tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61765592011-07-08T03:25:33.218-07:00Thrilling experiences from a rather uneventful life.Jamienoreply@blogger.comBlogger5101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-76189454444128261982009-06-02T16:43:00.000-07:002009-06-02T18:40:53.651-07:00

Coolest categories that I have gotten on my Netflix recommendations. Talk about specific, eh?:Violent Mad-Scientist Sci-Fi & FantasyGory Cult Horror moviesCritically-Acclaimed Visually-Striking Dark MoviesSuspenseful Foreign Horror MoviesSuspenseful Horror Movies From the 1960sGory Horror Movies From the 1980sRomantic Dramas Based on Classic LiteratureCerebral Dramas Featuring a Strong Female

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-31138531147770226402009-03-19T19:25:00.000-07:002009-04-11T20:00:31.280-07:00

Nicholas just pretended to eat my brain "like a zombie" and claimed he could then speak Latin. "Oboltuus beep bop" came out of his mouth next.It's Latin for "Aren't I clever?" ;)

Jamienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-15691698590370025622009-02-27T22:10:00.000-08:002009-02-27T22:11:23.084-08:00

Research paper is done!! I am so excited to print out all 18 pages and get the damn thing out of my life!!I just had to get that out :)

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-62912697447233702392009-02-23T19:44:00.000-08:002009-02-23T19:46:18.463-08:00

Levity in a world of stress and studying and paper writing. No way applicable to what I am studying, but it makes me laugh amidst the tears :)

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-20142739543646337042009-02-22T19:11:00.000-08:002009-02-22T19:25:56.957-08:00

So, my new years resolution this year is not going as bad as I feared, but it is not going as well as I had hoped. January's 'Blaxploitation' went okay, though I don't think Joe got it. Now we're almost all the way through the month and I have not gotten my theme night down yet. This month, I think we're going with 80's technology. I'm going to try to scare up some New Coke if that is even

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-59242241027304158342009-02-16T18:34:00.000-08:002009-02-16T18:42:10.348-08:00

I am not doing so well this semester. It is my own fault, I know myself and, if trends are to be followed, this is when I reach burn out phase. I push myself really hard and submerse myself completely in school to the point of excluding all other interests. As you can imagine, this can only be sustained for so long (a year and a half history will tell). I start missing bad movies, concerts,

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-5618430285322429412009-02-13T07:23:00.000-08:002009-02-13T07:44:30.295-08:00

A random list of stuff I am getting done this today, kind of a "today-in-the-life" if you will:1. Head out to Sears to pick out a new sewing machine2. Eat a cookie from the food court3. Go to Lowes to buy air filters, random scrap wood and spray paint4. Hit up Costco and the grocery store to provision myself and my family5. Clean the damn house (this is purposefully vague because there is tons to

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-17382323568867986402009-01-15T07:29:00.001-08:002009-01-15T07:55:11.891-08:00

I should be cleaning right now. I know this because my house is filthy and "clean house" has been on the top of my to-do list for three days running. The start of the new year always brings with it a huge amount of aspiration on my part to revamp most areas of my life. My house will be cleaner! I will make every dinner from scratch! I will stay on budget! I will spend my free time studying

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-8056094264244128432008-11-01T18:30:00.001-07:002008-11-01T18:34:35.620-07:00

After experiencing some problems trying to explain the democratic process and hurtful politicking to my 6 year old, I am elated to find out that television will be coming to my rescue yet again!! Okay not really, that is overly dramatic. I tried my best to explain to my son how politics works and I think he gets it, BUT WordGirl has a new episode on election day about politics/elections and it

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-43745115335163379782008-10-14T16:03:00.000-07:002008-10-14T16:26:41.022-07:00

I made an unusual stop today on my way to pick up Nico. Not unusual in the sense that I never go to this place, but the timing was off. I am a Monday morning thrift store shopper having learned that that is when they restock from the weekend and the crowds are lighter. The staff is also less "involved" with you and your purchases. I braved it though, and thank goodness I did because I

