thanks for your comments on yesterday's blog. as usual, i'd love to refine and reword and all that, but it sounds like it resonated with a few of you. i love comments, it helps me understand what you guys are all about too.
today was a hectic day, lots of meetings and appointments, rounded out by a seminar presented by the campaign for safe cosmetics, which is something i discovered about a year ago and have been interested in since. i'm too tired now to recap that, but perhaps in a future blog.
some days are just like this; leave the house at 730 am and come home at 10 pm. i don't care for that schedule much but it was an info-packed day. now i feel like i need to shut my mind off and relax.
some of you know me in real life, and some of you just know my typed words. . . and some people i know in real life might not know how much of a worrywort i am. basically, what i'm saying is, i don't know how to relax, really. i mean, give me a beach and about nine days and by day seven i might be there. but i need to learn to relax on a daily basis. reading helps; zombie-ing out in front of the tv is vaguely helpful (but not really refreshing/recharging).
so those of you out there: i'm begging (so please don't leave me hanging with no comments), how do you relax on a daily (or weekly) basis. what can i do in a half hour or so? it can be anything, even if you think it's silly. help a girl out.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
on grandparents
on the way home from the grocery store, i got to thinking. . . and this is the total word-nerd in me. . . why do we call grandparents, grandparents? after all, usually, someone who comes before or above another is "super". . .supervisor, for example. then i started thinking of how funny it would be if we called our grandparents "superparents" instead. it's like they are comic book heroes with extra-special parenting skillz! i had a good giggle, picturing my grandma with a cape with a big capital J on it. yes, i know. big nerd.
but i got around to thinking that i never wrote about my grandparent-filled weekend when we went to south dakota for william's grandma's funeral. i never knew his grandpa on that side; and it'd be a big stretch to say i knew his grandma. but i have gotten to know his mom's parents, and his grandpa makes my heart ache for the ones that i haven't had since childhood.
there is something about grandpas. i want to bake them cookies and make them flirt with me and have them teach me everything there is to know.
william's grandpa's name is ernest, let's start there. perfect grandpa name, right? he's 90 years old, has nine children, and farmed his whole life. i think he still would if he could. but 90 ain't got nothin' on this guy. his mind. . . i actually don't even know any 26-year-olds with a memory like his. he remembers being three years old and sneaking into his dad's sled under the blanket to try to steal a ride into town for candy. that was EIGHTY-SEVEN years ago, in case you need the math. he remembers his dad selling a car in 1925 for $50 and a bad cow. he can tell you all about all about the destruction and aftermath of leaving nine teenager-aged childen home alone on the farm when he finally took his first vacation with his beloved wife, betty. (". . .and the snowmobile, it was up by ted henning's house. . .") he loves baseball and bingo--although he says "that's not gambling, that's recreation!" and he loves his family. he drags out large photo albums and details all their accomplishments and relatives and goings-on over the years in his fargo-like accent (tinged with a kind of stoutness that must be the polish he can also speak). he's a master of the wink. he loves the ladies. the love that he has for his wife (and she has for him) brings tears to my eyes. they have been married for sixty-something years (i hope that's right) and it's like they're still seeing each other for the first time. they live each day trying to outdo each other in acts of kindness. it's the kind of marriage that i think everyone dreams of, once they realize that they too will get old, and hopefully they will still be with that person they fell in love with before they got wrinkles and arthritis, when they still danced on friday nights.
betty tells me, "you know, ernest tells me every day that he loves me. and sometimes he forgets if he said it or not, so he'll ask, 'did i tell you i loved you yet today? well, i love you.' " her eyes twinkle when she tells me this. "i guess that's why he had nine kids."
we had a good laugh over that. but i made this little wish that william and i could still be that in love that far down the road.
it's amazing, the marks that our grandparents leave on our hearts and minds, the ghosty way that i'm still tethered to mine after so many years of them being gone. i can remember sitting at my grandma jeanne's kitchen table with grandpa bill, before we knew he was sick, and him singing 'the three little kittens' to me. and me carrying on, 'no, grandpa, no! not again!' because he knew it drove me crazy. he loved to drive kids crazy. i can remember him showing me the cookie jar and telling me that cookies were not worth eating if they weren't double-stuf oreos. i can remember him taking me to the park with my cousins, and opening up the trunk of his car, and inside it, a cooler. filled with pop. . . grape, orange, you name it. and telling me, "you can have as much of this as you want today." it was like we'd struck gold. he also bought me pink minnetonka moccasins and a care bears necklace for christmas. he really seemed to know a girl's heart.
