This evening I had one of those situations that just makes you feel like the biggest pile of crap ever. The other day, Will went up to Ryan and said he had hiccups and needed to be scared. I have no idea of Ryan yelling "BOO!!!" at him a few seconds later actually made his hiccups go away, but for some reason when I was going upstairs this evening I was thinking about that and I decided to sneak up on Will and give him a scare. I determined he was in the "new room" with the door closed, listening to Beatles music, and even maybe dancing around some, so I burst in and yelled "BOO!!!" as loud as I could.
At which point my sweet baby spun around with a horrified expression on his face and burst into tears.
Now, I know better than this. It wasn't too long ago that we were watching a Kings' game and when Mike Bibby sank a three-pointer to tie the game right at the buzzer, Ryan and I both yelled "YES!!!" so loud that Will, who'd been sitting there playing with his K'Nex and minding his own business, shrieked in terror and sobbed. (And then they still lost in overtime.) So it's not like this sort of thing is without precedent, and I really don't know what I was thinking.
Of course I went right in and hugged him and apologized profusely, but I wasn't quite done trying to get myself off the hook, so I explained that I thought he might have hiccups so I decided to scare them out of him. He pointed out, through his tears, that you really need to check and make sure someone has hiccups before you do that too them, which of course is absolutely true and made me feel worse. I kept rubbing his back and finally said that I was just trying to be funny, and I realized that it was a mistake and apologized again, which he seemed to accept. Then I told him the great thing was that he got to pay me back and scare me sometime. Mr. Finesse that he is, he proceeded to do so three times within 10 minutes -- only once with much success -- at which point I told him he'd probably paid me back, and he agreed and seemed cheerful.
Anyway, another lesson learned. The kid is a little fragile. I won't mess with him like that again.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Soccer, or Why I'm a Bad Mom
My name is Tracie, and *sob*... my children don't play soccer!
We live in one of those towns where youth soccer is not just an activity -- it's a way of life. I suppose most suburban American cities like this anymore, but here in Davis, we don't do anything halfway. Therefore, it's pretty much expected that once a kid gets to be 5 or so years old, Mom is going to sign that kid up to play soccer. I managed to avoid this with Rachel due to her autism -- no one questioned it -- but now that William has been of soccer-playing age for two falls and I have yet to sign him up, I seem to get called on it more and more. My reasons for not signing him up are these:
1) I hate soccer.
2) My husband, who loves all sports, hates soccer.
3) Will hasn't asked to play.
I think these are good reasons. I think they are the only reasons I should need to get myself off the hook for not signing him up, and most people let it go with that, but on increasingly frequent occasions, parents I'm conversing with on the subject behave as though not signing my son up for soccer is a subtle form of child abuse, and I'm forced to trot out the rest of my reasons:
4) We don't, as a family, care to take time out of our weekends to go to soccer games and such. I don't mind weekday commitments and the occasional weekend event for Girl Scouts or Little League or something, but I just really don't want to have to plan every Saturday for several months around soccer games.
5) I played soccer as a kid and detested it, so it's not like my loathing of soccer just comes out of nowhere. I do seriously hate it, with reason.
6) Although Will is not really much of an athlete, he does play tee ball, and has asked to take gymnastics and tennis as well. If he wanted to play soccer, I'm sure he would ask to do so, but he hasn't. I have to assume that means he doesn't want to. Trust me, the kid is not shy about asking for what he wants.
Believe it or not, this still isn't enough to satisfy some of the people I've talked to. One mom completely blew off everything I had to say and kept arguing about how great it was. Well, I guess that's wonderful for her family and her kids, who I assume enjoy playing soccer. And if Will was chomping at the bit to play, I promise, I would sign him up. But for God's sake, I simply refuse to buy that there is something essential about playing soccer for any kid growing up in the suburbs, something so important that he or she is going to get out of it that the need to expend time, energy and money on it overrides things like the fact that the kid has no interest in playing and his parents don't really care to go there, all things being equal. It's a pair of cleats, a ball, and a net. I think he can learn just as much about sportsmanship and all that other good stuff playing some other sport that he's actually excited about playing.
We live in one of those towns where youth soccer is not just an activity -- it's a way of life. I suppose most suburban American cities like this anymore, but here in Davis, we don't do anything halfway. Therefore, it's pretty much expected that once a kid gets to be 5 or so years old, Mom is going to sign that kid up to play soccer. I managed to avoid this with Rachel due to her autism -- no one questioned it -- but now that William has been of soccer-playing age for two falls and I have yet to sign him up, I seem to get called on it more and more. My reasons for not signing him up are these:
1) I hate soccer.
2) My husband, who loves all sports, hates soccer.
3) Will hasn't asked to play.
I think these are good reasons. I think they are the only reasons I should need to get myself off the hook for not signing him up, and most people let it go with that, but on increasingly frequent occasions, parents I'm conversing with on the subject behave as though not signing my son up for soccer is a subtle form of child abuse, and I'm forced to trot out the rest of my reasons:
4) We don't, as a family, care to take time out of our weekends to go to soccer games and such. I don't mind weekday commitments and the occasional weekend event for Girl Scouts or Little League or something, but I just really don't want to have to plan every Saturday for several months around soccer games.
5) I played soccer as a kid and detested it, so it's not like my loathing of soccer just comes out of nowhere. I do seriously hate it, with reason.
6) Although Will is not really much of an athlete, he does play tee ball, and has asked to take gymnastics and tennis as well. If he wanted to play soccer, I'm sure he would ask to do so, but he hasn't. I have to assume that means he doesn't want to. Trust me, the kid is not shy about asking for what he wants.
