*This* is where we were

IMG_2402, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Here's a really good idea of what a real snow storm does. I enjoyed it so much, and enjoyed not getting frostbite. I may be talked into trying skiing when Brenden is old enough!

What I'm Watching:

I'm being inundated with television! Whee! Besides 24 and American Idol, I'm watching:

Battlestar Galactica: No spoilers, I promise, but AUGH!

Lost: Yay, it's back! The remaining losties on the island are unstuck in time. Nice! Poor Hurley. Accused of murder and having visions of Michelle Rodriguez. At least his mom loves him. And believes him!

Fringe: Haven't finished this week's ep, but it's nice to see Olivia show some emotion.

Lie to Me: I haven't had a chance to watch this, either. I almost hope it's not good, despite my Tim Roth love. Why? Because Lost is on at 8pm on Wednesdays and so is Life (when it comes back in February), and this show. My damn TiVo only has 2 cards, dammit.


What I'm Reading::

Despite the plethora of books I left every one of them at home, dammit. Fortunately my brother has similar reading tastes to mine so I was able to finally read Watchmen, the acclaimed comic book graphic novel. I can see why it's held in such high regard as it has a compelling story with complex characters. I didn't much like the women in the story, but to be fair, every one of the main characters are messed up.

I'm looking forward to the movie - Zack Snyder directed it and he did 300 and the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Alan Moore, who wrote the book, refuses to have anything to do with the movie and considering that he wrote League of Extraordinairy Gentlemen and V for Vendetta I can't rightly say I blame him. But still I geeked when I saw the trailer so I'll give it a go.

This is not where we were

Action!Brenden, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

The family flew to Manchester, New Hampshire last Friday to spend an extended weekend holiday. We stayed at Chez Boykin, my brother and his wife's lovely home in Andover, Massachusetts (photos soon come) and despite our raging monkey boy and our propensity to supply him with missile weapons (of the Nerf variety, but weapons nonetheless) we had a terrific visit.

We arrived Friday afternoon and yakked with my brother Ed and I cooked dinner. Jen was driving back from New York (yuck) and we drank some beer and relaxed an monkey boy got aquainted with Blue and Dascha, their Siberian Huskies. B got scared pretty bad at one point when he startled Blue by approaching him from behind. Blue barked at him very close to his ear so B cried some but after that Brenden learned not to sneak up on a Siberian Huskie. They got along pretty well after that. Brother Ed was highly entertained by Brenden trying to give Blue orders: "No, Doggie! Stay! Sit Down! Bad Doggie!!" Blue just stared at him looking quite perturbed that a little monkey was telling him what to do.

Dascha is timid and she avoided monkey boy at all costs. She's a sweet doggie though and was letting me skritch her by the end of the visit.

On Saturday we drove into Salem / Peabody / etc and made the rounds visiting Jon's relatives and friends. One of his uncle's lent us some snowgear for Brenden and boy did that come in handy! We also visited Robb and Erin, old friends of Jon's, who have twin sons who are six months younger than Brenden. B is big for his age and they are small for their age so he looked like Gigantor next to them. Nonetheless they played quite well together.

Sunday was SNOW DAY! I wanted snow and I got it! I can't tell you how many times over the last 6 or 7 years I have woken up and ran to a window because the weather guys have promised snow and the delivery FAILED big-time. Well I woke up, looked outside, and was startled to see thick fluffy snowflakes falling. I ran to look in the driveway and there was already 3-4 inches laying on top of our rental car.

It snowed snowed snowed snowed all day! We went for a walk with Jen and Ed, and I learned an important lesson about bitter cold and snow. If you dress right you won't freeze. (Duh). Jen graciously lent me her Marge Gunderson hat and I had bought some cheap but snuggly boots so I was fine. B looked like that kid in A Christmas Story and he was having all sorts of fun throwing himself into snowbanks and being pulled along on a sled.

The rest of the visit was fun, too. I wish it would snow here more because it really wears out little kids. Thanks so much to Ed and Jen (who had a respitory infection, not fun!) for yummy food and a place to stay!

Rambling Post

bpic4, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Jon and I both dodged a bullet known as "layoffs" at our workplaces (whew I might add), and we both renewed our committment to setting aside enough money in an emergency fund so that if we both lost our jobs we'd have enough to live off of for 6 months.

After that, we have several projects around the house - namely, put gutters up, sod the yard (and install a sprinkler system so our sod doesn't freakin die), and get the concrete around the pool repaired. Basically now that the house is %100 completely ours, we need to make it pretty.

We're also going to be taking the vacations that we didn't take last year, namely Puerto Rico and the Disney Cruise (which is also completely paid for except the drinkin'). We're going to visit Massachusetts soon - I find it completely funny that my brother Ed moved there, about 60 miles away from where my husband grew up.

