Sophie's New Grill and the Genetics of My Brain Disorder

We're hookin' up all the girls with new grillz, and yesterday Sophie went first. Ella will be next on Thursday (Eva is still in the consultation phase). I think Sophie made an excellent choice going with the neon green bands!

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It was both comforting and disturbing on Saturday when my sister called to tell me about how she had just driven away from a gas station with the pump nozzle still in her car. Down the street a little bit from the gas station, she checked her side view mirror before changing lanes, and there was the nozzle, still in place, with the hose dangling on the road behind it.

How does a person forget to put the nozzle back in place before driving away you ask? Well, she decided to go inside to get herself a Diet Coke while her gas was pumping, and then just hopped in the car and drove off when she came back out. Sounds about right to me, which is disturbing.

It reminded me of the time I accidentally left the car running in the parking lot at UNR, outside the speech therapy building. I was running late getting Sophie to speech therapy that day, so as soon as we arrived, I whipped right out of the driver's seat, opened the back door and helped Sophie put her shoes on and fixed her hair. Then, I rushed her into the building, signed-in, and looked around for her therapist. After the session was finally underway, I relaxed in the darkness of the observation area and watched Sophie in therapy. About fifteen minutes later, I decided I wanted to play around with my new i-pod, so I went out to the car to retrieve it. What a shock it was to discover that in my haste to get Sophie into the building, I had forgotten to turn off the car.

Janene and I are fascinatingly similar in our brain dysfunctions. We talk about it all the time, and constantly come up with self-improvement plans that, of course, we will start the following Monday :) And when our husbands are together and compare wife notes, the complaints are identical. It gets a little scary.

I've had some success over my struggles this week though. Last night for instance, I made it to bed at 11:30, and that was in the face of my lying brain telling me it would be a good thing to stay up again! Also, I have a new planner in which I have actually written something. I bought a thin one, as to not overwhelm myself. And Matt bought me a very thin Moleskin notebook to write lists in as well.

I've had those all too familiar failures however. It's often a case of the mind being willing but the brain being weak. I WILL NOT give up though... at least not until I am faced with the next tempting distraction, which could present itself at any moment :)

But for reals peeps, this is my goal for the week: 11 o'clock bedtime everyday!!!!!! My heart just skipped a beat as I said that out loud.

Extreme Makeover: Brain Edition

I've come up with a new concept for self-improvement - a brain makeover. I need one real bad! Operation Suck Less at Life was successful for about two days. All the days after that weren't much to write home about. You were all so nice though to say you love me just the way I am and that I don't suck at life, etc., but the fact is, is that none of you must live with the debris I leave in my fun wake - the unfolded laundry, the clutter on the kitchen counter waiting to be put away, the forgotten appointments, or only remembered at the last minute appointments, the oh yeah I'm supposed to cook dinner for my family moments, the garage, and the list goes on and on.

So, I'm going to do a brain makeover.

My brain is a horrible liar - or should I say instead, an excellent liar. It lies to me constantly and with impunity. I let it get away with just about everything. It tells lies as easily as often as it is distracted by bright, shiny and exciting non-productive extracurricular activities. It tells me everyday that if I put something important off to do something less important, that I will actually accomplish the important stuff later, and in a timely manner. It tells me that it's okay to go to Doughboy's Donuts again, because it will really, definitely, for sure be the last time this time. Three weeks after giving up Diet Coke, and after I had declared victory over DC on this blog, my brain told me that I could just have one - one little Diet Coke, and I would be able to stop. My brain tells me every night at bedtime that I should stay up late again after everyone's gone to bed - that I won't be tired in the morning, and every night I believe it. So, do you see now what a liar my brain is? I won't stand for it any longer!!! My brain needs an extreme makeover so my mind can be at ease.

Remember this old anti-drug public service announcement:

Well that is my brain when my mind tries to not let my brain be itself. This is going to be hard people... it's gonna really hurt my brain to do this. But as I was pondering the possibilities a few nights ago, what I'm capable of, my potential, something from and old ABC After School Special popped into my mind, which was, "you can do it Duffy Moon, you can do it".

