What To Do?

......this layout is so missing something...but I'm desperately trying to ditch the scrapper's block....*sigh*

.....any ideas, oh, blogosphere?

My Saturday...

A bullet list:

• sleeping in until 9!
• waking up to see that Griffin's got pink eye... joy.
• take Griffin to confirm pink eye suspicion
• get meds for said pink eye
• give meds to said child for said pink eye.... watch both he and his sister melt into tears because they hurt... can I just say that I love how close those two nutjobs are that they'll cry when the other's in pain? LOVE it. Not the tears, but the fact that they care.
• confirm with babysitter that it's still ok to go out tonight.
• scrapbook.... yes... I'm scrapping!
• we shall be going out later with Katie, Greg (for his birthday!), Matt, Nay, Sarah and Steven to Hot Shotz and to some TBD bar to watch the UFC fight.

Not too shabby, though I do feel for my little boo!

My Body Is Angry....

...am feeling the effects of trying something new. You guys know that the sickness of wanting to do more with martial arts is increasing every day with me. I really want to keep learning new things and seeing what I can get my body to do. I just do. So last night, my karate school was closed because the schools had closed that day. So another of the karate-ka from my school and I went to try out a jiu-jitsiu academy. And, while we had that awkward feeling of not being able to do something as well as those around us, both of us agreed that it was an awesome experience. If I could possibly afford it, I would go to both schools. No lie.

...to that same regard, getting my body to try something new leaves it a bit angry with me. All my muscles are sore from the new stuff (and the workouts that I've been doing anyway). And I have so many bruises and scrapes on me that I look like a battered woman. BUT, I totally love that I've tried something new.

...update on cell phone hell: had a brief moment of panic this morning with the phone. My other phone's keypad would lock after a delay in use, making it fit nicely in my pocket without dialing someone with my butt. So, out of habit, I locked the current phone before sticking it in my pocket. And the stupid thing had a lock code! So I called VZW to see if they could unlock it, and broke down into tears when he said that he didn't know if he could, because after it's changed, they don't have access to it. But after my melt-down, he said we could try re-programming the phone to see if that would reset the code. Alas! It worked. Whew.

...a GOOD update on cell phone hell is that another friend told me that sometimes getting the battery wet will cause it to discharge. And that might be my problem with my dead phone. Alas! He was right, so at least I have all my contacts back! Woot! I don't think that I want to switch my phone back, though. But am seriously happy that I have the contacts!

Calendar Quotes....

...a few weeks back, I went with Stephenie and Rebecca to Barnes & Noble. If you like calendars, early January is a wonderful time of year to search calendar bargains. My find for myself was a calendar with phrases of Eastern wisdom, or something like that. There have been some neat quotes, but my favorite by far so far has to be the following.....


"If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work." ---Thich Nhat Hanh


.....love stuff like that. You would think that someone who likes to fight for fun wouldn't be all about being peaceful and happy. *grins*

Re-Do of the Past 24??

...so you know how much I was basking in the relaxing weekend? Kinda went downhill after that (I so totally jinxed myself). About sevenish last night, I hopped off here (finally... hehe) and ran the twins' baths. Aaron heads out (in my car) to go grocery shopping. You see. Yesterday? We got about an inch or so of new snow? My car? No likey. Aaron comes home about ten minutes or so later, and lets me know that his penchant for hitting stationary objects has come back. The damage to my car? Oh, the front quarter panel and the hood will likely have to be replaced. The damage to the mailbox... almost non-existent.



...am getting new tires and a new front quarter panel and hood out of the deal....



... yes, I shall not be getting my new camera any time soon.... *sigh*

Weekend Recap....

...was a good weekend!

Saturday:

Morning: went with Stephenie, Rebecca, and Judy to le Peep to celebrate Stephenie's birthday. Afterward we went to Steph's house to watch "Burn After Reading," which was a good film, albeit not what we'd anticipated.

Afternoon and Evening: Aaron and Jon went to the Winterfest Beerfest at the fair grounds while I hung out with Heather and the kids. Afterward, we took their drunk asses to Steak 'N Shake.


Sunday:

Morning: I slept in until 10! Then I hung out on Facebook for entirely too long.

Afternoon: I made a quick lunch and then I went to Victoria's Secret and Kohl's to find some things. Had little luck, but was with Melissa and Erin, and we had a good time.

