The Olsen Twins

So, this is what my daughter was watching before bed tonight. Although this is not a good lesson for kids nutritionally, it is a catchy little tune. Seriously though, if this is the kind of talent you have to have to become itty bitty billionaires then I am totally going to exploit my kids. I feel some stage-mommin' coming on.

This commercial

I thought I would celebrate my return to this blog with a really catchy tune. Seriously, if you hear someone singing this song would you laugh or help get them to a toilet asap?

How far we've come...

This video from CollegeHumor is "24" in the year 1994. Could Jack Bauer do it without a cell phone and high speed internet? mmmmm. It cracks me up how I didn't even use the internet when I was in college, or should I say 'the world wide web'. It's only been 10 years.

By the way, I love how he looks like the guy from Soul Asylum which I saw in 1994 with the Spin Doctors. I'll be humming Runaway Train all night now.

a clean schedule.

I have finally finished Alias. My schedule is now open for a new show. Here are my thoughts if I can find someone with the dvds. 1)Boston Legal 2)The West Wing 3)Sports Night 4)Veronica Mars 5)Lost(hesitantly). Any suggestions?

The Magic Eraser

Seriously, if you haven't bought yourselves one of these you are missing out on how easy it is to clean up after your kids. I had to use mine on our bath tub yesterday after Lucy drew what looked to be an entire map of the world in pencil. You couldn't use an eraser so I busted out the eraser. Not only did it clean off the pencil craziness it also cleaned what I thought were stains on our tub. I have scrubbed with 3 different types of cleaners to get that off of our tub. Now I need a magical person to clean the rest of my house.

People with similar opinions..

...On Kobe Bryant. I never have and probably never will like Kobe. He is so selfish as a player that I think I would have to turn on my own Blazers if they ever ended up with him. This is just another article of how Tim Duncan is so much better. There are not enough of those.

Bet you didn't know I could fit basketball in with my demanding TV schedule.

Big Love

So after the great Oprah show of '07 dealing with polygamy a couple of friends and I decided to rent Big Love. It's a show on HBO about a 'plural family'. It is fascinating. Seriously, there are pros to this situation if you could handle your jealousy issues. Though I don't think that you get to be lord of your own planet because of the number of wives you have. bummer. You would have free babysitting. Is that on my mind enough right now to even consider the postives to adding some wives?

World Peace

Who knew that surfing could bring reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians?

Alias

I don't like to get caught up in shows with a lot of hype. But when I figure out why they have the hype I regret my decision to avoid the bandwagon. This is one of those shows. The best part is that now I just like speaking in CIA lingo. Everyone will have a call name by the time I am done with all 5 seasons.

My latest trip to the Abilene Public Library

I am sure that people make fun of me all the time for how much of my conversations include something about the public library. That's okay because I am becoming smarter and cooler by the minute thanks the APL(that's the insider lingo). I thought I would share my current list of check-outs with everyone with star ratings up to five being highly recommended.

1.green this! by deirdre imus. I will probably have to buy this book because this will be something that I will need for a reference regularly. It talks about the dangers of cleaning and household products and extremely affordable and natural alternatives. I give it *****.

2.Juice Alive by Steven Bailey and Larry Trivieri. My parents gave me their juicer recently and so I needed to figure out some recipes. This is one that will be useful but not as enjoyable at first. Not a big carrot and beet juice fan but I'll give it a try.****

3.Three birthday party idea books that were all worthless. No stars given.

4.The Puppini Sisters (CD)Betcha Bottom Dollar. I always liked the Andrew Sisters and this is kind of an updated version.****

5.Third Day (CD)Chronology. I don't love,love Third Day but some of the songs are too good to not like.***

6.Barlow Girl (CD)Another Journal Entry. I liked this more than I thought I would. I am thinking that this is a keeper. ****

7.Maroon 5 (CD)It won't be soon before too long. I don't really like Adam Levine.***

8.Stevie Nicks (CD)Cyrstal Visions..The very best of. Landslide is one of my favorite songs ever but I like her better with Fleetwood Mac.***

9.Ludacris (CD)Release Therapy. Oh my little ears need the radio edit versions. Or no more moneymaker-shakin' Luda.*

10.Vince Gill (CD)The Reason Why. With all the great guest vocalists, this is pretty good country music.****

11.Bruce Springsteen (CD)Magic. I'll work for your love is a good song. It sounds like Bruce to me.****

12.Mark Schultz (CD)Broken and Beautiful. There were a couple of good songs.***

13.Nichole Nordeman (CD)recollections The Best of...****

14.Disney Sing Along Songs (DVD)Perfectly Princess. Lucy gives it *****

15.Nature Baby - not yet reviewed by Mr. Owen.

