This morning...
Johnny: What is this, Mommy?
Me: That's a tiny flower basket that you hang on the wall and put flowers in.
Johnny: Who gave it to you?
Me: My Mommy
Johnny: She dropped it?
Me: Hmm?
Johnny: She dropped it?
Me: No, honey, it's not broken, see?
Johnny: No, she dropped it from the sky?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Cracking Up
Just when I think I've seen it all, my world gets rocked again. I'll try just about anything once in the name of feeling better and a good time, and if an activity accomplishes both, all the better. I went to a laughing meditation class on Friday evening and I, well, laughed my ass off. My curiosity about laughing clubs dates back several years when my mom and I talked about going together, but my virgin experience was Friday night. I refuse to use the word "surreal" to describe what went on. Ooops, too late. I showed up to the studio in Carrboro with "an open mind and a willing heart," like the flyer suggested. Driving over I was afraid it might just be me and the instructor, and luckily, it wasn't. There were four women and three men, plus the instructor. We started off on our yoga mats in a circle, sitting criss-cross applesauce while the leader briefly explained what laughing meditation is, its benefits and how it would work. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me but looking around, everyone seemed to have smirks on their faces waiting for the real laughing to begin. We would lie on our backs, go through three "OMs" and then practice sustained laughter for fifteen minutes. Most likely, we would be genuinely, spontaneously laughing. But if we ever stopped the real laughter, we could fake laugh, because fake laughing brings the same benefits of real laughing and fake laughing usually leads to real laughing anyway. To fake laugh, we were encouraged to utter these three sacred sounds: Ho ho ho, Ha ha ha, Hee hee hee. And, the leader told us, sometimes people start crying during laughing meditation and if this were to happen to any of us, better to leave the room because it would get awkward if someone was sobbing uncontrollably and the rest of the room was cracking up. At this, I laughed out loud.
It was all so very strange in a most delicious way. We all lay down, heads at the top of our mats, and after three led "OMs," the laughing began. For the first five minutes, I was hysterical, laughing at the idea of laughing, laughing at the others' laughter, laughing at the craziness of what I was doing and then just plain laughing. I'm a rather quiet laughter, where my vocal chords are less engaged than my abdomen and chest, but there were some real howlers in the rooms. The two women beside me were cacklers--real hyenas-- and every once in awhile, I tried to let one out like they did, and when I did, this seemed to set them off even harder. The men were also loud, but deeper and more "Ho ho-y." A couple of times I sat up and looked around the room to take it all in, but mainly, we all just lay there, laughing. There are only a couple of times in my life I remember laughing harder and with more verve, but I can't really go into detail about those experiences, at least not here, in case I decide to ever run for President.
Before you conclude that I have completely cracked up, some of the touted benefits of sustained laughter include:
-lowered blood pressure
-reduction in stress hormones
-increase in muscle flexion
-boost to immune function
-release of endorphins
-relief for mild depression
Within the first few minutes, my mind was in disbelief at how crazy-fun this was and how my brother and sister and friends, and David needed to do this with me. I know David won't ever do this with me, but can you think of a better way to start off a Friday date night?
It's free, it's fun, it's legal and it's good for you. Laughing Meditation, you should give it a try, at least once. It will be one of the trippiest things you'll ever do. And if you can't find a club or class in your town, you can always join me in Carrboro.
It was all so very strange in a most delicious way. We all lay down, heads at the top of our mats, and after three led "OMs," the laughing began. For the first five minutes, I was hysterical, laughing at the idea of laughing, laughing at the others' laughter, laughing at the craziness of what I was doing and then just plain laughing. I'm a rather quiet laughter, where my vocal chords are less engaged than my abdomen and chest, but there were some real howlers in the rooms. The two women beside me were cacklers--real hyenas-- and every once in awhile, I tried to let one out like they did, and when I did, this seemed to set them off even harder. The men were also loud, but deeper and more "Ho ho-y." A couple of times I sat up and looked around the room to take it all in, but mainly, we all just lay there, laughing. There are only a couple of times in my life I remember laughing harder and with more verve, but I can't really go into detail about those experiences, at least not here, in case I decide to ever run for President.
Before you conclude that I have completely cracked up, some of the touted benefits of sustained laughter include:
-lowered blood pressure
-reduction in stress hormones
-increase in muscle flexion
-boost to immune function
-release of endorphins
-relief for mild depression
Within the first few minutes, my mind was in disbelief at how crazy-fun this was and how my brother and sister and friends, and David needed to do this with me. I know David won't ever do this with me, but can you think of a better way to start off a Friday date night?