Evening: Made my great-Grandma Utz' sausage casserole for dinner. Then Erin and I broke out her Easy Bake oven to make a yellow cake, which id due out of the oven any minute! :-)

Lazy weekends are awesome!

Thank God It's Friday?

So, glad that it's the end of the week... a recap of the crappy things that have happened to me in the last 24 hours....

• my phone falls in the toilet. I have to use Aaron's old one (who has fat cash to shell out for a new one??), so I don't have any of my contacts from my water-logged phone. Which is something like 80?
• Collin accidentally erases everything from our DVR. No UFC for me. Good job it was only like 8 episodes instead of a ton...*sigh*
• This morning, I wake up an hour later than I'm supposed to, and therefore have to take the twins to school instead of playing heavy-duty drill seargant for 45 minutes.
• Erin, not being familiar with the way kids go to school when they're dropped off rather than riding the bus, stands in the middle of the sidewalk, holding up traffic, because she's not entirely sure where to go. Even AFTER I pointed the way to the door.
• One of my bosses really DID want me to pick him up lunch, but was vague about it when I left, so I didn't get him anything. Then he asks me where his food is. *sigh* When I left, I was shaking from the hypoglycemic low I was under.... Am still feeling yucky from it, despite the good food.

I shall not be doing much of anything in the near future that requires luck. As I am pretty certain I know what the outcome will be.

Klutz....

... that's me. So tonight, I dropped my cell phone in the toilet. If you contact me on a regular basis, can you call, txt or email me to let me know your number? Am hating cell phone life right now, as I have Aaron's old phone.

... then, as I'm complaining to my karate teacher about it, Collin decides to inform me that he accidentally erased everything on the DVR. No UFC for me.... and I had one of the old Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie fights saved!

Wonderful Wednesday....

...ok, so that is yet to be determined. But yesterday was a decent day. Like many people, I was glued to the television with the inauguration. So much hope was found in the words of President Obama. So many people I know are skeptical to say the least with the future of our country with Obama at the helm. But I think he's going to be alright. The people who are so skeptical didn't listen to the words of his speech, obviously. Or if they listened, they didn't REALLY listen to his words. They were words of hope and hard work. How bad can that be? *steps down off soap box*

....in other words, not much going on around here. Lots of exercise and changing my eating habits (NOT dieting--especially since lunch yesterday was a full-meal-deal at Taco Bell!--but just making sure that I fuel my body better in order to feel better). I've been to the gym for three days in a row now, and feel so fantastic when I do go. I will be doing karate tonight, Thursday, and Friday. And then I have to laugh that at six days' worth of exercise. I think I'm going to take the weekend off of working out and see about maybe digging my crafting supplies out and getting creative. I've not utilized this outlet for a while, and am missing it!

....Oh, and to give a few updates:

• mornings in my house have been going suspiciously smoothly....and that's all I'll say on the matter....
• Grandad is doing well. He's been off the vent for a while, and they're now at work doing things like physical therapy and getting the trach closed up. He's making good progress, but has such a long way to go still.
• Gran is doing better but is still a bit weak. Getting Grandad closer to home will be huge for her, as she's still not really up for making the trip both ways by herself.
• If you can't find me here, check Facebook....I'm seriously spending entirely too much time there right now....
• Am excited to say that I'm going to one of my favorite restaurants to meet Nay for lunch today! I do love me some G.T. South's!

More Protein....

... so I have heard that getting more protein in your diet can have a variety of health benefits. Of course, I didn't realize how easy it can be sometimes. Sometimes? Not so easy. Today is an easy day. I had a protein shake for breakfast and ham and beans for lunch. The benefits to the ham and beans? Also high in fiber! Woot! The way I make ham and beans is very low fat, too. So we'll see how I can do with this. The protein shakes are a good way to start. Because I'm perpetually bad about drinking milk. So I'm getting more goodies in my body by starting this.

... am debating on what to do for exercise tonight. Karate class or the gym? I overdid it yesterday at the gym with arms, and now have sore shoulders. So I really need to work lower body today, whatever I do.

... Aaron's officially scared that I'm going to train to be a fighter. I seriously would consider it if I knew that I would remain in tact. I'll stick with traditional karate-type fighting for competition, and leave the MMA stuff for just playing around.

Sunday....A Day In The Life...

...so I don't do this very often...so here it is. A sneak-peek into my life...

