Wordless Wednesday

I got this idea from The Bloggess' other blog Good Mom Bad Mom. Pix instead of words on Wednesdays. So, here tis:

Mark Thomas introduced me to I Can Has Cheezburger. I dig it big time. This one is for you Mark.

see more crazy cat pics

From there I found I Has a Hotdog. Blogrolled!

see more cute dogs and puppies

And of course, I can't have wordless Wednesdays without Derek.

Thank you and goodnight!

My Love-Hate Relationship With Thursdays

I've always loved Thursdays, my absolute favorite day. When I worked a normal Mon-Fri job, I loved them because they were the most hopeful day of the week to me. They weren't Fridays where you thought all day long about how you just wish the day was over so your weekend could start. But, Thursdays, you can still be productive and know that the week is almost over, the weekend is at hand, a light at the end of the tunnel. You're past hump day and on the final stretch. I think you catch my drift.

A few years ago I started working at my church and my work week became Sun-Thurs. So, now my love for Thursdays has mixed with the fact that it is now my last day of the week. AND it's rehearsal day for Sunday service. I get to end my week on a day I already loved doing something I love doing - music! There is so much to love about Thursday! As I'm typing this, I'm thinking to myself, "Am seriously blogging about Thursday??? Why, yes. Yes I am." And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Well, now wouldn't that make Thursdays like Fridays and now Wednesdays should receive that love that Thursdays have always had?" The answer to that is, "No." Wednesdays will never be to me what Thursdays are (sorry Wednesdays), and Thursdays will never be filled with anxious anticipation the way that Fridays are. I've obviously put a lot of thought into this.... which I'm now sort of ashamed about, and yet, slightly proud.

Okay, so now my son comes into the picture. And I love my son way more than I love Thursdays, which should go without saying, but I'm just saying. Since we have rehearsals on Thursday nights, I don't get home until after he's gone to sleep for the evening. For awhile there it was okay cause he was still doing middle of night feedings and I would still get to see him shortly after I got home from work. However, he's now sleeping totally through the night, which I'm very thankful for. I'm thankful that he sleeps through the night. Except for Thursdays. Now I hate Thursdays. Stupid Thursdays.

A Life of Testosterone

Yes, my job is in a music department for a church, but it's all male. After a day of dealing with all men I come home to my husband, son and male dog. I thought growing up with two brothers and no sisters was a handful, but this takes the cake. And every single one of these men, minus my son who can't talk yet, feels the need to tease me to no end.

I need more estrogen in my life. A call to all women I know and love, please hang with me more. I need you, desperately!!

Oscars - European Conspiracy

I watched the Oscars last night and I loved it. I haven't watched them in awhile and I just enjoy watching them. My family used to play this game where each of us would guess who would win for each category and whomever got it right would go around and get to smack everyone five times. It sounds like it could pretty painful, but it never did. Five love taps on the arm. So, the Oscars are a little nostalgic for me. I tried playing the game with Paul, who was in the guest room watching something sports-irific. I kept playing the game with him, even though he wasn't participating. He wasn't too thrilled about it, but I was. It's not everyday I get to smack my husband around, but I digress.

Anyhoo, there were quite a few upsets last night. I didn't have the chance to see many of these movies, being a new mom and all, but you really can gauge a lot from those clips. Javier Bardem from "No Country for Old Men" was definitely going to take it. As was Daniel Day-Lewis, I mean, this guy is incredible in everything he's in. The absolute surprise was Marion Cotillard for "La Vie en Rose". I knew she deserved it. Which is awesome. Cause the actor/actress who deserves the Oscar doesn't always get it. Maybe it goes to the sentimental favorite. Or it goes to the person who seems to be hot on some agenda. I'm sorry, Denzel Washington is amazing, but he shouldn't have won it for 'Training Day'. Back to my point, the young and lovely Ms. Cotillard transformed into the aging Edith Piaf. She deserved the Oscar.

All this said, people are now talking about how the Oscars are as American as apple pie (huh?) and it is just shocking that no Americans won any of the top acting nods. What??? Srsly? Are we actually talking about this? People are, as I type this, analyzing why no Americans won an Oscar. For real? I love me some pop culture news shows, but this is ridiculous! I heard it compared to sports. "A European winning an Oscar is like Japan winning the Super Bowl." I'm sorry, really? We're comparing the Oscars to the Super Bowl? That's like comparing apples to sausages. Mmmmmmm..... sausages. Again, I digress.

