Rosina's Favorite Songs: An Occasional Series

My kid likes Arctic Monkeys.  It is pretty hilarious.  I suppose I should be glad she's stopped singing along with "Take Me to Church" when it comes on in the car.







I finished reading Doctor Sleep today.  I haven't read any Stephen King in forever, and I have no idea why it took me so long to get to this one, considering how much I love The Shining.  Maybe I was worried that it wouldn't be any good?  It was.  What is it about his writing that I'm always completely engulfed in his universes?  I'm also reminded that I've been meaning to read 'Salem's Lot.  It's funny that I can read books on gory topics, but can't even handle CSI--I guess I'm good at skimming over the grody stuff, or just not letting my imagination dwell on it...

Grown-up things

Oh, Veronica Mars series finale, you are so damn unsatisfying!! I suppose I'm lucky that this is my first time watching; the movie DVD will be on its way to me in a few days, but most had to wait seven years for it. And now I see that there are novelizations... And here I was expecting to have to resort to fanfic!

In other news, Rosina's school is out for Spring Break this week, so I'll be working from home, just like in the old days. There are a few fun things on the horizon, but I also need to renew my license (and replace a fairly good picture from EIGHT YEARS AGO with a new one--that is just cruel) and spend waaay too much money on an interior door panel for my car. Like, more than three car payments' worth. Or two-and-a-half months of preschool tuition. Ugh, the last six months have been really expensive...

Spoilers

(Somehow this never posted like, sometime in May?  It was my initial reaction to people talking about the Game of Thrones finale. I don't even follow this show, and haven't read the books.  I just got really pissed about it, and still am, actually.)

Can we talk about the concept of spoilers? Because I'm freaking tired of it. When people are bitching about spoilers for a previously-aired TV show based on a book, I think things have gone too far.  And how about YouTube web series based on classic literature (e.g. Lizzie Bennett Diaries, Autobiography of Jane Eyre)?  People actually complain about spoilers in the comments.  For a freaking TWO-HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD BOOK.  What is wrong with the world?!?!  I declare a moratorium on spoilers, forever.  Remember the early '80s, before people had VCRs?  If you were in the bathroom when J.R. was shot, your friend would have to fill you in on the details.  If you didn't watch the football game live, you had to read about it in the newspaper.  The next morning!  (My brother is really annoying about this, since he'll stop a game mid-broadcast.  God forbid anybody tell him what happened in the ten minutes he was gone!!)  I am a full eighteen months behind on Doctor Who, thanks to not having cable and Netflix not getting their act together and finally making the discs available, but you know what?  I know there's a new companion.  I know there's a new Doctor.  Am I running around with my fingers in my ears screaming about SPOILERS?!  Nope.  Because I am a grownup.  And I suppose we even have River Song partially to thank for the prevalence of the concept.  Okay, I will edit my statement: not "spoiling" something is only acceptable in the case of time travelers, or some sort of Temporal Prime Directive.  Are you a time traveler from the past, or otherwise temporally displaced?  No?  Then SHUT THE HELL UP.  I'm gonna give away the whole plot of the Scandal finale just to spite your annoying ass. (P.S. Harrison is probably going to be killed off.  OH NOES, SPOILERS.)

Missteps

I've been hearing Michael's commercials on the radio, and I just saw an A.C. Moore ad on TV. I have to wonder if it's because Hobby Lobby has been in the news. It can't be a coincidence--though they aren't prefacing every ad with an annoucement that their insurance covers IUDs, I suppose it's implied!

Speaking of crafting, today I learned that scratchy acrylic squares are great at getting water spots and soap scum off of glass shower doors. When a Magic Eraser won't work, reach for a tawashi. So yes, I cleaned the bathrooms today. I even scrubbed the grout in the shower!  It did need to get done, but it was also because I was avoiding something...

Our laptop died this morning. :(  My work laptop--vintage October 2012!--stopped working about two months ago, and while it was at the New York office being fixed I used our personal laptop, which is four or five years old. It was a little temperamental about the Remote Desktop sometimes, so I was glad to get the other one back a few weeks later--but it bricked again after only a few days. Our IT guy was supposed to send a reboot disk or something, but nothing really happened. Meanwhile, our home laptop was getting increasingly grumpy. I asked my manager about it a few days ago, and we reminded the IT guy about it again; he apologized and said he would look for a new laptop. Yesterday afternoon the trackball keys on our laptop stopped working. I did a system restore, since there was just a Windows update a few days ago, but it didn't fix the problem. After a few minutes of work today, the power cut out, and it wouldn't turn back on. We last backed up our files several months ago, and because we put almost all our photos onto Rosina's Shutterfly site, we won't really lose anything if we can't get it up again. Except several hundred dollars on a new laptop. We had been having some trouble with it freezing up at bad times, so maybe it's been coming for a while, but we're not happy about it. 

