Heartbreak

Please pray for my dear friend. She and her husband have miscarried their baby, and my heart breaks for them in their grief.

i heart God.

Yesterday was one of those days where i felt like God was speaking to me. i'm sure He speaks to me much more than i know, but yesterday it was like He was grabbing me by the arm and saying "Hey, hey, do ya see Me? Guess what? I've got something just for you today!"

First, i was on my way to church and a little cranky, as i have to get about 2 hours earlier than normal on Sundays. But as i turned off of my street, i saw the sky, looking like this.

That light on the right is the sun, but that thing in the middle looked kind of like a rainbow or some beautiful vertical light beam thing. Anyway, i was thankful for my digital camera that i randomly had in my purse. The picture obviously could not capture exactly what it looked like, but i'm just letting you know that it was a special sight for me and it made me feel like the day would be special.

Then, this past week at church, Pastor Joel was talking about how people's faiths are impacted the most at home. i was a bit distracted during the sermon, because he kept going off on tangents about how God is like Aretha Franklin, and later how God is like the garbage man, but the main point of the sermon was that i must model God for my children. i haven't been reading the Bible to David as much lately, because he wants to hold the book himself and would tear the pages, but i will start again with that. If God is a part of our daily routine, i believe our lives would change.

i am God to my children. It is very humbling, you know? i am the person David looks up to for guidance and all the answers. He blindly follows what i say, and it is my job to little by little turn his faith towards God. It's a big responsibility, and i am already a failure. Thankfully, God knew that i would suck it up, and He designed forgiveness for reasons just like that.

We have sinned against you.... by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

i love the Lutheran liturgy. It is teaching me so much every week. Yes, we say the same thing every time, but it's got so many layers. i thank God for bringing me the liturgy at this time in my life, rather than earlier when its meaning might have gotten lost in the monotony.

Anyway, it is my goal to feed our bodies with better food, as they are vessels of the Holy Spirit, and our souls with more substantial content. God has so much to teach me, and if i'm open to Him, i will be a good example to my son and those around me.

About food

i have been thinking about what i've eaten and the foods i give David lately. It is so very easy for me to put too many Goldfish crackers on his high chair lately, buying myself 15 minutes or so *Bad Mom Alert* or 25 minutes if i turn on the tv as well. i've realized he's gotten tons of carbs and cheese, which admittedly, toddlers do need. However, i've really gotta focus on providing him with meals where i set limits on how much he eats and what exactly he eats, taking the time to plan and prepare, instead of pouring him 30? 50? Goldfish crackers out of our Sam's Club economy sized bin while i search desperately for something of substance for him to eat. Usually it ends up being even more carbs, like ravioli, or cheese quesadillas, or oatmeal, things that take about 5-10 minutes to prepare, including deciding-what-to-make time. This diet is unfortunately what i am used to eating, but he really should be getting more diversity in his diet. He's loved everything i've given him, so why am i just feeding him the same old stuff? Because i won't leave the house and buy fresh food, and am too lazy to cut it up/cook it when i do have it. He's gobbled up avocado, broccoli, mangoes, apples, hummus, anything i've given him, on the occasion that i've put it in front of him, so there is no excuse for my not providing him with those things more regularly.

Just today i was inspired by this blogger i found randomly who legitimately puts thought into her menus, and plans them ahead of time. This is pretty great stuff. She feeds her child oatmeal, and crackers, but also other things, and seems to be empowered by having a set menu. You know how when you choose an outfit the night before that getting ready is so much easier and quicker? It seems to be that way for many women with menus. i would have to adapt my menus to my situation, with Kris being home for lunch and not dinner, but i think it could work. Once David's birthday is over and the house is clean and i get another paycheck, i will organize a list of regular meals, make a menu, and go grocery shopping. i will buy exactly what i need and no more, and i will also clip coupons to expand my savings.

As far as my diet is concerned, i think part of my problem is that i forget about meals until i am hungry. i pretty much eat twice a day, and they're always at different times. When i get hungry here at home, i just figure out what will be the fastest, (usually frozen pizza, 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes) instead of thinking at 11 AM, "i should put chicken in the oven with mixed veggies and a cream soup". This menu will be good. If i make a menu for David, it will mostly be what i eat, too, so if he eats more balanced meals, i will, too.

