Intellectual Nonsense

I need cheese with this Whine:

It's fall. And I am starting to feel fat again. Kidding. Well, fall does bring on the darker, colder days which unfortunately means my activity level usually diminishes quite rapidly. It's really inevitable. Sucks but it's the truth. I hate running in freezing cold weather. Makes my lungs burn. And of course my face is crusted over with frozen snot. It's just not good. Plus, now that I have a munchkin do I really want to expose him to the elements too? Okay, I am being dramatic but this time of season always gets me into this weird melancholy mood. Don't get me wrong; I love wearing puffy vests, eating hearty meals, the smell of a wood-stove and crisp air, fall leaves, snuggling up on the couch with a big blanket and hot chocolate, football games, pumpkin flavored everything but I despise exercising in the cold/rain/sleet/snow/wind. It bites. Literally.

Since canceling my membership to the meat market "Hollywood Fitness" (I was dishing out too much money, I felt violated by roaming eyes and I was annoyed by the glamor girls judging my no make-up/sweats attire....puke) I have made it appoint to take advantage of the nice warm weather to keep in shape. Let me tell you the dedication here people. I would strap Fynn into the jogger, put the leash on Lilly and go for a run. Do you even realize the pain that ensues while trying to control a heavy jogging stroller (without a pivoting front wheel) and an 80 pound dog pulling you in forty thousand different directions? A mile and a half later my shoulders felt like mush. It was painful dedication. But I just know with Jack Frost approaching my energy level will subside and I will become a hermit, loathing bundling up to go work-out. Ergh.

I am a warm weather kind of girl. And with a 10 day Kauai trip fast approaching I need to stay in somewhat of swimsuit shape.... if that is even exists. I haven't really decided what I am going to do. I have contemplated renewing my membership at said meat market but I honestly don't think I can handle the silicon and 'roids oozing from the walls anymore. There's a womens only circuit training place not far from my house but they don't offer any babysitting. Meaning, I would have to go butt crack in the morning while Jeremiah and Fynn are still sleeping or in the evening when Jeremiah is home from work. Which really....am I going to get up at 5am to work out? No. Or I can suck it up and get outside. It's up for debate. I wish we could afford to purchase a couple weight benches and a treadmill. Then I would be set.

Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons we have here in the NW. But it is the precursor to rain and gloom. I need to find a happy medium. Maybe I will just go on a cabbage diet throughout the winter? Ha (I love food too much to do that). Or maybe I should just stop bitching and get my ass moving? Okay, I will stop bellyaching and attempt to run in the bitter cold. But if you hear about a woman dying from a frozen lung.... well, it will be me.

Whah.

* Pic is of "the marsh" @ the base of Mt. St. Helen's in the Spring time.

Flash Back Friday

Graduation 1998.

Secretly I kind of miss high school. Well some aspects of it- minus the drama. I was living rent free back than, no real responsibilities yet.....I had a job with a decent paycheck, which meant money flowing freely. Friday nights were all about football games and meeting for dessert afterwards at the local diner. No text messaging than so we actually had to talk to each other or write notes. Stress involved worrying about the next math test or English paper due the next week. Happiness was piling into a car with your friends and going for a movie. Of course there was trouble making and pushing limits but it was all apart of the journey. It was just a great part of my life. And looking back I think, how could that have been almost 10 years ago?

*I like this pic of myself but Jeremiah is looking a bit deranged. Eek!

Missing my hubs

While watching the conclusion of the new Grey's spin-off this evening I was thinking about how much I missed my hubby (and all his annoying commentary during "my shows"). I can imagine he is probably sitting next to a campfire along the water somewhere preparing to float the river tomorrow morning, shooting the sh*t with his buddies, sipping on a MGD, kicked back with one hand tucked into his waist band..... Anyway, I thought it was appropriate to post a pic of him doing his thang....Geez, I miss him when he is gone.

*By the way: I took this pic of Jeremiah when we were at Wallowa Lake back in July. I thought I did a pretty good job capturing the sunset along with the wispy cast of the fly.

I would have gone straight to the camping section.....

I almost had to spend the night at Target tonight... which wouldn't have been all that bad.

