No swan! No swan!!

I am incredibly pleased that I did not make my mom sit through Black Swan with me over the weekend. I just finished watching it by myself, up in my room, and didn't enjoy it much at all. The crazy, sure, but the psychological ick factor, with the blood and the feathers and the stabbing, was yuck. I can see where ... visually ... it was considered a stunning movie, and how performance-wise, it was incredibly compelling, but as for the personal entertainment scale in my head, it was lacking. I should have watched Fair Game, but then I'd be watching Black Swan tomorrow night. So, I guess I'm glad I got through it tonight, and now it's not hanging out anymore ... except for on my psyche!

Movies for the week

I have so much stuff to watch this week, it's crazy. And my plan is to watch it all by Friday. I've got three movies: Fair Game, Black Swan and The King's Speech. Brian picked up Arrested Development, Season 1 at Best Buy today, and I'm actually really excited to watch that, too. This plan shouldn't be too difficult to cover, as there is no television at all worth watching for the next couple weeks. My concern comes from my tendency to love watching HBO, and Brian's tendency to fall asleep on the sofa after Sydney goes to bed. But I feel a need to follow through, so, my plan is a solid one.
Tuesday: The King's Speech
Wednesday: Black Swan
Thursday: Fair Game
Friday, and into the weekend: Arrested Development
And the punishment is, that if they aren't all watched by Friday, they all get sent back. I actually do want to see all three of those movies, so I'm confident.

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, oh my!!

The girls and I went to the movies last night and saw Bridesmaids. I had heard really good things about it, and I'm happy to say that it totally lived up to the hype! It was super clever, rude and raunchy when it needed to be, and shocking when it would make the most impact. Also, it was super cool watching it with my girls.
Today, Sydney and I took Mom and Daddy to the petting zoo and farm for a lovely morning. You know, it's amazing how my appreciation and like for some foods have grown since I've had Sydney. It's imperative to eat something in front of my kid before she'll try it. So, food that I've discovered that I like because I ate it in front of Sydney so she'd try it: fresh blueberries, cucumbers, kiwi, raspberries, fresh peas, edamame, and blackberries (the berries I've always liked in a pie, or in a mixture, but never so much on their own. Not the case anymore). So wandering through the rows of berries this morning was a new and wonderful experience for me because it was just as much fun to eat the fruit as to pick it.

Life is like a box of ... shrimp?

We had dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. tonight for Connie's birthday. Traveling down to Santa Monica after spending the entire day in the car wasn't at the top of my list, but I rolled with it, and once we got there, it was a good time. I was the only person at the table to order shrimp as my entree. And Sydney ate fish and chips. It was crazy!
But more fun was the trivia portion of our dinner. The waitress, who is too adorable to work there without also going out on auditions every afternoon, asked us a series of trivia questions. There was not a free dessert at the end of this particular Q&A, though Matthew and I kicked butt on it pretty well.
Trivia we knew:
Forrrest's girlfriend is Jenny.
Forrest's two sports, besides running: football, ping pong.
Forrest's favorite book: Curious George
Forrest's fishing boats: Jennys
Forrest's musician friends: Elvis and John Lennon
Forrest's favorite soda: Dr. Pepper
Forrest's Dr. Pepper tally at White House: 15
Forrest's comment to JFK: "I gotta pee."
Lt. Dan's wife: Susan
Lt. Dan's leg lost: both.
Lt. Dan's new leg material: titanium.
Bubba's full name: Benjamin Buford Blue

Those are all I can remember right now. I impressed my mom, and that's all that matters. Sydney didn't care how much I knew.

West! Through the desert and to the ocean!

I always enjoy the night before I head off to California. I'm usually packed and ready to go to bed at a decent time, as I am tonight. I'm usually looking forward to a few good visits with my nearest and dearest friends, as I am this weekend, except for one, dear Lisa, who is out of town, which makes me sad. I'm excited about the traveling, but dreading the time spent behind the wheel with no one to share the burden. (At least Sydney is better company now than she was years ago when we did the drive together.) I've got the kid's backpack of goodies mostly filled up, and the iPad is plugged in and charging. Snacks, also, are all bagged up and ready to go. All I need is a good night's sleep; to wake up on time; a yummy Starbucks for the road ahead; and a safe drive.

That's Penelope Cruz and Jeff Bridges as Belle and the prince, from Beauty and the Beast, in that picture. I love these Disney ads. They are just so pretty, and happy. Oh, well of course they make me want to go to Disneyland, but not this weekend.

