Up Too Early

I got up extra early today. I am going to Paul's house immediately after work to cook dinner and spend the evening with him. I had a lot of wine and vegetables and meat that I couldn't exactly leave in the car all day or take into work. So I got up early to cart all of it to Paul's house and still get to work on time. It didn't take as long as I expected so now I find myself with an extra 45 minutes.

I decided to spend it in Starbucks, sipping a latte. While i was waiting for my coffee the Starbucks Pick of the Week caught my eye. This week it is a free book of short stories and essays. I thought that sounded interesting so I downloaded it. Then I discovered that iBooks has quite a few other interesting-sounding books for free. So I downloaded those, too. Not a bad way to spend the morning.

List of Stuff, Updated

1. Like I said previously, I am tired of 'random' and 'rambling' so this post is not called that.  It's also not called that because it's an update of a previous post so it's named after that one.  Got it?
2. Antibiotics.  Solomon is taking his horse pills grudgingly, with much choking and coughing and gulping of orange juice.  He has a flare for the dramatic, in case you couldn't tell.  Samuel eagerly awaits the next dose of "the pink stuff" and asks at least a dozen times per day, "Is it time yet? Please?"
3. Miriam woke up Thursday with a supersuper sore throat.  We went to the doctor.  She was diagnosed with strep also.  Big surprise there.  I'm still scratching my head over that one.  /sarcasm
4. I'm even closer to the end of this semester's classes!  Double yay!
5. I did not go to Starbucks to do homework because Miriam camped out on the couch with a pillow and the remote.  Instead of homework, I paid bills and worked on The Budget.
6. My favorite Starbucks drinks are still the whole milk latte and the peppermint mocha.  I went to Starbucks yesterday to do homework and had a cranberry bliss bar with my whole milk latte.  Those were the best tasting calories I had all week.
7. It's been very quiet at "Neighbor's" house since Wednesday.  I can hear her still over there.  She's been vacuuming and still slams doors and cupboards frequently but I haven't heard kids or screaming.  I'm not sure what to think.
8. Still planning to write about Thanksgiving.  I'll get to it eventually.
9. The entire 5th grade took a field trip to the middle school yesterday as a teaser for the orientation, I suppose.  Solomon proclaimed it, "Awesome!"
10. And again, that's all the stuff.  I don't have to pee this time but I do have to go fold some laundry.  As usual, I'll write more stuff again later.  See ya then!

List of Stuff

1. I would have called this post "rambling" or "random" but I'm tired of those words.  "Stuff" is sufficient.
2. Solomon and Samuel were diagnosed with strep throat this week. I'm alternately loving and hating antibiotics. Loving for the obvious reasons -- my kids won't be stricken with rheumatic fever or kidney failure.  Hating because Solomon gags and nearly vomits both the pink, liquid stuff and the quartered horse pills.  Gosh, my life is glamorous.
3. Miriam went to bed tonight with a sore throat.  I reallyreallyreallyreally hope she is not worse in the morning.  I don't want to deal with another round of antibiotics if I can help it.
4. My classes are almost finished for the semester.  Yay!
5. If I'm not taking Miriam to the doctor for a strep test tomorrow morning I'm going to spend most of the day at Starbucks working furiously on the nutrition assignments I have neglected for the last 2 weeks.
6. My new favorite Starbucks beverage is a whole milk latte.  Well, at least during 10 months of the year.  From November to December it's the peppermint mocha.
7. I reported "Neighbor" to CPS yesterday.  For realz.  That's the first time I've done that as a concerned citizen and not as a mandated reporter.
8. Thanksgiving rocked.  It really deserves its own post and I'll do that soon but I couldn't leave it totally unrecognized in this List of Stuff.
9. I got a note today from the middle school welcoming my soon-to-be middle schooler and me to the campus.  We are cordially invited to attend an orientation for the 2011-2012 school year next week.  I had a miniature heart attack.  And then I recovered and added the date to my calendar.  And then I had another miniature heart attack.  I might have another heart attack next week.
10. That's all the stuff.  Well, it's not really All the Stuff Forever but I kinda have to pee so that's all for now.  I'll most likely write more stuff later.

