weekend update - part 3

80 minutes of strenuous hiking at the lake + brunch at the Pancake Pantry = the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning

weekend update - part 2

Saree 4
Originally uploaded by tabita.

So, to the cultural experience...

Yesterday I spend a good 30 minutes dressing for a dance recital at the Hindu temple. Why 30 minutes, you may ask... Oh, well, just look at the picture. I had to take help from a website to figure it out. But it came out OK in the end. :)

Rohan wore his traditional Indian clothing as well and it was very cool. The dance recital was fun, but sleep-invoking. We left early after chatting with my friend Subba (who lent me the Saree) and came home and changed back into our normal selves.

Ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery followed and then movie at home. Nice day.

Now it's Sunday and work stuff is starting to occupy my brain again. Whew, better get out and do some more walking - it's such a good way to clear the mind.

Anyway, if anyone needs tips on how to put on a saree - I'm your gal. India, here I come. :)

weekend update - part 1

Saw the latest and greatest (and last - sob) Star Wars movie last night. I was there with my two dates Pete and Rohan (no worries - we're *just* friends) and ate lots of popcorn and coke (to stay awake).

More thrilling than the movie though, was the preview of "The Chronicles of Narina - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe". I've read that series of books so many times and even wrote my final high school project on it (and won a prize!). I'm totally in love with C.S. Lewis (in a very non-erotic way). And finally they are coming out with the movie (where Aslan isn't some guy in a lion suit). I'm excited.

Dragged poor Appwiz around the lake this morning and then he patiently played some racquetball with me. He's really good. I'm really bad. Good thing is that I provide some level of entertainment as I ran around chasing the ball.

And... The weekend saga continues. What's next? Who knows? But, I'm sure it'll be fun.

It's Friday...

Isn't life great??

I mean - a whole weekend to hang out with friends, relax, eat good food, explore other cultures. I'll tell you tomorrow or Sunday what I mean.

Appwiz is coming to visit. Haven't seen him in like 2 years. Should be lots of fun. I'm working on the plan - I promise. It'll be good.

And on the Sweden front: Rebecka is already going over to friends' houses and taking over the instruction of English in her class. Todd is being taken out to lunch by the people at the archives where he hangs out. I'm sure they are a lively gang! :)

Leaving in 29 days. Crazy.

I have no idea what is going on in the world, so I can't comment on that. Anything earth-shattering happen in the last week?

no more responsibilities!!!

Did the last choir performance for the school year this morning. Whew - it is so good to be done with it. I'm a little burned out, I must say. So, now my Sundays are free, free, free!! Ok - I do have to go to an "end-of-the-year" party next Sunday, but that should be fairly low stress.

So, now I can work even more hours each week!

it's all about the presentation

I went to dinner at a local Thai restaurant last night. My food was served in a pineapple. It made the fried rice meal about 10x as exciting. I'm eating the leftovers right now. It's not quite as fun without the pineapple - but the flavor is still there - makes me happy. Excellent post-workout meal.

First weekend without the family. Weird. Miss you guys! Glad you finally got reunited with your luggage.

good cause

I went to a benefit for Planned Parenthood last night. It was delightful. They raised over $42,000. Pretty awesome, eh?

home alone...

...listening to the soundtrack of Love Actually and working feverishly on a very insane project.

Family: you should be glad you're many, many miles away...

Friends: sorry i'm ignoring you... i still love you!!

Other Random Readers: ehm - my blog is typically more interesting than this - i think...

they leave today...

Yep - by 3:55 pm the family will be "out of North America and going to Europe" - to quote Rebecka as she was talking about her (almost) 3-month-long trip to Sweden with some of her friends.

I'm excited for them and sad at the same time. Our little house will be empty. But now I don't have to feel guilty when I get home from work at 9 pm and just barely have time to say the night-time prayers with Becka and plop into bed, exhausted from the demands of the day.

Hmmm. Please write me a lot - and call. My parents won't mind the big phone bill... Right? ;)

On another note - for you celebrity-obsessed readers out there. Check out the Huffington Post for lots of celebrity blogs and the latest news. From this dandy site, I found out that Clinton and the next Governor of Arkansas are starting a "ten-year campaign to get the fast-food industry to serve smaller and healthier portions and to improve school dinners."

Finally!! Let me know how I can help.

tonite...

...I organized my house. Now I can sleep. God Natt.

morning run

Start off slow... No watch, no idea how far I will be going. I'm tuning in to the birds chirping, gazing at the blue sky, and enjoying the warm spring sunrays on my body.

Turn left to get onto one of the famous Brentwood "pikes" to see where it will take me. Pass the big white house with the brown fence - 1.5 miles - this is my only landmark that has a distance associated with it. Too early to turn around - keep going - past the big funky house with the musical notes fence. I'm sure there is a good story behind that one.

Greet occasional early morning runners as we pass each other. Cross a little river - how nice. Oh - and there is the park where Rebecka learned how to ride her bike. Wonder if she still remembers how...? It's been a while.

I guess I'll keep going.

Come to a fork in the road - left or right? There is a big hill on the right - I'll go left. Pass a horse farm. "Hi horses! You are very beautiful." Is it time to turn around yet? Not sure... I have no concept of time or distance. Ok, I'll turn around at the next traffic light. I hit the next traffic light. Ok, I'll go a little bit further and turn around at the next traffic light. I hit the next traffic light. I turn around.

Run is halfway done. I'm running faster now. Pass some fragrant flowers - mmm - lovely. My legs are begging to run faster, like a tired horse who knows she's getting close to home. "No, not yet. You'll be too tired at the end if you start speeding up now." I think about work, the day ahead, more work, friends. Woah - I forget that I'm running. Slow down - still to far to start pushing.

Eventually, I turn right to get back on the road that leads back to my starting point. "Ok legs, you can go now." And off they go. So fast that I have to stop and walk before it is really time to cool down. That's OK. Long cool-downs are good. I finally get back to the YMCA - it's been an hour. An amazingly beautiful and relaxing hour. "Hey legs, let's do it again soon!"

Happy Anniversary Dear!!!

Yes - today is our 10th wedding anniversary! Scary, but true. At least we made it over the 7 year threshold for reducing the risk of divorce (love statistics) - so that is good. :)

I'm the luckiest woman alive - that's all I have to say.

Luv ya!

talent show

Come out to the 2nd Annual "Second Stages" talent show on Saturday at 7 pm at Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

Rebecka and I will be doing Mama Mia (among other things). Oh yeh - it'll be great. Also, our Associate Minister will do her Elvis thing - it is hillarious. I mean hillarious.

See ya there!

drowning...

yep.

somebody throw me a lifesaver, please?

shoe trauma

So, I have the weirdest feet ever. Those of you who know me well already know this, but for the rest of you: They're short, they're wide, and the toes bend up in a weird angle which makes my dear husband say that they are "deformed" (in a very loving and sweet way...).

