Pages

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Let the games begin!






I'm not all that into sports, personally, but what is not to love about all these nations from everywhere, big and small, coming together to celebrate and compete together?  Being on the west coast, my view of the opening ceremonies was time-delayed by many hours, but friends in London and Canada provided enticing little updates in live-time!  So, I took control of the remote, and it was good.  Kinda freaked everybody out, since I don't watch TV.

My friend in Florida just drove to NH and got hitched with the other mother of their daughter!  So exciting.  They have waited such a long time.  

W:  Some idjit woke up this morning and discovered no coffee, and had to run to the store.  Top that!

Bring 'em on -- whines and anti-whines, big and small.




36 comments:

Sue said...

Yay for happy wedding news and opening ceremonies!

AW: Good progress on Big Report. Probably not going to be done tomorrow as planned, but definitely by week's end.

AW: Attended our church's annual Garden worship yesterday. It was so beautiful. This year we went to three lovely gardens. It was also really nice to see folks that I haven't seen in a few months.

W: One woman (she really is sweet and meant well) told me, "Oh Sue, you look so....healthy!"

The big smile on her face meant that she was very happy about this.

Still.

In my brain, "you look healthy" means I've enjoyed a few too many great bbq dinners.

It's always something, right????

AW: On the other hand, I'm not as pale, tired and generally sickly-looking as I have been for many (headachy) years.

Can't top the lack of coffee in the morning. That's harsh!

Sue said...

In the Spoke-Too-Soon category:

When I got home yesterday I sent the woman mentioned above a list of all the fiction I've read on my leave.

(I've read a LOT of books!)

Anywho, she just emailed to thank me and began with "It was nice to see you looking so relaxed and energized."

I was delightfully wrong.

W: That niggling critical voice (which sounds suspiciously like a highly judgemental aunt of mine) continues to haunt me.

Liz Miller said...

Don't let that highly judgmental aunt live rent-free in your head. Give her an eviction notice, STAT.

Sue said...

Got it Liz. I thought she was gone long ago, but dang, she creeps back in now and again.

For now, she is evicted! Yay!

Liz Miller said...

Good!

kathy a. said...

nagging voices, begone! sue, sounds like the sabbatical's been great for you.

5 a.m. working already.

foot cramps: what's up with that?

Liz Miller said...

Oh no, Kathy! Eat some potassium and see if that helps. Also, drink more water.

Liz Miller said...

W: Realizing that having two blogs is too much, but not wanting to give either up. Do you think it would be awkward to consolidate them? Would Mystery Mommy posts just appear to be clutter on DoorbellQueen? What do you think?

Sue said...

Liz, perhaps you could use a different font or colour for each category of posts. That way readers would know in an instant if a particular post was MM or DQ.

AW: Bread machine making sweet aromas in our house this morning.

W: I don't eat bread. The smell of baking bread is really the only time I would like to forget my gluten sensitivity. Still, the aroma is deeeelicious.

kathy - are you standing and moving around regularly while working on your huge project? Sometimes I find that I cramp up if I sit too long at my desk. Also, lots of H20 as Liz suggested.

Liz Miller said...

Thanks, Sue! I like that idea.

kathy a. said...

oh, sue. bread torture. not fair!

good idea for liz of the many blogs. ;)

the foot cramps are mainly at night, but good points on vitamins, H2O, and moving around more.

Liz Miller said...

I had bad foot cramps when I was pregnant, could it be hormonal?

kathy a. said...

i'm kind of discounting the hormone theory, on account of my hormones have mostly retired, except the ones that cause hot flashes.

Liz Miller said...

Those are still hormones.

kathy a. said...

stupid hormones.

ok. what have ya got for stress monkies? quick fixes. must power through the next 3 weeks w/o tearing anybody's head off. then i'll consider lifestyle changes.

Sue said...

Kathy, perhaps a starting point might be some extra comforts.

Whatever makes you happy - maybe a long bath or a visit with a good friend... make it something to look forward to every day. If you plan something special for the end of each workday, it might lighten the stress load. If it's actually scheduled, then you are less likely to talk yourself out of it.

Even if it's just a few "aaaaaah" moments a day, it might help.

esperanza said...

chocolate?

Only AW's for me: Mr E and I have escaped for a few days of anniversary vacation. Many thanks to the grandma.

kathy a. said...

woot! anniversary! and escape! congrats, esperanza!!!!

sue's on my "change lifestyle" team for after, because she mentioned something mysterious about the "end of each workday." ;)

esperanza said...

oof, kathy a, that's not a good sign.

Just enjoyed a meal in which I did not have to (a) wipe anyone else's mouth or (b) pick up anything off the floor or (c) cook it or (d) clean up after it. Woot!

