Cop-Out

I know, memes are now considered farcical, but I don't feel like coming up with anything original today. I'll finish my original post later...chasing photos down and uploading them is a pain in the arse!

The Fab 4 Meme

4 Jobs I've Held
Pharmacy tech
Bank teller
Restaurant hostess
Speech Pathologist

4 Films I Could Watch Over and Over
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Sixteen Candles
Anchorman
Office Space

4 TV Shows I Watch
Deadliest Catch
The Office
Ghost Hunters
Gene Simmons Family Jewels

4 Places I've Lived
Southwestern Michigan
Metropolitan Detroit
Ann Arbor, MI
Western Michigan
*And yes, I do wish I'd lived in another state for at least a little while, but I'll give my reasons for upper midwest living another time*

4 Favorite Foods
Pizza
Pasta
Costco chocolate cake with strawberry mousse filling and buttercream frosting
Wow Cow soft serve

4 Web Sites I Visit Everyday
amazon.com
mlive.com
ebay.com
freep.com
*I do visit most of your blogs daily...even when I know some don't post on the weekends :)*

4 Favorite Colors
Pink
Navy blue
Lime green
Pale orange

4 Places I Would Love to Be Right Now
Shopping the Miracle Mile in Chicago
San Francisco
Cape Cod
"Up North" Michigan (Traverse City or the U.P.)

4 Names I Love But Did Not Use for my Child
Annika
Erin
Elise
Grace

There you go. Random, completely useless facts about me. Made your day, didn't it?

Haiku Friday - Gas Prices

Up/down. Mostly up.

The price of gas is starting

to irk me but good.

Speculators? Why

does simply talking about

the price make it rise??

Here's the solution:

STOP TALKING ABOUT IT! Duh.

The problem is fixed.

I am absolutely obsessed

with this show.



I've watched it before and liked it, but lately? I am CRAZY obsessed. I think I may actually need to buy the DVDs, and there are very few shows I will spend that kind of money on. Here are my latest questions/observations:

• I can't decide who my favorite captain is. This is bothersome to me for some reason, like I am obligated to pick a favorite.
• The Hillstrands? What is up with the lineup of oldest, next oldest, youngest, etc.? Andy and...the blonde one look the youngest, but apparently the youngest is Neil. Huh? Hard living does wonders for your looks, apparently. I like these guys, though. Watching 'After the Catch' about brotherhood, I cried like Little House on the Prairie while they talked about passing where their dad was buried, paying tribute to him on the boat, and then they talked about how THEY buried him themselves! Made his coffin and buried him with cigarettes and a Louis L'Amour book. Unbelievable.
• WTF happened with Phil? Was that a radiology tech giving him this information - like "this didn't happen on the boat,". Did the show want her to do that for dramatic value? If you're not a radiologist, honey, don't be making a diagnosis. And now the teaser for next week is suggesting that Phil won't be able to work on the boat anymore...
• Don't mess with Captain Keith. He'll kick your ass.
• I love when they prank each other.
• I'm kind of sad that women can't participate in the "brotherhood" thing at this level. I don't mean in a physical sense, more like in camaraderie (that spelling just does not look right, but M-W says it is). Women just connect with each other differently than guys (duh). I love my girlfriends, but I also loved hanging around with guy friends...it was fun to watch the "giving of hell", so to speak. Maybe that's part of the reason I l-o-v-e this show.
• Is each TV season comprised of both King Crab and Opilio seasons? How long are the crab seasons...a week? Two weeks?

I feel better now that I've written those out. I welcome fresh insight!

Riddle me this

We're going to the Wisconsin Dells later this summer. I need opinions: should we take the car ferry that goes across Lake Michigan and lands in Milwaukee, then drive to the Dells from there (abt 150 miles total)? Or should we drive around the lake through Chicago (abt 360 miles)? The ferry isn't cheap--it's $70 per adult (M is free), $80 for the car, and about $44 for surcharges. Is it worth the boat costs to save 210 miles on my car, plus saving about an hour on the road? My husband says no, I'm on the fence.

WW: Obsessive Fan

This is my daughter's Build a Bear. The outfit? Husband decided that Molly reeeeallllly wanted her bear to have the Red Wings outfit. Complete with the Championship t-shirt under the jersey. I drew the line at buying the hockey stick. And I made him pay for it himself.

A belated Go Wings! (Chris Chelios didn't play in the playoffs, but I still think he is HOT STUFF. Dark, sweaty eye candy.)

True Confession Tuesday - first edition

I'm sure this has already been taken by someone else, so I apologize if it's anyone who reads this - I googled it and didn't come up with anything recent. If there's a Linky of some sort, I'll play along...just let me know about it!
**See below**

Since I've realized that coming up with blog fodder is HARD, I think a theme, however occasional, might help me a bit. So that's where True Confession Tuesday comes in. Oh, they won't all be revelations, that's for sure. Most of them will be pretty inane and stupid. Hopefully some of you will be able to relate, maybe get a little conversation going. We'll see.