So, when it comes to buying shoes, it is like trying to fit a camel through the eye of a needle (for you biblical scholars out there). Finding winter shoes (or closed toe shoes) is not so bad, because nobody really knows that there is an inch or two of space in the front. However, trying to buy cute sandals for the summer is hellish.

The first three attempts to find the perfect black, strappy sandal was spent in local shoe stores in the Cool Springs shopping area. No luck. At Dillards, we even got an Egyptian shoe expert to help us, but after he measured my foot and told me I was a 5 1/2 M, I just laughed and moved on to the next store.

The next attempt was to order three pair of 5 1/2 W sandals from the one and only zappos.com. They showed up within a couple of days (their service rocks), but alas, my poor feet couldn't squeeze into any of them. So they stood in my hallway for a week until I found 5 minutes to print out the return slip and drop them by the UPS store.

At that point I pretty much gave up and decided to wait until I can go to India, where they apparently have stores that will make any shoe in the store to order. It sounds like a magical country.

Then I got impatient and irritated and decided to see if there were any 5 1/2 WW sandals that fit my criteria for a cute, black, strappy sandal. Results returned:

I ordered them. They're borderline - could work, but a tad wider would be nice.

Search for 5 1/2 EE Black Dressy Sandals returns:

Sorry, no results found.

new favorite snack...

Ok, if you haven't tried the new (well - at this point "newish") Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars from General Mills, you don't know what you're missing!!!



The almond bars especially are heavenly. They're not the lowest calorie bar out there, but at least no trans fat, and they're better than a candy bar.

My friend and colleague Prasad and I make trips to the Publix across the street *just* to get these. I bet we go through four boxes a week between the two of us.

Well, what are you waiting for!??! Go out and get some and experience the magic...

Close-Up at Six Flags

Close-Up at Six Flags
Originally uploaded by tabita.

Rebecka and I went to Six Flags over Georgia this weekend. It was a blast. I wasn't quite sure how she would react and the first Roller Coaster wasn't exactly a good way to ease into it (more like being thrown into it). But... Rebecka's reaction was: "That was awesome!!!!!" And for the rest of the day we rode roller coasters - and pretty much nothing else.

We also got to spend some QT with my pal Steve. Lovely dinner and comfy couch... :) And breakfast at Panera, of course. (Come see me soon!)

Since Rebecka hadn't been back to Atlanta since she was around 15 months, I also showed her where she used to live, including Columbia Theological Seminary where Todd got his M.Div. She was mostly interested in playing hide-and-seek with Steve and swinging on the playground, but hopefully it was slightly educational... ;)

Fun and exhausting weekend - as a weekend should be.

more geek proof...

As I'm sitting behind a black Toyota 4Runner on my way to work, I take note of the licence plate and smile: JDK - Java Development Kit...

Nice.

letters

As some of you may know, I was naturalized and became a US citizen a while back. Rebecka shared this information at school and her teacher, Mrs. Hughes, asked me to come talk to the class about the process. So, I did.

The other day there was a big, manilla envelope by my spot at the table when I got back. It contained thank you letters from the kids in the class. I thought I'd share a sample with you (I'll omit the salutations and closings):

"Thank you for coming to talk to us. How do Sweden people talk? Have a nice time in America."

Well, people from Sweden, i.e. Swedish people talk like this: Hej, hur mår du? Jag mår bra. Visst är det kul att blogga? Men är det någon som läser eller bryr sej? Vem vet?

"Thank you for coming to talk to us. How old were you when you Immigrated? Was it fun on the ship or plane?"

Hmmm - I was 21. Just a young 'un. The plane ride was fun. I love flying alone.

"Thank you for coming to talk to our class. Was it hard to learn the U.S. language? Was the test very, very, very hard?"

Learning the U.S. language wasn't too hard, because I grew up bilingual. However, I still have trouble spelling because the U.S. language doesn't make sense. The test was very, very, very easy.

"Thank you for coming to our class. You are a vary good U.S. citizen Mrs. Green. And was the test really hard? I am so glad you were born in Sweden."

I'm a good citizen? Ok. Again, the test was a friggin' joke. And I'm glad I was born in Sweden too - it's a swell country.

Kids are so cool... :)

PS. I'm going on a field trip to MN tomorrow. Will get so see my dear friend Katie. This is a very happy thing. :)

world-wide conservatism

So I guess it's not just the US that is moving further right. Appears as though the entire world is moving in that direction (or, I guess the Holy Spirit - if that's who you think elected the pope).

Welcome Pope Benedict XVI - Good Bye any chances of women priests or other progressive changes.

Btw, isn't it just a little suspicious that the Holy Spirit went with the favored candidate? Seems like the Holy Spirit would think outside the box and not give in to outside pressures... But what do I know?

On a side note, my dear husband found out today (unofficially - well, I guess it's official to the blogging world now) that he passed his QEs with "even more than flying colors." Congratulations Todd!! I'm so proud of you.

geek proof...

You know you're a geek when you're balancing your checkbook at 6 am and the fact that the ending balance is a palindrome puts a big smile on your face...

Different topic (well, same topic in that it describes my personality as well): As I was cleaning the kitchen around 5:30 am this morning, I came across three very brown bananas.

Normal thing to do: Throw them away or possibly cut them up and throw them in the freezer.

Tabita thing to do: Make some nutritional banana-nut bread.

The aroma in here right now is to die for - totally worth it. :)

what a life...

During lunch, the hubby and I went for a lovely walk around our favorite lake. The sun was shining from a clear blue sky and the temperature was just perfect for a brisk walk. There were these awesome purple flowers growing everywhere and little white flowers that look just like a very famous Swedish flower, vitsippan. It all made me very happy.

As we turned the curve to finish the last stretch of hiking back to the car, we saw an insanely cute sight: A little turtle family of three was lined up on a log that was sticking out of the lake. Each family member had its little head reaching toward the sun. What a life.

I'm filing for an extension for our 2004 taxes. Some guys at work convinced me that I should itemize. I don't have time for these things. I'll be calling an accountant tomorrow. The Greens are filing for an extension - perhaps this is the end of the world...?

spring cleaning!

I took a time-out this morning to clean my desk. Not just remove piles of paper and such (I never have piles of paper). No, this was more like remove everything and dust and spray Windex and wipe clean and move things around and throw things away and...

It's awesome!!! I will be 10x more productive now. At least for the first few hours.

CNN question of the day

So, this morning, the CNN question of the day with Jack Cafferty was something like: "Should Wisconsin allow cat hunting?" Apparently there are 8 million stray cats in this country. I wonder if we can get this allowed in Tennessee??

