lxforever

August had never been my favorite. August is when school used to start, when cicadas start buzzing like a harbinger of doom, the month of Sundays that slams the door shut on carefree summer days. August was when we had a cancer scare with Jeff, and then reality with my Dad, and when you finally have to admit all good things must come to an end. August used to suck.

But then this August, our second daughter arrived, and changed it all. The cicadas sing a song of new life; the humidity wraps us in a cocoon that’s just our evolving family; the school buses remind us that our two daughters will grow, grow, grow. And that’s only a good thing.

Welcome, August. Welcome, baby girl.

WHOA. Almost 6 months since the last post…that is PRETTY sad. Wow.

Sorry guys. Anyway…I came here to write a post on my grandparents’ house and the sale of it, but first a quick rundown of randomness.

1. OLYMPIC/election year! I gotta say I have less fervor for it this year. One is I’m sort of afraid that this Olympics is going to be a disaster (um, Rio?)(except YAY gymnastics/Simone!), two is that I KNOW this election will be a disaster. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the first female president will be quite amazing but…not feeling the FEELS, as ‘they’ say, for this one. Plus…the blatant hate for the marginalized and the worship/promotion of white privilege that the ‘Republican’ party has become makes me so, so, so, so sad. I just can’t imagine wanting others to suffer so much.

2. Brings me to BlackLivesMatter and the horrible, horrible things that have been happening to black people in this country at the hands of law enforcement (and then the things that are happening to them, too – don’t get me wrong). I mean – I know this has probably been happening, and in worse ways, my whole life, but the Philando Castile murder really took it so far and so close to home. Again – it makes me incredibly sad that this is how things work. And that we can’t figure out how to make it better. (And yet…somehow……..it will. We can all make it better. I hope.) No one should be stopped and shot for no reason. OK I can’t say any of this right so I’ll stop.

3. Part of the reason this BLOG has been basically suspended is that I really don’t feel like I can write about my personal life anymore (as I’ve said) – I have too much responsibility to the people in my life to do this that way. I suppose I could start a secret blog with code names, and then I could do more EOTD stuff, which I LOVE, but…let’s face it, I can’t even keep up with this ‘real’ blog. Ha. So…

4. That said everyone is in good shape around these parts. After several months/years(?) of this not being true, let it be known that we do NOT take this for granted. We are grateful, grateful, grateful. And happy. And about to grow, if all goes well.

5. On that note, let’s make this a FRIDAY FIVE: I LOVE THE HEAT! I know it’s crazy but there is something so invigorating and shocking about this weather and all that it gives us in terms of pool time :). I vividly remember being young and super skinny and ONLY liking the pool on 90+ degree days (but suffering it otherwise on others), now that I’m no longer that fat-less, I don’t NEED 90+ degrees but my preschooler does and I don’t mind it one bit. Bring on triple digits.

And on THAT note…taking the afternoon off to go to the pool, methinks. Happy Friday!

Not really, however. There is no time and January is almost over. But I didn’t want to let my fans down! Here is a list of FRIDAY FIVE mysterious things:

1. Have a horrible cold one of many to go and come.
2. 2016 is auspicious.
3. The Nighty Night mouthguard.
4. The half-eaten toddler sandwich.
5. Nothing else. Must leave now.

“Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way
I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried
I’ve had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way”

—Frank Sinatra, My Way

“If you don’t make the choice / And you don’t use your voice / Someone else will speak for you instead”

—Madonna, Iconic

“Sometimes the light’s all shinin’ on me / Other times I can barely see. / Lately it occurs to me / What a long, strange trip it’s been.”

—Grateful Dead, Truckin’

“You were really hot, man. I was looking at pictures from 2007 and I really nailed it, getting you.”

—Jeff, 12/31/15….?????

Someone I know of (that is, not know, but went to school with and hear of) is putting her 30something husband into hospice this week after 2 years dealing with stage 4 colon cancer. Horrible.

That is not something I see in my near future, and so for that reason, I think 2015 has been pretty great.

However, scares are scares, so if you ask someone else, they might say 2015 was not their favorite for this household.

I guess I’m choosing to look on the bright side?

2015 was a very strange year. A very good year, if you ask me (see above), because all of the challenges it presented were knocked down and blows taken and moved on. Still, I get why it’s not some people’s favorite. It was basically unpredictable.

The idea for 2015 was to KEEP IMPROVING. I did this. I did this well. And I think I did this in a lot of areas…including in my family/personal life, which is honestly what matters most to me. I’m happy about that.

The idea for 2016, I think, will be LESS IS MORE…except, given how 2015 started, I don’t know what to expect for next year. Onward and upward?

Anyway, given work/life privacy concerns, I can’t write a ton more, so here are a few things that come to mind.

