For my loved ones, past, present, and future, I am walking in the 2008 Heart Walk in Lakeland, FL. You can click on the links below to donate online ($25 minimum, unfortunately), or you can mail me a check if you'd like. Contact me by sending a comment if you have any questions.
The thermometer shows the goals of the whole Lakeland Start! Heart Walk. My personal goal is $250, and I'm 10% of the way there so far. :-)
If you're in my area and want to walk with me (I guess that means you, Angie, unless I have some unknown visitors who enjoy my little site), let me know. It will be fun to have someone besides the kiddies to walk with.
Click Here to Donate
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Banana Pudding
Katy has been reminded in Technicolor, THX sound, why her diet consists of chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and misc food that requires no preparation.
This was my Facebook "status update" yesterday.
This was my Facebook "status update" yesterday.
Honestly, all I wanted to do was make this yummy-sounding recipe for Banana Pudding that a co-worker brought to a potluck. I didn't even get to be at the potluck (I was in South Bend), but I heard rave reviews, and apparently in the "south", that's something to not take lightly. Well, all of my family likes bananas (Jes, you weren't here, so you don't count!), and it sounded good, so while Chip was at work and Sean was outside playing, I figured I could knock it out quick without too much fuss.
I was wrong.
First, the recipe requires whipped topping. No problem. I had that! Thawed. Oh, now that's another story. So, I took it out of the freezer and took Sophie down to the park to swing for a few minutes while it thawed (didn't figure it would take too long in 80+ degrees). 35 minutes later, back upstairs to the pudding.
I started mixing the pudding, and I hear blood-curdling screams. Ok. Not blood-curdling. But potentially pudding-curdling. 20 minutes later, after cleaning up a VERY dirty, but not-so-injured, "Buzz Lightyear", everyone's hungry for dinner. I get out the hot dogs, but there's only 1 left. The kiddos fight over it. Sophie wins, but only because I offer Sean a "quesadilla" (cheese burrito, really. Too lazy for 2 layers).
That done, hands washed, I commence to cutting the bananas. Sophie's at my feet (when she's not opening the oven and standing on the door to try to reach things) screaming for a whole one - a 1/2 one just won't do, but I didn't have enough to give her a whole one. Should have skimped on the recipe to appease, I see in hindsight. Too late now - they're already cut up, and that just isn't the shape of banana she was interested in.
Finally, I get all the parts mixed together, and it ends up like this:
Very tasty. Rich. Creamy. Kinda like gramma's ice cream dessert, honestly, only with bananas. And there are cookies instead of Ritz, so no slight salt flavor that would have helped cut down the sweetness a bit. Really, really good. But...I won't attempt anything like it again soon, at least not while Chip is at work. The taste is not worth the pain in the rear it was to make, even though it's really easy.
Back to nuggets, hot dogs, cheese burritos, ice cream, pre-baked cookies, and the like...after I eat another helping of the pudding. ;-)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
About me again.
The cheater's way to post a quick blog...copy and paste these email thingys!
1. What is your occupation right now? Data Manager
2. What color are your socks right now? foot-colored because I'm not wearing any
3.What are you listening to right now? fan, air conditioning, and Sean's bed creaking 4.What was the last thing that you ate? Fruit Chiller cup (peach) that I shared with Sophie 5. Can you drive a stick shift? Does it have to be WELL? Then No.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Dad W.
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Very Much!
8. How old are you today?
33 and 5/6ths (I figured it out with Sean a couple of weeks ago; reducing fractions and all. Math can be FUN!)
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Olympic Events
10. What is your favorite drink? Sweet tea or water
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? a time or two
12. Favorite food? Almond thingy that we make at Christmas time or gooey orange rolls that are perfectly done
13. What is the last movie you watched? Peter Pan
14. Favorite day of the year? the day I didn't have to do any housework
15. How do you vent anger? vent? you're supposed to vent?
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? I dunno...the piano? (Mom, Sophie would definitely go with your answer of water)
17. What is your favorite season? Seasons of change (for the better)
18. Cherries or Blueberries? blueberries
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? yep, cuz I rarely bug em with stuff like this (wink wink)
22. Living arrangements? 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,200 sq ft apartment with 4 people and 1,800 sq ft of crap!
23. When was the last time you cried? tonight
24. What is on the floor of your closet? a little of everything; see #22
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to Angie. Sorry, Jes, but you weren't born yet when I met her!