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On a different note, I have some extraordinary news about the little wild pony Kailee, whose drama I wrote about a few weeks ago here. Last week I took a drive back where the horses hang out to look at the new ones - there are quite a few that are VERY new :) While I was out there, I spotted the two ladies seen in my pictures, whose names are Debbie and Mona. They informed me that Debbie (with the darker hair in my pics) had since adopted Kailee through the wild horse adoption program, and that Kailee is now being boarded over near Windy Hill, and has a new BFF named Smokey. Debbie e-mailed me this pic.

Kailee and Smokey just chillin'

Debbie has invited me to visit Kailee, and I think I will very soon :)

Debbie and Mona also filled me in on some details of the day Kailee was snatched from the jaws of death (remember, I had to leave the scene early on. They were there until 5 pm - I left at about noon). Apparently it wasn't really the government person who saved Kailee like I thought. It was actually Mona's idea to try an enema. They didn't have one handy, so she ran down to Long's Drugs and purchased two. Poor Kailee was so far gone at that point that she didn't even flinch through either - they gave her both. Within a half an hour, she was on her feet again, and shortly after that, she was nursing. Wow! I just love that story!!! I think Mona and Debbie truly are horse whisperers.

Congrats to Debbie on owning her very first horse!

Okay, now that I'm finally done with this post - it always takes me much longer to blog than I think it will (stupid brain), I'm going to start my brain makeover and stop believing my brain's lies starting........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ now.

I Am a Lefty Now

Ella must be pretty bored already with spring break - she's decided to become a lefty, and has been practicing her lefty handwriting. Today I found this list taped to the desk above the computer.

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Yesterday I sucked slightly less at life than usual, so I'm counting it as a success. However, today has been another story, so far... send your efficiency karma my way :)

Operation Suck Less at Life

This week I will be concentrating on sucking less at life - or in other words, trying not to be as much my natural self as I have been lately. My plan is simple - spend more time doing boring but necessary stuff (gads, boring stuff is so boring), and less time doing fun stuff, which sucks, but which, in theory, should make me a better wife and mother, thus making me suck less at life. A key factor in this endeavor will be efficiency. Efficiency at not only boring stuff, but fun stuff as well. So, in the name of efficiency, this is already the end of this post.

Hate is such a strong word...

...which is why I didn't say that I hate Scott MacIntyre - because I certainly don't. Just his singing. And his final performance was vindicating, although I don't think my opinion actually needed vindication. What came as a shock however, was that Kara and Paula wanted to save him. I truly believe his blindness has deafened them (did I just say that out loud?). It's as if it's the first time they've ever been aware that blind people can play musical instruments and sing.

But poor Scott - his stylists didn't do him any favors. Generally speaking, there have been some really positive makeovers on AI through the years, but unfortunately, Scott looked like he was sporting a blue hair club special. His loose curls were so much better. But the last two weeks he looked like when your grandma goes to have her hair poofed and set for the week and sleeps with a net to keep it in place. I was hatin' it!!! But not actually as much as I was hatin' on that Flo Rida performance, if you really want to know what I was hating on last night's AI. I would have even voted for him to go home before Scott, if he and his posse had been contestants. It's so fun to pay attention to the camera work when they have an act with sleazy dancers. You could just feel the stress and tension that must have been going on behind the scenes to keep the show family friendly, with each quick close up on Flo Rida, or frantic cut away from the pole dancing moves.

Next week I have my sights set on either Anoop or Lil Round.

Btw, Allison is my favorite. I don't care that that she's kind of socially akward or that she has a bad stylist too. The girl can sing. There's nothing contrived about anything she does once the music starts. She a natural and I hope they just leave her alone and let her be herself.

And wow! That Kellie Pickler ain't no Carrie Underwood, is she? But I really did love that thing on her finger!

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Late in the afternoon yesterday, my brother in-law decided to come get the girls. They were hoping to not have to travel today because it's my nephews birthday and they have plans - happy birthday Jonathon (he's 22). But it seems as if we just can't retrieve our kids without the forces of nature, and now criminal intent, combining against us. Jim was about 45 minutes into the drive when traffic was stopped in both directions due to a hostage situation. A man was holding his wife and children at gunpoint (I really hate it when that happens), and it didn't end until about 11 pm - peacefully thank goodness. So today is rescue attempt #2.