Dude, this college kid on Wheel of Fortune just lost several thousand dollars because he didn't know how to pronounce "Achilles". Ouch. I guess business-Spanish double majors at Indiana don't have to read The Iliad.  That was painful to watch... He actually won--which doesn't say much for the other contestants. 

Seriously, this day calls for some tawny port. 

Perfunctory New Year's post

We're here, we got a tiny bit accomplished, etc. Rosina wasn't feeling too hot teething-wise, I think (jeez, when will these molars break through already?!), and Mark had a NyQuil hangover, so other than going to the playground and my quick trip for groceries during naptime, we laid low today.  Indeed, I am about to get changed, read a few chapters of my Botswana book and turn in. Back to the grind tomorrow, but at least it's a Thursday already!  

I did finish the hat last night (pics to come), and am about 25% done with my scarf:  

(Colors are not all that accurate.) Last year was a cooler year than usual, with February being the coldest month (and the only one without a 70-degree day, I think). Plus there was a record low the day before my birthday (the high was 48)--easy to remember because Mark and the Thursday knitters threw a surprise party for me, and it was a pretty miserable day! Charting the temperatures has helped me master yet another realm of minutiae. ;)

The other main thing I accomplished today, other than a bit of cleaning, was a quick butternut squash sauce with leftovers in desperate need of use. I might not take the trouble to make it if I didn't have squash already roasted, but it worked out well over sautéed chicken and egg noodles. I think I'm going to make pizza tomorrow...and while I have the yeast and flour out, maybe I'll get some no-knead bread started. It does make excellent toast. 

With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee

I'm actually drinking jasmine green tea, though wassail would be nice right now!  Don't know why that song popped into my head. I did have this crazy thought about caroling around the neighborhood, but it's going to be cold for the next few days. Also, I am feeling pretty gross. I am happy to be able to sleep in tomorrow!  As it is, I have more dishes to do, but my back is unhappy so I'm taking a tea break. 

Can I complain about something very minor, but just really arbitrary?  For three of the four Fox shows I watch, Hulu just deleted or Hulu-plussed a whole bunch of episodes that just last week were listed as being available for at least a month. I mean, what the hell?!  If I'd known they were gonna pull this shit, I'd have watched those five episodes of Bones last week. It was about a dozen episodes of three different shows!  All I know is, they'd best not touch my Glee.  It's bad enough that The Mindy Project is going on hiatus. 

In non-whiny news, I decided to start a second mitten on size 8 needles, and I like it a lot better. It will mean knitting three mittens instead of two, but they'll be a lot more comfortable!  I am on the thumb row now:

I have also started reading the penultimate Precious Ramotswe book. I am really going to miss these characters!  For the first time in my life, I almost feel compelled to write fanfic. Almost. Besides, Botswana is practically a character in these books, and having never been there, it'd be some pretty lame fanfic. Even in a world where Fifty Shades of Grey is a thing. Anyway, if you've never read anything by Alexander McCall-Smith, I recommend these!

O Tannenbaum

The tree is up, if not yet decorated. Rosina kind of lost her shit when she saw it. :)  Anyway, a bit of cleaning happened, but much more is needed--and the bare minimum will certainly be done by Friday morning. We have been trying to get a picture of Rosina for our holiday card, but the light just hasn't been right. We'll still have time when we get back, so I'm not too worried. 

Put in another fairly long morning with work. Hopefully this was the last one for a while. I've well more than made up for the two hours I'll miss on Friday--and I may get a call while I'm gone. I shouldn't complain--I certainly don't mind the money--but I will be pleased when all this reorganization is finished. 

Saw the cutest picture of Cathy's daughter today!  I love it when you can see the parents' features in their babies--especially when they look more like the one parent and then something from the other pops out. I may not want to put her down when I finally see her!  It's funny, when I held my friend Erica's baby a few weeks ago, it was lovely--but my ovaries were silent. I guess I really did only want one kid!  Haha! No, I guess I feel the same way about babies as I do about pets--I love them and they're awesome, but I see no need to have (another) one of my own. As if the one I had didn't keep me on my toes!