26. What did you do last night dishes, laundry, library, ate at Grandpa Johnson's Yummy BBQ (yummy my edit), read my "new" book, Facebook a little
27. What are you most afraid of failure; ruining my children's lives
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers CHEESEburgers.
29. Favorite dog breed? Stuffed and cuddly
30. Favorite day of the week? same as #14
31. How many states have you lived in? If you count all my time in NY, 4.
32. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls surrounded by diamonds
33. What is your favorite flower? I'm partial to lillies and orchids
1. What is your occupation right now? Data Manager
2. What color are your socks right now? foot-colored because I'm not wearing any
3.What are you listening to right now? fan, air conditioning, and Sean's bed creaking 4.What was the last thing that you ate? Fruit Chiller cup (peach) that I shared with Sophie 5. Can you drive a stick shift? Does it have to be WELL? Then No.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Dad W.
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Very Much!
8. How old are you today?
33 and 5/6ths (I figured it out with Sean a couple of weeks ago; reducing fractions and all. Math can be FUN!)
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Olympic Events
10. What is your favorite drink? Sweet tea or water
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? a time or two
12. Favorite food? Almond thingy that we make at Christmas time or gooey orange rolls that are perfectly done
13. What is the last movie you watched? Peter Pan
14. Favorite day of the year? the day I didn't have to do any housework
15. How do you vent anger? vent? you're supposed to vent?
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? I dunno...the piano? (Mom, Sophie would definitely go with your answer of water)
17. What is your favorite season? Seasons of change (for the better)
18. Cherries or Blueberries? blueberries
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? yep, cuz I rarely bug em with stuff like this (wink wink)
22. Living arrangements? 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,200 sq ft apartment with 4 people and 1,800 sq ft of crap!
23. When was the last time you cried? tonight
24. What is on the floor of your closet? a little of everything; see #22
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to Angie. Sorry, Jes, but you weren't born yet when I met her!
26. What did you do last night dishes, laundry, library, ate at Grandpa Johnson's Yummy BBQ (yummy my edit), read my "new" book, Facebook a little
27. What are you most afraid of failure; ruining my children's lives
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers CHEESEburgers.
29. Favorite dog breed? Stuffed and cuddly
30. Favorite day of the week? same as #14
31. How many states have you lived in? If you count all my time in NY, 4.
32. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls surrounded by diamonds
33. What is your favorite flower? I'm partial to lillies and orchids
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The smell remembers when...
"I was standin' at the counter
I was waitin' for the change
When I heard that old familiar music start..."
I like Trisha Yearwood a lot. I love this song. Very true. But I've found that smells often do the same thing for me.
On my travels a week or so ago, I sat next to someone who was wearing the same cologne as someone I knew on Mackinac Island. Just a friend with whom I shared my woes (they were woes back then), but I smelled him first, and when I turned to look at who was sitting by me, I was shocked that it wasn't the Mackinac guy stowing his carry-on. Crazy.
Chip told me at our first stop in FL when we moved, "Do you smell that? That's the smell I always associate with FL...the slight mustiness, but 'soft' smell. I love it." Sorry, Chip, I'm sure I paraphrased, but since you don't read this anyway, I'm sure you won't care. :-)
Baby powder reminds me of Sean's baths. He was BIG into powder. Maybe Sophie is getting there - she's been liking it with diaper changes during this terrible bout with diaper rash - but she likes the "girly" cucumber melon scent.
The smell of a smokey (inside of a) car still reminds me of riding to/from the theatre with Fred. On a total tangent to this, tonight I was at the library looking up a book to place on hold and I saw an audio tape recorded at Brilliance Studio in Grand Haven and I immediately had tears in my eyes because I could see me in that studio watching Fred read a part for a book. Can't remember which one - I need to ask, just so I can get it and listen to him reading. What a voice.
Back to smells...the good ones...
somehow the smell of the first snow always reminds me of childhood snows. I'm sure that's a combo of many senses, though.
The smell of apple pie always puts me in my grandma's kitchen.
The smell of playdough always reminds me of my childhood kitchen table...oh, wait. I still play playdough on the same table, and until recently, in the same house, in the same SPOT.
The smell of COTY dusting powder reminds me of my Grandma Smith.
The smell of White Rain coconut (me) and Aussie shampoo (Angie) reminds me of my Mackinac days, too.
And I don't know what it is - I think Estee Lauder Sunflower perfume or something like that - always conjures the image of Jen Day in my mind. You too, Ang?
