Musings

The Office Is A Free On Demand Show That I Never Miss

2011-04-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the article from Laura Ryan.

I often select the television show The Office when I am searching for something to watch from Free On Demand. This is a great show and it reminds of the days when I worked in a similar setting. I had a much better boss, although, not as much fun.

Steve Carell is Michael Scott manager of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, PA. He is great at this role and I heard he was leaving after this year, which is a shame. This season he and Holly rekindled their romance and on the last episode they made the other workers uncomfortable with their displays of public affection for one another.

Actor John Krasinski is character Jim Halpert and he spends a lot of time and effort to annoy Dwight. I'll never forget in one of the first episodes of the show Jim put all of Dwight's office supplies in Jell-O. I can't imagine the time it would take to do that, but it was hilarious. In another episode Jim convinced the vending machine worker to put all of Dwight's office supplies in the machine. Then Pam purchased something and wouldn't give it to Dwight, because she bought it. Dwight then started hurrying to buy back all of his stuff.

I watch this show on my Direct.TV and have enjoyed the Free On Demand option enormously.

ROTTEN LITTLE ANIMALS takes Germany by Storm!

2011-04-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

ROTTEN LITTLE ANIMALS by Kevin Shamel was published in Germany by Voodoo Press about a month ago. Since then, it's become a big hit in Europe!!! European audiences want more bizarro. YAY. If you'd like to check out the story that Europeans are lovin', click here.

ROTTEN LITTLE ANIMALS Rules! :)

Long For Curb Appeal Of My Own

2011-02-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

Guest written by our friend Jan Chandler

The television show on satellite TV's HGTV channel Curb Appeal is one of my favorite of all those real estate shows that are featured. I'm a hands-on type of person and I love getting new and better ideas on how to make my home and front yard look better. I love the entire premise of the show from sending the family away to their exciting and triumphant return home to see their glorious new home, completely re-done. It's amazing the transformations that they make to an ordinary home and yard. They have the equipment needed to rip out that shrubbery an put in just the right plants needed to emphasize the house.

I also love the changes they make to the house to give it the title claim of Curb Appeal. They can easily switch out the color, pressure wash the bricks or add a retaining wall all in a short 30 minute span. The best part of the show is the end when they reveal the complete look and then show you how much better it looks compared to the old front yard. I would love to have their crew come and do a number on my yard one day so that I too could have that wonderful curb appeal that all their homes do. I love satellite tv from TVByDirect.com

ROTTEN LITTLE ANIMALS by Kevin Shamel is now available at Amazon.com!

2009-10-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

From Kevin Shamel's website (click pic to buy the book NOW!):

Animals are people too! And that is messed up. So they have independent cinema. See what happens when an animal film crew kidnap a human boy and make a movie of the abduction. Read things about Nature that just aren't natural. Fear your pets from this day forward. With zombie-cat attacks, gun-blasting massacres, drugged-out puppet shows, exploding car chases, camera-chickens, bat acrobats, wild sex, martini parties and torture-ROTTEN LITTLE ANIMALS is a crazy ride through the underground animal film scene and on to the Big Time.

Here’s what some world famous writers have said about it:

“Like a bionic Ralph Bakshi reborn from snorting Orwell’s ashes, Kevin Shamel drags cherished childhood fantasies into the gutter of adulthood, and makes you pay dearly to swallow them all over again. Intelligence is a universal disease, but never fear. Rotten Little Animals just may be the cure we’ve been praying for.”
–Cody Goodfellow, author of Radiant Dawn and Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars.

“Looney Tunes amped up on cocaine, sex and soft, silky fur and feathers. Shamel’s debut is wildly entertaining and destined to become an instant bizarro classic.” –Gina Ranalli, author of Mother Puncher, Sky Tongues, Swarm of Flying Eyeballs, and many other wonderful bizarro books.

“It begins as a zombie film, transforms into a deranged puppet show, and ends with a car chase. If you ever wondered what a Pixar exploitation film would be like, you need Rotten Little Animals.” –Cameron Pierce, author of Shark Hunting in Paradise Garden, and The Ass Goblins of Auschwitz.

“This book has three of my favorites things: Kittens, Zombies, and Snuff Films.” –Jeff Burk, editor of The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction and author of Shatnerquake.

“Written with the humor of Adult Swim, but with enough psychological profundity to matter. Shamel is a bright motherfucker!” –Forrest Armstrong, beatmaster extraordinaire and author of Asphalt Flowerhead.

World famous Withersin Magazine has this to say:

“Funny, disturbing, and lots of poop… While tickling our funny bone, Shamel also brings up a horrifying thought: if animals could think and function together, they probably would be plotting to over throw us.”

What will YOU say about ROTTEN LITTLE ANIMALS?

ROTTEN LITTLE ANIMALS to be released in October. Call dibs on your copy today!

2009-09-18T11:49:00.001-07:00

Kevin Shamel's fabulous new book, ROTTEN LITTLE ANIMALS, is coming out in the end of October.

Click here to learn more about it and call dibs on your signed copy today!

RT Blog

2009-08-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I thought I'd shout out about a new blog, RT Blog. It's pretty specialized, focusing on thoughts of a new Respiratory Therapist. But we all like to breathe, right? Well, that was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it is true that breath is something I work on with myself and my clients. Too often, we take it for granted.

Also, what strikes me about the individual that writes RT Blog is his dedication and passion for what he does. It's refreshing to hear from someone who loves their job. So, if you have an interest in things medical or even a medical career, check it out.

Mr. Obama's Pre-Inauguration Weekly Address

2009-01-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

I loved this video. In it, Mr. Obama talks about the history of inauguration and how we can reaffirm our love for our country.

Happy Winter Solstice! 12 days of Christmas

2008-12-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Winter Solstice!

It's the shortest day.
Today, we celebrate the return of the light.
Welcome, Light!!!

Every year, we say we don't want to celebrate the holiday season the same old way.
Then every year, we mostly do.
Most years we say something about wanting to celebrate the Winter Solstice.
Then most years, we don't.

This year, we really decided to change it.

We decided we would celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. We would not start Christmas the day after Thanksgiving (really never did that). We would not start Christmas December 1st. We would not start Christmas until it was really close. 12 days out. That was our plan. It fell on a Sunday. Perfect. December 14. After Kevin's birthday. (Since his birthday/Christmas proximity has generally been a bone of contention for him.) Perfect. December 14th. Perfect.

Well, we'll get back to that date. It was to be a joyous day, starting with a family ritual and culminating with putting the tree up, drinking egg nog, eating gingerbread. Ahhhh...how I envisioned it. The perfect little nuclear family gathering we've never had.

And then we got sick. Pretty much all of us. But mostly me and Kevin. At the same time. That is rare, and those of you out there who are married with children understand how difficult it is. It's bad enough when you take turns being sick with your spouse, so the well one can take care of the sick one and Everything. Else. But, when you both get sick at the same time, no one gets taken care of and nothing gets done. And certainly not Christmas in a house where the spouses don't really love it.

So, no Christmas has been done. And it's now the Winter Solstice. Not to mention that we have been blizzarded here in the Pacific Northwest, which normally does not get blizzarded. And I have to think, in a way, "How perfect." I did the math last night, and if we decide to start the 12 days of Christmas today, with the Winter Solstice, they will last right to the New Year. I somewhat like that.

But, let's backtrack. What did we decided to DO for the 12 days of Christmas (that hasn't gotten done yet?)

Well, the idea was to make it somewhat simple. And make it about love and kindness and time together. Not about stuff.

I had been guided to a couple of different websites shortly before we made this decision. Here is the first:

The Story of Stuff

It's all about the nightmare that is our constant overconsumption of stuff. It wreaks terrible havoc on our planet. It wreaks terrible havoc on our lives. Christmas, as it has been celebrated by us in the past, has been pretty much the pinnacle of destruction. I even called Caspian's first Christmas with me the "Christmas of Carnage". He was 2 or 3. Probably 3. He was technically the first grandchild. He arrived at age 2, but that didn't matter to my parents. It didn't matter to Kevin's guilt about his semi-recent divorce. All these things were showered down with a rain of presents that we had to keep begging him to open, because got tired of it and had to keep moving. The poor lad would want to just play with something and we would say, "No, you have to keep opening." It really sounds like some sort of satire now, 7 years later, but it is true. Then, Kevin had to go to work (restaurant), and I spent SEVEN HOURS (I shit you not) cleaning up paper and plastic and organizing stuff. Christmas of Carnage.

It has gotten gradually better each year as we make a commitment to scale back and then don't totally. But it has gotten better. The problem is, we're parents. In the United States. As parents, we just want to give our children everything. We want to give them the dream. That's also the United States thing. But the issue is that we have been sold a bill of goods. Overconsumption. It's not even fun. And it's wrecking everything. And we know it. We, in general, and we, specifically my husband and I. But some part of us felt somewhat powerless to stop it. The part of us that felt like we still wanted to give our kids everything. Well, the story of stuff arrived at just the right moment to catalyze us.