Observations

1. I was going to wear a light khaki skirt today but then I realized that my legs are roughly the same color.  Not a good look.  This girl needs some sun, stat.
2. I am instead wearing a denim skirt that I bought 2 summers ago.  It's 2 sizes too big, at least.  This is good and bad.
3. I hate the end of the school year. During the last 6 weeks of school there are 7 -- I repeat: 7 -- separate days that my kids need or want me to be at their school with them doing something to commemorate the end of the year or going on a field trip or something. I just can't do it and it bums all of us out.
4. Paul has been gone for 9 days on a motorcycle trip with his brother and sister-in-law.  I miss him. He's coming back on Sunday and I'm really excited.
5. My kids are going into the 5th grade, 4th grade and 2nd grade.  When did they get this big?  When did I become the parent of such gargantuan children? It's unreal.
6. I have new sympathy for allergy sufferers.  I've spent the better part of the last week congested, sneezing, blowing my nose, and downing Sudafed for a stupid cold.  I just want it to go away already.
7. The words 'epic', 'beast' and 'random' are bugging me. 
8. Angry Birds is the most addictive and maddening game I have ever played. Unless you count The Impossible Game. It's a tough call.
9. That is all.  I think.

Awesomeness

This week on my online home there was a thread titled "Things that are awesome" and it made me really happy.  People posted the good things that have happened to them this week or things that make them happy all the time or things that are, for lack of a better word, awesome.  I liked the idea.  So, without further explanation, things that are Awesome or Phenomenal or Tremendous or Excellent or whatever other superlative you'd like to tag them with:

1. my adorable kids
2. the fact that my kids are maturing and might, one day too soon, object to being called 'adorable'
3. Paul
4. my clean house
5. the organic, grass-fed, free range, used-to-be happy beef that's now in my freezer
6. movies
7. music
8. friends
9. family
10. game night
11. excellent food
12. decreasing The Number by 16 (Woo-hoo!)
13. feeling like I'm exactly where I belong
14. exploring school/becoming an RN options
15. me (Yeah, I said it.)

Playing Catch Up

The kids have been gone for almost two weeks so I've had a lot of free time.  That free time has been spent with Paul and other cool people, working and doing fun stuff.  I haven't had a lot of time for writing.  I miss it so I thought I'd get back into the groove with a brief summary of what I've been up to.

Paul and I didn't make it to the Western Slope for the spring wine festival.  A big snow storm moved over the mountains and we decided it was too risky to drive I-70, especially when it's already been shut down to one lane by a rock slide.  Fortunately, the B&B owners let us reschedule our weekend to July 4th if we added another night to our stay.  There's another wine and blues festival that weekend so that will be fun.

Since we were in town that weekend we instead got to go out with Jenn, Caleb, some of Caleb's family and some friends.  We ate at Jonesy's Eatbar and then went next door to hear Reckless Red.  It was a fun night.  That weekend we also went to see a couple of movies: Alice in Wonderland and Crazy Heart.  Alice in Wonderland was predictably good if you like the combo of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.  And I do.  Crazy Heart was really, really good.  Jeff Bridges truly deserved his Oscar this year.  Fabulous movie.

On Tuesday night that week Paul had free vouchers for Comedy Works.  It was new talent night so the comics were hit or miss.  There were half a dozen that we really enjoyed.  Afterward we spent some time walking around downtown and people watching.  We discovered that there's actually not much going on after 10 pm on a Tuesday night.  Ha!

Last weekend we spent Sunday with friends of a friend from my office.  They play Egg Wars for Easter.  I picked weak eggs and lost badly.  But there was tons of delicious food and good conversation.  I like this making new friends thing.

Last night I had dinner with some work friends and then met Jenn, Caleb and friends downtown for Spoon.  Needless to say, we had a great time.  We always do.  More about that later.

This Friday night I'm hosting ladies' game night at my place.  I don't know how much game playing we'll get done, but there will be delicious food, some drinks and laughter.  It's going to be great.

I'm making some more progress on settling into the new place.  I have some artwork up on the wall above my bed.  I also have some new artwork up in the dining room and living room.  And I'm working on an idea for the hallway.  I'll post some more pictures when I'm all finished.  I'm making Samuel a duvet for his bed, too.  I've made bedding for the other two kids in the past but he was so little then that he couldn't really voice an opinion.  The poor kid has been using Miriam's hand-me-down, flowered, pink-and-purple comforter for quite some time.  He says he wants his cover to be half yellow and half orange and he's going to get exactly that.

