Theoretically, I know how to work a microwave. I mean, I use one all the time. Frozen pancakes, frozen lasagna, frozen rice. I can make all of those. But popcorn? Well, at home I can make popcorn fine. Hit popcorn button - popcorn comes out great. But at work, it's another story. The popcorn button at work basically just doesn't work. It pops approximately 1/2 of your bag (which does not work for me, because when I'm eating popcorn I'm looking for volume). So, I've been experimenting to get it right and I just right now, this very second BURNED yet another bag of popcorn... I'm still eating it... but ugh. Can it really be that hard?
More news from the office - I have a good friend here (we'll call her Ponyo) who has recently been re-released onto the dating scene. Man can this girl date. There is a steady stream of large flower bouquets paraded into the reception area from her many, many suitors. But those flowers cannot compete with the guy who (WARNING - this is not PG) after an especially passionate night asked Ponyo if he could keep her underwear (which, by the way were new, cute and expensive). After some negotiating (I can only imagine what that entailed) she acquiesced and he kept the undies. Upon their next date, he presented her with a lovely wrapped package. She opened it up and found a brand new pair of the "souvenir" underwear. Let's just say that I found all parts of this story to be quite entertaining! I am a little in awe of Ponyo.
And lastly, I just got my haircut. My haircut girl (who I've been with for 7 years now) and I had a long and deep discussion about the ways my hair has changed recently due to the onslaught of gray coming... Seriously? Am I that old? And you know what the worst part was? I had A LOT to say. I found the conversation gripping. I evidently have no shortage of things to say about my hair. The good news - we're gonna figure this thing out. We're trying some new products. Some new color techniques. It'll be bouncy and shiny and new looking in no time!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
My thoughts on rodents and homeschooling
Here I am, and no--I will not be bringing my children to meet Racer. I don't know how it is at your house, Jill--and maybe your kids are good about taking care of their animals, but mine are not. The frog, the fish, the disastrous dog...it all falls to me. I'd be okay with another dog. Even a snake would be fine. But no rodents. That's my rule despite Ted's pleas for rats for the kids ("I had one, and they're really smart and friendly...") Insert shudder here. It probably is due to the fact that my parents' backyard and neighborhood is overrun with rats. Years ago, my parents hired an exterminator who was very successful. So successful, in fact, that we would find dead rats all the time. Like when we went outside during my eighth birthday to play games and found not one, but two rats; one dead and one in the midst of his/her death throes on the lawn.
This is my last official week of spring term, and therefore, my last week of required math. I am deeply relieved by this. My panic at the beginning of the term seems kind of silly but I was truly afraid that I would not be able to do it. I'm also winding up the second term of A&P. You do meet all kinds of people at PCC; strangely, many of them have been homes chooled. I have three lab partners and out of the 3, two have been home schooled. They are 17 and 18 and while they are lovely girls, they are finding that actual professors are a lot harder than their parents in terms of grading. One of the girls keeps to herself and the other is bubbly and outgoing and I feel very maternal towards her. She claims that she didn't need to go to high school because she was socialized through her involvement in a downtown theater group. She is by turns very mature and very naive. On Friday we were at open lab, studying the circulatory system in a dissected cat, looking at models, and preparing for our lab exam. We were examining a pliable model of the liver, trying to figure out where the hepatic portal vein would be and eventually giving up. She picked up another model and said to me and our other study partner, M, and said, "What is this, I wonder?" M and I looked at each other and he said, "Well, C, that's a penis." The best part is that she actually had grabbed onto the penis and waved it aloft. I am now very suspicious of homeschooling, and the fact that the two top homeschooling texts have eliminated any mention of Darwin does not do the movement any favors. I worry for these kids. Just because you pretend something doesn't exist, doesn't mean that's the reality. -- Emily
This is my last official week of spring term, and therefore, my last week of required math. I am deeply relieved by this. My panic at the beginning of the term seems kind of silly but I was truly afraid that I would not be able to do it. I'm also winding up the second term of A&P. You do meet all kinds of people at PCC; strangely, many of them have been homes chooled. I have three lab partners and out of the 3, two have been home schooled. They are 17 and 18 and while they are lovely girls, they are finding that actual professors are a lot harder than their parents in terms of grading. One of the girls keeps to herself and the other is bubbly and outgoing and I feel very maternal towards her. She claims that she didn't need to go to high school because she was socialized through her involvement in a downtown theater group. She is by turns very mature and very naive. On Friday we were at open lab, studying the circulatory system in a dissected cat, looking at models, and preparing for our lab exam. We were examining a pliable model of the liver, trying to figure out where the hepatic portal vein would be and eventually giving up. She picked up another model and said to me and our other study partner, M, and said, "What is this, I wonder?" M and I looked at each other and he said, "Well, C, that's a penis." The best part is that she actually had grabbed onto the penis and waved it aloft. I am now very suspicious of homeschooling, and the fact that the two top homeschooling texts have eliminated any mention of Darwin does not do the movement any favors. I worry for these kids. Just because you pretend something doesn't exist, doesn't mean that's the reality. -- Emily
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Fudge
We got a second guinea pig. His name is Fudge. How could I say no when Sophie offered to use her birthday money to buy her brother his own guinea? So now there are two.
