Babies and bowling

I've been lame about blogging...think I've got a little cabin fever going on. I'm going to hang out with my friend Heather tomorrow, if we don't get too much snow. Her husband is planning to take Macaroni and their oldest son out to play video games at the pizza place so that we can sit around and scrapbook. Okay, I'm going to sit around and Heather's going to scrapbook. Hopefully I'll get to play with the baby.

Speaking of babies, last weekend I got to hang out with Ruby all day, napping on the couch at my parent's house. She is the cutest thing ever so it was a great way to spend the weekend. Except that the reason I got to hang out with her was because our furnace went out. Twice. Thankfully we were having a nice warm spell so it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. No frozen pipes, despite my nightmares. But it was $149 I could have spent on something else. Like a new tattoo. And I had to cancel my hair appointment so I'm still grey. Sucks.

What else? I just had my first Shamrock Shake of the year. It's pretty much the only time I step foot in McDonald's but I have to get my fix every March. The Office was super funny and the episode fit Joss perfectly. I love him long time. Hmmm, my imaginary boyfriend Ewan broke his leg in a motorcycle accident. Hopefully his last motorcycle accident. Ever. Poor baby.

Speaking of poor babies...what's up with Britney? I'm not a doctor, but that has got to be post partum depression, don't you think? I want to shave my head all the time so I understand the impulse. But actually doing it. In front of the paparazzi. After flashing your goodies at the entire world. I'm afraid its much worse than a run of the mill celebrity meltdown.

Not a whole lot else going on. We're bowling in Pro Choice Resources annual fundraiser again this year. It's on my mommy's birthday and she and my daddy are going to bowl with us this time! We always have a blast because it's held in a cute, old bowling alley where my dad used to set pins back before they were automated, plus they have great food and prizes. This year our team is called Supperland. Macaroni came up with it after misspelling Superland and we all decided we liked it better. We're never going to top our team name from the first year we bowled anyway. Lutheran Chicks for Choice. We bowled with a lot of women from church and Jboy didn't even mind being the only guy.

Anyway, that's what we've been up to. Heading to bed. Have a great weekend.


Too lazy for a Netflix review, so instead I give you photos.

Isn't she precious?

Smiley

She doesn't even look concerned about the big orange blob hovering above her head.

Napping again

Cousin's birthday party...that's a plastic spoon sword fight in the background, in case you're wondering.

cuddling with mom

Macaroni's art on the bedroom wall

It's official

I'm freaking old. Just made my first ever hair color appointment. Professional color anyway. Haven't colored my hair since high school. Now there's grey involved. Shayne, remember when we burnt off about 3 inches of my hair? Silly white girls, bleaching my hair about a week after using relaxer to try and straighten it. Haystack head.
So, I was thinking of dying it black with blue ends in honor of Wondy, but now that Joss isn't writing her I'm not really feeling it. What color? Red? Green would be Macaroni's choice but I'm thinking that would clash with my skin.

Don't even get me started on my skin. I also made me first ever appointment with a dermatologist. Getting old sucks hard.

I did get the most awesomest Valentine presents yesterday. The boys gave me a cute plant. That I'm sure I'll kill in no time. My mommy and daddy gave me twenty bucks and a huge box of Hot Tamales. And in the package we got from Shayne I got another huge box of Hot Tamales (which I ate for dinner) and a yummy smelling Peace candle and the coolest Buddha ever. I'll post a photo once I get home. I love it long time. Ooh, and I almost forgot...a homemade card from Shayne! She's one of us after all.

Hugs and kisses kids.

Almost forgot this too (see, I am fucking old). Joss's (Joss'? Josses? I hate grammar) episode of The Office is on tonight! He directed. I've only seen the show a few times but it's a easy one to jump into, so no excuses. Joss on TV is always a good thing. I'll be expecting a book report first thing tomorrow.

Notice the quarter and Hot Tamale offering?

Thank you Shayne!

Tell me what you know about refinancing

I went to my mortgage company's website yesterday and got all excited when I filled out their little refinancing calculator. I really need to get our bathroom fixed before the boys and I die from mold poisoning but am so hesitant to get an estimate or apply for a loan after what happened last time. Uggh. I didn't read any of the fine print, if it was even there, but it sounds too good to be true. Who knows about interest rates and points and all that? I just want a simple fixed APR, is that too much to ask for? Actually, what I really want is to get home from work and find that my house has been completely remodeled and I owe nothing. Alas, that is too much to ask for.

