Bond. James Bond.

James Bond, originally uploaded by knoopie.

We saw a movie last week!! It took 2 days but we saw Casino Royale, the new James Bond movie featuring the new Bond, Daniel Craig. I knew something was different when the opening credits features silhouettes of men beating the crap out of each other, instead of naked dancing chicks. For the record, Chris Cornell sang the opening theme.

The James Bond franchise has always been the David Bowie of movies (although that's kind of an insult to Mr. Bowie). He has survived so long because he adapts his musical style to the times - He reinvents himself but stays the same, if that makes sense. So does the Bond franchise. This time, the producers paid attention to 2 things, the first being Batman Begins, which was a 'reset' of the Batman franchise (and believe me, I have no problem ignoring the Joel Shumaker Batmans and I was never a big fan of the Tim Burton ones anyway). The second thing, and more importantly, is the Bourne franchise: both The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy had lots of fun, sweaty action without ever resorting to gimmicky gadgets or too-ludicrous stunts.

The sad thing is they missed the fact that Christian Bale and Matt Damon are a lot of fun to look at and Daniel Craig, well, is kinda ugly. But no matter: I never thought Sean Connery was good looking, George Lazenby was a non-entity, Roger Moore was cardboard, and Pierce Brosnan was nice-looking but not my thing (Timothy Dalton was a hottie but he didn't make it past 2 movies). The fact that Bond never was attractive to me (except in The Living Daylights, perhaps my favorite of all time) has never altered the fact that I unconditionally love Bond movies. Yes, even the really stupid Roger Moore ones.

So even though I find Daniel Craig very hard to look at, I must admit he is well-cast here as the proto-James Bond. He's just got his license to kill and he's a bit of a thug. The script actually sort of follows the book (which I haven't read since college) to even keeping a torture scene and all I can say is *owie!!* for Bond. Jon didn't like this movie because he didn't think it was a 'Bond' movie, but I liked it for just these reasons. Bond sweats, bleeds, makes mistakes, and even falls in love. The action is well-filmed and tense and not stoopid. They did keep a few tropes: the bad guy is a sweaty ugly creep of Northern European extraction (but is not trying to take over ther world for once). *I* loved this movie. I have always clamored for more serious Bond movies and I finally got one. Hooray! I hope they remake some of the other old ones.

Now that it's acceptable to have story arcs in TV shows and movies I would looooooooooove it if they built one for Bond (yes, the books had a story arc, if I remember correctly). Then we could get to On Her Majesty's Secret Service which is a great James Bond story but very few people have actually seen the movie.

What, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

I took Brenden to the doc's yesterday and he has an ear infection plus conjunctivitis. He's on antibiotics and some children's Motrin at night seems to help him sleep better. He kept me up most of the weekend. Now it's my turn today - I have something nasty developing in my lungs. I'll go to the doc's today and beg for some cough medicine. It hurts bad to cough plus what ever I hack up is a nice murky green. Hope you aren't eating your morning donut, just now. We need to get this all cleared up because vacation is in 9 days.

Here's a meme via Nancy:


1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:00
2. How do you like your steak? Medium
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Wedding Crashers, I think.
4. What is your favorite TV show? Battlestar Galactica!
5. What did you have for breakfast? Coffee. Not much appetite right now.
6. What is your middle name? Linn.
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Caribbean.
8. What foods do you dislike? Anything with fruit cooked into it. I love fruit but don't bake it to mush please.
9. What is your favorite chips? Doritos.
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Music? What's that?
11. What kind of car do you drive? Saturn 4-door something.
12. What is your favorite sandwich? Cubano
13. What characteristics do you despise? Bullies. I can forgive just about everything else but bullies piss me off.
14. What are your favorite clothes? PJ bottoms and a tee-shirt! Me too!!
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? With the family? By myself? I'd stay here for a week or two: Gibney Beach. I'd just lay in some groceries and go swim and snorkel when I want and then come in and read books while listening to the ocean. If I had the family with me it would be the same island just something a little more accessible (and cheaper).