• Get kids' breakfast... Cream-Cheese Stuffed Pretzels; Eat a granola bar myself...Fiber One granola bars are the bomb-freaking-diggety!
• Surf Facebook...oh the addiction I didn't need!
• Start ham and beans for lunch.
• Go to the gym, do 15 mins on elliptical (1.5 miles...not too shabby!), TONS of arm weights, and a bit on the incline crunch bench.
• Go to Wal-Mart to pick up other necessities for the meal (had lunch and playdate, ya know).
• Make brownies... yum!
• Help Collin clean up kitchen, all the while getting the twins to pick up their rooms.
• Have lunch and playdate for three hours.
• Clean up kitchen as am chatting to Dante's mom. Whom I love.
• After they leave, clean all two-and-a-half bathrooms.
• Start load of towels.
• Call for pizza for dinner. Am not doing anything else today. Is Sunday, for crying out loud! There are some episodes of UFC on the DVR with my name on them!

Bedtime Stories...

....so Katie and I basically spent the entire day together after lunch. We went to see Bedtime Stories. It was a very cute movie. So much better than I expected. I was seriously tempted to go to the liquor store and buy a hip flask to make the time go by better. But turns out, I didn't need to. Super cute movie.

....we then went to Katie's house and had dinner and hung out chatting. And then we went to my house so that I could fold laundry and get some stuff done while chatting. The kids thought we were nuts that we had our little progressive playdate, but it made the day without our respective spouses fly by. Aaron helped our good friend Curt move yesterday, and Greg is at class this weekend.

....Today, Dante and his family are coming over to play and have lunch. I am looking forward to seeing them and spending time with them. We're trying to make a concerted effort to be more active in cultivating our friendship. It's funny when we call, though, to say "Can we push it off to next week?" Life has a terrible way of getting in the way!

(side note about the picture... can you believe that this was five years ago? in the throes of survival, I barely remember this....We were at Aaron's parents' house for something, though, I think....)

Saturday!

...and Saturday finds me at home with the kids. By myself. And I'm not complaining. Aaron's helping our friend Curt move. You see, we've known Curt forever. I've actually known Curt marginally longer than I've known Aaron. And Curt, being the true-blue friend that he is, has helped us move. Nearly every time we've moved. Which has slowed down over the last several years (thankfully!), but has been a significant number of times. So, it's only right that we help him move. And since twin six year-olds prove more a hinderance than a help, I'm doing my part by keeping them safely here.



...so am proving myself to be a worthy mom today. I woke up and fixed everyone banana pancakes. And I just got done serving them lunch. Granted, the pancakes were the mix-with-water kind, and lunch was chicken fries courtesy of the Schwan's man. But fed them, I did. After I hose Griffin off, we're going to see Bedtime Stories with Katie and her brood. I'm sorely tempted to go purchase a hip flask for the occasion, but will be good and steer clear of the liquor store.

BRRRR!!

A Friday Bullet-List....

• It's fucking cold outside. There are no other words.
• If it weren't deemed inappropriate, I would stand outside my boss' office all day just to sniff his cologne. It smells so good. For years I've threatened to buy this for Aaron. One day I shall.
• First adult black belt class was last night. A good class! I do love playing around with the tonfa.
• Erin cried herself off the mat again last night...*sigh*
• Aaron and the kids are currently hanging out with Katie and her kids at our house. Am trying to contain my feelings of jealousy.
• Aaron and Griffin are headed downtown to the Pacers' game tonight with a friend and his son. Collin, Erin, and I will drown our sorrows and jealousy in food at Steak N' Shake.
• I'm really sad that I didn't bring my lunch today. I so don't want to go out to get food!

Snowy Day...

...it's really not that bad outside if you keep your head on straight. But with the way things have gone today, am nearly scared to leave to go home tonight. I believe I've used up my near-miss quota for today....

...that being said, I did fulfill my duties as Tooth Fairy last night. But not before nearly forgetting. Again. I woke up to a happy Griffin this morning. So all's worth it.

...Am really going to see about getting foods that will help my hypoglycemic tendencies. Am having a really tough time controlling my blood sugar right now. This morning I had peanut butter on an English muffin. Then later on in the morning, I had a Fiber One granola bar. As I sit here eating a Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich from Panera, I'm shaking. Nay sent me a link to a helpful website, which I'll need to peruse and glean information from. But it's seriously getting old. I realize that it's all about balance. And that I've never found it yet. We shall see.

