I'm Addicted, I admit it...

Addicted to select reality shows. I can't help it. Now, I've never watched a single episode of "The Bachelor", and I haven't been able to care about "The Real World" since MTV started casting only drunken whores & homophobic frat boys on the show. Other than the train wreck that is the auditions, I couldn't care less about watching "American Idol". BUT, there are some shows, the BRAVO channels ones specifically, that are a weekly addiction to which I must have my fix. It started with "Queer Eye..." and from there has spawned into a need to get my fix with "Project Runway", closely followed by "Top Chef". (Sorry, "Top Designer" was a bit of a let down, though it didn't stop the hubby & I from watching each week.) Elsewhere you'll find my TV tuned to "Hell's Kitchen" and "So You Think You Can Dance"(where I feel they really do have talent, really do have to stretch outside of their comfort zones, and where the audience actually can learn something). I took dance for years, and so I know how hard it really is to learn these routines in only 3 days. I've wished I was good enough to be a chef, so I admire their palates & ingenuity. And, the thing is, these are the ONLY television my husband will actually sit down & watch. Who am I to deny an uninterrupted hour with him? So, there you have it, I'm finally admitting it out loud...I'm addicted.

Blood of Virgins will HAVE to keep me Young Forever

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Wow, and I always joked I was worth more dead. I guess I was wrong. Perhaps I will have to live forever?

I Want to Blogher

Ok, so to the greater blogosohere this little space is really rather irrelevant, BUT I've decided that I REALLY want to go to BLOGHER 2007. It's a conference of (mostly) female bloggers. It's a chance to meet, talk, kvetsch, share, brainstorm, and drink cocktails. And this year it is an hour & a half from my home...and I want to go, dammit! Problem #1..work. Problem #2...cash. Anyone care to make a donation? Give me your vote, should I go or not?? And tell me if you're going!!
**UPDATE!** I'm NOT going. I can't justify the finances when it would mean taking days off work. And I would really would like to go visit my friends!

My Bug

Ok, tell me this kid isn't oh-so-handsome...I dare you.


Have I mentioned I'm totally in love with my kids?





Tonight we're going to Polish Fest. They have a Polish vodka tasting...oh drat!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Father's Day

I hope everyone enjoyed their father's day. I hope you gave your father a call. A hug. A card. A gift. I hope you told your husband what a great dad he is. And I hope he is. Our was spent with the in-laws (which was fine, if unexpectedly long). It was nice to get a 4 generation photo of the guys. Kidlet is off to visit her father for the summer. And me, I tried hard to not think about my dad.

Then I realized I shouldn't avoid thinking about him. He was a great man. He set the standard when it came to romancing my mother, and thus my expectations are high. He was brilliantly smart & loved to learn about the world, and expected the same from me. I expect the same from my children now. And he was a wonderful dad. He was sometimes demanding, but was always kind & loving. I never doubted I was loved.

But I miss him. Alot.

Someone sent this to me via one of those email forwards, which I must admit that when I see those things, particularly from certain friends who seems to want to forward every one that comes their way involving "...and Angels will watch over you...", blah, blah blah. Yeah, yeah, whatever. But this one I took the time to read and thought "Hmm, some sound advice there actually." So, here ya go (with a few of my own comments thrown in for good measure).

WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...enough money within her control to move outand rent a place of her own,even if she never wants to or needs to (so true, as I was stuck witout this during my divorce)...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...something perfect to wear if the employer,or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..a youth she's content to leave behind(I'm glad to say I did alot & don't feel like I need to recapture my youth. However, I'm far from old & like to believe that I'm only at a wiser stage of youthfulness)....A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a past juicy enough that she's looking forward toretelling it in her old age(This is where I have to say that I'm hoping to still make it juicy)....A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra (and know how to properly use them all!)...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....one friend who always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry (I'm fortunately enough to have that in one best friend)...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family (true, but there is also something to be said for antique furniture too)...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,and a recipe for a meal,that will make her guests feel honored(yes, but you need to use them all on a semi-regular basis. Why wait for guests to use the good china & crystal?)...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a feeling of control over her destiny...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to fall in love without losing herself...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to quit a job,break up with a lover,and confront a friend without ruining the friendship (Amen! And know how to bounce back when they happen to her)...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that she can't change the length of her calves,the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents(sigh)...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that her childhood may not have been perfect, but it's over...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to live alone, even if she doesn't like it...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .whom she can trust,whom she can't,and why she shouldn't take it personally...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table...or a charming inn in the woods...when her soul needs soothing(this is sometimes the hardest things to realize)...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year.(Here's to accomplishing something great every day!)

Nazi Squirrels?

For anyone who has ever doubted my belief that squirrels are evil, have it in for humanity, carry the black plague and really can't be trusted...check out this news report:

BERLIN -- An unusually aggressive squirrel attacked three people in a German town before its last victim finished it off with a crutch, police said Wednesday.

