S.J. Tucker is in town today and I didn’t get a chance to go to see her sing. *sniffle* Next time. Definitely next time.
I had a yummy July 4th. Tried to get a nap in, but it was hard as Aidan had lots to talk about. Jeff and Deborah came over and we had good food and walked to watch fireworks. We also had Italian Ice. Adam had pineapple, Aidan and I had cherry, and Jeff and Deborah had blue razz. Yummy.
Baked beans are full of win. Especially with a grilled hot dog. Oh yum.
Of course I took video of the ridiculous neighborhood fireworks:
Next weekend, Sarah Dessen and Laurie Halse Anderson will be here! *insert fangirlSQUEEing here* I am already nervous about it. I’m thinking that Aidan and I will head out to Naperville early and kind of make a day of it… I want to get PRIMO seats, and OMG OMG OMG SARAH DESSEN you guys.
Adam and I paid off our Disney World balance on July 1st. Now all I have to do is wait for all the fun stuff to come in the mail…then go on the trip! Aidan and I went online and customized maps, and we talked about which things we want to ride. As the trip gets closer, the real hard core planning comes. He said he wants to do autographs, which will be new for both of us. We’ll see how it all goes! Autographs tend to annoy me, unless they’re at the character meals. They really hog up a line, especially if a mom brings up eight books or something like that.
I guess I don’t have a whole lot to say. Just wanted to show off the fireworks video, and the video of Aidan kicking his own butt, right here:
Ta ta!
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To state the obvious, it’s been a really long time since I’ve blogged. More than a month; the longest I’ve ever gone, I believe. It’s a complicated paradigm. I have too much to say, and yet, I don’t have anything to say at all.
I have been active on some forums, and on Facebook and Plurk and somewhat on Twitter, so I haven’t been completely off the Internet or anything like that.
Aidan is in town for the summer. He arrived on June 20th. He’s very happy to be in Chicago. I’ve been trying to get outside with him every day. I mean, HELLO, it’s summer! And it’s warm, finally! Sometimes I take him downtown, sometimes we simply walk around the block. Or we hit the CVS. Nothing too exciting, but it’s a nice way to get out of the house every day. We also have a nice courtyard in the back, and we’ve been out there drawing with sidewalk chalk and playing with a bubble machine.
Hmm. Well, it wouldn’t be an update post if I didn’t mention dolls. I’ve gotten two more since my last post. Here is my complete collection (minus the mini Addy, who was inside):
Of course I want more, but unless I find a “YOU’D BE A STARK RAVING IDIOTIC BANANA TO PASS THIS UP” deal on eBay, I won’t be getting any for a while. I’m trying to hold out for gift giving occasions like my birthday or Christmas–but the sucky thing about that is that they’re five days apart. I don’t get gifts in the middle of the year like people whose birthdays are in summer or whatever. That’s hard! But it’s FUN at the time.
Last weekend, Adam, Aidan and I headed to Des Moines, IA for the Selzer Family Reunion. I had fun. Iowa is nice. It reminds me of Columbus without the Buckeye mania. I liked it. So much that I think I wouldn’t mind living there. Except for the fact that I would NOT be proofreading there–I’d be someone’s secretary and working for a bank or an insurance company. I don’t know how I feel about that. But the slower pace, the non-cutthroat culture, and the cost of living is so much easier to swallow. I dunno. Who knows what the future will bring?
Anyway, it was nice seeing family and spending time in a park (even though it was hotter than all blazes). Aidan tried his hand at the monkey bars:
It didn’t go well.
“That is not happy,” he said when he saw his face in the picture.
It’s been a joy and a challenge having Aidan here. He’s pretty clumsy, so nothing’s really safe around him. He’s a maddeningly picky eater, so dinner time is always a challenge unless it’s chicken fries and mac & cheese. He still wets the bed at night if I don’t get up in time to take him. If I need to concentrate and work, he doesn’t get that. He wants to share everything, so it’s constantly MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY. Sometimes, it’s tiring.
But he’s so affectionate. He will often come over just to put his hand on my cheek. His laugh is the most awesome sound ever and he laughs a LOT. It’s easy to make him laugh, too. He’s very gentle. His world is still sunshine and lollipops. I can tell that by the stories he makes up. He draws–my God–his art is unbelievable. And he draws all the time. He’s really good at the Wii (he did Wii Fit for about an hour today!), and he’s super smart–got all 100s and is at the top of his class. After Adam leaves in the morning, he’ll come out and climb into bed with me to keep me company, hand on my cheek, of course.
