Glasses/TV/computer fail

I can't wear my glasses, work on the computer and watch television comfortably at the same time. This bothers me. I am a multi-tasker at night. I am rarely doing only one thing. And my favorite nighttime place is sitting in my bed, computer on my lap, with my shows on my TV.
What I've discovered about wearing glasses during this time, is that my head is down to see the computer clearly, and I have to look up over the upper rims of my glasses to see the TV. This head down but eyes up position angers my neck, which makes me feel like an old person. And it seems to be giving me eye strain, because I'm having to look up for so long. Does that make any sense? I'm not a fan.

It's all about moms

I'm an awesome mom!! Lego had a triceratops to sell me, and it's being shipped out tomorrow! Yay happy!! Oh my gosh, you guys, had you seen how excited my baby was to hear that, you would think, as I do, that it was totally worth the effort. If there are a few things Lorraine taught us girls, one is that writing letters tends to yield results.
I received a very heavy, but small, box from my mother today in the mail. It was full of solid-glass Valentine hearts. Just hearts. No note. No complementary candy. No notification of why. Just hearts. But knowing her as I do, I immediately set out to find someplace in my house to set the hearts as holiday decor, since they obviously weren't working with the Interior Designer's vision of Valentine's Day in her home.
Sydney needs a shoebox for school, as the children will decorate them in the next several days, creating mailboxes for their Valentines. In my house, we do not save shoeboxes. Everyone has a bin in which they keep their shoes for easier access and yes, easier moving from house to house. To be sure, I have more than a couple bins, Brian has a couple, and Sydney has one because her shoes are small. Anyway, we have no shoeboxes in the house. Tomorrow, I will make the ultimate sacrifice by going out into the cold, scary world and buying a pair of shoes, just so Sydney may have her shoebox. I'll do it. Because that's the kind of loving, self-sacrificing, caring mother I am.

The sad life of a hornless triceratops

Lego is awesome.
To backtrack: Daisy enjoys chewing up Sydney's toys and bits. Always has. Something we've discovered lately is that Daisy very much enjoys chewing up Lego tires and dinosaurs. This is a problem particularly for the big dinosaur Lego sets that we've collected. Daisy has chewed the heads off two pterodactyls and has unhorned a great triceratops.
Back to Lego being awesome.
If you log onto the Lego web site, in the customer service section, there is a place for you to order replacement parts and bricks for sets and collections. Thankfully, I still have the set number for the Triceratops Trapper, so was able to give them a number and description for what I want to replace. I placed the order, and they will contact me in a day or two with the availability of the piece and how much it will cost for me to buy it. After I accept the cost of the piece and agree to the charge, they will ship it to me.
Where this could be not so awesome, is if they don't have the triceratops. All the Dino Lego sets have been discontinued. But I feel like they really should have extra pieces all over their big, huge Lego warehouse. Right? Sydney was, as you can imagine, pretty upset to discover her triceratops so emasculated. And it's totally my fault, too. I'm not as good about closing her bedroom door as she is, so it was on my watch that Daisy got a hold of the dinosaur. For that, I'll give this the big effort. And I hope they can help me. But even if they can't, I'm still super impressed with this feature on the web site.

I've been 40 for 10 days already

ITEM!: I'm on the hunt for a literary agent. I read through my catalog of children's books publishers today, and now I have a nice list of people to send my book. I like that a few of them specify that they're interested in new authors, so that's who I'll start with. Also, most of them accept e-mail submissions, so I won't have to print out and mail all kinds of copies. Tomorrow, I compose my query letter and formulate my approach. I know that if I just send one, I'll be comfortable sending more. It's just that first little letter, you know? But still, I'm pretty excited.
ITEM!: An hour of racquetball practice! All by myself! And it was awesome!! I think, at 40, I may be falling in love with a sport besides skiing and book-reading. Also, I added Brian to my gym membership, so now he can hit the gym more regularly, and we can play racquetball more often.
ITEM!: I finally made my first donation stop at Goodwill this morning. My trunk was full, and now it's not. Bags of toys, toys and toys, as well as other household extras no longer clutter my office floor. For certain, there are more things to donate; a full trunk does not mean an empty office. But at least it's not as overwhelming now. Just a few more bags of stuff, and then the floor will be clear again.
ITEM!: You know what's more annoying than anything right now? The warm weather we're having here. I am so sick of my air conditioner being on, and so sick of closed windows, and so sick to be wearing capri pants in January. No, no, no! No warm weather in January! Be gone, warm weather! Bring forth the chilled days and cold nights of winter! Warm weather, you are not wanted here! Cold weather, WHERE FOR ART THOU?

