Sep. 14: Moxie 2—you can play it!

One of my favorite iPhone games is Moxie 2, and now there’s a web version! That means even you losers without iPhones can play Moxie now! It makes you a little less loser-y.

The best way to understand how to play the game is to watch this short video:

 

And if you think you’re gonna die if you don’t play it immediately, go here. Warning: Moxie 2 is totally addictive. Hope you had nothing else planned for today.

Sep. 13: Daybook

I know I’m late getting to this. I was gone most the day and am just sitting down to my computer for the first time today. My brain is overflowing with information (not smarts, as you might have assumed) and this may not make any sense, so, y’know, look out.

Today…

Outside my window... it’s a beautiful, sunny, blue sky kind of day. Well, it was. It’s dark now. A leetle scary, even. I think the street light is out.

I am thinking... that our blue sky days are going to be gone soon. The forecast for the rest of the week goes down, down, downhill. I don’t mind the cooler temperatures, but I will miss the sunbeams.

I am thankful for... good friends and school peeps. I am blessed beyond measure.

I am creating... too many things right now. There’s a ton of school stuff on the horizon: work things, home projects, plans with friends… too much. Must focus.

Thankfully, I got one of my huge projects done this past weekend; I finally finished and published the new web site for the PTO. I’d link to it to show it off, but then you’d know where my kids go to school and you would go there and take them and that would make me sad.

I am going... crazy. Pretty sure. Big surprise, eh?

I am reading... the new book by Sara Gruen, “Ape House.” I haven’t started it yet, actually. The fact that it’s about monkeys does not exactly appeal to me, but I’ve enjoyed Gruen’s other books so I’m giving this one a try. While I’m on the subject, her last book, Water for Elephants, was fascinating and if you haven’t read it, you should.

I am hoping... that our sweet puppy Oliver is housebroken. It’s looking that way. Cross your fingers for us, please.

I am hearing... way too much noise coming out of Katie’s and Jack’s bedrooms, considering the time. I don’t think reading is supposed to be that noisy.

Around the house... we’re getting back into the school routine. It takes some time, all the setting of alarms and sharing of bathrooms and eating of breakfasts and completing of homework and signing of questionably timed reading logs. One of the big changes this year is that there’s no bus for our neighborhood anymore; right now Tina and I are sharing carpool duties, and it seems to be going well so far. There are an awful lot of cars in the parent pick-up line now, though.

One of my favorite things... is getting a nap. I got one today. Bliss.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Some work, some school, some football. Going to Salem on Saturday to see the Loveliest Lassens for Trevor’s birthday pool party in the rain. Oh, and I’m planning to turn 42 this weekend.

Here is a picture for thought I’m sharing... that Fancy Lori™ sent me forever ago, and I keep forgetting to post it.

 

Want to blog your own Daybook? Here’s the info: The Simple Woman’s Daybook.

Sep. 11: Football game #1

Okay, okay. Jack’s first football game was not as excruciatingly painful as I had anticipated. Did I enjoy myself? Not for a second. But I didn’t whine and moan and act like a mom who didn’t want to be there, and for that I think I deserve a prize of some kind. Like a Grammy. Yes, I think a Grammy would be totally appropriate. I’ve always wanted one. This may be my only chance.

Here’s Proud Dad, showing off Baby’s First Football Jersey. Let’s hope that pride wears off before he demands pictures of Baby’s First Jockstrap and Baby’s First Groin Pull. I do think the jersey’s pretty cool, though, and was a little disappointed that Jack didn’t get to wear his for the game today. Since every player in the league has the same jersey, one team in each game always wears their league T-shirts and the others wear the jerseys.

I know you would be suspicious that I was not actually the author behind this post if I let THAT stupid league decision go by without commentary. Yes, the league geniuses gave EVERY PLAYER the same color jersey. Brilliant, I tell you. Brilliant.

So, this what my little footballer looked like on the field today:

That is, he looked like that when he wasn’t watching the other game or running toward the wrong endzone or playing with his cute little belt.

In one play, Jack hiked the ball:

 

He looked all important. I was proud. But then I wasn’t so much. Because I admit that I don’t know much about football, but I’m pretty sure the center isn’t supposed to just stand there after he hikes the ball:

See that guy in the Montana sweatshirt who should be going up to Jack right now and reminding him that he could be doing something besides just standing there? He’s Jack’s coach. He’s really great—gets the kids motivated, but isn’t a jackass. The opposing team’s coaches were obviously kicked out of the NFL for making players cry; I did not like them one bit. Here’s a picture of the one I called Coach Pinkie Ring:

The blurriness of the photo—I wasn’t intentionally pointing the camera at him; he’s in the background of a cute Jack pic—makes him look kinda rugged and handsome, but I assure you he was a wannabe and one of the biggest assholes on the field. He yelled at the boys nonstop, and it pissed me off. At one point I saw him shake his clipboard and scream to a kid, “You BETTER make a play on this one.” WTF???

