Happy Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating today. Hope everybody is having a good day, even if it doesn’t involve a feast.
I am feeling truly thankful today.
We’ve had an eventful week in our house. My husband ended up in the ER to get 8 staples in his head after a fall playing basketball during his lunch break. He’s okay and he doesn’t seem to be hurt beyond the cut. But a head injury is always scary.
I’m very thankful that he wasn’t hurt worse. And I’m thankful that we have medical insurance.
In related thoughts, I’m also thankful for my husband’s job. All the economic issues of the past few years have certainly increased my appreciation for my husband’s stable government job with good benefits. I'm very thankful that we can ride out a trip to the ER and all the plumbing drama from last week without it putting us in debt. I'm also thankful for my part time job that allows me to make a little money, but still spend most of my time chasing my kids.
Last year at this time, we were in the middle of trying to sell our old house. We were under contract after 99 days on the market, but we were having inspection and appraisal issues. There were many times when it looked like the whole thing might fall apart. I am so thankful that we were able to sell our old home and buy the new one. I know that many others are underwater on their mortgages and don’t have any good options. We definitely lucked out on the home sale and we were lucky that we didn't buy at the top of home market.
I'm also thankful we won't be moving 2 weeks before Christmas this year. We managed to get our tree up last year, but it was a close call.
Finally, I am of course thankful for my family. I have two wonderful, healthy kids and a fantastic husband.
I love my life and I am truly thankful for all my blessings.
Well, enough of that sappiness. - I’m off to make some English toffee and put the finishing touches on our Thanksgiving dinner.
Don't eat too much!
P.S. Good luck if you're hitting the sales tomorrow. I'm venturing out for the first time on black Friday morning. I'll let you know how it goes.
Nov 24, 2011
Nov 22, 2011
The Name Game
I recently stumbled across this article – No joke: Ex-mayor’s name too funny for Indiana government center
Fort Wayne, Indiana is building a new government center and is brainstorming what to call it. They’re hosting an online poll, but it doesn’t look like they are going to select the first place winner, even though one name is winning by a land slide.
What’s the issue? The name is Harry Baals.
Just to be clear, this name isn’t a made up joke. Harry Baals was a very popular former major who served four years in the 1930s and 1950s. He is exactly the type of man you would want to name a government center after.
But the town is worried about becoming a joke. (Probably with good reason.)
This is an issue that hits a bit close to home for me. You see, my last name is an actual English word. It’s one of those words that I think has a relatively high chance of becoming a dirty joke or making my daughter sound like a stripper.
It’s hard to predict what’s going to be hilariously filthy 30 years from now. I gave my children pretty standard names (James who we call “J” for short and Audrey) and I hope they’re full names will still be safe to utter in front of 13 years olds in the future, but still I worry a little. The potential for unfortunate jokes was definitely something I considered when picking names.
Back when former governor Harry Baals was named, the name wasn’t funny. His parent didn’t purposely select something that was too conversational to put on a building.
On one level, I find the whole thing pretty amusing. But I honestly do feel for the family. They’ve even changed the pronunciation of their last name to “Bales” from “Balls” in a an effort to protect Harry from ridicule. It’s sad that this man will miss on out the honor simply because of his name.
There is so much pressure on parents when picking names! Here these folks tried to give their child a nice, normal name and it back fired.
It makes me curious about the times when parents are trying to be unique or trendy. I wonder what some of these celebrity kids will think of their unique monikers as they grow up. But I guess getting a huge inheritance will soften any blows.
I just hope my kid’s names remain nice and normal. I guess only time will tell...
Fort Wayne, Indiana is building a new government center and is brainstorming what to call it. They’re hosting an online poll, but it doesn’t look like they are going to select the first place winner, even though one name is winning by a land slide.
What’s the issue? The name is Harry Baals.
Just to be clear, this name isn’t a made up joke. Harry Baals was a very popular former major who served four years in the 1930s and 1950s. He is exactly the type of man you would want to name a government center after.
But the town is worried about becoming a joke. (Probably with good reason.)
This is an issue that hits a bit close to home for me. You see, my last name is an actual English word. It’s one of those words that I think has a relatively high chance of becoming a dirty joke or making my daughter sound like a stripper.
