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I've got nothing today, but I did read something I liked today from my one-time celebrity crush David Duchovny (and my love for him had NOTHING on my friend Anne's.) This is the quote that grabbed me:
"And the realization I had was that we go through our whole lives thinking we want answers. Really all we want is company, the presence of people we love in our lives."
Read the rest of it here.
Hitting shuffle...
1. Grapefruit Diet by Weird Al Yankovic-Who says self-deprecating humor isn't conducive to exercise? I love to run to this one.
2. Buddie, Beware by Linda Hart & Co.-From the Anything Goes soundtrack. "Though at heart I'm a pearl, I'm a difficult girl, so Buddie Beware..."
3. Forever For Tonight by Blessid Union of Souls-Did you know Christy and I once met them and had lunch with them? Well, we did.
4. Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
5. Our Last Night by Better Than Ezra
6. Roxie by Renee Zellweger from the Chicago soundtrack (Dave hates it when I sing this one.)
7. Forever by Kenny Loggins (Do you remember that one, Anne?)
8. Get Happy by Judy Garland
9. Mama I'm a Big Girl Now from the Hairspray soundtrack
10. Circle by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians
Downloads of the week:
1. Get Up and Go by Imogen Heap
2. Hey There Delilah by Plain White T-Shirts
3. Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne
4. Stay for Awhile by Amy Grant
You know, I used to love Amy Grant. My next-door neighbor and I used to rent her concerts from the local Christian bookstore (remember the one at Sooner Fashion Mall?). Then, she up and left her husband for Vince Gill and I felt very disillusioned. Listening to she and Vince sing El Shaddai together a few weeks ago made me realize that I've still got an awful lot to learn about "judge not lest ye be judged." Listening to them sing, I heard the voice of woman who truly knew what it meant to 'fall short' and who still truly loved the Lord and knew He still loved her too. She and Vince sounded beautiful together and their lives are really none of my business anyway. It's nice to have her back on my playlist.
Did you play along? Let me know in the Comments.
Reading-
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-
Wow! It was worth the wait. There was a lot of laughter, tears, and just a few "I knew it's" as I read. And even the few details I felt had been left hanging at the end have since been resolved in interviews with JK Rowling (catch the last one tonight on Dateline NBC-or set your Tivo, like me).
Dave just finished it too, and now Natalie is trying to fish details out of both of us.
Listening-
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince-
We started this on the way home from Houston. (This is why Natalie is trying to get details-impatient girl!) Some of it is really heartbreaking now that know how it all will end. We are on CD 7 out of 16 or 17, so we will likely still be listening when school starts.
Watching-
Army Wives-
I missed a couple of weeks, but got back into it last night. I'm kind of glad they delayed 'perfect husband's' deployment, but it looks like he is good to go now.
Big Love-
I got caught up on this too. It's finally getting better, and as sad as it makes Margene; I'm glad there won't be another Henrickson wife in the mix anytime soon. Bonnie Bedelia rocked as Margie's evil mother. I am a little put off by the mafia-esque group they've added this season, but we'll see where it leads.
At The Movies-
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix-
OK, so I actually saw this almost 2 weeks ago. I haven't reported on it yet. I can see how it would be confusing if you hadn't read the books, but I really liked it. Imelda Staunton was amazing as Umbridge, and that can't be an easy role to play. I thought I would cringe every time she was on-screen, but instead I rather enjoyed it. Poor Natalie cried and cried at the end even though she knew what would happen. I'm glad we were at the drive-in because it would have been really disruptive in an actual theatre. I'm not sure she will be able to handle Book 7 as a movie at all. But I guess we've got two or three years before we have to worry about it.
Thank You for Smoking-
My boss recommended this to me several months ago and she was right. It was really good. Obviously, it's not one to watch with the kiddies; but I rather liked it.
Extracurricular Activities-
Day Camp-
I guess this wasn't really "extracurricular" since it was hosted by my place of employment, but it did turn last week into "take your kids to work" week. Our Education Director did a GREAT job putting it together. It was the first camp we did at work and hopefully we will do it again next year. I will admit that the heat got to me a lot more than it would and left me with little energy for much beyond fixing dinner and falling asleep once we got home each afternoon; but it was still time well spent.
Coming Up Next...
Professional assessors are coming to evaluate the museum next week. They arrive Thursday morning. They want to see our buildings, our collections areas, our records, policies, etc...all the records, collection policies, and other archival information are my responsibility as is presenting all of that information to them. It's possibly the biggest thing I've had to do related to my job since I was hired. (Obviously, events like The Big Fundraiser and Land Run have also been huge and kept me very busy, but I haven't had to plan those, just to execute the plans of others.) I've been busily merging the old Microsoft Excel collections records into the new and improved File Maker Pro database in anticipation of their visit. I'm only about 75% done and still have to organize the file cabinet and make sure our archive closet is ready to show before Thursday morning. Needless to say, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed/terrified by it all. And if anyone knows a quicker way to merge an old Excel database into File Maker Pro than just the line-by-line cutting and pasting that I've been doing; I'd love to hear about it.
So basically, next Thursday will be one of the biggest days I've faced in my adult life that doesn't involve a wedding or labor and delivery. First, I will meet with the assessors early in the morning (YIKES). Then, I will go to the airport, go through security (which I hate), put my mildly clausterphobic self onto a plane (which I don't exactly love), meet up with 5 other women who I feel like I've known for the past 9 years but haven't actually ever met in person, drive to a hotel where I will be staying with all of them, AND then there's that other thing going on once I get there. Can I just warn (and remind) all of you how shy I can be?! (There's a reason my first parent support group was online.) I am thinking a huge valium would be in order with Thursday's breakfast, but I've never taken one before and I'm guessing that would also be the wrong day to experiment. Just wish me luck. And give me a few minutes to warm up if you're one of the people I'll be seeing soon. I really am looking forward to it, I promise.