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-39737027334848381302008-10-12T22:06:00.001-07:002008-10-12T22:12:43.905-07:00

I just had to write this. Joe and I were watching Star Trek and didn't have the chance to switch the channel before the teasers for the 700 club (or some other evangelical show) came on. We now are going to have to watch it. According to them the collapse of GM is a sign of the coming apocalypse. Good to know, I was betting that our end was going to be in the form of violence cause by

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-35208795413076959652008-10-01T08:49:00.000-07:002008-10-01T08:51:32.456-07:00

I was too wiped out after Saturday and Sunday to give a proper rundown of ACL, but I did remember my camera! You can see some of the photos in my Flickr stream to the right over there ------>I did record a movie of one of my favorite (if not my absolute favorite) shows of the festival. I didn't get a good shot at recording my favorite song, but here is a good one:

Jamienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-87681968603645794772008-09-26T20:25:00.000-07:002008-09-26T20:47:26.421-07:00

I just got home from the first day of the Austin City Limits Festival. Which is tragic because this is my 500th blog entry and all I have to mark this milestone with some exhausted, nonsensical ramblings equivalent to "that band was awesome". So, fair warning.I parked at the end of the Barton Hill greenbelt and walked to Zilker, which wasn't too bad. It took about half an hour from door to

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-54471924101792042212008-09-23T15:40:00.000-07:002008-09-23T15:55:41.701-07:00

I've been trying to post this for days, but I keep forgetting whenever I get home. The call of the couch is strong. As is the call of blog surfing and the love my remote control gives me.Next month is October and I am so excited. Joe can barely be contained. He has quite lofty plans of decorating the house this year in a spooky and black-lit fashion. I have some reservations, but I'm not

Jamienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-6558945620673388422008-09-15T16:39:00.000-07:002008-09-15T17:27:31.807-07:00

So, I have recently become obsessed with Twitter. Blame it on the fact that it gives me a way of breaking down my day in addition to elevating my mundane tasks into something worthy of documenting. I like it. But it does have it's short comings. I hate updating from my phone - it's a pain in the ass. I have to link to pictures instead of including them. Sometimes when I do upload from my

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-70376228051910427862008-09-12T16:44:00.000-07:002008-09-12T17:16:49.161-07:00

I need to be that pretentious person seen sitting in a cafe, hunched over their moleskin and recording their observations of the world. I need to be this person because, despite being struck by motivation multiple times over the course of the day, I sit at the computer in front of this exact screen in the evening and cannot remember what I was going to say for the life of me.So today, since I

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-73767002217618351972008-08-20T12:04:00.000-07:002008-08-20T12:31:12.501-07:00

If I could figure out titles I would call this one "Where I don't show you my nose before and after". Don't worry, it isn't as bad as it sounds. There are no sutures or incisions or blood, just my nose looking a little . . . different. I wasn't expecting change, so it took me a little by surprise. The husband tells me when the splints come out and the swelling goes down my nose will look more

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-25071114126468205662008-08-05T19:34:00.000-07:002008-08-05T19:45:05.455-07:00

So now what do I do? I have been working on this top for a bit a it is just not turning out. Either that or I am under some serious delusions about my personal appearance. So the top is Simplicity pattern 3751 and was really easy to throw together and I used some of my favorite fabric from my stash. Black and white, really easy patten, similar to several tops I own and really like . . . there

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-77039104396107370762008-08-01T21:47:00.000-07:002008-08-01T21:59:49.273-07:00

Bennett, Calum, Morris, and Oliver. Those are the names I am bringing to the table in a couple of weeks when we go visit my in-laws and see my sister in-law for the first time in months. When last I left her she was still in the throes of her first trimester. By now she is really far along. And because of this, I am bringing names. They have already picked out their babies new moniker, but,

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-79643632825263991272008-07-31T19:57:00.000-07:002008-07-31T20:06:14.269-07:00