Completely different topic: As I am always pressed for time, I'm always thinking about ways to make my life more efficient. So, today, I had a break-through in the locker room. Every time after my workout, I walk over to this shelf to get three plastic bags to put my stinky clothes/shoes in (don't ask about the '3' part - it's all very logical to me). Anyway, I spend several seconds standing there, tearing off bag by bag. Today, I realized that I could tear off all three in one tear and do the individual tearing of the bags on the way back to my locker - saving several precious moments. Very exciting.

And a small side-note: why the heck did the YMCA powers-at-be switch to cinnamon-flavored mouthwash??? It's disgusting!!

busy...

busier...

busiest...

barely have time to breathe,

sleep,

eat...

but my running will NOT suffer.

has it really been since wednesday???

Unbelievable.

It's been a busy week - that's for sure. But - 4 days with no entry!?! This is absurd. Well, I guess the few moments that I've been free, the weather has been so nice that I haven't wanted to sit at the computer.

I guess I'll start with yesterday, cause that's as far back as I can remember... Awesome run - first "almost-6-miler" since my knee started acting up way back when. Pleasant visit to the shiny, new Publix across the street from my office. I love that store!!! Hmmm. Oh - yeah. Birthday Party at the Nashville Humane Association! How could I forget? Rebecka and her little friends had a fun-filled time doing crafts, playing games, and learning about animals. Somebody knew her quite well and got her - yes, you guessed it - a stuffed animal cat. I'm not sure how Fluffy is handling this new rival.



Later on that evening, Rebecka and I went with my friend Subba and her girls to a dance recital at Vanderbilt. It was awesome! I love dance. So much. My favorites are the ethnic ones like Indian and West African. The Indian dance was set to Ellai Illa Inbam. Sound familiar, oh readers from India? I think if I were to pick up dance, it would be African - it is so intense.

Good day all in all. Yep. And today the sun is shining on a clear blue sky with little fluffy clouds gliding around up there. It is absolutely heavenly. We went to the park for a while to soak up the beauty of the day. Wow! Ok - I'm hungry. I'm going to help Todd cook (I know - it's shocking).

April is National Humor Month

So - I encourage you to laugh as much as you can and make people around you laugh (at you or with you - I don't care either way). One website describes the benefits of laughing as follows: “Laughter is internal jogging.” Need I say any more??

Read more here...

Go Lady Bears!!

And congrats to Todd for finishing his final qualifying exam yesterday. My housekeeper is back!!!

That's all I have time to say.

the human body is strange (at least mine)

This morning, I woke up at 6:00 am sharp, after less than 3 1/2 hours of sleep, and bounced out of bed for an outdoor run - craving it. I was greatly rewarded. A chorus of morning birds cheered me on (much better music than at the Country Music City Marathon) as I ran down Oaks Drive and when I turned to go east on Old Hickory Blvd. - what a sight I beheld: My friend, the Sun, was making a grand entrance, painting the sky with a purply, redish, orange color. Too beautiful to imagine.

I let gravity and my body weight pull me down the hills - enjoying the exhilaration of running faster than most people would ever dream of - even if chased by wild dogs. This didn't work quite as well going back west and against the wind - but my legs picked up the slack. 30 minutes and no knee pain later, I ran up the last hill to my house feeling better than I've felt in a long, long time.

Man, if everybody who reads my blog does NOT become a runner, I have failed miserably. Anyway, we'll see what my body has to say about all this in a few hours... But for now I'll enjoy the thrill - and my morning oatmeal.

0:00

I don't think I've ever seen my computer switch over from 23:59 to 0:00... It was pretty cool.

Tonight, I learned what the ISO 8601 standard for date is: YYYY-MM-DD. Good to know. Why can't everybody just do it the same? And who uses a.m. and p.m. anymore...? Ooooh - wait - it's just the US (and perhaps one or two others). Well, my application's home page will comply with the International Standard - there you have it...

grapple time

So, I just had a piece of grapple - yes - it is an apple soaked in grape juice to make it taste like grape. Crazy! If people want grape taste, why don't they just get grapes?? Well, I guess this tastes more like the fake kind of grape taste that you find in sodas and candy. Becka loves it!

Maybe there is something to the theory that this will make for healthier children. It is not often that my child asks for a fruit for snack... If so, I'm all for it. But I think I'll stick with regular old apples...

it worked!

Yes - I slept until close to 5 am this morning... Slightly more normal awakening time. Maybe I'm just so incredibly excited about life these days that I don't want to waste too many hours on sleep?!? That's how I'm going to look at it.

Yesterday was good.

In the morning, I was feeling really sluggish and Todd said: "Why don't you go workout?" To which I responded: "OK." Best suggestion ever. Two hours, one workout, and one shower later, I felt like a new person. I was ready to conquer the world. Whew - it's amazing what a good run will do for your spirit.

In the afternoon, Todd's advisor called with some superb news... He passed his first (out of three) qualifying exam!!! This was especially good news, since he was 100% sure that he had failed. He takes the second one today. You'll do great honey!!

In the evening, I went to church for my two choir rehearsals. The kids were great - so talented and fun-filled. I gave them highly discounted Easter candy - they were thrilled. My adults were awesome as well. We have this Cameroon processional that we're working on that has a little dance to it. Some of the guys are not ecstatic about the prospect of dancing down the aisle, but it's going to be fantastic. We're even going to have real, live percussionists. Yipee!

OK - time for oatmeal. Have a great Monday everyone!

time changes...

It's 6:06 - feels like 5:06. I'm liking this time change thing. Especially since I've been having this problem lately of waking up at ridiculous hours like 4 am. Now it will be 5 am, which is almost normal.

Sweden changed their time last week. For one short week we were 8 hours apart instead of 7. What about India? Do they change the time there? I need to know, so that I know when to call my UI designer.

Speaking of India, I've been learning a lot about that country lately. I have several very good friends from there (you know who you are) and they provide me with wonderful details about the rich culture. I want to go. Soon. Preferably to a wedding (no pressure...). I love the music, the religion, the festivals, the languages, and the people - of course. They are funny, generous, open, spiritual, and very intelligent (don't you just love generalizations?).

I saw my first Bollywood movie the other night. My friend Rohan gave it to me to show off the city where he grew up. It was different - that's for sure. So colorful. So musical. So very, very different from Bergman... I think you need both extremes of movies in your life - to achieve balance.

let the right team win...

If Louisville wins today, I win the pool at work - no matter what happens in the final.

Everybody cheer for Louisville, please! :)

PS. I can't figure out how to make these damn comments links smaller... I need help.

face lift...

Just FIY - I'm still working on this... I accidentally published a bit prematurely... Ooops. But what can you expect - I'm Tabita. I'm the one who thought that her computer was dead when she really had turned off the power to the outlet to which the laptop was plugged in. Yeh - having a high IQ does not often help with everyday life.

