It's a five-legged octopus, like this post!

Stuff from today, listed for your pleasure, but in no particular order:
1. The new Dancing with the Stars cast was announced this evening. Notable highlights include David Hasselhoff, Jennifer Grey and "The Situation" from Jersey Shore. Notable lowlights include Bristol Palin, Audrina Partridge and the obligatory Disney Channel person, Kyle Massey. The highlights, for now, are better than the lowlights, but we'll see as we get closer.
2. I wore longjohns, socks and my rain shoes, as well as a long-sleeved shirt, while out watering the grass. Those little biting shits will NOT get me again. I hate, hate, hate scratching my ankles, heels and legs all day. Their ability to destroy a good night's sleep also is a bad thing.
3. Sydney and I went through all her shoes this evening, so we could find more than the one pair of tennies for her to wear to school. The school requires sturdy shoes, which means not sandals or flip flops, and all her sturdy shoes are from last winter. About three pair are still comfortable, which is okay, but only two are strong enough to withstand school. Looks like Sydney and her mommy are off to the mall one day soon! As I told Sydney tonight, not to worry about us not getting her new shoes, because buying her new shoes is my second favorite thing to do at the mall.
4. I started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'm liking it a lot so far. I'm done reading tonight, but look forward to getting some pages read during Sydney's nap tomorrow, and then when she's at school on Wednesday. Yay reading!!
5. MOVIE NIGHT!! Clash of the Titans, starring one of my movie boyfriends, Sam Worthington. I didn't like the first incarnation of this movie. I appreciate that this one was less campy, but still, it wasn't wonderful. Worthington made it better, but still not a great movie. In thinking about it, I believe that I would watch it again, and may end up purchasing the DVD after all.

I like this one, with the seed packets

It's a good thing when you find a new Hallmark store. Having one close by is never underrated, but it's especially helpful if the store itself is a good, happy, stuffed full one. I found such a Hallmark store this afternoon, oddly concealed in a random corner of town. I went in to pick up a sympathy card for my dear friend, Maria, and ended up spending a bit of time wandering through the aisles, making a mental list for my first (if the gods are smiling on me) paycheck. The store was already stocked with Halloween stuff, including a pretty awesome dancing Frankenstein that Sydney didn't find as amusing as I did. Also, there was some Thanksgiving stuff, and they already had their Christmas ornaments displayed. (YES, there were cards there!) But most interestingly, for me, was that they had a decent selection of Sprinbok puzzles. Now, I prefer the company's 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzles, but they had a nice grouping of 500-piece and 1,000-piece puzzles, too. (In fact, in looking for an image to accompany this post, I happened on the Springbok web site. How had I never thought to check for that before!! So many puzzles available for purchase on the site!!)
But really, in seeing the puzzles there, all innocent and untouched, I knew ... absolutely knew ... that I had to christen my little dining room table with a new puzzle. I have a leaf extension I can use, too, so I could, technically, do a 2,000-piece puzzle. What I really do need though, is a tablecloth to spread over my puzzle when I'm not working on it. All the better to keep a toddler's fingers from messing with it and unintentionally dropping some pieces for the puppy to chew up and poop out.
I love me a good puzzle. I got to go get one. It's a sickness now. It's a necessity.

I enjoy a good award show

My Mommy says that since I'm so tired tonight, I don't have to blog.
But did you all watch the Emmys? I thought Jimmy Fallon killed! He was so fantastic! And that opening was marvelous!! The whole show just seemed to fly by in a giggle after a giggle after a giggle. Random remembrances: Clair Danes looked just perfect; Christina Hendricks' boobs almost injured people tonight; Amy Poehler looked amazing for someone who just had a baby three weeks ago; George Clooney is just awesome; Julianna Margulies and George Clooney together is the best ever; Lost, Matthew Fox, Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson got robbed; Glee deserved more love; and I guess I should watch Modern Family and Mad Men.
Now, I'm going to watch True Blood again, and then get to bed. Because, after all, I'm tired.

