My Weekend

New Ringtone
I used to have Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" as my default ringtone on my cell phone, but now, I have the theme from one of my favorite television shows, The Office. I look forward to my phone ringing.

Raised Flower Bed
We worked very hard on landscaping this weekend. I would post a picture but it won't be complete until the spring when we fill it with soil. We plan on using our fall leaves to get it all healthy for the spring planting. We placed 60 edging stones and it looks lovely. It will be a raised bed where we plan to really get green thumbs.

More TV Love
We watched the first two discs of Heroes, Season One. I love it. I knew I would but I just couldn't commit to watching it every week. I can commit to The Office because if I miss something, I won't be far behind the story.

Christmas Present
I purchased my first present for the Christmas season. I have a grand plan. I want to be finished with Christmas shopping by December 1. My other goal is to buy 80% of my Christmas gifts online and not enter a single mall. When I purchase gifts, I am going to ask, "What will this person REALLY enjoy?" Giving gifts is a tricky thing. I feel like as a 31 year old woman, I do not really need to receive presents, but I love to give presents. Tim and I do not exchange Christmas, Valentines, or anniversary presents. You get to a certain age and realize that if you want something, you go and buy it. However, that is the challenge of gift giving...I want to buy things that people have not thought of buying for themselves, but they will love it just the same.

Mixed CDs
I get big joy out of mixing CDs for friends. I mixed four CDs. I like to have a theme for each disk that is specially chosen for the receiver of the CD. The four themes follow...
- 80's songs that are underappreciated
- songs that you should know
- songs I am loving right now
- songs to work out to

Three out of four of those these are kind of bossy.

More Than a Phone?

Sometimes I feel old.

I was in the Verizon Wireless store after school. My phone had served me well for over two years but was no longer holding a charge. It was time for my upgrade.

Like any trip to the cell phone store, it takes FOREVER to get something accomplished. I just wanted a phone. Instead, I had to sign in at the kiosk for service. Then, I waited for about 25 minutes even though my name was first. Everyone must have been on break.

Then, my name was called. A woman told me about the phones that would be a good fit. She told me, "I am going to let this all sink in and I'll be right back with you."

I knew this to be a lie. I knew she would help another customer and it would be another 40 minutes before I saw her again.

Yep. She helped a woman who must have been signing her life away because it took FOREVER for her business to be finished. So long, in fact, that I was able to observe two fourteen year oldish girls walk from cell phone to cell phone and have the same conversation over and over. It went something like this...

Girl 1: Do you like this phone?
Girl 2: Do you like this phone?
Girl 1: It's okay if you like this phone.
Girl 2: Do you like this phone?
Girl 1: No. I just don't get this phone.

Really. Over and over they would discuss if they liked each phone. Am I missing something? What is there to like? It dials. It rings. It opens. I know there is a whole world of texting out there that I have been able to avoid on a daily basis, but I had a hard time thinking about a connection in my own 14 year old world.

I guess I would have to say that my telephone that was plugged into my wall in my bedroom would have been as important as these girls' cell phones. Granted, I did not have long discussions about whether that phone was good enough. I just felt old and grateful that I was not 14 years old.

Finally, another Verizon person came to the counter and I got my phone.

We'll See in the Spring

I am having low gardener self-esteem. I tried my best to split some hostas in my yard. I had this space that was all cleaned out and needed something. I have so many healthy hostas, I thought I would share the hosta love. However, they are pretty wilty. I am treating them very well with lots of water.

I also planted some bulbs for the spring because they are some of my favorites. Hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips will bloom. This weekend, we have big landscaping plans because we are going to build a raised flower bed using edging stones. We are going to fill it with soil and compost to prepare it for the spring when we will split some more hostas and will add some more perennials.

Bothered

On Friday night, we went to my favorite Thai restaurant. I was looking forward to an evening with Tim since our week was pretty hectic. We could just have a nice evening where we could just talk. However, it wasn't in the cards.

Instead, we had this guy (roll of the eyes) who was sitting next to us. Let me describe him for you. He laughed in a LOUD high-pitched cackle. He ate his food and many, many pieces of it fell out of his mouth when he ate. Some of it got caught in his very hair beard.

I should have been concentrating on my husband, but I couldn't. I just couldn't. I sound judgemental. I am judgemental. I judge those who make eating at a restaurant unbearable. It wasn't just me that was uncomfortable with this guy because the couple on the other side of us were bothered.

I wish I could be the type of person who can ignore others when they are without any self-awareness, but I can't. Never have been.

At Least I Tried

Hmmm...What should I write about? I do not feel like I have anything going on. Okay. Let's do one of those random type posts. Let's do what I am diggin' right now.

Weeds. I love that show. It is not heavy duty, just some funny weed selling in the 'burbs. Like I have written/complained about before, I hate when I run out of DVDs before they have more seasons out. I am left just wanting more.

The Biggest Loser. I have never watched this reality show before, but before I knew it, I was hooked. I think it is really inspiring, but I wish people didn't get kicked off. I want them all to lose and get an opportunity to do that...but they do. They'll get to keep working on it at home like the rest of us chuckleheads.

Chili. It is hot, spicy, and so yummers. Granted, it has those magic beans, but I can handle it. I have had leftover chili for two nights in a row with a dollop of sour cream on it. De-lish.

Fall. I am getting the first feelings of fall with the cool morning and evenings. I have broken out the hot cocoa and the jean jacket. As a kindergarten teacher, my calendar is based on seasonal themes...apples, leaves, pumpkins...Do people not entrenched in fall themes get into it as I do? However, I am dreading the leaves in my backyard. Oh well, I will look at it as exercise.

