little notes

1. How is it that we are out of town for not even two whole days and it decides to rain?! (Of course, yes, I understand that the weather doesn't revolve around me -- otherwise it might always be overcast -- but I am still disappointed that we missed this much-discussed summer storm.)

2. It is so much easier to grate unfrozen cheddar cheese than frozen.

3. I just read a comment elsewhere with a reference to 'backward cleavage.'

4. Where have all the payphones gone/long time passing/where have all the payphones gone/long time ago? (I'll tell you where...to The Land Before Cellphones.)



-- Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, Kingston Trio (there is no video, at all, so: background music? sure) (I embedded the Kingston Trio's rendition because this is how I first heard the song.)

blogher...or not

I was really hoping that BlogHer was going to, yet again, be on this side of the country, but, alas, it was in Chicago. I really wanted to go, but I really knew that I would never be able to afford it.

I was really hoping that BlogHer would switch back to the west next year, but, alas, it will be in New York. Ugh.

And, I shut my finger in a door today. So,...

tales of mundanity

Mundaneness? Whatever.

Cardo just woke up from a four-and-a-half hour nap.

I just finished catching up on Fussy.

I'm almost finished with Morality for Beautiful Girls.

I worked my way through forty minutes of yoga this evening and realized, yet again, that the relaxation at the end is always my favorite. (I should just let myself sleep right there on my yoga mat, on the living room floor, in my hand-me-down exercise-wear camisole with built-in sports-bra and thirteen-year-old entirely-too-stretched-out elastic-waist plaid shorts.)

I'm thinking that I'll apply a vinegar-baking-soda-water mixture to my head in the bathtub in an attempt to wash out two months worth of pool chemicals.

G'night.

life lessons

Early this year, Pic and I were checking out planet books from the library. Of course, there are some declaring we have nine planets in this here solar system and other, newer books explaining that Pluto isn't a planet. This wasn't at all difficult for Pic to process. Here's how she explained it, 'Pluto's not a planet...he's a dog.'*

Thank you, Disney.

* This makes sense to her, but she still refuses to believe that Goofy is a dog also. Doesn't make sense to me either, but I didn't create these weird relationships between these (some-more-than-others) anthropomorphized animals.

rave review...or is it?

Sometimes I love reading others' reviews. Here's one for a restaurant we might return to in our upcoming travels.

We went for Saturday night dinner. The special was Prime Rib. It was a little tough but it was big. The ranch dressing on the cold green salad was good. Simple, like home cooking. For dessert I ordered Raspberry pie a la mode. It was wonderful. They have a cute selection of fising T-shirts and lots of good nastalga on the walls to read and look at. Next time I will go for breakfast and try the waffles.

Sounds pretty good right? Other than the meat that was a little tough, right? So, guess how many stars out of five possible this reviewer gave? Go ahead, guess.

Two.

notes and pages

Albums I bought at Recycled Records on my last day of car ownership:
The Joshua Tree -- U2
Storm Front -- Billy Joel
Bob Marley and the Wailers Vol 1
Gather Round: Songs for Kids and Other Folks
Red Hot + Rhapsody: The Gershwin Groove

The first two were nostalgic picks. The third was because Cardo was asking me recently who Bob Marley was.

Books I bought today at Goodwill (none of which I've read before):
Colonize This!: young women of color on today's feminism -- Daisy Hernandez and Bushra Rehman (eds)
Naked -- David Sedaris
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn -- Betty Smith
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister -- Gregory Maguire
The Friday Night Knitting Club -- Kate Jacobs

Thirty dollars for the music and fourteen for the books. I love me some secondhand goods.

I also picked up a few new books for Pic, including Dear Mr Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. I loved this book when I was younger, especially the lunch box alarm. I'll probably read it myself here soon.

Right now, though, I'm reading my way through the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, thanks to Coach J lending them to me. I'm on the third book.

glorious food

I almost regret our decision to only have one kid. My baby shower cake was definitely not this awesome. (Actually, I don't remember there being a cake at the baby shower/birthday party...hmmm.)



[From Cake Wrecks]

laziness is...

