Tracey posted this video of the Young at Heart Chorus at MamaPop, and it made me cry.
And this one's for Alex. I found it when I was searching for more Young At Heart videos. I think Alex was born loving Neil Young. For a long time -- in high school, mostly -- I thought that was strange. But then (thanks mostly to alot of Alex mix tapes), I got it. Neil Young's a wonderful song writer. He may not have the most melodious voice, but it's passionate, and that means alot.
There it is! On the horizon! Only 24 hours away! December!
We're heading north tomorrow in search of rain and a chance of snow, and I'm going to take a few days off from the bloggin'. I have a feeling the World of Blogs might be pretty quiet for the next week or so. At least, the World of NaBloPoMo-ers.
So happy November 30 to you. I'm going to bed now. Night-night.
There's a little rattle in my iPod. Like a piece of sand might be in there. It seems to be functioning fine. But still. Maybe the rattle is the physical manifestation of its love for Wilco. In which case, I guess I'm okay with it.
1. The Greatest Cat Power 2. Fireworks Moby 3. Take the Money and Run Steve Miller Band 4. Wishful Thinking Wilco 5. Blacking Out the Friction Death Cab for Cutie 6. Wild Horses The Rolling Stones 7. Say Yes! to M!ch!gan! Sufjan Stevens 8. A Satisfied Mind Johnny Cash 9. The Roller Coaster Ride Belle and Sebastian 10. I Thought I Held You Wilco 11. Hello Old Friend Eric Clapton 12. Strange Meadow Lark The Dave Brubeck Quartet 13. The Lifting REM 14. Spirit in the Sky Norman Greenbaum 15. Driver 8 REM 16. Eisler on the Go Wilco 17. Miner at the Dial-a-View Grandaddy 18. Old Man Neil Young 19. Hey Mister, That's Me Up On the Jukebox James Taylor 20. Ja Sei Namorar Tribalistas
My father-in-law was trying to sing "Pop Goes the Weasel" to Piper this afternoon, but he couldn't remember the words. I tried to help him out:
'Round and 'round the mulberry bush The monkey chased the weasel. The monkey stopped to pull up his sock. Pop goes the weasel.
My mother-in-law very emphatically disagreed with my sock-wearing-monkey version. Here are her lyrics:
'Round and 'round the cobbler's bench the monkey chased the weasel Monkey thought 'twas all in fun Pop goes the weasel
A penny for a spool of thread A penny for a needle That's the way the money goes Pop goes the weasel.
Tom, who started this whole debate, says it's "A penny for a loaf of bread." He added, in typical Tom fashion, "That was 18th Century. That's what Ben Franklin paid. And charged. When he opened his own bakery."
Round and round the cobbler's bench The monkey chased the weasel, The monkey thought 'twas all in fun Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread A penny for a needle, That's the way the money goes, Pop! Goes the weasel.
A half a pound of tupenny rice, A half a pound of treacle. Mix it up and make it nice, Pop! Goes the weasel.
Up and down the London road, In and out of the Eagle, That's the way the money goes, Pop! Goes the weasel.
I've no time to plead and pine, I've no time to wheedle, Kiss me quick and then I'm gone Pop! Goes the weasel.
So it appears that I was wrong. At least, as far as THE MAN is concerned. And, it seems, as far as Wikipedia is concerned. I can't find any reference to the monkey and his droopy sock or to Ben Franklin's bakery. The Wikipedia entry does have several other alternate lyrics listed, though. Here's my favorite:
Ev'ry night, when I come home, The monkey's on the table. I take a stick and knock him off, Pop! goes the weasel.
I'm sure I didn't make up the sock monkey lyrics. Someone out there must know where it came from. How do you sing "Pop Goes the Weasel"?
Piper's Grammy brought her the new Sandra Boynton book, which came with a free song! Sung by Davy Jones! It's mighty catchy, and Piper and Grampy love it. Here's proof:
(Piper's Grammy also has a camera that has video and sound capture capabilities.)
PBS Parents says that I'm still correct in calling Piper my "baby." I was worried that she had stumbled into toddler territory, but they say she's a baby until she hits 18 months. Which means I still have a few months left. Thank you, PBS Parents.
I wasn't really looking for validation on that point this morning, though. I was looking for some info on Piper's vocabulary. I've read that parents should talk to their babies to help them learn to speak. Most places suggest basically talking your way through the day -- "Now I'm putting away the dishes." "Now I'm brushing baby's hair." I've tried to do that, but I don't talk much as it is (Alex might tell you otherwise; don't listen to him), and I've found that I forget to do it much of the time. This is not to say that it's silent around here. We spend most of our day reading and playing. I just feel like I haven't done a great job at the talk-all-day thing. I'm most successful with it when I'm cooking. I just pretend I'm doing a cooking show with an audience of one.*
Anyway, I was wondering how Piper was doing with her language skills, so I turned to the PBS Parents site. And here's what it had to say:
During this period [up to 18 months], your baby goes from having a couple of babble-words to a speaking vocabulary of about 20 words. She won't necessarily pronounce those words correctly because the small muscles that support her mouth and lips are still developing. Many babies will speak one word at a time, but often mean whole sentences by these words. For example, a baby who says, "Mo" may mean "I want some more milk."
So I made a list last night of Piper's words. I think there are a few we've left off; if they come to me, I'll add them. Here they are:
hello
hi ... her first word. she's very sociable.
bubbles
Mama
Daddy
Bible
shoe
apple
Target ... her most recent word. and what does that say about how (and where) we spend our time? at least she hasn't said "tall Peppermint Mocha" yet.
Papa ... from watching two episodes of the Berenstein Bears, roughly two months apart.
bow-wow
Elmo ... this seems to be her catch-all word for the television.
potty ... and this is the catch-all for the bathroom. it's a start.
night-night
bye-bye
Pooh
go
baby
alright ... as seen on They Might Be Giants' "Here Come the ABCs"
no
please ... we're working on context for this one
oh no
uh-oh
seal
neigh
moo
baa
nose
eye
wow
nice
key
jump
She doesn't use them all with great frequency, but with the exception of "please," she uses them all in the correct context.** I'm a little surprised that she doesn't say "yogurt" yet. She's a little yogurt fiend. Instead of saying it, she just latches her little hands around the refrigerator's door handle and wails. It'll be nice when she is able to say, "May I have a yogurt please?" But I'll take a little wailing if it means I get to hang on to "baby" for a little while longer.
