It's the last day of May ... RHYMING

Well, tomorrow is the first day of summer camp! Yay!
My kid gets to be entertained and educated by something not Minecraft, and I get my day to myself. I have little to no idea what I will do with the generous time afforded to me, but rest assured, it will not get wasted. Or, you know, if it does get wasted, it's because that is absolutely what I wanted to do with it.
As far as the kid's summer camps are concerned, I'm pretty happy with what we've got planned for the season. There are a couple of weeks where I'd like to add something, certainly, but as a whole, I think the summer is going to be okay.
As for Sydney, she's super excited to go to camp tomorrow. We're getting up earlier than normal, so I've set my alarm, and she's left me a note to remember to wake her up.

Additional notes on my Sunday: 1.) I did the bad, and picked the scab off my thumb. Sure, it's more likely to scar now, but it doesn't itch anymore, and that's more important. 2.) We spent some time at the pool this afternoon, and I'm reminded how lovely it would be to have a swimming pool in our own backyard. I don't mind sharing, but it's nicer to be able to come and go to the water better and more freely. 3.) I played a 2-person mission on Brian's Splinter Cell game with him tonight. Sadly, my inability to learn finger movements different from Lego games was cause for my death, multiple times. I was able to follow and hide though, so it was a successful campaign for our scary, stealthy, military dudes. 4.) It's time to change the watering schedule in the backyard. It's getting hotter, and that means watering every day for shorter times rather than scheduled days for longer times. That'll go on the agenda for tomorrow. 5.) June begins in a couple hours.

A horrible, horrible ITEM! list

ITEM!: Sometime in the last few days, I drove over a nail (like one does), and it managed to get lodged into the tire and make it leak. So, a good portion of my afternoon was spent at the tire store, where they patched the hole in the tire. It was all good stuff, since they checked all the tires, and the rest of them got clean bills of health.
ITEM!: So, the library thing is going really well. I knocked out another book today, and am eager to get involved with my next one.
ITEM!: There's a scab on my thumb, and it's super itchy. I've just now doused it with Neosporin and have covered it with a bandage, but that's not helping at all. An itchy thumb is not a particularly easy thing to tolerate. I'm totally over it, but there's absolutely nothing I can do about it.
ITEM!: Mom took me shopping at Target this morning, and she spoiled me and my kid with two CDs for the car (Pitch Perfect 2 and Meghan Trainor's album); and a pile of shorts for Sydney, which I haven't been able to find until today.
ITEM!: I think that if I was a celebrity, I would have a Twitter account, but not ever interact with the populace. It would be better for my own peace of mind if I didn't know what everyone was saying, but could still comment on whatever I wanted. I would trumpet gay rights, animal protections, atheism, gun control, and Congressional term limits. And I wouldn't give a f*ck what anyone had to say about it, but my opinion would still be out there.
ITEM!: I ate some tortilla chips this afternoon, and they're sitting in my stomach still, like a big, fat, tortilla brick. I haven't been able to eat anything since I finished with them, and I really don't even feel like I can take a complete and full breath. I find myself eager to go to sleep because I know that tomorrow morning, I'll feel better. Why do you hurt me so bad, tortilla chips?

And then there was javelina

You know that whole mythology in Legends of the Fall about Brad Pitt's Tristan and his soul mate the grizzly bear? The connection came from their shared spilling of blood.
Javelinas, I've decided, are my spirit animal. They seem to be following me everywhere. We saw a few last year on our trips up to the lake. We saw a pack of them at the airport in Sedona last month. And today, after our hike in the mountains, we came across this little guy and his friend. And he stood there, keeping and holding eye contact with me while I took his picture And then I started to get a little nervous.
Javelinas can be aggressive (like me). They can get mad for no reason (like me). They can sprint illogically toward something that annoys them (like me). If you leave them alone, they're fine (like me).
But, unlike me, this particular guy was hanging out without his kid. Mine was standing right next to me, while this potentially aggressive and possibly angry (but also awesome) animal was staring me down. And because he's a wild animal, his actions could not be predicted.
So, as I whispered then to Sydney, "Let's back away, little kid. Be slow. Let's get moving." And we moved along. Mom was standing on the sidewalk a ways behind us. I asked her if the javelina was following us, to which she replied no. To clarify, the animal knew to not mess with me and my kid.
You see? We had a connection, through that staring. And like Tristan and the bear, we now are soul mates, kinda. Javelinas are my spirit animal.
Besides, he's looking at me all cute.

