Thursday, October 30, 2008

Do as I say, not as I do. Club HASAY update...

It's no secret that I had a helluva week this week. Seriously Daddy (can I just call him Russ?) I hate typing Seriously Daddy, it's a bit obnoxious don't you think? Anyway, Russ was traveling this week which meant I was single parenting the L's. I seriously wasn't cut from the single parent mold and anyone who can do it is an absolute hero in my book. Raising kids is hard and raising kids without any help, next to impossible.


Along with battleing colds, we also had a few visits from my invisible man friend. That alone threw this entire house into a tizzy and made my nights impossible. Picture me on the couch with the little-er of the L's asleep on my shoulder because that's the only way she could breathe, the bigger of the L's feet jabbing me in the ribs because there is no way he was going back into his bedroom. Ernie pacing the house growling and Frankie doing what Frankie does best. Snoring and farting. And believe me, she's really good at that.


Weight Watchers and Club HASAY took a back seat to life this week. I'm not proud of it but sometimes it's hard not to let life get in the way. I wouldn't say that I spun out of control but I did end up with a .8 pound gain tonight. Ugh. That's a hard one to say.


Back on the wagon kids. I have to. I need to. I will. Back to the exercise, back to the food tracking, back to the reality of healthy living. It takes work and it won't work if you don't put in a little effort!


Feel free to beat me senseless with comments beacause I really wanna be a...

Sunday, October 26, 2008

I need a Paranormal Evacuation, stat!

Get your mind out of the gutter, people. I am serious. My house is haunted and I want him, it, that thing, whatever it is, gone. Gone is what it needs to be. Stat!

This is what a little paranoid Google research will get a girl...

From Vancouver Paranormal

Apparitions: Apparitions are considered to be the image of the person that has died. For the most part apparitions are in the category of earth-bound spirits who, for whatever reason, have not passed on. Violent, unexpected deaths, guilt or simply fear of moving into the light may be key factors as to why they choose to remain here. While not always complete, (sometimes missing limbs or mass) this is the way a ghost looked when they were alive. They are reported to be intelligent and apparently can interact with us by speaking. They apparently can create odors, make sounds and move things and this is to gain your attention. As humans, we are famous for being afraid of new things. This entity is simply a human spirit who will retain the same personality they had in life. Some are nice, some are mean, but rarely are they evil, and certainly nothing like the evil entities that are born on the Hollywood screen. They are can be anywhere and if they are real then they most likely are. They can cause hot and cold spots, feelings of being watched, sounds and smells as well as disruptions with any electrical appliances; radios, TV�s, computers, washers and dryers, etc. You may even feel them touch you lightly, or hear moving furniture from another room. They will try to get your attention, and in so doing, could frighten you, but I do not believe that is their intention. Maybe they are trying to pass on a message or warning, or simply want you to know they are there. In any case acknowledge them, talk to them as you would a friend and they will be satisfied. If they frighten you, in most cases if you simply tell them they are doing so, they will stop. Always remember, they are just like us and will usually respect you as long as you respect them. Photographing an apparition is extremely rare, the dream of all investigators, and we treasure this prize!

Umm, okay. Heeelllllooo McFly, there is someone in this house and he doesn't belong here. These investigators may dream about it but so does my three year old and let me tell you, it ain't pretty.

Seriously Daddy left for yet another business trip yesterday afternoon and like clockwork, my friend from the other side appeared. I put the bigger of the L's to bed last night and not even an hour later he's crying, pointing to his closet and telling me to "tell that guy to leave." Ernie's in the bedroom growling at what seemed to be nothing and once again, L's closet light burned out. Let me tell you, this is NOT the first time this exact scenario has played out.

It's February 2006. Seriously Daddy convinces me that I should look at this big Victorian in his hometown. It's on a big corner lot, next to an empty historical Catholic church (hellllloooo, am I an idiot?) I had recently resigned from my job to stay at home with the only L at the time. Seriously Daddy was driving over an hour one way to work, and had no time to maintain the hobby farm we owned. Reluctantly I agreed and one month later we took the plunge and so far we are the first and only non family members to live in this house. It's been passed down through the generations for 105 years. Foolishly I thought that we bought into something great. *Some* remodeling and we would be living in this amazing Victorian, yada, yada, you idiot. Me = idiot, not you. $70,000.00 later we are still remodeling. Sorry for the tangent...