Of course instead of sitting down and figuring everything out like an adult I've been planning not one, but two, potential vacations! My oldest friend T (oldest because we used to steal those big fat Crayola crayons from preschool, not because she's elderly) has invited me to join her in Europe the week of my birthday. She's going to be in Glastonbury for a workshop and wants to hit Scotland while she's there. T understands my thing about Scottish boys. Between this and the emails I keep getting from Walker's and Haggis Adventures I'm not sure I can resist. All I need is an announcement that my imaginary boyfriend will be starring in Brigadoon on the West End and I'm so there. Debt be damned.
The other trip is for my friend M's birthday in December. She's leaning toward Vegas, which I could really do without. I'll go, but I'd be okay if I never went back to Vegas. It's not my kind of town. If we go I'll be doing this, and this and eating here. And hopefully not passing out at the pool every morning, hungover and sun burnt like last time.
And of course there's my brother's wedding in May and all the expenses that come with a destination wedding. At least I've got good credit. For now.

Going home to bake cookies with the boys. I meant to do it last night but I got home late and then Veronica was on and I was stuck in the recliner. Such a good episode...run home and program your TIVOs or DVRs or whatever fancy contraptions everyone but me seems to have! I'm afraid she's not going to get another season and then I'll be without anything to watch on TV.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Score

Just won this on eBay, new but for way less. And I just got a confirmation that a big box of comics are on the way to me now. I'm reading pretty much everything by BKV. Such a huge nerd. Me, not him. Well, probably him too.

Plus I ordered this, because Joss and Jane told me to...

Celebrity endorsements!

Joss Whedon
"MY DEAD GIRLFRIEND is a perfect combination of the whimsical and the morbid. It's a warped, macabre view of high school that is absolutely accurate, except for the weird fantasy element of having a girlfriend. A delight."

Jane Espenson
"A fun, hilarious, and surprisingly touching carnival ride set in a fantastically complex world that remains grounded in very identifiable human emotion."

Can't wait to sit around reading and listening to lots of goodies. As long as it stays cold I'll keep blowing all my money on music and comics.

Nothing else going on really. Perhaps some interesting vacation news...coming soon!

Death is Buffy's gift, not mine

I’m not usually superstitious but I do believe in the importance of three. Not the hokey Charmed power of three but the whole triquetra thing. Father, Son and Holy Ghost; Maid, Mother and Crone; mind, body and soul.

I always leave lucky pennies laying on the ground because I can never remember if Shayne gets the heads or tails and I figure it’s better to leave them for someone else than it is to risk taking her luck. Wow, reading that makes me think maybe I’m super-superstitious.

Anyway, not to sound all doomsday-ish, but please be careful. Pet the black cats and walk under as many ladders as you like, just drive carefully and don’t get too stressed out or start juggling knives.

Friday after Macaroni’s grandma’s funeral I got a call from a very good friend of mine from New Orleans. She was in town for her uncle’s funeral. He was only 46 years old and one of the best people to go out drinking with. Seriously, he was an amazing guy. He had a heart attack while at the doctor’s office having his pace maker checked, was rushed to the hospital and suffered a series of seven or eight more heart attacks. They took him off life support the next day due to brain damage. Talk about a shitty weekend.

So, even though I’m not superstitious (or because I am SUPER freaky superstitious) be careful.

On a happier note, today is Baby K’s baptism anniversary. I wish I was there to see her in person, but her mom made the coolest 18-months-old-video-thingy ever! Follow the link to My Beautiful Goddaughter at the right. I’ll probably get fired if I watch it one more time.

Piles of poo

I've so been looking forward to the Wonder Woman movie but now, not so much. Joss just announced that he's no longer attached to the movie...guess half of the people spreading rumors about the purchase of another script were right. Here's what j himself had to say over at whedonesque:

Quote:
SATIN TIGHTS NO LONGER.

Joss will not be fighting for our rights after all. You (hopefully) heard it here first: I'm no longer slated to make Wonder Woman. What? But how? My chest... so tight! Okay, stay calm and I'll explain as best I can. It's pretty complicated, so bear with me. I had a take on the film that, well, nobody liked. Hey, not that complicated.