A quick fix, after a fashion

Mom broke my car today.
For the second time in the Jetta's short life, the heat on my windshield melted the glue holding the rear-view mirror, and the mirror fell. Okay, so maybe she didn't break the car herself, but it happened when the car was in her possession, so it's her fault. Anyway, we went to the VW dealership to get it fixed.
The helpful kid turned three shades of purple when I showed him the mirror, because whatever, he didn't expect to see it. Anyway, he ran to get another guy, and this guy was only slightly more helpful, in that he didn't immediately run away from the situation. We'll call him "Gary." So, Gary assesses the mirror, and that it was no longer attached to the windshield. Then, he says, "Well, ... I don't know ... if the windshield guys ... are here anymore ... (it was 4:30 p.m.)." Then he looks at me all sheepish and side-eye. "I guess ... I can take it back there ... and see if someone can glue this on?"
I don't know if he expected me to tell him that no, it was okay, I'll drive for a while without a rear-view mirror, or what, but I quickly dispelled him of that flight of fancy. I looked at him all straight in the eye, and responded in irritated mom-voice, "Yes, please."
I assumed, after 10 minutes of not seeing him return with the car, that he did indeed find someone to re-glue the mirror. I was right, because just a couple minutes after that, Gary drove the car back to the driveway. "Okay, I got someone to glue the thing on, but the glue needs 10 to 15 minutes to cure. You can either attach the mirror itself to the holder yourself, or you, you know, can wait here, and someone can do it for you. But all you have to do is click it in." And then he kind of half-heartedly handed me the mirror with a pantomime on how to affix the mirror.
Decision made, and I said to him, "I can do it; I went to college." He laughed at that, and repeated it to himself, whether for amusement or condescension, I don't know.
And of course, later tonight, I did reattach the mirror on my own. Because I'm capable.
I am woman, hear me frickin' roar with your half-assed help, Gary. But thanks for getting this thing glued on, and not charging me for it.

There's s'more to life than not-great Oreos

You all know how Mom and I are about weird Oreo flavors. So today's discovery (photo left) in Target was ripe for the picking. And pick them we did.
And we also tried them. I've got to tell you, this particular Oreo is a weird bird. First of all, it's a graham-flavored cookie, with marshmallow-flavored cream, and suspect chocolate. As for the taste of it ... well, it didn't taste bad, but also, there was nothing good about it. It was, if there is such a thing, an anti-climactic Oreo cookie. I can't praise it, and I can't pan it. It is what it is.
Would I recommend you all go out and buy some? I'm gonna say no. Spend the money on actual s'mores ingredients, and enjoy the experience and product of your labors. These are the most milquetoast Oreos ever.
Are you planning to ignore me? Fine. On the upside, the package is significantly smaller than a normal Oreo package, so you'll feel better about throwing away fewer cookies that you won't eat.

Not enough bright ideas for the day

I've been pilfering CFL light bulbs from one lighting fixture to the other all weekend. It started when my lamp in the bedroom went out. I went downstairs to find only a single regular light bulb in the Light Bulb Bin. So, it was put into the lamp upstairs.
Then, yesterday afternoon, the light bulb in the lamp downstairs went out. That lamp is more important than the bedroom one, so I moved the one working light bulb from upstairs into the downstairs lamp.
Tonight though, I was sitting in the living room, and noticed that the ceiling fan lamp, which we don't use because it's too bright, has four perfectly working bulbs in it. So, I grabbed one of the bulbs from that and put it into the upstairs lamp in my bedroom. It is now lighting my room perfectly. And there are two more working bulbs in that lamp too, should I need them elsewhere.

And this, my friends, is the extent of my awesome Memorial Day. How many bored Kimmies does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, because she's bored.

Isn't it a grand thing for the Irish to do?

