Who Wins in Cincinnati?

Because it's on before Entourage and Flight of the Conchords (which bears repeating that it is SHEAR GENIUS HUMOR), I started catching snippets of John from Cincinnati. I couldn't quite follow the plot or figure out the characters (is Al Bundy talking to his parrot or his dead wife?) This is the first time this has ever happened to me. So I watched more, each week, hoping to figure out what was actually happening. Each week still wondering, WTF?

Now I think it was some tv exec's (or apparently, David Milch's) maniacal scheme to put on a show with good acting (except the young kid, he's as stiff as Cheney's arteries), good filming, and an implied theme (surfing and family drama, with some sci fi thrown in), but no real overall plot. Just because they can.

I am angry. BOTTOM LINE: John from Cincinnati has nothing on WKRP in Cincinnati.

Chuck just said the f-word

Chuck just said the f-word about another driver - as in, what the ef is this person doing - in front of Mya and Lauren.

Jenny is at blogHer, I

Jenny is at blogHer, I really wish I were there with her! We are on our way to 1000 Islands for Christmas in July.

I need to get a cookbook for ideas on dinners to make for Lauren. I guess now that she is a year and half, I need to start being more responsible / proactive / commited / organized (yes, I'm crying now... I used to be the only one who suffered from my shortcomings... ok, maybe Chuck suffered a little too, but he's perfectly capable so I don't have sympathy).

Here are her (and my) little nuances about meals:

- likes veggies (thought still often gets them in the form of baby food)
- loves pasta
- doesn't seem to like meat
- not quite using a fork/spoon yet - uses fingers
- needs to be healthy (no chicken nuggets)
- needs to be fast and easy to make

I'm thinking of getting Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook. Any other recommendations?

Save the Planet & Laugh While You're At It

My day...

Wake the baby up, she's out of sorts with two ear infections, but luckily likes her medicine. Even says "meh e sin", as if asking for more.

Driving in listenting to NPR, hear about the passing of former King of Afghanistan, get choked up - it's going to be a hormonal day.

At work, find out about a HORRIFIC, mean comment on one of my Kodak blog posts about Lauren. Burst in to tears. Stupid idiot with keyboard got to me on my hormonal day.

Go to pick up Lauren, am greeted by the director who warns me about an incident report - Lauren fell, scratched her cheek. She was fine, only cried for a sec, but after nap, it looked worse and might bruise.


See Lauren - AAGHH - scratch covering half her chubby little cheek - and a runny nose to boot. Great, two ear infections, a face wound, and a cold, but handling it like a champ.

Hubby calls, asks me to google "clogged ear" - he's been sick and, though he was well enough to golf today (SHOCKING), he now can't hear out of his right ear (btw, you use warm compresses, take pseudophed, and jump around while contorting your face)

Once online, can't drag myself away. The heat from the laptop is burning my leg. Must visit more websites...

Find a site called Project Phin: Clean my Ride, Flex my Fuel

Many funny videos about the quest to lessen our dependency on oil and help the environment (even if it does mean paying more for popcorn - another tidbit from NPR)... from a guy named Phin - supported comedically (is that a word?) by Ben Afflec, Matt Damon, Jen Garner, Sarah Silverman, Jason Biggs, and more.

Here's the first one:

Marathon

UPDATE: DUE TO CHARLIE'S HEALTH, OR LACK OF, IT LOOKS LIKE THE PLAN TO RUN IN THE MARATHON IS IN JEOPARDY.


Hubby is going for it this year - he is running in the Rochester Marathon (the half). He's been running a bit for a couple years now, but he's kickin it up a notch this year. Nothing like waiting until the year you turn 40 to attempt a marathon. But still much better than sitting on your a** eating Margarita cake and watching E! News (any similarity to actual persons, living in the same household, is purely coincidental).

