The other day, Matt and I were rehashing our trip to Arizona when he remarked, "You know, your parents are getting kind of old." I've always thought of my parents as young--- yes, they have 3 kids and the oldest is (hah hah older brother) 38- but I've always known them to be spunky and good for some fun. After Matt said this, I got to thinking...
They did seem to spend an awful lot of time sitting at the kitchen table, in hard backed chairs, reading books. This is definitely an old thing to do. My Dad also napped- A LOT. When he wasn't lolling about in hard backed hairs he was deep asleep on the living room couch. We would check him to make sure he was still breathing.
My Mom told me a story about how one of the waitresses at her country club got in trouble for approaching a table full of ladies and saying "So, guys, what's it gonna be today?" I kept waiting for the punchline, where my Mom would make fun of somebody that would ACTUALLY complain about this- only to realize, she had joined the dark side of grumpy old ladies that like to be called Mrs. XYZ when someone takes their order. Holy cow- she's not that far off from wearing pantyhose with her sandals.
My Dad told me he likes to "get up early- around 4:30am, so I have an hour or so to relax." I don't really understand this- what's MORE relaxing than sleeping? He's setting his alarm to get up and relax? Soon he'll be yelling at kids to get off his lawn.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Stomach Trouble
Today is a glorious day--- my kids finally returned to school after the universe's longest winter break. It was comforting to see the other haggard, drooling mothers clutching their little one's hands as they shepherded them into school. I was not the only mother to do a jig in the parking lot after drop off.
With my new freedom, I joined 2 friends at a local pilates class. I've been "doing" pilates at home- with a DVD for a couple of weeks. Nothing, absolutely nothing could have prepared me for what my body experienced today. My DVD is the senior citizen equivalent of justifying putting on your shoes as exercise. Today was the real thing.
Today, my stomach did things I didn't even know it could do. At one point, I just started belly laughing with the ridiculousness of the situation. Then, after I started to laugh, I thought I might puke. I forgot to bring a towel, and I don't have my own mat- so I was a little skeeved out in the beginning of the class about infecting myself with someone else's germs. By the end of the session, my face was mushed into the rubber padding and I was a limp puddle of goo.
This better work.
With my new freedom, I joined 2 friends at a local pilates class. I've been "doing" pilates at home- with a DVD for a couple of weeks. Nothing, absolutely nothing could have prepared me for what my body experienced today. My DVD is the senior citizen equivalent of justifying putting on your shoes as exercise. Today was the real thing.
Today, my stomach did things I didn't even know it could do. At one point, I just started belly laughing with the ridiculousness of the situation. Then, after I started to laugh, I thought I might puke. I forgot to bring a towel, and I don't have my own mat- so I was a little skeeved out in the beginning of the class about infecting myself with someone else's germs. By the end of the session, my face was mushed into the rubber padding and I was a limp puddle of goo.
This better work.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Lunaesta Anyone?
It's 1:30am, and yours truly, can once again, not sleep. I've given up caffeine, I'm trying to be a more mellow person (trying being the operative word) but this *&^& insomnia is still plaguing me. Want to know what I'm doing?
I'm addicted to Dido's song "Christmas Day." Forget that we're well into January. I love me some Dido holiday angst.
I'm totally blown away that Obama has surged past Clinton in the New Hampshire polls. If you haven't read his "Audacity of Hope" you totally should. Right after you read "Eat Pray Love."
I spent 2 hours outside, in 80 degree weather, washing my car with my kid today. There were suds, grease, giggles and horribly unidentifiable crumbs.
Then, we cleaned out the garage, in homage of "big trash day" tomorrow- and found (count em!) SIX dead Texas tree roaches, laying flat on their backs, awaiting my dustpan. Woohoo exterminator!
I just can't figure out how 3 pilates sessions have not reduced my pot belly into a six pack. How many "hundreds" does a girl gotta do to see me some results?
Despite what everyone else said, I enjoyed the movie "Catch and Release." I'm worried I'm turning into a stereotype of myself. This should continue when Annie starts playing soccer in 2 weeks. I will proudly drive up in my Honda minivan, wearing gap jeans, clutching my Starbucks-nonfat-decaf-nofoam-sugarfree-vanilla-latte and dying a little on the inside. I will miss the Saturday mornings spent in our jammies.
I'm addicted to Dido's song "Christmas Day." Forget that we're well into January. I love me some Dido holiday angst.
I'm totally blown away that Obama has surged past Clinton in the New Hampshire polls. If you haven't read his "Audacity of Hope" you totally should. Right after you read "Eat Pray Love."
I spent 2 hours outside, in 80 degree weather, washing my car with my kid today. There were suds, grease, giggles and horribly unidentifiable crumbs.