So, Natalie was about four years old. She had recently received her heart's desire (at the time) in the form of a baby sister. Having a four year-old, an almost-two year-old, and a three week-old baby all but brought about my undoing, but she had prayed for a sister and here she was. It was Dave's first weekend of Nat'l Guard Drill and I was racing around by myself that Sunday morning trying to get all of us ready to go. As she was the only one competent to dress herself, I had given her that very task while I rushed to dress her younger siblings. We had 15 minutes before we needed to leave and I was still in my robe, feeling rather anxious. I saw her sitting on the couch in her pajamas and told her that if she wasn't ready in 15 minutes, I was going to leave her here. She looked me up and down appraisingly and, in a tone of voice I'm used to hearing only from myself, she said: Well I know you aren't going to church like that. If you've got time to get ready, then so do I. I should have scolded her backtalk, but I was too busy enjoying what was perhaps my proudest moment in the first four years of her life. Not only does she look like me, she thinks like me too. Five years later, it's not so funny, but I think it's called reaping what you sow and I can live with it.
Today's Thursday Thirteen is unique in a couple of ways. First, I'm not going to bother to link to the main TT hub because this one will also be written and posted in my Comments section rather than right here in plain sight. You see, I can't keep my mouth shut any longer about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. So, the 13 things I loved most about the book will be this week's list. If you've finished the book and would like to know, click on the Comments section for further discussion. Thanks!
You have to time your visit to see your friend's new baby for optimal daylight and a dry weather forecast because neither your headlights nor your windshield wipers are working at the moment. Not that it stops you from driving it anyway.
It helps that the baby was really cute.
Good
Bad
Ugly
I guess the final "good" is that the hotel called and said that they found the DS when they cleaned our rooms. My parents are bringing it back with them today, but it's going to be a long time before Natalie has it in her possession again.
I didn't 'discover' the Harry Potter books when the first one was released. I remember hearing about them, but I was a newlywed and, shortly thereafter, a new mom. What did a children's book have to do with me? As the subsequent books were released and as their popularity grew, I resisted reading them that much more. The ringing endorsement of that same American public in my demographic who also thought those gawd-awful Goosebumps books were so great (not to mention the popularity of Nicholas Sparks and Danielle Steel novels) didn't bolster my confidence in a series of books about a teenaged wizard wannabe and his adventures.
In August of 2000, not long after Book 4 was released, I found myself facing a long road trip. Dave had recently departed for Ft. Benning to begin preparing in earnest for a 6-month deployment to Bosnia. Since our contact would be extremely limited, I decided rather than sit around and fret over the inevitable separation; I would take my 2 year-old daughter and 4 month-old son on a small vacation to ease the monotony. Having recently completed The Work and the Glory Series, I thought Nauvoo might be fun. Soon, my mom and my 16 year-old sister wanted to go along too. Ultimately, it was decided that my Dad would caravan with us as far as Ft. Riley, KS to gather some of my cousin J's possessions as his full-time stint in the military was coming to an end and he was preparing to move in with my parents and start college. After that visit, Dad would go back home and we would continue on. It was late that night at a motel in Kansas that I realized I was without two things: a hair dryer and any of the audio books from my Dad's extensive library. On a midnight trip to Wal Mart, I found my dryer and Dad presented me with Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone.
Like me, he was wary of anything so hype-inspiring, but it was a book he didn't have and therefore, didn't mind purchasing. He said my mom, sister, and I could give him a full review when we returned. I was hesitant, but it was HIS money and, as we soon discovered, you can only listen to the hits of Nick Jr. and The Wiggles CD's so many times. I can't remember when we finally broke out the book, but as a mother of a precious baby boy; I felt maternal about poor little Harry from the moment he arrives on Privet Drive and all three of us were hooked within the first five minutes of the book. Between the Latin references, Rowling's grown-up sense of humor, and the classic struggle between good and evil; my only regret was that I hadn't known about these books since Day 1. We listened as much as 2 year-old Natalie would allow for during our three-day visit and finished the last tape as we drove out of Kansas City and headed for the rendezvous point with my Dad in Tulsa. Our only concern was getting there before my Dad's favorite audio bookstore closed so we could get our hands on Book 2.
The summer of 2000 was the summer of Harry Potter. My youngest sister (who lived with me at the time) and I made excuses to drive all over creation trying to finish Book 2 before giving it up and playing it all hours of the day and night in the house. I remember Dave arriving home unexpectedly for weekend leave and feeling a bit brushed off as he hopped into the van during a particularly tense part of Book 2 and being greeted with a "Shh! I'll talk to you as soon as I know Harry is OK." Having found something that I really liked, my Dad adorably ran to Sam's before I could and returned to my house bearing all four of the books in hardback for me and the other two audio books for himself. I finished with Book Four on the drive home from Colorado Springs where Tristan and I had spent Labor Day weekend with Dave before he flew out of Ft. Collins for Bosnia. Just as Harry's life hit a turning point, so did mine.