There are a couple of other smells that remind me of Mackinac, too, and yes, I smile, but no, I'm not sharing ;-), but for those of you with impressionable teens (coughCarolcough), DON'T let them go work up there!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Airplanes don't always bring out the best in me...
I can't really say I HATE flying. Being in the air is cool. Amazing, even. It's just that I am terrified of all of the worst-case scenarios. The horror stories that we've all heard. The firey crashes. The falling into the ocean. The crashes that result in cannibalism. The hijackings...
Every time I get on a plane (and that was 6 times in the past 2 weeks), I have these conversations with myself. Luckily not out loud, but I bet my seatmates could read it in my face.
They go something like this:
"What's that sound? That can't be good!!" or "We have been waiting on the tarmac for 45 minutes. This CANNOT be good!!" or "Are we supposed to be descending so quickly?!?" and then I will rationalize with myself. "It's the safest way to travel. If you die, at least it will be with a bang (I chuckle at myself a little here). Millions of people do this everyday and they are FINE." and then I say, "but there are always exceptions. It has happened in the past. What makes you so special that it won't happen this time?" and back to me "The pilot doesn't want to die, either. He or she knows how to fly this thing (even though it seems physically impossible) and they want to get where you are going just as badly as you do" and on and on it goes. Sometimes the argument can last for the whole flight. Luckily I don't make myself physically ill over it (at least not badly enough to use the "special" bags!), but it bothers me that I feel this way.
I think my dad would call me a realist. Thinking through all the possibilities. To be honest, I think about crashing in a car most of the times I'm in one, too. Always wondering if today is the day. Some might call me cautious. These thoughts help me to be a better driver, and a more alert passenger (yes, I'm the idiot next to you actually paying attention to the safety demo/video and reading the "safety card located in your seat pocket"), but they also give me ulcers. I just call me afraid.
So last week, when I flew to a training course on "Customer Care", I really related when the speaker (JoAnna Brandi, see website link on the right of this page) talked about catastrophizers. That's what I am. I don't feel like a pessimist for most things. But I always do see the worst possible outcome in situations. I don't necessarily feel like that outcome would be personal and BECAUSE OF me, but I always think about the what-ifs. Forgive me, JoAnna, if this isn't exactly in the correct context, but here's something she said that changed my travel immediately, effectively, and really, just amazingly. She said to stop thinking about the worst case. Who knew it could be that easy, right? haha! But she also talked about visualizing the end. Seeing yourself off the ground and in the air smoothly, or landing perfectly. She wasn't talking about travel, but I immediately thought "fooey. It won't work for flying. I can't CONTROL the outcome, so how will visualizing make me handle the situation better?". See yourself SUCCESSFUL and you will have a better chance of success. I'd heard it before, but how could it work if you weren't the one taking the action to create success?
You know what? I decided to try it. Instead of visualizing me being in control of the flight, though, I visualized me being in control of my EMOTIONS. I thought about enjoying the flight, the pilot truly caring about my safety, and about the things I do like about flying. I want to be profound, but the truth is, it just worked. My stomach was not in knots at all, I was able to talk to the very interesting person beside me, but most of all, I was able to stop dwelling on me and the fear and the what-ifs, and just look out the window. For almost the entire flight from South Bend to Atlanta. And it was amazing. The first time I was able to contemplate how brave the Wright Brothers were. How brave every pilot is. How wonderful it is to be able to see so much of the earth out one tiny window. How amazing the road system in Indiana is. I mean, really. How did they make such perfectly square road systems without the benefit of overhead views? And then I went on tangents thinking about pioneers and how they knew where they were going without roads and only crude maps, and their bravery...and how each of those tiny houses had a story, and each person in them could be hurting (you know the statistics - 1 in 3 have this disease, 1 in 4 have this...). It just totally took the focus off of me.
And I was at peace. And awe. In an airplane. For the first time ever.
I think there's a lesson here about my life on the ground, too. Did you catch it? I hope so! Pass it on...
Every time I get on a plane (and that was 6 times in the past 2 weeks), I have these conversations with myself. Luckily not out loud, but I bet my seatmates could read it in my face.
