In anticipation of the cats receiving their first spring dose of flea medicine tomorrow, the little buggers got baths today. It went as well as could be expected. First I couldn't find the tub stopper, so I had to crouch down near the faucet with Zoe curled up in my lap, which was probably what I was going to be doing anyway.
Zoe was very sad but did pretty well, I managed to get all her sides all the way wet, and then a bit of kitten shampoo on and rinsed off. Rhett, however.... Rhett. Since these guys have avoided a bath since probably February of 2009 (seeing as how cats don't actually really need water baths so much), I had forgotten that Rhett makes the saddest noise on the planet while he is getting bathed. He actually managed to sound like a child crying. A very very sad child with claws. Needless to say, he got his back slightly moistened, his feet run under the faucet, his tail wiped down, and then a good toweldry. I ended up with scratches on my shoulder and my collarbone, so ... not so bad!
Here is where karma kicked in. Because I was covered in cat hair, and hadn't showered yet, it was my turn! but as soon as I switched the converter from tub to shower, the hot water was GONE. gone! So I took a quick shower that was transitioning from lukewarm to ice even quicker, and then got out to find two cats staring up at me in a mixture of hatred and fear. I'm pretty convinced that they had something to do with the hot water's disappearance.
I stuck all the towels in the wash and sat down to finish Monday's episode of the Daily Show. Who should come sit on my lap but a very damp Zoe! So now I have a wet cat on a wet lap.
At least she doesn't hate me!
31 March 2011
29 March 2011
The Writing on the Wall
The other day I gave a $40 donation to Planned Parenthood! did you??
LP'oh11 is not going terribly well lately. It went from nice spring to super cold again, and snowed a bit over the weekend, and supposed to snow again tomorrow. It is difficult to do much of anything. I! Hate! Cold!
Bear is getting faster at learning stuff. He is identifying pictures in books and stuff (Where's the banana?? where's the dog!), so that is good. he makes this funny "huh??" sound when you ask him something, as though he were an old man hard of hearing. But last week BAM six new teeth, so he looks a little less like an old man, at least.
I am reading all the Harry Potters over again, which is actually pretty great because it means I get to go to the library! The library is great. I went to the Northeast branch for the first time yesterday, and it seemed nice, I guess! I just got my book on hold, put another book on hold, and did my checking out, so I didn't really look around. I wanted to go home. It was cold and I wanted to read my book!
I was thinking about taking Biebzbear to the library, as it is very near his house, but he is SO loud, with the screaming and the noises, and the way he asks to read a book again, which sounds remarkably like the word "again," but with out the first syllable, and it's screamed at the top of his lungs. So, I think we'll wait on the library. I'm pretty sick of the same books over and over, though, so I might just bring him books from the library.
LIBRARY! YAY!
I want to see the cherry blossoms but I hate the tourists. They suck suck suck. I am devising a plan to go at dawn one of the days soon, but it is So Cold, and that is So Early, but I Really Hate The Tourists, so we will see what party wins the cherry blossom fight. First round will be Seeing Cherry Blossoms vs. Not Seeing Cherry Blossoms. If the former wins, then it will be a battle of Hatred of Cold and Early vs. Hatred of Tourists. aaaaaand... FIGHT!
LP'oh11 is not going terribly well lately. It went from nice spring to super cold again, and snowed a bit over the weekend, and supposed to snow again tomorrow. It is difficult to do much of anything. I! Hate! Cold!
Bear is getting faster at learning stuff. He is identifying pictures in books and stuff (Where's the banana?? where's the dog!), so that is good. he makes this funny "huh??" sound when you ask him something, as though he were an old man hard of hearing. But last week BAM six new teeth, so he looks a little less like an old man, at least.
I am reading all the Harry Potters over again, which is actually pretty great because it means I get to go to the library! The library is great. I went to the Northeast branch for the first time yesterday, and it seemed nice, I guess! I just got my book on hold, put another book on hold, and did my checking out, so I didn't really look around. I wanted to go home. It was cold and I wanted to read my book!
I was thinking about taking Biebzbear to the library, as it is very near his house, but he is SO loud, with the screaming and the noises, and the way he asks to read a book again, which sounds remarkably like the word "again," but with out the first syllable, and it's screamed at the top of his lungs. So, I think we'll wait on the library. I'm pretty sick of the same books over and over, though, so I might just bring him books from the library.
LIBRARY! YAY!
