25 things about me - by request, for Jesse

1. I went to college a year early.
2. I read a book a week.
3. I spend at least 30 minutes on the internet a day.
4. I don't like sauerkraut.
5. My feet are size 10.
6. I don't talk to my parents.
7. My favorite color is violet.
8. I was a vegetarian for 3 years.
9. I love the call of a loon.
   
10. I use more than the recommended daily allowance of salt.
11. The only other country I have been in was Canada.
12. I have never drank from a beer bong.
13. My first job was working at Davanni's in Bloomington, MN
14. Blueberries are tasty.
15. I would like to live by water.
16. My husband wants to start a commune.
17. I don't particularly like spiders, but snakes are okay.
18. I have 3 tattoos and want 3 more, maybe 4.
19. We have more pictures of Noah with the Easter Bunny than with Santa Claus.
20. Tubing is fun: in both summer and winter.
21. I like reading gossip mags.
22. I need a better phone so I can text more. Can we also say, "Twitter?"
23. I don't drink beverages, I chug them.
24. My best friend and litter sister both live very far away.
25. My co-workers (nail techs) do not allow me to cut my own toe nails. They're probably right. It's not a pretty sight.
    

I want to sleep.

Morning came too early. Noah woke me up at 8 AM when Daddy was leaving for work. I got approximately 9 hours of sleep, but this darn cold made me feel like I got half of that.

So I am up. I got the kid ready, dropped him off at school, cleaned up a bit and will soon be off to the gym. I am forcing myself to go even though all I really want to do is sleep.

Grandma Nancy is picking Noah up after school, meaning I have to clean the basement before I leave for work. It is the boy's hangout place as well as where piles of clean laundry live. Yes, I know, the two really don't go well together, but it's just what happens. Putting away laundry is not our favorite thing to do.

So, where was I? Oh yeah, after the gym is: lunch with Noah at school, an hour more of cleaning at home and then 4 massages from 3-8 at work. After that, sleep, glorious sleep. How I long for your cuddly, warm embrace!

Renee will be here on Saturday for a week. Want to say hello? Meet us this Sunday, 1PM, in Saint Paul at 740 Mississippi River Blvd. in the grand old party room. Look up Thomas Walker on the directory and we will get you in. Appetizers and drinks will be had by all, and yes, there will be alcohol. Call my cell at 612-239-8104 if you have any questions, or need directions.

Lisa got a new haircut

Take away 5 inches and this is what you get!


It still has a bit of the blond highlights that were hidden in my long hair. I won't be able to get it colored for a couple weeks.


Yea, yea, yea. Change is good.

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009: Noah becomes a Vegetarian - for two seconds.

Tonight's bedtime conversation:

Mom, I don't eat animals.
Ah, yes you do.
What? Name one.
Chicken. It comes from a chicken. You eat it.
Really? Okay then, I want to be a vegetarian. I don't want to eat animals.
Okay. Noah?
Yeah?
Do you know where bacon comes from?
No.
It comes from a pig.
Oh. I guess I don't want to be a vegetarian.

Then later:
Noah, do you know where hot dogs come from? They come from a cow.
Yeah, Mom, I know, it's the udders!

Noah is rockstar.

My day: Gym and a Company meeting

Gym didn't happen yesterday. They didn't get our voice mail about reservations so we were out of the booked spin class. So I went this morning. Take that, jiggly body!

I and some of the peeps from work went to Benihana's for lunch before the meeting. Mmmm. . . dinner and a show, all at lunch special prices!

Then came the 5 hour company meeting. One of my co-workers came dressed as Princess Leia. Seriously. Everyone else was dressed up and she wore her Halloween costume. Amazing.

This was the inspirational video they showed after they announced all the cuts they would be making. I will let you draw you own conclusions as to the message.



Now it is just me, my family and a nice, authentic English cider with a dry and refreshing finish.

I heart Danielle

I just wish I could sing as well. Oh, and play an instrument.

I think I may have to buy me some of her music.

Sick. . . again. Dammit.

Sore throat. Damn. This really hurts. Could I have strep?
No, slime is being produced in sinuses. Must be the infecting agent of poor little throat.
Ach! Headache. Damn you, cold!!

I am still going to drink (weak) coffee this morning. Most importantly, I am still going to my spin class at 3PM with Sarah, Stan and Lori. Afterward, I am hoping (no, commanding! please?) the steam room to cure me.

Choices . . .

Noah seemed okay most of the day yesterday. Come afternoon, his contained energy was causing him to bounce off the walls. So I risked a vomit repeat and brought him to karate. I sat in on the class, just in case, and the kid was fine.

The novelty of karate has worn off and Noah now realizes that it's a lot of work. He doesn't want to take karate anymore. However, he is six and doesn't get to make that call. He needs to learn commitment and he needs to exercise. I like the physical and mental lessons taught in karate and I am the one who gets to make the choice. I think it's good for him and an hour and a half of lessons a week is not a lot to ask of a kid who mostly gets to play, watch TV and choose from not one, but two gaming systems (besides the internets).

Now I need to treat myself with that same discipline. Last night, after dinner, I asked Sarah if we were still going to the gym. She replied, "I don't think we have a choice." That hit home with me big time. I still act like I have the choice to skip a day at the gym here or there. I don't. I HAVE TO GO. I believe this mantra will help me stay committed to going to the gym and eating better.

