Gracie's POD

A Couple Days Ago...

2011-12-23T07:10:00.001-08:00

...I packed away Gracie's mobile gym and the bouncy seat, as they can no longer stand up to her activity (literally, she pulled up on the mobile gym and bonked her head more times than I would have liked), and is almost bouncing herself completely through the bouncy seat. But she's a big kid that sits up now, so she's not interested in reclining in anyway...ever, really.

She's only 9 months old, but as a box fills with toys she's "too old" for, I feel like a whole chapter of her life is already over. AT 9 MONTHS! I am excited about the new things she's picking up everyday, and her little snippets of independence, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me that's a bit teary when I think of what we've left behind already.

What must it have been like for Mary; to be excitedly anticipating how her son was going to save the world but still be a little bit sad that he doesn't fall asleep with his hands frozen in mid air anymore.

I love you peachy keen...

Gracie and the Apple Orchard

2011-11-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

2011-11-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the doctor to get some information and make sure everything is hunky dory for our upcoming trip. We found out there's a whole slew of real food that we could be giving her...like chunks of muffin, crackers, little bits of noodles even! We are super excited to give her some new stuff to eat.

And, yes, we got the pass..so Popo can FINALLY have her try a lemon; something he's wanted to do since she was born!

AND and..she's up to 20 pounds and 27 1/2 inches!

2011-11-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know what the deal is, but for the last week and a half, Gracie has almost been like a different kid. It's so much easier to get her to smile and she's super happy most of the time. You'd think a tooth finally broke through, but no signs of one yet. Her sleep hasn't really changed, her diet hasn't really changed...she's just flipped a switch.

And it's FANtastic. She's sitting up on her own now and can do so for a pretty long time (I haven't seen her topple in a few days now). She's still stuck in reverse in the walker, but she'll figure it out. :O)

It only seems fitting...

2011-11-01T08:48:00.001-07:00

...that the day after Halloween we would wipe the cobwebs off of our blog.

Sooo...we had a kid almost 8 months ago. That pretty much brings us up to now.

She is sitting up really well these days and can pretty much flip herself over every which way (though she's not a fan of being on he stomach, so she doesn't do that very often). She's not crawling or curing cancer yet, but every kid develops a little differently.

Just as long as she's able to correctly grip a putter by the age of two, Derrel will be content.

The Ebert Christmas Tour 2009

2009-12-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hello, blog.
It has been awhile. What better time to reconnect then at Christmas time. It's been amazing the way the Lord has worked in our life over the last year. Even in the most recent months, he's provided a home for us, a wonderfully warm and devoted new church family, and a job the makes Derrel so much happier than he's been in months.

Getting ready to travel for Christmas can be tiring and, I'm ashamed to say, somewhat dreaded. I was just talking to Derrel last night about how all the airports and suitcases were kind of a drag, and prayed that God would give my heart a good working over. As I was getting ready this morning, the first song I heard on the radio was written from the perspective of an orphan. The chorus said "All I Want is to be Home for Christmas."

Talk about conviction. Here I had been so whiney about having to travel, when we are abundantly blessed with a wonderful and loving family that so deeply wants to spend time with us. I am so embarrassed by earlier feelings, but am so grateful to God for opening my eyes to see the overwhelming love and support that he's put in our lives.

I thank him for the opportunity and ability to be able to visit family during this season, and hope that this post might be an encouragement to anyone else that might be getting wrapped up in what could be the chaos of the season.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Mid Columbia Duck Race

2009-10-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

This video is brought to you by our new Canon Powershot. Woo hoo!!
Because Facebook can't handle the awesome girth of this video, I'm forced to post it here, where only a small number of the population can appreciate it. So you better appreciate the heck out of it.

Picture Parade

2009-09-08T23:04:00.001-07:00

I guess some people might think it more important to post pictures of latest happenings before posting a random dress and a weak committal.

Don't judge us.

What we got going:
1. Our First Rodeo- unfortunately all of the pictures of the rodeo itself were much to blurry to post.
2 & 3. Satchmo's birthday-yes, that is a candle in his food, and yes it did take a while to get him to eat after he burned himself, but he forgot all about the incident when he got his new toy.
4-7. Whale watching-though it was hard to get really great shots of the whales, we were able to get a pretty good shot of some deer on an island. Think about it. Deer on an island. Crazy.
8&9. We were finally able to get a game night going with our friends and church. Guesstures, Catch Phrase, and Redneck Life. It was a pretty good time, and minimal bloodshed!!

First Things First

2009-09-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I really biffed it on the whole "Last 7 Days in B'Ham" posts. I'll just sum up. Packed. Cleaned. Packed. Went whale watching. Packed. Pictures to follow, but first...

On to other things. As I was closing up my seller's account at a local consignment shop, this little number kicked my shins and pulled my hair to get my attention, and threatened my dog's life if I were to have without it:

This is my motivation. Yes, it's a size 10, and yes I haven't been a size 10 in seven years, but I have faith.
And faith is now coming in a cute little strapless dress. After we move, Derrel and I have 100% dedication to getting back to a reasonable weight (though, as I write this, Derrel is already waffling down to 99%).

I'm counting on you, inanimate blog, to hold us accountable.

Operation Sweet Dress: Commence.

Nothing to see here...

2009-09-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have no intentions of turning this blog into a design blog, mainly because I'm just ripping off ideas from other people, but I can only bookmark so many things before my browser reaches out and slaps me in the face, so I'm going to sometimes use this blog as a way to keep track of some ideas I really dig.

Thing I Dig: Volume 1

I think I want to make a couple of these lanterns to hang out on the back patio in our new place:
Balloon Lanterns- http://www.instructables.com/id/SIW4EWYFVW21DE6/

Headboard panels: http://high-heelfootinthedoor.blogspot.com/2009/08/diy-3-panel-headboard.html

Gallery Wall: I'm already on the hunt for some fun pieces for this-http://high-heelfootinthedoor.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-gallery-wall-artwork.html

So I had this idea...

2009-08-29T13:09:00.001-07:00

...about 3 weeks ago, that I was going to do this daily writing project called "Net 30." It would have tracked our last 30 days in Bellingham prior to our move east, and I thought that it would maybe motivate me to wring every last drop of goodness out of this area before we go. I was pretty excited about it.

Now, 17 days later, the idea was a bit of a wash. Most of the days have been filled with packing, trying to unload stuff on Craigslist, and trying to piece together our oh-so-near future in Pasco. While selling an old Erasure video at our local music store for fifty cents may have excited me, the actual documentation of that story here would have been, hmmm, less than engaging.

But I'm gonna give it another go...for the last week. Yes we don't move for another two weeks, but I better rest up this next week in preparation for 7-day Bellingham fest that will ensue.

Why take advantage of today if you can squeeze a nap in and give it a go tomorrow?

Consider yourself teased.

Times I Wish...