In other big news at our house, almost all of the girl scout cookies have been delivered. Thank God. I have one last destination. It'll be good to have that monkey off my back. I did open a box of tagalongs last night... it wasn't pretty. They go down so easy. And then suddenly the box seems to be gone... and I feel sick.
This isn't much of a post, but I can't think of anything else to say. It's like I sit down, look at the screen and suddenly my mind goes blank. It's the same way I feel when I try and do the crossword puzzle. I look at it and my mind goes totally blank. I can never come up with any of the crossword answers, which is irritating because I know I must know SOME of the answers... but it's like the missing sock from the dryer. You know it must be somewhere, but that doesn't matter - you can't get your hands on it.
In other big news at our house, almost all of the girl scout cookies have been delivered. Thank God. I have one last destination. It'll be good to have that monkey off my back. I did open a box of tagalongs last night... it wasn't pretty. They go down so easy. And then suddenly the box seems to be gone... and I feel sick.
This isn't much of a post, but I can't think of anything else to say. It's like I sit down, look at the screen and suddenly my mind goes blank. It's the same way I feel when I try and do the crossword puzzle. I look at it and my mind goes totally blank. I can never come up with any of the crossword answers, which is irritating because I know I must know SOME of the answers... but it's like the missing sock from the dryer. You know it must be somewhere, but that doesn't matter - you can't get your hands on it.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
253 Boxes of Girl Scout Cookies
We had a banner year for Girl Scout Cookie sales this year. Feeling pressure to perform as a new member of our troop, I really pushed sales. We dressed Sophie up in her cute Brownie uniform vest, brushed her hair, practiced our speech and hit four offices downtown: my current firm, my old firm, my favorite client and my favorite brother's office. And we cleaned up. 253 boxes sold!
Then pick-up day came. What I'd gotten myself into really hadn't hit me until pick-up. We arrived at our troop leaders house and the kids and I filed in to pick up our cookies. Our troop leader pointed to an entire wall of cookies in her living room and said, "those are yours." Huh? Which ones? "All of them" she said (laughing).
So, we loaded them into the SUV and I signed my receipt - agreeing to be on the hook for over $1,000 of GS cookies. And it's been stressing me out since then. Just driving around with $1,000 worth of cookies is stressful. On top of that is the overwhelming task of delivering the cookies and gathering all that money. And then to just add insult to injury, this unseasonally warm weather has thrown me for a loop. I suddenly realized the cookies were likely melting yesterday afternoon. I sprinted out to my car and pulled it into the garage. Phew!
Today I started the delivery process. I may be smart enough to practice law, but I am not sure I'm smart enough to organize the logistics of delivering 253 boxes of cookies to 4 offices and over 55 people. So far, I have delivered the wrong cookies, I have shorted someone and I am evidently not good at making change.
And I've been sweating.
I hope to be done tomorrow. My personal goal is to resist eating an entire sleeve of thin mints in any single sitting. Over two sittings? Well, maybe. That seems reasonable. Just not in one sitting.
Then pick-up day came. What I'd gotten myself into really hadn't hit me until pick-up. We arrived at our troop leaders house and the kids and I filed in to pick up our cookies. Our troop leader pointed to an entire wall of cookies in her living room and said, "those are yours." Huh? Which ones? "All of them" she said (laughing).