Anyway, I have to stop my beautifying process for a bit and go pick Rebecka up from her sleepover and bring her home by 7 o'clock so that she can leave for her next adventure, which is going to Atlanta with one of her friends. She has a kick-ass social life.

Stay tuned for more style sheet modifications...

it's clean!!!

Gracie did a fine, fine job. Happiness is a clean house.

Crazy day - didn't get much sleep, woke up to a dead computer (come to find out it was really user stupidity), freaked out, went to work, computer came back to life, talked to friends (only good part of the day), went home to work, went to lunch (ok - that was a good part too), worked some more, fell asleep, woke up (phone call), worked some more... Now I'm dehydrated. Need water. Better go downstairs and get some.

This weekend had better be good. And it will be. It's up to me, right?

cleaning for the cleaning lady

I'm now officially one of those people who clean the house before the cleaning lady comes over. I've never had anyone come clean my house before, but I did have a feeling that I might be one of those people - and sure enough... Everything is picked up off the floor, counters and tables are clear, the laundry is put up, and the shoes are in the closet rather than in a pile by the front door.

But - there's still plenty for Gracie to do when she comes over tomorrow. I'm so thrilled. My house will be clean once again!!!

PS. Congrats to Rebecka for making the AR "Wall of Fame" - i.e. she's read books and taken comprehension exams worth over 150 points. Way to go girl!! :)

The Borowitz Report

If you're not already familiar with Andy Borowitz... Check him out. He is beyond funny...

namur news and random acts of kindness...

Remember the guy who ordered Namur CDs and works 2 blocks from my office...? Well, he got us in touch with this guy at flamingfish.com and guess what?? Now you can buy Namur CDs there. Isn't that awesome!?! Go buy one - or two - or ten. However, if you want a t-shirt - I'm your woman.

I'm overwhelmed by the kindness of friends in these weeks of insanity leading up to Todd's qualifying exams. Just one example:

Today, Rebecka went home with our good friends, the Findley's, after school. When I arrived at their house to pick her up around 7 pm (loooong meeting at work), they offered me wine (yes, please!) and dinner (yes, please again - they both have chef school on their resumes) and boy was it good! AND they offered to take her home again on Friday and next Monday.

We're too lucky to have such good and caring friends.

where to begin...?

It's been a busy couple of days... Wrapping up Easter, wrapping presents for Rebecka's birthday, wrapping up a High Level Design for our next release - lots of wrapping... In addition to that, I spent some fun-filled time at Granbery Elementary yesterday for Rebecka's birthday. I had a McDonald's Cheeseburger for the first time in I don't know how many years. Rebecka likes it when I bring McDonald's when I come to eat lunch with her ("That's what all the other parents do...") and this time I thought I'd go all the way and have it myself. It was surprisingly delightful. No - I did not ruin it by checking the nutritional information...

Today was a lovely day. I spent a good bit of time at the gym in the morning and walked out into a beautifully sunny day. Wow! It makes me so happy. I love spring - with a passion. Had a late and leisurly lunch at my favorite Mediterranean place with Prasad. We sat outside. It was heavenly. I'm of the opinion that if the weather is perfect and you have the opportunity to sit outside and eat, then it is a crime not to do so. Got lots done at work. And now I'm about to watch the Amazing Race with the fam. Yep - a lovely day.

Ok - I want one of these Fox Blockers. I don't get FOX at my house, but I want it just for the awesomeness of it... Ooooh - maybe I can sneak one on the back of the TV at the YMCA... How cool would that be?? (Thanks AnonD for that link... ;)

Happy Easter!!

It's been good so far. Got to sing the Hallelujah Chorus with the choir at the end of the service - this is always fun... Now we're off for good food and fun at the Bjordahl residence.

Enjoy, relax, and remember to live your life to the fullest - every day.

four angels

I want to introduce four angels: Joanne, Lala, Subba, and Priti.

What do these angels have in common, you may ask...? Well, these wonderful women all took care of my child at some point during this crazed spring break. They fed her, bathed her, housed her, took her to McDonalds and Chuck E Cheese, gave her a brand new toothbrush, let her play with their dogs and children, took her to the Adventure Science Museum, and much, much more.

Angels, you have no idea how much help and stress-release you provided. Thank you!

erring on the side of life...

Shouldn't "erring on the side of life" also involve the following:

• Not executing innocent black males because they can't afford proper legal aid
  
• Not signing laws allowing doctors to override the family's wish to keep a loved one on life support if they can't afford it
• Not attacking other countries for the heck of it
  
• Allowing children and the elderly to have the same quality health care as the people on Capitol Hill
• Keeping guns off the streets and out of the hands of people who use them to "settle arguments"
  

Bush's approval ratings are at an all time low - do you think that it has anything to do with the fact that people are finally starting to realize what a hypocrite this man is?

bball rocks

I'm currently ranked #2 in the office pool. This is quite thrilling. What an awesome evening of hoops (like I saw any of it - who has time to watch TV?!?!)! I will definitely employ the same resource to help me with the brackets next year. Just next time, I won't let his bias for Alabama drag me down to #2... ;)

gym stuff...

Today was the first day of the year where I wore shorts only to the gym. Ok - not *only* shorts - that would be kinda scary... But no long pants to cover up. It was a little chilly, but it is a good sign that spring is on the way.

Also, today I ran for 30 minutes for the first time since my knee started acting up without feeling any pain. After 20 more minutes on elliptical - still no pain. I'm excited!!

Finally - the dressing room is incredibly empty at 9:00 am. Just a handful of little old ladies getting ready after their morning swim. I must come at this time more often.

to my friends...

Thanks for caring. And for making me laugh. For stimulating conversations and comfortable silence. For music and singing. Togetherness. For enjoyable meals and games and fun. For correcting me when I'm wrong and listening when I need to talk. Sharing secrets. Smiles - in the hallway - through email - across the table - brightening my day. Understanding.

I love all of you. So very much.

warning!!

Don't do Pilates without proper cushioning.

Good Lord! My neck and spine are in total pain. Not good.

pilates 101

So, I ordered this Pilates DVD and a mat from Amazon... This morning was the first time to try it. I started easy with the modified basic workout and then did the basic workout three times. I'm wondering if perhaps my mat is too thin, because my back is hurting a little from the "Rolling Like a Ball" move. I'm wondering if they're assuming that you're putting the mat on carpet rather than really, really hard laminate floor. The guy in the DVD has a super thick mat - it's like a doctor's examination table or something. Hmmm. I'll figure it all out.

If my abs are hurting tomorrow, I'll stick with the basic workout... If not, I guess I'll move on to intermediate.

Any Pilates fans out there?

whew...

So much to do - so little time.