The last owners of this house were the children of the formal owner. She died (in a nursing home thank you very much) two years before we bought this house and her kids were caretakers of the property. Their dad died in the 1950's of a broken neck. He was swimming in a local lake, dove in and broke his neck. (Are you starting to put the pieces together???) The lady, you know the one. The one who had ALL. THE. WINDOWS. CAULKED. SHUT. Yeah, that one. She stayed here and raised her five kids, died and the kids none of which still live in the Town That Time Forgot, sold it to us.

March 2006, we decide to gut this entire house. Late one night I was here alone painting one of the upstairs bedrooms and see something out of the corner of my eye. I see someone walk down the hallway. A 50 something man wearing a dark suit. Thinking that the non stop Sonic Youth and latex paint smell was getting to me, I packed up and headed back to our "old house."

June 2006 we are finally able to move in here. The only L at the time gets the big back corner bedroom. He's 15 months old and still sleeping in his crib. Night after night he wakes up crying, points to his closet. Once L started talking he says "guy guy" while pointing towards his closet. At this point I am starting to think there really is *someone* here.

Episodes like this continue to happen for the next few years. Several times I have felt the presence, or seen something that I know isn't quite right. At night when I run on the treadmill I see a big cat jump down from the built in bookcase. I've seen it several times and let me tell you, there is no live cat here. Just ask Frances Bean and Ernie. And poor Ernie, he spends the nights growling at strange things I can't hear or see. When Levi has a bad night, Ernie lays between his closet and the bed. Believe me now???

I am sure by this point you all are thinking that I am in dire need for a refill on some Lithium but let me tell you, I am being totally serious. Seriously serious.

Fast forward to last night...

L #1 is crying, telling me "Tell the guy to leave. I just want to go to sleep." The closet light has burned out again and Seriously Daddy just replaced it a few weeks ago. I am trying to comfort my three year old little boy while he is telling me there is someone in his closet. I walk into the closet and say out loud "Stop freaking my son out. You need to leave him alone."

If it hadn't been for Twitter, I probably would have lost my mind.

On second thought...



Thursday, October 23, 2008

Flashback Friday

Today's flashback isn't really all that random. But it's my blog and I can do what I want to. Neeeener neener neener...

Every Tuesday night Chag from Cynical Dad does his famous Nameless Twitter Radio Show and last weeks theme was breakup songs. My pick for the night was a Morrissey song because seriously, is there anyone else who can sing a break up song better than Morrissey? But since it's no secret that I am a huge cheeseball, hair band loving, wanna be rocker, I tweeted that my runner up pick was Skid Row's "I Remember You." Morrissey or Skid Row. Which one do you think Chag played? Umm yeah. I was punked. He called me out on my hair band loving geekness and played "I Remember You." Chag, you are my hero. Seriously. You picked Skid Row over Morrissey. I bow to your greatness.

If the Buzz Kills wouldn't have been sleeping I would have really rocked out last Tuesday to a little Sebastion Bach but being the good mother I am, I let them sleep and quietly watched the YouTube video and thought about that rat bastard who broke up with me in 1993. Ahh the memories. Isn't that right Seriously Daddy?

So to make up for missing the opportunity to rock out Tuesday night while dancing around the house in my wifebeater and boxers, I turned my iPod up and blew out my eardrums with a little hair band rock while running on that beast of a treadmill the following day.

I did however break out the Morrissey Tuesday night. Staying up way too late listening to that voice from God isn't always a bad thing. Morrissey's voice could melt steel, it's smooth like buddah. And I'm all about spreadin' the buddah today...

Happy Friday and dance, people, dance. Even if it is in your boxers and wifebeater alone in your house at night...



___________________________________________

If you are here checking in on the Club Half As Small As You front...