2009-07-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

...I had a shirt on that said "My humor falls to the sarcastic side," take one:

Neighbor: So, our block party is going to be August 1st.
Me: That's cool. I'll have to double-check, but I think our church is hosting a block party the same day.
Neighbor: Oh, well....ours is going to be better! (chuckles)
Me: (smiling) Yes, but will yours have Jesus in attendance?
Neighbor: ...

This awkward moment was brought to you by the "maybe Nicole shouldn't make any jokes until people know her fairly well" campaign. I think the best way to make new friends is to definitely talk like I truly believe I will be having a hula-hoop off with the dear Lord in our church parking lot.

The Modern Day Cover Letter

2009-06-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

Zeke's Portable Toilets
326 York Street
Bellingham, Washington

To Whom it May Concern:

I am applying for the receptionist position I discovered upon calling your office this afternoon. While I should probably offer that my life's dream has been to work in close proximity to portable sewage boxes, let's just be honest. You're the last company listed in my phone book that I haven't yet applied to..

So let's get to the meat of it; what makes me an attractive candidate for this position? I need a paycheck. This can also be read as "loyal" or "a woman with long-term plans to work her way up in the company." I like scrapbook stores and occasional consignment store shopping sprees, so my desperation for steady money means bending to you every whim. As far as skills, I can read, write, and speak English. I'm able to breathe in and out, generally without having to remind myself, and I'm able to use a computer, at least to the extent that I know how to find help on the internet, or send facebook messages to my smart friends and family members. I'm also post-it friendly, so receiving and relaying messages shouldn't be a problem (maybe I could even relay them to you via facebook).

I'd greatly appreciate an opportunity to meet with you to discuss my resume, but we both know that won't happen. Somewhere in the midst of carrying the 400 applications you've received for this position from one desk to another, mine will slip out, miraculously show up in your trash bin in a wad, or I'll get the automated message that, despite the fact the job description listed "human with conversational knowledge of life outside the cave" as the only requirement, I don't qualify. Either way I've fulfilled my unemployment requirements, and will happily grunt and drag my club behind me all the way to the bank.

Halfheartedly,
Nicole Ebert

2009-05-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well, um, hello.
This is awkward.
It has been awhile. I'm so sorry that I've been distracted by facebook and it's evil talons of status updates and PathWord games. I hope you can forgive me.
Please?
What if I promise to drone on about something completely irrelevant, right now?
Thank you for your kindness.

I was at Costco today, about 20 minutes before they opened, just sitting in my car. There were already quite a few cars in the parking lot. About 10 minutes prior to show time at least 30 people lined up at the liftgate with carts in hand. Is Meatloaf signing autographs today? Are they afraid that Costco is going to run out of the five-pound box of Special K cereal? The store deals in massive amounts of everything. I guarantee you won't have problems finding that two-story container of taco seasoning if you don't make it in until 10:30.

In other news, I never thought I would say this, but I'm glad the American Idol finale is two hours tonight. My poor, sad husband was home sick today. In attempts to be a good wife, I brought him food, let him snore the roof of our house when he fell asleep and, finally, gave him full control of the television. ALL. DAY. We went from golf, to baseball, to horse racing, to ping-pong. TO PING-PONG! American Idol means two hours free of incessant, mundane commentary or non-stop yelling about nothing in particular.

Wait....

Tulip Festival!!

2009-04-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Though it was the one day this week that the sun didn't find its way out, we braved the weather for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, and I think it was worth it...

Our Big Kid Date

2009-03-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we went downtown to Mount Baker Theatre to see Ain't Misbehavin' with American Idol's own Ruben Studdard. It was pretty fun. The theatre was pretty neat. It was first built to show silent movies, and now it catches some one-night-only performances of touring Broadway shows. We're going to see the Drowsy Chaperone next month. Before the play we went to our local Cliff House and, I've gotta say, it was a pretty swell night.

In the Midst of Greatness

2009-03-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

We were waiting for Derrel's golf clubs at SeaTac Airport when we saw the following:

I thought it was an oversized flag, and Derrel thought it was vaulting poles. Well, he was right. We overheard some airport folks talking and it turns out their vaulting poles for the Olympics. I took a quick look at the baggage tag: L.L. Kelvin. A Google search of his name takes you to a UK shopping website. He may be a "Did you mean to type L.L. Cool J?" now, but look out for him during the next Summer Games!

Look How Hip We Are: Volume 2

2009-03-10T15:36:00.001-07:00

Derrel and I decided that, because Bellingham has so many hole-in-the-wall restaurants, that every time we want to eat out, we'll try a new place. So before the second round of late night hotdogness (see Volume 1), we headed into Historic Fairhaven to try Flat's Tapas Bar. I had been to Tapa the World in Sacramento a couple of times, so this didn't intimidate me too much, and Derrel was sport enough to go along.

We sit down and start to look over the menu and, despite the vegetable-heavy descriptions (which usually mean 'CODE RED' for Derrel and me), we decided to stick around anyway. Derrel found his olive branch in something he saw at another table heavy with ham and sausage, and I found rest in a macaroni dish packed with cheeses I'd never heard of (half in English and half in squiggly).

And, despite being put off at first by the portions (Is this like the Coldstone try-a-flavor size?), Flat's Tapas Bar was a success (as were the various rounds of hangman and tic-tac-toe).

And yes, the Eberts prefer the Coldstone system of measurement to any metric or standard systems.

Look How Hip We Are: Volume 1

2009-03-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

We were having our typical Friday night. Peeling myself off the couch from two hours of TV watching, I tried to convince Derrel, again, that 10 o' clock is an acceptable time to go to bed, even if it is Friday.

That's when Derrel suggested going downtown to the late-night hot dog stand.

When in Rome...

And, in classic Ebert fashion, we went to hang with the hipsters...in our flannel pajamas. One step at a time.

Then, to add insult to Polish dog injury, we did it again on Saturday night, only this time, I opted to try some frozen yogurt from Red Berry instead. It tasted...a little different. A little...nasty, actually.
Derrel: "What is that taste?"
Nicole: "I don't know, organic?"
Derrel: "Yeah, that's disgusting."

Look here, hippies, you keep your earth-kissing, tree-embracing fare away from us. We'll take our food processed please (and if you could stuff it in a casing and only sell it late at night, that'd be great).

As Much as We'd Like to Deny It...

2009-03-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

...a good lot of the highlights from our family visit centered around food.
Derrel decided he wanted to make chocolate-covered strawberries for his mom the night before they came, so we did. 56 of them (give or take the three we ate in the process). Vancouver was more centered around a lack of food. We drove through Stanley Park (the largest park in North America), and attempted to find lunch along the way. We came upon three restaurants that were closed (or crazy expensive) before we headed back into town and proceeded to get temporarily trapped inside the lobby of mostly-deserted building (Derrel: "Is there some secret to getting out of here?" The guard over the intercom: "The secret is to press 'EXIT'.") Who said Canadians were friendly?

