Curse of the Large Teeth

So, Jamison has lost one of his two top front teeth, and the second one is loose.  His bottom front two came out at the same time as well.

The interesting thing to me is how freaking large the hole is where his tooth came from.

Good Lord.

We fear that he is going to end up looking much like Timmy Turner:

Or mabye just his father:

(you can’t tell that much in this picture but Dave’s two front teeth are larger than the others in his mouth.)

(However, you can tell in this picutre, how much our teenage daughter is Not. Amused.)

So, we joked with Jamison last night and called him Timmy Turner, which might seem cruel and mean except for the fact that Jamison LOVES Timmy Turner and thinks he is a super cool dude.  I think he secretly hopes that if he gets Timmy’s large teeth, he will also get Timmy’s Fairy Godparents.

Lord knows he already has the “Fairly Oddparents” thing covered.

Mobile Test

Testing my mobile blog feature. Now I have absolutely no excuses!

Motivation, Where Art Thou?

I just finished reading Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster.  If you have not read anything by Jen yet . . run to your nearest bookstore or library and read something NOW.  She has written three excellent books:  The aforementioned Pretty Fat, Bright Lights, Big Ass and Bitter Is The New Black.  Jen is honest and hilarious and my hero.  In the newest book, she writes about her battle to lose some weight and get into shape.  And in doing so she has made be feel pretty bad about myself – but in a good way – if that is even possible.

Back, several months ago, when it was cold in Ohio every day, a couple of friends from work and I walked across the street to our Wellness Center and joined.  For a while I did really, really good.  I went over 2-3 days a week after work and ran or used the elliptical machine.  I got myself to the point where I ran the local Race For The Cure.  It was an awesome experience and while I was on a fantastic path, I abruptly tripped and fell off.  I have not run again since the 5K, and I suck for that.  I try to convince myself that I have good excuses, but really not much has changed in my life since the colder months to stop my from exercising, other than the heat.

As much as I complain about the crappy cold weather in Ohio – apparently I need that cold weather in order to exercise?  How lame am I.  Reading Jen’s book might actually be what I need to get myself back off of my ass and back out on the road.  Or even back into the gym.  Something so that my lazy ass doesn’t get killed by strolling around a farmers market for 45 minutes.  That is just downright ridiculous.

So, as potentially meaningless as this may be, considering my spotty blog history as of late, I’m making a public (as public as this may be) vow to get off my ass more.  Even if it is just to walk the mile to the drug store instead of driving.  Maybe I’ll start parking further away from the bulding for work and for classes.  Or better yet, maybe I’ll find a fun and worthy 5K this fall and try to get myself back into shape for that. 

At this point, I’d take any kind of motivaiton I could get.

Blatherings

[  Flipping Out” is my new guilty pleasure.  Jeff is such an obssessive a-hole, but there is still something charming and endearing about him. 

[  My daughter demanded that she watch VH1 Rock Honors - The Who last night.  She commented that it was “really cool,” although I am pretty sure she has no clue who The Who even is.

[  One beer equals a migraine trigger.  Three beers equals enough alchohol to numb the pain

[  When you go to the pool for six hours straight, wear sunscreen.  And if you don’t wear sunscreen, also don’t wear your sunglasses all day.  Unless you want to look like a raccoon.

Nashville - Photo Recap - The Send Off

So, since it has been for-freakin-ever since we have been home from the Big Barbershop Bash in Nashville and I have yet to really post anything about it . . . here are some pictures from the trip to make me feel better about myself and please all of my reader.

The Send Off:

Traditionally, the week before the contest the chorus will invite the world to rehearsal to watch last minute preperations.  The chorus will sing the set (the two contest songs) and any competing quartets present will sing.  Here are some shots from The Send Off

Good times.

Tim Gunn is my Hero

So we re-watched Project Runway tonight, so that Alexa could watch all of it and so that Jamison could watch the end (last night he was much more interested in watching Harry Potter with daddy than Project Runway with mommy - which in reality makes me very happy.  Not-that-there-is-anything-wrong-with-that.)

At the end of the show, Alexa wanted to watch previews for next week, which I did not watch last night, and in those previews I heard possible the best quote by Tim Gunn ever:

“That looks like a pterodactyl from a Gay Jurassic Park.”

And that my friends, is why I love the man so.