I want to see the cherry blossoms but I hate the tourists. They suck suck suck. I am devising a plan to go at dawn one of the days soon, but it is So Cold, and that is So Early, but I Really Hate The Tourists, so we will see what party wins the cherry blossom fight. First round will be Seeing Cherry Blossoms vs. Not Seeing Cherry Blossoms. If the former wins, then it will be a battle of Hatred of Cold and Early vs. Hatred of Tourists. aaaaaand... FIGHT!
26 March 2011
Psalm 23
There was a spring thunderstorm the other day! A thunderstorm! yay! A thunderstorm that started right as I was putting DaveyBug Jr down for bed! Not so great!
Right around Christmas there was one evening when he wouldn't sleep, so I sang him a song, and then he started asking for a song every time, and since I don't know all that many songs, or at least complete ones, it tends to be the same ones every week. And, since all the music I've constructively sung in the past 5 months has been church-related, they tend to be church songs. He's started asking for Amazing Grace by name. Which is cute. I also wonder if I'm crossing an invisible line drawn by his Buddhist(-ish?) parents? Should I not be singing about Jesus?
On Thursday while Tiny was napping, Big and I were having a delightful round of Ring Around the Rosie, and after a few particularly good spins we were both on our backs on the floor giggling. I have always been very easy to dizzify, so I was definitely dizzy. and apparently so was Big, because he stared up at the ceiling and said quietly, "Mooooving..." which was hilarious.
When I lived in my various apartments (all in the same building) in Northwest DC, I always kind of assumed that all living spaces have cockroaches, and they will always be in your kitchen and/or bathroom at night, no matter how clean you keep your house. I did a pretty good job of keeping a clean apartment, and stopping the sink at night, and all the other things that you do, and there were not many of the nasty things, but they were definitely there.
But now I live on the East side of town, and mostly work on the East side, and NONE of my houses that I work in have cockroaches! Doesn't matter if it is a clean house or messyish house or a basement apartment, I have seen no cockroaches! However, all the houses/apartments I work in over in Northwest have them. A few of my houses in Southeast have had trouble with mice, though. I've never seen mice at Bear's house, though, and that may have something to do with his two cats, who may only have a combined total of 7 legs, but are very fierce.
I am well aware that this is not the way that household pests work. I'm sure that cockroaches are not restricted to the northwest quadrant of the city, and that mice are not restricted to Southeast, and that not all houses in Northeast have an opossum that occasionally hangs around on the transom of their back door. These are merely my observations.
Right around Christmas there was one evening when he wouldn't sleep, so I sang him a song, and then he started asking for a song every time, and since I don't know all that many songs, or at least complete ones, it tends to be the same ones every week. And, since all the music I've constructively sung in the past 5 months has been church-related, they tend to be church songs. He's started asking for Amazing Grace by name. Which is cute. I also wonder if I'm crossing an invisible line drawn by his Buddhist(-ish?) parents? Should I not be singing about Jesus?
On Thursday while Tiny was napping, Big and I were having a delightful round of Ring Around the Rosie, and after a few particularly good spins we were both on our backs on the floor giggling. I have always been very easy to dizzify, so I was definitely dizzy. and apparently so was Big, because he stared up at the ceiling and said quietly, "Mooooving..." which was hilarious.
When I lived in my various apartments (all in the same building) in Northwest DC, I always kind of assumed that all living spaces have cockroaches, and they will always be in your kitchen and/or bathroom at night, no matter how clean you keep your house. I did a pretty good job of keeping a clean apartment, and stopping the sink at night, and all the other things that you do, and there were not many of the nasty things, but they were definitely there.
But now I live on the East side of town, and mostly work on the East side, and NONE of my houses that I work in have cockroaches! Doesn't matter if it is a clean house or messyish house or a basement apartment, I have seen no cockroaches! However, all the houses/apartments I work in over in Northwest have them. A few of my houses in Southeast have had trouble with mice, though. I've never seen mice at Bear's house, though, and that may have something to do with his two cats, who may only have a combined total of 7 legs, but are very fierce.
I am well aware that this is not the way that household pests work. I'm sure that cockroaches are not restricted to the northwest quadrant of the city, and that mice are not restricted to Southeast, and that not all houses in Northeast have an opossum that occasionally hangs around on the transom of their back door. These are merely my observations.
22 March 2011
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum*
It is spring! My handsome man cat is allowed outside now, with adult supervision. Today and yesterday he spent a bunch of time fiercely hunting stalks of grass and then triumphantly devoured his prey. He then helped me select some excellent pieces to harvest and bring inside for his sister, and creepily watched her while she nommed them all gone.