Then, my dear friend had also set up a website for her daughter to raise funds for the needy in lieu of getting a bunch of stuff. I loved that idea, so we decided to incorporate it into our plan. (Which I will get to, eventually.) You see, the thing is, we buy our kids all the stuff they need. And we try to do it in a way that makes sense, in small increments throughout the year. They don't need an avalanche of crap at one time. It's too much. They can't even appreciate it. I remember seeing another friend of mine and a family member finding little things for the kids in their lives all year and squirreling them away. Silly, little things. And "saving them" for Christmas. It seemed so absurd to me. Just give that little thing to the kid when you find it. But here we come to one of the other ridiculousnesses of Christmas: It's a HUGE financial burden on most families. They might not describe it that way, but it is. And it's just not necessary.

And, it also sets up our economy in a very weird way. We save up save up save up for 10 months and then spend it all in 2 months. It makes no sense.

Also, about this time, I read of the poor Wal-Mart worker who was trampled to death by shoppers on Black Friday. I have never participated in Black Friday. I do not understand it. I thought it was somewhat sick before. Honestly. Now it really turns my stomach. One of the comments in the news article about this guy's untimely holiday death (or very timely) referenced the following website:

Advent Conspiracy

Now, here's the funny part. We're not even Christians. But, as Americans, we get caught up in the Christmas trap. So, that website is a bit Christian for me, but I love the ideas. I think it is brilliant. It makes so much sense. I was inspired. I shared it with my family. We decided to do something different.

And then, of course, December 14th happened: illness descended.

At any rate, here is our outline.

We agreed to scale back on presents. The kids would each get something to play with, something to wear, and something to read. This seems to be a whole movement. I have heard a lot of people doing something like this. I like it. It simplified everything and is a good amount of gifts. The kids still get gifts. They just don't get completely obliterated by so much stuff they can't even enjoy it. It also helped me focus more on what was really important to get them.

We would give more to others. I actually had a decent Christmas budget that we now intended to not totally use. We would choose charities and give.

For gifts from others, we would recommend that they also give to our charities.

Zane decided he still wanted gifts instead of giving to charity. That's ok. He's 3.

We agreed that we would spend more time together, doing fun things.

We agreed that we would really work to keep kindness in our hearts and treat each other as such and everyone.

Caspian chose the Spotlight Foundation as his charity. They help horses and trouble kids. They're local. If you'd like to join us in giving, here's Caspian's page.

Kevin and I chose Save Our Wild Salmon. They are also focusing on local environmental issues, specifically with the salmon in the Snake River. If you'd like to give to help this ecosystem, here's Kevin and my page.

So, this year, we really are going to celebrate the Winter Solstice. We are going to have a ritual and put up our tree and play in the snow. We really are changing Christmas in our house. It feels good.

As they say at Advent Conspiracy

Worship Fully
Spend Less
Give More
Love All

Thanks for reading this far. And Happy Solstice! Welcome Light!!!

It's a New Day. My Obamamania Continues

2008-11-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, my Obamamania is continuing. Well, Obama and Will.i.am. It's just so exciting. Love it. Hope. Progress. Unity. Peace. It's a new day. I can't help it. Obama's Aquarian ascendant is about 2 degrees from my Aquarian sun. I don't know what the rest of the world's excuse is, but for me that means his personality projects the core of who I am. Wow. The Aquarian age, peeps. We've been waiting and here it is.

Oh, and I LOVE THIS VIDEO! Lovin' the Will.i.am.

I'm so into politics and following world events now. I really didn't before. I thought I didn't care. But I guess I just had no hope. Now I see that the world really is going in a good direction. I guess I knew the world was going in a good direction, but to have leadership in the United States going in the direction of peace, intelligence, unity, innovation, and progress is so exciting. What a relief!

~t

Zane and Vegetables

2008-11-08T14:05:00.001-08:00

So, Zane has been on a vegetable boycott for a long time now. Whenever we put any on his plate, he says, "But I don't like vegetables."

Any that happen into his mouth, he will take out and say, "There was a vegetable in that."

Sometimes he asks me what I want him to eat. I'll say something like "broccoli" and he says, "but I don't like vegetables".

You get the idea.

But then he's oddly adventurous in wanting to try everything. So the other night at dinner he decided to try some broccoli. He didn't really like it. Some of it he ate. Mostly, he didn't. He said it was ok.

Just now I was eating some carrots. He said, "Mom, since I tried a vegetable last night, I think I should try another vegetable."

I said, "Ok. What do you want to try."

"I'll try a carrot."

"Ok, great."

So I get him the carrot and tell him to chew a lot because it's crunchy. He chews it. I ask, "What do you think?"

"Good."

Pause.

"But not that good."

Chew chew chew.

Then he gets a plate out of the cabinet and spits it on the plate!

Good, but not that good.

Maybe I should have taken a picture of that?

Finally proud of America again!

2008-11-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

I think this says most of it. More eloquently than I would.

Well, I'll say a few things. Here is how I feel. Simultaneously like I can finally relax and that I'm ready to help. Like if President Obama called and said, "Terri, I need you to do x, y, & z." I'd be like "I'll get right on that!" Other people are feeling that way, too. It's exciting.

How exciting is it that he won on a platform of positivity? How exciting that we are all included?

Yes, WE can!
We are one.

Oh my goodness, the Aquarian age just arrived.
2012, bring it on.
To quote Michael Stipe, "It's the end of the world as we know it.

And I feel FINE!"

Ok, I thought I was done, but although that was a strong finish, I have more to say.

I was quite moved by how calm Obama was at his acceptance speech. I am quite moved by his manner, which seems to say. "Ok, good. That part is done. Now let's get to work." I find it brilliant that he is already not only tying in to the most inspirational storytellers of our time (MLK), but also sharing the message that it's not going to happen overnight and it's up to all of us.

It's up to all of us.
It's a new day.

Yes we CAN! (Reprise)

2008-11-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

Had to post it again.

All you Obama peeps, get out there and vote! Watch this all day. Visualize President Barack Obama. Yes we can! Be inspired!

President Barack Obama

2008-10-24T06:59:00.001-07:00

Saving Money Idea

2008-10-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

How often do you go to the grocery store? We had a habit for a while of going several times a week. We are either blessed or cursed with a Thriftway very near our house, so we would just walk there. Especially in the summer. We've come to realize this is not the greatest for our budget and have been focusing on going to Safeway once a week.

Here's an interesting article about how you can save money by cutting down the trips you make to the grocery store. It suggests once-a-month shopping trips!!!! I'm not sure I could get my act together that much, but it's an interesting idea. I do also like the idea of 2x/month. That might be more doable for us. We definitely notice that we spend more when we go numerous times a week (especially if it includes a Starbucks run!)

~t

Yay Angie!

2008-10-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Check out this gorgeous pic of Angelina Jolie, breastfeeding one of her new twins. (Snapped by Brad Pitt.)

Kudos to her for nursing those twins. That has got to be a lot of work, but so worth it.

More funny politics

2008-10-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Lovin' the Silverman. PLEASE participate in the "The Great Schlep". Sean, get down there! (I know that's not where your grandparents are, but you can convince some Nanas. I know you can. Yes, you can.)

~t

Yes We CAN!

2008-09-30T20:28:00.001-07:00

I'm all about Ford right now

2008-09-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Or maybe not about it. Odd.

I recently saw a quote I'd seen from Henry Ford before: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you're right." It really struck me for my blog, Manifest Laboratory. I also put it up on Facebook. Then, right next to Abraham Cats, I saw an ad for this movie:

Flash of Genius

~t

6 Things: Tagged by my husband

2008-09-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Egad. It's a good thing I'm freeeeeeeee.

Kevin tagged me.

Here's the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write 6 random things/unspectacular quirks about yourself
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them
5. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

6 Random Things

1. I am feeling so free today that I'm going to break rules 4 and 5. I can't be bound up by these fules. Ha ha. That was an "accident", but I like it as a new word. foolish rules = fules. Unlike Kevin, in general, I tend to follow the rules. However, I occasionally break the fules.

2. I like making up new words by combining two words together. Like things like "Bennifer" and "fules".

3. I enjoy celebrity gossip to a certain point. If I ever get stressed out and need an escape, I tend to go to people.com. That's about as far as I go. Ok, that's a little bit of a lie. I also tend to check in at Pittwatch. I can't help it. I love Brad and Angie. And the kids. I try not to go to other sites or read trashier mags or search out pictures that celebrities have not authorized. I think that's so rude and dangerous to the celebrities we claim to love. I like Pittwatch because Sherry (the blog writer) works to be very respectful as well. It's one thing to be a fan, and quite another to be a maniac. I try to be a fan. I did purchase the people mag with Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline on the cover. They are too cute.

4. I am left-handed.

5. I might be going to a law of attraction certified facilitators training program. It's in Victoria, Canada. We've always wanted to visit that area.

6. This is my favorite chocolate. Send me some. Link also in sidebar. If you are Kevin, you can just get it at Ralph's. I loved it even before we moved to the PNW. I love the PNW.

Ok, here's my big tag: Heather!

I can't think beyond that right now. I have other blogging friends, but since I have been mostly absent from the bloggy world aside from a crazed addiction at Manifest Laboratory, I have not stayed up to speed with them. They have probably already done all these. They are very hip to the bloggy world and tag each other like mad.

~t

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL

2008-09-15T15:42:00.001-07:00

Priceless.

Shameless Politics

2008-09-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

Like Sarah Palin?

Don't go here.

More Dorking Around: What Tarot Card Are You?

2008-09-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here's some fun from Heather:

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Monkey Takes a Shower Vid

2008-09-12T10:00:00.001-07:00

I don't know why. I just couldn't stop watching. It's not that interesting. But I still could not stop watching.