(Exhibit A)

On Sunday, Dennis and Derrel treated us with a Fried Fiesta. Buffalo wings, homemade potato chips...and it only took a week to stop our house from smelling like we were deep-frying. :O)

On Monday we had a picnic in nearby Whatcom Falls Park, and were able to miss the rain by about 20 minutes. Tuesday meant introducing the family to the Spuddy Pizza, and I think they've been converted.

A fun visit that went way too fast. We can't wait to see you guys again soon (and in the meantime, I'll try to lose some weight to make room for it). :O)

Vancouver Bound

2009-02-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Derrel's parents and grandparents are visiting for the next couple of days, so we decided to check Vancouver out today. As we reached the US/Canadian border. Derrel and his father broke out into song. There's no doubt that these two were cut from the same cloth.
For your enjoyment, and any blackmail needed for the future.
Turn the volume up, I had to record this recital from two rows back.

I just want to be able to wear a t-shirt without feeling like I should be floating over the Super Bowl.

2009-02-18T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well, it's true. But I couldn't think of any catchier titles.

Getting the bonus day with the family this past weekend meant having precious nuggets like these:

(sorry, can't flip it, not savvy.)

I was walking into R.E.I today...

2009-02-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

and got to the front door at the same time as a large group of guys who were more than happy to let me hold the door open for them. ALL of them.

Get a good sleeping bag, guys. It must be cold in that woman-less cave you live in.

The Grammy's

2009-02-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

We watched a good chunk of the Grammy Awards last night.
(Thought to self): We're pretty hip. Look at us, watching the Grammy's.
Derrel: Who's that?
Me: I don't know.
Five minutes later.

Me: Who's that?
Derrel: I don't know.

It was a sad day.

Times, They are a Changin'

2009-02-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of next month, our church is starting a 40-day ministry called "Faith by Hearing". For 28 minutes a day, we'll listen to a reading from the New Testament and, in 40 days time, we will have heard/read the entire new testament. When the church did this 15 years ago, only tapes were available. Now they have it in CD AND MP3 formats. Pastor then played a video that attempted to explain how each format should be used, the technology required to use it, and how to set up each technology with each format...in it's own right, it was very confusing. I can only imagine what it must have been like for the older folks, who started shaking their heads before pastor could even finish saying "MP3". We'll see how that goes.

In other news...
A couple of years ago, not long after Derrel and I started dating, he learned that Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is my favorite ice cream flavor. That spun into a conversation about how, in my house, more cookie dough gets eaten before the actual baking process than what actually comes out of the oven. He told me it was really unsafe to eat so much raw cookie dough. Even in the beginning of our marriage, he still held the belief that my intestines would give in at any moment, yet I persevered.

Fast forward to today at Coldstone.
Derrel: "Can I get extra cookie dough in my cookie dough sundae?"

Who says wives can't change their husbands?
I love this guy.

Anniversarypalooza...arriba!

2009-02-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

So we did it. We've been married a year (and a week). It's unreal how time has blown by and how much fun we've had, not the least of which would be the last week, when we celebrated on our Caribbean cruise. Here's a little picture (little in size, a ton of pictures in content), as well as the highlights.

*Unless otherwise noted, please assume that food was eaten at least every half hour of each day.

Saturday, Jan. 24: Arrive in Houston. Took $50 cab ride for $4 Potbellys sandwich (reuniting with an old flame? Priceless).

Sunday, Our Anniversary!: Wake up and have magical,velvet box thrown at me with shiny goodness inside. Meet Rich and Genie, the couple sharing a shuttle with us to the cruise ship. Drive to Galveston, a town slowly trying to revive itself after Hurricane Ike. Enter cabin decorated for our anniversary and meet Stanley, our amazingly friendly stateroom attendant from Honduras. Meet our tablemates: the mayor and first lady of Spur, Texas, and their friends from Phoenix.

Monday, Day at Sea: Played Bingo. Got stylin' Bingo shirt for playing Bingo. Shuffleboarded with help from a spectator, mini-golfed. Squeezed into dress for formal night. Had special anniversary cake.

Tuesday, Cozumel, Mexico: Went on 4 mile jungle hike and explored Mayan ruins in pouring rain(which was really awesome. No, seriously, it was). Met Matt and Sarah from Wichita on hike. Watched mosquitoes eat us. Watched tour guide eat termites. Managed to still want lunch and ate at taco stand. Nachoed to death. Napped. Went to Country Music "Night". Left 45 minutes later when it was over and turning into a battle of the sexes gameshow. Talked Derrel down. Did not sunburn today.

Wednesday, Roatan, Honduras: Went on snuba excursion. Disappointed by lack of color, fish, and heads up about how the tour company's boat had broken down the day before, which is why we were in sea grass off shore, and not out on the actual reef. Went to onboard ice skating show. Still did not sunburn today.

Thursday, Costa Maya, Mexico: Went on Rhino jungle excursion (it was super rad) to beautiful beach. Got jostled and muddy. Napped. Saw magic show. Spent rest of night telling Derrel to stop trying to figure out tricks. Cram a Love Connection into is belly. Early night. Sunburned today, in very random places.

Friday, Day at Sea: Played more Bingo. Had lunch with Matt and Sarah. Went to Art seminar. Destroyed Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll" at Kamikaze Karaoke in the onboard pub with new friends watching.

Saturday, Day at Sea: Played more Bingo (three numbers away from $4,700). Elbowed children and knocked over elderly ladies to find and purchase pictures. Learned there's no good way to pack chocolate-covered strawberries in your suitcase. Got Kamikaze Karaoke survival t-shirt. Spent evening out on balcony with a bottle of wine, a plate of cheese, and the most wonderful man in the world. The best part of the entire cruise.

Sunday, Day at Airport: Boarded three planes, got home at 9:30. Just recently woke up.

For Fun

2009-01-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

We are a week away from our anniversary...

2009-01-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

...and NOW the skeletons are coming out of the closet. Derrel was getting ready to head out to his man-date (a.k.a. 'poker night'), and we were talking about numbers:

"Numbers rule everything," he said. "That's what we used to say in Math club."
I laughed, he didn't. Come to find out he really was in Math Club.

"Yeah, we used to do math problems for fun at lunch," he continued.

I was agog (we used to study SAT words at lunch, way more acceptable).

If that wasn't enough (which it absolutely was), they apparently had a little gang sign that they threw at eachother around campus:

Yeah....
That's Pi.

In other "learning more than we had hoped" news, we were watching TV the other night when a commercial came on talking about the Yamaha Rhino, a type of dune buggy. Derrel informed me that this was the vehicle we were going to be in on one of our excursions during our anniversary cruise.

As we continued to watch the commercial, it turned out to be one of those "if you have suffered any of the following injuries while on a Rhino, contact Bob and Bob Law Firm, as you are entitled to settlement money."

We laughed for quite awhile, in the nervous, let-me-write-down-that-phone-number sort of way.