Believe it or not, this still isn't enough to satisfy some of the people I've talked to. One mom completely blew off everything I had to say and kept arguing about how great it was. Well, I guess that's wonderful for her family and her kids, who I assume enjoy playing soccer. And if Will was chomping at the bit to play, I promise, I would sign him up. But for God's sake, I simply refuse to buy that there is something essential about playing soccer for any kid growing up in the suburbs, something so important that he or she is going to get out of it that the need to expend time, energy and money on it overrides things like the fact that the kid has no interest in playing and his parents don't really care to go there, all things being equal. It's a pair of cleats, a ball, and a net. I think he can learn just as much about sportsmanship and all that other good stuff playing some other sport that he's actually excited about playing.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
I feel like rambling this morning, probably largely because none of my friends are online for me to ramble to. That's probably a good thing since I'm in this rambly mood.
Lots of stuff happened this week. In addition to me getting a bike and riding it all over the place, I also got my first ever traffic ticket, for failure to yield. I've been trying to decide if that's some kind of metaphor for my life. Anyway, I think it was kind of a BS ticket, as do all (three) of the people I've told about it so far. Ryan thinks I should fight it, and offered to go with me and argue my case. I gave that about 2 seconds of consideration, especially since he followed up his offer by telling me we probably wouldn't win. And what exactly would the point of that be?
My grandma is evidently in the hospital again, which is not good, of course. I need to call my mom and find out what's happening on that front, but I keep putting it off.
In much less important news -- the Kings traded Webber. Yee-haw! He's an excellent player for another team, but his presence has been throwing off the Kings' chemistry for close to a year now, and that amazing teamwork they have is what makes them great. I hope he goes and kicks butt for Sixers (not against the Kings) but sorry, I'm glad to see him go. Now our awesome guys like Bibby and Miller and Songaila and of course, my baby Peja, can really shine :-)
The sun is trying to come out today and I'm glad. Ryan was supposed to go to San Diego this weekend and he cancelled for a couple of work-related reasons that I didn't agree with and I was kind of annoyed about it, but I told him he needed to go play 18 holes of golf and he's planning to do that. I also promised the kids I would take them on a long bike ride and I'm going to do that too. I'd said Borders, but who knows -- depending on how well they do with it, maybe we'll go all the way to campus and hang out at the Coffee House for a while instead. That would be fun.
Tonight I'm going to Mom's Night In and will get to hang out with some friends I haven't seen much of lately, so that will be nice. Not sure about the concept of staying in rather than going out and why it would be superior, but I don't have little kids anymore so maybe that's part of it. And that's pretty much the whole agenda for this weekend. As opposed to next weekend, which is ridiculous (scrapbooking with my aunt Ann and the Girl Scout cookie site sale Friday, helping to set up for the Montgomery Auction, the Auction before-party and the Auction itself on Saturday, going bridesmaids dress shopping on Sunday) and the following weekend, when the Hens will be here (yay! I heart that!). I really have a tremendous amount to do in the next two weeks and I should probably wrap my brain around that, but at this point I'm mostly thinking about going shopping for something to wear to the Auction next weekend and other silly things like that.
Speaking of the Auction, I've got paperwork to do and I suppose it's time to make myself useful so I should really get to it...
Lots of stuff happened this week. In addition to me getting a bike and riding it all over the place, I also got my first ever traffic ticket, for failure to yield. I've been trying to decide if that's some kind of metaphor for my life. Anyway, I think it was kind of a BS ticket, as do all (three) of the people I've told about it so far. Ryan thinks I should fight it, and offered to go with me and argue my case. I gave that about 2 seconds of consideration, especially since he followed up his offer by telling me we probably wouldn't win. And what exactly would the point of that be?
My grandma is evidently in the hospital again, which is not good, of course. I need to call my mom and find out what's happening on that front, but I keep putting it off.
In much less important news -- the Kings traded Webber. Yee-haw! He's an excellent player for another team, but his presence has been throwing off the Kings' chemistry for close to a year now, and that amazing teamwork they have is what makes them great. I hope he goes and kicks butt for Sixers (not against the Kings) but sorry, I'm glad to see him go. Now our awesome guys like Bibby and Miller and Songaila and of course, my baby Peja, can really shine :-)
The sun is trying to come out today and I'm glad. Ryan was supposed to go to San Diego this weekend and he cancelled for a couple of work-related reasons that I didn't agree with and I was kind of annoyed about it, but I told him he needed to go play 18 holes of golf and he's planning to do that. I also promised the kids I would take them on a long bike ride and I'm going to do that too. I'd said Borders, but who knows -- depending on how well they do with it, maybe we'll go all the way to campus and hang out at the Coffee House for a while instead. That would be fun.
Tonight I'm going to Mom's Night In and will get to hang out with some friends I haven't seen much of lately, so that will be nice. Not sure about the concept of staying in rather than going out and why it would be superior, but I don't have little kids anymore so maybe that's part of it. And that's pretty much the whole agenda for this weekend. As opposed to next weekend, which is ridiculous (scrapbooking with my aunt Ann and the Girl Scout cookie site sale Friday, helping to set up for the Montgomery Auction, the Auction before-party and the Auction itself on Saturday, going bridesmaids dress shopping on Sunday) and the following weekend, when the Hens will be here (yay! I heart that!). I really have a tremendous amount to do in the next two weeks and I should probably wrap my brain around that, but at this point I'm mostly thinking about going shopping for something to wear to the Auction next weekend and other silly things like that.
Speaking of the Auction, I've got paperwork to do and I suppose it's time to make myself useful so I should really get to it...
