Been deleting LOTS of emails from many different friends lately that contain just a link with no explanations. Several friends and family members have had their email hacked and have then had to say, "Don't open attachments or click links that say they're from me."
So I'm just saying that, since there seems to be an epidemic right now of hacking and viruses going around, I'm not clicking links in emails anymore. And if you ever get one from me that has no explanation of what it is or where it came from, or why I'm linking to it, don't click it, either. If I ever do send you a link (since I sometimes do that--for articles I liked or whatever), I will ALWAYS explain what the link is and why I'm sending it--and the explanation should be in good grammar, with decent spelling, and have something to do with things that interest me for real (like, I'm not going to send you links for office products or other commercial things--I don't do that!). That way you know it's from me. Of course, feel free to email or call to confirm anything you might see that says it's from me if it's suspicious.
Not because I think my email has been hacked, but just so you know why I didn't open that email you sent that you actually did want me to read.....
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
New Stuff is fun
Someone on craigslist gave away a $70 bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse set a few weeks ago. They said it didn't work on their computer because it supposedly doesn't work on a 64-bit machine.
So I ran over in the middle of the night (literally) and picked it up, still new in its box, off their driveway.
And now I have a wireless keyboard and mouse to use with my laptop, so I don't have to worry about kids kicking the laptop off my lap anymore! Hooray! And it works--and I have a 64-bit machine, last I checked. So now I'm really excited--I can get back to writing novels/editing stuff while I rock babies (and since a new baby is coming sometime soon, this is seriously advantageous for me).
Not only is it wireless (nobody will trip and pull the laptop off the desk, either), it's incredibly lightweight (surprisingly) which is a boon--I can manipulate it with one hand. balance it on one knee, etc.
Hooray for a new toy--especially one that was free and works!
So I ran over in the middle of the night (literally) and picked it up, still new in its box, off their driveway.
And now I have a wireless keyboard and mouse to use with my laptop, so I don't have to worry about kids kicking the laptop off my lap anymore! Hooray! And it works--and I have a 64-bit machine, last I checked. So now I'm really excited--I can get back to writing novels/editing stuff while I rock babies (and since a new baby is coming sometime soon, this is seriously advantageous for me).
Not only is it wireless (nobody will trip and pull the laptop off the desk, either), it's incredibly lightweight (surprisingly) which is a boon--I can manipulate it with one hand. balance it on one knee, etc.
Hooray for a new toy--especially one that was free and works!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Tim has a fun, but weird job
It always startles me a little bit that my husband gets paid to make funny noises, wear cool clothes, and pretend he's a rock star. Also that people take videos of him doing his job. I mean, we don't film lawyers and computer programmers at work, right? And this is just a job, right? Sure he's talented and passionate, but so are most programmers, teachers, and doctors I know.....
The last few shows he's done, Tim has had people come up to him and say, "I hear you are the best beatboxer in the world." What? Where are they hearing this? These shows, by the way, were not even in the same STATES. Opposite sides of the nation, same rumor.
It's funny to hear--Tim can name literally a dozen beatboxers who are better than he is. And we both know there are hundreds more out there.
But Tim did learn a little secret years ago: when you have a choir that isn't very skilled, have them sing simple songs perfectly and they'll come across as the best choir in the world. A very poor choir singing "Silent Night" in unison beautifully will have more impact than a good choir singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" mediocrely or poorly.
That's how Tim does his beatboxing. He can tell you exactly what he can't do well--he just works on those things in private and doesn't put them into his shows. Also, having drummed with a real band on a real drumkit before (Thanks, Ben!), he has a firm grasp of the role percussion plays in a song--something many beatboxers, coming exclusively from a singing background, lack (they are always treating the percussion as another harmony part, and percussion doesn't fit into music that way).
So Tim does what he's confident he's good at, and does it well, and it makes him look really good on stage (and you, as the audience, never know of the thousands of things he's working on still!).
Tim doesn't call himself a vocal percussionist (in fact, when he gets looped into that role publicly, we both laugh--he spent the first 3 years of our marriage analyzing vocal percussion in acappella music and came to the conclusion that it was awful stuff that ought to be abolished from the genre!). (Personally, I think spending years seeing what was wrong in vocal percussion--and therefore not being impressed by it--helped him become a better percussionist. Knowing what NOT to do is as important as knowing what to do, and seeing what others are doing poorly helps you do things better--you can't strive to be the best in your field if you set your standards too low and can't see what things could be improved on.).