P.S. i bought edamame beans the other day at Sam's club. They are a young soybean that come frozen, and you can thaw them out, shell them, and eat them. They are like mini lima beans, but they have kind of a creamy, nutty flavor that David and i love. They will definitely be on the snack rotation.

Book meme

i've been tagged!

Here's the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

Family themes may dictate the amount or type of currencies used. "The Hatfields will stick be each other through thick and thin" may require members to provide money for hard-pressed relatives. Boundaries may establish which members or outsiders may receive more personal types of affection.
-Family Communication: Cohesion and Change by Galvin, Bylund and Brommel

That textbook was in a bookshelf near me. i am not actively reading it, it's just that the books i am reading are farther away right now. This was an incredible book that changed my life, and is helping me to better be able to understand the way my family works, as well as my extended family. i should read it again though.

Anyway, thanks for tagging me Susan! i will now tag my new blog friend Daphne, as well as Kristine, Liz, Sarah, and Silas.

Sucky Tuesday

i am very happy that a record number of people showed up to the caucuses last Tuesday. However, that is about the extent of the good that happened that day.

First i got an email from my mom asking me to call her. i found out that my childhood dog, Brak, slipped badly on some ice that morning out in her backyard. From what i understand, he already had very bad arthritis in his one back hip, and he dislocated the other back hip. My brother had taken him to the vet that morning. He needed surgery that would have put his weight on the arthritic hip, and would not have even necessarily worked and would have been thousands of dollars. It was just not an option. Brakster would have been in so much pain. So we decided the loving thing would be to put him out of his misery. We found out he had all these spine things in his back, too, that had probably been hurting him for months, and we didn't even know about them. So my brother called me and said that if i wanted to come say goodbye, i should come quickly. Brakster was all doped up, and they'd wait for me.

So i didn't even shower or anything that morning, just put on clothes in a daze and started driving. Kris and David followed me in Kris' car. i was bawling my eyes out. This was the only dog my mom ever let us get. We got him when i was 16, when our family was going through one of its toughest times so far. That dog continued to be right there when we needed him during ensuing even tougher times. He was loyal, and friendly, and had very many charming quirks. He was a member of our family. So i'm crying and driving, and then i started hearing clicking sounds, and my car was decelerating. So Kris and i were trying to get to a street where i could take a right, and i was in the right turn lane right in front of Valleyfair, but i had to brake so others turning left wouldn't crash into me. And there, in the right turn lane, my car died. Dead. It needed a new engine, about $3000, more than what a 2001 Saturn SL2 with 104,000 miles was worth.

i called Roadside Assistance my mom has on all of our cellphones, and they called in a tow, and my brother came and picked up David and i while Kris took care of the towing situation. Then we went to the Vet, so i could say goodbye to my dogster. Here's some pictures of him. His tongue was hanging out because of the meds they had him on.

He kept picking up his head, and i'd try to take pictures then. It was heartbreaking, guys. i've never had a dog before, and it shocked me how much i fell apart losing him. But i'd get up close and rub his nose with mine, and he didn't even lick me like usual. Poor little man.

So, Tuesday was a horrible day!
R.I.P. Selma the Saturn, 2001-2.5.08
R.I.P. Brak, Dec 27, 2000-2.5.08

My Valentine

i am writing about this so i can win this contest. But it's fun to have an excuse to tell the story, too.

i met Kris in high school, the very end of school junior year. i met him when he was auditioning to play drums for Show Choir Band. He had a few hours to kill before he had to work (at Arby's) so i asked him if he wanted to go pick up my dog from the groomers with me. i was seeing someone at the time, but we were having problems, so it was fun to have a day with a guy that wasn't laced with pressure to be cool or whatever:) Anyway, we got along really well. And then we didn't see each other again till school started in the fall.

We would see each other in the hall, and we'd hug because we're both very huggy people, but we didn't have any classes together and he was dating some girl, whose real name i can't remember, as i always referred to her as "Ugly Hair". i dated two guys between spring and winter that year, but as it happened, i was single on December 2, 2002, when i saw Kris walking down the hall during school. Neither of us had to go to class that hour, as fate would have it, so we talked for a while. i thought he was pretty cute, and i generally go after what i want. So here's the conversation we had:

Me: How's the little lady?