I'm amazed by the number of people who drive over to the pool at this end of our apartments. Either they don't really live here and they are just hoping someone will let them in or they're really lazy. They don't seem to have any trouble walking around the pool and swimming. I wonder why the two minute drive? Instead of asking, of course, I'll continue to wonder (and judge, apparently).

7 years...

...just kidding. It's just that I feel that this post is taking forever and a year to write. Anyhow, here's (most of) what went down.

As I've mentioned, this year was the first in which Cardo and I actually planned something special for ourselves in celebrating surviving this monogamy-thing. Actually, we kind of suck at planning and we made vague references to things that we might enjoy. We tossed around the idea of seeing Much Ado at the Shakespeare Festival, but the tickets we were looking at would have cost us $80 total. Also, I felt that this was something more for me than for us. We also planned on seeing a movie one of our evenings. We also planned (we're big dreamers of big vague dreams) to stay in a bed-and-breakfast, but, again, the pricing is what kept us (meaning me) from going for it.

So, now that I've explained all of the things that might have, but then didn't, go down, here's (most of) what did actually happen.

Saturday, we were to drop Pic off with a friend in the early evening. I woke up to Cardo being gone (working on his car? off to Pick'n'Pull?) and Pic excitedly informing me, 'I cleaned my room! My sleeping bag is ready! I have my pajamas! I'm ready to go to Ms F's!' Um, yes, only eight hours to kill. We took her to Goodwill where she found a pogo stick -- whee! (I had told her that we could maybe get her one if we found one there...I wasn't really expecting her to find one. It has lived in Papi's car since then.) Then, we took her to ride on the ferris wheel at Scheels. Three dollars total. Cheap thrills. At one point, when Cardo, Pic and I were stopped at almost the top of the wheel, Pic asked, 'This [our seat] isn't going to fall, is it?' I assured her that it wouldn't (as if my will would hold it up regardless), but then, for the rest of the ride, I was obsessed with the idea. Great. Finally, we ended up dropping Pic off.

Cardo and I forewent (a word?) the b-and-b and ended up staying at a hotel in Carson. On checking in, the woman at the desk asked me if I was indeed over twenty-one. Cardo just loves this. Oh-so-much. (Not really. Not even a little, not even at all.) He feels like people are assuming he's some kind of dirty ol' man. Our room was ridiculously large. I didn't share my weird gnawing guilt about the unecessary space with Cardo, and I tried to ignore it myself.

On Saturday evening, Cardo and I ate dinner at Red's Old 395 Grill. It was hot and Cardo was annoyed with our server, but it was okay. After dinner, we attended Best of Broadway, put on at the Brewery Arts Center and performed by the Sierra Nevada Ballet, along with Cami Thompson and the Cami Thompson Trio. I loved the performance (especially the tap, as I've mentioned). Cardo says that he also enjoyed the show, and I hope that's true and he's not just trying to appease me. The show was in a parking lot across the street from the BAC. There was a stage erected in one corner, a snack stand to the right of he stage and port-o-potties (without inside lighting, which ended up being fun for some people) in the back left corner. Cardo and I sat on the outside aisle on the left, in plastic folding chairs, nearest the outhouses. The seats were actually pretty nice -- we were close to the band -- except for after intermission when a certain aroma came wafting over to us.

Anyhow, the music was fun and the performers seemed to genuinely enjoy performing. Too bad we probably won't be here in a few years when there's an amphitheatre and grass and a better bathroom situation. I really missed live theatre.

Because the first night's activity was more for me, I asked Cardo to choose the movie for our second night. We ate dinner and then went to the Summit to watch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Somehow, I didn't realize they were already on the sixth movie, so I had no idea what movie we were going to be watching. Cardo wasn't sure which it was going to be either. Our tickets said 'Harry Potter and th.' Not exactly helpful. I had been planning on only watching the rest of the movies (I've seen the first and second and various parts of the third) once they were all out (and, I've just learned that the last book is being made into two movies...I haven't kept up on the movies, obviously). So the movie...yeah.

As for the rest of the weekend, it was great. Cardo and I both missed Pic. It was strange to be away from her (those two days...the longest we've both been away from her at once) and I missed seeing her first thing in the morning. However, I hadn't felt so...sexy for so long that I don't know that I remember feeling that way. Maybe when we were dating and newly married and we'd have sex in the afternoon without worrying that Pic would wake up and cry or, more recently, come in to see what we're doing. It's amazing how instantly that went away on being home again, though. Sorry Cardo. We'll have to get away, just the two of us, a bit more often than once every four years.