Oh, and THIS JUST IN, he plans to do two Triathalon's next year! Now that's a good way to kick off your 40's. If there were a shopping triathalon, I'd so be there... 1st leg - groceries, 2nd leg - apparel, 3rd leg (and the most difficult) - shoes.

Bedtime Books

For Lauren's baby shower, Aprille got her the book How Do Dinosaurs Clean their Room? Lauren became very fond of this book, especially the last line - "Thank You, Thank You little Dinosaur." She even started saying "dinosaur" a few weeks back. Aprille informed me that there are a few in this series, so I headed to the bookstore to buy another Dinosaur book and maybe one other book. Jenny met me in the kid section and became very animated - "Toot and Puddle... Olivia... the Pigeon books..." She was very excited to point out the must-haves. I couldn't buy them all at once, but along with "How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten", I opted to get Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. I think Lauren likes this book, but more importantly, I LOVE IT. Most of the book is the pigeon asking, begging, pleading to drive the bus. At one point and yells, "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!" I love reading this part in my best high pitched, exasperated pigeon-y voice

Jenny did not want Lauren to have to wait for her first Olivia book, so she got it for her. She brought it over yesterday and read it to her. Lauren enjoyed it very much. She stayed attentive through the whole book, which is no small feat. Today Lauren grabbed her Olivia book and brought it to me to read. I think it has instantly became one of her favorite books.

So the bedtime book routine has seen it's first major overhaul. Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon have been retired. Goodnight Gorilla never really captured her attention. Now it's the Dinosaur book, the Olivia book, and Mommy's favorite - the Pigeon book (vroom, vroom, vroomy vroom vroom, pigeon at the wheel)...

and then Mommy goes to bed and reads The Devil Wears Prada. I will save that for Lauren to read in another 15 years.

fiddlin with my blog design - tryin to get the new template right

You Give me Fever

Last Friday, hubby came home, took his temperature, declared he had a fever of 99.6 and promptly went to bed. He was mostly better within a day or two.

I woke up this Wednesday with a very sore throat, went to work, felt crappier by the minute, got home, took my temperature, declared that I had a fever of 99.8 (I win) and promplty went to bed - but not before requesting a grilled cheese sandwhich - made with lots of butter - while threatening not to eat anything if I did not receive a grilled cheese sandwich. A little while later, hub brought me up one of the most delicious grilled cheese sandwiches ever. I felt better the next day. He credits his grilled cheese.

Last night and this morning Little L had a fever over 101 (she really wins). Per our "Don't Panic Handbook" from the doctor's office, this is ok if she is otherwise eating and acting mostly normal. Which she is. Except she took the longest nap ever today. She got up at 8am, then was back in bed by 10am, then slept on and off until 3pm! She is back in bed as of about 5:45 for another round of sleep. If she still has a fever tomorrow, I'm sure she will be seeing the doctor.

Ok, she's crying right now, so I must go cuddle my little sickie chickie.

The World Series of Pop Culture has started up again. Some of the questions are relatively easy, but some are ridiculously hard and I don't know how anyone knows them. I find myself knowing some pretty obscure ones, which is why I thought I might give it a go... I did once have the nickname "TV Guide Tina"... but I bombed out on the online aftershow game tonight... didn't know which ball field Ferris Bueller and his friends went to... I guessed Fenway, but it was Wrigley. As soon as you miss one, BAM, game over. Harsh.

They should do a new game - like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon - but with points for the most obscure connections. Here's my first go:

The handyman's name on One Day at a Time was Schneider, which also starred Valerie Bertinelli, who was married to Eddie Van Halen and who is now doing Jenny Craig commercials with Kirsty Ally, who starred in Veronica's Closet with Dan Cortez, who was originally the host of MtV Sports, with Daisy Fuentes, who now has her own clothing line...

ok, this could go on for entirely too long, but it's fun.

Jenny and I used to do a game where we'd give each other a song title and we'd have to type up what we could remember of (or what we thought were) the lyrics. It was challenging, fun and the resulting "songs" were often pretty hilarious.