I've talked to the kids several times.  They're having a blast and being spoiled at least 1/2 rotten in ABQ.  They come back this coming Sunday and I'm really excited to hug them and squeeze them again.  They're such great kids and I miss them.

Samuel turned 7 last week.  For some reason, his 7th birthday is difficult for me to wrap my head around.  He just seems so grown up now.  For so long, he's been  The Baby.  And I suppose in some ways, he always will be; he is the youngest, after all.  But 7 years old is so much not a baby.  I'm not sad about him getting older -- I'm not That Mom.  It's just weird to think about my youngest being so big.  Samuel does tell me that he'll always be my baby, though.  If I could insert a pink, puffy heart here, I would.

So I don't know about this being brief but it's a summary, at least.  It's good to be back.

Random Rambling

1. I cut my finger on a piece of chicken. Yes, I said chicken, not chicken bone.
2. It's snowing.  Hard. I really want a snow day.  Hard.
3. Paul and I are going to the Spring Wine Festival in Palisade this weekend.  We're staying at the cutest little bed and breakfast I've ever seen.  I'm excited.  I just hope we don't have to make small talk with the owners.
4. I'm on my second full week of no calorie counting. Last week I was lazy and ate mostly what I wanted.  I gained 3 lbs back. This week I'm being stricter and hoping to see a loss on Monday.  If there's still not a loss I'll go back to the counting.
5. I took the kids to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  It's way cute.
6. Häagen-Dazs 5 ingredient coffee ice cream might be the best thing I have ever tasted.
7. Google 'shark with people teeth.' Just do it.  I promise you won't regret it.
8. I saw a bumper sticker today that said, "Die hard fan of having a roof over my head."  I giggled for several blocks. 
9. I've discovered a phenomenal recipe for salsa. It's so good and so easy, you'll cry.
10. I have decided I like cilantro in small doses.
11. When I re-formatted my blog I lost the instant edit link in the layout and I'm very frustrated that I can't find it.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire ... and all that Jazz

T tagged me (again) and I was lazy and forgetful and didn't do anything about it.  I just remembered this afternoon that I was supposed to do this when I saw the entry that someone else made when T tagged her.  Ha!  How's that for the opposite of lying?  It's the absolute truth.  No kidding.  Whatever.

So here's the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
 Thanks evah so much, m'lady!
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
Done!
3. Link to the person who nominated you
Um. Can't.  T is like that.  Deal with it, folks!
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one truth.
Easy, right?  Uh, nope.  I'm kinda skeered to do this, actually.
5. Nominate seven "Creative Writers" who might also have fun telling outrageous lies.
Don't know that many.  In fact, considering that I have, like, 2 blogging friends and both of them have already done this, I probably won't tag anyone.  Go ahead and make me.  See if I care.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
See el numero cinco.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you tagged them.
Otra vez, mira al numero cinco.

Alrighty then, now that the technical info is done with, let's move on to the lying part. I'm so bad at this. First of all, I hate lying; I'm not good at it. Second of all, I'm not that creative. So don't laugh hysterically when I say something lame like, "I have seriously disgusting toe jam." Promise? Pinky promise? Kthxbai. (Btw, that toe jam thing -- totally a lie! I swear.)

Just kidding. I'm not going any where -- I still have to lie to you guys 6 times. Blerg. Here we go, for reals this time.

1. I scrub the bathtubs in our house every time someone showers.
2. I spent 11 months in juvenile detention when I was 15.
3. I wish I'd never left Texas.
4. I think online dating is stupid.
5. I lurves me some haggis.
6. I want to have another baby, eventually.
7. I have moved 25 times.  So far.

There you have it.  Six untruths and one truth.  It's up to you to decide which is which.  Well, not really.  Your choices one way or the other don't change the truth. Or something like that.  I'm sleepy and going to bed.  See ya!

Tournament Miscellaneous

Chess tournament today for Solomon.  I'll be posting an interview with Solomon tomorrow.  Until then, random observations from today ...

The high school guest network blocks Facebook.  I don't like that.  I need to know what everyone in my life, no matter how insignificant they are, is up to today.  Rightthisminute. Just kidding.  Well, about the needing to know what everyone is up to.  Not kidding about being bugged that Facebook is blocked.

