Famous People

Yesterday Braden and I went to the Annual World of Wheels at the Abilene Civic Center. We went last year and had a great time just walking around looking at all the cars. I really wasn't going to go this year. I have become a hermit with Tristan sleeping all the time. I knew Braden would like it but I just didn't have the motivation... until.... the other night I was watching TV and I saw the AD for the car show. I have tivo so I was just jumping through the commercials. A voice from the TV said, "meet Ozzy from Survivor". WHAT!!!??? I hit the return button on the remote just to make sure I was hearing it right. Ozzy was coming to the car show? I HAD to be there.

Okay now the back story:

1. I am nuts about meeting famous people. It doesn't matter if I am a fan of them or not. I am just plain nuts about meeting them.

I love to tell the story of walking in downtown Boston with Mason and his mom. We were passing a fancy hotel, the sidewalk was very busy. I was talking and not paying attention to anything when out of the blue Mason says to me "Oh look, there is Larry Bird" (now at the time Mason did not know I had a famous person problem - if he did most likely he would not have said anything). I look up and take off running, following Larry into the hotel and into the elevator. I just stood there looking at him, and everybody but him was looking at me as we went up and up and up. They got out and I rode the elevator back down to the lobby, only to be greeted by Mason with a non-amused look on his face. I on the other hand was beaming! It doesn't get any better than that!

I think my obsession began when I was a child and my parents would take me to stage shows and then we would go wait at the stage door for the actors to come out. I had an autograph book back then and I now have some famous autographs that most people my age would not even recognize. Jean Stapleton (best know as Edith on All in the Family) Leslie Caron (best know for her part in American in Paris with Gene Kelly) and Robert Goulet (YES!) and some others I can't remember right now. I am not sure why my parents did this with me. I guess they thought it was fun to meet famous people too. So, we logged in the hours waiting at the stage door. Since being taught this marvelous skill I have met Martin Short and Bernadette Peters (at the stage door after their show The Good-bye Girl on Broadway in the 90s) Also on that trip to NY NY I met Paul Shaffer (you know David Letterman's side kick) I have sat next to John Goodman in first class on the airplane and hung out with the band Blind Melon on their tour bus. I also got Robert Earl Keens autograph after a show for Mason... I had NO idea who he was!

When Mason and I were first married we were JAG nuts and I almost had him convinced to fly to LA with me for the JAG convention so we could meet the stars. We never did. But I have a girlfriend who has partied with Keanu Reeves - now THAT is AWESOME!!!

2. This was the first year I ever watched Survivor.

This year is like their 7th season and to shake things up they initially divided the tribes by race. It was on the news and all that junk so I thought, if I am ever going to watch.... it would be now. So, I watched. I watched all by myself... I couldn't get Mason interested in it. But there was this one guy that I really liked - Ozzy. He was amazing, he really knew what he was doing out there. He could spear dive, climb trees, build forts, you name it. And he was pretty dang cute. I found myself talking to the screen at him or others during the challenges... as if I would be able out of sheer will to help him! He quickly became a show favorite too, since he won so many challenges. He did not win in the end but came in second at the last tribal council.

So one day at MOPS I hear my friend Aubrey talking about Survivor ... long story short (too late) she and I become Ozzy fans. Watching separately and then on Mondays talking about the show. So when I saw the commercial that Ozzy was coming to Abilene I called her right then and there (at 9:45pm)! She agreed to come to the auto show with me.

I was the first in line; I waited for over an hour and a half as Aubrey walked the kids around. Aubrey and I tried to figure out what I was going to say. I wanted to let him know I was a fan with out looking like a total dweeb! But how do you convey to someone " I like you in a totally different way than anyone else likes you because I am special!" RIGHT! We were cracking ourselves up. I was the first to meet him. He was very laid back and personable. We talked for a few minutes. He asked Braden for some high fives. He is a Tom Robbins fan, so we talked about our favorite books (his was Skinny Legs and All). I paid 5$ for some guy to take a picture with MY camera... and that was it! Totally Awesome! We had a great time! A big thank you to Aubrey for coming with. I could not convince her to get up on stage and meet with him. She said she was totally fine with just watching from a far. I was so grateful she came with me. It is so much more fun to do that kind of stuff with a friend. I think she came more for me than anything else. That is what makes her so Awesome! Thanks Aubs - you ROCK!