It’s hard to predict what’s going to be hilariously filthy 30 years from now. I gave my children pretty standard names (James who we call “J” for short and Audrey) and I hope they’re full names will still be safe to utter in front of 13 years olds in the future, but still I worry a little. The potential for unfortunate jokes was definitely something I considered when picking names.
Back when former governor Harry Baals was named, the name wasn’t funny. His parent didn’t purposely select something that was too conversational to put on a building.
On one level, I find the whole thing pretty amusing. But I honestly do feel for the family. They’ve even changed the pronunciation of their last name to “Bales” from “Balls” in a an effort to protect Harry from ridicule. It’s sad that this man will miss on out the honor simply because of his name.
There is so much pressure on parents when picking names! Here these folks tried to give their child a nice, normal name and it back fired.
It makes me curious about the times when parents are trying to be unique or trendy. I wonder what some of these celebrity kids will think of their unique monikers as they grow up. But I guess getting a huge inheritance will soften any blows.
I just hope my kid’s names remain nice and normal. I guess only time will tell...
Nov 17, 2011
Ridiculousness All Around
Today hasn't been a bad day, but it has been a ridiculous day.
If I told you how many times today I've said "this is not a good time to take off your clothes" and "please put your tongue back in your mouth", you'd probably think my life was far more exciting than it actually is.
I also think it's amusing how many little things preschool requires. Today, my son needed something for show in tell, a picture of something that starts with the letter "C" and it was our turn to bring in snack for his class of 15. This is also the day he stays late for an extra class so I needed to pack him a lunch. I know none of things are hard by themselves, but it gets a little out of hand when they all stack up.
I had a 1-5pm window for a plumber to show up this afternoon to fix a slow leak on the hot water pipe leading to a sink in a bathroom. This was also the morning when I happened to host a coffee for some neighborhood moms so there were about a dozen extra bodies in my house when the plumber showed up well before expected at 11 am. (The company did call to check if I was home, but I wasn't about to say no and risk the plumber going MIA.)
Turns out the main cutout valve that shuts off the water supply to the whole house was also leaking and covered in rust. Add in a few more minor things and the bill was almost $900. I am grateful that we discovered that the cutoff valve needed replaced before something was flooding our house with no way to stop it, but it wasn't exactly part of the plan for the day.
I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch with my husband today and having a glass of wine.
Anybody else have a ridiculous day?
I'm thankful that tomorrow is Friday and we have nothing planned!
If I told you how many times today I've said "this is not a good time to take off your clothes" and "please put your tongue back in your mouth", you'd probably think my life was far more exciting than it actually is.
I also think it's amusing how many little things preschool requires. Today, my son needed something for show in tell, a picture of something that starts with the letter "C" and it was our turn to bring in snack for his class of 15. This is also the day he stays late for an extra class so I needed to pack him a lunch. I know none of things are hard by themselves, but it gets a little out of hand when they all stack up.
I had a 1-5pm window for a plumber to show up this afternoon to fix a slow leak on the hot water pipe leading to a sink in a bathroom. This was also the morning when I happened to host a coffee for some neighborhood moms so there were about a dozen extra bodies in my house when the plumber showed up well before expected at 11 am. (The company did call to check if I was home, but I wasn't about to say no and risk the plumber going MIA.)
Turns out the main cutout valve that shuts off the water supply to the whole house was also leaking and covered in rust. Add in a few more minor things and the bill was almost $900. I am grateful that we discovered that the cutoff valve needed replaced before something was flooding our house with no way to stop it, but it wasn't exactly part of the plan for the day.
I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch with my husband today and having a glass of wine.
Anybody else have a ridiculous day?
I'm thankful that tomorrow is Friday and we have nothing planned!
Nov 15, 2011
I'll Buy that Free Replacement
If you judge me by my gadgets, I’m pretty uncool. I don’t have an Ipad or a smart phone. We don’t even have a flat screen TV. I think it’s a mix of being frugal and living with two small very destructive beings. The reality is that anything small enough to fit in a toilet has the potential for a pretty short life span around these parts and even the big stuff is prone to projectile damage. It just doesn’t make sense to invest in anything optional that is both breakable and expensive at this point in time
Anyway, I own and still use a really old “first generation” Ipod nano. I bought it pre-kiddos and I’ve just never bothered to upgrade.