16.The Illusionist (DVD) will watch by Saturday.

17.A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (DVD) Kevin is watching this as I type.*****

18.Some Angelina Ballerina Movie.*****

19.A couple of Baby Einsteins*****(I'm getting tired of typing)

If you are not using the resource of the public library, you are missing out. I sit in my house and reserve everything on line and then they send me an email to tell me when it is in. It's easy and free.

random facts

Did we need to know this?

I guess that means that Jemaine will have more offspring than Bret.

More Questions

1.Why do I sing certain songs better in the car than at home, church, etc.? Here are my classics...anything by Air Supply, The Rose by Bette Midler, everything by Acapella or AVB before 1991, His Eye is on the Sparrow (Sister Act 2 version) and You Light up my Life. Feel free to leave your classics in the comments (I am also inviting the stalkers to do the same).

2.Why does Coke taste better from a can but Pepsi tastes better from the fountain? This only reminds me that I have been soda free for 8 full months, 4 to go. Which will I drink at 12:01 January 1st 2008?

3.Why have I been so dumbfounded by this idea...If you cut your use in half, it will last twice as long. This one hits me when I am washing my hair. I will honestly think to myself, "If I use half of the shampoo I usually do, this bottle will last 4 months instead of 2!" Blows my mind.

4.Why does every girl James Bond looks at end up sleeping with him? We have watch every James Bond movie in chronological order this summer with 3 left (not including the 3 Austin Power movies that I will re-watch). It has been a long, daunting task at times but at least we accomplished something over the summer break.

shows that allow me to not watch shows

I love shows like Best Week Ever on VH1 or The Soup on E!. But since I don't have cable I have to settle for the online versions which are great. I no longer have to miss watching any of the guilty pleasures because I can see the part that I would like most being made fun of on these shows in the same way I would have done myself had I actually wasted the time to watch it. For example, my last post about the Hoff.

The Hoff

Is it too cliche to compare David Hasselhoff to a fine bottle of wine that just keeps getting better with time? Here you can see why we still love him. I am totally going to go rent Knight Rider this week.

Answers to my questions

1. Why are local commercials so bad?
Here are some Abilene examples: a plumbing company working to the tune of "Holding out for a hero", a portable shed salesman dressed as a caveman, a giant, white-haired, cross-eyed man standing on a huge stack of mattresses on top of Ed's Friendly Beds roof (he looks like a great grandpa, though). There are many more but I probably go to church with some of these people so I will quit here.

2. Why will Michael Vick most likely serve more time than Mary Winkler? I like dogs, but I like dads more, even if they are bad husbands.

3. Why was Arrested Development cancelled?

4. Why do I lose my remote control capabilities when given the option of MTV? All day marathons of Laguna Beach, The Hills and My Super Sweet 16 is why I can't get cable.

5. Why do I hate dinosaurs so much? Jurrassic Park, Baby, Barney (that's a given) and all 100 Land Before Time movies.

Many more questions to come.

Flight of the Conchords

This is a folk/comedy group from New Zealand. They have a show on HBO that looks like a mix of sketch comedy and their songs. Pretty funny stuff. This one is called "The most beautiful girl in the room".

Crippets

Let me clarify. I hate crickets but I like it when Lucy calls them crippets. I think that people that live in the northwest have never seen anything like these stinky, creepy crippets. It gives a small glimpse as to what a plague may have resembled.

Boundaries

I consistently see a correlation between boundaries and blessings. I have been struggling to figure out these past couple of years what it means to live the life that God intended. I am not even close to the answer but I have definitely come a long way in my journey, at least mentally. I have yet to put a lot of the things I believe into practice. Why is that? Here are some examples...
1. If we know that good nutrition and exercise help us to live longer and have a greater quality of life why do we choose unhealthy foods and fight exercise. Being overweight and unhealthy feels gross and it is a choice for most people.
2. If we spend more money than we make, we will owe someone money. Living in debt feels gross and it is a choice for all people.
3. If we continue to treat the earth poorly we might have a hard time finding a parcel of land to live on (watch An Inconvenient Truth to see about the choices we can make and decide this one for yourself)
4. If we treat people poorly no one will be at our funeral. I actually don't know that to be truth but it is always in the movies. It is true that we will be alienated from the relationships that exist to let us know God better and to be encouraged.