Tomorrow: ugh, get Mark's car inspected, go to the library (finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?; still can't shake that I've read it before), pick up a few things for the trip, assemble gift baskets and wrap presents, find a dinner recipe worthy of the feta in the fridge so I can use it before we go. I've finished the mittens, got done with the messy part of a large felting expedition, and started the ornament project. I am about ten rows from the heel on Mark's socks, but since they're a surprise, I will need something else to work on for the trip. The doll for Rosina is crocheted, as are the aforementioned ornaments, and I can't crochet at such a tight gauge for very long. I have a few things in mind, but I need to plan...

Pie lovers...

Cute toddler moments:

1.  Pretending a printed tissue is a tablecloth, a cotton ball is a sandwich, a plastic cap is a "burger" and a bottle of eye drops is apple juice. 

2.  Passing by the appliance section at Costco, Rosina remarks that she sees an oven, then says, "You cook a pie in there."  Clearly she is her father's daughter when it comes to pie!

Not cute toddler moment: falling backwards off a table bench onto the concrete floor at the same Costco, right after I told her to sit down and stop squatting on the bench. Poor thing. She was unhappy but fine, and now I am even more paranoid about telling her to sit...

We were able to get a bunch of errands done today, though it was not a very pleasant experience. I made my dishes for a potluck tomorrow (tortellini pasta salad and a S'mores version of krispie treats), and managed to finish Charlotte's mittens, then we made our appearances at Mark's alumni event. Capped off the day with Rosina's first viewing of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Fairly productive day!  

I am about halfway through Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? It's been a really long time since I've seen Blade Runner, but the book just seems really familiar. Have I read this before, and just don't remember?   

Hitting pause!

*Last week was a really crazy week, with some work-related drama, an ill-timed migraine and a cranky kid, but we did it!  We have a new (to us) car!  We were going to look at this one pretty far out in the country, and were worried about the logistics of having it inspected at a dealer even farther away, but we found an even better deal in Greensboro (which I know quite well), and we are the proud owners of a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI.  Automatic diesel!  My gas mileage is TWICE what I was getting for the Camry.  Neither of us have ever owned a car this swanky.  It has heated seats!  (Among other functions I will probably not use much.  I'm just happy to have an antenna now.)  We put down more than half, so our payment is low, but we haven't had one in about three years.  We have been eating out too much, though, and cutting back on that is always a good thing, regardless of the particulars.

Side observation:  why does it take so damn long to buy a car?!  Is it all a plot to wear you down so you fall for the extended warranty song-and-dance?  Even with all our ducks in a row, it still took seven hours--not counting the 75-mile drive one-way, plus the 40 minutes back from A's house (where Rosina played with L all day long...I am forever grateful for the favor, but Rosina is still coming down from all the fun).  Ugh, a long day.

(NB:  now that I own a German car--and a fancy one, no less--every post that mentions it will get a Yuppie tag.  I owe it to you all.)

*It seems like years ago now, but we cleaned up at that consignment sale!  Five pairs of pants (including tiny Baby Phat and Bongo jeans...I would've preferred more neutral styles, but for those prices I could handle some embroidery), some outfits, a few tops and dresses, an L.L. Bean coat (which I bought without looking at the tag--it was a 12-month size, but it is fairly roomy and actually long enough in the arms and body!) and five pairs of pajamas--all for $47.  We are pretty much set!  Rosina will need new socks and at least one pair of shoes, and probably a few pairs of neutral leggings, but other than that we hopefully all set until the spring!  I did a reasonably good job picking things that looked like they would fit (I had a top and pants picked out to bring with me to measure with, but I left them home), but still, you never know with this skinny kid.  Speaking of which:

*Appointment rundown.  Rosina only gained three ounces in the past three months, so she is back on Carnation once a day.  It adds about 150 calories, which isn't much, but if her appetite weren't affected much by the extra calories she could theoretically gain a pound a month (not common in a two-year-old!).  This time last year, when she still didn't have enough teeth to eat much real food, we gave her full-fat Greek yogurt mixed with applesauce and oats almost every day.  I'd love for her to have the yogurt every day, but she's not a big fan of mushy textures (she won't eat mashed potatoes!).  I had this bright idea the other day to make frozen yogurt for her out of Greek yogurt, and I found a recipe for chocolate peanut butter frozen yogurt that I think she will eat!  Cross your fingers for me.