--- *When I was coming out from under anesthesia after having my wisdom teeth removed, I said, "I had a cooking show." So says Alex, anyway.
**I'm willing to give her "potty" and "Elmo" on this one.
1. When You Dance You Can Really Love Neil Young 2. The Same Boy You've Always Known The White Stripes 3. Do You Wanna Dance? The Beach Boys 4. King Kong Tom Waits 5. Dancing in the Moonlight King Harvest 6. Carry Me Ohio Sun Kil Moon 7. Novacaine for the Soul The Eels 8. Surfin' The Beach Boys 9. Laminated Cat Loose Fur 10. Guitar, Flute and String Moby 11. Rich Girl Daryl Hall and John Oates 12. Uncle Walter Ben Folds Five 13. Hesitating Beauty Wilco 14. Don't Let Me Down Stereophonics 15. Big Time Sensuality Bjork 16. The New Soft Shoe Gram Parsons 17. A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You The Monkees 18. A Widow's Toast Neko Case 19. Devil's Haircut Beck 20. God Song Beth Orton
Grandma and Grandpa stayed home last night with Piper so Alex and I could go out for dinner and a movie. It was the best date we've had in a long time. In fact, I think it was the only date we've had in a long time. We went to Maggiano's and had a wonderful meal (Veal & Mushroom Ravioli for me, and Chicken Marsala for Alex, and fabulous little chocolate truffles "on the house"!), and then we went to see "Stranger Than Fiction" (made me cry). The movie wasn't until 10:10, so we lingered over dinner and talked and talked, and it was just lovely.
Appetizer Have you ever changed a flat tire by yourself? Yes, once. It's a hazy memory. It was sometime during high school, which was more than 10 years ago now, and all I remember is that it was hard to get the bolt thingies off. (Yeah, that's the technical term.)
Soup Do you have an "innie" or an "outie" belly button? Innie.
Salad Name a new paint color and describe it. I can't do that. That side of my brain is still in bed.
Main Course What is your favorite holiday tradition? I started a new holiday tradition last year that means a lot to me. Last year was Piper's first Christmas, and I went out by myself one day to find a special ornament just for her. I'd like to find an ornament display tree to put up each year with her ornaments, but they're not going to go on the big tree until she has a home and a tree of her very own.
Dessert If you were a cookie, what kind would you be, and why? I asked Alex to answer this one. Here's what he said: "If you were a cookie, I'd say you would be a sugar cookie. Because you like to be unassuming and you prefer not to stand out and you want to just kind of remain present but not the focal point." He did not add that I am sweet. Hm.
The Friday Feast is a weekly meme intended to "feed your mind by asking thought-provoking, mind-stimulating questions."
Sanni says, "Thanks for the yummy feast... wonderful main course, btw.
Wishing a great weekend! Sanni from Germany" (10:11 AM, November 24, 2006)
Celfyddydau says, "Love that new tradition you are starting.
He didn't say you were sweet because he probably thought that there was no need to." (10:54 AM, November 24, 2006)
Barbara H. says, "That's a neat holiday tradition -- I wish I had started that when my boys were little.
That was sweet about the sugar cookie. :)
Lovely feast!" (11:14 AM, November 24, 2006)
ccap says, "Oooh, I like the cookie answer. Good job, Alex!" (2:45 PM, November 24, 2006)
Anonymous says, "Great Main Course! My husband has given me an ornament every year we've been together & I treasure them." (11:46 PM, November 24, 2006)
I would like to thank Alex, who has very kindly let me write write write write write for the last few weeks; Piper, who slept an extra hour and a half this morning; Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who was a very long-winded poet; and adverbs, without whom I would not have reached 50k.
I don't have a great feeling of triumph, mainly because of the role that "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" came to play in the story. And also because, even without Coleridge, the story is horrible. I haven't decided yet if I'll try it again next year. If I do, though, I definitely need to have a plot and an outline before November.
"The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists" is an exceptionally silly book. It was fun to read, though, and it's very short. So if you hate it, at least it will be over quickly.
The pirates managed to do a pretty decent job of mingling with the scientists, nodding politely and saying "Really?" a lot as they listened to them drone on about their latest inventions and discoveries, but the Pirate Captain soon found himself involved in a particularly awkward conversation about molecules, so he was relieved when FitzRoy interrupted him before it got to the stage where he had to say if he was for or against them.
Yeah, that's pretty much how I handle all of Alex's science shin-digs.
Wiki Wednesday: Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation!
1. Go to Wikipedia. 2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box. 3. Post it!
The Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation (DGYLF) is a faith-based 501(c)(3) organization started by former Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green. The Foundation's mission is to "help children develop into leaders who positively influence their families and communities." Specifically, the Foundation runs after-school and summer programs for elementary school age children that focus academics, friendship, and values. The DGYLF has no formal relationship with the local public school system, but focuses on teaching children age 5 to 11 in reading, writing, math, and english. Funding for their activities comes from other foundations, corporations, individuals, churches, the government, and special events.
I've made my CD, and I'm afraid it would disappoint Lionel Richie. I don't think it has quite as much "cheese" as the swap organizers were hoping for. It turns out that I don't have as much cheesy music as I thought I did. Or maybe I do, and I've fallen head over heels for it all and no longer recognize its cheesiness.
Regardless, I think it's a pretty good CD. What do you think? Here's the playlist:
You're The First, The Last, My Everything Barry White ... My kind of wonderful, that's what you are. The slightly disco beat pushes this into the realm of cheesy. The lyrics are delightfully lovey-dovey, though. Barry White? You're my kind of wonderful.
Head Over Heels Tear for Fears ... Something happens, and I'm head over heels. Upon further listening, I'm not sure this is really a "love" song. It's more angsty than I remembered it to be. I don't think it really belongs here. But I've already burned the CDs, so it stays.
Just The Way You Are Billy Joel ... I could not love you any better. Billy Joel might not be the King of Cheese, but he's definitely on the Royal Court. He's a duke, at least. But you know what? I love him. L o v e. And this song slays me. Every time.
Without You Motley Crue ... Without you in my life, I'd slowly wilt and die. But with you by my side, you're the reason I'm alive. When I was but a wee lass, I had a thing for hair bands. Scoff if you will, but I think "Without You" stands the test of time. Vince Neil's gravelly-ness is the reason. It's not the reason I'm alive, though. Sorry, Vince.