So, we loaded them into the SUV and I signed my receipt - agreeing to be on the hook for over $1,000 of GS cookies. And it's been stressing me out since then. Just driving around with $1,000 worth of cookies is stressful. On top of that is the overwhelming task of delivering the cookies and gathering all that money. And then to just add insult to injury, this unseasonally warm weather has thrown me for a loop. I suddenly realized the cookies were likely melting yesterday afternoon. I sprinted out to my car and pulled it into the garage. Phew!
Today I started the delivery process. I may be smart enough to practice law, but I am not sure I'm smart enough to organize the logistics of delivering 253 boxes of cookies to 4 offices and over 55 people. So far, I have delivered the wrong cookies, I have shorted someone and I am evidently not good at making change.
And I've been sweating.
I hope to be done tomorrow. My personal goal is to resist eating an entire sleeve of thin mints in any single sitting. Over two sittings? Well, maybe. That seems reasonable. Just not in one sitting.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Posting just a little bit more...
I've decided I will try and post a bit more. Maybe not every single day, but closer to that. And maybe not every post will be the bestest most wellest written thing ever... but hopefully it'll have at least something worth your time.
We went to Lauro Kitchen Saturday night to celebrate the day of my birth and to begin to tackle the new year's resolution list. I give it two thumbs up. First of all, there is a lot going on on SE Division these days. We passed ridiculous lines at Pok Pok and Whiskey Soda Lounge as we approached Lauro. And we were thankful to have made reservations at Lauro earlier, because the bar was pretty full with people waiting. You can make reservations for small parties in a convenient on-line form at Lauro. I love that. Why the phone call seems so hard and so much extra effort, I do not know. But it does. I love an easy on-line option (www.laurokitchen.com).
I started with a French Fizz which was some sort of special champagne cocktail. It had champagne (duh), creme de cassis (is that raspberry? I think it is...) and lillet (no idea what that is). It was delicious. Ben had his usual - crown royal on the rocks. We proceeded to do a little people watching while our table was being prepared. We made some funny observations. Not to be repeated here.
I ordered the butter lettuce salad with blue cheese and candied pecans. The thing about a salad with candied pecans and blue cheese is that it cannot be bad. It was delicious. I think you could put blue cheese and candied pecans on cardboard and I would still eat it with joy.
For the entree I went with the goat cheese stuffed chicken breast with quince sauce over a bed of sauteed spinach. Despite the way it makes your teeth feel, I love spinach. And the nice couple next to us ordered the same thing first - I could hear them making happy grunts as they ate, so it seemed like a good call. Ben got the braised short ribs in some sort of red wine sauce over mashed potatos and broccoli. I'll be honest - it may have been better than mine. Mine was really good. But his was crazy good. But I love him and I did not feel jealous (I also ate half of his....).
For dessert - brown sugar ice cream with a warm bourbon chocolate sauce, peanuts, cherry and whipped cream. Need I say more?
Then I rolled myself home.
We went to Lauro Kitchen Saturday night to celebrate the day of my birth and to begin to tackle the new year's resolution list. I give it two thumbs up. First of all, there is a lot going on on SE Division these days. We passed ridiculous lines at Pok Pok and Whiskey Soda Lounge as we approached Lauro. And we were thankful to have made reservations at Lauro earlier, because the bar was pretty full with people waiting. You can make reservations for small parties in a convenient on-line form at Lauro. I love that. Why the phone call seems so hard and so much extra effort, I do not know. But it does. I love an easy on-line option (www.laurokitchen.com).
I started with a French Fizz which was some sort of special champagne cocktail. It had champagne (duh), creme de cassis (is that raspberry? I think it is...) and lillet (no idea what that is). It was delicious. Ben had his usual - crown royal on the rocks. We proceeded to do a little people watching while our table was being prepared. We made some funny observations. Not to be repeated here.
I ordered the butter lettuce salad with blue cheese and candied pecans. The thing about a salad with candied pecans and blue cheese is that it cannot be bad. It was delicious. I think you could put blue cheese and candied pecans on cardboard and I would still eat it with joy.
