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December 31, 2005

Inventory
These days, when I sit down and really think about what the Bub says, it takes some doing. I need this list more for my own reference than for your edification!

  • bah (ball)
  • buh-buh (bye-bye)
  • ba (box)
  • bu (book)
  • ca (socks/shoes)
  • oh-oh (uh-oh)
  • Mama
  • Dada
  • woof!
  • meow!
  • t'cka-t'cka (tickle-tickle)
  • uh-uh (complete with head shake)


    • He's also, I believe, working very hard on "Elmo" and "all done."

    ETA: How could I forget:

  • nana (banana)
  • buh (button, bellybutton)

    • 12/31/05 02:57 PM |  Comments


    December 29, 2005

    The No Good, Very Bad Day
    Or, My Longest Most Rambledy Post, Ever.

    "Waaaaaaahhhh! Wah! WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

    4:37 (It's impossible not to recall the exact time). Fuuuuh. Uck.

    After a half-hour of squirmy, intermittent nursing, it's clear that he doesn't intend to go back to sleep. Yawn. So this is how Karma balances out that day he slept until nearly eight, eh?

    We go into the office, where I can assault my bleary eyes and head with too much RSS and forum for a few minutes (or, until I can trust my feet to carry the bub down the stairs).

    No 'net. Sigh. Nothing new, though.

    Downstairs, I slice bananas ("Na-na! Na-na!") in a hangover-like stupor while desperately waiting for the coffeemaker to grind and brew my salvation. Two cups and some soy-doused cereal later, I'm feeling almost human again.

    Which is fortunate, because I find two strategically-launched piles of cat barf: one nestled among the bub's toys, and another on my arm of the couch. Peachy.

    I head into the downstairs half bath, where the laundry lives, to take care of the load of colors I abandoned there last night.

    "Click."

    No light. The tubes blew out already? Grumble. Well. I'll just use the other light.

    "Click."

    Still darkness. Dammit. Okay. Probably a blown fuse. The fuses aren't marked logically (and we really need to take care of that), so finding the right one is a two-person job. I'll deal with the laundry later. On my way out of the bathroom, I see some recycling that needs to go out to the garage (into a paper bag, since we STILL DON'T HAVE A BIN, twitch); that'll be a nice Irish Spring moment.

    And there's no "whirr." The servers are all off, every one. That explains the lack of internet, at least.

    D. woke up and came downstairs. "I must have the magic touch - I'm blowing lightbulbs left and right." Uh-oh.*

    After flipping through the entire box a few times... nothing. So now it looks as if we need an electrician. It's weird, how seemingly random outlets are dead throughout the house - downstairs bath lights (the washer and dryer do work, after all), servers in the garage, sinkside in the master suite, and same in the hall bath.

    Call me superstitious, but I don't think I'll be doing any driving today.

    Erm, wait - I have to stay here, waiting, anyhow.

    *Turns out that his bedside light was just a freak coincidence - that one really was a blown bulb.

    **********************


    10:12. More cat barf in the upstairs hallway, and in Daniel's room. I really need to remember to close that door every time I leave the room.

    While I was de-tagging his gargantuan pile of Christmas clothes, Daniel crunched his finger near the hinge of the bedroom door. He was fine, thankfully, after sobbing in my lap for a minute or two. Shortly after, he napped. Bliss! Think of all the stuff I could do! because he should sleep a long time, after getting up so early.

    Nope. Half an hour. This day is going to be far longer than I first thought.

    **********************


    12:20. It probably comes as no big surprise that the internet bolsters the shreds of my sanity during the day. As in the school library, there are long periods of isolation from adult contact, so my little virtual social circles are an invaluable preventative against schizophrenia.

    Don't be surprised if I start referring to myself as Shirley by the end of all this.

    **********************


    1:36. No electrician. No more signs of nappishness. Checked the snailbox once, nearly broke ankle on one of those blasted prickly seed pods that only our tree generates. Very long nine hours. Send methamphetamines, two naps, or cyanide, please.

    I am, however, grateful that things like the fridge, microwave, and Teletubby machine teevee were left unscathed. And I think we do still have hot water, because even though D. took a shower this morning, I was still able to hurt myself with the dishwater later.

    **********************


    3:03. Daniel threw the bub monitor in my face, hitting me square and hard in the chin, and ran away laughing. You won't think less of me, would you? when I admit that I gave out and cried a little in front of him, probably for the first time since those postpartum depression days?

    Daily snail: Mal*Wart ad, Longs ad, various others in the weekly snailspam bundle. Letter from condo management, in which one of the newsitems states that the new recyclers will start pick-up next Tuesday (WHERE'S my BIN???). PG&E bill. Flyer for a leukemia benefit walk/run/bike/tri, don't think I'd make it through the course these days. Netflix, Millions, it's supposed to be charming and I can well use some of that.

    No electrician. D. hasn't heard anything, either. Talk of running an extension out to the servers. Bub is eating PB toast strips. I have not opened the liquor cabinet yet.

    **********************


    4:17. Nap. At laaaaaaaaaaast.

    No electrician. I doubt he will be here today.
    12/29/05 09:33 PM |  Comments


    December 27, 2005

    Bin There
    I was up in the office, with a clear view of the curb, when the recycling truck came... and took our bins away with it! And the new one (single stream, woot!) hasn't arrived yet.