What followed afterwards was the waiting. Waiting for Dave to return, waiting for Caroline to be born, waiting for our new house to be finished (those last two were quite the race), and waiting and waiting for Book 5. I remember that Dave pre-ordered it and that I was a little disappointed because I had wanted to go to a release party. Instead, it was slated to be delivered from Amazon.com by mail on the same Saturday of our neighborhood garage sale. Coming out of my shell a bit, I stationed myself at my front window and marched outside anytime someone even thought about parking in front of my mail box and told them on no uncertain terms that they would have to pick another spot until the mail had been delivered. Dave was mortified by my behavior, and I wasn't sure where it was coming from either-but it was one of the first times in my adult life I didn't feel controlled by someone else's choices and I liked it. Still, the mailman must have snuck through on one of the few occasions that I wasn't looking because I was completely surprised when I marched outside at 4 p.m., yanked down the mail box door, and found my book there waiting for me.
Book 5 was the hardest one for me to read, but I still finished it in less than 24 hours. I was angry at Harry for talking back-even when it was deserved. I cringed at the way he treated Ron and Hermione, and it goes without saying that the end left me a sobbing wreck. If it weren't for the antics of Fred and George, I might have loathed the book entirely. That was the summer of our RV trip to South Dakota. Dave decided to "surprise" me by purchasing Book 5 on CD for our listening enjoyment. I would have been annoyed, but it was finally Book 5 that hooked him into the Harry Potter series and for that it was worth experiencing a second time. And again, that left us waiting...With a new baby, a return to grad school, and the purchase of our dream house; this wait didn't seem as long. In fact, it feels like it was just a few months ago that Chris and I were giggling over being #69 in line for Book 6 rather than the two years that have passed. A lot of people complain about the slower pace of Book 6, but we started listening to it again last night on the drive back from Houston and I'd forgotten how much I liked it. (The end has a way of overshadowing the beginning with that one.)
I haven't been in as big of a hurry for Book 7 because I knew that would be the end. Now that I've reached it, I have to say that it was worth it. The book was hard to read in many places, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me angry and sad many times over. I'm not sure when sensitive little Natalie will be old enough to read it-though I'm sure she will sooner rather than later. However, it was satisfying. I have a few small questions here and there, but none of any real significance. I find myself a very different person than the relatively new mom that I was when I began these books seven years ago. I'm not sure I can credit Ms. Rowling or her outstanding writing for any of my changes, but Harry and his friends have been my welcome companions on that journey (and given the scores of people who were still children when Book 1 was released 10 years ago, I doubt I'm alone in that sentiment). So tonight, at the end of all things Harry Potter, I raise a toast to Harry for all the tears and laughter his adventures have brought me over the years and to Ms. Joanna Kathleen Rowling for bringing them to life. Thank you.
"He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter--the boy who lived!"
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling.
"A vacation with my mother is NOT a vacation."
The only good thing I can say about the weekend is that I finished the new Harry Potter book. More details (about the trip, NOT the book) to follow...
My Dad drove around Clear Lake last night until he found a bookstore that was open and selling Book 7. He brought it to me this morning. I'll talk to you all in a couple of days.
Is it possible to be 35 and still a daddy's girl? I think so.
We made it to Houston. Elisa screamed from Ennis, TX to the hotel parking lot. Sometimes she was happy, sometimes she was sad, sometimes I think she just wanted to hear herself. I never thought I would say this, but the new Harry Potter book has been out for about 15 minutes and notwithstanding the plethora of Wal-Marts I passed on the way here; I'm too tired to go and buy it. Again I ask, since when did I get old?
*Also, remind me to re-file my clever idea of buying Elisa her first chocolate-dipped cone from Dairy Queen under the category of "What the heck was I thinking?"
What do I WANT to be doing today? Easy. Biding my time until the Borders Harry Potter release party, ducking out of it early to get the kids home, then meeting up with my friend Chris at Wally World to actually buy the book because we are cheap and tacky like that. What WILL I be doing today? Driving Dave's car to Houston because mine has some electrical issues and hoping I can find someplace to buy the new book. I'd skip the trip altogether, but I haven't seen my Aunt Pam since Natalie was about 6 mos. old and Mom is holding Natalie there as insurance that I will actually come. Needless to say, it's working. Today I leave you with my first, last, and only Harry Potter release party adventure some two years ago. Enjoy!
This week has been hilariously full of those mishaps that only seem to happen to me. Here are 13 of this week's "highlights."
1. I remembered with a jolt as I fell asleep on Saturday night that I'm going to be in Women's Day magazine on Nov. 1st and that the article's author needed a picture of me and the kids by Monday, a 4x6 taken at 300 dpi.
2. Dave and I spent most of Sunday afternoon trying desperately to take one good picture of me and the kids. When we finally had a good one we found out that even the "best" setting on my camera doesn't have that kind of resolution.
3. On Monday morning, I asked Dave to bring the kids up to work at my lunch hour so we could use the good camera there. But it still took about half an hour and a frantic phone call to my friend Toni to figure out how to take the picture at the right setting. (Thanks Toni, I can't wait to meet you for real in 2 weeks!)
4. Once I knew how to set the camera, I still had to try yet again to achieve a decent picture of myself and all four kids, and this time I had to do it in front of all my co-workers.
5. It left me with 10 minutes to upload the pic and send it before having to rush back to Norman and meet with the director of a pre-school I am desperate to get Elisa enrolled in before classes start in mid-August.
6. I was 10 minutes late to the school and I had to leave the computer in the middle of the sending process.
7. No sooner did we start our pre-school tour than my son piped up and told the director that, when he was three, HE had been kicked out of two pre-schools before Thanksgiving Break. Thanks Son! I appreciate you sharing that when I'm trying to make a good impression. (The director was amused which scored points on my end of the deal, anyway.)
