Also, Tinkerbell is a bit of a bitch

We all sat down and watched Peter Pan together this afternoon. Truth be told, I don't remember if I ever sat through the entirety of Peter Pan before. I will assume I did at some point, but it obviously didn't stick with me.
Hey, you know what? Peter Pan is kinda boring. Also, it's super, super politically incorrect with its Native American stereotypes. Yikes. It made me cringe even more than the crows in Dumbo.
The bigger crime for me is the boredom though, as I looked over longingly at Brian, who fell asleep about 25 minutes into the movie (and it's one of his favorites!). Sydney giggled and enjoyed, which is the purpose behind these vintage Disney movie days, so ... achievement: fulfilled. But still, I was going crazy every five minutes that the movie wasn't over yet.
Add Peter Pan to the list of rides and accompanying songs that are better than the movie.

In future, it may be all about Cakebites

We found a new "gourmet bake shop" today, as Brian and I were driving around town. It's in the same parking lot as the Chipotle, where we had lunch, and we were intrigued. Unfortunately, we're also forgetful, so we left lunch without checking out the shop. But it didn't slip Brian's mind entirely, so we went for a visit in the early evening, after we'd picked up Sydney and everyone had cooled down (it was hot today).
The bakery had three display cases, which included cupcakes (of course), cookies, and Cakebites. Of the cupcakes, we bought a double fudge, a strawberry shortcake, root beer float, FairyFetti, pina colada, and one other I don't remember. Brian was in charge of picking cookies, so all I know is that there's a heavy box of cookies in the refrigerator. And then there are Cakebites, which are little balls of cake batter and frosting mixed together and baked, then dipped in chocolate. They are ... awesome. We got a couple samples when we entered the store: Sydney thoroughly enjoyed the double fudge, and I loved the lemon. We ended up getting three double fudge Cakebites. (This invention may be as brilliant as donut holes, or pretzel bites.)
I tasted ... er, ate ... the strawberry shortcake cupcake tonight. The cake was nice and moist, and the frosting was delicious. I can't wait to share the chocolate one with Sydney tomorrow, since I've got faith in its probable fabulousness. Brian ate half of the root beer float cupcake, and said it was really good, too.
Lovely. Just what we need: a delicious bake shop within a 10-minute drive.

My night in second grade

Parent Orientation Night is always interesting. I learned a bunch of things:
There's a whole lot of sand in the playground, so my hopes of it running out in the next week, so there isn't any sand in Sydney's shoes after school, is a pipe dream.
The principal likes to chat, and is super excited to be at such a good school. Like, really. He was incredibly enthusiastic. The vice principal also is a chatty guy, with seemingly no direction at all in his remarks.
Change is hard, and the parents don't like it. There's a new Gate to Gate policy at the school, where parents drop their kid at the gate, and pick their kid up at the gate. This is the first year it's been implemented, and the parents don't seem too happy about it. It's interesting to hear the administrators explaining the new policy, clearly placating the freaked out parents who have been complaining for weeks.
In second grade, the students' chairs are bigger, and sitting at desks is more comfortable.
There are nifty words for everything, prettily emphasizing what they really are. Writing, reading and phonics is called "Fundations." Math is called "Math Facts," making it more definite, I guess. Reading is called "DEAR time," which stands for Drop Everything And Read. ... Happily, social studies and science are still called that.
Homework and schoolwork begin in earnest next week, and once again, it looks like the homework is going to be more work for me than Sydney. I get to log all her time playing math games on the computer; I get to log her time reading every night; I get to go over all her work with her; and of course, I get to make sure she's doing all her assignments. I don't mind my responsibility in this. It's just that none of these things can be accomplished without some pushback, attitude and/or ridiculously exaggerated pouting from the student herself.
There's an overhead projector that shows on a white board in the classroom and it's a touch screen, too. There wasn't anything that cool when I was in school.
School is still a fantastic thing, and I'm glad that Sydney is enjoying it.
Even the principal and vice principal can be super rude. As a couple, they came into our classroom towards the end of the orientation, made some random comments here and there, and then announced at 7:02 p.m. that it was time for us to go, cutting her off rather than let the teacher finish up with her remarks and allow time for questions. To add more irritation to that, I noticed as we left the classroom that there were two other classes still happily moving along with their time together.
If I'm not home, and Brian is in charge, Sydney is perfectly happy not insisting on her dinner being prepared and ready for her consumption right at 6 p.m.

