Parenthood

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of losing Dad. It was mostly a day like any other. I don't miss him more on that day than any other day.

Mom To Mom has been going well. Last week was a great session on marriage, the myths that women have going into marriage, and how those myths can ruin a marraige. It was almost laughable, the names of people I know who have these myths, and most of those marriages ended in divorce. In case you are curious...

Myth 1: But I thought marriage would make me happy-fill the hole in my heart.
Myth 2: But I thought marriage would make me whole-would complete or heal me.
Myth 3: But I thought it all depended on marrying the right person-but he looks less like "Mr. Right" than he used to!
Myth 4: But I thought love would "conquor all"-since we loved each other, everything would fall into place.

Sound like people you know?

This week's session would have been better if the guest speaker had stuck to his topic, instead of spouting off his personal opinion on stuff, and throwing out statistics, both of which could be misinterpreted. Needless to say, I will talk with my Titus II mom (Julie) and perhaps even the woman who runs Mom To Mom at our church. I just left feeling like he was scaring moms, and really they should do their own research on stuff, not just take his word as gospel.

The weather has been getting warmer every day, today was gorgeous. Sunday, we're having couples group over here to carve pumpkins, and Geoff is making his ever popular pumpkin pie. Incidentally, if you are interested in carving a pumpkin, and want it to last, spread vaseline inside and on your cuts.

When you see the hurricane symbol on the news weather, does it make you think of Meatwad? Or is that just me?

I'm going to close now with a quote from O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Tommy Johnson: I had to be up at that there crossroads last midnight, to sell my soul to the devil.
Ulysses Everett McGill: Well, ain't it a small world, spiritually speaking. Pete and Delmar just been baptized and saved. I guess I'm the only one that remains unaffiliated.

Pride

Yes, sometimes it's a sin, but not in this case.

Glen (my father-in-law) is famous!

Here is one of my favorite pictures of him.

Trick Or Treat?

This is just ridiculous.

Halloween costumes for your iPod?


Vampire iPod

I love Pearl, but not enough to dress her up for Halloween. (Obviously just enough to name her)

Baby Bunk

I've read some questionable articles about pregnancy and baby health, but I always take everything I read (and hear) with a grain of salt.

The first article was about the "appropriate" weight a pregnant woman should gain. When I was pregnant, I was concerned about my weight gain, not wanting to gain too much, but also wanting to provide enough nutrients for Elijah. I do think some women do not gain enough weight, some women gain too much, and sometimes you can't control what health issues arise (gestational diabetes). I did agree with one thing the writer said, which is that Hollywood is not helping women have healthy pregnancies by flaunting unhealthy pregnancies of celebrities.

The other article was about traditional baby food myths being hooey. That you should feed your baby anything, that you don't need to follow "the rules". You know, like first they get cereal, then yellow vegetables, ect. It isn't going to change the decisions I've made about how I feed Elijah, I will continue along the traditional method. I am willing to expose him to different foods, I'd love for him to have a palate like his father.

You have to give it to Nick Park for having such a good attitude in the face of personal disaster (Aardman studio burns). Wallace and Gromit's creator, Nick Park, said the earthquake in South Asia helped put the loss into perspective.

"Even though it is a precious and nostalgic collection and valuable to the company, in light of other tragedies, today isn't a big deal," he said. It really is such a shame to lose that history, it must make them feel sick to their stomachs to think of it.

Yes, it's still snowing, but it has at least stopped acumulating. Laugh it up Albertans, we will see who has the longer, colder winter in the end.

I can take solace in the warmth of my home, turn on the fireplace and enjoy a mug of hot chocolate. Life isn't so bad. :)

I'll close with a quote from Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave.

Wallace: Won't you come in? We were just about to have some cheese.
Wendolene: Oh no, not cheese. Sorry. Brings me out in a rash. Can't stand the stuff.
Wallace: [gulp] Not even Wensleydale?

What A Difference A Day Makes

Saturday


Monday


I have a wonderful husband, taking care of our property. Sadly, I may end up having to shovel again today since the snow doesn't plan on letting up. Funny enough, while it is in the 30's now, it is supposed to go back up to the 70's by the end of the week.

Because Roland Does It

Friday's Random Ten Songs

The Best Of Times - Styx
Try A Little Tenderness - Otis Redding ("This is Otis, I love Otis.")
I Would Die 4 U - Prince
Sullivan Street - Counting Crows (My favorite CC song to sing)
Know Me - Toad The Wet Sprocket
Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing - Chris Isaak
Anymore - Travis Tritt (Makes me think of the video, and then I could cry)
Land Of Confusion - Genesis
Take The Money & Run - Steve Miller Band
Chain Gang - Sam Cooke

Pants On Fire

Our closest fire station is hosting a pancake breakfast on Saturday. I could care less about pancakes (I'm more of a waffle fan), but Geoff wants to go. I'd love to get some pictures of Elijah with a fire truck, so unless we get some snow this weekend, we'll walk down the road to check it out.

This week has been pretty good. Haven't done much, just trying to empty boxes, and I'm watching WAY too much tv. We got digital cable, we're seeing how we like it. There is too much stuff to get distracted by, I mean, I've got first season of Facts Of Life on demand. Dangerous! I am getting a kick out of seeing Don Adams on Match Game (courtesy of the Game Show Network). We got a real hoot out of watching Extreme Dodgeball the other night. The commentators were AWFUL. But the mascot looked funny, and I thought of Mike.

I've yet to hang any pictures, I'm still not sure where I want to begin. I have a number of table pictures, but no tables yet to put them on. The giraffe collection also has not found a home, as I promised Geoff he could reclaim the bookcase for books. Ideally, I'd like a shelf somewhere to display my giraffe stuff.

We set a date for the housewarming party, Saturday, November 12. Come on by!

Oh yeah, I saw Chewbacca on a street corner today. He was just waving at people.

I'm going to close now with a quote from So I Married An Axe Murderer.

Charlie Mackenzie: Dad, how can you hate "The Colonel"?
Stuart Mackenzie: Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes ya crave it fortnightly, smartass!

Because Ashley Did It

Probably more information than anyone would want.

Put an "X" next to your confessions.

[ ] I am bisexual
[ ] I am homosexual
[ ] I've run away from home
[ ] I listen to political talk radio
[ ] I collect comic books.
[ ] I shut others out when I'm sad
[ ] I open up to others easily
[ ] I am keeping a secret from the world
[x] I watch the news WB2 morning news
[ ] I own over 5 rap CDs
[ ] I own something from Hot Topic.
[x] I love Disney movies. mostly the Pixar ones
[x] I am a sucker for hair/eyes. I love Geoff's eyes
[ ] I don't kill bugs.
[ ] I curse regularly.
[ ] I have "x"s in my screen name.
[ ] just to be funny I've slipped out a "lol" in a real conversation
[x] I love Spam. mmm
[x] I bake well I make a mean chocolate cake
[ ] I would wear pajamas to school.
[x] I have a job. if you count being a mom
[ ] I love Martha Stewart.
[x] I am in love/like with someone. Geoffrey
[ ] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
[x] I am self conscious. daily
[x] I like to laugh. love to laugh
[ ] I smoke.
[x] I loved Go Ask Alice. good book
[ ] I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
[ ] I can't swallow pills.
[x] I have many scars. I'm clutsy
[x] I've been out of this country I'm not from this country, so yeah
[ ] I believe in ghosts
[x] I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room. I hate bugs
[x] I am really ticklish. hee hee
[x] I love chocolate. very much
[ ] I bite my nails.
[x] I am comfortable with being me. wouldn't want to be someone else
[x] I play computer games/video games when I'm bored. I love mario, or bejeweled
[x] Gotten lost in the city. I get lost everywhere
[x] Saw a shooting star. been a while, but yeah
[ ] I had a serious Surgery.
[x] Gone out in public in your pajamas. used to all the time in Irvine
[ ] I have kissed a stranger.
[ ] Hugged a stranger.
[x] been in a fist fight with the same sex. well, I slapped a girl across the face, does that count?
[ ] Been arrested.
[x] Laughed and had milk/soda come out of your nose. it was embarrassing
[x] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator. who hasn't?
[ ] Made out in an elevator
[ ] Swore at your parents.
[x] Kicked a guy where it hurts. not since I was a kid
[ ] Been skydiving
[ ] Been bungee jumping.
[ ] Broken a bone.
[ ] Played spin the bottle.
[x] Gotten stitches oh yeah
[ ] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour
[x] Bitten someone. oh, yeah
[ ] Been to Niagara Falls.
[x] Gotten the chicken pox. oh yeah
[ ] Crashed into a car.
[ ] Been to Japan
[x] Ridden in a taxi. sure a few times
[x] Shoplifted. I was a rebel child
[ ] Been fired.
[x] Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back. tons of times!
[x] Stole something from your job. office supplies
[ ] Gone on a blind date.
[ ] Had a crush on a teacher/coach.
[ ] Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
[x] Been to Europe. Scotland
[ ] Slept with a co-worker.
[x] Been married. 9 years in February
[ ] Gotten divorced.
[x] Saw someone/something dying. saw a bird die near our place in Irvine, it was too far gone to do anything.
[ ] Driven over 400 miles in one day.
[x] Been to Canada. oh sure
[x] Been on a plane. yes, how else would I get to Canada?
[x] Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show. yes
[ ] Thrown up in a bar.
[ ] Eaten Sushi.
[ ] Been snowboarding.
[x] Been skiing. yeah, downhill, and cross country
[x] Been ice skating. I love ice skating
[ ] Met someone in person from the internet.
[ ] Going to or have gone to college.
[ ] Done drugs
[x] Taken painkillers you bet
[x] Cheated on someone else I was young and immature
[x] Had sex with more than one person. I was young and immature
[x] Thought about suicide I was young and stupid
[ ] Feared for your life because of another
[x] Been hurt so bad you'll never forget the pain. yeah, but you can move on
[x] Wished somebody would die yeah
[x] Lied to your girlfriend/boyfriend oh yeah

Life Is Great!