When we live this way we are unable to see the gifts that God intended us to have.

Why do we continue to ignore the boundaries and insist on living a life that is mediocre when we could could be living one that is extraordinary?

Summer theme songs

So, I mentioned that 'Achy Breaky Heart' was my first summer theme song. It's true. My memory was pulling the truck up in front of my High School where I was meeting my friend Rooster (nickname) and rolling down my window to talk to him. He handed me a mixed tape that included a little Billy Ray and asked if I wanted to go with him and his friend to Eugene to watch them get a tatoo. Since I had a huge crush at the time on his friend this was pretty much one of the best days of my High School career. I will never forget that song. There is nothing better than those songs that make you want to roll your windows down on a sunny day and drive until the song is over. These are not necessarily good songs, just the kind that sound different when the sun is shining. Here are some of my summer theme songs. Remember that summer theme songs are almost always defined as Guilty Pleasures.

1993- Whoomp! There it is, Rump Shaker, Nuthin but a "G" Thang, I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)
1994- Anything by Salt n Pepa and the Reality Bites soundtrack
1995- Gangsta's Paradise, everything by TLC and Mary Chapin Carpenter
1996- C'mon N Ride It (That Train), No Diggity
1997- Da Dip, Mmmbop and all Puff Daddy
1998- Gettin Jiggy Wit it, I'll Be, Sock it 2 Me
1999- Save Tonight, Where my Girls At?, No Scrubs, Genie in a Bottle, Kiss Me
2000- Bye, Bye, Bye, everything by the Dixie Chicks, Steal my Kisses, Fast Car (played for 3 hours while Kevin and I talked)
2001- Rollin', Ms. Jackson, Country Grammar
2002- Hey Baby, whatever Britney Spears album came out (I'm not proud of this)
2003- Hey Ya!, Bring me to life, Crazy in Love
2004- Drop it like it's hot, The Reason, This Love
2005- Hollaback Girl, Gold Digger, everything by the Killers
2006- Temperature, Crazy (Gnarls Barkley), Too Little Too Late, S.O.S.
2007- Party Like a Rock Star and I am bringing back Ice, Ice Baby

I'm thinking a future mixed cd is on this list.
Go to www.musicoutfitters.com to find the top 100 songs of each year.

UPDATE: Just to clarify.....The songs above are good for the car and cleaning house. I don't usually listen to rap on a regular basis. Even though I would prefer folk and easy listening I like to mix it up. A little Air Supply, a little Outkast. Everything in moderation right?

Independence Day

Picture it. 1992. Tri City, Oregon. It was July and I had just turned 16. I was a licensed driver and my best friend's parents were out of town. They left us the keys to the '77 brown Buick. They had one of the coolest houses in town. A full basketball court, a pool, a hot tub and it was all ours for a week. We referred to this for many years later as "The Best Week Ever" way before VH1 ever got a hold of the phrase. We found a rubber hand in the trunk that was making the "hang loose" sign and a stuffed leg. So we put the hand in the rear window and hung the leg out of the trunk and rocked 8-tracks for 7 glorious days. We went to the county fair, laid out by the pool, shopped for different 8-tracks....it was so much fun and we didn't even have the predictable parents-are-gone party. The next week I inherited my dad's white Ford pickup for 8 hours a day while he was at work. It was in this truck that I remember my first summer theme song(see next post)......Achy Breaky Heart. That's right, Billy Ray Cyrus. Here are my favorite of the Top 100 songs from 1992. (I took off a lot of Amy Grant, Mariah and Celine) BTY, this is the summer that I went to a Color Me Badd concert. Tick Tock You don't stop.