my other grandpa was very different from my grandpa bill, from what i recall. he was quieter, a bit gentler. he loved golf. he once had a heart attack on the green. . . but finished his game before going to the hospital. (so i heard once). he loved mountain dew and doublemint gum, which he kept on a shelf above his desk. he taped shows for me off the disney channel. . .he came to regret that. annie and the secret of nimh. . . required watching every time i visited. he had a beautiful little rose garden in his backyard, which he meticulously maintained. i can remember climbing the apple tree, he putzing around in the yard. i can remember what his giggle sounded like, and that he always was jingling the change in his pocket. i loved going to their house, there was something so safe and warm there, and like there was so much to get my hands into. i don't remember my grandpas telling me many stories about growing up or any of those things, yet i still feel like i carry them around with me.
and if i'm marrying into this family, then they are kind of my grandparents too, right? i'm going to soak up as much of it as i can. tell me your stories, so that i know what it was like. and how i can live a life as decently, as love-filled, as miraculously, as you have yours.
but i got around to thinking that i never wrote about my grandparent-filled weekend when we went to south dakota for william's grandma's funeral. i never knew his grandpa on that side; and it'd be a big stretch to say i knew his grandma. but i have gotten to know his mom's parents, and his grandpa makes my heart ache for the ones that i haven't had since childhood.
there is something about grandpas. i want to bake them cookies and make them flirt with me and have them teach me everything there is to know.
william's grandpa's name is ernest, let's start there. perfect grandpa name, right? he's 90 years old, has nine children, and farmed his whole life. i think he still would if he could. but 90 ain't got nothin' on this guy. his mind. . . i actually don't even know any 26-year-olds with a memory like his. he remembers being three years old and sneaking into his dad's sled under the blanket to try to steal a ride into town for candy. that was EIGHTY-SEVEN years ago, in case you need the math. he remembers his dad selling a car in 1925 for $50 and a bad cow. he can tell you all about all about the destruction and aftermath of leaving nine teenager-aged childen home alone on the farm when he finally took his first vacation with his beloved wife, betty. (". . .and the snowmobile, it was up by ted henning's house. . .") he loves baseball and bingo--although he says "that's not gambling, that's recreation!" and he loves his family. he drags out large photo albums and details all their accomplishments and relatives and goings-on over the years in his fargo-like accent (tinged with a kind of stoutness that must be the polish he can also speak). he's a master of the wink. he loves the ladies. the love that he has for his wife (and she has for him) brings tears to my eyes. they have been married for sixty-something years (i hope that's right) and it's like they're still seeing each other for the first time. they live each day trying to outdo each other in acts of kindness. it's the kind of marriage that i think everyone dreams of, once they realize that they too will get old, and hopefully they will still be with that person they fell in love with before they got wrinkles and arthritis, when they still danced on friday nights.
betty tells me, "you know, ernest tells me every day that he loves me. and sometimes he forgets if he said it or not, so he'll ask, 'did i tell you i loved you yet today? well, i love you.' " her eyes twinkle when she tells me this. "i guess that's why he had nine kids."
we had a good laugh over that. but i made this little wish that william and i could still be that in love that far down the road.
it's amazing, the marks that our grandparents leave on our hearts and minds, the ghosty way that i'm still tethered to mine after so many years of them being gone. i can remember sitting at my grandma jeanne's kitchen table with grandpa bill, before we knew he was sick, and him singing 'the three little kittens' to me. and me carrying on, 'no, grandpa, no! not again!' because he knew it drove me crazy. he loved to drive kids crazy. i can remember him showing me the cookie jar and telling me that cookies were not worth eating if they weren't double-stuf oreos. i can remember him taking me to the park with my cousins, and opening up the trunk of his car, and inside it, a cooler. filled with pop. . . grape, orange, you name it. and telling me, "you can have as much of this as you want today." it was like we'd struck gold. he also bought me pink minnetonka moccasins and a care bears necklace for christmas. he really seemed to know a girl's heart.
my other grandpa was very different from my grandpa bill, from what i recall. he was quieter, a bit gentler. he loved golf. he once had a heart attack on the green. . . but finished his game before going to the hospital. (so i heard once). he loved mountain dew and doublemint gum, which he kept on a shelf above his desk. he taped shows for me off the disney channel. . .he came to regret that. annie and the secret of nimh. . . required watching every time i visited. he had a beautiful little rose garden in his backyard, which he meticulously maintained. i can remember climbing the apple tree, he putzing around in the yard. i can remember what his giggle sounded like, and that he always was jingling the change in his pocket. i loved going to their house, there was something so safe and warm there, and like there was so much to get my hands into. i don't remember my grandpas telling me many stories about growing up or any of those things, yet i still feel like i carry them around with me.