It's free, it's fun, it's legal and it's good for you. Laughing Meditation, you should give it a try, at least once. It will be one of the trippiest things you'll ever do. And if you can't find a club or class in your town, you can always join me in Carrboro.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Desperately Seeking...Susan?
On the way home today I heard the song "Into the Groove" by Madonna, and it made me think think of the dancing scene in Desperately Seeking Susan and that made me ruminate over the fact that every time someone gets my name wrong, they always get it wrong in the same way...by calling me Susan. Always. It happened this week on a piece of mail delivered to me at work. It's happened for years. Once I babysat for two girls for an entire year while their parents called me Susan. The weird thing is that the girls never corrected them. Even weirder is I didn't either.
I don't have anything wrong with the name Susan. I have a cousin named Susan whom I like very very much. I just think it's odd that it's always the name people use when they get my name wrong. They never use nicknames for Sarah, such as Sally or Sadie. Even Suri would be nice every once in awhile. But it's Susan. Always.
I don't have anything wrong with the name Susan. I have a cousin named Susan whom I like very very much. I just think it's odd that it's always the name people use when they get my name wrong. They never use nicknames for Sarah, such as Sally or Sadie. Even Suri would be nice every once in awhile. But it's Susan. Always.
Monday, February 19, 2007
There's a Reason We Don't Go More Places With Our Kids
We met some friends for lunch at Breadmen's yesterday and then we all went to the UNC Women's basketball game against Miami. Parts were fun and I'm all for exposing the kids to new experiences, but I got home exhausted and couldn't help wondering why we even bother sometimes.
We parked in one of the new decks behind the UNC Alumni Center, and as we walked in the cold to Carmichael Auditorium, we heard a terrifying thud and then Johnny's hysterical wails. He tripped on David's shoe and landed hard on his left eye. I quickly scanned for blood, and seeing none, I assured myself that things would be ok. He didn't cry for long but it was a doozie of a fall and left a pretty prominent shiner.
We got in our seats at 1:30 PM, just in time to see the both teams warming up to the cheerleaders' cheers and the pep band's horns. It was all too loud for Grace and she said she wanted to go home. I still had ear plugs in my purse, so I pushed a pair into Grace's ears and hoped they would help take the edge off. At 1 minute until tip off, Grace said she had to poop, so I excused ourselves and made it to the ladies' room. Grace wouldn't, however, poop. She wanted to poop at home. I told her we weren't leaving yet, so she cleaned up and we made it back to our seats for the National Anthem to find Johnny asleep in David's arms. Johnny basically slept for most of the first half, being jostled here and there while David and I took turns taking Grace to the bathroom where she insisted on going but refused to "go" every time.
At halftime, the kids wanted to go look for Rameses, UNC's mascot. We didn't find Rameses, but we did run into one of Johnny's classmates, the son of a former UNC football player. Johnny refused to make eye contact with his friend while his friend flatly reported to me that "Johnny hits people at school." I awkwardly smoothed that one over with the youngster and his very large father and ushered the kids back into our seats. Just as the second half began, Johnny decided that he needed to go pee. The urge had just come to him apparently, and not minutes before when we were in the hallway at a restroom.
I really didn't have any desire to watch the entire second half as we were up by, oh, about 30 points, so when I saw Rameses across the auditorium, I watched like a hawk until he exited to the lobby. When he did, I grabbed the kids and said, "Come on, let's go see the Ram!"
There was a mob at the ram and since I didn't have my camera handy, all I wanted was for my kids to have a chance to hug him or give him a high 5. He signed a few autographs and then came our way. It must have been the limited peripheral vision or something, because Rameses rammed right into Johnny and knocked him down to the floor! I said, "Johnny, that was an accident. He didn't knock you down on purpose. He just didn't see you."
"No, Mommy. I think he thought I was a bad guy."
We parked in one of the new decks behind the UNC Alumni Center, and as we walked in the cold to Carmichael Auditorium, we heard a terrifying thud and then Johnny's hysterical wails. He tripped on David's shoe and landed hard on his left eye. I quickly scanned for blood, and seeing none, I assured myself that things would be ok. He didn't cry for long but it was a doozie of a fall and left a pretty prominent shiner.