The rodent jumped through a living-room window in Passau, on the Austrian border, on Tuesday and bit its first victim. With the squirrel hanging on by its teeth, the woman ran out into the street, where she managed to shake the animal off.

The animal then entered a building site and jumped on a construction worker, injuring him on the hand and arm, before he managed to fight it off with a measuring pole.
"After that, the squirrel went into the 72-year-old man's garden and massively attacked him on the arms, hand and thigh," the spokesman said. "Then he killed it with his crutch."

Told ya. Squirrels...they WILL bite you & kill you!

*UPDATE* Just in case you don't believe me...here are more news articles about these Satanic beings! Check out this little bit of squirrel hatred too!

Summer Reading

(This is a repost from 2005...but with the added note be a part of a Summer Reading Contest. Summer reading...it's a good omen...)

GOOD OMENS
The funniest book I’ve ever read. In my opinion, possibly the funniest book ever written. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett co-wrote this brilliant novel "based on the prophesies of Agnus Nutter, witch". The antichrist is just a regular British schoolboy, with a dog named (appropriately) Dog...hardly a hound from hell. The angel would want to be my friend because of his gayness and penchant for art and literature. The demon and I would be drinking buddies, we have similar driving skills, though all of his music has a penchant to turn into Queen’s Greatest Hits. I feel happy every time I read this book...why? Because it’s hilarious. Go ahead...read it...I dare you...and I dare you to NOT laugh. I don’t believe it can be done. Kim first introduced me to this book. It was purchased. Lost. Purchased again. Stolen. Purchased again. Loaned out and never returned. Purchased again in London. Loaned again, never to be returned. And finally purchased one more time in Toronto. What would ever make me re-buy the same book over and over? Uh...the 4 motorcyclists of the Apocolypse, I guess. But I can’t feel bad in knowing that the book was taken from me over and over, because others found it just so damn good too. I don’t know just how many times I’ve read that book in the past 12 years or so, but a hell of a lot.It’s hilarious...read it...before the end of the world...next Friday at noon.

Tourist Cheese

Tomorrow hubby, kidlet, her friend Rudy & I are off to spend a couple of days at the Wisconsin Dells. Its a total cheesy tourist town with the world's largest water parks, Ripley's museum & like attractions, putt-putt, go-carts and kitsch galore. And I'm totally excited about it! I won a package from one of the local radio stations *WKTI* so we get to do all sorts of attractions for FREE! (There's no way I'd actually pay money for these things, but free makes them completely fun!) We're even staying at a hotel with a Candyland theme waterpark! I can't wait to have endless photos of the tackiness! I only wish I could share the silliness with some friends too. But this is going to be a great chance to spend uninterrupted time with the kidlet before she's gone for the summer. And baby gets grandparent time. Not to mention goofy time with the hubby, something we haven't done in a VERY long time. My expectations? No stress! Nothing but laughter. Let's hope that's the way it goes! Have a great weekend!

Where does my time go?

The school year is wrapping up, and in just a week the kidlet will be boarding a train to visit her father out of state for the summer. She'll have her cell phone, her iPod, her GameBoy, a plethora of books, sketchbook and digital camera with her to occupy her time. I'll kiss her farewell for a few months, and hope that she & the baby don't have too difficult a time rebonding once she's back. And then I'll sit back and wonder, as I am now, when did she get so grown up?

As I was sitting up rocking the baby at 2am, I drifted back to when she was so small. It seems only a day ago that she was smiling up at me while I sang to her "the wheels on the bus" and put her "toes up your nose" silliness. Only a few hours ago her father was wrapping the towel around her after her baths, her squeels echoing through the house as I'd chase her around pretending to eat my "baby burrito". Or refusing to go to bed until she'd performed "the wiggle butt" song & dance. Only minutes ago she was the little girl with long, long hairs who asked to have it all cut off to donate to sick kids who needed it. And only a few seconds have passed since she was my buddy, brave at my side as her parents divorced and we moved to a new state.

And now I no longer look upon a little girl, but a budding young lady. Full of curves, her own insecurities & triumphs, and a smattering of innocence perched upon adolescence and adulthood. There are moments I wish she too were still as small & blissfully content as my 3-month-old son. But I'm glad she is ready for the future, for whatever adventures await. She is still my "bunny" and, for now, still likes to be with mom. I can only imagine what time will have in store for us next.

Join the fun! The Parent Blogger Network and Light Iris are teaming together to award one lucky blogger with a free, 2-day pass to Blogher’s 2007 Conference in Chicago. Write your own post on “Where Does My Time Go?” and submit it today. Good luck to everyone!!

Happy Birthday!

No, not mine, but my best friend, Kim. Her family is off doing other things today, so I wanted to send her birthday greetings out into the blogosphere so the world could wish her happiness!