and if i'm marrying into this family, then they are kind of my grandparents too, right? i'm going to soak up as much of it as i can. tell me your stories, so that i know what it was like. and how i can live a life as decently, as love-filled, as miraculously, as you have yours.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
ipod love
One of my blogging buddies, Nanette, who, incidentally, introduced me to lots of other bloggers, did a little thing about what came up on her ipod on shuffle. . . first ten songs, no cheating. i totally dug it, so here's my ten with a little commentary.
here it goes again
by OK Go
off Oh No
i bought this record because i had seen their first choreographed video (They're in a backyard, not the treadmills) on youtube. i super dug the song, and then the sticker on it said spin gave it five stars. i don't consider spin a benchmark for whether i'd buy a cd, but it helped it make the cut. i ended up LOVING the whole cd. good rock music.
creep
by TLC
the SNL 25: the musical performances is a great cd. it reads like my teenage angsty years, with nirvana, oasis, hole, beastie boys, the pretenders, alanis morrisette, and more. i loved TLC too though. this version is pretty killer. those songs just
take me back to being sixteen, which has become, sadly, only nostalgia.
heavy metal drummer
by wilco, off yankee hotel foxtrot
i saw wilco open for REM in august of 1999. i remember that because i was so extremely excited to see REM and just wanted wilco off the stage. i was so close i saw michael stipe's eyeliner running down his face. wilco was on its summerteeth tour. i was such a moron at 18. what an awesome doubleheader! now i'm sorry i didn't care about wilco then and every time i hear that record, i wince inwardly at my idiocy. anyway, heavy metal drummer. . . love this song. it reminds me of the kilipino, it reminds me of rocking out with the windows down, it always puts me in a good mood.
e-pro
by beck
off guero
i love the hook in this song, although this record is not my favorite of his. i'm a pretty big beck fan, although . . . of course i like the older stuff. am i stuck in a time warp or just choosy? i don't know.
mean mr. mustard
the beatles
off abbey road
although i adore the white album, i think i love abbey road more. i think my favorite song is oh! darling though. man, they were on a lot of drugs. they seemed so wholesome. . .
so cruel
by u2
off achtung baby
agh. . . this whole album makes my heart hurt. this definitely takes me back to high school, wishing i had a boyfriend. it reminds me of my summer job, working at a wreath factory, in love with the boys who worked there. i can listen to the whole thing over and over, although i haven't listened to it on repeat since my teenage years. there are u2 albums i like that they made after this one, but i think this and the joshua tree are my favorite. did you know that u2 almost broke up over the making of this record?
positive jam
by the hold steady
off almost killed me
either you love 'em or you hate 'em. hailing from minneapolis, now brooklynites, craig finn, who was part of legendary minneapolis punk band LFTR PLLR shout-sings his shoutouts to minneapolis and st. paul over really great guitar riffs. he likes plaid shirts wtih pearl snaps and common-man beer like PBR. i do feel like it's listening to a little slice of the twin cities. positive jam is my favorite song by them.
laughing
by REM
off murmur
REM is my all time favorite band. screw the songs on the radio; michael stipe has always said they were terrible at picking singles. murmur was the band's first album, and a wicked killer one at that. he actually utters my name in one of the songs. sigh. this album soothes me when i'm in a blue mood, simultaneously wrapping me in a warm blanket to cheer me up while saying "you're right, life sucks."
5ives
by heiruspecs
off a tiger dancing
i'm not a huge hip hop person, i won't lie. its not in my daily music routine, although there's pretty much nothing better to dance to. there are some artists, and there are some songs, that cannot be denied. heiruspecs is a crazy talented outfit from st. paul. i love the beatboxing in this song, it is insane.
pop life
by prince
the man. have you seen prince perform? even if you hate him, i guarantee he will convert you at one of his shows. he's electric. he makes your hair stand on end. and because of his antics, you may have forgotten what a completely GENIUS musician he is. he's sexy, he's talented, that voice will melt you. he will, he will, rock you. my favorite songs. . . oh that's hard. 7, nothing compares 2 u, raspberry beret, little red corvette, alphabet street. mmm hmm!
so there you go, a little slice of what's in my ear. i don't feel that it's representative of what i listen to every day, necessarily, but they are artists that are really part of what i love. the funny thing is how so many twin cities bands came up. . . i'm not necessarily so location-centric.
here it goes again
by OK Go
off Oh No
i bought this record because i had seen their first choreographed video (They're in a backyard, not the treadmills) on youtube. i super dug the song, and then the sticker on it said spin gave it five stars. i don't consider spin a benchmark for whether i'd buy a cd, but it helped it make the cut. i ended up LOVING the whole cd. good rock music.