16. Favorite brand of clothing? The brands that fit. Still fond of Levi blue jeans.
17. Where would you want to retire? If I were a bazillionaire, my own island. Since I'm not, Oklahoma looks nice.
18. Favorite time of day? Only on weekends, the 2 hours that B naps. That's *me* time.
19. Where were you born? Kansas City, Missouri
20. What is your favorite sport to watch? Baseball! To quote an old boyfriend, it's 10 minutes of action jam-packed into 3 hours, but that's why I like it. I can put a game on then read a book and look up when I hear the crowd cheer.
21. Pepsi or Coke? Coke!
22. Beavers or ducks? Ducks. Otters, on the other hand...
23. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Morning but not by choice.
24. Pedicure or manicure? No.
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Brenden taught a little 15 month old girl how to push a button on a water fountain at the doctor's office. I'm just amazed that he's that social.
26. What did you want to be when you were little? An astronaut.
27. What is your best childhood memory? Swimming in the ocean.
28. Piercing? Ears
29. Ever been to Africa? No.
30. Ever been toilet papering? No.
31. Been in a car accident? Yes.
32. Favorite day of the week? Saturday.
33. Restaurant? Currently it's Logan's Roadhouse. Why? Because it's noisy and you can throw things on the floor. That would make it Brenden's favorite restaurant as well.
34. Favorite Flower? Tulips.
35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate chip.
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Popeye's. I loove their red beans and rice.
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Less than Spongebob. Never, really.
38. From whom did you get your last email? Someone who want to sell me something to increase my penis size.
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I'll have to go with Amazon.com too.
40. Bedtime? 9:30 pm.
41. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? whomever wishes to do this.
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? Ileana. Dad couldn't come with us because he was getting operated on. I can't remember the restaurant but I had fajitas.
45. What are you listening to right now? The tapping on my keyboard
46. What is your favorite color? Blue.
47. How many tattoos do you have? One. That's enough.
48. Favorite magazine? Popular Mechanics. No, that's not a joke.

Meowing for Juice

Easter, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Dad is out of the hospital and both he and Ileana are in better spirits. Dad was making William Wallace jokes so I know he was feeling better. After talking with the doctor who actually performed the surgery, they both feel more optimistic about his treatment options. If I heard him right, he'll be recuperating for 3 more weeks then visiting an oncologist. They'll be staying in Tampa for a while because access to medical facilities is easier there than in Oklahoma. I'm going to bring Brenden and Jon down sometime in June. They have a pool, so I know what B will be doing!

Speaking of, we had our first real conversation yesterday:

B: MeMeow! Mao? Mao? Mao?
Me: Sure, hon, I'll get you something to drink. (Puts sippy cup under water dispenser on fridge)
B: Nooooo! (points emphatically at fridge door, grabs handle), Eh, eh eh eh eh!!
Me: Okay, no water. What? (Opens fridge door)
B: (pointing at apple juice) choos! Choos!
Me: (giving in like a little wuss because that's the first time he said 'juice' ) Okay, hon, just a little. (pours small amount in sippy cup).
B: (grabs cup) A-shoo! (thank you!)

Sticker Boy

Sticker Boy, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

I'm posting this photo because we need a good laugh!

The news isn't good - some of the lymph nodes were positive for cancer. My dad will be consulting with his docs today for a course of treatment. When she called me Ilu was understandably quite upset. So am I.

I'm back - busy catching up at work and I still don't have web access at home.

Anyhows, my dad is doing fine - his surgery went well and yes it involves the "C" word. The doc thinks he got it all plus it doesn't look like it spread to any other organs. The only question that remains is some lymph nodes surrounding the affected tissue. They were enlarged, but it isn't known because they were affected or simply 'reactive' (I assume meaning 'enlarged because of problem in area'). I'm waiting to hear from Ilu about the results from the pathologist.