Tim, in fact, will be the first person to tell you that, as an "acapella generalist," he is not the best at any one part of music. He knows tenors, baritones, bassists, percussionists, arrangers, composers, clinicians, music directors, etc. that are much better than he is--and he'll tell you who they are. Tim's strength is that he can do all of those things well. He might not be the best at one thing, but he's really good at a lot of things. (Personally, I can't think of anyone with a better, more beautiful voice than Tim's--but he can.)
Thus the Live Looping. Live looping requires you to be quite good at all aspects of music, from the technology to the performance. He doesn't have to be the best vocal percussionist, but he has to be good--and know how things fit together. Ten years of working on this is finally paying off, and he's coming across really really well on stage. It's a good show.
So the "best vocal percussionist" thing may not be true, but as I told Tim, in entertainment, the reputation matters more than the reality....
And he's doing it right.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Did I just read that?
From Fox News: "It is unlikely the ruling generals will allow Suu Kyi, who drew huge crowds of supporters during her few periods of freedom, to actively and publicly pursue her goal of bringing democracy to Burma, formerly known as Burma." http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/11/13/release-order-read-burma-democracy-leader/
Was it, now?
Friday, November 12, 2010
The end is coming....thank goodness!
So I FINALLY started to notice the signs that I'm not going to be pregnant forever: acne, return of morning sickness and heartburn, completely lost my appetite, back to being exhausted and running to the bathroom constantly. I'm feeling elbows rubbing the inside of my pelvis instead of the back of a head, can't really put my thighs together anymore. That's all good.
It doesn't mean things are imminent, though. I usually walk around for 3 weeks or more dilated to 3-4 and more than 50% effaced, but it does mean we're in the last month for real now, and that's a relief (not because it's fun, mind you, just because it means we're getting done).
So what am I going to do to celebrate?
Tear out the carpet in the baby's room and install hardwood, of course. Isn't that what everyone does?
:)
It doesn't mean things are imminent, though. I usually walk around for 3 weeks or more dilated to 3-4 and more than 50% effaced, but it does mean we're in the last month for real now, and that's a relief (not because it's fun, mind you, just because it means we're getting done).
So what am I going to do to celebrate?
Tear out the carpet in the baby's room and install hardwood, of course. Isn't that what everyone does?
:)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Nesting?
My friends keep accusing me of "nesting." I am 4 1/2 weeks out from having a baby, and I have tons of stuff going on.
A big chunk of it is trying to get as many doctor and dentist visits for the kids done as possible before the baby comes. That's not something I'm choosing to do, but something that has to be done, and this way will be easier than trying to do it with a newborn.
A big chunk of it, though, is me fighting my brain. When I'm pregnant, I usually struggle constantly with anxiety and intrusive, dark thoughts whenever I don't take my vitamins. Vitamins have always kept it in check with every pregnancy so far, and I've learned to just ignore the anxiety and negativity as "not real." This pregnancy, though, while harder with the fibromyalgia, has been easier on the anxiety. That's a huge blessing because it's been an extremely stressful pregnancy. But I think my brain is trying to make up for it these last 4 weeks. Even with my vitamins, I find myself worrying that every car that goes by is going to crash into my front yard or shoot at my house, and that every time Tim leaves the house he won't be coming home. I know there are meds for this kind of thing--and I'm not opposed to them. Even during pregnancy. However, I also know that it will all disappear as soon as the baby comes (like instantly when the baby comes) and, if my past repeats, not even recur as post-partum depression. It really just vanishes like mist in the sunshine for me. I also know that a lot of psychiatric drugs take a few weeks to start working--and we don't have a few weeks left. So I'm biding my time, reminding myself that Tim and the baby are both fine and that my brain is just playing tricks on me and I don't have to a) listen to it, or b) take it seriously. (Which actually works for me, crazy as it might seem.)
What does all that have to do with nesting?
Work.
Work has always eased any kind of stress, depression, or anxiety I feel. So I'm not nesting out of a compulsion to get my house in order before the baby comes. Rather, I'm "nesting" in an effort to fight back against my mis-firing brain and keep it functioning as well as it can until after Thanksgiving, when I will see if the doctor can hurry things along a little bit (strip my membranes, maybe? That's worked twice before....). Work is the magic cure for anxiety. Work is also the best distraction I know of when things are hard, challenging, scary, or downright difficult to get through.
So I keep working.
