Gimme Five

Christmas vacation is kicking my ass. Hard. And because I'm in way over my head over here and sick to death of whining about it, I'm going to give you all a break and answer five questions that SciFi Dad emailed to me a while ago. Want to play along? Just follow the instructions.

1. Were you in Boston when the Sox won in 2004? What was that like? - I was not in Boston, sadly, because I was 8 months pregnant with Boo. They didn't win in Boston, but I did see the celebrations that occurred all over the city, and the state, that night. I was home, with my son, and I cried. It was a long time coming and intensely emotional. As soon as they won, my phone started ringing with friends screaming with joy. The next day, I couldn't find a newspaper to save my life. It was incredible - people were walking around with goofy grins on their faces, high-fiving each other and saying "Can you believe it?" It still gives me chills every time I see a replay.

2. Are you still working at the Big Box store? What is Christmas like there? - I am still working at the Big Box Store and Christmas was busy. Very, very busy. One thing I noticed was the majority of people were paying with cash or debit cards. Easily 75% of my transactions were cash. Also, people en masse drive me crazy. They are lazy and messy and do things that boggle the mind. I could have lived without the person who went into the handicapped stall, crapped all over the toilet seat and then crawled out under the locked door, leaving it for us to clean up. Really could have done without that. It's safe to say that I am not enjoying working in retail. Not even a little bit.

3. If you could live anywhere, where would you live, and why? - I've lived in Indiana, Massachusetts, England and Georgia thus far and would have to say that my heart is here in the Bay State. I loved England and could see myself living there for a few years, but I'm sure I'd want to come home eventually. I love Massachusetts. If I had my way, I'd have a house on the ocean - one of those lovely, weathered homes you see, with a big deck and a fully-loaded kitchen so that I could entertain friends and family. If I were living in England, I'd go for a thatch-roofed cottage with an Aga cooker. I have obviously read too many Rosemund Pilcher books.

4. In haiku form, share one of your experiences giving birth. - Uhhhhhh.... I so suck at these things, but OK.

Birth was difficult
Babies were very stubborn
And that hasn't changed


5. What is the last blog you added to your reader, and why did you add it? - Zoopolis. I added it because it's the new blog of someone I have been reading for years and she's shutting down her old blog.



Want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Read, Kiddo, Read.

I don't remember when I learned to read. It was before my 4th birthday, according to my mother, and I took to it like the proverbial duck. I inhaled books. I had my own library card and read my way thru most of the children's section and was on to the more adult stuff by the time I was 8. I loved Agatha Christie and James Herriot, Frances Hodgson Burnett and Louisa May Alcott. I was engrossed by The Dragonriders of Pern series and the Little House books. My favourite birthday and Christmas presents were books, most of which I still have.

I've tried to instill that love of reading in my children, without a lot of success. My older two are not avid readers, although starting in high school, Alex became interested in a lot of civil war history. O has some learning disabilities that seem to prevent her from really enjoying books. Plus they both have that streak of "If mom says it's great, I'm not going to like it" going on.

The two little girls like to be read to for very short spurts of time, but at 4 and 2 years old, they don't have the attention spans for it. They do like to cart books around with them, though, which makes me hopeful that they'll start to get more into it as they get older.

Recently, MotherTalk asked me to review a website designed to get children interested in reading. It's called Read, Kiddo, Read and was started by James Patterson. Now, I will be the first to admit that I find the whole James Patterson mystique baffling. He doesn't write the kind of books that I enjoy. Not even a little. But this website is very cool and he has my admiration for starting it. There's a section of book suggestions that covers a great range of ages. There are forums and blogs, written by members and by the professionals involed there. There's a section for teachers, for grandparents and for parents.

It's a great little website. And it needs more traffic to really get the conversation and suggestions rolling in. So if books get you all worked up, if you want to talk books with other parents or grandparents, get yourself over there and register. Have a look around.

Anything that can get kids more interested in reading is, in my opinion, a Very Good Thing. And I think this website, with a little more traffic (which, hopefully, these MotherTalk reviews will generate) could be an amazing resource for anyone who knows a kid who needs a little encouragement in the reading department.

99 Things

Stolen from Daysgoby.

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog - Duh

2. Slept under the stars. - I was a Camp Fire Girl. It's the law.

3. Played in a band - Does singing in a vocal jazz group count? The only thing I play is the radio.

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower - plenty of times. Sometimes while sleeping under the stars.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity - Some day, when I actually have more than two dimes to rub together.