My ankles itch ... RIGHT NOW

I have no less that eight bug bites on my feet and ankles. I also have some very persistent and hungry bugs in my backyard. What I don't have is some gardening boots that will keep those damn bugs off my feet and ankles. I never thought that I'd need some of those boots/wellies, but let me say, these bugs are pissing me off. I also have two bites on my arm. I'm thinking that maybe a long-sleeved shirt may be in order, too!!
As for the job, I zipped over an e-mail to find out what the potential employer's timeline was for the hire, and heard back that they were about a week to 10 days away from making a decision. This is stressing me out. Not to forget the fact that I had two spelling errors in my two e-mails to this potential employer, one in each of the last two e-mails. This is bad news. In a big way. But, her e-mail was infused with humor over that, and if anything, these egregious errors will keep me front and center in her head. That could be good news. But on the extreme icky side, I know that I now have to wait a week to 10 days to find out my future with them.

Will there be a pretentious zone?

Well, I think that one went well. But I'm not talking about it, because I don't want to jinx it. But really, I think it went super well.
Also, I'm really tired. I think I may be in bed by 11 p.m. tonight.

So, did you hear the new movement afoot to create a "family" zone on airplanes? It's not really a movement, but more the perspectives of a bunch of travelers who responded to a blog or Internet query or something. But still, that's irritating. Do these people think that we, the people with children, enjoy the sound of them being annoying on an airplane? Do they think we encourage that behavior? I remember being a single person on a long plane flight with children sitting around me, and I gotta tell you, I never thought that families should have their own portion of the plane. That's just stupid. It's like putting people with peanut allergies in one section. Or loud talkers. Or people who snore. Or drinkers. What's next? A section of two rows of seats for every type of person or characteristic? Ridiculous. Besides, when a parent in paying full-seat fare for any child older than two, and where there is no differentiation on tickets at all, there is no way that something like this could even conceivably be enforced. I hope those travelers enjoy their current traveling situation: without children. Because when they have some smaller companions on the trip, their perspective will indeed change.

Anxious, but excited!

I'm anxious about tomorrow morning's job interview, and I really want to consider the job mine, but still, there's that fantastic scary thought rolling through my head that says that this could still blow up in my face, so I shouldn't get too cocky. FUN!! I'm a study in contradictions!!

1.21 GIGOWATTS!?!

So, I had a pretty good day. I got an e-mail back on one of my resumes from Saturday night. I had some real positive e-mails with the editor who contacted me, and an incredibly good conversation with her when she called me for an interview! YAY!! I've got a really good feeling about this one, you all. The job responsibilities themselves are very similar to something I've already done, and I seem to have everything that they could want from an associate editor. Oh yeah, and I'm awesome. They'd be lucky to have me!
Also, today was Sydney's first day back at school. The best part of the morning, was as I was leaving her, I said, "Okay, honey. I'm going. I'll see you in a bit." She responded, "Okay, Mommy! Bye!" She had a really good day. (Now, if I get a job this week, we may have to make some classroom changes, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.)
And tonight, Brian and I are watching Back to the Future. On Nick at Nite. Realizing that this movie is 25 years old, and we both saw it in the theater. I remember having a picture of "Marty McFly" in my notebook at school! Such a wonderfully innocent movie! Right now, the cable is unplugged atop the town hall and Doc is trying to reattach it, and Marty has driven the DeLorean down the street. Heavy suspense!! I love it!

And I still haven't had a bite of it yet

I spotted this ad on the back of my Cheesecake menu this afternoon. It was a bit off-putting to me, actually. It smacked me in the face with a sense of weird irony, but then also guilt, and some inappropriate humor.
Check it out: it's a piece of cheesecake, that when you buy it, the restaurant will donate some of the money to a stop-hunger organization. Basically, it says, "HEY! You're all full from eating a ridiculous amount of food from The Cheesecake Factory? You thinking of making your stomach distend a bit more by shoveling in some dessert? Try this decadent and sinfully rich cheesecake! And when you're done feeding your face and eating enough for three people, we'll go ahead and donate a QUARTER to families in your very own country that are STARVING! Don't you feel better about yourself now?"
Really, when I read it, I thought, well, that's making me feel bad about having a big lunch. And then I thought, well, okay, so let's go ahead and take a piece of this good-Samaritan cheesecake home so we can eat it later, when we get hungry again. And then I thought, Hmmm, this is weird.