For the entree I went with the goat cheese stuffed chicken breast with quince sauce over a bed of sauteed spinach. Despite the way it makes your teeth feel, I love spinach. And the nice couple next to us ordered the same thing first - I could hear them making happy grunts as they ate, so it seemed like a good call. Ben got the braised short ribs in some sort of red wine sauce over mashed potatos and broccoli. I'll be honest - it may have been better than mine. Mine was really good. But his was crazy good. But I love him and I did not feel jealous (I also ate half of his....).
For dessert - brown sugar ice cream with a warm bourbon chocolate sauce, peanuts, cherry and whipped cream. Need I say more?
Then I rolled myself home.
Monday, February 15, 2010
New Addition to the Family
We are the proud owners of a new guinea pig. His name is Racer. He is white. Two of his paws are pink and two are gray. He makes an adorable noise that I can only describe as a cross between a cat purring and a mouse squeaking.
Racer also has red eyes.
Yes, it's a little scary. But my sweet and kind daughter picked him out and with a lot of heart explained to me that she was probably the only one who would love him and give him a kind home. Because she loves ALL animals, regardless of how they look. How could I say no? So we brought the possessed looking albino guinea pig home.
In the short 5 hours since we've owned him, he's grown on me. I'm over the red eyes. He's really quite adorable. But be warned - if you drop by our house be ready to meet Racer with the red eyes. You'll probably be won over by him in a short time and find that you ignore the red eyes. And if you're not, you can be certain that your children will. And will spend the whole drive home wanting their own guinea pig...
Racer also has red eyes.
Yes, it's a little scary. But my sweet and kind daughter picked him out and with a lot of heart explained to me that she was probably the only one who would love him and give him a kind home. Because she loves ALL animals, regardless of how they look. How could I say no? So we brought the possessed looking albino guinea pig home.
In the short 5 hours since we've owned him, he's grown on me. I'm over the red eyes. He's really quite adorable. But be warned - if you drop by our house be ready to meet Racer with the red eyes. You'll probably be won over by him in a short time and find that you ignore the red eyes. And if you're not, you can be certain that your children will. And will spend the whole drive home wanting their own guinea pig...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
2010 New Year's Resolution
Screen Door
Apizza Scholls
Queen of Sheba
Foster Burger
Le Pigeon
Fire on the Mountain
Lauro Kitchen
Acadia
Autentica
DOC
Grilled Cheese Bus
Apizza Scholls
Queen of Sheba
Foster Burger
Le Pigeon
Fire on the Mountain
Lauro Kitchen
Acadia
Autentica
DOC
Grilled Cheese Bus
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Department of Motor Vehicles
Yesterday I went to the DMV. About a week ago I got pulled over - expired plates. Not recently expired plates. But REALLY expired plates. The cop was super nice and sent me on my way with a fairly inexpensive $15.00 ticket and an order to go to a vehicle checkpoint after I got new tags. Otherwise, I'd have to go to court.
So yesterday morning I got up and dutifully made my way to the DMV. There was a long line but it moved pretty fast. I met a nice guy named Hank who used to work for the Hillsboro school district. He's retired now. Probably because he was Really Old. He just can't believe how truckers drive these days (he used to drive a truck from time to time...). The thing is that he knows their brakes are really good, but still... should they be driving that fast? Hank was getting his license renewed. They were going to need to take an eye exam and he was ok with that. He totally understood. As he said, "at my age you can't take anything for granted."
I got to the DMV at 9:09 and left at 9:34. Not bad. But I still had to get through DEQ AND back to my son's class for my 10:00 reading groups volunteer slot. I rushed to DEQ and found no line. Got in. Passed. Got the new tags. Got out. It was 9:48. Got to reading groups by 10:00 no problem.
Every time I have to do this I am shocked that it really is fairly painless. Less than an hour and I am done. Good to go for another two years (or, if you're me, three years because you don't renew on time). And as I drove away from DEQ I promised myself next time I wouldn't procrastinate for so long... and get another ticket.
The thing about all of this is that there is always a point in the vehicle renewal process where I assume it would just be easier to buy a new car.
This makes absolutely no sense. But it goes through my mind. There I am sitting in my old 1997 car with just the one cup holder and no cd player (and obviously, no ipod jack!), thinking I should just buy a new car so I don't have to go to the DEQ. Makes me wonder a little about my personal "decision tree." There could be some room for improvement there.