In other appointments, my GI followup went fine (other than the migraine, which was raising my blood pressure, and the stupid weight gain from the new BC), and I don't have to go back for a year.  I also managed to get my hair cut this past weekend--just a trim, but it had been five months!  They've raised their prices...

*VMA controversy commentary:
1.  Miley Cyrus has an annoying voice.  I am not a fan of country anyway (though I do love Dolly Parton, and have a special place in my heart for early Kenny Rogers), but still, her voice is unpleasant to me.  The twerking and general acting-out just makes her look sad and desperate--all the way to the bank, I suppose.
2.  Duh, Robin Thicke obviously stole the rhythm and bassline from "Got to Give it Up".  "Blurred Lines" is very catchy, but Marvin Gaye it ain't--and the lyrics are kind of offensive (one line in particular is super creepy), but I suppose most pop and R&B lyrics are just as gross.
3.  'N Sync.  Those dudes are old.  By which I mean that Chris is my husband's age and JC and Joey are less than a year older than me.  One of these days somebody's gonna pull an ACL.

Verdict:  SSDD.

*Last night was the belly dance and Bollywood class show, and unfortunately I'm going to be gone so much in October, it doesn't make sense for me to sign up for the next session.  I need to dedicate the time to regular practicing (it may also help with this stupid BC weight gain--seriously, ten pounds in a few weeks, and it is very obvious to me).  I will figure out how to do a camel without looking awkward!  Considering it took me a year to learn how to do a Tunisian twist correctly, it may take a while.

*Speaking of practicing, that is another thing I need to do.  I have finally put up some semblance of a website, though it's missing things and I'm not totally happy with it yet.  I'm afraid that I don't have a copy of my reviews, and so far I haven't had any luck finding an archived copy of the page.  I really needed to do screen captures!  Ugh.  Mark has promised to help me out.

*Nearly done with my second sock--and finished that gift in less than 24 hours--but currently I am working on a sample for a designer friend.  It's really pretty hand-dyed yarn, but six stitches per inch does not exactly fly off the needles.  I just found out Helen's sister's baby is due at the beginning of October, waaay before I assumed!  I have some sweater patterns in mind, and should be able to finish one quickly once I'm done with the sample.

*Books!  I sped through the last novel in The Expanse trilogy; it was entertaining, but I still want more James Holden!  I am invested in these characters now.  I finally finished The Diamond Age yesterday, and liked it quite a bit (strong female characters!) but it ended really abruptly.  After a library visit tonight I expect to be back to some Precious Ramotswe for a while.  It's so nice to come back to something simple and beautiful after the heavy scifi. 

Things I've been doing instead of blogging

*Rosina picked up a cold sometime around July 4th, and she so kindly gave it to me. Oh, and I had my period at the same time, lucky me. It's been three weeks, and I'm still not quite back to normal yet. 

*Marathon-watching Murder, She Wrote. Corny as that sounds, the show was well-made and holds up (with the occasional snicker-worthy Cold War episode--and the clothes are pretty silly). The guest stars are always great, too: one episode I saw the other day guest-starred Norman Lloyd (still kicking at 98!!!), Gordon Jump (sadly late), and a very young John de Lancie (!) as a preppie art thief. 

*Growing more cucumbers than we can eat. 

That is an enormous cucumber. I don't know why she wanted to smell it, but it's probably my fault for having her sniff the (unlit) scented candles. I'm glad I got a photo of this dress: I made it last winter out of one of my tops that never fit right. 

*Finished a few baby projects (including the big one). I started a pair of socks a few weeks ago, but I haven't worked on them much recently. Over the past few days I've picked up my February Fitted sweater again. I do think it will fit, and I should have some yarn to spare. It's a worsted-weight cotton blend, and I'll need to wear a camisole under it, so I certainly don't see myself wearing it until at least September.  After tonight it will go back on hold for a bit, as I'm collecting the last few squares for the group baby blanket I'll be assembling. Given what I have already and what I'm expecting to get tonight, I expect to have to make a few more squares to make the color plan work out. 

*Several sewing jaunts, including making pillowcase dresses for my nieces (and one for Rosina for next year), some mending projects and adding padding to some very tiny underwear. Whenever this kid decides she's not afraid of the potty (ugh, make it soon!), we will be well prepared for potty training!