And I just want to take a moment to point out that it still works like a champ. I have used and abused the poor thing over the last six years and it has never let me down.
I’m not a complete convert to Apple, but I have to say that I am impressed with the gadgets they have been producing.
Now I have a reason to be impressed with the company itself. I got an email from Apple this week with an offer to replace my nano with a new one. Just to be clear, it's a new "first generation" nano so it's a new old one, but it's still got to be better than what I've got. Apparently, there is a battery defect associated with one of their supplies that can cause the battery to overheat and pose a potential safety risk so they are replacing all affected models for free.
I guess you could look at it and say that this is bad since my iPod has the potential to burn me or cause a fire. But as an engineer, I’m impressed with how they managed the problem. No matter how careful you, it’s pretty much impossible to prevent all issues. Perfection just doesn’t exist no matter how much you design for it. (Obviously, if a product breaks all the the time that's an entirely different matter.)
I think you learn a lot about a company from how they manage the issues that pop come up. I’ve seen plenty of examples where companies tried to down play an issue to avoid negative publicity. Apple gets points in my book for being proactive.
It is a bit of a bummer that it takes up to six weeks to receive my replacement Ipod, but I’m getting a new one out of the deal so I can’t really complain.
Really, the only negative is that I lost most of my justification for upgrading my Ipod to something newer and cooler. I've been secretly hoping it would finally die so I could upgrade without guilt. Maybe in a few years when the tablets get cheaper I’ll take the plunge…
Bottom line - this appears to be a rare issue with old technology and yet they are willing to replace my Ipod for free. My Ipod’s warranty expired about 5 years old so I think that’s pretty generous under the circumstances.
Does anybody else have any experience with Apple? What do you think of the company?
Right now, I have to say I’m feeling the love.
Anyway, I own and still use a really old “first generation” Ipod nano. I bought it pre-kiddos and I’ve just never bothered to upgrade.
And I just want to take a moment to point out that it still works like a champ. I have used and abused the poor thing over the last six years and it has never let me down.
I’m not a complete convert to Apple, but I have to say that I am impressed with the gadgets they have been producing.
Now I have a reason to be impressed with the company itself. I got an email from Apple this week with an offer to replace my nano with a new one. Just to be clear, it's a new "first generation" nano so it's a new old one, but it's still got to be better than what I've got. Apparently, there is a battery defect associated with one of their supplies that can cause the battery to overheat and pose a potential safety risk so they are replacing all affected models for free.
I guess you could look at it and say that this is bad since my iPod has the potential to burn me or cause a fire. But as an engineer, I’m impressed with how they managed the problem. No matter how careful you, it’s pretty much impossible to prevent all issues. Perfection just doesn’t exist no matter how much you design for it. (Obviously, if a product breaks all the the time that's an entirely different matter.)
I think you learn a lot about a company from how they manage the issues that pop come up. I’ve seen plenty of examples where companies tried to down play an issue to avoid negative publicity. Apple gets points in my book for being proactive.
It is a bit of a bummer that it takes up to six weeks to receive my replacement Ipod, but I’m getting a new one out of the deal so I can’t really complain.
Really, the only negative is that I lost most of my justification for upgrading my Ipod to something newer and cooler. I've been secretly hoping it would finally die so I could upgrade without guilt. Maybe in a few years when the tablets get cheaper I’ll take the plunge…
Bottom line - this appears to be a rare issue with old technology and yet they are willing to replace my Ipod for free. My Ipod’s warranty expired about 5 years old so I think that’s pretty generous under the circumstances.
Does anybody else have any experience with Apple? What do you think of the company?
Right now, I have to say I’m feeling the love.
Nov 13, 2011
Here's the Skinny
Why is it we women are so hard on ourselves?
I’ve always had a thing about my hips. Or not exactly my hips, but that region where my legs meet the rest of me that I like to refer to as the buthigh. That’s never been my favorite body part.
I don’t have much up top, but I always have a gap in my waist band. If I was so inclined to describe myself as a piece of fruit, pear would be the one.