creep
by TLC
the SNL 25: the musical performances is a great cd. it reads like my teenage angsty years, with nirvana, oasis, hole, beastie boys, the pretenders, alanis morrisette, and more. i loved TLC too though. this version is pretty killer. those songs just
take me back to being sixteen, which has become, sadly, only nostalgia.
heavy metal drummer
by wilco, off yankee hotel foxtrot
i saw wilco open for REM in august of 1999. i remember that because i was so extremely excited to see REM and just wanted wilco off the stage. i was so close i saw michael stipe's eyeliner running down his face. wilco was on its summerteeth tour. i was such a moron at 18. what an awesome doubleheader! now i'm sorry i didn't care about wilco then and every time i hear that record, i wince inwardly at my idiocy. anyway, heavy metal drummer. . . love this song. it reminds me of the kilipino, it reminds me of rocking out with the windows down, it always puts me in a good mood.
e-pro
by beck
off guero
i love the hook in this song, although this record is not my favorite of his. i'm a pretty big beck fan, although . . . of course i like the older stuff. am i stuck in a time warp or just choosy? i don't know.
mean mr. mustard
the beatles
off abbey road
although i adore the white album, i think i love abbey road more. i think my favorite song is oh! darling though. man, they were on a lot of drugs. they seemed so wholesome. . .
so cruel
by u2
off achtung baby
agh. . . this whole album makes my heart hurt. this definitely takes me back to high school, wishing i had a boyfriend. it reminds me of my summer job, working at a wreath factory, in love with the boys who worked there. i can listen to the whole thing over and over, although i haven't listened to it on repeat since my teenage years. there are u2 albums i like that they made after this one, but i think this and the joshua tree are my favorite. did you know that u2 almost broke up over the making of this record?
positive jam
by the hold steady
off almost killed me
either you love 'em or you hate 'em. hailing from minneapolis, now brooklynites, craig finn, who was part of legendary minneapolis punk band LFTR PLLR shout-sings his shoutouts to minneapolis and st. paul over really great guitar riffs. he likes plaid shirts wtih pearl snaps and common-man beer like PBR. i do feel like it's listening to a little slice of the twin cities. positive jam is my favorite song by them.
laughing
by REM
off murmur
REM is my all time favorite band. screw the songs on the radio; michael stipe has always said they were terrible at picking singles. murmur was the band's first album, and a wicked killer one at that. he actually utters my name in one of the songs. sigh. this album soothes me when i'm in a blue mood, simultaneously wrapping me in a warm blanket to cheer me up while saying "you're right, life sucks."
5ives
by heiruspecs
off a tiger dancing
i'm not a huge hip hop person, i won't lie. its not in my daily music routine, although there's pretty much nothing better to dance to. there are some artists, and there are some songs, that cannot be denied. heiruspecs is a crazy talented outfit from st. paul. i love the beatboxing in this song, it is insane.
pop life
by prince
the man. have you seen prince perform? even if you hate him, i guarantee he will convert you at one of his shows. he's electric. he makes your hair stand on end. and because of his antics, you may have forgotten what a completely GENIUS musician he is. he's sexy, he's talented, that voice will melt you. he will, he will, rock you. my favorite songs. . . oh that's hard. 7, nothing compares 2 u, raspberry beret, little red corvette, alphabet street. mmm hmm!
so there you go, a little slice of what's in my ear. i don't feel that it's representative of what i listen to every day, necessarily, but they are artists that are really part of what i love. the funny thing is how so many twin cities bands came up. . . i'm not necessarily so location-centric.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
saturday runaround
it's like i have a inner clock i can't turn off, and it's permanently dialed to "hurry! hurry! go! go!" it's a sickness, people. even if i have nothing to do, i can find a way to fill a day to the point where i'm overbooked. since we've been out of town the past couple weekends, i had a lot of making up to do.
today i: slept til 11:30 (heaven!).
made it to my hair appointment at 12:30
got a new 'do. . . cut and color. i'm now about five shades darker than i was at my summer lightest blonde. . . now i'm more golden and brown. it's the darkest i've ever been, but i am really liking it. it makes my pale gray eyes look much more blue. i love my stylist. she reads my mind, and then makes it ten times better.
got a random call from my sister and we had a late lunch and shopped at j crew together.
i bought this:
gorgeous, right? i'm in love. i have a hard time finding jackets. if they are big enough in the chest, they hang like a box, or the sleeves are too short, or the shoulders too narrow. i heard it's sold out everywhere (that color) and it was a return just today. rockin'. it was meant to be.