Tuesday Tidbits....

• My skills as a tooth fairy are severely lacking. I remembered to put the tooth under the pillow last night. But forgot to do the dollar. SUCK!
• Am thinking that I need more protein in my diet to help prevent bruising at karate and to help build good muscles (so I have heard, though research is sketchy on whether this is true). I am wondering how to do such a thing and still eat stuff that tastes good....
• "Step Brothers" was worth the free Red Box Monday, but not worth much else. Love the dollar rentals. Some movies just wouldn't be worth it otherwise!
• Facebook continues to be an addiction. I have had verbal exchanges with people I've not seen in ages. Is quite fun.
• Had lunch with Judy yesterday at Yats. If only I could remember all the funny things she says so that I can tell on her. She's hilarious, and I love her.
• Is funny to think how much more well-adjusted the twins are if I'm around in the evenings. I resisted the urge to go to karate five times this week (though I so could!) to stay home and veg with them last night. Even if they're not paying attention to me, they seem to like that I'm there.
• Erin continues to be a little monkey-butt and perches herself on my back while I'm at the computer. This does nothing for the old-lady aches that I'm accumulating these days!

Monday Morning Bullet List....

...because short blurbs are just best....

• "Memoirs of a Geisha": probably one of the best books-to-movies I've seen in quite some time.
• Two hours and twenty-five minutes is the perfect amount of time to ice a sore back and elbow. The elbow needed it more, but 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off is a perfect time to just switch locations, eh? It helped a lot, too.
• We had Sunday dinner with the Phillips family yesterday. It was a relaxing time, until the girls started squealing at pitches dogs should only be able to hear!
• It's so very nice to have my bedroom back in order. I will post pictures of the results so that you can admire Aaron's handy-work.
• I worked out yesterday at home rather than the gym. I did way too much and am paying the price today.
• The alarm on my side of the bed was not set and so therefore I woke up a bit on the late-ish side today. Hate the feeling of being behind at the very start of the morning, even though the kids have been doing a much better job of getting going in the morning.
• Am sad that there was no Colts football this weekend and that it will be another eight months before my jersey comes out of the drawer. *sigh*

Happy Monday, all!

The Shaft....

....so, Griffin lost his first tooth! The fact that it was the day after Christmas is immaterial, right? And the fact that the tooth fairy has yet to come? Feeling like I've been on Mars, I'm so far behind!

...Everything aside, does this pic NOT remind you of the boy on A Christmas Story?

Updates....

....Grandad is at his new hospital, and they've managed to get him sat up on the edge of the bed, moving his limbs during physical therapy. Sounds stupid and basic, but he's got a long road ahead of him. He's still on the vent and is still getting dialysis every other day. They failed to let my family know that he would have to be transferred again once they get him off the vent. And he's a long way from being able to function at home. So we'll see.

...Gran's recovering well from her surgery. She's pretty weak, so is not going to see Grandad at the hospital today (is hour drive each way). She gave us quite a scare with all this carotid artery stuff, and am anxious for her to be stronger again. Is so weird to see the woman who used to run circles around all of us getting older and less spry.

...Katie is in the hospital today. The surgery that was scheduled for Monday has been moved to today because of the load of pain that she's in. I feel so badly for her!

Oy... We're In Trouble....

...I always said how scared I was of having a daughter. Case in point. Yesterday, I get a call from Collin. Now, he doesn't usually call me (like I would like for him to!) after school when they all get home. So, I immediately ask him what the deal is. He says "The twins are home safe and sound." "Yes, but what do you want?" I reply. "Well," he says, pausing, "When Erin got off the bus, she had her DS in her hand." Nice. So she's grounded the rest of the week from it.

...but wait! That's not all! (am I sounding like a Sham-Wow commercial?) Anyway, I decide that perhaps is ok if she can play the Wii. So before I go to karate, they set themselves up to play. In between classes, I get a text message from Aaron, stating that Erin got pissed off and KNOCKED THE WII CONSOLE OVER! Good God-almighty!

Nay... This One's For You....