I saw a kid crying about how he was coerced into conceding.  There was a misunderstanding and when a judge talked to the two kids, the other one talked over him and he couldn't explain himself.  Of course, I only heard one side but I feel bad for the side I heard.  I think it was his third loss in a row.

My laptop is freakishly hot today.  I don't know why.

My iPod is my lifeline in situations like this.  It keeps me from appearing to be rudely disinterested in the people around me and instead makes me look politely disinterested in the people around me.  It also gives me a legitimate way to stop further conversation between myself and the guy at the next table.  I don't enjoy making small talk with total strangers and I especially don't like it when there's the potential for All Day Long Small Talk.  No, thank you.

I'm sitting at just the right angle to fully highlight all the smudges, fingerprints and other various detritus that has accumulated on my laptop since the last time I cleaned.  I have nothing with which to clean my laptop and it's bugging me.

I really hope Solomon does at least as well as he did last year.  He won 2 and lost 3 last year.  So far, he's lost 2, is on his third and has 2 more after that.  I'd love it if he won 3 this year so that he feels more accomplished.

This morning when I dropped off Samuel and Miriam with Jenn and Caleb (so they don't also have to spend all day in this boring cafeteria), Caleb said to Solomon that he should sit down across from his opponents and say very calmly, "I'm going to crush you."  Solomon laughed and practiced it on the car ride here.  When we got around other people I told him he had to stop saying that because someone might hear him.  So then he started smiling hugely and muttering softly, "I'm going to crush you, smash you and annihilate you."  This kid cracks me up.

The environment here is nice.  All the parents seem really invested in their kids.  I've not heard one harsh word today.  Everyone is polite.  A few kids have pouted or cried about losing a game here and there but they've all been met with calm, rational parents that talked it over with them and then everyone moved on.  I tend to think smart, cerebral occupations like chess might bring out the best in people.  Or maybe chess brings smart, rational people out of the woodwork.

Again, I'm completely impressed with my boy's attitude.  He's confident without being cocky and positive without being unrealistic.  He's gracious when he wins and when he loses.  He's such a great kid and I love sharing this with him.

By this point, Solomon has lost 3 games and won 1.  He's currently on his last one and it should be done any minute now.  They started this round a long time ago.  I'm unbelievably nervous.

I'm It

I was tagged by my friend, T.  She's awesome and stuff and I'd love for you all to meet her, but she's kind of private and I respect that so she will remain as anonymous as she wants to be.

Anyway, T tagged me.  (I like the sound of that sentence.)  And I'm supposed to compose a list of 10 things that make me happy, do one of those things today and then tag 10 other bloggers to do the same thing.  Or something. The problem/s here are a) It's 9:36 pm and I'm going to bed in 1 hour and b) I don't have 10 blogging friends.  :sob:  But I will not let that deter me.  Here I go.  Are you ready?

1. My kids.  What else?  No matter how much they frustrate me, no matter how many times they induce stress-eating, or how many times they make me cry or lose sleep or my sunglasses or my appetite or my patience or the marker in my book -- you getting the picture yet? -- they do make me happy.  They never cease to amaze me with their smarts and their funnies and their capacity for making up kinda lame knock-knock jokes.  I'm so lucky to be their mom.  They make me happy every day.
2. Paul.  What can I say about Paul? We have fun together.  He gets me.  He puts up with my neuroses and doesn't complain a bit.  He takes care of me and I take care of him. He tells me how awesome I am -- and I'm kind of starting to believe him.
3. Mountains.  I love the mountains.  They're truly breathtaking.  I am so fortunate to have the views that I do.
4. Cooking.  Cooking makes me sooo happy.  I love starting with a counter full of ingredients and transforming them into something delicious.  It's one of the best feelings in life.
5. Jeans and t-shirts.  I am not a high-fashion person, in any sense of the word.  I live for comfort and it doesn't get any better than broken-in jeans and a comfy t-shirt.
6. My car.  She's pretty.  She's rock-solid on ice and snow.  She thaws out her own windshield wipers and defrosts her own sideview mirrors.  She plays my favorite music straight from my iPod.   She warms my butt.  She makes me happy.
7. Ice cream.  Ice cream makes me happy.  Actually, ice cream might make me a little too happy, from the feel of my jeans lately.  Oops.
8. Running.  I can always think of something I'd rather do but once I get going, I feel like I can do anything.  I feel strong, I feel powerful, I feel invincible.
9. Organization.  I thrive on organizing my surroundings.  I can't handle clutter.  A place for everything and everything in its place, and all that jazz.  Alright, I'll quit.
10. Music.  Of course music.  I crave rhythms and melodies and counter-melodies.  I love how music can deepen and accentuate any emotion.  I love turning it up loud and losing myself in it.  Music makes me very happy.