7. Been to Disneyland/world - Yes, but I was only in the 3rd grade and don't remember much. Except It's A Small World. Even then, I found that song annoying.

8. Climbed a mountain - yes, but one of the tiny ones near here.

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo (in the shower) - and at concerts, back when I was young and unafraid. Or, unafraider than I am now.

11. Bungee jumped - Good god, no.

12. Visited Paris - Sort of. We were there for 12 hours, while traveling to Seville. I saw it by bus.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. - Knitting and cross-stitch and most recently, making stuff out of felted sweaters.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - it's a loooooong walk. But so worth it.

18. Grown your own vegetables. Termaters.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train. Yep. Lots of times, including one horrific trip (the same one from Paris to Seville.)

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked. Not on your life.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. - Of course.

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a Marathon- are you mad?? (I'll just keep dgb's answer here)

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run - bwahahahahahahaha. My eye-hand coordination doesn't even allow me to hit the ball, never mind hit a home run.

32. Been on a cruise - I have no desire to do this whatsoever.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - yep. With the person from whom I swiped this meme.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - Some of them. England, Scotland and Germany, yes. Peru, not so much.

35. Seen an Amish community - also a Shaker community.

36. Taught yourself a new language.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. - wouldn't that be nice?

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing. - no fucking way.

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke - Too chicken.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance - yep, after fainting. In a bar. After half a beer. Fun times.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - off Key West. It was glorious.

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater. - oh, the things I used to get up to at the drive-in.

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - if, by Girl Scout Cookies, you mean Camp Fire Candy.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Gotten flowers for no reason - no. Sad, huh?

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - but I can't anymore because they're afraid I might be a mad cow.

65. Gone sky diving - no fucking way.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp - although I don't know if I could make it thru the whole thing.

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London

77. Broken a bone - only fingers

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous.

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one.

94. Had a baby. Four

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee - Plenty of times - I like going barefoot.

Things I Shouldn't Do Late At Night

Listen to Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing after having a few drinks.

Try to read about depression.

Blog.






I was on the phone with a friend last night, talking to her about my marriage and my depression and was saying that I didn't know if my marriage was affecting my depression or if my depression was affecting my marriage. She said that was a total mindfuck. It didn't really hit me until today, but I think she's right. Maybe it's not him, maybe it's just the depression and maybe I should just back the fuck off for a little bit.

Selling The Drama

The Shuffleupagus Anti Meme. Courtesy of Poppy.

1. Put your iTunes or MP3 player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer

YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Testify - Rage Against The Machine


WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Get Rhythm - Johnny Cash


WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Goodnight, Travel Well - The Killers


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Through Your Hands - John Hiatt

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Story Of A Girl - 9 Days

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Just A Girl - No Doubt (*snort*)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Crush With Eyeliner - R.E.M.

WHAT IS 2+2?
Pushing Me Away - Jonas Brothers (yeah, guess who else downloads stuff to iTunes??)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Last Splash - The Breeders

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Wake Up - Rage Against The Machine

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Confusion - New Order (again with the *snort*)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
AM Radio - Everclear

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Hot 'n' Cold - Katy Perry

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Shoulda Been A Cowboy - Toby Keith

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
How Do You Like Me Now? - Toby Keith (I swear, I'm not a Toby Keith fan.)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Ray of Light - Madonna

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Alone + Easy Target - Foo Fighters

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Float On - Modest Mouse

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Something To It - Great Big Sea

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Crazy - Barenaked Ladies

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
All Along The Watchtower - Jimmy Hendrix

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - David Gray (huh. Good one.)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Fish Heads - Barnes and Barnes

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
My Funny Valentine - Elvis Costello

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Wild Mountain Honey - Steve Miller Band

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Stay With Me - Rod Stewart

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Selling The Drama - Live

Confession

I heard these songs on the radio the other day, as I was driving, and was singing at the top of my lungs.








I had a blast....

Soul Butter

Boo's new favourite song.

What? It's not called Soul Butter? Well, don't tell her that. She's been singing it ad nauseum.

No Turkey Died For Me

Shamelessly stolen from Her Bad Mother.

I can't eat turkey. It gives me a migraine. Every year, I have all the other stuff - not that I'm complaining, because, really, who complains over having to eat more mashed potatoes, more stuffing and more cranberry sauce? Not me, that's for damned skippy.

This year, though, is different. This year, we didn't go anywhere for Thanksgiving. This year, I had to drive That Canadian Boy I Married to the airport for a 6 a.m. flight. I got up at 3:45 a.m., people. Three-forty-fucking-five.