I was making a quick trip in there for some miscellaneous items. Nothing unusual for a Wednesday afternoon; dinked around with Fynn in tow, decided on a few items and headed for the check out stand. After making my purchases I was horrified to find no keys in my purse. Not in the pockets, not in Fynn's hands, not in the bottom of the cart. NO WHERE to be found. Terror!

Now, I wouldn't have been so terrified if it was just a typical week. But Jeremiah is currently fly fishing out in freaking Timbuktu, hundreds of miles away where there is no cell coverage and no way of rescuing me.....which basically means I am the only one with house and car keys and can only save myself. HOLY.CRAP!

After a little panicking and emptying of the purse about 400 times I finally decide to summon some help. With reluctance in my step, imagining walking the 6 or so miles home and breaking a window to get into my abode, I went over to customer service. Praying the entire time Please, oh, please let there be honest people in this here Circle Red. PLEASE!

As I approached the counter I could just tell that the high school clerk was on the disgruntled side. So, I am sure when she saw my look of horror she had these little bells of evil go off in her head. Ding, Ding, Ding- Victim, Victim. Must torture her! So, with a bit of a frog in my throat I asked the chicky poo if someone had recently turned in some keys... Please, oh, please let there be honest people in this here Circle Red......?

After what seemed like a 5 minute pause and a complete blank stare she finally asked me to describe the keys to her. Ergh. As if I needed to be patronized with details when my heart was thumping out of my chest. I think she got her jollies off of having the upper hand in the situation. Whatever. Lucky for me I was able to describe them to her satisfaction because she handed them over. A kind soul, thankfully, had turned them in.

Phew! Thank goodness for honest people!

I tried to blame the incident on Fynn. I mean, that was the easiest scape goat. Sometimes he will play with my keys in the house. He totes them around, jingling them and pushing the alarm buttons. And I always think to myself; that is probably not a good idea because one of these days he will set them down somewhere and I won't be able to find them. So, of course this was the logical reason it happened in Target. Fynn must have pulled them out of my purse and chucked them onto a clothing display...a soft landing, I wouldn't even have noticed.

Well, if truth be told. I think I should swallow my pride here and admit that it was most likely me. I have this really bad habit of not putting my keys in my purse when I shop. I end up carrying them around and find myself putting them down as I dig for a different size or reach for something up high. Most of the time I end up putting them in one of my jean pockets but guaranteed this time I probably set them down and walked away. Shame on me.

I think I have learned though. The panic is not something I found to be fun when I realized that in a monster shopping center I had somehow misplaced my keys. Thankfully though, there are honest people in the world. There's hope people!

I will definitely make sure to pay it forward! (Although, it's not like I would want someone else's keys anyway.... well, maybe I would just go outside and see which car reacted to the alarm button, just to see if it was worth a joy ride) Kidding.

I got nothing....

Really. Nothing.

It isn't like Jeremiah and I haven't been completely totally swamped busy. That would be an understatement. It's pretty much craziness around this house. These last few weekends we haven't been home; we should just install a revolving door so that it makes it easier on us. Let me just highlight some of the excitement. The first of September we were in Prineville, Oregon for Labor Day weekend with our BFF's; where I attempted to learn how to wake board. I succeeded twice but the ride was very brief. And man was I sore. I also was introduced to Texas Horseshoes that weekend. I completely smoked everyone.

                                                The second weekend I went to my boyfriends Justin Timberlake's concert with my BFF Jen. I relive it daily. Gawd, he is so... MMmmmmm.

The next day we attended a wedding and than Jeremiah left on a business trip for Montana on Sunday for three days.

The third weekend we were in the Olympic Mountains - Lake Cushman with my family. So much fun. My parents rented an RV so we all were able to luxury camp. Fynn had fun helping his Grandpa D rake the property.

This weekend we went to a surprise 30th birthday party which was on a Stenwheeler (interesting to say the least) and than tomorrow we have my company picnic. It's just been insane. Plus, in and amongst all that, we have officially started the remodel on the bathroom. Exciting stuff. But no time to think about it.