I'm very glad I went - they both were quite happy I showed up. Waiting while someone is at the hospital is always the slowest, most horrendous and annoying wait possible and Ilu and I had a long one. We got to the hospital at 7:30 but dad didn't get called until several hours later. He didn't go into surgery until much later, and then there was recovery then waiting while he was given a room. In all fairness to the hospital once he went into the surgery we were given updates frequently on everything. Any way he got into his room at 7pm. Dad was feeling pretty groggy but in good spirits while Ilu was understandably frazzled.

I called Ilu yesterday and dad is up and about and hopefully getting out of the hospital today. I hope so. Hospitals have too many sick people in them to want to hang around there for too long.

Thanks, guys, for your sympathy. I'm going to Florida tomorrow to visit w/dad and spend time with Ilu while my dad has his operation on Thursday. Not much else to say, except they feel optimistic so so do I. Oh, yeah for my brother Ed:

Happy Birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
You look like a monkey
And you smell like one too!

Dad & Brenden

Dad & Brenden, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Hope everyone had a good Easter. Mine was mixed - besides news about poor Caboose, Ileana told me Friday my dad is going to have surgery soon - he's going to the Mayo Clinic today for consultation about the extent of the problem. I am joining Helly and a huge group of other people aboard the "Worried about Dad" cruise ship. That's all I want to say about this.

We had a nasty storm last Tuesday and I didn't realize until this weekend that we had no Internet service (that shows you how often I get on the computer at home). Apparently lightning hit pretty close to our house. Our neighbors lost some electical gadgets including their garage door opener.

I told you that to tell you this: I took Brenden on his first Easter Egg hunt Saturday and I got some photos but can't post them yet. It was set up in Sparkman Park, which is the park about 1/4th a mile away from our house. I put B in his kid carrier (I bought a new one - it's a backpack and can hold a kid weighing up to 50 pounds) and we walked over there.

The Kiwanis club sponsored this one, and I like how they did it - they found a good balance between competition vs. fairness. They divided up all the kids into age groups. In each age group's area they hid 1 golden egg, which was the 'grand prize'. All the other eggs were empty and plastic. After that it didn't matter if you grabbed 1 or 1000 eggs; every kid got the same little bag of candy.

So, when the whistle blew, all of us with little fry worked on encouraging our kids to grab eggs. Brenden picked up a handful and dumped them in some other child's basket. The mom of the other kid looked totally abashed. I was laughing and told her it didn't matter (maybe she didn't know the rules). So we ended up with a grand total of 2 eggs once the area was scoured clean. Brenden got distracted well before that happened and was trying to climb into the creek that bisects the park so I put him back in his carrier and we got his candy and walked home. He quit bitching at me when I gave him some of his loot. All in all it was fun but cold!

Sunday I raked and thatched our front yard. I chased B around for most of that, since I was unable to set the pool up for him because of the temperature. I did let him play with the hose for a while until he took his jacket off and sprayed it down. Our next door neighbor took some pity on me and let B play in her back yard with her son while I finished as much of the thatching as I could. I am surprisingly not sore! Weight training has its rewards.

Caboose

Caboose, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

It's been rough the last 12 months on animals in our family. Ralph, the norwegian swamp kitty, my kitty Vasquez, Ed's wife's doggie Ivan, and now poor Caboose. Rest in peace, guys and girls. You were all well-loved.

B and Me

B and Me, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Still smelling - what's more fun than blowing raspberries on your almost-2 year old's belly? Having your almost-2 year old blow them on your belly! Big old wet ones. I haven't laughed that hard in years!

Jon is going to work at the same company I do - he worked there before, almost 5 years ago. He will be doing support/training for an engineering software package.

Letter to Brenden month 22:

I don't know if it's the new day care, or it's simply time for you to start speaking, but your vocabulary has skyrocketed. I am still puzzling out your words. Here's some examples:

Shoo! - This is either shoe, or thank you, depending on context.

