ball-ocks

Went to the gym last night for the first time since the Great Ice Skating Debacle of Aught Nine. It hurt, but not really bad. And the way I was compensating for my knee did a number on my calf muscle. But the good news is, I got some exercise. I'm walking almost normally - and feeling pretty good. Probably flat walking would be the thing to do for now - instead of the elliptical which requires a little more joint movement (or am I imagining that?) ... It's a start.

Tonight our plans are to attend an NYU basketball game. They're held at our gym - so I've seen snippets while stretching and so-forth. It's a girls' game at 6 and then the boys at 8. Out the door.

One Word [Meme]

USING ONLY ONE WORD

Where is your cell phone?
desk

Your significant other?
shawnee-poo

Your hair?
frizzled

Your mother?
blonde

Your father?
crazy

Your favorite thing?
TV

Your dream last night?
hairy

Your favorite drink?
coffee

Your dream/goal?
babies!

What room are you in?
bed/living/office/dining

Your hobby?
crochet

Your fear?
bedbugs

Where do you want to be in 6 yrs?
family

Where were you last night?
home

Something that you aren't?
calm

Muffins?
chocolate

Wish list item?
chair

Last thing you did?
swig

What are you wearing?
clothes

TV?
overindulgence

Your pets?
nada

Friends?
distant

Your life?
plod

Your mood?
apprehensive

Missing someone?
owen

Drinking?
soda

Smoking?
never

Your car?
nada

Something you're not wearing?
diamond

Your favorite store?
WALLY'S

Your favorite color?
purple

When is the last time you cried?
sunday

Who will resend this?
nada

Where do you go to over & over?
bathroom

Five people who email me regularly?
oneword?

My favorite place to eat?
cozy's

Favorite place I'd like to be right now?
Oklahoma

Four people I think will respond
nada

One TV show I watch all the time: House

Bee Positive

i wrote the title for this post, then i did a Google image search - thought i'd get a nice fat bumble bee picture or something... but turns out there's a T-shirt design "Bee Positive" - you can get it at WrongTees apparently.

we all know i'm not the most optimistic person. i wouldn't say i'm unhappy, but i tend to look on the dark side more than the bright. i also have a tendency to be real snippy - even to strangers.

when we went to see Gran Torino this weekend (and AGAIN i'll recommend it) - i got really huffy with a Staples employee when we stopped in to replace my ink cartridge. all because she wouldn't give me the $3 rebate for my old one. they've given it to me in the past, but maybe their policy has changed. i just kept the old cartridge and went on, but not before acting completely insane and pouty. i mean, come on!

then on the way out of the movie, we were going out the exit. this theater blocks off its exits - and makes people go around the corner to enter the building. someone walked up to me while i was exiting and i stood in her way like i was throwing a block in football - and then she side stepped me and i pulled my left (bad) foot behind me and tried to CLOSE THE DOOR ON HER. what kind of person does this? i wasn't fast enough/she was too fast and got around me and in the out door, but come on. why do i have to have these knee jerk reactions that cause me to be a visible *itch to folks?

could it be that NYC has seeped into me? no, since i've been this way long before i moved here. also, i can be a charmer. i really know i can. and i can make fabulous impressions on strangers - i don't have to be the snarly crank pot that i sometimes unleash on the world.

i want a positive outlook. i don't want to let things get to me - either things from strangers OR from people i know, including work related hassles that i don't handle well. and being removed from people doesn't give me opportunity to interact and really improve my relational skills. so i don't know if working from home does more harm than good.

but i'll always always always be, the GRETCH, unfortunately.

End of Weekend-itis

USA usually has a marathon of House every Sunday night. This weekend they've got a stupid "Super Bowl withdrawal" movie block. Whatevs. I've already seen almost all the eps anyway. Meh.

Saw Gran Torino this afternoon. Wowza. I mean, I thought I would like it, but something about it... I don't know. Reminds me. I'd recommend it for sure.