They go something like this:
"What's that sound? That can't be good!!" or "We have been waiting on the tarmac for 45 minutes. This CANNOT be good!!" or "Are we supposed to be descending so quickly?!?" and then I will rationalize with myself. "It's the safest way to travel. If you die, at least it will be with a bang (I chuckle at myself a little here). Millions of people do this everyday and they are FINE." and then I say, "but there are always exceptions. It has happened in the past. What makes you so special that it won't happen this time?" and back to me "The pilot doesn't want to die, either. He or she knows how to fly this thing (even though it seems physically impossible) and they want to get where you are going just as badly as you do" and on and on it goes. Sometimes the argument can last for the whole flight. Luckily I don't make myself physically ill over it (at least not badly enough to use the "special" bags!), but it bothers me that I feel this way.
I think my dad would call me a realist. Thinking through all the possibilities. To be honest, I think about crashing in a car most of the times I'm in one, too. Always wondering if today is the day. Some might call me cautious. These thoughts help me to be a better driver, and a more alert passenger (yes, I'm the idiot next to you actually paying attention to the safety demo/video and reading the "safety card located in your seat pocket"), but they also give me ulcers. I just call me afraid.
So last week, when I flew to a training course on "Customer Care", I really related when the speaker (JoAnna Brandi, see website link on the right of this page) talked about catastrophizers. That's what I am. I don't feel like a pessimist for most things. But I always do see the worst possible outcome in situations. I don't necessarily feel like that outcome would be personal and BECAUSE OF me, but I always think about the what-ifs. Forgive me, JoAnna, if this isn't exactly in the correct context, but here's something she said that changed my travel immediately, effectively, and really, just amazingly. She said to stop thinking about the worst case. Who knew it could be that easy, right? haha! But she also talked about visualizing the end. Seeing yourself off the ground and in the air smoothly, or landing perfectly. She wasn't talking about travel, but I immediately thought "fooey. It won't work for flying. I can't CONTROL the outcome, so how will visualizing make me handle the situation better?". See yourself SUCCESSFUL and you will have a better chance of success. I'd heard it before, but how could it work if you weren't the one taking the action to create success?
You know what? I decided to try it. Instead of visualizing me being in control of the flight, though, I visualized me being in control of my EMOTIONS. I thought about enjoying the flight, the pilot truly caring about my safety, and about the things I do like about flying. I want to be profound, but the truth is, it just worked. My stomach was not in knots at all, I was able to talk to the very interesting person beside me, but most of all, I was able to stop dwelling on me and the fear and the what-ifs, and just look out the window. For almost the entire flight from South Bend to Atlanta. And it was amazing. The first time I was able to contemplate how brave the Wright Brothers were. How brave every pilot is. How wonderful it is to be able to see so much of the earth out one tiny window. How amazing the road system in Indiana is. I mean, really. How did they make such perfectly square road systems without the benefit of overhead views? And then I went on tangents thinking about pioneers and how they knew where they were going without roads and only crude maps, and their bravery...and how each of those tiny houses had a story, and each person in them could be hurting (you know the statistics - 1 in 3 have this disease, 1 in 4 have this...). It just totally took the focus off of me.
And I was at peace. And awe. In an airplane. For the first time ever.
I think there's a lesson here about my life on the ground, too. Did you catch it? I hope so! Pass it on...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Epcot: Spaceship Earth
I thought it would be nice to ride inside the Geosphere just because I was hot and needed a break, but it turned out to be interesting, and a lot of fun. It was Sean's favorite of all three Disney parks we've been to by FAR, and we had fun with the last part. You get to answer some questions and "create your own future", and then when you get off the ride, you can email postcards of it. Here are just a few of the ones we created this weekend:
Friday, July 25, 2008
My First YouTube
SO...if this works, I think I'll do this more often!!!
Oh, and for the curious, yes, that WAS Sean pummeling her in the face with the ball. But she did look sufficiently disgusted with him, didn't she?!? Luckily, it wasn't a medicine ball!
Oh, and for the curious, yes, that WAS Sean pummeling her in the face with the ball. But she did look sufficiently disgusted with him, didn't she?!? Luckily, it wasn't a medicine ball!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
What do Amy Grant, Doritos, and and Tide have in common?
Do you know the answer?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!? Keep reading...
Ok. I know we moved to FL, where it's hotter and you sweat more and get clothes wetter. But I am doing at least 2 loads of laundry a day. If I let it go for a couple of days, it's a 7-load marathon.
I know I did a lot of laundry before, but what is up with this?!? Here are my hypotheses:
1) We swim, thus using more towels that take up space.
but we also hang them up and re-use them. So I don't really think that's it, entirely
2) Sophie is desiring more independence and spills all the time all over herself (and sometimes others).