On July 13, Adam and I went one day to DucKon 18, a sci-fi con that takes place in a Chicago suburb. I had a lot of fun. I got to hear great music (Vixy & Tony, SJ Tucker–who blew me AWAY with her song Firebird’s Child) and got to meet cool people. I bought a new worry stone in the dealer’s room. I also got to see Tesla Coils. They played music. Here they are playing The Imperial March:
And here is SJ, backed by Vixy, singing Firebird’s Child. It was this performance that almost caused me to fall out of my chair, and this performance that inspired me to run to the dealer’s room and buy her CD as soon as the concert ended before they all sold out. And thank goodness I did, because they DID all sell out!
(I want to go to more cons NOW.)
Today, happiness came in the mail for me. An arc of CATCHING FIRE. Yes, the sequel to THE HUNGER GAMES, (which I have read way more times than I could ever count). I have CATCHING FIRE right next to me. I am deliberately prolonging reading it to build the anticipation, but you’d better believe that once I’m done with this entry, I’m going to make myself a turkey sandwich and dive in. Oh yeah. *salivates*
Only 30 days until my and Adam’s one year anniversary. ♥
Only 50 more days until Disney World!
And a whole summer ahead of me.
To finish up, I want to say that I’m very much in shock and saddened by Michael Jackson’s passing. Wow, that was really hard to type. I am still in a state of STRONG disbelief over it. He was my first crush. I was seven years old, watching Billie Jean, and staring at the TV slack-jawed. It was love at first sight. And now… I just can’t believe he’s gone. I don’t know what will make me believe he’s gone. My friend Jen called me that night, to see if I was OK. I mean, I once got *really* upset because a bunch of people took my Michael Jackson doll and hid it or were abusing it or something. So yeah, this is hitting me hard when I let myself think about it, which really isn’t often, to be honest. I’m scared if I think too much about it, I’ll get too upset, and with Aidan around, I don’t want to do that.
‘Til next time.
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Holy banana, it’s May! The first part of April went so slowly, until Aidan got here. Then it sped by. Now, it’s already MAY. Which means only one week until Aidan’s here for Mother’s Day weekend! He lost his first tooth last week, and another is loose.
Chicago weather doesn’t seem to know which direction it wants to go. Some days, it’s nice, in the low 70s, but then it goes to the 40s or 50s and hovers around there. One day last week, there was a 30 degree temperature drop within an hour’s time. Insane!
Work hasn’t been too crazy, but things are supposed to ramp up like mad next week. I did end up working last Sunday and will have to work this coming Sunday as well. This past week, I just have not really been feeling myself. Burned out and tired is how I’ve been feeling. Kind of listless and blah. But tomorrow, I will go and get my hair done and even a manicure (the salon said they had a special because I booked over the phone–$15 manicures!), and hopefully feel relaxed and pampered enough to go into another… well, it’ll be at least a six-day work week. (I really need a 90 minute full body massage, but I don’t know when I’ll have time for such things, with my unpredictable work schedule.)
Aidan flies in on Friday morning to spend Mother’s Day weekend with me. That’s a YAY. I’m excited to see him. The BOO is that he’ll probably be spending a lot of next weekend with me at my office. We had a really crazy pitch in March, and the one coming up this week is supposed to be about three times the size. So… that means I’m going to be exhausted for a couple weeks there. Should have nice paychecks, though.
Which is always a good thing, right?
So, I haven’t posted for a few weeks. In those few weeks, I got a new messenger bag. It’s pretty big, but it’s pink and grey and it’s not canvas which is good because it’s definitely rainy season around here. I got two more American Girl dolls (and I promise, this is it for new dolls for a while!) and some clothes for them. This brings my total to five, which is a nice round number. I doubt I get any more. That’s not to say that same for little adorable doll outfits and clothes. I also got Riley’s ears pierced, and the piercing came with a box of 6 pairs of earrings for her to wear. Adam thought I’d want to get all the other dolls’ ears pierced too, but I don’t think so.
Some people buy old dolls that need a lot of help and customize them. I think that would be a lot of fun. I’d make a Hannah Montana one. Haha. Anyway, here are ALL my girls:
Riley, Marisol, Molly, Kit, Ruthie
(None of them are in their original outfits, or what is known in the AG community as their “Meet” outfits.)
Today, I got to help a bit on the set of At Last, Okemah. I had a small part in the movie, but I had to drop out because of work being so crazy and unpredictable. Today was my first visit to one of the filming locations. I worked the clapboard. That means I had to hold it up in front of the camera and say “Scene 14, Shot 35, Series” or things of that sort. It was cool, but it made me nervous! I was told I did a good job, though.
I’m sitting here listening to music on my computer and singing along with some of the songs. Every time I start singing, Crookshanks, who is curled up against me, looks up at me and starts purring. I guess he doesn’t think my voice is all that terrible.