The "chew chew" spoon pictured is $17, which cracks me up. It's basically a spoon with a wooden train stuck on the end (and it's "removable" so it really probably is just a hold drilled in the toy for the spoon space). Owen might like it, but it's not worth $17! Plus he's a big boy now!

I'm back into crocheting - started on the first of two "mirror" blankets (the finished blankets will be the same but opposite) for a set of twins coming to one of my friends. I failed on my purple wool hat (bought the yarn at Hobby Lobby and carried it all the way back to NYC ... and it's just not working out) - maybe I'll froggit (i.e. ripp-it, ripp-it).

I haven't finished my book this week - Atonement - because I've seen the movie and know what's coming and it just made me mad in the movie, so I'm sure the same will be true for the book. WHY do I do this to myself? Pick books?! Grrrr.

I guess I'll get back to crocheting. I still have a list of posts to work on, but honestly ... not sure where my heart is.

Complimentary

I received two complements (compliments?) yesterday. One about my skin, one about my sweater. Surprisingly, both were horrid - my skin is all dry and flaky and the sweater makes me look dowdy/matronly. But whatever floats your boat I guess.

what i did yesterday (or Mari on a train)

So - I took the train to DC yesterday. It was a last minute thing, and in retrospect I really should stay at least one night, to break up the loooong rides. BUT with my bum knee and the physical issue of carrying a suitcase (even a rolly one) was more than I could handle on short notice, so down and back it was.

When I arrived at Union Station, it was jam packed. I mean JAM packed. Showing how much I know, yesterday was the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, and DC was filled with protesters. I would guess that everyone I saw was a Pro-Life person, judging by their T-shirts, signs, stickers, etc. But maybe the supporters were just gathering elsewhere. They were mostly very young people (and very white). It caught me off guard AND made my taxi ride turn into a 45 minute ordeal - taking 15 minutes to get away from Union Station because of the crowds of oblivious people wandering in and out of traffic.

I didn't twitter at all yesterday, didn't write anything ... not even anything for work, unless you count the few emails I got in before I left (about 1 hour of online work time) or when I was in the office (for about 1.5 hours of online work time). And my knee is hurting more. I need more Motrin, and I am tweaking a muscle in my left leg because of the way I'm hobbling. If it's not one thing, it's 20 others.

At least it's almost the weekend. ONWARD.

My LTE Never Published

Re: Getting the Bedbugs Out

Dear Editors:

Thank you for your continuing coverage of the bedbug epidemic.

I agree with your list of items our city officials must press for to fight bedbugs. I'd like to add one more: owners and superintendents must be open and honest with tenants about bedbug treatments.

After living in our Manhattan studio for a year, I began having a severe allergic skin reaction. Six weeks and many dermatologist visits later, I discovered bedbugs were the culprit, despite my husband not being affected. Mystery solved, the excruciating extermination process began.

We have discovered at least one apartment on our floor and several others in the building received bedbug treatment before us. Tenants are not notified of others' treatment, which drive bugs into other parts of the building. My six-week skin mystery was a direct result of management keeping the bedbug secret.

We shouldn't have to fight bureaucracy in addition to the bedbugs.

~Marilyn Walker

At Last...

I could watch this all day: Obamas' First Dance. I can't embed it - probably smart of ABC to send ppl to their site. But anyway, I'll be floating to "At Last" in my head for at least today... maybe longer, but we'll see how work goes.

Most Depressing Day in History?!

That's what the UK's Daily Mail is saying:

If you woke up feeling blue today then the chances are you are not alone. For Monday, January 19, 2009, is going to be the most depressing day in history, according to experts.

Cold weather, fading Christmas memories and broken New Year resolutions mean this period is usually miserable, but the effects of the economic downturn makes this year worse than ever.

Millions will feel so glum they will decide to stay in bed and up to a quarter of workers are expected to call in sick, research suggests. Psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall has devised a mathematical formula that pinpoints today as Blue Monday.