Sink Showering Monkey

~t

A Moment to Make a Mother's Heart Sing

2008-09-07T09:23:00.001-07:00

Aren't they cute? This was right when Caspian came home from Idaho for the summer. However, this is not the moment of which I speak. We were at my nephew's birthday party yesterday, and as they were starting to clean up, totally unprompted, Caspian asked my sister-in-law, "Is there anything I can do to help?" WOW! Way to go, kid! I was so proud of him. He really is a good kid, especially in social situations. YAY!

~t

It's about my husband or my hair these days

2008-09-05T21:59:00.001-07:00

Today, it's the hair.

~t

New Blog: Manifest Laboratory

2008-09-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, if you're here, perhaps you read this blog sometimes. And if you read this blog sometimes, you'll know that I haven't been writing in it too much lately. I'm in the process of reorganizing my blog life. I'm going to be taking down my other blog (so I won't link it) in the next couple months, since I haven't been using that either. Not sure yet how much action this blog will get from me. We shall see.

However, the exciting news is that I've started a brand new blog, right here on blogger about a topic that I'm very passionate about: Manifesting! (Conscious creating using sound spiritual principles.) The blog is called Manifest Laboratory. Here's what it looks like right now, although that is subject to change. I like the crazy Kermit the Frog green to tie in with a sort of creativity in nature, Jim Henson, and crazy lab assistant Igor idea.

It's a place to share my manifesting stories, and the books, tools, and processes that help me to create the life I desire. I plan to share stories about what I have manifested and what I'm currently working on manifesting. I like the idea of it being a "laboratory" because it's a work in progress. (I also like to pronounce it la-BORE-a-tory because it's more fun.) It's a place to experiment, have fun, and share our knowledge of what's working and how we did it. I am also willing to post stories from readers on their manifesting experiences.

Here's a quote from the first entry:

I plan to use this space to explore and report on my own experiences using information and techniques I've been gathering for over 10 years. Some of my favorites include The Conversations with God series by Neale Donald Walsch, The Abraham-Hicks material, and The Secret (of course). I'm sure there are many more, but we'll get into these as this blog progresses.

Check it out!

~t

Kevin's Author Page

2008-07-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ooh la la, just saw Kevin's author page at Everydayfiction. Check it out here. He's got SEVEN stories published there. Wahhoooooooo!

~t

More great flash fiction from Kevin Shamel

2008-07-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

He's a great up and coming writer who I just happened to have married. Let's hear it for Kevin Shamel, everyone, being published yet again at everydayfiction.com. This is a fun story with something of an ecotwist. Go, read it now. And rate it. And comment. Do you like narwhales? Then definitely go read it right now! If you go today, July 6, it will be on the front page. If not, here's the direct link: To Save the Disco.

Here's another picture of Kevin for you.

I think this picture is saying, "Go, read it."

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

~t

ps: I might even start blogging about other stuff again soon. Might. Mwahh haa haaa!

Brad Pitt has gotten enough free press from me.

2008-04-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

Heh heh. Well, I'm still pro-Brad. But I'm even more pro-this next guy. He is an up and coming writer. Another Sagitarrius (as is Brad). Perhaps you've heard of him. Kevin Shamel. I do happen to be married to him. Go check out his newest publication over at everydayfiction.com. It's called Show Me Brave. Give him some good ratings, too. Tell 'em, Terri sent ya.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

~t

Hey I did something minorly creative!

2008-01-21T18:18:00.000-08:00

Since we moved here in June of 2006, I have not done such a good job of organizing my photos. I post my favorites to dropshots and that's about it. We take a TON of photos. They have been disorganized in my computer. While searching for one to make a card for my neighbor the other day, I decided to clean things up a bit. It's AWESOME. I can FIND my pictures. I can DO things with them. Here is one thing I did with them. I call it "Zane grows up"

Make it Right!

2007-12-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

Just when you think there is nothing more to love about Brad Pitt, he proves us all wrong. Pitt's latest project is Make it Right, an organization dedicated to rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina, beginning in the devastated 9th Ward. I've been to New Orleans a few times, and like B. Pitt, have been in love with the area myself. It is so full of vitality and heart and character that to lose it would be unthinkable.

I love the Make it Right project because it encompasses so many wonderful causes. Not only does it recreate the area and homes for people in need, but they are creating low-income environmentally-sound houses that are BEAUTIFUL! This is a project that will hopefully be copied all over the U.S. and perhaps even the world.

Here is a video of Brad talking about the project and his life with Angelina Jolie and their kids.

Make it Right is starting with raising the funds to build 150 houses in the 9th Ward. As of this writing, they have the funding for 10 of those houses. They are trying to get them all fully-funded in 5 weeks. If you'd like to help out, visit their Donate Now page. You can even "go inside" one of the houses and see what your money will buy. You can select a specific amount attached to something like a low-flow shower head or environmentally safe paints or (if you're a little bit spendyer) solar panels for the house. Or you can just give. This is a great cause. Won't you join us in helping to Make it Right!

And, just for fun, here's a gorgeous photo of Angelina and their daughter Zahara.

~t

Me and MySpace

2007-11-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

I have been into mySpace a bit lately. It comes and goes for me. I don't know why. I guess it depends on if anyone is sending me msgs or comments. Ha. Anyway, I've been into it lately. I signed in today and found this video, so I decided I would share. I don't know quite why, but I am fond of it. Enjoy!

Vitalic "Birds"

Add to My Profile | More Videos

~t

Full Moon + Mercury Retrograde = ::SHUDDER::

2007-10-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

Well, yes, I did not update y'all that Mercury was Retrograde. Probably because Mercury was retrograde. Ugh. I didn't even figure it out until Loretta IM'd me about it. I kinda did figure it out because I had the most hellacious trip with Zane the weekend it started. Really. SO MANY things went wrong, ending with the stomach flu (or rotovirus, as someone corrected me) for the whole fam damily. Eeeeeek! What about the rest of y'all? Has it been the worst Mercury Retro for you EVAH? Tell me your stories and we can cry in our herbal tea together. Oh, and the moon is full now. Should be fun. When does the fun end? Well Mercury goes direct on November 1st. Expect some Mercurial tricks on Halloween!

~t

All Hail the Massage Zone

2007-10-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Kevin and I celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary. Yay!!!!!!!

I slacked for quite some time on what to do. We tend to do that. We tend to not have babysitters either. Well, I finally took the bull by the horns and scheduled us for a couples' massage. It was pretty awesome. We got a soak in a hot tub before our 90-minute massages as well, in a lovely surroundings. The best part was that our massage therapists really did a great job applying the right amount of pressure. We both like to really feel a massage and I find that a lot of therapists are just too gentle on me. These were awesome. And did I mention 90 minutes? Ok, I know I did. But I just had to say it again. We even got my mom a gift certificate for her upcoming birthday. Shhhhhhhhh. If you happen to be in the South Puget Sound area, check out The Massage Zone. The hot tubs are really what sold me initially, but they were awesome all around.

~t

A Little Bit of Salaciousness

2007-09-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...not sure if I spelled that right in the title. No, it's not about my life. My life is somewhat dull. Somewhat. It's the book I'm reading...

This book has a slight edge of the Harlequin romance, but I am a sucker for historical fiction. The Other Boleyn Girl is all about Anne Boleyn's rise to (and fall from) power, told from the perspective of her sister, who was also a mistress to King Henry VIII. Once I got used to the romancey scenes, I really enjoyed it. I have also read Gregory's other work, which focused on the the time immediately following Henry VIII's death and Queen Elizabeth's rise to power...

It's interesting to see a historical period and figures from an insider's perspective, even if that perspective is a good deal of speculation. The characters really come to life, and it helps me keep my history straight. Ha. If you like historical fiction, check these out, and tell me what you think.

~t

Weird neighbor on the roof photo

2007-09-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

I am not going to specify whether the adjective "weird" in the title of this post modifies neighbor or photo. At any rate, our neighbor is always doing some putsy thing around her house. Always. Her house would be in shambles if I lived there, apparently, because I am so not good at putsing. So, yesterday, as Kevin was cleaning up from working on his wall (more on that later), I heard him talking to her. When I went out there, this is what I saw:

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Silly.

~t

The Wall

2007-09-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Nearly a year ago, Kevin had to rip down our side fence because we learned it was infested with termites. If you are a die-hard shameless fan, you may remember me blogging about it here. (You can also see Kevin's last concrete project there.)

Well, it has taken quite a bit of time, some donated concrete, some new tools from a store I refuse to mention because I hope to never shop there again, a lot of waiting on dudes who were supposed to be cutting out stumps. VOILA! Kevin has begun work on the new reclaimed concrete wall that will replace the old termite-infested fence. (We thought he would be doing it all summer. Ha ha hah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!) Anyway, we're glad it's started. I am officially a reclaimed-concrete-wallmakers widow. (you know, like deerhunters' widows?)

Here are some pics from the other day...

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~t

Self Portrait Sunday

2007-09-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here I am, self-portraiting. I can't remember if I usually do this here or over on my other blog, but here it is. I'm getting my toes wet with the blogging again.

I just kinda liked my hair today and felt like dorking around online. Unfortunately, there is a whiny 2 yr old who wants my attention, so I don't know how much dorking around online I'll be able to do. Well, at least I'm going to do this.