Survived Palm Sunday - my little kiddos did a good job waving palm branches and singing Hosanna. The rest of the day was spent doing various things including a meeting (boring, but necessary...), walking around the lake (awesome!), going to the mall (makeup emergency), and chauffeuring Rebecka to various locations.

Today was a typical Monday - let's leave it at that. I'm enjoying hanging out more with my friend Prasad. He's one of the smartest people I've ever met. Yep. I like smart people.

I have a Flickr account now. Not many pictures there yet, but hope to load a ton over the course of the next few weeks. Thanks to Rohan for the tip. What would I do without my "on-top-of-new-things-on- the-web" friends? I would still be using Yahoo! maps...!

tech support fun

My friend Lyn sent me the link to this skit. It is awesome. You must see it.

cool shoes and other things

My dear bro-in-law, aka AnonD, sent me a link to this article that talks about the new Addidas running shoes that "uses a sensor, a microprocessor and a motorized cable system to automatically adjust the shoes' cushioning." I had read about this shoe in Runner's World, but kinda forgotten about it. I guess the $250 price tag made me think (as with many other things such as the iPod, PDA phone, etc): "I'll just wait until they get cheaper..."

But - for all you runners out there with some disposable income - go buy a pair - and let me know if they're worth it. Btw - the Adidas website is cool. Being in UI redesign mode, I'm looking at the www in a new light now... Where are they putting the logout link? What colors are the using? Is the search on the same page as the search results? How easy is it to navigate? Whew - I just need to stop surfing.

So I have a few new candidates for my new shoe... Let me know what you think:

OR

PS - The FedEx man delivered my tickets yesterday - yay!!

gun control in philly? and other news...

I love the Mayor of Philadelphia. It is not often that one gets to hear intelligent discussions regarding guns in this country, but today CNN offered just that. The Mayor actually had the brilliant idea that if they restrict access to guns, then there won't be as many out there, and people won't grab for the gun when in an argument and kill each other. What a novel idea...! And just like it would be harder for regular folks to get guns, it would also be harder for the criminals to get guns... Why can't people understand this very simple concept...?

On the Shiavo story - just let the poor girl die and be over with it. I mean - how can keeping her alive be good for anybody? Note to self: Create living will so as to not end up in vegetative state forever should something bad happen.

And finally - did you know that there is summer gasoline and winter gasoline?? I love picking up these little pieces of new information...

PS. Only four of my picks lost yesterday... That ain't so bad, is it? Thanks for the help Mike! :)

my night

Fell asleep somewhere between 8 and 8:30 pm watching the second episode of Pride and Prejudice in the bed with Rebecka. (I had promised to stay awake for the first episode and managed to do so - albeit painful)

Woke up at 2:10 am. Went to the bathroom in the dark in order to be able to go back to sleep. It didn't work. At 3:08 am I broke down and went downstairs to eat a snack and read my Runner's World - hoping that I would fall asleep again... I think it worked, because around 4:45 am, I woke up with drool on my face. Decided to go back to bed. Forced myself to lay there until 5:55 am, when I jumped out of bed and into the shower.

Today is going to be interesting and I will be taking drugs tonight.

PS. Here is my impulse buy from the weekend:


Do you understand why I *need* it!?!

my sweden vacation...

I booked my tickets!! It's really exciting because I got exactly the dates I wanted (6/18 - 7/16) and I'm flying with SAS, the greatest airline in the world. All this for under $1100. Not bad, eh?

Jag älskar Sverige!!!

credit card applications and other junk

I just have to express how completely and utterly I hate junk mail - especially credit card applications.

There was a time when we couldn't get a credit card from anybody. We had already passed the college window of opportunity and didn't have an income sufficient to qualify for even the smallest amount of credit. The only reason we wanted one was so that we could sign up for internet and the only method of payment was credit card.

We finally managed to get a credit card through the bank that the church was using (one of the many minister perks) with a limit of $500. Because they helped us in need, we have stuck with them through thick and thin and probably will until we die.

So - back to my point - I spend several minutes every day opening credit card applications and other crap. This includes removing the stupid fake cards from the paper and making sure that the gummy glue is off the paper, because it'll ruin the shredder... Then I analyze what needs to be shredded and what can go straight into the paper recycling. Finally, I shred the stuff that needs to be shredded and recycle the stuff that needs to be recycled.

In my life, every minute is valuable. I hate having to spend precious moments on this worthless activity. I wonder if there is some study out there on how much time the average American spends on this over the course of a life time. Nah - it would be too depressing.

OK - gotta watch the Amazing Race now, so I'll stop bitching.

vacation in sweden

Nope - I'm not talking about mine (although it is coming up in 94 days), but rather this story that Todd found the other day.

I want to travel "across snow and ice on sleds pulled by sturdy dogs through unspoilt nature"!! Unspoilt nature is the best thing ever. I always get really depressed when I drive through landscapes that must have been amazing before the interstates and fast food joints and ugly billboards took over... I imagine the Native Americans slowly riding across the plains on their little ponies and buffalo strolling nearby...

Yes - I am a romantic.

why are there no sugar cubes?

Rebecka is learning about arctic things in Encore (the gifted program at her school). Tonight, she wrapped up a cereal box project on polar bears... We found out some interesting things like: Polar bears kill seals by smashing their skulls - and - they don't hibernate! Can anyone guess why?

Tonight, Rebecka also reminded me that she is supposed to bring sugar cubes to Encore tomorrow, so that she can build an igloo. Well, being the super devoted mother that I am, I set out to find some sugar cubes. I started with Kroger... They were out. All those other even more devoted parents had already been there. The space where the sugar cubes were supposed to go was completly empty. So, I went across the street to Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. What was I thinking?? They don't even have basics like Kefir or the soy milk that comes in the cool container...

Rebecka will be building her igloo with marshmellows.

materialism at its worst...

Just got back from the mall. I don't go to the mall much - and every time I go, I remember why. There is SO MUCH CRAP there that no one could possibly need or even want. I don't get it... Probably the fact that I had around 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night didn't help the experience much. I was there mostly to get free stuff - you know the deals that they use to get you into their store so that you'll buy stuff. Well, I enjoy going there and just getting the free thing - just to defy the system.

Got some nice Body by VS panties and a little puppy for Rebecka's Build-A-Bear golden retriever, Goldie. For free! :) It was great. I did make one impulse buy on the way out to my car - but this shirt was just too perfect. And yes - the moment I saw it - I knew I needed it. ;)

OK - time to throw the pork loin in the oven before my family starves to death...

cellphone charging

Last night, when I came home from the party, I was just a little too tired and out of it to have the energy to charge my phone - it was completely dead.

Late this morning, I realized that I wasn't going to be at work in time to enter my hours from yesterday, so I decided to call my friend to ask her to do it for me. I moaned to myself when I remembered that I hadn't charged my phone last night as I pulled it out of my purse.