Most of the boys had never played a game of football before today; I think a bit of patience is called for here. I’m sayin’ something next time, you can bet your embarrassed-to-know-me ass. It was ridiculous. If our coach had done that, after the game I would’ve found a way to go up and introduce myself while accidentally kicking him in the nuts 12 times. Oops! Clumsy me! And leave my kid alone!

Some boys in the league are going to learn the rules of football and good sportsmanship this year. The boys on Coach Pinkie Ring’s team are going to learn how to go home and cut themselves to deal with their humiliation. Oh yeah, this is what all eight-year-olds are supposed to learn in team sports.

Yup, I can hardly wait for next Saturday. Vic would be wise to make my morning coffee Irish if he wants me to keep my mouth shut during the game.

Sep. 10: IDCEAYWTPFriday

It’s Friday, and that means you get a post called I Don’t Care Enough About You to Write in Transitioning Paragraphs Friday.

• Busy, busy week. So much going on, so much on my plate, too much for my brain to slow down enough to sleep well. It’s really a good thing I don’t drink as much as I talk about drinking, because if there was ever a week to abuse alcohol, it was this one.
• Sunshine and I played pampered girls today. After a busy morning at the school, we got lunch at New Seasons—delicious baguette sammiches—and then went for pedicures. I haven’t gotten one in almost a year because the risk of infection is high with my weenie immune system, but IMMUNE SYSTEM BE DAMNED. My piggies needed some pretty. And boy, did they get it! Some of my other parts got attention too, thanks to the very eager massage chair. That thing meant business.
• Oh, and I got a brow wax today, too, because my eyebrows are growing like ca-razy now. Yay!
• Love this art (click it to see the artist’s etsy store):

• I would like one day to go by in which I find no dog vomit or steaming piles o’ crap on the floor. Is that so much to ask?
• The first week of school went pretty well for both kids. They’re each in classes of 30 students, and that’s the only thing I’m really unhappy about so far—but what can be done about it? As Jack’s teacher said, that student-to-teacher ratio “is not ideal.” That’s for friggin’ sure. It’s like that in almost every classroom, though, and the deep budget cuts across the district are to blame. Pffft.
• If you want to read some funny emails, check these out. I regularly read the site, but haven’t mentioned it in a while; the latest post is one of my favorites, I think.
• Here’s another goodie, because if it weren’t for coffee I might not have made it through this week alive. Well, awake, anyway:



• Loveliest Lori is out of the hospital, finally, and recuperating at home. So grateful.
• I got a new hat yesterday. It’s one I can wear now, while my hair is still too short to go without some kind of coverage, and later, when I’m once again hairy and style-worthy. After I bought it, I got in the car, cut off the tags and put it on my noggin. I checked the rear-view mirror and thought, “Oh, Jen! Cute hat! What good taste you have!” A few minutes later, a spider dropped down from the bill and scared the crap out of me. I was sure that a spider egg had just hatched in my hat, and I ripped that thing off my head so fast! I haven’t seen any more spiders near the hat since then, but I haven’t touched it either. Stoopid new hat.
  
  I hate spiders, but I do love this fascinating and totally factual video. Pretty sure I’ve posted it before, but you should watch it anyway because I said so.

• Tomorrow’s Jack’s first football game. I already talked about how I hate the league and the assclowns who run it; now let’s see how an actual game proceeds. Will I have pictures? You bet your ass (clown).
• Here’s the last of my inspiration art to share with you on this fine day.

Have a good weekend, friends. xoxo

Sep. 7: Big love, indeed

This is a reality show I will watch (the first episode, anyway). It’s so bad and wrong and weird and hard to believe these are real people. Freaks, yes, but real people. Yikes.