Saturday ... Sat-ur-day

It's raining outside, which is nice.
We bought Oliver a replacement for the lamb doll that Daisy killed several months ago, and he's sleeping with it right now.
Daisy, meanwhile, chewed up Sydney's plastic stethoscope. Looks like someone will need a new doctor's kit for her birthday!
After three days of just dealing with them, I have finally put calamine lotion on the three bug bites on my two ankles.
I have already seen both of the new movies being shown on HBO and Cinemax tonight.
Sydney is sleeping through this rainstorm, and she'll be pissy about it tomorrow morning.
There is nothing yummy to eat for dessert.
I'm watching Ronin, and Robert DeNiro looks really scared while driving in this car chase.
I'm kinda hungry.

I'll see your paranoia, and raise you a haiku

I'm a little anxious today. I sent out four resumes on Sunday night, and I didn't hear back on any of them this week. Nor have I heard from the web site about the "other" editorial position that they'd like to consider me for. My goodness, don't these people know how lucky they would be to have me? You know, paranoia is beginning to set in. Are my skills that unmarketable right now? Is my resume crazy unattractive because I've been out of the workforce for the last four years? Should I rethink my career choice? When can I cry? Seriously, if the universe was interested in making me sweat over this one, it's working!
So, I present a haiku in honor of the universe, so maybe it'll cut me some slack, and throw me a bone in the form of a job I'll like.

Oh universe, I dig you,
Been working out, stud?
Use your might: a job would rock.

It's The Batman, and he's funny!

Okay, I kind of HAVE to blog about someone new that I'm following on Twitter. He's The Batman, and his tweets are pretty fantastic. I had NO IDEA that The Batman had such a wonderfully dry sense of humor! I'll share some of my favorite tweets with you:

~ Caught Robin lifting his shirt and pointing at his abs in the mirror. Not sure what he meant by "The Situation", but I'm canceling cable.
~ America's Got Talent audition. Howie said "brooding" wasn't a talent. So I showed him my other talent, "groin strike batarang."
~ Sorry folks. The Most Interesting Man in the World doesn't do beer commercials. He wears a cape and cripples d-bags wearing question marks.
~ Sometimes Bruce Wayne lets himself get pick-pocketed on purpose. I like to have an ass-kicking already lined up before I start patrols.
~ Robin, I don't care if the 15 ft. screen "makes you feel like you're there." YOU'RE NOT WATCHING THE TEEN CHOICE AWARDS ON THE BATCOMPUTER!
~ Headline "Love Boat: Billionaire Playboy Absconds with Russian Male Ballet Troupe." WORST ALIBI EVER ALFRED!!
~ The Batman doesn't need shark repellent. Sharks need Batman repellent.
~ If at first you don't succeed, you're probably not The Batman.
~ Changed Robin's ringtone to sound like a 9MM semi-automatic. Good to keep that kid on his toes.

Now, the best part about Twitter is that you never really know who is tweeting what. But this person is crazy creative, and funny, being The Batman! I can't wait to see what he tweets tomorrow!

Get it? FRENCH fries?? HA!