We got in our seats at 1:30 PM, just in time to see the both teams warming up to the cheerleaders' cheers and the pep band's horns. It was all too loud for Grace and she said she wanted to go home. I still had ear plugs in my purse, so I pushed a pair into Grace's ears and hoped they would help take the edge off. At 1 minute until tip off, Grace said she had to poop, so I excused ourselves and made it to the ladies' room. Grace wouldn't, however, poop. She wanted to poop at home. I told her we weren't leaving yet, so she cleaned up and we made it back to our seats for the National Anthem to find Johnny asleep in David's arms. Johnny basically slept for most of the first half, being jostled here and there while David and I took turns taking Grace to the bathroom where she insisted on going but refused to "go" every time.
At halftime, the kids wanted to go look for Rameses, UNC's mascot. We didn't find Rameses, but we did run into one of Johnny's classmates, the son of a former UNC football player. Johnny refused to make eye contact with his friend while his friend flatly reported to me that "Johnny hits people at school." I awkwardly smoothed that one over with the youngster and his very large father and ushered the kids back into our seats. Just as the second half began, Johnny decided that he needed to go pee. The urge had just come to him apparently, and not minutes before when we were in the hallway at a restroom.
I really didn't have any desire to watch the entire second half as we were up by, oh, about 30 points, so when I saw Rameses across the auditorium, I watched like a hawk until he exited to the lobby. When he did, I grabbed the kids and said, "Come on, let's go see the Ram!"
There was a mob at the ram and since I didn't have my camera handy, all I wanted was for my kids to have a chance to hug him or give him a high 5. He signed a few autographs and then came our way. It must have been the limited peripheral vision or something, because Rameses rammed right into Johnny and knocked him down to the floor! I said, "Johnny, that was an accident. He didn't knock you down on purpose. He just didn't see you."
"No, Mommy. I think he thought I was a bad guy."
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Signs-O-The-Times
I've had a couple of "Can you hear me now?" laughs lately, but not because of dropped cell-phone service; Rather, because of perceived dropped service because the receiver took a nanosecond too long to respond and the speaker immediately was all, "Hello? Are you there? Can you hear me?" Which made the receiver think the speaker couldn't hear them and was all, "Can you hear me? Hello?" This went on for several minutes when both parties could hear just fine. It's a sign of our times. Gone are the days when you can ask someone a question and feel comfortable with a pregnant pause on the other end while the receiver prepares a thoughtful answer. We want immediate feedback. I think we've been burned too many times when we monologue on and on then finally stop and expect a reply and find silence on the other end. "Can you hear me? Are you there?"
Friday, February 16, 2007
Found My Junior High Diary Today While Cleaning Out My Closet...
Feb. 20, 1985 Wednesday
Today we finally went to AG. We developed some pictures in the darkroom. That was fun. In Strings we got a song written by Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf. Wild, huh? We got our seats changed in science. It's boy/girl. I sit by Chris H. Thrills.
Today we finally went to AG. We developed some pictures in the darkroom. That was fun. In Strings we got a song written by Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf. Wild, huh? We got our seats changed in science. It's boy/girl. I sit by Chris H. Thrills.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
It's a Red-Sweater Day
Me: Oh, look you guys, you each got a valentine from Granddabs. Aunt Kate, too.
Johnny: Where's my valentine? Give me my valentine!
Me: Will you be my valentine?
Johnny: No, Mommy. Valentines are cards. I'm not a card. I'm a person.
HVD Y'all.
Johnny: Where's my valentine? Give me my valentine!
Me: Will you be my valentine?
Johnny: No, Mommy. Valentines are cards. I'm not a card. I'm a person.
HVD Y'all.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Father-Daughter Dance
We like to hype things up in my family, and we start early. We talked up the premiere of the Naked Brothers Band movie for over a month. We plan summer birthday parties in February, and we've already begun talking about all the fun we're going to have next Christmas. So when the invitation arrived for our church's Father-Daughter Dance, we got on that right away: What will Grace wear? What will Daddy wear? Why wasn't Johnny invited? What will Johnny and Mommy do during the Father-Daugther Dance? How will Grace and Daddy dance?