More Than A Woman The Bee Gees ... I know that in a thousand years I'd fall in with you again. My dad loves The Bee Gees. We were listening to their greatest hits in the car one day, and with every song, Dad would say, "This is my favorite Bee Gees song." I won't say I love the brothers Gibb, but I do love The Barry Gibb Talk Show. And "More Than A Woman" is, for the record, my favorite Bee Gees song.
Power of Love Huey Lewis & The News ... Don't need no credit card to ride this train. I think we've found the King of Cheese, folks. I used to love Huey, too. I think it was before the hair bands stole my heart.
Can't Help Falling In Love Elvis Presley ... Take my hand. Take my whole life, too. I can't decide if I think this song is cheesy or not. Rhinestone-studded Vegas Elvis is definitely cheesy, but hot young Elvis isn't. Okay, young Elvis is a little cheesy, too. But the voice! Golden!
All Out Of Love Air Supply ... I'm lying of you with my head on the phone, thinking of you 'til it hurts. Need I say more?
Born to Run Bruce Springsteen ... Together, Wendy, we'll live with the sadness. I'll love you with all of the madness in my soul. I thought Springsteen was cheesy for the longest time. I blame Courtney Cox. But then I actually listened to his songs, and man. He's such a great storyteller. "Born to Run" is such a young, desperate love story. It's one of my favorite songs.
Something So Strong Crowded House ... Something so strong could carry us away. This is also one of my favorite songs. Alex laughs at me for that. At least I don't look like a trucker, fella.
If Not For You Bob Dylan ... If not for you, winter would have no spring. This is just a sweet song. And you can actually understand The Dylan.
Concrete & Clay Unit 2+4 ... You to me are sweet as roses in the morning. Alex and I used this song as the recessional at our wedding. It still makes me smile.
Little More Time With You James Taylor ... I passed on the cocaine, said bye-bye to my methadone. This is cheesy. And not a little strange. The song features methadone and a monkey. Whatever. I still like it.
God Only Knows The Beach Boys ... God only knows what I'd be without you. This song is a little bit creepy ("What good would living do me?" What? Shake it off, guys! Let's go surfin'!), but it's so pretty! And the Beach Boys are cheesy. They sealed that with "Kokomo."
Just The Two Of Us Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers ... Darling, when the morning comes and I see the morning sun, I want to be the one with you. Bill Withers is terribly underappreciated and cheesy all at the same time. I don't know what it is, exactly, that makes him cheesy. I suspect it's the saxophone.
I'll Dream of You Tonight Hem ... I know we'll be together tomorrow, but I'll dream of you tonight. I first heard Hem when they opened for Beth Orton a few years ago in St. Louis. If I could get Sally Ellyson to come over and sing me lullabies every night, I would.
Harvest Moon Neil Young ... Because I'm still in love with you, I wanna see you dance again. Alex put this on I don't know how many mix tapes for me when we were in high school. It will always make me think of him, which means it will always be one of my favorites.
Dearest Buddy Holly ... Dearest, oh you're the nearest to my heart. Please don't ever, ever say we'll part. I used to have a two-CD Buddy Holly set. I wish I could find it. I think he's great. And this song is great, too.
I'm Glad You're Mine Al Green ... Baby, I'm so glad you're here. Baby, I've got something to say, my dear. This song makes me swoon a little. And yet, there's an inherent cheesiness to the Reverend. It's a mystery.
Happier Than the Morning Sun Stevie Wonder ... I'm happier than the morning sun, and that's the way you said that it would be. I could listen to this song every day.
Remember Me Cat Power ... With you my life has been so wonderful. This was originally an Otis Redding song, apparently. Cat Power's voice does it justice. I didn't want to like Cat Power because she calls herself Cat Power and, really. Come on. But then I listened to her and it didn't matter at all what she wanted to call herself. This is the song that made me love her.
Anonymous says, "the perfect amount of cheeziness! :) LOVE IT!" (3:32 PM, November 21, 2006)
Beth Fish says, "I dunno - I think you might be a little lacking in the cheese. Or else, I am like you and just don't notice the cheese in front of me." (7:52 PM, November 21, 2006)
Frema says, "Oh my gosh, this CD is FULL of cheese! Barry White? Huey Lewis? The Bee Gees? An acoustic version of Air Supply's "All Out Of Love"? Nichole, you underestimate yourself. Lionel would be so proud.
Yours was the first CD I got, and I've already listened to it twice!" (7:10 PM, December 04, 2006)
I shaved this morning. The beard is gone replaced by a light stuble. Not a big thing for most but for me not the normal routine. However it must have been long overdue as this is the conversation I had with the Lab manager when she arrived this morning:
"Good morning." "Good morning." "Have a nice evening?" "Not bad. Hey, you look different. What changed?" "I shaved." "Oh yeah, that's it. You don't look like a truck driver anymore, HA-HA-HA!" "Umm, yeah, I guess not."
Then I walked out of the room and got some coffee. Some very strong coffee.
Doppleganger at 50 Books started her site when she decided to try to read 50 books in one year. When I first found her site, I thought, "Boy, that's a lot of books." Now here it is mid-November, and I've read 41 books this year. How 'bout that?
I think I'm within reach of 50 for 2006. If I start reading some "Sweet Valley High."
Anyway. The books. Rather than listing them all here, I made a little Amazon store so you can see their covers and everything. Yee-haw, right?
You might have noticed the enormous jump on my NaNoWriMo ticker today. It's because I cheated. It was either cheat or quit. And I know that cheaters never win, but neither do quitters. So, really, I wasn't going to win either way. But this way I'll at least get a nifty little badge that says I won. And that's all that really matters.
But is it really cheating? You decide.
My characters are reciting Samuel Taylor Coleridge poems. They're on a road trip, and that's what everybody does on road trips. It was a perfectly natural progression. Right?
1. We had dinner last weekend with some very nice people who had a six-month-old daughter. I was a little worried about how Piper would relate to the baby; she hasn't had all that much experience with children smaller than herself. But she was so sweet and gentle and careful. It was lovely.
2. Some of our Missouri friends are here for a visit this weekend. So we're actually going to go out again and do things today!
I finished "The Keep" this morning while Piper was watching "Sesame Street" (and, really, I should've been cleaning something). It's a crazy, breathless story that left alot of things unanswered, things I was sure were going to be the crux of the whole story. It left me feeling a little disjointed. But I liked it, and I'm adding it to my "recommended" list.
Appetizer Do you believe there is intelligent life on other planets? No. Not without Fox Mulder around to convince me otherwise.