I'm super, super proud of my Gramps' home country of Ireland, as it just voted to legalize same-sex marriage. It's the first country to do so by popular vote. And this is pretty historic mainly because it was not too long ago that homosexuality was against the law there. And now, all people are able to marry whoever they wish (provided the other person is willing, as well).
Again, I wish that my own country was as equality minded. I like the direction that we're going, and that a majority of people do believe that same-sex marriage should be legalized. But this is taking so long. Of course, it was only a matter of years ago when I wondered if I'd be alive to see any same-sex marriages happen at all. So, I guess, as far as culture shifting goes, this is happening pretty quickly. "Red" states are dropping like flies in this regard, and it's a beautiful thing to see. Still, it would be nice if the shift were happening because the people were united in the cause, instead of us having to rely on the Constitution to put the ignorant and hate-filled in their place.
There will come a time when my entire country allows and celebrates same-sex marriage, and I'm looking forward to it. Until then, I'll bask in my awesome Irishness.

Syd's summer class: Awesome Movies 201

I've decided that, as well as camps and a summer workbook, Sydney will be better educated in the movies that she really does need to see. We finally watched Monsters, Inc. a few weeks ago, and I have Who Framed Roger Rabbit? on the Netflix queue right now. She's seen the first Star Wars movie, but not The Empire Strikes Back or The Return of the Jedi. These oversights need to be rectified, and this summer, that will happen.
I'm planning to refer to the Entertainment Weekly list from a year ago, "The 55 Essential Movies Kids Must Experience (Before They Turn 13)," as well as delve into my own extensive movie collection.
Atop the list right now, besides those listed above, are: re-viewings of most of the Disney movies, since she hasn't seen them since she was super little; The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, and Singin' in the Rain (which I haven't seen either); E.T., The Goonies, Beetlejuice, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; and finally, everything Harry Potter.
I'd love to sit with her and watch a whole bunch of television shows, too (oh my god, the original Batman television show), but I'm afraid that may fill up our schedule a bit too much.
I just hope that she develops a love for the movies that I've always loved.

Can you spot the llamas?

ITEM!: I think that perhaps one of the best things the Internet has ever done is make available pictures of animals photobombing other things. Like this amazing photo, which features a gorgeous landscape, and if you look close enough, also includes two llamas looking over the hill. It's brilliant. It brings to mind that all things can be inherently funny, whether they know they are or not.
ITEM!: I picked up, and started reading, my first library books today. I'm well on my way to changing my attitude toward books, and it's super exciting. Three books were there today, and a fourth arrived later this afternoon. I'll get it tomorrow. This library thing is quickly becoming an obsession, and I love it.
ITEM!: Our summer officially begins on Saturday, and I'm both eager and anxious about it. Eager, because I'm excited for all the cool camps I've got her attending and the fun stuff I want us to do, but anxious because it's not school, and I can never keep her as engaged with stuff I want to do as she is with school activities.
ITEM!: And with summer comes the request and need for my family to have rice krispy treats in the refrigerator at all times. I'm making some for our day on Saturday, and no doubt, will need to make another batch for Sunday and Monday. It is a holiday weekend after all.

Letterman ends his show tonight

Someone explain to me why I'm sitting downstairs right now, finding things to do to entertainment myself while I wait for David Letterman's final show. I don't like Letterman. I never have. For the longest time, and I've told you this, I stayed as far away from late-night talk shows as I could. I never watched any of them. Jimmy Fallon is funny to me sometimes, so I DVR his show so I can pick and choose the segments that I want to see.
But Letterman was never a draw to me. You could say that his humor was too dry, subversive, or whatever for me to appreciate, and I may agree with that. You could say that he was too edgy for me to understand. You could say all that, and I wouldn't argue with you.
So why am I sitting here waiting for Letterman's final episode? Because I'm a pop-culture junkie, and this episode is going to be a Trivial Pursuit question some day. Also, because I appreciate the end of an era, and this certainly is one. Even Brian is staying awake for this, you guys. It's a big deal, kinda. Tomorrow, I won't miss him anymore than I have over the last however many years he's been on television. But he's a legend who's leaving the arena.

Is it wrong that I'm super excited for Colbert? I'll totally watch that show.

Glasses can break, you know?