This week's confession:

I have not yet decided whether I will have a second child.

Why is this such a confession? Because society, as a whole, puts a guilt trip on those of us who only have one kid. Maybe not intentionally, but it's there. It just naturally follows the "So when are you getting married?" and "When are you going to make us grandparents?" questions that many of us are SO fond of. People aren't at all shy about making these bold statements: "When's Molly getting a sibling?"; "You can't have just one! It's not fair to the only child!"; and my personal favorite - "You're not getting any younger!".

Bastards.

The thing that sucks is...I sort of feel that these stick-my-nose-in-your-businessers are right. Let me just say that neither my parents nor my ILs are guilty of these little gems. In fact, my mom is the one who tells me not to listen to them-that I should have more because I want them. She isn't a big believer in having them incredibly close together, either. My older sibs are 5 yrs and 4 yrs apart, then there's me: 10 yrs after the youngest. Oops! What gets me thinking about this is mortality, basically.

I used to work in an intensive therapy program for people with aphasia. (Intensive comes from the fact that our clients would come from all over the country and spend weeks with us, getting 23 hrs of therapy per week.) During my time there, I met lots and lots of awesome people. Some would come alone, many would come with family members-spouses, siblings, children. I saw and talked to so many of them who felt guilty about being in their position...they viewed themselves as burdens on their families (which they most certainly WERE NOT. but you could tell them that all day long; they still wouldn't believe it). Clients with several kids usually had them all take turns cycling through, staying a few days or a week at a time, then the next one "took over". Clients with only one kid? Well, one could definitely view it as being more challenging for the caregiver and child, not that I ever heard that. Ever. My point? I don't know what the future holds, and I don't want Molly to have no one else to lean on when husband and I get old. It really doesn't seem fair.

And then: I'm NOT getting any younger. I am now what would be deemed "advanced maternal age". I was so damn lucky with Molly...conception didn't take longer than 3-4 months, pregnancy was pretty much a breeze, and the birth--I had the blessed epidural. 'Nuff said. No guarantees the stars would align for that again. I had raging PPD that made me pack on a lot of pounds and really question my ability to parent. I don't want that again. And as happy-go-lucky as my kiddo is now? Not so much in the first 4 months. Not quite colicky, but damn fussy. I'm not sure I can handle that again, and if not that, the lack of sleep....

And yet something else--I don't want my child to grow up thinking the entire world revolves around her. It's natural to have that inclination as parents of an only child...you do things to keep them entertained (and I know damn well that part of this is our fault) and, well, the world does revolve around her right now. I mean, we also do our own things, but she is an active participant in many of them . She is also the only grandchild right now on the IL side, and is practically one on my side (since my youngest niece was 13 when M was born). In other words, she IS the universe when at grandma and grandpa's house. Having a sibling would, let's say, bring her back to reality.

So that's the first confession. A lot more involved and less lighthearted than I originally planned, but trust me, it's alllll downhill from here. Thanks for sticking with it!

I'm still figuring out this Linky stuff, so bear with me and play along if you want (although it's almost too late)!

Songs I Hate

Well, let's start the week out with a nice, upbeat topic! All weekend long, wherever I went, it seemed like I couldn't get decent music from any station! Since I was keeping a mental list of the songs I hate, it seemed natural to write them out. So here goes -

1. Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle: The schmultziest of schmultzy, sung by a whiny man.

2. You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers: No, no. Oh, so wrong. I might get some flack for this one, I realize, but it is SO overdone. I just can't stand it.

3. Man! I feel like a woman - Shania Twain: Fingernails on a chalkboard, people. The twang hits my inner ear and makes me want to drive ice picks through to make the pain go away. Actually, anything by Ms. Twain makes me feel that way. Don't like her.

4. Time -Hootie and the Blowfish: You know, at one time, I didn't mind them. But the number of times that the songs got played? Insane. As if using the name Hootie wasn't irritating enough.

5. (Everything I do) I do it for you - Bryan Adams: Bryan, Bryan, Bryan. Why? Why did you have to record this turd of a song? I mean, it goes with that turd of a movie Robin Hood, but really...I had to shred every Bop magazine picture I ever saved of you after this song.

6. I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf: (Double beat loaf. I HATE meat loaf) Um, Meat. Shorten the song title, first off. Then? Oh, the hell with it. Just scrap it, it sucks. (for the record, I don't HATE Meat Loaf, just this song. Can anyone name the movie referenced above?)

7. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston: Whiny. Nuff' said.

8. My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion: Yes, I too was once caught up in the Titanic-mania. Then I got a life (sort of).