Yesterday I made these tasty puffs! They are very dense and there is quite a bit of shortening in them, but they are super yummy. I fully intend to mess with the recipe to make them lighter and less full-of-shortening.
My phone is acting stupid again, though a few weeks ago I finally updated my OS, in hopes that would resolve all of its freezing issues. It is even worse now. And of course because I am not the account holder at AT&T, I am not authorized to do anything on the phone with them. NOTHING. but having the account holder call will do no good, because how is he supposed to know what's wrong with my phone? Stupid stupid.
Here is a photo of the baby lions at the zoo.
*"Don't let the bastards grind you down," from Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale
Yesterday I made these tasty puffs! They are very dense and there is quite a bit of shortening in them, but they are super yummy. I fully intend to mess with the recipe to make them lighter and less full-of-shortening.
My phone is acting stupid again, though a few weeks ago I finally updated my OS, in hopes that would resolve all of its freezing issues. It is even worse now. And of course because I am not the account holder at AT&T, I am not authorized to do anything on the phone with them. NOTHING. but having the account holder call will do no good, because how is he supposed to know what's wrong with my phone? Stupid stupid.
Here is a photo of the baby lions at the zoo.
*"Don't let the bastards grind you down," from Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale
14 March 2011
100% Apple Juice
it is a good thing that Space Monkey was born last week, because this week is super super busy already. Well, ok part of the reason it is so busy is because Space Monkey was born. I get leave Biebz's house to meet Space Monkey in about an hour, right before he goes to his first doctor appointment, and I will hang out in the house while Stellina naps, so that she knows that no, we're not done with naps now just because there's a new baby. My goodness, multiple children. Then tomorrow after I hang out with Bear in the morning, I will pick Stellina up from school and get her lunched and napped, so that again she knows that there is still naptime in her life, and then I will go back to the BieberBear's house for the afternoon.
Then! I have Davey Bug, Jr. on Tuesday evening AND Wednesday evening, and the Bear from 9 to 5 on Wednesday, and though I don't have Big & Tiny on Thursday, I do have a different family for which I am subbing for the afternoon. Friday I don't know yet! Man though it is like I have a real full-time job. except it's not real, and not full-time.
LP'oh11 is going well, so far. I guess there is a thing with Lent where you get Sundays off ? so I am choosing one day a week to take off. Last week it was Friday, this week it looks like I will take Tuesday off, because a three-family day is exercise enough. but that means I have to today, even though I don't want to because my allergies(/sickness? I'm hoping I didn't pick up Big's nasty cold) are making me MISERABLE. I would like to replace the front half of my head, please. Anyway there has been lots of ballet and bicycle so far. Saturday I was going to go to my very first hip-hop class, but instead I got my exercise for that day by running around the house at 6am furiously looking for my keys, and then tearing south on my bicycle to get to Stellina's house so they could leave for the hospital. I'm glad I hurried! He arrived 20 minutes after they got to the hospital.
Yesterday I napped too long (booo) so I didn't get to do as much as I would have liked at home, but I did scrub my pots and pans, and do dishes, and finish my laundry, finally. Still did not vacuum or sweep or mop. I have grand plans for that, though. Grand plans which I am dreading.
I am so, so tired, but I am doing the things and being alive. Bear and I went to get donuts today and walked past BLOOMED DAFFODILS. and it looks like the beginning of peak bloom for the cherry blossoms is only 15 days from now, which is so soon. Winter was so, so long and I'm suddenly afraid I'm going to blink and miss spring.
Then! I have Davey Bug, Jr. on Tuesday evening AND Wednesday evening, and the Bear from 9 to 5 on Wednesday, and though I don't have Big & Tiny on Thursday, I do have a different family for which I am subbing for the afternoon. Friday I don't know yet! Man though it is like I have a real full-time job. except it's not real, and not full-time.
LP'oh11 is going well, so far. I guess there is a thing with Lent where you get Sundays off ? so I am choosing one day a week to take off. Last week it was Friday, this week it looks like I will take Tuesday off, because a three-family day is exercise enough. but that means I have to today, even though I don't want to because my allergies(/sickness? I'm hoping I didn't pick up Big's nasty cold) are making me MISERABLE. I would like to replace the front half of my head, please. Anyway there has been lots of ballet and bicycle so far. Saturday I was going to go to my very first hip-hop class, but instead I got my exercise for that day by running around the house at 6am furiously looking for my keys, and then tearing south on my bicycle to get to Stellina's house so they could leave for the hospital. I'm glad I hurried! He arrived 20 minutes after they got to the hospital.