This one is a bit more believable. She does like to feed herself and we are now sans bibs -nowhere to store them. So this could be part of our problem. But her clothes are smaller than everyone else's, so it shouldn't be that much more (although today, she did end up with 2 outfit changes and 1 shirt change...so definitely credible!).
3) Our washing machine is small.
I'm going to go with this one. Listen, apartment owners. Just because it's an apartment doesn't mean you have to skimp on the washload requirements. I happen to know that a large-capacity washer would maybe possibly fit in the tiny space you call a laundry "room". Or at least don't tease me - get one of those fancy stackable types that would fit in one side of the closet, and let me use the other side as a pantry, since I have barely any food storage space once I put my dishes in your skimpy cabinets!
I know I'm a bit spoiled. We bought our washer in Cville shortly after we moved in 2004, and when we were at Best Buy pricing them, the salesguy told us it would fit all of our bedding from our king-size bed in one load. Mind you, I didn't stuff it like that (but Chip did - a time or twenty!), but it was very nice-sized.
I'm lamenting its loss.
But the good news is that just two or three weeks after moving in, we got a new dryer. The one that was here first looked to be about 20 or so years old, and it would turn off randomly, leaving our clothes wet, and we'd have to start the whole thing over again because it wouldn't pick up where it left off. That, and there were big gaping holes in the lint trap. Probably not very safe in an apartment building. The new one works perfectly, even on "energy-efficient" setting it dries things nicely. That's probably because the load size that fits in the washer is only 1/2 or 3/4 of the dryer capacity and we're wasting the energy in the wash loads. Another great side benefit...the new one had the ability to change the way the door opened, so now I don't have to be a contortionist to get the clothes from the washer into the dryer. Thank you, Chip! That was an excellent idea!
Truly, I should not complain. At least we only have to go to the laundromat (answer to the title - Baby, Baby video and Doritos commercial filmed in one, most of them smell like Tide, if you're lucky!) once in a while, when we want to wash the mattress pad that won't fit in the washer. Imagine if I had all this laundry and had to GO SOMEWHERE ELSE to do it! No thank you! I don't get enough done around here as it is!
Ok. I know we moved to FL, where it's hotter and you sweat more and get clothes wetter. But I am doing at least 2 loads of laundry a day. If I let it go for a couple of days, it's a 7-load marathon.
I know I did a lot of laundry before, but what is up with this?!? Here are my hypotheses:
1) We swim, thus using more towels that take up space.
but we also hang them up and re-use them. So I don't really think that's it, entirely
2) Sophie is desiring more independence and spills all the time all over herself (and sometimes others).
This one is a bit more believable. She does like to feed herself and we are now sans bibs -nowhere to store them. So this could be part of our problem. But her clothes are smaller than everyone else's, so it shouldn't be that much more (although today, she did end up with 2 outfit changes and 1 shirt change...so definitely credible!).
3) Our washing machine is small.
I'm going to go with this one. Listen, apartment owners. Just because it's an apartment doesn't mean you have to skimp on the washload requirements. I happen to know that a large-capacity washer would maybe possibly fit in the tiny space you call a laundry "room". Or at least don't tease me - get one of those fancy stackable types that would fit in one side of the closet, and let me use the other side as a pantry, since I have barely any food storage space once I put my dishes in your skimpy cabinets!
I know I'm a bit spoiled. We bought our washer in Cville shortly after we moved in 2004, and when we were at Best Buy pricing them, the salesguy told us it would fit all of our bedding from our king-size bed in one load. Mind you, I didn't stuff it like that (but Chip did - a time or twenty!), but it was very nice-sized.
I'm lamenting its loss.
But the good news is that just two or three weeks after moving in, we got a new dryer. The one that was here first looked to be about 20 or so years old, and it would turn off randomly, leaving our clothes wet, and we'd have to start the whole thing over again because it wouldn't pick up where it left off. That, and there were big gaping holes in the lint trap. Probably not very safe in an apartment building. The new one works perfectly, even on "energy-efficient" setting it dries things nicely. That's probably because the load size that fits in the washer is only 1/2 or 3/4 of the dryer capacity and we're wasting the energy in the wash loads. Another great side benefit...the new one had the ability to change the way the door opened, so now I don't have to be a contortionist to get the clothes from the washer into the dryer. Thank you, Chip! That was an excellent idea!
Truly, I should not complain. At least we only have to go to the laundromat (answer to the title - Baby, Baby video and Doritos commercial filmed in one, most of them smell like Tide, if you're lucky!) once in a while, when we want to wash the mattress pad that won't fit in the washer. Imagine if I had all this laundry and had to GO SOMEWHERE ELSE to do it! No thank you! I don't get enough done around here as it is!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Mamma Mia!