Oblivion ... is a long time

ITEM!: I did really good work at Starbucks today. I was unsure of how it would go, and got butterflies in my stomach when I walked into the place (which is ridiculous, because it's like my second home). But I sat down with my tea, plugged in my computer, put in my ear buds, and promptly got to work. Three hours later, I was farther along than I thought I would be, had a stack of questions for my boss, was full up of green tea, and felt like I had been productive. So; goal accomplished, and I'll be back tomorrow.
ITEM!: Brian rented Oblivion on iTunes last night while he couldn't sleep, and tasked me with watching it today before the 24-hour rental expired. I wasn't interested in watching the Tom Cruise, end-of-the-world film, but I knew that if I didn't, Brian would get annoyed. In the interest of not being annoyed at tonight, I watched it. Also, I live tweeted my disdain. It made it more interesting for me. The movie itself, not so much.
ITEM!: We also watched the HBO documentary, Americans in Bed, tonight. I can't decide if it was uplifting or depressing; if it made me envious or thankful; or if it made me horny or just want to cuddle. The documentary interviewed several couples, sitting up in bed, about their relationships, including sexual relations, love for each other, issues with each other, and their take on love and romance. Some of the couples were awesome, some were sad, and some made me want to scream because they don't talk to each other. But mostly, I'm glad it didn't make me feel like I have to sit down with Brian and over-analyze our relationship.
ITEM!: I was uncomfortable with my clothes at Starbucks this morning. I had on my khaki capri pants, a t-shirt and some flip flops. My "uncomfort" comes from my chilled toes, my ankles being uncovered, my muffin top being there, and the unforgiving waist. (Damn, I need to get fitter for my clothes, yo.) The answer to my issues is, of course, yoga pants. They need to be long, so they cover my ankles, and look good with my tennis shoes. They need to be yoga, so they are more flexible in the waist, but still control my awesome waist fat. And they need to be in my closet, so I can be a comfortable while I'm sitting at my computer, in a coffee shop, as nature intended.

Yeah, well, that's probably right

This article about BMW drivers being jerks makes me laugh, because for so many people (even us), it's the absolute truth. Though I can say right now that I drive a Volkswagen, I do not forget that I drove a BMW for a few years in my youth. So no one toss that back at me.
Brian was telling me the other day that in regards to drivers, he thinks that women tend to speed more than men, but that while the men speed, they are more aggressive and dangerous. I'll agree with that wholeheartedly, as I am one of the women who likes to speed, and Brian is a man who speeds more aggressively.

BMW drivers really are jerks, studies find
By Tom Bemis | The Wall Street Journal
Drivers of BMWs frequently come in for anecdotal criticism for habits on the road that are perceived as aggressive.
Now, a couple of studies, one in the U.S. and another from the U.K., appear to provide statistical evidence that BMW drivers are, to be polite about it, complete jerks.
In the older study, by researchers at the University of California, BMW drivers were far less likely to stop for a pedestrian who had just entered a crosswalk, the New York Times notes. 
“In our crosswalk study, none of the cars in the beater-car category drove through the crosswalk. They always stopped for pedestrians," researcher Paul K. Piff told the paper. He added that not only were "fancy cars were less likely to stop," but also that "BMW drivers were the worst."
Drivers of BMWs and other high-status cars (including Prius hybrids) were also more likely to cheat at four-way-stop intersections, according to the research.
In the second study, in the U.K., motorists were asked to identify the make and color of the car from which they have most frequently suffered road-rage incidents, the Daily Mail reports.
The study of 2,837 motorists found men between the ages of 35 and 50 driving blue BMWs were most likely to be reported as having engaged in road-rage behaviors such as aggressive driving and swearing.

So. There you go. It's official. But I wish they had broken it down into gender, too. That would have been as much fun, and would have added another level to the research.

Tea, crumpets and finger sandwiches

In a bizarre twist of argument, Brian has decided that we must keep the wedding china.
ASIDE: Given the opportunity to register again for my wedding, I would bypass the china; any kitchen appliances except the popcorn popper; the placemats and table linens; and the bar glasses. None of these things have been used much, if at all, in the last 12 years, and I could have used the cash to pay for my honeymoon. END OF ASIDE.
So the plastic bin in my garage that held all the wedding china is now empty, and the china itself is out of the dishwasher, packed into dish covers, and stored in a cabinet in my kitchen. Apparently, I will use the china at some point, when I have a fancy dinner or tea.
I've got service for eight. Eight dinner plates, salad plates, dessert plates, and cups and saucers.
Cups. And. Saucers. What the hell does anyone need cups and saucers for in this century? Still, they look awesomely old school, so they just may get used ... at my next tea.
My mother in-law said to me, about my house, "There is no reason why someone who doesn't cook needs all that storage in a kitchen." She's right. I don't cook, but I've got all the fixin's to, should I want to, and now I have a kitchen that will hold it all. And now, the kitchen also holds my wedding china.
China that has never been used. Never been unwrapped even. It's still pretty, to be sure. And now, it's the subject of a new goal: find a real reason to use the wedding china, and then use it.