Back To The Fierce-ness

I’m pretty excited about the new season of Project Runway.  It has nearly become a family viewing event.  It is interesting how strong a fashion point of view a 7-year old boy can have.  Watching last year’s final show, he noted that while he liked Christian’s collection the best, he “didn’t like the oldfashion-y hats very much.”  Well, there you go.

A couple of things before I really get into this recap:

This is going to be very disjointy and ramble-y.  I just got home from my midterm and my entire right wrist, arm and shoulder are killing me, so my notes are gonna be for shit.  I may need to get into my Vicodin stash just to get through.   Because of this pain and possibility of drug induced note-taking, I’m going to be short and possibly ultra-snarky.  I also plan to use lots and lots of bullet lists.  Deal with it.

Before we jump into the actual challange of this week, I few random points I feel the need to make:

• Suede?  Really?  What kind of name is that?
• Blayne.  I am officially naming him Tanny McTannerson.
• Kelli is our favorite.  She is from Columbus and has a boutique here so we love her just for that.  She has a wierd kind of Amy Winehouse vibe going on . . but she makes cute clothes so I can forgive it.

Go Kelly!!

 

So, the first challenge is the Grocery Store Challenge.  Take $75 and head into the grocery store and buy some shit to make an outfit.  This usually ends extremely cute and creative or horribly, horribly wrong. 

Some random notes from the preperation stages:

• This is a pretty large grocery store and yet many of the designers buy table clothes.  Isn’t that kind of like cheating? 
• Stella purchases a shload of black garbage bags and when she opens them she is shocked to find that they look less like leather pants and more like  . . . garbage bags.  Apparently she has never seen or used garbage bags before.  And thus begins the Bitching of Stella.

** Commercial Break:  While it will be difficult to have to sit through Chris Matthews during the movie Swing Vote, it does have Stanly Tucci.  And I heart him. 

Love Love Love

• Back to the workroom and Papa Tim’s discovery of the tablecloths.  As I predicted he is very disappointed and calls the designers “slackers.”  The tablecloth loosers start to scramble to do what they can to distract from the tableclothness of their stuff, by sewing on blue squares and gluing on cookies and candies.  This cannot be good.
• Tanny McTannerson is done and totally thinks he is the shiznit.  He’s totally gonna win and will probably use the money to wallpaper his apartment with tanning bed lights.
• Stella’s garbage bags are acting and looking like . . again . . garbage bags.  She has a plan though.  1) Bitch.  2) Bitch some more.  3) Complain.  4) Give up. 

Back to the apartment for the night where there is not much chit-chat, except for Kelli proclaiming that she is afraid of Nina.  Aren’t we all Kelli, aren’t we all?

Back to the workroom for final work and finishing touches and this includes things like:

• sewing up crotches
• going to hair and make-up
• gluing on cherry tomatoes
• talking shit
• a model’s boob falling out of her crappy garbage bag dress

As we head to the runway, Stella interviews that she wants to vomit, but still is able to stop to check her hair in the mirror on the way out.  This frightens me because I do the same thing.  I cannot walk past a reflective surface without checking myself out in it.  What is that?  My husband takes great delight in making fun of me for this and if we pass mulitple mirrors he will stop at each one and ask if everything still looks okay.  Then I call him an a-hole and we go on about our day.  But, I digress.  And just in time foooooor:

** Commercial Break:  Apparently if you switch from the regular birth control pill to the NuvaRing, you will be able to take off your shower cap, switch into a bikini and sit in hot tub.  I’m mad, because I used the NuvaRing for a while and NONE of this happened to me.  Rip off.

Aaaaaand we are back to the Runway Show.  Austin Scarlett is the guest judge because he won this challenge in Season 1 and becuase he is a freaky, freaky looking man.  Here come some more bullets:

• Someone used a blue Koosh ball as a sleeve.  Totally cool.
• The tablecloth with the cookies and candy glued on looks like a giant walking cupcake.
• Someone made a dress out of paper towels and it is pretty cute.
• Sweet!  A shiny blue plastic cup dress!  Totally reminds me of my favorite drinking game:  Flip Cup!  (Hey Keith - the grudge match is ON!)
• Stella’s garbage bag dress looks much like garbage.  Not a shocker there friends. 
• Here comes a skirt made of pasta shells and a top made of a oven mitt.  And they don’t match at all.  Looks like a kindgergarden class project. 
• A dress made of a shower curtain looks like a homeless maternity dress.
• Tanny McTannerson’s dress is the most jacked up, bizzare and ugly thing I have ever seen.  Dude needs to seriously consider what those tanning rays are doing to his brain.  Fo’ reals.
• Someone did a black and white tablecloth dress that is pretty darn cute. 

