My Fingers Hurt

Why, you might ask?

Because I've been playing the guitar and ukulele for the past hour and a half. I'm no virtuoso by any means. Actually, it's kind of deafening to hear me play at times. I've been inspired by my husband, who has recently picked up guitar playing again. He's light years better than me. I used to play quite often, but then I got bored with it (as I do with many hobbies from time to time), and then my brother borrowed my guitar and left it at a friend's house, never to be seen again (but that's another story), and so I quit for awhile.

I can see this being something I could get back into, though. It's a whole lot of fun, and Livers really likes it, too. You know that people have been playing a lot of guitar around a baby if she actually can say AND identify a pick and a capo.

J and I actually had a little jam session to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Yes, I know that it's mildly ironic given the blog name, and yes, I also know that "jamming" to this song makes us totally lame and the most uncool parents ever, but we've always enjoyed that lovable fat Hawaiian guy's version of it and it's really easy to play, so shut up :)

This is Israel Kamakawiwo 'ole, otherwise known as IZ. (P.S. If you ever get the chance, listen to his album "Facing Future". I swear you'll enjoy it. They played it EVERYWHERE when we were in Hawaii, and when I hear it, it's like taking a mini-vacation.)

Anyway, I might be off to bed now. I completely ignored the productive and fun things I'd had planned for my evening, which sucks given I had lots of time tonight to get it done because Miss Cranky Cheeks went to bed a little early tonight.

Tomorrow is another day.

Wordless Wednesday - A Tribute to Hitchcock's "The Birds"

I will be chronicling my beach trip via Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta, but I will give you a small preview though a (semi) Wordless Wednesday post. These pictures are of laughing gulls. My friends and I were feeding them leftover crackers and snacks, and the pelican in Finding Nemo is quite right, sea gulls truly are rats with wings.

Seriously thought I was going to be attacked when I looked up from my camera and realized just how close this bird was. They were JONESING for some cheese crackers.

My friend's daughter was bound and determined she was going to catch one in her bucket.

Livers just wanted to chase the sea gulls.

To view other Wordless Wednesday participants, click HERE!

Duck, Duck, Goose!

While on vacation I got tagged by Maternal Mirth for a meme: Six UN-Spectacular Things About Me.

All I can think about is, "I can only list SIX?!?" There are quite a number of un-spectacular things about me, but I'll try to be stick to the rules.

Speaking of rules...

1. Link the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged

This has to be one of the simpler memes that I've seen. Works for me, because I'm still ridiculously braindead from vacation. At least as far as blogging, housework, childrearing, and conversation are concerned.

Here I go, 6 out of 24902 un-spectacular things about yours truly:

1. In order to get the opportunity to be a SAHM, I had to quit work (duh). In order to quit work, I had to break my contract at work. Due to said breakage I was not allowed to teach in my state for a year because my teaching license was suspended. Boo freaking hoo, I don't like high school kids anyway.
2. I am a recycling maniac, much to the chagrin of my husband. The place where we vacationed did not do recycling, so everything was thrown away. It caused me great mental anguish to throw things away that I knew could easily be recycled.
3. Every time I hear the k.d. lang song "Constant Craving" I am immediately reminded of fall (October specifically) and get really happy. I hate the summer.
4. During my first trimester while pregnant with Livers I had major smell aversions. It started by reheating broccoli. I got to where I couldn't stand the smell of my dogs' breath or even my husband (poor understanding man). Also, for weeks at a time there was something in the kitchen that made me really nauseous whenever I'd walk in, and I never figured out what it was. No rotting meat, no piles of trash, nothing spoiled in the fridge. I probably spent at least $50 on air fresheners to get rid of the phantom smell but never did.
5. When the time comes to get back into the paid workforce, I would like to be a professional organizer. Anyone know how I would go about doing that?
6. Though capable of being an outgoing person, especially once I get to know you and am comfortable letting it all hang out around you, I am an introvert at heart. After social interactions I will often replay what happened in my head to determine just how much of an idiot or a douchebag I came off to be. My husband knows this about me and still will point out situations that probably came off badly to the other person once we've left.

I hope you've enjoyed a glimpse of my unspectacularness. In the spirit of the meme, I tag the following:

1. John Deere Mom
2. Tiaras and Tantrums
3. And Baby Will Make 4
4. Hippie Family Hanging Around...
5. Apple Joos
6. Ravings of a Mad Housewife

I'm surprised I got around to this (no offense, M&M), so I'll understand if you don't, either.

Regular blogging will recommence soon. I have approximately 900 pictures that chronicled the vay-cay, so those are forthcoming (not all, I promise). I haven't forgotten my award, either. I will be on it like white on rice in the coming days, I swear!

Peas.

The (Girl) is Back in Town

I have returned from my much needed, pseudo-relaxing vacation. (How relaxing can it REALLY be if you have to keep your 19-month-old out of the ocean/trash/toilet/light sockets/touch tanks at an aquarium?) When I have decompressed from my time at the shore I will return to active blogging.

First I need to shift through 512 blog posts in my Google Reader. I kid you not.

Hope you missed me! ;)

Just a Few Things...