*Read the last Sookie Stackhouse book while I was sick. After more than a dozen books, it was bound to be fairly anticlimactic, but I think it ended in a satisfying way (at least for my ship camp!). 

*Guess I never mentioned my car drama. My front headlights went out one Thursday driving home from Panera, and my inspection was due!  It wasn't such an easy fix, either: I needed a new headlight switch (the one on the steering wheel), and the part needed to be ordered. My father helped Mark install it when they were down several weeks ago, and I was able to get the car inspected and renew the registration with only a day or two's lapse. With a 22-year-old car, what will be the next thing to break?  The engine has always worked just fine, despite the car's deplorable gas mileage, but it really is only a matter of time. We definitely want another car--and sooner, not later--but with me only working ten hours a week, we really don't want to have a payment. We're hoping to buy a used car with cash, but for some reason it's super important to Mark to have a bigger vehicle so we can carry big things. Granted, my Camry's enormous trunk has come in handy, but I'd rather just get another Corolla that Mark can commute with (I'd take his Corolla most of the time, to give the odometer a rest). Now he's all interested in this diesel  Volkswagen Jetta station wagon, when they only started making them a few years ago and even the used ones cost  twenty grand (significantly more than we wanted to pay). Anyway, we are still in negotiations. 

*There has been some crazy shit going on with my day job--huge changes coming, aggravating mistakes made by negligent parties in other countries that now I have to clean up--and it looks like I may just be able to go to our annual meeting in California in October. It would be a long three days, but it would be the first time in over two years that I'd be completely free of baby responsibilities. That and I'd net at least an extra $500 that week. Mark would take off a few days to take care of Rosina--which he would not mind, since it's not what he does every single day. I should know for sure within the next few days. 

In which much is accomplished

Sorry for the delay...the Blogger app is being a jerk again.

*We had a very productive weekend!  The weather was absolutely perfect, so we spent a lot of it outside.  I wish I didn't have the mosquito bites to show for it... I was mainly on toddler detail while Mark built our new vegetable garden!  It looks great, and we have lots of room to expand.  Eventually he wants to put in a raised bed, but the soil really sucks here (all clay) so it'll take a few years to get it to the right level.  This means I should start composting again! I just need to come up with a routine or something, so I don't end up with a smelly box in the kitchen.  Rosina can be trusted enough to stay on the covered porch while I tend to the big container outside.

*We went to Beasley's Chicken and Honey for lunch yesterday.  Fried chicken + waffle + honey... whoa.  Nobody could survive eating like that every day, but Oh My God.  Rosina was loving the waffles, and I didn't mind sharing because it was pretty filling stuff!

*In proud mommy news, look what Rosina did!

Couldn't even be bothered to draw a nose.  That is just lazy, kid...

*I have been dreaming about showing up to bellydance performances without knowing the choreo.  I guess this means I'm in it for good!

*Speaking of performance anxiety, the big news is that I've submitted materials for an audition next week!  This will be my first audition in THREE YEARS.  Whoa, I don't even know what to think about that.  It's just here in town, but they are apparently auditioning for "all roles" (i.e. not just chorus--we shall see).  So this is apparently the kick in the butt I need.  My voice feels good, though I need to brush up on some text (whoops, completely forgot that aria had a recitative) and spend some good time this week polishing things.  It has also compelled me to finally finish reading Content Strategy for the Web, which Mark insisted I read before I ask him to help me pick out a page template so I can get my effing website back up already!  Damn, seriously.

My big girl!

*The birthday girl is stirring, so I'll make this quick:  Happy Birthday, Rosina!  You are an awesome kid.  We will try to make it to storytime at the library, but we'll at least get to a playground, and hopefully mini-donuts at Sola (maybe just a coffee for me!).  Tonight there will be Rosina brand meatballs, and froyo with a candle in it.

*Finished The Twelve.  It actually ends on a happy note, and manages to avoid any ridiculous cliffhangers while still moving the action forward--which is impressive for the second part of a trilogy.  Catching Fire or The Empire Strikes Back, anyone?  I think I'll read some more Precious Ramotswe next--it's nice to alternate something lighthearted with this dark, heavy stuff.  I've also been wanting to read Silas Marner...

*Speaking of literary classics, the gang behind The Lizzie Bennet Diaries has just started a new YouTube series based on Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon.  And Gigi will probably be a main character!  I don't think I've read any of the completions...maybe I should take a look soon.