This is a picture of the road around the corner from our place.

It feels good to be starting a new week, leaving behind a week that was way stressful and exhausting. There are still plenty of boxes to unpack, but they aren't important ones. There is still plenty to organize and decide final placements of. And a ton of stuff in the garage that can get moved into the basement.

We're aiming to have a housewarming party on November 12, but no time has been set. So those wanting to travel out from CA (or we'd even welcome some Canucks), come on by! We should have the house in order by then.

Did you ever see something and wonder if it was really happening? We ordered pizza on Wednesday night, and the delivery guy got out of his car, and in a flash he had thrown the pizza, rolled out of his car, and the car started driving over the curb and onto our neighbors lawn. I felt like I was watching an episode of Punk'd. The driver wasn't hurt, and no damage seemed to be done, but it was one of the craziest things I'd ever witnessed.

So, with all the house stuff lsat week, we didn't make it to the birthday party Elijah was invited to. I felt like it was too much, that I had bitten off more than I could chew. So we passed, but I am trying to reschedule it as a play date at the pool. I am eager to go, so we just have to find a day that works.

In the fantasy world where my evenings aren't tied down to being a mom...Lemony Snicket is coming to Denver! I could (in theory) get book the twelfth autographed and meet him! In the fantasy world where I could just go out on a Monday night. I'd send Geoff if I thought he'd go for it, but I don't see that happening. Maybe we can work something out, but I'm not sure what kind of time commitment it would be, plus I'd have to drive to downtown Denver.

Alright I've saved the best news for last. Get ready to do a dance of joy....

I'm going to be an auntie again!

Dawn and Colin are expecting! How awesome is that?! EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! There aren't really words to express how ecstatic I am. Now I have to get up to Edmonton next year for sure!

I'm closing with a quote from Ocean's 11.

Danny: How's your wife?
Bruiser: Pregnant again.
Danny: Well, that happens.

For The Whedon Fanatics

Exhausted

It's done, we're moved. A couple of bruises, every muscle aches, but we're in our own home!

The closing table stuff went well. It was nice to meet the original owner, but I wasn't overly thrilled to see our lender again. Yes, things at the bank got resolved, and she did seem remorseful for all we went through. But the first time you see someone after they've hurt you is always awkward. Elijah was great for the closing stuff, he amused everyone with his new funny face he makes (he puckers his lips like and sniffs loudly). The rest of the day was stressful for him too. I'd like to say we all slept great, but we didn't. Perhaps tonight.

Thanks again for everyone's prayers. We truly are blessed.

Would You Believe...

Don Adams has passed away. Loved him in Get Smart. Voice of Inspector Gadget. Hilarious in Back To The Beach. I hope this will push them to put Get Smart out on DVD.

What A Croc!

Oh yes, I did it. I bought myself a pair of crocs. I needed a pair of shoes I could just slip on and go, so this certainly fits the bill. Mock me if you must, but they are comfy.


I'm getting new glasses today after church. I wanted new frames, even though my prescription hasn't changed in the last 4 years. My magnetic sunglasses were thrashed, so I went the route Geoff did with Transitions. Yes, I've heard they don't get as dark in the car, but I don't drive much anyway.

I was a little deluded when I thought the house was 50% packed. It wasn't, but we made good work yesterday, and we're on track for today. We've mapped out our last meals, so I know what dishes can go. I stand by my belief that we would have been ready without the setback Monday and Tuesday. The apartment is filled with boxes, and it makes getting around a little challenging. Also presenting a challenge is we chose to move on Wednesday, wanting to get into the house asap. Which means our friends with dayjobs (and who doesn't?) aren't able to help us pack up the truck. We are holding out hope we'll have help unpacking though. I plan on asking my neighbor who is home in the day if he'll help out. Moving big furniture is man work, that's just how I feel. :)

Time to sign off. I'll close with a quote from Sleepless In Seattle.

Jonah Baldwin: Talk to her, dad. She's a doctor.
Sam Baldwin: Of what? Her first name could be Doctor.

Mystery Solved? Or Just A Tease?

Got this clue today from thenamelessnovel.com. The Terminal Taxi? Hmmm. The cover of book the twelfth looks like it has characters dressed as bellhops, or elevator operators. Just a few more weeks, and we'll know for sure. I'll have to borrow the car from Geoff on the 18th so I can be at the Tattered Cover to buy it.

Cats Rule

Gary Gets A Treat

I couldn't find a picture of our car, so I put up one of his namesake. With Geoff having to drive to Boulder once or twice a month, and winter on its way, we decided we should get new tires and get the car realigned. Wow, what a difference! It's like driving a new car. Very enjoyable.

The short version of what transpired this week was we thought everything was fine with the loan, we found out it wasn't and we lost the loan and the house. The bank screwed up, and the bank came up with a solution to appease us. So we are getting the money, and we won back the house. But it was a heart wrenching experience, that has left us very distrustful. We put our faith in Jesus to resolve it, and comfort us.

We go back to waiting to close (next week), and will scramble to move and clean. We are elated we won't be staying here, and that the dreams we thought were lost, are not.

Mary & I met for lunch at the museum yesterday. I love hanging out with her, and I hope she doesn't move. We saw Jeff, who wasn't overly social, he was hanging with his new department. He did offer to give us a behind the scenes look at the Zoology collection in the future.

Well, back to packing. I'll close with a quote from Family Guy.

Peter Griffin: Yes, we all enjoy the Bible in this house!
Francis Griffin: Really? What's your favorite book of the Bible?
Peter Griffin: Ah... um... ah... the one where Jesus swallows the puzzle piece and the man in the big yellow hat has to take him to the hospital?

Praise The Lord!

After being on an emotional roller coaster ride the last 3 days, it's nice to see the ride slowing to stop. I may write about it more later, but we took some hard blows, spent a lot of time praying, yelling, and crying, and now things are good.

We aren't moving this weekend, we will move next week.

Thank you to the prayer warriors, thank you Lord Jesus for hearing our prayers.

1 Peter 1:6-7

One Down

When You Feel Like Crap

You just look at him and it makes everything better.

James 1:20

The Final Countdown

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Even with the house only 50% packed, I feel at peace about all the work left to do. At least I do today. We've mapped our last meals here, so I know what dishes we need, and I can take care of more kitchen stuff. So long as the bank people are doing their thing to make the loan money ready for Friday, everything will go smoothly.

We did some house shopping this weekend, and we bought furniture for the living room. We are really happy with it, and it will get delivered after we move in. Here's a picture of it, sadly you can't feel how soft the material is.



I'm going to the eye doctor tomorrow. I've been wanting to get new glasses for a few years, and I wanted to take advantage of the eye doctor being across the street from us. Wednesday Mary and I are having lunch at the museum. Martin (Mary's husband) has been told by his work they want him to move. They offered 3 different cities, but really they want him in a specific one, L.A. Mary refuses to move to L.A., saying she does not want to raise her kids there. Plus, the company would not pay for a cost of living increase. She said he may just leave altogether and get a job with a different company. It wouldn't pay as much, but they could stay here. She said once they (the company) asked them to move to Alberta, and Mary considered it. Martin is a geologist that works for an oil company. So yeah, Alberta would be a good place for him. Time will tell what's going to happen, but Mary won't make an decision until the school year is over.

I didn't watch the Emmys, but I flipped to it a few times. I LOVED Felicity's dress, but then I always love her dresses. I was thrilled to find out she won, she deserves it (I don't watch Desperate Housewives, I'm a die hard Sports Night fan). I was also lucky enough to have flipped at the right time to see Zach Braff present with Hugh Laurie. I thought they made an good pair. In other tv news, I have convinced Geoff to give a new show a try, so we'll tune in to Kitchen Confidential tonight. Hopefully it will be a good show. I only get to adopt one new show a year, but this looked okay. I realize I'm taking my chances by picking a Fox show. They are so quick to axe shows, so who knows how long it will last.

I'm going to close with a quote from Blackadder.

Captain Darling: I'm as British as Queen Victoria!
Captain Blackadder: So your father's German, you're half German, and you married a German!

Shouldn't Balloons Rain Down From The Ceiling?

I downloaded my 100th song from iTunes today. I half expected there to be some big celebration. Now before you start making comments on how much money I've spent, let it be known that I did get some songs for free, some were won on bottle caps, and yes some were bought. My first song (bought on 12/1/03) was Unchanging by Chris Tomlin. The 100th song (bought 9/16/05) was Love Shack by the B-52's.

Incidentally, I'm at 113, since along with Love Shack, I bought the latest Michael Bublé album, It's Time. Now we just need to get an AirPort Express for the new house so I can listen to my music downstairs while the computer is upstairs.

Dad's Birthday

It's the same old song
But with a different meaning
Since you been gone

It's a day to crank up the Motown and play some classic 60s music.

Please List Any Allergies: September

My allergies started acting up today. A year ago tomorrow, I had the worst allergy attack ever (Heather was here, we went to Garden of the Gods, and something in the September air set me off). It's not as bad as it was then, thank goodness. Today, I was fine, I left the house to run errands, and I haven't been the same since. I hate spending the day with a box of kleenex. At least I'm not pregnant, I have more drug solutions than I did then.

While we are furniture shopping, we have been discussing about what we want our home to be. That way we know what kind of furniture we want to get. We really want our house to be a place to entertain, a place for our small group to meet, and a place to kick back and watch movies. We love having guests over, and our place here hasn't allowed for that (location and space). We are also prioritizing the things we need and want for the house. There is one luxury decor thing I want, and I asked Geoff to see if we can set aside some money for that. We'll see where things are at after we move in.

