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Thursday Ten: OMG, Ke$ha Is Stuck In My Head Edition

June 17, 2010 by 2 Comments

1. I don’t really like Ke$ha. She gets a lot of popular radio play and I get a little squidgy when my daughter sings along about brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack, but, I have to admit, “Your Love Is My Drug” is catchy. I mean, I guess I had no choice but to catch it – it’s getting A LOT of airplay. In ONE hour on a radio station in northern Michigan last weekend, we heard it THREE TIMES. In one hour.

2. With my limited time to get things done in the summer, I have taken to doing the Jillian Michaels Shred again. I tend to not enjoy it while I’m doing it, but I do like a condensed workout. Admittedly, I’ve taken to scowling at the television during lunges though. I know it must totally break Jill’s heart.

3. Father’s Day weekend is approaching – do you have cool plans? I asked the girls what to get for Hubby, and Pumpkin said, “DEFINITELY a new golf club.” Fantastic, right? I know hooey about golf and golf clubs – don’t know what clubs he has, what clubs he needs and uh, aren’t they all the same anyway?

4. I hope y’all know I’m kidding in the above statement. Golf has been my saving grace with my photography hobby. What easier way to justify needing new lenses than to explain that different lenses do different things. Kind of like golf clubs. Whoa. Look at that bag full of clubs in the garage. Hmmmm.

5. The Princess has started gymnastics team practices – and while I think three hours of practice twice a week is a little hard core, she seems to be enjoying herself. She also seems to be progressing more quickly than I would have thought. Just a week ago, she struggled with a front walkover – and now she has it (nearly) down. I’m pretty surprised with how rapidly she’s picking these things up – but it’s exciting as well. The excitement she feels when she masters a new skill is pretty easy to read on her face – and that’s awesome.

6. It’s just past lunch time and I’ve already gotten dinner started. Whoa, right? I’m actually utilizing my crock pot for the best (homemade) pork tacos ever. And yeah, my house smells AMAZING.

7. I’m due to start a conference call shortly for an explanation on a project – a conference call that will likely leave me more confused than not. I am not 100% how to bridge the gap – when you have one person who needs to explain a project outloud to truly feel like they’ve explained it, and one who needs to read the detail to truly understand it. Writing down project details isn’t my coworker’s strong suit, but reading details is mine. Sigh. Somehow, it all works – once we muddle through the frustration.

8. I went to Costco on an empty stomach yesterday – and was thoroughly disappointed to find that there were hardly any samples out. Costco, you’ve failed me! They did have a PopChips sample. I ate mine. And then I ate the samples my daughters grabbed (stop looking at me like that. They’re GOOD). Then I bought a bag of Pop Chips that is big enough to be used as a hot air balloon once I eat all the chips.

9. I treated myself to a new camera strap this week. I had seen the link to High Key Camera via someone’s Twitter stream awhile back and had bookmarked the page.  In need of a lil retail therapy earlier in the week, I picked a funky green colored strap. Amazing and speedy service – and adds a little personality to my camera. Adorable.

10. My feet are almost completely healed post-Avon Walk. I definitely bounced back quicker this time. Thank goodness. There’s definitely an advantage to having known what to expect this go ’round. Who wants to join us next year?

Filed Under: Eats, Mom Shtuff, Photography, Thursday Ten Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Thursday Ten: New Strings Edition

March 25, 2010 by 3 Comments

1. My guitar has new strings. I was lazy and I just had the music store put them on – it took them four days and the cost? Excessive for strings (my teacher’s eyes bugged out real big when I showed her the receipt). Yes, lesson learned – I’ll do it myself next time. But wow, my strings DO sound great.

2. Began working on two songs today – Jack Johnson’s “Sittin’ Waitin’ Wishing” (for its use of bar, major, minor, and seventh chords) and “Falling Slowly” because it’s one of my favorite songs of all time. I was one of the few who wasn’t totally enamored by the movie “Once” – but I sure do love this song.

3. Did y’all watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on Sunday night? What did you think? I was STUNNED. I guess not entirely surprised – but yeah, stunned. Expect more from me about this topic. The next episode airs on Friday night. Watch it, and we’ll talk about it next week. {Also, I really hope the lunch ladies/cooks at my daughter’s school aren’t that cranky!}

4. Thank you so much to everyone who gave me feedback about The Princess and things I could do moving forward in absence of a gifted program in her school. Good news – we do have an appointment with her principal to sit down and talk about how we can keep her challenged in third grade and beyond — as well as pairing her with a teacher who doesn’t mind doing the extra work to keep her loving education.