Teacher marks our height against the wall...

One (any maybe the only) job that Braden has, is to feed the dogs. He has been doing it now for about 6 months. It all started when Mason was gone this summer. Being big and pregnant I was looking for ways to NOT have to bend down. I wish I could say that I started having Braden help me with the dogs because of some wonderful parenting ideas that would enrich him and give him sense of responsibility. But alas, no - it was just me being lazy. Each week he got better and better at it. By the time Mason got home, Braden was feeding them all by himself - commands and all. Up until about a week ago the only thing I would have to help him with was the lights in the laundry room. He just couldn't reach...

All that has changed now. Just the other day I heard him turn the lights on all by himself. He came running into the nursery to tell me he did it all on his own! Such a big boy....

Interesting though, he still uses he stool to turn the lights on in the bathroom... I guess he has not figured out that all of the switches are the same height.

Then today Tristan went from size 1 diapers to size 2.

Sunrise, sunset....

Favor Coupons

I am insecure. Anyone who knows me well enough knows this. People who don't know me very well think my bravado comes from confidence, but it doesn't... it comes from not wanting to look that I don't (fit it, understand something, get the joke.... etc).

I have been told of my faults enough times throughout my life to believe that I have reason to worry. And even though (now as an adult) I have heard more positive than negative I still worry and I am still insecure.

Being a friend and having friends is very important... nay it is essential to being a woman and especially a mother... see previous post. I have a lot of friends. At least I think I have a lot of friends. It may be that my parents are paying a few people, but I do know some that are doing some pro bono work.

So, I have a lot of friends that help me out. But I always wonder why... I am always insecure that the person doesn't really like me that much. That they are just putting up with me because I live next door, or helping out because they think it is the right thing to do... or whatever.

Now, I know what you are going to say - that it is an insult to the other person, my assumption that they have ulterior motives - I know. But like I said, I am insecure.

It's just that I never really feel that the help I give in return is enough to balance out the help they have given me. I just so greatly appreciate the help I get that I cannot believe that the help I give others means as much....

Maybe this is my big life lesson. Maybe that is why Mason has to be gone so much. Maybe if I just keep giving help and asking for help at some point I will feel that it is balanced.... maybe....

since you've been gone...

Wanted to share this photo of Tristan and Mason taken just a few days before he left. I guess it is all the grey weather that makes it feel like Mason has been gone longer than 3 weeks.

Tristan's New Chair

Everyone says he looks like a little old man, so now at least he has the arm chair to prove it!

The bouncy (which was Braden's favorite) and the swing have been collecting dust. He loves the eco-saucer but it is not very portable... so.... http://www.bumbobabyseat.com/

He really likes it! and he looks great too!

Stork Bites and Angel Kisses

I noticed today that Tristan has a birthmark on his arm. Which isn't to say that it was there yesterday... I would have noticed. At first I thought it was just an odd shadow being cast while he was sleeping in his crib, but after his nap on the changing table in full light BAMM there it was a new birthmark. He has one other on his back. They are almost identical. Light brown and oval. I wanted to know more so....... everyone say it with me " I looked it up" and this is what I found.

A birthmark is a blemish on the skin formed before birth. They are part of the group of skin lesions known as naevi. The cause of birthmarks is unknown, but may include cellular damage due to radiation or chemicals. Some types seem to run in families.
In Italian and Middle Eastern cultures they're called voglie in Italian or wiham in Arabic, both of which translate to "wishes," because according to folklore, they are caused by unsatisfied wishes of the mother during pregnancy. For example, if a pregnant woman does not satisfy a sudden wish or craving for strawberries, it's said that the infant might bear a strawberry mark.

Tristan has a Café au lait spot.

Cafe-au-lait spots (CAL) are pigmented birthmarks. The name café au lait is French for "coffee with milk" and refers to their light-brown color.

organic? that's just crazy talk!

Since Mason's been gone I have had a lot of friends over for different things at the house. Some how we always end up in the kitchen and inevidibly my pantry door is opened and that is when it begins. "You have alot of organic food. Hey, what does organic mean?" I guess since I have been eating for a few years now and its even at Walmart I forget that other people haven't really been educated on it. I guess people just assume that food that has the potential to be bad for you wouldn't be allowed to be sold in the grocery store... but they are wrong. Here is the definition of organic from wikipedia...