While I am probably bordering on too much information, I am just too excited to hold it in. Guess what surgery I am having two weeks from tomorrow? Well, the image below should give you a gross and disturbing idea . . .I am so happy about this. Really, insanely happy. This is probably going to bring an end to my debilitating, mind-numbing headaches. I will be able to breath through my nose

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-20574202100450910122008-07-25T12:55:00.000-07:002008-07-25T14:18:38.767-07:00

I find it hilariously funny that in attempting to get a photo for today's post, I could not find a single clean and uncluttered surface in the whole house! Go me and my slammin' housekeeping skills! This is the time of year that I play catch up with all that I have let sit neglected around here for the remainder of the year when I am in school and shuttling the kid back and forth and trying to

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-820816138381643552008-07-22T11:16:00.000-07:002008-07-22T11:26:11.672-07:00

There are few things that are more difficult to resume than the regular chronicling of one's life. So I accept that this is fleeting. I accept that I am not in here for the long term and that I will eventually give up this and go back to ignoring the button in my toolbar that indicates that blogger is still there and waiting with baited breath for me to return to my misplaced commas and run-on

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-81197694360523532552007-01-27T20:07:00.000-08:002007-01-27T20:10:23.763-08:00

What a day we've had. I was hoping that by only scheduling two things today and nothing tomorrow that I would have a restful, un-stressful weekend after my crazy first week of school/nico preschool. But no, not really. It is all about my car. This will be the sixth time I have taken it in for the same problem and they are completely unable to fix it. Now, unfortunately, that does not keep

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-14709570656844787932006-12-06T23:50:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:25:22.659-08:00

In an effort to inspire myself to create, I went out this evening with a group of mamas to a local craft studio. It is actually a regular gathering that I had heretofore been unable to attend and was quite eager to break down the door, so to speak. I'm not regularly a very social person, but I felt an affinity with the spirit of the group and decided to give it a try. Originally, the group was

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-45581256686295157832006-12-06T23:29:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:24:47.305-08:00

I've been following the new voraciously the past few days because of the search for a missing family I found out about through several blogs I read regularly and a friend who is one of the family's clients. Tuesday I refreshed my news pages every half-hour anxiously awaiting any updates on the father who had trekked out to find help and was adrift in the dense wilderness in the backwoods of

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-28213721994031609092006-12-05T23:58:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:23:41.443-08:00

I just got off of the phone with one of my teachers. My Latin professor is a very nice old man who is utterly confused as to why I am asking him questions about Latin. It is quite frustrating. I finally got in touch with him and am back to where I started in regards to my translations. I also am quite confused about some of the points of grammar, but I don't understand the concepts of

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-4427840851332297192006-12-04T22:58:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:22:21.555-08:00

Can it only be day four of this holiday writing spree that I'm already feeling a little deflated, the rush of words beginning to ebb away? Surely it can't be? I have nothing to write about today that I can think of. I went to school and came home and made soup and ate and read about a missing family in Oregon obsessively, but I haven't been in it. Today, my mind has taken a vacation from my

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-79000214217410763602006-12-03T23:34:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:21:54.198-08:00

We're back from our little weekend trip to Houston and are exhausted. My Mother-in-law's parting words to us rang clearly through the cold and windy afternoon "See you in three weeks!" Really, I miss my home.You see I'm a homebody. I know it isn't the fashionable thing to be, but I don't mind. I like curling up in my bed to watch television shows with my husband on a television that I know

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-37794973024237490992006-12-02T19:31:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:21:19.694-08:00

Going out of town to visit our in-laws is a regular occurence in my life. Joe, my husband, has a large catholic family and someone is always getting married or having a birthday or graduation or getting sick. Then there are the aforementioned holidays. So we're here again, this close to Christmas, when I should be frantically searching for gifts for my family, who arrives in less than two

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-49594511817963744902006-12-01T13:14:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:20:33.771-08:00

While I think the intent behind the holiday season is to bring out the best in every individual, I don't feel that the reality of it works out that way. Expectations for ourselves and for everyone else just raises frustrations and fosters an environment for disappointment. Expectations lead us to do things we don't really want to do and probably won't enjoy just to satisfy someone else's idea