She truly is the best sort of friend. The kind who is there for you when you are down & can give her sound advice, and then kick your butt to get moving. We've been friends since freshman year of college & have no clue of how we met. We have endless tales that could blackmail or embarrass the other...if we weren't so honest about them, that is! We still giggle over the boys in The Band, though we love our husbands to death. In one another's eyes we haven't aged, nor will be ever, I suspect. Our children are cool because of us and they'll tell you so. Life is definately better for having her in it. We share the same name. (Which is particularly wierd when people ask if we're sisters...yeah, right, like our parents could only come up with one name?) But she is like a sister to me. And for that I'm blessed.

Happy Birthday KIM! (Stop by her blog & wish her a happy birthday too, ok?)

I Want Candy

Much like a scene from “The Breakfast Club” or any other John Hughes film of the 1980s, Carman High School held its smatterings of jocks, nerds, rejects, and social elite. We were a school in the ‘burbs of a big city, looked upon by most as the privelged of public school existence. The majority of students came from professional fathers & stay-at-home mothers. Some parents were “celebrities” of the city…well known doctors, lawyers, reporters or car salesmen. It was a comfortable existence in a school that really had all the amenities the ‘80s could afford. In high school, the cafeteria was a mix of the usual, and occasionally, unusual pairing of kids.

Today’s schools are focused on “healthy fare” with fine nutritional offerings. In the late ‘80s pizza was rectangular with a healthy layer of orange grease floating on the top. French fries (only 50cents ala carte’) were obviously the generic frozen variety, and the salad bar consisted of little more than iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and Ranch dressing. That’s why most students opted for lunch from the vending machines.

The vending machines were more than just dropping in your coins for a bag of chips and a pop (in a cup…schools didn’t get big bucks from Coca-cola or Pepsi then). The vending machines were where you were noticed. From any spot in the cafeteria you could observe the object of your pubescent lust, without the embarrassment of being noticed.

My friends and I had a code to tell one another that one of our crushes was at the machines. “I want candy”. Reminescent of the song by BowWowWow where the singer laments “…he’s got everything my heart desires…” it was the perfect way to share the information without others knowing. We could be talking, quite honestly, about wanting candy from said vending machine…and I guess we were.

The vending machines were often a beehive of activity, and the bustle around them also provided the ideal opportunity of the truly daring to “accidentally” bump into the object of their affection. I’ll admit to actually squeezing a tush or two on the rare occasion in passing…timing it so once they turned to see who the offender was, I was already past them & gone. Usually singing “I want candy…” under my breath.

Check out School Menu and its parental counterpart Family Everday, two sites that work together with School Food Services Directors to provide and promote healthy eating and physical fitness for kids and their parents. Both are great websites to offer recipes and ideas for encouraging you & your kids to get up and get moving. School Menu is colourful enough for the kids to want to click around the site to play, and learn something at the same time. Family Everyday offers some fun, easy recipes worth sharing with the whole family, not just in the kids school lunches!

Nightmares

Last night I had a dream my mother was murdered. Then I dreamt my husband was having an affair. With some ugly, blonde, fat chick. I drove to Chicago, then to his parents house.

I woke up from each in a cold sweat.

What does this say about how my week is going to be? *sigh*

You Know You Need a Date with Your Husband when the Closest You've Come to Being Intimate is Folding His Underwear

Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I don't mind folding laundry. I'd rather do that than several other household chores, but honestly I have barely had time alone with my husband (despite our recent getaway).

Our relationship has always been an "interesting" one. We were friends with no intention of anything more. One day we kissed. We were still friends. One day we made out. We were still JUST friends. One day we...well...we were still JUST friends. No matter how much we tried to deny it, no matter how much we (or perhaps HE) said we weren't dating, we were falling in love. And even after love had been declared, we still were never boyfriend & girlfriend...or dating. But the bubble was there. That crazy bubble that would engulf us whenever we were together, making the rest of the world fall away and only the two of us, together, existed.

But 3 months ago a little bundle we named Sebastian entered our world. Where Kaitlyn could open the door of our bubble to come & go, this little guy has just made it go away. I don't hold it against him, but the reality of it is that the hubby & I haven't been able to get inside that bubble and have that oh-so-important "us" time & space. I need some time for a little romance. A little intimacy. Hell, some weak in the knees kissing & perhaps a little make your head spin sex wouldn't be bad either. So, I wait, rather impatiently for the day when there is no laundry to do, no bottles to clean or diapers to change, and we can find that "bubble" again.

It may take another 10 years.

This post is part of a Blog Blast sponsored by E-Harmony Marriage, a new online alternative to marriage counseling (cool, right?) and Parent Bloggers Network. If you'd like a chance to win a $100 Amex Gift Card for a date out with your spouse/partner plus $100 cash for a babysitter, then write your own post "You Know You Need a Date With Your Partner When...." anytime today, send the link to parentbloggers@gmail.com, andthey will pick a winner at random. Click here for more info!