Now, Heidi calls out some names and all of the folks she did not call are safe and sent away.  We are left with the Top 3 and Bottom 3.  The judges have their way with the designers:

Daniel made a dress out of blue plastic cups.  I liked this one and the judges did too.  When it comes to blue plastic cup dresses, apparently I have fashion knowledge.

Jerry made a shower curtain raincoat and this dress receives some of the best quotes of the night:

“Bridal nurse”

“Hospital plumber”

“Handi-Wipe gone wrong!”

Korto made a dress out of a yellow tablecloth and used a variety of veggies on the neckline.  It is actually a very cool looking dress and the judges like it.

Stella and her garbage bag mess receive coments that are to be expected, as well as the premonition from me in the form of a quote from Heidi: 

“butt ugly”

Kelli’s dress of vacuum bags and coffee filters with a hook/latch system made of a spiral bound notebook is really awesome.  She dyed and bleached the vacuum bags and burned the edges of the filters and the whole thing is pretty cool looking.  The judges love her as much as I do!

Blayne’s “dress” if you can call it that was described instantly by Austin as “hideous.”  That is saying something my friends.  Michael calls it “playboy bunny gone wrong” and they all agree it is pretty horrible.  The word “diaper” is used more than once. 

Next up . . Judgement!!!  But only after . . .

** Commercial Break:  X-Files Move.  Need I say more.

Back to the show and final judgement:

• Korto is safe
• Daniel is save
• Kelli is announced as the winner and I actually scream out loud!  Yay for Kelli!!!

YAY KELLI!!!

With the Top 3 announced it is really anyone’s game to be sent home.  I think all three bottom designs were fourteen kinds of hideous . . . so let’s see what happens:

• 3rd Least Worse:  Blayne.  Wow.  I thought for sure he be in the bottom two.
• 2nd Least Worse:  Stella.  Fantastic.  Now we get a whole ‘nother week of her bitching.
• The Worst of Them All:  Jerry and his psycho-killer-maternity-raindress-from-hell.  The saddest thing about his is that at the beginning of the show, during the introduction interviews, he notes that he is “very close to being the next big thing.”  Well, considering you just got beat by garbage bags . . I’m thinking not so much.

I Survived the Barbershop Convention, 2008

And yes, I am aware that the title of this post makes me one of the dorkiest people on the entire planet.  I’m cool with that.  You know why - because my Barbershop friends rock the world.  We sing, we laugh, we have fun and we drink.  A lot. 

Every year, the first week of July, the Barbershop Harmony Society has it’s International Convention and Competition.  We travel somewhere every year and spend a week with some awesome friends that we only see this one week out of the year.  This year we went to Nashville - which I must say is an awesome city.  A bonus to having the contest there this year, is that the BHS has just opened a new Headquarters building in downtown Nashville.  So we got to be uber-geeks and visit the barbershop geek promise land that is headquarters. 

I promised myself to do a better job of writing about the trip than I did of the trip we took to Washington DC this spring.  And since I didn’t write a darn thing about that trip - I am already way ahead of the game. 

So, stay tuned for some posts detailing our trip.  I have lots of picutres too and am looking forward to reliving an awesome week.

Until then, enjoy this lovely picture of my daughter and I, at the Wildhorse Saloon.

Chicken With It’s Head Cut Off

That is what I resemble right now.  Why is it that prepping for a vacation or trip makes me bat-shit crazy insane?  Why must I let my need for total order and organization turn me into a certified loony bird and drive my non-order-seeking family members just as crazy as I am? 

 

So, we leave on Sunday morning for a week in Nashville for the International Barbershop Harmony Society Convention and Competition.  It is an annual even that we attend and Dave usually has a chorus and quartet in the competition.  He will also have some official meetings to attend and what not but for me, it is a week to see all of my friends from all across the country that I only see once a year.  Oh, and drink my face off.

