Gestalt, In the Name of Love

When my 14-year old looked at me last night and said, "I love you this much!", I had a flashback to when he used to do that as a little guy. He'd stretch out his 3-foot wingspan, and the best thing was he thought we were even.

He blinked his eyes and smiled at me and looked exactly like when he was five.

Time and love.

I'm so glad I have a husband who's loved me a long time. Gee...
I'm so thankful for the Photoshop layer of pretty he lays on top of me instead of just being fat and gimpy.

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Funniest thing I heard "today": The other night, my son said "Dad, why do they have all those red flags in China?" "That's their flag. Why do we have so many American flags in America?" "Well, I mean, they're everywhere." "Maybe they're more patriotic than we are." "Daaaaddd!" "Because they have to."

Pepp'i Cristina Gorgonzola

Super busy Saturday! My son broke his glasses and I had to help my mom. We needed to order out and thought about pizza. Then I remembered my husband had a $25 gift card from (Before you clink this, be aware it has music:) Mancy's Italian Grill that the builder on his last job gave him for Christmas. Maybe we could get a few things from there and share them.

We got these babies. (My younger boy carried these for me and he couldn't resist digging in on the way home, can you spot it? :) I thought the Classic Pepperoni was a little salty but my guys liked it. My favorite was the Gorgonzola with "Gorgonzola cream, sautéed spinach, prosciuttos ham, red onion, roasted roma tomatoes, roasted garlic". I was in heaven, but my guys said "Meh." Everyone liked the Cristina with "Tomato sauce, mozzarella, shaved rosemary ham, shaved parmesan and porcini mushrooms". I enjoyed my dinner coup that only cost us $3.50 out of pocket.

(I have a monster day at work. I'll have to remember the lipstick AND earrings and look sharp and be sharp. Maybe I'll wear the suit that matches my cane.)

Octoball

My son fell asleep on the couch and I woke him up and sent him to bed. He said, "I dreamt I saw a snowman with an octopus on its head in front of our house with a plane flying overhead. What do you think that means?"

"Travel. You want to get away from the cold and fly somewhere you can scuba dive and see ocean life." He said "Mom, that's dumb, I don't scuba dive." I said, "Honey, if you're going to insist that random things have meanings, you're going to have to accept random meanings!" : )

O Superman

Put It Where Your Heart Is... [Annotated!]

A week or so ago, my kids and I walked up to the local comic book shop. Eric said "I think it's closed." Something didn't look right in the side window. We walked up and peered in. "Oh... No..." Almost everything gone. Empty walls and some papers scattered on the floor. We came around the front and read the letter taped to the front door: "We've moved three blocks West."

"Yay!!! Our comic book shop is alive!" People in passing cars wondered about the weirdos cheering on the street. : )

We bought a digital TV antenna [indoor Phillips HD digital TV antenna for only $35 from Phil's TV. Best price I've seen anywhere.] from the TV shop next store because we'll never be standing there again and went to find our new comic book shop...

And I was thinking about our plan for money, and things have to change and we have to cut back. What should I cut out? After being enticed by Coraline's pretty commercials... I can't really afford to see movies I regret seeing. [Because even though it was good animation, I started worrying about whether little kids were being traumatized and who in this movie is actually nice anyway and dang I didn't know until I was buying the tickets that it was an extra $9 because of the 3D and why didn't they post that somewhere?] I won't be fooled again. The next movie I ever see, will be researched. [Is it a feel-good movie? Because I can rent the really good movies later, stop and rewind, put on the subtitles to cut through the brogue.]

So what to cut? Clearly [one would think] the other extras like taking my boys to the comic book shop and my weekly $20 visit to the foodie store to get something special for us to eat. [But since I'm posting about it, it must be one of those extremely minor life crises that I learn so much from...]

But I have always been frugal. I can't [won't] say why. I won't [can't] pay for TV [because I am lucky enough to live in a city so I can get away with it, although my life is now occasionally like a defective DVD. I think we really need an outdoor antenna.] and [as I say to my kids:] if you don't like it, watch less [because you need to do other things like read books and go outside and play. If you don't have homework at least go play Guitar Hero, at least you're moving.]. (Actually, watch hulu, it's awesome! [If you like to watch old TV shows (which my kids don't really.)]) I'm frugal except for things I love [/appreciate/want]. My family and friends and favorites.

