- Batman vanishing Evidence, I, uh, found some evidence. Right here.
- Why Homosexuality Should be Banned Hilariously true, tongue-in-cheek and just for all you conservatives out there. LOL.
- Where the Dirty Hispters Are Spoof on the classic book/new movie.
- Pixar intro parody Actually kind of sad/twisted.
- Dragonforce video. Even if you don’t play guitar, watching these guys show you how to play is so ridiculous. I get all kinds of hyped up seeing this.
That should keep you busy for a little while.
P.S. When you watch the one about bannig homosexuals, read the comments too. People are so dumb and also? They jump to comclusions.
On Tuesday, when I was sick on the couch and desperate for anything to be on daytime TV (there isn’t, btw, even with Satellite) I came across a show on the HD channel about festivals of the world. They were in Italy, going around to various cities and exploring how they celebrate Good Friday/Easter. One thing I found interesting was this bread they make called la Colombo which is a sweet bread with four hard boiled eggs baked into it, which just seems odd to me, but it’s probably pretty yummy.
But the part that really struck me was when they visited Trapani in Sicily. In this small sea-side town, the church has life sized misteri figures (stations of the cross) and they are “owned” by different groups of the community like the fishermen, carpenters, jewelery-makers, etc. It’s kind of like how businesses adopt a street. Each profession is in charge of maintaining their misteri for on the eve of Easter, a group of 16-18 men will carry these really heavy “floats” throughout the streets of Trapani for 24 hours. They carry them for 5-7 minutes and then get to set them down but the weight is immense and even with that many men, it is a huge sacrifice. I was most blown away by how emotional it is for these men; some said they were doing it for their faith and others, for their wives or children.
And I couldn’t help but think of myself, then, feeling all sorry and pitiful over a little freaking cold. Sure, my nose is so stuffed up that I’m a total mouth-breather and I have some issues in my nether-regions I wish not to discuss, and I have a sore under my tongue, making eating completely unpleasant. But I am selfish for complaining about these minor – and brief – afflictions when there are men who carry enormous weight upon their shoulder for an entire day, without once complaining or giving up. That show really put things into perspective for me. And it made me want to go to Italy.
Please check me out over at A Comic Book Blog where I talk about why there can never be a successful Batman and Robin movie. I say some pretty general blankety statements but I had to limit my length.
Being sick right after Halloween means that I haven’t taken down the spooky decorations and replaced them with the Thanksgiving/Harvest ones. It means my pumpkin is slowly rotting on the front porch and his once happy grin has become a squished grimace as his weight falls down upon himself. It means I never properly welcomed in the month but part of the reason, I think, that I got sick was the immense amount of stress I have been secretly harboring about the month of November.
There’s a lot of things that will happen this month, not all of them unpleasant. I have a bunch of things coming up like: a baby shower, seeing New Moon, a day outing to some caves in our area, and the weekly yoga sessions. But on the other hand, the dogs need their shots this month (expensive), we have doctor’s appointments (co-pays add up) and I have already started thinking about buying Christmas presents so that there’s no last minute lack of funds/running around trying to find stuff. So that right there equals stress.
I am beginning to feel that same anxiety that I think my students are experiencing. It has something to do with the fact that after Friday, we have three weeks and two days before the semester is over. Thanksgiving looms and they all want to go home and see their families and remember what that’s like, even though they only left it a couple months ago. I too feel that same pull. I can’t wait for Tuesday night of that week, when we’ll pack up the dogs and all of our junk and sojourn the four hours to my parents’ place. If all goes as planned, my aunt and grandparents will also be there. Plus, we’ll get to meet my sister’s boyfriend. I cannot wait for the insanity of Thanksgiving day! No really. Even though it’ll be crazy, there’ll be pies and turkey and stuffed mushrooms and football and (hopefully) slightly cool weather. (It’s Orlando, after all).
To say I am excited is an understatement but as always, I have to remind myself that it’s still 20 days until we leave; don’t get too ahead. I still also have 22 research papers to grade and grass to mow and all the little tiny day to day things that have to be tended to; now’s not the time to get lazy and start letting holiday brain take over.
I read the last two paragraphs to my students and it helped them understand that I can see things from their point of view. It’s surprising how disconnected from the instructor they can sometimes feel. I don’t consider myself that much older than them but 12 years makes a big difference. I think we’re on the same page now.
*****
And now, a brief list of things I am wishing for (reasonable or not):
- an afternoon to myself when I’m not sick
- Metro Deli sandwiches on call as my cravings hit
- An ipod Touch, because this is the solution to my data plan woes
- I want my ATT upgrade date to be sooner than the 19th
- New clothes that happen to be magically free too
- A bigger living room
- A blog topic to come to me every single day; one that is riveting
And that is all for now. If two posts a day count as making up, then I’m there.