Yesterday I napped too long (booo) so I didn't get to do as much as I would have liked at home, but I did scrub my pots and pans, and do dishes, and finish my laundry, finally. Still did not vacuum or sweep or mop. I have grand plans for that, though. Grand plans which I am dreading.
I am so, so tired, but I am doing the things and being alive. Bear and I went to get donuts today and walked past BLOOMED DAFFODILS. and it looks like the beginning of peak bloom for the cherry blossoms is only 15 days from now, which is so soon. Winter was so, so long and I'm suddenly afraid I'm going to blink and miss spring.
12 March 2011
mazel tov!!!!!!!
A Space Monkey! he was 6lbs, 14oz at 8:07 am on today, March 12, 2011. I have not met him! Soon I meet him, in the next week. Stellina and I hung out all morning, from about 7am to 4pm (she napped from 1:30 onwards). it was great.
TODAY IS FANTASTIC. It is a great day to be born.
More on this matter when I am sober!!!
TODAY IS FANTASTIC. It is a great day to be born.
More on this matter when I am sober!!!
10 March 2011
All I Do Is Win
Snoop has been running this rap game since he was 20 years old. Man, I am 2 years late, I better get my act together.
if you aren't familiar, and I'm very hopeful that you aren't, this is maybe the worst/best song ever. I am going through yet another of my terrible music phases. One cannot listen to New Pornographers, David Bowie, Old 97s, Fruit Bats, and Guided by Voices always. Well, maybe one can, but I cannot.
The story behind this fantastic/terrible song is that it was the pump-up song for my mock trial babies this year! I went to a round of regionals this year to root for my babies. It was weird, I guess, I thought I was going to be able to be more involved in the program this year, but I didn't end up with enough time or energy. SURPRISE. so, this was the third year of the AU program competing in regionals (when I showed up at AU there was practically no program [AU students are notoriously flaky], my junior year was the first time I captained a team at a regional), and one of the AU teams placed! That means they're going to the opening round of national championship qualifiers. I am so proud of my little mock trialers, most of whom started from scratch last year. They are fully informed that they are to name the AU invitational tournament after me, the program's unofficial founder and first official captain.
It has been raining all day, which is great, even though today has been a cranky one. curse you, barometric pressure changes! Because of the advent of allergy season, I've increased my daily intake of various pills now to a grand total of 13. Apparently Costco sells a giant bottle of knock-off Zyrtec for $dirtcheap.99? Stuff saved my life when Capital R and I went to West Virginia and I had relatively miserable sinus issues - it's cool to mix allergy meds with too much champagne, right?? Anyway I'm beginning to wonder if I'm over-supplemental-ing, is that a thing?
Soon I have to make a decision about what to do when the lease on my house is up. Which is in 2 months and 22 days. which is 1,992 hours, or just over 7 million seconds. I'm dreading everything about that.
if you aren't familiar, and I'm very hopeful that you aren't, this is maybe the worst/best song ever. I am going through yet another of my terrible music phases. One cannot listen to New Pornographers, David Bowie, Old 97s, Fruit Bats, and Guided by Voices always. Well, maybe one can, but I cannot.
The story behind this fantastic/terrible song is that it was the pump-up song for my mock trial babies this year! I went to a round of regionals this year to root for my babies. It was weird, I guess, I thought I was going to be able to be more involved in the program this year, but I didn't end up with enough time or energy. SURPRISE. so, this was the third year of the AU program competing in regionals (when I showed up at AU there was practically no program [AU students are notoriously flaky], my junior year was the first time I captained a team at a regional), and one of the AU teams placed! That means they're going to the opening round of national championship qualifiers. I am so proud of my little mock trialers, most of whom started from scratch last year. They are fully informed that they are to name the AU invitational tournament after me, the program's unofficial founder and first official captain.
It has been raining all day, which is great, even though today has been a cranky one. curse you, barometric pressure changes! Because of the advent of allergy season, I've increased my daily intake of various pills now to a grand total of 13. Apparently Costco sells a giant bottle of knock-off Zyrtec for $dirtcheap.99? Stuff saved my life when Capital R and I went to West Virginia and I had relatively miserable sinus issues - it's cool to mix allergy meds with too much champagne, right?? Anyway I'm beginning to wonder if I'm over-supplemental-ing, is that a thing?