The Dog
Everyone should have a creature who loves them as much as Buster loves me. This morning he whined at our door and woke us up, which was fine and made sense, since it was after 8:30 and we certainly prefer him coming to ask to be let out to decorating the carpet and he probably had to go pretty bad by then. I came downstairs and let him out, then went back upstairs to put on some sweats and slippers. The kids let him back in and he bounded back upstairs. Ryan was going back downstairs by then, but he came in demanded attention from me, so I had to sit down for a minute and rub his head and tell him he was a good boy before I changed my clothes. Then he sat at the top of the stairs waiting impatiently for me to come with him, went downstairs just ahead of me, looking back no fewer than three times to make sure I was following, then sat and waited for me on the couch, ears perked and looking somewhat forlorn while I made coffee. Now he is settled in against my thigh here on the couch and I really don't have the slightest doubt he would stay here all day, without moving, if I didn't move either. I find this all a bit weird because it seems like he's become somewhat clingier lately for not apparent reason. I mean, I know I'm his favorite -- there has been no doubt in my mind since the incident where he stole several pairs of my underpants out of the dirty laundry pile I left on the floor and absconded to his bed with them -- but we've had him for nearly five years and he used to be able to go up and down the stairs without making sure I was right behind.
He drives me crazy and I complain about it him all the time, but geez, it's hard not to respond to this kind of devotion. Sure, he barks, and he has the worst breath in dog history, and he acts pathetic, and we can't take him anywhere, and in the last few days he's unloaded such lethal gas that I worried my eyelashes might be singed off, but he's cute and cuddly, and recently when I was bitching about him in a chat room, my friend Judy said "you know you love that little shit." Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
He drives me crazy and I complain about it him all the time, but geez, it's hard not to respond to this kind of devotion. Sure, he barks, and he has the worst breath in dog history, and he acts pathetic, and we can't take him anywhere, and in the last few days he's unloaded such lethal gas that I worried my eyelashes might be singed off, but he's cute and cuddly, and recently when I was bitching about him in a chat room, my friend Judy said "you know you love that little shit." Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
Sorry my new bike has been keeping me from updating my blog the last few days
Yeah, I know, I was lousy about updating even before I got the bike, but that's my excuse this week. Anyway, other than picking the kids up from school yesterday because I didn't want to listen to Rachel whining, I have maintained a strict policy of riding my bike anyplace I want to go in South Davis for the last few days, and yesterday I even ventured to the other side of the freeway into town. Had coffee and bought a couple of books at Borders, then came home. I love have a basket to carry things in! I love the ache I get in my thighs when I've ridden a ways! I love my bike! Yep, I'm seven years old again...
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
I've often thought I was enjoying a delayed adolescence in the last few years, but today I experienced a return to something more like the age of ten, when I got a bike and rode down the street. A couple of weeks ago, I taught my son how to ride without training wheels, and since then I've been enjoying him ride as fast as he can up and down our street. Ryan and I have dallied with the idea of getting an adult bike for the two of us to share since Rachel learned how to ride two years ago, just so we'd be able to go on rides with the kids sometimes, but we never got serious about it. One of the carrots I dangled in front of Will when he was learning a couple of weeks ago was that I would get a bike so we could ride togther too. Till now I've made do with getting on my rollerblades and getting out there with them when they've wanted to go for a spin. But Ryan won't do that, and I know he didn't enjoy running behind them to the park yesterday. Plus today is such a beautiful day. So I decided to go to the bike shop downtown where I've been admiring cruiser-style bikes for the past two years, and when I got there, this big purple one caught my eye. The bike store guy said I could take it for a spin around the block if I was so inclined, so I thought, what the hell? And I climbed on it and took off down the street.
Wheee! Why did I ever stop riding a bike? Well, I do remember that none of them were ever as comfortable as this one, which has a nice wide seat and those big handlebars that make it so you don't have to lean forward when you're riding. There is also the fact that I have mostly lived places a lot hillier than Davis in 13 or so years since I rode a bike much. Still, I was surprised as how quickly I returned to that feeling that I know my son has when he's zooming up and down our street on his little bike these last couple of weeks. It's the kind of feeling you just don't get driving a car. Well, not after the first couple of weeks you have your license, anyway.
I did take one more bike -- a less expensive blue cruiser with the boy-bar across the frame -- out for a test-ride, but it just wasn't the same as the purple one. So I brought it home, and took it for a ride around the neighborhood before I put it away. Hopefully the kids will be up for a ride when they get home too...
I sure hope Ryan doesn't mind riding a purple girl-bike!
Wheee! Why did I ever stop riding a bike? Well, I do remember that none of them were ever as comfortable as this one, which has a nice wide seat and those big handlebars that make it so you don't have to lean forward when you're riding. There is also the fact that I have mostly lived places a lot hillier than Davis in 13 or so years since I rode a bike much. Still, I was surprised as how quickly I returned to that feeling that I know my son has when he's zooming up and down our street on his little bike these last couple of weeks. It's the kind of feeling you just don't get driving a car. Well, not after the first couple of weeks you have your license, anyway.
I did take one more bike -- a less expensive blue cruiser with the boy-bar across the frame -- out for a test-ride, but it just wasn't the same as the purple one. So I brought it home, and took it for a ride around the neighborhood before I put it away. Hopefully the kids will be up for a ride when they get home too...
I sure hope Ryan doesn't mind riding a purple girl-bike!