No post yesterday because I was sick. I wasn’t all gross and put up in bed but my throat had that awful blech feeling about it and I was constantly blowing my nose in between fits of sneezing. I woke when the Boy did and got him ready but Ash took him to school. Had a good bit of motivation in the morning but I fell asleep on the couch around nine for something like two hours. I guess I didn’t realize how much I just needed to rest.
This morning I am not 100% but I feel a heck of a lot better than I did. Back in the office and trying to pick up where I left off. I find that taking a day off tends to set me back in weird ways. I can’t seem to think about what needs to get accomplished and I kind of don’t care. That’s my issue; if I just keep coming to work and plugging away, I am more motivated. The worst part is that on Monday, I was very aware of the ton of things I needed to do and I felt good about doing them. I was even excited, in some ways, to have so much on my plate. Enter sickness, exit my ability to give a damn. But I do want to get all this done. I will feel so happy, then.
Coming soon: a post with substance!
I’m sick. More on the swine flu vaccine tomorrow.
The problem is that the first was on a Sunday and I typically don’t blog or even get on my computer on Sundays. (With the exception of checking fantasy football.)
SO, let’s recap, shall we?
Ash got home Friday night and he was exhausted and since his race was early the next day, we were in bed by 10. We got up bright and early around 5:15 to get all ready to drive the 48 miles to Boston, Georgia. The drive wasn’t bad and we only got “lost” once, but the county road sign was small and it was pitch black out in the outskirts of Monticello. We got to Boston around 7:15 and found the registration set-up; the town is pretty tiny – one main street – and there were maybe 200 runners.
Ash’s goal was to finish in under two hours. The last time he ran 12 miles he got in at 2. He finished the 13 in 2 hours and 3 minutes. For having only been running for 3 months, I think he did very well.
While he was running, Elliot and I ate the pancake breakfast that a local service provided and we roamed the street; they only had one main street with a couple stores and the court house. The town was very small. They apparently only have about 1400 people. Elliot was really good for most of the race so I shouldn’t complain about the day. But by the time we got home, I was feeling kind of cranky. But we went to Chili’s for lunch and then I got to take a nap, waking up just in time to watch the fourth quarter of the FSU game, in which we actually managed to win for once.
Around 6, I decided – after Ash’s voice of reason, which was right, of course – that Elliot didn’t really NEED to go Trick Or Treating. For one, he’s still a little young to comprehend it. Secondly, he doesn’t need all that candy and neither do we. Honestly, I haven’t even wanted to eat candy and it had been sitting in our house for a good week prior to Saturday night. I was beginning to worry that my favorite holiday was dying because we weren’t getting many peopel to the door but all in all, I think we saw between 35 and 40 kids. This is an improvement from last year so maybe kids/parents are becoming more trusting afterall.
Sunday was dedicated to football, as usual but I managed to hit up Target and Publix, do five loads of laundry and trim a very large hedge in our yard. We also walked two miles and I took Elliot on another walk before bed. I was angry and frustrated though because of the fact that it was the longest day in HISTORY and I was tired and all, “when the hell does this day end??” I am just glad it’s over and we can all continue to adjust to sunset at freakin’ 5:30 and long evenings. Luckily, Elliot seems to have done ok with it.
SO, I am really going to try to blog every single day this month. To make up for yesterday, I’ll post twice today. But I’ll save that for later. 
So begins day two of solo parenting. It’s not SO bad. It’s just nice to have another set of hands and eyes. Toddler need them. In all actuality, I am looking forward to having some time to be still. And quiet. In fact, I may even get to watch a movie that I want to see. And I can play the XM station “Watercolors” all night long without Ash asking if I’m trying to seduce him with the romp music. Smooth jazz does not necessarily denote sex. He’s so weird. However, last night, I did none of this. After Elliot went to sleep and I cleaned up a bit, I talked to Ash and watched TV until I fell asleep. Kind of lame but you know, moms get tired!
Meanwhile, he’s all put up in an Embassy suites: king size bed and probably a 52 inch tv all to himself. Must be nice. I sometimes wish that my job had any requirement of travel. I crave some time to myself in a place away from it all. Surely, I’d miss it all the very next day but one night
Yesterday marked 15 weeks. I feel gigantic but people say I don’t appear to be showing. I just think they’re being polite. I look OK in the morning but by afternoon, my stomach looks and feels huge. I haven’t even been eating very much so I guess that’s just a side effect of pregnancy. Blah. When we get home this evening, there’s going to be a beef stew waiting for us and I hope it’s good. I have been craving it lately. If it were JUST a little cooler it would be perfect. But I was trying to simplify the last three days of this week by doing some easy meals.