So that's my list.  And I'm tagging the following:

1. Lance
2. Caleb  (This is a long shot since he hasn't blogged in roughly 15 months.)
3. Garbanzo (if he's still reading and/or blogging)

I would tag Michelle but I'm pretty sure T tagged her, too.  And I don't think the other blogs I read know who I am.

Recent Smiles

This letter from Lance. He wrote it in August and hand-delivered it last week. It gave me several hearty chuckles and I've smiled many times, just thinking about it since then. Lance is beyond smart and possesses a sense of humor unrivaled by most people I know.  Also, Lance and I are a lot a like.  I like old-fashioned letters and Lance does, too.  In this letter he talks about some things that I've given a lot of thought to myself in recent months.  It was neat to know we were thinking about the same things at the same time.

This is the sleeve from my Election Day Starbucks last November. I stuck on my 'I Voted' sticker that night because they just seemed to belong together. It has been on my desk since then and I smile every time I see it.

This is a bulletin from my church in Texas.  It would be an understatement to say that I feel bittersweet looking at it.  I miss everyone and everything there so much; the energy, the atmosphere, the discussions, the plans.  It's unlike anything I've experienced any where else.  I'm happy and sad when I think about it.

My new wine cork collection.  That one on the top -- The Prisoner -- was especially good.  I like examining these corks.  Some have intricate artwork.  I like those the best. One might wonder why anyone would care what is on a wine bottle cork.  I don't.  I had the pleasure of meeting a few wine makers this summer.  They're interesting people and maybe a tiny bit insane.  Anyone who spends that much time with grapes has to be.  But they love those grapes.  They know them from start to finish. They create wines with those grapes and put immense effort into them.  It's understandable that the cork should reflect that effort and attention.

This little lady.  I don't even remember where I got her but I like her.  She sits on top of my jewelry box and most of the time I don't think about her.  But when I do, I smile and feel a bit better about life.

This is Samuel's latest artwork.  It's a Wild Thing.  My kids go to an incredible school.  The teachers really do give it their all.  The art teacher is teaching my kids about Klimt, O'Keefe, Van Gogh and who knows what else.  She incorporates all types of media into her lessons.  The kids have come home with ceramic projects that they saw through from a mound of wet clay to the kiln.  They know what pastels, watercolors and charcoal are -- all because of this teacher.  She fosters creativity and inspires originality.  I love her and I've barely met her. She and the artwork my children make with her make me smile.

So that's what I'm smiling about lately.  How about you?

Good News

My last post may have led you to believe that my life sucks, but it doesn't.  At least, not for the most part.  There are good things that have happened in the last month.

The weather has been phenomenal.  We had a fantastic snow storm.  And then it warmed up, the snow melted and we went about in short sleeved t-shirts with the air conditioning on full blast.  In case I haven't mentioned it lately, this is one of the reasons I love Colorado.

The kids had fall break and therefore, so did I.  They left for a couple of weeks and I got caught up on laundry, grocery shopping, house cleaning and all sorts of other fun stuff.

Another of my family moved to the area.  Yay!  Denver is getting better all the time.

Paul and I enjoy spending time together.  A few weeks ago he had surgery, came through it pretty well, and is recovering now.  Things are mostly back to normal.

The kids went to their first school skating party.  It was my own special little hell, but they really loved it.  I'm trying to figure out how to help them have more fun next time and how to get me out of it.

I met with all the kids' teachers this week to go over their progress during the first trimester.  It was all good news.  All three teachers said that my children are a bright spot in their classrooms.  All three kids are working hard, learning well and behaving themselves.

