Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Today

Sucks.

Seriously.

Allow me to explain. If there is one thing that I happen to have quite a bit of, it's patience. There are some exceptions to this, don't get me wrong, but I am, in large part, long on patience. Or at least I was.

My sweet and darling boys have been replaced by monsters. I kid you not, when I wasn't looking there was some sort of terrible mix up. Bennett is teething, so perhaps his wasn't a mix up so much as an unfortunate set of developmental circumstances. But I am quite sure that Garrett has been switched with some sort of devil-child. And it's a good thing I'm crazy about him, or I just might sell him to the lowest bidder.

The only things that we did today were the library and lunch at McDonalds. At the library there was a major scream fest. And because I'm such a sucker, I actually thought that the worst was over, and we went to lunch at McDonalds. Oh, I am a stupid, stupid girl.

The screaming and sobbing fit was quite the display. I know because it managed to make everyone take notice - even the people who were surrounded by their own gaggle of kids. And I know that the only thing that they were thinking was "thank god that isn't me this time". And let me tell you how thrilled I was to take one for the team today. Really.

So straight home and to bed we went. Which was a good thing, because while I am normally long on patience, I thought that if I had to endure much more that my head might pop off and start spinning around too.

If this is only the beginning of the terrible twos, I'm going to squash him into a box and keep him this way forever. Because frequent bouts of fun like this would be my ticket to that drug habit I've always wanted...

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Meth

One of the stories on the news this morning is about how Meth increases your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Just a thought, but I don't think that knowing this is something that is going to reform too many Meth heads. "It's illegal, highly addictive, makes you crazy....but wait, it can increase my risk of cardiovascular disease? Well in that case I had better stay away!" Somehow I doubt this is their inner dialogue.

You know, just a thought.

Stephanie Tanner, everyone's favorite (former) Meth Head
Obviously someone wasn't paying attention when they told her what her brain looked like on drugs....

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Sunday List #13

1. As the release of my MCAT scores loom overhead, I know that I can't put it off anymore, and I need to finish writing my personal statement. Which is where the problem comes in. I knew exactly what I wanted to say at the beginning, and I think that it turned out rather well, if I do say so myself. The problem is that now I don't know what to write -- I'm halfway done and totally stuck. I sat for four hours trying to finish it, and only succeeded in writing two sentences and deleting them because they were all wrong. I repeated this process about 250 times in a row before giving up and deciding that perhaps yesterday was not the day to finish after all. Which brings me to today...perhaps I will be struck with some type of inspiration to finish. But just in case I'm not - I'm open to suggestions.

2. Bennett has finally started talking! Not in the actual conversation way, but more in the muttering and grunting way. But in a way that people (ok, most people) can understand. His current list includes bubble, book, and Mimi. Bubble and book are self explanatory. And Mimi? That's me. Where did it come from? Not a clue...but I'm not complaining, it's kinda cute, after all.

3. I adore reading books. I've read two in the last two days which have actually turned out to be pretty good. You would think that I would be studying every spare minute, but even I am not that masochistic.

4. The beauty of an eight week summer class is that eight weeks goes by pretty quickly. The unfortunate part is that we have a test every week. It makes it really hard to put things off. Grrr.

5. I'm more than thrilled to report that, even after repeated trips to the pool, I still have managed to maintain a color that is NOT red. Hooray! Of course I think that this is due in large part to the fact that I don't leave the house without a nice, thick layer of SPF 50, but even still. No sunburn and it's almost July -- I'm thrilled!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Guess

who my favorite super hero is?!


Superman!

Well, one of them anyway....

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Things I Have Learned Recently

1. Bennett likes champagne. What can I say...he has great taste...

2. I will do anything to keep from studying physics. Although I will only something productive if I am not studying. Needless to say, I have virtually no dirty laundry and a spotless apartment.

3. It is actually possible for the boys and I to go to the movies and have a good time while not ruining it for anyone else. I consider this a major success, because the chances of a one year old not enjoying a trip to the movie theater and thus acting a little like a jerk are high.

4. There was a horrible story about a child killed by a bear. Needless to say, this is yet ANOTHER reason I do not camp.

5. I can get Garrett to do almost anything if I tell him that it's something that Bryce does. Use the potty? Bryce does. Fix your hair? Bryce does. Eat another bite of chicken? Bryce does. I worry that at some point he might figure out that Bryce doesn't, in fact, always listen to me. So if anyone else would like to volunteer to be made an example of, please let me know. I will be taking names.