Well, I have to go fight off my allergies, so I'll close with a quote from That 70's Show.

Michael Kelso: Well, that's Canada... Yup, good ol' Canada. They don't make generalizations about people because they're too busy playin' hockey or gettin' drunk or puttin' maple syrup on their ham.

At Least It's Warm

We did a lot of nothing this weekend, but at least it was warm. More window shopping, some packing, and watched a ton of HGTV. While I was at the mall on Saturday, we stopped in the Apple store to get our mitts on the iPod Nano. Man it's even better in person. Super lightweight, and slick. My current iPod is the 2nd generation, they stopped making updates and selling accessories for it months after I got it. I broke the belt clip on it within a few months, the remote broke a few months after that. So yeah I sometimes covet a newer model. It still serves me well for walks, but the two features I want a Nano for are storing pictures of Elijah, and making on the go playlists. It's fun to dream (right Lisa?).

With the buying of a house here in CO, it has solidified for me that Colorado is home. Until now, I've been holding onto a dream of moving back to CA and being amongst those there I love. But we could never afford a home like this in CA. God lead us here for a reason, His hand has been on the whole house buying experience, this is where He wants us to be. Pastor Jim's message yesterday confirmed it, and I feel like I'm okay with it. Besides, this country isn't so big that traveling across a few states is so hard. :)

I'm getting close to 9 hours sleep each night, but I sure don't feel rested when I wake up in the morning. I'm having bad dreams, or some little sound will disturb my sleep, or my mind is racing with house stuff. I can feel that I'm carrying tension in my shoulders. I'm hoping this phase will pass.

Well, speaking of sleep, I'm going to try to have a nap. I'll close with a quote from The War Of The Roses.

Gavin: Oliver, my father used to say that a man can never outdo a woman when it comes to love and revenge.

Political

I just had to post this article written by Ben Stein.

To Make You Laugh

Runaround Sue

Yesterday we drove Geoff to work, then I took the car to go to Mom To Mom (which was great). After it ended, I got in the car and drove to Social Security, taking the extra long way because I was in the wrong lane and ended up heading toward the new house. Once I got to SS, it was a 125 minute wait for a 1 minute process of them verifying my identity on paper to give to the home loan people. Argh! Now I was very annoyed, but I have to realize there were two factors that made the visit to SS longer than it should have been. #1. I went at noon, so half the workers were on lunch. #2. Another portion of the employees were out at Lowry helping out the recent LA evacuees who have come to Denver. Ideally, there will be no reason for me to ever return to SS. But I can look forward to a long wait when i have to renew my driver's license in March. Joy!

We're cat-sitting for the next couple of days for Paula, Simon's mom died. She doesn't know how long she'll be gone, she is helping Simon with the funeral arrangements. Paula seemed okay, she said she just spoke to Simon's mom a few days ago. I'll have get to Hallmark to get a card for Simon.

No plans have been cemented for the weekend, which is nice. We may try and get some boxes, I might convince Geoff to take down the spare bed to make room for boxes, or we may do a whole lot of nothing. A flexible weekend is a great thing.

I'm going to close with a quote from The Simpsons.

Rainer Wolfcastle: [singing] Mein bratwurst has a first name, it's F-R-I-T-Z / Mein bratwurst has a second name, it's S-C-H-N-A-C-K-E-N-P-F-E-F-F-E-R-H-A-U-S-E-N.

Nano Nano!

Gotta get it in black! When is Christmas? And I have my birthday in January? Sweet! Lisa wants one too.

Doing Fine And Dandy

People ask me if I'm tired of all the paperwork that comes with a loan & buying a house, but I'm more sick of all the little things that require annoying errands. Rather than dwell on that, I'll post on...

Why I Love My Bank

It pays to get to know your bank. When we encountered a problem trying to deposit a Canadian check on the weekend, I went back yesterday to see the manager. We stressed all weekend about what we would do if we weren't able to get it deposited. But the manager was as resolved as I was in finding a satisfactory solution. It all worked out in the end, with Scott (manager) using a few tricks up his sleeve. As he put it, I'm a loyal customer, there should be some trust between us. I mean, hello, I'm there like once a week. It's nice when you have contacts that know you. Sadly, I'll have to train a whole new branch on depositing Canuck checks. Small price to pay for a bank that goes above and beyond for me.

Mary and I had plans to meet at the museum for lunch, but it's been pushed back a week. I hope we'll still be able to get together even though I'm moving to Aurora, and she lives on a whole other side of Denver. She's never quibbled at a little bit of driving. Plus her girls would be crushed if they couldn't see Elijah once in a while.

We have the house inspection today, which Colin says is neat and enlightening. I would hope that since the house is only 3 years old, it won't have big fixes. But I feel like I'm prepared for anything. I'm bringing Elijah's swing (so he can be amused), the camera (to take more specific pictures), and the tape measure (to measure rooms, and the back yard for Glen who wanted to know how big it is). We are anticipating it will take about 2 hours, and he came recommended by someone Geoff respects. I may try to get Geoff to post about the inspection.

I'll close with a quote from Tomorrow Never Dies (Geoff is sweet on Michelle Yeoh).

James Bond: You were pretty good with that hook.
Wai-Lin: Thanks. It comes from growing up in a rough neighborhood. You were pretty good on the bike.
James Bond: Thank you. It comes from not growing up at all.

House This House That

I feel like our whole life is revolving around the house. It's mostly what we talk about, all our decisions now are based on the house, it's all other people want to talk about with us. We feel very blessed to be where we are, and we've waited a long time to be here, so I don't feel bad wanting to celebrate this step. We're 28 years old, we have 8 years of marriage behind us, and Geoff finally has a permanent job. We've paid our dues, now we get to pay a mortgage. :)

I feel just ill when I think about the devastation in New Orleans. I feel such sorrow for those who lost loved ones, all their possessions, and for a city that will never be the same. I pray these people can rebuild new lives, and I pray that we can stop blaming others and just try to move on. I understand the hurt though, and I understand that like a death in the family, everyone will respond to it in their own way.

This week (this whole month) I got a lot going on. Tuesday morning is Elijah's 6 month check up, and a trip to the bank. Wednesday afternoon is the house inspection, which I think may be fun. Thursday is Mom To Mom. Somewhere in there, I'm still hoping to pack.

Well, that's about it. I'm going to close with a quote from Contact.

Michael Kitz: Your having sent this announcement all over the world may well constitute a breach of national security.
Ellie Arroway: This isn't a person-to-person call. You can't possibly think that a civilization sending this kind of message would intend it just for Americans.
Michael Kitz: I'm saying you might have consulted us; obviously, the contents of this message could be extremely sensitive.
Ellie Arroway: You want to classify prime numbers?

No More Quarters!

We bought a washer & dryer today (Kenmore, from Sears). It will get delivered after we move in. There is a huge sigh of relief in knowing my days of needing quarters to do laundry are numbered. :) Imagine, not having to leave my house to wash & dry our clothes.

Misc Thoughts

You might want to check out Geoff's blog today. ;)

There are rumors circulating that the 2006 season of Scrubs may be its last. Or at least Zach's last season. This would be a shame, because it's the best show on tv, and I would still tune in to Scrubs without Zach. Time will tell what will become of this.

There was a very funny ad on tv months ago, and it has since been altered. Did you notice the Aspercreme ad changed? It went from the funny, "You bet your sweet Aspercreme" to "You bet if it's Aspercreme". Did people complain? "Cause I thought it was clever marketing. Who knows! I still sing the previous version when I hear it.

I had a great time at my Mom To Mom meeting. We have a wide range of ages and family sizes. Elijah did fine in the nursery, he was one of 3 babies there, and the cutest. He was happily playing in the saucer when I went to get him.

Not much else is going on. I'm looking forward to a weekend of relaxing, cleaning, and organizing. Throw in some window shopping and a trip to Peet's.

I'm closing with a quote from The Daily Show. Lewis Black is hilarious.

(Back In Black segment)
Lewis Black: Now, we all know the best medical advice doesn't come from the church or some machine, but from the people you trust the most: celebrities! Actor and lovestruck Scientologist Tom Cruise appeared on the Today Show last Friday, where he shared his beliefs on mental health.
Tom Cruise: I've never agreed with psychiatry, ever. Before I was a scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry. And I know that psychiatry is a pseudo science.
Lewis Black: Unlike scientology. I mean, that's got science right in the name!

Tee Hee!

Doug & Kirsty are pregnant! Lillian is getting a new baby brother or sister in May. We're so happy for them, as I knew they wanted to have another child. Both Mom & Dad are excited, and Lilly loves the idea of a baby.

We'll be praying for a safe pregnancy. I hope we can get up to E-town maybe next Fall to see all the new babies. This is the 2nd couple from the baby shower to announce a pregnancy. Lisa, did you put something in the water? ;)

Reject Me? No I Reject You!

We put an offer on a house on Monday, and they rejected it, offering to drop the price $2K. We countered by saying let's meet in the middle, because Tammy (our realtor) did research and found that they were asking for more then other houses on par with it were selling for. They rejected that saying no way, it is their price or no deal. So we've walked away and we're back out house hunting later this week.

Disappointing, but it's just not a good money decision to pay more than you should (unless you are desperate). I'm certain the bank's appraisal would have come to the same conclusion that Tammy did, and then there might have been problems with the loan.

God's Hand has been over this whole house hunting endeavor, so we put our faith in Him that He'll lead us to the right house.

In any case, here are the pictures of the house that almost was.

Tortoise Kind Of Day

Like yesterday, I feel like today is going to be a slow day. Tick Tock.