Noo! - This is either nose, or no, again depending on context.

Pay! - Airplane.

Ow! - Just what it means - ouch.

Keeedeee! - Kitty.

Tee! - Teeth

BeeBee! - either "belly button", or "mom, please open the garage door, I want to go outside" depending on context.

Heea! - "take this from me"

MaMao! - "I want something to drink, preferably milk" - a word you learned from Kitty.

DaDa! Daddy, or Mommy, depending on context. That's right, he refers to me as dada.


Speaking of the new day care, our next door neighbor wanted to quit her job to be with her son more. Her previous job? She worked at a daycare center. She was able to quit because she takes care of Brenden, plus some other occasional babysitting for other kids in the neighborhood. It works out great for all of us, so far. She's smart, kind, and patient, and works with Brenden on what I wish I could work with him on more - talking.

I love it because in the morning I can walk Brenden over to her house, even if it takes 10 minutes because B insists on investigating every blade of grass in between here or there. The types of trees that have seeds that act like helicopter blades recently went to seed so walks take even longer as I have to demonstrate to Brenden every seed's aerodynamic abilities.

Her son (Walker, and no Talladega Nights jokes from you!) is 4, and a pretty good kid. He's not a bully, but I see him get frustrated occasionally. I don't know how long this will last, but both Walker and Brenden are getting a little taste of what it's like to have a brother, at least.

Happy flesh-eating zombie cannibal or Chef Boy-ar-dee night?

Happy Cannibal, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

I am well aware this isn't 'cute'. It is prety doggone gross, if you ask me Gross amuses me, however. Remember my pics of dead squirrels floating in my pool?

To my happy amazement, I can still smell. This round of steroids seems to have left my sinuses open. I am absolutely thrilled. My sense of smell isn't as strong, but that might just be because I'm used to smelling things.

Jon is currently in Moab, Utah enjoying a last-minute vacation w/some buddies. He starts a new job this coming Monday. The Drop Zone is alive and well, before you ask.

Kitty

Spooky Pooky, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

I can still smell today - it's balanced now by a honking sinus headache I've had for 2 days. Beats sneezing I guess.

This is either funny or not, depending on how you feel about cats: Cats here. I should warn you: occasional rude language, much bad spelling and Harry Potter spoilers ahoy.

Have a good weekend, y'all!

Amazing details about my Sinuses

SandN, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

This post is in response to Nancy's comments from my last post, concerning my allergies.

Oddly enough despite the asthsma attack, I have had no symptoms whatsoever, except (2nd verse, same as the first) swollen sinuses, swollen enough to prevent me from smelling very well. My nose isn't runny and my eyes aren't itchy at all. I attribute this improvement to 3 things:

1) Nasonex, which prevents the runny nose. Awesome stuff, I have been using it since I started skydiving (back in 96).

2) the removal of the carpet from my house. I really think this helped with the hay fever symptoms because I'm not having any. Plus, I sweep just about every day and I'm constantly amazed by the amount of dirt I sweep up. I was a lazy vacuumer in the first place, plus that carpet was from the 70's...! I had realized a little while ago that my sense of smell had completely disappeared not too long after we had moved into that house. I know because I had bought a plug-in air freshener thingy for the kitchen and I had complained to Jon that it wasn't working. He insisted the kitchen smelled like a flower shop.

3)The allergy shots. Clicky here for a good definition of what these do, and I swear they work for me. I got slack on these shots after my pregnancy and no amount of Nasonex in the world kept the hay fever symptoms away.

As far as my sense of smell goes, instead of being completely gone it comes and goes. It has been mainly gone this last month because of the weather (and plant sperm). I can improve my sense of smell (and taste) slightly with OTC nasal spray but I can't use that constantly so I tend to only snort the stuff when I make a particularly tasty dinner or we go out to eat. I use it maybe 2-3 times a week and never more than once a day with at least 48 hours in between uses. I also use a saline wash (NeilMed) to keep my sinuses rinsed out. I try to do that once a day but sometimes I'm lazy.