Soon I have to make a decision about what to do when the lease on my house is up. Which is in 2 months and 22 days. which is 1,992 hours, or just over 7 million seconds. I'm dreading everything about that.
08 March 2011
Whatever the Mess You Are
Yesterday I did not get quite as many things done from my list as I would have liked! This is what I accomplished :
+ put shoes away! this only took me three days! wooo
+ check Mint.com, which is still suffering from lack of communication with Bank of America, which is making me very very sad. A week without my Mint.com account is leaving me with frantic energy that is generally targeted toward obsessive budgeting and financial planning, and presently seems to be channeling toward making to-do lists every second possible. Not a bad thing, but it's making the lists seem to never end.
+ make awesome playlists for quiet focus time and energy focus time. This included buying too much/never enough trashy pop music on iTunes yesterday, and also rediscovering how much really awesome classical music I have.
+ look up dance class schedules for LP'oh11. it turns out there is also ballet at my neighborhood studio on Saturday and Sunday!
+ catch up on Teen Mom 2 and 9ine. I am currently obsessed with teen pregnancy and parenting. I could not possibly begin to explain why. TM2 has this trainwreck aspect with some of the moms, but some of the storiesare seem so incredibly genuine that I often find myself being really moved by the end of the episode. Also, trashy TV! So great.
+ Buy plane tickets to home for May. This is one of the reasons I wish that Mint would resume communication with Bank of America, so I can figure out how that $877.60 is going to affect my monthly budgets. Booooo. Yay for a trip home!
So now I have to rearrange the to-do list and probably start a new one, because this crazy budgeting energy needs to go somewhere.
Yesterday I stopped at 7Eleven on the way back from the bank and left with three Cadbury creme eggs! SPRING.
+ put shoes away! this only took me three days! wooo
+ check Mint.com, which is still suffering from lack of communication with Bank of America, which is making me very very sad. A week without my Mint.com account is leaving me with frantic energy that is generally targeted toward obsessive budgeting and financial planning, and presently seems to be channeling toward making to-do lists every second possible. Not a bad thing, but it's making the lists seem to never end.
+ make awesome playlists for quiet focus time and energy focus time. This included buying too much/never enough trashy pop music on iTunes yesterday, and also rediscovering how much really awesome classical music I have.
+ look up dance class schedules for LP'oh11. it turns out there is also ballet at my neighborhood studio on Saturday and Sunday!
+ catch up on Teen Mom 2 and 9ine. I am currently obsessed with teen pregnancy and parenting. I could not possibly begin to explain why. TM2 has this trainwreck aspect with some of the moms, but some of the stories
+ Buy plane tickets to home for May. This is one of the reasons I wish that Mint would resume communication with Bank of America, so I can figure out how that $877.60 is going to affect my monthly budgets. Booooo. Yay for a trip home!
So now I have to rearrange the to-do list and probably start a new one, because this crazy budgeting energy needs to go somewhere.
Yesterday I stopped at 7Eleven on the way back from the bank and left with three Cadbury creme eggs! SPRING.
07 March 2011
Flamingos in Siberia
Here is a really excellent story about flamingos in Siberia: locals mystified.
One time Baby Biebz and I were sitting in the kitchen playing with Tupperware, and I was bored, so I got out my phone and opened my music player, and played that stupid terrible fantastic Train song, Hey Soul Sister, which, as I suspected might happen, Biebz loooved. Yes I have that song on my phone, it just happens to be a really great song to wake up to in the morning. Shut up. Anyway, I did the same thing the next time we did Tupperware time, because it's hilarious to see Biebzbear dancing.
So now, every time the little dude sees my phone, he starts dancing, which I figure is a cue that he wants to hear that stupid song. And then when I play it, he immediately runs to the kitchen and brings me Tupperware. Have I classically conditioned him!? I think when he wakes up from his nap this afternoon, I will try playing a different song on the phone, and see if he does the Tupperware thing. I have some pretty excellent Neko Case on my phone, it's just not as conducive to adorable babydancing as the stupid excellent Train song.
Speaking of my phone and Baby Bieber Bear, I took some pretty excellent photographs last night of him chowing down on delicious black beans from the tasty Salvadoran place at Eastern Market. They're pretty much the only grown-up food he will eat, besides muffins. Anyway, he was funny with food all over his face. Alas, I believe in internet-anonymity for children who are not mine, and honestly if I had children I would believe in internet-anonymity for them as well, so I will not post these excellent photographs! SUCKS TO BE YOU, INTERNET.