But I think the time has come to just let it go. I’ve wasted enough hours worrying over the size of my hips. When I look back at old photos of myself, I realize that I didn’t appreciate my twenty something body nearly enough. Not that I was ever super model material, but I definitely focused on my perceived flaws and missed the good stuff.
And really, life is too short for that nonsense.
I’m going to work on focusing on the positive things. I’m proud that I’m at my pre-baby weight. I feel healthy. I’m getting a decent amount of sleep these days. So what if my hips will always be bigger than a models?
The end result of all this soul searching is that I sported my first pair of skinny jeans this weekend. And I liked it!
I swore I would never, ever wear skinny jeans. I thought they would make my hips look the size of Texas. I thought they were all wrong for my body type. But I kind of forget how forgiving sketchy denim is. I don’t actually think they look too bad once they were actually on.
I also kind of forget how fun it is to wear tall boots. The boots were definitely part of the motivation to try the skinny jeans.
Even when both children are screaming in the middle of grocery store and the situation is totally out of control, you still kind of feel like a bad ass if you’re wearing tall boots. Or at least I do. (Let me keep my delusions if this is just me, I need the boast these days with my wild 4.5 and the little one about to hit 2.)
I’m not sure why, but I really do feel so much better on a bad day when I put on an outfit I feel good in. I guess it’s a bit like faking it until you make it, but it really does help me channel the right mood to get through a rough day. I can at least look the part and then maybe I can act the part. I certainly don’t feel at the top of my game when my hair is in a greasily pony-tail and I’m in baggy sweat pants.
So long live the skinny jeans! To hell with the hipless model in the magazines. My boots are going to walk all over your stereotypes. Okay, maybe that’s a bit too sweeping and melodramatic, but I am going to wear my boots and feel good while I'm doing it.
I’ve always had a thing about my hips. Or not exactly my hips, but that region where my legs meet the rest of me that I like to refer to as the buthigh. That’s never been my favorite body part.
I don’t have much up top, but I always have a gap in my waist band. If I was so inclined to describe myself as a piece of fruit, pear would be the one.
But I think the time has come to just let it go. I’ve wasted enough hours worrying over the size of my hips. When I look back at old photos of myself, I realize that I didn’t appreciate my twenty something body nearly enough. Not that I was ever super model material, but I definitely focused on my perceived flaws and missed the good stuff.
And really, life is too short for that nonsense.
I’m going to work on focusing on the positive things. I’m proud that I’m at my pre-baby weight. I feel healthy. I’m getting a decent amount of sleep these days. So what if my hips will always be bigger than a models?
The end result of all this soul searching is that I sported my first pair of skinny jeans this weekend. And I liked it!
I swore I would never, ever wear skinny jeans. I thought they would make my hips look the size of Texas. I thought they were all wrong for my body type. But I kind of forget how forgiving sketchy denim is. I don’t actually think they look too bad once they were actually on.
I also kind of forget how fun it is to wear tall boots. The boots were definitely part of the motivation to try the skinny jeans.
Even when both children are screaming in the middle of grocery store and the situation is totally out of control, you still kind of feel like a bad ass if you’re wearing tall boots. Or at least I do. (Let me keep my delusions if this is just me, I need the boast these days with my wild 4.5 and the little one about to hit 2.)
I’m not sure why, but I really do feel so much better on a bad day when I put on an outfit I feel good in. I guess it’s a bit like faking it until you make it, but it really does help me channel the right mood to get through a rough day. I can at least look the part and then maybe I can act the part. I certainly don’t feel at the top of my game when my hair is in a greasily pony-tail and I’m in baggy sweat pants.
So long live the skinny jeans! To hell with the hipless model in the magazines. My boots are going to walk all over your stereotypes. Okay, maybe that’s a bit too sweeping and melodramatic, but I am going to wear my boots and feel good while I'm doing it.
Nov 8, 2011
Daylight, Go Save Yourself
Oh daylight savings, you sly minx. Well played last weekend, well played.
I have once again underestimated your ability to cause chaos.
If you think about it, changing the clock is a pretty odd thing. Time is one of those things that an entire society has to agree on to work. It’s kind of like picking a side of the road to drive on, everybody has to be on the joke or the results really aren’t funny.