If it were normal nesting for most people, I'd be cleaning the stove and bathrooms, putting toys into their boxes, and generally organizing the house. If it were normal "nesting" for me, I'd be finishing novels and quilts and other projects that I have laying around. Instead, I'm just about to install hardwood flooring in the baby's room....
It might be "nesting." But to me, it's just good, hard work. Just what I need.
A big chunk of it is trying to get as many doctor and dentist visits for the kids done as possible before the baby comes. That's not something I'm choosing to do, but something that has to be done, and this way will be easier than trying to do it with a newborn.
A big chunk of it, though, is me fighting my brain. When I'm pregnant, I usually struggle constantly with anxiety and intrusive, dark thoughts whenever I don't take my vitamins. Vitamins have always kept it in check with every pregnancy so far, and I've learned to just ignore the anxiety and negativity as "not real." This pregnancy, though, while harder with the fibromyalgia, has been easier on the anxiety. That's a huge blessing because it's been an extremely stressful pregnancy. But I think my brain is trying to make up for it these last 4 weeks. Even with my vitamins, I find myself worrying that every car that goes by is going to crash into my front yard or shoot at my house, and that every time Tim leaves the house he won't be coming home. I know there are meds for this kind of thing--and I'm not opposed to them. Even during pregnancy. However, I also know that it will all disappear as soon as the baby comes (like instantly when the baby comes) and, if my past repeats, not even recur as post-partum depression. It really just vanishes like mist in the sunshine for me. I also know that a lot of psychiatric drugs take a few weeks to start working--and we don't have a few weeks left. So I'm biding my time, reminding myself that Tim and the baby are both fine and that my brain is just playing tricks on me and I don't have to a) listen to it, or b) take it seriously. (Which actually works for me, crazy as it might seem.)
What does all that have to do with nesting?
Work.
Work has always eased any kind of stress, depression, or anxiety I feel. So I'm not nesting out of a compulsion to get my house in order before the baby comes. Rather, I'm "nesting" in an effort to fight back against my mis-firing brain and keep it functioning as well as it can until after Thanksgiving, when I will see if the doctor can hurry things along a little bit (strip my membranes, maybe? That's worked twice before....). Work is the magic cure for anxiety. Work is also the best distraction I know of when things are hard, challenging, scary, or downright difficult to get through.
So I keep working.
If it were normal nesting for most people, I'd be cleaning the stove and bathrooms, putting toys into their boxes, and generally organizing the house. If it were normal "nesting" for me, I'd be finishing novels and quilts and other projects that I have laying around. Instead, I'm just about to install hardwood flooring in the baby's room....
It might be "nesting." But to me, it's just good, hard work. Just what I need.
Homeschooling Highlights of the Week
I love it when the kids do educational stuff on their own. One of the highlights of homeschooling is watching the kids voluntarily, for FUN, do things that other kids have to be forced to do. Like write stories. Or do science experiments. Or write plays. Or compare movies to books. Or create art lessons for other people.
This week somehow turned into writing week, it seems. Caleb wrote a review of Tim's show and posted it on his blog. Anda is writing and illustrating a book on fairies (after she and her two friends make a house for fairies when they were playing last night). She's also slowly but steadily creating the illustrations and text for a book on (mostly) imaginary animals that live in a land called "Environment." Daniel is learning a vital skill (which most kids are taught NOT to have) of identifying not just what he likes, but WHY he likes it. That was something it took me almost 2 years to teach my junior high kids in English, but it's the key to learning how to write well--first identifying what you think and why. (It always took a long time to un-teach the socialized "like what's popular and who knows why" mentality that kids get in public schools).
Anyway, we had some other fun times today. I love learning and teaching, so it's QUITE enjoyable for me to sit with the kids and listen to their AP Biology and AP US History lessons and then discuss them with the kids. I put the lessons on because I figured the kids could handle them, despite the fact that they are 7 and 9 years old, and they can handle them just fine, but I do have to spend some time "translating" what they were just taught, expanding on it, giving more examples, and basically forcing their brains to be engaged. It works to have them learning AP-level stuff because I'm not expecting mastery. I figure they're going to hear all of this again, so anything they get out of it is good enough.