Let me stress first that everybody at the studio and Silver Pictures were cool and professional. We just saw different movies, and at the price range this kind of movie hangs in, that's never gonna work. Non-sympatico. It happens all the time. I don't think any of us expected it to this time, but it did. Everybody knows how long I was taking, what a struggle that script was, and though I felt good about what I was coming up with, it was never gonna be a simple slam-dunk. I like to think it rolled around the rim a little bit, but others may have differing views. The worst thing that can happen in this scenario is that the studio just keeps hammering out changes and the writer falls into a horrible limbo of development. These guys had the clarity and grace to skip that part.

So I'm a free man. Well, sorta. There is that "Goners" movie I can finally finish polishing, and plenty of other things in the hopper I've wanted to pursue. I'm as relieved as I am disappointed, and both of those things lead to drink, so that's a plus. Truly, you may be hearing some interesting things brewing in the coming months. But all potential jets therein will be visible.

But most importantly, I never have to answer THAT question again!!!! And you don't have to link to every rumor site!

Finally and forever: I never had an actress picked out, or even a consistant front-runner. I didn't have time to waste on casting when I was so busy air-balling on the script. (No! Rim! There was rim!) That's the greatest relief of all. I can do interviews again!

Thanks for your time. You are the people who make the world go 'round. Or, no, science does that.

-j.

ps All right, it was Cobie Smulders. Sorry, Cobes.

So I'm a little bit heartbroken but as always, Joss makes it all okay by bringing the funny. Hopefully the WW movie will still have a nice feminist feel so I can bring the kids but I don't know that I'll bother going opening weekend now.

What else? The funeral yesterday was fine, not awkward and not really all that sad. She wanted a positive service and it certainly was. Macaroni had a friend to run around the church fellowship hall with and our car didn't break down on the 2 hour ride home so no complaints. Although I do have a wicked kink in my neck from sleeping in the car.

Jboy is having friends over today so I'm off to clean the house. It's way too cold to go outside anyway so I'll be watching movies and reading comics. (Just one month until this!)

Netflix review: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

Four and 1/2 stars. I loved this movie almost as much as I love Peter Sellers. Geoffrey Rush is amazing...there were times I wasn't sure if they were using old footage of Sellers because Geoffrey was so convincing. Very good, kind of sad and totally funny.

I'm back

Just got an email about this and thought I'd post it here in case people are accidentally ending up here from KK's site. These funds could prevent so many deaths, injuries and abortions every year it makes me crazy thinking about it.

Meh.

Macaroni’s grandmother passed away last Sunday after a long battle with brain cancer. He seems to be doing okay but doesn't really talk about it, even when I bring it up. He just seems quiet and tired. He’s been asleep in the car almost every night this week when I get off the train after work. Poor baby.

My parents are driving him down tonight for the visitation and he’ll spend the weekend with his dad. We’re going down tomorrow for the funeral. Hopefully someone will take the kid out skiing sometime this weekend.

I keep trying to remember my biological father’s funeral but there’s nothing much there. Besides the really ugly dress I wore and the little cross my half brother (who I don’t know) painted and left at his grave site. We hadn't seen him in years and my mom said she felt really out of place. Funerals are hard and weird anyway but I just feel like this is going to be really awkward. A few weeks after Macaroni was born his dad’s cousin died and we all went to the funeral together. That was weird and awkward which is probably why I’m thinking tomorrow will be too. I hope I’m wrong. I hope it’s more of a celebration. She was an amazing woman who will really be missed.



Netflix review: Elektra
We needed a distraction last night and luckily we had three movies waiting for us. Unfortunately, Elektra was the only one Macaroni could watch. It was okay. 2 ½ stars maybe? I’m a comic book nerd and a huge feminist, I should have loved this movie. My only real thoughts were: “props to Jennifer for doing so many of her own stunts” and “wow, this is so much better than Daredevil.” I don’t think I reviewed Daredevil here so I’ll let you in on a secret. It sucked beyond the telling of it.
This movie just makes me more antsy for Wonder Whedon. I mean Wonder Woman. Although this has people worried. And would they just hurry up and make the Y: The Last Man movie already?!?!?