ITEM!: Things that I should not have eaten today, Wednesday edition: McDonald's for lunch, Reese's peanut butter cups for snack, eggrolls for after-dinner snack, and a cinnamon roll for dessert. It is ridiculous to me that I can not keep myself from eating something that my tummy is convinced is really tasty, even though I know that exactly four seconds after I eat the thing, I will regret it. So, tomorrow is another day to eat better and be a healthier person. It's nice that every morning is a fresh beginning to a day. (And that may be the most obvious statement I've ever made.)
ITEM!: I've got an opinion on the mosque that wants to be housed near Ground Zero. That I have an opinion should not come as a surprise to you. Nor, I think, will my opinion. Arguments like this are exactly the reason why the United States should be held to a higher standard. Hell yes, the people should be "allowed" to place a mosque on that piece of street. And hell yes, they should be able to do it without demonstrations, protests and politicians turning the ignorant into indignant ignorant, which is even worse. It's not just about freedom of religion, but also freedom to gather. I'm constantly blown away by how red politicians use and abuse the Constitution to further their own ends, but declare it sacrosanct when it serves their purposes. That this is even a "fight" that people around the country feel they can weigh in on is a travesty to the Muslim organizers' rights. Making it worse is that people actually do believe that a Muslim community center and mosque is a terrorist-making venue, rather than a peaceful gathering place. Let these people build their "church" where they want. Get over it, people.
ITEM!: I have an idea for Sydney's birthday, and I'm getting super excited about it: a big-girl bed. I'm talking about a mattress, box spring and bed frame; a flat sheet, fitted sheet and blanket; a quilt and pillow sham; and a regular pillow to lay her little head upon. I'm thinking Ikea for the twin-sized mattress and box spring. (Katy got her bed there, and she likes it. This is a high recommendation for me.) As for the linens, well, you know me, nothing but Pottery Barn Kids for my girl. I can't wait for the newest catalog to arrive so I can drool over the selection. I'll give Sydney her two or three patterns to choose from, so she'll have the bed she wants for her big day. I can't believe she's going to be four!
ITEM!: The MASTER PLAN for getting my "stuff" together is moving along pretty well. I sent in Assignment 9 for my children's writing course this morning. Do not give me a hard time about how long it's taken me to do this. It took seven months to get this thing written and sent. I don't think that Assignment 10 is going to be too time-intensive either, and will get that done as soon as I hear back on Assignment 9. I will finish this course by the end of this year. That is a declaration. File it under "MASTER PLAN (comma) writing course."
ITEM!: My body is a bit sore tonight. Because Dan is no longer working on Thursday, and because Sydney and I have her preschool open house Friday morning, I trained on Monday, Tuesday and today. Three consecutive days with the trainer is a special kind of hell both bad and incredibly good. I can feel the good that my body gets out of a few good workouts, and it makes me happy. Happy with a whole lot of Advil, but happy nonetheless.
ITEM!: I miss you, Lisa!! :)

I smile at the prolific use of "shit"

I am still in the process of getting my shit together. Who knew that it would take a few days to get it all pulled in and then dealt with? (It's all fun and games until I decide to get my shit together!!) I'd love to list out the things that I've been working on, but they're all random and basic stuff that only means something to me, and you all would find it kind of, well, random. So, right now I consider myself to be somewhat of a work in progress. In fact, I really like that. It's little stuff that is making the difference in my life right now, and I'm on top of it. My shit be coming together!! I'm pretty proud of myself.

And the MASTER PLAN is born

My Facebook status this morning read: Kimberly needs to get her shit together. I used an asterisk for the "i" in shit, but the implication was there, and everyone understood exactly what I meant. I knew it, too. That actually was exactly what Mom said to me this morning as we discussed my speeding ticket, and other assorted balls I've dropped over the last couple weeks.
So my goal, today, was to get my shit together. It didn't really feel like anything concrete I needed to take care of, but instead, more of an attitude shift. In that, I created my list of things to do today, which included writing out Assignment 9 for my writing course (which has been on my list since February); addressing cards to send out Sydney's Summer 2010 photo (since June); and organizing my office area (since ever).
This shift in the head was only the first phase of my new MASTER PLAN.
The MASTER PLAN has no definite shape or substance right now, save that it needs a job to be fully realized. I can roll with the little things for now, while I search for the job. But I look forward to the MASTER PLAN.
Within the confines of the MASTER PLAN, I have my shit together.