8. Elisa was super bashful at the pre-school, but has thrown a fit to go back every day since then.
9. One night this week, my son suddenly began to wash his hands with OCD-like fervor. Any mother of a 7 year-old boy knows this can't be good. It wasn't. He had burned his hand and was "trying to wash it off.". He told me that he just rested his hand on the couch and suddenly it was so hot that it burned him. What actually happened was he burned it on the iron-THAT HE TURNED ON HIMSLEF "TO SEE IF IT WOULD HURT WHEN I TOUCHED IT." That's my boy! He whined about the pain no matter what I did. His Dad came home and wrapped it in gauze and he was suddenly FINE. Thanks for the vote of confidence in my healing abilities.
10. My grandmother was supposed to watch the kids on Monday during the pre-school walk-through, but she is having chest pains. She said she would just wait to go to the doctor on Thursday. My mom called me about every 10 minutes on Monday to see if I could talk her into going sooner. Yes, this was during all the picture-taking, email sending, racing back to Norman fun. I really need to change my cell phone number. (Grandma is fine, by the way, and would likely do much better with her stress level were my mom not such a big fan of hitting the "panic" button.)
11. I lost my last left contact lens. The one for the eye with the astigmatism. I still had to drive home and to the eye doctor to get another one and then back home to put it in. Merging onto I-35 S. with that eye looking at oncoming traffic and seeing it double? Not fun.
12. I had to leave work early yesterday because Dave wanted to leave early for HIS job. Notwithstanding a looming August 1st deadline to have all the accession numbers in our collection re-assigned; I cooperated. I came home to find him asleep, the kids in pajamas, and the house in shambles. He got to work when he normally does. I really could have used that extra hour at work myself.
13. Tomorrow, I get to load three of my four kids into the car and drive straight through to Houston by myself. And my dashboard is making an ominous clicking sound. This can't be good...
For more good lists, visit the Thursday Thirteen hub!
She's likely in bed by now, but if you have a minute you might want to stop by and wish my little Caroline's BFF a Happy 5th Birthday!!
Caroline is a little miffed at me because I wasn't up for a "quick drive" to Coloransas this afternoon so she could crash the birthday party-but I hope it went well anyway!
My oldest daughter is off on yet another adventure. Her summer has been full of them in the form of sleepovers and camp-outs. Now she's off the Houston with my parents and her two favorite cousins. I know my parents are trustworthy and she's looked forward to this trip from the get-go, nonetheless; I will suffer from some serious anxiety until we are reunited on Friday afternoon. Unlike my mom who thought nothing of sticking us on a plane to grandma's for most of the summer (my first solo-flight to Las Vegas was when I was 7-yikes!), I'm a bit more of a micro-manager. Or, as my husband would say, an out and out "control freak" when it comes to the kids. I'll admit that it's true. But, I am trying to fight it. Twice last month when I woke up mid-panic attack over her being away at a sleepover, I forced myself back into bed and reminded myself that she was having fun and would not be glad to see me at 4 a.m. or even 7 a.m. announcing that it was "time to go home." I would call that progress.
Oddly enough, I have no worries about my trip in a couple of weeks because I will be leaving the kids with their Dad who may not make them get up before noon or get dressed at all and will likely feed them a steady diet of cereal, hot dogs, and Sonic the entire time that I'm gone; but who, like me, still has that magical power of 'being the Daddy' and is therefore just as capable as me of protecting them from all evil. It's just when they're out of sight and in someone else's control that I feel a little agitated. Millie mentioned it recently, but it bears repeating, having a child really does mean you walk around with your heart outside of your body for the rest of your life. Fortunately, I've got youth activities tonight and tomorrow and that should keep me sufficiently distracted. Until then, I'm just going to concentrate on breathing in and out. I knew those Lamaze classes would come in handy at some point. They sure didn't do much for me while in labor.
I got an email from OU today offering me, a new (or in my case, re-newed) alumni the opportunity to buy tickets to as many as four of this season's OU home games before they go on sale to the public. With a quick call to Dave, I quickly snagged tickets to all four games and barely cried about the sizable dent it put into our checking account. Between this and our season tickets at the Civic Center we are now guaranteed nine dates starting September 1st. And suddenly, Dave sees that Master's Degree I just HAD to have in a much more favorable light.
Today was definitely one of those "Manic Mondays" that The Bangles used to sing about, so how nice to finally sit down, put on my headphones (I'm not a fan of the earbuds either, Christy), and hit 'shuffle.' This week's list looks like this:
1. "Chains of Love" by Erasure
2. "El Shaddai" by Amy Grant (I've noticed it's a different version than the one I grew up with, I'm actually writing a whole post about it to be published at a later date.)
3."I Melt with You" by Bowling For Soup (What?! Not everyone has a tween daughter and nieces and has seen Sky High more times than she can count?)
4. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell
5. "Love Somebody" by Rick Springfield (Just when I thought I might get through this list without being embarrassed.)
6. "I'm the Greatest Star" by Barbra Streisand (See my previous comment.)
7. "Honey, Honey" by ABBA (It's umm...good to work out to?)
8. "An Innocent Man" by Billy Joel
9. "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles (didn't I mention them before?)
10. "Thirteen" by Big Star (Ah! Eric and Donna were SO cute once upon a time.)