...and this may or may not be one of those "you had to be there" stories. But I think it's funny nonetheless and shall go down in history as one of the biggest laughs of my life. I went to lunch with Judy and Rebecca today when the subject of Twilight came up. Rebecca told us that one of her colleagues and good friends went to the movie five times. To which, I, of course, groan, not having liked the movie. At. All. She went on to tell us how said friend thought the lead actor was cute. To which I replied, "Gick, that movie was awful. And that guy sucks as an actor." Judy's eyes got terribly wide and she looks at me, nearly choking on her food. "Did you just say he sucks his own nectar?" After about falling over in my chair, I told her, no, the guy sucks as an ACTOR. And after that, we cried, we were laughing so hard.

Cage Fighting Training...

....so last night the twins and I were cuddling on my bed. The benefit of being gone for two days is that I get some massive cuddling when I get home! So anyway, Erin was nearly wrestling me back on the bed when I tried to get up. I told her if she didn't quit that I was going to train her to be a cage fighter and that she'd be my retirement. She told me that she didn't want to be a fighter. I told her that she needed to let me up, then. Of course, I let her drag me back down again. When I was done with the game, I told her that I'd definitely be setting her up to train to fight, and she started WAILING! Absolutely wailing. Of course, I did what any self-respecting mother would do... I howled with laughter. Which made her cry all the harder. But then, she, too, started giggling with us. I knew that some of her wailing was fake. But then later, she told me that she didn't want to kill anyone. Oy, so we talked about how it was just a game.

....ok, Alaina, don't read for a second, because I'm going to toe the line. In between the ill-fated halves of the BSU vs. Tulsa game last night, we watched UFC. If you've ever watched it, at the end of the show, they say "And until next time, we'll see YOU in the octagon." Just cracks me up. And of course, most guys think it's hot when a girl's a fighter. So Aaron raises his eyebrows at me. So I told him... "I'll see YOU in the rectangle." I crack my own shit up.

Tuesday Tidbits....

A bullet list of randomness:

• Grandad was awake enough to smile when I went in on Sunday and told him that it's probably best he missed the Colts game on Sunday.
• Stephenie, in an effort to help Erin manage unruly, staticky hair, told her to put lotion on her hands and rub it over her head. Erin, so much like her momma in thinking that less is so less, dumped a glob of lotion on her head. She showered with me this morning. Was easier to put a braid in her hair, though!
• Facebook is so very addictive. Don't have enough time for another addiction, but we'll see. Have chatted with some people I've not seen or heard from in years, so it's kind of fun.
• Have gained 10 lbs since Grandad went in the hospital. My back hurts, too, from the lack of exercise. Need to crawl back on the wagon!
• Gran goes in for surgery in a little over a half an hour.
• Grandad is likely being transferred to a skilled care hospital today.
• Aaron and Paul got us hooked up with wireless internet while I was away. Not sure the benefits of that, since we don't own laptops, but we'll see.
• I do believe that every gas station should have a public restroom, especially if they're going to advertise how good their coffee is.
• If the fries are limp from having sat around for so long, they should not even be stuck in the sack, hoping that no one notices and complains. What a waste of money.
• Today has run so smoothly at work because I cleaned off my desk of most outstanding things. Yay!

Away....

...so am closing up shop here at work, and then I'll go to watch the Colts game with some friends. Tomorrow, am getting up early to go be with Gran and Grandad and the rest of the gang. So you'll not get to hear any bitching and moaning from me until Tuesday, probably. Aren't you happy?

....feel free to amuse yourself in the comments. How about you tell me about your favorite family member that's outside your nuclear family?

Because Everyone Else Seems to Be Doing It...

...I've joined Facebook. I can't tell you how many people have joined recently. So....have to keep up with the cool kids and get out from under the computer rock....

....going to get my hair cut tomorrow, and then I'm going to work so that I can take Monday off to be with my Gran. I really feel drawn home right now, to do anything I can to ease this time for her. She is, after all, the one who took me to all my college stuff. My college orientation. My move in day. She and Grandad were my ONLY family on Family Weekend at school, too. They were the first to meet Aaron. So I feel drawn. Drawn to be there with them.

2009....

...Happy New Year to everyone. Even though it's a bit of an overrated holiday, the new year is definitely a time to reflect on where you've been and look to the future on where you want to go. So, here are a list of hopes for the New Year. I don't do Resolutions...they only get broken...

• to see Grandad in peace, whether that's the peace of his rocking chair, or eternal peace.
• to find myself physically strong
• to find my way back into my neglected craft hell-hole and into my scrapbooks
• to spend more quality time with my family
• to give as much, if not more, than I receive

Do you have any hopes for the New Year?