Then, we cleaned out the garage, in homage of "big trash day" tomorrow- and found (count em!) SIX dead Texas tree roaches, laying flat on their backs, awaiting my dustpan. Woohoo exterminator!
I just can't figure out how 3 pilates sessions have not reduced my pot belly into a six pack. How many "hundreds" does a girl gotta do to see me some results?
Despite what everyone else said, I enjoyed the movie "Catch and Release." I'm worried I'm turning into a stereotype of myself. This should continue when Annie starts playing soccer in 2 weeks. I will proudly drive up in my Honda minivan, wearing gap jeans, clutching my Starbucks-nonfat-decaf-nofoam-sugarfree-vanilla-latte and dying a little on the inside. I will miss the Saturday mornings spent in our jammies.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Cuts Like a Knife
A few years ago, pre-kids, I started taking cooking classes. With a few girlfriends at my work, we would meet in the home ec room of our local high school, drink some wine and cook up something tasty. It was loads of fun- and introduced me to the fun of cooking. Prior to these classes, I had never used a kitchenaid mixer, wrapped fish in parchment paper, knew what tapenade was, made an apple tatin or tasted quinoa. Matt loved my new interest- not only did he get to benefit by tasting my new hobby, it provided him an easy outlet for gift giving.
Matt is an awesome gift giver. He agonizes over it- usually waits until the last minute, and is always afraid I'm going to hate it. I never do. What I love most about his gift giving strategy- is that he usually listens to some offhand remark I'll make in July, and then remember it for a present in December. All a girl wants is to know she's being listened to. One year, he blew our entire Christmas budget on a painting- it was a painting I used to "visit" in the window of a Laguna Beach gallery, and it brought a little California sunshine to a New York city winter. 12 years ago, he gave me my engagement ring- on Christmas morning, at my folks' house. I still drink my morning coffee out of a purple coffee mug he bought me in college 15 years ago. So, he's set the bar pretty high, and this year was no exception.
We've made new friends in Texas, and their family is a bunch of professional chefs. Matt and I are obsessed with Top Chef, and all things chef-related, so we're constantly quizzing them about what it's like to grow up running a restaurant. I've been begging them to teach me the proper way to cut an onion.
Fast forward to this Christmas, and my hubby proudly bestowed me with a knife skills class at a local cooking school and 2 awesome Japanese Shun knives. Today, the family dropped me off at "school" and I finally learned the proper way to cut an onion, dice a tomato, use a mandoline, make oblique cuts on a carrot and fan strawberries. I was in heaven, and better yet- I only needed one bandaid. Matt's not touching these babies until our student loans are paid off.
Matt is an awesome gift giver. He agonizes over it- usually waits until the last minute, and is always afraid I'm going to hate it. I never do. What I love most about his gift giving strategy- is that he usually listens to some offhand remark I'll make in July, and then remember it for a present in December. All a girl wants is to know she's being listened to. One year, he blew our entire Christmas budget on a painting- it was a painting I used to "visit" in the window of a Laguna Beach gallery, and it brought a little California sunshine to a New York city winter. 12 years ago, he gave me my engagement ring- on Christmas morning, at my folks' house. I still drink my morning coffee out of a purple coffee mug he bought me in college 15 years ago. So, he's set the bar pretty high, and this year was no exception.
We've made new friends in Texas, and their family is a bunch of professional chefs. Matt and I are obsessed with Top Chef, and all things chef-related, so we're constantly quizzing them about what it's like to grow up running a restaurant. I've been begging them to teach me the proper way to cut an onion.
Fast forward to this Christmas, and my hubby proudly bestowed me with a knife skills class at a local cooking school and 2 awesome Japanese Shun knives. Today, the family dropped me off at "school" and I finally learned the proper way to cut an onion, dice a tomato, use a mandoline, make oblique cuts on a carrot and fan strawberries. I was in heaven, and better yet- I only needed one bandaid. Matt's not touching these babies until our student loans are paid off.
Seasonal Allergies
Americans do things to the umpteenth degree. If it's the holidays, then by golly, we're going to celebrate- until it almost kills us. The excess- oh the excess- of music, decorations (up before Halloween!) and the food.... the food. Cookie exchanges, work parties, secret Santas, not to mention surviving your own family get together by stuffing your face full. (Did anyone else make the chocolate cream pie on the December cover of Bon Appetit? Oh mes amis, this thing truly rocked).
And then, the calendar turns. January. We swing the other way. Serious dieting. Serious budgeting. Radio stations that used to play holiday music are now touting weight loss pills and credit management. Organizing your closet, cleaning out your car and toning your tummy are the segments I saw on this morning's local news. I actually tried to convince myself that I could see progress in my newly burgeoning pot belly from 2 measly pilates classes. Delusions, I tell you. They can be a dangerous thing.