Kris: What little lady?

Me: Oh, I thought you were dating that one girl i see you with.

Kris: Oh, no, I'm not dating anyone right now.

Me: Oh. Well then, what are you doing Friday night?

And that's how it went. December 6, 2002, we had our first date, even though neither of us were positive if it was a real date. It was kind of funny, actually. We hung out after the Holiday Show that night, and drove up North 100 really far, and then decided to go to Perkins. Kris was really not very talkative that night, because he was very tired, but he said my voice was soothing. And i was very talkative because i get all jazzed up around cool peoples.

We decided after about an hour of driving to go to Perkins. Here's where it got awkward: we went in there and saw friends eating after the holiday show. We were talking to them, and the server asked us if we wanted to sit by them, or if we were on a date and wanted to sit by ourselves! And we both just stood there and felt stupid, eventually deciding to sit with our friends. For some reason, can't remember why, i think they left, or we didn't pay much attention to them or something, but i don't remember them at all during our time there. We weren't hungry, and just ordered drinks. i ordered a Coke with grenadine, which is one of my favorite things, and had Kris taste it. Kris said he liked it. (Come to find out, he HATES cherries and was just trying to make me happy that night. Isn't that cute?)

After Perkins, we went to Walgreens and looked at those tiny books you give people as gifts, and all the funny birthday cards, because there is truly a limited amount of activities for teenagers to do on Fridays after 10 PM. i had borrowed his jacket, because i'm always cold, (thus why he calls me "jessicle" and my handle is "pianomomsicle") and when i was dropping him back off at his car at school, he asked for his jacket back. i started taking it off, and he leaned over really close to my face, so i kissed him. And it was one of those kisses that is not reciprocated that makes you feel like a complete fool! And we got all stammery; he was sorry, he was mostly leaning in to get his jacket. Then he leaned in to kiss me on purpose, but i laughed at him and said good night.

i got home, and felt stupid, but was on the high that comes from knowing you're getting into something good. Then i realized i didn't have his phone number, or last name. So, Stalker-jessica got online with one of our mutual friends who gave me his cell number. i called him, and this is like 11:30 PM, but he was really glad to hear from me and felt stupid we forgot to exchange information. And then we talked for about 4 hours! And we talked about stuff we were too shy to talk about on our "date". i learned about his faith, and we found out we had very similarly eclectic tastes in music, and about our plans for college. It was a great talk. We got together the next night, where he came to my house, and (always a great thing) met my parents, who fell in love with him right away, because he's just one of those guys you trust right away. We watched the movie "Blazing Saddles," where we shared our first perfect kiss and everything was all gooey and wonderful from there. And five years later, even though things are much more realistic and stressful, they are still wonderful, and i'm excited to spend the next 50 years waking up next to him.

That's how i met Kris. *Sigh* i wish he were home now so i could give him a nice big kiss. i love these beautiful memories!

P.S. i did finally learn his last name:)

Friday 5, Feb. 1

1. Which open-all-night establishment has been a lifesaver for you? Cub Foods. When i was pregnant and couldn't sleep, i'd get up and go there, buy cake mix or cookie ingredients, bake, and then go back to sleep.
   
2. What open-all-night establishment is closest to where you live? Walmart. Walmart Shakopee really isn't too bad, considering. It's much better than Bloomington Walmart, where you fear for your life every time you walk its dirty, narrow aisles.
   
3. What nonexistent open-all-night establishment could you really use in your life? All-night oil change places. (i'm only thinking this because i desperately need an oil change but never think of it during the day.)
   
4. Which open-all-night establishment in your town is least likely ever to see your patronage in the wee hours of the morning? Pretty much all of them, now, since i'm home with David all night and he sleeps through the night, thank goodness. i really miss my late-night White Castle trips though. 2 regular and one jalapeno cheeseburgers, please!
   