Satchy Meets the Snow!

2008-12-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

We got about six inches of snow when it was all said and done this evening. We went outside to get the mail and decided to see how Satchmo would enjoy it. We also wanted to see how our camera did with videos...so here you go, the Ebert's first video!

The side effects of the snow are amazing. It's so incredibly quiet outside. Plus, it's actually lighter than it usually is at 7:00 p.m. I tried to capture some of the post blizzard glow.

Let Them Eat Snow

2008-12-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

Not 10 minutes after we realized it had started snowing did we decide to do what anyone would do...

Go out for ice cream. Of course, being former Californians, we didn't think that the longer we sat in that ice cream shop, the more time the snow would have to turn into ice. If our experience in the desert stirred any thoughts, it was only that the snow would be completely gone by the time we were ready to head home.

Of course, we're in Washington now.

We figured that out as we were sliding down a sloped street in our neighborhood. As Derrel was saying, "I don't have it! I don't have it!" I realized that this was probably the stupidest thing we've ever done. Neither of us have a very good track record with snow. Even walking in the snow has been a problem in our pasts.

Finally, Derrel was able to slide us right into our driveway. It was enough of an adventure to render us homebound today.

Update in the Real Life

2008-12-03T10:13:00.001-08:00

Not to say that '24' is not real life, but I suppose not writing in well over a month warrants some reality as well.

We're raking the leaves for the fourth time since we moved here as the season is rushing to it's transition to winter in less than a month. I was about to say that the rainy season has officially started here in Bellingham, but it looks like the sun is actually finding it's way out as I write. Even when it's overcast, it's incredible to be driving around town and see a light layer of fog nestled into the trees. It's amazing how everyday things here can leave you in awe. More evidence that God is everywhere.

The folks were out to visit over the last couple of weeks. There was a weekend where all four of my parents were here visiting. I'm so blessed that all of my parents get along the way that they do so that we don't have to miss out on visits if schedules overlap. It was fun to get to show off our town twice over. We even made it up to Canada one day!

Derrel is still enjoying his job. They've hit a little bit of dry patch as far as selling sponsorships for the season goes, but Derrel loves challenges. And with that big brain of his, he'll figure it out.
My own job hunt has had it's highs and lows. I had interviewed for a position at the university in town, and even made it to a second interview this past Monday, but that didn't pan out. I know He's got something in the works for us, so I'm anxious to continue with the search and see what what that is.

With Christmas coming up and being just a few clicks shy of a new niece (who we've deemed Audreden) and our first anniversary, it's hard to ignore all the good things God has given us. Thus far, our experience in Bellingham has been stellar. Being in a place where we are the only family we've got has done nothing but turn us closer to eachother, and closer to the God that brought us together. We've found a church and church family we're quite fond of, and I really feel like our life together has officially started. I am very much looking forward to traveling with my new family this Christmas; sleeping on his shoulder in a crowded airport between flights, finishing half-completed sudoku puzzles in airline magazines, relying on eachother to remember what city we're in, and, ultimately, when the dust settles in mid January, returning to the bedtime television ritual that I've grown to love so much. Oh yeah...then we go on a cruise. :O)

And of course I'm anxious for the times between. I can't wait to see my family and be able to help welcome Baby Mitchell into the world. I'm anxious to see how Derrel's folks are settling into their new home in Arizona and am looking forward to coloring with our nieces out there. Both of our families have had a big year and have seen a lot of changes. It will be nice to settle in with everyone and see what new gifts those changes have brought.

I hope it's a pony!

Good thing your father has been in Africa, Kim.

2008-12-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

The Ebert bedtime television ritual is usually a combination of the following: House, ESPN, some police reality show, and a rerun of some UFC fight. Mind you, we don't spend four hours watching TV as we nestle into sleepy mode. Derrel has what we in the field call Remote ContrOCD. In our studies we have learned that often times, he will change the channel merely out of habit, and not necessarily because he is unhappy with the current programming. When I say 'we', I mean wives, and 'the field' would be husbandology. This should not be confused with the breeding and raising of livestock. That was their mother's responsibility.

But I digress. In the blip of Sports Center that we caught last night, we heard Dallas Stars hockey player Sean Avery make a very crude comment in reference to his ex-girlfriend dating other hockey players. We didn't hear all of the interview, but the term "sloppy seconds" found its way in and, thankfully, that was the trigger that got us over to channel 58 (for a second). This morning the front page of our internet had a picture of Kim Bauer, Jack's ridiculous daughter in the world that is '24'. She is the American Idol to my Arrested Development; the Cameron to my House. I clicked on to the back section of the internaper to make sure she didn't mess with January 11's launch of season 7.

Turns out Kim Bauer is the ex-girlfriend of the gentlemanly Sean Avery. Apparently the gal likes hockey. Whatever the reason, let's just be grateful that her antics will keep her out of CTU. You're a lucky guy, Sean. Had he not been helping African kids to asylum in the U.S., Jack Bauer would have been dropping down from the Teletron during your game, in a hail of gunfire.

Proud Parents

2008-10-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

Satchmo (and his folks) had his first dog park experience this weekend at Lake Padden. We were a little nervous about cutting him loose in this suprisingly large field with all the other kids but, after some initial nervousness, he made a lot of new friends.

In all honestly, it was actually a pretty sweet experience to just watch him play with other dogs. At one point, he got an opportunity to show off his mad frisbee skills in front of his playmates. Lake Padden also has a "dog water exercise area," which we had to take advantage of. Ever since I first saw Satchy diving for toys at the bottom of grandma and grandpa's pool I've been anxious to see how he does with non-man-made bodies of water...like a... lake.

Hmm...wait a minute.

Our Home and Native Land

2008-10-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Right off the bat, we had to go on a business trip for Derrel's new job, which he's very happy at:

We went to Cologna, Canada ( or Kelowna, as it's spelled everywhere else outside of this blog). Seriously, there's some Frenchness going on in Canada, I just assumed some silent letters were involved somewhere. After four hours of gorgeous scenery and at least three partial renditions of "Oh Canada" from my oh-so-cultured husband, we reached the waterside nugget.

But that's when things got interesting. The bridge we had to cross to get into Kelowna was trying to earn its place into the Guinness Book of World Records...

...for the longest bra-chain. Seeing as it's National Breast Cancer Awareness month, a local radio station decided to give it a go. The string of ladies undergarments crossed the bridge three times, amounting to a length just shy of two miles (over 3000 bras). Of course, when we were crossing the bridge, we didn't have this information. We thought that all of the women fallen victim to Canada's male-centered, oppressive rule were finally speaking out. The oppression continued, however, as I had dinner with the other nine men attending the league meeting. I would like to call this particular episode of our lives, "Ego and the City." For a moment, it did feel like I was dining with nine other women, all talking over each other about men and other women, drinking wine and hitting on the restaurant's staff. Only this time, it was men talking about themselves and baseball and hitting on much younger and more married female wait staff. They did still drink wine. I'm so grateful that the game and "the game" have never caught up with Derrel the way they have with the other attendees. It was a definite case study. I knew I should have packed my safari hat.