Also, let's take a moment and discuss how smart I was to buy the warranty insurance on Sydney's eyeglasses. The warranty only cost $50 I think, and with it, we get unlimited replacements of her frames and/or lenses for an entire year from when we purchase the warranty. Unlimited, but still they cost $25 for each frame, and $25 for each set of lenses.
This is brilliant, right this moment, because all of three months after buying the glasses, we already are replacing the frames. My kid decided that putting her palms on the glasses and pressing them against her forehead would be a good idea. And thus, the frames snapped.
At least now she knows that she has to be more careful, and that they're somewhat delicate. And she also has to live with snapped frames for a couple days until they get new frames into the store. I've already glued them once, though they broke again tonight.
Oh, she's an awesome little baby with glasses.

Era-appropriate hairstyles are scary

I watched Austenland this morning. Keri Russell stars as a woman who loves Jane Austen, and is (kindly) obsessed with her stories and characters. Russell's character, Jane, spends her life savings to attend an Austen-themed couple weeks in England, where she is promised an authentic experience, and, of course, love. She does find love there, but ... is it the true love that she's looking for?
Anyway, it's totally adorable. I thought it would be when I first saw the trailers. I thought it would be when I recorded it to the DVR several months ago, but never got around to watching it and eventually deleted it. And I know it is now, after finally sitting my butt down and watching it. (For all my love of movies, I find that it is difficult to sit down and watch one that I don't know that I will enjoy. I'm glad I did today.)
And it occurs to me that I am a fan of a lot of Keri Russell's movies, from Waitress and this movie, to August Rush, which also is a delight that I recommend you see. Her taste in romantic comedies and dramas is totally up my alley.

See? You CAN teach an old dog

I'm reading the last of my books in my To-Be-Read Pile, and I'm super excited. It's that time of year, of course, when television ends for the summer, and it's all about movies, books and general outside-of-television entertainments. I've got a list of bookish things I'd like to accomplish, courtesy of my local library.

Okay, you guys, I just took a 20-minute break from this post to mess around on the library web site, and, as Andrea assumed, it was super easy to navigate, request specific books, and basically make myself at home. So, I've got five books on request right now. Three are pending, which I imagine means that it's a matter of a day or two before it gets to my local branch, and the other two are "active" which means that I'm on a waiting list. Which is super okay, since I'm just excited to dig in to what I've got coming to me.
This summer, I have decided, will be the summer of Scot Harvath, the SEAL/secret service/black ops guy that popped forth from Brad Thor's imagination in The Lions of Lucerne, and who stars in the following several sequels. I've decided that I really like Thor's writing style, and since Lions intrigued me, I shall follow it through.
Also, I want to dig in to funny ladies, by reading Amy Poehler's book, and Minday Kaling's. I never got to them in the bookstore, and now I'll get them, by supporting my local library!
I'll also pick up a couple other tomes and give them a chance. What I love most about this library thing, is that I can give the book an opportunity to intrigue me, but if I don't like it, I can return it with no guilt or loss to my bank account. Honestly, my peeps, this is the best thing ever, and I'm a complete idiot for not implementing it into my life sooner.
Like, really. I'm a dolt.

He doesn't like it raining cats and dogs

Cooper does not like the rain. He avoids it unless it's absolutely necessary to get in it, and rarely even ventures outside. In fact, I typically have accidents in my home during a storm, simply because he won't even go outside to potty. This is problematic for me, in every way, but since he's scared, he kinda gets away with it. I just clean it up and we deal.
Today though, I decided to start working him through his rain issues. It was 5 p.m., walking time, and the rain was still falling. He didn't seem to put two and two together as he got all exited about the walk, but that's the fun of having a puppy. Once he was leashed up, and we exited the house, he stopped, and made a quick turnaround. I did not allow it though, and we proceeded on our walk ... in the rain.
He rushed through it, certainly, but also made all the stops he was supposed to, including #1 and #2. I brought him home, and toweled him off so he could have fun with that. He got his treat. I told him many times what a good boy he was. So far, for the rest of the evening, I've had no issues inside the home. I'm hoping that when I wake up tomorrow morning I can say the same. He's the first dog I've had that makes me so pleased that we're in the desert, where there is very little rain. Still, he needs to get used to it, and I'll continue to push the issue until it isn't an issue.
Also, I took Oliver and his gimpy knee for a very short walk up to the mailboxes. It took us about 20 minutes because he moved so slow, but that didn't matter at all. He was so happy to be out of the house. I can't help but think that a little exercise would be good for him at this point. I worried, of course, that I was pushing him, but he seemed to do fine for the rest of the night. Which reminds me, he needs his nighttime pain pill right now.