Only 3.5 more weeks of January, and then we can all focus on being in love- not being in love- am I in love? Hopefully by that point, I can love my pot belly a little less.
And then, the calendar turns. January. We swing the other way. Serious dieting. Serious budgeting. Radio stations that used to play holiday music are now touting weight loss pills and credit management. Organizing your closet, cleaning out your car and toning your tummy are the segments I saw on this morning's local news. I actually tried to convince myself that I could see progress in my newly burgeoning pot belly from 2 measly pilates classes. Delusions, I tell you. They can be a dangerous thing.
Only 3.5 more weeks of January, and then we can all focus on being in love- not being in love- am I in love? Hopefully by that point, I can love my pot belly a little less.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Chewing the Fat
Wow. Did you guys see the news about Britney Spears being under a 72 hour lockdown at a hospital? Every morning, when I see the news about her recent developments- I can't help but wonder- what the hell happened to her? She's like something out of a Jackie Collins novel.... and shows the nasty side of fame and fortune. Yesterday at Target, Annie found some Hannah Montana piece-of-crap and was begging me for it, and I had to stop and think "is Hannah preggers? Does she take drugs? Does she dress like a stripper?" Luckily, I was able to distract her with some 75% off Winnie the Pooh stuff.
It just goes to show how crazy Hollywood is. Britney is under a 72-hour evaluation for refusing to give her kid to her husband. She willingly locked herself in a bathroom with her kid, and wouldn't give him up. On the other hand, I have not been alone in a bathroom for 4 years, and would welcome a 72 hour stay at Cedars Sinai as a welcome respite. Hollywood, you silly fools.
In other news, I'm down 1.6 lbs from my holiday fat fest, and I've become completely obsessed with sparkpeople. I love, love entering in what I eat- and having it calculate out for me the rest of my daily intake. Who the hell knew that an innocent salami sandwich for lunch could give you the daily fat intake of a small village?
We're not too good at calculating that stuff, folks. The other night, Matt and I were talking about what to have for dinner- and he suggests:
"How about that nice light salad- the one with the tomato and basil?"
I reply with a guffaw of laughter:
"You mean a caprese salad? THAT'S 1LB OF CHEESE!"
Sigh. We've got some work to do.
It just goes to show how crazy Hollywood is. Britney is under a 72-hour evaluation for refusing to give her kid to her husband. She willingly locked herself in a bathroom with her kid, and wouldn't give him up. On the other hand, I have not been alone in a bathroom for 4 years, and would welcome a 72 hour stay at Cedars Sinai as a welcome respite. Hollywood, you silly fools.
In other news, I'm down 1.6 lbs from my holiday fat fest, and I've become completely obsessed with sparkpeople. I love, love entering in what I eat- and having it calculate out for me the rest of my daily intake. Who the hell knew that an innocent salami sandwich for lunch could give you the daily fat intake of a small village?
We're not too good at calculating that stuff, folks. The other night, Matt and I were talking about what to have for dinner- and he suggests:
"How about that nice light salad- the one with the tomato and basil?"
I reply with a guffaw of laughter:
"You mean a caprese salad? THAT'S 1LB OF CHEESE!"
Sigh. We've got some work to do.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Cleaning Up
It's January. I love January. As a kid, it's really the worst month of all- but as an adult- after all of the wrapping paper, decorations, holiday food, disrupted sleep schedules, party after party and gobs of cloying music- it's nice to take a deep breath and enjoy the simplicity of the new year.
We had a quick playdate this morning, then headed home to restore peace and order to our trashed house. This will take some time- and I've only got a few months before my garbage starts going in boxes, so I have to get a move on (pardon the pun).
I'm getting myself back in order too--- I've got a friend joining me for pilates next Wednesday, and I'm heading off to the gym this afternoon. I'm even toying with the idea of joining Weight Watchers (which Matt, if you're reading this- I know you think is a waste of money) but 2 of my friends this morning absolutely swear by it, and want me to join them. We'll see.
In any event- I wish you the happiest, and healthiest of new years- can you frickin' believe it's 2008 already? Mind blowing.
We had a quick playdate this morning, then headed home to restore peace and order to our trashed house. This will take some time- and I've only got a few months before my garbage starts going in boxes, so I have to get a move on (pardon the pun).
I'm getting myself back in order too--- I've got a friend joining me for pilates next Wednesday, and I'm heading off to the gym this afternoon. I'm even toying with the idea of joining Weight Watchers (which Matt, if you're reading this- I know you think is a waste of money) but 2 of my friends this morning absolutely swear by it, and want me to join them. We'll see.
In any event- I wish you the happiest, and healthiest of new years- can you frickin' believe it's 2008 already? Mind blowing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)