Day 58

It's always so nice to find color in the hazy grayness of winter. I believe this is dogwood.

Day 57

This is how Kyle went to daycare today: backward jacket and a cape. "I'm Batman!" he kept shouting.

Day 56

Kyle likes to sit on Troy's lap and type letters on the computer. Most of the time he just types nonsense, but he can sometimes type a few words.

Day 55

I was trying to think outside the box tonight, looking for something that I wouldn't normally think of photographing. I liked the pattern in this photo.

Bush and Blair--Endless Love

Comedy gold!

This Bunny Really Wants His Bed Back

Day 54

I pass this sign every morning on my way to work, and it always makes me smile. What else would one yield? Sometimes I fantasize about changing it to say, "YIELD to your desires."

Day 53

Meet the latest addition to Kyle's collection of puppies. He named this one Valentine.

Day 52

Mr. Piano Man

Day 51

Kyle, all scrubbed up fresh from a bath, after I asked him to give me a nice smile.

Day 50

Kyle busied himself for nearly an hour sitting on the couch and cutting the edges of a piece of paper. He really wanted to bring the scissors to bed with him at bedtime, but we nixed that idea.

Day 49

I've rekindled my Snood addiction. Didn't actually play it much today, what with the stomach bug and the dizziness, but I needed to take a picture of something.

Day 48

I have a stomach bug, so this is where I spent most of my day. I didn't want to photograph the other place where I hung out.

Day 47

Kyle calls these "Mario" cookies, and he loves them.

Day 46

We took Kyle to McDonald's, where he enjoyed sharing an ice cream cone with me.

Day 45

We took Kyle to McDonald's, where he enjoyed sharing an ice cream cone with me.

Stomach Bugs Suck

picture from alphabet soup word generator at RedKid.net

So this week has totally sucked. I have a stomach bug. It started Monday night. I made it through half a day on Tuesday, stayed home Wednesday, made it through half a day on Thursday, and stayed home today. Without giving the gory details, I think the worst of it has passed. Now I'm just contending with this feeling of dizziness whenever I'm up and around for more than a few minutes.

There's really no point to this post other than to whine and complain and maybe get just a little bit of pity. Plus, I thought it was a good chance to use the soup generator I found. Isn't that cool?

I wish I could think of something clever to write about, but I can't. No wonder nobody reads my blog.

Day 44

Note to self: next time I don't pull the van all the way into the garage because there's a bike in the way and I'm too lazy to go and move it, remember to tell Troy about the situation so that he doesn't accidentally try to shut the garage door, because now we know that the garage door will not stop when it hits the van. (Oh, and maybe I should take the van to a car wash one of these days.)

Evil Genius Mission Statement

Mission Statement

To exploit the entire state of North Dakota by telekinesis.

What's Your Mission?

Random Blog Post

Holy Snapping Duck Do! I just woke up to the fact I have not updated this since they let me out!... You would not believe that my hands were chopped off and I was waiting for bionic ones. Stupid Global Warming!.

I am swamped with an awfully big adventure, learning to speak Japanese, just generally being a doormat to society in general, my day is filled with fluorescent light from mid-morning to whenever. I am totally exhausted. as well you should know.

I swear on the bones of my ancestors I will blog more regularly. Seriously! I mean it!.

(make your own post at: The Lazy Bloggers Post Generator)

Singin' in the Rain?

OK, everybody. I have decided that the key to happiness lies in owning a truly fun, funky, awesome pair of rain boots. I'm totally serious. I want rain boots. But I can't decide which ones I like best. So that's where you come in. Which ones would you get?

1. Dots Spots Rain Boots--19.99



2. Women's Zulima Bias Plaid Rain Boots - Multicolor--19.99

3. Black and White Floral Waterproof Rubber Rain Boots--24.95

4. McGibbon Floral Rain Boots -- $24.99

5. Party Paisley Rain Boots--Pink--$24.99

6. Allison Floral Rain Boots - Multicolor -- $24.99

7. Bright Hibiscus Rain Boot--24.99

8. Western Chief - Womens' Punchy Stripes Rain Boots--$29.95

9. Western Chief Women's Capris Rain Boot -- $34.95

10. Chooka Women's Fat Bird Dots Rain Boots -- $50.00 (These may be more than I can afford, but they're just so stinkin' cute! Anybody want to contribute to my rain boot fund?)

So you've seen my options. Let me know your pick!

Day 43

I spent most of the night making these Valentines for my coworkers. I also made some train ones for Kyle to bring to daycare--I'll post those pics along with the rest of the February photos.