*Bellydance last night:  whoo.  We're doing these twisting hip drops that are a real glute workout.  This should be a fun one!  Like last session, this choreography has a beginner group and a veteran group, with the veterans doing a more-advanced version of the dance after the beginners go.

*The knitting has really gone to the wayside over the past week or so, with my tearing through two long books and the sewing and painting.  I need to get back to my gift project!

Plant a tree...

*Mother's Day is not really a thing for me--I mean, I call my mother and grandmother, but it doesn't seem like it applies to me personally, with Rosina's birthday always the same week.  (And every five years or so her birthday will be ON Mother's Day.)  I'm even tempted to think of it as a Hallmark Holiday, but then Mark reminds me that his mother was a florist, and Mother's Day paid a lot of bills!  I guess I'm okay with it, then.  :)  It was just a typical Sunday for us, with the added bonus of a free meal at PDQ.

*Mark did a lot of work around the house this weekend, for which I am grateful.  He even unstuck the painted-over kitchen window, so now it opens!  We still want to build a raised bed for vegetables, but won't be able to do it until next Sunday--so the seedlings I bought are still in their tiny containers.  The yellow squash is getting grumpy about it!

*We went to the county library sale on Saturday.  I picked up a few records for myself and some ex-libris board books for Rosina, and Mark found some interesting things.  You'd think I'd know better by now than to bother with the crafts section--it's all interior decorating and gardening books, with the occasional hideous pattern leaflet.  There's usually fun to be had in the science fiction section, but I wasted all my time in the stupid crafts section...

*I spent a good amount of time yesterday with the new-to-me sewing machine:  a circa-1984 Singer 6212 that my mother's friend gave her years ago.  Everything works just fine, though threading the machine is kind of complicated, and threading the needle is a huge bitch because there's no way to get a threader in there.  I guess I was spoiled by my crappy plastic Brother from Walmart... Mark has three new pairs of pants that need to be hemmed (who makes 32" inseam pants with a 36" inseam?! Is the tag an estimate? Seriously, one pair was five inches too long), and because the sewing table is in our bedroom--not a very Rosina-friendly place--I spent last night doing all the prep work (measuring, pinning, measuring, ironing, cutting, re-pinning, ironing) so I can do the actual machine work this afternoon during Rosina's nap.

*Working my way through The Twelve, where some crazy stuff is going down.  It is hard to stop at the ends of chapters!

*We are mostly ready for Rosina's party now; we'll need to pick up the fresh food the night before, but otherwise I think we have everything.  My mother did find a flight in the end (she was contemplating driving down from New York for one day!), so Mark will pick her up at the airport Friday afternoon.  I should start cleaning now...

Artsy-fartsy

*Rosina started a toddler art class this morning--this session was more of a free-play, but next week will be messy, apparently!  She's not super-girly about it, but she doesn't love being sticky or anything (probably a lot like me, actually), so we'll see how it goes.

*After the class, there were errands to run--including the farmers' market, where I bought a whole flat of strawberries.  They taste like heaven.  Seriously.  I had a lot of fun carrying that flat while pushing a stroller, though, I'll tell you.  It didn't stop me from buying apples and a few little plants on the way back to the car!  Ugh, my wrists may not forgive me this time.  After that we went to Target, where Rosina talked to all sorts of people.  They have reusable sandwich bags in the dollar section right now--if the ones I bought work out, I may get more!

*Missed going to Panera last night--not only was my stomach still bothering me, but my neck also decided to be an asshole.  I'm mostly better today, on both counts, but I really could've used the evening out!  We ended up watching more Downton Abbey.  Edith, you almost had me convinced that you weren't a total bitch...

*Finished Night Circus yesterday.  The bad reviews were kind of asinine, honestly--complaining about lack of character development (while not realizing that the circus itself is the main character, really) and about the focus and time shifting (durrrr, there are dates at the top of every chapter!).  So yes, I liked it--very atmospheric.  On to The Twelve, which starts in a really cheesy way, but I totally like it.

*We were in the car quite a bit this morning, and I kept hearing Billy Joel.  At first I wondered if something had happened to him!  Then I remembered that it was his birthday this week--yesterday, to be exact.  My friend Christine and I went to see him fifteen years ago yesterday!  Because it was his birthday, he said he would only play his favorite songs, even pulling out "You're My Home".  I remember trying to pick out my least favorite song so I could use the bathroom--it was "I Go to Extremes".  It was a really great concert.