Understatement: we enjoy frozen treats

ITEM!: My sofa is a very comfortable, and confounding, place. I love to lay on it, but I hate to sleep and wake up there. (The latter almost always follows the former.) Thus was my problem last night, and which is why I didn't blog. Tonight, I was sure to pop up off the sofa before I got too comfortable.
ITEM!: And when did Sunday become such an awesome night for television? True Blood, The Newsroom and Ray Donovan? Add Brian's other love, Breaking Bad? It makes for a lovely night for Brian and I, and an "independent play" night for Sydney. Sadly, True Blood is over next week, so that's means that the rest won't be far behind.
ITEM!: My freezer is filled with all kinds of awesome. We bought Otter Pops yesterday. They're taking a bit longer to freeze than we figured, so we haven't partaken yet. Also in there is a half-gallon of Blue Bell Southern Blackberry Cobbler, three pints of Blue Bell Cookies n' Cream, Blue Bell mixed berry bars (I've developed a Texas-sized thing for Blue Bell; someone find me that key lime pie ice cream and send it to me, please), Brian's coconut bars, and some sugar-free popsicles. Never let it be said that we don't have frozen treats and chips in the house.
ITEM!: We experienced the always amazing movie trifecta this weekend. Planes, Identity Thief, and Jack the Giant Slayer. I can confidently say that we are two for three in that list, with Planes being the only movie we're pleased we sat through. I have to tell you, I really wish I didn't have a job this week. There are so many movies I want to see, and not having any time without the kid and a job is killing my good time. I want to watch movies and eat popcorn, people.

My mind dances, rather than works

I didn't go to Starbucks to do my work today. I decided to try "working at home."
Fun fact: I am incapable of getting a lot done when I'm "at home."
I took Sydney to school and came right back. I got distracted in the garage, and brought the box with my cubicle desk stuff in it upstairs. In the box was all kinds of other stuff, and I had to call Mom so we could talk about it. At 11:30 a.m. or so, I finally got down to business.
And I was immediately too overwhelmed to get very far. It occurred to me that I had no idea how to start doing my job when not in the posting program, nor did I know enough about my clients to get very far. Still, I soldiered through it, and managed to create posts for a few of my clients, and sent them off to my boss.
Happily, the return e-mail was a positive one, and I did good. The current task is to do some more this weekend, with images, and then we'll talk about them on Monday. I find myself looking forward to having to go to the office on Monday. Because it's no joke, I could not keep my head on straight today, nor could I deny my dogs every time I got up to pee. (They like their treats, you know.) I will definitely be going to Starbucks and/or the library every day I'm not driving to the office. Because the less I can do around my house, the more I get done.

I'll take a table space for work, please

So, when you're doing your work, on your computer, in a Starbucks, and you need to go to the bathroom, do you pack up all your stuff and take it with you? Or is there some kind of honor system, where the person at their laptop next to you will watch it for you while you're gone?
How many times can you get a refill on a venti iced green tea in the span of one morning?
How quick is the wi-fi at a wi-fi hub like Starbucks?
Will I be able to handle the ultimate hipster status of setting up camp at a table at Starbucks and working there?
Is there some kind of time limit to taking up a chair and table space?
Is it possible to be too dressy to work at a table in Starbucks? Does that mean I can I finally buy some "work yoga pants"?
Am I going to get any actual work done, or will I be too interested in watching the Starbucks world go by?
Will the wearing of earbuds make me just too cool for this?
These questions, and more, will be answered tomorrow, as I take my first foray into the working "not in an office" world. Should be pretty fascinating!

Once again, I'm a working girl

Okay, so I had my first day of work today. It's been 10 years since I had a "first day" at work, and seven years since I had a "day" at work. I got to tell Brian that he was buying me a tea for "my drive to work" this morning, and it felt good. The job itself will take some learning, as most jobs do, and once I've got it figured out, it'll be a quick and easy task.
My concern is that I will spend so much time on my computer during the day that I won't want to do anything with it at night. But even as I type that, I know that I'll do fine. Shopping list, for the job, at Target tomorrow: 3-ring binder for client information; tabs to separate customers; 3-holed paper for said binder; case for my laptop; and an additional charging cable for my laptop (this may wait for the Apple store this weekend). I'm looking forward to digging in to the job, and it seems as though Monday may be the day I do that. I've got a boatload of papers to print out in the morning, too, which I'll put in a folder until I get my shopping done. (Now I'm just making my mental plans out loud and on the blog. Feel free to space out right now, since I'm losing interest in this post, and will be ending it soon.)
So. Social media is a thing. And I'm getting paid to do it. Weird.