Soup What is one thing you said you'd never do, but you eventually did? I always said I'd never let my children watch "too much" television. I've found that "too much" is a pretty amorphous term. Most days, Pi watches "Sesame Street" in the morning and a video with Alex after he gets home from work. Under my pre-parenting definition, that would have been "too much." These days, it's just right.
Salad Who is the teacher that influenced you the most in school? Her name escapes me right now, but it was my fifth-grade teacher. She forced me to memorize the multiplication tables. I think it was the first time I actually applied myself.
Main Course If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be and why? Oprah, but only on her day off.
Dessert What is your favorite dish to prepare? Ice cream sundaes.
The Friday Feast is a weekly meme intended to "feed your mind by asking thought-provoking, mind-stimulating questions."
Anonymous says, "I love that you call Piper "pi" ! too cute and I agree with you about the tv thing. *says this while Levi is upstairs watching scooby doo* at least your childs program is educational! ha!" (9:51 AM, November 17, 2006)
Anonymous says, "Nice feast. :) "Too much" is definitely a relative term! Yummy dessert. :)
Happy Friday and have a good weekend. :)" (11:04 AM, November 17, 2006)
Logtar says, "Oprah has days off? that's right she does have that Hawaii home or something or other." (12:28 PM, November 17, 2006)
KaY says, "Ahahaha! Does Oprah ever get a day off?
Come dine with me. I'm up!" (7:49 PM, November 17, 2006)
Jane says, "I love your dessert!!! YUMMO. Thanks for stopping by for a nibble at my table and thanks also for your sweet comment. Have a great day." (10:57 AM, November 19, 2006)
By Ted Kooser, U.S. poet laureate, 2004-2006 Linda Pastan, who lives in Maryland, is a master of the kind of water-clear writing that enables us to see into the depths. This is a poem about migrating birds, but also about how it feels to witness the passing of another year.
The Birds
are heading south, pulled by a compass in the genes. They are not fooled by this odd November summer, though we stand in our doorways wearing cotton dresses. We are watching them
as they swoop and gather-- the shadow of wings falls over the heart. When they rustle among the empty branches, the trees must think their lost leaves have come back.
The birds are heading south, instinct is the oldest story. They fly over their doubles, the mute weathervanes, teaching all of us with their tailfeathers the true north.
Reprinted from "The Imperfect Paradise," by Linda Pastan. Copyright (c) 1988 by Linda Pastan. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Ms. Pastan's most recent book is "Queen of a Rainy Country," W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2006. This weekly column is supported by The Poetry Foundation, The Library of Congress, and the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This column does not accept unsolicited poetry.
..when he played with the Cowboys. I didn't like the team (They DEFINITELY weren't/aren't "America's Team"), the coach(es) or anything about them and I thought Emmit Smtih was arrogant and cocky. This was a period of time when I was pulling for the 49ers so that may have something to do with how I felt. Regardless, Cowboys-and-anything-associated-therein = devil spawn.
However, "Dancing With The Stars" (DWTS), the guilty pleasure that I have enjoyed for the last 10 weeks, has succeeded in making me an Emmitt Smith fan. His dancing got progressively better each week and he was the only one who seemed to be having FUN when he was dancing! Therefore, I was (and still am) very happy that Mr. Smith won DWTS last night.
What do I watch now on Tuesdays and Wednesdays? Probably "House" on Tuesdays but Wednesdays are a barren waste land until February when "Lost" returns. *sigh*... maybe I'll read a book.
ccap says, "Oh man. J-L and I were addicted to it too. We had our own little game going on. We'd guess what each of the judges would score before they did. We share very little tv in common so this was a delight." (10:53 AM, November 16, 2006)
1. Gold Lion Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2. Alfred Lion Interlude Madlib 3. Bulldog The Fireballs 4. Touch Me With Your Love Beth Orton 5. True Love Will Find You Beck 6. Hey Hippopotamus Justin Roberts 7. Comes a Time Neil Young 8. Natural Anthem The Postal Service 9. Spark Tori Amos 10. Bada Bing Danger Doom 11. Lola Stars and Stripes The Stills 12. Spongbob and Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy The Flaming Lips 13. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes Crosby, Stills & Nash 14. Only For Me James Taylor 15. Black Water Doobie Brothers 16. The Man Who Loved Beer David Byrne 17. Janine Soul Coughing 18. Christmas Time is Here Vince Guaraldi 19. Morning Dew Grateful Dead 20. I Should Have Known Better Yo La Tengo
Alex says, "That's a pretty appropriate mix. It's very gloomy here at work ,too. Although Phil Collins is playing on the radio as I write so maybe things are picking up." (10:17 AM, November 16, 2006)
Amy says, "I like your shuffle...I think I need a cd of those songs. I'm listening to BXR. Nothing too gloomy here." (10:27 AM, November 16, 2006)
I passed the halfway point last night. I'm struggling. I still have no plot. I'm not saying that I'll be writing "blah blah blah blah monkeys blah blah blah blah tuna fish sandwich" for the next 25,000 words. But I am saying that I just want to string the 25k together in a cohesive manner, with sentences and phrases. That's all.
Here's another one of those mems deals that I'm betting started as an email ...
Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Both. Not at the same time. So "either" would be a more appropriate answer, I guess. Hot chocolate isn't as seasonal as egg nog, though. I just have to be cold to drink hot chocolate. Egg nog is something I actually look forward to when the holidays roll around. It was a little disconcerting to see it available just after Halloween, though. Personally, I don't hit the nog until after Thanksgiving.
Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps presents in his very own wrapping paper.
Colored lights on tree/house or white? White on the tree, nothing on the house.
Do you hang mistletoe? I did once, when we got fresh, free mistletoe at a wedding. But that's the only time I've done it.
When do you put your decorations up? Usually the day after Thanksgiving, but all of our decor is in my dad's barn this year so there will be no decorating for us.
What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Excluding dessert? There's no such thing as excluding dessert. I refuse to answer such a question.
Favorite holiday memory as a child: I don't know if I have a favorite. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I think it would just be the cumulative experience of having the whole family together, eating good food and being generally happy.
When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember.
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I'd like to, but Alex won't let me.
How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I let Alex do it. I love Christmas, but I hate decorating the tree. Go figure.
Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love the idea of snow. As long as I don't have to go out in it, I'm happy.
Can you ice skate? I can stay basically upright, but I wouldn't say I can ice skate, no.
Do you remember your favorite gift? No.
What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with my loved ones.
What is your favorite holiday dessert? Cookie pudding. I'm not at liberty to share any details. It's a family recipe.