C'mon news magazine correspondents. This just makes you look a mite too desperate for stuff to pontificate on, and I'm being nice cause when Britney or Lindsay aren't having a down day - you really do reach for the bottom of the barrel. It's okay if there's not much to talk about for the Oscars. It really is. We won't think you're huge failures if you don't find something to complain about, or find some sort of scandal where there is none. Put the camera down, just put the camera down. Some celebrity will do something stupid tonight and this whole "Nothing terribly scandalous happened with the Oscars" fiasco will all be over tomorrow.

Open Flesh Wound

There are times in my life when I feel open and vulnerable. As if I have a large gaping wound in my gut for the world to see. I feel desperate and needy. My soul crying out to be healed. I'm not sure why or when it comes. And it seems to come at the most interesting times. My life is good. My life is absolutely wonderful. I have a faith that fulfills me more than anything I've ever known, an incredible husband, a beautiful son, a job that comes pretty close to being a dream-job and the endless encouragement of family and friends that surround me. I have a life filled with love. And yet, there are times, like tonight, where I feel like my guts are laid out on the floor and I'm bleeding all over the place.
I've never been able to define this feeling that comes and goes like a tornado ravaging my being. It does feel that intense. Where my insecurities rise to the surface and I feel them so acutely. Insecurities that I was sure I dealt with so long ago come back to haunt me. I ask the Lord,
"Why?"
"Haven't we dealt with this?"
"Haven't I moved past this?"
"Haven't I given this over to You?"
I search deep within to find any shred of evidence as to what might be in my life to bring these things to the surface. I want to move past these places that remind me of a hurt little girl from yesteryear. To be the grown-up I always admired in people but never felt in myself. You know that feeling when you're a freshman in highschool and all the seniors look so grown-up and mature and by the time you become a senior you think to yourself, "I don't feel the way those seniors in my freshmen year looked"? Yes, that feeling.
I have adult-like surroundings. House, spouse, child, job.... and I just don't feel like all those adults looked to me as a child. Will I ever feel that way?
I put my hope in God,
"I believe You'll get me through this."
"I'm open and willing, with my guts on the floor."

Bored Out of My Gourd!

It's Friday night and I am incredibly bored. Which is sad. So, I've been surfing for the past.... eh... few hours, and I'm still really bored. I'm so bored that I looked up what a "gourd" was and it's a dried fruit nut. Go figure.

Idle hands really are the devil's playground. I've been searching the net so much this evening I was almost tempted to click on one of those psychic links. Not because I even remotely believe in that, but I'd be amused to see what it says. I resisted that urge. I can think of a million things I could be doing right now. I could be practicing my guitar that has a layer of dust on it. I could be putting together this puzzle that my husband and I bought to have a hobby at home but have only touched once. But, alas, I sit here channel-surfing and web-surfing. LAME!

I could be praying. Which is probably why I feel so restless and nothing is gratifying. I have the dry feeling that you get when you haven't had a glass of water all day and then all of the sudden you realize that you're incredibly thirsty. Why do we push off spending that intimate time with God? Why do we push off the things we need, no matter how much it calls out to us? It's the same vicious cycle. I spend time with God - I feel better - God-time decreases - I feel restless and unsure and wonder why - I realize that it's been awhile since I spent some quality prayer, worship and bible time - I spend time with God... and the cycle begins again.

I am so much more content with myself and the world around me when I do the things I need to do. Drink more water, exercise, eat well , take my vitamins, eat more fiber... (too much information??), spend more time with my Creator. And I avoid these things cause... I'm not sure I have the answer to that. (Well, I know why I don't exercise - cause exertion really goes against my desire to sit.) I could say laziness but I don't think it's that (other than the exercise thing). Lack of discipline, maybe. Lack of motivation, definitely. The only thing that cures motivation is doing something, but how do you find the motivation to cure your motivation?

Well, at least for tonight, I've motivated myself enough to go seek the Lord in prayer, study the Word (not just get my daily bible reading in) and "get my praise on" (as my hubby would say). And it will be a win-win for me cause I can do it while sitting.

I'm Sorry, Could You Please Repeat That?