9. Believe - Cher: I believe that I will hear this song on repeat play...in HELL. I had a college roommate that listened to this song ad nauseum. And I was nauseous.

10. Shiny Happy People - REM: I am a dull pissy person in general. So I no like-a this shiny crappy song.

I'm sure this will be added to as I remember more (Billy Ray Cyrus), so...to be continued.

And...for the songs that other people have deemed annoying, but I like:

In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Holding Back the Years - Simply Red
Nikita - Elton John
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Vienna -Ultravox
True - Spandau Ballet
The Final Countdown - Europe
We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel
Come on Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners
The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney

**My husband would like to note his dislikes - they would include anything by Kenny Rogers, Pet Shop Boys, and Midnight Oil. These are the artists that I like to have playing, verrrry softly, while he's sleeping. Bwa ha haaaaa...**

Haiku Friday

Daughter of mine, who

do you resemble the most;

your daddy or me?

Daddy says it's him

but I know he knows the truth

you're my mini-me.

I really need to figure out how to get these pics to look better in the post...

Reason #8,799 I shouldn't have nice things

I went down to the basement yesterday, armed with the china storage thingies (the canvas containers for all your plates, cups, and whatnot) to empty out some of the boxes that hold our "good dishes" (not china). It was kind of relaxing, strangely, to unpack and repack the items...I even wrote down the things we have since I've never really kept track in the almost 10 years we've been married. These dishes were purposely chosen for their simplicity and durability, plus they wouldn't look too fancy if wanted to use them on a less formal table (really, the only kind of table we set).

As I went to pull the first dinner plate out of its paper, it...bent. My heart caught in my throat as I realized that, indeed, more than being broken, it was shattered. I checked the stack, and EVERY. SINGLE. DINNER. PLATE. was shattered. There were bread and butter plates along with mugs in that box, nothing else was broken. I'm not even sure if the (crappy) moving company actually moved this box...some of the things were stored at my in-laws for a while until we could get them over here. I felt sick. My MIL probably bought almost everything in that set, some for the showers, some for the wedding, some for holidays following.
Luckily for me, I checked the website and Dansk has a replacement policy, where you can purchase the broken items for 50% off . Even more luckily, I chose a pattern that wasn't $150 per plate (purposely). So I have replacements coming, but I have to send the shattered pieces back to the company - to prove that I'm not lying about it, I guess.

I guess this means that I'm going to be a hell of a lot more careful with my "good" things from now on. Husband ratted me out to his mom since he's over there this week with the kid; I'm sure that will earn me another black checkmark. Oh well.

WW: Not even wordless

Across the street from the Sears Tower on our weekend trip to Chicago, before the monsoon came. As the clouds darkened, my cousin called and said they were getting downpours in the western suburbs, headed our way. We had to take refuge in a shop with "Yogurt Couture" on the sign. $19 and three (gross) frozen yogurts later, the rain finally stopped and we dragged our tired asses back to Union Station.

Dad Story

So the Father's Day post got me thinking of a couple of dad stories. As alluded to in the list, my father is cheap and prides himself on being so - in fact, he's the first one to admit it. He is known in the family for his affinity involving super glue...he tries to fix almost everything with it (some fathers might do this with duct tape instead).

Several years ago, before he needed to wear glasses all the time, my dad only had a pair of reading glasses. True to his cheap-o-sity, he'd had the same pair for, oh, probably since before I was born (I was late teens-early 20s at the time, I think)...those big, giant, square dad-glasses. Anyway, they were old enough to be getting a bit greenish around the edges and were generally gross looking. While he worked, the glasses frequently fell out of the case in his breast pocket onto the pavement and one of the lenses would usually pop out. So what did he do? Super glue! After several times of this happening, he had just a small hole left in the middle of the offending lens to see out of, while the rest was just filmy from all the glue that had been applied. What the hell, dad...get a new pair of glasses already! It wasn't long after that when he finally decided to fork over the money, plus he was starting to need them more for distance, less for reading.

The next tidbit is less about super glue as just a moment of utter, horrific embarrassment on my part. I was a senior in high school and sitting innocently "listening" to our director during band when my friend tapped my shoulder -"K, your dad's here". Huh? My dad never came to school during the day...what the heck? I went out in the instrument room and asked him what was up. He asked me if I had the extra set of keys to the car we shared (a beautiful 1979 Chrysler LeBaron, powder blue with a white top - how lovely). I couldn't answer right away, as I was riveted by what I saw as he spoke. An old guy with a prominent chin - completely missing his false teeth so his face was sunken in like the cryptkeeper. He had tried a few days ago to fix his broken bottom plate with, what else? Super glue! Well, that time it didn't work, so he had to send them in to be fixed. For some reason, he had to wear both plates or none. O.M.G. The horror I felt...and of course I had to ask, "Dad, how did you know where to find me...?", to which the obvious answer was, "I asked at the office!". Ohhhhhh noooooooo.