What is your favorite holiday tradition? Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with Alex (and crying like a big doof) on Christmas Eve.
What tops your tree? It used to be a little angel made out of a paperclip. I'm afraid it might have gotten lost in the moving, though. A little girl made it for me one year when I taught a class at church.
Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving.
What is your favorite Christmas song? The SNL one ... "I wish it was Christmas today"
Candy canes! Yuck or Yum? Yuck. But I'll agree with Becky; peppermint mocha is awesome!
So it appears I'm on Team Chris andTeam Karen. Team Karen by default, because Roy has sort of broken my heart a little with his broken-hearted regret and I'm on Team Roy. Which means I have to be on Team Karen.
Even so.
What have I become?
EDITED TO ADD Great googly moogly! I didn't think they'd get married! I don't like this! Too soon too soon! Gah!
Michelle at Overdue Books has started the "From the Stacks" reading challenge. Here are the official rules:
So for this challenge we would be reading 5 books that we have already purchased, have been meaning to get to, have been sitting on the nightstand and haven't read before. No going out and buying new books. No getting sidetracked by the lure of the holiday bookstore displays.
The bonus would be that we would finally get to some of those titles (you know you picked them for a reason!) and we wouldn't be spending any extra money over the holidays.
The time frame would be Nov. 1st until Jan. 30 and there will be some small, fun prizes awarded to random participants and/or those with clever review posts. There will be one random drawing for a prize to those who submit their list of books in the comment section by Nov. 15th but feel free to join any time. There will be another random drawing for those who submit five reviews by Jan. 30 for a small gift certificate to Amazon.
I don't buy very many books. I might have 5 books in the house that I haven't read. I know I have two Cormac McCarthys and two Ngaio Marshes. I haven't read anything by either of them before, and if I sign up for this I'll feel obligated to read both books by each author and I'm worried that I won't like one of them, or maybe both, but I'll feel obligated because I signed up for this challenge. So I'm not signing up. But I'd like to encourage you to play if you have a lot of books in your to-read stack.
Amy says, "I DEFINITELY have 5 books on my bookshelf that I've been meaning to read but can I really read them all by January 30? Hmm..." (10:01 AM, November 14, 2006)
Did you catch CSI Miami tonight? What was that little black-and-white Horatio Caine montage near the end? It was a whole lot of awesome, that's what it was.
Also awesome: The Calleigh Duquesne face-off with Blonde Reporter Lady. "If you really cared, you'd be writing for a newspaper, not trying to get your face on television."* Ha ha. Yeah.
Amy says, "When I left Taina's last night, Air Supply was playing on the radio. Don't think I didn't sing along because I did. Oh, yes, I did." (10:09 AM, November 14, 2006)
kat says, "lol...my husband thinks i'm such a geek for taking pictures of everything but my excuse is always its for my blog." (7:50 PM, November 13, 2006)
I can't believe I got beyond the second chapter of "Stripped." Here's a quick plot outline: Sex sex sex, murder, sex sex, murder, sex sex sex, murder. But it is pretty suspenseful, and there are a couple of good twists. If you can get past the Vegasness of the book, it's not bad.
Here's one of my favorite pictures from flickr. Flickr is fabulous. You should sign up, or at least browse through the gajillions of photos there. Anyway, this is a photo by Jeff Clow. The colors make me think of "The Wizard of Oz."
Hello! I have a few hundred words left before I reach today's NaNoWriMo goal, and I'm having a hard time with that. So here's another meme. I pulled this one from Islay Girl.
Flip to page 18, paragraph 4, in the book closest to you right now. What does it say? There is no paragraph 4 on page 18. It's the last page of the chapter, and there are only four lines. The last line is ... "Except from what you say about MJ, there could be plenty of reasons for someone to want him dead." (Da-da-dum) (That was suspenseful music, if you were wondering).
If you stretch out your left arm - as far as possible, what are you touching? The coffee table that's standing in as our entertainment center.
What's the last program you watched on tv? "Shark," I think.
Without looking, guess what time it is. 9:14. Hey, it's 9:30! That wasn't bad.
Except the computer, what can you hear right now? The dulcet tones of Alex's snoring.
When was the last time you were outside and what did you do? About 45 minutes ago. I got out of the car and came inside.
What are you wearing? Jeans and a pink shirt.
Did you dream last night? If you did, what about? I did dream last night. This question was the whole reason I wanted to do this meme. I dreamed that Kirstie Alley was in my closet taking all of my "skinny clothes." When I asked her what she was doing, she said, "You'll never need these." The jerk.
When was the last time you laughed? On the way home from dinner this evening.
What's on the walls in the room you're in right now? Paintings.
Have you seen anything strange lately? Ummmm ... not that I can think of right off hand.
What do you think about this meme? It's long.
What's the last film you saw? "The Departed."
If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money? Buy a house. Then buy some more houses for our families. Then sock the rest of it away.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know. I have never, not even once, been drunk.
If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt - what would it be? I would make it so children in the foster care system would be able to stay with the people who would make the best families for them.
Do you like dancing? Yes. But I'm awful. Like, Elaine Benes awful.
George Bush? I think he would've been a great baseball commissioner.
What do you want your children’s names to be, girl/boy? I'm very happy with the one we have. I don't want to tempt fate by answering this.
Would you ever consider living abroad? Oh heavens no. Not again.
What do you want God to tell you when you come to heaven? "Welcome! The chocolate river is to your left, Ice Cream Town is to your right and your giant feather bed is straight ahead."
I found this My Virtual Model site a few weeks ago, and I made three "models" of myself: One at my then-current weight, one at my 10% goal weight and one at my ultimate goal weight. I'm going to try to update it once a month and put it on here. Not terribly exciting for you guys, I know, but I'm trying to get some motivation over here. I haven't had a terribly successful week, diet-wise (I mean, "lifestyle"-wise. Sorry, Weight Watchers!). I had all of our dinners planned out, but we ended up tossing the menu aside and eating out three times. Not good for the waistline or for the budget. And my exercise plan went by the wayside, too. I woke up every morning this week with a head full of cold-related unpleasantness (I'll spare you the details), and I just couldn't make myself go down to the gym and run.
But I still lost 1.5 pounds this week. I'll take it.
Right now I'm working on this week's menu, and I've pushed all of the upcoming dates on the running schedule back a week. Hopefully I'll have clear sinuses come Monday and I'll be back down there on the treadmill.
NOTE: Amy would like it to be known that her second comment on this post was meant to go on the one about Piper's diet.