5. Have you ever purchased anything advertised on television late, late at night? Almost. Every time i'm up late and i'm watching the ads on QVC, i find things i NEED that i previously didn't know i needed. i have almost bought several things, one of which that comes to mind is Christmas mugs, shaped like Santa, a Snowman, and a reindeer, with little places in the handles to hold matching spoons. i also almost always buy the Shark Steam Mop. It greatly impresses me, at least when i'm tired and my contacts are off! Kris and i also like to watch the magic bullet commercial. It never gets old!
   

An evening of pictures

Earlier today, a very kind woman from my mom's work gave us a LOT of Fisher-Price toys her daughters have outgrown. So i washed them and gave them to David, who played with them for a really long time tonight, allowing me time to finally upload all the pictures from Christmas and on. It was wonderful! There were pictures i didn't even know that had been taking, chronicling some very happy memories from Christmas, as well as David's bath time, and Twins Fest. It was like rediscovering those times. i should have a lot more pictures to take now, too, now that i have my own camera. If you happen to get a chance, you may want to visit my other entries as some of them should have pictures that didn't before.
i also spent quite a bit of time at Snapfish, uploading pictures to it. To those of you who have never been there, i am new to it, and man, it's great! It's really easy to use, and you can crop/rotate/un red eye all of your pictures in the website, as well as adding cool effects like changing the pictures to black/white, sepia, or pink if you want. Plus you can share the albums you make.
i was there because they have $.09 prints, and i wanted to fill David's 0-3,3-6,6-9,9-12 months albums before his birthday, so people have the whole year chronicled to look at as they eat their yummy food. Anyway, Snapfish is great. i'd very much suggest using it. Also, if you want to sign up, let me know, and if you sign up under me, we'd both get 20 free 4-6s:)
i'm adding just one of my favorite pictures i discovered from my camera tonight to this post. i love it!

Question for Techies

i use Yahoo as my main email address. i just started using Outlook with it. i check my email on my computer and my phone. My problem is that when messages go on outlook, they are erased off Yahoo. So for instance, a few weeks ago i needed some an address someone had emailed me for my gps. No problem. Jumped on my phone, got it, and was there in 20 min. But now i no longer have access to it on my phone or other computers. What do i do?

Twins Fest!

i got to go to Twins Fest today with Kris, David, my brother Jason and his 6-year-old son Ros. It was pretty fun! Ros got to play in a little game with some other kids his age, and he went to a baseball clinic with people we didn't recognize teaching them stuff. We saw the model for the new ballpark, and got to eat hot dogs and wait in line all day. It was fun.
There was an area where you could audition to sing the National Anthem for a game, so i decided to try it. Kris asked if i'd remember the words, and i was very confident that i would, because in choir, we sang it all the time. So i went up to audition, and i forgot the words! i kept screwing up! Then i had an epiphany too late in coming: i never sang in choir. i was the accompanist and never sang, so while i might know or be familiar with the words, i had never really sung them and thus screwed up in all the pressure of not only remembering the words but also singing them well in front of judges and 30-ish people that were sitting there watching. It reminded me of a similar moment i've had: i was in labor. The nurse told me i was ready to push, and then it struck me: i read dozens of books about pregnancy while i was pregnant, but none about babies. Anyway, i went off the stage, feeling stupid. i sang pretty well, too. i might have had a chance, had i not forgotten the words to one of America's beloved historical songs.

i am in party-planning mode. David's birthday is in about 3 weeks, and i'm really excited! It will be a big weekend, and we're actually having two parties for him, but it's worth it because it's the first one. We won't have anything this elaborate again till he's....graduating from college?
The amount of people we are inviting is what necessitates the two parties. We are having a friends party, with our closest friends and others we know who have kids. The next day, his actual birthday is the family party.

Here's my menus:
Friends party

Homemade hummus
Homemade salsa
Chips and vegetables for dipping
Sloppy joes
This incredible-looking fettucine bake i saw on Food Network
Chocolate cupcakes

Family party

Hummus again
Salsa again
Chips, etc
Two meatloaf variations
A. My hearty beef and rice meatloaf, with worcestershire sauce, cumin, and honey
B. Italian Meatloaf, with ground turkey, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, basil, parmesan cheese
(i make meatloaf in cupcake pans, making them much easier for people to scoop onto their plates. Also, in the Italian meatloaf one, i take a cube of parmesan cheese and stick it in the center of each "meatcake", making kind of a delicious gooey surprise in each.)
Fettucine bake
Cupcakes
Brownies

It sounds like a lot. It really does. But i think it will be ok, because all of these things are able to be prepared in advance. Heck, i could make the meatloaf tomorrow and freeze it until then. i will make both days' cupcakes on the day before the first party, and the hummus and salsa will be a breeze.