 

For me, the prep leading up to the trip is very stressful.  Most days clothing/beauty is not really something high on my priority list.  I have a uniform I wear to work and the rest of the time I’m in cutoff sweats and t-shirts or jeans.  I put my hair up or wear a hat and am not really that much of a girly-girl when it comes to primping and make-up and crap like that.  I mean I shower regularly and I’m usually don’t stink, but I’m not one to take hours in the bathroom on a daily basis.  I actually can usually be ready faster than my husband. 

 

But I digress . . .

 

For some reason this week brings it out in me and I make up for the entire year in one week.  You can only imagine the level of pressure I put on myself to make up for an entire year of “being pretty” in one week.  The outfits, the jewlrey, the hair, the makeup and . . .

 

The shoes!  Don’t even get me started on the shoes.   There is usually copious walking involved in this week, but come on now, a girl has to have cute shoes.  Finding cute sandals that also don’t create monster blisters on your feet can be tricky. 

 

So, my insanity level now is very high.  Like Red on the Homeland Security Scale (or Put On the Fucking Hat on Ron White’s Homeland Security Scale).  I have a list of days and am frantically trying to match up tops and bottoms and shoes and other shit for each of those days.  I also have my daughter going with us this year and I am THANKING THE EVERLOVING TEENAGE GODS that she is taking an interest in her own appearance for once in her life and is also almost as freaked out as I am right now.  Because that is just less freaking out that I will have to do. 

 

My one saving grace this year is this:  My In-Laws.  Yes.  That just happened.   Our son stays with them this week every year and usually we take him to them.  Now it is only about an hour trip one way, but we always end up hanging out for a while and it seriously cuts into my going-insane time.  But, this year, they are (do you hear the angels?) coming to pick him up tomorrow morning!  Halle-fricken-lulah!  I just needed to wash everything he owns and toss it in a bag and he will be out the door and I will have more free time to pack and get pedicures and go shoe shopping and less time watching the really funny part on Skunk Fu where the Skunk-lets-his-stink-knock-over-all-the-ninja-monkeys-so-that-the-Pig-can-go-in-the-magic-temple-and-then-he-makes-fun-of-the-Bunny’s-crush-on-the-Fox-and-the-Baboon-sings-a-song-and-what-the-fuck-ever.

 

 

My stress and insanity and excitement have me higher than Amy Winehouse right now.  We have a new camera . . . (again with the angels!) . . .

I have new hair . . .

 

 

and my daughter has new hair . . .

 

and I have nearly two days sans 7-year old boy to pack and get ready.  Once I am done with work today I can truly rejoice and get my crazy-packing-prepping on.  Fo’ Shizzle. 

 

I’ll Be Hanged For This . . .

. . . but I really don’t care.

I’m from Ohio. I’m an Indians Fan “and” a Reds Fan. That in itself is enough for some folks to already dislike me.

When I was a mere child I used to watch Reds games with my grandfather. I went to a few Reds games with my dad. I was a Charlie Hustle fan from birth.

Then I grew older and made friends in High School and became an Indians fan as well – I’ll blame it on peer pressure.

Based on the facts that I am from Ohio AND and Indians fan . . when I say that I like A-Rod . . . i’m sure people are lining up outside my house to stone me. Add to that that I love Pete Rose as well and think it is a crime that he is not in the Hall Of Fame and that line might double.

I’m not sure what it is about A-Rod, but I like him. I know that many people think it is over-paid and over-hyped and generally a marraige-cheating I love kittens!, but I have always kind of liked him. And I know Pete bet on baseball. Considering some of the crap the players do and have done, that really doesnt’ seem to be that much of a crime to me.

This morning I read an ESPN eTicket article that made me like them both even more. It is entitled “Unlikely BFF’s” and is one of the most well written articles I’ve read in a while. Kudos to Tom Friend for a job well done.   (Go to ESPN.com and right under the main story you’ll find a link to the E-Ticket story).

The article provides some insight into the thought process of A-Rod. It proves that he is human and has moments of self-dobut and probably beats himself up over his own performance than any fan or sportswriter has ever done. It also shows us the kind of ball player Pete was.

Even if you hate them both . . go read the article. Maybe you will change your mind. If not . . the line to throw stuff at me forms to the left.