I am looking at some where else to live.  My lease will be up in February and we need 3 bedrooms.  This is a stressful, daunting, frustrating task.  I don't like moving, but it is kind of exciting.

Paul and I have seen some excellent movies.  Inglourious Basterds was fantastic.  Of course, it's by Quentin Tarantino so do with that information what you will.  The Invention of Lying was highly entertaining, but I warn you that not everyone would agree.  Think: questioning the existence of God and How Things Came to Be.  Most recently we saw The Men Who Stare at Goats.  If you have a problem with George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey and Ewan McGregor making you laugh your hiney off, you probably shouldn't see it.

So that's how things are here.  We are trudging along to the end of the year, the end of the school year and we are another year closer to the Empty Nest.

Annoying Things in Waiting Rooms

• Loud conversations about personal medical conditions -- I know it's important to you, but I don't want to hear about your uncle's prostatectomy.
  
• Cell phones that ring loudly while the owner stares at it, deciding if they want to answer while the rest of us grit our teeth against the shrill circus music.
• Abandoned coffee cups, used tissues and other assorted trash -- how hard is it to pick up after yourself?
• Soap operas and talk shows (i.e. Maury Povich, Steve Wilkos, etc.) on the televisions.
• Couples having passive aggressive fights at the next table.
• Everyone complaining that "It's gotten so cold outside!  I can't believe it!"  Um, this is Colorado in October.  What else do you expect?

P.S.  I am very grateful for my iPod and laptop because they make waiting so much more bearable.  And it's much easier to ignore annoyances with music in my ears.

Things That Are Annoying Me

• This little spot on my upper lip that is chapped. My lips aren't chapped -- just this one spot. And no amount of Burt's Bees or Chicken Poop is helping.
• The tire pressure gauge keeps lighting up on my new car. I've been in twice for them to fix it but they're only 'fixing' it.
• Sponge Bob.
• Bickering kids.
• I'm itchy for no apparent reason.
• The tile floors need sweeping and mopping and I don't want to do it.
• I can't find someone to work for me on October 5. Every last prn nurse we have is busy. And we have more of them than we've ever had since I started there.
• The boys can't seem to lie on the floor without putting their feet all over the furniture around them, no matter how many times I remind them, make them sit up, make them sit on their feet, etc.
  

Observations Made Between DIA and ABQ

• Airplane seat belts have extenders for people who don't fit in them otherwise.
• I like flying; I don't like flying in a hot metal tube with people who need to shower.
• It really galls me to pay $15 for my one suitcase, both ways. If those $30 were just added to my ticket price, I'd probably be okay with it.
• One should not bring a tuna fish sandwich on board to eat during a flight.
• There is television on planes now. The most fascinating channel is the one that shows this thing called Live Map. It updates every minute or so with the speed, altitude and progress of the plane toward its destination. I watched our trip from Denver to Castle Rock to Colorado Springs to Pueblo to the border to Santa Fe to Albuquerque. Our top speed was 574 mph and our highest altitude was 34,054 feet, but not at the same time.
  

A Blank Screen & What's Happening

I'm sitting here on the sofa with my laptop. I'm listening to Norah Jones and just finished an iced coffee. The ceiling fan is on and I turned on the air conditioner as soon as I woke up.

My plans for the day include working out to Britney Spears and Eminem. After that, I'll go swimming for a bit and then lie by the pool, reading. At some point I have to go to the store and buy butter, heavy whipping cream and a new pastry cutter. I sliced up strawberries and set them up with sugar in the refrigerator yesterday. I will make shortcake and real whipped cream this evening, hence the shopping trip.

We went to Idaho Springs yesterday and took a walk through its little downtown area. 'We' are Jennifer, Caleb, Jonathan, Charissa, Elizabeth, Christopher, Noah, Adam and myself. Also, Abby, the new, very cute, very sweet dog. We took photos of flowers, an old train, artistic signs and each others' silly faces. We had lunch at Beau Jo's Pizza. It is delicious food.

I had dinner last night with a new friend. It's the third dinner we've had together. We shall see where this goes. It seems to be going somewhere good.

I'm flying to Albuquerque on Friday. I have reserved a hotel room near Old Town. I'll have the kids with me from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. I am planning for us to walk to Old Town and see what is appealing. We will swim and play and catch up on some snuggling.

