October Road

have you seen it?
it comes on after Grey's.
i didn't even know it was a new series until i saw a preview for the second episode. so i found it in the guide and set the DVR to record it, even though i had missed the first one. fortunately, ABC puts most of its shows here for watching online.
anyhoo.
i saw the preview and was really excited about the cast, its phenomenal!
First, Bryan Greenberg!...who i first saw in Prime with Uma. not the greatest flick ever, but good none-the-less. its not your typical movie with a beginning/middle/happy ending...a little bit unexpected. i guess he was also in 'One Tree Hill' and quite a few others that i never watched and, apparently, this year he'll be starring in Nobel Son (warning!! not for young ears) with another All-star cast, including Eliza Dushku! who i thought had dropped off the face of the earth...isn't she gorgeous?
then, there's Laura Prepon. most known for her roll as the "tall redheaded bombshell" on 'That 70's Show', another one that i just never started watching, but i heard great things about. i personally think she looks much better as a blonde...
anyway, you should check this series out...it reminds me of 'Beautiful Girls' (another Uma flick) in a sense that you get a peek at what its like to go back home after you've long been gone into your own life and a world much different from that which you came.
...and i really liked Timothy Hutton's character, there was just something about him. we'll be seeing a lot of him in the next couple of years. we'll probably check out The Last Mimzy when it comes out.
also, the first time i saw Natalie Portman and knew she would be around for plenty more movies.
ignoring the fact that he could almost be her father...they had an interesting on-screen chemistry. and didn't she grow to be stunning?
okay, before this becomes a total ad for 6* of separation - too late - i'll just get to my point...
what was it again?
oh, yeah, October Road...good show.
i'll be watching.

random updates...

on the whole time/mileage kickin' it up a notch - i did 5 miles!
i usually do 3.25 - 3.5, so it was good!

on the scales, i'm losing.
and my clothes are reflecting it, a bit.

on the Wii, he's still playing tennis everyday.
last night he achieved a goal he's been working toward.
and he broke through a plateau weight on the scales,
and he got a raise at work!
so, all together, yesterday was a FABULOUS day for the hubby!

spring has sprung...
we didn't live in our house this time last year.
so when we moved here the lawn was green and the trees had leaves.
we didn't get to see the pretty little pink blooms on one of the trees in the front.
so, the girl just loved them and i had to take pictures.

ah, the beauty of spring...which also means that its time to hire a lawn service. 'cause i ain't mowin' it!

Life is Good.

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

As swimsuit season approaches...

i have taken a bit to stop and do some serious consideration of what i want my summer body to be like.
and by serious, i mean realistic.
and lets face it, i don't like to be realistic when it comes to bathing suits. my friends will attest to this, they saw me in my suit last year...walking around at the pool without hiding behind a towel, actually letting the light of day hit the back of my thighs as though they were acceptable for display. you may think, 'oh whatever, you're being silly', but there is something you have to understand. even as a child, i did not go to the pool without wearing a cover up...into the water. i have never been comfortable in my own skin.
last year, after having had a child, and having friends who have also had children, it was a bit easier to be accepting of my body.
and by accepting, i mean given up hope. ;)
really, its like, 'i thought my hips and thighs were bad before, just look what pregnancy did for me', ya know?
so, after seeing some pictures of myself last year, and realizing that maybe i shouldn't have been so 'accepting', and in an attempt to enjoy the summer time swimming this season, i have been running my but off. literally. and today i will add time and distance to my run...hopefully.
wish me luck! ...i'm gonna need it.

Spring Break

means no break for Mama.
we've been going, going, going.
and the weather has been awesome for going.
i have spent all week going and doing
to the detriment of my house and its
tidiness...and now its friday.
and its time to get caught up
so that i don't have to spend the
final days of the break, the weekend,
doing housework and missing the
last bit of time with the girl
before its back to school.

she's been a bit confused about
"is it a school day?"
"what are we doing today, if not school?"
she's not used to being so busy and that
not including school.

today, we celebrate.
i've been sleeping in the guest bedroom
which is right across the hall from her
since November, as a part of helping
her cope with sleep walking and
bad dreams. so, at the beginning of
this week i moved back into the master
and she' s been coming in every night.
except last night!
funny thing, though. she didn't sleep
all night in her bed either.
this morning we woke to find her asleep
in the guest bedroom.
so i asked her, "did you sleep in there all night?"
"no."
"oh. so, where did Daddy sleep?"
"i don't know. in his room!"
"then where did Mommy sleep?"
"in the guest bedroom!"
just as i thought.
she thought i was there with her
all night. she went out of habit.
either way, she slept alone! for the first
time in months!
so, today we celebrate!

small steps.

i just love this...

it makes me wanna dance!!! you can see the entire video here.
and i can't wait to get her new album! the only thing is, i think they did a better job on the single cover than the album cover...unless this isn't the final version. anyway, its out the 17th of next month.

This from an email...

and though it is not my bag to forward emails, i thought i would share this one.

Dear Mr. Thatcher,
I have been a loyal user of your Always maxi pads for over 20 years, and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core(tm) or Dry-Weave(tm) absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants. Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from "the curse"? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my "time of the month" is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging
through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call "an inbred hillbilly with knife skills." Isn't the human body amazing? As brand manager in the feminine-hygiene division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers' monthly visits from Aunt Flo.
Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy! The point is, Sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in capri pants, which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: "Have a Happy Period."

Are you f**king kidding me? What I mean is does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness-actual smiling, laughing happiness-is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl, there will never be anything "happy" about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlúa and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreens armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory. For the love of God, pull your head out, man. If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like "Put Down the Hammer" or "Vehicular Manslaughter Is Wrong"? Or are you just picking on us? Sir, please inform your accounting department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flexi-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bulls**t. And
that's a promise I will keep. Always.

Best,
Wendi Aarons
Austin, TX


it made me smile.

I TOTALLY MISSED IT!!!!

i missed my BLOG-o-versary!!!

:(

i was laying in bed just now, trying unsuccessfully to get to sleep at a decent hour, when i realized that today is the 15th!
that means i missed it by a couple of days.
and i was going to do something really cool, too.
that makes me sad.

maybe i'll just do a belated celebration. you know, like when your birthday is on Wednesday, but you celebrate the weekend before and after.

yes, i think i will...
stay tuned.

its a lot, really.

this list, that i first saw here(back in Dec.), can make you feel as though you've done some pretty cool things in your life...or, that you haven't done enough. which one are you?

i've italicized the things i have done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo (3, actually)
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children--currently raising child
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

and now i'm tagging Kelly, Jill, Lori, Lisa, S@db and CD.
leave me a comment when you've finished as a link back to you!

still under the weather...

whatever that means.
where did that saying come from?
what if the weather was absolutely fabulous and you were just having an okay day? wouldn't you be under the weather then too?

so, in thinking about this silly phrase i found this little tidbit out in the blogosphere...

{This popular phrase for "ill" dates back to 1827. It is commonly believed that bad weather can make you sick.
I have heard that "under the weather" is an old sailor phrase. When men were sick, they would rest below deck and thus were literally "under" the weather on deck.}

so, there you have it...

sick and tired...

of feeling sick and tired.
really, i can't wait for the cold season to be over!!!

i think i may buy stock in Kleenex before next year's onset of constant sneezes and runny noses...

seriously...

after reading this...i just feel sorry for the babies.
drug addicted out-of-control mommies don't deserve custody...
seriously.
she needs to get her self together before she can raise children.