I lost 2.6 pounds this week, per the scale at my Weight Watchers meeting. So you know that's official. Then I came home and had a beer and some nachos. Dammit. Back to the grind tomorrow. I am halfway to where I want to be for Doomsday, otherwise known as the TRIATHLON. I am seriously insane. Send medication.

Monday, October 20, 2008

I'm gonna be too sexy...

So after stalking Jen over at Steenky Bee, I decided to join a little group called Club Half As Small As You brought to us by Casey over at Half As Good As You. You know because I am such a joiner and that's how I roll, baybee.

If this is something you are not interested in, save yourself the ushy gooshy and log off now. I won't hunt you down. Promise.

What most people don't know is that I have been a Weight Watcher for what is going on 12 weeks now and have lost 26 pounds so far. I have some more to loose so, I'm joining this little club for the motivation, yo. Got some words of wisdom? Throw them my way. Want to try and sabotage me? Go ahead, try it. It's not going to work. Seriously.

Our first assignment is to assess this little situation o' mine and answer the following questions to the best of my ability which is a hell of a lot easier than getting my rear end on the treadmill tonight. So here goes.

1- What motivates you and why do you want to do this challenge?

What motivates me? A new wardrobe courtesy of Banana Republic. That motivates me. BlogHer '09 motivates me. I can't show up there in all of my Wisconsin Housewife/SAHM glory you know. I need to be looking hawt when Rock and Roll Mama and I take on the town. I also refuse to be that mom at the park who is sitting on the sidelines, watching. That is NOT going to be me. EVER. I want in for this challenge for the support. Besides my weekly WW meeting, this is the only support I've got. SeriouslyDaddy tries, but his solution? Nachos. And is doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that nachos are not. going. to. help.

2- What is your long term goal?

Besides being rich, rich, rich? I would like to have world peace. Oh right, never mind. This is a fat club, not Miss America. My real long term goal? To be physically fit. I want to do a triathlon next summer and I want to not die while trying to complete said triathlon.

3- What is your long term weight loss goal?

I am not putting that number out here for everyone to laugh at me. Not happenin' hot stuff. That's between my WW leader and me. It's my thing. Everyone has a thing. That number is my thing. Maybe someday I'll get there, but I haven't arrived yet. Lets just say, I have just enough to loose that I won't be going anywhere soon.

4- What tools are available to you?

Mondays, I do a Water cardio class for 60 minutes. And there is this beast in my living room called a treadmill. I hate it. It kicks my ass. But I am co-dependant. I need it. And it knows it. What I do need to add to my routine is free weights. Need to look into that ASAP.

5- How often do you exercise?

Right now I am at 5 hours a week of cardio. One hour per day. I need to up it to 7 hours a week and add in a weight training routine. But not just yet. I am trying to stay alive even if that damn treadmill is trying to off me.

6- What do you plan on doing?

I am going to continue with the Weight Watchers Nutrition Program. It's working and it's an easy one to stick to. I feel great and as much as I was sure that WW was only for bitter old women who wanted a place to complain about their horrible life, I was wrong. It's been a lifesaver. Literally.

7- What has worked for you in the past?

Nothing, that's how I got into this little predicament in the first place. I was once a very active, outdoorsy, white water kayaking in the middle of winter kind of chick. I want her back. I want her to be a role model for her kids. Life is more that sitting on the couch with a plate full of nachos, people! I'm not perfect, hence the lumpy thighs. But I am ready to be closer to it! You know because...

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Our weekend in pictures...

This is what I looked like when Russ called to tell me we were heading out for the weekend...






This is what happened when Frankie and Ernie found out they had to go to the kennel this weekend...



This is what the Little-er of the L's was doing when she found out we were going to the water park...




This is what the Bigger of the L's does when I ask him to cooperate...




This is what the view out of our backdoor looks like. Just in case you were wondering...





This is what a happy child looks like when he gets to stay at a water park while daddy is working...






This is what keeps the Little-er of the L's busy at the hotel. She'd be happy at the local Super 8 as long as they had a luggage cart.





This is what they look like when they are forced to take a picture together and pretend to love each other...






This is what you do when you refuse to sleep in your pack and play...




This is what we were tempted to add to their sippy cup when they decided they were not going to sleep any time soon...