Still, it was fun to sit with Anda and have her totally get the parts of a chromosome (and be able to label the parts and what they do), the organization of DNA and how it's packaged in the cell (stuff they didn't teach when I was in AP biology--maybe they didn't know it 20 years ago?). But it was most delightful when we started talking about X- and Y-chromosomes, and to see her so excited about the fact that she is the only person in the family who carries a copy of Tim's X-Chromosome. Once you get beyond the biochemistry stuff (she doesn't really care about the molecular structure of DNA, and whether it unzips and copies from the 5' or the 3' end--and I don't blame her), she really loves biology. And gets it quickly. It's cool.
And it was fun to sit and talk with Caleb about the distinct natures of the different British Colonies in the New World, and how the nature and history of the Mid-Atlantic Colonies actually led to the development of a culture in New York that allowed the Restoration of the Gospel to happen. It's also fun to see how the different ideas of the leaders of the different colonies developed and led to the Constitution and to ideas we still cling to today. And it was fun to see Caleb learning about Galileo's physics experiments and just eating it up.
So it's fun for me to learn all this stuff again, in small chunks, and fun for me to teach it all.
After this year, though, those two kids (at least) will NEVER be able to jump back into public schools. Can you imagine Caleb, after studying US History on an AP Level, going back to your normal, run-of-the-mill 5th Grade US history next year? Yikes. Or Anda trying to jump into 3rd grade biology next year? Double yikes.
I actually don't think they're so far advanced of the capabilities of other kids their own age. I think the education system, in having to balance between the behind and the normal kids (they don't really try to deal with the ahead kids very well) have done all parties a disservice. For example, I think all average 4th graders can grasp the concept of the "2 other" states of matter that they just don't teach. Understanding that hyper-charged gasses are called Plasma, and that it's a further state of matter, and that we see it in fluorescent lights and also the sun and stars is NOT that difficult for kids. Might be too hard for some of the teachers, though.
Anyway, even though we missed a day of school completely this week (sigh), today was certainly a day of being glad we're homeschooling!
This week somehow turned into writing week, it seems. Caleb wrote a review of Tim's show and posted it on his blog. Anda is writing and illustrating a book on fairies (after she and her two friends make a house for fairies when they were playing last night). She's also slowly but steadily creating the illustrations and text for a book on (mostly) imaginary animals that live in a land called "Environment." Daniel is learning a vital skill (which most kids are taught NOT to have) of identifying not just what he likes, but WHY he likes it. That was something it took me almost 2 years to teach my junior high kids in English, but it's the key to learning how to write well--first identifying what you think and why. (It always took a long time to un-teach the socialized "like what's popular and who knows why" mentality that kids get in public schools).
Anyway, we had some other fun times today. I love learning and teaching, so it's QUITE enjoyable for me to sit with the kids and listen to their AP Biology and AP US History lessons and then discuss them with the kids. I put the lessons on because I figured the kids could handle them, despite the fact that they are 7 and 9 years old, and they can handle them just fine, but I do have to spend some time "translating" what they were just taught, expanding on it, giving more examples, and basically forcing their brains to be engaged. It works to have them learning AP-level stuff because I'm not expecting mastery. I figure they're going to hear all of this again, so anything they get out of it is good enough.
Still, it was fun to sit with Anda and have her totally get the parts of a chromosome (and be able to label the parts and what they do), the organization of DNA and how it's packaged in the cell (stuff they didn't teach when I was in AP biology--maybe they didn't know it 20 years ago?). But it was most delightful when we started talking about X- and Y-chromosomes, and to see her so excited about the fact that she is the only person in the family who carries a copy of Tim's X-Chromosome. Once you get beyond the biochemistry stuff (she doesn't really care about the molecular structure of DNA, and whether it unzips and copies from the 5' or the 3' end--and I don't blame her), she really loves biology. And gets it quickly. It's cool.
And it was fun to sit and talk with Caleb about the distinct natures of the different British Colonies in the New World, and how the nature and history of the Mid-Atlantic Colonies actually led to the development of a culture in New York that allowed the Restoration of the Gospel to happen. It's also fun to see how the different ideas of the leaders of the different colonies developed and led to the Constitution and to ideas we still cling to today. And it was fun to see Caleb learning about Galileo's physics experiments and just eating it up.
So it's fun for me to learn all this stuff again, in small chunks, and fun for me to teach it all.
After this year, though, those two kids (at least) will NEVER be able to jump back into public schools. Can you imagine Caleb, after studying US History on an AP Level, going back to your normal, run-of-the-mill 5th Grade US history next year? Yikes. Or Anda trying to jump into 3rd grade biology next year? Double yikes.