This year, I'm roasting a chicken, thanks to Joke's recipe, or what I can remember of it, having lost the original in a move, I made a pumpkin pie, I mashed potatoes, I'm making carrots with cranberries and some stuffing. I got to watch the entire Macy's Day Parade (is it only me that calls it that? Because I swear that's what it was called when I was a kid) and tonight I'll have the television all to myself. Note: There will be no football.

And then tomorrow, I get to be at Big Box Store for 5:45 in the freakin' morning, to deal with all the lunatics who will run thru the place like Visigoths on speed.

I'll just keep singing this, though. Because this? Was the highlight of my morning.

Four

Four years ago, on Thanksgiving morning, I woke up early because I had to pee. After finishing my business, I walked back to the bedroom and felt this pop. And then a gush. And then we were on our way to the hospital, where, 10 hours later, this little muffinhead made her appearance in the world.

Expressing her opinion on the whole affair.
I heartily concurred. Umbilical cord wrapped
around her neck four times, blue baby, no crying
for several, long, heart-stopping minutes, and then
she was fine. Pink, crying, letting the world know
just how she felt.

Times were tough, but we did draw the line at baby soup...

...and she made it to her first birthday.

Two years old and a bit shell-shocked at the
arrival of the usurper a few months earlier.

At three, she was a ham for the camera.

Which hasn't changed in the past year.

Happy birthday my Boo. Even though you drive me mad at times, you still make my heart sing.

Take Five

The girls woke us up at the ass-crack of dawn this morning. I think they need to go to bed later - we've been putting them down around 6:30, but tonight we're moving it back to 7. Being woken up at 5:30 on a Sunday morning just isn't cool.

After vainly attempting to get them to sleep with us for a little bit, we surrendered and went downstairs. We had breakfast and then I remembered that I am now the proud owner of a subscription to the Sunday New York Times. So I sprinted out to the front walk, retrieved my shiny new paper and went inside.

That Canadian Boy I Married had made coffee, bless his little cotton socks, and we sat down with our steaming cups.






Then we drove ourselves half-crazy by trying to solve the crossword puzzle. We're still not done, but we're trying. Together. Which was kind of nice.


We listened to a little of this (among other tunes) and had a thoroughly relaxing morning together.



And it was very, very nice. Nice has been in short supply around here lately.

Killing Me (Not So) Softly

I got home from work on Saturday or Sunday (the weekends are a blur these days) to this:



A very blurry shot, but Boo had chopped off The Bug's hair, to about an inch and a half. All over the top of her head. She also has this interesting half-long, half short look going on in the back. This on a girl who didn't have a lot of hair to begin with. Boo also chopped her own hair, but I don't have the heart to post that particular debacle. All I can say is it's a good thing I got a $10 off coupon to the salon the other day. Oy.


The Bug decided that the Daddy doll needed to spend some time in the oven. With his paintbrush (as you do). Unfortunately, the live Mum didn't discover this until she'd already turned on said oven to make dinner tonight.




And just to round it all out, Boo decided to color her hand red. Not with any old marker, though. With the permanent marker.



In other news, Friday I became the answer to Life, The Universe and Everything. If this weekend is anything to go by, it's looking to be a totally craptastic year.


Send vodka.

Open Letters To Big Box Store Guests

Dear Female Guests,

When you have nails like this:


How do you pick up this?


More importantly, how do you: zip your jeans, wipe your ass or, well, do anything?

Sincerely,

Curious


Dear Appearance-Concious Guests,

You know that thing that looks like a big mirror? The one that I see you combing your hair in, checking yourself out in, adjusting your bra/boobs/balls in? Yeah, not really a mirror. Really? One way glass. With an office behind it. You might want to think before doing that again.

Sincerely,

Cringing On Your Behalf


Dear Talkative Guests,

Could you please hang up/stop talking/stop texting when you're paying for your crappe? I'm trying to make your transaction quick and painless for both of us, but when you wave me off or completely ignore me in order to chat, it really pisses me off. I'm going to put the shampoo in with your shirts and your canned goods on top of your bread if you don't knock it the fuck off. Also, I don't really want to hear the particulars of your divorce/Aunt Maude's hemhorroid surgery/your best friend's indiscretions. Really. Don't. Want. To. Know.

Sincerely,

Do People Have No Boundaries Anymore?