Le cirque des reves

*Considering that I last posted about 16 hours ago--and about 7 hours of that was sleeping--I don't have much to say.  Um, Rosina specifically asked for Goldfish instead of animal crackers--does that count?  It was pretty cute, actually (she can't really say "fish" yet, but she makes a long F sound and moves her hand like a fish).

*Watched the first episode of Series 2 of Downton Abbey.  More intrigue!  Is it wrong for me to hope Edith dies in a car accident?

*Mark made the reservations for the reunion weekend last night.  We are going to stay with one of his friends Friday night, then on-campus Saturday night.  I hate to have us spend each night of our trip in a different place, but Mark's friend lives about 45 minutes from campus, and getting in Rosina's nap would be really tricky if we had to go back and forth.  We still haven't heard from Mark's brother about seeing them, but hopefully that will be ironed out in the next few days.

*Spent a good part of the day yesterday reading Night Circus.  There are a few grumpy reviews on Goodreads, which I probably shouldn't have read--it is an engrossing book, and a surprisingly quick read.  Good thing, because The Twelve is finally waiting for me at the library!  Yucky vampire fun, huzzah.

*Now that they're public, I can finally say that The Nicest Baby Sweater in the World was for Cathy!  I could not be happier for them! Much more handknit goodness is on the way for that lucky child.  Currently taking bets on when he/she will be taller than Rosina.  I'm guessing by 18 months (so when Rosina is four!).

Raleigh Hive Mind

*Rosina had another rough morning Friday, so my grand errand plans were reduced down to a trip to the library, two minutes away.  Luckily she's been doing better since, but I really wish this teething thing would be over already...

*Wishful Thinking Weekend:  we cleaned up the screened-in porch and the furniture (ugh, everything was covered in pollen), and bought new cushions and outdoor carpet. (This sounds like an expensive endeavor,  but we got bargains on everything, plus nothing had been changed in three years!  The old cushions were grody and hard to clean.) It is finally going to get out of the sixties, probably tomorrow, and I hope to even work out there once in a while!

*Worked on my gift project all weekend.  I love this colorway!

*On Saturday we went to the playground where we're having Rosina's party--she had a lot of fun, and can even use the stairs and get on the slide herself. :)  We checked out the picnic shelter for logistics.  We ordered the food from Costco and bought party supplies at the dollar store.  Ooh, this is exciting.

*DOWNTON ABBEY.  Why did we wait so long to watch this?!  After the first episode we were hooked. So yes, we both hate Thomas and Edith, and love Anna and Mr. Bates and poor Daisy!  Also, props on casting Penelope Wilton (aka Harriet Jones, MP!).  I mistakenly thought the second series was available on Watch Instantly, but it is not.  Now we have to wait and watch it on DVD.  First-world problems!

*I decided to sign up for bellydance again, since I like the dance--and the earlier class just works better for me.  The new session starts up tonight, and while I was enrolling I signed up Rosina for an art class!  She will  probably be the oldest kid in the class: it's for 18 months-2 years, and she will turn two four days after the first class. :)  It may be a struggle to get us out of the house for a 9:30 class--and it will make my work schedule a little weird--but it should be worth it!

Enter at your own risk...

*Our internet was down for most of the day Monday and Tuesday, and because I couldn't work Tuesday I was pretty busy today--so here I am kind of late...

*Bellydance performance went fine.  We did end up with just one group after all.  Now I have to decide what to take next session--both dances should be super cute!

*This is incredibly addictive, and out of all the random people and characters I could think of, it's only had to make a few second guesses--and two of those were (admittedly quite famous) opera characters, so there you go.

*I thought of this for some reason. Don't say I didn't warn you.

*Forgot to mention the yard sale!  We didn't have that much to sell, and it went fine.  Mark got rid of his stupid &&^*&%$*%$# toaster and an old travel bar set, and we sold all the baby stuff out there (mostly bottles and some toys) to one couple.  Thirty bucks we didn't have before, so that's nice.

*Tuesday Mark took a sick day.  He's been feeling kind of gross and totally run-down for several weeks.  He slept for a good part of the day, and is now feeling much better.

*Tonight for dinner we're going to make some pasta with the goat cheese we bought Sunday.  Om nom nom...

Retro

*Cute Rosina moment Tuesday afternoon:  pulling azalea blossoms off a bush, then trying to put them back on.  Also, showing me a flower and saying "buh-fy"--a new word that I did not recognize in context until she made the raspberry noise she makes to imitate the buzzing sound I make to imitate a bee.  I kept trying to tell her that they were flowers, though they did look like butterflies.  Adorable nonetheless!