I actually don't think they're so far advanced of the capabilities of other kids their own age. I think the education system, in having to balance between the behind and the normal kids (they don't really try to deal with the ahead kids very well) have done all parties a disservice. For example, I think all average 4th graders can grasp the concept of the "2 other" states of matter that they just don't teach. Understanding that hyper-charged gasses are called Plasma, and that it's a further state of matter, and that we see it in fluorescent lights and also the sun and stars is NOT that difficult for kids. Might be too hard for some of the teachers, though.
Anyway, even though we missed a day of school completely this week (sigh), today was certainly a day of being glad we're homeschooling!
More dental surgery
Tim gathered up a very sleepy 22-month-old at 5:00 this morning and bundled him and his favorite "Winnie-the-Poo-Pooh" blankie into the car and drove them down to the Children's Hospital in Denver.
Nathanael's front teeth came in with flawed or missing enamel, so the teeth were decaying before they even all the way in. The dentist looked and said they were decayed all the way around, so she couldn't save them, and we couldn't just leave them in because at some point they would cause him pain and probably get broken off, which would require emergency extraction in the office (not fun for mom or baby). And they weren't even completely formed, so she couldn't do a baby root canal and crown them. This wasn't a complete surprise to me--I knew at least one of the kids would have this happen because it runs in my family, and my brothers and sisters' kids have had teeth come in flawed like that.
So we scheduled dental surgery for him, and today was the day.
I am glad Tim did that for me. It's not easy to see the kids nervous, or drugged, or waking up unhappy. I don't so much mind the blood they always have dried on their faces when they're done. I don't even really mind rocking them every time the tylenol wears off for a couple of days, and I've gotten used to how my kids look with their front teeth out because this is kid number 3 to go around missing front teeth.
The doctor was great, and she managed to save most of his teeth. Most of his molars have fillings now, and all four front top teeth are gone, but he still has most of his teeth in there (what a relief!). He will be toothless front and center for the next 6-7 years.
Tim brought him home, groggy but fine, at 2:30 pm (long LONG day for Tim!). I wanted to hug and cuddle him to reassure myself that he was fine, but he wasn't interested. He drank some juice from his new sippy cup they gave him, and then he jumped right back in to fighting with Benji (his latest hobby) and playing with his little matchbox cars (he is very orderly--LOVES to line them up in perfect little lines on the table). He was fine. He was even fine when his tylenol wore off--until it had been gone for 3 hours, and then he woke up from a nap hurting, but tylenol solved that quickly.
So we survived another difficult day.
Nathanael didn't even realize anything had happened, as far as I could tell, until we found those little "snaps" still stuck to his chest and side from the monitors they used. That distressed him quite a lot, and he insisted they hurt (when he hadn't noticed them a minute before) and needed hugs until I got them off.
Even then, he didn't realize his teeth were missing until he took my apple and tried to take a bite. And tried again. And tried again. Then he handed the apple back to me and said, "It's not working." Like it was the apple's problem. So I cut it up into little bites for him, and he said, "Oh. Eat it this way. Okay." And he enjoyed his apple.
Now we'll see who has to go down next. I suspect Benji will at some point, but he still won't let the dentist even look in his mouth. I'm thinking Anda might. She thought just getting sealants on was torturous, and she has multiple fillings she needs in every quarter of her mouth. So the dentist has left Children's Hospital open as an option for her--we do the first fillings next week and see how much trauma it causes, and then we decide. That would be all five kids.
I had hoped they would inherit Tim's teeth and my mouth chemistry (Tim's whole family is prone to mouth sores, and mine is not). Instead, they all have my family's teeth (so soft you can practically brush cavities into them) and Tim's mouth chemistry (long-lasting canker sores appear when they're under stress, eat chocolate or too much sugar, don't get enough B-vitamins, or just randomly). Too bad for the kids!
Nathanael's front teeth came in with flawed or missing enamel, so the teeth were decaying before they even all the way in. The dentist looked and said they were decayed all the way around, so she couldn't save them, and we couldn't just leave them in because at some point they would cause him pain and probably get broken off, which would require emergency extraction in the office (not fun for mom or baby). And they weren't even completely formed, so she couldn't do a baby root canal and crown them. This wasn't a complete surprise to me--I knew at least one of the kids would have this happen because it runs in my family, and my brothers and sisters' kids have had teeth come in flawed like that.
So we scheduled dental surgery for him, and today was the day.