We're also thinking about going to Disney World around June for an extended weekend to take advantage of the "get in free on your birthday" promotion for Brenden. He loved the hell out of Busch Gardens so maybe a couple of days in the House of Mouse might rock his world.

Since that cruise is coming up in March, both Jon and I are back on the diet hamster wheel so that we don't gross anyone out too bad when we run around in our bathing suits and stuff. In some ways this is probably pointless - most people don't look like fashion models anyway so our flabby white butts won't be out of place. But still I guess it's important to actually be able to fit in your bathing suit... I'm too cheap to buy a new pair of board shorts and I'm only about 5 pounds from fitting comfortable into my old ones.

It's nice to be able to blather about things like this considering the economy. I can't tell you how great it is to not feel much worry about our finances. Getting out of debt is like getting out of prison!

What I'm Watching

Quite a lot, apparently!

The Dark Knight: Good, not great. Yes, Heath Ledger was awesome. I think much of it can be laid at the hands of the writers for interpreting the villain as someone who likes to fark things up just for the fun of it. I still think Aaron Eckhart looks like the middle of a morph between Viggo Mortensen and Thomas Jane. *Nifty* makeup on Two-face!

Mongol Foreign film about the origins of Ghengis Khan. Good movie and John Wayne is nowhere to be seen. Oh, come on! You've seen The Conqueror, haven't you? The Howard Hughes film that was filmed near a nuclear testing site? The film where many participants died from cancer? Or maybe it was shame.

Prince Caspian: Second and probably last (boo!) installment of the Chronicles of Narnia. Good! Lotsa battles and dying soldiers so it's not *quite* a children's movie, but still an engrossing 2 1/2 hours of niftyness.

Stepbrothers: If you want to see a good movie with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly see Talladega Nights. I spent the movie thinking about how I was going to kick my son out the minute he turns 18. If you are really curious about what the term "teabagging" is this movie will explain it to you, however.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets: I spent this movie wishing anyone but Nicholas Cage was in it. I just don't like him. I was glad to see Helen Mirren - but the two main women were harridans. And you know, I can't think of where the two women actually talk, except maybe to mention Cage's character. So Beschdel test: FAIL Also: total waste of Bruce Greenwood.

24: Yeah I'm watching. Glad to see Tony, Bill, and Chloe back as a renegade CTU because the government is filled with EEEEEEVIL people! EEEVIL!!! It took two episodes before Jack actually said "WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!!!" but only one to torture someone. Actually he just threatened and the guy, and seeing it was JACK BAUER doing the threats, he folded like a bad poker hand. It's a good thing the guy's wife wasn't there or Jack would have shot her. I have missed the Jack Bauer Jokes!

American Idol: This is the "Nobody Cares Anymore" season.

2008: The Year that Was ( really truly slow)

HI, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Jan - Went back to work after taking December off but was still on pain meds.

Feb - Became engrossed in The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Mar - Visited Nashville, and became obsessed with engrossed in Life.

Apr - Oklahoma visit! Also sold our plane to the business and paid off a chunk of our mortgage with the proceeds.

May - I sabotaged a visit from Nancy and family by dosing her up with Xyzal.

Jun - Boob surgery!

Jul - Colonoscopy! Plus Brenden's first trip to a movie theater.

Aug - Brenden got sick plus I ate my first buffalo burger.

Sep - We paid off the mortgage, definitely THE highlight of the year!

Oct - Took Brenden on a choo-choo ride.

Nov - Jon got to visit Chile on a business trip.

Dec - Christmas in Tampa! Any visit to ANY beach is heaven in my book.

Somewhere in there I was diagnosed with migraines and Brenden started potty training.

On a totally unrelated note: I am very sorry to read that it's Helly's turn in the barrel. Here's hoping you don't have too many doctor / hospital visits in your future before everything gets cleared up.

Odd bits & answering comments

flamingoes2, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Happy New Beer, everyone!

Nancy: I need to update my GoodReads stuff. Mostly I received science fiction, including Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age, Harry Turtledove's The Great War, and William Gibson's Spook Country. Also a book on Henry Morgan, the pirate. Dad also gave me an Iain McBain book, Matter, which is british science fiction. I'm reading that one right now.

Stuart: I didn't know anything about Marley and Me until I walked into the theater. I could see why dog lovers love that movie (and book). Critics slammed it for being to ordinairy - I think that's why moviegoers (including me) enjoyed it. Imagine liking a movie about ordinary people with typical problems! Including a dog from the 9th circle of heck.

January makes me squee: New Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Fringe, and 24. Yeah, I'm still watching 24. I watched the TV movie that's basically the opener for the new season this last Sunday and I still like watching Jack whup up on evil bad guys.

Oh! Stay away from the toxic sludge that is Space Chimps. You have been warned!