The only thing that will be really difficult to get done is finish our house. We have the kitchen cupboards, walls, living room and front entry painted. We have the kitchen almost put back together again. But there is still putting in the floors in the kitchen and front entry, painting the upstairs hall and our bedroom, painting all the trim in the house, and i think we'll blow off painting the downstairs music room and office. It's just too much. But the house is starting to look less....corporate. No more white walls make it so personal. There is still lots of dust all around, the carpet is a mess, and nothing is put away, but we can walk in our living room a bit more comfortably now, and soon things will be quite a bit more livable. It'll just be another day or so of little things like reinstalling the shelves and getting certain industrial vaccuums out of the kitchen, which will be a big change, and the rest of the painting will not take up the whole house.
i'm ready for the construction to be over. It's hard to keep your eyes on the prize sometimes. But it will be worth it, and i'll probably end up being glad we're tackling it all in one big chunk instead of one tiny project at a time. It will be a huge and wonderful change.

Enjoy your weekend, friends.

Saturday 8-The burning

*The picture above is from when i was very tan, Jan. 2006. i'm almost this tan now, but i don't have any current pictures.

i felt guilty about being late for the Friday 5, so i went online to see if there were Saturday questions, and i found this one here, which was oddly appropriate.

1. have you ever used a tanning bed? why or why not?
Yes. Used one today, actually. Kris bought me a tanning membership for Christmas for two reasons: i have Seasonal Affective Disorder, which makes you depressed because in the winter you lack UV (B?) rays, which you get from tanning. So it makes me happier because i'm less depressed and i look better! Plus it's relaxing. So since Christmas, i've started getting tan again for the first time since May 2006. Really, that's a long time for me.

2. do you tan easily, or do you have the red/white only option?
i tan easily in tanning beds, but not outside. i'm not patient enough to be outside long enough for the sun to do anything.

3. have you ever had skin cancer, or know anyone who has?
i've never had it. My dad had a skin cancer on his head, but it wasn't a big deal for some reason. Maybe it wasn't real cancer. It was a while ago, anyway.

4. have you ever had a sunburn so bad, you blistered?
No. My husband has, but it was when he was quite young. i think he had to go to the hospital.

5. when was the last time you burned yourself on something hot?
The last time i baked. Whenever i bake, it is pretty much inevitable that i will burn my hand on the baking rack.
6. when was the last time you attended (or made) a bonfire?
Two-ish years ago. i think it might have been before i was pregnant with David.

7. do you use spf every day (as in a makeup), or what spf do you use in your suntan lotion?
No. As far as makeup is concerned, i only use eye makeup which doesn't have spf, and i don't use sunscreen. i know, i know, i should use sunscreen.

8. where you're at, when will it be warm enough to wear a bathing suit or get some rays?
Around here, i'm not warm until July. For Valleyfair purposes, i might go out in June, but it's pretty much gotta be 90 for me to pull out the swimsuit.

This was a nice 8. Pretty sure i'll be doing this one more often.

Friday 5 1.18.08

1. What do you need?
i need my house to be finished painting, though we are nowhere close.
2. What won't you share?
A really good sandwich.
3. What do you hurry through?
Commercials. (The beautiful thing about tivo.)
4. Who is worth waiting for?
Everyone. i'm hardly ever in such a hurry that i can't stop to make someone's day brighter.
5. Friday fill-in:
I can't bear to ______. Be thought of negatively.

2008's first five

Wrapups:

1. In 2007, who most made you laugh? My boss, Paul. i really like that guy!
   
2. In 2007, who most inspired you? All moms, ever. Except maybe for one who has recently gotten negative publicity about her apparent inability to be a good mom.
   