But - lo and behold - my dear husband had retrieved it from my purse, charged it, turned it back on, and returned it to its proper place - just for me.

I love him... :)

yay!

Today is over! It went really well - and it is over! I'm sooooo excited!

And to top it off, we had a release party at Jonathan's Grille after work. Free Heineken... Can't beat that.

Now I am ready to crash and sleep until my body tells me it is time to wake up - no alarm - no anything...

God Natt.

tired...

keep waking up at 4 am. stress perhaps. i need rest. have more work to do - now. can't wait until tomorrow is over and in the past. big day - lots of pressure.

want to run away. to a quiet place with no interruptions. to be alone. without responsibility. just for a little while. lie in a hammock. and read - and sleep - and dream (nice dreams) - and wake up and read some more.

i'm reaching my limit. a friend said: "you need to communicate your limitations..." it is hard. very hard. but soon it will have to happen - there's no other way. i will do my best. it will have to suffice.

i had taco bell for lunch...

...well - for my second lunch. I thought that I was getting the "healthy" alternative - Chicken Quesadilla. How wrong I was. I found this really nifty "Taco Bell Nutrition" site where you can calculate the nutritional value of the food on your Taco Bell tray (except - I got it to go, so no tray - but it works just fine without the tray). OK - my lunch was 540 friggin calories - for hardly any food. And 46% of my fat intake for the day. And 65% of my saturated fat intake for the day. Insane!

It'll be a while before I have Taco Bell again. It'll be a while before I have fast food again. Heck, it might even be a while before I have food again... At least several hours.

when i enter your rest...

"Early in the morning I'll seek your face.
I find my life in the fullness of your joy.
Ev'ry stress and anxiety, it is gone
when I enter Your rest, when I enter Your rest."

These are the first couple of lines of my new favorite song, that I'm either listening to, singing, playing, or humming all day long. It's the perfect song to still my overloaded mind. Thanks Joann Rosario - I love you!

Anyone who wants to be my new best friend can go ahead and buy me her CD... ;)

PS. I'm so glad Monday is over. Monday is my least favorite day of the week.

Oh - and should I buy these shoes?

sports talk

Yes - I know you're confused. You have come to the right place. I don't often delve into the world of sports, but yesterday that world was just too great for Sweden:

First of all, the track and field team got more medals than ever before in the European Championships. Stefan Holm cleared 2.40 (tenth in the world to do so, second Swede) on the high jump. Swedish girls took 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place in the 60 m hurdles. The list goes on.

Secondly, a Swedish guy won the world's biggest cross country skiing race, Vasaloppet, which is 90 km. This is based on the trek that the Swedish King Gustav Vasa made in the 16th century to escape those evil Danes. Except, apparently, he was wearing snow shoes rather than skis...

Finally, Annika Sörenstam won her first competition for the year in Mexico City.

All this is just too exciting to ignore! :)

PS. This morning CNN aired a story about this 6-year-old who was suspended because the mother refused to spank him in some administrator's office. The guy on the machine next to me said: "The kid needs discipline and the parent refuses to spank him - now that's just wrong!" Boy, that gave me lots of fuel to finish my workout. This is where I come from: In Sweden spanking has been outlawed since the early 1980s... Favorite quote by the school's administrator: "We use progressive discipline." Progressive in which century!?!?

spring is around the corner...

I did our taxes today. They're done except for the "come-back-24-hours-later-and-double-check" part. I hate doing taxes. The only good thing about doing taxes is the joy of getting money back and the knowledge that it means that spring is around the corner...


This tree thinks that spring is here. It is the only tree on the street that is blooming. I guess it's what you would call an "early bloomer." It makes me smile every time I pass it. Look how beautiful the flowers are:


Sang one of my favorite "religious" songs, The Lord Is My Shepherd, in church today. It was lovely. This has been a lovely weekend in general. Fun-filled Granbery School fundraiser on Friday night, all-night date last night (thanks to friend Katie for having Rebecka over for a sleepover!), calm Sunday morning, refreshing walk in the sunshine this afternoon...

Man - it's been great!

this is me...

One day this past week, I went to Rebecka's class to talk about becoming a US citizen. It was a good time and the kids were really great. Best question:

"Do you have really, really tall mountains in your country?"

"For the last time - NO - we don't have really tall mountains - I'm not from Switzerland - I'm not Swiss - and I certainly don't speak Swiss (nobody does!). Why can't anyone get that straight???"

That's actually not what I said, 'cause I didn't want to hurt this little child's feelings. I explained that yes, we have some mountains, but not quite as big or as famous as the ones in that other country...

Anyway, during art class, Rebecka drew the above picture of me and everyone signed it as a thank you card. How cute is that!??! When can I come back?

last night...

I went to hear the enchanting Sarah Siskind w band (including my favorite drummer). It was fabulous... One of these days it's just going to say *Bang* and she'll be a huge star. Cool thing is, she won't forget her friends - such a humble spirit...

Drank Heineken, laughed with my friend Emi, and stayed up way past my bedtime. Nice.

idioms

Last week, Rebecka's class learned about idioms. When Mrs. Hughes asked the children for examples of idioms, Rebecka happily came up with the following:

"Bite me."

Thanks Fluffy!

my toe

My left foot little toe is red and warm... All my other toes are normal-colored and kind of coldish...

Does anybody think that this may be a bad sign?

Bill Gates KBE

Ah hahaha. Read more...

Appy, you must be thrilled!! ;)

Apparently, Bill Gates also declared the other day that high schools are obsolete... I agree. Go with the Swedish way: Pick a major in high school. Let kids study what interests them. If you have a music prodigy on your hands, let her go to a fine arts high school. If your kid wants to be a chef, let him cook...

Yes, I know, people change their minds about their careers... That's fine - there is a base knowledge set that all of these students acquire that can help them in any future job.

I think the drop-out rates would plummet... Just my two cents...

unexpected visitor

It's 7:30 am. I'm about to step into my boots, in order to step out the door into the *bitter* cold and drive to work, when Rebecka bursts in through the door:

"Mommy, Mommy! There's no school today. A lady came by the bus stop and told us that it's a snow day! And there's a girl and her mom already left and can she come in?"

"Of course she can come in... What's your name, honey?"

"Joyce," comes the whispery answer.

Well - that was about the information we could gather... We also managed to extract a last name, mother's work place, and teacher's name. The next 30 minutes were spent in detective mode... We called the school - no answer. We called mom's work place. Nope. We called other random parents... No luck.

Eventually, Todd got a hold of mom and volunteered to keep little Joyce for the rest of the day so that she could stay at work. Todd gets the Dad-of-the-Year award!!! :)

Wonder if this is part of the whole "Whoever welcomes a child such as this... welcomes me." deal...?

Moral of the story: Make sure your kid knows your name, your number(s), and any other pertinent information. And don't leave for work until the bus comes!!