Whatevs, man! It's all good

I think ... I think ... I may be enjoying being 40. It's been, for the last week and some, a liberating experience. I have embraced the mantra: "I'm 40, and I'm too old for this."
It's no secret that I was pretty depressed rolling into my birthday last week. I was melancholy. I was mad. I was ... sad. Last Saturday though, I woke up feeling a bit better. And really, every day since, I've woken up feeling even better than the day before. [Editorial aside: Changes are afoot, too, and that makes me happy, as well.] This morning, I woke up excited about tomorrow morning, when I get to practice playing racquetball at the gym. I'm looking forward to my week ahead, and all the random projects I've got lined up for the next five days.
Just yesterday, I was told something that, last year, would have really bugged me. Last year, I would have gotten all full of piss and vinegar. But yesterday, after hanging up the phone, I thought, "Whatever. I don't care anyway." And the best and most exhilarating thing about that? I actually don't care. I'm too old for this kind of thing, and I'm embracing that. I'm too old for the cause and the consequence, and that's fine. In fact, like I said, it's liberating. Like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders.
Also, if I keep playing racquetball, I may end up getting into the best shape I've been in for a long time. And then, we can do the 5K Color Run.

Fun for Sydney today

When I told Sydney that there was no football tomorrow, she said, "Yay!!" I guess it really is that bad, during the season, when Sunday is the day that we just hang out at home and watch football all day. Hopefully, there will come a time when she happily sits with us and cheers along, but for now, it's all about entertaining her.
Today, certainly, was her day. We went to the zoo this morning to see the Dinosaur Train special event; and this afternoon, she went to a birthday party at a gymnastics place. Honestly, she was so tired tonight that there was minimal arguing about going to bed, and not a single mention of the clock and how bedtime should be later on "the night before no school."
So far, all she's requiring of Brian and I tomorrow is Chipotle for lunch. That I can definitely roll with, though I have no idea what else we'll do. Perhaps I'll get her to make some Goodwill donations with me.
I wish I had a bike so I could go riding with her. I'd love to head over to the big park and ride along the bike path there.

SMASH!! CRASH!! SWISH!!

Racquetball.
I'd never played racquetball before this morning. And I think I thoroughly enjoyed it. Brian and I spent about two hours with him teaching me and me learning, and both of us sweating, in one of the gym's racquetball courts today. It was pretty awesome. I like that it was a really good workout. I also like very much that I'm exited to practice on my own next week. I have quite a bit of practice to do before I'm able to play for reals with Brian, because he's good at it, but I'm eager to keep going. Also, there was a whole lot of good workout involved, and I need that more than anything. I'm a little afraid of how incapable of movement I'll be tomorrow, since I'm already sore and achy today and tonight.
Also, we tried a new Italian place for lunch today, and liked it very much. Mom, they have good garlic bread there. It's not Ottavio's or anything, but it's pretty yummy.

Evil is banana-flavored candy

So, the state inspection went just fine, with the awesome Jetta making it through and getting its sticker, even with the 24-inch crack in the windshield.
I said to Jonath, "Really? It passed? Even with the crack in the windshield?"
He shrugged, and kinda smiled at me, and goes, "Well, it isn't ... really ... in your eyeline."
I told him he was today's hero, and happily climbed into the car, content in knowing that I could cross something off my January List of Goals, and that I could wait until next month to get my new windshield.