My downloads for the week were:
1. "Please Don't Tell Her" by Jason Mraz
2. "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall
3. "A Box Full of Letters" by Wilco (Anne, I know you suggested a different one, but I saw this on your list and liked it better.)
4. "How Do You Like Me Now" by Toby Keith (Brings back memories of OU's perfect season in 2000!)
In addition to the already selected "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" and "Rehab," of course. Sandra, make me a mix anytime!
Reading-
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott-
I've only got one short section left now. I imagine I will finish it this week. Just in time for the release of another certain book this coming Saturday, not that I'm counting the days...
Listening-
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix-
Yes, we finished it. Yes, we cried. (Poor Natalie took it HARD, I knew she would.) And even though this is my least favorite of the books, I am oddly looking forward to the movie.
Watching-
Big Love-
I continue to think that 'last season was better.' I'm also not impressed with the whole 'flirting with the waitress' thing. Doesn't he have enough to do? I'm glad Margene is onto him.
In My Netflix Queue-
We're still waiting on the second discs for Lost and Pride and Prejudice, but last night I did watch Splendor In The Grass. If you've watched the behind-the scenes drama going on around this blog on Thursday and Friday, you'll know that I couldn't have picked a worse movie for myself. Oh well, it's going back in the mail tomorrow. And that's really all I've got to say about that. Well, that and Natalie Wood still looked too much like Susie in Miracle on 34th St. to be convincing. But let's face it, I wasn't going to like this movie no matter what.
Big Plans-
Mom and Dad are taking the older girls (Juliet, Victoria, and Natalie) to Houston and Galveston for the week and I'm going to drive up on Friday to spend the weekend. This means no Harry Potter release parties for me. Bummer. I'm also not looking forward to driving around in a strange place looking for the book, but you'd better believe I'll do it anyway. And speaking of Harry Potter, now that we've finished Book 5, we'll be off to Chickasha later tonight to see the movie at my favorite drive-in (one I will suggest to my friend AKA Monty for all future drive-in visits because I'll bet I know which one she visited last night). So who's "too old" now?!
Does anyone remember this Nike ad? I remember hacking bits of it out to make lapboards and loving it. But I think it's only now and the age of 35 that I truly get it:
"You were born a daughter. You looked up to your mother. You looked up to your father. You looked up at everyone. You wanted to be a princess. You thought you were a princess. You wanted to own a horse. You wanted to be a horse. You wanted your brother to be a horse. You wanted to wear pink. You never wanted to wear pink. You wanted to be a Veterinarian. You wanted to be President. You wanted to be the President's Veterinarian. You were picked last for the team. You were the best one on the team. You refused to be on the team. You wanted to be good in algebra. You hid during algebra. You wanted the boys to notice you. You were afraid the boys would notice you. You started to get acne. You started to get breasts. You started to get acne that was bigger than your breasts. You wouldn't wear a bra. You couldn't wait to wear a bra. You couldn't fit into a bra. You didn't like the way you looked. You didn't like the way your parents looked. You didn't want to grow up. You had your first best friend. You had your first date. You had your second best friend. You had your second first date. You spent hours on the telephone. You got kissed. You got to kiss back. You went to the prom. You didn't go to the prom. You went to the prom with the wrong person. You spent hours on the telephone. You fell in love. You fell in love. You fell in love. You lost your best friend. You lost your other best friend. You really fell in love. You became a steady girlfriend. You became a significant other. YOU BECAME SIGNIFICANT TO YOURSELF.
Sooner or later, you start taking yourself seriously. You know when you need a break. You know when you need a rest. You know what to get worked up about and what to get rid of. And you know when it's time to take care of yourself, for yourself. To do something that makes you stronger, faster, more complete. Because you know it's never too late to have a life. And never too late to change one. JUST DO IT."
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I've recently decided to make my elliptical trainer a daily habit. Some days work out better than others for me. Here are thirteen songs on the iPod that convince me I can make it a little longer. 1. ABBA "Take a Chance on Me" (there's a great downbeat in that song) 2. The Kinks "Come Dancing" (a long-time favorite re-discovered) 3. Huey Lewis & The News "Do You Believe in Love" ("take my hand and I'll take your heart" How I love that line!) 4. R.E.M "It's The End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)" 5. Billy Joel "We Didn't Start the Fire" (similar to REM, I know, but they're both good motivators) 6. Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" 7. Erasure "A Little Respect" (thanks to Arbee for the suggestion!) 8. John Cougar Mellancamp "Authority Song" 9. Barbra Streisand "Don't Rain on my Parade" (yep, I'm a little embarrassed-but it works for me) 10. The Grease Megamix (no explanation required) 11. Michelle Pfeiffer "Cool Rider" (no explanation required for anyone who knows me in real life) 12. The Cure "Just Like Heaven" 13. Bay City Rollers "Saturday Night" Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. A Sweet and Sassy Gal 2. The Rock Chick 3. Suprina |
I've seen this at Sandra and Meno's blogs in the last couple of weeks and as I've got nothing to write about yet again today, I thought I'd play along:
1. Who was your best friend?
Susan R. until a certain Jerk Boy got in the way. I'm happy to say we're good now as I wrote about here.
2. What sports did you play?
Soccer in my sophomore year, but just in a Norman league not for the high school. You actually had to have talent for that.
3. What kind of car did you drive?
I didn't get my license until I was 23, but I do have a lot of memories of Susan's old red boat mobile and Jen's white one, which was even more boat-like. Then there was Chris' white Pontiac followed by her bitchin' Yugo. Then Lanie turned 16 and got the little red convertible. Good times...(Note I make rare mention of a certain snot-green Chevette or whatever it was.)