The sun is shining here today. I am thinking about walking to school to pick up the kids this afternoon, though I know that decision is likely to meet with nothing but complaints from my charges (little ingrates). We should enjoy this weather to the fullest, if only in appreciation of the fact that we don't live where there is snow on the ground and the mommies have to write to their e-friends for advice on what lotions will keeps their kids' skin from cracking and bleeding. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know -- you guys love the snow. Well, you can keep it. I'll take short-sleeves weather in February, thank you very much!
Coolness, Pt II
Some interesting (to me) tidbits about coolness:
1. I've recently become acquainted with a high school classmate (I don't say re-acquainted because I actually didn't really know him in high school)who lives nearby and we've become friends. A few weeks ago we had lunch, and it was interesting talking about high school because his concept of who was popular back then was completely different than mine. I tend to remember the cheerleaders and jocks and all those people, while he kept talking about his advanced-placement classmates, the people who ran student government and all that. It had never occurred to me that other people would have a completely different perspective on who all got all the attention back then. Incidentally, this guy who is my friend now was quite cool himself. He probably didn't think so, but I remember
2. A couple of months ago, a friend of mine told me her 15-year-old daughter had told her, "Tracie's so cool! I wish she was my mom!" Sad how happy that made me. The experience of it was tempered somewhat by the fact that my friend told me this right in front of her daughter, and her daughter and I avoided eye contact after that.
3. The rules of coolness have definitely changed since I was an adolescent.
A lot of people probably think the fact that I drive a minivan is uncool. I know driving one doesn't make me cool, but I think the fact that I fully acknowledge that minivans aren't cool and I still love driving mine makes me cool. I have my nose pierced because I think it's cool, not in hopes of having other people think I'm cool. And so on. Overall, at the ripe age of 34, I think I have achieved a level of detachment about these kinds of things that would have made me seem extremely cool at 16.
4. I enjoy my life a lot more now than I did when I used to worry about trying to be cool. I should probably not be devoting so much thought to coolness right now -- it's likely to harsh my mellow pretty soon.
1. I've recently become acquainted with a high school classmate (I don't say re-acquainted because I actually didn't really know him in high school)who lives nearby and we've become friends. A few weeks ago we had lunch, and it was interesting talking about high school because his concept of who was popular back then was completely different than mine. I tend to remember the cheerleaders and jocks and all those people, while he kept talking about his advanced-placement classmates, the people who ran student government and all that. It had never occurred to me that other people would have a completely different perspective on who all got all the attention back then. Incidentally, this guy who is my friend now was quite cool himself. He probably didn't think so, but I remember
2. A couple of months ago, a friend of mine told me her 15-year-old daughter had told her, "Tracie's so cool! I wish she was my mom!" Sad how happy that made me. The experience of it was tempered somewhat by the fact that my friend told me this right in front of her daughter, and her daughter and I avoided eye contact after that.
3. The rules of coolness have definitely changed since I was an adolescent.
A lot of people probably think the fact that I drive a minivan is uncool. I know driving one doesn't make me cool, but I think the fact that I fully acknowledge that minivans aren't cool and I still love driving mine makes me cool. I have my nose pierced because I think it's cool, not in hopes of having other people think I'm cool. And so on. Overall, at the ripe age of 34, I think I have achieved a level of detachment about these kinds of things that would have made me seem extremely cool at 16.
4. I enjoy my life a lot more now than I did when I used to worry about trying to be cool. I should probably not be devoting so much thought to coolness right now -- it's likely to harsh my mellow pretty soon.
Coolness
Since I started writing this blog, I have been thinking about degrees of coolness. I read other people's blogs sometimes, and I've discovered from that exploration as well as having read a few other kinds of sites that there is some kind of legion of coolness in the blogging world to which I (and most of the millions of other blog-owners online) do not belong. I've only come across one -- it's entirely possible that I'm not cool enough to have come across the others. The people who are part of this legion all seem to have connections to one or both of the following websites: http://www.damnhellasskings.com/ and http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/. I enjoy both of these sites and I honestly don't mean to disparage anyone connected with them in this post (or any subsequent posts on this topic). I am just really intrigued by the idea of people becoming prominent online, and having others come to think they're cool, based on what they write. Let's face it: I'm jealous.
The idea of being the author of a "famous" blog appeals to me for so many reasons! Just writing down my random thoughts and experiences, couched in what I imagine to be my rapier wit, and have people bookmark me and check my site regularly for new pearls of my wisdom? Receiving actual entries to my guestbook, frequently hearing how awesome I am? Referring to all my other hip blog-community friends by their online names, and the cool places we go and interesting, blog-entry-worthy experiences we have? Does it get any better than this?
I don't expect it to happen though. Largely for the same reason I keep not doing anything to get my novels published -- I'm scared. I'm scared of drawing attention to myself, and I'm scared of making people angry or offending them with something I've written. For me, it's always been this way. Question: how much does cool have to do with a) not caring if you make people mad, and b) willingness to draw attention to oneself? The number of people I've even told that I have this blog is pretty small. My own husband didn't know I had it for two months. I give out my daughter's blog address more readily than I give out my own. But really -- I didn't start this blog to remain anonymous or maintain my privacy, and anyone who uses that reasoning really needs to think about it some more. I have never been one to keep a journal -- it's always bored me. The fact that people might read what I have to say here is the entire reason I'm writing. The fact that not many do is probably one of the things that keeps me from posting more regularly. Overall, I'm kind of disgusted with myself on the whole blog-front. The whole idea of seeking prominence is, in the end, just too scary. Woe is me.
Enough of my pity party. Time to use the blow dryer before my hair is lost cause for the day. Don't ever say I don't have my priorities in order!