So, this has been long enough. As usual, it's entirely way past my bedtime (as if such a thing exists). I'm just trying to get back into the habit of composing/sharing here.

saying goodbye

I am no longer a car owner. It is weird. I'm still processing, perhaps, as I just sold my car today. I thought I'd be more...sad, or something, but I'm not really. I'm sure there will be times when I'd rather be more independently mobile (or whatever), but for now, I'm okay with it. (As I said, I just sold my car today, though.)

So, for now, we are a one-car family. I wonder how long this will last?

six years...

...and it's about time we actually planned something to do to celebrate this marriage-thing.

Just a quick video for now, hinting at what Cardo and I did il passato weekend. I'm too tired to post anything longer right now, but I'll fill in some more of the details later.



A couple of notes. Cardo and I were not ourselves tap dancing (although I would like to have been). This is all I could quickly find for now -- I apologize for the quality. Obviously, this is not exactly what we watched because our celebrating didn't include time travel. Along with Sam Weber, we enjoyed watching many other talented performers.

I miss live performances (y'know, other than Pic's occasional histrionics, such as she demonstrated at the park earlier yesterday evening...ugh).

from the mouth of the babe

Earlier, Cardo told Pic that Ms F would be watching her while he and I went out a bit il quest weekend. Pic casually asked him, 'Goin' for a little hike?'

As it turns out, I didn't have much outdoor time in mind for our anniversary.

the great purge...

...slowly marches on. Here's what I'm ridding myself of:

-- notes from my freshman and sophomore high school English classes.
-- Bio II notes from junior year of high school.
-- recipes from Seventeen from 1997 (recipes I never even bothered to try out anyhow).
-- cell phone bills from my first cell phone ever (I got it when I moved here because suddenly there were two area codes in Nevada and I didn't have long distance coverage in the dorms).
-- various other pieces of crap...not all of which I'm actually ridding myself of, so there.

Part of this purge is because it's needed and part is because we needed to spend a ridiculous amount of hours searching through our freaking files to find the title to my car. You'd think it'd be in the 'Peppe' file (Peppe being my car, short for Giuseppe Verde O'Shaunnesey), but, alas, no. That'd just be entirely too easy. Cardo just found it after two-and-a-half hours of us searching tonight and countless other hours searching for the past few days. Very soon, I will be a carless woman. Now, I need to move to more condensed place. I'm thinking Amherst. Any thoughts? I've never been there.

ps

The air has cleared and it's now easier to breathe here in La Casa B. Thanks be.

almost six years of marriage...

...and all I want to do at this moment is kick him in the teeth.

Okay, so I don't really believe in using violence against others (self-defence excepted), but this is one of my favorite frustration phrases.

The last couple of days have been...trying. I'm sure it's mainly me and the lack of sleep and all. It's also a bit of the constant Mamma-Pic interaction. Please don't get me wrong. I love being able to spend this time with Pic, it's just that on occasion I would like a little bit of time for myself. This is part of why I don't sleep. After Pic goes to bed at night is my time. This is when I can get my own stuff accomplished. Often, I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing that my mind just doesn't settle. The night before last, I slept for about two-and-a-half hours. Yesterday sucked. All day yesterday, I felt a little ill.

We are right now trying to sell my car for a number of reasons. We placed an ad and have already gotten some responses. However, there are things that need to be accomplished. Cardo had asked me to buy some engine cleaner and clean the engine (seriously...it's an engine, do I really need to clean it). I ran a few errands and then bought the engine cleaner which specified that the engine needed to be cool before I used it. I ended up not cleaning the engine (the cleaner freaks me out and how cool does the engine need to be? Not my area of expertise people and not something I'm interested in experimenting with). When Cardo got home, I explained that I hadn't cleaned the engine and he just looked at me, exasperated and said, 'I just thought you'd do what I asked you to.' Um, no.