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-50733040357195134322006-11-30T18:57:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:19:22.774-08:00

It is so easy for me to put journalling on the back burner, even though I don't want to. When I was able to do it regularly I found it very satisfying and relieving and enjoyable. I loved having something to look back upon as well. Now it is more like work, another task to complete. I think that falling out of the habit of journalling every day has something to do with it, you fall out of the

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-54367732700342485112006-11-24T13:10:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:17:45.274-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving always has some interesting traditions in my family and in my husband's family. Growing up, the day after Thanksgiving with my parents meant we were in for a good house cleaning from top to bottom. It was a preparation for the upcoming season, my father was outside hanging up christmas lights and my brother and I were scrubbing baseboards around where the Christmas

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-10807960917817988502006-11-23T23:38:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:16:56.550-08:00

I should be sleeping now instead of writing. At the very least I should be cleaning my house which has had almost every shelf and every toy bin emptied today onto the floor, the contents soon forgotten by the roaming band of children who had discovered the next shelf. And there is the kitchen which holds the remnants of my Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd, I'm too tired to do dishes. I should

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1163082173648683112006-11-09T06:22:00.000-08:002006-11-09T06:22:53.670-08:00

Why is it that I can remember 32 different ways of conjugating a Latin verb, but I can't remember to put the white beans in the crockpot to soak overnight? And why do I always, always end up wearing two different socks? I'm worrying that as I get older the little bits of daily life that make everything run smoothly and that ensure for domestic bliss are silently slipping out of my mind. Or

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1162915028493909432006-11-07T07:56:00.000-08:002006-11-07T07:57:08.546-08:00

Sometimes I have to wonder about the patterns of other peoples lives. Whether or not people wake up prepared to spring upon the day or if they, like me, cling to the last vestiges of warmth their blanket affords and bury themselves in their pillows until little grabbing hands or little dragging obligations bring them into the land of consciousness. I wonder whether or not they read the paper at

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1159149439233626002006-09-24T18:57:00.000-07:002006-09-24T18:57:19.256-07:00

We just got back from visiting the in-laws and, because I am supposed to be studying for a test and really need to get something done, I'll save the rundown from the weekend. However, it seems as if Nicholas has gotten into the why(?) phase of being four and right now it is kind of fun. As illustration, a conversation I had with him this weekend while shopping at Target:Nicholas (while running

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1158937693207748062006-09-22T08:08:00.000-07:002006-09-22T08:08:20.686-07:00

I don't know why, but things around here have not slowed down despite the best efforts of Joe and myself to make them. Instead, we are getting busier and our lives have become more dramatic. Dramatic because those around us are all going through some sort of heartrending personal tragedy or some moment in their lives where we either almost lose them or they lose something of themselves. I think I

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1158115173720263472006-09-12T19:25:00.000-07:002006-09-12T19:39:33.740-07:00

You know how you get so busy sometimes that your life just becomes a haphazard series of events that you just fall into or jump in between? Just me? I hope not. I keep forgetting to update here because I am lucky to remember to get dressed before leaving the house. I only wish I was kidding. I got halfway to my son's childcare and realized that I wasn't wearing shoes.The class is going as

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1157824349170173202006-09-09T10:50:00.000-07:002006-09-09T10:52:29.200-07:00

In the midst of studying hard for Latin and being oppressed by allergies, we have had an exciting week. We got a new kitten on Wednesday, I figure out how to get my pictures from the camera onto the computer (now to get them onto my server), and we found a diamondback rattlesnake in our garage. Maybe one day Nicholas will let me on the computer long enough to write a real entry :)

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1157140892389412212006-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:002006-09-01T13:01:32.446-07:00

Right now I am in the process of composing an entry about my mid-life crisis, or what I feel qualifies as a mid-life crisis and what is probably just an ordinary 'life-crisis' that we all fall victim to from time to time, but it is all in it's genesis (the entry and the crisis). So, until I am able to potificate (yay Latin usage!) on it all, a list of things that have frustrated me and confused

