A laugh

So I had to buy feminine hygiene products at a drugstore around midnight in New York. my best friend pointed out that in the same aisle that the maxi pads are - there are also those little sword toothpicks. Hmmmm...

the cable

I cannot find the UBS cable for my digital camera. I took some of the cutest pictures today and I cannot download them. Its depressing because D is away and I want him to be able to see pictures of his daughter... Looks like a trip to Radio Shack. Goody goody.

Books Books and Books

I like to keep track of what I read. I used to keep it all on my PDA - but lost it all when I moved to my new (and much loved) Mac. So, here is a list of the books I read this year 2006 (well what I can remember reading).

Diary of a Lost Boy* by Harry Kondoleon
Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff, Jesus' Lifelong Pal* by Christoper Moore
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Life of Pi* by Yann Martel
Jitterbug Perfume* by Tom Robbins
The Magician's Assistant by Ann Prachet
The Eyre Affair* by Jasper Fjorde
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

*means I highly recommend it!

Now, those are books I read for the pleasure of the read - and also as part of the book club I started with my mommy group. I also read oodles of plays for work and non-fiction for research for shows. The list would be giant if I included the books on Eugene O'Neill and Bertorlt Brecht that I have been pouring thru as well as books on theatre theory... Maybe I'll include those next year.

My goal by my birthday 2007 is to have finished WAR AND PEACE. Wish me luck!

Yule tide

From Wikipedia..

Yule is the winter solstice celebration of the Scandinavian Norse mythology and Germanic pagans. In Neopaganism, this celebration is largely reconstructed to various extents by various groups. In Wicca, a form of the holiday is observed as one of the eight solar holidays, or sabbats, where Yule is celebrated on the winter solstice: in the northern hemisphere, circa December 21, and in the southern hemisphere, circa June 21.

"Yule" and "Yuletide" (also see Yalda) are also archaic terms for Christmas, sometimes invoked in songs to provide atmosphere. Indeed, this is the only meaning of "Yule" accepted by either the full Oxford English Dictionary or the Concise Oxford Dictionary, and people unfamiliar with ancient Norse mythology's pagan traditions will not distinguish between Yule (Joul) and Christmas. This usage survives in the term "Yule log"; it may also persist in some Scottish dialects. In Denmark, Norway and Sweden the term "jul" is still the most common way to express Christmas, as well as "joulu" in Finland and "jõulud" in Estonia.

What is certain, is that Yule celebrations at the winter solstice predate Christianity, and though there are numerous references to Yule in the Icelandic sagas, there are few accounts of how Yule was actually celebrated, beyond the fact that it was a time for feasting. 'Yule-Joy', with dancing, continued through the Middle Ages in Iceland, but was frowned upon when the Reformation arrived. It is, however, known to have included the sacrifice of a pig for the god Freyr, a tradition which survives in the Scandinavian Christmas ham.

The confraternities of artisans of the 9th century, which developed into the medieval guilds, were denounced by Catholic clergy for their "conjurations" when they swore to support one another in coming adversity and in business ventures. The occasions were annual banquets on December 26,

"feast day of the pagan god Jul, when it was possible to couple with the spirits of the dead and with demons that returned to the surface of the earth... Many clerics denounced these conjurations as being not only a threat to public order but also, more serious in their eyes, satanic and immoral. Hincmar, in 858, sought in vain to Christianize them" (Rouche 1987, p. 432).

And I can't help...

...lovin' that man of mine. A friend told me that when the baby is between 15-19 months - things can get pretty intense with couples - stressful that is. So, here are ten reasons why I love my husband today, in no particular order:

1. He did the laundry.

2. He says he loves me every time we talk on the phone - no matter who is in the room with him.

3. He pretends not to know what I bought him for Christmas.

4. He introduced me to the Simpsons (the cartoon) almost 13 years ago and we laugh like hell at it.

5. He tries really hard to distract the baby so I can take a shower. He really does.

6. He brings in firewood and takes out the garbage.

7. He just looked really sexy when I watched him (from my car) buying new tires for his car...

8. He loves the baby.

9. He waits for me to get home so we can open the holiday cards together.

10. He's brilliant and doesn't flaunt it.

oral hygenie

I went to the dentist today for the first time in about 8 years. I was shocked and well, flabbergasted, that I did NOT have any cavities. I know! And I had a baby - which has caused major dental issues for all the women in my family. So, I got a bit of a polite scolding about flossing (since I never do) and a referral to have my upper wisdom teeth looked at -- yes I only had the bottom ones removed in jr, high. Anyway - I am so happy. So very very happy...

whaa?