I guess lucky for Americans, many of us get the day off. Although this day is the same for me - at my computer, checking e-mail and doing a few things. BUT I slept in and will probably try to go out (for the first time in DAYS since my knee injury). So I'm not feeling any more depressed than normal (which isn't saying that much I guess).

Article via Jezebel

[Review] Shopgirl

Shopgirl: A Novella Shopgirl: A Novella by Steve Martin

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars

A quick read, which makes sense what with it being a novella. I saw the movie when it came out, as I'm a HUGE Claire Danes fan (stemming from MSCL days). The book was OK, but not overwhelming or offering any insight into myself, which I guess would be my criteria for something special.

View all my reviews.

Knee Jerk

I feel like a jerk - a big useless pansy jerk. But let's re-cap yesterday's trip to the ER, which when you think about it, makes ice skating the most expensive NYC-activity in which I have partaken (and I've got tickets to West Side Story in March!)...

I woke up and the knee was swollen and I couldn't walk at all. I was crying and the whole thing was just embarrassing. Shawn had to help me put on my socks! After some bickering and online searching we decided to go to an "in network" ER. there aren't any walk-in clinics in our insurance network, and the NYU university health center is for students only if you can believe that crap.

So it was snowing and colder than a witches you-know-what, and I'm hobbling/hopping on one foot in the icy streets while he gets a cab. The end result was a day (a good 5 hours anyway) in the ER/fast track section (where I continued to take work calls, as I had three conference calls scheduled AND was really sitting and waiting for most of the time anyway). They took X-rays (nothing broken), gave me a scrip for Vicodin, wrapped up the knee and gave me crutches. At least now I can get around (and I have more in common with Dr. House* than just my dry wit!)

I am taking a lot of ibuprofen/Motrin - which seems to help. And I took Vicodin last night, but when I woke up this morning I thought I was going to throw up** - I got super pale and had to lie down and sleep for another 45 minutes. Once I ate lunch I felt better, but by now the Vicodin should definitely be out of my system. SO I don't know if I'll chance that again tonight or just stick with the Motrin.

All of this proves that NYC hates me and wants me to leave. I would oblige, but still waiting to hear on job opportunities for my husband. Praying we go somewhere near one set of parents.

~mari (adding sig to this entry to give clear definition for the asterisk/footnotes)

*The actor who plays House, the GENIUS Hugh Laurie, will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight - as part of "The Band from TV" - a band created by Greg Grunberg, actor on Heroes and Felicity.

**I promise this is NOT morning sickness. I can't handle another rumor flying about me like that - although I'm sure those will be relentless until there's actually some TRUTH to that!

FWD: This is beautiful

Another Forward - it may be the pain in my knee, the chill in the air or my general attitude - but I did tear up at this.

This is beautiful!

She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: 'How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?'

The surgeon said, 'I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it.'

Sally said, 'Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?'

The surgeon asked, 'Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university.'

Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good bye to son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair. 'Would you like a lock of his hair?' the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said, 'It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else. 'I said no at first, but Jimmy said, ' Mom , I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom .' She went on, 'My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could.'

Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.

The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.

She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She lay down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.

It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Lying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said:

'Dear Mom ,

I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say 'I Love You'. I will always love you, Mom , even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a lit tle boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know.

Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom ? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important. That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom ? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you.. God said fo r me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him 'where was He when I needed him?' 'God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children.

Oh, by the way, Mom , no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore the cancer is all gone.. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that?

Signed with Love from God, Jesus & Me.

Update: I'll Never Be a Figure Skater ... Or a Hockey Player

Here's the story as I'm telling my coworkers, more or less:

I should have KNOWN better than to try to have NYC-fun. Last night we went ice skating in central park, with the tall buildings around us, it was gorgeous. Shawn and I had never done it before, so we were clinging to the wall.