Also, my neurotic self is having a bit of a snit today because I put out the Valentine's Day decorations this afternoon, making the place all warm and loving and full of hearts. All this before February 1, which is not at all how I do things. But my baby is so excited for Valentine's Day, and even has a paper countdown, so I did it to make her happy. But I discovered a shocking lack of random, cool pretty decorations. Michael's was disappointing, and Target even more so. Tomorrow, I venture forth to Pier 1.
I did pick up a bag of Valentine's conversation hearts at Target though, with the words in Spanish because I think that's awesome. In my life, since my childhood, I've had an aversion to these hearts. But again, cute. So now I've got a mug full of these candies on my kitchen counter. I decided to try them again to be sure I don't like them. I was not disappointed. I tried an orange one, and then a green one. The flavors, until then, had been nondescript. The yellow though, tasted like banana. I appreciate my lightning-fast reflexes more today because of how quickly I was able to spit out the offending yellow sugary nastiness. And I haven't tried another one since. I'm done with them. They've broken my trust. And now they're nothing but decoration.

A short list can take forever

Can we talk for just a minute about how I have four things on my list of Goals for January, and how exactly none of them have been accomplished or crossed off? The safety inspection for the Jetta is my task for tomorrow. I've made a decent dent in the beer in the fridge. But Brian hasn't been exercising much; and I haven't decided which second grade to tour yet.
I'll feel better tomorrow night after the inspection is done, but really, not a single thing can be crossed off the list yet. That's bothersome to me.
And oh my goddess, how does someone pinch their thumb between the top of the refrigerator door and the freezer handle and have it hurt bad enough that it twinges a full five minutes later? This is crazy. Is that some cosmic sign that I really don't need a midnight snack? Because it worked. I didn't get a snack, and will now settle for only a nice, big drink of water.
Also, it's a lovely thing to meet a friend for coffee. And to be able to spend a couple hours chatting. I had a wonderful morning (before, during and after the coffee), full of revelations, decisions, text conversations and phone calls. It's put a spring in my step, and purpose in my stride. Good things are afoot, I hope.

Post has no relation to picture

ITEM!: I boycotted the Inauguration this morning because I think it's a waste of money. I think the president who wins a second term should take the oath of office in his office, as President Obama (and Vice President Biden) did last week, and let that be the end of it. There's no shift of power or welcome for a new guy, so why spend all the resources on a big event? I boycotted wasting money.
ITEM!: I managed to get a whole lot of errands done today while still only getting a portion of my list done. Tomorrow may be a busy day, depending on my mood, but I do want to hit the gym and get my car's safety inspection done. And maybe a haircut, because that would be lovely. And on Wednesday, when I know how much money is left in the checking account after paying bills, I may get a pedicure.
ITEM!: The late-night taste of Chinese food may be the worst ever. Task number one once I am done with the computer here is to brush my teeth, because this lo mein aftertaste is awful.
ITEM!: And oh my god, you guys, I am in such a snit about something that I had to promise to not talk about. I'm not allowed to vent online anywhere, since the object of my "affection" may read this somehow. Worse than anything, it's not even fun gossipy stuff. It's awful, what-the-hell-is-going-on stuff, which just makes me crazy.

We still rock the house

And, my football season is over.
But remember how stressed out I was last year during the Super Bowl that we ultimately lost? Well, this year I can enjoy the Super Bowl for it being a Super Bowl ... and cheer on Ray Lewis because he's awesome.
Make no mistake, I'm pissy about our loss tonight. We got totally out-played, which isn't a regular thing for my team, and that's a bit stunning. But in the end, it's a football game. And also, my team went at least a week longer into the season than any of my friends' teams, so that's positive. They all may hate the Patriots, but we always show up in the postseason.
I was convinced that we'd have something to avenge this year because of our embarrassment last year. But maybe that'll be the case next year.
Football, man. It'll break your heart.

Birthday ugh becomes okay

Well, that's that, isn't it?
40.

Good things about my birthday:
Peppermint mocha and croissant for breakfast.
Modern Family and 30 Rock for morning entertainment.
Singing friends on my phone.
Calling Mom even though I had a text telling me specifically to let her sleep for another hour.
Lunch at Chili's.
Shopping at Ikea, and getting Sydney's first big-girl desk and chair.
Dairy Queen that also sells Orange Julius, though mine was strawberry.
Watching The Bourne Legacy with minimal interruptions.
Dog love.
Dinner at Pei Wei.
Birthday cake with delicious sugary frosting that made my teeth tingle.
I get to sleep in tomorrow morning.
Realizing that I've survived 40 years on the planet with minimal scarring -- psychological, physical or otherwise.