So yesterday morning I got up and dutifully made my way to the DMV. There was a long line but it moved pretty fast. I met a nice guy named Hank who used to work for the Hillsboro school district. He's retired now. Probably because he was Really Old. He just can't believe how truckers drive these days (he used to drive a truck from time to time...). The thing is that he knows their brakes are really good, but still... should they be driving that fast? Hank was getting his license renewed. They were going to need to take an eye exam and he was ok with that. He totally understood. As he said, "at my age you can't take anything for granted."
I got to the DMV at 9:09 and left at 9:34. Not bad. But I still had to get through DEQ AND back to my son's class for my 10:00 reading groups volunteer slot. I rushed to DEQ and found no line. Got in. Passed. Got the new tags. Got out. It was 9:48. Got to reading groups by 10:00 no problem.
Every time I have to do this I am shocked that it really is fairly painless. Less than an hour and I am done. Good to go for another two years (or, if you're me, three years because you don't renew on time). And as I drove away from DEQ I promised myself next time I wouldn't procrastinate for so long... and get another ticket.
The thing about all of this is that there is always a point in the vehicle renewal process where I assume it would just be easier to buy a new car.
This makes absolutely no sense. But it goes through my mind. There I am sitting in my old 1997 car with just the one cup holder and no cd player (and obviously, no ipod jack!), thinking I should just buy a new car so I don't have to go to the DEQ. Makes me wonder a little about my personal "decision tree." There could be some room for improvement there.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
I hate math
Emily, I hate math. I don't envy you the math. It sounds awful. As you know - I sometimes struggle with 3rd grade math.
To underscore my feelings about math - let me tell you about my math career. The last time I took math was my junior year in high school (geometry). When I got to the University of Oregon you had to take a math test so they could place you into the appropriate math class. So, I took the test and they put me in remedial math at Lane Community College. You had to pay extra for it, got no credits for it and it wasn't on campus. So, right there on the spot I declared a major that never required me to take another math test (political science!). I managed to get my BA without ever taking math. I love a liberal arts education.
The irony of all of this is that from time to time math is called for in my job. Floor area ratio calculations, rent calculations, and interest rate calculations all call for some degree of math. I can buckle down and get through those but not without some degree of apprehension (don't tell any clients please).
I'm not sure what the moral of the story is.
p.s. I've had a ton of really clever ideas to write about on the blog lately. All of them have come either in the middle of the night or while I'm driving. So, I don't remember them. But they're out there and I find that comforting.
To underscore my feelings about math - let me tell you about my math career. The last time I took math was my junior year in high school (geometry). When I got to the University of Oregon you had to take a math test so they could place you into the appropriate math class. So, I took the test and they put me in remedial math at Lane Community College. You had to pay extra for it, got no credits for it and it wasn't on campus. So, right there on the spot I declared a major that never required me to take another math test (political science!). I managed to get my BA without ever taking math. I love a liberal arts education.
The irony of all of this is that from time to time math is called for in my job. Floor area ratio calculations, rent calculations, and interest rate calculations all call for some degree of math. I can buckle down and get through those but not without some degree of apprehension (don't tell any clients please).
I'm not sure what the moral of the story is.
p.s. I've had a ton of really clever ideas to write about on the blog lately. All of them have come either in the middle of the night or while I'm driving. So, I don't remember them. But they're out there and I find that comforting.
Friday, January 15, 2010
I'm here
And yes, I'm still blogging, Jill. However, MY welcome to 2010 was not marked by a numbing loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl but the terror that is Intermediate Algebra. I do over an hour of math homework a day and still am not sure whether or not I am getting things right by accident or not. Plus there is a little something called "MATH 95 SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE" that goes along with the math homework. This would not be noteworthy but for the fact that I have absolutely no idea how to do anything in it. I mean, for the first time ever in my online/classroom math experience, I am a model student. I watch the video lectures. I read the chapters and do all the exercises. You give me a problem out of the MATH 95 SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE and it's like, "Huh?" Perhaps it is just to remind us that we need to take Math 95 seriously. And let's not forget the specter of Anatomy & Physiology II that is looming as well. I am not sure if flash cards will take me as far as they did last term.
So that's what I've been doing. I did spend about two hours today looking for my quarterly tax coupon in my toy infested basement. I have a big box of papers that sat underneath the bin of moon sand in my laundry room, so the federal government and the State of Oregon will be getting a faintly pink and gritty tax coupon along with my checks. It is NOT anthrax and if they arrest me, Jill, I will expect you to defend me.