Here it is (sorry it's a little fuzzy--laptop camera. my regular camera always gives me weird, unattractive angles when I self-portrait. I guess I have to work on that):

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~t

Just a Monday Morning in Olympia before Work

2007-09-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

So, this is the upside to getting up at the crack of dawn to get to work, right?

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I love my home. Both Olympia and my actual home. When we moved here, our realtor's slogan was "love where you live". It really does make a big difference. We love it here. Especially the trees.

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~t

Yay!

2007-08-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

Hey, Yay! Those pics posted the right size. Whew!

`t

Backyard Picnic

2007-08-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

The front yard is mostly secure, so now we have started working on the backyard. Since this is not just "pay thousands of dollars and VOILA!, done in a week" it will be a much longer project. Oh well. Kevin is loving it. We did get a new table so that we can sit on our butts while the little kids play on Zane's new playset. Ahhhh...sitting on my butt. Ha. Here are some pics of our first picnic outside...

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~t

Freakin' new and improved

2007-08-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...that pic of me is pretty honkin' big. Before dropshots "improved" itself, the photos sized themselves to the right height and width. pffft. You know I don't want to get technical. Especially right now, when I have 13 minutes to eat breakfast, make a salad, and head out the door. So, I guess we'll all just have to deal with my big honkin' head. Pfft, I say. Pfft.

~t

It's all about my hair

2007-08-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging for a while because I'm in denial. My other blog has been on the fritz. It's bumming me out. I have to talk to the googlebots or something, and quite frankly, talking to googlebots is not something I'm particularly good at. I need to call in my geeky friends, but even the thought of talking to my friends about talking to googlebots bums me out. Why would the bots be out to get me. So, in the meantime, here's my new haircut. Because that's what really matters. (Or perhaps that I should be getting ready for work?)

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~t

Zane's Camera

2007-07-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

You know how kids like cameras? Well, who doesn't? But you know how you don't want your kid to use your camera because it is expensive and he/she is likely to break it? Check this out--Fisher Price has a fully functional digital camera for kids.

It is SO fun! Zane just runs around taking pictures on his camera, and when it is full (about 60 pics or so), I upload them to my laptop. You can also use a memory card, but that's a bit of a pain since it's behind screws. We get a lot of pics of his feet and some other really funny stuff, but he's getting the hang of it more and more. Some of my favorites are the ones where Kevin is crouching down specifically so he gets in Zane's shot the way he has it set up. So cute. Here are some of his photos:

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Not the best quality, but still pretty fun. Keep an eye out for more photos by Zane. (Or sometimes we just use his camera. Ha.)

~t

Curb Appeal

2007-07-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

We have been all about the curb appeal since we bought our house last year. Well, even before then, when we were getting ready to buy it. We watched a lot of HGTV. One detail that is sometimes overlooked by homeowners is the look of the mailbox. Of course, details make all the difference, so if you're looking to have some nice curb appeal, it's worth considering the state of your mailbox.

Mailboxixchange.com is a great place to shop for just the right box for your home or business. They have high quality products and a good variety of styles from which to choose. In addition to many different kinds of single and multiple mailboxes, they also carry mailbox components, curbside decor, and address numbers and plaques.

With multiple manufacturers and testimonials from customers, Mailboxixchange, is worth checking out.

~t

The Zoo

2007-07-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo last week. It was pretty fun. It certainly was a gorgeous place, nestled right above the Puget Sound. We always have mixed emotions about the zoo. Because we love animals. Are zoos good or bad for animals? Mmmmm. Mixed emotions. I'm sure zoos do a lot of good and mostly animal lovers work or volunteer there. (Right? You'd have to be, right?) It was fun taking Zane. It was his first time. Lemme see if I can find our favorite picture

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He seemed to like it, even though he was in a weird mood most of the day. I think it was just a lot of stimulation. He did love his fish cup. You gotta take a kid to the zoo, right? And whilst there, they gotta get an animal cup, right?

Well, check it off the list. We did it. My little fish (Pisces) picked out a fish cup. We might go to some other zoos around here, too. Time will tell.

~t

Real Travel

2007-07-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

I love to shop online, but sometimes it's hard to know what you might be getting. Therefore, before purchasing any item online, I enjoy reading reviews from actual people who have used the product or service. When you're traveling, it's also hard to know the best places to eat, stay, etc. You can buy a book, but that's just one person's opinion. I like getting multiple viewpoints, and knowing the words are coming from real people.

Real Travel is a website dedicated to bringing travel lovers great information from fellow travelers. I like their slogan: "Real people. Real Advice. Real Experiences." The site brings together information in a variety of ways: featured bloggers, travel plans, destinations, and things to do. There's also a forum and a section with useful deals. The site has great pictures and content from numerous travelers about countless different destinations. Real Travel is attractive and easy to navigate

Both Forbes and Newsweek have touted the virtues of Real Travel. So, if you're looking to get outta Dodge, go check it out. You're certain to get some fabulous ideas and tips.

~t

Baby boom

2007-07-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

I seem to know lots of folks who are having babies. A lot of the folks having babies are people who had babies when I had my baby. It seems too soon to me to have another baby. The one I have is just learning new ways to drive me crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love him to pieces. He is definitely one of the best things to have happened to me, but sheesh, are those babies a lot of work. We are ready to be done. So, it floors me when I hear of my contemporaries with kids who are 2 or younger going on one or even TWO new kids since then. I guess I was built differently. I thought about just popping two out, wam bam. And then we decided: naaaaaah. We could just not take it. Maybe we are too old. Or too selfish. Self? What is that? Anyway, kudos to those of you who can take care of a bunch of kids. And congrats to all the new moms and moms-to-be out there. (and dads, too!)

~t

Fuschia on the porch

2007-07-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well, we've had the idyllic porch for a year and I FINALLY got some hanging flower baskets for it. Ahhhhh. It's very nice. Check out my fuschia:

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Here's the front view:

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We also got jasmine, which we've wanted for-like-EVER. I think it is more prevalent in the West than the midwest. We plan to fill the yard with jasmine and honeysuckle. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Nice to smell ya.

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~t

DYM: Pancakes

2007-07-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

Allright. I've talked about Mercury Retrograde here before. It's going on now. I've decided to share my Mercury Rx stories as I feel like it and make a WHOLE FREAKIN' category for them, in honor of Astrological knowledge. I am calling it DYM! DYM is a little acronym that my friend Heather and I use. It stems from her son learning about Mercury Retrograde, having some experiences, and then shouting, fists towards the Heavens, "Damn you, Mercury!"

So, here is my first (official) DYM story:

I am up before everyone in my house today. All is well. I'm getting quiet time as I get ready. I decide to have my new favorite breakfast, silver dollar pancakes. I decide to take it out of the microwave tin and put it on a lovely little blue plate with some sliced up bananas. Also on my plate is a veggie sausage patty. Everything is round. Everything is beautiful. Coffee is brewing. There are not even any 2-year olds awake who want to snatch my limited portions of food. Life is good.

How could it be better? Well, I don't like syrup, so I decide to use some cinnamon on my lovely concoction. We have cinnamon sugar handy on our table, but I decide to be oh-so-good (weight loss) and get the straight cinnamon from the cabinet. I feel fairly certain I know what I'm doing as I grab it and delicately sprinkle it on my lovely little plate of round items.

And then I smell it. An odd sort of scent for the morning. Where is THAT coming from? Oh NO! I look down at the spice in my hand: CUMIN!

DYM!

Here's the thing about DYMs, though. They are usually not the most terrible thing that can happen. It usually turns out allright in the end. Of course, I didn't have any more silver dollar pancakes in the house, but they weren't that bad. Yep. I ate 'em. I can sorta still taste the cumin, though. I figure the must do something like this somewhere in the world. Mexico, maybe?

~t

Mommy Snack vs. Daddy Snack

2007-06-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

As he does every morning, Zane asked for a "snack and a drink". So, I got him a sensible snack of milk and a breakfast bar. He asked me for goldfish and cheezits. He always asks for that. Or bar-ga-cue chips. I try to avoid those snacks in the morning. I told him he needed to eat his breakfast bar and then maybe later. He didn't like that answer. Here is Mommy's snack for Zane:

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Then, I went to the bathroom, leaving him with Kevin, who, in his defense, had been out smoking or something when this conversation with Zane happened. When I returned, THIS is what Zane had:

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Oh Sagges.

~t

Zane, with Dirt and Fence

2007-06-23T18:37:00.001-07:00

We got our fence put up in the front yard! It's so exciting. It's the first perimeter to be secured. We can now let Zane and Lukie run wild, and is it fun ever. There are also little piles of dirt that Zane likes to play scoop. Check out these pics...

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Caspian also is enjoying, the new perimeter-secured front lawn.

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He's always good for an action shot. Here's one from Zane:

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Looks like a fun summer will be had here. We even had some wandering minstrels walk up with a dog, a guitar, and a harmonica. How 'bout that. (Nastacia, her name was Nastacia. And Jesse. And the other dude. There, now even if I forget it, I can find it. I hope.)

~t

Zane, with Dirt and Fence

2007-06-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

Colors

2007-06-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Zane knows his colors now. HOW did it happen? For so long, he just didn't get it. Of course, he watched oodles of TV. And I worked on it with him a little. Maybe it happened while I was at work. And then, one day, he just knows them. Whew. He is so smart, but he just wasn't getting it. And now he does. I often wonder, "HOW will I teach him (fill in the blank)" only to find out later that it somehow just happens. They just learn it. Kids aren't that much work in that way, it seems. They are plenty of work in other ways, but it seems, thankfully, some things just happen. Whew, I say. Whew.