*Picked up the next Precious Ramotswe book at the library.  I am very slowly creeping up the queue for the sequel to The Passage; it must be long!

*SUNY-B alumni event last night.  We didn't stay long, because there weren't enough seats for us and Rosina was getting tired, but we did get some Genny Creams in the old-school bottles!  I may even have taken some pictures of Rosina pretending to drink from my empty bottle...

*While at the sports bar, we ran into the area alumni coordinator for Mark's alma mater--which seemed less of a huge coincidence when we remembered that she and/or her parents live nearby.  This reopened our discussion about going up to Cleveland in June for Mark's reunion.  Rosina will be full-price to fly by then (I know--she weighs 20 pounds!  Ridiculous.  Though it will be nice not to have to carry her), and it's over $300 per ticket (not to mention the cost of the reunion itself, plus the donation they expect you to make), so I'm not sure if we're going to attempt the nine-hour drive instead...

*Saw this video on The Hairpin, which is wild.



I can't have been the only person scanning the Fly Girls for Jennifer Lopez, until she shows up at the end.

Om shanti

*Got back from my massage a bit ago. I will be sore tomorrow, but it was worth it! I even got to take an uninterrupted shower afterwards...

*Cute toddler moment of the day: an actual sentence! "Cookie all gone." (As in, "I see that my snack cup is empty; please remedy this situation.")  Typical that it involves carbs, I suppose...

*Made mini meatloaves (?) for dinner. I was finally able to find the recipe I used a few months ago: I thought it was from Pinterest, but it was actually from an old Whole Foods flyer. Grated sweet potatoes help bulk up the meat. I mixed it up a bit by using mango chutney in addition to the usual ketchup--yum. And when I came home from the massage, I was surprised with a clean kitchen. Much love to my boo, who had already had a very long day. :)

*Went to Hancock Fabrics to buy a skein of Cotton-Ease and a long black skirt for bellydancing (one of my classmates said they had them). Left with bookmarks, buttons (same I bought the other day, but 40% off) and an actual pashmina marked down below five dollars. They did have long skirts, surprisingly, but not in black, and I think they only sell Cotton-Ease online. I have to return the full-price buttons to Joann anyway, so hopefully they have the yarn, and I'll see if they have that pre-elasticized skirt fabric in black. My mother's sewing machine is coming in three days, and the projects are already lining up...

*Almost done with Speaking from Among the Bones--going upstairs now to finish it!

WebHostingPad sucks

*I don't know if this will come up in search engines, but WebHostingPad sucks.  Last year my website was down for MONTHS because I never received final notification about my domain renewal, and they were complete jerks about it.  Now I am trying to transfer my domain, and since it had been three business days without any word, I emailed them, and they said that they delete all transfer requests as spam, and that I would have to change the contact email address myself.  First off, why was I not the domain contact anyway?!  It's my damn domain, isn't it?  I am not positive there's even a way to change the email with GoDaddy--I have emailed customer service (and they have already been way more helpful, though that's not saying much), and hopefully they will have an answer.  I am just so fucking tired of dealing with this.  It's also a constant reminder that I basically have a professional page that does nothing, because I'm not doing anything professional right now.  Grrrrrr... Also, have I mentioned, WebHostingPad sucks?

*Um, anyway, otherwise it was a relatively mellow day.  It has been raining since about noon, and Rosina and I stayed in today.  I would like to run errands tomorrow (mama needs some port from Trader Joe's, and dada has been asking for more Whole Foods animal crackers), so we will need to brave the elements.

*Got in a decent amount of drop-spindling today!  I'm trying to get Rosina used to it, so I can actually use the spindle when she's around without her always trying to play with it.  If I do it enough, maybe she'll get bored...and I can make her one out of a CD and a dowel when she turns four.

*Orange juice plus seltzer plus limoncello equals Orangina cocktail!  Actually, it's a bit sweeter than I'd prefer.  Maybe less orange juice and more seltzer next time.

*Watched The Campaign this evening--it was funnier than its relatively short time in theaters would indicate.    I was hoping for more North Carolina references; there was a Jesse Helms name-drop, but they could've mentioned SunDrop or pig pickin's, you know?  Zach Galifianakis is from Raleigh, yo.

P.S.  In case you missed it, WebHostingPad sucks!  Goodnight and good luck.