Beware that last ITEM! It's gross

ITEM!: And then Andrea says, "Hey, go to the library. They'll have the books you want to read, and you won't have to buy them." And now I'm obsessed with going to my local library to find out how deep the fiction section actually is, and how much book-related trouble I can get into. To my shame, while we've picked up Sydney's books at the library, it actually never occurred to me to go there for myself. I should finish my current story tomorrow, and then I have only one more book in the Nook, which I'll read over the weekend. Monday will be my library day, I think.
ITEM!: The light bulb in my nightstand lamp went out two days ago, and I don't have any replacement in the house. No biggie, except that the other light source is from the ceiling fan, and it shines down on me like a spotlight. It's bothersome.
ITEM!: Do you guys watch Vice on HBO? There was an episode last night that included a segment on how polluted India's waterways are, and it haunts me. Part of the reason why the water in the country is so polluted is that a significant portion of the population defecates outside. They like, poop everywhere. Along train tracks, in the grassy areas, just, like, everywhere. And they showed images of these people doing this, and of course, showed all the ickiness of people poop everywhere. (Toilets are very uncommon in the cities there, so raw sewage is everywhere, but even for the people that have toilets, some still go outside to poop, out of habit.) The whole thing grossed me out, and I can't unsee some of the things I saw. And I had to tell you. Ick.

No invention is better than a kid's invention

Sydney's class hosted a science fair today, in which the children put on display their awesome inventions. Parents were invited to attend the fair for an hour this morning, and Brian and I were happy to visit. The kids themselves were fantastic. Every one of them was super articulate about their invention, they were very creative, and every invention was ... somewhat ... practical.
But let's take a moment and talk about kids today and what they feel they need inventions for.
Most of the inventions were pet-related. One young man in a wheelchair had built a contraption that would hoist his small dog from the floor onto his lap when he's in his chair, which was brilliant. Another kid fashioned a protective cover for your stuff when you leave the house so your dog won't chew on anything. Another invention was a fish feeder.
A good number of inventions were built specifically for the lazy child. Including Sydney's shoe-shaking, sand-removal device, there were a significant number of easy fixes. One girl just drilled holes through the bottom of her shoes to get the sand out of them, so they're like a colander. One kid fashioned a small plate on wheels to be dragged behind her Barbie remote-controlled car so she can have snacks brought to her. Another kid had the same kind of idea, but it was for taking trash away. One girl had a toy-scooping creation.
There were some practical inventions, like an umbrella with plastic draping that went to the ground, so the carrier would not get any part of them wet from the rain. A kid came up with an idea for a parking-spot saver that was actually pretty ingenious, and with a few modifications, would have been awesome when I was living in Boston. One boy attached a room deodorizer to his remote-controlled helicopter, so he can freshen up a room from anywhere. Another girl had a garden hose splitter so you could water up to three garden plots at a time.
Our favorite inventions though, were those brought on by sibling issues. One girl had created a privacy zone, wherein you climb into a playground tube, and close up the ends with bean bags, so you have privacy. The invention that had us cracking up though, was a boy's sister repellent. It was a scented "spray" that would scare or repel one's sister from being near them. The spray's ingredient list had Brian and I in frickin' hysterics: blood, spider venom, boogers, sweaty gym socks, pickle juice and worms, among other things. Honestly, BOOGERS?!? Classic.

Didn't he fade into obscurity?