And Hines takes the trophy

So, I'll start off tonight's eagerly anticipated blog post with the winner of this season's Dancing with the Stars competition: Hines Ward, and his partner, Kym Johnson. I'm quite pleased with the outcome, even if it isn't Maks and Kirstie Alley winning. I kinda cheated tonight though, when discovering the winner. We watched the season finale of Glee, and it happened to be over with just five minutes left of DWTS. I took over the remote and changed the channel. All the payoff, none of the waiting, or Brooke. (I am watching it right now, though! I can't miss all the crazy of the results show!)

Kirstie and Chelsea exit the ballroom

I posted this article on my Facebook page today, in regards to the preacher guy deciding, after the fact, of course, that he actually wasn't right about declaring the Rapture for last Saturday. My personal favorite quote about the whole thing was that he was "flabbergasted" that the event didn't happen as he had predicted. Here's the text though, for the guy's recalculation of the date of the Rapture. As Amber so accurately called it, "whack job."

Preacher says world will actually end in October
A California preacher who foretold of the world's end only to see the appointed day pass with no extraordinarily cataclysmic event has revised his apocalyptic prophecy, saying he was off by five months and the Earth actually will be obliterated on Oct. 21.
Harold Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday before catastrophe struck the planet, apologized Monday evening for not having the dates "worked out as accurately as I could have."
He spoke to the media at the Oakland headquarters of his Family Radio International, which spent millions of dollars -- some of it from donations made by followers — on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.
It was not the first time Camping was forced to explain when his prediction didn't come to pass. The 89-year-old retired civil engineer also prophesied the Apocalypse would come in 1994, but said later that didn't happen then because of a mathematical error.
Through chatting with a friend over what he acknowledged was a very difficult weekend, it dawned on him that instead of the biblical Rapture in which the faithful would be swept up to the heavens, May 21 had instead been a "spiritual" Judgment Day, which places the entire world under Christ's judgment, he said.
The globe will be completely destroyed in five months, he said, when the apocalypse comes. But because God's judgment and salvation were completed on Saturday, there's no point in continuing to warn people about it, so his network will now just play Christian music and programs until the final end on Oct. 21.
"We've always said May 21 was the day, but we didn't understand altogether the spiritual meaning," he said. "The fact is there is only one kind of people who will ascend into heaven ... if God has saved them they're going to be caught up."

The fact that this guy can be all, sorry, my math was wrong about an impending apocalypse, and still be listened to on any level is ridiculous. That he's been wrong a couple times before makes him even more ... well, I don't want to use the word laughable, but ... laughable.
I love that these things tend to fall apart on the true believers. It's like when a bull bloodies the matador. It's the best way for an event to end, with both the matador eating shit in the ring, and the guy who thinks everyone who doesn't believe in what he believes will die a fiery death no matter what also eats shit on television.

Eagerly waiting for "Fast SIX"

I do enjoy going to the movies by myself. This morning, while Sydney was at school, I took to the theater, and caught an early-morning show of Fast Five. I treated myself to some popcorn and a bottle of water, and sat back to enjoy two hours of cheesy summer movie (my favorite kind).
I was one of only three people in the theater, which means I got my perfect seat: in the middle of the row, front of the section. What I found weird was that, alone in a theater, I was a bit intimidated to laugh at any of the few giggly parts. So, I smiled to myself, and thought about how awesome it will be to watch this movie in my own home when I buy the DVD (because I will).
Also, oh my god, Dwayne Johnson is a hulking, hulking guy. We watched his movie, Faster, last night, and Brian and I discussed that he's just too big to be real. And having seen how much larger he is than Vin Diesel, not just height, which he is by about six inches, but by shear muscle size, is amazing. It's kind of awesome, but also kind of scary. He's really, really big.

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Kirstie Alley ~ 3 votes. Now, I know that the last time this show was won by popularity, I got super mad. But this season, even though I love Hines Ward and think he should win, I'd still rather see Kirstie take home the trophy. And Maks, of course. I must see him win.
Hines Ward ~ 2 votes. And because I couldn't just not vote for him, Hines got two-fifths of my voting power. He's just so happy.
Chelsea Kane ~ 0 votes. Sorry. I mean, she's really cute and everything, but I just want to see the other two win.