Organic food is produced according to legally regulated standards. For crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. For animals, it means they were reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. Also, at all levels, organic food is produced without the use of genetically modified organisms.

Some Benefits:
Organic farms do not release synthetic pesticides or herbicides into the environment—some of which have the potential to harm local wildlife.

Organic farms are better than conventional farms at sustaining diverse ecosystems, i.e., populations of plants and insects, as well as animals.

When calculated either per unit area or per unit of yield, organic farms use less energy and produce less waste, e.g., waste such as packaging materials for chemicals.

side note:
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using techniques in genetics generally known as recombinant DNA technology. Recombinant DNA technology is the ability to combine DNA molecules from different sources into one molecule in a test tube. Thus, the expression of certain traits, the phenotype of the organism, or the proteins it produces, can be altered through the modification of its genes.


The two things that scare me the most about conventional food is the pesticides and the GMOs. I think we forget as we walk the isle of our grocery stores that there are poisions in our food.

A study published by the National Research Council in 1993 determined that for infants and children, the major source of exposure to pesticides is through diet.

Most conventionally grown foods contain pesticides and herbicide residues.

The US Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies periodically review the licensing of suspect pesticides, but the process of de-listing is slow. One example of this slow process is exemplified by the pesticide Dichlorvos, or DDVP, which as recently as the year 2006 the EPA proposed its continued sale. The EPA has almost banned this pesticide on several occasions since the 1970s, but it never did so despite considerable evidence that suggests DDVP is not only carcinogenic but dangerous to the human nervous system – especially in children.

That just scares me to death, and that is why I pay 1.99 for a can of corn!

when mom gets sick

We have all heard the joke "who takes care of mom when mom gets sick". Everyone chuckles and nods in understanding at this quip. We all have seen the commercials with the mom in her bathrobe, hair a mess, nose red and the HOUSE a WRECK! A few seconds later she takes (insert product here) and she is miraculously better and the kids are smiling and the house is pretty again.

YEAH! I wish.... They fail to mention a few things; a lot of these products just put you to sleep...which is really what you need when you are sick anyway...but I don't know of any SAHM able to sleep the day away while their children roam the house unattended. Plus, I have an infant that nurses.... and if he is anything like his brother anything above a regular Tylenol (taken by me) will result in vomiting every feeding until the medicine is out of my system.... great plan, huh? And sometimes there really isn't anything you can take that makes you feel 100%. Nothing cures a head cold or the flu.... just time and rest. Two things SAHM DON'T have...

And yesterday, while I lay in bed with my head throbbing and my body going from furnace to tundra I realized no one was going to walk through the door at 5:00pm to relieve me. There were diapers to change and food to prepare dogs to let out and melt downs to prevent and I was IT.

I know I am not the only one. There are single mothers everywhere, widows, mothers who's husbands travel for a living or drive trucks... there are countless numbers of military moms who's husbands are gone for year tours over Iraq or Korea. So I realize I am not the only one who suffers this. But then I got to thinking... what a LOUSY system. I can't believe there is no back up plan. The idea that a woman could be totally alone without any help or assistance. I can't believe that this is the way it is intended to be. I guess it might be different for someone who lives in the same town as the rest of their family. But nowadays who does? Even non-military people live in separate states from their parents, siblings, cousins etc.... We live isolated from anyone who does not share our address. We go it alone. Segregating everything to avoid the perception that we need help. Its ingranied into our culture, into the fabric of our society. Moms go it alone.

I know a mother of four who's husband is deployed right now. She goes it alone. Sometimes on walks I catch her coming and going from her house to her minivan with the kids or grocery's or sports paraphernalia... just makes me sad and angry all at once.

I just can't believe there isn't a backup plan....and I can't believe I got ANOTHER head cold!

yes....

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Word Detective

If you know me, then you know that I always want the background story. I want to know what it means, and how you know, and when did you know and a whole bunch of totally annoying questions; which has gotten me into trouble with people thinking that I am being argumentative or judgemental....really I'm not... I just want to know! More Input!