I used to roller skate a lot as a kid, and I was getting the hang of the ice, moving away from the wall a bit to move around stragglers, etc. When I did that on the end of my 4th round, a faster skater swooshed by me (at least that’s the story I’m telling) and I lost my balance, lunging toward the wall and falling on my knee while my leg kind of twisted out…

Once I got off the rink I was able to walk/limp to the bus stop (no way was I taking the subway with all the stairs). This morning it was hurting SO bad and was so swollen – I couldn’t even move around our dinky apartment with Shawn’s help…

So we went to the ER and I now have crutches and know it isn’t broken. If it’s not better in a week I’ll follow up.

This makes three giant “only in New York” horror stories – the bedbugs, Waldorf shooting and the ice skating that led to an ER visit… This city is truly trying to tell me something… :-P

UPDATE - thanks to Holly who points out I never say WHAT is swollen and hurt - it's my left knee...

Bad Idea

Skating was the worst idea ever. It was almost fun until I fell. Now it's going to turn into a medical nightmare, as I can't even walk or hop around the apartment (am moving about in my rolly chair as much as I can and holding onto other things to get to the bathroom). The pain is excruciating, the knee is swollen somewhat, although no bruising that i can see, unless it's on the back of the knee. i probably should have gone to the doctor last night when i could still walk a little. instead i took the bus and walked back here.

i can't even get to the kitchen if i want breakfast. i doubt i could make it over to the window to open the shades - apparently it's snowing outside.

it's really cold here too. i don't know how i'm going to get down to the lobby to even get a taxi to go where we need to go. Apparently we need to go to the ER at St. Vincent's. I'm sure that will be a hell of a time.

this is the most humiliating and painful thing that's happened to me. it's less of a pain in the ass than bedbugs i guess, but a solid second place. (and i had a spot on my jaw yesterday that looked suspiciously like a bedbug bite. so i'm not convinced that saga is over yet)

i don't even know how i'm going to get dressed. there's no comfortable position - right now i'm in the rolly chair with my legs propped up on a dining chair - so at least my knee is higher than my waist (is it supposed to be higher than my heart? if so, i'm screwed b/c i have no way to do that unless i lie flat on my back).

i have a busy afternoon full of meetings. i just can't believe my luck. NYC really hates me, and as we all know, I hate it right back.

Christmas Gift Joy

Christmas 2008 was good to me!

Pictured at left, I'm enjoying my new TV headphones in the NYC. OH YEAH, thanks to Shawn's mom, Dale, I can now watch TV without disturbing Shawn. A gift that keeps on giving ... to both of us!

At right, a picture of me in the Walkers' basement in Danville as we opened our gifts. I'm holding up another favorite gift from Dale - my projection alarm clock! I got my cousin Matt one last year, and was a little jealous when he was trying it out. But I never got around to buying one for myself. Shawn thinks it's ridiculous BUT I had to throw away my alarm clock because it was right in the bedbug infestation (that's right - they can live inside electronics ... one more TMI thing you didn't want to know about the little critters). And I love being able to push a button and see the time. PLUS it has an inside thermometer, so I can always tell what the temp is in our apartment, something I haven't had the luxury of knowing since I moved here - since my inside thermometer was misplaced in the move. Am I easy to please or what?

Not to be outdone, my mommy got me some great gifts too - including a stocking stuffed "plum full" of goodies. One of my favorite things, which I use every time I go outside, are my mittens. They're mittens that flip back to let your fingers work when you're inside, but flip down over your fingers to keep those digits toasty warm. And they're PURPLE. Does my mama know me? I also got a digital photo/media player that will be excellent once I really get into it. Mama filled it with pictures from Holly's wedding, so I'm thinking I will unload those to my computer and send them to the blushing bride...

I haven't taken pics of the gifts from my mom, mostly because my camera was pointed at the O-man while we were in Oklahoma.

Can you see why? He's just the MOST precious little thing. This is actually his fifth Christmas (and my 29th!). Here he's seen posing with his gift from Uncle Shawn - an educational toy that teaches shapes. It was the first present Owen opened during this round of present opening and he was SO excited about it - saying "Exactly what I wanted!"