1. End Of The Road, Boyz II Men
2. Baby Got Back, Sir Mix A-lot
3. Jump, Kris Kross
4. Save The Best For Last, Vanessa Williams
5. Baby-Baby-Baby, TLC
6. Tears In Heaven, Eric Clapton
7. My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It), En Vogue
9. All 4 Love, Color Me Badd
12. To Be With You, Mr. Big
13. I'm Too Sexy, Right Said Fred
14. Black Or White, Michael Jackson
15. Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus
17. November Rain, Guns N' Roses
18. Life Is A Highway, Tom Cochrane
22. Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough, Patty Smyth
24. Jump Around, House Of Pain
25. Diamonds and Pearls, Prince and The N.P.G.
27. Masterpiece, Atlantic Starr
32. Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana
37. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday, Boyz II Men
38. Move This, Technotronic
39. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
40. Tennessee, Arrested Development
44. Set Adrift On Memory Bliss, P.M. Dawn
45. Stay, Shakespear's Sister
46. 2 Legit 2 Quit, Hammer
60. One, U2
65. Warm It Up, Kris Kross
66. In The Closet, Michael Jackson
72. Everything About You, Ugly Kid Joe
73. Blowing Kisses In The Wind, Paula Abdul
75. Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap
87. Slow Motion, Color Me Badd
100. I Can't Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt

Go to musicoutfitters.com to find the top 100 songs of each year.

Places without "Cricket Season"

Okay, so I have been a pretty good Abilene citizen these past 2 years. I have had an above average attitude concerning west Texas considering my Oregon roots. I have tried to appreciate and at times admire Abilene with its dirt and flatness. But, seriously, cricket season?! I don't care what Miss Spider tells her Sunny Patch Friends but crickets are gross. They are really concentrated around campus and various strip malls throughout town. Now, I know that 2 years ago it was much worse but I will never get used to large bugs jumping around on the floor while I am shopping or trying not to step on a smooshed one. What purpose do these annoying bugs serve?

Felicity

Well, it was bound to happen I suppose. We don't have cable and so I watch a lot of tv on dvd. A friend brought over the first two seasons of Felicity and I was moderately excited. Even though I could not stand this show when it was actually on tv, I have contemplated watching it this past year. The only reason I even considered it is because it is the summer and I needed a fluff show to watch during a nap time here and there or when Kevin worked late. If Felicity and I could have only kept that relationship going it would have been fine. I was Ben and she was, well, Felicity. I wanted something fun and no pressure. She wanted every hour of my day. I am addicted. It took a while to know if I liked it because it made me feel older and like I was too mature to watch it. Then, out of nowhere, Bam! I felt like I was back in college again with all the drama and more. I use every excuse to be able to get to the next episode. I'll bring all the toys in the living room or I'll find some "chores" that have to be done while sitting on the couch. It's like when I have cookies in the house. Instead of just rationing myself to one a day I go with the theory that I need to just get them out of here as soon as possible. I think this is just a general problem with watching shows on dvd. You can get instant gratification of knowing what will happen next by just pushing the button. Maybe I should just get cable.

To Know.....

Is it buck naked or butt naked?

Exercise

Yeah, so I started exercising more regularly by joining a group (Forever Fit) that some friends from church started. Nearly every muscle on my body has been sore for the past 3 weeks. It is starting to get better (Thank you, Jesus!). This video from Saturday Night Live is more what I was looking for, but oh well.

The songs of my youth

Everyone knows how great it is to hear a song on the radio and have memories rushing back that you that you can almost feel. Yesterday I heard Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins and I saw rooms filled with friends from almost 15 years ago. I could picture and feel almost everything. It was crazy since I probably couldn't have hummed it 1 minute before. Of course I could go on for hours about every song I've ever known and the memory with it but how exciting would that be? Maybe later.

Mr. Rogers

"In order to express our sense of reality, we must use some kind of symbol: words or notes or shades of paint or television pictures or sculpted forms. None of these symbols or images can ever completely satisfy us because they can never be any more than what they are - a fragment of a reflection of what we feel reality to be."

-Mr. Rogers
from the book, The World According to Mr. Rogers

T-Shirts

There is a sad day coming. It is very likely that by the end of the year I will have to throw away almost every t-shirt that means something to me. Between working at a plywood mill, having babies and the fact that most of them are at least 10 years old, my precious t-shirts, filled with holes and spit up stains are at the end of their journeys. No more Cascade College Soccer (which I never played,btw), no more Lambda, no more Sierra Bible Camp. It's not that these shirts are cool looking it's what they represent. It's the shirts that reminded me when I was plugging away at sheets of wood that I had some diverse experiences that many people in that mill never had. When I was covered in spit up they reminded me that at one point in my life I was sort of cool and that I was capable of doing other things than changing diapers and nursing babies (not that those things aren't important). And now that I am about to be 31 they are reminding me that it's been a while since I was a college student and a camp counselor. I know that anyone seeing me in these shirts are taking up a fund to replace them but they probably don't know how special they are. I know that there are other shirts waiting to become special to me in the future and I am looking forward to that but no shirts will replace these memories. Maybe I will keep them in a special box and one day they will be vintage.