3. In 2007, who taught you the most? David. He's taught me so much! i can have skipped two showers, or gotten all dressed up, or gotten a new outfit, and it doesn't matter to him, as long as i'm there with him. i also learned that i have to be strong. i've been the kind of person to leave the hard things to others more equipped to handle them: well, now it's my turn to be the stronger one.
   
4. In 2007, who encouraged you the most? My dad, and my friend A Blonde Moment
   
5. What did you do in 2007 that will have the most positive effect on your 2008? Got back on track with my faith. Well, that was kind of a 2006 thing, but becoming a mama has brought it to a whole new level.
   

Townhouse update

When i wrote my last post, it did not originally begin as a rant, but evidently i needed to get it out. So here's what i meant to write about originally.
We have a split-level townhouse with an open-ish floor plan and vaulted ceilings. When we moved in, all the walls were white and all the trim and cabinets this really hideous dark brown, like 1980's dark brown. And the kitchen has this horrible wallpaper-thin vinyl which i've mentioned before. We purchased some hardwood flooring on Black Friday, and we realized that it would be smart to paint the kitchen (a nice yellow color, think the Gilmore Girls' kitchen color) before installing it. Then we decided to do paint all the cabinets white, along with all the trim. We also realized that since it is an open floor plan, the kitchen and living room share 4 walls, with only a short divider between them, it is necessary to paint both rooms in the same project. The living room and the walls that touch the kitchen will be a pretty cornflowery blue, with a nice green accent wall.
So we've been working on this for a week, and i'm ready to quit! Kris is so great and is doing all of it, with my only really being able to help with the prep part. But our whole kitchen is in the living room. All the contents of our cupboards are out here, making it impossible to cook for the last whole week, as well as David not being able to crawl around out here. He's been stuck in his playpen and room for a week. Kris and i also have been eating only fast food, since we can't cook, can't use our kitchen sink or dishwasher, and barely even have access to our refrigerator.
Funny story: Kris was painting with our spray gun thing and didn't realize how much paint sprayback there was, so he happily sprayed away on our cupboards, then looked around, realizing he'd gotten paint on our silverware drawer insert tray, getting primer on all our flatware, serving spoons, pizza cutters, cheese graters, kitchen scissors, and other kitchen essentials. And since we didn't act right away and can't use our dishwasher yet, we have yet to find out if the primer will come off. Well, i thought it was funny. That's just one of those stories we'll use later, right? "Remember when you painted all the silverware?"
Tomorrow we should be able to get the stuff back in the cupboards, but then we start on the walls. The kitchen shouldn't be so bad, but when we get to the living room, Kris has installed shelves for our 700+ DVD collection on our walls we'll have to take down, as well as once again have the living room be unusable with all of our furniture shoved into the middle of the room, while Kris climbs on my dad's 12' ladder to paint our 16' high ceilings! Thankfully, we recently purchased a Wagner paint spray gun, which will cut the actual painting time in probably 1/4.
But still, there is a lot of taping, moving stuff around, not having a clear walkway in the entire house, and frustration left. Any advice would be useful.
Now for happy things. David walked for the first time last Sunday! He took 1 1/2 steps, and my mom and i were there to see it. He doesn't seem too interested in walking much, as i'm sure he feels like he'd get there faster crawling, but it's yet another milestone. i like that kid more and more every day. He is very jovial, and as we found out at worship team practice this morning, he's not half bad with an egg shaker. He probably got half of his shakes on beat. That makes me very proud, but not as proud as it makes his Dada the drummer!
i have been named as a part-time staff member of my church, instead of just sub-contracting for playing piano. i'm really glad to be a part of this place! i'm also glad that 2008's tax return will be much better. :)
i miss school. Never thought i'd be saying that. i do plan on going back and finishing up a degree, probably a major in comm., minor in music. i've already got the credits for a music minor finished, and a good chunk of comm. credits. i could go online and take courses, but i'm really more of a classroom environment kind of person. If there weren't a professor there saying "Hey jessica, why (weren't you in class today) (did you slack off in this assignment) (did you come to this conclusion)" i don't think i'd have the motivation or incentive to accomplish it. i also really like those classroom discussions, where you have certain things in common with people and are able to forge new relationships by talking about the book after class or meeting for coffee to study. i really miss that, you know? Makes me wish i hadn't quit after 2 1/2 years, but i had my reasons.
i'm going to go do some more laundry, so the line "Forgive me for the things i have done and the things i have left undone" doesn't apply to me.