Sep. 6: Nonsense

1. What were you doing at midnight last night?
   Playing a game on my phone
2. What’s the first thing you did when you opened your eyes today?
   Pet the dog
3. Can you sleep in total darkness?
   I prefer to
4. What do you wear to sleep?
   Very little
5. Was this summer a good one? How warm was it where you live?
   Okay summer. Weather-wise, pretty mild. Nice.
6. Name one thing you love about winter?
   Layers
7. Tell us about an era of your life that you really miss.
   College
8. Tell us about your favorite year when you were a student.
   Probably my freshman year in college. Maybe my junior year. Both were good.
9. What is your favorite memory in the last year?
   Not sure of my absolute favorite, but this day was hard to beat. Go ahead, click it. You know you want to.
10. What was your best/favorite subject at school?
    English
11. When did you laugh today?
    My kids were pretty funny this morning
12. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
    First day of school!
13. Is it easier for you to go without food or go without sleep?
    Food, definitely. I can’t go without sleep.
14. What non-alcohol beverage do you enjoy drinking the most?
    Iced tea—preferably with lemonade, in which case the answer should be “Arnold Palmer.”
15. Did you drink any alcohol this week? If yes, what?
    Yep, two very large Midori coladas. Yum.
16. Did you ever get into a bar and drink before you were 21?
    Are you kidding? I was scared to death to do anything so daring! Instead, I got drunk at my sister’s when I was 18 and puked all night. Ask Sherilee—she was there. I think she might have even been sober the whole time. Probably laughing pretty hard too.
17. Would you ever consider being a vegetarian?
    Nope. I love animals, but they taste too good to stop eating.
18. What do you normally smell like?
    Probably a combination of dandruff shampoo and hatred.
19. How far away do you live from your parents?
    My mom lives about 275 miles away. My dad doesn’t. Technically, he’s in a small box on top of my china cabinet.
20. Was your dad named after anyone?
    Um, I think a friend of my aunt’s? I can’t remember. I’ve heard rumors that she chose Dad’s name. (Deanna, do you know? Mom?)
21. What do you think is the minimal age to get married?
    Probably 25. Definitely not before 21.
22. Are you happy with your job?
    Yes
23. Where do you work and what do you do there?
    I work lots of places, because I’m an independent contractor. Most of my work is at a hospital in Portland. I program databases and make people happy.
24. Have you ever been to Mt. Rushmore?
    No
25. How many states have you been to where all you saw was the airport?
    Five, I think. Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Virginia. Yeah, that sounds right.
26. What countries have you been to?
    USA, Mexico, Canada, Belgium, England, France, Netherlands, Bahamas, a bunch of Caribbean islands.
27. What actor/actress do you consider hot at the moment?
    I kinda love Paul Rudd
28. What is your favorite album by a band?
    Heat & Light, by The Rouge. Duh. (Don’t tell my nephew, but I also really love Train—Save Me, San Francisco.)
29. What is your favorite album by an individual artist?
    Right now, probably Jason Mraz—We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
30. What was the last TV show that you watched?
    I saw a rerun of The Office this afternoon
31. What was the last video you watched on YouTube?
    This one, and it made me laugh very much.

Feel free to play along in a comment or your own blog.

Sep. 3: IDCEAYWTPFriday

It’s Friday, and that means you get a post called I Don’t Care Enough About You to Write in Transitioning Paragraphs Friday.

• I’m tired. I got a big PTO mailing out this week and I think every last bit of my energy went into it. I’m completely exhausted and I need a really long nap.
• Katie’s been at Kathy’s in Colorado all week. They’ve both texted and emailed photos every day, which have made me more and more jealous because I want to be there too. I’m thrilled Katie’s having fun with her auntie, though. She’s coming home tomorrow and two of the three of us are very excited to have her back.
• I went into the school on Wednesday and was surprised at how nice it felt to be back there. Of course, PTO is a big social thing for me, so it *is* a blast—until I’m printing 4,257 letters and envelopes, in which case I’d really prefer not to speak of it again. Thanks.
• We’re not going to talk about how many times I ate frozen yogurt at Divine this week. But it’s okay! It’s non-fat!

• It appears that Mt. Ellis Academy is one of the winners in the Kohl’s Cares contest I wrote about yesterday. Looks like they even made it into the top ten. Hooray! If you voted, thanks; that $$ is really going to help the school.
• We’ve watched old episodes of Hawaii Five-O a couple times this week. Spike TV is showing it to hype the new version. It’s hilarious how bad the acting is, how hideous the clothes are, and how often they shoot guns straight up into the air to get bad guys’ attention. But the theme song brings back memories of watching the show with my dad, so I enjoy every minute of the awesome bad-ness of the show.
• I think I need this ketchup dispenser:

• Remember when you could only get Mickey ears at the Disney parks? It was kind of a big show-off thing to have them, because it either meant you had been to a Disney park or someone had gotten them for you when they were there. They’re available at the online Disney store; it has all sorts of styles. The biggest deal is that you can order them personalized now—that was the one thing you couldn’t do even after they started selling the ears outside the parks. My sneaky little request would have been much easier had this feature been available years ago.
  