I’ve read two books recently. SUCKS TO BE ME by Kimberly Pauley, and PURE by Terra Elan McVoy. Getting ready to start on SLEEPAWAY GIRLS by Jen Calonita, which I got for free from a tweet from Book Divas! YAY for free books, right? I also picked up some books at Borders last weekend. There were a bunch of $3.99 ones all over the place. I grabbed a couple that sounded interesting: THE TEN BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE and THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL. They’re *gasp* adult books! But back into familiar territory, I need to get hold of Elizabeth Scott’s newest one because I love her writing.
Today, I got out of work early, and Adam picked me up. On our way back to the apartment, the car ran over a BAD pothole/railroad track. This nasty knocking sound came. We pulled over and couldn’t see anything. Fortunately, our car fixer-upper was really close, so we drove there and walked home. After an hour, Adam walked over. The tracks or something had knocked some stuff out of alignment and flattened the tires and bent some rims–it was not pretty. The guy told Adam a fix up like that would normally be $500, but since we live in the neighborhood, it was only $40. Now, I’m pretty sure it really wasn’t a $500 fix up, but it’s cool that it was only $40. And apparently, if we whine enough to the city, they’ll reimburse us for the costs. Not sure if Adam will pursue that, though.
Tomorrow, it’s supposed to be 62? and sunny, so my outing should be really nice. It’s also likely to be the last day I get to enjoy any warm spring weather for a while! But there are pros to working some of those late nights:
– They buy dinner.
– I don’t have to take the bus home; the company springs for a cab.
– I can wear my slippers and track suits or running pants.
– The money!!!!!!
And that, my friends, is about all. My brain is now fried. Good night.
Lots have gone on since I’ve last updated. I’ll try to make it simple for simplicity’s sake. This post is long!
· Riley has a friend! I went online looking at AG dolls just to see what was out there, and to decide which one I would eventually purchase. Well, last Sunday, I was Googling QVC and American Girl and came up with a random lucky link. Ruthie, one of the dolls I was considering, was being sold with her accessories, a book, a hair brush, and an extra pair of pajamas for $76. Whoa? The doll and paperback book is $95 when purchased through regular channels. All that extra stuff with the doll? You’re looking at about $160 right there. Factoring in shipping and tax, she came to $86. I couldn’t pass her up. (I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to stumble upon this link–it is not searchable at QVC.com.)
She arrived yesterday (4 days before she was scheduled to!) and she and Riley took to each other right away!
· This morning, my friend Kari, who I’ve known online for years now, flew into Chicago to visit with some old college chums. This morning, we all met up for brunch at Le Peep. I had the Belgian Waffle Combo like I always do when I go.
Of course, Kari and I took some pix!
· Earlier this week, Joey and Rory were at my work singing for us and chatting with us. Joey’s voice is so amazing and unbelievably beautiful. She makes it sound easy and effortless. They’re both very nice and I wish them the best tomorrow at the ACM Awards!!
· Today, I got to see RENT!!! They’re in Chicago until April 12, and Adam and I popped into a matinee. We were in the orchestra seats, row W, which was pretty good. Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal were amazing as Mark and Roger, and Justin Johnson was absolutely STUNNING as Angel. Lexi Lawson was amazing as Mimi. Actually, they all did a wonderful job and this production was OFF THE HOOK. I was smiling and clapping while tears were streaming down my cheeks.
Afterward, Adam and I met up with one of the stage hands and we waited in line while a few of the cast members came out. I got my picture with John Watson, who plays Mr. Jefferson and other roles, and Adam Haplin, who plays Gordon other little roles.
After all of THAT excitement, I got to pretend I was Mimi when the theatre was almost empty:
What a rush, let me tell you! I’m no Lexi Lawson or Rosario Dawson or Daphne Rubin-Vega, but it was fun anyway.
· I booked another Disney trip!!! Disney is offering Free Dining starting in August, and it took me about 20 minutes to decide to think about SERIOUSLY taking Aidan. He’s at the perfect age and I really want to do this for him. I got a quote from Mouse Fan Travel instead of going directly through the Disney site this time. Why have I never done this before? My agent, Suzy, is awesome. This place allowed me to hold a spot for three days while I waited to hear back about getting the time off work. Then once I put down the deposit, she told me the day my ADR window will open, and said she’ll make them for me! If a special deal comes up, this agency will apply the savings proactively. No fees, so hidden little leprechauns to catch me by unpleasant surprise. So, Aidan, Adam and I are going in August for a few days. We’re staying at Pop Century. I like the theming at the place. So cool. It won’t be a terribly long trip, and it’ll be crowded and hot, but the food will be free and we’ll make the best of it. We’ll be at DISNEY WORLD!