I say, "No joke, 40, you had better be worth this."

No more 30s?!?! ARGH!!

I remember vividly the night before Howie turned 60 years old. Mom and I were surprised to find him awake and watching television at about 11:30 p.m. that night, and when asked why he was still awake, he replied, "I want to enjoy the last few minutes of my 50s."
Tonight, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm staying up past midnight because I want to enjoy the last few minutes of my 30s. I currently have 30 minutes left of my 30s.
This is depressing.
I need to have a good day tomorrow. We're gonna buy some lottery tickets, and one of them will be my numbers. Winning a few million dollars would be an awesome way to greet my 40s.

You bug, and I really want to tell you that

Mom came up with the most awesome idea for a birthday gift for me this morning. The idea came to her as I was bitching about someone, and complaining that I would like to have a chance to just tell them how irritating they are lately. Mom said that what I needed was, for my birthday, a day to tell everyone that's bugging me lately how much they're bugging me, without consequences.
An immunity day to bitch at people who deserve a bitching with no guilt on my end?
Why, that sounds LOVELY.
My mind happily races with the possibilities!
Oh my goodness, my friends! I can bitch at THAT person, and THAT person, and THAT person, and THAT person! And that's not even all of them! How beautiful!
Wait. But then, for this to be true immunity, don't I have to get that person's permission and acceptance of the deal? Don't they need to know that they're going to be bitched out on my birthday, and that their gift to me is to listen to what I say but to not hold me responsible? I mean, isn't that the way it would have to be? Mom says no.
So, I do the bitching, and then tell them after, "This is your gift to me; that you allowed me this. Take heed what I say and do something about it. Then convince yourself that you chose to make these changes"?
Hmm. ... I love this idea!
HEY self-righteous person who thinks you're so much better than everyone with your false personality and attention-grabbing activities online!! Get over yourself!!
HEY person who decides that friends aren't good enough for you, and then dismisses them, and then decides to forgive them without even acknowledging your own faults! Make your apologies and be a better person!!
HEY person who stole from a member of my family and then has blithely gone on like nothing happened, and proceeds as if you have no responsibility for it anymore!! You ARE responsible!!
HEY person who made a whole bunch of promises and then didn't follow through on a single one!! You suck right out loud!!
I was telling Andrea the other day how it seems like 2013 is the Year of Kimmie Being Mad, because that is how it seems to be going so far. This post doesn't discredit that, and I'm okay with it.
Immunity day for Kimmie's birthday!! YAY!!

Warm backseat, warm backside

You know how I told you that the Jetta has introduced me to things that I will never again live without in another car, right? Well, nothing solidifies the absolute necessity of seat warmers than several mornings of cold temperatures, and having to climb into a 30-something degree car. My concern though, is that my baby girl in the back seat has no seat warmers. And she complains about how cold her seat is. All I can do in the front seat is feel the warmth seeping into my own posterior, and have guilt that her little butt is cold. The heater, you see, doesn't warm up the car fast enough on the trip to school.
Today, I took my Jetta's lack of backseat seat warmers to task, and figured out a solution. (Sydney's grandmother was a solid partner in this, by the way.) I spent time online while on the phone, and we finally settled on a 12-volt heating blanket that: plugs into the car's lighter; has an 8-foot cord so it'll go all the way into the backseat; features a dial for heat levels; and will turn off after 30 or 45 minutes, depending on the setting. It's actually exactly perfect, and I'm too excited for it to arrive.
I told Sydney about it tonight, and she's super excited for it, too. I can't wait for her little butt to be warm on the way to school. And I shall then be a better mother who can keep her baby warm!
Anyway, the point is this: you never know what kind of completely-random-but-excellent-for-the-situation thing is available on the internet until you are looking for it.