And my kids aren’t in on the daylight savings punch line. They are not amused.
My house is struggling because we can’t agree on what time it is. The kiddos’ sleep cycles and tummies aren’t digging an hour shift.
For some reason, they are protesting the whole thing by waking up even earlier than usual. I’ve always had early birds, but they’ve been celebrating daylight savings by waking up at 5 this week. I’m kind of over it.
On a positive note, I had no problem being on time for my son’s 9 am dental appointment yesterday because I had four hours to get us there.
Also, it turns out that things could be much worse. I thought it was confusing to shift the clocks twice a year, but apparently this is the modern, simple approach to making good use of the daylight. According to my good friend Wikipedia, some ancient civilizations dealt with the changing hours of daylight by varying the length of hours seasonally. They often divided the daylight into twelve hours so that hours were longer in the summer and shorter in the winter.
Can you imagine implementing that today? I’m pretty sure I’d always be late if time was a moving target.
I have once again underestimated your ability to cause chaos.
If you think about it, changing the clock is a pretty odd thing. Time is one of those things that an entire society has to agree on to work. It’s kind of like picking a side of the road to drive on, everybody has to be on the joke or the results really aren’t funny.
And my kids aren’t in on the daylight savings punch line. They are not amused.
My house is struggling because we can’t agree on what time it is. The kiddos’ sleep cycles and tummies aren’t digging an hour shift.
For some reason, they are protesting the whole thing by waking up even earlier than usual. I’ve always had early birds, but they’ve been celebrating daylight savings by waking up at 5 this week. I’m kind of over it.
On a positive note, I had no problem being on time for my son’s 9 am dental appointment yesterday because I had four hours to get us there.
Also, it turns out that things could be much worse. I thought it was confusing to shift the clocks twice a year, but apparently this is the modern, simple approach to making good use of the daylight. According to my good friend Wikipedia, some ancient civilizations dealt with the changing hours of daylight by varying the length of hours seasonally. They often divided the daylight into twelve hours so that hours were longer in the summer and shorter in the winter.
Can you imagine implementing that today? I’m pretty sure I’d always be late if time was a moving target.
Nov 4, 2011
Kim's Wedding Krash
Kim Kardashian’s wedded bliss lasted for a whopping 72 days. I’ve been married for about 7.5 years, which is over 2,700 days. This means I’ve been married for more than 38 Kardashians! For some reason, that actually feels like an accomplishment.
I did enough stupid things in college that I can kind of understand how Brittany Spears ended up drunkenly hitched in a Vegas chapel. What I really don’t get is how you can spend more time planning the wedding than actually being married. Doesn’t it seem like a super elaborate wedding should produce a marriage that at least makes it to the first anniversary? I’d be pretty pissed if I’d bought them a wedding gift.
This story has been all over the headlines all week. I have to ask -Why is Kim Kardashian so famous anyway? Does anybody know? Obviously, she is smoking hot and I’m sure the sex tape didn’t hurt her career, but what does she do? Other than semi-famous man that is.
I can’t decide if Kim Kardashian is a genius master mind or dumb as a box of rocks. If the girl is actively plotting how to keep herself famous with no real accomplishments, she has been wildly successful. I secretly suspect she is laughing all the way to the bank. But, well, there is a vacant look in her eyes that I’m not sure can be faked.
As a girl with some junk in the truck, I do appreciate the fact that Kim Kardashian has helped increase the property value of my back porch. But in general, I don’t have a lot of love for the Kardashians. Maybe I’d understand the allure if I was a dude?
I did enough stupid things in college that I can kind of understand how Brittany Spears ended up drunkenly hitched in a Vegas chapel. What I really don’t get is how you can spend more time planning the wedding than actually being married. Doesn’t it seem like a super elaborate wedding should produce a marriage that at least makes it to the first anniversary? I’d be pretty pissed if I’d bought them a wedding gift.
This story has been all over the headlines all week. I have to ask -Why is Kim Kardashian so famous anyway? Does anybody know? Obviously, she is smoking hot and I’m sure the sex tape didn’t hurt her career, but what does she do? Other than semi-famous man that is.