2008-09-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

I was recently reminded that our lives have had a pretty major change, and that I should probably mention it to the blorld (blog world).

We just recently finished the 22-hour trek to Bellingham, Washington; about 90 miles north of Seattle, and just close enough to the Canadian border to be picking up radio stations in French. Satch kept a close eye on our folks in the U-Haul behind us, and we blazed the trail in just about two days.

So far, we LOVE it! We've played in the downtown area quite a bit (which is a bit Davis-like), we've gone hiking (which is a bit exercise-like), and have really enjoyed napping through overcast afternoons (much more us-like).

Derrel started his new job yesterday and seems to like it. We're off to Kelowna, Cananda, this weekend for his league meeting, so the adventure continues!

Being Bellingham

2008-08-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Our first venture to Bellingham was an adventure. We didn't have much opportunity to enjoy the city beyond it's residential offerings. After two non-stop days of looking for a place to live (there are actually entire societies out there that survive without fences), we found a GREAT place to live, with a nice, grassy backyard for Satchmo. And, as of a few hours ago, it is officially ours!

Here are some shots of our trip:

We went to a trendy little pizza place downtown and got "The Spuddy":a pizza with bacon, chives, sour cream, barbeque sauce, and a potato sauce. I don't know how a potato sauce comes about, but it was pretty awesome, and something that I think Rodney would totally dig. Because Washington has enough trees for everyone to hug, Bellingham is a very eco-friendly city. Everything in this pizza place is completely compostable. All of the to-go cartons and utensils are completely made of corn! Crazy. Then we went for ice cream at Mallards, the downtown hipster hangout. It's Leatherby's all grown up... with massive dredlocks. It can never be Leatherby's but, then again, Leatherby's can never have dredlocks.
And that's our new house!!!

Two years ago...

2008-08-15T10:40:00.001-07:00

at about this time, I was sitting in a labor room watching Rodney eat hospital food because Stacy was 18 months pregnant and not interested in eating it herself. Until about noon o' clock I was looking forward to what I thought would be a day full of Arrested Development, sporadic pauses to let Stacy know she was having a contraction, and at the end of the day, a baby. In just over an hour we will have found out that Stacy was going in, Nathan was coming out, and that all of our lives would be changed forever. At 12:51 I'll probably get a bit teary-eyed. Oh, I guess 10:50 is as good a time as any.

Happy Birthday, Nathan. We thank God everyday for the blessing that he's given us in you.

2008-08-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

And may I say, AHHHHHH
For those who may have missed the sky-writing, I no longer like my job. The past few months, in particular, have completely erased my memory of any silver linings.

I get to start my day talking to vendors that have dropped the ball on delivering furniture and are talking fast to keep business. I spend the middle parts of my day scheduling/ having meetings with vendors that either lie or talk to me like I'm stupid. Then, I get to wrap up my day by explaining to an appliance company that no, I didn't ask to pick up the stove. Why would I have negotiated for free delivery if I was going to pick up the stove and not have you deliver it?
Then, just as I'm seeing the light at the end of the daily tunnel (not to be confused with the Daily Double), I get to talk to a slimy car salesman who, again, talks to me like I'm an idiot. So the day comes full circle. The bonus? The sexist joke the salesman wraps up with.

Do you think "overabundance of misery" sets a good tone for a resignation letter?

Update

2008-07-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

I DID try a chocolate cream pie shake from our new Sonic. For those of you that truly appreciate the magic and pure joy of the traditional chocolate shake, I would not recommend it. The crumbs of crust on the top helped slightly, but it could not completely compensate for the overall lack-luster of the cream pie shake.

When did everyone cross over to selling half-shake, half-whipped abominations?

God bless you, In-N-Out. May you never be changed by the corruption of this world.

Week in Review: Volume....

2008-07-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

I made a bold move today. As I stuck my lean cuisine in the microwave for dinner, I found myself staring into the dreamy eyes of a double-layer chocolate cake and was able to say, "No,
I will NOT have a fourth piece of cake." It was an awakening. Some people have will power, some people have three pieces of cake.

In other news, we haven't posted in a while. Derrel's wrapping up a three-game homestand tonight, while I'm entering into day two of my anti-gym homestand. Let's see...other things I'm failing at. I've decided to try to memorize some Bible verses that were brought up during the Women Discipling Women conference a few weekends ago ( a truly convicting weekend slash blessed time with my sister). I picked some that would humble and encourage me where I'm most frustrated, so they've been taped to my computer monitor at work (the tape wouldn't stick to Satchmo's fur). One of the most encouraging has been Matthew 6: 33-34. And no I won't write out what that is.
Open your Bible....DO IT.

We went to San Diego last weekend for Derrel's birthday and had a good time. We saw Phantom of the Opera, went to Sea World, and ate at Benihanas. Best part of the weekend? Being asked TWICE in one day if we were newlyweds. Ok, yes, we're only 6 months in (as of last Friday!), but one of the goals of our marriage is to make people sick for years to come. It's lofty, but something we can really commit to. Plus, my husband just got glasses...prepare yourself for squishy overload, people.

Other than that there's not much that's new. I could tell you what happened on last night's Seinfeld rerun but I won't.
Turn on TBS...DO IT.

Nathanemia

2008-07-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Everyone's got coping mechanisms. When I'm in a bad mood and at work (not a coincidence), I always take up refuge in the ol' Baby NRM blog. It's really hard to watch the photographic progression of Nathan's almost two years on this planet and not think about the blessings that God gives us everyday.

I've had a lack o' Nathan since...hmm...the end of May and, despite my doctor's recommendations, New Picture Wednesday isn't making the cut. So here are my non-Wednesday favorites that are helping me bide time until the little guy's birthday in August.

Is this the same kid?
Too much fun indeed.
Our little Chris Farley.

Love you kiddo.

I can't remember what I left in San Francisco...

2008-07-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

...but I went back to look for it anyway.
For the 4th of July Derrel and I headed up to the Bay Area to take in a Giants/ Dodgers game (that night, it happened to be the Giants' game). We also had Dim Sum for the first time, which Rodney was so considerate as to come out and introduce us to (you rock dude). After that we hit the Exploratorium. I'm not sure for exactly what purpose they had freaky purple masks, but we saw an opportunity, and took it.

Then, just this past weekend, I returned with a friend of mine to celebrate her birthday. This involved a 6 mile bike ride (not too daunting until you remember what SaN fRaNcIsCo is like), and a Swedish fondue restaurant with other friends. The restaurant was amazing. They had 13 different kinds of cheese. I'm not sure what gruyere is...but it was pretty good. That's right, family, I tried stuff that I had never even heard of before. Can I get a booyah?