Less candy, less cause for attitude

We enjoy candy in our house. If I had to name the five food groups of my home, they would be: candy, chips, sandwiches, pasta and ice cream. Honestly, I think there are days that happen where we all eat nothing but those things.
This penchant for candy in the home though has made for an "entitled" environment when it comes to my child. She believes that the candy is owed to her, and that she deserves a piece or two of candy just for being in the right place at the right time, or because she's cute.
To give this attitude a wee bit of credibility and perspective, my dogs do get treats for such things. But they are dogs, and their treats aren't sugary. But since she was a baby, Sydney has always rolled with the thought process that, as Oliver goes, so goes she.
But candy is another story all together, and when there is a definite attitude, i.e., eye rolling, arm crossing and eyebrow lifting, a little girl can not really expect to get what she wants. Especially when faced with a superior attitude who does the shopping and is in charge.
So, because of a battle of wills tonight, all the candy in the house is now in the trash. Starbursts, M&Ms, Junior Mints and Kit Kats: all gone. I put the Tootsie Rolls up on a higher shelf, because why should Brian be punished? And I left out his jar of almond M&Ms because she doesn't like them.
Brian and I have discussed quite a bit lately how dependent Sydney is on her sugar rush, so this should be an interesting experiment. I'll go to the grocery store tomorrow and pick up some additional snacks, such as pretzels, tortilla chips and cheeses. We are a less-sugary home for a while now.

I wish it had involved Ikea

So, Real Simple totally pulled a number on me. That big promise of organizational nirvana was nothing but a five-page story on hints for cleaning up and de-cluttering the kitchen. Only the kitchen. My February issue arrived in the mail this weekend, and as far as I can tell, there's no "In this month's issue, we tackle the [insert room here] ..." kind of series in it. This is disappointing. Because the ideas for the kitchen were good ones, for not-anal-retentive people with space in a kitchen that is part of a house. So even though January delivered for some people with a kitchen, the rest of us were kinda left with a bit of meh. I do not like promises for good stuff without a payoff.
Not that I'm indignant enough to cancel my subscription or anything. Because I totally love that magazine. But I had such high hopes for something random to do to my house.

Reading should not be scary

Question: Are my reading glasses actually required for actual book reading?
I honestly don't know. I only noticed the need for reading glasses because of the phone and computer. I haven't even tried them out with an actual book. Or a magazine, actually.
I've picked up a book a few times, but haven't really sat down and even cracked it yet.
The unknown of it is scaring me a little bit, because I just love reading so much that I don't really want the practice of it to change at all. I mean, what if I don't like reading a book with glasses on? What then? Do I muscle through it and ultimately begin to resent my need for glasses? Or do I stop reading, and definitely resent my need for glasses? (I feel like I should have prefaced this post with an "Irrational Fear" headline.) Do I just be a real girl and just READ A BOOK?
I can't start tonight because it's way too late. And I won't start tomorrow because I've got a school project to help with and a football game to watch. Also the Golden Globes are on tomorrow night.

The end of another era begins ...

Not for nothing, I would like to point out that last night began the final week of me in my 30s. Another decade will be behind me. I'll get more melancholy and retrospective in the days ahead, I'm sure, but for now, a haiku:

Kimmie turns 40 next week,
Fear not; it's all good,
Cupcakes will die with honor.

Stretching would do good, too

I did some exercising yesterday. It's not the first time this year, in fact, it's the second time, but it felt really, really good until this morning. On Tuesday, I spent my 35 minutes on the treadmill. Yesterday, I spent only 20 minutes on the treadmill, but I finished up with some back extensions (among my favorite exercises), some abdominal crunches and some push-ups. And I know they worked because I am certainly feeling my shoulders, and stomach today. I equally hate and love that feeling you get in the middle of the night after a good workout when you roll over and suddenly feel the muscles in your body, and they're rejecting the most basic movement because they're sore. It means I did something right yesterday. Tomorrow, on a Saturday, I believe I shall do the same. Brian's got a patient in the morning, and "Gym and Play" would be good for the kiddo (with a healthy dose of Purell afterwards), so perhaps we will hit the gym.
Of course, I make no promises, since I'll be permitted to sleep in tomorrow morning, and depending on the weather, I may not want to leave the house. Also, I'm lazy.
But I actually think maybe we will get some exercise in tomorrow.