4. It’s Friday night, where were you?
At a Rainbow or DeMolay dance unless it was Installation season, then we would hit one or two of those and stay for whichever dance we thought would be the "coolest." (Cool being a very relative term in the Rainbow/DeMolay set.)
5. Were you a party animal?
See my earlier reference to "a very relative term" but even so I would have to say no.
6. Were you considered a flirt?
No, Jerk Boy would have killed me. I made up for it in college.
7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Orchestra and what a crush I used to have on my stand partner.
8. Were you a nerd?
I took Advanced History, AP English, Latin 1-3, Trigonometry, AND I was in the Orchestra. What do you think?
9. Did you get suspended/expelled?
No
10. Can you sing the fight song?
No-Did we have one?
11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Toss up between Ms. Lacer (Latin) and Mrs. St. John (AP English)
12. School mascot?
A tiger, and I thought it looked suspiciously like Disney's Tigger costume.
13. Did you go to Prom?
Yes-with Jerk Boy both times. Eww! The highlight of the senior prom had to be when he grabbed Christy W.'s ass right in front of me. I got him back though. We were at an after-party and I summoned him into the empty bedroom acting like I wanted to be *alone* with him. Then I kneed him in the groin. He ran back into the party room and I sobbed myself to sleep in the empty room. I'm sure I paid for that particular action, but to this day I'm glad I did it.
14. If you could go back and do it over, would you?
College yes, high school no.
15. What do you remember most about graduation?
Worrying about my cap falling off and being amazed at how disconnected I felt from Jerk Boy now that high school was over.
16. Where were you on senior skip day?
We had Senior Skip WEEK, then we went and ruined it for every NHS class to graduate after us. What I remember most from the week was the picnic at Andrew's Park.
17. Did you have a job your senior year?
I babysat two little girls after school. One had cerebral palsy and I had to prove myself to her mom big time to get the job.
18. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Hardee's and boy did the staff hate us.
19. Have you gained weight since then?
I've had four kids, and I'm not stressed out about an abusive relationship anymore. But I have lost weight recently. Not that I'll ever see those high school numbers again...
20. What did you do after graduation?
Broke up with Jerk Boy for the second-to-last time, dated Dave briefly, and went through sorority rush so that I could move into the OU dorms a week early. (Yep, that's how I became a DG)
21. When did you graduate?
May 1990
22. Who was your Senior prom date?
I covered that already.
23. Are you going / did you go to your 10 year reunion?
Yes, it was OK. I think a Rainbow/DeMolay reunion might be more meaningful. After watching how our Big Event at work was planned and executed I've thought a lot about trying to put one together, but with my luck no one would show. (I guess there is a Rainbow alum group, but it's made up of girls who didn't particularly like me back then, why would now be any different?)
24. Who was your homeroom teacher?
Freshman year-Mrs. Eisenhart in Latin 1
Sophomore year-Dr. Methven in Biology
Junior year-Mr. Miller in Adv. English Comp. 3
Senior year-Sra. Kincaid in Spanish 2 (Fuego!!)
At Norman High Homeroom consisted of 10 extra minutes tacked onto 2nd period where announcements were read. (And why I remember all of that I have NO idea.)
25. Who will repost this after you?
No clue
My headache is a bit better and look what I found on YouTube!
One of my all-time favorites!
Harry Potter opens tonight at midnight! Our favorite local drive-in is showing it at 1:30 a.m. and selling breakfast when it's over. And I. Can't. Go. It's not that anyone is stoppin me, so technically I could go, but I'd be useless at work tomorrow and we've got two school groups coming. And there won't be much more than this blurb today as far as blogging goes because driving home in the hot sun after lunch at The Cheesecake Factory has given me a tremendous headache. When exactly did I get this old?
Instead of just hitting the Shuffle button on my iPod, I'm going to open up my Comments section to suggestions too. Friday is payday and I usually celebrate by blowing about $5-$10 on iTunes. Since I downloaded the Les Mis soundtrack last time, I'm leaning towards the $5 range this time. As I mentioned yesterday two of the songs will be:
1. "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse
2. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" by Miranda Lambert
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
The other three I am leaving up to you all. Please leave your suggestions in the comments section. I like just about all genres of music, I do try to keep the language clean so I can listen with the kids in the car. And for a sample of my taste, here is this week's shuffle:
1. "Cowboy Bill" by Garth Brooks (I also like "Lonesome Dove," but I haven't found that CD yet)
2. "Listen" from the Dreamgirls soundtrack (kinda my theme song for the year)
3. "Shout" by Tears for Fears
4. "One Day More" Les Mis soundtrack
5. "1985" by Bowling for Soup (no Disney channel lyrics for me thank-you-very-much)
6. "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" Hairspray soundtrack (anyone besides me think John Travolta may have been too pretty to play Edna Turnblatt?)
7. "Passera'" by Il Divo
8. "Jerry Springer" by Weird Al
9. "I'm Gonna Always Love You" by Miss Piggy from The Muppets Take Manhattan
10. "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" by Meatloaf
I'm thinking my songs are a little heavy on the soundtrack side, so maybe your suggestions should steer clear of those. Otherwise, comments are open, suggest away-and play along too!
Thatgirl's pics from her visit are up on Flickr now! I'm not sure you will have as much fun looking at them as the kids and I did, but here they are! (I think the kissing one is my favorite, but there are lots of good ones to choose from.)