I had a wonderful time tonight. I got to go for Girl's Night Out and got to see a movie! It was my first in a theatre since Sean's third birthday, when we saw the Incredibles. Just FYI, he will be SEVEN in October. ;-) Actually, now that I think about it, maybe we did go to another Disney movie when I was pregnant with Sophie. Can't remember. At any rate, it's been a while.
We saw Mamma Mia!
http://www.mammamiamovie.com/main.html
It's a musical "based on" ABBA songs that I fondly remember from my growing up years.
Ok. I know a lot of people who have no use for a musical. But I happen to love them. And even though I love musicals that have music written just for them and sing those songs all the time, I have to say, it was AMAZING how they used ABBA songs in such a fluid way. It never seemed awkward. It was truly just people "bursting" into song because life just gave them something they had to express through music. It's how life should be lived! It was funny, sweet, sappy, touching, energetic, and just really a fun time.
I think all of the cast sang their own songs, and I was amazed (why should I have been?) at how well-acted it was. I definitely felt their emotions (stop laughing at me, Angie!), and I loved that even though they sang on key, they didn't choose the people with the most glorious voices. It made it more fun and believable.
I don't know. It was just such a good time. I will be first in line once the DVD comes out, and hope to get out and see it in the theater again (yes, I'm willing to shell out the $9.50 it costs to see a movie down here!!!). Maybe I'll go by myself so I can sit in the back and laugh and cry without being embarrassed. But if you want to watch it with me, I'll be happy to invite you along. And mom, if you bring your cell phone when you go, just call me and leave it on speaker so I can listen. HAHA.
Really, it was a good time. The best I've had in quite some time. You MIGHT attribute that to the fact that I was sans family, and perhaps you are correct, but I wager that any of my musical friends will agree that Mamma Mia is the reason for my current euphoria.
Looking for the stage show to come to town so Angie and I can go again...
We saw Mamma Mia!
http://www.mammamiamovie.com/main.html
It's a musical "based on" ABBA songs that I fondly remember from my growing up years.
Ok. I know a lot of people who have no use for a musical. But I happen to love them. And even though I love musicals that have music written just for them and sing those songs all the time, I have to say, it was AMAZING how they used ABBA songs in such a fluid way. It never seemed awkward. It was truly just people "bursting" into song because life just gave them something they had to express through music. It's how life should be lived! It was funny, sweet, sappy, touching, energetic, and just really a fun time.
I think all of the cast sang their own songs, and I was amazed (why should I have been?) at how well-acted it was. I definitely felt their emotions (stop laughing at me, Angie!), and I loved that even though they sang on key, they didn't choose the people with the most glorious voices. It made it more fun and believable.
I don't know. It was just such a good time. I will be first in line once the DVD comes out, and hope to get out and see it in the theater again (yes, I'm willing to shell out the $9.50 it costs to see a movie down here!!!). Maybe I'll go by myself so I can sit in the back and laugh and cry without being embarrassed. But if you want to watch it with me, I'll be happy to invite you along. And mom, if you bring your cell phone when you go, just call me and leave it on speaker so I can listen. HAHA.
Really, it was a good time. The best I've had in quite some time. You MIGHT attribute that to the fact that I was sans family, and perhaps you are correct, but I wager that any of my musical friends will agree that Mamma Mia is the reason for my current euphoria.
Looking for the stage show to come to town so Angie and I can go again...
Saturday, July 19, 2008
When you say nothing at all...
I have been taught that it's really better, if you don't have anything good to say, to not say anything.
I just wanted to let you know why I haven't written here in a while...
I just wanted to let you know why I haven't written here in a while...
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Just to clarify...
Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in my life...just to clarify, I wasn't putting the following cards in any specific order. :-) Please consider yourselves all loved equally...in different ways!
...and you can expect a card in the mail, too, but poor planning and forgetfulness has made us late in getting them out to you. Sorry.
But we still love you!
...and you can expect a card in the mail, too, but poor planning and forgetfulness has made us late in getting them out to you. Sorry.