Reflections on Sunday

First, an update on Daisy: As I predicted, there was indeed a poop from her body on the grass late Friday night. This made me feel much better. (Her, too, I'm sure!!) Though her plastic-eating ways continue. Today, the Silver Surfer lost his head.
In other news, I did get to see two new movies yesterday: (500) Days of Summer and Tooth Fairy. The last of which I was prohibited from mentioning on Facebook, since Brian was embarrassed that we watched it. (It was kinda cute, and definitely cheesy!) Today, no new movies, but I did get to take a nap.
Also, I waited too long to deal with my speeding ticket, and discovered that, if I wanted to do traffic school, I would have to complete the course tonight or tomorrow (must be done seven days before court date!). And the school costs about $20 more than the ticket itself. The cost isn't really a factor, well, the $20 isn't, but the truncated time table certainly is a problem. I could do the online class, but that is what cost the more money. And with no last-minute babysitter available, I knew I couldn't go to a real class tomorrow. And I certainly DO NOT want to have to go to court. So, a check paying the fine, it will be. Grr. But, oh well.
Job news: I applied for a couple editorial positions tonight (LOVE the Internet!), and will hope to hear from them soon. One is actually just right down the street! It's getting super stressful in my house about the job/income thing, and I feel a pit in my stomach lately when I consider our expenses versus our income. Especially now with school starting. It's ridiculous how tough of a time I'm having finding something. But I'll tell you something: I'm still holding out for the other editorial job from the web site I interviewed with. I really, really hope that comes through ... and soon.
I painted my toenails with the blue nail polish last night. This is a good omen. When the toenails are blue, good things happen.

A poopy situation

I think Daisy may have a poop blockage. Yesterday, she ate a long piece of plastic accessory from from Sydney's Cars Lego set, a six-inch long gas hose, and I have yet to see it reappear. This, of course, concerns me.
Before watering the grass every afternoon, I grab a (biodegradable) bag and go about the knoll searching for poop to pick up. Today, I found only one of Oliver's. Usually, there are two poops per dog, and Daisy's are always right in front and smaller. (Dog moms know these things!!) Oliver takes his time and ventures to the outer grass area. Daisy, obviously, waits until the last minute, and therefore has to run outside and drop her load on the very first blade of grass she comes upon. Today though, there was only one Oliver poop. Again, this is cause for concern.
However, she's not showing any sign of physical distress. And in watching her, you wouldn't think that she has some blockage, or even a minor case of constipation. Also, she's still eating fine, too.
I do hate it so much when the dogs are a concern. The last thing my fragile heart needs is a very real health issue with one of the pups. I'll be eager to check the grass tomorrow morning.

After this, no more heat complaints

I had that moment this afternoon where I realized that I was DONE, with a capital D-O-N-E, with the heat of the summer.
This morning, it was hot when Sydney and I got in the car to go to the gym. It was hot when we left the gym. We spent a couple hours at the pool with Nicole and Ella, and it was hot. Getting into the car after the pool, it was crazy hot. Getting into the car, before and after swim school, was hot. Grocery store trip this afternoon was ... well, anyway.
This afternoon, as I watered the grass in the backyard, and sweat from the heat, I had that moment when my head just went, "You know what, this sucks right now. WHEN is autumn?" And even that season doesn't guarantee cooler weather. I see shorts weather well into October.
Ho hum. ... ... "Feel it, hot, hot, hot!"

And now, she can open everything

I removed all the childproofing from my house today. It went surprisingly well, and fast. That nifty Black & Decker drill with the screwdriver bit is a fantastic piece of machinery when it comes to doing some quick screw extractions. It's going to be weird for us though, re-learning how to open drawers and cabinets in the kitchen without first reaching for the magnet keys on the microwave door and cabinet door hinge. I must have reached for the keys about a hundred times since this afternoon. Even better was Brian's description of how he first thought to open the pantry, without just trying the door, looked for the key, realized that the key was missing from the microwave door, and was a beat away from bitching about how the key was lost, before he realized that he could just reach out and open the door now. Sydney was my removal assistant, and we discussed AT LENGTH that this was happening now because she's a big girl who knows where she is permitted to go, and what is not allowed. As an example, she heard the statement, "You actually do not go into ANY of these cabinets or drawers at all, unless Mommy or Daddy say so," more than a couple times. As Mom said, "Now you've got a grown-up house again!" Still, I'm having to remind myself that I can just reach for the pantry door and open it ... simple as that.