Saturday we went out house hunting, with dinner at Chick-Fil-A (again). Mmm. I loves me Chick-Fil-A. Sunday we skipped out on church to go to Peet's and Safeway before we went out house hunting again. The weather here has been good, hot but not too hot. Today is expected to be too hot (97 F) so I'll try to get my errands done early.

Once there is anything to announce about the house, you'll read about it on Geoff's blog.

No plans for Labor Day weekend, not really. We have couples group Sunday and I think we'll be bbq-ing together afterwards. I think it would be unwise to try and go to the mountains this weekend because

a) gas prices are high, and I don't want to fill up anytime soon and
b) the roads to the mountains will probably be busy.

(rant for the day)Sometimes I get worked up over things that I don't need to. Sometimes I get really annoyed with people taking cheap shots at my faith, and I want to lash out. I'm working on not letting myself get worked up, and realizing that lashing out isn't going to make things better. If people want to say things, or advertise insulting things on their car, that's their choice. My choice should be to pray for them.(end of rant)

We bought a new vacuum cleaner, a Dyson. We've needed a new vacuum for a long time, the one we have we got for our wedding. It served us well, but we will need something more reliable if we hope to clean this place before we leave. We got a good price on it and I can't wait for it to get delivered. We're trying to hold off buying stuff for the new place until we move since we don't want to pack and move stuff unnecessarily.

I'm anticipating getting some good news from a great friend tonight. I'll post about it tomorrow, but I suspect someone is getting a visit from the stork. :)

I'll close with a quote from Clueless.

Heather: It's just like Hamlet said, "To thine own self be true."
Cher: Hamlet didn't say that.
Heather: I think I remember Hamlet accurately.
Cher: Well, I remember Mel Gibson accurately, and he didn't say that. That Polonius guy did.

Weekend Plans

We're going house hunting tomorrow, and Elijah is going to be with a babysitter. We're very excited to look at houses, and have been waiting for Saturday all week. We're looking in Aurora, it's closer to Geoff's work, church, and the housing is more affordable there. Incidentally, the new neighbors, the gay couple, are also moving to Aurora, next month. They bought a townhouse for $100K. I had a nice chat with one of them, I didn't catch his name though. He said he was in shock over how overpriced houses are here. In Houston, where he's from, you get more house for your money. He said his partner is a school teacher in Highlands Ranch and he is in the medical field. They went from being well off to being poor. We also talked about Vienna (their dog). I guess I am getting good practice for getting to know my neighbors.

My Mom-To-Mom group starts officially on the 8th, but they have an open house next Thursday to meet your group and the teachers/caregivers for your kids. It'll be nice to have that each week.

I figure I'm watching too much Star Trek: The Next Generation (again) because I'm starting to question the dynamics between the characters. Like why does Picard refer to Data as Mr. Data or Worf as Mr. Worf instead of by their rank? When did you ever hear him call Riker Mr. Riker? I think maybe because Data & Worf are lower in rank, they don't merit always being called Lt. Commander. He does address them by rank sometimes, but not always. See, watching too much ST:TNG.

I'm going to close with a quote from Robot Chicken. (Geoff this is for you)

pirate 1: [has a helm wheel on the front of his pants]
pirate 2: Arr! What's that steering wheel be for?
pirate 1: Arrr, it's driving me nuts!

Anniversary Wishes

Happy Anniversary to my in-laws Glen & Diane! 33 years of marriage, that's something to celebrate.

Return To Pooh Corner

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

Life Is Good

I've been blessed to be getting some good sleeps last week. Elijah is sleeping through the night, and so I'm sleeping much better, most nights. Last night was awesome, though Geoff was up and even watched some Robot Chicken. I slept through that, and that is pretty rare. We got a great rain storm yesterday so it was nice and cool last night.

I'm hoping now that Elijah is sleeping better that I can get back to reading before bed. I'd like to try and finish reading a few of the books I started months ago, and there are a few I want to read before Christmas comes and I get more books. :)

No big plans this week, just the usual stuff. Since private school has started back in session, I may call Mary and try to get together with her. She has a membership to the zoo, and I could go for that if she's game. Or we could always go to the museum for lunch & to see Jeff. I think Rich should be back by now, and I'm very interested to hear what changes are taking place in our dept.

I'm having a lot of fun daydreaming about the new place (I leave the stress of it all to Geoff). I love going to Cost Plus and looking at decor. I found some nice stuff for Diane & Meg who are big into the Asian decor theme. At some point Geoff wants to have an English gentlemen room, a room with comfy leather furniture to sit and enjoy his scotch. I don't know if we'll be able to do that with our first house, but definitely in the future. I'm just looking forward to having a room for our guests to sleep in that isn't the living room.

I had a crazy dream the other night. We (Geoff & I) were at some theatre, waiting to see a movie, and the Hogans were sitting behind us. I turned and told Brooke how much I like their show. Then I notice there is no screen, just a bunch of tvs set up, and the seats are arranged in a square manner. Some guy starts playing his guitar and talking about the Dune books. I turn behind me and ask Mike if he's read that one since he's a big fan. He gives me a strange look like "why would I have read that?". I get up to leave, because this guitar playing guy wants to know who is single in the place and is hoping to play matchmaker to these people. I go into another theatre and see Diane, and she tells me she's there to see Meg dance. I ask how come the rest of us weren't invited, and she says Meg didn't want us to see her dance. So I leave, and walk past Athena sitting at a bar eating something. She says, hey, can you bring this food to Andrew? I said sure. It's a plate with 3 different pieces of chocolate cake on it. I take a bite out of one, and bring the rest of the plate to Andrew who is sitting beside Mike. I wake up at this point because Elijah is crying, and when I get back to bed I fall right back asleep, and the dream continued. I don't remember what happened next. Man, I have some really weird dreams.

Well, I'll close with a quote from Swingers.

Mike: Why'd they get rid of the fighting? It was the best part of the old version.
Sue: I think kids were hittin' each other or somethin', man.
Trent: Yeah but you know what, Mike? You can make their heads bleed in this one.
Mike: Make somebody's head bleed.
Sue: No man, we're in the playoffs.

Are You Serious?

Did you know that the U.S. has no official language? I didn't know that. And apparently it's a touchy subject. I thought it was weird since Canada has two.

There is a kafuffle about Starbucks printing about homosexuality on the back of a coffee cup. The quote in question reads My only regret about being gay is that I repressed it for so long. I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don't make that mistake yourself. Life's too [expletive] short. When we saw this on the news last night, they spoke to a "Christian" lady who went off about how she's against gays and doesn't want her 12 year old exposed to that when she buys coffee. My first thought was, thanks for speaking for all Christians (I'm being sarcastic, in case that isn't coming across) and you let your 12 year old drink coffee?!

Dylan saw a recent picture of Elijah and he said to Dawn, that can't be him, he can't be that big yet. :)

Speaking of Elijah, he seems to think it's funny when I sing and dance. This week's song that I find myself singing a lot is Bem Bem Maria (Gypsy Kings). He likes it. It's nice he lets me sing stuff other than Raffi. How many times can we sing C-A-N-A-D-A?

We spoke to Tammy so things are starting to move along nicely now. Hopefully we'll get to look at some houses in the next few weeks.

We've been watching Survivor reruns on OLN. We only ever saw seasons 1 & 2, (I think that is all we will re-watch) and it's much funnier when you already know the outcome. Thank goodness NBC is airing Scrubs reruns now on Thursdays, since they decided not to bring Scrubs back until January. And Celebrity Poker Showdown is back with a few new celebrities, some returning players and sadly an annoying game last night. I'm sorry, but I couldn't care less about reality "stars" playing poker. It was clearly a ploy to get people interested in Bravo's new show Battle Of The Network Reality Stars. Anyways, next week's game should be better, I mean Meatloaf is playing.

Well, before I sign off I better say

Happy Birthday Mom!

Now I'll close with a quote from Three To Tango.

Oscar Novak: I'm not gay, I didn't... gay.

Glimpse Into Me

My name is: Melissa
I may seem: Like I have it all under control.
People who know me think: I'm funny.
If you knew me you’d probably: Want to spend more time with me.
Sometimes I feel: Like the biggest hypocrite ever.
My days are pretty: Much the same every day.
Yesterday: I don't even remember. How funny is that?
I like to sleep: In a cool room, with a heavy blanket (and my yellow blanket) and my husband by my side.
If I could be doing anything right now I would be: Camping with my friends.
Money: would be nice. Enough to buy our house, and have a little spending money each month.
One thing I don’t have that I wish I did is: The chance to see my dad again.
One thing I have that I wish I didn’t is: The big bug in the kitchen that is currently trapped in a cupboard.
All you need is: Jesus.
All I need is: Grace of God.
If I had one wish it would be: Salvation for those I love.
Love is: That warm feeling I get when Elijah smiles at me.
If I could see one person right now it would be: My dad.
Something I want but I don’t really need is: Snack food in the house.
I live for: The people I love.
I am afraid of: Not being authentic.
It makes me angry when: People say ignorant/stupid/insensitive things.
I dream about: The past, whatever I watched on tv before bed, and things I can't control.
I daydream about: Our first home.

Shirt Tail Cousins

Misty (Dawn's sister) had a baby girl last night. She is sister to Kayla, who is 20 months old. So far as I've heard baby and Mom are doing fine, and baby weighed 7 lbs, 4 oz. No name has been decided yet, but she is leaning towards Emily.

Like Andrew & Athena's baby, the only relation they have to Elijah is shirt tail cousin.

Isn't genealogy fun?

Recipe

Last night we tried another Rachael Ray recipe, Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss. Geoff really enjoyed it, and I thought it was okay. The things I didn't like (very lemony, and the shallots) were the things Geoff enjoyed the most. But I am willing to branch out and try these new recipes.

