Picture This (#1) - Introducing Us!

Because I want to be cool like Rocketgirl and post pictures and link stuff and when the pictures come back from our cruise I don't want to look like a total maroon! (You may have seen these previously on the Family website but that was theirs and this is mine.)
This is Tarzan's aunt, him and his mom circa 1993:

That's me a little later, but the picture's cute. :)

All fancy schmancy, ready to party like it's 1999!

Then we got married...And that's about a year or so ago.

Now you know everything there is to know about us.

This is me (and Tarzan) saying cheese.

Oh Susanna! (Weird#3)

So there I was, in a big white room with all these holes in the walls. I gathered that I was supposed to design the windows to go in these holes. I also gathered that the room I was in was inside another room. There were lots of wooden desks inside this room. We were having a meeting and then the meeting proceeded to move outside and up what looked like an emergency slide from an airplane. While standing on this slide, which was sitting on a stage, we were "scanned" somehow - to get the sonogram of each of our babies. (This included the GUYS who were standing behind me.) When we got off the slide it spit out what looked like construction documents but was actually the run down on the baby. Our names and information about the baby was on the cover. I was having a girl apparently as was the guy who had stood behind me for the scan. Flipping through the drawings I saw several hand sketches of girls in gardens and under trees, but I never saw the sonogram. Then it was our turn to sing on the stage and we were teaching the audience "Oh Susanna" but they kept getting stuck on the "banjo on my knee part" which we had to sing over and over and over. Finally it was my turn to lead the audience in their part and the alarm clock woke me up.

This is me dreaming.

Other People's Kids

Either the world has changed a lot in the last few years or I am a serious "old fogey" already.
Last night was Pack Meeting for the church cub scout pack. While I don't have any boys, any kids at all, I don't mind helping out with the children's activities (prefer it frankly to the adults sometimes) so when they asked me to be on the planning committee I said "sure." November was my month to bring refreshments so I picked Oreos and milk. Partially healthy, popular and Oreos ARE "Milk's favorite cookie." Knowing boys to be boys and - hoping that I had bought enough cookies - I made the stipulation that they could have 2 or 3 cookies, they had to serve their parents first and after everyone has had some they could come back for seconds.
It did not go down like that. First there was a mad rush to the table, like we're gonna run out of milk or something, then they grab handfuls of cookies, 6, 8, 10 at a time, dart away, stuff their faces and then rush back to shove little kids out of the way and want more. When I said no they got all snotty saying they're "starving" and need some more, or they lied and said they only had one the first time. Because they figure I'm stupid and don't recognize their little chocolate covered face? Or can't see three feet away where they're wolfing down two at a time?
I was not a perfect kid, my siblings were not perfect kids, Tarzan and his siblings were not perfect kids, but good golly people! We didn't behave like that. If I was told I could have three cookies then I took three cookies. Especially if there was a "grown-up" standing over me watching to see what I did. If I was told to do something then I did it, even if I thought it was cheesy. ("Serve your mom first")
And we NEVER lied. Lying was the worst thing we could do in our house. My mom used to say that being trusted was more important than being loved. (I didn't understand that until I was much older.) Lying was the only spanking offense in Tarzan's family. What is wrong with today's youth? And these are supposedly the "best" kids because they come to a church Cub Scout Pack, and don't have tattoos. They're 10! Is it because mom and dad aren't "allowed" to spank them anymore, or is it too much television? (Tarzan once played Nintendo for 2 days straight and he's a good guy, respects his elders, polite, honest, Eagle Scout...) Where are the parents when this kid is scarfing down cookies so fast he chokes? They show up pretty fast if I try to discipline one of the little monsters - just see how fast they move if I tell a kid to sit down and stop talking, or heaven forbid, hold his arm!
Maybe I'm intolerant, maybe I'm mean, maybe I am an "old fogey" already but I can't stand other people's kids. (This was not the first incident I've been witness to.) And while this makes some people not want to have children at all, this makes me want to have a lot so that there will be a few decent adults in 20 years.

This is me annoyed with other people's kids.

Musings

Dum dee dum dum dum, I feel like I should post something but I don't really have enough for a single strand entry...
There's football - go Chargers! not sure how or why I chose to root for San Diego over any other team (especially as there aren't any former USC Trojans on the roster), but I did and do and now LT is taking off and that's pretty cool - and of course there's USC football (Fight On!!) and really people, I can be happy for a team that isn't my own especially when they are in the Pacific 10 Conference which doesn't get a lot of respect from the rest of the country, so why can't others be happy for the University of Southern California? I mean there are rivalries and then there are just mean fans - this is why I like my big screen TV at home so I don't have to listen to the cursing and the random insults at people who aren't even involved and can't possibly make a difference to the outcome of the game anyway. Okay, even if you aren't HAPPY at least don't sound so stupid when you insult the team; it'll be our third time in the National Championship game in the past three years and if we win it then it'll be our third National Championship title in the past four years, that's got to be a little cool even if you are a UCBerkley fan...

There's my family - I talked to my sister who lives in England yesterday for more than an hour and wished that she lived closer because I miss her and even though she's gonna be here at Christmas it's not enough (she's having a baby in March and I want to be able to go over and see her almost every day)...

and there's Tarzan's family - I want to have girl talk with Tarzan's sister who lives in Brazil who I ALSO wish lived closer, who will ALSO be here at Christmas but ALSO not for long enough - why do all the cool people live so far away? - and I want to see her baby who was born in October...