Arizona's pretty, when it's not too hot

Okay, so I haven't been busy these last few days, but we did have a lovely weekend at the lake with Lisa, Brad and Katy. I'm gonna bullet point it for you, because that might be fun for me.
~ There's nothing that gets your blood pumping more than a crazy, 10-mile-per-hour-limit, windy, up and down, dirt road that goes on for miles. Add to those adjectives that the road also is traveled by big, fat trucks pulling boats, and the whole thing gets hairier.
~ While scary roads get your blood pumping, icy, freezing cold water, tends to shut down your system and make you swim quicker to get your butt back on the boat!
~ I need a better system for keeping things cool on our next trip. My family doesn't survive well without enough milk and other snack foods. Also, maybe a bigger cooler, but that's a silly expense since what we've got is perfect for every other purpose.
~ I still refuse to learn to water ski, and I'm just as okay with it as I was when I was 12 years old. I prefer to ski on frozen water, as well as to movie under my own propulsion. But then again, that inner tube was pretty fun. Sydney thought so, too.
~ There can be a good chicken salad made with sour cream and mustard. I never would have thought that to be the case, but there is. And I'm excited for the recipe so I can make some myself.
~ If you can't have a weekend without your kid, having one with plenty of other people around to help keep eyes on the kid is just as good.
~ Don't bother washing the car before driving along those dirty roads.
~ Having done this once, now I'll be a better packer for next time.
~ Scorpions glow bright green when shined on by a black light. It's pretty awesome to see.
~ A cat can catch a lizard as big as its head.
~ Sunscreen actually can help prevent sunburns, especially when you apply it.

Capt. Jack in the HOUSE!!

I'm feeling pretty giddy right now. Brian and I have our tickets for the early showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides tomorrow morning. They usually don't work out in my favor, these early morning movies. But on this day, a 9-ish a.m. Pirates showing is exactly the right movie at exactly the right time. And my tickets are snug as a bug in my wallet, just waiting for their turn to admit Brian and I into our happy movie place.
Honestly, it's the little things that make me so ridiculously happy lately. And being given the extra couple hours so I can see a new movie with my hubby without having to pay a babysitter is just the perfect little thing I need!

Loving these telescope pics!!

I particularly enjoy summer evenings after television is done for the season. It means that, on nights like tonight, where there's nothing decent on TV and I'm totally exhausted and having a hard time keeping my eyes open, I can get ready for bed before 10 p.m. and not get distracted by anything to watch.
I'm sitting here, with the computer on my lap, yawning, trying to keep my eyes open, and attempting to pay as much attention to my task at hand as possible. But, as I said, this is the last thing I plan on doing tonight, before getting to bed before 10 p.m. It's such a treat. And it makes me a happy person.
We had a lovely time at Sydney's class party this morning. The kids all did a bunch of swimming; the parents did all kinds of socializing; and everyone was merry. Side note: the Scottsdale Princess pool bar makes a delicious, if spicy, Bloody Mary.
Also, and more irritatingly, my car is no longer under warranty. So, the lovely, and inclusive, 40,000-mile service was a bit more expensive than I had planned. Still, they checked everything, and the car is in perfect working order for the next several months, including the trip out to Texas. I'll not need someone to check it over for another 10,000 miles, and that's a good thing. I need to find me a certified VW technician that owns his own shop, rather than the dealership, once we get to Houston. I guess we'll call that Item #1 on my Houston list.

Houston List
Item #1: Certified VW technician that won't cost as much as the dealership.

Wax off ... the ballroom floor

We've got a lot going on over the next few weeks. I won't tell you right now, because that wouldn't be as much fun as spreading it out over the blog through that time frame.
But actually, tomorrow is the party for Sydney's class. Last year, the party was at the railroad park. This year, it's at a fancy resort in town, where the organizers have rented four cabanas in the pool area. The venue has food and drink that can be ordered off the menu. The pool has a beach entrance. The cabanas have sofas. The drinks may have alcohol. It should be pretty fantastic. I'm eager to tell you about it tomorrow.
Though tonight, all I can say is that I'm glad Ralph Macchio was asked to leave Dancing with the Stars. I got a distinctly whiny feeling from him.He bugged me. That may be blasphemy, since my generation is all about The Karate Kid, but I just wasn't down with Macchio as a competitor on my favorite ridiculous television show. His partner, Karina, is always good, and she put forth a valiant effort. But Macchio just didn't do it for me.