Shawn doesn't believe that, but it's TRUE.

PS I'm setting this post to publish automatically in the morning. What, did you think I was an early bird or something? Bish pls.

[Photo] Owen Jay


Couldn't resist - one more Owen pic... Man, Braum's is good! And that's a good shot of Sideburn Willy.

Tales from the Library

My library stories could never top my mom's, but this one was pretty good.

Last Saturday I went to the library and trudged through the snow to pick up a book (previously reviewed Moose). While in line, a little girl and her brother were handing out slips of paper to patrons. They explained that they were tickets to next week's circus.

Their mom was in line in front of me, and I could gather that the girl's name was Erin (she was probably 6 or 7) and the boy's name was Nicholson (!) (he was probably 3-4).

While I continued to wait, with my two new circus tickets, Erin and I had this conversation:

E: "Guess what I've got on under here?" indicating under her sweater.
M: "I don't know, what?"
E: "A BATHING SUIT!" cracking herself up
M: "WHAT?! Are you going swimming in this weather?" laughingly as well
E: "No way!"

Then Erin's mom said they had done "summertime in wintertime" earlier that morning. I told her I had seen that very thing on a Little Bill episode not too long ago. She laughed at that, and we moved on.

Kind of sweet, and reminds me of my deep desire to be a mom myself. And makes me miss Owen like nobody's business (because without him I wouldn't know who Little Bill is, not to mention Thomas, Bob and Pinky Dinky Doo)...

New York Times: Bedbugs

Right - there's an editorial in today's New York Times about bedbugs (thanks to my boss' boss for pointing it out to me - gotta love it when someone sees bedbugs they think of me!).

I submitted a 150 word letter to the editor. I should hear within seven days whether they're going to publish it. And if not, I'll be free to post it here. Writing so briefly was a CHALLENGE to say the least - so I wrote first and then chopped and edited to get it down. Kind of fun. I forgot how much I missed ... oh wait, I do that kind of thing every month with our newsletter. Nevermind. :)

Anyway, the article is about the lack of help people can get for bedbugs - i.e. no one agency has all the information you need... I can attest to that. PLUS looking online can just make your heart sink, because you end up with horror stories and such. An excerpt from the editorial (which you should really read!!!)
Complaints about bed bugs in New York City are rising steadily. As any health official can attest, the only good thing about these nighttime pests is that they don’t seem to cause disease. That doesn’t count panic attacks and the outsize frustration for residents who try to get help from a maze of local and state bureaucracies.
Unrelated update: I'm expecting to go ice skating tonight for the first time. Here's hoping I don't fall and re-injure my back (it's been feeling a little twingy this week - maybe has to do with the cold weather?)...

FWD: Coffee Filters

Below is a forward. I like some of the ideas and wanted to keep them at hand w/o having to save the e-mail. Thanks Mama!

Coffee filters ..who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for ...yep, a dollar! COFFEE FILTERS: Not just for making coffee...

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China. Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Put a few on a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc., on them. Soaks out all the grease.

[Review] Moose

Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp by Stephanie Klein


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book made me hungry, I can't lie. I read Stephanie Klein's blog - but had never read the archives to really get what she writes about, etc. It was a fast read - picked it up from the library yesterday, finished this afternoon. I guess that's what lazy snowy cold weekends are for. Definitely more than just a fat camp memoir. I liked it. (How's that for insight?!)


View all my reviews.

Outside the snow is falling...

... and no one's calling 'you-hoo'

Things got sorted out with my work problems - I had to get a new CMS log-in created, someone had transposed some numbers in the IP-reroute of the microsite, and all should be well. There's still the issue of the admin side of our secondary site not showing up anything ... but I've been assured a solution is forthcoming.

About to head to the library - in the snow - DAZZLING - about a 15 minute walk, blugh. Then thinking a trek to the gym and finally home to hunker down. The storm is really supposed to hit late this afternoon and evening, It's almost 2, so I'd better get a move on.