I'm practically brain-dead from running around all day getting ready for the beach, so this might be pretty incoherent.

First, the next two weeks editions of Sunday Celebrity Synopsis have been postponed due to a much needed beach vacation. Normal celebrity coverage will resume on August 10th unless I am able to quickly recover from my travels and get one in on the 3rd.

Second, seeing as I will be on vacation, there's a pretty good chance I'll be blog-MIA for the next week, depending on if where we're staying has internet or is close to a Starbucks. Don't bother stealing my stuff; I have friends house and dog sitting ;)

Thirdly and finally, I won an award! Thank you Tiaras and Tantrums for bestowing on me the Arte y Pico Award. I will share the blog love when I return to my senses after vacation. Thanks so much, Ms. T! I am very honored :)

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week in my absence! I'll return with pictures and presents!

Question: What happens when you go to Wally World at 9 PM?

Answer: You hit a dumbass deer on your way home.

I'm fine. Livers is fine. But my nerves are a wee bit shot.

We were within half a mile of our house, driving the speed limit (35 mph), and I wasn't distracted by a radio, phone, or screaming baby. Out of nowhere comes a decent sized doe, and I slammed on my brakes, gritted my teeth, and hoped for the best. The thud that comes with hitting an animal of that size is enough to send one to tears. Upon impact she was knocked a good twenty feet ahead of my car and was skittering on the ground, hind legs dragging a bit. I kept waiting for her to go down, but luckily she must have come to her senses and she stood up and ran into the woods.

There was a person behind me during all of this, but he thankfully wasn't tailgating. However he was a jerk who didn't even bother to stop. It's not like he could've missed me hit the thing. As I was pulling on the side of the road my mom called. It's a good thing she waited, or I really could've been in trouble. I told her what happened and she got worried. She asked if I needed my dad to come get me, and I told her no but I wanted to see what my car looked like. I got out of the car to assess the damage and she'd left a decent dent on the right of the bumper, and there were a couple of cracks and missing pieces of plastic. It could've been a lot worse.

The car drove fine home, and everyone was safe. I think what really made me mad was that my relatively unblemished car isn't her silver perfection anymore. I don't know yet if it's worth repairing, though. We'll see what the light of morning brings.

Stupid Bambi.

My T-Shirt Would Read: "I ignored my family and myself and all I got was this stupid blog"

I've been a bit less prolific of a blogger these past few days. This is partly because I've been pretty busy, have been spending some much needed time with J, and have been spending my evenings actually crafting and catching up on me projects. I've also let my blog take over my life and have felt a need to step back a little bit.

This is probably a good thing, because you really don't want to read a post that was written just so that I'd have something new. I guarantee it would probably be boring, and you, my valued readers, deserve better. (And so does my sanity.) Writing on my blog fills a very important void in my life. I'm able to get down thoughts that I've had and get feedback on them. I'm able to record some of my family's and my life for posterity. I'm able to get mental release. However, I have been ignoring some of the other parts of my life by doing this, and it's not fair to them to be ignored.

My new plan is to try to write more meaningful, thoughtful, and poignant posts. Sure, there will definitely be picture posts, because frankly I love me some pictures (and have a new camera to break in--hip hop hooray!). I'll also probably have some dumb and occasionally boring ones thrown in, because hey, I'm human. I just need to make sure that all of my interests get their fair share in my life.

With that said, here's what I've been doing with myself since I've been "absent":

1. Keeping up with my Livers journal. I've had one since she was a newborn. It started out as one of those "eats, pees, poops" sort of things they give breastfeeding moms to make sure their baby is fairing well, but over time it has become this big chronicle of Livers' milestones and cute happenings. My husband will roll his eyes at it sometimes, because he thinks it's excessive (and obsessive), but I know this will help when I have another child so I can have some sort of idea of what to expect, and I love going back and reminiscing over the steps that we've taken together. I know it'll be a great thing for Livers to read when she's older (and a nice guide for her if she takes the path to motherhood).
2. Scrapbooking. I really need to pick up the slack here, because I have dug my self a huge hole of ideas to get out of. It's a good thing I like it. Here's the last project:
3. Learning to sew. I've "made" two things. The first is a "quilt square". I use this term loosely, because I completely winged it. I didn't properly measure anything, and I had no idea how to edge it, but considering my lack of expertise it turned out darn good. I hope to actually learn to quilt, because I am really finding this fun. I also made Livers a hooded towel. It took like fifteen minutes. Tops. I might make these for expectant mother friends in the future, because they're super easy to make and so useful. Here's my work: front of my "quilt square" (term used loosely due to general suckiness) back of said "square" Livers modeling my handiwork. All pictures would've been much cuter if she would just sit still.
   
4. Spending time with J. If your husband starts to feel second string to your blog, then you have a problem, so I'm going to have to work on this. We watched Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay the other night. I love a good sophomoric comedy!
5. Pretending to prepare for the beach. If shopping counts. Gotta crack down on this real soon.

That's pretty much it. I'm off to watch some Sesame Street with Livers. We were shopping all day, which means no nap, which could spell disaster...for me.