Yesterday I didn't do any of the things that I said I would do except take my vitamins! I did that. I did not put shoes away or make my bed, because I got distracted by the internet and went to bed an hour early, which was pretty great. Today I will try harder! because today is a different day than yesterday.
I have a combination of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" and Jamie Foxx's "Blame It feat. T-Pain" stuck in my head. The former because of a friend's G-Chat status, the latter because I am in the process of downloading trashy pop music for motivation. I do not think these two would make a very good mash-up.
No Space Monkey yet! soon, soon, a Space Monkey will come.
One time Baby Biebz and I were sitting in the kitchen playing with Tupperware, and I was bored, so I got out my phone and opened my music player, and played that stupid terrible fantastic Train song, Hey Soul Sister, which, as I suspected might happen, Biebz loooved. Yes I have that song on my phone, it just happens to be a really great song to wake up to in the morning. Shut up. Anyway, I did the same thing the next time we did Tupperware time, because it's hilarious to see Biebzbear dancing.
So now, every time the little dude sees my phone, he starts dancing, which I figure is a cue that he wants to hear that stupid song. And then when I play it, he immediately runs to the kitchen and brings me Tupperware. Have I classically conditioned him!? I think when he wakes up from his nap this afternoon, I will try playing a different song on the phone, and see if he does the Tupperware thing. I have some pretty excellent Neko Case on my phone, it's just not as conducive to adorable babydancing as the stupid excellent Train song.
Speaking of my phone and Baby Bieber Bear, I took some pretty excellent photographs last night of him chowing down on delicious black beans from the tasty Salvadoran place at Eastern Market. They're pretty much the only grown-up food he will eat, besides muffins. Anyway, he was funny with food all over his face. Alas, I believe in internet-anonymity for children who are not mine, and honestly if I had children I would believe in internet-anonymity for them as well, so I will not post these excellent photographs! SUCKS TO BE YOU, INTERNET.
Yesterday I didn't do any of the things that I said I would do except take my vitamins! I did that. I did not put shoes away or make my bed, because I got distracted by the internet and went to bed an hour early, which was pretty great. Today I will try harder! because today is a different day than yesterday.
I have a combination of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" and Jamie Foxx's "Blame It feat. T-Pain" stuck in my head. The former because of a friend's G-Chat status, the latter because I am in the process of downloading trashy pop music for motivation. I do not think these two would make a very good mash-up.
No Space Monkey yet! soon, soon, a Space Monkey will come.
06 March 2011
How Can It Be
I have a terrible terrible Methodist hymn stuck in my head. Today church went on forever, I guess Methodists aren't used to communion so it takes a really long time?? anyway it got to be like 11:50 and the pastor was like "You know what? Go in peace to love and serve the Lord" (which I almost just spelled "swerve") and we skipped the last page of the bulletin.
It's the little things, you know?
the King's Speech was excellent, I am very glad that Mr. Firth got his little golden statue for his role.
outside is storming and windy and police sirens, and on my iTunes is a sweet track from the King's Speech soundtrack that I got for free from Fandango for buying my advance movie tickets through them? I spent only $9 on two movie tickets instead of $24.50 AND got a free dramatized arrangement of the second movement of Beethoven's seventh?? I am a fan of this situation. Also, it feels like a trap, somehow.
The extended forecast on Accuweather.com shows me that the weather for the beginning of Lenten Project Oh-Eleven looks good! Right now I am going to put the shoes away into my closet and take my vitamins and make my bed, and those will be my small projects for today.
It's the little things, you know?
the King's Speech was excellent, I am very glad that Mr. Firth got his little golden statue for his role.
outside is storming and windy and police sirens, and on my iTunes is a sweet track from the King's Speech soundtrack that I got for free from Fandango for buying my advance movie tickets through them? I spent only $9 on two movie tickets instead of $24.50 AND got a free dramatized arrangement of the second movement of Beethoven's seventh?? I am a fan of this situation. Also, it feels like a trap, somehow.
The extended forecast on Accuweather.com shows me that the weather for the beginning of Lenten Project Oh-Eleven looks good! Right now I am going to put the shoes away into my closet and take my vitamins and make my bed, and those will be my small projects for today.