    I mightn't be quite right in the head, because the thought of lacking a bin has made me a little twitchy all afternoon.
    12/27/05 02:08 PM |  Comments


    December 26, 2005

    The Daniel Files: Christmas '05
    See here.
    12/26/05 11:25 PM |  Comments


    "Hope he's only a Sunday Creationist."
    Evolutionary fun with Doonesbury.
    12/26/05 01:46 PM |  Comments


    December 25, 2005

    Very
    Merry Christmas, all! My present to me is waking up early enough to enjoy half an hour of some Heavenly Peace.

    The foil-wrapped spiral ham in the fridge is already making my mouth water. Otherwise it's not a terribly fancy year - scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole (a first), corn, homemade bread (thinking of just doing the dough in the machine - we'll see how motivated I am come late afternoon). And a cherry crumb pie that was so not made by yours truly.
    12/25/05 05:36 AM |  Comments


    December 22, 2005

    Don't Worry, I'm Not Considering a New Profession
    Pimp My Nutcracker.

    Here's mine.
    12/22/05 07:18 AM |  Comments


    December 21, 2005

    Happy Solstice!
    Traditionally, Christmas is my favorite day of the year. But personally - it's today. Bring on the light!
    12/21/05 12:40 PM |  Comments


    December 20, 2005

    I Married into the Mob
    Or so it would appear (apologies for the scanned in-the-dark shot - perhaps next semester I'll be one step closer to ameliorating such things).
    12/20/05 10:39 AM |  Comments


    December 15, 2005

    "I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before."
    I saw my first movie in-cinema last night since about August. My plan was to see Rent, but it suddenly left our town theater, and I didn't feel like driving twenty miles for it. So, with some resignation, not much in a mooshy-gooshy period piece mood, I decided to see Pride & Prejudice.

    And the story was rendered so beautifully that I had a hard time stepping back into reality. It's been a long time since a film made it imperative that I revisit the book that inspired it.

    The casting was truly inspired. Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen were yummy (as if I needed two whole new crushes, eep). Dame Judi played a nasty old treat, and I couldn't help but want to smack Jena Malone's Lydia silly. Never much a Donald Sutherland fan, I may now have to reconsider.
    12/15/05 08:33 AM |  Comments


    December 14, 2005

    We Now Return to Our Semi-Regularly Scheduled Programming
    Three-hour power outage this weekend, to the tune of 5,300 customers. Made our little home network pretty unhappy, but it looks like we're back to good now.

    You remember how I joked about the bling-bling a few posts prior? Well, my delightful Secret Santa made her own deliciously pimpy version just for me! And here I thought I was crafty, pshaw.

    D. says that, no, I can't leave it on the tree. Even though it's red and oh-so-sparkly (not to mention the only decoration on the tree at the moment, aside from lights and a smattering of cat hair). Bah humbug. I guess I'll have to put it on my dashboard, instead. Sort of like the wee vases in the VW bug. But for an entirely different kind of bud!

    Ahem.

    I enjoyed this op ed muchly:

    Solstice is the Reason for the Season

    Thank you, Mr. Wilkey. And a very, very Happy Solstice to you.

    What white wine do you recommend for a nice salty holiday ham?
    12/14/05 05:02 PM |  Comments


    December 09, 2005

    Little Round Crutch
    I'll admit it: the thought of knitting "round" things like socks and hats frightens me. Probably because in four years, I didn't make it past the scarf stage; Sacramento just never really felt like a good place to knit. Petaluma has a real fall and does, so, once again inspired and motivated by the chill, I am visiting my friendly LYS (I'm a JoAnn's-lovin' LYS virgin! Heathen!) next week so that I might finally make The Coif - still not round.

    So I was thinking about these Flexilooms. They remind me of those little potholder-weaving looms, unintimidating enough to get me past this bump. Have you seen them? Have you tried them?
    12/09/05 09:16 AM |  Comments


    December 06, 2005

    "Nowadays it's truly disgusting to see a pimp without a pimp cup in hand."
    I thought I wanted books for Christmas.

    But... I've changed my mind.
    12/06/05 07:13 PM |  Comments


    Putting the Fun in Fundamentalism. Not.
    Just... just don't. Don't email me hate propaganda thinly dressed as proper Christian indignance, especially at the holidays.
    12/06/05 06:20 PM |  Comments


    December 02, 2005

    The Camera is Not a Death Ray
    So, I decided that, no, I don't feel like dragging Daniel twenty miles up the road alone, and then forking out two hundred dollars for portraits. After a rainy week, today was crisp and clear, perfect for taking a quick little snap out in the back with the ivy, right?

    Um... right?

    A half dozen blurred shots, a screaming bub (dirt's not food), and an internalized mommy meltdown later, I realized what a completely braindead idea that was.

    I just want one simple, clear, digital shot of a smiling bub, that I can take over to Long's and have whipped into wallets in about an hour. I don't want the mall, fancy backdrops, people with helicopter beanies and feather dusters, or my choice of sepia tone or special holiday matting, YOURS FREE! with $50 purchase.
    It doesn't even have to be perfect. And, if you know me well enough... you can guess just what level of desperation that implies.
    12/02/05 05:10 PM |  Comments