Missed the launch .... blah, blah, blah

I may have done a good job of not seeming completely bitter on Facebook today regarding the launch, but I really, really, really still am pissed as hell that I missed it. I watched the launch every time it was covered on the news, and Sydney and I watched it online twice. The first time I saw it, I almost cried. The second time, I had to explain to Sydney why we weren't there to see it. And every time it popped up on television news the rest of the afternoon, it was like a knife in the heart. To be so close, and yet, so far away. It sounds cliche, but with this particular situation, it's so true.
And I wish I could drop the desire to see it. I'm sure you all are sick of reading about me whining. Still, in my head, is the wish to go see Atlantis launch in July.
July is a good month for me: we don't have a whole lot going on, and it's our 10-year wedding anniversary. That sounds like all the stars aligning. I'm all in. I hope.

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Kirstie Alley ~ 3 votes. This wouldn't be the first time that the lesser-talented star wins the competition. And I'd be the happiest person on the planet if Maksim brought home his own mirrorball trophy.
Hines Ward ~ 2 votes. Hines Ward and his partner, Kym Johnson, did a fantastic job tonight, and I'll even admit that Hines is more likely to win than Kirstie. And if Kirstie can't win, I'd like to see Hines take it.
Ralph Macchio, Chelsea Kane ~ 0 votes.

Launch tomorrow morning!

So, the weirdest thing happened to me yesterday. For all of you whose e-mail addresses are in my address book know, my Yahoo! account was hacked and a bunch of spam e-mails were sent out to everyone in my contacts list. I discovered this after Brian and I finished watching our movie Saturday morning. Brian checked his e-mail as the end credits rolled, and said to me, "Why did you send me this?" I was actually pretty defensive about it until we looked at the time the e-mail was sent, 11:24 a.m. (while we were watching the movie), and at the content of the e-mail, which was a link for some kind of help with erectile dysfunction or something. Our minds went directly to the reasoning that I had been hacked -- well and hard.
I checked my sent mail and discovered that, yes, about 16 e-mails had been sent to at least eight or nine people in my address book. Each with its own special subject line and link within the text, and each with horrifying things about having sex last night, promoting that it lasted for hours, fishing for help with the dysfunction and so on and so forth. It was a most distracting incident to happen on a Saturday morning, especially when my day had so far been pretty fantastic: we got a fabulous babysitter for the morning, and we'd seen a really good movie, Thor.
So, according to my go-to computer genius, Josh, all I could do was change my password, and report the incident to Yahoo!. The password was changed as soon as I got home, but as for reporting the incident, there's no place to do that. I was concerned about my e-mail address though, and having to change it because of this. Josh told me I wouldn't have to, but I've been seriously considering changing it. I've been over the cuteness of it for a while now, as well as the constant spelling of it, and feeling kind of cheesy when I do so. Honestly, the only thing I loved about my current e-mail address was the password. And now, having changed that, the whole address means a bit less to me. It was a derivative of Ginger's name, and it made me happy to type it. I'm going to see what I can come up with for a new address in the next couple days.

"Routine maintenance" never hurt so much

Blogger was down last night. That was weird. Not that I had anything incredibly pressing to post about, nor do I usually, but it just struck me as a random censorship. Suddenly, I had no way of making my voice heard, and it pained me in the heart. Who knows what I would have written about, but the site being down was as heartbreaking as someone taking my own written words and burning them before me.
Oh-em-gee, could I get any more dramatic about it? I fancy myself quite the martyred poet in that bit of text, huh? Awesome!

Brian and I have planned our trip to Houston next month. We're going to tour Sydney's new school, the new practice location, and the potential neighborhoods for us to live in. I'm incredibly excited to spend some time there, and figure out how our life will be in the new town.
In other good news, one of Sydney's teachers is coming tomorrow morning to babysit Sydney while Brian and I go to the movies. Once again, happily and FINALLY, I get a Saturday morning movie and lunch with my hubby. I have no idea how long it's been since we've had, what used to be our very regular, Saturday morning ritual, but it is a long time coming. And we shall see Thor.

It's a solar flare ... around its waist

Every time I tell myself that I'm going to start losing some weight and eating better, I create these grand plans and make these grand announcements. I realized tonight that I very rarely turn it into a "take one day at a time" kind of motivation.
I just spent the last hour with my Weight Watchers point book and finder slide, and have a nice listing of stuff that I actually eat, and their point worth. The easiest portion of the WW, is that a plain hamburger, just meat and bun, is only six points. (I'll reveal my own weight by saying only that I'm working on the 22-points-a-day plan.) You know, I can eat a plain hamburger every single day for lunch, and be happy with that. My breakfast drink is only four points. And two scrambled eggs are five points. The Skinny Cow fudge bars that are, incidentally, delicious, are only one point. And eight ounces of V8 juice is 1 point. A cup of chocolate milk, which will substitute for any treat cravings late at night, is only three points.
These are food choices that I can happily live with. The tacos, cereal with milk, small bean burritos, and even Starbucks green tea make my new WW agenda an easier one. Also, I intend to go one day at a time with my avoidance of sugary sweet treats. Those are my incredible downfall, and I know that once they're no longer in my equation, this whole thing will be easier.
But again, this is no grand announcement for which I feel an overwhelming sense of obligation. It's a minimally evasive diet change that shouldn't mess up my world too badly. And that, my friends, is what should make it easier to handle, and more likely to succeed.

