He's easy on the eyes.  
3.  It's really really interesting.  Enough so that I have continued watching, despite the gross factor that exists in most episodes.
 

I'm only on Season One, but I'm looking forward to the character development as the seasons progress.

Lost  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ???????????????????????  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Vampire Diaries  I don't care who you are.  This show is WICKED AWESOME.  I think a show can be judged by how well they handle the bad guy.  (Hello, Guy of Gisborne.)  He can either be obviously evil, blah blah blah, what diabolical plan will he come up with next, who cares why he is evil, he just is bad.  OR he can be a tortured, complicated character with a hint of a conscience and a past that gets revealed one tasty nugget at a time.  Enter Damon (Ian Somerholder, or Boone to those Lost fans out there): dark and wicked, flashy and seductive, with a little bit of a soft side.  When I started Season One, I was sure it was going to be another run-of-the-mill CW night time soap (and there are elements of that, of course), but instead I got a better version of Twilight.  Not that the story is the same, but vampires are at the core of the story, and there is a vampire who struggles to stay away from human blood and is drawn to a beautiful human girl.  That's where things depart from the Twilight Saga.  There is the evil brother, a mysterious girlfriend from the past, a history teacher with a secret, and a town that dates back before the Civil War that is full of mystery and monsters.  Are you interested?  Thursdays on the CW.  Ow ow!

I'm done for now.  I've got TV to watch. 

Trippin'

Winter has been long.  I mean, L-O-N-G long.  Yes, there's been snow and rain, but kids can handle snow.  A coat and some gloves, and you can toss them out there for hours.  But not if their noses are running, they are coughing incessently, and there is occasional vomiting.  Then even a coat won't get them out of the house.  So an escape from the house was just what the doctor ordered for this caged in mommy.  Two of my besties and I hopped in the car and drove to San Francisco for a much-needed weekend of fun.  Here are some highlights:

The grand entrance into San Francisco over the Bay Bridge:

Our small but swanky hotel room (there's even a chandelier, but it didn't make it into the picture):

A trip to China Town, which included a lot of shopping at jewelry stores, lots of walking, and a disgusting, overpriced lunch that consisted of mystery meat disguised as chicken but did not taste like chicken and fried rice that tasted like old fish.

After our NASTOLA lunch, we made a hasty departure from China Town and headed to Fisherman's Wharf, did more shopping, and introduced Stacie to the joy of Coldstone Creamery.  The wind inspired me to try out my new hat:

After hoofing it all day, we hopped the cable car back to the hotel.  We were among the lucky few that didn't have to hang on for dear life on the outside the whole way back, although we experienced that on our way to China Town.  Sitting down and enjoying the ride allowed us to look around at the amazing buildings and vistas that are all over San Francisco.  Plus we got to take pictures of each other without risking our lives or dropping our cameras in the street:

We headed to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and got seated out on the roof, which gave us an amazing view of Union Square.  We ate, we laughed, we people-watched, and we had the waiter take our picture:

The day ended 4 necklaces, one Chinese purse, one new hat, and a full tummy later.

And, of course, the whole point of going to San Francisco:

 

One word:  AWESOME.

After the musical, my cousin Anne picked us up and drove us around Golden Gate park, which was gorgeous.  Then she took us to a restaurant whose name escapes me right now, but dinner was a lot of fun.  Kalamari was tasted, halibut was ordered (by me, a big wimp when it comes to trying seafood and fish dishes), and the evening was enjoyed: 

Then it was time to go home.  :(

An Update on the Weight-loss Plan

Well, I promised I'd report back in.  Here's the skinny on the progress. 

Working out:  Meh, not as good as it should be.  With the combination of stomach flu, sick kids, teething kid, bad weather, and a super busy few weeks, it's been easy to rationalize my way out of the 30-day Shred.  And the elliptical.  But I have been repentant this week, and spent a solid 20 minutes of torture on the elliptical yesterday while the kids were napping.  I keep hoping for good weather, because what I'd really like to do is throw Tyler into the jogger while Jacob's at preschool and take a nice long walk.  But for now, the elliptical will have to do. 