Dear Guests With Young Children,

Why do you have them in the store at 10 at night? They're nodding off in the carriage, they're whining and shrieking and exhausted. Take them home. And to the guest who let their child completely tear apart everything in the aisle last night and then just smiled at me and walked off? Thanks. I wanted to stay an extra 15 minutes in order to clean up after your little heathen. Shopping is not a family expedition, especially not at 10 at night.

Sincerely,

Sincerely Annoyed


Dear Little Girl,

Last night, as I pondered the pen aisle, I was coughing. You came up behind me and said "Are you OK?" and patted me on the back. You? Rock.

Sincerely,

Major Bedhead

Proposition 8

I've been wanting to write about this for days, and then Keith Olbermann goes and says what I've been thinking. Only, y'know, better.

Oh Look, There's The End Of The Rope

I had a bit of a discussion with That Canadian Boy I Married yesterday. I explained to him that when he kept putting off doing things or refused to help around the house, it did nothing to endear me to him and, in fact, made me resent him. Why I had to explain this to him is a mystery, but there you go, I did.

It's not like he leaves his shoes in the living room for a day or two. He leaves stuff everywhere. He left his rather expensive golf clubs and golf bag (which held his wedding ring, another very, very sore spot) in the yard for two months. I would ask/nag/yell about once a week for him to get them into the cellar or the shed or someplace out of the rain. Finally, on Thursday, I told him that if they weren't moved by Friday, I was listing them on Craigslist. They were put away that night. I shouldn't have to threaten drastic measures in order to get simple things like that done, but that's what it takes, almost every time.

Stuff like this happens all the time. All. The. Time. It's maddening and I find it very selfish and thoughtless. There's also the matter of him not doing anything around the house on the weekends, which is when I work the most hours. It pisses me off no end to come home after work to find that the sofa holds a permanent impression of his ass, that nothing has been picked up and no dishes have been washed. Last night, when I came in after working 9 hours, he smiled and said "Welcome to the disaster zone." And then he fell asleep on the couch. He may as well have slapped me across the face as I walked in the door.

The kitchen was a mess - O had made cookies and not cleaned up. TCBIM had made dinner and not cleaned up. There was ketchup all over the kitchen table and when I moved a picture I had left on the table, water had been spilled, gotten underneath it and left a huge white mark on the table. Not to mention, damaged the picture.

Should I have left the picture on the table? No, I shouldn't have. I had done grocery shopping in the morning, though, and was cleaning out the hutch and before I knew it, I had to get to work. So I left it, telling TCBIM that I would clean it up when I got home. To me, it would have been common sense to move the picture when the girls were eating - they're toddlers, they're messy. And if they'd spilled something, he should have wiped it up.

Instead, all of this stuff just gets left for me to do. And it's infuriating. I work about 25 - 30 hours a week and I take care of the kids. I do all the laundry, I do the majority of the cooking and cleaning and it's pissing me off that when he is home, he just sits on the couch watching football. He doesn't interact with the kids that much, except to feed them. He didn't even give them a bath last night.

Today, instead of hanging out with the girls, who all have the day off, I'll be cleaning up the mess. O will be cleaning the kitchen, since she made the mess in there, but I'm going to have to clean up the living room and dining room because I can't live with this level of mess. It's gross.

When I try to explain how all of this makes me feel, he doesn't get it. He says he doesn't mean to make me feel bad, that he doesn't want me to resent him, but I do. So I spend my time on the computer because I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to be nice to him when he can't be bothered to treat me with any kind of respect. He just says that he doesn't see a problem, that he doesn't mean for his actions (or lack thereof) to make me feel the way I feel and that seems to be it. If he doesn't have a problem, then there is no problem.

This is an ongoing thing with us and I don't know what to do about it. I've talked to my therapist about it and she says to talk to him, to tell him how I feel, but it's not doing anything. I feel like I'm beating my head against a wall and it's wearing me out. His complete obliviousness has me confused and sad.

I don't know how much longer I can go on like this.

Sing A Happy Tune

Probably not too surprisingly, I've been in an incredibly good mood for the last, oh, five days or so. I smile at people - me! Smiling! At random strangers! Pretty soon I'll have fucking bluebirds following me around.

Anyway. What with all the smiling and shit, I thought I'd put up a few grin-inducing (or cringe-inducing, depending upon your musical preferences) songs.

I'd forgotten how happy it makes me feel to hear these songs.


