Archives for 2014

1. I’m typing this while I’m on hold with the internet server provider people to talk to them about my INSANELY SLOW AND SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE internet connection. It’s kind of become a huge pain in the ass to have my internet essentially stop functioning for an hour and a half every evening around 8:30.

2. This is the kind of thing I can do while I work from home this morning because my iPhone is still full of peanut butter and so I can only use it when I’m on speaker on have headphones in. And I can’t find my headphones (or I’m lazy – I have a pair in my purse, a pair in my camera bag…). [Update: Booyah! A technician is coming out!]

3. I have to go to the dentist today. I haven’t been in ages because of that whole not having insurance for a long time thing. I hate the part where they floss my teeth. My dentist uses cheap, hurty floss.

4. It’s beginning to look a lot like ArtPrize! Pieces are starting to appear around the city – like this one spotted in front of the Grand Rapids Public Museum yesterday.

5. I’ve been having an epic battle with a gross head cold since Saturday evening. While I’m up and around now (Sunday I was like a bump on a log), I’m still feeling less than a hundred percent and I’m very underwhelmed by how absolutely miserable I am. I do NOT like being sick.

6. One of my favorite things about Friday Night Lights binge watching is finding all the people from the show Parenthood in the cast.

7. I have not yet updated to iOS 8 because I learned a few years ago that updating my operating system on the first day of its release is a quick way to temporarily brick my phone. Maybe I am getting more patient with age.

8. Or maybe it’s just that I’m too busy trying to restore normal breathing through my nose.

9. How is it even Thursday already? Crazy how some weeks fly and some move so slowly. This one is flying – it’s been busy and productive and well, I’ve been sick for most of it, but still. Flying.

10. It’s getting chillier. The chill in the air makes me want to bake. Lemon squares, anyone?

1. I bought myself flowers this week – including this amazing dendrobium orchid. I love its vibrant blues and purples. Love photographing this orchid. And they usually last forever if forever was more like three weeks.

2. What’s been going on in my world that’s kept me away for two weeks? Well, the girls started school again and I’ve stopped sleeping. Well, I sleep – just not well. I’m tired. Gotta find our groove again schedule wise because whoa nelly the mornings are a bit more chaotic now.

3. Apple’s announcement this week and I have to say I’m… on the fence about the iPhone 6. I mean, I need a phone seeing as how mine has peanut butter in the receiver – but… do I invest in bright and shiny or save some money and buy a 5S which still sounds perfectly lovely? I need a phone, yes, but… which one. (I know me, I’ll go for the bells and whistles and then kick myself for spending money I should have saved because THAT IS HOW I DO.)

4. The kids are in the second week of school – glad the school waited that long before they sent home all their fundraiser gobbledygook. Anyone want to order a bucket of ready made cookie dough?

5. Could fall weather be coming? Oh goodness, I hope so. I just want that one perfect first fall day so I can get that one perfect salted caramel mocha. Gotta give in to that craving once – and only once – each year.

6. The Princess is already in Christmas mode and has been scouring Netflix for Christmas movies. It’s September. OY.

7. Pumpkin is on a mini-crusade to teach people that pitbulls aren’t bad and that any aggressive behavior is learned and based on bad owners. I haven’t done any research on any of that – but I do appreciate my kiddo’s love of four-legged fur-friends and her passion to educate and advocate for animals. Her handwriting is messy as hell but her heart is a good one. Works for me.

8. I feel like I should say something profound about it being the anniversary of 9/11 – but I have nothing profound to say. I cannot believe it’s been 13 years.

9. It’s amazing to realize that it’s September, and that the end of 2014 is creeping towards us or we’re creeping toward it, rather. This year started one way and has turned around and so you know, I’m excited to see how it wraps up as we approach autumn. Oh how time flies.

10. Watching heavy metal rock stars talking about tofu is one of the reasons I love Top Chef Duels.

1. I made it through his birthday and the anniversary of his passing and well, it hasn’t been the easiest week of my life but on Monday, several of us were sharing memories of him on Facebook and it was nice to have people to share that with – we all miss him so much and we all have such amazing memories — to pool them together was really a bit of a relief.