I took my last dose of Prednisone this morning, and I am interested in seeing how long my sense of smell lasts. On a scale of 1-10 I would say my sense of smell is at a 9 right now. I can smell the coffee I bought, that general ozone smell a place with a bunch of electronics get, my deodorant (Arrid Extra-Dry), and the Tropical Coconut hand lotion I use. I can walk down the hall and smell everyone's perfume and after-shave. It's quite nice.

"Landscaping" a year ago

stick, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Hooray! Starbuck is alive!!! And Tigh is a .... cylon ....
I guess I'll figure it all out in 2008.

My sympathies to those of us with allergies in the Southeast that woke up last weekend to find a ton of plant sperm deposited on their vehicles. Many people around here are walking around with their eyes almost puffed shut. I have been doing fine, but I had an interesting trip to the allergy clinic last Friday for my shot.

Due to the pollen overload I guess my immune system was already stressed out and I had a severe reaction to my shots. I developed a pretty classical athsma attack. The doc loaded me with epinepherine (whee!) and when I could finally breathe again he gave me some Claratin and a prescription for Prednisone.

Prednisone is the fine medication that allows me to smell things like a normal person, so at least there's that nice side effect. I won't be able to use any while on vacation because the possible side effects of continued usage are not something I particularly want to experience.

I bought monkey-boy a small swimming pool and actually got some yard work done this weekend. As long as he has a pool to splash around in and a hose to spray I don't have to chase him down the driveway every 2 minutes to keep him from running into the street. Plus, I get my lawn watered.

I had big plans last year for the landscaping at our house but it looks like all I'm going to do this year is get rid of every single frickin bush that surrounds our house. I ripped up the degenerating cloth weed barrier (pulling up a ton of weeds that have grown on top of it - see photo) and layed down some new mulch. Once I actually figure out what I want to plant I'll be working in some compost into the soil. I want tiny, pretty plants not obnoxious bushes that need to be in barrier hedges. I'm also going to remove the uneven plastic edging that separates the "landscaping" and the "grass" (see photo). I haven't decided whether to replace the barrier with bricks or maybe some sort of edging grass. I'm leaning towards the brick barrier but that might be too time-intensive.

Monkey-boy, incidentally, managed to scrape a cheek, both knees, and garner a bunch of other little bruises and scrapes this weekend. He loves being outdoors! I brought him in on Saturday after one good knee scrape and only then did he howl. I gently dabbed at his knee with a warm, wet washcloth and he snatched it away from me and scrubbed at his kneecap. He looked puzzled, like he couldn't understand why the pain wasn't coming off. I put his feeding chair on the floor in front of the TV and propped his leg up on a pillow and we ate dinner watching Spongebob. Normally we eat in the kitchen but I felt like babying him a little.

Rainbow over Francis Bay, originally uploaded by Vicki_H.

What we're watching:

It's been tough to watch movies at our house with Monkey Boy around but we've managed a few. We watched A Scanner Darkly the other night, and it is perhaps the finest adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story ever ( other adaptations: Blade Runner, Screamers, Minority Report, and Total Recall). Directed by Richard Linklater and starring Keanu Reeves (and the well-cast Robert Downey, Jr. and Woody Harrellson as 2 paranoid stoners - this movie only missed Mathew McConaughey and his bongo drums), it's a story about the drug war in the not-too-distant future. It was also shot live and then run through an animation process known as "interpolative rotoscoping" which IMHO gives the movie that perfect disconnected-from-reality feeling that you get if you have ever read any of Dick's work. Two thumbs up, but it would be a big mistake to watch it with your mind altered in any way.

Other than that it's been T.V: 24 is still the same old 24 - lots of running around and trying to find the bad guys. Lost is still the same old Lost - lots mysteries coming out of mysteries without any real resolution. Battlestar Galactica is still Battlestar Galactica: ripping my heart out of my chest and stomping on it every chance it gets.