~t

Luke, Stud

2007-06-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

We are not sure if Luke will be an actual stud or not. We have not gotten him fixed yet, so there is a chance. However, he is our little stud now that we got his hair cut. It was so overdue. Just check out this "before" pic:

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Here he is having it done. (You know I like haircut pics)

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And here he is after. Whew. He seems to like being able to see. Go figure.

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He seems a little like a "teenage" dog now. His whole demeanor has changed. He is clearly proud of himself, as well he should be. What a cutie. They grow up so fast. I can't say I'm sad that he's growing up. Some of that puppy stuff was tough. He's easier now. But still so freakin' cute!

~t

The Fortress is Going Up

2007-06-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

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The posts are in and the fortress is about to be secured. Well, actually, those are just settling before the fence dudes can come back to cut them down to their proper 4-foot size for our cute little white picket fence. We are getting some funny looks from the neighbors and general passersby, though.

Soon, we will be able to enclose the toddler and the dog and let them run around like maniacs in the yard. Yaaaaayyy!

(All of this during Mercury Retrograde, too. Oh dear. Wish us luck.)

~t

PPP Direct

2007-06-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

The good folks at PayPerPost have come up with yet another way for bloggers and advertisers to make the most of the blog marketplace. If you like to use your blog to make money, PPP Direct could be for you.

Basically, PayPerPost is taking the middleman (THEM!) out of the equation. This is an opportunity for advertisers to request specific bloggers and bloggers to request specific fees for their services.

Pretty cool. How does it work?

Basically, you pick your price and install a badge on your site stating it. When potential advertisers click it, they are taken to PayPerPost to work out the deal.

What's in it for the blogger?

Yes, you could hammer out some of these deals yourself, but you gain some valuable perks by going through PayPerPost. Mostly, it's easy to use, you gain marketing through the PPP directory, you automatically have tax reporting done, and there is more security than hashing out deals completely on your own.

This has been done before, you say? Why choose PPP?

The main reason here is simple. Cold, hard cash. While competitors charge 50-100% markup and keep money that could be yours, PayPerPost charges only 35% for their self-service model. This passes the money on to the blogger and allows the advertiser to get more for their money. Everybody wins.

~t

Campaign 2007: Vote for Not Martha

2007-06-18T13:20:00.001-07:00

I'm not really into politics. You might even say I'm decidedly NOT into politics. But I am into my friends. You may remember back a few months ago when this blog was so boring and looked like many other blogs out there. Now it does not. And that is thanks to my buddy Retta. Now, I'm campaigning for her to win a free soda machine. She so deserves it. She's very generous with her time and talents even though she has four, count them FOUR sons. Yes, four. They need less sugar. Go vote for her: VOTE.

~t

TheNewsRoom

2007-06-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

I just "mashed" my first news story! Not only was it totally free, it was also quite easy. I have been looking at expanding the content on Musings, and I really like the idea of mashing select news stories. I think it's a great way to use your blog to create a difference as well. In general, I think the news focuses a little too much on tragedy, so I liked this story about Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London making a new "green" (aka environmentally friendly) version of Prince Charles. I visited Madame Tussaud's back in '96, and I loved it. (Of course, it might have been more environmentally friendly, just to leave the old one. But hey, I still give 'em credit.)

So, how did I accomplish my cool news mashing? I used The News Room. Not only do they provide relevant, timely news, but you also can make money via advertising with CPM starting at $1. Nice. There's tons of video and content choices and you can earn prizes like vacations, electronics, and cars just for participating. The choices are conveniently organized by category so you can find the type of news that will fit your blog best. Categories include: US, Local, World, Business, Politics, Health, Sci-Fi, Entertainment, Sports, Life, Press Releases, Reference, and Campaign 2008, for all you politicoes out there. (My story was from the Life section.) You can also mash it from my blog, too. Cool.

Check it out!

~t

Zane's New Bike

2007-06-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

So, we got Zane this super cool new type of bike. I hear it's European. There are no training wheels. It is not a tryke. And there are no pedals! It's supposed to help him find and keep his balance. He's pretty good at balancing when he's climbing and jumping and dancing, so we'll see how he does with this. Here are some pics...

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Apparently, they are called push bikes, walking training bikes, or walking bikes. Here is one I found on Amazon that Zane seems to wish he had:

The reviews on this one were pretty good. And it's cute, too. We got one of the wooden ones that was more like this (although not quite this spendy)...

~t

Kevin is weird day (like this is anything new).

2007-06-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

So, I'm in the process of watching The Queen. I like it a lot. It's very interesting from many perspectives. Then Zane woke up and I had to go get him. When we came back downstairs, this is what greeted us:

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So, the movie is giving me new respect for Queen Elizabeth II. Sorry for posting this picture, Your Majesty, but I could not resist. (I'm wondering if Kevin is related to the royals at all?)

t

Haircut Day!

2007-05-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here are Zane and I with our new haircuts. Kevin got one also, but he is being picky about it. It looks great. Caspian wants to get moppy again, so he didn't get one. Luke will be next. That will be fun.

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~t

A Published Author

2007-05-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

Kevin will soon be a published author! In fact, he has already been paid for the print and e rights to his story, Beef. The story is going to be appearing in a coming edition of All Possible Worlds. (We're not sure exactly when, yet. But don't worry, we'll tell ya!) It's the start of great things. YAY, Kevin!!!

~t

Hey, Kevin made a video!

2007-05-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Apparently, the boys were out hippie-ing around today while I was hard at work. Hrmph. How did I end up the conservative in this deal? Oh well, at least they got some cute pictures and a video. I like to call these shots, "Daddy should not dress me in this black t-shirt again until I get a haircut on Friday." The natural quasi-mullety way his hair grows in with the black t-shirt is somewhat questionable for me stylewise, but he's still just so freakin' cute. I think he can get away with it.

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Here is Zane's first music video: (Seems the quality on this puppy is questionable. I thought it was just youtube, so I put it on dropshots, but still no dice. Sorry. It is still good for meditative purposes.)

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I like blogging.

~t

What I'm Reading

2007-05-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

After watching The Secret, I've been enjoying getting back into some of my personal development and metaphysical studies. I always feel the best when I'm practicing this stuff. The new book I'm reading is Your Destiny Switch by Peggy McColl. It's all about using the power of your emotions to create the life of your dreams. It's got some great exercises to help harness that power and stay "switched on" to a more positive, successful, productive, abundant, connected, joyous, and loving way of life. Good stuff.

~t

Aloha

2007-05-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

I've been working now for about 3 1/2 months. Honestly, when I write that down, it seems ridiculous to me. It feels like much longer. It feels like so much longer. I have begun to dream of tropical vacations. My dear friend Bonnie raves about Hawaii, Kauai specifically. Now that I'm on the West Coast, it somehow seems much more doable to go to Hawaii. Also, it's relatively easy to get a great Kauai Vacation Condo.

Even better, by taking advantage of a Kauai Vacation Condo opportunity, tourists are participating in the growing field of ecotourism. The focus in ecotourism is on nature, culture, and benefiting the local community of the place toured. Now that's tourism I can really get behind. And if I get a fabulous vacation at an affordable price in a sweet Hawaiian condo, all the better.

This site linked above is cool because it makes it easy to search for homes, condos, or hotels based on your destination, dates, price range, and number of guests. Check it out!

~t

Hey, I made a video!

2007-05-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not my best work, but I thought I'd capture my little tyke on video since we hadn't in a while. He has been growing like crazy, talking all the time, and in general, just being too smart for anyone's own good. Lately, I've just been working--ho hum. I've been losing weight again--Yay--but not having a whole heckuva lot of time for blogging--boo. I think I will always write in this new format I'm creating--not. (Collective sigh of relief from my 10 readers.)

I've been trying to think of all the cute and funny things Zane has been saying and doing lately and I just can't! Oh dear. I'm worse at doing a baby book than I thought I would be. I gave up the baby book so soon, but I tried to make myself feel better, because what was my blog but a big ole baby book? Well, heck. Oh well. Let's hope the Akashic Records is getting all of this. Don't know what I mean? Here's the great thing about the Internet--I'm not going to explain it to you. Go Google it. Ha. Ok, obviously I'm sassy tonight. I'm hoping I have now babbled long enough that I can go grab my code from youtube. Hang on. Dang, only at 80%. What else can I tell you?

I've been working on manifesting wealth. And freedom. I dig freedom. Kevin is watching some dumb thing on TV that I don't want to watch. Ugh. I hate it when I don't want to hang out in my living room because there is some dumb thing on TV. In general, that's most of the time, unfortunately. TV is ok, but in general, I find it annoying.

Now, here's Zaaaaaaane...

(He doesn't say much, but he looks cute. I'll try to get a more stellar conversation next time. Babies. You just never know.)

(Ok, I know he's not REALLY a baby anymore. But he likes to be called one, and he'll probably be my only, so I'm stretching it out. So sue me.)

~t

Sesame Street Personality Quiz

2007-05-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Time for a little bit of fun. I'm not sure I really agree with this, although much of it rings true. I *wish* my house were neat.

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you loveable - even if you don't love them!