But we still love you!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Things I learned my first day of work
My first day at the new office, I had quite a few revelations I thought I would share with everyone:
1. I'm not the only one who talks to herself.
2. Getting "punk'd" by co-workers from the "old" office is very funny - but only to you.
(all of my things were marked with garage sale stickers, and I can tell you, they were hoping for bargains! My Franklin Planner for 25 cents?!? I think the Ramen noodles were 10 cents - not much of a bargain there, though. The most they were willing to pay was $10, and I think that was for the instructions to assemble my monitor - or maybe it was the network cable we all seemed to fight over!). Yeah. The new people didn't get it. Guess I won't be punking them while they're on vacation.
3. The code to the women's bathroom is...well, I can't tell you or you'll walk in on me, but seriously, there is a security code!
4. Security badges are really worth something here. You can get into the office building without it sometimes, but not into our suite. This would include the trip back from aforementioned bathroom. This, coupled with the fact that it's a small office without many people (hence not a real flow of people in and out to help you get back in), is a good reason to find a place to keep the badge attached to you!
5. The security code for the breakroom has the exact same digits as the women's bathroom code, but in a different order. Luckily I don't take breaks (haha), so I have conveniently forgotten the order.
6. Don't wander around the basement of a bank building (we share our offices with a large bank) alone, without a security badge. You might cause undue alarm when you get near the vaults. Fortunately, I didn't stick around long enough to make anyone worry (that I know of - yet). But hey, I was only looking for the breakroom that they told me had a big screen TV in it. Perhaps this would be the reason for above security code for entry. And, as an FYI, the security BADGE alone doesn't cut it. You have to have the code.
7. No matter how much stuff you packed for the move, you still left something behind. And hey, it could be in GR or in NY, no one knows. But it could just be the most important paper you were hoping to have with you. Like passwords to websites for researching. That weren't yours. And you have to suck it up and contact an executive so that he or she knows you've been slacking off on their project-baby.
8. Faxing is not as simple as I always thought it was. Here are the instructions:
If dialing locally:
dial 9, then the area code (Verizon makes us do this), then proceed as below beginning with step 4.
If dialing long distance:
dial 9
dial 1
dial the phone number with area code first
press pause 4 times
enter employee ID#
press SEND*
*SEND is not a button that actually appears on the machine, but I assumed they meant start.
Other than that, these are the exact instructions I followed in order to get my new W-4 sent to payroll. Easy as pie!
So that's it. The lessons learned. I wish they were as funny to you as they were to me.
Here are a couple of pics of my new digs, though. The second one is a little blurry because I was snapping them while I was on a conference call and I thought I was on mute, but as I pressed the button and heard the loud "quack" sound effect, I realized I wasn't [on mute], so I tried to move the phone away from my headset. :-)
1. I'm not the only one who talks to herself.
2. Getting "punk'd" by co-workers from the "old" office is very funny - but only to you.
(all of my things were marked with garage sale stickers, and I can tell you, they were hoping for bargains! My Franklin Planner for 25 cents?!? I think the Ramen noodles were 10 cents - not much of a bargain there, though. The most they were willing to pay was $10, and I think that was for the instructions to assemble my monitor - or maybe it was the network cable we all seemed to fight over!). Yeah. The new people didn't get it. Guess I won't be punking them while they're on vacation.
3. The code to the women's bathroom is...well, I can't tell you or you'll walk in on me, but seriously, there is a security code!
4. Security badges are really worth something here. You can get into the office building without it sometimes, but not into our suite. This would include the trip back from aforementioned bathroom. This, coupled with the fact that it's a small office without many people (hence not a real flow of people in and out to help you get back in), is a good reason to find a place to keep the badge attached to you!
5. The security code for the breakroom has the exact same digits as the women's bathroom code, but in a different order. Luckily I don't take breaks (haha), so I have conveniently forgotten the order.
6. Don't wander around the basement of a bank building (we share our offices with a large bank) alone, without a security badge. You might cause undue alarm when you get near the vaults. Fortunately, I didn't stick around long enough to make anyone worry (that I know of - yet). But hey, I was only looking for the breakroom that they told me had a big screen TV in it. Perhaps this would be the reason for above security code for entry. And, as an FYI, the security BADGE alone doesn't cut it. You have to have the code.
7. No matter how much stuff you packed for the move, you still left something behind. And hey, it could be in GR or in NY, no one knows. But it could just be the most important paper you were hoping to have with you. Like passwords to websites for researching. That weren't yours. And you have to suck it up and contact an executive so that he or she knows you've been slacking off on their project-baby.
8. Faxing is not as simple as I always thought it was. Here are the instructions:
If dialing locally:
dial 9, then the area code (Verizon makes us do this), then proceed as below beginning with step 4.