What's funny to me is it seems all Elijah watches is the Food Network and Spongebob.

So, it appears the loan will go through, so Geoff said he'd talk to Tammy. Geoff has to work on Saturday, so I don't think we'll be looking at houses Saturday. Sunday morning we meet with our small group, so I think Sunday may be out too, since that is also grocery day. We'll have to see.

Now you know all there is to know. I'm closing with a quote from Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Frylock: [reading] The Curse of the Mummy is actually just a figure of speech. Vomiting locusts for 1000 years is just an old wives tale. The real curse of the mummy is that he is completely socially inept, devoid of all manners, gold-digging, manipulative and a selfish brat. Don't ever wake him unless you have a lot of time and money on your hands. Thank you for buying "Mummies For Dummies."

Good Weekend

For all the plans I make, I never seem to accomplish them. :)

Saturday we were treated to a sleep in, so I didn't make it to the museum. Instead it was a nice family morning, Elijah sleeping and Geoff and I getting to spend quiet time together. Also no festival for us this weekend, maybe next year. Sunday was the usual, church, groceries, and house cleaning. This morning we were able to get started on being approved for the home loan. Prayer warriors unite! Please pray that it goes through with no problems. The only sticky point may be the visa, in which case, we'd have to wait until the H comes, and that may be at least 3 months. Once we get the call about the loan the house hunt will begin. Part of me wants to leave the brunt of the work for Tammy, but the other part wants to look now. I can get very specific if needed, or I can be vague. We just want a place so badly.

I'm so ready to start packing. I look at our apartment now through packing eyes, what can we do without for the next few months? What stuff won't we take with us? There are more than a few things that need to be replaced, like our glasses and the blender (which broke a few weeks ago). We've had this set of glasses since we got married, and there are only 7 that haven't been broken. We've got the next batch picked out at Crate & Barrel, a set of juice glasses and a set of pint glasses. These should serve all purposes.

Thursday I went out to Gunther Toody's again with Mary. Elijah likes it there because it's not too dark. I had my heart set on Chick-Fil-A, but I wasn't up for driving out there, since Mary was already in this neighborhood. Besides, we were a party of 7, so a big booth at GT worked out well.

It was cooler this weekend which was great. It allowed Geoff to go running, but more importantly I think it helped Elijah sleep better. He's sleeping more like he did months ago, where he's only up like once a night. It's all ups and downs, this is the up after a period of down. I like up much better.

Well, I'm going to close with a quote from Toy Soldiers.

Jonathan Bradberry: Oh yeah, that's wonderful. Now all we have to do is get Cali out of the Headmaster's Office which he hardly ever leaves, sneak past the guard, switch the chips without setting off them bombs, and then get out without being seen.
Billy Tepper: That's right. That's it exactly.
Jonathan Bradberry: I was attempting to be sarcastic.
Billy Tepper: Well you shouldn't have been. You should have been writing it down.

How Far Away?

Talking to my mom today she enlightened me to something I did not know. There are Tim Hortons south of the 49th parallel. In just 3 states away, almost 20 hours driving nearly 1300 miles I could have a maple dip in my paws.


Hey, if I didn't have my job as a stay at home mom, I'd be hopping in Gary, and cranking the tunes for a road trip! Okay in reality, even without a young son, I have a husband who would not traverse over several states for a donut. Someone in this marriage has to be grounded at all times. He keeps me from crazy things like this, I keep him from spending money on new toys at the Apple store.

Chris & Roland both posted a while back about their most influential or favorite albums. I don't think I can say that any album shaped me, I've always been more of a song person than an album person. But I cut down my list to the 25 best cds in my collection (and it was hard to cut it down). These are albums I'm most likely to listen all the way through. In alphabetical order...

Barenaked Ladies - Stunt
Blue Rodeo - Outskirts
Breathe - All That Jazz
Captain Tractor - Bought The Farm
Counting Crows - August & Everything After
Del Amitri - Change Everything
Easily Amused - Novice
Feeding Like Butterflies - John In His Earthsuit
Great Big Sea - Play
Hall N Oats - Rock 'N' Soul Part I
Hackers Soundtrack
Mars Hill - Mars Hill
Matchbox Twenty - Yourself Or Someone Like You
Matthew Good Band - Underdogs
Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Radiohead - Pablo Honey
Radiohead - The Bends
R.E.M - Life's Rich Pageant
Spirit Of The West - Go Figure
Styx - Greatest Hits
Toad The Wet Sprocket - Bread & Circus
Toad The Wet Sprocket - Coil
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits
Tragically Hip - Day For Night

Alrighty, I better sign off. The boy is getting antsy. I'm closing with a quote from Meet The Fockers, which we watched last night.

Greg Focker: Look, Little Jack was crying so I picked him up and gave him some hugs. Then I went into the kitchen to answer the phone and when I came back, he had let himself out of the playpen, put on Scarface and glued his hands to the rum bottle. Ok?

Can't Move Out Soon Enough

We've decided we want to be in our new place by November 1. We feel like we've had it here. The last 4 days there has been the constant sound of running water in the bathrooms, like there is a leak in one of the neighbors apartments. It's not in our apartment, we've looked. We mentioned it to the manager on Monday, and the sound is still present. It is driving me crazy! We got in new neighbors downstairs, and lucky us, they smoke in their apartment. So now the bathrooms (and occasionally the kitchen) reek of cigarette smoke coming up through the pipes. I haven't met them yet, but they must be local because they are moving with a pickup truck and their friends riding on the tailgate.

We spoke to Candy (the manager) and we're all set to go month to month once our lease is up in September. We just have to give 30 days notice, which is good. I would ideally like to get all moved before November 1, simply because this is Elijah's first Halloween, and I'd hate to not take him out because we're busy moving that day/night. Speaking of Halloween, I may try to get out to Hobby Lobby to seek out the fabric for his costume I want to make. He's going to be Friar Tuck, since he has the hair for the part. He's got fuzz, a bald spot, then it's all thick at the back of his head. I'm sure people will think he's a Jedi, or a monk, but who cares. He'll look cute in a little brown robe, and that's all that matters. Plus it'll be easy to make.

I've got the travel bug something bad. I'm spending way too much time thinking about getting away. I had big ideas to go out to Victoria next summer, but Geoff got an invitation to run in a marathon in San Diego next summer. So, we may end up taking our vacation in California. It's still too early to think about, but I am desperate to get back to Irvine to see our church friends (and UCI & KUCI friends). We've even talked about me going with Elijah before then. Geoff will likely be going to Palo Alto in January for work training. That's a 10 day course, and he'll miss my birthday. I'm open to visitors coming down (or coming from the east or west)to see me. :) Sadly Diane can't because she & Glen will be in Mexico at that point. Yeah, this family travels a lot.

Anyways, it's time for the boy to eat, so I'll be signing off and closing with a quote from Toy Story 2.

Bo Peep: This is for Woody, when you find him.
[She gives Buzz a long kiss]
Buzz Lightyear: [cough] Um, okay, but it won't be the same coming from me.

The Best Game You Can Name

In honor of hockey returning...


You are the Montreal
Canadiens

I would laugh at you, if you weren't so sad. The
only reason you are mentioned anywhere in the
news is because of your past successes. Trust
me, the likes of Jacques Plante and Maurice
Richard will never wear a Canadiens jersey
again. You've got to catch up with the times if
you want to survive modern hockey. Some people
might feel sorry for you, others will probably
laugh at you; anyway you look at it, you are
one sad character.


Which Canadian hockey team are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Weekend Update

Because we had some plans for the weekend, we did our trip to Peet's on Friday night. We looked around Crate & Barrel at some stuff for the house, but we don't want to buy anything until we move (less stuff to pack & move). Some of it is stuff we need, some of it was stuff we want once the kids have grown and left.

Saturday we went out to Mark & Shannon's for a chili and sundae party. There were 3 different chilis and then everyone brought toppings for the sundaes. Geoff made home made caramel, and it was so good on my sundae with chocolate syrup, oreos and Napoleon ice cream. (I know it's Neapolitan) This is a picture of part of their acreage, that's Geoff and Elijah walking back from where the horseshoes were set up.


Last night we watched Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy. It was pretty humorous, I like Will Ferrell, probably not enough to watch Old School or Superstar though. It was definitely a "get-it-from-the-library" type of movie.

Since the middle of July, I've been visiting thenamelessnovel.com daily. It has gotten VERY interesting this week with the clues finally adding up to something juicy. Geoff is getting a kick out of it too now, so we visit it every morning to see what the day offers. It's a Lemony Snicket thing, October 18th can't come fast enough.

I was reading on Edmontonjournal.com that there will be an Alberta exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. next June. I sent that info to Kelly and she thinks we should try to come out there for that. I love to entertain the idea of going to D.C., I really want to go. First off to see Kelly, secondly to see the sights and museums.

Next weekend is the Scottish Festival in Highlands Ranch. I'm hoping we can go on Saturday and check it out.

Well it's a tasty dinner tonight, corn on the cob and steak. I'll close with a quote from Anchorman.

Brick Tamland: Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident!

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Lisa is back from vacation! I sure missed being able to talk to her everyday.

This Is A Sport?

I was channel surfing and discovered ESPN (or ESPN2) was airing the U.S. Open Of Competitive Eating. The U.S. Open? Man they'll attach that title to anything. And apparently ESPN will air anything. If that's going to be a sport, why not lump Fear Factor stunts as sports too. I tuned in long enough to see two guys trying to shove as much salad down their throat as they could. It was very disturbing, and I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who love to watch this.