To cover the last question, we've all been practicing in the evenings to a varied soundtrack of dance hits. Most of my friends know I'm not very confident on the dance floor. At least in front of other people. At home in my living room? A completely different story. David too. He's a self-proclaimed 'comical dancer,' and once you've see him in action, you'll want him at every wedding reception you'll ever attend for the rest of your life. Watching Grace and Johnny is the best, though. Johnny has latino blood in him, and, although slightly more stiff, Grace does a pretty good job keeping up with his shakes and shimmies. Their latest dance trick is to circle their hips around in exaggerated form, guaranteeing laughs and hands-over-mouths from all who watch them, quickening their pace as the laughing crescendos. We prepared Grace and David as best we could, hoped for the best, and waited for February 10 to arrive.
Yesterday arrived, and if you could have bottled up the excitement in the air all day, especially in the hour leading up to our departure, you could have powered a private plane all the way to California and back (without refueling).
Grace looked beautiful. She wore a black velvet off-the-rack stunner with pale pink fluff at the collar and cuffs. A pair of white "tipes," classic black patent leather Mary Janes with cut-out hearts at the toes, and a sparkly rhinestone hair clip in her newly cut bob rounded out her look.
David charmed in his stylish mix of layers, patterns, and textures, and pulled off with aplomb the effect of a loving-but- highly-fashionable dad.
Johnny and I dropped the pair off and peeked in the Fellowship Hall that had been transformed into a Valentine's wonderland replete with twinkle lights, red and pink heart garland, and an abundant buffet table filled with sugary goodies. After grabbing an iced, sprinkled cookie, Johnny and I bode farewell and began our date at Chik-Fil-A and the Children's Store at University Mall. An hour and fifteen minutes later we returned to a very tired Grace and a tell-all David, both reporting that the Macarena, Electric Slide, and YMCA dances were all difficult to get the hang of. The girls made beaded bracelets with their daddies, the couples got their photos taken in front of the twinkle-light tree, and each girl was given a long-stemmed red rose at the end of the night.
It was really, really sweet to see all of the girls and their fathers dressed up and excited about spending the evening together. And, just so you know, as much as we hype things ahead of time, we do the same after the fact. We'll be talking about Grace's and Daddy's first ever Father-Daughter Dance for a long, long time.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
How To Know Whether or Not You Are Ready To Have Kids:
My mom e-mailed this to me when I was pregnant with Grace. I loved it then. I love it even more now.
From Herman Holt
How To Know Whether or Not You Are Ready To Have Kids:
Mess Test
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.
Toy Test
Obtain a 55 gallon box of Legos (or you may substitute roofing tacks). Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream because this would wake a child at night.
Grocery Store Test
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.
Dressing Test
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all the arms stay inside.
Feeding Test
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a cord. Start the swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.
Night Test
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8-12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00 PM begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 PM. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 PM. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 AM. Set alarm for 5:00 AM. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.
Ingenuity Test
Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn in into an attractive Christmas candle. Use only scotch tape and a piece of foil. Last, take a milk carton, a ping pong ball, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.
Automobile Test
Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it into the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There, perfect.
Physical Test (Women)
Obtain a large bean bag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans. And try not to notice your closet full of clothes. You won't be wearing them for a while.
Physical Test (Men)
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.
Final Assignment
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run wild. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers.
From Herman Holt
How To Know Whether or Not You Are Ready To Have Kids:
Mess Test
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.
Toy Test
Obtain a 55 gallon box of Legos (or you may substitute roofing tacks). Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream because this would wake a child at night.
Grocery Store Test
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.
Dressing Test
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all the arms stay inside.
Feeding Test
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a cord. Start the swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.
Night Test
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8-12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00 PM begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 PM. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 PM. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 AM. Set alarm for 5:00 AM. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.
Ingenuity Test
Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn in into an attractive Christmas candle. Use only scotch tape and a piece of foil. Last, take a milk carton, a ping pong ball, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.
Automobile Test
Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it into the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There, perfect.
Physical Test (Women)
Obtain a large bean bag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans. And try not to notice your closet full of clothes. You won't be wearing them for a while.
Physical Test (Men)
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.
Final Assignment
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run wild. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
HEEL Yeah!
I just had a great idea on how I could save some money on healthcare: Instead of going through all of the diagnostic testing and subsequent trial and error of trying various pharmaceuticals, natural medications and vitamins and supplements, all I really need to do to get my neurotransmitters firing the way they're supposed to is watch Carolina beat Dook just like they did!