The things that stick in your head

Someone at a church we worked with a few years ago asked me if I would eat a brownie knowing that there was poop in one of the corners of the pan. He wanted to know if I could honestly say, "the brownies were good except that there was some poop in a couple of squares." The idea being that could we honestly say that a movie was good except that it had the f-word a few times, or it was good except for the nude scene. Could we say that a love song was good except for the part about promiscuity.....Can we? I have been saying that a lot lately with especially the movies I have watched. I have watched some really moving and thought provoking movies in the past couple of months but they have all had a few "excepts" in them. Are they still good movies? hmmmmm.


UPDATE: I reread my post after several comments (most not written here) and decided that the brownie theory is relative. It depends on the movie and it depends on who you are recommending it to. Some of these movies are not for my grandma but that doesn't mean that they aren't worth watching. I think that a lot of these movies, mostly dramas, have given me insight and compassion to worlds that I don't see very often. It gives me a little wake up call that I am in a bubble and there are things going on in the world that are kind of poopy.

Method products

So in my latest attempt to go greener (I'll probably never be totally green), I have started using Method products from Target. Let me just say that eco-friendly or not, the mop is the best mop I've ever used. And when you're done you just toss the mopping pad in the washer and use it over and over. It also has swiffer-type cloths. With two kids that will eat off any surface, it makes me feel better to know that my floor is chemical-free enough to eat off. I also like the shower/tub cleaner in hopes that it helps with Lucy's sensitivity issues. I just bought the dryer sheets so it's too soon to rate them.
I was at a point where convenience was trumping safety and the importance of our earth. I am far from reaching environmentalist awards but I will try to at least start going halvsies. I'll try to recycle half of my plastics and glass, getting my groceries bagged in plastic as few times as possible, repurpose things that I would normally throw away so I at least get a little more use and don't have to buy or use something new.
Here are some of my examples...when I do get plastic grocery bags, use them for trash bags in the bathroom. Use egg cartons for holding finger paints. Cover cans with scrapping paper and use them for vases. Don't throw electronics in the trash. Any other good ones?

Jesus Camp

This has been a blog in the making over the past couple of weeks. It has taken me that long to even begin figuring out my "upsession" with this movie. I am upset because of so many reasons and for all those reasons, I am obsessed. I would love to hear what anyone has to say about this movie. It is a documentary of a pentecostal church camp for kids. It's not about that as much as it is about the war going on between the religious right and the rest of the world.
I am so proud to be a Christian but so embarrassed to be grouped in the category of evangelicals right now. There is a really fine line between being sold out and being sinful. Or is there? Maybe I'll update this entry when I have some things figured out and watch the movie again. Check out Mike Cope's blog for a related topic of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Here's the trailer.

Gilmore Girls

Tonight was the Series Finale of one of the best shows to ever be on television. I have a sad face.

Mixed Tapes

You know how sometimes you hear that someone died (usually older and famous) and you are like, "Ahh, how sad". But really you thought they died a long time ago. That's what happened yesterday when I found out that the cassette tape will no longer be manufactured, blank or otherwise.
My first cassette purchased was Tiffany. My last cassette purchased was Acappella "Conquerors" yesterday at the youth group yard sale. The thing about tapes are that they really aren't that great. The quality stinks compared to CD's and downloads and nothing will ever be as romantic as a record. But - the mixed tape is priceless. I loved my dual cassette player. I loved the skill it took to hit pause at just the right moment before the next song started. I loved the excitement I felt when I handed the tape to a friend (or a special friend) and knowing they got the best of the best in that little case. I also loved decorating the tape cover. I could get elaborate here and usually used cut outs from Soap Opera digest or Tiger Beat. Ah, good times Mr. Cassette. I miss you, even though I thought you were already dead.

theme songs

I really like theme songs. If you can remember the words to a theme song from over 20 years ago, it's a good one. This one, my friends is a good one. Let's just say it's Fergalicious.