If dialing long distance:
dial 9
dial 1
dial the phone number with area code first
press pause 4 times
enter employee ID#
press SEND*
*SEND is not a button that actually appears on the machine, but I assumed they meant start.
Other than that, these are the exact instructions I followed in order to get my new W-4 sent to payroll. Easy as pie!
So that's it. The lessons learned. I wish they were as funny to you as they were to me.
Here are a couple of pics of my new digs, though. The second one is a little blurry because I was snapping them while I was on a conference call and I thought I was on mute, but as I pressed the button and heard the loud "quack" sound effect, I realized I wasn't [on mute], so I tried to move the phone away from my headset. :-)
Oh! And RIGHT after I took these pictures, a kind person brought me a monitor riser, so I no longer have the lovely phone book holding up my laptop.
I kinda like how I've interspersed my personal life with my work life, but you can see everything so well through my windows that I'll probably be asked to move them to the other wall. Who knows? It's a very nice place, though. Lots of nice people with soothing Southern accents to listen to. Makes me crave sweet tea and Chick Fil A all day, but I love listening!
Well, y'all, that's enough for today. See ya later, Alligators (but hopefully not too soon, gators. I hear they're prevelant around these parts).
Friday, May 30, 2008
Catch up Photos
So before I post on all the major changes in life, I thought I would share some photos from the past month or so.
Here's Sophie in the dress Gramma made. This was the "happy" photo.
Here she is after the novelty of Mom wanting to take her picture wore off...
Sean's last Pack meeting with Pack 3004 earned him 3 new belt loops, his Tiger Cub badge, and a special photo with the leaders. He was acknowledged in front of everyone that he was moving and would be greatly missed.
Sean and Sophie on the Tiger at the Syracuse zoo. Who knew they give Tiger rides?!? :-)
An impromptu moment of fun at the zoo. Sophie and Sean loved the pretend munching of ears. Smiles that were rare on this trip were greatly appreciated and made the day much more enjoyable for everyone.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Miscellaneous
Sean and Sophie playing with Sean's new "Christmas" present - a Chihuahua webkinz named "Sidney". Thanks, Nana! He loves it and is addicted!
Sean and Sophie giving goodnight hugs and kisses to Gramma from the hotel room in Chicago (I had to go there for training for work a couple of weeks ago)
And here are Sean and Sophie enjoying the DuPage County Children's Museum. They had a wonderful time and played lots and lots there.
Sean and Sophie giving goodnight hugs and kisses to Gramma from the hotel room in Chicago (I had to go there for training for work a couple of weeks ago)And here are Sean and Sophie enjoying the DuPage County Children's Museum. They had a wonderful time and played lots and lots there.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Blue and Gold
Sean's pack meeting for Cub Scouts February was the Blue and Gold banquet where they celebrate most of the "Tigers" receiving their Bobcat badges (the first one you get before earning anything else - Sean got his in October). They celebrated with the theme of "Chinese New Year", with the dragon parade and everything. It was a grand time. Sean earned 4 belt loops this time (actually 6, but the leader forgot one and we forgot to turn in the paperwork for the other), and he was very proud. Here are some pics of the evening.
Sean's the last one in this picture (on the right). He's waving his sparkly thing and I think he's also shaking his noise (not money) maker.
Sean made and wore a cat mask.After the parade and dinner, a man came in and showed the scouts some Tae Kwon Do moves. They all seemed to have a great time (see below). Sean was laughing and yet still paying attention and learning, and I got a little excited that it might be something fun we could do together until he walked back to the table and told us it was the most boring time ever. So much for that...for now.
After all of that, the awards ceremony took place. Here's Sean earning his belt loops.
Sophie got into the spirit by stealing Sean's hat while he was wearing the cat mask. She enjoyed being a Tiger cub for the night.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
The squeaky boot gets the laugh
The other night we came in from playing outside and Sophie really did not want to come back in. She had taken off her mittens and played in the snow, though (she wanted a better grip on it so she could eat it better), and I didn't want her hands to freeze.
She started walking in a huff so I wouldn't be able to get off her boots, and they started making loud squeaking noises on the linoleum. These pics are showing how fascinating and humorous she thought that was. She giggled and giggled and giggled.
She made lap after lap back and forth and as long as those shoes kept squeaking (and it was quite a while...did I mention it was also drizzling outside?!?), she kept at it.
The good news was by the end, she was happy to be inside and didn't put up any more fuss with getting ready for bed.
How FUN!
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