This Too Shall Pass
Written fall 2002
I've just been through the worst exeprience of my life: kidney stones. They say that second to childbirth, kidney stones casue the most excrutiating pain known to humankind. They're right. I've also given birth, and, to me, kidney stones were far worse. Far worse because during kidney stone labor there was absolutely no relief, not one single break in the pain. And at the end of it all, I didn't have a new baby to take home and love. All I took home from the hospital was a prescription for then Percocets and a killer ER bill. We all know what a drag it is to be sick, but throw a 12-month-old baby--one who depends on you every waking hour--into the mix, and you've just added major insult to injury.
Mothers don't get permission to be sick very often. I mean really sick, like pretend-I'm-not-even-here-sick; But when they do end up in a state of incapacitation, we're plagued by all of the stuff we should be getting done. This time around, though, pain trumped guilt, and I gave myself full permission to stay in bed for five days straight. To put it plainly and simply: Thank God for David. He took care of everything and handled things like a pro, from the two-hour ER waiting room crisis right down to soothing both of his girls when we were crying at the same time. Oh, he may have slipped a tad when he brought me the paci and handed the narcotic to Grace, but we both lived.
I can't tell you what any of us ate for those five days, but now that we're on the other side, I can't see evidence of our being any worse for the wear. I've thought many times since becoming a parent last year that I don't know how single parents do it, having to be "on" 24-7. What a relief to know that I can temporarily check out of our family's daily routine once in awhile without things falling totally apart. I'll always be grateful for being allowed to be sick.
During the worst part of it, David kept saying, in the most soothing voice possible, "You're doing great--it's just pain--you're doing great." To me calling it just pain didn't cut it. But the point was, my condition wasn't life-threatening and things would eventually get back to normal. I would eventually feel better. While in bed hour after hour, my mind drifted to all of those single parents who didn't have someone cheering them on and taking care of business. I also thought about the people who suffer far greater pain than I did on a daily basis. People whose lives don't get back to normal, people who don't eventually feel better. For me, though, I kept telling myself, mantra-style, "This too shall pass." And it did.
I've just been through the worst exeprience of my life: kidney stones. They say that second to childbirth, kidney stones casue the most excrutiating pain known to humankind. They're right. I've also given birth, and, to me, kidney stones were far worse. Far worse because during kidney stone labor there was absolutely no relief, not one single break in the pain. And at the end of it all, I didn't have a new baby to take home and love. All I took home from the hospital was a prescription for then Percocets and a killer ER bill. We all know what a drag it is to be sick, but throw a 12-month-old baby--one who depends on you every waking hour--into the mix, and you've just added major insult to injury.
Mothers don't get permission to be sick very often. I mean really sick, like pretend-I'm-not-even-here-sick; But when they do end up in a state of incapacitation, we're plagued by all of the stuff we should be getting done. This time around, though, pain trumped guilt, and I gave myself full permission to stay in bed for five days straight. To put it plainly and simply: Thank God for David. He took care of everything and handled things like a pro, from the two-hour ER waiting room crisis right down to soothing both of his girls when we were crying at the same time. Oh, he may have slipped a tad when he brought me the paci and handed the narcotic to Grace, but we both lived.
I can't tell you what any of us ate for those five days, but now that we're on the other side, I can't see evidence of our being any worse for the wear. I've thought many times since becoming a parent last year that I don't know how single parents do it, having to be "on" 24-7. What a relief to know that I can temporarily check out of our family's daily routine once in awhile without things falling totally apart. I'll always be grateful for being allowed to be sick.
During the worst part of it, David kept saying, in the most soothing voice possible, "You're doing great--it's just pain--you're doing great." To me calling it just pain didn't cut it. But the point was, my condition wasn't life-threatening and things would eventually get back to normal. I would eventually feel better. While in bed hour after hour, my mind drifted to all of those single parents who didn't have someone cheering them on and taking care of business. I also thought about the people who suffer far greater pain than I did on a daily basis. People whose lives don't get back to normal, people who don't eventually feel better. For me, though, I kept telling myself, mantra-style, "This too shall pass." And it did.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Time to Join Netflix
The kids and I walked into our neighborhood video store tonight to rent a) How to Eat Fried Worms (for Grace, b) Ghostbusters (for Johnny) and c) Little Children (for David and me-but it wasn't out yet). Johnny found Superman Returns, and since I told them they could each pick one movie, he put Ghostbusters back. I was trying to pick another selection but was distracted, as Thing 1 and Thing 2 ran around in delight at the visual stimulation of movie covers they recognized. They saw a girl from school they knew. I saw a woman from church I knew. "Wow," I said, "you're really racking up." She had, like 20 movies to rent. The place was busier than usual...and then I noticed that everyone had, like 20 movies to rent. But they weren't renting their movies, they were buying them. Not even from the bargain bin, from the racks! Our neighborhood video store is going out of business as of today because they couldn't work out a deal to renew their lease which expires at the end of the month. I said, "Kids! Not only do we get to rent your movies, we're going to buy them! Let's go find some more!" By the time I made it back to pick up Ghostbusters, it was already gone. Pickins for the good stuff were slim. I think I did well, though, overall. Here's what I came away with, 14 DVDs for just under $60.