I am proud to report, however, that we went cold turkey on the bottle this week. Piper hasn't had a bottle in three days (four? I don't know). I expected some major drama over the bottle. But after some minor drama on Day One, she seemed to forget about the bottle entirely.
My brother-in-law has recently become a voracious reader, and when we were visiting last weekend he gave me a couple of books that he'd finished. On of them was John Hart's "The King of Lies," which popped up on Publisher Weekly's Best Books of the Year. They are professionals, so I will spare you my synopsis of the book and give you theirs:
Hart's stunning debut, an exceptionally deep and complex thriller set in the South, compares favorably to the best of Scott Turow.
Now, I don't think I've ever read anything by Scott Turow, so I can't vouch for that comparison. But "The King of Lies" is set in the South, and it is a pretty complex story. I don't read alot of suspense/thriller stories anymore,* but I there was a time when that was pretty much all I read. Now I mainly read board books about beluga whales, bears and the ABCs. But the allure of the board book isn't what made me stop reading suspense; it was the similarities between the "thrillers." They started to seem formulaic, and more often than not the ending didn't come as a big surprise. "The King of Lies" did surprise me, though. So I liked it. And that's all I have to say about that.
Oh, except this: There is some gruesomeness. But it's about a murder, right? So it would have to be a little gruesome. But there's grossness and violence beyond the murder, too. I could have done without some of it.
*Although I will be if my brother-in-law keeps giving me books because he loves them.
By Ted Kooser, U.S. poet laureate, 2004-2006 The Illinois poet, Lisel Mueller, is one of our country's finest writers, and the following lines, with their grace and humility, are representative of her poems of quiet celebration.
In November
Outside the house the wind is howling and the trees are creaking horribly. This is an old story with its old beginning, as I lay me down to sleep. But when I wake up, sunlight has taken over the room. You have already made the coffee and the radio brings us music from a confident age. In the paper bad news is set in distant places. Whatever was bound to happen in my story did not happen. But I know there are rules that cannot be broken. Perhaps a name was changed. A small mistake. Perhaps a woman I do not know is facing the day with the heavy heart that, by all rights, should have been mine.
Reprinted from "Alive Together: New and Selected Poems," Louisiana State University Press, 1996, by permission of the author. Poem copyright (c) 1996 by Lisel Mueller. This weekly column is supported by The Poetry Foundation, The Library of Congress, and the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This column does not accept unsolicited poetry.
1. Grey Ice Water Sun Kil Moon 2. Piece of My Heart Erma Franklin 3. Opus 40 Mercury Rev 4. Freddie's Dead (Theme from "Superfly") Curtis Mayfield 5. Under Control The Strokes 6. Casanova 70 Air 7. I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine Beth Orton 8. Driving Sideways Aimee Mann 9. Wigwam Bob Dylan 10. 19th Nervous Breakdown The Rolling Stones 11. Abdulmajid Philip Glass 12. Blackbird Sarah McLachlan 13. Passenger Seat Death Cab for Cutie 14. Pioneer Skies Chemical Brothers 15. Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down Uncle Tupelo 16. Atomic Stop The Strokes 17. After Midnight Eric Clapton 18. Lord Anthony Belle & Sebastian
1. Go to Wikipedia. 2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box. 3. Post it!
Agent One-Half is an action-comedy film scheduled for release in the United States in 2007, starring, written and produced by Warwick Davis, who is best known as playing in the fantasy film Willow. Davis plays the title character, a dwarf secret agent who attempts to stop the film's antagonist, "The Heel", from sinking California to the bottom of the ocean.
I finally finished James Swanson's "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer" today. I don't read a lot of non-fiction. And when I do, it's very rarely historical. When "Manhunt" came out, though, I read several good reviews for it. Still, good review alones wouldn't normally drive me to read historical non-fiction. The real draw here was Dr. Samuel Mudd, the man who set John Wilkes Booth's leg and was consequently put in jail. Mudd is in my stepmother's family tree, and I've been interested in the Lincoln assassination since I learned there was a family connection.*
Swanson trashes Mudd nearly every time he mentions the doctor. The Mudd story according to the family was that Booth showed up unexpectedly at the Mudd home with a broken leg and that the doctor set the leg, not knowing that he was aiding the president's assassin. "Manhunt," on the other hand, says that while Booth's visit was unexpected, Mudd knew him and had actually been involved in a previous attempt to kidnap Lincoln. When Booth arrived at the house, the book says, Mudd hadn't yet heard about the assassination. But apparently he did learn of it before Booth left, and he didn't alert the authorities until well after Booth had gone on his way. I felt an odd sense of loyalty toward Mudd while I was reading all of this.
Also, I learned that John Wilkes Booth was apparently considered a hottie. To which I say: Seriously, 1800s?
Anyway, I enjoyed reading "Manhunt." It is, as advertised, a pretty thrilling read. And I'm proud of myself for actually finishing a book again. I abandoned the last two I tried to read. And this was a smarty-pants historical non-fiction book! Go me!
*Technically, she isn't my stepmom anymore. But we still claim her anyway. Love you, Mary!
Things I learned about myself at lunch today while wasting time taking internet personality quizzes: I am a martini; I am 44% open minded; I am french food; I am 37% American; I am a Mondrian; I am 63% liberal; I am very honest; I am a cream pie; I am a centaur; and last but not least, the recent president that I am most like: Bill Clinton.
here's my favorite description of the "tests" I took:
You Are a Glazed Donut
Okay, you know that you're plain - and you're cool with that. You prefer not to let anything distract from your sweetness. Your appeal is understated yet universal. Everyone dig you. And in a pinch, you'll probably get eaten.
Alex says, "By the way, This was a posting from Alex, not Nichole. Sorry for any confusion." (12:54 PM, November 08, 2006)
Amy says, "Well, Alex, I, too, am a glazed donut. That's for all the insight into you!" (1:51 PM, November 08, 2006)
Nichole says, "Perfect! Glazed donuts are my favorite." (1:59 PM, November 08, 2006)
Alex says, "Yeah, it seemed like an appropriate choice to me. Somedays, I wish I was made out of doughnut because then when I got hungry I could just chew on my finger and get a snack." (2:13 PM, November 08, 2006)
I have more than 11,000 words written on my NaNoWriMo project. And it still doesn't seem to have a plot.
I woke up this morning with no voice and a head full of congestion. Piper is teething, and she may have a touch of the cold I seem to have come down with. I see alot of PBS in our future today. And with that in mind...