The idea of being the author of a "famous" blog appeals to me for so many reasons! Just writing down my random thoughts and experiences, couched in what I imagine to be my rapier wit, and have people bookmark me and check my site regularly for new pearls of my wisdom? Receiving actual entries to my guestbook, frequently hearing how awesome I am? Referring to all my other hip blog-community friends by their online names, and the cool places we go and interesting, blog-entry-worthy experiences we have? Does it get any better than this?
I don't expect it to happen though. Largely for the same reason I keep not doing anything to get my novels published -- I'm scared. I'm scared of drawing attention to myself, and I'm scared of making people angry or offending them with something I've written. For me, it's always been this way. Question: how much does cool have to do with a) not caring if you make people mad, and b) willingness to draw attention to oneself? The number of people I've even told that I have this blog is pretty small. My own husband didn't know I had it for two months. I give out my daughter's blog address more readily than I give out my own. But really -- I didn't start this blog to remain anonymous or maintain my privacy, and anyone who uses that reasoning really needs to think about it some more. I have never been one to keep a journal -- it's always bored me. The fact that people might read what I have to say here is the entire reason I'm writing. The fact that not many do is probably one of the things that keeps me from posting more regularly. Overall, I'm kind of disgusted with myself on the whole blog-front. The whole idea of seeking prominence is, in the end, just too scary. Woe is me.
Enough of my pity party. Time to use the blow dryer before my hair is lost cause for the day. Don't ever say I don't have my priorities in order!
Friday, February 18, 2005
*Beep*
Hi, you've reached the Bezerras. If you're someone we might actually want to speak to, please leave us a message. If you're a telemarketer calling from a business like MCI, please take us off your list and don't ever call again. If we were interested in what you want to sell us, we wouldn't have used our Caller ID to avoid talking to you the first 87 times you called. We will continue to do so until you get it through your thick skulls that we do not want to to talk to you. Ever. That's why we have Caller ID -- so we can avoid talking to telemarketers. Guess what, MCI? You've called us, like, 20 times in the last week. You're up there with stalker ex-boyfriends and people to whom we owe money. Save yourself some time and effort and just erase our number from your list already. Really. You'll sleep better for it tonight, and so will we. Good-bye forever. Really. Go away.
Monday, February 07, 2005
This is why you shouldn't have my family over to your house for dinner
Saturday evening, we went to the home of some new friends for dinner. They live in a huge, beautiful house with white carpetting and expensive electronics. From the moment we walked in, I was a little worried one or both of my children would damage or destroy something. But we went on to have a pleasant evening. Our friends' son is as into the Beatles as our kids currently are, so they watched "Yellow Submarine" on DVD and were enjoying it so much and being so good that we adults decided to retire to the dining room to eat without them. We had a very nice, peaceful dinner, and the kids continued to be occupied by the movie.
After dinner we went into the kitchen and were having some dessert when disaster finally struck. Will wandered into their home office (where they keep their DVD collection and some cool Beatles figures) and proceeded to deposit the contents of his stomach on the off-white carpetting. It was, quite simply, a heart-stopping amount of vomit. How it all came out of a 6-year-old boy, I do not know. Our friends were very kind about it, but needless to say, we were utterly mortified. Ryan and I cleaned up the bulk of it and then our hostess got out a little steam cleaner thing and proceeded to make the entire spot fade away while the rest of us stood around and made jokes about what they would do to our carpet when they came over to our house for dinner. Nevertheless, the event brought the evening to a bit of a subdued conclusion.
At last report, the carpet came completely clean, our friends are somewhat amused over the incident, and we still don't know why Will threw up -- though he did so again at home approximately 24 hours after the first incident. In the toilet, of course. It figures!
After dinner we went into the kitchen and were having some dessert when disaster finally struck. Will wandered into their home office (where they keep their DVD collection and some cool Beatles figures) and proceeded to deposit the contents of his stomach on the off-white carpetting. It was, quite simply, a heart-stopping amount of vomit. How it all came out of a 6-year-old boy, I do not know. Our friends were very kind about it, but needless to say, we were utterly mortified. Ryan and I cleaned up the bulk of it and then our hostess got out a little steam cleaner thing and proceeded to make the entire spot fade away while the rest of us stood around and made jokes about what they would do to our carpet when they came over to our house for dinner. Nevertheless, the event brought the evening to a bit of a subdued conclusion.
At last report, the carpet came completely clean, our friends are somewhat amused over the incident, and we still don't know why Will threw up -- though he did so again at home approximately 24 hours after the first incident. In the toilet, of course. It figures!
Monday, January 24, 2005
Good things this week:
1) I edited my Nano novel and gave it to some friends to read. It feels like a major accomplishment!
2) I am running and doing WW.
3) I finished reading the lengthy scifi book for book club this week. It was a good book, but it required a lot of concentration to read it and it feels like it's been a while since I got to read anything "fun". Now I have at least a couple of weeks before I have to start in on my next book club selection for my other book club...
4) ...which was my pick. I chose _An Amateur Marriage_ by Anne Tyler. I haven't read it yet, so I hope it's good. I had fun at last week's meeting and I'm looking forward to the one I have tomorrow night.
Bad things this week:
1) I'm feeling hormonal.
2) Tomorrow I'm supposed to weigh in after my first week doing WW and at the moment I don't have access to an accurate scale and I don't want to spend money on one.
3) In a few minutes I have to go pick up my kids and I sure don't feel like doing homework. All I really feel like doing is taking a nap, to be quite frank.
4) It's cold. I can't seem to warm up today. I think some fat free hot chocolate is in order when we get home. It's not as good as the regular stuff, but it's fewer points.