There are a couple new shows out about knowing the lyrics to songs. I haven't watched them, but I think I'd be good at this - EXCEPT you have to sing them - and I would die of embarassment. I've never done Karaoke and never will. People tell me, "have a few drinks, loosen up." I say, "I would black out from intoxication before I'd have enough liquid courage to get in front of people and sing." And trust me, it's in everyone's best interest that I do not sing.

Those of you who know me, know that I have Apiphobia - fear of bees. I'm not proud of it. I know I don't need to be afraid - unless stepped on or provoked, bees usually won't sting (and, in fact, I've never actually been stung) - I just can't control the fear that overcomes me when I see a bee - or God forbid - a wasp. I know we need bees to survive and the little buzzers are in quite a pickle right now (which means humans are screwed sooner or later too)...

But when I saw this article - "Bees' Violent Preference Makes Sense" - my first thought was "HA!, I've been right all along..." then I looked closer... it read Bees VIOLET Tendencies... they like the color purple.

Dammit, still just an irrational fear based on nothing but the phobia inherited from my Grandmother. (thouth we won't even TALK about the Killer Bees...)

Flight of the Conchords is sheer brilliance. It's about two New Zealanders who are best friends, live together in NYC, and have a band called Flight of the Conchords. They break in to song on the show - the songs are hilarious.

Tonight's episode has Bret dating Coco and Jermaine going along on all the dates. They write her a song called "What You're In to" and they both sing it to her on one of the dates... here are some of the lyrics, they just get more weird from there...

Bret: If you want me to, I will take off all my clothes for you, I'll take off all my clothes for you, if that's what you're in to

Jermaine (deep voice): how bout him, in the nude? If that's what you're in to. In the nude in front of you. Is that what you'd want to view?

If you haven't seen it, you should. Jermaine is also in a movie called Eagle vs. Shark which is supposed to be pretty funny too.

7-7-07

Watching the Live Earth concerts. Amazing. I can't believe the incredible lineup of artists.

Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, the Beastie Boys, Metallica... all bringing me back to my teenage years. And Linkin Park, tapping into my inner metal head. I forgot how much I like them.

Aside from enjoying the music, I took a little bit of action... I finally changed a few more lightbulbs over to CF. I had bought the CF bulbs a while back but, as things go with our household, it takes forever for us to actually take action. Sad really. I will buy more and I promise to install them within 3 days of purchasing them!

I also went to Green Girl Guide and signed up for their newsletter. Got a $5 off coupon for gDiapers, which I am going to give a try.

I don't do as much as Jenny - who is a beautiful shade of green these days - but I am trying. Especially for Lauren.

The Live Earth website has some great stuff, including some great short films and some beautiful wallpapers.

Had a great trip to NYC. Visited:

Uniqlo - the coolest t-shirt display ever. Got a couple cute ones

Eleni's - got there after 6, stuff was half price, bought a stupid amount of cookies (I'll have the tub and a couple of face creams, two of those dresses, and and a couple of those dad shirts)... I also bought a gorgeous pink cupcake that was as tasty as it was adorable, and a couple mini cupcakes for Jenny that barely survived the trip.

Fat Witch - upon leaving Eleni's in the Chelsea Market, I found Fat Witch next door. I had heard about them on Oprah, I think they were one of her "Favorite Things". I really wanted to like them, but I guess I have to question Oprah's taste because I don't like these brownies AT ALL. Maybe Oprah had one after many days of dieting and that's why it tasted like the best brownie ever. I'd take Pillbury over FW any day.

I also grabbed some pizza, knowing that you pretty much can't go wrong with any pizza place in NYC. The problem was this... the pizza was searing, SEARING hot. Normally I'm impatient because I can't wait to sink my teeth in to the deliciousness. This time, I couldn't wait because I needed to get in a cab to the airport. I bet the pizza would have been delicious if it hadn't been so hot as to take of 3 layers of skin inside my mouth.