04 March 2011
Come By Here
February sucked. March is doing okay, I guess. For a few days I was completely insane, crying at the drop of a hat and wanting to break things. Then I had a tiny mini-vacation day where I got to eat sushi, and frozen yogurt with mochi, and a nummy pastry, and I got my nails did, and I have been mostly better since then. Also, it turns out that getting manicures is awkward, and considering I messed mine up in 4 places within fifteen minutes, I don't believe I am built for it. This is fine. It was pretty effective in getting my hands to stop shaking post-doctor appointment.
Imminent Space Monkey is still Imminent, getting more and more so every day. Stellina went through a week where she was terrified of baby brudder and didn't want to see her mom, but now she is back to checking brudder's room every night before bed to make sure everything is in order. Due date isn't until the 18th, but I guess babby could come anytime between now and then. New Babbies! They are so great.
BiebzBear is either growing out of his annoying-as-hell stage, or I am getting more tolerant, and I think it is both. I have been reading lots of parenting books which I think is helping with my ability to understand why he does the annoying shit that he does, and/or to change things so he doesn't do them. I spend most of my time with him, now, usually 20-25 hours a week.
I seem to have picked up a church gig now at a small Methodist congregation in Arlington. It is fine. They pay me decently for minimum-impact work, though they have a 10:30am Sunday service - 9:30 call time is so early! Hymns and simple anthems are fine but I desperately miss singing in Latin and I miss singing early music and I miss singing anything challenging. The choir members are mostly older folks, with two other paid youngsters like me, and everyone is really friendly and nice. But Methodists are weird, and also this church is in the middle of nowhere. If I could find a Catholic or Episcopal church that was easier to get to and wanted to pay me to sing for them in a slightly more professional choir, I would miss my friendly little Methodists, but I would be less bored. In rehearsal yesterday we started working on a simple Thomas Tallis piece, which made me miss early music in a way I never thought I would.
Speaking of church, I am planning to do a Lent project. I seem to do okay when I have projects to accomplish, with little steps and an end-date, and not so well when I have a giant amorphous "do this until you are done with it" assignment. So I am going to try to exercise every day from Ash Wednesday to Easter, I guess with Sundays off?, in some manner or another. I am hoping it will help with my general lethargy and low energy/motivation levels, since it really couldn't get much worse. However, because I believe that running is for chumps, I am tasked with coming up with better ideas for exercise. I am thinking lots of dance classes and bicycle (impending warmer weather = a huge plus for bicycle), and maybe I'll find a yoga class even though I do not like yoga, or do a trial membership at a gym or something. Also, I hate running not only because it sucks and it's for chumps only, but also I can never get my iPod headphones to stay in my ears just while I'm walking, let alone running. What is the solution to this! Are there excellent running headphones out there that anyone knows? Also are there good exercise ideas?
Anyway, Lenten Project Oh-Eleven. I don't know if it will work and maybe it won't, but I will try. I am bored and I can never get anything done. I feel like I am always trying to play catch-up with myself. I can never make any positive progress because my room is never clean, and I can never clean my room because I have too many things to do, and I can't do those things because I am at work or sleeping.
When I first started watching Stellina I used to marvel at how Stellina's mom kept her house so impeccably clean with a such little kid. It didn't take long for me to realize that her secret, I guess, is that she never lets herself get behind in the stuff she has to do. StellinaMom keeps their days so regimented that everything always gets done when it needs to get done: laundry, dishes, wiping down all non-porous surfaces, putting away toys. Stellina's up at 6:30 or 7, lunch is at 12, nap is from 1 to 3, dinner is at 6:30, bathtime at 7:15, in bed at 8. Scheduling gets harder, of course, now that Stellina is the Queen of Stalling. Stall-ina, haha, get it. She also refuses to use toothpaste, what's up with that!? She and I discussed why, and she said, "Because it's too blue." A likely story.
Back to always playing catch-up. Every task I ever have always seems just a tiny bit out of hand. Too much laundry, too many shoes to put away, too much floor to sweep. It's so much easier to get in the bed and stay there for three hours, until it's time to find food and then get back in bed for the nighttime sleeping. I almost wish for a fresh start but I think that would require moving, and not only does moving REALLY suck, it never quite seems to be a fresh start, because I'm always running out of packing/moving time, so I put everything in boxes as quickly as possible. Then on the other side I'm just unpacking boxes of crap that I don't know what to do with, and then I still have the same piles of crap that I had in my old residence. I think what I need is two days where I can mega-dose with speed, I mean... caffeine? and do all my cleaning that I could ever possibly need to do, and everything else I've been avoiding, and then a mini-vacation, and then I can manage to have a mini-fresh start and be happy. And I can do my best to channel StellinaMom and never get behind in small, daily tasks.