Naturally I am very excited. Aidan doesn’t know yet. I’d been debating on how and when to tell him. Some people tell me to wait until just a few weeks or days before. Others tell me not to tell him until we get there–but Aidan is way too bright to fall for that one. Someone else asked me why not tell him when he’s here in a few days? That way he can help me plan! We’ll do some sort of countdown, some activities, and just get ourselves totally worked up. So, I think I’ll tell him when he is here… but I’m not sure how yet. He’s really into guessing games lately, so I think I’m going to go that route. Should be awesome.
OK, I think that’s all from this week. My first week of April has been crazy! But crazy in an amazing, I am very grateful and extremely blessed way. ♥ I am truly happy, and so excited for Thursday evening!!!!
The other day, Chris asked me if I ever updated anymore because my updates are so few and far between. I’ve just been working a lot, eating, and falling into bed, or staring at my monitor playing endless word games until my eyes cross. Or, my new favorite pastime: reading The Hunger Games over and over and over and over.
I am obsessed with that book. Mandy told me about it months ago, but I didn’t get a chance to get my hands on it until earlier this year. Holy cow. It’s sooo freaking good. I love books about dystopian societies anyway (that has to be why The Giver is another one of my favorites), but this one is unbelievably awesome. AWESOME. I can’t stop talking about it. Or reading it, apparently. I was even sent an arc, and I carry that in my bag, while I keep the hardcover by my bed. I am so looking forward to Catching Fire.
Work has been crazy! Last week, I clocked a record 61.5 hours. That’s nothing. One of the operators clocked more than 80 hours! It’s a good thing I like the work, and I’m a night owl. Those late nights can be rough sometimes, but I manage.
This week, I’ve been trying out the “wild” hair again.
It’s really easy to do. I co-wash it (that’s when you use conditioner instead of shampoo), then I scrunch it all up with curl-enhancing mousse, then I let it air dry. Really easy, and my hair gets a break from all the heat styling. Seems like the more I want it to grow, the more it breaks off, or just plain stops growing. I want to take biotin to encourage growth, but my nails are out of control. I’m cutting them down every two weeks, it seems! The biotin will make them even crazier. But you know what? I’ll take cutting my nails more often if it means getting shoulder-length hair again.
I saw Twilight and actually really liked the movie. I’m in one of two moods when I watch it: either the mood for the romance and tension, or in the mood to LMAO. I’m buying it when it comes out Saturday, then I’ll get the Blu-ray version when it comes out in May (whoever heard of releasing the Blu-ray version on a different date????). Thinking of attending a party at Borders tomorrow night, but we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ve been enjoying the score and the soundtrack.
I recently got a hold of Trisha Yearwood’s Jasper Country CD, and it’s really good! Yes, it’s a few years old, but I don’t really know much about country nor do I follow it much. I got this CD because the audio guys at work were unloading tons of music. This was in the pile, so I grabbed it. I’m glad I did.
A few weeks ago, I got the American Idol Karaoke Revolution game for Wii [LINK]. IT IS SO MUCH FUN. The first night Adam and I played, Adam tried singing Staying Alive, and whatever he did to that song made Crookshanks give him the most murderous look. It was hilarious. I’ve never seen a cat look at someone like that before. It was a combination of OMGeeeeWTeverlovinF and NEVERDOTHATAGAIN KTHX. I played it tonight and had a blast (and didn’t get any evil looks from the cat until I accidentally stepped on his paw, then he yelled at me and Ophelia yelled at me, too). The only bad thing about it is that it encourages those of us who are HORRIBLE singers. I put it on easy, and on easy, all you have to do is barely get the pitch arrow to skim the line and you’re good. So, knowing DARN well I have a voice that could kill plants, I sing my little heart out and LOL as Randy, Paula, and Simon praise me up and down, as the crowd goes wild, and as I nail perfects or near-perfects on every single song! And I played the tournament and WON. It’s hilarious when other contestants are sent home, a big “FAIL” box pops up by their names/pictures. Bwah. It’s great to live in that fantasy world, you know? And the game has some cool songs. Classics, newer songs, simple ones, complicated ones. Even a Kelly Clarkson song! I highly recommend the game, I have a blast playing it.
I guess that’s all around these parts. I’m gonna run, go try to Becky at a couple more games of Word Twist on Facebook, then read Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz. I decided to reread the Blue Bloods series so I would stop reading The Hunger Games over and over. Speaking of The Hunger Games (best book ever!), how exciting that there is going to be a movie????? OH YEAH!!
I also got Riley’s ears pierced, and the piercing came with a box of 6 pairs of earrings for her to wear. Adam thought I’d want to get all the other dolls’ ears pierced too, but I don’t think so. 
Now, I’m pretty sure it really wasn’t a $500 fix up, but it’s cool that it was only $40. And apparently, if we whine enough to the city, they’ll reimburse us for the costs. Not sure if Adam will pursue that, though.