I'm no fan of Jay Leno. I never have been. I've never thought he was funny, and always got the impression that he was an ass. Hearing about the "late-night wars" did nothing to dissuade me from thinking that. Dave Letterman always came off as an ass, too, but was always honest and snarky about it. Leno always came off as a true asshole.
And then, he left The Tonight Show. And all was well. But then, Jimmy Fallon had to have him on as a guest for some reason. I watched the first 30 seconds of the segment, and then fast forwarded through the interview because his attitude and smug smiles bugged me. And then Craig Ferguson ended his show, and had Leno on as a guest on the last episode. On that show, Leno bemoaned the "late-night wars," and commended Ferguson for never buying into them.
It struck me, during that particular interview, that the only person who seemed like a dick, or who perpetuated the late-night wars, was Leno himself. He didn't have a single nice thing to say about anyone or anything, and continued smiling smugly and acting like he is/was all that. I disliked Leno before, but that segment on Ferguson cemented my sincere irritation with him in all ways.
On television right now, Letterman is beginning his swan song for his show, and is enjoying his last couple weeks of awesome guests before signing off the air. I read a piece online this morning about how Letterman thinks that Leno "probably won't" be guesting on his show before he leaves it. My comment for that article: Why would he want Leno to guest on his show? Leno is a snarky, asshat who does nothing for late night in this day and age. If you look at all the current late-night hosts out there, you'll see that they're young, having fun, and respect each other for what they do. There is no public tension among them. They seem to enjoy what they do, and enjoy a friendly competition and camaraderie.
Jay Leno is the antithesis of that. I'm bothered as to why these guys feel like they need to pay homage to him. Dave Letterman has all the prestige and praise of a legend behind him as he sails off into the sunset. He doesn't need to sully any of his final shows with Leno's dickery. I'd be happier if Letterman never even invited Leno onto the show, but that the "interview" won't happen at all will have to do.
Go away, Jay Leno. You're bugging me.

Oh, to have such a fantastic reading space

I donated a whole crate full of books to my local library the other day. I had spent some time in my Book Cabinet a few days prior to that, and cleaned it out well. What I discovered is that I am embarrassed to have had trees die for most of them. And in response, I have renewed my determination to buy more books on my Nook, since they're less expensive, happily, but also much more tree friendly.
So in that line of thinking, I spent more than an hour wandering through Barnes & Noble this morning, reading first chapters, and taking pictures of book covers. It was ... delightful. While I admit to missing some of the joy of buying actual books, it was pretty liberating to know that I'd found a few things to read, without having to carry them.
[ASIDE: I discovered that the worst thing in the world I could do to myself is search "reading nook" images. There are so many incredibly beautiful reading spots in the world! People definitely know what they're doing when they create a cozy reading space. Puffy cushions, comfortable seating, books surrounding, and all kinds of ideal light make the entire idea something that I am eager to do for myself soon (soon-ish). END OF ASIDE.]
I have four pictures of book covers in my phone right now. I've got to get ready for the Summer Reading List, right?

Not ideal, but still a special day

My children on Mother's Day: 
Oliver ~ Made me get up before 7 a.m. to bring him upstairs and put him on the bed. Then, demanded I take him back downstairs as I was fresh out of the shower and not even dry yet. Bitched at me constantly throughout the day for treats. Spent a bit of time on my lap on the sofa. Slept most of the day. Guilted me because he's still not allowed to go on afternoon walks. Chatted me up while I was making his dinner.

Cooper ~ Stood on my chest to look out the window to wake me up. Collected a tree's worth of little leaves in his tail hair and brought them inside before shaking them all out. Cuddled and played all day.

Sydney ~ Left me alone until I woke up. Wrote me a bizarre and weirdly philosophical poem in my handmade Mother's Day card. Brought me a Hershey's kiss in bed, and got one for herself too, "because I'm your kid." Agreed to a grocery store trip enthusiastically, much to my surprise. Spent most of her hours on the computer. Begrudgingly ate a scrambled egg because that's the only way she'd get a couple blueberry muffins for dinner. Went to bed on time and without incident because she's an awesome kid and makes me so happy to be a mom.

Brian brought me my mocha; bemoaned how sucky my Mother's Day was; pushed my cart in the grocery store; played a video game all afternoon; and made an omelet for me for my dinner.

I'll allow that my day was not at all what I would have wanted, but being loved by all my kids, and catered to by my husband made even an ugh-like Sunday a worth while Mother's Day.