This is what the end of a successful weekend looks like...


Thursday, October 16, 2008

Flashback Friday

This weeks flip of the iPod touch is courtesty of the Bigger of the Little L's. As the two of us were on our way to preschool this morning he asked if he was big enough to listen to my iPod. I cringed a little and then handed it back to him.

This is the song that was cued up when I dropped him off...







Appetite for Destruction circa 1987. Awesome. And the best thing about this song? Slash was totally screwing around when he came up with this riff. It was supposed to be a joke. Twenty one years later it's still one of the most recognizable guitar riffs out there.

Who didn't love it? Who didn't think GNR was cutting a new path in rock upon release of this album?

I'll tell you who...

Some kid who made this comment on the YouTube video

" I like tha song and the way they dress, but the singer sounds like a dying cat and he lookd like s hippy. he dances like micheal jackson. maybe its his real dad!!"

The only response I have to that? Shut up, try to learn something, help make this world a better place and go get your free Dr. Pepper, kid.


Happy Friday and dance people, dance!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I'm in the math club. I'm in the phyics club too.

In an attempt to win the coolest giveaway prize ever courtesy of Backpacking Dad, I am presenting my essay on which character I most identify with from The Breakfast Club...


"...and these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of what they're going through..." - David Bowie -


High school is a classic case of the medieval caste system at it's finest, isn't it? The minute I walked through those double doors at 7:35am that September Tuesday morning in 1989, I was typecast. No one knew me. I was that new girl. And after a three second glance, they thought they knew me. They were wrong. But they wanted to be right. They would spend the next four years trying to prove me wrong. They never succeeded but man they tried.


What they saw was a curly haired, glasses wearing, music loving band geek who was way to shy and insecure to ever say the right things. They saw this kid when the looked through me...






"And, uh, I didn't have any shoes. So I had to borrow my dad's. It was kinda weird 'cause my mom doesn't like me to wear other people's shoes. And, uh, my cousin Kent...my cousin Kendall from, uh, Indiana... He got high once and you know, he started eating like really weird foods. And uh, and then he just felt like he didn't belong anywhere. You know, kinda like you know "Twilight Zone" kinda. "


They saw the awkwardness. And as Brian so eloquently wrote, they saw what they wanted to see. I was so damn insecure that I found it easier to keep to myself. I had some friends but they were the Allison's of the high school sect. I wanted to be an Allison. I would have been an Allison too, if I had enough guts to let people see me. Instead, I became Brian. I became what people wanted me to be. If I failed, they would be disappointed. If I failed, I failed them. I failed their expectations. There was no room for failure. So I tried. I tried to fit in. I tried to make the light bulb turn on. For four years, I tried to make the light bulb turn on. It never happened. Not from 8:00am to 3:00pm anyway.

They would ask me about music, about help with their physics homework about the other places I lived. We would see concerts together, we would hike the state parks together, we would study at the diner together, they would copy my lab homework. Would they have enough confidence to bring that to school with them? Not a chance. At school, even four years later, I still was "that new girl."

That new girl graduated, third in her class. And then...

College. College saved me from her. College gave me a new start. And I took it and ran. I look back now as I am writing this and want to scream the word CONFIDENCE. I want to go back and give Brian some self worth, some pats on the back. And I want to give Brenda some of that confidence and experience she has now.



You see what you want to see. Just make sure you are seeing the right things.

So tell me, who were you in highschool? Did you want to be that person or was it fate?











I wonder if detention would have given me some street cred?

Sunday, October 12, 2008

They're heeeerrrrreeee...

You know the ones.

The Professors of Poltergeist-ish activity.

The Sultans of Mass Destruction.

The Captains of Chaos.

The Majors of Messes.

The Imperial Emperors of Impending Implosional Indignation.

The ones who can turn your green eyes fire red in a matter of milliseconds.

Yes! Those are the ones and now they are home again. Home from the complete attention on Grandma. Home from the freedom they taste when mom and dad are 600 miles away and if they want a cupcake for breakfast, they get a cupcake for breakfast. Home from complete adoration, you know cuz Mama don't play dat, here. Not most days at least.