~M

Nothing Is Working...

I can't log into my work's website content management system. Pretty problematic. Everyone else seems to have no trouble, SO I'm packing up this afternoon to try out working at Starbucks. If I still can't access it from there, then I'll know it's more than just me ... but I don't know where I'll go to find access. (The CMS login worked for me up until Wednesday, it was only yesterday that I started having a problem - and we've reset the router, modem and tried different configurations and computers to see if we could connect - No, sir)

Of COURSE, I've got a TON of web work to do in preparation for next Wednesday - a release and added content to the site ... so I'm losing time because of whatever the problem is. So solution needs to come to me soon. Grrr.

Another work website lets me log in, but it doesn't have any content on the admin side (although the front ends of all sites are working OK, which is good). I am three weeks behind on updating the contact information on that site - just because the admin site itself was messed up b/c of PHP upgrades/roll backs and what-have-you.

Our URL masks a subsite - basically a group/social networking site - and no one outside of the office network (including me) can see it - and I can't get answers/clarification as to why this might be happening. Maybe has something to do with DNS - maybe not. I feel ignored by the web and IT people who work for RA. Does everything I'm involved with technically have to turn to dust?!

Gone to the gym a few times this week, and planning to go again tonight. Scheduling is hard. I'll never be someone who hops out of bed, and working from home, my mornings are SLOW to start. SO I have been going to the gym after work, which really impedes my ability to make dinner, since by the time I get back it's after 7 pm and I'm weak and wobbly. Maybe I'll resolve my issues and get a better schedule, or at least be less weak and plan meals better. I REALLY wish I had my crock pot - it's in my bedroom at my mom's house, probably in the closet or something. Blurgh.

OK, am going to do a little photo editing/resizing and then am going to bundle up (baby, it's COLD outside ... and snow expected tomorrow!) and head to Starbucks in hopes of connecting and getting some web work done. (posting the resized images is only PART of the plan - oiy)

~mari.

Cheese Wagon!

Q: What does Uncle Shawn say when he sees a yellow school bus?

A: He says, 'Hey, there goes a CHEESE wagon!'

Hysterical laughter... Who knew Owen would think that was so funny?!

[PHOTOS] Owen Max!

Corn on the Cob at Chili's
Corn on the Cob at Chili's - Lawton, OK


Sleeping in the Hobby Lobby Basket
Asleep in the basket at Hobby Lobby - Lawton, OK


Spaghetti at Olive Garden
Spaghetti at Olive Garden - Wichita Falls, TX

[PHOTO] Does This Come With Film?

Does This Come With Film?
Does This Come With Film?
Originally uploaded by silvermari

I love this photo - and we loved giving her this gift!!! Looking forward to MANY photos from Dale!