You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you

You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil

How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Thanks go out to Suemary. I got this from her myspace. (Is that how you say it? Or is just "her space" or "herSpace"?)

~t

The Ex

2007-05-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

We all know I heart Zach Braff. I also heart Jason Bateman. Did you SEE him in Dodgeball? And of course, there is Arrested Development. And goodness, I also have love for Amanda Peet. They are ALL TOGETHER in The Ex. A quick glance shows some other heavy hitters in the cast. I do not know how this movie could go wrong. I would be in shock if it did. I think it will be my Mother's Day gift to myself to go see this film the weekend it comes out. Here's the trailer:

~t

New Book on Appreciative Coaching

2007-05-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

I've written about coaching on this blog before because I have a certain amount of passion for it. I think coaching is a brilliant development in our evolution that can help innumerable people reach higher and higher potentials all the time. Not only have I intended to become a coach, but I am not using coaching skills in both my professional and personal life.

Now, Capella University faculty member Sara Orem has co-authored a new book entitled Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change. The process focuses on the strengths of the individual involved to guide him or her to the greatest success using positive questioning, mindfulness, and other techniques. The goal is to inspire individuals to grander views of the future so that they might achieve more.

Capella University is a fully accredited online university that offers both bachelor and graduate degree programs, including an online mba program.

~t

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

2007-05-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know what I'm whispering about. This thing is called The Secret, but let me tell you, it seems everyone knows. Just in case you have a toddler or some other excuse for being slightly behind the times, I thought I'd fill you in here. The Secret is a really great book (haven't read it yet) and DVD (which we did watch). It is the secret of the universe. Really. It seems to be everywhere these days. To which I say, "Whew". Maybe we will all start to finally get it. Or at least some of us. Or at least me and you. Check it out.

~t

The Transfer of Cuteness and Lazytown

2007-05-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

My other blog has been cuteness central for some time now, but I think it may be right to cute things up around here as well. I do have a backlog of cute going on right now because we've still been taking some decent pictures and I just haven't had time to blog them. Zane loves the show Lazytown, which he calls "Crazytown", aptly enough. Here he is as the hero of Lazytown, Sportacus:

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Here is how my feelings about Lazytown have progressed. Mild repulsion to mild interest to appreciation that it occupies my kid to fascination to real respect and adoration. Once you get past the crazy cartoony look of it and the utter ridiculousness (done on purpose), you can really start to appreciate not only the message (which is great), but the brilliance of the understated humor and acting. And, of course, there is music. Check it out. Especially if you have a 2 year old.

~t

Silly Haters

2007-04-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

Yikes. I just don't understand the haters out there.

I think it was yesterday.

I got a comment on one of my YouTube videos.

I had been playin' around with YouTube and vlogging a while back. I'm sure some of my vids were better than others. They were low quality, sure. I didn't look my best, sure. But, mostly, I was just having fun and chronicling our lives on my other blog. I was talking about my weight loss.

So, the comment I received on one of my videos of myself talking about something about my weight loss goals(I was too embarrassed to go back and watch it again), said this:

"One pound a week? You suck. And do something with your eyebrows."

Uhhhh...I'm pretty sure I mentioned that I knew my eyebrows needed grooming. But thanks.

And, honestly, I WISH I'd been losing at one pound per week since whenever I made that video. I'd probably be close to my goal. That's a great, doable, reasonable goal that will get a person somewhere.

But...

"You suck."

?????

I'm pretty sure I even fixed the person's grammar in my translation. I don't believe they used any capitalization or proper punctuation in their slam. Let me assure you that I do NOT suck. How RUDE!

I deleted it right away. I didn't block the person. It made me feel bad. Not super bad, just a little bit irked. And I have a pretty decent amount of self-knowledge and self esteem. Ok, I put myself out there, but sheesh. And it made me feel a little bad for that person who had nothing to do but watch random low quality videos and come up with nasty comments and actually POST them to someone's videos. What's next? Are they going to go to my pictures posted online and tell me my kid is ugly? (He so is NOT.) Is this a generational thing? Do I just not get it because I'm too old? Is this what the kids are doin' these days?

Ok, honestly, I might go through the first few steps. Watch random, low quality videos. Come up with my own slams on the contents. But I would not POST those slams.

When I really think about it, it's so silly. This person did not even critique me for the low quality of the video or the contents, which was probably some boring, mundane facts about my life and weight loss. They critiqued my totally reasonable goal of 1 lb a week and my ungroomed eyebrows. How ridiculous! And yet, it made me feel bad. Bad enough to write paragraph after paragraph about it here.

Bad enough to post that person's youtube account and ask you all to go write slams on HER videos.

Just kidding. I won't do that. It's just not me.

I'm not a hater. I'm sure you're not either.

I hope you all have a good day! Even you, silly haters.

~t

Easter Photos: ok, it's only been 2 weeks

2007-04-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 2 weeks since Easter, but Easter photos I said I'd have, and Easter photos I'm producing. Not only that, but I am producing them in the form of this sweet little slide show. I hope you like it. I had fun making it.

A fellow ZB lover

2007-04-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

Man, I gotta stay on top of my friend, Zach Braff. This dude actually GOT to his #1 MySpace space. (Is that how you say it? Is that like saying "a.m. in the morning"? Or "ATM Machine?") Anyway, Zach's always got something funny and or cool going down at his space. But check out this ode.

We are an exceptional lot, we ZB lovers.

~t

Working is hard work 2

2007-04-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is funny. I decided to title this post "Working is hard word". When I started typing, it came up in my drop down box as something I've used before. I guess working really IS hard work. Or I'm just a dork. Or both.

Man, I keep trying to get back into my groove and find more time for writing, but it is difficult. My job is challenging, fun, and rewarding, but pretty draining. And it seems I'm forever doing something extra like training or homework for training or filling in for someone. Yikes. So, I just keep on trucking along.

Meanwhile, my bloglife languishes. (Think "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" when you read that.) I still haven't finished organizing my freakin' Easter photos. I gotta get with the program, but sheesh, I also have to be at work at 7:00 a.m. in the morning again tomorrow. (Did you note the "a.m in the morning"? That's one of mine and Kevin's favorite silly phrases. People actually say that.)

I guess the photos will be forthcoming when they are forthcoming. We've been working on manifesting more money, and apparently the way that comes about is working me like crazy! Gotta rethink that one...

~t

Stone Hawk Rehab

2007-04-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Although I have personally never gone through a drug detoxification, I have certainly witnessed friends and family having to work through different addictions at numerous times in my life. It's not an easy thing to do, but definitely an admirable and often life-saving step to take.

I believe in doing things as naturally as possible. When I read about the program at Stone Hawk, it sounded like a positive way to work through a very difficult time. Their program focuses on removing toxins from the body through "long periods of time in a dry sauna, literally sweating the toxins out". They also stress the importance of proper diet, exercise, and supplementation.

Again, I have not experienced this program personally, but if you are looking for a natural way to get drug free, I would say it's at least worth looking into and learning more.

~t

Easter Fun

2007-04-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Trying to get back to updating. We had a great Easter here. Of course, there was the requisite lecture from Kevin about how the holidays suck, but other than that, it was fun. The kids searched for baskets and ate candy and got too many things. Then we had an egg hunt outside, luckily before the weather turned gloomy. In the evening, we enjoyed a fabulous meal with friends and neighbors. Kevin took numerous pictures with our less-than-stellar camera (all bearing the date of January 2005), so once I get them sorted out, I'll get some posted.

~t

New Theme, New Hair

2007-03-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

It's a major makeover in progress going on right now. AND, the scale is finally going in the right direction, too. Yowza. I'm getting ready to start my new job tomorrow, so I thought I'd step up the style a notch. Here's me, today:

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It's a bit Mary Tyler Moore, but I think that's just because she round-brushed me, and I'm more partial to a flatiron. We'll see how it goes.

~t

New Theme! YAYYYY!

2007-03-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Look at the cool theme Retta made for me! Isn't she rad? I'm so happy to be less generic. I LOVE IT! I hope y'all like it, too. Of course, now I have to re-tweak everything and re-add a lot of stuff, but it is SO WORTH IT! See, I may not have been blogging regularly, but I'm still thinking about it. (And avoiding my training homework at 9:49 pm. Ooops. MUST STOP PLAYING WITH BLOG THEME.)

~t

A Bit of a Bloggy Holiday

2007-03-15T23:27:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I sure haven't been blogging much. I've been trying to get the rest of my life in balance and then I'll be working on fitting blogging back into that.

I started my new weight loss program, which is taking up some time, and ironically, not working yet. (Just made some alterations, so fingers crossed, next week!)

I finally had everything together and got our taxes done. Yahoooooo to that!

I'll be going to training for a week starting next Wednesday to finally be in the right job at work. Yahooooooo to that. I'm really looking forward to it.

After that, I hope to have a regular schedule (and a regular income to go along with it.) Then I'll be able to get my bloglife a little more in order. I am a bit concerned that my schedule may still be up in the air. Grrrrr. Not a fan of that one, but we'll see what happens. I've got a couple more weeks to float through anyway.

So, stay tuned, and I'll pop in when I can. Or see you more in April, I hope.

It's all about balance. Balance is good.

~t

"Some Other One Guy"

2007-03-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

Zane greeted me this morning by saying, "Some other one guy, kissin' you, Mommy."

"Wow, really? Was this in your dream?"