Things My Husband Should Make For You, But Probably Never Will

Unless you are a friend and we have you over for dinner. Which we do quite often, so it really does pay to be my friend. I'm okay with being used for my husband's cooking. I just want to win the popularity contest.

So, tonight, my good ol' hubby is making his amazing Chicken Cordon Bleu. He's not making it for me, he's making it for a friend (see, it pays to be his friend, too). My husband is a pretty amazing cook. He's always been a better cook than me. He's better than me at most things except for music. Music's mine and he can't have it.

Anyway, it reminded me of a story I thought I'd share. When we first got married, all I really knew how to cook was spaghetti. And not the Ragu stuff. Granted, I don't make it from fresh tomatoes, but the ability season tomato sauce is a skill. It really is, so say I. Well, in our first week of marriage, I decided to venture and make him Tator Tot Hotdish. So, I make this dish and it was AWFUL! It wasn't a casserole, it was some sort of milky soupy thing with veggies, bland meat and soggy tator tots, with cheese on top. I cried and he ate, declaring it's goodness. He even ate a second helping and took some for work the next day. Although I knew that he was suffering by eating this crap on a plate, I thought, "Oh, how romantic. He eats my food even when it's bad." (Later on down the road in our marriage I realized that my husband is a "waste-not, want-not" kind of guy. He'll eat anything as horrific as it may be as long we're not wasting the meat that cost us money.)

While I was struggling to make a simple casserole, he's making shrimp scampi, chicken cordon bleu, stuffed peppers, homemade french fries and the list just goes on and on. There's nothing this man can't cook. He honestly makes the best turkey at Thanksgiving.

Tonight, he's making on of my favorite meals and I'll come home from work for chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans w/ a salad. And food is so exciting to me, I thought I'd blog about it.

**Update: Dinner was awesome.

Things I Will Not Buy For My Child

I saw this on another blogger's page and I thought it was amazing.

Invasion of the Dinosaurs!!

My Week in Review

I just felt like reviewing my week cause it was a mixture of pleasure and pain - and it felt worth blogging about.

1. Derek spent time with his BFF Carter. They're awesome. His mom, Ashley, is one of my heroes. She's a single mom and has this motherhood thing in the bag! I have a hard time and I've got Paul, but she's doing this mom thing with such grace, I'm in absolute awe. She gives me advice and tips. She's pretty much the bomb.
2. Thursday wing nights. Mark singing "Music is My Girlfriend" while showing how nicely he can switch around his reversible jacket. I thought my life was a soundtrack, but I rarely sing it aloud. I'm inspired.
3. Christmas shopping. Tis the season to.... KILL KILL KILL! There's nothing like the season of giving to really bring out that brutal kill or be killed instinct. I mean, when someone stands between you and that must have last "Elmo" on the shelf for your child - well, if there's blood drawn, so be it. I love Christmas, I hate Christmas shopping. All rules are null and void if it means you get where you want a few seconds faster and get what you want leaving no live bodies in your wake. Usually, after a horrific day of Christmas shopping, it sends me into a fetal position, sucking my thumb, rocking back and forth in a corner and crying for my mommy. I'll be repaying my therapist a visit here shortly. She'll no doubtedly up my dosage.
4. Party at Judi-Free's! A smorgasbord of foods I should not be eating post-baby, but LOVE LOVE LOVE! Yellow cake and gobs of chocolate icing... well, I'm a sucker for cake. Ask Paul, it's my weakness. Cake is my kryptonite. Damn you, cake! You foiled me again.
5. Party at Judi-Free's (part-deux) - it's been so long since I had a girl's night out. Oh man! What fun!! Listening to the 80's mix over Music Choice and eating cake, what more could this gal ask for?!?! Thanks Judi. You rock! You are quickly becoming one of my very favorite people on the planet.
6. Today I watched part of VH1's "100 best songs of the 90's". I've been watching it in doses over the week. So many good songs (and bad ones - I'm looking at you 'Color Me Badd'). "Enter Sandman" by Metallica... so good. I've come to terms with my love for late 80's and early 90's metal. (Side note: On the verge of breaking up, Metallica hired a psycho-analyst to get them through their inability to work and write together. Therapy is so metal.) During tonight's viewing I saw a commercial with Slash playing Guitar Hero. Again, very metal.

Well, that about covers it. All in all, a great week (minus the nervous tick I got from Christmas shopping) and I thought I'd share it with you.