PS. I spent a good part of the morning (before 6:30 am) singing at the piano. It was an amazing way to start the day. Must do this more often...

what are the odds?!?!

As most of you know, I am in charge of US orders for my brother, Namur. This means that when you select to place a US order on his website, I get the email with the order. (All of you should drop everything and order something right now!)

Anyway, the other day I got an email that said something like: "Hi, I want to order both CDs, but I don't have paypal, so can I send you an international check (thinking that I was in Sweden...)?" The buyer also included his shipping address. Something about the address caught my eye... Aha- it was a Brentwood address - I live in Brentwood! So I decided to look it up on Google maps to see just where it was...



That's right... The dude works 2 blocks from my office!! I emailed him back and said: "How about we just meet?" And we did. Today. At 5 pm in the lobby of my office building.

He got his CDs and t-shirt, I got the cash, and it was all good.

famliy day

In our normal life, one person is always working (except when we're eating, sleeping, or watching our weekend movie). Yesterday, we decided that we would both take the entire day off and spend some time as a family(!) It was a gorgeous day, so we decided to go to the Nashville Zoo.

It was awesome! Being there - just the three of us - together - for hours - eating overpriced snacks and basking in the sun... Heavenly.


On the bamboo trail...


Our favorite animal was the red panda... So cute!

naturalization pics...

Here are the promised pics... It was a good time (except for the 1 1/2 hour wait for the thing to start...). Got some yummy desserts and flowers from my friends who LOVE me (i.e. live in Nashville and do not work full-time) . Also, the whole department went out for ice cream when I got back to work - Pralines & Cream... Yum!

Well - now there's at least one more Democratic vote in Tennessee!

Waiting...


An all-American family!!


Friends Joanne and Emi (and Becka, of course).

three cheers!!!

...for my good friend Rohan who donated a "generous amount" to the American Red Cross in honor of my 31st birthday (I got the card yesterday...).

That makes me really happy. :)

naturalization info

Friday, February 25, 2005 at 1 pm (need to be seated by 12:45!)

US District Court Middle District of TN
801 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
8th Floor, Estes Kefauver Fed Bldg

This info is for my friends who REALLY love me and are going to be there to see me become an American... ;)

I get to vote in 2008!!! Yay!!!

bush in europe

This morning, I got to hear the President say *nuclear* twice. It made my day...

It was also fun to hear the reporter talk about that Europe is moving into a realism phase where they realize that the have to "deal with" Bush for another four years... heh.

I love CNN...

And on the ticker: Phones were out in central Sweden for 20 hours because mice had gnawed through the phone wires... There's always a good story coming out of Sweden... ;)

katie

My friend Katie is in town. It's really exciting. She is one of the sweetest (and funniest) people you will ever meet. And this week I can just walk across the office to her temporary desk and there she is. In the flesh. We can take walking breaks around the building - like in the good old days... (I'm so glad you're here!! :)

Tomorrow we're going to Calypso Cafe. It's going to be another great day. Now I need to sleep. It's been an exceptionally long day. Long, but very productive. I like productive days.

PS. Rebecka took the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire AR (Accelerated Reading) test today. She got 28 points!! Congratulations Sweetie!!!

running is healing...

Got up at 3:45 am. Had my favorite oatmeal breakfast. Worked for an hour. At 5:00 am I went for a run for the first time is way too long. Yes, it was short and slow - and I resorted to walking up the last hill. But it was, nevertheless, a run. And better yet - my run. Just me and my shoes in the dark, perfect cold - with an occasional car passing by. It was fantastic.

Today is going to be a good day.

baking fun...

So I made this cake for my colleague's birthday... There's not much else to say, except that everybody thought it was the best cake they'd ever had!! Yeah - I've still got it. :)

Also made a mini-cake for the family... You can check it out on Becka's Blog.

Maybe I should just open a Swedish bakery.

PS. Isn't it ironic that Blogger's spell check does not recognize the word "Blog"...?

how does one slow down...

...and still perform at work, hang out with family and friends, stay fit, and have a *lovely* home...?

help, please?

a saturday...

This morning, I went to the grocery store in my green Baylor pyjama pants. Birkenstocks with white socks and a grey, hooded sweatshirt completed the lovely picture. It was great. Felt like a college student - except for the whole studying part...

Today was cleaning day - big time. I hate cleaning with a passion. Every now and then I request that we get someone to come clean our house... Within minutes Todd is cleaning - anything and everything. :)

However, the feeling of sitting in a spotless house, relaxing after a long day of cleaning, is priceless. Todd cleaned the whole upstairs (except Rebecka's room - she took care of that) AND dusted everywhere (even the ceiling fan in the bedroom!) even though he was supposed to be studying for his qualifying exams. I have the best husband in the world (sorry rest of the world's females)!! I mean, is there anything sexier than a man dusting the frame of a mahogany sleigh bed?!? ;)

weirdness

Just finished watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Whew! I feel like I should be in rehab or something right now... Whoever wrote that movie was high on something. It was awesome!

Makes you think about life and relationships and life some more. Not a bad thing.

See it!

We are walking in the light of love...

Those were the words of the song that Mrs. Hughes' second grade class sang for the school performance tonight... It was awesome. I love school plays... They bring back good memories. Rebecka described the feeling quite well as we were driving to school: "I'm both nervous and excited at once." What an awesome feeling. She delivered her speaking part with great grace and professionalism...

Additional highlight of the day: Walking around my favorite lake with my good friend Mark. It was absolutely superb. The weather, the colors, the trails, the company. Yep - it was all good.

maps and such

The other day, my good friend Pete showed me the coolest thing ever (OK, perhaps not ever, but it's been a while since I saw something this cool)... Yes, all of my *geeky* friends will already know about this, but for you not-so-geeky readers out there:

Google Maps

Go there - type in your address in one of the fields on the right (comma-separated) - and let the magical fun begin! Once you get to your destination, don't forget to left-click and move the map around...

Oh - Pete also showed me a new way home from work that even beats the one he showed me a few months ago... It shaves many minutes off my 1.8 mile commute. I love it! And don't even try to get me to tell you what it is, because it's top secret. I would have to kill you. ;)

costume fun...

I'm not the worst mom in the world!! Tonight, I made a South African costume for Rebecka's upcoming play and it works! Yes - there was cussing and sighing and other expressions of frustration in the process... But nevertheless - I did it!

Pictures to come. It's not an easy task to transform a little 1/2 Swede to a South African - but I did my best. Beads in hair and all. :)

concert notes

Ben Folds is my hero - he wore green socks like I do. I'm wearing my green socks today in his honor.

There was too much bass - it annoyed me to no end. I was ready to shove the "engineer" out of the way to make things right - Todd wouldn't let me...