I am glad Tim did that for me. It's not easy to see the kids nervous, or drugged, or waking up unhappy. I don't so much mind the blood they always have dried on their faces when they're done. I don't even really mind rocking them every time the tylenol wears off for a couple of days, and I've gotten used to how my kids look with their front teeth out because this is kid number 3 to go around missing front teeth.
The doctor was great, and she managed to save most of his teeth. Most of his molars have fillings now, and all four front top teeth are gone, but he still has most of his teeth in there (what a relief!). He will be toothless front and center for the next 6-7 years.
Tim brought him home, groggy but fine, at 2:30 pm (long LONG day for Tim!). I wanted to hug and cuddle him to reassure myself that he was fine, but he wasn't interested. He drank some juice from his new sippy cup they gave him, and then he jumped right back in to fighting with Benji (his latest hobby) and playing with his little matchbox cars (he is very orderly--LOVES to line them up in perfect little lines on the table). He was fine. He was even fine when his tylenol wore off--until it had been gone for 3 hours, and then he woke up from a nap hurting, but tylenol solved that quickly.
So we survived another difficult day.
Nathanael didn't even realize anything had happened, as far as I could tell, until we found those little "snaps" still stuck to his chest and side from the monitors they used. That distressed him quite a lot, and he insisted they hurt (when he hadn't noticed them a minute before) and needed hugs until I got them off.
Even then, he didn't realize his teeth were missing until he took my apple and tried to take a bite. And tried again. And tried again. Then he handed the apple back to me and said, "It's not working." Like it was the apple's problem. So I cut it up into little bites for him, and he said, "Oh. Eat it this way. Okay." And he enjoyed his apple.
Now we'll see who has to go down next. I suspect Benji will at some point, but he still won't let the dentist even look in his mouth. I'm thinking Anda might. She thought just getting sealants on was torturous, and she has multiple fillings she needs in every quarter of her mouth. So the dentist has left Children's Hospital open as an option for her--we do the first fillings next week and see how much trauma it causes, and then we decide. That would be all five kids.
I had hoped they would inherit Tim's teeth and my mouth chemistry (Tim's whole family is prone to mouth sores, and mine is not). Instead, they all have my family's teeth (so soft you can practically brush cavities into them) and Tim's mouth chemistry (long-lasting canker sores appear when they're under stress, eat chocolate or too much sugar, don't get enough B-vitamins, or just randomly). Too bad for the kids!
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Things you wish the kids hadn't said.
Dan: Mom, that was so cool. Don't worry. I used all the towels in the house to clean it up.
Me: What?
Dan: The water we sprayed.
Me: Where did you spray water?
Dan: On your bed.
Me: ......um.......
Dan: But we used all the towels to clean it up.
Me: What did you spray water out of?
Dan: My mouth.
Me: What?
Dan: The water we sprayed.
Me: Where did you spray water?
Dan: On your bed.
Me: ......um.......
Dan: But we used all the towels to clean it up.
Me: What did you spray water out of?
Dan: My mouth.
Did I just read that?
from ksl news today: "In another measure, Utah had a low rate of unemployment among new mothers who are seeking jobs."
Huh? So new moms who are seeking jobs already have jobs?
Friday, November 05, 2010
Did I just read that?
From the slide show that accompanied the article that went with the previous post: " Accentuate Your Waist:
Empire waists on dresses or shirts flatter just about every figure. " http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2010/11/05/fashion-friday-lose-inches-style/#slide=2
Empire waists on dresses or shirts flatter just about every figure. " http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2010/11/05/fashion-friday-lose-inches-style/#slide=2
Nice idea--except empire waists don't hit your waist. They flare just below the bustline, concealing the waist and tummy effectively. Also, the accompanying picture didn't show an empire waist dress....
Did I just read that?
Love this one: "A great way for achieving the long leggy look is to pair matching colors- like black pants or jeans with black heels, or bear legs with nude pumps." http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/11/05/fashion-friday-clothes-make-look-thinner/?test=faces
Now, would that be black bear, grizzly, or polar bear that goes with nude pumps?
The very next sentence was a doozy, too: "Another amazing trick is to wear chunky platforms or wedges with wide leg pants (super-flared styles work too) which will give the illusion of added height and legs for days since you can't see the shoe."
So, how many legs is it ideal to appear to have? Three? Seven? For how many days? I mean, does this trick work to make it look like you have a dozen legs for a whole week, even after you switch to other pants?
Now, would that be black bear, grizzly, or polar bear that goes with nude pumps?