Fancypants NYC hotel doing something totally big and new for me all on my own. Hospital cot by the windows in the cold in Kmart bedazzled sweatpants. Rats and furnace and recovery and doldrums. Two weeks at home convalescing just the three of us. Work uncertainty and challenging the order, also known as ‘kicking the door down’. Lisa’s wedding. Clear scans over and over. Still some health struggles that we can’t nail down. A stronger and more beloved marriage than ever before. A toddler singing and speaking and playing imaginary play and riding amusement park rides. Fantastic Florence, best meal and evening ever in Venice, a mini-apartment with even more adventures in Rome. Healing. A friend’s nearly parallel struggles—health is just a golden ring sometimes. Taking pages of medical notes in a little red graph book. Swimming in the hot hot sun all alone with toddler and being goofy. Riding my (new!) bike over a bridge while watching fireworks explode over the city on the 4th. Throwing a gutsy, action-loving toddler into a cannonball into the water. Setting up a tiny dollhouse Christmas Eve. Toasting on the couch the 3 of us at 9pm for the ‘new year’.

The world beyond: still continues to disappoint. I wish I had something eloquent to say about the injustices so many nonwhite people in this country face, but…I’m at a loss. It’s all a loss. And I don’t know what I’m doing to help.

Resolutions: I WAS more conscious of phone use, however now (thanks to Jeff!) I have a sweet new rose gold phone so that may be falling for the moment. I did NOT EVER go to open gym, perhaps I am truly retired for real now.

2016: LESS IS MORE. Less getting wrapped up in GTD, more being where I am. And stick to the manifesto/mantra. (And OLYMPICS and Hillary! Etc.)

16 minutes to go. Not bad, self. Here’s to health, above all, in 2016, and happiness. I’m lucky to say that the luck of good health has made me extra happy this year. Rejoice and good night.

CORRECTIONS:

*mice not rats

**brass ring not gold. Whoops. Olympic year and all I guess. 

“The two most joyous times of the year are Christmas morning and the end of school.”

—Alice Cooper (legit)

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

—Luke 2:14, and extra legit during this tumultuous year for the world at large

time 11:51 pm feeling starving and happy wearing Christmas pajamas and cozy new socks listening to Borderlands guns and inSPYrational music via Jeff ready for wheat chex and bed next see previous

Nine minutes to make this all happen. 18 years of Xmas Eve update though means THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Gotta be honest, I’ve got nearly nothing today. As Jeff said, the blog is basically dying. I can assure you though I am not. Nor is anyone else in my family (well, faster than any of the rest of us, that is), and it’s KIND OF A BIG DEAL to say that this year. So. Thanks, Universe!

But seriously thankful for that.

In fact, SOME people in my family are actively NOT dying, AFAIK, currently. Put THAT in your back pocket!

Anyway. Obviously it is WAY TOO LATE and I am way too punchy to be doing something sweet and graceful and grateful and nice. Jeff is playing the Christmasified version of Borderlands and it’s super sweet. Gingerbread houses and Christmas trees everywhere. I love that they did that! Today was another great day of family brunch, family video game store visit, family GTP visit and then GTD-during-nap followed by wonderful evening of MORE family, lasagna, and presents. TOYS! OMG so fun having a toddler at Christmas! Lots and lots of fun. Lucky are we. And tomorrow (and the next day!) the fun continues.

And the next??

We can only hope to be so lucky.

I’d say more but I’m too damn tired (in a good way). MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, and TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!

….oops.

Happy November! 🙂

“Don’t whistle.” “Why?” “It’s obnoxious.” “I’m gonna whistle a LOT.”

—our trip

One entry a month, eh? What do you guys think?

Anyway this month has been pretty sweet in multiple ways. We took an amazing trip that was sorely needed after the craziness of this year, I turned 34 and it was a great day, and it’s been gorgeous weather. I attended a work conference and kicked butt at it. We also went to THE FAIR a lot and it was FANTASTIC! SO! All in all good.

However this week is off to a miserable start (mostly in our jobs) so that is not ideal. It’s just…a lot, to do all we do, which I know isn’t a lot by a lot of standards, but. After a trip where you just slow down and enjoy life…it FEELS like a lot. Basically, though I am grateful to have my job and I enjoy it…working life is for SUCKAS.

Yet here we are. (“Here we are, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why.” -Vonnegut)

I’ve also been reading a lot of good books and that has been great!

34…pretty good number. I’m not super concerned about it. I am catching up and that seems good.

So…that is about that, for now. I really just wish the three of us could hang out all day doing whatever. But that’s just not reality!

Back to it.

“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? / Why don’t you tell me who’s on the phone? / Why don’t you ask him what’s going on? / Why don’t you ask him who’s the latest on his throne? / Don’t say that you love me! / Just tell me that you want me!”