1) I edited my Nano novel and gave it to some friends to read. It feels like a major accomplishment!
2) I am running and doing WW.
3) I finished reading the lengthy scifi book for book club this week. It was a good book, but it required a lot of concentration to read it and it feels like it's been a while since I got to read anything "fun". Now I have at least a couple of weeks before I have to start in on my next book club selection for my other book club...
4) ...which was my pick. I chose _An Amateur Marriage_ by Anne Tyler. I haven't read it yet, so I hope it's good. I had fun at last week's meeting and I'm looking forward to the one I have tomorrow night.
Bad things this week:
1) I'm feeling hormonal.
2) Tomorrow I'm supposed to weigh in after my first week doing WW and at the moment I don't have access to an accurate scale and I don't want to spend money on one.
3) In a few minutes I have to go pick up my kids and I sure don't feel like doing homework. All I really feel like doing is taking a nap, to be quite frank.
4) It's cold. I can't seem to warm up today. I think some fat free hot chocolate is in order when we get home. It's not as good as the regular stuff, but it's fewer points.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Good things this week:
1)I've been going running every other day, so I've kept up my exercise even though my workout buddy hase been sick (Get better soon, Sue!)
2)I rejoined WW Online the day before yesterday and have been pretty much sticking to it. I feel good about it, and not deprived, so far.
3)Today instead of playing computer games, I got out the hard copy of my Nano novel and I've started editting it. I want to get this sucker into shape so I can have some people read it.
4)Tomorrow is "Thunder Down Under" at Cache Creek, and I'm looking forward to a fun night out with the girls instead of sort of dreading how lame it was going to be, like I was before. We are going to eat and drink too much, I already know, but I will just eat really light all day and then let myself enjoy the evening. No big deal.
5)This morning I enjoyed a rousing theatrical production of "Harry the Dirty Dog" at the Crest Theater with Will's class. I was only on the reserve list for driving on the field trip, but then a mom got sick and they called me up. We parked in a garage that let us out on across from the Capitol, and when we were leaving, there was a stream of people carrying "Electoral Dysfunction" signs with Bush's picture of them leaving the Capital steps. As we were waiting for a bunch of them to pass so we could get out to the street, one of the kids in the back said "wow, what are they doing? Are they having a party?" Of course I felt cautious, not wanting to say anything too opinionated in case it got back to a conservative parent who complained to the teacher or something like that, so I just said "they don't like the president, and they met there to talk about it." One of my passengers commented, "yeah, I like John Kerry better" and Will and his other classmate agreed. All three of them are in first grade! It's so good to we are mostly breeding them liberal here in Davis :-)
1)I've been going running every other day, so I've kept up my exercise even though my workout buddy hase been sick (Get better soon, Sue!)
2)I rejoined WW Online the day before yesterday and have been pretty much sticking to it. I feel good about it, and not deprived, so far.
3)Today instead of playing computer games, I got out the hard copy of my Nano novel and I've started editting it. I want to get this sucker into shape so I can have some people read it.
4)Tomorrow is "Thunder Down Under" at Cache Creek, and I'm looking forward to a fun night out with the girls instead of sort of dreading how lame it was going to be, like I was before. We are going to eat and drink too much, I already know, but I will just eat really light all day and then let myself enjoy the evening. No big deal.
5)This morning I enjoyed a rousing theatrical production of "Harry the Dirty Dog" at the Crest Theater with Will's class. I was only on the reserve list for driving on the field trip, but then a mom got sick and they called me up. We parked in a garage that let us out on across from the Capitol, and when we were leaving, there was a stream of people carrying "Electoral Dysfunction" signs with Bush's picture of them leaving the Capital steps. As we were waiting for a bunch of them to pass so we could get out to the street, one of the kids in the back said "wow, what are they doing? Are they having a party?" Of course I felt cautious, not wanting to say anything too opinionated in case it got back to a conservative parent who complained to the teacher or something like that, so I just said "they don't like the president, and they met there to talk about it." One of my passengers commented, "yeah, I like John Kerry better" and Will and his other classmate agreed. All three of them are in first grade! It's so good to we are mostly breeding them liberal here in Davis :-)
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
I Feel Fat
This morning I went to a yoga class where I ended up sitting close to the mirror. Usually I can't see myself that well but today, whenever we were doing twisting poses, I was looking at a back view of myself. Bleah. I look huge. I want to lose 20 lbs. And you know what really sucks? I started running again this past week and have run ~10 miles in the last 5 days. Now I feel fatter than ever -- wtf?
I joined WW Online a year ago fall and did it sporadically with not much in the way of results. This morning before I got up, I was thinking about whether I should rejoin, and then when I opened my email, I had received a thing from them asking me to come back. I'd rather not do it online because I don't think it works for me, but all the meetings in Davis a) conflict with my yoga class on Tuesday morning, b) are in the late afternoon, so I end up starving myself before my weigh-in every week or c) are on Saturday mornings, making it highly likely that I will blow them off. But I feel like the online thing doesn't really work for me and I need the support from the meetings. I feel discouraged and I haven't even gotten started doing anything :-(
I joined WW Online a year ago fall and did it sporadically with not much in the way of results. This morning before I got up, I was thinking about whether I should rejoin, and then when I opened my email, I had received a thing from them asking me to come back. I'd rather not do it online because I don't think it works for me, but all the meetings in Davis a) conflict with my yoga class on Tuesday morning, b) are in the late afternoon, so I end up starving myself before my weigh-in every week or c) are on Saturday mornings, making it highly likely that I will blow them off. But I feel like the online thing doesn't really work for me and I need the support from the meetings. I feel discouraged and I haven't even gotten started doing anything :-(
Sunday, January 16, 2005
The Beatles
We're going through a Beatles fixation here in the Bezerra house. It started with me finally deciding to put together a CD of my favorite Beatles songs. We started listening to it in the car a couple of weeks ago, and since then the kids and I haven't wanted to listen to anything else. I'm using mp3downloading.com to download all kinds of other songs, and we have rented "Yellow Submarine" and "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" starring Peter Frampton and the BeeGees (terrible but enjoyable in "wow this is bad but the music is good" kind of way). Rachel is particularly interested in figuring out which guy is singing lead on each songs and has gotten pretty good at distinguishing their voices from one another. She's getting obsessed, as she usually does, but that's okay. If she's going to get all fixated on something new, it might as well be something cool like Beatles music, right?