June is a better month anyway

Okay, so then this happened:

Dear STS-134 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Launch Ticket Holder:
Thank you for your interest in the launch of STS-134 space shuttle Endeavour. You are receiving this email because you are a current STS-134 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame launch ticket holder.
 Due to the delay of the launch of STS-134, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame will not be open for launch viewing. As a current Astronaut Hall of Fame launch ticket holder, you are invited to upgrade your existing Hall of Fame launch viewing tickets to include launch viewing from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
The launch is currently scheduled for Monday, May 16, 2011 at 8:56 a.m. ET. Launch time and date subject to change.
HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR TICKETS:
Your U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame launch viewing tickets are available for upgrade beginning now through Sunday, May 15 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets must be upgraded IN PERSON at the Visitor Complex Ticket Plaza (windows 1-4). The ticket windows are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In order to upgrade your launch viewing tickets, you must turn in your original tickets and present a copy of this email and a photo ID. Once you upgrade to Visitor Complex viewing tickets, a vehicle placard will be provided for entry on launch day.
TICKETS MUST BE UPGRADED IN PERSON BY 3:00 p.m. on MAY 15, 2011.

Let's run through that.
For once, I was uncharacteristically restrained in buying new plane tickets for the rescheduled launch, damn the extra cost or inconveniences. I was practical, and that hardly ever happens. And with this e-mail, I was rewarded for my contrary-to-myself behavior.
The rub is, of course, that my tickets are worth precisely shit right now. The Hall of Fame isn't an option for the launch. You want to see the launch? Upgrade your tickets. We had already upgraded ours to sit atop the Hall of Fame. No worth to that whatsoever.
Then there's the whole "be there in person" to upgrade the tickets. You know, if I had bought the new flight tickets, I would have had us fly in on Sunday for the Monday launch. Now, with this, we still wouldn't have been on time to upgrade the tickets. So, then I would have had to change the flight -- TODAY -- to arrive in Orlando on Saturday instead of Sunday. Another night of hotel. Another day of food expenses.
I think I'll call it official: I was not meant to actually see this launch.
So, who's up for traveling to Florida with me for the Atlantis' launch in June??

Where for art thou, Romeo?

I'm bummed, you all. Last week, 5 Fast 5 Furious had a showing at the movies that started at 9:35 a.m. This time frame is perfect for a mom who has a kid that gets out of school at 12:30 p.m. And I was excited about it.
But now, the movie doesn't start until 10:00 a.m. The movie is two hours and 10 minutes long. This does not give me enough time to get out of the movie and get to school at 12:30.
And it's not just the 5 movie. No. Thor also is being difficult in its timing.
Ugh. Can just one thing plan out right for me this week?

Quite obviously, I'm having a hard time not whining this week. I fear that this condition will continue into next week. Sorry.

So now what?

The launch has been rescheduled for next Monday, the 16th of May, at 8:56 a.m. And on the surface, it seems like it should be feasible for me to make my way to this launch. I've got the time to do it, and in awesome husbandness, Brian has agreed to go with me.
I had a great plan for us: fly into Orlando on Sunday; get to the Astronaut Hall of Fame as early as they need us there on Monday morning and then sleep in the car; WATCH THE LAUNCH; spend the rest of the day together; sleep the night in Florida; and then fly back to Phoenix on Tuesday.
All this sounds great. But you want to know what's pissing me off? Airlines. If the flights aren't sold out, they won't land in Orlando until Monday morning, after the launch time. And with the one or two different combinations of flights, the price tag sits at $1,300. That, in addition to the income we'd lose by Brian not working for those two days, makes the endeavor (no pun intended) way more expensive than we can handle right now.
It feels like maybe, at this point, karma is keeping me away from the launch. I mean, let's look at this pessimistically: it was a seemingly perfect event on April 19. It was seemingly perfect on April 29, when everything else around us worked out perfectly. And now, when everything seems to be working out and even Brian is able to go with me, the airlines are screwing the situation. It's just starting to feel a little too forced. Could it be that I'm trying too hard?
I struggle with how much I should push this .... this .... agenda. Obsession.