The last picture is of our newly engaged friends Adrienne and Cat Stevens (a.k.a. Yusef Islam, or Anthony). Anthony is starting law school this fall, so Adrienne has to marry him for at least one guaranteed day of time with him (and 200 of their closest friends).

The weather was so gorgeous up there. I knew we were close to home on our seven-hour trip when I stepped outside at the gas station and thought, "Yep..this really sucks."

Home, sweet home.

Free Headsets for your Cell Phone

2008-07-10T07:25:00.001-07:00

www.freeheadset.org

Seriously...it beats the $40 bluetooth.

Those Burned Bras are Rolling in their Ashes

2008-07-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting my husband for lunch today at a little sandwich shop by my office. We were wasting away to All My Children when someone (finally) changed the channel. When the channel-flipping stopped, all I saw was cleavage, then thick lip gloss and...wait, what was that? California's on fire? From the flesh buffet that laid before us (which did not mesh well with my chicken salad), it took a wee bit to realize we were watching the news.

It got me a little fired up. There went Derrel's peaceful lunch with his wife.

You know, between Katie Courics' "great legs" and the cover charge viewers have to pay to join Gillian and Co. in the apparent club scene that is Good Morning LA, we have to wonder: have women come all that far? I would not consider myself a feminist, unless thinking that women should be respected by others and, more importantly, by themselves, is a radical feminist idea. That being said, it seems as though the women of the most recent generations have completely diluted themselves into thinking that showing off their body (all of their body, these days) and having promiscuous relations makes them a strong, independent woman. I know I've written about this before, but I haven't fixed the problem yet, so I'll blog on.

It seems to me that the women who started the feminist movement would be disgusted. The Susan B. Anthony's who first started the fight for women's rights would be extremely disappointed. Are we just too lazy to keep making strides? I'm not saying we should be spending every evening preparing our protest signs for the next day, nor should we encourage any animosity towards men ( I kinda like my husband, actually), because it's no longer just their fault that things are the way they are.

Women (the 2 that are reading this) I charge you with this: stop watching those news channels. I think that evening news is often a waste of possible Seinfeld time anyway, but if you are a 5:00 news viewer, look for something else. I feel, if ratings went down for some of these shows, the industry may start to learn the maybe sex doesn't sell. Maybe when people watch the news they are looking for information, not Girls Gone Wild with a teleprompter.

Just a thought.

Fantasticful

2008-07-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

Though the Webster-Merriam dictionary may not hold as much clout as it used to (the year it added "uber" to the dictionary it lost my respect), they still feel the need to annually add words to the dictionary. Webster-Merriam swore in 100 words yesterday. Here are some of my favorites:

Fanboy (1919): boy who is an enthusiastic devotee, such as of comics or movies
Also known as "single". Fanboy just sounds like a bad email address. If I ever wrote it, I'd feel the need to add a "96" or something at the end.
Actually, Derrel is an Anchorman fanboy. Well.........
This is awkward.

Mental health day (1971): day that an employee takes off from work to relieve stress or renew vitality
Soon to be followed by "Bad Hair Day", and "I Can't Fit Into My Favorite Pants Day". I'll
keep my fingers crossed for the 2009 Webster Word Draft. Show me a person that only
needs one day to recuperate from job-related stress, and I'll show you someone that has
only worked one day in their life.

Mondegreen (1954): word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung. From the mishearing in a Scottish ballad of "laid him on the green" as "Lady Mondegreen."
I actually like this one. The other example that was given was the Creedence Clearwater
tune "there's a bad moon on the rise," also loving known as "there's a bathroom on the
right." I think the Dave Matthews Band should release a cutting-edge spoken word album
entitled Mondegreen. Can't understand a word that guy says.

AP only had a few of the new additions published, so we'll have to look a little deeper to figure out which words are stupefying and which are just plain stupid. One thing is for sure. With the help of Webster-Merriam, we can fend off the threat of Orwell's Newspeak.

Crisis averted.

Myrtlemond

2008-06-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sooo.....
We just got back from our trip to Myrtle Beach/ Richmond, and the Minor League All-Star game. Yes, there was baseball, but there was other goodness too. Myrtle Beach is known for its massive amount of top-notch golf courses. What you don't really hear about, however, is the mass amount of miniature golf courses. AMAZING miniature golf courses. This first picture is the course we chose to play over those on the north, east, and south side of the same intersection.

The other spat of coolness was Hard Rock Park, where the All-Star gala was the night before the game. There was the "Whac a Boy Band" game, the whirling taxi cabs in the land called "British Invasion", and the Hard Rock VW Bus (documented here for my sister). I did have to explain to Derrel what "Abbey Road" was, but if there's no fiddle or verses about tractors, D can't be held responsible for his musical knowledge. Then of coures, the Waffle House. I realize this is not just an East Coast phenomena, but we didn't really have anything smothered in gravy all week, so we had to make up for it somewhere.

And lastly, the Richmond Braves. When we popped into Richmond, we took in a minor league game up there. They have this statue climbing out of their concourse.

It only graced my dreams for a few consecutive nights thereafter.

LA Times, is that You?

2008-06-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

As everyone is well aware, same-sex marriages were legal as of 5:01 yesterday afternoon. It is, of course, what everyone is talking about this morning. Though not a reporter for the paper, the LA Times voluntarily published a piece that I was surprised to see on its pages.

Truth and Grace.

So now that I share an office, my coworker and I often chit chat about whatever is going on: the crazy stories we read, the wacky vendors we work with. It's only natural that same-sex marriages came up. I told her that I had had a brief thought this morning that what Christians are trying to do by banning same-sex marriage won't be the obliteration of homosexuality. Those people will still be sinning against God regardless of whether or not they can marry. I can understand the desire to not sanction these things, and the article I referred to above further discusses how religious freedom may be inhibited by equal rights. My coworker, a non-believer, says she had a hard time with religious people when Catholic priests are participating in what some of them have been and are being protected by other priests. I can't argue with that. I know that sinners need a savior, that's what we believe. For some reason, though, I'm not able to vocalize that in a way that I feel truly holds up The Word. I feel that it would fall flat.

Then again, I know I'm not in the business to convert anybody. I don't have the right qualifications, like, dying on the cross to pay the debt for sinners. We prayed last night the God would provide us opportunities in everyday situations to be a witness, and that he'd give us the words to say. I feel like I blew my opportunity today. How can we, sinful by nature, strike a balance between truth and grace when talking to non-Christians? D and I were very convicted this past Sunday sitting in our new church. We were bought at a price. We are not our own. We are either the property of Christ, or property of Satan and lead man-pleasing lives. I just pray that if I am afforded an opportunity again, I will not cower from a fear of saying things that will not be pleasing to other's ears.

Life was not promised to be easy for true believers. I am thankful for the challenges we are given in our current time. I hope that all believers will be given the strength and the wisdom to stay rooted and share God's Word, even when it's not comfortable.

So...