I think that’s sort of the key to this time of year: simplify. I am going to try to stress less about making meals and getting all this stuff done. There are a lot of appointments coming up – for me, Elliot and the dogs – and I cannot concern myself with being uptight about it all. Not with the holidays and all that mess approaching. I will pick out Christmas gifts as they seem appropriate so that there will be no last minute rush. I will not worry about my mother’s controlling ways when we visit for Thanksgiving and I will ignore the concerns voiced by the other female elders of my family… because it only makes my head spin unnecessarily. I am also taking this pregnancy one day at a time. I feel like I’ve been pregnant forever already but there’s still a lot of time. I cannot hurry it up; this is out of my hands and I should take solace in that fact.
With that, I leave you. I have to make up my entire November calendar for class and thinking that far ahead is rough. Too rough.
Loaf reminded me that November is fast approaching and ever year I do try to post one time each day. I am really reluctant to even attempt NaBloPoMo this year because there’s just so much other junk I have going on. Aside from the general motherly and wifely duties, household chores, my 40 hour a week job AND teaching a class, I have picked up some other writing stuff lately.
For one – and this is the minor thing – it’s my month to review Bat-books in a Livejournal community I belong to. This shouldn’t be too difficult but they have to be Bruce-Batman and not Dick-Batman, which is really all I am reading since Bruce is chillin’ in some cave in the past, patiently waiting for Tim to come save his ass.
The second thing is that I now write for A Comic Book blog. I have to post about two to three times a week and since I actually care about this, it’s something I’m putting time and effort into. I’ve done a couple reviews and a top ten list (that got a ton of hits; that makes me happy!) so I’m definitely glad to be doing some extra writing here.
This isn’t to say I can’t find some time to post a blog entry but what I really worry about is finding content. I know that their site gives you prompts and I may even use them this year. My life just isn’t as whirlwind exciting as it may have once seemed. Also? i don’t spaz out about things as much and I try not to complain either so there’s not some easy answer to filler posts. Sure, stuff has come up. Last week my sister went to the hospital because she was having immense pain.Turns out she had a bladder infection. She’s still having issues recovering but she’s ok now. Gave my parents quiet a scare though. Things come and go in our lives but they’re not always blog-worthy.
I guess National Blog Posting Month makes them blog-worthy. I don’t know. I DO know that I have some work to do and it’s high time I got started on that.
You know, like the Jeopardy category.
*******
The weekend entailed: my parents hanging out with Elliot, dinner at Bonefish with Ash, our anniversary stay at the McFarlin house, chocolate molten lava cake, jacuzzi tubs, 100 dollar Best Buy gift card for a new vacuum, Football, anger at the neighbours for feeding those damn cats, napping, and beautiful weather.
*******
Where the Wild Things Are did not disappoint me like I was afraid it would, having read everyone else’s opinion. Let’s say this: I spent the entire time trying to figure out which monster represented which kind of person in a society led by a king and then 3/4 of the way through, I realized it was more like family instead. And I bawled my eyes out in the end. If you have a son, then you get it.
*******
Have you seen that ATT commercial where this guy is running around all frantic trying to get various things and it turns out to be for Mariah Carey? Yeah, that’s our friend, Dan. He made a ton of money on that commercial. Also, he was in Law Abiding Citizen with Gerard Butler but all his parts were cut at the last minute. Bummer!
*******
Elliot has entered a new phase where he’s decided to be afraid of random things. Cases in point: a helicopter flew over our house and he ran inside. In the tub, he flipped out because there was a piece of grass (presumably from when Ash rinsed off after his run) floating amidst the toys and bubbles and he kept shouting, “Ew, bug!” and he wouldn’t sit back down. I’ve never known Elliot to freak out about flying things or bugs and now he’s terrified. Kids are so weird.
*******
I went into Best Buy around 5 PM yesterday to merely look at vacuums. I took one down to see how heavy 11 pounds felt and an associate approached me. I asked which one gets bought most often and he directed me towards a Eureka for 130 bucks. I wasn’t trying to play on his sympathies but I told him I had 100 dollars to spend and I needed something that would work well for dog hair. He said he could get that one discounted and looked in his computer. Sure enough, he marked it down to 105. Twelve dollars out of pocket and I am the proud new owner of this: Eureka!
*******
Later this week I get to do the infamous solo parenting gig. Haven’t had to in a while due to the recession. The government really cut back on sending their employees to events so Ash hasn’t had to attend the four or five yearly conferences. But he’s got to go to Tampa later this week. It isn’t ever so bad; it’s just the dropping off AND picking up, the grocery shopping immediately after all that and then food, bedtime, and then I’ll just pass out from lack of anything better to do and sheer pregnancy exhaustion. Though this second trimester has given me more energy, I know that mentally, I will feel worn. I should probably plan ahead the meals Elliot and I will eat as to avoid that post-work Publix trip. God knows that’s the worst time to shop because every single other person on this side of town will also be there, frantic for a dinner option. Sigh.
That is all for now. I have a to-do list long as my arm and I have yet to cross anything off. Better get started!