Back to math homework. Let me know if anyone needs help adding and subtracting fractions or finding the LCD. I am all over that. However, if you need help with f(x)<1 you are SOL.
So that's what I've been doing. I did spend about two hours today looking for my quarterly tax coupon in my toy infested basement. I have a big box of papers that sat underneath the bin of moon sand in my laundry room, so the federal government and the State of Oregon will be getting a faintly pink and gritty tax coupon along with my checks. It is NOT anthrax and if they arrest me, Jill, I will expect you to defend me.
Back to math homework. Let me know if anyone needs help adding and subtracting fractions or finding the LCD. I am all over that. However, if you need help with f(x)<1 you are SOL.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Rose Bowl
I haven't written much about the Rose Bowl but I feel I am finally ready. Let's start with the simple fact that it was great to win the PAC 10! And it was great to go to the Rose Bowl. And I really enjoyed the yellow and green spirit that filled southern California over the New Year's weekend.
Of course, the other simple fact is that it would have probably been really great to win the Rose Bowl. I'm not exactly devestated, but I felt oddly numb about the whole "we lost" thing. It was this long climb of building enthusiasm only to end in a crappy loss. It's not that I don't still love my ducks (I DO! I love my Ducks!). But we didn't walk out of the stadium feeling like it was a good fight and an exciting game. Instead it was just anti-climatic. We went from on top of the world to "where do you want to go for dinner" in four short quarters.
The loss aside, it was a great trip and I'd go again in a heartbeat. My top 5 moments ranked in order of the joy they brought me:
5. Some Ohio State fans told us we were the most gracious fans they'd ever played against. We thanked them and asked if they would consider voting in the fan poll for the PAC 10 next year.
4. The supwichugirl kids sang "I Love My Ducks" at the alumni tailgater. I danced. With a cold Coors Light in my hand. I could have been 18!
3. On the plane ride down after getting up at the ungodly hour of 4:00am our flight attendant played the fight song on take off. The whole plane clapped.
2. I asked my son what his favorite part of the game was - his answer? The Churro he ate. Best churro ever. A little perspective my friends.
1. Two players were on the plane home with us. They wore Oregon gear like the rest of us, but bag tags with their numbers on them gave them away. Leaving the airport their families greeted them with huge yellow and green signs that read "I Still Love My Duck" & "Way to Go #59." We watched them hug their families, who were so proud of them.
And I felt just the same - so proud of them. That's what I love about college sports. They're just kids with a Mom somewhere who is feeling really proud - win or lose.
Of course, the other simple fact is that it would have probably been really great to win the Rose Bowl. I'm not exactly devestated, but I felt oddly numb about the whole "we lost" thing. It was this long climb of building enthusiasm only to end in a crappy loss. It's not that I don't still love my ducks (I DO! I love my Ducks!). But we didn't walk out of the stadium feeling like it was a good fight and an exciting game. Instead it was just anti-climatic. We went from on top of the world to "where do you want to go for dinner" in four short quarters.
The loss aside, it was a great trip and I'd go again in a heartbeat. My top 5 moments ranked in order of the joy they brought me:
5. Some Ohio State fans told us we were the most gracious fans they'd ever played against. We thanked them and asked if they would consider voting in the fan poll for the PAC 10 next year.
4. The supwichugirl kids sang "I Love My Ducks" at the alumni tailgater. I danced. With a cold Coors Light in my hand. I could have been 18!
3. On the plane ride down after getting up at the ungodly hour of 4:00am our flight attendant played the fight song on take off. The whole plane clapped.
2. I asked my son what his favorite part of the game was - his answer? The Churro he ate. Best churro ever. A little perspective my friends.
1. Two players were on the plane home with us. They wore Oregon gear like the rest of us, but bag tags with their numbers on them gave them away. Leaving the airport their families greeted them with huge yellow and green signs that read "I Still Love My Duck" & "Way to Go #59." We watched them hug their families, who were so proud of them.
And I felt just the same - so proud of them. That's what I love about college sports. They're just kids with a Mom somewhere who is feeling really proud - win or lose.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Why is it so hard to remember garbage day?