Anyway - last night my friend La Rae (yep, same one) used the phrase "out of pocket". She said "I am going to need you over on the other side of the building to help people signing in. I don't really trust anyone else to do it and I'll be out of pocket".

WHAT? What in the world does that mean? She said it means that she will be busy and won't be around....

I had always thought "out of pocket" meant paying out of your own finances. She said she had never heard that....
SOOOOOOOOOOOO I googled it and found http://www.word-detective.com/012000.html.

This is what he says about it.

"Out of pocket" is indeed usually used as a sort of shorthand for "paying out of one's own pocket that which should (and usually ultimately will) be paid by someone else." Interestingly, the original sense of "out of pocket" when it first appeared around 1693 was not so hopeful. It meant to be either "broke" or "the loser in a financial transaction."
However, around 1974 "out of pocket" also started being used to mean "out of touch" or "unavailable." No one seems to know exactly why this sense arose or what the "pocket" in this case might be. Personally, I suspect that it's a bad translation of some French phrase. In any case, this sense of "out of pocket" is not, as far as I can tell, widely used. A more common phrase meaning the same thing is "out of the loop," which first appeared around 1983 and is probably rooted in computer terminology.
But the bottom line is that they're both right.

So, there you go... mystery solved.

Next time I will tell you my story about verbiage (which is a word, but no one uses it) and verbage (which is NOT a word, but EVERYONE uses it)!

Happy Anniversary - I Love You !

(click on picture to enlarge)

Fifteen years ago today, Mason first told me that he loved me. It was a Saturday afternoon. He was 15 I was 16. He was a freshman, I was a Junior at a private boarding school in St. Louis Missouri. Back then he was called Sterling and I was called Julie. This picture is of us just a few weeks later at one of the winter formal dances that our school had. He had to get special permission to bring a Junior to the Freshman/Sophomore dance. We dated for 5 months that semester, then school let out for the summer. Since it was a boarding school he went back home to Texas. He never came back - that next year he went to a school in upstate New York. I wrote to him everyday. Phone cards unconnected to an account (like at your house) were not invented yet - and neither of our parents were about to give us one of theirs. No email of course either. He wrote me once a week. We didn't get to see each other again until that December... that is when he first ask me to marry him.... but that is a whole other story for a different day.
Right now he is away again. We have been separated a lot in our long romance and now the Air Force keeps up the tradition. I love him more today than I did 15 years ago. I can recall with such clarity him hugging me looking right into my eyes and how I felt... so special. I hope I make him feel as special as he makes me feel. He is my always and forever. Happy anniversary!

The hours are terrible - But at least you're the boss!

Braden is 3 and a half -but I think I am going through (with him) what other mothers go through with their two year olds. My friend Annie (see planetsprog) posted about the Mothers Almanac almost 2 years ago. I value her opinion (especially in parenting matters) quite high and so (sight unseen)I purchased a copy from Amazon.com (see link below) and I was NOT disappointed.

Last week I opened it again to read on discipline to help me with all the "no"s and "I don't want to"s around the house.

Here is some of the advice it offers...

Every child tries to rule the house but you will never meet the child who really wants to and you'll pity the one who does because they are never happy. But remember the more a person is told what to do, the more recalcitrant they grow. Dignity becomes so precious that your child will stall every request and say no to every order, even as they comply.

When a child's rights are accepted they will begin to accept the rights of others This is why you knock on your baby's door before you enter, correct a naughty two year old in private and ask permission of your three year old to see their drawings and tell your child to hurry ONLY when you MUST.

A child learns how many times you are willing to repeat the order before you mean what you say. If you whisper when he shouts the loudest child will lower their voice the way you do... if they don't tell them you call them for all the noise...

It's never "time for your bath" but "its time for your duck to have a swim" it's not "time for bed" but " lets hurry to bed so we can read a long story instead of a short one"

Outdoor summons: No mother can call loud enough to be heard by her child half a block away. You either will sound like a shrew or the other children will mimic you and embarrass your child. Either way get a bell or a whistle instead.

Every mother has a special tone to warn her child of danger. If you use the same tone to tell your child to not touch the stove AND pick up her toys you will dilute your control when you need it.

You may rant hysterically and have tantrums too bizarre to even tell your husband, like the mother who sprayed the instant whipped cream all over her little child's head - after the child had done the same thing to the sofa. This behavior is normal for the BOTH of you.