Why does my happiness depend on how clean my living space is?!
Imminent Space Monkey is still Imminent, getting more and more so every day. Stellina went through a week where she was terrified of baby brudder and didn't want to see her mom, but now she is back to checking brudder's room every night before bed to make sure everything is in order. Due date isn't until the 18th, but I guess babby could come anytime between now and then. New Babbies! They are so great.
BiebzBear is either growing out of his annoying-as-hell stage, or I am getting more tolerant, and I think it is both. I have been reading lots of parenting books which I think is helping with my ability to understand why he does the annoying shit that he does, and/or to change things so he doesn't do them. I spend most of my time with him, now, usually 20-25 hours a week.
I seem to have picked up a church gig now at a small Methodist congregation in Arlington. It is fine. They pay me decently for minimum-impact work, though they have a 10:30am Sunday service - 9:30 call time is so early! Hymns and simple anthems are fine but I desperately miss singing in Latin and I miss singing early music and I miss singing anything challenging. The choir members are mostly older folks, with two other paid youngsters like me, and everyone is really friendly and nice. But Methodists are weird, and also this church is in the middle of nowhere. If I could find a Catholic or Episcopal church that was easier to get to and wanted to pay me to sing for them in a slightly more professional choir, I would miss my friendly little Methodists, but I would be less bored. In rehearsal yesterday we started working on a simple Thomas Tallis piece, which made me miss early music in a way I never thought I would.
Speaking of church, I am planning to do a Lent project. I seem to do okay when I have projects to accomplish, with little steps and an end-date, and not so well when I have a giant amorphous "do this until you are done with it" assignment. So I am going to try to exercise every day from Ash Wednesday to Easter, I guess with Sundays off?, in some manner or another. I am hoping it will help with my general lethargy and low energy/motivation levels, since it really couldn't get much worse. However, because I believe that running is for chumps, I am tasked with coming up with better ideas for exercise. I am thinking lots of dance classes and bicycle (impending warmer weather = a huge plus for bicycle), and maybe I'll find a yoga class even though I do not like yoga, or do a trial membership at a gym or something. Also, I hate running not only because it sucks and it's for chumps only, but also I can never get my iPod headphones to stay in my ears just while I'm walking, let alone running. What is the solution to this! Are there excellent running headphones out there that anyone knows? Also are there good exercise ideas?
Anyway, Lenten Project Oh-Eleven. I don't know if it will work and maybe it won't, but I will try. I am bored and I can never get anything done. I feel like I am always trying to play catch-up with myself. I can never make any positive progress because my room is never clean, and I can never clean my room because I have too many things to do, and I can't do those things because I am at work or sleeping.
When I first started watching Stellina I used to marvel at how Stellina's mom kept her house so impeccably clean with a such little kid. It didn't take long for me to realize that her secret, I guess, is that she never lets herself get behind in the stuff she has to do. StellinaMom keeps their days so regimented that everything always gets done when it needs to get done: laundry, dishes, wiping down all non-porous surfaces, putting away toys. Stellina's up at 6:30 or 7, lunch is at 12, nap is from 1 to 3, dinner is at 6:30, bathtime at 7:15, in bed at 8. Scheduling gets harder, of course, now that Stellina is the Queen of Stalling. Stall-ina, haha, get it. She also refuses to use toothpaste, what's up with that!? She and I discussed why, and she said, "Because it's too blue." A likely story.
Back to always playing catch-up. Every task I ever have always seems just a tiny bit out of hand. Too much laundry, too many shoes to put away, too much floor to sweep. It's so much easier to get in the bed and stay there for three hours, until it's time to find food and then get back in bed for the nighttime sleeping. I almost wish for a fresh start but I think that would require moving, and not only does moving REALLY suck, it never quite seems to be a fresh start, because I'm always running out of packing/moving time, so I put everything in boxes as quickly as possible. Then on the other side I'm just unpacking boxes of crap that I don't know what to do with, and then I still have the same piles of crap that I had in my old residence. I think what I need is two days where I can mega-dose with speed, I mean... caffeine? and do all my cleaning that I could ever possibly need to do, and everything else I've been avoiding, and then a mini-vacation, and then I can manage to have a mini-fresh start and be happy. And I can do my best to channel StellinaMom and never get behind in small, daily tasks.
Why does my happiness depend on how clean my living space is?!
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