HEADLINE: Sunburn steals blog idea!

I did not think that a mere couple hours in this morning's sun would toast me as well as it did today. By the afternoon hours, I could feel tighter skin on my forehead, and my shoulders were a little sore to the touch. And once I got out of the shower, I could see the redness all over my shoulders, back and chest, not to forget my nose and forehead (I didn't even wear my hat! ACK!).

You know what's funny? I remember having a fabulous blog topic, and I remember telling my self NOT TO FORGET IT, but I totally have forgotten what this wonderful topic was going to be. I am a shell of a creative person! All I have is the potential for witty and fantastic blog-ness! I can not follow through on this, and it's draining me!

Their simpler life is probably boring

I do so enjoy the aftereffects of a good cry. (Men probably wouldn't get this at all, I think, but you girls out there must know what I'm talking about.) I've had a pit in my stomach for a couple days, and this afternoon, I was able to purge. Such a lovely feeling sometimes, the emotional purge. It makes everything feel better, even if it really doesn't change the circumstances of the anger/frustration/sadness/melancholy. Since this afternoon, after the purge, I've felt the slightest bit lighter on my feet. No more ick feeling. It's better now.

Also, I read an article about a couple who minimized their life to the point of a 100-per person material item lifestyle. That includes kitchen items, clothing, electronics and sport items. This fascinates me principally because I envy someone who could do this, but also because I know so well that I would never be able to do this. The couple has no car, uses a bicycle, only one pot and one pan in the kitchen, and two pairs of shoes each. I won't admit to 100 pairs of shoes, but I certainly could say that I've got 100 single shoes. My goodness, I have no idea which ones I'd keep if I had to wheedle my shoe closet to even five pair, let alone two. Ridiculous. But the motivation behind this purge of their material things was the desire to get out of debt. They donated, stopped buying and lived life simpler, and were able to get out of $30,000 in debt in three years. Certainly impressive. But once out of debt, how do you not go out and buy at least another pair of shoes, or pants, or a television. The whole thing is beyond my abilities. Like I said, I envy and fear an idea such as this.

Was it seven episodes? Or eight?

I actually sat on my sofa for about eight hours this afternoon, watching all of (so far) season three of True Blood. Katy got all caught up on season two the other week, and, since she doesn't have HBO, I volunteered our Sunday and my HBO On Demand. It was a perfectly lovely day, remembering random bits of episodes that I had forgotten, shielding my daughter from violence and ick that she didn't need to see, and successfully getting my hubby hooked on the show, too. Since Sydney managed to get to sleep without asking me anything about blood, long teeth or those scary dogs, I consider my day an absolute success.
I am, though, surprised to find that someone can get very tired just sitting on the sofa all day. Of course, I still got up here and there -- get a dog treat, water the backyard grass, make some mac and cheese, put the baby to bed, etc. But as a whole, I'll say that my day was spent quite ass-on-sofa.

I'm Lightning McQueen! KA-CHOW!!

Dude. I got a speeding ticket today. A real, side-of-the-road pulling over speeding ticket. Honestly, I think the officer was kinda hiding, which is their way, but in the end, I'll admit to not really looking for him or paying that much attention. So, I got clocked for going 86 mph on a 75-mph freeway. The officer informed me, after he checked my license, registration and insurance, that 86 was considered criminal speeding in Arizona. He decided that I didn't really fit the "criminal speeder" mold, so wrote my ticket for 85 mph. I stood on the side of the freeway, in the Arizona heat, for about 20 minutes this afternoon while he wrote the ticket, and we discussed movies, Mark Wahlberg and date nights. He was a cool guy, but still, he'd be cooler if he let me go with a warning. On the up side, I had a valid Arizona driver's license, so there was no ticket for that. Still, the day would be considered more of a success, if I had gotten away without a ticket. Damn.
Traffic school, here I come!