The very next sentence was a doozy, too: "Another amazing trick is to wear chunky platforms or wedges with wide leg pants (super-flared styles work too) which will give the illusion of added height and legs for days since you can't see the shoe."
So, how many legs is it ideal to appear to have? Three? Seven? For how many days? I mean, does this trick work to make it look like you have a dozen legs for a whole week, even after you switch to other pants?
Medicaid update....
Turns out neuropsychologists and neurologists are actually pretty easy to get into with Medicaid. Hooray! Takes a wait, but that's all right. At least they'll see us!
Allergists, too.
Specialists must be more willing or merciful than "regular" doctors.
Allergists, too.
Specialists must be more willing or merciful than "regular" doctors.
Medicaid woes, again
We've been trying to get the kids in to have all their checkups and stuff while we're on Medicaid, since they all need things like dental work.
We were lucky to find not one but TWO fantastic children's dentists who take medicaid. We just have to drive half an hour to get to them.
Today I set out to get the kids eye appointments, figuring everyone must take medicaid for that, right? I mean, getting an eye exam only costs $45 at some place.
Turns out NOBODY in Longmont takes medicaid. What's up with that? They should make it against the law to NOT take medicaid--then the financial "hit" to the doctors would be fairly evenly distributed and everyone could get care (kids anyway; adults can't get on medicaid anyway).
To get a doctor who takes medicaid here in town, you have to go to the welfare clinic, which gives terrible care and makes you wait forever. Used to be you had to call the day of at 6:00 am, wait on the phone for an hour, and then maybe be able to schedule an appointment that same day. It was horrible. All for mediocre care, doctors who were mean to parents, and PAs who had bad info (like "boys never get scoliosis." Huh? Tim and his GrandPA have scoliosis!). So we go to a family doctor in Boulder (since we couldn't find any pediatricians that would take all 6 kids).
Our fantastic dentists have an office in Longmont, but no pediatric dentist there, so we have to go to either Louisville (25 minutes directly South) or Boulder (30 minutes Southwest).
Today was find an eye doctor day. I called all over town and got the answer, "You have to go down to Denver" over and over. There is a single ophthamologist who takes medicaid in Boulder, apparently, and one in Berthoud (35 minutes North of here). But for a basic optometrist who also provides glasses? Nope. Nothing like that. Not even for kids. So we're having to drive to Denver for that. Sheesh. All so my kids can see.
So now I'm dreading the next step: finding an allergist who takes medicaid. And then a neuropsychologist. Yikes. That one I think I WILL have to go to Denver for.
We were lucky to find not one but TWO fantastic children's dentists who take medicaid. We just have to drive half an hour to get to them.
Today I set out to get the kids eye appointments, figuring everyone must take medicaid for that, right? I mean, getting an eye exam only costs $45 at some place.
Turns out NOBODY in Longmont takes medicaid. What's up with that? They should make it against the law to NOT take medicaid--then the financial "hit" to the doctors would be fairly evenly distributed and everyone could get care (kids anyway; adults can't get on medicaid anyway).
To get a doctor who takes medicaid here in town, you have to go to the welfare clinic, which gives terrible care and makes you wait forever. Used to be you had to call the day of at 6:00 am, wait on the phone for an hour, and then maybe be able to schedule an appointment that same day. It was horrible. All for mediocre care, doctors who were mean to parents, and PAs who had bad info (like "boys never get scoliosis." Huh? Tim and his GrandPA have scoliosis!). So we go to a family doctor in Boulder (since we couldn't find any pediatricians that would take all 6 kids).
Our fantastic dentists have an office in Longmont, but no pediatric dentist there, so we have to go to either Louisville (25 minutes directly South) or Boulder (30 minutes Southwest).
Today was find an eye doctor day. I called all over town and got the answer, "You have to go down to Denver" over and over. There is a single ophthamologist who takes medicaid in Boulder, apparently, and one in Berthoud (35 minutes North of here). But for a basic optometrist who also provides glasses? Nope. Nothing like that. Not even for kids. So we're having to drive to Denver for that. Sheesh. All so my kids can see.
So now I'm dreading the next step: finding an allergist who takes medicaid. And then a neuropsychologist. Yikes. That one I think I WILL have to go to Denver for.
Divinity Fail
Tonight I really wanted divinity, but I didn't want to run to the store for corn syrup. So I used maple syrup. Tasted great. It came out grainy. In fact, the maple-sugar syrup started crystallizing the instant it stopped boiling, making a fine candy in its own right. but not a fluffy, smooth divinity.