Eating:  Better.  Much better, actually.  As I mentioned before, I got the stomach flu a few weeks ago, and in the process I managed to lose 5 pounds in about 12 hours.  Awesome, right?  Except, as you know, that weight comes right back after you start retaining fluids.  So, after seeing the lowest number I've seen in years, I decided to get serious about my food, and stopped eating junk.  We have no tasty chips, naughty treats, and tempting morsels lying around anymore.  Believe me, I've scrounged and found nothing.  It has been at least 2 months since I've made cookies.  I have begun eating a small snack in between lunch and dinner, which is the hardest part of the day in every way.  The kids are grumpy, toys are everywhere, and I feel hungry and deserving of treats.  So, as soon as the boys go down for their naps, I eat a snack that's between 100 and 200 calories.  Usually I have a few graham crackers or some yogurt.  It gives me that much-needed satisfaction, and tides me over until dinner.  As for dinners, I've done better at keeping the meal healthy, although I slip up from time to time, or give up and go get burgers.  I'm trying very hard to not take seconds.  Of course, I slip up there sometimes, too.  The point of me telling you this is to let you know what has worked for me so far, and not to brag.  Because I have been far from perfect.

The result:  I am down 5 pounds from when I reported my plan, and have gone down one pants size as well.  It is definitely progress and I'm extremely happy about it.  I'm hoping if I exercise more, I'll reach my ideal weight by swimsuit season.  Or at least not hear Jacob say, "Your tummy is so nice and squishy."

A Little Distracted

I have had several different posts I've wanted to write, some of them about TV, some of them about books, and some of them outright angry rants, but I just haven't sat down and done it.  Okay, I did one, but it ended up being mean and angry and kind of rude, so I erased it after I'd finished writing it.  I felt much better just having put down my feelings somewhere.  The problem lately is that my attention span seems to have returned to a gnatlike state, as though my brain has reverted back to a 5-year-old's scattered thought process.  So whenever I sit at the computer with the intention of writing a post, I think, "I should check Facebook really quick first," after which my thoughts go to, "Ooh, I forgot about so-and-so's birthday.  I should email them."  Then I'm in my email, and I remember that it's the time of week where I need to email the hymns to the program lady for church, and then realize I haven't gotten a musical number scheduled for this week, so I go into the piano room to get a hymn book so I can pick a rest hymn, and, while in there, I notice that I left my book in there and suddenly, I find myself sitting on the couch reading, not posting anything on my blog.   So, instead of doing separate posts about the last few weeks, I'm going to do one of those catch-all posts with a bunch of little blurbs. 

1.  Gone With the Wind I finally finished the epic "Gone with the Wind."  Oh boy, is that a long book.  In reality, it's not that much longer than any of the Stephenie Meyers books, but it's also tiny print and lots and lots of history.  That was my initial reaction to the book when I started it what seems like years ago.  But it was history that I found completely fascinating.  As you've gathered, I'm sure, we lived in the South for 3 years, and I used to go walking at the Military Park.  What is this Military Park?  It's the site of a major Civil War battle that is known as the Seige of Vicksburg, which occurred at approximately the same time as Gettysburg.  I have been to the museum, seen the cannons that were used during the war, read the pamphlets, and seen the memorials that are scattered throughout the park.  But I really couldn't wrap my head around the devastation that the entire South suffered until I read about it in "Gone with the Wind."  The characters feel real, and Margaret Mitchell's beautiful descriptions of Tara and Atlanta allow you to feel the loss along with those characters as Sherman blasts through Georgia, destroying everything in his path.  Scarlett O'Hara is selfish, spoiled, and obsessed with someone else's husband.  Melanie Wilkes is selfless, loving, forgiving, and married to the subject of Scarlett's obsession.  After finishing the book, I wondered what the point was.  I decided that, to me, it was a demonstration of how, when faced with adversity, people can react like Scarlett: while toiling to rebuild, she resents those she helps, takes advantage of others' losses, and focuses on money at the expense of her integrity.  Or, like Melanie:  even while suffering, she finds the good in others, overlooking their faults, building a circle of loving friends, and she is fiercely loyal to those who have helped her (including Scarlett, who is constantly hitting on her husband).  The book is over a thousand pages long, so I could go on about all the characters, but this post would be nearly as long as the book, and I have other things to talk about.

2.  The Oscars  It's been a few years since I watched the entire Oscar show.  This year, I wanted to see if it ended up being a James Cameron love fest like it was after Titanic.  I never made it to Avatar, and to be honest, I still don't feel like I need to rush to the theater to see it.  I'm sure when I do see it, I'll say, like everyone else, "Those effects were AMAZING!"  Yes, the movie is the highest grossing movie of ALL TIME, but, if I understand correctly, aren't the Oscars about the best movie, not the most profitable movie?  So I admit I was relieved that it didn't win best picture.  It must have hurt Cameron's ego a teensy bit that his ex-wife took home best director and best picture.  But let's get to what really matters:  the hosts and the dresses.  As a fan of 30 Rock, I was quite pleased to see Alec Baldwin as a co-host with Steve Martin.  I love it when they crack jokes about their celebrity peers.  They were funny enough that even my husband was sucked into watching the Oscars.  As for the clothes, Charlize Theron, what???  Swirly flowers on the chest?  And bless Miley Cyrus' heart, she was probably so excited about her dress that she didn't notice that it was 3 sizes to small.  For the most part, though, I thought people were pretty classy.  I want to get invited to the Oscars, just so I can dress up like a princess and end up on a worst-dressed list. 