Townhouse rant.

So we own our townhouse, or at least are 1/30th of the way there, i think. i'm not sure how that all works. It's a 30 year mortgage, pretty sure, and we've lived here a little over a year, so it would stand to reason that we own 1/30th of this place. Anyway, we plan to sell it if possible when our mortgage contract is up in August 2009.
There are many things about this place that are obnoxious. For one, due to extremely stringent townhouse association rules, we can't grill. Apparently, someone ruined it for all the rest of us by a few years ago almost burning down their whole townhouse block. So now we can only grill on the (crappy) charcoal grills provided out in the community area or by paying lots of money to have a gas line hooked up to our decks so we can buy an expensive gas line grill, because we can't have a propane or charcoal grill. There was a day, a beautiful day in May 2007 when we grilled on our cute little charcoal grill, unknowing of its prohibition. We made bruschetta burgers, in similar fashion to those at Applebees. They tasted good. But not $100 worth of good. Turns out that when nosy neighbor tips the association on to your misdeeds, N.N. gets $50, and you get fined a fat $100. Easy $50 for the association and the nosy neighbor, right? Jerks.
Also, no ball-playing is allowed on the grounds. So yes, when you see the kids having fun, playing football in the common area back yard, you'll get $50 if you turn them in, plus they don't even find out who it is! Honestly, it's an outrage.
Another we found out was when we were puppy-sitting for a friend. It was quite difficult taking the puppy out when i was by myself with a 10-month-old, so i'd chain the puppy's leash to the inside of the slider door and let her out and close the door behind her. She'd do her thing, and i'd let her in. i'd finish feeding David or whatever i was doing, then i'd go out and pick up her "presents". It would sometimes be 1/2 hour or so, or even sometimes it'd wait until the next time she had to go. It was our deck, and there was about a foot of snow on it, so it wasn't affecting anyone, right? Not true. Every time i'd let her out, i'd see our cati-corner neighbor staring at me from her slider door. Once i even saw her looking up at us from where she'd walked out to just outside the underneath of our deck. Apparently, you can't leave your dog's poo, not for a day, not a 1/2 hour, even on your own deck. The one you pay for. Even if it's not public property. She was licking her chops, waiting for the moment to turn us in. We're pretty sure she's the one who turned us in for grilling, instead of coming up and saying to us "Hey, I know you're new around here, just letting you know you can't grill." You know, the neighborly thing to do?!
You can't park outside in the common parking area directly outside your garage between 6AM-6PM any day if it has snowed any more than 2 inches. Oh forgive me. i meant if it's forecasted to snow 2 inches. You are subject to towing, and, oh yes, a $100 fine. And you can't park in the street, either. Since Kris and i have two vehicles, and a one-car garage, when it snows, we have to drive one of our cars to Target, a mile away, because it is the closest parking lot that doesn't monitor the cars there during the day. We still haven't figured out what to do about the parking situation.
So these are little things, actually, to me they are quite major, that would lead me to suggest, if you are in the market and are deciding between a house or a townhouse, to try for a house. Seriously. The outdoor maintenance is not worth it! Plus, they charge you $200/month for it. A fraction of that money would do much better paying some kid to do it, on your own schedule, not causing to leap out of bed, terrified, because it snowed last night and you have to move your car.

Here in my car

Today's Friday 5

1. If money were no concern and LOOKS the only consideration, what car would you get yourself? (pictures for questions like this are always nice!) Um, a silver Audi. The one pictured up there is so purty!
   
2. If money were no concern and YOUR LIFESTYLE the only consideration, what car would you get yourself? Minivan all the way. With the doors on both sides that open with a button on your keys. And lots of cupholders.
   
3. What is the best thing about your current car? If you do not own a car, what is the best thing about the car you most often ride in? My car is small. i'm terrible at parking, so it's nice that i have a tiny car because there is less chance of my bumping into something with it!
   
4. * If cars could be skinned the way cell phones, laptop computers, and iPods can, what would be a really cool skin for your car? Uh, i don't know. i actually don't really like the weird skins on ipods. i just like shiny, new-looking paint jobs.
   