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Sophie got the royal treatment yesterday

And Jamie got friendly with a wild horse

I think The Museum of Bad Art was inspiring - I haven't stop blogging since it cured my writer's block.

Scott MacIntyre Must Go

Hate is such a strong word, which is why I'm going to use it. I really hate Scott's singing... he must go!

Now on to more important matters.

What a shocker it was to see this lame-O plastic egg dipper in my dye kit this year. Easter will never be the same if they get rid of the classic copper dipper.

Which is why I bought a different kit when I had to make a Walmart run for vinegar as soon as we were ready to sit down and start dying. I could have sworn we had a bottle.

A 14 year old's finger nails

Julia saw this picture of Jamie and asked if it was of her. I told her no, it's Jamie, to which she replied, "hmmm, I still can't tell us apart."

Jamie, Allison (go Allison), Sophie

Eva (her favorite pose) and Ella

Remember when my kids were stranded at my sister's back in December when a storm hit and I couldn't get over the pass? Today my sister is returning the favor - the pass is closed :D

p.s. hopefully all of America was watching AI delayed on their DVRs, missed Adam Lambert when their recording stopped just as he was about to sing, and didn't vote for him. He must also go.

A Victory For the Girls - Eva's Winning NCAA Bracket

Last night, Eva won our friends and family ESPN NCAA bracket picks with 1360 points and the winning team, UNC!!! It's a victory worthy of admiration by all, as she's only nine years old and has never even paid two minutes of attention to college basketball in her short life. It's also a victory for girls and women everywhere who love to compete against, and beat boys and men at their own games, hee hee hee (I had the distinct pleasure of picking last year's winner). So today I sing her praises and thank her on behalf women and girls everywhere. Thank you Eva for a sweet victory (did I mention she tied for first with my brother in-law Denver? Oh, did I forget that part? Does it really matter?) See Eva's winning bracket here. ESPN has made it impossible to save or copy and paste the image - stupid boys!

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On Sunday evening, my sister's three girls Josie, and twins Jamie and Julia, arrived for a few days of high decibel fun with our girls. Yesterday we went down to Minden and partied at the fantastic, and totally worth the drive, Carson Valley Swim Center.

Josie

Jamie

Julia

Eva

Sophie - so blessed with those Hamrick/Hagquist eyelashes

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Check out how Jamie and Julia lose the same teeth at the same time. This was in January

Yesterday - Julia and Jamie

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Sadly, Ella is in school right now just as the younger ones are out. But don't get me started on the evils of year round elementary school, and having a junior high student on traditional...

Oh, btw. Ella and her friends won honorable mention at the state History Day competition for their Sacajawea Rap video (watch it here). They missed going to Washington D.C. by only two spots! So sad about that, but yay for making it that far :)

Some Favorites From The Museum of Bad Art

I'm experiencing writer's block, so please enjoy these gems from the Museum of Bad Art while I go look for my blogging mojo. I discovered MOBA (check out their website here) last week on Wikipedia's homepage, which happens to be my homepage, because you know I love me some Wikipedia. This was a great find - really made my day! As I looked through their collection, I was wishing I'd written each caption. Their motto is 'Art Too Bad To Be Ignored'.

Lucy in the Field with Flowers

Oil on canvas by Unknown 24" x 30" Acquired from trash in Boston

This single painting planted the seed that grew into MOBA.

The motion, the chair, the sway of her breast, the subtle hues of the sky, the expression on her face -- every detail combines to create this transcendent and compelling portrait, every detail cries out "masterpiece."

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The Haircut

Sculpture with barber's chair, scissors, dental floss, and a piece of the curator's cat, by M. Jackson and J. Reilly

74"x28"40"

By special commission for MOBA opening

Mining the swirling currents between violence and personal hygiene, this piece captures the fear, the horror, and the hope intrinsic in that most mundane of human activities.