1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- a surprisingly good chick flick that Kate and I watched and loved two Christmases ago, when David, my dad, and brother all went to the theater to see Syriana.
2. Annie Hall- a classic-can't wait to watch this again (and again and again and again)
3. Breaking Away-a Lightfoot family favorite-filmed in 1979 in Bloomington, IN, where the first four Lightfeet lived while my dad earned his PhD. Because this movie is special to them, it's also special to me. (Maybe a future Father's Day gift? Don't worry, my dad doesn't own a computer, and he's typically about 6 months behind on my bird-spot readings).
4. St. Elmo's Fire
5. The Breakfast Club It will be fun to share these with Grace and Johnny and show them what life was like in the 80's.
6. World Trade Center haven't seen it yet, but thought it would be good to have, historically speaking.
7. Miami Vice-what David got out of the deal
8. Batman-Mask of the Phantasm-for my little superhero.
9. Superman Returns-ditto
10. How to Eat Fried Worms-now Grace can crush on "Billy" any day of the week.
11. Barnyard-why not?
12. Hideous Kinky-because I think I'm in love with Kate Winslet
13. Airplane-"One of the top ten funniest movies ever made," American Film Institute "Have you ever seen a grown man naked?"
14. Flirting With Disaster-one of my favorite movies of all time. A fail-safe fall back whenever Kate or I want to watch something and laugh together and we can't agree on anything else.
1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- a surprisingly good chick flick that Kate and I watched and loved two Christmases ago, when David, my dad, and brother all went to the theater to see Syriana.
2. Annie Hall- a classic-can't wait to watch this again (and again and again and again)
3. Breaking Away-a Lightfoot family favorite-filmed in 1979 in Bloomington, IN, where the first four Lightfeet lived while my dad earned his PhD. Because this movie is special to them, it's also special to me. (Maybe a future Father's Day gift? Don't worry, my dad doesn't own a computer, and he's typically about 6 months behind on my bird-spot readings).
4. St. Elmo's Fire
5. The Breakfast Club It will be fun to share these with Grace and Johnny and show them what life was like in the 80's.
6. World Trade Center haven't seen it yet, but thought it would be good to have, historically speaking.
7. Miami Vice-what David got out of the deal
8. Batman-Mask of the Phantasm-for my little superhero.
9. Superman Returns-ditto
10. How to Eat Fried Worms-now Grace can crush on "Billy" any day of the week.
11. Barnyard-why not?
12. Hideous Kinky-because I think I'm in love with Kate Winslet
13. Airplane-"One of the top ten funniest movies ever made," American Film Institute "Have you ever seen a grown man naked?"
14. Flirting With Disaster-one of my favorite movies of all time. A fail-safe fall back whenever Kate or I want to watch something and laugh together and we can't agree on anything else.
Monday Thoughts
Dis-Orientation I worked all weekend for an event we put on at work. I got home at 5:30 PM yesterday and planned to at least make it through the Super Bowl halftime show. I guess I fell asleep putting the kids down, because the next thing I know a ringing phone wakes me up, I run into the kitchen, look at the clock and see that it's 9:00. CRAP! I think, I overslept! The kids are late for school! I stumble into our room where David's calmly reading and he says, "The game's not over, but the Colts will probably win. You missed Prince." Huh? What? What time is it? Where am I and who am I? Who are you? Ahh, sleep, glorious, sleep. I crawl back into bed for 9 more hours of sleep and totally whacked out dreams. Was Prince good? And what was the best commerical?
Public Speaking Public speaking usually ranks right up there on the list of people's greatest fears. I'm chipping away at the fear, event by event. My first job out of college was as a VISTA volunteer where I was part of a training team that put on structured workshops on how to teach adults how to read. It was pretty frightening at first, especially as my very first workshop was in a white-collar federal prison to an audience full of highly-educated men. I was being trained myself and had to present a segment at that workshop. It was scary. After lunch, I popped in a piece of gum. After my segment, this man came up and told me that it's not a good idea to chew gum and speak in public. Whatever. I told him it wasn't a good idea to embezzle company funds, either.