So, I just finished reading SHOPGIRL by Steve Martin - not a bad little novella. And I'm dressed for work, feeling a bit fat since I'm wearing pre-pregnancy clothes that are a bit dated. I'm getting gas at the neighborhood station and as I sit in my car (with the door open) so I don't get went from the rain,a s the gas fills my car - a man starts talking to me. He's probably 54, he's got whitish grey hair, in a suit (nice tie) and driving a Passat. Reminds me a bit of Steve Martin and hey, I just read that book. So the guy's yacking about the news in Baghdad. Now, my vanity says - hey he's trying to pick you up. So I nonchalantly scratch my nose with my wedding ring finger - and he's still chatting. Whatever, he's pleasant. Then the humdinger of all humdingers: he asks "Do you have a bible in your house?" I look to left field. What? A Bible. I say "yes" because I do. I neglect to say I also have a variety of other different religious books like the Koran, the Gita, the I Ching, and a Book of Shadows. So, he starts in on how he was Episcopalian and he is trying to figure out how to talk to his kids about what is happening in the Middle East. By this time I am done gassing up. I start to get in to my car and he says "Have the Jehovah's Witness ever come to your door?" I looked at him cautiously and said "no". "Well," he says, "here take this - this was incredibly helpful for me." Yes dear readers - a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet. What do I do? Take it? Of course. It's raining. I'm running late for work. Do I really want to get into a religious debate with a zealot in the middle of a gas station? So I thank him and leave. As I drive the 50 minutes to work - I am annoyed with myself about being polite. Well, first I'm annoyed that I thought he was trying to pick me up - then I was annoyed that I didn't give him a piece of my mind... I thought of several witty retorts - but it was too late, the moment was past. So I put in some Sondheim and sang along on my drive.

being overwhelmed

Everything came to a bit of a head this morning. I got a bit overwhelmed with the universe. So, my husband took the baby and I took my laptop and came to a coffee shop. All, the exquisite calming qualities of a soy latte. I realize that I am having a hard time working at home. If the house is even remotely messy - I will spend the 4 hour block I have cleaning or organizing. Then, that overwhelmed feeling creeps in and I start to spin. Arg.

menus

I need to figure out the menu for Thanksgiving. My sister and her family are coming. We are going to do a Turkey, of course, and garlic mashed potatoes. But what sides? We need a veggie. We also need a dessert. I need to make chocolate mousse for the husband -- but the last time I made it for my sibs family, they didn't seem to care for it. I wasn't offended - it's pretty damn rich. So what kind of dessert do I make? Hmmm. I'm not a fan of pie. But I could do some kind of pudding, I guess... I don't know. I'm annoyed that food tv isn't really helpful -- it is just super traditional. I want something fun and unexpected.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday - so the menu is tres important. At least I have a couple days before I need to start buying stuff.

And I need to make fudge...

lack of sleep

This morning I overslept and barely made it to a 9am meeting. I was a guest speaker in this class and I was so exhausted that I became MANIC. So, I am a big giant freak -- but at least I am entertaining...

rent a car

Yes, I have a little Mazda rent a car while I am waiting to see what the bill on my car is going to be... I feel like I am driving a golf cart...

where does the dollar go

So I spent over $100 at the grocery store yesterday and yet there is nothing to eat in my house. How can that be?