There's the fact that I'm back at work which is not horrible, there are fewer 'fires' to put out than I had expected but I feel like there's a dagger hanging over my head that's going to drop at any moment - and the thing I miss most from being in school (and hate the most about working) is the three weeks of vacation we got at Christmas time - I think I'm just antsy about having to sit in a seat right now...

There's the Christmas season which I have SO much to do for and I LOOOOOVE to do it but I want to go out and spend three or four days just getting in the mood instead of dribbles here and there which make the time go so fast and I'm always rushing at the end which I hate to do...

There's the weather in The Jungle - oh I love a rainy night, yes I dooooo (that's for you RS) - that was pouring rain this morning but is so clear and sunny and beautiful right now...

and there's the two minor secrets that I can NOT divulge as of yet but I can't stop thinking about because I'm excited (stop thinking babies that's not either one of them)...

but then there IS the baby issue which I sure don't want to go near right now (because I do want babies, lots of them, but it's just not happening yet and I don't want to be a whiner but it makes me sad and jealous sometimes but I don't want to be jealous and I don't want other people to pity me and gah! that's why I am not going there right now)...

There's the way I totally sound like I'm four right now and can't stop whining, gah! so...

There's Tarzan, who is super and I love him and I love when he gets all mushy and sweet on me 'cuz he makes me feel better about myself and about all the stuff that I can't control...

This is me and my random thoughts of the day.

Thanksgiving 2006

We just finished watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and it was good. There's something about this day leading into the holiday season that seems right...it's a good day, so warm and fuzzy feelings loaded. It kicks off all the celebrations and cheery family traditions and I like traditions.

A Thanksgiving tradition in Tarzan's family involves each person at the table saying one thing they are thankful for for for each of the three kernels of corn at their place. We aren't with his family this year (holiday sharing amongst the in-laws and all) but I would like to post my three kernels here:

1. I am thankful for Tarzan and the easy comfortable relationship that we have. While we have our share of spicy and heated moments we are at ease together, never dishonest or putting on airs for the other - we are the best of friends.
2. I am thankful for my job - though I grouch and complain about it most of the time - I'm thankful that I work in an office that designs good projects and that they trust me to manage so many at one time.
3. I am thankful that I live in The Jungle. People make fun because we have the potential for disasters on a regular basis and someone is always predicting "the big one" (that will give The Real Desert beachfront property) I have lived here for 12 years and if you are prepared and know what to do it's not a big deal really. I love The Jungle, always have: the weather, the culture, the possibilities, the environment, the life!

This is me wishing you a very very VERY

HAPPY

THANKSGIVING!!

Psychologist's Dream (Weird#2)

I hadn't intended for this to be a blog about my dreams...perhaps I'm subconsciously hoping there's a psychologist out there with nothing to do other than search the Internet for crazy chicks and their strange dreams. Over here sir/madam, over here!!!

So there I was last night, or early this morning, dreaming weird stuff again:
**It's like I WAS Paul Rieser (from "Mad About You" which I haven't watched in years) though I was a designer of sorts instead of a filmmaker. Jamie (Helen Hunt's character on the same show) wanted to move to Greece (that's not so weird as I was looking at a calendar of Greece at the mall last night AND that's where I want to retire in 30 years) so we packed up all our stuff and moved to Greece. After a relatively short while, she decides she doesn't like it there and wants to come back to the States. She packs up her stuff and I stay in Greece and build a very successful practice (as evidenced by all the landscaped building models on my wall) After a number of years pass Jamie decides to move back to Greece so we move her stuff back in. There's lots of travelling in an elevator with all this moving around. After living together in Greece for a while (by "a while" I think I mean a couple of years...) we both decide to go back to the States, so we pack up all our stuff AGAIN. The final "scene" is like the closing credits of a movie or TV show because there are a few models still on the wall (apparently I don't go anywhere other than this one room) as we walk out and turn off the light. And then I woke up.**

This is me and my overactive subconscious mind.

What better day? (Weird#1)

I've heard it said that Monday is the day most diets start - why not a blog? There's nothing monumental about today - just a November Monday in The Jungle. It's 90 degrees outside (take that Frozen North) 11% humidity (take that Swampland) and Thanksgiving is in three days. Love the Thanksgiving. Less shove-it-down-my-throat-you-must-buy-our-product-or-you-are-a-horrible-person-ing than Christmas, (which I also love but for other reasons) plus it's a four day weekend and there's lots of family around.

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Ooh. Had a cah-razy dream last night:
(Not that I don't have them all the time but I don't usually remember them as vividly.)
**I was at an indoor swimming pool watching somebody's swim meet. I don't know him in real life but I did in my dream. Then I was going home (to no home I have ever known, or even visited ever in my life) and someone had broken in to the house, so (being stupid in my dream) I went inside, locked all the doors and called 911. While on the phone three people showed up and said they were police but the badges they showed me looked like prizes from a cereal box and they were carrying axes so I wouldn't let them in. The lead guy (who looked like John Goodman) started breaking down the door so I called 911 again and ran out into the yard on the other side of the house. The chick chased me, she had a knife, but I grabbed my own ax from the hedge that was growing next to the path. We fought briefly and then I was back at the house and a real policeman were there (who ALSO looked like John Goodman) and then my husband (let's call him Tarzan) came home and we hugged and then I woke up.**
Weird stuff yes? Occasionally I catch this "interpret my dream" show on the radio and callers always have such simple stuff to report. "My dog looked like my dad and he barked Ok, Ok," "Grandma was flying over my house." Whatever peeps. You want a weird dream, look me up.

Sssssh, this is me tiptoeing quietly into the cyber world. Let's see if anyone notices I'm here...