Sarah and I have a pact and we're keeping each other accountable. Thank you Sarah, for helping give me the push and companionship I need to get myself in shape!

LOST

Today is the day my friends. I expected to be more excited, but maybe I just need another jolt of a LOST episode to get back into it. Next episode I will be watching it with Renee (here from Hawaii, where they not only film the show, but she's seen almost every cast member) at Reade and John's house on the flat screen with surround sound. Now that I am excited for.

This morning Noah threw up in my hand on the way to school. I thought he just had gum in his mouth he wanted to spit out, but nooooo . . . when I reached my hand out I got a big surprise. Needless to say, we turned around and went home. After cleaning up, he was on the couch and I started in on my long list of cleaning chores.

I suspect he somehow managed to vomit just enough to keep him home from school and karate class, because he's been fine all day. I still am tempted to make him go to karate, but am afraid he has a little vomit supply left, just in case.

Sarah will be here at 5:30 with dinner. Then we will be off to the gym and eventually back here for LOST and Top Chef. A nice evening reward for a long day of work!

3 Books I Would Leave Out When The In-Laws Are Visiting

That is . . . if I owned them (ahem).

1. Make Your Own Sex Toys

It even has some crochet patterns in it!


2. Intimate Invasions: the erotic ins and outs of enema play

I guess poop can be sexy?
3. (last, but not least) A Hand in the Bush: The Fine Art of Vaginal Fisting

It's been approved by three fisting-positive physicians! (I wonder if they had to tell all of their sexual partners they tested positive for fisting?)


I am amused and queasy, both at the same time. Oddly enough, all three books got 4 1/2 stars on Amazon.

Two things that should not be in the same sentence:

"-25 degrees" and "sunny." Sun implies warmth and there is no warmth to be found in this state. Not now. Not for awhile.

A California transplant said that all Minnesotans bitch about the winter but will never move. For the most part this is true. We like to complain and winter sure fits that bill to a T. Also, we don't do change well. We come from generations of farmers who were born and died doing the same thing, living in the same place. So, like those before us, we get together for coffee, or beer, depending on the time of day, complain about the weather, and know deep in our heart of hearts we're going to do nothing about it.

I think we might be different though. Once we can get out of this house without losing money, I can see us moving somewhere where the thermometer never dips below zero. I don't know if it will be California, but the South is calling, hell, this time of year, it's screaming our name.

Wow! My 500th Post!

Maybe I should make a cake.

Or not.

Anyhow, I was motivated to post about Noah. I had once pondered on this blog whether the dog or Noah would be completely potty trained, 24/7 first. Since I don't trust the dog never to have another accident in the house, I have to name Noah the winner.

He does pretty well during the day. I know, he's six, you say, he should have this down by now. If he was the typical six year old he probably would. However, he inherited my thimble sized bladder and an inability to tear himself away from what he is doing. Put those together and you get accidents every blue moon. He can stay dry if he wants to, but sometimes he just forgets he can't "hold it" until his mind is ready to stop what it is doing and listen to his body. His stubbornness surpasses all bounds. Really, it does.

And, yes, I have talked to his doctor about this numerous times over the years. He says Noah is fine, no medical intervention is necessary and that some kids don't have full bladder maturity until as late as 8 years old. So no worries in the medical arena.

So the day is pretty much A-ok. The night we had problems with. Mostly because getting up every few hours to take him to the bathroom was not happening. Mommy needs her sleep people. So we used pull-ups and Noah hated them. I finally gave in on Sunday night, cursing myself for letting him rip all his pull-ups into little cotton piles through my stuffy nose, knowing that I would get little sleep in my sickly state. But, he was done. He was ready. I had to step up.

First night we had three accidents. Each time we changed him, his sheets and were kind. "It's okay, it's just the first night, you will get this!" we said. After that . . . nothing. He got it. We get him up 2-3 times a night and sometimes he gets up on his own. It was that easy.

I am officially done with diapers, pull-ups and all related paraphernalia.

Thank God.

I love a good deal

Originally, I had thought I wanted motorcycle boots. I saw these on-line for $75, marked down from $200. Then they arrived and I was mistaken. I did not want motorcycle boots. They were not me and were not comfortable to walk in.

So I went to the mall. I wanted brown boots and I wanted them now. I ran through a few stores and finally went back to Journeys and bought these on sale for $30 marked down from $50.However, when they rung them up, they came up as $10. That's right, TEN DOLLARS. Holy crap, but this is one of the best shopping trips I ever had. Definitely better than the time I bought an $80 swimsuit and forgot it. Much better than that.

2009 Woot!!!

The holidays. They are over. I am so looking forward to life going back to normal on Monday. A Monday where Noah will go to school, Stan will go to work and I get to stay home - by myself. Ahhh. . . .

Our holidays were good. Xmas Eve was spent at Reade and John's where 50% got schnockered and the other half spent the evening smirking at the inebriated few. Xmas Day we went to Stan's folks - the home of terrible food but drinkable coffee. Stan indulged in the pumpkin spice coffee creamer. Even writing that description almost made me barf. Coffee and flavorings do not mix. Blech.

We got two days off in a row as a family around the New Year. Most of it was spent in pajamas in front of DVDs or the Wii. We rang in the New Year in STYLE, yo.

I have three resolutions this year:

1. Be kind to myself. No more calling names or swearing to self in head.
2. Follow through. This mostly applies to the gym, but still.
3. Mix it up. Life, after all, is for the living, which I am lucky enough to still be.