Reading-
Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott-
I just finished Part II. I'm still savoring every page. As someone who usually devours books (just wait and see how quickly I'll plow through the upcoming Harry Potter book) it's odd, in a good way, that I'm reading this one so slowly.
Listening-
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix-
Fred and George made their dramatic departure from Hogwarts with much laughter and applause from Natalie and I. Harry and "Hermy" have just met Grawp and Ron really is Gryffendor's king right now. I'm not sure if that lets us finish by our 7/11 deadline, but we have YW and Activity Days that night and Dave wants to see the movie too; so it's not likely that we would see it before 7/14 anyway. I think we will be done by then. We have a lot of driving ahead this week.
iTunes-
Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and Miranda Lambert's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"
There was more good music than that while thatgirl was here, but those are two out of the five I'm planning to download on payday next week. More about that tomorrow...
Watching-
Big Love-
It really is moving much more slowly this season. I really wish they would ship Rhonda off to Wyoming though. I'm getting tired of her. It was good to see Tina Majorino again, but I'm afraid Sarah starting to like the anti guy will mean less screen time for "Mac." (I forget what they call her character here and she'll always be "Mac" to me anyway.)
Army Wives-
Last week's episode was better, but I think they redeem people too quickly. First the son was mean and now he's not. Then the lady on post was stuck-up, busted having an affair, and is now Roxy's new best pal? I'm very afraid that they are going to kill off Roxy's husband during his deployment because he is 'the perfect man' and there's not much they can do with his character. You will note that she has the job at the bar and isn't happy living on post anyway. If he dies, they could still keep her character by meeting up at the bar a lot. I hope it doesn't play out that way, but I'm nervous about it.
Degrassi-
I am all caught up now, but frankly; I'm a little underwhelmed this season. Maybe next week will be better...
In My Netflix Queue-
Lost-
We finished the first DVD. It's compelling, but I can't help thinking about how Veronica Mars spent its first season up against it and how it never really found an audience thanks to that. Will (I ever stop mourning Veronica Mars? Probably not.) Anyway, I do find it to be a good show, but I'm not entirely sure what the big deal was. Or maybe I just know that its third season will really stink and I'm trying not to get attached.
A&E's Pride and Prejudice Pt. 1-
Since I saw the recent one with Keira Knightly, I've been dying to see this one. I meant to watch it in installements like I did David Copperfield, but I wound up watching all 2.5 hours on Friday night. It was too good to stop. As it turns out, I like both versions equally well. But I still can't wait for Pt. 2 to get here! Speaking of Ms. Knightly, I also saw...
Bend It Like Beckham-
Cute! Cute! Cute! It doesn't hurt that I've wanted to see this for a long time! And it was worth the wait. I have to admit to feeling a little sad that she and her other soccer pal couldn't wind up together. He was way more adorable (to me) than the soccer coach. But, I had no gaydar in high school either. Either way, this movie rocked!
Extracurricular Activities-
In case I didn't gush enough, I LOVED having thatgirl and her kids here this week. It was so much fun to see BossGirl and Caroline play and I also liked watching Tristan step up and try to be a big brother to Dubya. Every year that I do this 4th of July party, I am overwhelmed when I start setting up and later when I have to clean up, so I can't say enough how nice it was last year and this year to have a second pair of hands in the kitchen. Not to mention the shopping and the music. As my camera spent those three days locked up in my car, I'm hoping thatgirl will post her pictures so I can link you all there if/when she does.
The party itself was fun too. All the rain kept me from freaking out at all about the fireworks, the usual view of shows from Norman, Noble, and Lexington was still perfect, and my Dad's anthology of patriotic music actually made things more festive than in years past (I thought). I hated that our swing set is in such bad shape from part of the tree falling on it and I hope that by next year we will have a new one (and one of these water slides too-as long as I'm wishing). I do feel oddly slighted that there was no apple pie this year, because that's just what someone on a diet needs in her house, right? It was probably for the best...
I had other plans for today's flashback, but this post from Notes From The Trenches has taken me in quite a different direction.
This is a picture of the first and last time Dave's mom was able to hold Natalie. She suffered a stroke about 12 hours later that would ultimately take her life. I remember watching her hold my tiny baby that night feeling understandably exhausted, but still happily envisioning our friendship as I raised the first of what I was sure would be quite a little brood. Unfortunately, life has a funny way of not working out the way you hope it will. (Especially if you happen to be me.) As most of you know, she never lived to see the rest of them come into the world and I would give just about anything to change that. To still have one of the best friends I ever had with me and for my children to have someone besides my crazy mother to love and adore them. However, if I am patient with my mom for any reason, it is because she's all I've got left and I'm smart enough to know it. If you have a mother or MIL that you love, treasure them. If you don't, I'm challenging you to try and be a little more patient this week. Because the truth is that we just never know how little or how long we have here.
Thirteen Great Things About This Year's Fourth!
1. My friend thatgirl's return for this year's party! Last year was kind of a 'spur of the moment' thing. This year she came back on purpose. Maybe I'm not as bad a housekeeper and hostess as I think I am.
2. OK, so I DID forget (again) to borrow a coffee maker from my Dad. That meant we got to make an early morning trip to Super Target. And that always starts my day off right.
3. My Dad and Dave actually did get the dead tree completely cleared off the deck and swing set before the party started (and as much as I LOVED that tree and as sad I was when it fell over, the view is better without it).
4. The pending divorce notwithstanding, my BIL still came last night with his usual fireworks arsenal. It was a good show as usual.
