My internet connector thingy mabob died. Again. At our last house we couldn't get dsl and opted for one of those wireless cards that lets you connect anywhere. Sort of. Unless it's cloudy, or raining, or Tuesday, or a full moon. You get the picture... It's been really frustrating. And my laptop is pretty new and I always wondered if it was really that slow or if it was just the connection. Because it would take me 30 minutes to load a 3 minute U Tube video, if I could download it at all.
But yesterday the little connector card died and I am without access until I figure something else out. But I needed to balance the bank account and pay a few bills so I headed to Starbucks. I'm not really supposed to be blogging. The baby is at home. But I just had to share...IT'S NOT MY LAPTOP!! Web pages are flying open, there is no waiting. I bet I would watch a whole concert on U Tube. Anyway, I'm pretty excited. Just wanted to share :)
Oh, also found about $500 of charges from someone who is not me. Looks like my information has bee stolen, so I'm off to the bank :(
12.01.2009
11.21.2009
Food, Sort Of
So we watched Food, Inc. the other night. Not news exactly, but disturbing none the less. I can't believe how difficult it has become to get truly nutritious food. Actually, given what Obama and company are doing to our country I can believe just about anything, but I'll spare you my conspiracy theory diatribe. (Is it still a conspiracy theory if it's true??)
Anywaaay. We are two steps forward, one step back in the healthy eating department. But we are on a forward trajectory right now and trying to get back into the swing of things :) I really want to avoid high fructose corn syrup as much as possible. This requires pretty diligent lable reading and just skipping a lot of things because it is in EVERYTHING! Pickles - check, ketchup - check, bread - check... But it's important, so we're working on it.
If you want to read a little about why it's so awful for you, and especially for your kids, you can start here.
One line in Food, Inc. really stuck out to me. There was a poor, hispanic family being interviewed. They worked long hours, on the go a lot, usually resorting to fast food in the car. The husband had deveolped diabetes and the wife said, "Before he got diabetes we never thought about whether something was healthy. We thought all food was healthy." Now they struggle to decide whether to spend their money on presciptions or vegetables. So sad.
Anywaaay. We are two steps forward, one step back in the healthy eating department. But we are on a forward trajectory right now and trying to get back into the swing of things :) I really want to avoid high fructose corn syrup as much as possible. This requires pretty diligent lable reading and just skipping a lot of things because it is in EVERYTHING! Pickles - check, ketchup - check, bread - check... But it's important, so we're working on it.
If you want to read a little about why it's so awful for you, and especially for your kids, you can start here.
One line in Food, Inc. really stuck out to me. There was a poor, hispanic family being interviewed. They worked long hours, on the go a lot, usually resorting to fast food in the car. The husband had deveolped diabetes and the wife said, "Before he got diabetes we never thought about whether something was healthy. We thought all food was healthy." Now they struggle to decide whether to spend their money on presciptions or vegetables. So sad.
11.20.2009
Ojai
Hailey and I took an overnight trip to Ojai for some good food, good conversation, and good memories. We had a great time and had the opportunity to talk of the weightier things that require the kind of time and environment that has been hard to come by lately :)
I also made her smile for the camera:)
This is the old Ojai jail. When it was built the railroad tracks ran between it and the park, it was built on "the other side of the tracks." It was used into the 1970's! We read that a few men actually spent upwards of a year here.
I also made her smile for the camera:)
This is the old Ojai jail. When it was built the railroad tracks ran between it and the park, it was built on "the other side of the tracks." It was used into the 1970's! We read that a few men actually spent upwards of a year here.
10.24.2009
In Which Bingley Has a Very Bad Day
*Disclaimer* It's Yucky
Sunday afternoon we all piled in the van and as Mike started it there was this big thud. He turned it off as quick as he could and we looked at each other. It was NOT a good sound. He got out and started looking under the hood and under the van. He kept looking, and looking at me, but he didn't say anything. I finally got out and saw something dripping under the van. I thought it was coolant. But in a moment I realized it was blood splashing onto the pavement. The blades of the engine fan were lying broken next to the pool. We couldn't see anything under the hood, but we could hear raspy, labored breathing through the grill. A quick look around revealed two kitties, Janey Cat and Darcy. No Bingley. UGH
I was totally beside myself. I didn't know what to do. Soon Darcy was sitting under the van yowling. Not long after, Jane joined him. It was...awful. We were certain there was nothing we could do, he had been sucked about a foot back and couldn't be seen. We knew he was dying, kids were crying, I was crying, we couldn't just sit there so we piled into the other cars and left.
At dinner Eli reassured us all that it wasn't Bingley. He says he saw Bingley with Darcy. "No, Eli. That was Jane, we couldn't find Bingley. Bingley is his cat and as that sunk in his eyes welled with tears. Then he shook it off and declared that he was sure he was around somewhere.
We were gone a few hours and when we got home it was dark and Mike decided to handle "the matter" then while everyone was safely inside.