then onward to get an outfit for tonight's halloween party. my sister graciously offered up her scrubs. she's a nurse and her husband is a doctor, so we're fully outfitted with scrubs, lab coats, gloves, and a stethoscope, plus a pin that says "trust me, i'm a doctor." yes! can't get much easier than that.
then onto target to get a shower gift for a wedding shower i'm attending tomorrow. i've got about a half hour to get ready for the party so i must run. hopefully photos later.
today i: slept til 11:30 (heaven!).
made it to my hair appointment at 12:30
got a new 'do. . . cut and color. i'm now about five shades darker than i was at my summer lightest blonde. . . now i'm more golden and brown. it's the darkest i've ever been, but i am really liking it. it makes my pale gray eyes look much more blue. i love my stylist. she reads my mind, and then makes it ten times better.
got a random call from my sister and we had a late lunch and shopped at j crew together.
i bought this:
gorgeous, right? i'm in love. i have a hard time finding jackets. if they are big enough in the chest, they hang like a box, or the sleeves are too short, or the shoulders too narrow. i heard it's sold out everywhere (that color) and it was a return just today. rockin'. it was meant to be.
then onward to get an outfit for tonight's halloween party. my sister graciously offered up her scrubs. she's a nurse and her husband is a doctor, so we're fully outfitted with scrubs, lab coats, gloves, and a stethoscope, plus a pin that says "trust me, i'm a doctor." yes! can't get much easier than that.
then onto target to get a shower gift for a wedding shower i'm attending tomorrow. i've got about a half hour to get ready for the party so i must run. hopefully photos later.
Friday, November 2, 2007
tonight! tonight! tonight!
our theme song amongst our friends last year: since u been gone. the kilipino is now in paraguay and we miss her dearly. it will feel like a little hole tonight when we go to see KELLY CLARKSON.
since u been gone. . . here we are rocking out on a road trip pit stop.
(that's me in the pink hat) so excited. . . we'll miss you spoons.
since u been gone. . . here we are rocking out on a road trip pit stop.
(that's me in the pink hat) so excited. . . we'll miss you spoons.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
molly's first halloween (with us)
so, here is lady mo, our first pet on her first halloween with us. oh, miss mo. we love you so.
i really do think she kind of liked her costume, once she got used to the hat
see? she's smiling!
we took her to the movie store with us (they allow dogs inside) and she got a treat.
[a photo goes here but blogger is being a butt, so i will have to upload it later.]
she wins for cuteness! and, fact, halloween the movie still freaks me out even though i can point out so many more flaws since the first (of many) times i have seen it.
i really do think she kind of liked her costume, once she got used to the hat
see? she's smiling!
we took her to the movie store with us (they allow dogs inside) and she got a treat.
[a photo goes here but blogger is being a butt, so i will have to upload it later.]
she wins for cuteness! and, fact, halloween the movie still freaks me out even though i can point out so many more flaws since the first (of many) times i have seen it.
so, i'm crazy
i really want to get on this nanopoloblomocrosomo month that everyone's on, and i know i'm nuts since i can barely post these days, but i think it will help me make more of a habit of it.
i have more stories, but again, crazy day and it's not over yet. the things i want to write about take time and thought, not just something hastily typed. lots of things on my mind.
anyway, so, i'll be blogging every day the month of november and hopefully meet new bloggers (although i love my blog love, as you know), and get some good writing experience in.
today i worked, visited a spa (for work), got stuck in traffic eleventy million times, picked up my mo, and came home to have dinner. then i'm off for "grey's and girls" night, to watch grey's and see friends. even just an hour makes a difference in my mood.
tomorrow night: KELLY Clarkson! hooray! i have been waiting so long, so long.
saturday: haircut and halloween party.
sunday: wedding shower for a friend (i'm a bridesmaid)
i don't have a costume or present yet. eek!so now you see why i'm running around like mad.
ok. promise, better posts for the month of november!
i have more stories, but again, crazy day and it's not over yet. the things i want to write about take time and thought, not just something hastily typed. lots of things on my mind.
anyway, so, i'll be blogging every day the month of november and hopefully meet new bloggers (although i love my blog love, as you know), and get some good writing experience in.
today i worked, visited a spa (for work), got stuck in traffic eleventy million times, picked up my mo, and came home to have dinner. then i'm off for "grey's and girls" night, to watch grey's and see friends. even just an hour makes a difference in my mood.
tomorrow night: KELLY Clarkson! hooray! i have been waiting so long, so long.
saturday: haircut and halloween party.
sunday: wedding shower for a friend (i'm a bridesmaid)
i don't have a costume or present yet. eek!so now you see why i'm running around like mad.
ok. promise, better posts for the month of november!
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