2. And then I stood in the same spot where I stood a year ago and watched the sun set. My last goodbye to my grandpa was on his birthday last year – we had been sure that “that was it” that we said our goodbyes. Somehow he had managed to hang on another day and I couldn’t bear to say goodbye again… so last year on his birthday I watched the sun set. This year I did the same. He’s still with us. Still with me.

3. Sigh. On a lighter note… Just a week and a half left of summer and it’s BACK TO SCHOOL for the girls. They are bickering at toxic levels right now, though, so… it’s about time.

4. Because I was tired of my wretched burgundy door – after 12 years of hating it! I finally painted it this past weekend. Behr’s Cloudless. I sort of love it. I haven’t yet painted my shutters and I know my neighbors are wondering about that – if I’m going to leave those nasty shutters clashing forever (no, I’m not) – but I’ll get to it soon.

5. It hasn’t been a very summer-y summer, weatherwise so I should feel guilty about complaining about normal summer weather but UGH THE HUMIDITY. (No: I don’t feel guilty). I was just not cut out to sweat so much. Give me that 70 degree weather back please.

6. Protein drinks with powdered peanut butter is an actual thing in my life now. Sigh. Concerted effort to get back into shape and that means eating less garbage. I miss garbage eating. KETTLE COOKED POTATO CHIPS NOM NOM NOM.

7. Realizing the window between driving in road construction and driving on ice is very very small.

8. Checked out a bunch of books from the library. They were all awful. I love that I can just shut them and return them without any guilt or wasted money. Love the library.

9. I don’t think that Facebook is going to suck my brain out through their messenger app but ugh I don’t want to download another app. (Also, my nearly dead phone with peanut butter in the receiver has limited space and not worthy of an app I don’t need).

10. Already making plans for the weekend and those plans involve TACOS. I win.

1. I took two days off this week – originally, Chris and I were going to head down to Black Dog Gelato (YUM!) in Chicago to take a gelato making class. I know, I know, it seems silly – but their gelato is PHENOMENAL and the class was set up so each person could design their own flavor, take it home, blah blah blah. It just sounded fun! Plus – I LOVE CHICAGO. A mini-escape seemed the perfect adventure as summer is nearing its end – buuuuut… the class was canceled. I have therefore spent the past two days at home cleaning my house and DOING stuff because I don’t do well just sitting on my butt doing nothing. Not a fun vacation. My house is clean, which is good, but ugh.

2. My Facebook feed has been flooded this week with back-to-school posts, but here in Michigan, the girls have another few weeks until they start just after Labor Day. Admittedly this summer has flown by faster than any other I can remember – and usually by now, we’re all crawling out of our skin waiting for school to start. Perhaps it’s because I’m working full time this year – I’m not sure. I feel like I haven’t been around as much as other years which stinks – but it also means that yeah, we’re at August 14 and it’s still fairly calm around here. Calm is good.

3. Facebook has also been filled with a lot of posts about Robin Williams. I can’t think of a celebrity death that has moved me as his has and I think it’s because Robin Williams was in several of my favorite movies. Though I wasn’t as much a fan of his comedic roles, I know that his art brought a lot of joy to many, me included, and it’s a huge loss that he’s gone. And while I don’t have much to contribute to the discussion on depression and Robin Williams’ death, one of the pieces that moved me tremendously was this one from Casey.

4. I bought into the hype and I bought the square marshmallows for s’mores. I’m a chump. The kids said they’re better. Um. Okay.

5. When you go to get a hair cut and you say, “I NEED A CHANGE!” and you walk out with… the exact same hair cut. Sigh. That.

6. I love Apple and am pretty much a fan girl but WHOA, does iTunes get less and less usable? I hate its format now. I want old school iTunes back.

7. Speaking of fangirling… Less than a month until the rumored announcement about the newest iPhones. I’ll be waiting to get one. Mostly because my phone doesn’t work because the receiver is probably full of peanut butter.

8. Picking songs again for my 365. It’s my least favorite part of the whole shebang. Ugh.

9. My allergies are absolutely miserable right now. Damn you, ragweed!

10. If the weather holds, my project for the weekend will be to paint my front door. I’ve done so much painting around this house – huge rooms, even – I’m not sure why I’m letting this door project intimidate me. What I do know is I hate the color red, and so by default I’m not loving this burgundy door I’ve lived with for twelve years. Time for it to go. And yeah, I actually considered buying a new door versus painting this one. My wallet won: paint it is.