5. That wasn’t the ONLY parent-teacher conference for the week. Oh yeah. Yesterday was my first conference with Pumpkin’s new preschool and I was pleasantly surprised. I think what surprised me most was how social my daughter is – not to the extent where the teacher says she’s a chatterbox – but that she’s friendly with all the kids. The teacher said, “You’d never know she hasn’t been here since September. She just found her place here.” Awesome.

6. Last week I had lots of extra fun social stuff planned – including dinner out with a former coworker/friend and my good friend. TWO NIGHTS OUT. That also means two meals I got to eat that weren’t cooked by yours truly. You can see, I’m sure, why I am mourning last week a lil bit, right? Tonight I’ll be cooking Cuban black beans and rice which means that I fully anticipate getting to hear from my children what a rotten cook I am. It’s inspiring, really.

7. I caved in to the inexplicable urge I had to buy matching dresses for my daughters so they can dress alike for fun spring pictures on the beach. Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking either but I think it will be cute. I also think they’ll hate me for this in ten years.

8. In just over 70 days, I’ll be walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer – I’m VERY excited. I’m also hoping that it doesn’t rain. Rain would be bad.

9. American Idol this week… So… They could choose from Billboard Top 100s and they all chose crap songs? What was THAT all about? You have all that amazing music at your disposal and whut? Not impressed. At this point, I have no favorites – but several people who annoy me severely (Didi, I’m talkin’ to you).

10. According to the preschool’s calendar, Saturday is Photography Day. I plan to celebrate by taking some pictures (DUH). MAAAAAAAAAYBE I should celebrate by asking the Photography Elves to leave a new camera for me. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were really Photography Elves?

Filed Under: Do Good Feel Good, Mom Shtuff, music, Photography, Thursday Ten Tagged With: , , , ,

Thursday Ten: Let the March Madness Begin!

March 18, 2010 by 4 Comments

1.I filled out brackets for the NCAA basketball hooey. I do it every year. I do it knowing that I really don’t have much of a clue about basketball and basically I am flying by the seat of my pants – I don’t look at stats or what seed they are or any of that mumbo-jumbo. The funny thing? Usually I stomp the people who spent hours of research time creating their bracket choices. Suckers. (EDIT: I should point out that as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, my brackets are not looking too good. In fact, they’re looking pretty dismal. That’s what I get for gloating about my fantabulous guessing skills. They have failed me. They have failed me big).

2. My favorite WordPress guru has updated my site here – which I love – but what I love most of all is that now this is mobile friendly. If you bookmark me on your phone (and you totally should), you won’t have to work too hard to find me while you’re sitting in a dentist’s office waiting for a root canal or hanging out in the pickup line at school.

3. The weather this week? AH-MAZE-ING. The girls have been out drawing in the driveway with sidewalk chalk (there’s a nice drawing of Count Dorkula that I’m pretty sure The Princess had a hand in creating). Two outdoor runs this week so far. Love love love.

4. Last night I went out to dinner with a friend of mine. It was St Patrick’s day, so… Italian food, right? Anyway – it was awesome to catch up with her and after dinner we ordered dessert. Dessert in a shot glass is just NOT ENOUGH DESSERT. It sure was tasty, but… I coulda eaten two more.

5. Taking Pumpkin with me to guitar lessons is not always the most fun way to go – but for now with our schedule it’s what we’re dealing with. She’s been fine til now – today she was “booooooooooored.” Even with a full pad of PostIts at her disposal she just wanted to get out of there and get home. Kind of makes it a little less fun for moi.

6. Speaking of guitar – wrapped up Ingrid Michaelson and started working on a Citizen Cope song – it’s about time to make a new CD of songs I want to work on for guitar. Any ideas? (NO FREEBIRD).

7. March is National Reading Month so my calendar has been filled with special reading-related activities for both of the girls at school. Every day is SOMETHING – today was “Bring Your Favorite Book Day” for The Princess. Tuesday, Pumpkin had “Read a Hat Day” (for which she picked a hat that had no writing on it!). None of these things are mandatory as far as the teacher is concerned, but heaven forbid you are the mom that forgets any of these. I can’t wait until April.

8. Rolling Stones week on American Idol. Meh. Watching the show the other night made me realize I only know three songs by the Rolling Stones. And I really have no desire to know more. (But yes, I like the Beatles, so… yeah).

9. All you camera geeks (I mean that lovingly, you know. MWAH. Big kisses, camera people) – if I was lookin’ to upgrade from my point and shoot to a DSLR, what should I get? And why? Tell me why you love your camera. Pretty please?

10. I think I want to live in a country where afternoon siestas are totally the norm. I could totally siesta right now. For hours. Too much to do, not enough energy. Mr. President: Mandatory siestas, please.

Filed Under: Mom Shtuff, music, Photography, Thursday Ten Tagged With: , , , , , ,