2008-06-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

... I thought it was phase. In the whirlwind four months tween engagement and wedding, I had spent an unquantifiable amount of time watching the Wedding Channel (a.k.a. Style). Bridezilla, Platinum Weddings, and (really?) Whose Wedding is it Anyway? It wasn't so much about looking for ideas (I wasn't crazy enough to think I could turn the High Desert into the Manhattan skyline), but more about building on my anticipation for this one swell day in January.
Now, going on episode 5 of the Whose Wedding is it Anyway? marathon, I've come to an unbiased conclusion:
Our wedding was aweseome.
We were so blessed that our biggest concern was figuring out how to keep our centerpieces together; our biggest fight was trying to understand why getting garlic bread on the tables before dinner would require an act of Congress (and, like in Congress, no action happened).
Anyway, I was emotionally charged and decided to post some of my favorite wedding pictures.

A past-time that's actually worth the time..

2008-06-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Diapers for Three, I happened upon this awesome "activity" (can't say game, work time).

You should happen on it too.

Tonight is the Night

2008-06-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

More suspenseful than any game 7, the Air Guitar Championships are kicking off their U.S. Round tonight in Washington, D.C. All contestants are competing for a chance to show their gift at the World Championship in, where else could it possibly be, Finland.

Don't bother trying to rush home to set the DVR, this championship is not televised. Call the cable company, write to your congressman, and text message your mom. Something must be done to end the censorship of the next, great Olympic event.

And remember: Make air, not war.

Church Discipline vs. "Communion as a Weapon"

2008-06-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

I just read this article and am interested to see what other Christians think about it. In case you can't stand to leave our blog, I'll give you a quick summary: Douglas Kmiec, a former Justice Deparmenter turned private university professor, was refused communion at his church for endorsing Barack Obama, who's running on a pro-choice platform. The article mentions that there are politicians that have also been refused communion at their respective churches for the same reason, but that Kmiec's situation is quite unique because he's no longer a public figure, but a citizen.
My gut tells me that it doesn't really make a difference. I can only say what is true for my family and, if it falls short of God's truth revealed in His word, I hope that my favorite, more Biblically-educated readers will not hesitate to hold me accountable. As a Christian, I vote my conscience. To me, life issues would seem to outweigh any other political issue currently being discussed and would, therefore, sway my vote for a presidential candidate. However, I've learned that every issue out there is a Christian issue.
In our house, there's an on-going discussion about taxes. One of us feels that a flat tax is the most equitable option that doesn't punish the people who work hard for their money, and the other feels that a flat tax would hurt the poorer people by taking a bigger chunk of their pie. There is a Biblical context for these issues regarding our responsibilities with the gifts that God has entrusted to us. Healthcare. Plans are being crafted to enlist the United States to pick up every man beaten on the road, throw them on the back of her horse, and take them to a place to be taken care of. Yes, an exaggerated allusion, but you see the direction it's going (side note: if a boat and a car is a 'she', does the same rule apply to a country? Discuss).

So how do you decide which issues outweigh the others in the matter of moral importance? Boundless.org started a good discussion last month about finding a balance between truth and grace. Unfortunately, I can't find the article now, but one of its main points was that, in the end, all will be judged. I think that's also referenced in some other writing (i.e. John 12:48). So some folks use this when they argue that abortion should not be a governmental issue.

So I throw up my hands to my brothers and sisters in Christ. No candidate will hold 100% of the beliefs that my family has written on our hearts, so how do you decide what your conscience can live with and what it can't?

Note to self: add "discernment and guidance to all peoples" to prayer list.

It's a relief to know...

2008-05-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

...that the 15-year-olds, armed with their mad text messaging skills, are still not strong enough to take over the world. I went into the American Idol 15-hour finale figuring that David Archuleta would come out on top because there's no way the average adult can compete with the 500-letters-a-minute teeny-bopper crowd and their all-powerful crush on the 17-year-old crooner.

David Cook, thank you for showing us that there is hope. Thank you for showing us that there is still a chance in this world for conversations that don't begin with OMG and end with TTYL.
Furthermore, thank you for being a rocker.
I can't wait to buy your album.

I survived my first season as an American Idol fan. Hey, some things you just marry into.

Laser Tag, Tetherball and the Itch That Won't Quit

2008-05-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Just to get the uncomfortable part out of the way, I was bit by at least a million mosquitos on our camping trip last weekend. My modest estimation is based partly on the 10 bites I have on one ankle.

Despite the mass amount of bugs (our tent site was backed right up to a marshy area), we had a great time. Derrel actually likes camping! At least our latest version of camping. Because of the heat, and the tireless bug situation, we decided to take a quick jaunt around the corner to visit a couple of wineries. WARNING: The wineries in Temecula all charge for tastings; don't expect any generosity off of that vine.

We also may have enjoyed the great outdoors by way of bumper boats and laser tag at the closest Mulligans in Murrieta. So yes, we had a good time. Whether that relates to our actual camping trip or not, I'm not sure.

And yes, that is a bar right in the center of a campground.

Three's Company, but Four's a Mean Round of Settlers of Catan

2008-05-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Home Sweet Ebert on recently finding out they're going to be an aunt and uncle again.

We are about 6 and 1/2 weeks along, and are expecting little Jemimah/ Japhael in early January. A video of our budding bundle of joy can be found on this other website
(possessive parents, always trying to claim all the bragging rights).

All right, I'll share the joy. Congrats to the Mitchell family for being the ones to give us our newest niece/nephew!

Love you guys.

Wine, Paddle Boats and the South Beach Diet.

2008-05-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

The conversation started something like this:
"Pleeeeeease?! Two s'mores never killed anybody!"

Derrel and I have been on the South Beach Diet for about a week (halfway through the treacherous first phase). We are also leaving for our first camping trip together this afternoon. Despite a couple of modifications in my own diet plan (my lack-o'-chocolate-milk meltdown last Saturday), we've been good about sticking to what we can eat, but I knew that once Derrel conceded to my s'more pleas, it was all downhill from there. We may be wavering a bit this weekend ("In-N-Out is the only logical dinner option when we have to get there in a mad dash to put up the tent before the sun goes down,").

Originally I had decided to camp in Temecula because Derrel is a wine fan, and I thought that would soften the tent-pitching blow of the trip. That was, of course, before we went on a diet where there's NO alcohol in the first two weeks. Another instance where South Beach must never know of our activities this weekend. I'm hoping this trip goes well. Derrel has been camping 1.3 times in his whole life (the .3 being when he slept in his truck). We've got an air mattress and plenty of beef. He should be able to survive.

I guess I have to incorporate paddle boats somewhere.
There will be paddle boats where we are going. If we can trick ourselves into not realizing how much like exercise it is, way may give it go.
Otherwise, you'll find us playing Scrabble with melted marshmellowey tiles.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Excuse me, ma'am, but your Republican is showing...

2008-05-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Look at me.
This is my frustrated face.