We think it is a bad idea for a child to name a doll or punching bag after their younger sibling for you are trying to teach her to live by her wits NOT her fits and a child can learn to work off most aggressions with a good dig in the garden a workout with some bread dough or a hammer and nails.

There may be stages now when you're just getting through the days the best you can. This is when you need a sitter for a few hours a week, a job (whether paid or volunteer) outside the house and seeing how many times you can say "yes' instead of "no"

No one wants to be as good as a three year old and they'll be even better if you tell them exactly what you expect and why before they ask. But sometimes they act so adult that you forget that they are still a baby and this is when you can overreact to their behavior and finding yourself using the same angry words your parents used when you were little. The methods you use to discipline your three year old will affect for values for years. For example: if dessert is a reward for a clean plate than they'll think they should be bribed to eat. If you say a shot won't hurt when it will or you'll be home soon when you won't they will begin to doubt your word. If you promise money for a job they will put a price tag on family cooperation. If you put property rights ahead of personal rights you'll rear a materialistic child. If you take the blame for their mistakes they will never learn to be accountable and if you don't make a big fuss over them sometime they won't feel worth the trouble.

This is just a fraction of practical advice frank opinions and wonderful ideas (like crafts and activities) that this book has to offer...

What book has helped you the most in navigating parenting... or life?


http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Almanac-Marguerite-Kelly/dp/0385468776/sr=1-1/qid=1169051191/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2033017-3186034?ie=UTF8&s=books

You've got to be kidding me!

I though that living in the south I would avoid all this unpleasantness. I know what you are thinking... "what's the problem? It's no big deal, a little snow... " Yeah well, above the Mason Dixon line maybe, but down here if it snows the whole town shuts down. It was only until recently that I understood why. We have no snowplows! NONE! and I think we have like 1 or 2 salt and gravel trucks....so when it snows (which normally is NEVER) everything comes to a grinding halt... Oh well, I guess now I have the time to get to my Christmas thank you notes - if you mail them before January 25th - its still good ? Right?

Cream of Tomato Soup

2 cans (14 ½) of no-salt diced tomatoes UNDRAINED
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 cups milk – skim whole soy whatever
3 TB cornstarch
1/8 t baking soda
2 t of sugar
2 TB of butter

Process tomatoes with liquid in food processor or blender until smooth. Heat tomatoes and bouillon cubes in medium saucepan to boiling. On the side mix milk and cornstarch; whisk into tomato mixture. Boil whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.
Add baking soda, sugar and butter to soup stirring until butter is melted. Ladle into bowls.

Recently I have been asked for this recipe. It is very easy and very tasty. I think what makes it so flavorful is the type of bouillon I use... which I have shown here. All natural and no MSG!

Oceans 13

This has GOT to be better than 12... it just has too, or I'll cry.... just cry!

Social Boy

Tristan LOVES people. LOVES people. Last night on the couch Jen was talking to him about the new season of 24 and he just starting laughing. Today she got a little bit out of him and I thought you would like to see it.

Take the Toddlers Bowling, take them Bowling...

Debbie

My first ever blog and now my first ever comment! Well, actually my first 2 comments, by my friend La Rae! La Rae and I are on the MOPS steering team together. MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. I have been attending for a few years and now I am on the steering team. I bring this up because not only do I work with La Rae but I am friends with her AND not only that, but Braden and her daughter Maeghyn are friends too. Braden and Maeghyn are as different as night and day and so are La Rae and I. I guess that it why I am so touched that La Rae was my first comment. Supportive sweet funny and great to be around I cherish La Rae and this past year in getting to know her. I have been so touched by my time at MOPS and meeting all the wonderful ladies there who are so different in all sorts of wonderful ways. I think today SAHM are isolated. We are home alone, we travel to and from our errands in our cars alone and a lot of the time we are alone in our neighborhood, since so many of us live away from family and do not know our own neighbors. MOPS is a place where all mothers regardless of age income or background can come togther and meet twice a month. To make friends and get support through this journey of raising the future generation. We were not meant to raise our children alone. We need friends and a community of mothers to surround us with support and love. I take this time to thank La Rae for being a part of my community! I love you too girl!

http://www.mops.org.

