Great Strides + other stuff

So I heard from a certain someone that it is a problem that I have not written anything since February something. I will attempt to catch up briefly, but...

First and foremost, please consider donating to the CF foundation. I will be participating in the Great Strides Event at Lake Calhoun on May 3. Here is a link to my page which can give you lots more info!


Now here's the update:
Since February 21, I have

• lost roughly 11 more pounds (yay, me!)
• read 11 books
• Geek Love, by Katherine Dunn
  
• In the Woods, by Tana French
• Then We Came to the End, by Joshua Ferris
• The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, by Maggie O' Farrell
• Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill
• The Shotgun Rule, by Charlie Huston
• I Love You, Beth Cooper, by Larry Doyle
• Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn
• My Lover's Lover, by Maggie O'Farrell
• The Raw Shark Texts, by Steven Hall
• The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
• I have also gone to the Y roughly a million times
• also grocery shopping 2 million times
  
• I have gone to 3 book club meetings
• watched the Oscars
• saw Bob Mould @ First Avenue
• saw the U2 3D movie @ IMAX
• won a ham and a cake playing bingo at the hospital where my mom works
• taken an acting class at the Guthrie
• saw a fashion show @ Rosedale, featuring Tim Gunn
• saw Duff from Ace of Cakes @ MoA
• went to the Twins home opener
• helped out with Operation Glass Slipper @ MoA
• saw Leatherheads
• took a fitness class called Zumba

Now I have to go eat dinner before the kids get home... Don't forget to click on the link to support the CF foundation... and maybe in another month or so, I'll have another update!!

Why wouldn't you wear pants on your head?

Here's my funny story for today:

I finished reading a book to the girls, and I'm kissing them good night. Miss Gigi has a pair of pajama pants on her head.

"Why do you have pants on your head?"

"It's my bedtime hat. I'll take it off."

"Well, you don't have to."

"Will my hair get wacky?"

"Probably."

"I'll take them off."

How do they come up with this stuff? It was too funny. I think she should be a performer when she grows up.

Someday...

I'll get around to doing all those things I keep putting off... like cleaning my room, getting my oil changed, renewing my passport, printing the pictures I have taken from my trips, updating my mp3 player, etc., etc., etc. Today's not that day.

I did manage to get caught up, or at least close to it, on several things at work. I no longer feel like I am drowning, so that's a good thing. I braved the crazy cold weather (seriously, -14 on my way to work this morning) and went to Trader Joe's on my way home from work. Usually, I get lost every single time I try to go anywhere in Woodbury, but I managed to get there and home with a minimum of difficulty. Yay, me! This is the extent of excitement in my life.

So, here's a little thing about me, which I got in my email earlier this week:

1. What is your occupation? Administrative Assistant II

2. What color are your socks right now? White

3. What are you listening to right now? myself chewing gum

4. What was the last thing that you ate? dinner - hummus, falafel, pita bread, tabbouleh, yogurt, blueberries

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Nope, but if I ever go on The Amazing Race, I'll learn

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? sky blue

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? I don't remember -- someone at work

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Of course!

9. How old are you today? 32

10. Favorite drink? water, margaritas, turtle lattes

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? baseball

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? yes

13. Pets? No thanks

15. Last movie you watched? I don't remember -- Knocked Up, maybe?

16. Favorite Day of the year? any day I don't have to go to work or do anything I don't want to do!

17. What do you do to vent anger? vent to whoever is around, I guess

18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies, play make-up, and Matchbox cars

19. What is your favorite, fall or spring? summer

20. Hugs or kisses? depends

21. Cherry or Blueberry? blueberry

22. Do you want your friends to email you back? whatever. :)

23. Who is most likely to respond? --

24. Who is least likely to respond? --

25. Living arrangements? Hell :)

26. When was the last time you cried? I don't remember

27. What is on the floor of your closet? a bunch of crap

29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to? Michelle

30. Favorite smell? Cinnabon

31. What inspires You? I have no idea

32. What are you afraid of? lots of things

33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers: I don't really like burgers, but I do like spicy food, and cheese...