I half expected them to barge in the door in their famous bald headed, sweaty, bug eyed "here's Johnny" style. Instead they tore off their clothes, ran up to their playroom and did what they do best. Absolute destruction. And now all is now right with my world.

This is the first conversation that we had upon our reunion...

Bigger of the Little L's - "Mama, L schrooled on me."

Me- "She did what to you, baby?"

Bigger of the Little L's - "Mom, she schrooled on me."

Me - "Dude, she did what?"

Bigger of the Little L's - "MAAAHHHMMMM, you know P H K"
-------------------------------------------------------
Because I was evidently totally oblivious to the fact that P H K was the three year old spelling for DROOL. Duh.

Kids, our lesson for the day...

I guess sometimes your the drool and sometimes your the P H K.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Flashback Friday

After a quick flip through my iPod the Flashback Friday song of the day is...

Good Things

by the

BoDeans


Sunlight fall down on the fields
Sunlight fall down over me
Work all day, be all that I can be yeah-heh
Say I can say words only simple
Say I can say words only clear
But, oh, I can feel your heart is beating near. Yeah-heh
Haunted love is all that I feel, when you're passing by
Haunted love is all that I see, it's there in your eyes
And I say
No, no, no, don't pass me over
No, no, no, don't pass me by
See I can see good things for you and I
Yeah, good things for you
Give I can give love and attention
Give I can give all time away
Only to one heart I can give today
Be I can be man full of color
Be I can be man black or white
But only to one heart I can be tonight
Haunted love is all that I feel, when you're passing by
Haunted love is all that I see, it's there in your eyes
And I say
No, no, no, don't pass me over
No, no, no, don't pass me by
See I can see good things for you and I
Yeah, good things for you
Haunted love is all that I see, it's there in your eyes
And I say
No, no, no, don't pass me over
No, no, no, don't pass me by
See I can see good things for you and I
Yeah, good things for you

Circa 1991. Babydoll dresses, flannels and Doc Martens. Mom constantly yelling at me that I dressed like a slob. Me smearing on more black eyeliner and slamming the door. Grunge was getting cool. No 16 year old should like a local classic rock band. One of many more times I would go against the norm. This local band played free concerts at the lake all summer. You know, the place where 16 year olds can go and do 16 year old things while listening to some great local music. Wishing they would notice the 16 year old kids who follow their every move.

17 years, 1 husband, 2 careers, 4 homes in 4 different cities, 7 misfit dogs and 2 kids later, I still love to see them live. These guys put on the most awesome, truly about the music, audience driven show you will ever see.

You know how you hear a song and it immediately brings you to your happy place. This is that song for me.

I hope you can find your happy place today.

Here's a little video (albeit a terrible one, but it was the only one I could find) of the BoDeans doing what they do best.

Happy Friday and dance people, dance!








Wednesday, October 8, 2008

And the cherry goes "pop"

Hey what's up blogosphere? I'm alive and kicking sans kidlets this week! Seriously Daddy and I drove the L's to Grandma and Papa's house yesterday. Turned around and came back to the town that time forgot so Seriously Daddy can pack up for another traveling week o' meetings. You do realize what this means right??? Right??? Right????

I AM HOME ALONE THIS WEEK!!! Well not totally alone. There are two big, vicious, rabies infested killing machine canines that live here too and they will seriously bite your ass if you try and break in, you creepy stalkers, you. So just relax in your dungeon of terrors and let me revel in my alone-ness. Okay?

This is big people, big I tell ya. Doesn't that sound like a Broadway Musical line? Maybe I need a parade of performers, including clowns and a marching band (you know, because the UW Madison Band is a bunch of naughty band geeks and they totally have time to accompany me in my celebration of alone-ness.)

I have big plans for getting the house organized, deep cleaned and ready to be sold but first things, first...

I GOT TAGGED FOR MY FIRST MEME! Thanks to Wendy over at Notes From The Sleep Deprived I am now a member of the cool bloggers club. Humor me people, I am still reveling in my alone-ness. Don't ruin it for me yet. I may never be a Black Hockey Jesus or a Bloggess but a girl can dream. Is my dorkness spewing from these words yet? No? Keep on reading, you'll get there.