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In the Cat's Mouth

Acrylic on canvas, probably by Pangorda

24"x22"

Acquired by Tom Stankowicz from the Children's Hospital Thrift Store

A comment on issues of power as experienced by those who dwell with feline pets. Is the artist consumed with or consumed by his love for this cat? Does he identify with the personality of the startling animal? Does the similarity between these inseparable cohabitants stop short at the nose? Or is he simply trying to observe a tree-lined avenue through a cat's eyes?

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Sunday on the Pot with George

Acrylic on canvas by Unknown

22" x 37"

Donated by Jim Schulman

Can the swirling steam melt away the huge weight of George's corporate responsibilities? This pointillist piece is curious for meticulous attention to fine detail, such as the stitching around the edge of the towel, in contrast to the almost careless disregard for the subject's feet.

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Dog

Acrylic on canvas by Unknown

Donated by Elizabeth and Sorn Poeckle, Copenhagen, Denmark

A remarkable fusion of ski resort and wolf puppy -- stoical in his yellow-eyed silence, frozen beneath the ice-capped peak, Dog eloquently challenges the viewer to re-examine old concepts of landscape.

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Mana Lisa

by Anonymous

12" x 16"

Donated by A. Schmidt, Vancouver, Canada

A cross-gender interpretation of the daVinci classic.

Mana Lisa's nose strikes nimbly, offsetting the dialogue between the foreground and profoundly varnished background.

Further, by deciphering this work's title, perhaps we can contribute to the growing body of Leonardo's anagrammatic discourse:

MAN ALIAS,

I AM NASAL,

A SAIL MAN,

AS ANIMAL,

AM A SNAIL,

MAIL NASA...

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The Two Fridas

Oh, hahahaha! Just kidding. This is a 'masterpiece' by Frida Kahlo, which is NOT housed in the Museum of Bad Art. It is the painting however, which according to the Facebook quiz 'What painting are you?', represents both me and Matt :) Here's what the result says:

You are a true revolutionary. You are rebellious and individualistic...... a dramatic person with many demons to work out. You feel everything intensely and struggle constantly to define yourself.

Hey, doesn't that sound just like us? We're such revolutionaries, ya know.

Las Dos Fridas was recently on display at the San Francisco Modern Museum of Art (which isn't all that different from the Museum of Bad Art, if you ask me - just pretentious as opposed to humorous).

Does it Make Me a Bad Person To Love a Good Old Fashioned April Fool's Joke? :)

I think not!

I did feel a slight pang of guilt with each congratulation however - but it was quickly followed by a *hee hee, the old facebook April Fool's status update and blog post trick really does work, hee hee*

Thank you for your nice comments and happiness about my faux pregnancy. I'm so glad that your were so glad!

I didn't get Matt this year though. I still feel bad about the time I pulled a cruel one on him about five or six years ago. At the time, I drove a 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon, which was a totally H-O-T hot car btw, and not just because it didn't have air-conditioning. Several times random people in parking lots wanted to buy it. It had the coolness factor (I made cuter curtains for it sometime after this picture was taken), and it was also huge inside, as you can see from the pic below (can't find an exterior shot at the moment).

Eva, Sophie and Ella - Christmas Eve 2002

There's room to spare on that back row with two huge car seats and a nine year old! I could practically stand up in it. But that also meant that it was high profile and not built for wind. It was down right scary sometimes in fact. When a strong gust would hit, it felt as if it was pushing you right into the next lane, (kind of like changing lanes in Frogger), or off the road. On Thanksgiving one year, we were almost blown into a ditch driving up to my Mom's. It was a 'we're all gonna die moment'. So when I called Matt on a super windy April Fool's Day one year, and told him we'd blown over and the kids were pretending to cry in the background - that was cruel and unusual punishment!!! Still haven't lived that one down or received a just punishment... sorry again honey.

And happy day after April Fools everyone :) I deserve to be 'gotten' next year! And no, I'm not taking a break. I'm still determined to somehow make Anjeny love Jack Johnson!!!

Taking a Pregnancy Blogging Break

Now I know why I've been so exhausted lately. We're having a baby in September, so I'm taking a blogging break - plus Eva and Sophie are off track this month. Be back soon... thanks for your support and always reading :)