A few other greats...
Growing Pains
Family Ties
Cheers
Saved by the Bell
WKRP in Cincinati
And, yes Dad, Dallas

Lowered Expectations

Something I have noticed lately is that I usually enjoy things more when I am not as excited about them. If I have high expectations then I am usually disappointed. When I am really looking forward to something like a restaraunt or a movie then I end up picking it apart until I hate it. If I am dragged, I usually end up being able to say "it was better than I thought it was going to be", which is a good review. Try it out. It could change your life.

mom jeans

Just an idea for a gift, Kevin.

That Passions is going off the air soon

Well, it has been 8 years in the making but Passions is finally set to go off the air sometime soon. I knew I had to write about this when I turned on the tv a little early for The Rachael Ray Show and saw Sheridan in prison wearing a fake beard so she could be with Luis. Seriously. I am all for a guilty pleasure but I can't take any more. I have gotten sucked into this show before but it was because of the little guy in the clip above. Those were the good days. When people were drinking Martimmis and all was right in Harmony. May Timmy rest in peace.

Garage Sales

Oh how I love garage sales.

We had literally the Best Yard Sale Ever! this weekend. We had 12 different families participate in one heck of a sale at our house. I have yet to recover. Two straight days of making deals and keeping kids from falling down the porch steps. Exhausting and yet so worth it. We were money making machines. It is ridiculous to think about how much stuff we have that we don't even need. But it feels so good to clean out the house. The sad thing is that this was our third yard sale at this house and we haven't even lived here a year. It's not just selling stuff though. We had a lot of fun hanging out with some friends for two days and having our kids run around laughing (and crying). It's been a good way to get to know people better (by hanging out and by seeing each others junk) and we made money doing it.

I also like going to garage sales. I used to be embarrassed by this a little because I felt like I was cheap. Then it was addicting because I started finding these unbelievable deals. I am a bargain hunter anyway so it's just my nature to never pay full price for something and I have come to terms with that. I have recently started to try going "green" in some areas of my life and realized that buying second hand is a way of doing that. I am recycling by buying and selling used things. That has turned me from being embarrassed to being an uppity enviromentalist. It's my Oregon roots.

The thing that anyone who has ever been to our house must congratulate us on is that we are getting a new couch with our yard sale money this week. You will no longer have your buns go numb or hit your funnybone on the wood sticking through the arm of our couch. Your Welcome.Haha.

Sweet Tea

Almost every restaraunt in this town serves sweet tea, even Taco Bell. Kevin and I have given up sodas for this year which we thought would be impossible and I am sure many others thought it was impossible for us. But we are almost 4 months clean. Kevin made it through a whole semester without a DR. Pepper. I am so proud. BUT....we did this for health reasons and that has become fruitless since we have replaced it with Sonic's sweet tea and, for Kevin, Cherry Limeades. When I was on the sauce I used to think that Sonic's tea could knock me out with the sugar. Now it is flowing through my veins like the blood once did. I like unsweet tea just fine so why am I so obsessed with the sweet stuff? If I cut out all sweet drinks I don't think I can make it through the day. Sweet tea was the back up for the soda. If I was craving soda then I could satisfy that with sweet tea or peach tea. Now I am at the same point with tea as I was with soda. What am I going to do? This is nonsense on many levels.

PCD

There are people that shovel 8 straight hours a day. There are people that work 48 straight hours or more saving lives as doctors and nurses. There are people that deal with horribly behaved teenagers all day in classrooms for too small of a paycheck. There are people that risk their lives to put out fires and to save others. But apparently being a Pussycat Doll is what defines "hard work". I mean, I never realized how much "hard work" it took to look, dance and sing like a PCD.



We record Gilmore Girls every Tuesday and this was on right after. What a treat. I think this might beat out America's Next Top Model and Flava of Love. If I think about the show for very long I will get too sad for them. So I will enjoy it and not give it another deep thought until after I watch the season finale next week.

Feeling like I've done something

You know that there are days that go by and you think "what did I even do today?" I have a lot of those. It's dumb because I know that when I make a list the night before I always feel better. Yet, I let too many days just happen. I don't want to be too organized because then I wouldn't be me. But, I want to be more purposeful about what I am doing. This is especially important with my kids. On days that I play hard with them we all get along better. On days that I keep working on a project long enough to say that it's done, I feel like I accomplished something and that is such a great feeling. My house is not exactly clean right now but it doesn't feel so bad because we had a full-on Zoo in my living room this morning with a snack bar and I priced 7 boxes of garage sale things. I played with my kids and finished a project. It's a snowball effect because now I have spent the last hour emailing and finally updating my blog instead of playing Gin Rummy on my computer. Look out world! I am on a roll. Or, maybe I'll just play a couple of games and go to bed. Let's not get carried away.