You Are Cookie Monster
Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth.
You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around.
You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking
How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"
What color are your socks right now? Pink, yellow and orange stripes
What are you listening to right now? Witty banter on "Gilmore Girls."
What was the last thing that you ate? Caesar salad.
Can you drive a stick shift? Of course! My first car, an '87 Volkswagen Jetta, was a stick shift, so I had to learn.
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Cerulean.
Last person you spoke to on the phone? My mother-in-law, Genia.
Do you like the person who sent this to you? Absolutely!
How old are you today? 28
Favorite drink? Root beer.
What is your favorite sport to watch? Ballroom dancing.
Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes. Last Thursday. Highlighting counts as dye, right?
What is your spouse's best feature? Alex has beautiful eyes. And he's the nicest man on Earth.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure or famous person, who would it be? Bruce Springsteen.
Favorite food? Ice cream.
What was the last movie you watched? "The Departed."
Favorite day of the year? Christmas Eve.
What do you do to vent anger? Eat, sadly enough.
What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie
What is your favorite: fall or spring? Fall
Hugs or kisses? Hugs.
What TV show would you like to be on? "Gilmore Girls"
Living arrangements? With Alex and Piper.
When was the last time you cried? I don't recall.
What is on the floor of your closet? Clothes
What did you do last night? I read a little, then watched "CSI Miami" and worked on my nanowrimo project.
Favorite smells? Fresh baby and cookies.
What inspires you? My family.
Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheese
Favorite dog breed? Dachsund
Number of keys on your key ring? Five
How many years at your current job? Almost 15 months
Favorite day of the week? Saturday
How many states have you lived in? Three
Favorite holiday? Christmas
Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? No.
Who's your favorite NFL team? No football for me, thank you.
Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless? No.
10 inches of snow or 100-degree weather? Snow.
What would be your dream job? I'm doing it.
Favorite sport or activity to play? Um ... does scrapbooking count?
Favorite type of music? I have pretty ecletic tastes. My favorite is Wilco, though.
Your favorite age? Twenty-eight is going pretty well so far. Twenty-seven had its moments, but it also included the whole Holland thing. So. It doesn't make the cut.
Do you like getting these e-mails? This was a really long one, but for the most part, I do. I'll admit it. I like 'em.
We had Lowcountry Shrimp Pilaf for dinner last night. It's one of Cooking Light's quick dinners in the November 2006 issue. It was very easy, very quick and very tasty. And it was only 7 Points for a cup and a half! The magazine suggests serving it with crusty bread and a salad. I didn't do the salad, but the whole-wheat garlic bread I had in the freezer went very well with it.
The only thing I didn't enjoy about the dish was peeling the shrimp. Ugh.
Lowcountry Shrimp Pilaf 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil 1 1/2 cups prechopped green bell pepper 1 cup prechopped onion 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice 1 1/2 cups instant white rice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapenos, undrained
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion to pan; saute 2 minutes. Add garlic and Old Bay seasoning to pan; saute 1 minute. Add shrimp, wine, and clam juice; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Place pan over medium-high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon thyme and tomatoes; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme.
Anonymous says, "too funny, Nichole... I too posted a blog with a recipe in it, before I had seen yours today. I'm not trying to be like you, promise. ok, who am I kidding... yes I am. ;)" (11:11 AM, November 07, 2006)
Our fridge seems to hold more leftovers than anything else. I'm a little embarassed at how disorganized it is in there.
If you click on the picture you can take a little tour via Flickr notes.
posted by Nichole @ 10:21 AM
. . . . . comments . . . . .
Amy says, "The contents of Amy's refridgerator: skim milk, expired yoga, Coke Zero and condiments (probably expired, too). I am such a bachelorette." (10:37 AM, November 07, 2006)
Amy says, "Just read the comments on Flicker. I hate sausage but love "sass"age. Way to go, Nichole!" (11:11 AM, November 07, 2006)
2. I've started the Couch to 5K running plan. I tried it before, more than two years ago, but then I got pregnant and it took every ounce of my energy just to stand up. This morning I started the second week of the program. It's going well so far.
3. I wish my camera had a microphone so you could hear the adorable little footfalls. This is Piper running "so fast:"
Anonymous says, "That is awesome! She is so adorable! I need to learn how to do that utube thing! I did the couch to 5k thing gosh I guess over a year ago--i've been thinking about doing it again. It did work. But running in general is just hard for me. . . Good luck!" (9:53 AM, November 06, 2006)
Alex says, "Woohoo, look at her go! That's my girl!" (10:23 AM, November 06, 2006)
steph says, "holy crap, that's the cutest thing i've seen in a very long time...well, at least since pixie pi graced our home with her fluttery, dancey cuteness!
as for running, nein danke, frau. i ran so much in the army that the thought of propelling myself faster than speed-walking still makes me shudder. but i'm unathletic and soft like that...more power to you, chica!" (9:32 AM, November 07, 2006)
Kirsten says, "good for you - running (or even just walking really fast) in a 5K is impressive. best of luck!" (12:48 PM, November 07, 2006)
"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
MappyB says, "That's a fun one! I love any quizzes about 'What City Are You?' and all those geographic related ones. That's because I make maps and I'm cool like that. :)" (5:46 PM, November 05, 2006)
Alex says, "The Inland North. Yah." (10:47 AM, November 06, 2006)
Amy says, "I, too, am a Midlander." (4:59 PM, November 06, 2006)
Daisy says, "Does Wisconsin not count as "midland"? We're certainly inland North, and not all of us say "youse" or "y'know"." (9:58 PM, November 06, 2006)
Somehow, I missed the fact that there is a NoBloShoeMo photo pool on Flickr. It's too late now to join the "30 days of shoes" effort*, but I wanted to show you my new shoes anyway.
I first saw these boots this summer in Missouri, where the fancy-pants shoe store downtown was closing. I tried them on in a fit of goofiness. And I loved them. They were marked down quite a bit but not enough to satisfy my inate sense of cheapness. I went back to the store twice before it closed for good, but I never bought the shoes.
Months passed before I saw them again. I was at a TJ Maxx in North Carolina. And there they were. Cheaper than before. But we were about to move to Holland, and I was in spend-no-money mode, so once again, I bid them adieu.
Again, months passed. And just a few days before the Greatest Day of the Year, we were reunited.
Thanks, Al, for the rock star boots. I love them, and I promise I will wear them somewhere, someday.