31 Years

Well, it is that time of the year again. I like to take my birthday to be reflective and all about me. I blame my mother. Not only did she bring me into this world, but she threw great birthday parties for me.

At 31, I know that I lead a quieter life than most. I do not go out on the town that much. I prefer to be at home with Tim. Rather than go out to eat on Saturday nights, I like to spend the late afternoon cooking something yummy for us and always with a dessert. Friday nights are even quieter with our ritual leftovers from the week and some television.

At 31, I am doing the job that I love to do. I am exhausted each day, but I leave knowing that I have put my all into those kindergarteners. Each day, I stop and get my coffee, drive to work while I listen to the news, and start my day with emails to friends.

At 31, I have a great relationship with my family. They've always respected my choices and my voice. No matter where I move or how far I am from the midwest, I keep those ties tight.

At 31, I have come to understand that you do not need friends less and less as we grow, but more and more. Thankfully, I have found friends who know this is true.

At 31, I am living with the funniest person that I know who accepts me for exactly who I am and never asks for me to change.

Welcome Leah Renee

Tim and I became an aunt and uncle for the first time on Friday, September 7, 2007.

Congratulations to Joe and Ellie!
Welcome Leah Renee! I can't wait to hug on you.

Heartbreak List

Using the beloved itunes and ipod, I listen to two podcasts a week. I listen to Car Talk and This American Life. They are free on itunes and bring much joy, reflection, and humor to my life while I clean the kitchen, drive to Ikea, or participate in general life activities.

I listened to a particularly connective episode of This American Life this weekend. It was from last week and it was titled Break Up.

It has been awhile since I went through a break up, let alone one where I was being dumped, yet this topic hooked me.

Like all episodes of This American Life, there are several stories throughout the hour, but Starlee Kine's tale of heartbreak hit a nerve. She tells about her relationship with "Anthony", the corniest relationship she ever had. The kind where they talked for hours, listened to hours of music...corny music too...and to make it even more corny, he dumped her on New Year's Eve. She tells about how they listened to a lot of Phil Collins during their relationship. At first, it was an ironic-lark kind of thing, but then they found a true appreciation for Phil Collins.

Starlee talks about love songs and more specifically, break-up songs. I don't have much use for them anymore, but I do like them because they are just so darn sad. When I was broken up with once, all I did was listen to sad songs and would search out the saddest song I could find. My friend Janelle was really into this past time. When we were in junior high, we'd talk about how it was better to be in the depths of despair than content. Man, I am glad I am not 15 again.

After the break-up, Starlee turned to music. Well, I don't want to tell the story because she tells it so much better. Listen to it here.

So, in honor last week's This American Life, I will share my top ten Break-Up Songs! Feel free to add to the list. There are just too many to have just ten. And don't be surprised if there are some deliciously guilty pleasures on this list.

1. You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette
2. Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers
3. Somebody's Crying by Chris Isaak
4. I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You by Colin Hay
5. With or Without You by U2
6. Bell Bottom Blues by Eric Clapton
7. Dreaming With a Broken Heart by John Mayer
8. Can't Let Go by Lucinda Williams
9. Against All Odds by Phil Collins
10. You Were Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson
    

Midwestern Observation

Either I wasn't paying attention or this is a new phenomenon, but it seems that most cars have some sort of decal decoration in their back window or on their bumper stickers. I am sure that back in the day, we couldn't derive that much information from a person's car.

Maybe we could assume if they were a clean person or a dirty person by the dirt on their car, but now, I could do a reasonable character assessment based upon their many, many decals.

I decided to keep track of the decals, license plate covers, and bumper stickers in just one day and I was able to learn that people feel the need to let all of us other drivers that they...

• are an Army Wife.
• are paying tuition at many, many colleges.
• use Apple computers.
• love the Dave Matthews Band.
• have been on some great vacations.
• have a child who is an honor student.
• hate some brands of cars...this one is because some little cartoon is urinating on the brand.
• support a variety of causes that range from Autism awareness to Supporting our Troops.
• are Democrats.
• are Republicans.
• are soccer moms.
  
• love Jesus.
• want to impeach Bush.
  
• are Evolutionists.
• love the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, Flyers.
• miss Dale Earnhart.

I am sure if I continued my unscientific observation for longer than one weekend, I could come up with some more details of these drivers' lives, but I will just be amused at their attempts to add to their identity through car decals.

Weekend Update (a week late)

Let me get you up-to-date...it has been awhile.

Sara came to visit me and we had quite a weekend. Our first stop was at the Jersey Shore. I was told that I could anticipate crowds and traffic. I guess it is something that a person has to put up with on Labor Day weekend. However, we had NO traffic and NO crowds. As you can see from the picture, the beach was clean and quiet. Usually, I fear water that is not inside a swimming pool, but I was brave and ventured into the ocean. I think I need swimming shoes because I hate the bottom mystery sludge.

Of course, my newest tourist stop for visitors is Amish country in Lancaster County. We went to a town called Intercourse, Pennsylvania where Sara couldn't resist posing with this t-shirt. We took a buggy ride around the country side, enjoyed some homemade root beer that was sold to us by a young Amish girl, and ate delicious soft pretzels.


We ended the weekend in Philadelphia at World Cafe Live where we had dinner before we saw Mark Olson. He was the lead singer in a band called The Jayhawks. It was great and that is no surprise. The band that opened for Mark Olson was not that great, but we tolerated it to get to the reason we were there.

Election 2008 Post #1

I am so annoyed that Fred Thompson has decided to run for President. Sure, anyone can do it, but I do not like having the possibility of having him as President. Another gray haired suited white man. I watched Fred on television today as he stumped in Iowa and the man is not dynamic. I get the feeling that he thinks this is going to be easy.