Don't Go - Hothouse Flowers




Happy Hour - The Housemartins




Song 2 - Blur




19/2000 (Soulchild Remix) - Gorillaz




Rudie Can't Fail - The Clash




Only You - Yazoo




And finally, because I do love me some cheese, I give you:

Susudio - Phil Collins

Exhale

I think it's finally starting to sink in. I'm still stunned.



I took Boo with me to vote on Tuesday. Our polling place is only a couple of blocks away so we walked over and on the way, I explained what I was doing, that I was voting for Barack Obama to be the next President. The place was crowded but there were only a few people ahead of me in line. I got my ballot, filled it in and let Boo feed it into the optical reader. As we were walking out of the place, she turned to me and said "So, where's the water, Mama? I thought we were going boating with Barack Obama."


I spent a long time on the phone on Election Night with daysgoby. For much of the time, once the election was called, she and I were silent, watching the crowds gather, watching this thing become a reality, occasionally saying "Oh my god, I can't believe it." It was intense to watch it with someone else who feels as passionately about politics as I do.


And then yesterday, I was sick. Feverish, achey, the whole nine yards. I've had a horrible cold for two weeks, so I don't know if I'm now getting something else or what the story was, but I spent the day on the couch, huddled under blankets, trying to keep down weak tea and toast. My mother was out for a visit, thankfully, which was a huge help. I'm still feeling a bit funky today, but at least I'm functional.


It's funny. I really never thought we'd win. It does seem like a ridiculous comparison, but I've looked at this race the way I used to look at the Red Sox. It always seemed so close, just within our grasp, but then we'd blow it somehow. I was so afraid this was going to happen with this election, that we'd be the 2003 Red Sox and instead we were the 2004 Red Sox and just like that year, I don't know what to do with myself. It's been so long since I've backed the winning team. Man, it feels good.

Election Day

Finally.

Dixville Notch results are in:

John McCain - 6
Ralph Nader - 0
Barack Obama - 15




I'm not going to be able to breath until this is over.

Loads o' Links

In an effort to distract myself from tomorrow's all-day, all-night nail biting marathon, I've been perusing the internets.

The Meyers-Briggs personality test is always a fun one, and scarily rather accurate for me.


I found this old Frontline program via Stumbleupon. It's fascinating.


Play with your food.


All your grammar issues sorted.


Iconic photographs.


Human clock.


Table of Condiments.


And this just made me laugh.


I'm wrapping up this silly post with two videos:

I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Do you?

One Word

Only Type One Word .. first word that comes to mind (Not as easy as you might think!).

1. Where is your cell phone? Deceased
2. Your significant other? Josh's
3. Your Hair? Brown
4. Your Skin? Olive
5. Your mother? Maddening
6. Your favorite thing? Books
7. Your dream last night? Obamalust
8. Your favorite drink? Guinness
9. Your dream/goal? Published
10. The room you're in? Office
11. Your ex? Asshole
12. Your fear? Spiders
13.Where do you want to be in 6 years? Published
14.Where were you last night? Home
15.What you're not? Undepressed
16.Muffins? Sure!
17.One of your wish list items? Airbook
18.Where you grew up? Auburn
19.The last thing you did? Typed
20.What are you wearing? clothing
21.Your TV? On
22.Your pets? Annoying
23. Your computer? POS
24. Your life? unfinished
25. Your mood? meh
26. Missing someone? No
27. Your car? Mazda5
28. Something you're not wearing? bra
29. Favorite Store? DSW
30. Your summer? Long
31. Like someone? no
32. Your favorite color? aubergine
33. When is the last time you laughed? today
34. Last time you cried? Morning
35. Who will respond to this? Dunno
36. Who's Answers are you anxious to see? Dunno

The Return Of Sparkle

The Bug has this large 2" square yellow die. I don't know where it came from, but she fucking LOVES it. Carries it with her everywhere. She calls it "My Sparkle." Why? No clue. She's two, that's why.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, Sparkle disappeared. I looked in our room, in her bed, under the sofa, all the usual places, but didn't turn it up. Oh, the despair. Every day, at least three times a day, she looks at me mournfully and says "Sparkle gone, Mama. Sparkle gone." She was a very, very, very sad little girl. A girl with no Sparkle.

Today That Canadian Boy I Married was putting his shoes on to get ready to leave the house and lo and behold, there was Sparkle, nestled down in the toe of his shoe.

He brought it out to her and she just about went insane. I think every blood vessel and corpuscle was smiling, she was so happy.

That, ladies and jelly spoons, is a smile of glee. And a very messy table.

Please to ignore the Very Messy Child. When she gets into her yoghurt,
she really gets into her yoghurt.