I'm not just talking about Starbuck's suicide ("Hey, Starbuck: what do you hear?" "Nothing but the rain") - this show keeps echoing its past in ways that just make me cry. Lee and Bill mended their rift when Starbuck was lost and presumed dead way back in season 1. Now they are both so lost in their bergs of grief the rift is back, bigger than ever. And then Lee went and pressed Laura on the witness stand and Laura begged him to stop ("Captain Apollo... that has a nice ring to it") and managed to remind us of their once friendship just as Lee destroys whatever was left of it for good.

I thought this show was starting to slump some during the latter half of this season but it has managed to wake me up just in time to beat me senseless. Sunday is the last ep of season 3 and I'm not sure I'm looking forward to it or not.

Bunny Feet!

bunny feet, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Here is a link to some great photos that illustrate my favorite place in the world: Wish I were Here.

Letter to Brenden, Month 20, 21:

I just realized I skipped month 20 and I'm late with this letter, too. Your mommy is a slacker, honey. I hope you didn't inherit my slacker genes. Considering your excess of energy, I am thinking you didn't. You still refuse to associate words with a better form of communication, preferring to grunt, gesticulate, and lead us around by the finger to get what you want from us (and pitch a hissy-fit when we say "no"). You are Drama Boy now, as well; after you pitch a fit you will give us the grand poopy face and sigh. Man, it's funny! And where do you get that crap?

Physically you are the 2 year-old equivalent of a jock. Dad took you to the park the other day and let you play on the jungle gym. Your fearlessness turns my head more grey than it is but I am also impressed, especially with the way you love to throw yourself down the slide head-first, laughing all the way into the gravel pit.

Around the beginning of the year dad and I decided we needed to get out more, so Wednesdays are Family Night and we take you to various restaurants. You do pretty well, all considered. We take you to the van for a little time-out if you get too vocal (no one likes a screeching child to accompany their meals). But you get it out of your system fast and we've never had to just leave.

Speaking of food, you are pretty flexible. You won't eat most vegetables except peas and green beans (so I feed you a lot of peas and green beans), but you are an avid fruit connoseur and will eat most forms of protein I have offered (as long as it isn't too chewy). You have discovered the wonder that is ketchup, and will eventually eschew the foods I offer along with the ketchup and simply dip your hand in the wonderous substance and lick your fingers off. You will also decorate your face and hair, clothes, and surrounding furniture but that's ok. That's what garden hoses were made for.

The oddest food preference you have (in the category of fruit connoseur) is your love of lemons. I always give you my lemon out of my iced tea at the restaurant and you always lick and chew and eat much of it (all the while making faces). Last night, however at the Mexican place, you decided to squeeze the lemons we gave you all over your lap. That's the first time I have ever had to change a diaper with a fresh, lemony scent.

Navigating

navigating, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

52 days to go until vacation! I'm still at 129 pounds. I can't convince my body to lose more, for some reason. I won't cry about it - 129 is better than 150, which is what I weighed this time last year.

I owe Brenden a letter this month. I'll get to it later. I'm feeling lazy (and what else is new?), so here is 2 Memes, lifted from Helly who lifted from Basil:

1. The phone rings. Who are you hoping it is? A wrong number. I don't particularly enjoy phone conversation.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? Yes. It's just wrong not to.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? I'm a listener.

4. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? As long as I didn't panic I think I would be okay. All them hunting magazines I've read in doctor's offices seem to indicate panic is the #1 killer of people who are lost.

5. Do you like to ride horses? No. I am allergic to horses something fierce. Sandy <---> Horses = Matter <---> Antimatter

Lasts:
1. Last kiss: Last night, just before Brenden and I left the drop zone. Jon was staying over because he has to work on the King Air today.

2. Last beverage: Coffee. Will probably be my next 10 beverages.

3. Last movie watched: Talladega Nights - so that's Sacha Baron Cohen. It was funny, and despite the gayness I don't think I ever heard the word "fag".