Welcome to 2010. I'm really not on my game yet. Wednesday I left my work lap top at home, forgot to drop by the Brownie troop leaders house for the cookie paperwork (anyone want to buy Girl Scout cookies?) and was 15 minutes late for a conference call.
Last night was the worst though. We forgot to take the garbage out. This is on the heels of forgetting to take the garbage out the week before. So, needless to say, we are in serious need of garbage service this week. The sort of good news is that when I got up at 2:30am to turn the heat down (because we'd also forgotten to do that) Ben remembered the garbage. Since I was already up, I trudged outside. Pajamas, Ben's sneakers, my puffy Oregon coat, the garbage and I all headed to the curb in the rain.
En route I discovered that the fence gate is officially broken. It's one of those household repairs that sort of limps along. You know the kind - the broken thing that you learn to live with until you put your house on the market and realize you haven't had functioning knobs on your stove for 7 years.
The gate has been almost broken from the time it was built 3 years ago. The problem is the latch. It's loose and sometimes one of the two screws falls out. We put the screw back in. Then we hope.
Well, last night at 2:30 am when I came back from the curb I found that the latch was totally gone. One can assume it was somewhere on the soggy lawn, but in the middle of the night there was no hope I could find it. I could still shut the gate but couldn't guarantee it would stay shut. And with the recent wind I could assume it wouldn't. Sounds like something we could live with for the night, but unfortunately the dog was pacing around when I got up like he wanted to go out so I was faced with two choices. Find a way to get the fence shut or actually walk the dog at 2:30 in the morning. I went with the fence. So, 20 minutes later I had a huge black plastic garbage bag rigged into a long rope that tied the gate to the fence. I then let the dog out to do his business. Waited some more. Let him back in. And finally returned to bed after 3:00.
Was that an interesting story? Blog-worthy? I really don't know. But, was I really mad about it? Yes. And did I really want to share it with all of you? Yes.
I hear people complain (and I'm often one of them) that the world of blogging is just a lot of narcissistic people talking about boring details of their everyday lives. But on the other hand, I read a lot of blogs that I find useful or funny or thought-provoking. I hope we aren't the boring narcisstic kind of blog. But what kind of blog are we? Emily, what kind of blog do we want to be? (and Emily, are you still blogging?)
Last night was the worst though. We forgot to take the garbage out. This is on the heels of forgetting to take the garbage out the week before. So, needless to say, we are in serious need of garbage service this week. The sort of good news is that when I got up at 2:30am to turn the heat down (because we'd also forgotten to do that) Ben remembered the garbage. Since I was already up, I trudged outside. Pajamas, Ben's sneakers, my puffy Oregon coat, the garbage and I all headed to the curb in the rain.
En route I discovered that the fence gate is officially broken. It's one of those household repairs that sort of limps along. You know the kind - the broken thing that you learn to live with until you put your house on the market and realize you haven't had functioning knobs on your stove for 7 years.
The gate has been almost broken from the time it was built 3 years ago. The problem is the latch. It's loose and sometimes one of the two screws falls out. We put the screw back in. Then we hope.
Well, last night at 2:30 am when I came back from the curb I found that the latch was totally gone. One can assume it was somewhere on the soggy lawn, but in the middle of the night there was no hope I could find it. I could still shut the gate but couldn't guarantee it would stay shut. And with the recent wind I could assume it wouldn't. Sounds like something we could live with for the night, but unfortunately the dog was pacing around when I got up like he wanted to go out so I was faced with two choices. Find a way to get the fence shut or actually walk the dog at 2:30 in the morning. I went with the fence. So, 20 minutes later I had a huge black plastic garbage bag rigged into a long rope that tied the gate to the fence. I then let the dog out to do his business. Waited some more. Let him back in. And finally returned to bed after 3:00.
Was that an interesting story? Blog-worthy? I really don't know. But, was I really mad about it? Yes. And did I really want to share it with all of you? Yes.
I hear people complain (and I'm often one of them) that the world of blogging is just a lot of narcissistic people talking about boring details of their everyday lives. But on the other hand, I read a lot of blogs that I find useful or funny or thought-provoking. I hope we aren't the boring narcisstic kind of blog. But what kind of blog are we? Emily, what kind of blog do we want to be? (and Emily, are you still blogging?)
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