The other thing I wanted to try was honey--not because I think it would work better than corn syrup, but because the idea of honey-flavored divinity appeals to me. I hear that honey burns easily, though, so I'm not sure I'm up for trying it right now.
The other thing I wanted to try was honey--not because I think it would work better than corn syrup, but because the idea of honey-flavored divinity appeals to me. I hear that honey burns easily, though, so I'm not sure I'm up for trying it right now.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
A new Dryer
When our old dryer arrived here in January, we noticed it was noisier than it had been.
But we didn't get around to opening it up to see what was wrong until last week. It took a few days to figure out how to take the thing apart, and to discover that it was just off its rollers. It took a couple more days to realize it wasn't going to stay on the rollers, needed new clips and new rollers, needed a new belt and probably pulley, and had been rubbing on the back long enough that it had rubbed right through.
Plus it wasn't drying clothes very well anymore.
And it was getting louder, and Louder, and LOUDER, so that even with the door closed to the laundry room downstairs, we couldn't sleep upstairs when the dryer was on.
Since it was a really old dryer (like it was the one my mom was using when I was a kid), we decided it was time to replace it rather than replace the parts and keep trying to make it work.
That's tricky on our very tight (to the point of ridiculousness) budget.
So I started watching craigslist because free dryers come up often there. They also go REALLY fast. So yesterday, while I was watching election results come in, I sat for hours and checked craigslist every 5 minutes or so and emailed everyone who posted a dryer we even might be able to get. I had to check 3 craigslists--everything within an hours drive of here--and eventually had emailed a dozen people.
I got one email back today, for the only not free dryer that was posted. It appealed to me because it was cheap ($40) and was a commercial grade dryer that worked. So today we bought it, and for gas money extra, the guy delivered it to our house.
Sure enough, it's commercial grade.
Sure enough, it works.
And it's quiet.
And big enough for a large load of towels or jeans.
And it dries the clothes, as promised.
And it's bigger inside but smaller outside than the previous dryer.
So now we can get back to trying to keep up with the laundry. Hooray!
And thank goodness for craigslist and for $40 dryers.
(And if you want a project dryer that goes, but barely, or you want scrap metal, come on over! We have an old dryer to get rid of.)
But we didn't get around to opening it up to see what was wrong until last week. It took a few days to figure out how to take the thing apart, and to discover that it was just off its rollers. It took a couple more days to realize it wasn't going to stay on the rollers, needed new clips and new rollers, needed a new belt and probably pulley, and had been rubbing on the back long enough that it had rubbed right through.
Plus it wasn't drying clothes very well anymore.
And it was getting louder, and Louder, and LOUDER, so that even with the door closed to the laundry room downstairs, we couldn't sleep upstairs when the dryer was on.
Since it was a really old dryer (like it was the one my mom was using when I was a kid), we decided it was time to replace it rather than replace the parts and keep trying to make it work.
That's tricky on our very tight (to the point of ridiculousness) budget.
So I started watching craigslist because free dryers come up often there. They also go REALLY fast. So yesterday, while I was watching election results come in, I sat for hours and checked craigslist every 5 minutes or so and emailed everyone who posted a dryer we even might be able to get. I had to check 3 craigslists--everything within an hours drive of here--and eventually had emailed a dozen people.
I got one email back today, for the only not free dryer that was posted. It appealed to me because it was cheap ($40) and was a commercial grade dryer that worked. So today we bought it, and for gas money extra, the guy delivered it to our house.
Sure enough, it's commercial grade.
Sure enough, it works.
And it's quiet.
And big enough for a large load of towels or jeans.
And it dries the clothes, as promised.
And it's bigger inside but smaller outside than the previous dryer.
So now we can get back to trying to keep up with the laundry. Hooray!
And thank goodness for craigslist and for $40 dryers.
(And if you want a project dryer that goes, but barely, or you want scrap metal, come on over! We have an old dryer to get rid of.)
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Did I just read that?
From ksl.com's home page today: "Curtis Allgier's attorneys complain about treatment in jail" (http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13135648)
Well, how are attorney's usually treated in jail?
Did I just read that?
From Foxnews.com home page today: "Delivery Man Fights Off Robber With Squash"
Who has the squash? That's what I want to know. Do I visualize a man carrying squash away and getting beat up, or do I visualize him being beat up by a squash?
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