Bunny ears, bunny ears, bunny ears

ITEM!: This image was included in an e-mail that my father in-law sent out the other day. It amused me. I laughed because I think that bunny ears in a photo are super funny, but also because of course a bunny would give another bunny bunny ears in a picture.
ITEM!: Oliver's new magic joint medication arrived in the mail today, and we're eager to get started with it tomorrow morning. Chief among my eagerness is so he can feel better about climbing the stairs and jumping onto the bed. I hate, hate, hate that he's sleeping downstairs every night. I miss him terribly, and really can't wait for this knee issue to be better, and then to make it all better with the joint stuff. I think, since it's bit chilly tonight, that I'll bring him upstairs with me.
ITEM!: Brian started a video game tonight that Sydney is thoroughly enjoying watching him play, so that will probably be my weekend. I've started a new book though, so actually, my weekend may mean I get several hours of uninterrupted reading time, so it may not be too bad. I donated a box full of books to the local library today, and have redoubled my resolve to buy books on my Nook instead of in a bookstore. ... My problem is buying books I'm not sure I'll like, or taking a chance on a new author. Which seems like what everyone does, actually. But we need to figure out a way to sample five or six chapters of a book before buying it. More time in the bookstore reading before making a purchase, obviously, will take care of that. Hmmm. Damn it. Now I have to spend hours in Barnes & Noble, and not spend all that money on books, but buy them on my Nook, and save trees? I'll take one for the team, you guys.
ITEM!: Brian and I watched Need for Speed tonight. We watched it so you don't have to. It is not a good movie.

How to justify eating a dropped thing

I live my life by the five-second rule regarding food on the floor. Sydney doesn't, because I'm a better mom to her than person to myself. But this image amused me so much that I had to save it, and then bring it to you in all its glory. I don't claim credit for it, of course. I claim appreciation.
My adherence to the rule though is only in regards to dry food stuffs. Wet things, obviously, collect the germs when they splash onto the floor. The donut in the picture qualifies as a dry thing, because the bottom is dry. Only the frosting would be considered a wet food, but only if the frosting itself is actually wet and freshly applied. If it's dry frosting, it's all good. You see, there is a method.
Dry things just kind of land, and the germs don't automatically adhere. ... Because there's nothing for them to stick to right away.
Science.

Bluebells = pretty; not working = ugh

So, I had a job interview a few weeks ago. It was three weeks ago this past Monday. The position was for a feature editor, and it's one for which I am supremely qualified. I met the guy, and thought that I did well in the interview. We spoke for about 45 minutes, and I thought that we had a journalistic compatibility when looking at the magazines he produced. I thought it went very well.
I sent him the clips he requested, and offered to send him some references, if he wanted, in a thank-you e-mail that night. Then, I waited. I waited until the next Wednesday, nine days after the interview, to send a follow-up note. His response was that he was still interviewing people.
I sat back, got super nervous, and waited. Nothing. I sent another e-mail this past Monday, a full three weeks after the initial interview. I haven't heard any kind of response from him.
Brian tells me to not get mad, because he could very well call any day and offer me the job. It's counter-productive to get mad about something I have no control over, and it's not like if he called, I would "punish" him by not taking the job. So, it's time to relax.
Andrea agreed with me that a second follow-up was the last communication I would send. So now, I'm just bummed. It would be super cool if someone would hire me for something that I enjoy doing, i.e., making magazines.
And yet another crisis of confidence. I am so sick of those.