I love staying busy. I love to see the wall calendar in the kitchen completely full and colorful. I get all giddy adding things to it. But this month is literally swallowing us up and the condition of the house shows it. Can we say messy? It seems like the busier we are the dirtier the house becomes. So, next month is deep cleaning month. Oh joy. The bathroom will be complete and will most likely become my new bedroom -  I think I will end up sleeping in there since I won't be able to contain my excitement. Oh, did I mention that we are re-doing the counter tops in the kitchen too? Totally not even my idea. I think Jeremiah has lost his mind but I am running with it.

So, there you have it. Lots of material but no energy to post about any of it. So, I'll just post cheesy pictures of some of the events.

Wednesday Wedding Day

You remember the verse from elementary, right? Wednesday Wedding Day. Friday Flip-up Day...Um? Funny, I don't remember the other days.

I digress.

So, the question of the day is whether or not it is ever appropriate to bring a child (specifically a baby or toddler) to a wedding and reception? I say nay. But there are many people that obviously don't agree with me. As a former bride myself I wasn't too keen on the idea of guests bringing their children. The last thing I wanted was to be in the middle of proclaiming my love and vows with a screaming kiddo in the background. Of course, I wasn't concerned about the ring bearer and flower girl as I asked them to be apart of the festivities. I don't know? What are your thoughts?

We recently attended a wedding where there were a lot of children. Particularly one little tot that was extremely fussy and restless during the processional causing quite a distraction. Evil glances where thrown and whispers ensued. I could feel the stress of the parents as they tried to hush a child that undoubtedly didn't understand the necessity of peace at that moment. The dad finally got the hint and left before it interrupted the bride walking down the aisle. That situation solidified why I wouldn't want to bring my toddler. Not only that but I don't want to have to chase him around in heels. I would much rather have the event event-less on my part.

We have two weddings actually scratch that three weddings coming up in the next 6 months. One I am for sure NOT bringing the kid. It just wouldn't be appropriate. The second wedding is a really good friend of Jeremiah's and we are debating on bringing the munchkin (Jeremiah is debating). The reason....Well, the wedding is in Seattle so we would be traveling, the groom mentioned that he was excited to see Fynn, as well as numerous other guests that will be attending the wedding that we haven't seen in quite some time too.

HOWEVER, the focus of the nuptials have nothing to do with my kid and really, can they not see him on a different, more casual occasion? Kids don't want to be at weddings. There is nothing there for them. They get bored- no kid friendly food, no toys, a bunch of stuffy adults, lame music and too many things untouchable; a situation that screams melt down! Not something I want to be apart of. So, I guess I just made up my mind on that one. Now the third wedding is my sisters. Fynn is the ring bearer so there is no debating whether or not he will be there. I will just have to make sure I have a pocketful of graham crackers in order to keep him placated. Plus, I will have lots of family there to pass him off to.

I say, a wedding is an adult event. Kids should only be attending if they are participating in the wedding itself. Otherwise, find a babysitter, pop some popcorn (for the older kids of course) and turn on Shrek. It will be worth the 40 bucks* you spend on the sitter.

*I have no idea what a sitter costs. I pulled that right out of my derriere.

Gimme more.....

Everyone is talking about it. So, I will put in my two cents too. I don't think Brit looks bad. Yes, her performance left something a lot to be desired; it was almost as if she was a bit gassy and was afraid the noises might be picked up by the mic so she was doing everything in her power to pinch it. Her moves seemed forced and robotic; almost as if she had to think too hard between each step. You could see the terror on her face.....I was uncomfortable even watching it. There is word, however, of a shoe malfunction. But what is the excuse for the terrible lip-syncing? Whowza! I do have to say though, after having two kids she still looks pretty darn good. There is no denying that. Should she have come out in that scandalous outfit? Probably not. Of course she will always have her critics; she has given them quite a bit to talk about but I think maybe it's time to move on.... she isn't that exciting anymore. Yes, she is bald under that wig, yes, she doesn't look like she did when she was a mere 19, yes, she appears to be sipping on grandpas cough medicine, yes, she makes Federline look like a prince, yes, she is not a very cautious mother, yes, she has completely spiraled since her break from Justin and yes, she has gone absolutely mad, crazy, cuckoo. Basically she is a wreak. But I love her new single.... you got to give it to her. One thing you can always count on her for is a chart topper. Personally, I think it's kind of catchy. Gimme more...