So before I get this pit cleaned up (priorities people, priorities) I am doing this meme. Here are the rules...

1- Link to the person who tagged you
2-Post the rules on your blog
3-Write 6 random things about yourself
4- Tag 6 more people
5-Let the taggeees know they have been tagged by your tagdness
6-Let your tagger know when you have completed your meme quest of random goodies.

Hold on kids. Here we go with my seriously random facts...

1- I am an outdoorsy, camp fire making, 10 days with just a backpack and pocket knife, sleeping under the stars kind of girl. I can lash a raft together in minutes, I can build a shelter in the woods to survive a blizzard, I can navigate white water rapids in a canoe like you have never seen and I pay hundreds of dollars every year to a fabulous stylist so my hair color and cut is perfect. I adore great handbags, shoes and I love to be a girly girl. Makeup, nails done, great clothes. I love it. But I am not prissy. Not one bit. Don't get me wrong, Seriously Daddy comes home most nights to yoga pants, birkenstocks and a hoodie but if the Sucker McSuckerton's are having a good day. My girlness comes to the surface.

2- I don't have a lot of real life close friends. I have a lot of great acquaintances and a few friends but I am not terribly close to any one but my family. I have always been like that and I totally know why.

3- I am a fiercely independent woman but I wouldn't consider myself a "I am woman hear me roar" kind of girl. I am about the least neediest person you will ever meet. I am totally fine with not talking to you for weeks and then spending a few minutes catching up from where we left off. I don't need to get all touchy feely with friends and complain about my life or frankly, hear it from them. My life is pretty damn good even without a ton of money or a brand new car or a big fancy house. I've got an amazing husband who continues to drive me nuts everyday, 2 great kids who are happy and healthy and continue to drive me nuts everyday and 2 great dogs who try to sleep on our bed every night even though for the last 6 years, they have been kicked off that same bed every night. I love alone time and am totally fine if I would never have to talk on the phone ever again. All of this makes me a crappy friend I guess. I am however, completely loyal to a fault and would drop anything to help if you needed it. I would love to have close friends as long as they don't get all weird and needy on me. I don't let drama rule my world and you shouldn't either.

4- I hate conflict and will do whatever it takes to avoid it. Take my inlaws for example. They are like nails on a chalkboard to me. But for years I just smiled and went along with it because I didn't want to rock the boat. Maybe it's because I was raised knowing that I had better have respect for my parents and others or else. My way of dealing with the inlaws? Not to see them and in turn not having to deal with them. It works until I have to see them. You see the problem in this right?

5- Even though I love to be alone, I have a gift for small talk. I can talk to anyone, anywhere and enjoy it. Just don't be a freak because freaks freak me out. Not the quirky artsy fartsy kind of freaks, just the sociopath kind of freaks.

6- I despise the town we live in. And that is putting it lightly. Never in my life have I seen more backwards thinking, tunnel vision producing, ghetto fabulous in rural Wisconsin, animal killing, bring your kids ta 'da bar wit ya, big trucks with bigger tires, wife beating, uneducated ain't gonna's, than in this little town of 4,000. I will not let my kids go to school here and happily drive the bigger of the little L's 45 miles to a phenomenal preschool until we get this house sold. My inlaws told me that I would love living here and this town had everything I would ever need. 'Nuff said.

Okay kids, it's my turn to do he tagging! And you had better not disappoint people. Seriously!

1- Kim from Kimblagh - because we share in the love of all things Tony Bourdain and Tim Gunn.

2- DaddyJoe from DaddyusDorkus - because we went both went to school for Geology and he rocked the rocks. Geologists need to stick together.

3- Down-To-Earth Mama - because she digs rocks too!

4- Lindsay from Rock and Roll Mama - I adore her, even though we haven't met in person. She is one cool chick and I hope to hang out with her someday.

5- Chag from CynialDad - I totally think he will roll his eyes at me for this because anyone who does a Twitter radio show and can spin some serious YouTube video tunes is a rock star in my book and way to cool to do a meme. Even though this is my first and all...

6- Will from Gaming With Baby - He knew about Julia Nunes before I did. Badass.