I finally told Nicole today that I wasn't come back to Harry & David for the holidays. What prompted me? She shared some bad news of her own, that Jen had been let go. So it looks like I won't get a chance to say goodbye to Jen. I think I will try to get her number from Nicole so I can try and get together with her for coffee sometime. I promised Nicole I would continue to come distract her from her job, and she was thrilled. She enjoys seeing Elijah a few times a month, and she is one of the few people I know who lives in Denver.

I am hoping to take an infant CPR course in the next few months. It is something I think is important, since I'm with Elijah everyday. They offer one monthly at Fitzsimons, but I think they also offer one at his pediatrician, so I'll check there too. The one at Fitzsimons is a 2 hour course in the evening, which means, I either take it alone and Geoff watches him, or we get a babysitter to come over (once we move into the new place) and Geoff can take it too. Geoff actually knows CPR already, but it's something you are supposed to renew and he hasn't done that in a while. I've never taken a CPR course. I remember once at Woodbridge that a child was choking, and thankfully the nursery worker there knew CPR and knew what to do. After that, they started offering a CPR course every few months, and it was strongly encouraged for all Children's Ministry workers to take it. The church even offered to help pay for some people if money was an issue. I should check to see if our church here has people who are certified.

I mentioned back in March that Kelly was having a short story published in a magazine she works for, and I'd been searching my local bookstores for it. No one carried it, thought Tattered Cover said they may try to order it. Well, Kelly picked it up and sent it to me. It was exciting to see her name in print. The story is called Hack, and it is set in Washington. It's about a journalist who has grown weary of his job and hopes to move into a new job as a writer. It's a great ironic story, and if you can find the magazine Doublethink, I suggest you pick it up. I really hope this is the beginning of more fiction publishing for Kelly. Her website is kellyjanetorrance.com if you want to read articles she has written. I'm so proud!

I'm going to close now with a quote from The Muppet Show. (BTW- Season One DVD out on August 9. I think we'll have to get this for Elijah.)
Rowlf: [treating a viking pig] I know all about them - they come from Denmark. One of my ancestors was a viking!
Miss Piggy: Oh, this isn't going to be a Great Dane joke, is it?
Rowlf: Well, it's a Dane joke, but I wouldn't call it great.

Time Moves On

A year ago today we "officially" found out we were pregnant. I took a test when we got back from Scotland, but this was the day the doctor confirmed it for us. It's been a good year, and when I look into my sweet boy's face, I can't believe how quickly he is growing. I can't get over how much I love him. Having our family grow from 3 (I count Honey Cat) to 4 has been the most amazing, wonderful thing in the world.

Mary and I finally connected on the phone, and we've set up a lunch date for next week. She had left a message for me when I was in Canada, and I called her back and left a message, which she didn't get. So it was nice to finally speak. I got more details on Jeff departing Education Collections for Zoology. It was more of a lateral move than promotion. Also he never really considered Rich to replace him, but he did seriously consider me. It's nice to know I was wanted. Obviously I still cannot take the job, since the H visa doesn't allow it. Mary thinks they still haven't hired a replacement, so maybe I should entertain the idea the museum would sponsor me for my own green card. :) Ya right. Anyways, Zoology is a much smaller department, and they only have volunteers 3 days a week. I wonder how many from Education Collection swill jump ship to be with Jeff. I hope to make it to DMNS at some point this summer, even if just to say hi.

I'm not at all surprised to hear Echinacea does squat for colds. I've been saying that for years. But each person has their own treatments they like and swear by. Me, I prefer not to treat every little thing with medicine. I like to let my body try to fight it on his own. If it's not working, I'll seek other treatment. I just don't want my body to become immune to certain medicines. That's just me.

I'm going to close with a quote from Good Will Hunting, 'cause it was on tv yesterday and I like that movie.

Will: Do you buy all these books retail or do you send away for, like, a shrink kit that comes with all these volumes included?

Dig Deep

Thanks to Kat for starting this.

My layers
* Layer.one
Name: Melissa
Birthdate: 1/11/77
Birthplace: Edmonton, Alberta
Current location: Denver, CO
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Brown
Height: 5'5" (but I like to think I'm 5'6")
Righty or Lefty: Righty
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

* Layer.two
Your heritage: dad's side: Scottish & German; mom's side: Ukrainian & Yugoslavian
Your weakness: Potato Chips, Chocolate
Your shoes you wore today: tevas, always my tevas
Your fears: too many to mention
Your perfect pizza: bacon & pepperoni
Goal you'd like to achieve: To be more like Christ

* Layer.three
Your thoughts first waking up: Must get the boy
Your best physical feature: my smile
Your bedtime: 9:30-10pm
Your most missed memory: I wish I remembered more about my dad

* Layer.four
Pepsi or Coke: Coke
McDonald's or Burger King: meh. If hungry enough I'll eat at either. But I'd otherwise choose neither.
Single or group dates: both
Adidas or Nike: who cares
Sketchers or Vans: again, who cares
Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate
Cappuccino or coffee: can I pick mochaccino?

* Layer.five
Smoke: never
Cuss: only when I'm worked up
Sing: all the time
Showers daily: every other day
Have a crush: on my husband
Think you've been in love: Oh yes!
Want to go college: don't care either way
Want to get married: again? No, once is good on me. :)
Believe in yourself: sure
Get motion sickness: oh yes!
Think you're attractive: oh sure, in my own way.
Think you're a health freak: not particularly
Get along with your parents: at times
Like thunderstorms: sure
Play an instrument: does the kazoo count?

* Layer.six
- in the past months...
Gone to the mall: every week
Eaten an entire box of Oreos: no, but I could
Eaten sushi: oh no!
Gone skating: nope, couldn't
Made homemade cookies: I'm gonna this week
Gone skinny dipping: no
Dyed your hair: not recently
Stolen anything: not since I was a kid

* Layer.seven
- ever...
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: yes, but I don't do that anymore
Been called a tease: yep. some people are such jerks
Got beaten up: Not really, but I've been in a fight or two

* Layer.eight
Age you hoped to be married: been there, done that
Number and name of children: Currently 1 (Elijah James) but I hope to have 3.
Dream wedding: If we did it again, we'd elope
How do you want to die: Don't want to, I'm hoping to be raptured. But if I gotta, I want to be with Geoff & Elijah to say goodbye.
Where do you want to attend college: California?
Dream job: hmm, so many to choose from.
Country you want to visit: New Zealand

* Layer.ten
Number of drugs taken illegally: none
Number of people I could trust with my life: 5 or 6
Number of CDs that I own: More than 100, less than 200
Number of piercings: just one set in my ears
Number of tattoos: none, I like to be different
Number of times my name's been in the news: twice
Number of scars on my body: two
Number of things in my past that I regret: Hard to say. All the decisions I've made, good or bad, shaped me into this person. But I guess there are a few things, but nothing that I'd share.

Boulder

We went up to Boulder on Friday, and while I would never want to live there, there is a certain quaintness to the town. I love how green it is, parks everywhere, and you can get anywhere by bike or by foot. The shops on Pearl street were not quite what I thought they'd be, but we only touched so little of it. I did find a Christmas gift for someone in the family, so I'll have to go back at some point.

The campus buildings are pretty cool. They aren't labeled very well, so a map (or guide) is necessary. This is the Chemistry building, where Geoff will have his Boulder office. He'll be there maybe a few times a month.



There was a neat fountain outside the building in a courtyard, which I could see was a popular place for people to eat their lunches. There were kids playing in them too. I think the building across from Chemistry was a food hub, and it also housed the bookstore.



That's about all I have to say about that. To read Geoff's take on it, visit his blog. I'm anxious for us to get up to Estes Park, it's not too far off from Boulder. Since we'll be in Colorado for many years, we've got plenty of time to explore the state.

Weekend

I'd been meaning to mention, we got new neighbors. A seemingly nice gay couple moved into the hooker-vacated apartment. I say seemingly because we've only ever said hello to each other. But one of them I see everyday, and I hope to ask him his name. They have a little wiener dog named Vienna (how cute is that?). The downstairs neighbors are FINALLY leaving. (insert crowd cheering here) I've grown so very tired of them constantly slamming their door every time they use it. Also, the parties where their friends are out yakking underneath our window. I laughed last Saturday when I was awake at 2am and heard the sprinklers go off on them. :)

Checked out the farmer's market this morning, which had a ton more vegetables than they did the last time we were there. We didn't buy any today though, but Geoff almost succumbed to the green beans. Naturally we went to Peet's but there were no tables free, and I didn't want to sit at the bar. I just felt too high and boxed in. We passed through the mall, I shopped for underwear at Victoria's Secret (it was on sale) and then went to Safeway to get provisions for burgers tonight. Spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry and had a nap while the boys went for a run.

I think every Canadian I know is away this weekend, which is a little frustrating because I wanted to talk to some of them. I suppose I have to wait until Tuesday.

We watched The Village last night, and it was good. I thought it would be scarier, which is fine, scary would have prevented me from sleeping. It left me thinking about the movie, and the characters. I do like M. Night Shyamalan's movies. Geoff said he enjoys the way they are filmed, and the stories they tell. I'd have to agree. I don't want to divulge any of the story in case you haven't seen it, but I think it's worth renting.

Thank God July is almost over. I feel like I'm in a rush for the months to go by, and yet I know I should be savoring each day. I am just anxious to start looking at houses, and anyone can understand that.

I suppose I better go and give Elijah his bath. I'll close with a quote from The Village.

Ivy Walker: How is it that you are so brave while the rest of us shake in our boots?
Lucius Hunt: I don't think of what might happen, only what must be done.

Traveling Birds

Lisa leaves on vacation tomorrow, and I'm trying to help her stay in a positive frame of mind amidst her sister being selfish. Sigh, I will be praying for Lisa & Chad on this trip and hoping they can enjoy themselves.