All day yesterday and for a good part of today too, I was getting calls from this man about responses to the ad. This whole him having access to the interweb wherever he is sometimes (very often) makes me crazy. Now, I like the interweb very much, certo, but I do not like to be connected at all times and, really, I don't like for him to be either. After the many directives sent my way, I have begun to resent this whole stupid process. However, it was my idea so I just need to get over it, right? Right.

Anyhow, I finally ended up taking Pic to the pool rather late in the evening last night and Cardo stopped by to get us when he got home. Pic would not get out of the pool. She's usually really good about this, barely dragging out the process, but last night, she just wouldn't get out. Finally, we had to tell her that if she didn't get out right then, we wouldn't be coming back today (we are now waiting until tomorrow to try again...this is even more difficult on her because we can look right out of our window at the pool and she has longingly gazed out several times today). Strict Mamma holds firm. Yea.

By the time we got back in the apartment, I was even less thrilled than I had been with the rest of the day. I wanted some kind of comfort, sympathy, cuddling from my husband, but no such luck. He never even asked how my day had been, I just offered up the information. I despise this. I kind of hate that I have to tell him that it would really make me feel that my time also mattered if he even bothered to ask me how my day had been. I extend this courtesy to him every day. 'Hey, Man I Married, I am interested in you and your doings and I value how you contribute to our family. Please reciprocate.'

Today hasn't been much better. I'm at the point where I just want to not have to see him tonight when he gets off work (it turns out he's not opening as he had told me he was, he's working a sucky midshift).

We are supposed to be actually, really, truly celebrating an anniversary il quest weekend, but I'm not at the moment feeling much like it.

So, now I have spewed all of this whining all over the land of the ether. I know that I love him and that some days are just trying. I know that my not getting enough sleep (ever) is part of the problem. I know that I am a person with countless good things about my life and that so many others would like for my petty problems to be their biggest woes. So, I'm closing the vent and hoping that this feeling of low-level ire clears away before I give him the card I got for our anniversary, the card professing that I love him forever (which is the plan).

not so routine

This past weekend, Coach J invited us camping. We had been planning on going camping anyhow, when we went on vacation in a couple of weeks, but, hey, camping with friends is even better, right? Definitely.

The area was nice. Not too far out, but seemingly away from our daily lives. Through the trees, we could spy the valley stretching out.

Mr J had claimed a spot early in the day on Friday and had then gone about doing what he needed to do, so when Pic, Cardo and I got there, no one else was there. This was good because Cardo and I hurried to get our tent up. I say this because it's been three years since we've camped and I was afraid that we'd have no idea how to set up the tent and we look like bumbling fools getting the tent erected (although, actually, that could have been some good comic relief). My worry was, as it usually is, unwarranted, though. We got the tent up in just a few minutes actually. (I remember tents being much more difficult to put up and take down in my youth...and maybe they were.) The rest of the party arrived shortly thereafter.

The camping was great and relaxing. Meals had been planned out (not by us, because that would require organization...we're working on it) so they all went incredibly smoothly and were mighty tasty. The kidlets got on really well (I was expecting a lot more meltdowns from Pic, especially after she had one not too long after we got there). The tent didn't blow away, although it threatened to the second day. No one fell into the fire. S'mores were consumed. All was good.

It was a bit surreal going camping with the kids, though. When I was growing up, camping was something we did somewhat regularly (at least once a year). I'm told my first camping trip was when I was something like four months old (oh brave parents!). I'd be one of the kids camping with the grownups. Now, I'm one of the grownups camping with my kid. So, so weird, but also wonderful in a this-is-the-kind-of-tradition-I'd-like-to keep kind of way.

We took Pic camping when she was one-and-a-half. We tried again last year, but the place we went was way too hot. We have got to make this a priority from here on out.

As is normal for me, I didn't take nearly enough pictures, but I'll post a couple of the ones I did snap. (I've got to work on getting more pictures. I always regret not having enough.)





Pic holding the pinecones by their handles. Yes, pinecones have handles. Destructor flying down the hill.






Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool.





The kids driving...or the kids totally neglecting to watch the road.