4. Last phone call: Jon, wishing me good morning.

5. Last CD played: I can't remember that far back. I'm pretty much an XM person, particularly XM Kids. I've discovered I like happy tunes with goofy lyrics.

6. Last "i love you": End of last Phone Call.

7. Last time you cried: Last Monday, March 5th. At the end of a TiVo'd ep of "Battlestar Galactica". Starbuck died! May I please have a moment of AUGH!? I guess Tigh's title of the biggest Asshole in the Fleet is now unchallenged.

8. Last alcoholic drink: Last night, I had a Miller Light while watching Spongebob with Brenden just before bed. Brenden had his own sippy cup of milk.

Hypno - Bob

hypnobob, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

I would like to blame the lack of blogging on a hardware failure (one of my disk drives crashed & burned) but that's simply not true. I simply don't have much to blog about. I'll do a point-by-point recap of some random thoughts that I wanted to blog about:

Diet: 129 pounds. I will most likely not lose that much simply because I'm almost back where I was with weightlifting before I got pregnant. I have come to realize a heavy weight workout makes me hungry beyond belief. I decided to compromise and eat more (but still enough to lose) so weight loss will be slower. Yes, any muscle I build will be heavier than fat but eventually that will plateau out.

Brenden: He loves pushing himself on his little tricycle (he hasn't gotten the hang of pedaling) up the driveway, then pushing himself down the driveway until he has built up speed. He gets pissed if I try to hold on, so I just run next to him in case he takes a spill (or a car comes). So my little monkey is a speed freak.

Vacation: 60 days and counting! I have bought a pair of women's board shorts for a swimsuit - I'm so glad that they are available! I fricking hate bikinis. Not only because of my flabby buttocks. I'm tired of pulling my swimsuit out of my crack constantly.

What I'm watching: Spongebob, mostly. My favorite ep is where Spongebob, Patrick, and Squidward go camping together in their yards and Spongebob sings "the Campfire Song Song" and Squidward gets attacked by a sea bear. I'm also fond of the episode where Spongebob and Patrick learn a 'sentence enhancer' and use it liberally. The soundtrack substitutes the sound of a squeaking dolphin, but it's a lot of fun to imagine the worst word possible when they're using it. I know Brenden watches it because of me, but Spongebob is such an unthreatening cheerful character, even if he does use an occasional sentence enhancer.

Honey & I at the USVIs

Honey & I, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Let's see...

I fell off the dieting wagon because I was getting too stressed. I feel better now, so I'm trying again. My current weight is 134, and I'm surprised it didn't go higher than that.

I have some motivation - a couple of opportunities fell into place and we're taking Brenden on vacation to the Virgin Islands in early May. I'm all excited about it. By opportunities I mean cheap tickets, of course. Spirit Airlines was having a sale and I managed to snag 3 seats from Atlanta to Charlotte Amalie for a grand. Believe me, that's cheap! We also found a room in a condo for a week for around a grand. And they let kids under 3 stay for free, which was a big factor. We're staying at Serendip Condos.

Jon and I also feel comfortable taking the car barge from St. Thomas to St. John so we are renting a Jeep at the airport and doing our own driving. It cuts a bunch of hassles and actually saves us a little money. If we have time (and I think we will), we can stop at the grocery store in Red Hook and buy some supplies because it's cheaper in St. Thomas than St. John.

As an extra added bonus the apartment has wireless internet but I don't know how fast or reliable it is. It would be fun to blog / upload photos while we're there.

We won't be doing much scuba, obviously, but I bet monkey-boy will just love the beach and the ocean, and I'll work diligently to prevent him from getting sunburned.

It will be interesting to see how well we pull this off.

Clean Laundry

laundry, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

While watching the Superbowl last evening, the stupid Bud Light commercial came on where all the men were slapping each other in the face. After viewing this, Brenden turned around and slapped his dad in the head.

He got a whuppin but damn it was funny!