5. If you were going to decorate a friend’s car with a custom-made skin as a practical joke, whose car would you skin and what would it be? i don't know. Maybe my mom's car...i'd get a skin that said "Vote Hillary!" It might clash with her "Garage Logic" bumper stickers though:)
   

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Now playing: Avalon - Winter Wonderland
via FoxyTunes

Best gift guide...ever!

i found this guide today. You gotta check it out.
i only have one other to add to it which i just made this morning:
Empty container with lid
(like a Pringles container. i used an empty Crystal Light container, which is the same shape but smaller.)
Add:
Rice
Nuts
Noodles
Whatever you got

Tape the lid on tightly. Bam. A whole morning's activity for my little manster. Gotta love it.

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Now playing: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - An Angel's Share
via FoxyTunes

Friday 5..again late

1. What’s your favorite song about growing up? "Brick" by Ben Folds
   
2. What’s your favorite song about cars or driving? "Life is a Highway" That song is a classic! i also specifically made a mix starting with that song the first time i ever drove my car myself.
   
3. What’s your favorite song whose title is a person’s name? Mandy. It constantly runs through my head. However, because i only know the one line "Mandy, you came and you gave without taking" i have to make up the rest of the words, hilarity surely ensuing.
   
4. What’s your favorite get-up-and-dance song? "What is love" from the Night at the Roxbury soundtrack. First of all, that movie is fabulous. A home run of an SNL movie. Who would win in a fight? Night at the Roxbury or Wayne's World? i don't know. i don't think i want to know.
   
5. What’s your favorite novelty song? i'm a person who is not inclined to like novelty music. However, a German polka featuring the vocal stylings of several drunk men singing "My Heart will go on" is my favorite.
   

You know where i got this.

Elmo and Andrea Bocelli

i saw this on tv and couldn't help but post it. Sorry, all of you who are either A. Music majors who are very upset about Elmo singing to a beloved new classic or B. Non music majors who don't understand why this is fantastic.

Hello

i just wanted to let you all know i'm still alive, just not feeling very blog-gy. Things have been happening, but something in me has not had a particle of desire to chronicle them. Things of note, though, for the past two weeks or so:
Kris and i did the Black Friday thing at Best Buy: my first year on the consumer side, instead of wearing out my voice saying "Sir, we sold out of that $15 bluetooth headset within 10 minutes of the store's opening". Anyway, we got GPS and the first two seasons of "The Office", a show i hadn't yet seen but am now addicted to. And GPS, wow. Pretty sure i didn't live without it. i was so constantly lost! And now i'm not. Was blind, but now i see.
David is like this real little boy. We took him for Christmas pictures at Target (crazy cheap with a coupon you can print right off the website) and we just got them back, and man are they adorable!
David met Santa last week for the first time. i'll have to blog about this, because it was silly.
It snowed a blizzard for the first time this year today, and wouldn't you know it, our garage door opener stopped working, so we had to go and get another, because parking outside just isn't an option with a baby in the snowy cold. It's a crappy time for us to have spent the money, but we've needed a new one for a while, and i'm pretty excited about it. Kris is in the garage right now installing it.
We also bought a hardwood floor at Lowe's black friday weekend for .68/square foot. i'm so excited about it! It's going to be a pretty major project to install it, but it will be a lot easier than the "faux-noleum" we've got going now. Our kitchen floor is made of this fake linoleum that is literally so thin (wallpaper thin, i'd say) that when you slide the kitchen chair on it, it rips holes into it. Very glad to get the new floor.
i love my new church more and more every week. People keep unfolding layers of themselves to me, and i'm finding out just how many really nice and sincere people go there. i'm very glad to share in that community. i pre-judged it: i'd thought that since it was in Eden Prairie it would be a bunch of people that thought they were better than i was: a judgement i'd pretty accurately taken up while visiting the high school. But the church is full of people that, while they do have a lot more money than i do, are still genuine and not self-righteous at all. i'm in the right place.
Speaking of church, i've gotta be there in 9 hours, so to bed i must go. i'll try to write more, but only if very inspired. If you have any topics that might be a jumping-off point for a more inspired post, please let me know.