I Tunes

Even though I dabble with the occasional Top 40 on the radio, I have been out of the "good music" loop for a few years now. I have been relying on Beyonce and Sean Paul to meet my music needs and let's just say that those needs haven't been met. I mean, I love having those guilty pleasures but it's like eating junk food all the time. Not good Nelly.
It took me a few months to get the hang of I Tunes but now that I have, it is my good friend. Just the weekly free downloads alone have been the nutritious music that I have needed to remind me that there is more to life than bringing Sexy back(although I don't mind it's return).
Looking back on the CD's I have owned I realized that I only really like maybe 4 or 5 songs on each one. There are very few that you can listen to all the way through. That's the beauty of the $.99 song. It's wonderful.
Here's what I am buying....
1)Brandi Carlile. I HEART her. Love, Love, Love and Obsessed.
2)James Morrison. I like every song. Very rare.
3)Eighties Music. Rock me Amadeus. Seriously great stuff. Come on.
4)Ray LaMontagne. Reminds me of Van Morrison. I love the raspy voice that can make a meaningless run in a song mean everything.
5)Amy Winehouse. Although her lyrics are a little questionable, the melodies in her sound is really unique.

What's in your I Tunes?

Abilene

So it has taken me a while to like something else. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Sorry. I really do like a lot of things. They just aren't all that interesting.

Now, I am not ever going to agree with Sonny James. Abilene is not the prettiest town I've ever seen. BUT.......It's not that bad. When we lived here 6 years ago we were engaged and working like crazy so we didn't really even do much in the town. I honestly didn't even know that most of it existed. When we found out we were moving here again two years ago I was pretty disappointed. I was not exactly thrilled with leaving the beautiful northwest for the "brown town". So, here are the things that have grown on me the past almost two years to make me include this city on my list of likes.
1) Even though the population is around 120,000 it really seems like a small town. There are enough places to shop (but not too much) and there isn't any traffic. The town is really family friendly with several parks and activities for kids.
2) The churches/ACU. Abilene Christian University plays such a big roll in the town. It is an amazing gathering of talent, knowledge and ideas. We used to look forward to the Lectures at Pepperdine to see a few people speak and now we go to church with them and one is our preacher. Our church is around 1750 in size. That is around the size of the town I grew up in so we have a church that is literally a community. It's amazing to have such a large, great group of people surrounding you. This kind of a tough one to explain but it is just a really great feeling to have a family like this that has similar values.
It's also totally acceptable for someone to be a Christian, which is very different from the northwest. They talk about it on the news, in the paper, etc. It's really been a culture shock.
3)The culture. I love that I can see a man standing outside Joe Allen's BBQ on a Sunday afternoon with a large toothpick hanging out of his mouth and a gigantic cowboy hat, looking like he's eaten there a few too many times. It was one of those "I really live in Texas moments". I like that people wave when they pass me while I'm on a walk, even when they have no idea who I am. I like that there is a pumpjack in the drive-in movie theater. Why not show a couple of double features and pump oil? It's great.
4)It's not always ugly. It's true. There are some pretty parts of town that aren't bad to look at. When I would get a little depressed about living here at first, I would just drive down Elmwood. It's my favorite neighborhood. The houses are beautiful, big and brick. That is something that is different here. Most of the houses are brick. In Oregon brick isn't used much except for the really expensive houses. The people from down here don't really get that but everyone that has been here from Oregon has been amazed by it.
Well, there are a few reasons Abilene isn't that bad. We have grown to really like it here and are a part of a wonderful church family and group of friends. Maybe it's the people that we have met that have started to blur the brown. I don't know but it is going to be a hard place to leave when the time comes.

To be alone...