Ryan (KUCI alumni and former co-host) is in Japan teaching English. He says it's super hot & humid there. He does enjoy being there, which is cool. I enjoy learning about what he is doing by asking a lot of questions.

I don't really care if I ever see Japan (sorry), but Geoff would like to go someday. I just worry I would never find anything to eat. Or worse that Geoff would be deprived of eating all he wants to eat. Can you do a cruise of Japan? So I could always retreat to the boat for food? Rod would know. I'll ask him.

This last week was the one year anniversary of our Scotland trip. It's been lovely to think back on the good stuff, look at the pretty pictures, and reread what we did. I've overlooked all the stupid travel problems. I really feel in my heart that there will come a time we'll get to go again. Many many years down the road.

I'll close now with a quote from Forget Paris.
Mickey: You just had one of those 'I glued a bird to my head' days.

Still Cool

The weather here is still cool, which I love! Yesterday was perfect for walking, and today is supposed to hold the same. I'll definitely be walking up to Cherry Creek North today. And if Jen is at H&D, I'll tell her I'm not coming back for the holidays. :(

So the family is heading out to Victoria this weekend. Ah, Victoria. I completely forgot there was a holiday this weekend. The name of it differs from province to province. Since they'll be in B.C., it's called British Columbia Day. Alberta calls it Heritage Day. (To see what it's called elsewhere, click here.) No holiday for us Yanks. We'll just have to wait for Labor Day to have our next day off.

Geoff has to go up to Boulder on Friday (I think) so we'll try to join him. I've never been to Boulder, but I'd like to check out the shops on Pearl Street. Geoff says the campus (University of Colorado Boulder) is beautiful. Funny enough Jennifer Garner is in Boulder until Friday filming a movie. I doubt we'd see her, and I'd really much rather see her husband. I've never seen the show Alias, though everyone I know loves it.

I'll be so happy once this month is over. It's been painfully long, and financially strained. But hopefully we'll get caught up next month. I would love to get a jump on my Christmas shopping, I may try to buy at least one gift. But I have gifts already needed for August.

Nothing else is going on, so I'll close with a quote from Unbreakable.

Joseph Dunn: Do you think you could beat up Bruce Lee?
David Dunn: No, Joseph.
Joseph Dunn: Even if he wasn't allowed to kick, and you were really mad at him?

As If!!!!!!!!

The rumors of my pregnancy have been GREATLY exaggerated!

Lisa called me to ask (jokingly) why I hadn't told her about me being pregnant. I am? That was the story going around Edmonton. And I'm due next month! Lisa knew enough to know it couldn't be right.

Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Who is pregnant and due next month? Misty (Dawn's sister). Sounds like Missy doesn't it?

Lordy, I would cry if I got pregnant now, I'm not ready for #2 yet.

Just had to set the record straight.

Because I Look Good In Orange?

You are MARIO BATALI, host of "Molto
Mario"! You are casual, but very rooted
in tradition. You have a strong sense of your
cultural background and family history, and are
interested in preserving it. You tend to be a
little stuck in the past, but they did it
better back then anyway! You can be a little
pompous, but when even Martha Stewart invites
you on her show to show her how to make pasta,
you have a right to be.


Which Food Network Personality are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Cool Down

Finally, we're seeing some cooler weather come our way. I miss walking to Cherry Creek, and welcome the opportunity to do so.

We went to Peet's yesterday (mmm caramel freddo!), picked up Miss Congeniality 2 from the library, then headed into the mall. Eddie Bauer Home is closing, so everything is on sale. Man that was painful, to have no money and see such fantastic deals. I'm certain we'll find great stuff for our new place when the time comes. The plan so far is aiming to move before the end of the year. Our friends here have offered to help, which would be nice. We haven't had friends to help move since we moved into our first apartment in Edmonton. All other moves were thousands of miles away, where we knew no one. This will also be the first time we'll be able to have a housewarming party.

For dinner last night I made chicken in a tarragon cream sauce, on a bed of rice. Not exactly like Rachael's recipe (fussy eater and all), but damn it was tasty. It's not a recipe I feel confident making without my sous-chef, the oil was all splattery.

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous was cute. Did I like it as much as the first? Probably not, but it was entertaining. And I'll close now with a quote from it.

Gracie Hart: Wake up and smell the iced vente decaf caramel macchiato!

Go Canada!

Canada wins Dumbest Gov't Of The Year.

Ugh

Sigh. So sleepy. Elijah is going through a phase where he doesn't want to sleep through the night anymore. Or sleep more than a few hours at a time. It's easy enough to coax him back to sleep, but it's a pain to have to get up every few hours to do so. All the reading online has offered no help. I guess just keep on truckin' and remember how it was once way worse than this.

We watched The Bourne Supremacy last night. I liked it, just as much as the first one. I'm funny about action movies, sometimes I'm really keen on seeing them, others I couldn't be bothered with. A few weeks ago I saw Target had both the Bourne movies in a double pack for $20. I should see if they still have it. And I'll be looking forward to The Bourne Ultimatum (2007).

The heat wave continues, the 3rd or 4th day in a row where we hit the triple digits. I will likely try to get out for a walk before 10am because I could use the exercise.

We donated blood on Tuesday, and they were giving away beach towels (or lake towels since there are no beaches here). The snacks were tasty. I was a little concerned I might not be able to donate since my blood pressure was insanely low on Monday (85/50). It was up at 100/62 on Tuesday. Speaking of my health, if I weren't breastfeeding, I'd be concerned about my weight loss. I was shocked by my weight on Monday at the doctor, it's as low as it's been in 10 years. Thank you breastfeeding! In any case, I will mention it when I go see Dr. Dix next month. Just to be safe.

Before I sign off, I just wanted to say that I think the people responsible for Grand Theft Auto are sick individuals. And buying their crap, supporting their product, is just sad.

I'm going to close with a quote from Rounders.

Mike McDermott: Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.

Happy Anniversary!

Congrats to Lisa & Chad on their 4th Anniversary.



It was a wonderful day, I had fun paying you back with underwear. :)

Melting

Sigh, so hot. We hit the triple digits today. Reminds me a little of when we went camping at the river (the Colorado river I believe) in California. Except then we had the water for relief.

I indulged my inner chick today by watching The Prince & Me. I loves me a good Julia Stiles movie. It was cute and a decent chick flick. Rest assured Daddy, I didn't make Elijah watch it, he slept through it. :)

Nothing else is going on, just trying to stay cool in the heat. No new developments on the visa or house front. Oh, well there is the small detail that we can't leave the country while we're waiting for the H-visa, so should it not get done by January, the Edmonton visit will be off. But I'm hopeful it will all work out.

I guess I'll sign off, and close with a quote from 10 Things I Hate About You.

Kat Stratford: You can't just buy me a guitar every time you screw up, you know.
Patrick: Yeah I know. But then you know there's always drums, and bass, and maybe even one day a tambourine.

Beamed Up

James Doohan, Star Trek's Scotty, passed away. Though I wasn't ever a big fan of the original Star Trek series, it's sad to lose a Canadian, and a veteran to boot.

I'm A What?

You're a Raccoon!

Devious and cunning, you like to hide behind masks and strike when
others least expect it. You maintain a carefully-crafted facade of being cute,
charming, and even lovable, but truly have moments of trickery and viciousness.
When finding no one to attack, but still finding yourself needing to fulfill
such primal urges, you will often attack bags of trash. Parts of you make a
popular motif for a hat.


Take the Animal Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Dame Limps-A-Lot

It's not broken, I just crunched it really good. They took x-rays just to be certain, they showed a normal foot, and she said I had great feet. The plan is to keep icing it for the next couple of days, and try to keep it elevated. Now those ice packs we took from the hospital will pay off. :)

The record stands, I have no broken bones.

Clutzy Family

I think I may have broken my pinkie toe. Same one Geoff broke a few years ago. It really hurts, it looks a little off, and there is noticeable bruising. So I guess I'll call the doctor tomorrow morning, and go from there. I'll tell you this, I won't go through what Geoff did. They gave him like 6 needles all around the toe to numb it, then snapped it in place and taped it to the toe next to it. Geoff said the needles hurt more than them snapping back in place. It was horrible to watch. I guess i'll have to update my 100 things list if it is indeed broken (#66- I have never broken a bone).

Just been a pretty laid back weekend. Geoff had to go into work on Saturday, so I didn't make it to Jayla's. I did get to Hallmark to buy the next ornament in the Dr. Suess series (it's the only series we currently collect). I will likely get back before Christmas to get some more ornaments. Since Geoff didn't work today, we played hooky from church and went to Peet's. It was his first day off since July 3. He's planning on taking next weekend off too, but I won't hold my breath. There is a lot going on at work for him, so I understand.

We're having ribs for dinner tonight. I may end up watching VH1's reality tv, which is addictive. I like Hogan Knows Best, it's funny. Plus, once a Hulkamaniac, always a Hulkamaniac.

Time to go. I'll close with a quote from Return To Me.

Megan Dayton: You're going to get a heart, I know. And you'll be able to do all the things you never could before. That's what you've gotta concentrate on. Think of riding a bike, and going to Italy... and dating really handsome men. That, I know, has to happen for one of us.
Grace Briggs: I'm getting a new heart, not a new ass.

From Alton Brown's Blog

Monday, July 11, 2005


Dear Tom Cruise,

Your lack of belief in the existence of clinical depression tells me one thing: you didn’t spend $10. to see War Of The Worlds. If vitamins can possibly help me out of this spiraling funk, please let me know which ones. Dinos? Pebbles? Freds?

Please, I’m crying out for help.

Alton Brown

Hee Hee

Favorite Quote Of The Week

Rob Thomas

On the rumors that he is gay and slept with Tom Cruise.
"I'm more offended by the rumors saying I'm a Scientologist."