They are my heart, as big as a galaxy

I made the mistake of watching a whole bunch of videos of my baby when she was a baby today, and it's made me all kinds of melancholy for when she was so wee. Such an adorable little face she had, and the cutest little voice. She was so delicious to hug and cuddle with. Now, she's all growing up and about to be done with third grade. She's so fantastic, and is growing into an amazing little girl (still great to cuddle with, too). But my goodness, I miss the little baby.
Speaking of babies growing up, Oliver has had a rough couple weeks. A visit to the vet two weeks ago confirmed a possible ligament tear in his left rear knee. He's been struggling around the house, though he's doing so much better with every day that goes by. The vet suggested surgery, of course, but with his age, Brian and I are very hesitant. She said that he was already in better shape than most other dogs with tears, so with limited activity and pain medications, he should heal up okay, and just deal with some arthritis at some point. We're working on it, and he's doing better, as I said.
But I found out about a joint supplement today that had a whole ton of positive testimonials, and offered a free month's trial online. All the stories I read were almost exactly what we've been dealing with in regards to Oliver's joint issues, minus the knee situation. He takes glucosamine every day, but this supplement may do better than what we're already doing. So, I ordered the one-month free trial. I know the knee is the main issue here, but I feel like he's having a hard time also because he's sleeping so much on the hard floors downstairs, and he's just achy, you know?
The supplement doesn't include anything that will be bad for him, so it's really a win-win for a month. If it works, fantastic, we've got a new thing to make his life more comfortable. If it doesn't, we've only spent the $5 for shipping. I'm really hoping that it does everything for him that it's done for the other dogs I read about. I hate that he's having a hard time getting around.

The family that snails together ...

I've got issues with my weekends, you guys.
We tend to not do a whole lot because we don't usually have much money to go out and play. It's a sad but undeniable truth that going out and doing things as a family is fairly expensive. So much of the free outdoor stuff isn't an option because it's getting warm out again. So when a good weekend day comes along, whether I mean it to or not, I taste the victory and savor it.
Today didn't start out as much at all. In fact, it didn't end as much, either. But when the husband and kid both remark on how quickly it feels like the day went by, I am victorious. Usually, our weekends are painfully slow. We had a fantastic morning yesterday seeing Avengers. But didn't really do anything else all day. Today, Sydney declared pajama day, though I was able to get her into a swimsuit for a while this afternoon. I made dinner and got started on a book I've had in my To-Be-Read Pile for months and months (it's good, and captured my attention, too).
As Sundays go, it was still a pretty boring one, but since everyone else enjoyed it, I guess that's all that matters.

They didn't get any of OUR money

There is something to be said for being a cheapskate sometimes. Tonight, in the glare and razzle dazzle of the Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather fight, Brian and I faced a conundrum. We had discussed days and weeks ago that we would not buy the fight to watch. We were fine with that. But tonight, with all the glitz and glamor, we began to vacillate. Should we pay the money to watch it?
All I can remember is the last fight we bought on pay-per-view, and the fact that it was over super quickly, and that we were pissed for paying $50 for it. And this fight tonight was a $100 charge to our cable bill. We continued to list the pros and cons. Eventually, our cons won out, and we chose to hang out on ESPN and listen to their updates after every round.
And we're super glad that we did. First of all, the guy we wanted to win, didn't. Secondly, it seemed like it was a pretty boring fight, with minimal action and amazingness. And thirdly, it was over in what, like an hour? That's a lot of money to spend for an hour of unamazing television.
The best part of the entire night was Brian saying this: "Thank you for not letting me buy that fight. I'd be pissed right now if we spent that money on it."
Looks like I'm the winner now!

It's "Age of Ultron" Eve for us

ITEM!: I did not go see the movie today. I did tell Brian that I was able to, just to freak him out. He said to me five minutes later, "Now, I'm actually kinda scared that you'll go see it today without me!" I reassured him that, more than anything, I'm too cheap to buy a ticket for a movie that I already have a ticket for. We are so excited for tomorrow morning!
ITEM!: The air conditioner in my bedroom blows so cold that I end up wearing long sleeves and a sweatshirt throughout the summer. When the fan is on, it's even colder. I'm freezing my butt right now, and I'm not enjoying it. And the thermostat is at 77 degrees, so you know it's not because I've got it cooling a whole terribly lot.
ITEM!: I broke up with Once Upon a Time today. It didn't even hurt me at all. I've had the last six episodes sitting on the DVR, and have had no desire to sit and watch them. This morning, I deleted them all, with no regrets. It's so refreshing and liberating to cut another show out of my life. I feel like I've gained an hour of life. I'll miss you, Captain Hook, most of all, but the storytelling was getting crazy.
ITEM!: It's a frustrating thing, you know, to not get something that you want. I don't know that it's not mine yet, but the waiting is killing me.