Liz Miller said...

Yay, Esperanza for enjoying a four point meal!

Kathy, can you ask your husband and daughter to make it Hanukah in August? I mean, can they get you a small present everyday until the project is over? Like a little box of chocolates, or something that smells nice, or a pretty card?

Sarah at ratatat said...

Yay Esperanza.

KathyA - massage. yoga. chocolate. alcohol. Vary as needed ;-)

Sue - Wow, I have a pretty self-critical voice in my head, but I wouldn't have figured out how healthy would be bad. Evict her - you know she's wrong. And glad you look healthy and energetic and happy!

Liz - I think I just want you in my head. Consolidate blogs - probably. Maybe in different tabs? Or does that not fix the back-end problem of two pages to update?

W: It is my 14th anniversary. And as much as blah blah for the best and things are better and this is what is happening...an unexpectedly hard day.

kathy a. said...

((( sarah ))) you're allowed to grieve. reminder dates are hard.

liz, you are such a sweetheart. a couple extra layers of stressy are because my daughter's still struggling with depression, sleep, eating, and what to do next; and some other shoe is dropping with the ongoing saga of my husband's mentally ill sister. sigh.

but if i can think of some little thing for them (and me) each day, voila! reduction of the household stressies!

Liz Miller said...

(((Sarah))) give yourself time to feel sad, so that it doesn't overwhelm you. And the tabs idea might work. I need to think on it.

Kathy, here are some family-wide destressors:
1) Pick some movies that you can watch together when you get home. The sillier the better. Princess Bride. All of Me. Roxanne. Blazing Saddles.

2) Arrange for food delivery. It doesn't have to be from a restaurant, Amazon delivers nice deli stuff as does Harry & David.

3) Flowers.

4) Amazon has gourmet ice cream delivery. I kid you not.

Liz Miller said...

Ice cream of the month club

kathy a. said...

i did not mean to be the whiniest host evah... doesn't anybody have a hangnail or a bathroom flood or something? :)

liz, you already inspired me to decide on easy food and takeout and flowers for the duration, keep the ice cream coming, break out the emergency thin mints, etc.

my petty and completely personal indulgence, of course, is escaping to the internets. that probably isn't so healthy.

Liz Miller said...

Whine: tomorrow's Obama event is having parking and other logistical issues.

Anti-Whine: Obama event! I have a VIP ticket!!!!

esperanza said...

ok, first world whine of the highest order. Hotel housekeeping is cleaning our room, and I am hanging out in the hotel lobby. Ruining my introvert zone. Staying in room while someone else cleans it is one of those class things that makes me Highly Uncomfortable.

How's that for petty and silly whining?

Sue said...

Not petty at all esperanza - I totally get it. Happy getaway time!

Oops, sorry kathy a - silly of me to assume your work hours. Yay for thin mints!!!

And Ice Cream of the Month!!!

(((sarah at ratatat))))

To explain "healthy" - in my family of origin, that word meant substantial, overfed and indulged. For some twisted reason, the accepted norm was to be stick thin and sickly looking.

Therefore, when they visited in the summer and saw me tanned (or sunburned, depending on the day), a bit muscular and yes, a bit chubby, I was the subject of much scorn. My mom was quick to shut it down, but enough of it stuck.

For long enough....they have been shown the door.

esperanza said...

AW: manager at tonight's restaurant is an old acquaintance. Got free meal and dessert.

W: what is this, a small town? We actually saw TWO people in this restaurant that we knew. We are about 150 miles from home. Is there not any place to get away?

AW: dessert was chocolate.

Sue said...

Yay for good friends and free meals that end in chocolate!!!

Boo for surprise visits so far from home. Ack!

JenR said...

I am in a 5000 square foot open office space and there is one fly in here buzzing around my head.

I have more substantial whines, but I refuse to acknowledge them - because vacation starts tomorrow! That darn fly can stay here and buzz around someone else :)

esperanza said...

That is epic, JenR, tragic, and comic all at the same time. Enjoy your vacation!

kathy a. said...

wow, sue. i nominate the critical family members for the Amazing Woman Hall of Fame, a place my sister and i invented for the really toxic ones.

esperanza, so funny seeing people you know so far from home!

jenr -- excellent whine! have a great vacation!

awards probably tomorrow.

Sue said...

Fly whines are always award worthy.

Happy vacay JenR!

Sarah at Ratatat said...

Happy vacation Jen! And flies! I don't like them and having one just buzzing around! ugh!

Esperanza - I can't be around while housekeeping cleans either. And yay for the good and odds - the small town-ness of the world pops out all the time.

Yay! Liz! Have fun!

Liz Miller said...

It was awesome.