3.  The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.  When the movie came out a while back, I remembered hearing things about this book.  I just couldn't remember what they had said.  When I found out what the story was, I decided that I should probably read the book before seeing the movie, so I could be prepared for anything too scary.  I just finished it, and it is still kind of rattling around in my brain, trying to really settle in.  Here's the basic story:  A 14-year-old girl is brutally murdered by her neighbor.  She sits in a gazebo in heaven, watching the aftermath of her death tear her family apart.  She watches her murderer cover up his guilt and evade the police, and sees her father begin to crumble emotionally as he attempts to convince the police that his neighbor is the murderer.  She sees members of her school cling to each other when they find that they both think about Susie (the victim) constantly.  It's a look at how one horrible event can shape the future of countless lives, and how grief can turn into an opportunity to show the living the love you feel for them.  It was horrifying, disturbing, and hopeful all at the same time.  I'm interested to hear what you thought of it, if you've read it. 

4.  An apology  I feel like I need to issue a general apology to those who got the stomach flu after spending time with me.  My 1-year-old threw up while friends were over, and 2 days later, I threw up while hanging out with Rachel K. at my mom's house.  It began a chain of vomit that seems to stretch to everyone I know.  Sorry.  As I've told a few friends already, if I could, I'd come up with an alert that sounded or flashed the second someone is contagious.  Then I wouldn't have gotten everyone I know, plus their family, sick.  So, because I don't have that alert, I unwittingly spread germs, and I apologize. 

That's all.  This post is ridiculously long.  I need to go bathe the kiddos before church, and if I don't post this now, it could be another month before I remember I need to finish it.  Ciao!

My Plan

Saturday night, Tim and I were heading to a church meeting, and I had to try on 3 skirts before I could get one to zip up.  And I decided right then and there that it was time for me to get serious.  I needed a real plan.  One that would reduce the size of my ever-growing posterior and deflate my spare tire.  I have been "trying" for 16 months to get off the baby fat, and so far, I've lost a total of 2 pounds.  Pathetic.  Here's my plan.  If you have any additional suggestions, please, suggest away.

1.  Exercise.  I've moonlighted at exercise for a year now, and have lasted 2 or 3 weeks at the most, before I've gotten sick or travelled or gotten discouraged.  I'm doubling up to make up for the lost time.  Instrument of Torture #1 is Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred.  It's painful, it's brutal, it's annoying, and it makes you hurt.  And it is extremely effective, and only 25 minutes long.  So you may want to die the whole time, but it's over quickly, and every muscle in your body has just gotten a great workout.  Tim and I take turns guilting each other into doing it after the boys are in bed.  So far it's been working pretty well.  Instrument of Torture #2 is the elliptical.  It sits by our bed and is a daily reminder of my need to exercise.  Tim gets up at the ridiculous hour of 5:20, does his time on the machine, then harasses me until I roll out of bed and do my time.  Tim is really good at removing me from bed.  Maybe all this exercise will give me enough strength to defend myself from his relentless tickling. 

2.  Diet.  Oh, how I hate that word.  I'm using the word hate here.  I like food.  But not all food.  Just the yummy kind.  You know, chocolate, creamy sauces, chocolate, filet mignon, ice cream, Wendy's Big Bacon Classic with a Frostee and fries, and chocolate.  I don't like vegetables, whole wheat bread, tofu, skim milk, and anything that is labeled as a dessert but doesn't have anything sweet or chocolatey in it.  I'm sorry, but an apple with a little bit of cinnamon is NOT dessert.  You see why I haven't been losing weight? 