6. I have had several dreams that have turned out to actually be things that happened in real life. Given that most of these things have not been very good, it's a little freaky. And it makes me wonder how many of my other recent dreams will be occurring in real life. Some of you have been a part of them, so you never know - I might already know your future...

I am off to study...hopefully studying physics, but I have a feeling it will be more of me studying the inside of my eyelids than anything else...

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Sunday List #12

1. Summer is finally here. I know because when I open the door to get in, I am met with a rush if stifiling heat -- you know, the kind that wraps itself completely around you? I love that feeling. I know, that makes me absolutely crazy, but I love it anyway.

2. Today is father's day. My dad? He's the best. And some people think he looks like Stephen King. I've never been able to see it, but I suppose it's only fair to let you be the judge.

My dad:

my dad....stephen king?

Stephen King:

I totally don't see the similarities. Other than that they are both boys and they both wear glasses. And they both write stuff.

3. I thought that flower boxes were self limiting - the flowers wouldn't grow all that big, because the boxes themselves weren't that big. But this is obviously wrong, because I am currently looking at the flower boxes on my patio, which all have flowers that are 2 feet tall. Which is crazy -- I would have been happy with flowers that were much shorter than that. But it does help put to rest the prior claims that I have a thumb of death.

4. My big plans for today? Studying physics. Which is about as exciting as watching mold grow, in my opinion. It's good times around here, that's for sure!

5. I love tv. But even I am willing to admit that some tv shows are dumb. And I have been flipping channels this morning, and have run across what is perhaps one of the dumbest shows ever. The Girls Next Door. What's it about you ask? The girlfriends of Hugh Hefner. I think that, like I totally, like, have lost brain cells flipping past it. Like, totally.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

A Green Thumb

I would like to announce that I no longer posess what I liked to call "the thumb of death"



I offer proof of my new thumb color:


white flower

purple flower

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

some phone calls you never expect

When I started working at the hospital, one of the things that I had to get used to (other than actually being up in the middle of the night) was the phone calls that came in the middle of the night. The phone ringing at 4 am stopped carrying the worry of someone close to you being in an accident, and became something that went with the turf on OB...although the right words said on the other end still had the ability to get your adrenaline going in the blink of an eye.

And after I got used to being up at night and fielding phone calls from work, I got used to phone calls from friends. Because when you work at night, it means that sometimes you are awake at night even when you don't have to work. And, in case you have never done it, there isn't always a lot to do - or people to keep you company - at that time of night. And so I have gotten my fair share of phone calls from people who 'just want to chat'...because sometimes chats happen pre-dawn.

My middle of the night phone calls are fewer now - I have traded in my night schedule for a daytime routine, and most of the time I am sleeping. I have even perfected the ability to answer the phone without completely letting go of my thin veil of sleep....a few mumbles, and the back to dreamland I go, with a promise to call back later. And so my night went last night...until the deadpan silence on the other end ripped me out of my light sleep faster than a child tears into christmas presants on christmas morning. And when the voice started to speak, it was slow...and deliberate...and within the first breath I knew that something was very, very wrong. Just in case you forgot - silence is deafening.

Everyone immediately jumps to the worst possible senario...an accident. But accidents, while they leave pain and devistation in their wake, are quick. But this is different...this is cancer. Something that is rarely quick, and leaves devistation in its wake long before it takes someone away. Colon cancer, at the very least, although there is something in me that tells me that it's more than that. Colon cancer is what affects people on the news, or friends of your grandparents. It is not, however, what you hear about your friends...those who are not yet even close enough to tap on the shoulder of the 'old' age of 30.

My midnight phone call carried more than sad news. It brought with it the reminder of what it means to be grown up -the demand to shed the cloak of invicibility to that we once held so closely. And it replaced it with reality, where some people aren't invincible after all.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Sunday List #11 - The Wedding and Auto Parts Edition

1. The radio in my car suddenly stopped working. Someone who is much smarter about such things informed me that I had a blown fuse. Being the super smart girl that I am (and doing what he told me to), I trotted off to the auto parts store and got myself some new fuses. Yay me! I then put the new fuse in...and the damn thing still doesn't work! Grrr...