I thought that working in education would make me more sympathetic to the plight of the state worker. That I'd be down in the trenches shoveling the oppression that the teachers and the classified staff were being buried in, and that I'd be more than grateful for the good ol' California State Employees Association, rather than viewing it as a parasitic organization.

My experience has shown me no trenches. There are some gopher holes, burrowed and lived in by the President and "representatives" of my local CSEA chapter. Wow...where are we, and why do I want to sing the Caddyshack song all of a sudden?

Anyway, it all started one day last December. I was signing all of my paperwork for my new, big-kid job with the School District. This was when I found out that, even as a classified employee, the school district was a closed shop. I could either pay $36 a month to "have a voice, but not a vote," or $38 to be able to do both. Choices, choices.

There have been multiple personnel issues where the union has automatically assumed that the fascist supervisors and directors in the district are in the wrong, and that the problem has nothing to do with holding an employee accountable for constantly coming late and never finishing projects correctly or on time. Because of the ridiculous amount of power that the union holds in our district, the employee has to be put on an improvement plan, which means the supervisor has to babysit him every moment of the day, give him his tasks and they order they're to be done in, every day. So when his supervisor is out for a day, he can also take the day off, because she is not there to feed him his Cheerios and change his diaper. I had friends in college that went through years of school to get a degree in the job this guy hasn't been doing. It's frustrating to think back to how difficult it was for them to get jobs after graduation, while this guy is cozy and coddled in his mindless existence in the department.

I'm bitter that, every month, my family is making a contribution to this lunacy. I should have just as much of a right to refuse union "protection" than I do to request it. I'm bitter that our district is allowing the union to have this much power. It seems to me that those of us who are doing our job have no retribution to fear. If we feel we have been fired unjustly, there is wrongful termination suits that could be filed. If people don't want to work, then they shouldn't be employed. In my experience, every personnel situation that has come about thus far the union has latched onto and exacerbated solely for the purpose of sucking the situation dry to sustain it's own existence.

CSEA....punishing the people that work so you don't have to!

But...why?

2008-04-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

I just recently learned about a "campaign" that Barack Obama has been running called "Change Rocks". He gets on stage with a couple of popular rock stars and talks about his candidacy for the presidentcy, as if somehow, between riffs and pop songs about lady lumps, a political consciousness and intellect could be stirred somewhere between the crowd surfers and the mosh pit.

Now, I understand that candidates are trying to grab the attention of the younger voting demographic; that's why they have campaign ads on YouTube, and profiles on MySpace and Facebook...all in attempts to reach the 20 somethings who are among the groups with the lowest voter turnout.

But...why? As a member of this group, may I say...we are not educated, you don't want us selecting the leader of the free world. In 2004 I was a sophomore at a state university, meaning I was one of two Republicans on campus (we had a secret nod when we saw eachother, as to not be recognized by the oppressive majority). During the presidential election that year, I heard a ton of flack about President Bush, and how he needed to be replaced because he was a horrible leader. This fence I won't lay on either side of (not now, anyway), however, when I finally asked someone why he was so horrible, I didn't get any real answer. It was a series of "well...uh"s grunts, and scoffs; there may have been some Morse code in there. I didn't think about that.

Anyway, it was a fad. Hating Bush was the new cigarette. It was so cool because of its rebelliousness, , even though 99% of everyone else on campus heard the same political blurb on Jimmy Kimmel Live the night before too.

I'm not saying people my age shouldn't vote, I'm just saying that we mostly shouldn't vote. There should be a test that stipulates who can and can't vote. You should be able to know the top members of the current administration. You should have some familiarity with the domestic issues that you claim to be so passionate about, and you should know what country our troops are actually in before you say we shouldn't be there (locating it on a map wouldn't be such a bad skill either).

Edible Rite of Passage

2008-04-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with the gal behind the Deli counter today when I realized that a conversion had taken place. Most of my sandwich-meat-buying years were spent with Oscar Mayer and Hillshire Farms over on the other side of the produce section. I used to roll my eyes at the people who paid three times as much as me for some sandwich meat. Why in the world would you pay $7.99 a pound for some ham? I can get five pounds of perfectly good bologna for a $1. I thought those premium-gas buying, tweed-jacket-wearing snobs were way too frivilous with their money. It reminded me of the times I used to dream about one day being able to buy Home Pride bread and still have money left over to buy the $1 bologna to go along with it. It was ambitious, but I knew it was my destiny.

This afternoon, I glanced over at the pre-packaged meats and cheeses until I noticed an obstruction; it was the end of my nose. In two trips to the Deli counter I had become a woman in purple heels and a matching hat, shopping for my picnic lunch for the polo match in the Hamptons next weekend ("Yes, ma'am, the oven-roasted, sun-kissed ham is for my stock broker husband"). As I enjoyed a piece of my orignal swiss (aged for 60 days), I realized I would never see Oscar again, and my frequent visits to the Hillshire Farm were no longer on my itinerary. Perhaps one day, should the stable run out of feed for our thoroughbreds, I may become desperate.
Until then, I will enjoy by Maple Buttered Ham.
I have arrived.

Neighborhood Rejuvenation

2008-03-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

When I left Washington, D.C., it was still just a heap of tarp-lined fences and steel framing. As of last week, it's a two-story Target, with a whole array of other stores to open in the weeks to follow. I've been watching some of the Columbia Heights neighborhood blogs and it's a mixed bag between residents that are crossing their fingers that the DC USA complex (clever name) will salvage the neighborhood, and there are others that think the stores that are moving in will draw in more lower-income people (which they've deduced because of a possible Ross being planted there-I'm highly offended by that insinuation).

I can't wait to get back there and see what the neighborhood looks like as a result. I just lived a few blocks from where the complex has been built, and I was just a few blocks shy of a rougher part of Columbia Heights. It'll be interesting to see how the dynamic between the two has changed (if it all).

I also can't wait to get back there and see the *new* American History Museum. That bad boy has been completely closed down for a year and a half because of reconstruction. I think that has to be my favorite museum of all time, with the exception of the International Banana Museum, the bread and butter of Hesperia's cultural heritage (which apparently sold for at least $750,000 from it's original home in Altadena).

I've never really...

2008-02-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

...listened to 80s music at work before. I could never get a station to stream online, but now that I know what it's like, I may not do it again. It's like a soundtrack: I'm stuck in some made-for-TV-movie about women breaking into the workforce with big hair and puffy sleeves. It was very much Workin' 9 to 5, sans kidnapping my boss.

So, I guess we're married now...a little over a month in (any requests for marriage advice should be sent to nebert125@gmail.com).

We watched disk upon disk on our honeymoon, even squeezed some in on our Valentine's Day cruise, only to find that because of the writer's strike, 24 won't be back on until January, 2009. So the rest of us are left to rock in our corners for another year because of some quibble that had nothing to do with us, with the exception of the percentage of "us" that are watching shows online. But I digress...
...and the pasta is boiling over....