Health
I was just reading over my last few entries prior to this morning's and was surprised at how many of them were recounting my illness and sleeplessness last week. This past week has been much better -- I've been healthy and I've slept like a rock. I don't think I've been appreciating it enough, so I'm just going to say, here and now -- it's been nice. I don't know now long it's going to last and I don't want to tempt fate, but I just want to say that I do appreciate it. I'd rather spend a solid week in Computer Hell than a single day suffering through a stomach virus.
Computer Hell
I was there for three days. On Tuesday I bought a new computer desk at IKEA, and on Wednesday I took down my computer system so I could put the desk together and set the system up on it. First problem: my wireless router was no longer working. I called the manufacturer to see if they could help me, and they told me A) the lights that were on indicated that the router was dead, and B) it was no longer under warranty even though they just replaced the stupid thing for me 8 months ago. So okay, I needed a new router. Went over to Office Max and bought one. But then when I went to set it up, I could no longer get my DSL connection going. Turned out that the 18-volt a/c adapter for my modem had somehow burnt out.
They didn't have one at Radio Shack (bleah). I was able to get the modem running using the 12-volt adapter that came with the new router, but I needed it for the router and I was worried about the effect on the modem, so I called SBC to see about getting a replacement for the modem adapter. They agreed that I should get the appropriate adapter for the modem and referred me to their DSL store, so I called there and was informed that they don't carry accessories for my modem because it's too old. They referred me to the manufacturer, who informed me that, since they don't make that modem anymore, they don't have an adapter available for it either. I spoke to two different people at SBC who both told me as long as the modem was working, it probably was fine to stay with the 12-volt adapter, but since I was going to have to get another one anyway, I decided I should really try to get another 18-volt one to use with the modem.
Ryan is out of town on business this weekend (wtf?), so yesterday I took my kids to Fry's Electronics Super Store(otherwise known as the fifth circle hell to those of us who are female) on a Saturday and endured all the sales guys with superior attitudes and the line to the cashiers that rivalled anything you encounter at Disney World during spring break, so as to purchase a "universal" a/c adapter for $35. Once I got everything hooked up properly, including a wireless connection on my laptop, I still wasn't able to get online, so there was yet another tech support call before everything was copecetic.
In short:
Trips to Radio Shack: 2
Trips to Office Max: 2
Trips to Fry's Fifth Cirle of Hell: 1
Calls to Speedstream (manufacturer of modem and old router):2
Calls to NetGear (manufacturer of new router):2
Calls to SBC DSL: I lost count. Somewhere around 9.
Times I melted down in frustration: 3
Outlay of cash: ~$125.00
All this because I dared to unhook my computer equipment and then set it all up again. I got it a nice new desk for it to live in -- you would think it would be more grateful. Hmph. Anyhow, I'm never taking the system down again. If we ever decide to move, I'm going to slide a pallet under the desk and move the whole thing with a forklift.
(Note: The preceding account contains the omission of certain events that may have been the result of fuck-ups directly attributable to the author during her time in Computer Hell. The author feels that frustration suffered and money spent during her time in Computer Hell more than make up for her being somewhat less than completely forthcoming in this account, and suggests than any readers who have a problem with that can suck it.)
They didn't have one at Radio Shack (bleah). I was able to get the modem running using the 12-volt adapter that came with the new router, but I needed it for the router and I was worried about the effect on the modem, so I called SBC to see about getting a replacement for the modem adapter. They agreed that I should get the appropriate adapter for the modem and referred me to their DSL store, so I called there and was informed that they don't carry accessories for my modem because it's too old. They referred me to the manufacturer, who informed me that, since they don't make that modem anymore, they don't have an adapter available for it either. I spoke to two different people at SBC who both told me as long as the modem was working, it probably was fine to stay with the 12-volt adapter, but since I was going to have to get another one anyway, I decided I should really try to get another 18-volt one to use with the modem.
Ryan is out of town on business this weekend (wtf?), so yesterday I took my kids to Fry's Electronics Super Store(otherwise known as the fifth circle hell to those of us who are female) on a Saturday and endured all the sales guys with superior attitudes and the line to the cashiers that rivalled anything you encounter at Disney World during spring break, so as to purchase a "universal" a/c adapter for $35. Once I got everything hooked up properly, including a wireless connection on my laptop, I still wasn't able to get online, so there was yet another tech support call before everything was copecetic.
In short:
Trips to Radio Shack: 2
Trips to Office Max: 2
Trips to Fry's Fifth Cirle of Hell: 1
Calls to Speedstream (manufacturer of modem and old router):2
Calls to NetGear (manufacturer of new router):2
Calls to SBC DSL: I lost count. Somewhere around 9.