I can’t decide if Kim Kardashian is a genius master mind or dumb as a box of rocks. If the girl is actively plotting how to keep herself famous with no real accomplishments, she has been wildly successful. I secretly suspect she is laughing all the way to the bank. But, well, there is a vacant look in her eyes that I’m not sure can be faked.
As a girl with some junk in the truck, I do appreciate the fact that Kim Kardashian has helped increase the property value of my back porch. But in general, I don’t have a lot of love for the Kardashians. Maybe I’d understand the allure if I was a dude?
Nov 2, 2011
Thanking It Up!
The Halloween decorations are down and the mood in the house seems to have followed suit.
Both of my little ones LOVE Halloween. And I think we did a pretty good job of maximizing the fun this year. My son was invited to a costume Halloween themed birthday party last Saturday. We hit an alternative no-candy trick or treat on Sunday and the kid got all kinds of goodie bag-ish loot. They are still in a sugar coma from Monday’s adventures. We even visited two different pumpkin patches this year.
But the excitement is dying down and they are both acting a little broken hearted. I keep trying to convince them that a super fun holiday is coming at the end of the month, but they aren’t really buying it.
I really do want to maxim the fun and make Thanksgiving feel special too, but I’m not sure the best way to do it. I personally think Thanksgiving is even more special than Halloween, but my sugared up preschooler isn’t convinced.
I’ve been searching for some Thanksgiving inspired decorations, but isn’t much to be found. I’m now the proud of owner of a pair of turkey hand towels and a turkey decorative plate.
(However, if you’re feeling motivated to put a Christmas tree, there are hundreds of options readily available. It definitely freaked me out a bit to see Christmas tree on display in mid-October.)
I love Thanksgiving. I love the idea of taking a day to be grateful and the fact that it’s a family centered holiday that isn’t just about what you get. I’d really like to teach my children to appreciate the day and see it was more than just a day off from school with the added bonus of pie. But it’s proving to be kind of a tricky holiday in our house.
Due to work schedules and distance, Thanksgiving is generally just the four of us. Without extended family around, it’s a bit of a struggle to make the day seem special. Do any of you have any suggestions?
So far, I’ve bought some Thanksgiving craft projects. I obviously plan to make a special meal. I’m also plotting some new fancy table settings. I think we’re going to attempt some family board games that day. But…that’s about all I’ve got.
What do you do to celebrate Thanksgiving? Do you like the holiday or is it just a day off from work?
Both of my little ones LOVE Halloween. And I think we did a pretty good job of maximizing the fun this year. My son was invited to a costume Halloween themed birthday party last Saturday. We hit an alternative no-candy trick or treat on Sunday and the kid got all kinds of goodie bag-ish loot. They are still in a sugar coma from Monday’s adventures. We even visited two different pumpkin patches this year.
But the excitement is dying down and they are both acting a little broken hearted. I keep trying to convince them that a super fun holiday is coming at the end of the month, but they aren’t really buying it.
I really do want to maxim the fun and make Thanksgiving feel special too, but I’m not sure the best way to do it. I personally think Thanksgiving is even more special than Halloween, but my sugared up preschooler isn’t convinced.
I’ve been searching for some Thanksgiving inspired decorations, but isn’t much to be found. I’m now the proud of owner of a pair of turkey hand towels and a turkey decorative plate.
(However, if you’re feeling motivated to put a Christmas tree, there are hundreds of options readily available. It definitely freaked me out a bit to see Christmas tree on display in mid-October.)
I love Thanksgiving. I love the idea of taking a day to be grateful and the fact that it’s a family centered holiday that isn’t just about what you get. I’d really like to teach my children to appreciate the day and see it was more than just a day off from school with the added bonus of pie. But it’s proving to be kind of a tricky holiday in our house.
Due to work schedules and distance, Thanksgiving is generally just the four of us. Without extended family around, it’s a bit of a struggle to make the day seem special. Do any of you have any suggestions?
So far, I’ve bought some Thanksgiving craft projects. I obviously plan to make a special meal. I’m also plotting some new fancy table settings. I think we’re going to attempt some family board games that day. But…that’s about all I’ve got.
What do you do to celebrate Thanksgiving? Do you like the holiday or is it just a day off from work?
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