Day 42

The Dog Pound: this is Kyle's collection of little dog toys that have been sharing his bed with him the past few nights.

Day 41

So I wasn't sure what to take a picture of and started wandering through the house. I spotted one of Kyle's little trains and took a few pictures of it. I didn't notice until later that with the book in the background, my picture says, "I love you Kyle." And I do, I really do.

Ice Storm

I wrote this poem several years ago, but it popped back into my mind a few weeks ago. It pretty much expresses what I've been feeling lately. So I thought I'd share it.




ICE STORM
A week ago, that tree was thick with crows
filling the branches with shadow. Suddenly --
perhaps the wind shifted, carried frost on its back
like an omen -- they scattered, rising
as smoke signals against January sky.

This is where I should say I thought of flying,
saw it for what it is: a trick of courage, surrender to wind.
I cannot know the philosophy of birds, do not know
if they see flight as anything other than a method of movement,
or if they come to it as to a dance, overcome
by the rush through their feathers as they duck and glide
on the currents. Any other day, I might have felt
the pull of migration, an ability to beat gravity.

But it is already late January, that time when best intentions
shift back to old habits, as easy as slipping into a favorite dress,
the way the cotton knows to settle against my hips.

A week ago, that tree was thick with crows.
Today, ice hangs like fingers, pulling branches
downward, and all I can think is that I, too,
know the weight of winter, have felt myself bend
to that point just before breaking, my body arched
toward the ground.

You see, it is only January, and too soon to think of flying.

Are You Holding Out for a Hero?

Then you should go to this site: The Hero Factory You can turn yourself into a superhero! Here is mine:

Thursday Thunks for Feb. 12

Jumping into today's Thursday Thunks

1. You are driving down the road and there is a puddle in the road. A big puddle. Not one that will really wreck your car or anything, but a big puddle. There is no other cars in front of you or behind you - do you drive through the puddle or drive around it?

As long as nobody is standing there to get splashed--heck yeah! Splashing in puddles is truly one of the simple joys of life. But I would never ever ever knowingly and/or intentionally splash someone.

2. Go to Google Images, type in any word that comes to mind and post the 1st picture you see.

3. A college calls you up and says that you have been selected to take get any degree that you want on their dollar.... what do you choose?

Well, this is pretty obvious for anybody who knows me. Graphic design.

4. Are you blogging on a laptop or desktop?

Desktop

5. Which store, excluding a grocery store, do you shop at most often?

Another obvious one. Target. Duh.

6. My daughters tried out for the school musical last night. Were you ever in a school play/musical? Which one?

I was in several plays in high school: Our Town, Deadwood Dick, The Glass Menagerie, Romeo and Juliet, and a few one-acts. I was in one play in college: a summer production of Bye Bye Birdie. I also worked backstage for a few college plays, including Oliver, 42nd Street, Anything Goes, and others.

7. I read yesterday that a school PTA group wants to try to ban white bread, cakes, brownies or any other "treat" from their lunch menus... plus make kids' lunchboxes brought from home not include any "junk food". Thoughts on that one?

Absolutely insane. Especially the part about what kids bring from home. For one thing, banning things will only increase their desirability. It's all about moderation, not elimination. How about teaching a little more personal responsibility instead? Just because it's offered doesn't mean you have to eat it. (This coming from a person who can't turn down a free treat to save her life--literally--but I don't expect other people to ban it just so it doesn't go into my mouth.)

8. How many people can your kitchen table seat?

Without adding chairs, two. But we have two other chairs that can be easily retrieved. And we can add a couple leaves to fit a bunch more.

9. What time is it right now?

5:36 p.m.

10. Walk out the front door of your house/apartment, turn right, walk 2 blocks. What do you see?

I have to admit I cheated a little on this one. I was going to the library anyway, so I pulled over at the two-block mark to take the picture. I didn't actually get off my butt and walk.

Mankato East High School 1993

I got tagged for another little survey floating around Facebook, and I thought I'd post it here. You know, to make up for not writing anything original in like FOREVER.

Now here's a FUN one I've not seen before.....Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school!
REPOST with the name of the high school and graduating year in the subject box. Send this to all your friends, but don't forget to send it back to me. Thanks!

Just for fun--here's my senior pic.

1. Did you date someone from your school? No

2. Did you marry someone from your high school? No (although he was a student teacher there my senior year, I didn't meet him until several years later)

3. Did you car pool to school? I usually rode with my dad, who was a teacher there

4. What kind of car did you have? I don't remember--did we have the orange VW by then? Or maybe it was the off-white VW at that time.