2. I completed my first week of my physics class. I still hate physics. Only 7 weeks to go...and I am SO counting...

3. I drove to Springfield today, found an outfit in 15 minutes, went to a wedding, and the drove back. I'm worn out! But aren't you impressed that I could find suitable wedding attire in 15 minutes....that I looked quite lovely in, if I do say so myself!

4. My shoulders and calves are really sore from driving all day. Someone should give me a massage.

5. I dislike humidity - and it is currently VERY humid outside.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Strange and Bizarre

I make no secret about the fact that I take great joy from hearing about things that are strange and bizarre. Who doesn't?

In my former life (which was really not all that long ago), before I filled my days with trips to the library, kissing boo boos, and potty training, I worked as a nurse on an OB unit. Which, make no mistake, gave ample opportunity to witness and hear about things that are both strange and bizarre.

One of my favorite weird things was when people would come up with absolutely crazy...no, make that unique, names for their new offspring. My favorite naming incident involves the same family, spread out over the course of several years (of which I was present for two of the three blessed events).

First came along a little boy. Thunder. That's right, they named the poor, innocent baby Thunder. Now I know that babies can be loud...but Thunder?! That just seems mean. I mean seriously, if little Suzy came home and told you all about the new kid in her class, Thunder, you know that your first thought would be "his name is WHAT?!" If I were the teacher, I would be inclined to repeatedly call the kid Joe or Jack or something, and hope that it stuck.

Having one child with a strange name is one thing. But a whole family? Dear Lord. Fear not, because Thunder was not alone in his I-have-a-dumb-name plight for long. After a couple of years, he was joined by a brother who arrived in a rather abrupt fashion. Name? Lightning. That's right - like the electric bolts thrown by Zeus. Oh yes...they named their baby Lightning. And I can assure you that they did - I typed the birth certificate myself.

And what better to round out a pair of rough and tumble boys named Thunder and Lightning, but a little girl. Just in cast you feared that this little bundle of joy would not get to claim the same parental abuse regarding a name as her brothers, fear not. Rain. Which, admittedly, is not quite as nutty...I mean, unique, as Thunder or Lightning, it's still not going to be making the top 10 (or 100, or even 1000) baby names list. And when you couple the whole family together...well then you've got a whole storm system, and isn't that something special?

Monday, June 4, 2007

Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice

Tonight was my first class of the summer semester. Physics. Blah. It's sort of like poking myself in the eye over and over. Or something else that is fairly unpleasant. What can I say, it's not my favorite subject.

Tonight we were talking about lightning, ala Ben Franklin and his kite.




Well, actually Ben Franklin and his kite never entered into the discussion. Which is too bad, because that would have totally made it more exciting. Although the professor does try hard...he made lightning with the van de graff generator.


Although the entire time, I was convinced that he was going to end up shocking himself and having a heart attack or something. The chances are almost zero...but I specialize in having totally crazy things happen to me.

For those of you that are counting, one night of class down. That means that there are only 143 hours left. Not that I'm counting...

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Sunday List #10

1. I actually went to a movie yesterday. Like, in the movie theater. Which is something I never do. But I digress...I went to the movies and saw Knocked Up. I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time -- it's fantastic and hilarious! I highly recommend that you drop everything and run out to see it immediately. It's totally worth it.

2. I took the MCAT on Thursday. Which means that I have now had 2 full days of no studying. It's been months since I haven't had something to study (and only one day left until I will again)...I forgot how nice it was! Oh well...some great things are so short lived...

3. My cat thinks that he's a dog. Not only because he is the size of a dog (and not a little dog either) but because he waits in front of the door when I come home, but also because he likes to try and beg for food. And then he eats it...he just ate popcorn. What kind of cat eats popcorn?!

4. After I swore that we wouldn't go back for a long time because it was a ton of work for me, on Friday we went back to Pump It Up for their open play. Where, within 5 minutes of being there, I totally leveled a little kid. And got a very ouchy elbow. Oh well...that will teach the kid (who was totally old enough to know better!) not to wait in line!

5. I am pleased to report that this summer I might actually be a color...rather than glowing white, due to all the time I am spending outside. Now, don't get too excited, the color I mostly mean is red, unless you think that all of my freckles will melt together and form a brown color. Which, I suppose, is a possibility...although I am not going to hold my breath...