"Yets."

"Did you like him?"

"Yets."

"Was he cute?"

"Yets."

Kevin wakes up.

"DON'T tell your dad about your dream." (Joking.)

"Some other one guy kissin' Mommy, Daddy."

~t

Dating and the Single Mom

2007-03-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

Being a mom can be a tough job. I cannot imagine doing it solo. Hopefully, I won't have to worry about that, but I know a lot of people who are parenting solo. Add a career to that, and how does one find a potential mate? And, of course, as a parent, you want to be sure to find a person who is supportive of that role.

You know I've been a proponent of online dating in the past. Now there's a special dating site especially for Single Moms to try to meet someone who is interested in all they have to offer.

Of course, it's great for single parents to be able to check people out from home. And, the site is free. Check it out! As always, be safe!

~t

What's Been Goin' On?

2007-03-05T19:08:00.000-08:00

Well, let's see.

Mercury has been retrograde. So, a lot of crazy communication blips have been going on. Some with spouses, some with machines. Some with pirates in restaurant offices. Huh? Well, we had to go pick up some of Caspian's clothes today since he missed the last day of theatre camp. We were supposed to go to this restaurant office, which we did, and it was full of pirates, but no clothes. Odd, that. The one non-pirate who was supposed to have the clothes said they were in his car at home. Go figure. We'll have to go back.

Kevin is supposed to be having a contract sent to him for his first story being published. Still waiting on that.

I'm supposed to be training for my real job at work. Still waiting on that.

Luke is supposed to be housetrained. Still waiting on that.

But, I have decided to make a cool slideshow of some ultra-cute pictures Kevin took of Luke in the past couple of days. Are you ready? Well, I have to go make it. Just a sec. Ok, here it is:

Cute, huh?

~t

I'm on the front page of Helium.com!

2007-03-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

I had heard about moneymaking opportunities at Helium for a while before I actually took the plunge in the end of October. I wrote three articles, but nothing happened for a while. Then I started making money, slowly. Very slowly. But here's the magic thing about Helium: it's residual income. You can make money on your articles there forEVER.

And TODAY, I'm on the front page with the very first article I wrote there, on going back to work after having a baby. Check it out! Page down...I'm writing under the name Terri Valerian. (If it's no longer March 2, 2007, you can find the article here.)

This is what it looks like on the front page:

If you want to see all of my Helium articles, go here. But beware, I have been writing on a weird mix of topics because I go there and write on whatever whim strikes me. You can also write your own article, but it can take a couple weeks to get original topic articles approved. I like going there and seeing all the different things people have written. It inspires me to come up with something myself.

If you are a writer and are interested in writing for Helium, I can send you an invitation. Please only request one if you are serious, as I have a limited number to give out. Email me at terri@shamelesscreations.com. As I said, the money is slow to build, but I have faith it will grow.

~t

Constant Gamble

2007-03-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to be writing again. I'm so happy to be a mom. But the two don't go together real well. Blogging may be the only kind of writing I can really do right now. Short bursts while the child sleeps or is momentarily happy entertaining himself. But while he sleeps, he could wake at any moment (and he often does).

I take different assignments on my blog. Some from myself for my own well-being. Some from others because I am interested and I get monetary reimbursement. I sit here considering assignments, and in the back of my mind, I always think, "Will this assignment, like many, many others, be interrupted or aborted or finished too quickly because of the call of 'Mommy'?"

It's a tough balance. Do I take this assignment and take that risk? Do I let it go? Do I wish away my child's younger years? So far, I have not. But until recently I was content to just be mom. Now I have the writing bug again. I cannot just be mom for the rest of my life. I will now always be mom. I need to be more again. But can I? Or perhaps the question is, "How can I?" How do I create the balance? How do I win the gamble? Will I get this done? Should I try? If I do, will it be good enough? Will it matter to anyone but me? If it matters to only me, does it still matter?

Ahhhh...Mercury Retrograde.

~t

Thoughts on Credit

2007-03-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

Credit cards can be a life saver, when used wisely. Conversely, they can chain you to debt when used unwisely. The best credit cards, obviously, are the ones with the lowest interest rates, so you'll want to shop around and compare credit cards if you're in the market for one.

It's easy to be sucked in by cash back credit cards, but be careful. The cash back is only a reward if it is not actually costing you more money in the long run. (i.e., Are you paying more in interest than you're getting back?) If you can pay off your credit card each month, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, remember, you're not really gaining anything.

I have not always had a lot of extra money in savings for an emergency or last minute opportunity. Credit cards have helped me immensely in these situations. The best thing I have done is to use a credit card and then switch it on a 0% balance transfer, thus saving myself a lot of money in the long run. If you pay your bills and maintain good credit, these types of opportunities can really be helpful. Just remember to try to pay them off as soon as possible!

Good luck!

~t

ZV Turns 2!

2007-03-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Allright, apparently after I say, "I don't feel like blogging," then I really start to blog. Well, I didn't want to wait too long to report on Zane's second birthday.

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He is such a sweetheart. I know, he's my kid and all, so of course I think he's a sweetheart. But he really is. He recently has been telling all of us how much he loves us all the time. "I love you, Mommy." But it's the emphasis he places on the words that is priceless. So sweet. And somehow, he's also come out with "I appreciate you, Mommy (or Daddy)." That's a big one, so I definitely had to document it.

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Zane's birthday fell during Mercury retrograde this year, which meant that nothing went off as I would have liked it. First of all, I had to work on his actual birthday. Ugh. Even though I tried really hard to get off for it. Nothing doing. Then both Zane and I got sick. So, even though I planned to really celebrate the day before his birthday, I really just kinda sat around on the couch and watched him play with his new toys. Wooo hooo.

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So, Monday morning, we let him open most of his presents. Then we did the sitting around thing. Then we had special toddler dinner: A few kinds of macaroni and cheese.

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We were supposed to do the cake that night, but it fell through. Caspian was misbehaving and Zane was tired and the neighbors who were supposed to come over just plain forgot. Zane actually said he didn't want to do the cake, which was huge, because that was his favorite birthday thing to talk about. So, we waited.

On Tuesday, the 27th, his actual birthday, we just hung out and gave him some more gifts. I went to work, of course. Then we had Kevin's cool Poor Man's Lasagne Casserole that he and the kids made together. Then the neighbors did come over, and that was really fun. We sang and he blew out candles and there was cake and it was all good. It was very nice. He had chocolate volcano cake, "same size" as Caspian's. (For some reason, the word "same" is "same size" to Zane.)

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Gifts included his Little People Garage set, bongo drums, potty books and videos :) starring Elmo and Bear in the Big Blue House, Dora and Diego books, other assorted books and some DVDs, a new blanket, and more mac and cheese! (Probably other things, too, but I can't remember everything.)

Happy Birthday Zane! May the next you bring you much joy. We love you. (And appreciate you.)

~t

Rainbow Sandals

2007-03-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

The crazy, cold, snowy weather we've been having that is signaling winter's last hurrah (I hope) has me dreaming of the summer to come. Also, I talked to a woman today who is about to leave for Hawaii.

If you fall into either the "dreaming and planning" category or the "lucky to be going on a tropical vacation" category, you should check out these rainbow sandals. These things look amazing. They are attractive sandals, yes, but also so much more. These puppies are made to last, with life support parachute stitching and 2,000 lb test military spec strap. They also mold to fit the wearer, so they become very comfortable with time. Very nice.

~t

TPTP

2007-03-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

The acronym in the title of this post is for a little phrase my family used when I was growing up. It stands for, "too pooped to participate". That's how I feel, unfortunately. I was going to just write an entry that said, "I don't feel like blogging." But then, I decide to throw that little bit of family history in there. Wiz bang. I need to write an entry about my little main man Zane's 2nd birthday. He is so sweet. I need to get professional photos of him taken, too, methinks. There is a lot I need to do. Good lord, I only work 20 hrs/week right now. WHAT will I do when that is 30 hours minimum? How do people live? It's crazy. I'm sure I'll get it together. Eventually.

~t

Why do I blog?

2007-02-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Sweet Retta tagged me about a million years ago on this one. I'm supposed to come up with 5 reasons. I'll tell ya right now, I'm not tagging anyone. I'm such a rebel.

1. Heather talked me into it. She pressured me.
2. I stopped putting things in Zane's baby book earlier than most. This is my excuse.
3. It's fun and creative without being overly stressful.
4. It's the above and I still am making some money at it.
5. I've met some cool people this way.

Those are the reasons. Who am I tagging?

YOU! If you are reading this, go do this meme. Link back. Go on. Do it. Ha ha ha. Maybe #6 is that I get to be bossy and no one seems to care. (or no one reads it.)

~t

Rockstartup Still Rocks

2007-02-25T14:26:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to be honest. I haven't been watching RockStartup lately. What? Don't know what RockStartup is? It's PayPerPost's reality tv show. I was a huge fan in the beginning and then it got away from me. I hadn't watched it in a while until this paid opportunity became available. (By the way, don't think I didn't notice that as a smart way to get people watching again! Clever, PPP!)

Now, they're asking us to post about our favorite episode, what we love, and what they can do to make it better. So, I dutifully sat down and watched the episodes I hadn't seen, and even re-watched some of the older ones I had seen. The truth is, I still love the show. It's hard to pick a favorite, but since I have to, I choose the PayPerPost wedding episode. Here it is:

Why do I love this episode the most? It's the human element. I think that is what is so different about PayPerPost vs. their competition. They put their faces and their names on everything and encourage us to know them and each other. I've gotten to know some great people since being involved with PayPerPost, and the bride in the episode, Julie, is one of those great people. So, it's personal.