Ideas for Posts Runneth Over

After the hiatus of travel, I have lots of material to write. But no time to write it... So I'm going to do some bullets, some of which will hopefully inspire me to write full posts ... if not, they can be memory joggers for myself when i'm looking back on this blog. So, in no particular order, my holiday in bullets:
  • The sweetest five year old ever telling me about her new "princess diarrhea" when she meant princess diary. Man, I had fun playing with her and seeing GIRL toys!
  • Playing Wii bowling
  • Snuggling on the air mattress
  • A goodbye smooch at the airport - was a really good kiss
  • Baking cookies at Dale's ... and realizing all the things she needs to have a cookie-friendly kitchen (uh, timer anyone?! and a big, big bowl?)
  • Watching movies at Diannia's - HEART ATTACK (seriously, she called it when an old guy grabbed his ELBOW that he was having a heart attack!)
  • Crazily searching for wifi in Danville when Dale's internet went out (when in reality it was just the faulty wires)
  • Three words: Super China Buffet (pronounced like Jimmy's last name)
  • Seeing our Christmas card cartoons, 2007 crocheted wreath ornaments with our pictures and wedding bell favors in everyone's houses
  • Church in Danville - friendly folks, and at Christmas Eve service - the MOST embroidered Christmas-themed vests and shirts I've ever seen assembled in one place
  • Chickens, geese and turkeys under the water tower near the church
  • Silent night - singing while the candles were lit
  • Dale's description of communion - very visceral
  • The sweet little girl in a Santa dress who made faces and me and Shawn during the CE service
  • The boob cup in Steve's basement - and Robbie pointing it out to me and Shawn ... NICE
  • Shopping with Dale - including a 30 minute interlude at Belk's where we brainstormed ideas for Shawn gifts
  • The Legion Christmas party - too smoky
  • All the fast food stops and stores in Danville (did I mention they now have a Sonic?! HUZZAH) ... Papa John's pizza
  • Watching a movie with Dale that had VERY graphic scenes (FYI leave the "uncut" versions of R rated movies for home viewing!)
  • Cooking dinner at Dale's on Xmas Eve - steak, rolls, sweet potatoes and green bean casserole
  • Dale's Ephemera Encyclopedia - now I hear the word everywhere and am becoming obsessed (or maybe I always was and just didn't have the WORD for it)
Oklahoma:
  • Juggling Owen's head (so funny and probably bad for his spine ... never again)
  • Patty cake variation: "Roll 'em, roll 'em, roll 'em, THROW 'EM IN A PAN!" where the last part is screamed while throwing up Owen's hands ...
  • Great discovery set - too much fun (Thomas is havin' a whale of a time, he's trapped inside a disused mine; He's rockin and rollin down the flooded track; We just can't say when he's comin' baaaaack)
  • Wall E and Kung Fu Panda (although I slept through 2/3 of KFP - LOVED Wall-E)
  • Boo hoo Choo Choo, don't be afraid of the dark ... part of the "Thomas and the Jet Engine" DVD I bought Owen ... Auntie M is a sucker for that sweet face!
  • Dancin on New Year's Eve to the original Armadillo Express
  • Owen snoozin' with 15 minutes left in 2008 (no new year's kiss at all!)
NYC/travel
  • The MOST talkative cabbie in the universe. I could only hear every 3rd word he said ... and I'm pretty sure he ignored my responses. Made for an unbearably long ride - plus he went the long way to get to our apartment ...
  • Forget snakes on a plane - there was a DOG on my plane... in my row in fact. UGH.
  • My small roll-y luggage was too fat to fit in the overhead bins - so I ended up checking it. But checking plane side meant no $15 fee. So there's that
Obviously I made more notes from D'Ville than I'Town. Hrm. Will try to think of others to add to my list.

Inner Life in Ladies Home Journal

An article in Ladies Home Journal, "Why Gum Makes You More Alert." says studies have shown chewing gum increases blood flow to the brain. After 20 minutes of chewing, alertness goes up by almost 19 percent! It also lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol by about 16 percent.

Read an eHow article about gum.

Now if only something could be done about my TMJ from all that chewing.

[Review] Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I long for suburbia, but not the unhappiness that seems to surround the characters in this book. It was a fast read, and I hated that Kate and Leo were on the cover. I read it on a plane - so I guess I am what I wish not to be - someone who reads books only when there's a movie made about them (or something like that).

View all my reviews.

Dunkin Donuts Free Coffee Sample

Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' keeps me blogging. Try Dunkin' Donuts Coffee For Free. Get a Sample
Am currently enjoying home brewed Fresh Direct brand coffee - but will let you know how my free sample from DD turns out (via Wise Bread - takes 7 weeks for delivery).

Real post pending ... am also contemplating a New Year letter to non-blog readers (i.e. my mom's church friends) - with a story like bedbugs and a Waldorf Astoria shooting, seems fitting, but we'll see. So little time, and so little concentration on my part. (Concentrate is a word Owen knows - what a silly little kid!)

~M.

Want to Order a Crochet Hat?

Thanks for your interest in silvermari crochet hats . Most of what I make are sized for infants and toddlers, although I can size up and dow...