So, if we can manage it, the mega-grocery store Kroger is going to have to take the hit. We already turn the lights off when we leave the room. Food is the biggest variable area of my budget. Kroger is sky-jacking their prices and I have to fight back. [Dinner Ninja]

I am going to let my kids follow a comic book [Except they won't get into it. We used to go for the Pokemon cards and now I'm not sure exactly why. I think it's just me. It's just a fun place to visit. Say Hi, show your support for something local. I usually get something cheap and random and pass it down to the kids... I need a comic book about science. Real science.] These times are what they'll remember. But even though I am soooo tempted by this post on the Velvet Blog, I will think twice [unless I see it at the library!].

[So I will be careful, but I already was a cheapskate and why should I change my philosophy now and stop voting with my pocketbook? Except for, in spite of my belief that the American economy will start to revive once the banks start financing again, it might take too long...]
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Mashup I am not going to make: "House of the Rising Sun" and "Someday You Will Be Loved"

The Velvet Blog: More braaaaaiiiiiins, Mr. Darcy?#links

The Velvet Blog: More braaaaaiiiiiins, Mr. Darcy?#links

Twister

Swirling winds blow through
Shingles, books, papers, cds
But wouldn't budge you

(Dedicated to my husband for Valentine's Day. Everything else could fly away. But I only need my loving treasures.)

Update

My Dad is so handsome and awake and lucid and interactive. He can make hand signals and write legible words and sit in a chair. Thank you for your good thoughts and prayers, they are helping so much! : )

Days in the Lounge

An article I found the other day about programming object naming conventions, "Hungarian Notation", reminded me of something...

Back in the day, I took a math class at the University of Toledo that was directly across the hall from the IEEE lounge. The International "House" of Electrical Engineering. I used to hang out there before class and read Spectrum magazine, hoping to meet a boy. I came close once, when a boy took me in the back room and showed me his Tesla coil. It was awesome. But not romantic. It's a good story though. Not for me, but I can imagine the Urban Legend.

I used to want to be an Electrical Engineer. My desire ended abruptly one day when I tried the crimper my mom bought me from the dollar store.

Seriously, the dollar store sold electrical appliances?!? "Let's crimp all the hair at once, from the inside!"

Now I am explicably afraid of anything with a cord. (Help, the printer's out of paper!)

And then another time in the lounge... How can I ask the husband of one of my bestest friends, "Was that you, in the IEEE lounge 20 years ago, and you were talking to your friend about "Reverse Polish Notation" and I giggled? Because I'm an idiot?"

Dad Looks Better

My Dad looks better now that he is in the Hospital. He still has more medical needs than the long term care facility can help him with right now.

Test

Just want to see where this will show up.

Hospital

My Dad had to go to the ER because he was having trouble breathing. But they got him fixed up and he looks really good.

Coraline (the movie)

We went to see the movie Coraline.

Huh.

The animation was very good. I just don't know if I liked this movie. There were elements of Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka, and the book House of Leaves.

Coraline was dark. There was only one song. It was fine but it was about Coraline, not something that will stick in your head and you'll sing it around the house.

This movie is not appropriate for kids. In addition to the scary images which were expected and why we came, there was also an extended semi-nude old lady dance scene. "Little Billy's first pasties" did not need to be in 3D, or should I say DDD. (I may have nightmares myself.) Wait for the DVD so you can fast-forward this scene.

When we came out of the move "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" everyone was smiling, now that was an enjoyable movie.

Happy Face

I wonder if it would make me a really, really bad Mom or a really, really good Mom to put Clearasil on someone's face while they sleep.

I'm thinking... Nah!

Scenes from a Wal-Mart

I got to spend 2.5 hours hanging out at Wal-Mart today because my mom wanted to get $4 prescriptions at their pharmacy but didn't bring any perscriptions along so we had to get everything transferred over.

- Walmart's prices are not crazy low like I remember the first time I ever went there. $8 is not that great for a plastic bowl. $13 is not low for a Sterilite container. (It's not even low for Rubbermaid.)

- 3 dozen Bakugan toys on the wall and all the kids are complaining about "They don't have the one I want." (New ones, that's what the kids want.)

- I got another bobbin holder for a lipstick caddy.

- I am so happy my husband doesn't call me "Maw".

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Funniest thing I saw today: A van with a solid 12 inch high roof of snow on top. Getting off the exit ramp of the highway. Whaa?

Happy Groundhog's Day!

Happy birthday, Phil! (my Dad). Hope you wake up today and see your shadow, and proclaim, "I'm all right!"

Dropping the Ball

What is it with 2009? First we have the New Year's Eve celebration where the ball is not dropped, and now the Super Bowl with no audio commentary the whole first quarter?

Eyebrow Dance