Why do I love the show in general? Again, it's the human element. I love to see the antics of the group. Ted, Britt, and Veronique are, in particular, fun to watch. We get to see the behind-the-scenes goings on. People love that. I am no exception. I love that they have 12 episodes and have been in a number of locations already. I think it's shot and edited well. We get fun little glimpses into the life of the staff, but also the real business of working at a startup. I worked at a startup for over 8 years, so this feels very familiar to me. It's hard and it's draining, but it's also fun and you become like a family. It's a very real creative experience. It's an amazing thing to live, or to just watch. I have to admit that RockStartup makes me a bit homesick for my startup family.

If I love this freakin' show so much, why hadn't I been watching? Mostly because life has been so hectic, and I haven't been keeping up with everything online. What could they do better? Well, I'm signed up to get an email newsletter, and I'm not sure I've ever gotten one. Sure, I can find out about it on the PayPerPost blog, but I don't always visit. (gasp!) Hey, I've got a toddler and a new job. So, I'm not sure if it's just me who's not getting alerted, but it might be something for the gang to check out. I tried to resub, but they said I already was subscribed.

How else could they make it better? This may be a little bit of a pipe dream, but it would be great if the episodes could be closer to real time. I'm watching the reality unfold and learning the PayPerPost news and then watching the shows a while later. By then, what's happening feels a little bit like old news. Part of the fun of reality tv is the shock value. When we already know the news, some of that value is lost. It would be fun to see it unfold as we are learning about what's going on with the business. For example, I'd love to see the behind-the-scenes news on the hot postie topic of segmentation right now. I don't know if that's possible, however. I like to be realistic.

Thanks for a great show and a great opportunity, PayPerPost. We've expressed ourselves, had fun, made money, gotten to know each other, and experienced change and controversy. It's been a great ride so far, and I look forward to continuing it.

~t

Throw out the freakin' hand soap already!

2007-02-24T22:35:00.000-08:00

I don't really clip coupons. (I use some online ones.) I don't always look for the best deal. I'm not really a penny pincher. We waste money sometimes. We do crazy things.

But for some reason, I will leave the hand soap in my bathroom or kitchen for way too long because I feel the need to get every last drop of soap out of the container. It always irritates me, because then you never get enough soap. Or the pump falls over. But I never even realized I did that until today. I was doing it in my utility room, even though I had a brand new, better soap right next to it.

How much does hand soap cost? $3? $4? Maybe more for some really nice stuff. (We didn't have really nice stuff in there.) How much am I saving by using every last drop? Not much. Like I care. WHAT was I saving it for? Finally, when I realized my neurosis (and that I do it all the time), I just threw that thing out. I feel so free.

~t

Sicky takes blanket

2007-02-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

Well, my big two days off in a row have been taken over by family illness. Caspian started it, as usual. Crazy other people's kids who get my kids sick. The good news is that Zane just let me put a blanket on him for upwards of 10 minutes. I know. He has hated blankets for ever. I'm getting him used to them little by little, in five minute increments or less. Kevin will tell you it's because I swaddled him so hardcore as a newborn. Maybe. Well, here he is, watching Lazy Town (one of his current faves). Being Lazy, but it's ok because he's sick.

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~t

The Ultimate Gift

2007-02-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading my blog at all, you know I dig movies. I also seriously believe in doing good in the world and in supporting non-profit organizations in that mission. Of course, I also worked for a non-profit for 8 years. Add to that, my passion for spirituality and personal development, and you'll see why I love this new movie, even though I haven't seen it yet.

I just watched the trailer for The Ultimate Gift, which opens March 9th, and it gave me goosebumps. It's got love, money, romance, family, a cute kid, sweeping panoramics, star performances, and a message that doesn't seem to hit you over the head. It seems to make sense.

The movie is based on a best-selling book by Jim Stovall, and the message of both is "The only way you can truly get more out of life for yourself is to give part of yourself away.” It's a simple idea that's been around forever, but it's always the simple ideas we need help and inspiration to implement isn't it?

Not only does it look like a great movie, but it's already inspired a new teen philanthropy initiative (raiseahand.org), school curricula, and over $5 million dollars in charitable donations. This is the official site of the movie "The Ultimate Gift" and the grass-roots movement its starting to help charities and give to others.

One of my favorite quotes was, "He's weird, isn't he?"

"He's a good weird."

~t

Puke and Luke

2007-02-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

Warning: Puke talk. (As if the title wasn't warning enough.)

Ugh, poor Caspian. He didn't get to go to Theater Camp on his final day because he hacked up his lungs all night and then had a fever in the morning to boot.

Ugh, poor me and Zane. Zane decided that 4:45 am was a fine time to get up with HIS fever after absolutely refusing to take medicine for it. Ok, he's just about 2. I can make him take medicine, right? One would think so. I would have thought so. But my sweet little Pisces child screamed bloody murder when I tried. In general, he just takes his medicine, no problem. He doesn't like it, but he's a trooper. Not last night or this morning. So, after throwing his fit and drinking a lot of rice milk, he just started throwing up all over me. Poor kid. And poor me. I hate that look they get when they start to throw up. I don't know if it's everyone's kid or just mine, but he looks so confused and betrayed, like "WHAT is going on? Make this stop!" Especially the first time he got really sick and threw up as a baby. You feel so bad for them.

So, just about an hour ago, Caspian was playing with Luke and HE puked on Caspian. Yikes.

Zane is up having nap #2 right now. I'm glad of that. We finally got him to take some of Caspian's medicine. The dosage chart lists 2 as the youngest age for the medicine. Yay! We'll be legal for that medicine in 4 days. We are such rebels.

~t

The Lotus Path

2007-02-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

I have been a spiritual seeker and personal development enthusiast for over a decade now. I've read numerous books, attended classes, studied astrology, and even married a psychic healer. So, I've been around the new age block a little bit. I haven't been as immersed in the past few years because my mothering has taken a front seat to my other passionate pursuits, but I still love to know what's going on and share new information with others.

I just learned about The Lotus Path online, and The Lotus Path workshops. It looks quite interesting. I've always been drawn to anything with the word Lotus in it, and I loved the look and feel of the website. Here is their logo:

The workshops are held in the Sierra foothills between Yosemite and Fresno, California. The purpose of a workshop is to clear the energy of the chakras and work with your own divine energy. Facilitator Betty Malicoat takes pride in being direct about what she offers. My psychic healer husband has that sort of approach himself after being in the industry for a number of years.

The site itself is very attractive, informative, and easy to navigate. If you feel at all called to this sort of experience and will be in that general area, I encourage you look into it further at The Lotus Path online.

~t

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Why doesn't my kid sleep through the night yet?

2007-02-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

I suppose the title of this post is a rhetorical question. I know the reason(s). I suppose it's my fault. If you had told me 2 years ago that it would take over 2 years for my kid to sleep through the night, I probably would have had a heart attack 5 days before little Zane was born. Yikes.

It's the cosleeping and the breastfeeding, I think. That's what all the books say. But I can't really seem to stop either. I'm not looking for advice. I'm more venting, and also, I guess raising the "If this is you, too, you are not alone!" flag. I know other moms in this situation. For the most part, it's ok, and he will grow out of it. It just takes longer than other kids. It just gets, well, tiring. Ha. I'd like to put my kid to bed, at least some nights and not have to worry that I'm going to have to run up there 3 times before I actually want to go to sleep.

I know, there are things I could do to remedy this situation. But, there are reasons I haven't and probably still won't, so please don't tell me about them. It's just every now and then I cannot believe it, and I thought I'd tell you. There is the odd chance, however, that perhaps he'd sleep WORSE without cosleeping and breastfeeding.

Naaaah. Oh well.

~t

Save Save Save

2007-02-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

When money's running tight around here, I like to go shopping. Ok, that was a joke, but sometimes I still have to do some shopping. We are a family of 5, you know. We have needs. In that case, online coupon codes really come in handy.

The boys are always outgrowing things, and Caspian can be quite hard on his clothes. I love to buy for them use Gap coupons. That way, I can get stylish clothes that are a bit more rugged and save a few bucks while I'm at it. It's a great deal.

~t

How's Mercury Retrograde Treating You?

2007-02-22T18:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I've talked about Mercury retrograde more than a few times on here, so I'll just leave it to you to find the links if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about here. Search my blog. Or the internet. You'll find it.

If you know what I'm talkin' about, then you know what I'm talkin' about. I miss being around people who understand Mercury retrograde. Of course, Kevin does, so he is a good person to talk to about it. There are just so many things that happen during a retro period that make me go, "Oh, this is sooooooooo Mercury retrograde!" And then, when I see it happening to others, I say the same thing, and it's sad when they don't get it. I just want to comfort them with a "It's just Mercury," but they don't know what the heck I'm talkin' about, ya know?

Allright, sorry for the long rambly post about nothing, but there ya go. Mercury retrograde. I've dropped things, I've cut things, I've had my car in the shop for the few days we really needed it, I've had blow ups with family. These are the stuff of the trickster retrograde. And now I must go make something very specific happen for my little one who will blow a gasket if I don't.

~t