5. His Mom and Dad still came too-I hope they know that they are ALWAYS welcome here!
6. Even with a holiday and lots of company, my exercise patterns stayed on-track.
7. Mom was not at her most annoying which was nice. Usually if something seems to be going well for me she likes to ruin that for me as quickly as possible. And I did have fun last night.
8. My house was full of people last night, and I was more happy than I was stressed out about it. In fact, I rather liked it.
9. My house isn't spotless, but the areas I've struggled to keep clean have already recovered from the party.
10. Big sales at Old Navy! (This visit was heavier on the shopping than the Degrassi-watching. Not that I'm complaining...)
11. Making s'mores with my kids and two of my nieces (OK we didn't do that until today, but Dave and I both had the day off, so it's still a holiday right?
12. Oh yeah, Dave and I both had the day off.
13. Even though I do work tomorrow, it's only one day 'till the weekend.
My house is buzzing with excitement and last-minute freenzied cleaning in anticipation of thatgirl's second annual 4th of July visit. We will no doubt occupy ourselves with the kids, chatting, and LOTS of Degrassi for the next few days so I will wish you all a Happy 4th of July and sign off for a bit! See ya for Flashback Friday when I just might tell some stories about we used to celebrate the 4th during the days of my misspent youth-that is, if anyone really wants to read about it.
Before I hit shuffle, I need to give myself a couple of reminders:
1. Do NOT listen to the Les Mis OR Wicked soundtracks on the way to work if you do not want to be laughed at for walking in all teary-eyed.
2. No matter how much you love the Grease soundtrack, you cannot CAN-NOT do the arm motions to Greased Lightening while on the elliptical trainer. Sorry.
And now for the shuffle...
1. "I'll Try" by Jonatha Brooke (from Return to Neverland)
2."Who's Bed Have Your Boots Been Under by Shania Twain" (ok, feeling a little sheepish now)
3. One More Try by George Michael (I NEVER apologize for loving G.M.)
4. "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes (memories of Dirty Dancing AND Dave and Maddie finally hitting the sheets on Moonlighting)
5. "I've Got a Name" by Jim Croce
6. "The Dance" by Garth Brooks (he once said this was the best song he ever recorded and I have to concur)
7. "Friendship" by Patti Lupone and Bill McCutchen (from Anything Goes)
8. "Travelin' Soldier" by the Dixie Chicks
9. "Broken" by Kenneth Cope
10. "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart
To play along, just hit shuffle and post the first ten songs. The more embarrassing the better. Either put it on your blog or in my Comments section. Thanks to rsnlex for playing last week! And thanks to Sooner Scotty for letting me "borrow" his idea.
Reading-
New Testament: Romans
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott-
The screenplay is creeping along slowly, and when I need inspiration I read a chapter or two and keep plugging away. (Alison, you're right in guessing that it is a sister missionary story.)
Watching-
Big Love-
Poor Nikki! While she isn't a favorite character in the sense that there's much to love about her, I do find her the most compelling of the three. The thing they don't tell you about dysfunctional families is that even when you are better off away from them, there is always a strong pull towards those people who just might bring out the worst in you because you know all of each other's secrets (good or bad). I was crying with her (or really FOR her) at the end. Because I know I now have more LDS readers than I did when I started this blog, I feel the need to justify my fascination with this show. I did not grow up in the church. None of my ancestors were polygamists. The only thing I know about its place in church history is the very sanitized version presented in The Work and the Glory series which stand in contrast with the excerpts I've read from In Sacred Loneliness (Yes Mom, I've read a lot from it and I still stand by my church.) Moreover, I feel a certain sense of, I don't know, protectiveness towards women in these kind of relationships whether they are happy in them or otherwise. I mean, I'm fairly sure I would not have joined the church had polygamy been a membership requirement, but these women have. Is their faith greater than mine? I don't know. But I find it all very compelling, even though I'm sure this isn't a completely accurate depiction of their lifestyle. Also seeing Bill Paxton in a role where he really shines and seeing Harry Dean Stanton on a weekly basis is always a good thing. (Though I'm glad we see a lot LESS of Bill Paxton than we did in the earliest episodes.) So, I hope my interest in this show isn't offensive to anyone who has started reading since the last season ended. If you are, be reassured that I try to write vaguely about anything on any of the shows I watch because I don't want to spoil the details for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. So you won't be subjected to much of it, I promise.
Army Wives-
It's coming on at 9:00 p.m. I hope it's better than last week.
iTunes Downloads-
The Les Mis Soundtrack-
All the broadway talk this week made me really miss my CD's and who knows when I'll find them again?! So it's nice to have them back on my iPod.
In My Netflix Queue-
Malena-
I spent most of the movie wondering if I liked it or not. In the end, I decided that I did. Of course, I'm a little biased when it comes to Italian movies. (Sadly, I find myself needing the subtitles more and more.)
Lost-
We've only made it through the second episode. It's very good, but as I said, I have inadvertently learned more and more about the show than I wish I knew and it clouds things as I watch it now. I did laugh when Hurley passed out, but I totally expected it.
Out and About-
The Melting Pot-
We had a going away party for a friend of ours there and it was great! It's a little pricey, but it was very good. I skipped the main course, but I loved the cheese and chocolate. Even better than the food though, was that my friend Joy made a cameo appearance driving in from Wichita just for the party and driving home once we were done. I hadn't seen her in a year, and it made my evening. The only question I have is why does every good evening I have in OKC begin with me buying something cute at Penn Square and changing in the ladies' room? (Which is much easier now that they've remodeled it.)
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