We, of course, thanked our hosts, but really there isn't much of a way to thank them enough. We really needed to get out. And, we needed to hang out with them.

lacking

SLEEP
Sir Philip Sidney

Come, Sleep; O Sleep! the certain knot of peace.
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
Th' indifferent judge between the high and low;
With shield of proof shield me from out the prease
Of those fierce darts Despair at me doth throw:
O make in me those civil wars to cease;
I will good tribute pay, if thou do so.
Take thou of me smooth pillows, sweetest bed,
A chamber deaf to noise and blind of light,
A rosy garland and a weary head;
And if these things, as being thine by right,
Move not thy heavy grace, thou shalt in me,
Livelier than elsewhere, Stella's image see.


--------

Not sure what my Stella is, but I'll even take dreams of Stella at this point.

wordless wednesday

overheard

Around midnight last night, I heard the splash of someone getting into the pool way past the time anyone should be in there. Then I heard a male voice ponder, 'I just got butt-ass naked and realized that's someone's window up there.'

First, that has to be really, really naked. Second, yes those glass inserts in the solid walls are windows.

musing

Salt and vinegar chips smell like cleaning the bathroom.

inter-species unions

Kilmeade, in this less-than-a-minute, is completely offensive. (At least, he completely offends me.) Part of it is probably that he's speaking live and hasn't had a chance to write and then read his response, but mainly, I think, this is how he feels, no matter how badly he's articulating his beliefs here.



First, how does he propose we go about things here in the US? Being of Irish, Italian and English descent (two of which he lists after speaking about different species), how would I ever get married? He'd probably very much disapprove of the union I've chosen -- my husband is Mexican (Cardo doesn't know much about his family's history).

But, really, other species? He must have attended (or at least heard of) some pretty interesting weddings.

(And, I don't believe that all Finnish people only marry other 'pure' Finnish people; nor do I believe that is true for the Swedish. But, you know, I'm not all that familiar with the 'rules' in Finland and Sweden.)

At least, at least, he ends with 'That's what I think.'

quick note

Netflix takes into account the kinds of movies and television shows we rate highly and offers suggestions. Based on some of the television shows I enjoy, they have offered selections in the following category: Suspenseful TV Dramas Featuring a Strong Female Lead.

labels

I have a profile at a site I visit once weekly to read the superb Catherine Newman's writing. There're now a lot of little things to play with on the profile page and I clicked on the 'add stickers' option. The first two I saw were the following: 'i rock his last name' and 'allways and forever.' Both listed in the 'wedding category.' (The wedding category just happened to be at the top, I didn't specifically search it out.)

In response to the first: My sardonic inner voice replied, 'Um, I don't think so.' It just really bugs me. Actually, I have taken on Cardo's last name, in addition to my own (handed down through my dad's side of the family) last name.

The second: allways? (Maybe this is kind of how I always use 'alright' even though it isn't standard. Or, how I've become so lazy that I've been using the single quote marks here and in my other personal writing for a short while. Hmm.)

---------------

In other non-news: I need stuff to read. I was reading Coach J's post on Infinite Jest and her other summer reading and feeling a bit woeful. I've been having an incredibly difficult time this summer getting it together (I'm getting by and it's nothing as bad as last summer, thanks be) and this includes the reading situation. I've been catching up on blogs, but I'm also wanting books here. I'll figure it out. Actually, Sunday, I started reading Silent Spring again, but I was reading it to Cardo (he's not read it before) so now I feel like I have to wait until he's around to read it. I should be bringing it on our walks, I suppose, but, duh, I just thought of that now, not three hours ago when we went for our walk. Let me just tell you, though, even though the book is now definitely dated -- so much has changed (for better? for worse? both, I think) since it was published -- Rachel Carson is completely blowing Cardo's mind.

all alone

It's nine o'clock at night and I'm having my first bit of time to myself since I woke up this morning. Ah, it's nice.

I really love being able to spend the time with Pic that I can spend with her, but it's also really nice to put her to 'bed' at night. (That's in quotes because she's really just in there playing right now.)

Today's non-events?

-- We hung around here this morning. Cardo was cleaning when I finally got up. Those are nice mornings. They happen a couple of times a month.

-- When Cardo went to work, Pic and I suited up in our swim gear and lathered on the sunscreen. We waited about twenty-five minutes and then walked over to the pool. It was (and still is) breezy, but not that bad if I left most of my body constantly submerged. We stayed for about an hour.