It's all about the ice cream

Tonight's post is a bit less frantic, and I'm comfortable saying that I feel more in control of my head today. I finally received a confirmation from my boss (as that is what he is starting tomorrow) of my new office's location, and they seem excited to have me starting tomorrow. The workplace is about 25 minutes away, according to Google Maps.
I love that I remember stuff about random areas in Arizona, and I remembered, to my delight, that there used to be a Ben & Jerry's down the street from my new work location. Also to my delight, the Ben & Jerry's app on my phone confirmed that the ice cream shop was still there. Guess where Kimmie's stopping for snack tomorrow after her first day at work? No kidding, if they have Brownie Batter there, I'll be stopping every day.

My issues right now

I've got two zits on my forehead which look like off-center bindis, and they're simply not going away fast enough. They've been hanging around for a few days, since it's, you know, my "time of the month." And they're being supremely stubborn. The little punk on my chin went away, why the heck won't these other guys go away? Do they enjoy the view from up there that much? Ugh.
My anxiety has lessened, thanks to an encouraging lecture from Andrea this afternoon, and Mom's continued support. I think I finally settled into the realization that they're not going to dump a ton of stuff on me the first day, and that I can write a 500-word article about anything, given the proper source material. I'm still nervous as hell, but I'm strapping an anchor to it so my nagging doubt doesn't get away from me.
Daisy ate irrigation hose yesterday, and I busted her twice in the rose garden today. The dog has chewing issues lately, and I need to figure out what the motivation for it is. Sydney and I are going to Petsmart tomorrow to pick up some thick, plastic bones for her to chew on. Maybe that will help, and she'll quit being so destructive. Honestly, it's like she's not happy unless she's in trouble for something.
My shakes diet went well today. I wonder how long it'll be until I feel comfortable wearing ribbed tank tops.

That's a lot of water, friends

Today's goal was to flush out my system by drinking a whole lot of water. That goal was met. I think I drank about six big bottles of water throughout the day. I certainly feel flushed. Today, also, was the first day of my shakes diet, which will be the catalyst for my weight loss over the next few months. Which is exactly why I thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate from Dunkin' that Brian brought to me this morning, and why I ate with gusto my popcorn this afternoon. So now I'm all flushed out, and I've indulged in a couple of my vices. I think I feel better for it. More of the same tomorrow and the next day, and it becomes a habit.

I love a Saturday ITEM! list

ITEM!: The disappointment in myself that I felt earlier this evening in watching Step Up: Revolution, the last 10 minutes of The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and about five minutes of Chasing Mavericks, has been replaced by unbounded joy, due to catching Airplane! at the beginning. "Surely, you can't be serious." "What's our vector, Victor?"
ITEM!: Somehow, I was able to spend some time catching up on my television today. I watched True Blood, The Newsroom, and Ray Donovan, which is awesome, because that means I only have to wait until tomorrow night before I see the next episode. Something about True Blood: There are only three episodes left, and I feel like nothing has happened in the first nine. Honestly, I feel like they're still setting up this season's action.
ITEM!: I'm officially getting super nervous about starting my job on Wednesday. And I'm nervous for Sydney starting school. This is going to be an awful week for my psyche, and I just have to reconcile myself to that fact. But still, my heart starts pumping a bit faster when I think about Wednesday.
ITEM!: Daisy's diet has finally kicked in, and she's lost weight. In fact, she's weighing about 21.5 pounds right now, which is a pound less than Oliver. So, to be clear, she's lost five pounds in the last seven weeks. I have concerns about this, but Brian contends that I'm being paranoid. I'm sorry, but losing 20 percent of body weight in less than two months can't be a good thing. But she's eating, drinking, pooping and peeing as she always has. I can't believe that all that is because she's going up and down stairs several times a day and night. I'm keeping an eagle eye on her, for sure.
ITEM!: I'm yawning. It must be time for night nights.

Butterflies in the tummy, huh huh!

So, this happened: It's turned to August already.
We've been out here in California for a week, and we're heading home tomorrow. We've got quite an August ahead of us, and I'm eager to get started ... sort of. I'm going to miss Sydney like crazy when she starts school again. And I'm getting nervous about starting the job next week, too. I know that once we dig in together, we'll be happy and excited about it all, but until then, my nerves and stress level will be growing. Already, my tummy is getting all butterfly-ish.
My avatar shows me wearing a suit, but that's not going to be the case at all. Yes, I've managed to find myself another job that allows me to wear whatever I want every day. So, while this looks fancy, I will, in fact, be wearing flip flops and jeans to work. Sometimes I love being a writer and editor more than other times, and when I don't have to dress up fancy for work, I love it more. I'm an easygoing girl, you know.