34. Favorite car? I don't have one

35. Favorite cat breed? I don't have one

36. Number of keys on your keyrings? too manu

37. How many years at your current job? almost 10

38. What do you want to have come out of 2008? Good Things

39. How many states have you lived in? Minnesota and Michigan

40. How many countries/foreign places have you been to? Canada, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Greece

41. What was your favorite country? Greece

Procrastination

So I haven't written anything in awhile. Now, when I am supposed to be packing, seems like a great time for it. The reason I haven't written anything is because my life tends to be pretty predictable... Get up, deal with crap at work, come home, hang out with the kids, go to the Y, come home, take a shower, watch stupid TV (trying really hard not to fall asleep before the end of The Colbert Report and failing), then repeat. So thrilling.

Today I was at work until almost 5:30, because I was trying to get a report done that is due Wednesday. Silly me -- I thought I had until next Friday! Oh well, I hope I did it correctly, because no one was around for me to ask at that time of day.

I came home, changed clothes, got dinner for the kids, then went to the Y and Subway and the library. Came home, talked to the peapods (I am now Auntie Peapod, or sometimes Mimi...) who were supposed to be sleeping, then got on the computer. Have not packed a single thing. Why do I do this to myself?!

Duh, because I don't know what to bring, and this is easier than trying to figure it out, I guess. All the nervous/excited energy I had today is gone, and now I just want to go to sleep!

Did I mention that in less than 24 hours, I will be in Vegas, and very possibly drunk? Whee! Hopefully when I return I will have good stories and pictures to share. (Also, Michelle, let's hope neither of your predictions comes true!)

(BTW, in case you can't read the fine print on the picture, it says "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now")

A Really Bad Idea

I just agreed to have a session with my trainer at 5:00 tomorrow. In the morning. I repeat -- I agreed to get up before 5 am and go work out. I warned him that it was going to be bad. There will be lots of swearing and whining. He finds this amusing. Why did I agree to it?! My sister also finds it amusing that we have switched roles -- I am getting up early to exercise and she is staying up late. Crazy.

I can't stop.

I don't know what has happened to me. I've never been a big fan of shopping, but lately it's all I do. I'm sure it's just all the good sales for the holidays, right? I mean, I had to finish the holiday shopping in a hurry, because I kept buying things for myself.

Tonight we had dinner at my parents' house so that we could celebrate Christmas with the munchkins. They were so hyped up, it made me wonder why I missed them yesterday! Anyhow, they finally got to open all their gifts. After they left to go home, I was going to stop at the mall before going to the Y. Never did make it to the Y, but I did buy myself a new pair of shoes, jeans, a shirt, a belt, 2 necklaces and 3 pairs of earrings. Mind you, I spent less than $90 for these things, but it really wasn't necessary, was it? I'm not sure what has happened to me, but 2008 better be the Year of Mia Not Spending Extraneous Money.

Anyhow, I hope everyone had a very merry and wonderful Christmas. Thank goodness it's over for another year. Bring on NYE!

It's getting late...

I keep going shopping and buying things for myself and not gifts for others. I'm not sure what that says about me, but it can't be good. I was going to go shopping tonight to try and get serious about the Christmas gifts, but I didn't feel like it after I went to the Y. Maybe I will be able to fit it in this weekend. Or not. There's always next week, right?

My dad gave me his Netflix copy of the Bourne Ultimatum, which I wanted to see way back when it came out, and still have not. I started to watch it last night and fell asleep. I probably should be watching it now so I can return it and he will get the next movie on his list. Oh well. I also picked up a copy of Love Actually, one of my very favorites, at the library today. Plus the soundtrack. Woo hoo! Did you know that there is a version of The Great Gatsby, starring Paul Rudd? I love him, and I like the book, so I guess I will have to find time to watch that one soon, too.

While at the library, I also picked up 4 books, in addition to the 2 I got the other day. Also, I am reading one of the many I own that I have not yet read. Here is what I will be reading in the near future... some for book clubs, some not:

After You'd Gone
Stumbling on Happiness
The Sparrow
The God of Animals
Call Me By Your Name
The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Not to mention (even though I already mentioned it), there is all the shopping, wrapping, baking, crocheting, cross-stitching, reading, movie-watching, eating, and exercising I have to do.

Oh, and I got a super-cute new haircut. The only person to say they didn't like it was my niece, but only because she really liked to play with my long hair. She did say she likes the color, so I guess we're okay.

Also, as of today (now that I seem to have re-gained my motivation), I have lost 16.8 pounds!!! I don't want to think about how many are left to go.