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Kirstie Alley ~ 2 votes. I love her, but she's a bit of a hot mess. I'd love to see Maks win, but it won't be with Kirstie, which is too bad. Still, I give her my vote love because I like to see them together.
Hines Ward ~ 2 votes. I am loving Hines Ward in a very real way. He's a great dancer, and his personality is fantastic. I find myself hoping a ton that he wins this contest.
Chelsea Kane ~ 1 vote. She's so pretty.
Romeo, Ralph Macchio ~ 0 votes.

And a Happy Mother's Day to you ...

Well, I managed to mosey my Mother's Day into a perfectly lovely day. I got to sleep in, and then quietly read through PostSecret. Brian brought me a green tea for the morning. We went out and had a wonderful lunch at Oregano's, and per my specific direction, also ate dessert. Then, we went to the mall, and this mommy got the Coach bag she's been loving for the last few weeks. We came home after that, and frittered away the afternoon watching television and random bits of movies. Brian barbecued some chicken and buffalo sausage for dinner, and then we all watched Tangled together before Sydney's bedtime.
I've got to tell you, there could be worse things than for us to have every Sunday be like this one.

Pretty flowers for a pre-Mother's Day

I like Mother's Day; I really do. But I envy all those moms out there that know exactly what kind of family function or activity they'd like to have on the day. Me, I have no idea what I'd like to do tomorrow. Lunch, of course. Oregano's, I think, and I've already told Brian that I want some dessert. I'd like to sleep in, but since my manner of waking up is usually dog or bladder related, that's really not anything that anyone can give me. I'm on the hunt for a specific paperback book, but of my two Barnes & Noble options, neither had it, so I'll have to order it online. And I don't want to hit the mall. What I'd really, really love to do is go to the movies. I want to see Thor and 5 Fast 5 Furious. A double feature is exactly my speed for tomorrow. Sadly, no babysitter, so that's not an option either.
Really, I'm good with a lazy Sunday. But, we'll see what I come up with tomorrow.

We like May, but it's getting warm out there

I have no idea why I selected a county/state fair motif for this month's avatar, except that, well, I like cotton candy, and that the outfit looked cooler than jeans and a jacket. And, since it's getting pretty warm here, shorts and a tank are an ideal outfit for the month.

Back home, but SUPER TIRED

I AM:
beyond tired. ~ I've gotten a ridiculously small amount of sleep over the last few days. I just can't go and go and go every day anymore without giving myself time to recuperate during that period. I'm so fatigued right now, it's crazy!
grumpy for no real reason. ~ There's nothing anyone can do right now to make me have a positive outlook on the rest of my day. You know what that means -- B.E.D.
feeling super fat. ~ This is just kinda normal lately. It's time to do something about it.
pleased about what a good traveler Sydney has become. ~ She was a real trooper this week! And did great on every flight, on every car ride, and through any circumstances (within reason, you know, with a four-year-old).
happy that I've only got the one kid. ~ I have no delusions that this past week would have been a lot more stressful, expensive and logistically difficult with a second child. I think I've reached that point. No more babies.
almost falling asleep on the sofa as I write this. ~ I'm gonna go night-nights!!

Out of Florida, back in California

I can't even remember the last time I blogged. I think it was Saturday night?At any rate, I probably should not be blogging right now. I'm running on an extremely small amount of sleep, and I'm kinda exhausted. We got up this morning at 4:30 a.m., Florida time (1:30 a.m. California time). I got about two hours of intermittent dozing sleep on the flight, while Sydney got a good three hours of consistent, solid sleep, laying all horizontal and cozy across her seat and my lap. Lucky duck.
So, to recap our weekend: no shuttle launch; a whole lot of amusement parks; an overweight suitcase's worth of souvenirs; not enough sleep.
I don't want you all to misunderstand, I had a great time. We had a fabulous weekend. But the whole thing is just weighed down by is overwhelming sense of disappointment. We did all kinds of stuff to make it a great time, but the reason, the entire purpose behind the trip, was a gaping hole. I'll get over it, of course, but when your life's dream of witnessing something has been dash by circumstances beyond your control, it just takes a little bit of mourning. I'll figure my way through this one, as I would any other issue that doesn't roll the way I want it to.
Also, Kendra was asked to leave the ballroom tonight. Yay!! I didn't vote last night, as I got all kinds of tired, and distracted by packing.

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