Times I melted down in frustration: 3
Outlay of cash: ~$125.00
All this because I dared to unhook my computer equipment and then set it all up again. I got it a nice new desk for it to live in -- you would think it would be more grateful. Hmph. Anyhow, I'm never taking the system down again. If we ever decide to move, I'm going to slide a pallet under the desk and move the whole thing with a forklift.
(Note: The preceding account contains the omission of certain events that may have been the result of fuck-ups directly attributable to the author during her time in Computer Hell. The author feels that frustration suffered and money spent during her time in Computer Hell more than make up for her being somewhat less than completely forthcoming in this account, and suggests than any readers who have a problem with that can suck it.)
Running again
I've been feeling much guilt because I included in my profile here on Blogger or Blogspot or whichever it is that I'm a runner, but I haven't run in the last couple of months -- I'm not sure if I'd run a single time since I started this blog. Well, this past Thursday day I started up again, and I went again yesterday, and all I can say is that I am a runner, because as soon as I got out there, I was loving it again. I don't know what distances I ran, but on Thursday I was out for about 35 minutes, and yesterday for about 45 minutes, and both times I felt like I could have gone for a while longer. It was very cool. So anyway, I don't feel bad about calling myself a runner anymore. And I'm glad to be back at it :-)
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Parenting on TV
First of all, I watch this show and I like this show. I laugh at it. I make note of the fact generally that it doesn't resemble my life as a housewife in any way shape or form, and that's okay -- it's a soap opera. None of my neighbors are former runway models who are screwing the gardener, or man-hungry divorcees. I can think of two very nice single moms who live across the street, and they are both lovely people but neither of them is anything like Terry Hatcher. And the woman who lives next door to me gardens constantly, but she does it in a denim shirt and a ponytail, not a cashmere twinset and an oddly shaped sunhat like Marcia Cross.
The show does bother me though, because there is one character on it whose life is actually meant to resemble mine, and that of many of my friends, and it doesn't -- at all. Felicity Huffman (a really good actress) plays a stay-at-home mother of four, three boys in the 4-7 age range and a baby girl. The portrayal of what her life is like has gone from extreme to ridiculous since the show began. Are we really supposed to believe that a woman who evidently has the financial means to hire a full-time, live-in nanny never thought of getting a sitter a few hours a week to help her hold on to her sanity? Or that once she hired the nanny, she would go directly from being worried the nanny couldn't handle things to being jealous of how much the kids liked the nanny (which she learned, of course, after installing a nanny-cam)without even taking an afternoon to maybe go get a manicure and go shopping and relax? She goes through one parenting issue per show, as though the writers have a list entitled "Things Moms Might Deal With" that they are checking off each week. The other characters have ongoing storylines in which they get to deal with issues like real people, but Lynnette has to cover everything mothers of small children might deal with, in stupid ways and quickly. Because, you know, SAHMs aren't very interesting, and you wouldn't want to waste too much time on them.
But really, this points to a bigger problem, I think. The problem is not so much with this show in particular as it is with parenting on TV in general, and the parenting of children under 10 in particular. I'll admit I don't watch many sitcoms anymore, but I can't think of any shows currently on TV that do a good job of this. on "Desperate Housewives," Lynnette's three sons are not distinguishable from one another. Same with the twin sons on "Everybody Loves Raymond," another good show that has a dismal track record of believable storylines involving the child characters. Really, I have to stretch as far back in my memory as "Roseanne" to think of a show that dealt realistically and interestingly with the whole topic of parenting on a regular basis (before that show went to hell, that is). That's pretty sad. I guess good parenting just doesn't seem as entertaining as bad parenting. Or maybe the hand-wringing of Mel Harris on "thirtysomething" (another show I loved) gave the attempt to portray parents dealing with real parenting issues a bad name.
The show does bother me though, because there is one character on it whose life is actually meant to resemble mine, and that of many of my friends, and it doesn't -- at all. Felicity Huffman (a really good actress) plays a stay-at-home mother of four, three boys in the 4-7 age range and a baby girl. The portrayal of what her life is like has gone from extreme to ridiculous since the show began. Are we really supposed to believe that a woman who evidently has the financial means to hire a full-time, live-in nanny never thought of getting a sitter a few hours a week to help her hold on to her sanity? Or that once she hired the nanny, she would go directly from being worried the nanny couldn't handle things to being jealous of how much the kids liked the nanny (which she learned, of course, after installing a nanny-cam)without even taking an afternoon to maybe go get a manicure and go shopping and relax? She goes through one parenting issue per show, as though the writers have a list entitled "Things Moms Might Deal With" that they are checking off each week. The other characters have ongoing storylines in which they get to deal with issues like real people, but Lynnette has to cover everything mothers of small children might deal with, in stupid ways and quickly. Because, you know, SAHMs aren't very interesting, and you wouldn't want to waste too much time on them.
But really, this points to a bigger problem, I think. The problem is not so much with this show in particular as it is with parenting on TV in general, and the parenting of children under 10 in particular. I'll admit I don't watch many sitcoms anymore, but I can't think of any shows currently on TV that do a good job of this. on "Desperate Housewives," Lynnette's three sons are not distinguishable from one another. Same with the twin sons on "Everybody Loves Raymond," another good show that has a dismal track record of believable storylines involving the child characters. Really, I have to stretch as far back in my memory as "Roseanne" to think of a show that dealt realistically and interestingly with the whole topic of parenting on a regular basis (before that show went to hell, that is). That's pretty sad. I guess good parenting just doesn't seem as entertaining as bad parenting. Or maybe the hand-wringing of Mel Harris on "thirtysomething" (another show I loved) gave the attempt to portray parents dealing with real parenting issues a bad name.
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