Go forth and meme, people! And have I mentioned...

Friday, October 3, 2008

Flashback Friday!

Today's Funkalicious Flashback Friday song...
The Spinners - Could I be Falling in Love


It's no lie that I love me some Motown Soul. It's in my genes. And my dad? The biggest Motown fan around. Seriously Papa's got some rhythm and although he is way to proud to show it on most days, he's one cool dude. Growing up in North Minneapolis during the 50's and 60's will do that to a person, ya know. I have always secretly loved hearing stories of what a badass he was. Drafted by the NHL but never played because he broke both legs during a varsity playoff game. One of the youngest drill sergeants to ever train troops for Vietnam. Harley riding, trade school teaching, Nuclear (not Nucleeeahhr) Power Plant building, badass. Seriously Papa is also the most honorable, stoic, responsible, intelligent, classy, respectable, humble persons I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. If my son turns out to be half the man that my dad is, he'll do amazing things for this world.

I can remember riding in the jumpseat of my dad's 1978 green ford pickup truck, singing to the Spinners until my sister and I could barely speak. Stopping for White Castle Sliders, heading to the airport and watching the planes fly over us. Those little moments in time spent with my dad are permanently etched into my soul. Those memories have made me who I am.
The coolest chick rockin' the Spinners this morning.
Or something like that.

So, enjoy a little Spinners tune courtesy of You Tube and my dad.

Happy Friday and dance people, dance!



Wednesday, October 1, 2008

What I am, Is What I am...

"I'm not aware of too many things I know what I know, if you know what I mean... "

And what I mean is that this mama has to get back into the kitchen and cook some decent meals, stat.

Seriously.

"Dinner's here" is what we have said more nights in the last few weeks than "it's dinner time!"

How did this happen to two foodie adults with a passion for fine dining?

Oh, yeah. We became parents.

Seriously Daddy and I are both pretty darn good cooks and enjoy food (and that's why my booty is on the treadmill every night.) Back in the day when we were cool, Seriously Daddy and I would spend weekend mornings at the local speciality food shop, farmers markets and our favorite wine and beer shop. Head home with a trunk full of good stuff and cook the night away. We made our share of masterpieces as well as disasters but it was a fun experiment none the less.

But our grandest experiment of all, the L's. The L's no likey our dinners. They no likey my cooking, they no likey Daddy's cooking. They no likey at all. We have gone through the "I only eat hot dogs and mac and cheese stage", the "I only eat pizza stage", the "I only eat fruit stage", the "I don't eat at all but still find time to shit in my pants in huge quantities stage" and the "Mom, I only like Grandma's cooking" stage. Now the last of their stages wouldn't be a problem if my parents didn't live halfway across the country and getting to their house by dinner time would require this family leaving our house 11 hours prior. Not so easy with a one and three year old and two big dogs.

As much as I am ashamed to admit it, I gave up. I gave up the specialty food shop, the fancy wine and beer pairings, the ceramic dinnerware, the traditional Sunday experiments. I gave them all up in favor of sanity and chicken nuggets. So sue me. I know that I created these little monsters and I know I am the one who purchased these foods and I know I am the one who was just trying to stay sane for cripes sake! You can't tell me you serve gourmet meals 3 times a day, now do you? Uh huh, that's what I thought.

It's time for a revolution. A SeriouslyMama food revolution! Can I get an Amen? Who's with me people?

The L's are in for a big surprise. No more prepackaged, processed, camouflaged, mom is a sucker foods in this house. Now that they are both old enough to go to bed hungry if they decide not to eat, we are heading back to basics. Fresh, organic if possible and certainly not shaped liked the latest toy. No more electric blue yogurt, no more tractor shaped nuggets, no more fruit pressed into the shape of notebook paper. No more crap!

So tonight as I am listening to some Edie Brickell, sipping on some Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc and making Chicken Piccata, the L's will be eating their chicken dipped in ranch dressing. Guaranteed.

I have to start somewhere, right?

Tell me about dinner time at your house. Inquiring minds want to know. Have you been able to get your kids to eat like normal human beings or are you just keepin' on to keep sane?