  You’ve heard that story, right? When I asked a girl in the ear store to sew “Satan” on Mickey ears? It was all for my friend Ed, who hates all things Disney and had told me that was something he’d always wanted.
  
  Going through with the request was one of my proudest and shameful moments of being a horrible, brave woman. Ed couldn’t believe I actually did it. I kind of still can’t believe it either.
  
  Victor was afraid to stand near me after that because he was sure I would be escorted out of Disneyland at any minute. That, or be struck by lightning. Neither happened. I’ve even returned without incident. So there.
• The next couple days will be all about preparing for school to start on Tuesday morning. Organizing carpools, picking out first week attire, filling out forms and setting alarm clocks… what fun! I’m looking forward to some of it. Just some.

Have a safe holiday weekend! xoxo

Sep. 2: Kohl’s Cares contest

Two of the kindest people I know are affiliated with Mt. Ellis Academy in Montana, and they’re very close to winning a Kohl’s Cares contest. Kohl’s is donating $500,000 to 20 different schools, and right now Mt. Ellis is #16. Only the top 20 schools win, and voting continues through tomorrow. There are going to be a lot of votes submitted in a final rush tomorrow—don’t let them lose!

I know a lot of you have already voted, but if you haven’t, PLEASE put in five votes for Mt. Ellis. You’re allowed to vote up to five times for each school (you get 20 votes total).

Facebook will ask to have access to your profile, etc., but all the FB apps do that, so don’t let that stop you.

Consider this your good deed for the year. Thanks so much.

Sep. 2: Sorta bad-ass

I'm more than a little bit proud of this.

 
Created by Oatmeal

I don’t really want to fight Justin Bieber; I just want him to not exist in my world anymore. If that means I have to fight him, I totally will. Sorry, Katie.

Sep. 2: Chemo #14 and more

I had chemo on Tuesday, and it went pretty much like all the others before it. Victor was my chemo buddy. The funnest (to use Fancy Lori’s favorite adjective) part was when we both got Battleship off iTunes and played a couple Bluetooth rounds on our phones. Fortunately, there were only two other patients in the room most the day, because there was much making of bombing sounds coming from our corner. You know what’s cool about Battleship? If you’re winning, it’s a skill game. When you’re losing, it’s a game of luck, of which Victor apparently has none.

There was one exceptional difference at this chemo: I found out I only have two treatments left! That’s the plan, anyway.

I’ll have #15 on September 21 and then #16 on October 12. Sometime after that we’ll do another PET scan and make sure OJ is good ‘n gone. If he’s still hanging out, I suppose we’ll have a new course of action. If not, I don’t know if I’ll officially be in remission or if that pronouncement comes later. We shall see.

After I finished in the chemo room, I went across the street to the hospital for my procedure in radiology. I got a shot of steroid in my wrist that’s supposed to take away the pain I’ve had in my left hand. The whole thing was quite fascinating. They X-rayed my wrist, injected the spot with lidocaine and when I was fairly numb, injected the steroid, X-raying throughout. The radiologist said it would take three or four days for the effects to really show, so it’s not surprising that my hand is still hurting—but already the pain is somewhat better. Yay! I’ll be curious to see how long the effects last. In the meantime, I’m trying to be careful to change habits that could be causing a repetitive stress injury; we don’t know if that’s what this pain is from, but it can’t hurt to change the way I hold my phone and steering wheel, right?

Somehow I forgot that the night of chemo, I can never fall asleep. It was nearly 3 a.m. when I finally remembered and got up to take Benadryl. Duh. I woke up yesterday morning feeling quite exhausted and planned to nap later. Of course, I was going on post-chemo high energy all day and never felt like napping. I’m starting to come down from that today and by late this afternoon I think I’ll be ready for a nice, long sleep. The worst part of not sleeping well for a few days—whether I’m running on post-chemo energy or not—is that I start getting terrible muscular and joint pain. This girl needs her rest!

Well, between medical procedures and much folding of PTO-related things, I’ve been busy this week. Things will get worse before they get better though (with PTO, anyway) so I’m not complaining YET.

The best medical-like news of the week: Loveliest Lori is finally out of ICU! She’s still got a long way to go, but we’re happy about this change. So, so happy.

Toodles.