So here's my plan, and this is where any helpful suggestions and recipes would be fab.  My friend introduced me to the "Eat This, Not That" book series.  It lists foods we love and gives us the skinny (or the fat) on its dietary value.  For example, a Coldstone shake has something like 3000 calories and 250 grams of fat in it. (!!!)  It doesn't just tell you, "Look how bad this stuff is."  It says, "Instead of this, eat this equally delicious dish, and it only has 150 calories and 15 grams of fat."  That's information that is useful to me.  I bought the "Cook This, Not That" book, and it breaks down the types of food we cook (crock pot, stir fry, grill, baked), and makes a list of ingredients that are commonly used in cooking, and rates them from healthiest to unhealthiest.  It gives you lists of cooking fats and oils, marinades, spreads, and even cuts of meats.  And then it gives you a whole load of recipes, complete with nutritional information.  It also compares its meals to a similar restaurant meal and shows how much fat and calories can be cut by cooking at home.  So far, I have made Pesto Gnocchi with tomatoes and green beans, and Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Spinach.  They have both tasted fantastic, and have included protein, vegetable and carb.  I admit, the Stuffed Chicken was a little stressful (don't overpound your chicken), but at least it tasted super good.  So, the plan is to make delicious food that includes veggies without tasting like veggies, stop eating out so much, and keep my portions reasonable.  For my other meals, I'm including whole grains (ugh, but jam helps) and healthy cereal.  I bought chocolate yogurts to satisfy my sweet tooth.  If I know dinner will taste okay, I can live with whole wheat toast and Grape Nuts.  No more second helpings, no more delicious white bread sandwiches, and no more making a huge batch of chocolate chip cookies, then eating them all in 2 days. 

So, why am I telling you this?  This is Part 3 of the plan.  If this bores you guys to death, I'm sorry, but I have to put my money where my mouth is.  If people I see regularly know that I'm doing this, they'll either notice I'm losing weight, or not losing weight.  And I don't want people I know to look at me and say, "Man, she must not be working out anymore.  Look at the size of her butt!"  (To themselves, of course.  If they said it to my face I'd probably slap them.)  So please, hold me responsible.  I have lofty goals and clothes I love hiding in my basement closet.  At I'd at least like to fit into my church clothes that I fit into 2 months ago.  Thanks for bearing with me through this long post.  It's what I do.

Mindless Twit

I haven't posted much in a while.  There's a reason for that.  My brain has been stolen.  It's gone.  I'd like it back, but I don't even know where to begin looking for it.  In an attempt to reclaim it, here are some of the activities I've taken up:

1.  I'm reading "Gone With the Wind."  It was supposed to be done last week for book group, but I put off starting it for weeks, because I was busy rereading other stuff so I wouldn't have to think while I read.  So now I'm reading it, and thoroughly enjoying it.  It's fun (is that the right word, when discussing the Civil War?) to read about places I've been, like Atlanta, Augusta, and the South in general.  I can picture the moss-hung trees, the swampy land, the vine-covered forests, and the enormous plantation homes because I've seen them firsthand.  While the descriptions are detailed, my experience in the South has made reading the book richer and more interesting.  Plus, I feel like I'm learning a ton of stuff about the Civil War I don't remember from my days in US History 17 years ago.

2.  I attempted today and yesterday to practice the piano.  I say attempt, because 2 minutes in, Jacob brought in a teddy bear to "help me play the piano," the phone rang, and Tyler had a poopy diaper.  But the point is, I tried.  Usually, when I'm involved in music, it wakes up my brain and gives me an emotional boost as well.  Attempts will continue to be made until I am successful (which may be when Jacob's in kindergarten and Tyler's potty trained). 

3.  I have cut out "The Bachelor" from my TV line-up.  It made me dumber by the second, and I couldn't take any more of the tears and smeared mascara.  Ugh.  Plus, it freed me up for other things, like my 1000 page book!  I have also started fast-forwarding Jillian's therapy sessions with her bawling, exhausted Biggest Loser competitors, as well as all the nasty back-biting and game play.  I just go right to the weigh-ins, because that's the good part of The Biggest Loser.  It saves me hours of pointless TV, and still inspires me to lose weight.

4.  Lately, when I've watched TV, I've been semi-comatose on my new couch, forming my new butt groove and letting the entertainment wash over me.  I was cleaning out my closet earlier this week and came across a crosstitch of Buzz Lightyear that I promised to make for Jacob 2 years ago.  I started up again on it, and am determined to finish it by Christmas.  I like doing something with my hands while I watch TV.  I feel a lot less like a slug.

5.  I have an obsession that started my freshman year of college when I started eating lunch with some old high school friends.  It's crossword puzzles.  I love having a book of puzzles to do on a plane or in the car on a long trip, and I really enjoy doing them online.  I went on a crossword hiatus for a while, I think because I kept getting frustrated when my fuzzy, sleep-deprived brain couldn't come up with any answers.  I started back up at Thanksgiving, because my dad had an app on his iPhone that was NY Times crosswords, which we enjoy doing together.  I was reminded that I really do enjoy a good crossword.  I am certain my brain is slowly finding its way home now.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why my posts have been few and far between, and why, if all goes according to plan, I will have something witty to say in a few months, when my head has its old friend back.