I turn 30 this week. I've been thinking about it a lot, but in sort of a vague, distracted way. I have no philosophical tidbits to put down here about this milestone. I'm not dreading it, I'm not expecting a big revelation and I don't feel a sense of urgency to accomplish major goals. It's another birthday. It just is.

Now my screen is no longer blank and you know what's happening here. And I feel a little better, having written something.

Today ...

I slept until 11:30, made up for sleeping 4 hours in the previous 36.

I finished watching Season 2 of Big Love.

I ran barefoot through a massive thunderstorm, soaking my clothes, my shopping bags and what little hair I have.

I unpacked $30 worth of fresh produce in my kitchen while listening to A Prairie Home Companion.

I discovered the combined poetic tastes of a bottle riesling, a carton of fresh raspberries and a wedge of gouda.

I bought a cast iron stove top grill. I can't wait to cook a thick, medium rare steak on it.

I heard a song I haven't listened to or even thought about in almost 3 years. It brought back a lot of memories.

Today ... Today was a good day.

Why I Don't Like Today

• Miriam and Samuel started puking last night.
• Miriam and Samuel started having diarrhea this morning.
• I'm not feeling so hot.
• Solomon denies feeling sick but I'm just waiting for that shoe to drop.
• I'm somewhat hungry but limiting our diet today in light of our earlier gastrointestinal distress.
• I'm worried about whether the boys can go to school tomorrow and Miriam can keep her dental appointment.
• The weather was beautiful today -- 60F and sunny -- but we were too sick to go any where.
• We did go outside to play in the snow for a bit and Samuel puked.

Why I Like Today

• I didn't have to go any where in the 7" of snow.
• My house is really, really clean.
• I love my new bedroom.
• I made a fantastic chocolate cake with fabulous icing, all from scratch.
• The fantastic chocolate cake with fabulous icing is delicious.
• We had pizza rolls and baby carrots for dinner -- tasty and easy.
• We watched The Goonies last night and the kids liked it so much, they watched it twice more today.
• I shaved my head again.
• I also cut the boys' hair and Samuel asked for a mohawk. He's very cool and very cute.
• I watched 2 cute movies on TBS -- ones I haven't seen before.
• I'm now watching Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason. I have only seen the first one and I assume this one is as good as the first. Actually, the books are really good, the movies are only decent and only because of Colin Firth; Renee Zellweger is just so-so. In any other movie Renee Zellweger is really annoying with her sourpuss-squinty face. But now I'm rambling, rather than listing reasons why I like today. Moving along ...
• I had really good coffee with half and half this morning. I don't remember the last time I did that. It's been a very long time.
• I have lit lots of wonderful little candles, for no other reason than because I just like them.
• I can feel that wisdom tooth trying to expand a bit more but it's not as painful as it was the last time it tried to expand.
• I am not going to work on Monday; of course, that's because I'm taking Miriam to the dentist but I have a much better gut feeling about this dentist than I did about the last one. I'm big on gut feelings lately.
• I'm about to begin re-watching Arrested Development. I finished the whole series earlier this week and I've been told it's even better the second time, so here I go.
  

I think that's it. As if that weren't enough.

Did You Know ... ?

1. At work, I keep my work keys and a pen in my left scrub pocket and my cell phone and lip gloss in my right pocket. Always.

2. Also at work, I use the same pen for weeks until it either breaks or runs out of ink.

3. In the shower, I always, always, always wash my hair first. The other stuff is done in whatever order I remember but the hair comes first.

4. If I have a dinner plan, I'm a lot more likely to look forward to cooking it and enjoy eating it than if I just come in from work and scramble eggs or make quesadillas.

5. If I weren't a nurse, I'd be a forensic anthropologist.

6. Some of my favorite books are gory, non-fiction titles about death and investigating death.

7. I think the men that host a lot of shows on the Discovery channel are among the most attractive on television: Mike Rowe, Bear Grylls, Adam Wood.

8. Since moving to Colorado, I've stopped wearing as much make up -- not that I've ever worn a lot -- and stopped worrying so much about being 'dressed.' I think I was destined to live here and be more comfortable in my own skin.

9. A down side to being more comfortable in my own skin is that I've gained some weight. I need to lose it. Sigh.

10. I used to really like romantic comedies but I don't any more.

11. If I didn't have children, I'd live in a little loft apartment in downtown Denver, sell my car and bike every where. Or almost every where. And I'd buy a large, short-haired dog.