ARG

So, yesterday the clutch in my car went wonky. This happened as I was driving my sick daughter home after she vomited all over both of us. So, inspired by my friend Sarah's blog, I am going to list ten things I am thankful for:

1. My husband and daughter. To be loved and love in return is the greatest thing in the world.

2. Freya and Baldur. Two dogs that get into everything and I wouldn't have them any other way.

3. Pizza.

4. Chocolate.

5. Wine and port.

6. The Democrats wining the house.

7. The London Philharmonic playing Led Zeppelin. They do Pink Floyd too -- must get that album.

8. Sunsets - tonight was beautiful

9. Having my own washer and dyer. Really. No foolin' - I am so grateful for that.

10. Kisses

the calm

I am sitting here in my living room. There is a fire in the fireplace keeping the whole house warm. My daughter is asleep in her crib. One of the dogs is curled up in front of the fireplace. The other is patrolling the house. My husband is at work. And I just had a fudgesicle.

It is nice to just take a deep breath.

Led Zeppelin?

So I was sleeping on the sofa with my daughter -- long day -- both of us were tired. And I woke up in a haze to some incredibly sad music. I said to my husband, "that is so sad... and beautiful... I want to cry". So he clicked the TiVo (yes we listen to an eclectic satellite radio station) and it turned out to be the London Philharmonic playing Led Zeppelin. So we bought the album on iTunes. It's fantastic!

mac here I come

So I'm going to do it. I am converting from my POS PC to a MacBook... I'm a little scared of that kindof technology shift. But, I think it will be for the best. I have not had a lot of good luck with laptops. The one I am currently using has a fan that drowns out my washing machine, in addition to making a metal-on-metal grinding sound, and an adapter that almost caught fire the other day. Not to mention being slower than a Galapagos turtle mating. So, farewell my PC. We'll be together for just a few more days. I'd like to say I'll miss all the crashes and lost data --but I wont.

a few weeks later...

Well, our day care person said that the 3rd week is the good one... and she was right. My girl only fusses for a few minutes. I say, "Mommy has to go to work" and she come over and gives me a hug and a kiss. Them she reaches for her care-giver. Once I put my shoes back on she fusses, but then points to the window so she can wave at me as I go to the car. It is such a huge relief. She is having a good time too - painting, playing in with water, and climbing on "safe" structures.

Big sigh of relief. And a little tear that she is growing up so fast.

What happens when you go back to work.

I just went back to work. Today I dropped my daughter off at day care and she cried. So, I called about 15 minutes into my drive to check on her -- and she was still crying. I called 15 minutes after that and she was fine. My husband picked her up and got the daily report from her day care teacher. She was upset when I left and then had some fun, but then got sad for the rest of the afternoon. My heart broke when I heard that.

She was sad.

I guess it is supposed to get better by week three... which will be next week. Until then, I will be sad too...

e-mail

A friend of mine told me that her husband reads her e-mail. ALL OF IT. EVERYDAY. I was shocked. I guess his rational is that "what have you got to hide". Although, she doesn't have access to HIS e-mail account. HMMM... Now, I have known couples that "share" an e-mail address - that has always driven me a bit bonkers... but WHATEVER... in those cases I always knew either one could read the e-mail. But, in the case of my friend - I had no idea he had access. Not that I ever said anything bad -- but do I really want him to know when I am on my cycle? or how my breast are doing with the whole breast-feeding thing? No, I don't. So, now I have to remember that there is another set of eyes on the e-mail. It just makes it weird.

My husband could read my e-mail any time - and I his. But we don't. It's private. I think it should be. I'd never open his mail. So why would I open his e-mail.

Venom part 2

So, I found out who posted the nasty comments about me. And low and behold, it was someone I had to fire years ago for being belligerent to one of the producers on a show. The website for these reviews recently added a way to see the other "names" commenters use. And this "commenter" has a plethora of other names where he pontificates and harasses other artists. I got off easy, his comments about other people are borderline slanderous. He also used two pseudonym's to post nasty comments about one company and then used his true identity to champion the same company. Poor guy needs some serious help. He is just a sad individual with so much hostility.

I feel better knowing who it is, all though the original sting still hurts.