And the lion ROARS with laughter

Sydney's favorite jokes, as of today:

Why did the chicken cross the road? ... To get to the other side!

Why did the chicken cross the playground? ... To get to the other slide!

Knock, knock. ... Who's there? ... Banana. ... Banana who? ... Can we split?

Knock, knock. ... Who's there? ... Who. ... Who who? ... Is there an owl out there?

Knock, knock. ... Who's there? ... Boo. ... Boo who? ... Why are you crying?

Also, because she doesn't understand what a banana split is, and doesn't get the correlation for that joke, she will insert every fruit she knows in the joke, and laugh just as hard. It's funny, so I laugh, too.

Today is awesome!

ITEM!: I am beyond super excited that California's Proposition 8 was overturned today! Why this is still up for debate is impossible, when equality for all people should be a done deal. I love that all my friends are in a spin, happy and ecstatic that this case of "modern-day bigotry in action" (per Jeannine), has once again been struck down by ... oh, this little thing called CONSTITUTIONALITY. Cheers to the judge who saw reason beyond the ignorance out there, and here's to hoping that this ruling will be the beginning of the end of this kind of awful discrimination.
ITEM!: The oil spill may be completely stopped, after a ridiculous amount of days. While the continuing spew of oil may be in the past, now we can only look forward to the years and years and years that it will take for the environment to recover from this incident. I fear that the push for an oil-free existence will again be put on the back burner, now that the physical evidence of its dangers is gone. I hope that the damage actually turns out to be fixable, but more so, I hope that soon we'll be able to look at our dependence on oil as the "by-gone days."
ITEM!: I finally finished setting up my MobileMe account! I think it may actually be worth it, since I have decided that it is frickin' cool to have my calendar roll with changes from the computer, to the iPad to the iPhone. Of course, I had to spend about 30 minutes on iChat with a MobileMe technician because there was a random hitch in my get-along, but beyond that, it's working awesome right now. I especially like having everything on my phone without having to input it on the phone. (Tiny keyboard!) I am told that my new iPhone 4 should make the switch seamlessly, too.
ITEM!: I am getting an iPhone 4! My husband still refused to buy it for me, so I hit up my mama. (The phone is ordered, and should be in my hot little fist in about two weeks.) Anyway, Mom got some hidden cash from a hidden glockenspiel bought by a person, and POOF! Now, I get my own iPhone 4, because I AM SPOILED.
ITEM!: I have added to my "To-Be Read" pile The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson. This book is getting an incredible amount of positive buzz, and many of my friends have read it. I admit to wanting to read it so I'll know what all the fuss is about, but I really hope that my expectations aren't so high that I'm horribly disappointed and (worse) bored by it. But I have another book to read first, so Dragon Tattoo will have to wait a bit longer.
ITEM!: Also, I don't understand the random sprites and muses dancing around in Sookie's dream in Sunday's True Blood. Just weird. Sometimes this show goes too far off the map.

Goin' night-nights

I don't know what it is lately, but once 10 p.m. rolls around, I get tired. Like, staring at the computer zoning out tired. I just caught myself doing it, and got a giggle out of my level of tiredness, versus my level of laziness in getting off the sofa and preparing for bed. Anyway, since I have nothing else to do tonight, and there's nothing interesting on television except this showing of Tropic Thunder, I will get my butt off the sofa and head into my bedroom. Tired, so tired. I just yawned again.

And stars in their eyes...

I'm on a weird, mental mission lately. I've not spoken of it, to anyone, but here it is: I think my kid, and my husband, need a random day in the forest. This is particularly difficult to pull off because we live in the desert, but also because getting to the forest takes some time. The catalyst of this was a couple of my Facebook friends taking day and weekend jaunts to the mountains, and their photos of these adventures posted after. I think Sydney would enjoy a nice hike through the trees, and I think Brian and I would enjoy the fresh air. Also, per Josh's family outing, s'mores.