About 20 min later, I hear a frantic "Michele!" Ohhh, "he's not dead" I thought. And I rushed outside to find a bloody and battered little kitten in a plastic tub. He looked a mess, but he was clearly alive. And we had left him there for hours. I was just sick. We quickly decided we had to take him to the emergency vet in Bakersfield to have him euthanized. So all the kids were ushered out for final goodbyes and we left.
They immediately take Bingley back and we settle in for the wait. After waiting an eternity to be called back into the little room we are ushered in for the vet. And she cheerfully tells us that he's the best looking engine cat she's ever seen and she thinks he'll be just fine. And it's not even going to be expensive, only about $600 We just couldn't say, oh no we just came for the shot! So we signed on the dotted line and I scaled back my home improvement wish list :)
One testical had been ripped out, so the neutering was completed. He had quite a bit of head trauma, but all he really needed was time, rest, and pain meds. He is feeling quite chipper now, and he even looks mostly normal :)
And that is that story of Bingleys very bad day, and ours too for that matter :)
Sunday afternoon we all piled in the van and as Mike started it there was this big thud. He turned it off as quick as he could and we looked at each other. It was NOT a good sound. He got out and started looking under the hood and under the van. He kept looking, and looking at me, but he didn't say anything. I finally got out and saw something dripping under the van. I thought it was coolant. But in a moment I realized it was blood splashing onto the pavement. The blades of the engine fan were lying broken next to the pool. We couldn't see anything under the hood, but we could hear raspy, labored breathing through the grill. A quick look around revealed two kitties, Janey Cat and Darcy. No Bingley. UGH
I was totally beside myself. I didn't know what to do. Soon Darcy was sitting under the van yowling. Not long after, Jane joined him. It was...awful. We were certain there was nothing we could do, he had been sucked about a foot back and couldn't be seen. We knew he was dying, kids were crying, I was crying, we couldn't just sit there so we piled into the other cars and left.
At dinner Eli reassured us all that it wasn't Bingley. He says he saw Bingley with Darcy. "No, Eli. That was Jane, we couldn't find Bingley. Bingley is his cat and as that sunk in his eyes welled with tears. Then he shook it off and declared that he was sure he was around somewhere.
We were gone a few hours and when we got home it was dark and Mike decided to handle "the matter" then while everyone was safely inside.
About 20 min later, I hear a frantic "Michele!" Ohhh, "he's not dead" I thought. And I rushed outside to find a bloody and battered little kitten in a plastic tub. He looked a mess, but he was clearly alive. And we had left him there for hours. I was just sick. We quickly decided we had to take him to the emergency vet in Bakersfield to have him euthanized. So all the kids were ushered out for final goodbyes and we left.
They immediately take Bingley back and we settle in for the wait. After waiting an eternity to be called back into the little room we are ushered in for the vet. And she cheerfully tells us that he's the best looking engine cat she's ever seen and she thinks he'll be just fine. And it's not even going to be expensive, only about $600
One testical had been ripped out, so the neutering was completed. He had quite a bit of head trauma, but all he really needed was time, rest, and pain meds. He is feeling quite chipper now, and he even looks mostly normal :)
And that is that story of Bingleys very bad day, and ours too for that matter :)
What Happens When
You get smacked in the face with a 2x4 that has a big ole rusty nail sticking out of it :(
10.04.2009
Baby Time
On Saturday Mike took the kids to Whitney Portals for a fun day of fishing and hiking, and Annaleise and I got to spend a quiet day together. Because my husband is just that cool. It was lovely.
We spent a little time at a park taking a few pictures when I wasn't trying to keep other peoples kids from jumping on her, over her, and around her, and taking her attention off of me :)
She was a little tired and not entirely in to the picture thing, she mostly wanted to suck her thumb, eat her blanket, and watch the other kids. But I got a few shots that made it all worthwhile.
Here are two of them.
Which one do you like better?
I played with the color a little on the second shot, the first one is SOOC (straight out of the camera). I don't know much about doctoring my pictures. I think I actually prefer the un-touched one. I'd really like to learn how to make the eyes pop a little more. So much to learn, so little time :)
I also forgot to button the back of her outfit, so it is a little floppy at the neck. It's really apparent in some of them.
Seriously though, don't you just want to eat her up!?
We spent a little time at a park taking a few pictures when I wasn't trying to keep other peoples kids from jumping on her, over her, and around her, and taking her attention off of me :)
She was a little tired and not entirely in to the picture thing, she mostly wanted to suck her thumb, eat her blanket, and watch the other kids. But I got a few shots that made it all worthwhile.
Here are two of them.
Which one do you like better?
I played with the color a little on the second shot, the first one is SOOC (straight out of the camera). I don't know much about doctoring my pictures. I think I actually prefer the un-touched one. I'd really like to learn how to make the eyes pop a little more. So much to learn, so little time :)
I also forgot to button the back of her outfit, so it is a little floppy at the neck. It's really apparent in some of them.
Seriously though, don't you just want to eat her up!?
9.06.2009
Obama - Change You Can Believe In
There are so many reasons to object to Obama's upcoming speech to schoolchildren, and many people in the blogsphere are talking about it. This is the best article I have read, and at the Common Room she has some great ideas for our own kids :)
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