5. What kind of car do you have now? 2002 Caravan

6. It's Friday night....where were you? getting ready for a speech meet

7. It's Friday night.. where are you these days? at home

8. What kind of job did you have in high school? worked at Tas-T-Shoppes in the Madison East Mall

9. What kind of job do you do now? editor

10. Were you a party animal? not at all

11. Were you considered a flirt? not at all

12. Were you in the band, orchestra, or choir? band and orchestra

13. Were you a nerd? pretty much

14. Did you get suspended or expelled? no way

15. Can you sing the fight song? Mostly--I get mixed up on a few of the words.

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? Mr. Manske and Mr. O'Brien

17. Where did you sit during lunch? with my friends in the cafeteria

18. What was your school's full name? Mankato East Senior High School

19. When did you graduate? 1993

20. What was you school mascot? Cougars

21. If you could go back and do it again, would you? probably

22. Did you have fun at the prom? didn't go

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? n/a

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? maybe--I skipped the most recent one

25. Do you still talk to people from school? yes

Day 40

Kyle hurt his foot yesterday and was limping all day today. We can't figure out quite what is wrong--he doesn't cry or flinch when we touch it, and it isn't swollen. But he insisted on having a bandaid on it.

Day 39

Kyle was snuggling with Daddy and Tiger

Day 38

Kyle was eating some conversation hearts and had to share them with his pet lion.

Day 37

Kyle and I finally opened up his new crayons. He colored for about 5 seconds before finding something else to do.

Day 36

I have an abscessed tooth, so my main focus today has been on antibiotics and codeine.

Day 35

Today, Kyle told me that he is going to buy a pet lion and it will eat tacos and sleep in our bed (Mommy and Daddy will sleep on the couch). And he will take it to Shopko.

Day 34

Day 33

Another view of the skyline as I was leaving work. I really like the contrast of the trees against the gray sky.

Day 32

Doris was sunning herself in the most delicious patch of sunshine you could ever imagine. I had to take about a million pics of her. She was only slightly perturbed by the paparazzi.

25 Random Things about Me

I know I just made a similar list for my birthday, but I got tagged so many times on Facebook so I decided to do another list. I tried not to duplicate any of the facts.
1. I have an irrational fear that I will accidentally walk into a men's restroom because I wasn't paying attention. Because of this, I will usually check the sign on a restroom door at least twice before entering.
2. I am allergic to penicillin.
3. I have a major phone phobia and will avoid using the phone at (almost) any cost.
4. In college, I rode the city bus to class a lot. I got bored and decided to memorize the Spanish translations on all the signs. As a result, I can say, "At the request of the driver or other authorized person, please vacate this seat for the elderly and physically disabled" in Spanish. I can also say, "Stand behind the yellow line when the bus is in motion" and "Pull the cord to indicate the driver to stop" in Spanish. I don't know any useful Spanish.
5. Even though I suck at most math, algebra has always come really easy to me.
6. I'm a good speller, but I have a hard time remembering how to spell "separate," "desperate," and "embarrass." In fact I had to look them up just now to make sure I spelled them correctly.
7. I don't like olives.
8. I have recurring nightmares that I am back in high school and I have forgotten to go to math class and/or band class for the entire year. Either that or I can't remember where my locker is, and even if I find it, I can't remember what the combination is.
9. I love to take naps.
10. My favorite kind of pop is Vanilla Coke.
11. I used to think U2's song "With or Without You" was "We Thought We Found You."
12. I hate playing board games. Absolutely hate them.
13. I think of myself as a pretty talented whistler.
14. I'd love to learn how to tap dance, but I really have no rhythm at all.
15. I hate biting into apples. They have to be sliced or I won't eat them.
16. Most of what I eat comes out of a box.
17. One of my favorite sounds in the whole wide world is the sound of my son giggling.
18. I'm convinced I will die in a car accident.
19. I can't resist paint chip samples at hardware stores. I have a drawer full of them.
20. My parents (and many of my other relatives) were teachers. As a result, I used to think that everybody had summers off. I still sometimes forget that I have to work during the summer. I catch myself planning summer projects.
21. I once won first prize ($2000) in a poetry contest.
22. I taught my son to say, "The dog did it!" after he farts, even though we don't even have a dog. It just cracks me up.
23. I can't resist Target.
24. I am horrible with money. My eyes just kind of glaze over when I try to understand anything to do with budgets, banking, investments, or insurance.
25. I spent way too much time obsessing over my answers for this list.