12. I like going to movies alone.

13. I like loading the dishwasher but despise unloading it. I'd rather clean both of the toilets in my home than unload the dishwasher.

14. I hate mopping the floor, too. I can go weeks without mopping the floors. I sweep regularly and will spot clean with a dirty dishrag instead of mopping.

15. I do not like butter substitutes. I converted to butter 3 years ago and I'll never go back.

16. I probably spend too much time with my computer, but I don't care.

17. I know I watch too much television and I don't care about that, either.

18. I recently discovered that I like bleu cheese. A lot.

19. I hate arcades and arcade-type places. Unfortunately, my children love them.

20. I also hate carnivals and the stupid games at fairs.

21. I didn't like sushi the first time I tried it but I did the second time. Same with Indian food.

22. I'm a Snopes fiend. If you send me an alarmist e-mail forward, there is a 100% chance that I will research it through Snopes. If it's inaccurate, I'll reply to you with the link.

23. I'm an extremely suspicious person. I still haven't decided if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

24. I used to buy a purse and use it for months and months at a time. Even a couple of years. Recently I decided to branch out and buy more purses. It's more fun than I thought it would be.

25. This time of year, I'm kind of proud of myself that I can file my own tax return. I secretly scoff at people who file a simple 1040 and pay someone to do it. (Thanks, Dad!)

26. I moved a lot as a kid and didn't like it then. Now I like that I had all those experiences at a young age. But I still don't want my own kids to move that much. They get enough of that between here and Albuquerque.

27. Blogging is so good for me, I wish I'd started it sooner.

28. I saw a therapist once for about 3 months. That was so good for me, I should have done it much sooner than I did.

29. I greatly increased my water intake a few weeks ago and now I find that I miss it if I don't drink much during the day. I have to make up for it at night before I go to bed. That is sometimes inconvenient.

30. I recently discovered that I can tolerate -- and even enjoy -- some beers.

31. I never thought I'd get divorced, but I'd much rather be divorced than married the way I was.

32. I don't care if the toilet paper roll goes over or under.

33. Occasionally, I get emotional about my kids growing up and wish it happened more slowly. But for the most part, I want them to grow up and become independent just as quickly as they are.

34. I really like staying in hotels. It's fun to drop my towels on the floor and not make the bed or worry that I should be doing something other than vegging on the bed and watching crap tv.

35. My favorite actress is Kate Winslet.

36. I frequently stay up much later than I should. I'd probably be 20% more productive if I went to bed 2 hours earlier every night.

37. I can make really, really good sangria.

38. I'd like to see the Sham Wow guy and Billy Mays in a cage match, but only on mute.

39. I get strange satisfaction out of shopping around for stuff and getting things ridiculously cheaply.

40. I enjoy spending an entire day in my pajamas. Sometimes I get up, shower and put on clean pajamas for the rest of the day.

41. No matter how bad a day I've had, there is some kind of music that can always make it a little bit better.

42. I appreciate sarcastic, crude, crass humor. Most of the time.

43. I thrive on routines but I have a hard time establishing them.

44. I have little patience for dense, obtuse people.

45. I was either pregnant or nursing or both from September 1999 through June 2006.

46. I nursed all three of my children for 6 weeks after Samuel was born and before Solomon weaned.

47. I have read a couple of books that were so good that I want to read them again, but I can't remember their titles and no amount of searching or cross-referencing at the library has found them.

48. I like to paint my toenails but I rarely paint my fingernails.

49. I am sometimes too invested in my Sim families.

50. I do not like air fresheners, air sanitizers or any other substance meant to be sprayed willy-nilly throughout a house.

51. I like to light candles for no reason.

52. Random movie lines pop into my head at odd times. I once went on a blind double date with a couple I knew and their friend. My date and I ended up laughing more at the same random movie lines than we did conversing with the couple.

53. I've had some of the same internet friends for over 5 years.

54. I do not see the appeal of Star Wars. My boys do.

55. The Ped Egg commercial really grosses me out.

56. The Snugee commercial really annoys me. What are bathrobes for?

57. Alec Baldwin is my least favorite actor, maybe my least favorite person ever.