Stupid Blogs part 2

Okay, just as I settle down and get into the groove of this blog thing, I emailed everyone I know to tell them that I entered the bloggosphere... and the panic set in...
I don't think this blog is going to enhance my reputation, if anything people might just think a little less of me... OH JEEZE!!!

the O'Sullivan Factor

Beth and Pat O'Sullivan live next door. Right next door, which is perfect. They moved in about a year and a half ago. They have 4 children; Michael, Katie, Maddie and Megan. Over the past year or so Megan has become Braden's best friend. Braden talks about Megan everyday. For awhile she would tell people that she had a little brother Braden O'Sullivan (too cute). Megan has been a wonderful friend to Braden. They play games, ride bikes and swing. She taught Braden to play Lucky Ducks he taught her to play Hungry Hungry Hippos. We try to see them for a playdate at least once a week. Usually on Fridays, when neither of the kids have school. I am so grateful to have a friend like Beth ( for one example of why she rocks see bowling video in previous post) and I know Braden is grateful to have Megan!

Take the Toddlers Bowling... Take them Bowling

Ahh, the Friday morning playdate! Braden is still talking about bowling with Megan... He was not sure at first whether or not it was going to be fun. It was pretty loud in the bowling alley. But seeing everyone else loving it was enough to get him to try it. We tried bowling (without the ramp) but Braden soon learned that the ball did not go fast enough to reach (let alone knockdown) the pins. So it was the ramp all the way...

Breakfast Food

If it is organic its good for me right? Cookies are made with flour, flour is natural and healthy... EGGS ! Eggs are in cookies .... eggs are nutritious... RIGHT?

My latest obsession (eating fake oreo's and sitting at the computer) is not doing anything for my health. Oh well...

Pictures Pictures Pictures

While Jen was here and the sun was not and ice covereth the earth, we had a lot of time on our hands. Fortuantely Jen brought her digital photography book. So we read and read and fiddled with my camera and read some more. We even called my dad and aksed him about JPEG files and if it was true that they deterioate over time. He said it was not. When we sat down to the computer Jen also introduced me to Picasa (from Google). It is free photo editing software.. here are the results... which is why you all tune into this blog in the first place. I would encourage you to check it out. http://picasa.google.com/

Stuck in a house with a friend

As I mentioned earlier there was an ice storm here in Abilene Friday night. My friend Jen was here the WHOLE time. Why? you might ask... Well.... see Jen lives in Sidney... about an hour and half outside of Abilene. Sidney is small!!! Not even a stoplight. So, since she had to work on Saturday I invited her to spend the night. Friday night the storm hit and come Saturday NO ONE went to work. Actually no one went anywhere until today. The sun finally showed up and started to melt some of the ice on the roads... so Jen left.
Jen was here ALL weekend, she missed her daughters birthday because of the weather. But I was really grateful to have her here. Jen is a good friend... nay a great friend. We met at MOPS last year (we were at the same table) I can still recall "a ha" the moment. Last year at MOPS Jen and I were at the same table. As we were cleaning up she pulled the table cloth off the table (with stuff still upon it). I called out "the flowers are still standing!" She looked over at me and said "Ghostbusters!" and we both smiled...BAMM that was it! Here is what she writes on her blog about me.

Stupid Blogs

So now that all of the kinks have been worked out there are still so many decisions to be made. What kind of blog do I want to have, what should it look like, what about colors, layout etc... I find myself thinking about making a photo collage with the boys photos as a banner or something (i've seen it done on other blogs)... then I think.... really... not only am I doing a blog....(like everyone else) but now just like every other SAHM I am going to plaster it with pictures of my boys... as if that is all there is of me.
Now I know that that is not all there is of me. They are a BIG part of me and my day and my life and my world. But I sort of feel that a blog is an introduction to the writer (for those of you who don't know me) and I ALWAYS make a lousy first impression. So now I am forced to make a decision that is essentially introducing me over and over and over again! AHHHH the pressure!

Icestorm

This is what I have been reduced to...sitting in my bathrobe with a sink full of dishes and toys EVERYWHERE while my girlfriend makes me a blog while I am not looking... so now I have one more thing to keep me distracted from reality while self- grandizing all the while in the belief that others are truly interested in what I have to say....

OH JEEZE!