-- After changing at home, Pic and I went to Savers. I needed some new t-shirts. (I have a bad habit of buying clothes without trying them on. I really don't understand why there can't just be one universal size large in women's clothes, though. This would make my life sooo much easier, and, really, that's what clothing manufacturers should be concerned with, no?) It's Monday, so in addition to the regular 50%-off colored tags (green today), they were also offering a $.99-tag (orange today). We spent forever in Savers.

-- We ate sandwiches for dinner and had frozen yogurt for dessert.

-- I gave Pic a much-needed bath and then we brushed our teeth. Just as I started to spit out my toothpaste, Pic started to sneeze, so I jumped to the side and ended up spitting my toothpaste all over the counter. Nice.* Then she and I painted our nails. (No Miss nail polish from Whole Foods. No phthalates or formaldehyde. Which reminds me that I have a few bottles of my old nail polish to pass on if you don't mind the phthalates and formaldehyde and if you don't mind my funky colors. I don't want to throw them away, but it's kind of like tasting something and saying, 'Ugh! This's disgusting. Taste it!' I know.)

-- We read three books and then some old-timey nursery rhymes and watched one Berenstain Bears story (the one where Brother gets a watch because he's always late to everything and he makes Sister miss meeting Ursula Major, writer of the Big Dipper mysteries).

So, now Pic's playing quietly and I'm about to finish the laundry I started last night and eat a pound of cherries (give or take).

----------------------

* For more, and much funnier, bathroom hijinks, check out this past post by Coach J. It still cracks me up every time I think about it. (I didn't realize it was from about seven months ago. Great stuff!)

from the mouth of the babe

Earlier, Pic was quietly sitting on her sleeping bag in her room, coloring in a giant coloring book, when she started crying. I went in to check on her and she told me, 'The paper ripped my finger!'

Poor baby. Paper cuts suck.

party animals

Cardo, Pic and I joined friends at a park for some Independence Day festivities yesterday. The day ended in someone throwing up in the car. And you thought we were quiet people.

I've been pretty holed up since school ended and I was tempted to stay in last night also. Actually, Cardo wanted to go to Tahoe, but I figured it'd be ridiculously busy and that didn't really appeal to me. Anyhow, I'm glad we went out last night.

We all met at a park a bit out from where the fireworks were to go off. Cardo, Pic and I walked down to the nearby convenience store to make use of the facitilites (the structure that is NOT a bathroom at the park apparently used to be an ice house and the park (and, no doubt, surrounding land) used to be a ranch). We got back and Coach J and Baby K were there, so the kids played for a bit. J and Mr J had grilled chicken beforehand (and it was delicious) and we ate that and fruit and other munchies. Then, the five of us adults and the two kids sat down to play Duck, Duck, Goose. Actually, I should explain something here.

I think that Pic learned to play Duck, Duck, Goose at school, but I'm not sure who taught her and I'm not sure what rules she was playing by. She recently decided that she, Papi and I would play when we go to the park. Here's how we play: Cardo and I sit down and Pic dictates who will be chosen as the Goose beforehand. Sometimes, she'll dictate who is going to be the 'Gooser' and who will be the Goose. Then, when the Goose is chosen, s/he chases after the Gooser. Sounds okay, right? (Excepting all the premeditation, of course.) Except, they don't run in a circle, they just take off. This is how we started out yesterday and it was hilarious. Also, I didn't realize until yesterday that I had never actually explained to Cardo that this isn't exactly how you play. We finally got things to look more like traditional Duck, Duck, Goose, except that Baby K would get up and make the rounds with every Gooser. He would run around and sit, but then get up every single time. It was great.

Anyhow, not much else after this. There were, of course, fireworks. Mr M and Cardo ended up taking the kids across the street to a vacant lot to better see the fireworks. We were far enough away that although we could hear the booms, they weren't overwhelming. By the end of the evening, Baby K was swaying where he stood, he was so exhausted. My child, of course, was wide awake. She was also, of course, upset that we were leaving. We got back into the car without much fuss, though.