My dad, a retired college professor, gave me the best advice so far about public speaking: internalize the subject matter about which you are speaking. It's so true. If I have any doubts about what I'm saying, it comes out halt.ing.ly and the word retrieval part of my brain shuts down. But if I'm speaking about something I know inside and out, like the births of my two kids, how to throw a killer bachelorette party or how to entertain my kids for hours using only a piece of string, a paper clip and a gummy bear, I feel like I could speak to a stadium full of listeners.
The Closest Thing I Have to a Mother is yoga class. It sounds kind of weird but it's what I think every time I leave a yoga class. Even when the yogi is a gray-haired man. Because the overlying tones are about challenging yourself to the point that feels good to you, acceptance in the face of flaws, and when things just get too intense, there's always the child's pose.
This Year's Marathon We started to get excited about the Rock-n-Roll Marathon in San Diego in June, but I've decided to postpone any serious training until summer/fall due to an injured groin muscle. Ouch.
Suzanne Somers has it all figured out: I've just finished reading her book, Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidential Hormones, and the secret to regaining the youthfulness, balance and vitality we all felt in our prime can be found through Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Oh, that and the Thigh Master.
Public Speaking Public speaking usually ranks right up there on the list of people's greatest fears. I'm chipping away at the fear, event by event. My first job out of college was as a VISTA volunteer where I was part of a training team that put on structured workshops on how to teach adults how to read. It was pretty frightening at first, especially as my very first workshop was in a white-collar federal prison to an audience full of highly-educated men. I was being trained myself and had to present a segment at that workshop. It was scary. After lunch, I popped in a piece of gum. After my segment, this man came up and told me that it's not a good idea to chew gum and speak in public. Whatever. I told him it wasn't a good idea to embezzle company funds, either.
My dad, a retired college professor, gave me the best advice so far about public speaking: internalize the subject matter about which you are speaking. It's so true. If I have any doubts about what I'm saying, it comes out halt.ing.ly and the word retrieval part of my brain shuts down. But if I'm speaking about something I know inside and out, like the births of my two kids, how to throw a killer bachelorette party or how to entertain my kids for hours using only a piece of string, a paper clip and a gummy bear, I feel like I could speak to a stadium full of listeners.
The Closest Thing I Have to a Mother is yoga class. It sounds kind of weird but it's what I think every time I leave a yoga class. Even when the yogi is a gray-haired man. Because the overlying tones are about challenging yourself to the point that feels good to you, acceptance in the face of flaws, and when things just get too intense, there's always the child's pose.
This Year's Marathon We started to get excited about the Rock-n-Roll Marathon in San Diego in June, but I've decided to postpone any serious training until summer/fall due to an injured groin muscle. Ouch.
Suzanne Somers has it all figured out: I've just finished reading her book, Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidential Hormones, and the secret to regaining the youthfulness, balance and vitality we all felt in our prime can be found through Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Oh, that and the Thigh Master.
Friday, February 02, 2007
My Favorite Heelz Moments
I love Carolina Basketball. And while nothing compares to the awesome awesomeness of being a UNC student in April, 1993, I still always look forward to this time of year. Some of my favorite Carolina Basketball moments:
#5 The Christian Laettner Kentucky Freshman Stomp. Where were you for the once-ESPN-designted #1 college basketball game of all time? (Is it still considered that? If not, what game is?) It was 1992, the East Regional Finals, and I watched it in the bottom bunk in my dorm room. The piano player stopped. Jaws dropped. Did Laettner actually step on a KY player's chest? After a dead ball? That rat bastard! What does this have to do with Carolina Basketball? It solidified Kentucky's hatred of Duke and that's always a good thing for Carolina fans (especially ones whose families on both sides hail from the bluegrass state).
#4 Freshman Year Camping Out for Basketball Tickets It was winter. It was cold. We were determined and we weren't giving up our spaces in line. It just so happened in our favor that one of our next-door dorm neighbors was a DJ with a sophisticated sound system only walking distance away. The cold air turned to balmy sweat as we passed the time dancing the night away. It was the best impromptu dance party I've ever been to. And we got good tickets.