Sure, color-coordinated books

I spent the entire day in my office, going through piles of papers, the bookshelves, my desk drawers and the picture bins. The steady thrum of raindrops on the window was a perfect musical accompaniment. If someone walked into my office right now, they wouldn't necessarily notice anything different in the room than yesterday, but I certainly do. More space, less clutter, also cleaner. Still donations everywhere in there, but that's boring.
Tomorrow, I take on Sydney's room. It's actually already in really good shape, but I've got couple little corners and hiding spots that I'm interested in diving into.
I'm also going to read my Real Simple for January. It's cover line is "A Year of Organized Living." If this magazine holds all the keys to organizational living that I'm hoping, it will become my life bible. I'm already on my way to a slimmer Stuff Footprint, so it would be nice if this could help me out a bit more. But for now, I continue on my quest of cleaning out. Every day without kid and husband, another room.

Let's not freak out too much

So, come to find out that the problem in Sydney's room with the power was the result of a small overheating of a power outlet that melted the wires behind it and singed the plate cover. No big deal really, just a SMALL ELECTRICAL HOT SPOT IN MY BABY'S BEDROOM. I'm trying hard to not freak out too much. The maintenance guys replaced the outlet, and gave me a talking-to in regards to too much stuff too close to an outlet. And then the weird, smokey and plastic-y smell from her room a couple days ago (that we thought came from the heater) makes more sense to me.
The guys checked all the electrical in the house, too, to calm my paranoia, which I appreciated. Problem solved. And Sydney got to play in her room again, with, as she noted, every single light on.

Big yawn, time for bed; hate alarms

ITEM!: Our electrical issue stretches into another day, as the electrics guy from the complex was unable to make it here today, and will be here tomorrow. I'm getting paranoid about electrical fires at this point, so the sooner he gets here, the better. I need a full-apartment check on my circuits and all that before I settle into comfort again.
ITEM!: Christmas has left the building. It took me longer than normal because of my helper and my dragging my ass about it, but it's done and packed away for another 11 months. The only bit of Christmas remaining: the Rudolph and Clarice that Sydney thinks she so cleverly hid from me, the picture of Oliver that Syd decided should stay on her bathroom counter, and the light-up Tyrannosaurus Rex on my balcony that I have no place to store.
ITEM!: As much as I bitched yesterday about Sydney having the day off from school today, it was super nice to not have to set my alarm last night. I do not look forward to seeing the clock at 6:45 a.m. tomorrow. I like to sleep.
ITEM!: I enjoyed watching Notre Dame get beat up by Alabama tonight. I don't really like either team, as my heart belongs in Tempe, but given all the "perks" that Notre Dame enjoys in college football -- and all the special treatment they get, and how they're number one without really playing against anyone with any real talent, and how they seem to be treated as "America's team" (the way the Dallas Cowboys are) -- I'd rather see Alabama win. And that 'Bama did win, and Notre Dame got a shellacking, too, was just a nice dessert to my evening.
ITEM!: My donations pile continues to grow, and will do so tomorrow, as well. I should probably get to donating some of it before the whole lot takes over the room and I look like a hoarder.

No power, no TV, no good movie

There's a lack of electricity in my home. At some point last night, the fuse in Sydney's walls went out. All the plugs on both sides of all the walls in Sydney's room are dead. So, no music, no clock, no TV, and no satellite. It took me an embarrassing amount of time to figure out that the problem behind the lack of television in the living room was that the dish had no power.
I did put in a maintenance request, but the guys didn't make it over today. I'll expect to see them tomorrow. Especially because someone can't sleep in their room when there's no power. Apparently, a lack of music and nightlights makes the entire room inhospitable.
Also, we're watching The Watch, and it, too, is inhospitable.

2013's first ITEM! list

ITEM!: I am having the hardest time being not bitchy today. I've seen a couple things that have just made me cringe, but I can't really say anything about them, for concern for the people I'd be writing about. Now, this is generally not an issue because I can be subtle enough so the person doesn't always know that they're the person. But these few things are pretty specific. I've got teeth marks in my tongue from holding it.
ITEM!: Sydney has decided to help me take down the Christmas decorations, and that the activity should be done tomorrow. I have managed to convince her that putting away the decorations is a messy activity with many boxes, so she can help me remove and group the decorations in each room. This will probably be an actual help, too, which would be refreshing.
ITEM!: My office is a crazy mess with all the piles of donations growing in it. Syd's been great about adding things to the donation pile, and I'm liking the more streamlined bedroom issue we've got going on in her space. Still, a new desk and a new storage unit will be a tremendous asset when I get to them.
ITEM!: I've cleaned my oven. At almost 40 years old, I can feel good about saying that I've never done that before. Ovens with minimal use hardly ever need cleaning, and apartment ovens need even less. But Brian so brutalized our oven over Christmas with his Incredible Leaking Turkey Tray that only a spray can of oven cleaner could get the mess fixed. Tomorrow, on the heels of using the can today, I will hit the self-cleaner option on the oven, so as to be sure that it's super clean. You know, for the next people who do more than muffins and brownies.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