My productive day

• Woke up at 2 AM (again). I really think I have some sort of mild insomnia... ergh!
• Dreamed of JT -MMmmm, I'll post about the concert swoon soon.
• Interrupted by the husbands text message (kidding)
• Took a shower without washing my hair
• Made Breakfast for the Munchkin
• Turned on Curious George for Fynn - he actually watched it
• Put my face on, dressed, slipped into my favorite red pumps, loaded up the car
• Put the garbage out
• Spent almost 30 bucks in gas
• Dropped the kid off at my friends house
• Drove to work - witnessed a car/brush fire on the way
• Had a turkey and peperoni sub sandwich - made my stomach hurt
• Completed a solid 15 minutes of work while at work for 7 hours...A slight case of the Mondays
• Picked up my munchkin who had not taken a nap all day. Can we say teething? Fun times!
• Drove home and noticed someone stole our BBQ. It's okay though, because it was our old, dilapidated one that needed to go to the dump anyway. Whoot us!
• Enjoyed a bite of brownie with mint frosting that I made last night
• Cut up a banana for the monster
• Googled Britney's VMA Performance..... are there even words?
• Changed into flip flops, jeans and a tee
• Met my BFF @ the mall to shop
• Strolled around the mall (I hate malls)
• Bought frivolous things: a jumper (in gray) and hand soap
• Drove home, stopped for organic whole milk, 1% milk, Cheez-its and eggs (the essentials)
• Made myself 8 fish sticks for dinner - pathetic and gross.
• Checked all 4 of my email accounts
• Rubbed more sports cream on my neck
• Put Fynn to bed
• Talked to the Hubs- He may come home early. Yay me!
• Sat on the couch with another BIG mint brownie, a glass of milk and watched the end of Fat March (Oh, the irony!- Not a good show by the way)

Now, that my friends is a productive ridiculous day.

Take note

Do not attempt to krump at a wedding reception. Yeah, not the smartest thing I have done. The 'ol noggin' will not rotate to the left. Horrendous shooting pain in my shoulder and through the left side of my neck.... Pain. Oh, the pain. Makes for an interesting day when you have a 2 legged monster running around your house and a husband in Montana. Do you think I can teach the kid to change his own diaper? Gawd, seriously what was I thinking? That's what I get for watching this during the summer.

What an idiot I am!

15

Fynn is 15 months old today. I think the whole month thing is a little ridiculous. No one really cares about the number of months when they ask what age your child is. I swore that I would never be one of those moms that gingerly replies, "21 months". It's obnoxious. Can we not just say almost 2? I think it is this secretly suppressed competition between moms that somehow fulfills the curiousness of whether or not your child is more ahead of "the bunch".... per say... when it comes to the development of ones kid. Did that make sense? Basically, is my kid smarter, funnier, cleverer, cuter, faster than your kid? It's a sick, sick trap. But somehow I have allowed myself to be swallowed up into it. I'm really not wondering if Fynn is better than the other child when I inquire about another child's age; because we already know he is....

I digress. I still want to update this here 'ol blog with milestones in Fynns life. 15 months really isn't that much different than the last. Of course, he is saying more words. Has learned to climb. Screams more because he can't articulate his feelings quite yet. Gives full on kisses. Can tell you where his belly, ears, hair, nose, eyes and toes are. Has more dance moves than his Papa. Can make you melt with his 8 toothed grin. But really the reason I need to remember this very day in Fynns life is because he will probably never have a sugar high quite like the one he is buzzing from right now.

After indulging on Pancakes this morning I decided to finish up some email correspondence before clearing the table. Fynn was busy playing so I thought I would take advantage of the "free time". I was deep into my email nonsense when I suddenly realized how oddly quiet it had gotten in the house. I reluctantly turned around knowing that Fynn was probably causing some kind of trouble, and to my astonishment there sat Fynn on Lilly's dog bed pounding syrup straight from the bottle. Yup. Sucking on the nozzle like a bottle. A full bottle of syrup. He glanced at me as he was downing the liquid sugar as if I was interrupting his "moment". Honestly, I think right than I thought, Good Gawd, we have created a monster.   

And I love that monster. All 15 months of him.