1. He has now thrown up just about every day for the past week. He seems fine otherwise, but I’m hoping that getting him groomed yesterday solves the problem. Because he’s a labradoodle, he doesn’t actually shed – so when his fur gets long and unruly and muppet-y, I think he chokes on it when he grooms himself. Hairball-esque gag reflexes trigger puppy puke puddles in my dining room. Sigh. Do not like. Hope he’s on the mend.

2. Summer is FLYING by. My Facebook feed is full of first day of school pictures already! I can’t believe it – but here the kids will start school in just under a month. A few more weeks of summer schedules – and then the kids can start going to bed at normal times again! WHOOP WHOOP! (Seriously, bedtime keeps creeping later and later as summer rolls on and then I look at the clock and I’m all, “GO TO BED!” Kind of. I mean, they’re in bed by ten most nights but oy.)

3. So I watched a YouTube video of a crying baby going nuts when Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” came on and aside from people letting their babies listen to stupid music, the other thing that blew me away (but not surprised me) was how kooky the comments were. People are nuts.

4. Speaking of… do you really think an IQ test you take on Facebook is really gonna be accurate (because I gotta say, there’s a few of them I don’t think would break 100)…

5. Top Chef Duels > Chopped

6. Chris and I took a day trip to Traverse City last week to spend the day admiring gorgeous scenery and tasting yummy wines. I love Traverse City and it was really a much needed break from life to get away from things for a bit, to spend an amazing day with Chris and to treat ourselves to the day. Oddly enough, despite my not being a “dip on crackers” kind of person – I’ve been kind of craving the cherry jalapeno dip served with crackers at L Mawby. Already wanting to go back!

7. I need a change. I need a hair cut. I can’t decide what to do. Let’s see if I actually get ANYTHING beyond a trim this evening when I go in for a hair cut.

8. Only a few weeks remain of this year’s 365 – it blows my mind how quickly this year went.

9. So, all that StitchFix hubbub and I can’t decide if I care if they’re marking up clothes so drastically because HEY I suck at shopping and I figured there was an upcharge and all. I should want to cancel my next shipment but I really need shirts without having to go to a mall.

10. My twenty year high school reunion is next month. *gasp* I. Uh. How the hell has it been TWENTY YEARS since high school? I shouldn’t sound shocked – I feel every single one of those twenty years, but I shouldn’t be this old and UGH. I am. Whoopty-freaking-do. (And yeah, I’m probably going to the reunion.)

1. After two miserably hot days earlier this week, temperatures dropped yesterday and by last night i had goosebumps and even put a hoodie on. I’m not gonna lie – it was GLORIOUS.

2. The hot weather makes it hard to work out. On one hand, I’m trying to keep in the habit of always moving every day. On the other hand HOLY CRAP I’M MELTING. So. Laps around my mom’s pool like an old lady. No shame, no shame.

3. It’s a very bizarre feeling to finish editing a portrait session. There’s that relief and the “whoohoo I’m done” aspect of everything and then there’s a funny bittersweetness – you get familiar with some many details of your subject’s faces as you edit – the ridges on the edges of teeth, eyebrows, when the face is at rest and when it is tensed as faces sometimes are when they’re being photographed. Anyway, wrapped up editing a shoot.

4. Was unable to attend the one concert I wanted to see this summer – the Counting Crows were in town earlier this week. I was, however, able to pre-order their new album and have downloaded the first two songs. And… I don’t know what I think about them. This won’t be an “August & Everything After” that I will listen to start to finish. It’ll be like “Desert Life” where I pick and choose a handful of songs and leave the rest. Which is a bummer.

5. I don’t mean to pee on anyone’s cornflakes but I totally don’t get the Weird Al thing and I’m tired of seeing him all over Facebook.

6. I have been tired all week and I can’t get un-tired.

7. Pumpkin turns nine this weekend and I have no idea where time has gone. And I’ve waited until the last minute to do her birthday shopping. What to get, what to get.

8. Television news is depressing.

9. Isn’t it cute how every few months I say i need to read more and then it takes me three weeks to read one book? I’m TRYING to get better, y’all.

10. I need a vacation. I need rest. Life is so much better than it was when 2014 began, but dang, I need a moment to breathe, to slow down… Calgon take me away.