I am antsy today! Antsy in my pantsy! I am beyond eager to start taking down my Christmas decorations, but I'm waiting ... until Monday, when my "helper" will be back in school. I am starting little bits here and there on the sly.
But mostly, I sit on my sofa and do naught but look around at all the things I want to put away. And then I start to catalog all the things I want to donate, too.
I can't wait to get digging through this place and then to make my drops at the donation stations. Because it's not just Sydney's toys, or my clothing, or decor. It's everything that can be donated, and if it can't be, then it gets trashed. I'm feeling a major Stuff Cleanse coming, and I'm ready.
But first, I have to wait for Monday.
Also, I read on Tania's Facebook that she and Vince had sat down and figured out their goals for 2013. I like the idea of this. I decided though, that Brian and I, because our situation is tenuous at best, should really just roll month to month. So, we created our goals for January. They don't have to be lofty, we reasoned, because they're monthly, but they do need to be the good things that need to be done. This month: * Finish the beer in the fridge, and never buy more than a six-pack when it's just us because we never drink it. * Get the Jetta's safety inspection. * Visit one 2nd grade classroom, to get the ball rolling on finding Sydney's new school for next year. * Figure out the Top Golf driving range place and get Brian going there once a weekend, no exceptions.
You see? All perfectly reasonable goals for January. I think I like this new plan.

Four eyes are better than two (?)

I write to you now with an added sense of clarity. Yes, I am wearing my new reading glasses. And let me tell you, they seem to be working. I never realized how blurry some things had gotten until I spent some time looking at them today. Like my computer keyboard right now is sparkling in its clarity. My phone when I was looking at it today, was a whole lot easier to read at the normal distance. But I can feel the adjustment in my eyes every time I take them off, or slide them down my nose, or go back to doing something without them. I get that it will take some getting-to-know-you time, but it would be awesome if I didn't feel this slight stretching in my eyes.

[Editor's note: These frames are the same as mine, but a different color. I couldn't find my purple in my brief search, so you'll have to use your imagination.]

A sextuplet of zombie movies?

How many Resident Evil movies are there supposed to be anyway? Brian and I just finished Resident Evil: Retribution, and it ended on a cliffhanger of sorts. We have always enjoyed these movies for some reason, and sit together quite contentedly to watch them whenever they're on, or there's a new one out. So, we got the newest movie released on DVD, and happily sat to watch it, only to be full of "meh" at the end.
Okay, I'm gonna check; it's driving me crazy.

There are FIVE Resident Evil movies, and this one, as I said, sets up a sixth. These things are like Rocky flicks at this point. Or, more aptly, they are a virus that keeps multiplying.
That's not to say that we won't watch the next one when it comes out. But probably it will be viewed via Netflix (as this one), because when it ends on an ambiguous and loose-ends image, the last thing the theater needs is Brian and I calling out for a finish to this already.

And so it begins, again

Well, here it is, January 1, 2013.
I've got nothing for you as far as resolutions go. I feel like I followed through on last year's goal: "Be Smarter." As a whole, I'm in a much better place emotionally and psychologically than I was last year on January 1st. And that makes me happier, too. Still, there's much to do, and I'm on a mission.
Of course, these goals are not resolutions, but goals, making them easier to attain, and less daunting and guilt-inducing to put to the side for a bit, if need be. First of all, I am losing another 20 pounds this year. Also, Daisy is losing six pounds. She's on the wagon, and she's losing it. I hate that she's still considered unhealthy because of her weight. A giggle to me is that one of my plans last year on the first was to get my cracked windshield fixed; that's still on my list.
Other than that, my list is a work in progress.
Also, I turn 40 this month. Please send money.