Misc Thoughts

I read a news story last night that made me say, Yeah! See? I'm Not The Only One! A British teenager was hospitalized after riding Disney World's Tower Of Terror. It's a damn scary ride. I was traumatized riding it, I screamed bloody murder on it. I didn't go into cardiac arrest like the girl, but damn if I wasn't still shaking ten minutes after the ride. Poor Glen felt so bad for making me ride it.

Scrubs gets its recognition with a few Emmy nods, including best comedy and best actor in a comedy (Zach Braff). Couldn't happen to a better show. They're a long shot, but hey, sometimes the Emmy's can surprise you (not often enough though).

Friday I'm going to break the bad news to Jen that I won't be coming back to Harry & David. :( It's more than just missing my staff discount, I'll miss not working with Nicole and Jen.

So some retailers "accidentally" sold the new Harry Potter books, and this is news why? And a judge forbid them to read it? A little excessive don't you think? I mean if some lucky person got a hold of the next Lemony Snicket book ahead of everyone else, I'd think that person pretty lucky. I'll be rushing out to Tattered Cover on October 18th to get our copy, and ideally having it read the same day.

Anyways, I'm going to close now with one of my favorite quotes from Futurama.

God: Bender, being God isn't easy. If you do too much, people get dependent on you. And if you do nothing, they lose hope. You have to use a light touch, like a safecracker or a pickpocket.
Bender: Or a guy who burns down a bar for the insurance money.
God: Yes, if he makes it look like an electrical thing. If you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.

The Right Four Chords Can Make Me Cry

I have always loved that lyric, I think it sums me up nicely. Music is always able to provoke me, in good ways, in and bad ways. There's always some tune playing in my head all the time, or I'm singing something.

I've been listening to Paul Bellows' album Juliet Pauses. It's a great album (available on iTunes!), I only wish I'd had it when I had my show on KUCI. I emailed Paul to let him know how much I am enjoying the album, and he said thanks, and he's going to try to send me a Splendourbog t-shirt. I bought one for Meg years ago, and always wished I had gotten one for myself. Now I might. :)

I got a cd of the pictures Athena took at the baby shower, along with some printed ones. (Thanks Athena!) I'm going to Jayla's on Saturday to scrapbook for a bit, and I am hoping to stop in at Hallmark on the way there (Ornament Premiere). Dave & Jayla are selling their house. It's not the house for us, no dining room. And that's important to me. But it's a gorgeous home.

We met with the bank yesterday, and we're in a good position to buy a house/condo. We need to get some stuff put together, but maybe in August we'll be ready to get serious about looking. So we're fairly certain we won't be in this apartment much longer. If we can't get a house right away, we'll still move into a bigger apartment to save our pennies. I'm excited about the idea of spending Christmas in a new place.

Well, I want to get out for a walk before it gets too hot. I'll close with a quote from Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

Dead Bill: Ted, you know, if I die, you can have my Megadeth collection.
Dead Ted: But dude, we are already dead.
Dead Bill: Oh. Well then they're yours, dude.

What Country Are You?

You're Sweden!

After years of trying to rule the world around you, you've
finally put aside violence in favor of advocating peaceful resolution.  There's
still a little Viking in you, but mostly you like Nobel Prize winners and long
nights by the fire.  And safe cars.  You always read the safety manual
in airplanes, and you're just a little cold.
Take the Country
Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

You Know When

You know your church is cool when they play Lynyrd Skynyrd during a service. We welcomed a new Youth Director from Alabama today, so the worship team wanted them to feel at home. So they played the chorus from Sweet Home Alabama. It made for a great ending to service.

Geoff worked all weekend, thankfully not all day though. We spent some time talking about our living arrangements, and I'm hoping we can make it to the bank this week to talk to them about our options. Geoff definitely wants to leave this place in a few months. The big reason is we can't safety proof our kitchen, and Elijah will be crawling eventually. So do we maybe move into a bigger, nicer apartment for a year to save up for a good sized down payment on a condo? Again, we need to talk to the bank. But we have some condos in mind that we like, they're just priced in the high $280-300. Yikes!

So Geoff says probability is high that I'll be able to go up To Edmonton in January for my cousin's reception. Whoo-hoo. It will be just me & Elijah, and hopefully I can rent a car for mobility.

It's still really hot, and dinner is nearly ready. So I'll sign off and close with a quote from Dirty Work.

Dr. Farthing: I know there's nobody to blame for this but myself, well, I don't know, maybe the Buffalo Bills, the Boston Red Sox, Mr. T. or the Jets...
Mitch: Wait a minute, Mr T.? Are you telling me that you bet on the fight in Rocky III, and that you bet against Rocky?
Dr. Farthing: Hindsight is twenty-twenty, my friend.

Big Big Big

If you aren't reading Geoff's blog today is a good day to start. Big news for the Armstrongs (the ones south of the 49th parallel). Go on, go read his blog, then come back here. I'll wait.



Back already? So you've heard the news. Exciting huh? I don't think it's quite sunk in for me yet. Perhaps in a few months. So what does this mean? Well we'll be switching visas, to one that
A) won't let me work and
B) will allow us to start the green card journey.

It takes, at most, 6 years for the green card process. Hopefully it won't take that long. Once the green card comes through, then I can work again. I don't know much more than that about it. But as I learn more, so will you.

We've already found a realtor (Geoff's co-worker) so I guess we can start looking for a more permanent place in the next few months. We'll see what we can afford, and go from there. I would really like to stay in this area. It has Elijah's pediatrician, Peet's, a grocery store. The essentials. I suppose since we'd like to be in that place at least 5 years, and we'd like more children, we will try to find a 3 bedroom. Just the thought of our own washer & dryer... ah. :)

Alright, I'm signing off now and closing with a quote from UHF.

R.J. Fletcher: This is an embarrassment. A disgrace. What do you think R.J. Fletcher Senior would be saying if he were alive today?
Richard Fletcher: "Help me out of this box, I can't breathe in here. Help, let me out."

Sweet!

Bravo will begin airing tournament 6 of Celebrity Poker Showdown on August 18.

Same Old

Nothing much going on here. Elijah is getting over being sick, and I'm just trying to stay cool in the heat. We watched Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events and it was pretty good. Okay so it's not exactly like the books, but the tone, the sets, and the acting were great. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book, due out October 18 (I think).

In museum news, Jeff left Education Collections and became the collections manager for zoology. What does that mean for our department? Well they are trying to fill his spot, but he'll try to oversee it until then. Like he wasn't busy enough before. Mary wants me to consider it, but I can't. My permission to work has lapsed (I'd have to reapply), and we might be switching visas which means I wouldn't have the option to work. Rich is off in Peru, so I don't know if he's considering the position. I haven't been back to volunteer yet since Elijah was born, and I don't know when I'll get back. I may look at doing Saturdays, but that will have to be discussed with Geoff. I did sign up for Mom To Mom at my church, which will be Thursday mornings. A chance to be with other Christian moms and Elijah will be in childcare there.

Well I'll be signing off and taking advantage of a sleeping baby. I'll close with a quote from Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events.

Uncle Monty: Now, the children will be helping us extensively with the research in Peru. Do you have any experience with children?
Count Olaf: [in disguise as Stephano] Children are strange and foreign to me. I never really was one. I do know that they are an important part of the ecosystem.

This Sucks!

TBS has decided to stop airing Ed. Now I have to hope they can get a DVD out. Last I read, they were having problems with the music licensing, since music plays such a big part of the show.

Which Fantasy/Sci Fi Character Are You?

Galadrial

Possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating your environment you selflessly use your powers to care for others.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

Happy 4th!

Canada Trip

Pictures are up from our trip to Canada. There are only 3 pages of them. :)

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Athena & Andrew who are expecting! Couldn't happen to a nicer couple. We'll be praying for a safe pregnancy. Enjoy these months of anticipation and togetherness. :)

Hot Hot Hot

It's stinkin' hot here. I'm not surprised, I just haven't adjusted to it yet. I can't say enough how happy I am to be home. It's just hard to be away that long, plus travel & family can be stressful. Overall, I'd rate the trip a 6. There were some annoying things that had to be dealt with, and that's the big thing. But I have a lot of great memories to take away from the trip. Elijah seemed to like everyone, and everyone loved him, so what more can you ask for? I'm seriously considering skipping Alberta next year, going to the condo in Victoria, and just having everyone go out there for a few days. That's if it's financially feasible.

I'm unbelievably itchy (thanks Calgary!) from mosquito bites. I can't remember the last time I had to deal with that. They aren't bad here, and it sounds like Calgary has it much worse this year than in years before. Blame it on the rain (thanks Milli Vanilli!).

Paula says Honey did great, and was very affectionate. Well, she loves anyone who provides food. I'm thankful for Paula's willingness to cat sit. I should try to take her out once I get some spare coin (ha ha ha).

As mentioned, I was doing laundry today. And I exaggerated on the photo count, it was at 136. :) I picked the photos out, I just need to upload them onto my server. That would also require having 2 hands to do that... so we'll have to wait until Elijah goes to bed.

If you visited the baby blog then you would have seen the link to the pictures Athena took at the baby shower. My friend Cate noticed that I had cut my hair. Yep, it's short, and I love it! I wanted something low maintenance since I don't have time to be spending on my hair.

Well there is unpacking to be done, so I'll close with a quote from The Thomas Crown Affair.

Detective Michael McCann: Can I drop you off someplace, at your hotel?
Catherine Banning: One, I keep an apartment here, and two, I am going to your office.
Detective Michael McCann: [after a pause] She keeps an apartment. I keep goldfish .

Happy Canada Day

I'll be spending my day doing last minute laundry and flying home. I can't wait to go home and see my cat, sleep in my own bed, and return to normal.