Did I mention that I love Ben Folds - he sang My Sweet Lord - it was swell. Better than the original apparently (seems like I need to listen to more pre-80s music). Unfortunately the four (4!) guitars and horrific bass drowned out most of his piano playing... Why would you need four guitars? Why?

Mark's friend Phil Keaggy was wonderful as well. That guy can play the guitar. And with such ease and elegance. Wow! I hope I get to meet him sometime. He seems cool.

Oh - and Ben Folds was awesome! I have this feeling I'll be listening to him all day - and maybe stick a little Björk in there - for a change of musical scenery.

PS. I got to teach Rebecka the "how-to-multiply-any-number-by-11" trick this morning. I love that she's at that age now!!

happy *all hearts day*

Wishing all of my beloved friends and family a mighty
joyful Valentine's Day! I'm so thrilled that we're going
to this concert tonight - can't imagine a better time...

whew!

Long day. Much accomplished. Excellent day in fact!

PS. Had tiramisu for the first time ever last night. It was swell. You guys were right! :)

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Yes! I walked out the door this morning around 7 am and had to smile. I had no choice. The day was just too beautiful! And what made it even more beautiful was that I got to spend 2 solid hours at the gym... :)

My knee is acting up and preventing me from running, so the elliptical machine is substituting for the treadmill. I'm thinking it's time to go see a doctor who specializes in sports medicine. One week of no running should've cured a normal overtraining injury (from past experience)... Hmmm.

Got some fun-filled plans today: Drop off Becka at a party and go shopping at Ann Taylor Loft (I love that store!), go to the Nashville Children's Theatre to see Jack's Tale, and later on date with Todd at Olive Garden. Whew - I'd better jump in the shower and get on with my day. I have a feeling it is going to be a good one.

PS. Saw Walking Tall at the gym. New favorite hunk: The Rock. Even though he is an ex-wrestler (my least favorite sport)...

can't sleep...

the thoughts are swirling and whirling in my head...

need to relax.

imagine myself in a black, emtpy room full of nothingness.

it's going to be ok.

what i hate...

...how the phonies at Fox and Friends ridicule everyone who are not just like them - i.e. white, rich, Republican Americans... (oh - except the people that they can't mock, because it wouldn't be PC.)

Today's target - transgendered persons... Due to the story on how some women's golf tournament is going to allow transgendered players. Good for them.

PS. This morning, my friend Emi sent me a personality test that evaluates you based on your favorite dessert...

Carrot cake: "You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends."

Not bad, not bad... ;)

carrot cake

I went to Calypso Cafe today with my good friend JC. It had been a really long time since I'd been there and I was really impressed by their rapid and non-intrusive service.

I got there a bit before JC, because there was some slight confusion on the time (we now have each other's cell phone numbers - why we didn't already is a mystery...), so I had some time to leisurely browse the menu while I chatted with my friend Melissa on the phone (get better soon!!!!!).

I eventually got to the dessert section - and lo and behold - they had carrot cake. I'm a big fan of the carrot cake. We don't have this delicacy in Sweden... Big loss!! I think I like it because it has the name of a vegetable in it and that makes me think that it's slightly healthier than, say, chocolate cake. I also like the cream cheese frosting the often accompanies the cake... Anyway, later on, when the very efficient waiter came to get our check, I asked him to add a piece of carrot cake to go...

After my 1 o'clock (which lasted 2 friggin hours!!!!), I opened the bag, unwrapped the cake, and partook of the best piece of carrot cake I have ever tasted (ok - maybe not as great as the rum carrot cake, but who can compare?). It was fabulous. And there wasn't even any cream cheese frosting! Rather, there were white chocolate chips all inside of it... Mmmm. It was amazing...

"Better than sex?" you may ask.

Not quite... ;)

oh happy day

I'm on my way to the gym. I'm happy. I will never take it for granted again.

Every day with health should be treasured and lived fully...

It's going to be a great day!

stuff about today

Crap day at work... No one to talk to... But there was an email from my best friend waiting for me when I got back from crying in the bathroom. It made me smile - as always. :)

Family was quite sympathetic... especially Fluffy (not!). Rebecka gave me lots of hugs and Todd offered to run out and get a dessert... I decided just to have some oatmeal. Oatmeal always makes me feel better. And I'm getting fat. I haven't been to the gym in a week - feel awful. I'm going tomorrow no matter what...

Happy thing today: I am now the proud owner of the most comfortable running shoe ever... The Glycerin 3 (yeh - the Glycerin 2 didn't work out - long story). And I am now also a fan of shoebuy.com... Not quite as fast as zappos, but had what I needed for a great price. I'm wearing them right now. Can't wait to try them out tomorrow.

I must run. Running is life. Happiness is running.

lunch

Mmm. Lunch was good. Surprisingly. You just never know how those frozen, "cooks in less than 10 minutes" stir-frys are going to turn out. Rebecka ate about 1/18th of her serving - every piece of chicken, one of each kind of vegetable, and one forkfull of rice. I ate all of mine + extra rice.

Rice is such a comfort food. I love eating just rice. Ok - it has to be prepared with some butter... Still... No wonder it's the staple fare of half of the world's population (or maybe more than that...). I prefer medium grain rice myself. It's nice and plump and moist.

Anyway, now we're on to movie #2 for the day: Harry Potter 3. Tolerable, I suppose... ;)

Ok - gotta work. Need to send stuff to client by 8 am tomorrow. Joy!

movie stamina

I'm in the process of watching "A Cinderella Story" with Hilary Duff for the 4th time in 3 days... Yes, I'm working at the same time, but still... I may die.

Yesterday, I watched movies for 8 1/2 straight hours from 1:00 pm to 9:30 pm. And I didn't really fall asleep during any of it. It's like I have more movie stamina when I'm sick. Weird. I was even able to tell which scenes in The Return of the King (extended version) were new (at least over 50% of the time). Todd was impressed.

Todd is sick. Rebecka is sick. We're one sick family.

Now I have to make lunch. I need a cooked meal. It's been a while. Need protein.

what sucks...

When your child gets invited to a sleepover and you feel too crummy to take full advantage of it...

Although... Going with the hubby to B&N for a soy steamer and carrot cake and later falling asleep (that is the predicted outcome) to The Return of the King isn't the worst way to spend a Friday night...

God Natt!

still mourning?

This is a pretty fun site...

Now I'm actually looking forward to getting a dog!

Apparently these flags have made it all the way to Germany - imagine that.

random *sick* thoughts

When I let my hair air dry, I look like a sheep.

Hot Chocolate rocks.

Hot Chocolate with marshmallows, whip cream, and caramel on top rocks even more.

My best friend Steve can make me laugh even when I'm in the depths of despair.

Best friends rock.

I would give up a week of running to be able to breathe through my nose.

Ok - maybe three days... or two.