On the way home, Pic told us she was hungry, so we handed over the carton of strawberries. A bit later, she told us, 'I have to froak up...or cough.' She kept telling us this. ('Froak' = both 'throw' (she also says 'frow') and 'throat'.) Then...she threw up in the strawberries, all over her seat and the blanket covering her. She told us, 'The leaves were too sour for my tummy.' We pulled over to the side of the road and I moved to the back to sit with her and soothe her a bit. Actually, she was doing quite well after she got it all out. All I could think, while I was sitting back there, was that it smelled like strawberry smoothie. (You're welcome.)

So, we got home okay and did some late wash. Pic and I took a bath and then we got her to bed. Cardo put The Man Who Knew Too Little into the VCR and he and I spread some blankets out on the floor and watched it. Last night was the first night in a very long time that I was tired before three or four o'clock in the morning. I was asleep around one, woke up once at about 1:40 and then was back asleep. Pic woke up at some point and came out to lay with us. I was sleeping in the middle and trying not to squish either Cardo or Pic and I ended up laying on my arm. When it fell asleep along with the rest of me, I woke up. I realized that Pic was uncovered, but in trying to cover her back up again, my useless arm kept flopping down on her. I was afraid she was going to wake up and ask me what was wrong with me, but I also didn't want her to wake up from being cold. It wasn't quite as bad as the time I kept punching myself in the face when I woke up with an arm that was asleep...and I couldn't figure out who was hitting me.

So, wow. This post is long enough as is. Later, I'll report on more of the walking we've been doing. Because that's the really exciting stuff.

it's been far too long...

I kid, I kid. I always feel a bit strange not writing, though.

So, I've obviously decided to spare us all and not participate in July's NaBloPoMo. This was pretty much borne of laziness. Last night, Cardo and I were watching Love Actually and I didn't realize until too late that it was the third and I'd not posted. Ah, well. A quick note or two on that movie before I move on. For whatever reason, I always think I actually like it, but then I watch it again and realize that no, actually, I don't. There are a couple of story lines I like, but not enough to want to watch it again and again (except, as I said, I keep forgetting I don't like it much). There's the Natalie story. Y'know, Natalie of the huge thighs and derriere. WHATEVER. That part always bugs me. The woman is definitely too small for them to say such things of her. What bothers me the most, though, is the Colin story. Colin who travels to America and meets four women who are so poor they can only afford one tiny bed and cannot afford pajamas. Okay, so it's his fantasy (and probably a possible fantasy of many others) but definitely not mine. It's just beyond ridiculous.

Anyhow, my contacts are drying out my eyes and I can't really see this anymore, so I'll stop writing and thinking about the movie.

One last quick note. This song has been stuck in my head all day. And, no, I'm not self-referencing. And, the whole part about wanting the 'truth'? Well, let's just leave it at this: I don't believe in Truth, but truth could work.

routine

July's NaBloPoMo (ugh, I know, can I drone on for thirty-one more days?) is Routine. I'm still actually trying to decide if I want to officially sign up for this month, though.

Here's the general stuff I did today:

-- Slept through one alarm and ignored the other. Finally dragged myself out of bed.
-- Went to HoB and got scones for Pic and me.
-- Went to work.
-- Baja Fresh for lunch. (Note to self: Actually eat at home tomorrow.)
-- Home again, home again jiggety-jig. Watched one Berenstain Bears story (on a DVD with six stories total) and then took a too long nap in our sweltering living room.
-- Went to the Blue Park (as we refer to it) with Pic and Cardo. Pic played in the river. Went for 90-minute walk with Pic and Cardo. (Pic pretty much rides along in the stroller for our long walks. She gets all her exercise at the park(s). I'm really not sure how much I should expect a four-year-old to walk, but that long seems excessive. Perhaps I'm wrong?)
-- Went to Winco.
-- Read Richard Scarry's Best Little Word Book Ever! to Pic.
-- Ate dinner.
-- Watched Lidia cook something disgusting (I'm picky) on Lidia's Italy. (It wasn't as bad as the time we watched her bread and fry something that I'm pretty sure was panna cotta.)
-- Here I am.

The end. I know, my life is exciting. I probably won't always stick to the theme if I do decide to really join in this month. Keep that in mind while you're thinking of things to be thankful for this November.