There are certain things that I like to do alone. For example - I like to be in the bathroom alone regardless of what I am doing even just brushing my teeth. It's rare for that to happen but when it does it usually only means I am alone in the room. There is most likely a little one waiting outside. It's either Owen crying and scratching on the door or Lucy asking what I am doing in there.
Another thing I like to do alone now is shop. I like to either just go do what I have to and get it over with (which is possible without others) or look at my own leisure (like reading the label on every type of hair or face product). I like to go on a shopping trip that doesn't include bribery or a trip to the play area at the mall.
Even though it's not totally alone time, I like to talk on the phone when I am the only one in the room. I like having conversations with people and not interrupting them to say "Yes, Lucy, I'll have another glass of rubber ball" or "Owen, don't touch your poo poo."
I know it seems selfish and very unlikely that these things will be done alone for a few years now, but it is nice to dream.

Eating Out

I love to cook. I like trying new recipes...I like having people over.....I like it the most when other people like it. But there is just something about going out to eat that is special (even if you have 2 kids with you). I like that once you get to the right restaurant you don't have to worry about pleasing everyone. You can have what you want. You also don't have to do the dishes or pick up everything that Owen and I drop on the floor.
Even though we sometimes set aside time with just our family to go out, we really like to go with friends. Our first going out to eat friends (as a couple) were John and Renee who now live in San Diego. We lived in the Bay Area and we could always rely on them to want to eat out as much as we did. When we lived in Myrtle Creek we could always count on my parents and many of our friends to be at El Paraiso on Friday or Saturday night and Pizza Palace on Sunday. We have several couples and families that we go out with now but when we first moved to Abilene James and Kami Yasko introduced us to a few places. They are the heroes by taking us to The Home Place in Tuscola, Texas. So far this is my favorite place to eat. It is a family style restaurant that has the best home cooking around. When anyone comes to visit or we have a special occasion, that's where we end up. Of course, in Abilene there isn't much to do but eat out.
I have so many good memories though that don't include food. It's like each stage of my life has a food place to represent it. Abby's Pizza during High School. The Taco Bell on Stark in College (along with many others depending on the person). Chili's when Kevin and I started dating. Krispy Kreme when we lived in Fremont (along with all 20 other places around it). El Paraiso when we moved back to Myrtle Creek and the Home Place now.
I also have a place that I think of with each friend I have. Too much to list. I could go on for hours...your turn.

Television

I thought that by not having satellite or cable we would cut back on TV. I was wrong. We have been Netflixing everything. Now I am even more addicted because I can just watch one after the other. We do get the main networks with an antenna and that is also providing much joy in television watching and if you miss that, you can watch it online. I think that there are more shows on right now that I like than ever before. Maybe I just need to get out more, I don't know but here's my list not in any specific order...

Grey's Anatomy - Me and the rest of the country, ridiculous

Studio 60 - I really like Matthew Perry and at first I was offended by the Christian slamming but I actually have found it to be interesting and challenging to know what others think of us. The Christmas show was really good and you should check it out online if only for the version of O Holy Night.

30 Rock - It's wierd to have two shows on the same channel about the backstage of an SNL type show but this is a really funny show. I have decided that Alec Baldwin is officially one of the funniest people right now.

Arrested Development - Only in reruns and DVD. We aren't through the first season yet but have loved this. It deserved all the awards. Very funny.

The Office - Both versions are funny but I really like Steve Carrell and so I go with that one.

Friday Night Lights - I don't know if it is because I live in West Texas or what but this is my new favorite. It's a really good show that has funny and serious. Just when I think that it is over the top I think back to my own memories of High School and it's not that far off from the characters. In fact, some of them are very similar. It's not all about football. Which is why it is possible for me to like this show even more than Kevin.

Gilmore Girls - Okay, this 7th season is not that great but I am faithful. The first 6 seasons though are really, really good.

Scrubs - You can watch this as much as you want on sindication (along with some other favorites -Friends, Raymond) but the new episodes are good. We watch this one randomly but I never realized how funny this show is. I know Priscilla is watching this right now.

These are what I like the most at this moment in time and I realize that many will say "Where is Lost? 24? The Housewives?Heroes?" Well, I have too much on my plate right now and thanks to TV on DVD I can feel safe knowing that one day I will be able to watch these if I choose.

ADD IN : I wasn't going to put this on here but I might as well admit that I am dabbling in Days of Our Lives again so now it's out there.

Maybe it'll work, maybe not

Well, I have decided that I need a blog that is all about what I like. I already have one about what I like the most - my family, of course. Now I am just going to use this as my personal blog. Maybe I'll keep it up better because it won't have to include pictures or maybe I'll run out of things I like to talk about. Doubt it.