—Fleetwood Mac, Tusk…still obsessed

So it doesn’t actually really mean goodbye, and so far I am have an excellent August (um, FINGERS CROSSED, this month is Evil), but that was the subject line of an email from daycare and it struck me as particularly poignant. I really enjoyed my cousin Michael’s latest blog entry and especially his ruminating on leadership. Not surprising that we feel comfortable and skilled in similar sorts of situations, I think. But the whole point being…I just wanted to say that. I just wanted to. Or whatever.

Nationals! Kind of crazy that you can watch Gabby and be like, hey she is quite good, then watch Simone and you’re like WOW SHE IS AMAZING. Like is she even human?! Love amazing athletes like that. They just blow your mind.

This has been a very troubling summer/year on the whole for many parts of America and especially with regard to racial disparity and treatment from the police force. So much has been sickening and scary and it makes me wonder what country we live in that some of these things can happen here. There is so much to be changed there, and I’m pretty far removed from it, but it’s been on my mind.

We had a crazy wonderful cousins weekend in Madison, and by cousins I mean MY kiddo, and my nephews and niece, as cousins. It’s so so cool to watch them all grow together and play together and be together. I only wish they got that more (thanks too to the show Parenthood for making me wish that even harder!). But still. Good good.

That’s about all I got for now. Not really the drama-rama nostalgia weirdness I was hoping for, but, you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit! BOOM! Happy August.

July. Almost out the door.

FRIDAY FIVE!
1. 2-year-olds are awesome.
2. I work with cool people.
3. I really like our house!
4. I REALLY like the pool (nb: not ours, a local one I go to in summer)
5. I LOVE SUMMER!

Alright well…sorry gotta eat yogurt then bounce.

Well well well. What have we here. An update?!

But seriously. It is now the 6th of July and I am back at work. I was extremely crabby about it this morning, as I am after any long, amazing weekend, but as usual as the day went on…it wore off. I have a good job.

As Jeff said, “this was my favorite Fourth of July EVER!” and it was. THE RUNDOWN, loosely, edited for INTERNET PRIVACY CONCERNS:

THURSDAY we started it off right with dinner out (Toddler at her grandma’s), at Ginger Hop. Excellent food, service and drink. Even better company. We were happy as clams and went home to Hang Out.

FRIDAY I got up and intended to go to work…then didn’t. HA! Took the day off instead!!! Jeff worked out, I took a looooong bike ride (super-mini-Grand-Rounds) which was gorgeous and I was FAST (but suuuuuper tired out whew!), then we met up again at home. Then off to get smoothies EXCEPT! Jeff saw Black Sheep on Eat Street and we went THERE instead. YEAH!!! A wonderful table at the open window/wall on the street. Beer iced tea and pizza. A most excellent lunch date! We then tooled around and did some shopping, up in the Roseville ‘hood. THEN I met Diana at Sandcastle!!! We had wonderful beachside food and decided we were not dumb, but other people were. Among other things. LOL. Home and more hanging out. YAY! Grilled cheese. G&Ts. etc. Wonderful.

SATURDAY we slept in, then Toddler was returned to us….biiiiiiig hugs and HOORAY!!! HOORAY! We played and played, then loaded up the bike/trailer with Toddler, snacks, etc. Off to the splashpad/playground!! It was glorious. The water was icy but Toddler couldn’t get enough. Lots of ‘jumping’. Awwwww.

We finally packed up and headed home for a quick lunch followed by Jeff doing yardwork/me napping/Toddler napping, followed by special trip to Target for Jeff/Toddler for ‘cake? cake?’ and me working out a bit, and then….setting up the yard for SUPER FUN TIMES ahead. I was really excited. I got it set up just so, the sprinkler, the wading pool, the refreshments, the water toys, etc. It was like a wonderful little party…for 3.

My family came home and we got to hangin’. We just played played played outside and Jeff grilled and we all ate good food. “Is it nummy?” Haha. Contentment. Happiness. Silliness. Joy. Soon it was nearing 9pm so it was time to go in. Showers and books and bed for Toddler, then I went out to find myself some fireworks. Put lights on the bike and SCORE! Saw some as I biked up the Bloomington Ave hill. Amazing moment. Saw more at the big park, too. Glittery gorgeousness. I love it. Home for Oreo pie and book reading and sleep. A GREAT GREAT DAY!!!

SUNDAY a split day, included: pool time, cooking, making cards/watching old GoT, more pool time and lots of being silly, minestrone, and reading a NEW book. Probably more than that but I don’t want to detail. ANYWAY.

Anyway that’s what was up…the best Fourth. Only made by skipping out on other stuff, alas, but, that’s JOMO for you…it was just what we needed. Happy 4th!