*It says "Post daily, or once in a while, or when the shoe whim strikes." So I joined anyway.
Amy says, "The rock star boots are fantastic! You are one hot mama." (12:56 PM, November 05, 2006)
Rach says, "I'm so glad you got the boots! Also, I'm a dope. Happy Birthday!!" (5:56 PM, November 05, 2006)
Anonymous says, "ok, three things...
1.) I LOVE LOVE LOVE the rock stare boots!!! 2.) I LOVE LOVE LOVE the hardwood floors and exposed brick walls in your house!!! 3.) I was looking at the picture of Piper in the car and I can not for the life of me figure out how she's strapped in. I don't see a carseat. It looks like the belt comes directly out of the seat in the car. *boggles*" (6:59 AM, November 06, 2006)
Anonymous says, "yay! I'm the first commenter to say it... (the time difference helps!)... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!! *draws you a birthday cake for lunch*" (11:50 AM, November 04, 2006)
Amanda says, "Happy, happy birthday!!" (1:17 PM, November 04, 2006)
JaG says, "Happy birthday!" (7:28 PM, November 04, 2006)
Having Piper around has changed the way I view myself.
There was a time when getting dressed every morning was a struggle. Even after I lost 40 pounds, nothing fit -- or nothing fit the way I wanted it to fit. There were days I wanted to call in sick simply because everything I tried on touched me.
Now, even after gaining most of my 40 pounds back, those days are rare. Most days I just toss something on, and Piper and I go on about our day.
I'm not sure what it is about having her here that has changed things. It might just be that she needs me, and I don't have time for drama at the closet doors. Maybe it's her hugs. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself with 28 pounds of precious wrapped around you.
That being said, I know I still need to lose weight. I've started Weight Watchers again, and I've been trying to work out regularly.
The first time I joined Weight Watchers, it was because someone asked me when the baby was due. And there was no baby in the works! That was awkward! And embarassing!
So I joined Weight Watchers.
I was shocked at how much I weighed. Growing up, I don't remember there being a scale in the house. I always suspected I was heavy. In retrospect I think that may have been a little skewed by having a step-sister who cried in the tenth grade when she crested 100 pounds.
By the time I joined Weight Watchers, I was definitely quite overweight. I haven't reached that number again, but the weight has steadily crept back on. And sure, there are a few things I can blame for that. But I'm not going to pin this one on depression or baby weight or stress. If I do that, I'm likely not to change anything.
And I need to change something.
I want Piper to be healthy. I want her to be confidant. And she has to learn those things from me.
Amy says, "Dear Nichole, I heart you, too. And you're hot. That's SMOKING HOT. H-O-T. And I like your new haircut. Or is that Haircute?
Your friend, Amy" (11:13 AM, November 03, 2006)
Anonymous says, "Nichole, you inspire me. . . I need to get back on it as well! No more excuses!" (1:02 PM, November 03, 2006)
melissa says, "nichole, you are beautiful =D! keep your chin up :)
-mel" (3:09 PM, November 03, 2006)
Anonymous says, "you rock! *looks at tube around my midsection* you're not alone. --Becky p.s.-- I love Alex's note!" (7:25 PM, November 03, 2006)
ccap says, "Good for you! I'll cheer you on from the sidelines. And maybe one day, when I'm ready, I'll join you in your quest." (8:06 PM, November 03, 2006)
Amy sent me an email forward titled "Four Things About Me: Things you may not have known about me." I filled it out as ordered and sent it back to her. Then I decided to post most of it here, too. And I added a catch: One item in each category isn't true! Ha! Can you spot the fake?
Four jobs I have had in my life 1. movie theater concessionaire 2. phone psychic 3. Mary Kay lady 4. hotel desk clerk
Four Movies I have watched over and over 1. Groundhog Day 2. Shawshank Redemption 3. The Shining 4. Weekend at Bernie's
Four places I have lived 1. Franklin NC 2. Columbia MO 3. Bay City MI 4. Asheville NC
Four TV shows I love to watch 1. The Bachelor 2. Dancing with the Stars 3. Gilmore Girls 4. Lost
Four places I have been on vacation 1. Baudette, MN 2. Pigeon Forge, TN 3. Paris, France 4. Branson, MO
Four of my favorite foods 1. crab rangoon 2. nachos 3. banana pudding 4. ice cream
Four places I would rather be right now 1. Holland 2. I'm very happy where I am 3. I could tell you some people I would like to have here with me. 4. But that wasn't the question, was it?
The I Really Don't Have That Much Mad Villian Shuffle
1. Imitation of Life REM 2. Elegant Transaction Loose Fur 3. To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region Sufjan Stevens 4. Watch Out for Me Ronnie Yo La Tengo 5. Figaro Mad Villian 6. Rockin' the Suburbs Ben Folds 7. Mince Meat Danger Doom 8. Red Dust Iron and Wine / Calexico 9. Yesterday Cried Golden Smog 10. Rock 'n' Roll Part II Gary Glitter 11. Paper Bag Fiona Apple 12. Great Day Mad Villian 13. Nebraska Bruce Springsteen 14. I Always Wanted to Be a Tenenbaum Mark Mothersbaugh 15. Juanita Emmylou Harris 16. Porcelain Moby 17. Title and Registration Death Cab for Cutie 18. One of These Things First Nick Drake
1. Go to Wikipedia. 2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box. 3. Post it!
The SuperGrid is a proposed power grid which would use liquid hydrogen both as a fuel source and as insulation around the advanced powerlines so as to cool them down and render them superconducting.
This site began as an assignment. A few days after Al Gore invented the Internet, I took a class in writing for the Web. One of the requirements was that I have my own Web site. I registered esmon.net a little while before Alex and I were married. (What can I say? I'm optimistic.) It was used mainly as a holding ground for our resumes and my portfolio for a long time. Somewhere in the ensuing five or six years (I wasn't really keeping records), it became more of a personal site. Then, before they went by that awful name, I started reading "blogs," and a while later I found Blogger. And I thought, "That looks alot easier than coding all of this by hand."
So I signed up.
And a lot of stuff happened in between. We had a baby. Alex graduated. We moved. We moved again.
I started the site because I wanted to pass a class. I started a blog because I'm geeky and wanted our Web site to be prettier with less effort. I maintain the site as a blog because it's an easy way to keep our friends and family up to date without having to, you know, talk to them.* And because I'm still geeky.
*Kidding! I love you! I like talking to you! Really! But I don't like talking on the phone. It's not you. It's me. I do love you, though.
tmbg