Even though I was mortified at the time, I can and do laugh about it now. My father still doesn't know why I was so embarrassed. Go figure.

I have accomplished

Ab.so.lute.ly nothing today. At least I don't feel like I have. I took bottles back to the store ($19.40 worth - yahoo!), got a few groceries (and still feel like I don't have any food in the house), made a pasta salad (that I don't feel like eating, so it sits in the fridge), cleaned the toilets (does anyone else have toilets that mildew if they don't get used frequently? we only had one bathroom at our old house, so we've never experienced that before), exercised (25 minutes), and changed the sheets on my bed. I thought I would be a hell of a lot more productive being home all day (week) with no husband and child (they are with in-laws).
My husband actually had the nerve to say "so the house will be sparkling clean when we get home, right?". Yeah, after I move your sh*t out to the curb, asshat.

Father's Day

Things About My Dad (an abbreviated list):

1. He was the youngest son in his family.

2. He was born during the Great Depression.

3. As a kid, he earned money by plowing gardens with his horse (this was in town, mind you).

4. He quit school after the 8th grade so that he could work and help out his family.

5. He got his driver's license at 14...all he had to do was take a cop out driving and get the yes or no answer.

6. He worked as a logger with his father and older brothers for a number of years. They used old-fashioned crosscut saws and frequently got the logs off the truck by standing on top of the stack and kicking them. S-T-U-P-I-D.

7. After logging, he started driving semi-trucks, hauling construction equipment for a local company.

8. When I was young, he would be gone 3-4 days out of each week. I would get up at 3 or 4 in the morning just to eat breakfast with him and say goodbye.

9. I could not be unglued from his side when he got home. He taught me how to play checkers and a mean game of War, and we would play either/or in the evenings.

10. He had his first child at the age of 22 and his last at the age of 42 (that would be me).

11. He has been married to my mother for 56 1/2 years.

12. He is not really a sports lover. Doesn't watch football or baseball, unless a grandchild is participating in the game.

13. He claims to have scored sort of high on some musical assessment he took in elementary school. The band director at the time wanted him to play French Horn. I ended up playing it instead.

14. He had open heart surgery at the age of 51. That one bypass lasted him a good 26 years.

15. One of his pet peeves is people who don't know how to make change without a cash register or calculator. I learned very early how to manually make change. I will also make sure my daughter knows how someday.

16. He loves watching Westerns (bleah).

17. He farts a lot, then blames it on thunder, an elephant, or my mother.

18. He has false teeth.

19. He is CHEAP (except when it comes to tipping). He claims this is because he is Dutch.

20. He still works, even though he's been officially retired for 13 years.

21. He has never smoked, and rarely drinks alcohol (see #19).

22. Last November, he was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. We would not have known he had it if it hadn't been for a GI bleed, caused by new blood thinner meds he was on following placement of 3 stents.

23. He has been on chemo since December, and his PET scans are all showing good things so far.

24. I am hoping and praying for a miracle.

25. I love my dad more than I can possibly say.

Happy Father's Day, daddy.

The frogs

Outside my window

a cacophony of frogs

twang like rubber bands

This is the "pond" that is sort of kitty corner (is it kiddy corner? catty corner? I don't know, I've never typed it out before!) from our backyard. Lately, the bullfrogs have taken to being REALLY LOUD at night, to the point that it's sometimes hard to get to sleep. Sometimes I'm not sure what's more annoying - dogs or frogs? Aaahhh, the country. After 10 years of not living in it, I wonder how long it will take to truly get used to it again?

Public Enemy #1

This is Scooter.

She's almost 11 years old.

Scooter is under the impression that she is not feline, but human. Her hobby is licking people.

Most often, the victim of her assaults is my husband. This is usually during the day, when he gets home from work.

I say most often, because last night, I was her victim. Three separate times. She thinks that any small sign I might be awake is her invitation. My hair was groomed, my hands were slobbered on, and my nose was directly assaulted by the ass breath o' death.

So if you happen to hear a loud meowing sound and see this creature approaching, run, for the love of all that's holy. Your only defense is to throw down a pair of unwashed underwear. If the timing is right, she will flop right down and bury her odd little head in those babies.

Dorkdom

I am a huge dork...so proud of myself because I just rode my bike to run errands. I have my basket on the front, all I need is a bell. What has life come to when something stupid like that is a source of pride?

Doesn't matter. I'm still proud. Proud to be a dork.

Busy

Dad's PET scan still shows good things...yay!

I hope to write more regularly once I'm out for the summer. Right now is BUSY b/c we're wrapping things up for the school year.

Summer plans, anyone?