#3 %&$# The Grant! %&$# The Grant! %&$# The Grant! ACC Tournament Sunday. Either 1997, or 1998 (I think). I was writing a Federal Even Start Family Literacy Grant proposal that was due the next day. I wasn't finished with it, and although I took time out to watch UNC win (I think we beat Duke that year) I couldn't really afford to give away more hours celebrating on Franklin Street, so I told my living-room full of Tarheel fans to go on without me. Pleads turned into chides turned into demands turned into threats, and before I could say "implementation of the long-term strategic planning goals and objectives," we were all chanting %&$# The Grant! %&$# The Grant! %&$# The Grant! at the tops of our lungs.
(Note: the grant wasn't funded but it came close)
#2 The Whoop-Ass that Carolina is Going to Bring to Duke on Feb. 7 How big of a team are you? Bring. It. On.
#1 1993 Championship Night I won't even elaborate on how utterly crazy things got that night, what with the drinking and the rain and the blue paint and the crowds and me somehow falling down at Linda's and cutting my chin and walking home to D-28, crying and bleeding and by myself, and getting in some stranger's car who was a perfect gentleman and gave me a ride home only to be greeted by my roommate and her boyfriend who were both EMTs and thought I needed stitches so took me to the ER at UNC Hospitals and waited me with me (on her birthday) while I got sewn up and drove me back home at some absurdly late (but really early in terms of the next day) hour only to fall asleep with a wounded chin for maybe two hours, but got up right on time, because I was so contientious, and opened the Student Union Building at 8:00 AM, (because I was a supervisor, after all) to be told by an underling, "You don't look too good," but finished my shift and took advantage of being one of the very first people on campus to get my commemorative DTH, which I've since, of course, lost.
'Mon Heelz.
#5 The Christian Laettner Kentucky Freshman Stomp. Where were you for the once-ESPN-designted #1 college basketball game of all time? (Is it still considered that? If not, what game is?) It was 1992, the East Regional Finals, and I watched it in the bottom bunk in my dorm room. The piano player stopped. Jaws dropped. Did Laettner actually step on a KY player's chest? After a dead ball? That rat bastard! What does this have to do with Carolina Basketball? It solidified Kentucky's hatred of Duke and that's always a good thing for Carolina fans (especially ones whose families on both sides hail from the bluegrass state).
#4 Freshman Year Camping Out for Basketball Tickets It was winter. It was cold. We were determined and we weren't giving up our spaces in line. It just so happened in our favor that one of our next-door dorm neighbors was a DJ with a sophisticated sound system only walking distance away. The cold air turned to balmy sweat as we passed the time dancing the night away. It was the best impromptu dance party I've ever been to. And we got good tickets.
#3 %&$# The Grant! %&$# The Grant! %&$# The Grant! ACC Tournament Sunday. Either 1997, or 1998 (I think). I was writing a Federal Even Start Family Literacy Grant proposal that was due the next day. I wasn't finished with it, and although I took time out to watch UNC win (I think we beat Duke that year) I couldn't really afford to give away more hours celebrating on Franklin Street, so I told my living-room full of Tarheel fans to go on without me. Pleads turned into chides turned into demands turned into threats, and before I could say "implementation of the long-term strategic planning goals and objectives," we were all chanting %&$# The Grant! %&$# The Grant! %&$# The Grant! at the tops of our lungs.
(Note: the grant wasn't funded but it came close)
#2 The Whoop-Ass that Carolina is Going to Bring to Duke on Feb. 7 How big of a team are you? Bring. It. On.
#1 1993 Championship Night I won't even elaborate on how utterly crazy things got that night, what with the drinking and the rain and the blue paint and the crowds and me somehow falling down at Linda's and cutting my chin and walking home to D-28, crying and bleeding and by myself, and getting in some stranger's car who was a perfect gentleman and gave me a ride home only to be greeted by my roommate and her boyfriend who were both EMTs and thought I needed stitches so took me to the ER at UNC Hospitals and waited me with me (on her birthday) while I got sewn up and drove me back home at some absurdly late (but really early in terms of the next day) hour only to fall asleep with a wounded chin for maybe two hours, but got up right on time, because I was so contientious, and opened the Student Union Building at 8:00 AM, (because I was a supervisor, after all) to be told by an underling, "You don't look too good," but finished my shift and took advantage of being one of the very first people on campus to get my commemorative DTH, which I've since, of course, lost.
'Mon Heelz.
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