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1156899714736372252006-08-29T17:45:00.000-07:002006-08-29T18:01:54.756-07:00

I seem to be having a run of bad luck with school lately. Maybe it is because they realize that I am starting to look at real four-year institutions and leaving Austin Community College and they want to make my last few semesters a nightmare, but I have had some not so great teachers lately. Last semester wasn't too bad. He was difficult, but he wasn't a bad teacher. The semester before that,

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1156303221022785992006-08-22T20:05:00.000-07:002006-08-22T20:20:21.050-07:00

So, I'm having a problem getting photos off of my camera. I think it may have something to do with the fact that we may very well have the oldest working digital camera on the face of the planet. We really need to get a new one, but are steadfast in our belief that as long as it is still taking pictures we shouldn't by another one. The only problem is that it is barely working. All the photos

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1155958964619749202006-08-18T20:40:00.000-07:002006-08-18T20:42:44.646-07:00

I know I owe an entry, but I have to get ready for a bunch of end of summer weekend stuff (plus I still haven't finished our laundry from the trip or fully unpacked). I also find it very hard to get on the computer during the day since Nico has taken it over entirely. Old Utilitarian You scored 24 consumer index! You don't get a picture. You know why? You don't need one. If more people

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1155697744714744292006-08-15T20:07:00.000-07:002006-08-15T20:09:04.746-07:00

Our family is now back from the whirlwind trips/vacations/weddings and I am almost ready to start blogging again. After the bags are unpacked and the laundry is done, I'll be up to writing again. Who knows, I may even get those 500 photos off of the camera.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1152247227564307872006-07-06T21:27:00.000-07:002006-07-06T21:40:27.670-07:00

Just got home from a night out with the girls. It was fun, I always forget how much I enjoy being out with like-minded women whom I can really talk to. I wish I could keep them in my pocket. I ended up being designated driver and dropped off three giggling girls who swear that the next time we go out there will kareoke. That I fear. The potato chips and beer(of course not for me) and good

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1152108078863940822006-07-05T06:43:00.000-07:002006-07-05T07:01:19.336-07:00

The little boy is still asleep at quarter-til-nine. We all had a busy night last night. He got to go visit his friend Aiden and then we all went downtown to watch the symphony perform to the fireworks. It was great fun. The rain kept coming down, so we were soaked, but there were no mosquitoes and it wasn't hot and it wasn't crowded. Because of the rain we ended up with no pictures to

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1151937798573866372006-07-03T07:15:00.000-07:002006-07-03T07:50:26.376-07:00

This weekend's Baker's Dozen (and I promise this next week will be normal and I'll do entries every day, really . . . well, I'll try):-1- Joe's motorcycle needed a new tire and new brake pads so we woke up early Friday to take his bike in and take him to work. I am reminded of what it is like driving in rush hour traffic.-2- We went to the mall Friday afternoon, just me and Nicholas, and it was

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1151722049793301942006-06-30T19:44:00.000-07:002006-06-30T19:53:01.796-07:00

I seem to be in some sort of creative, sewing frenzy now that I have a small space to lay out all my crafty stuff. I made this smock this evening after dinner (please ignore my hair which is in crisis mode right now after using Joe's VO5 because I was out of shampoo):Yes, it's the same fabric I used for the kitty I made for Catherine. It should look cute with a tank top and jeans. I'm trying

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1151548974250003332006-06-28T19:26:00.000-07:002006-06-28T19:42:54.276-07:00

I'm still spending most of my time in project mode. Today Nicholas and I ran errands, but while I was home I made this little sweetie (pattern from www.weewonderfuls.com):She's for a friend who is expecting her first baby in October. I'm going to miss the shower, but I wanted to do something special.Nicholas hasn't been in the best of moods today and I think it is because I've been spending all

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1151352545900932892006-06-26T13:08:00.000-07:002006-06-26T13:09:05.940-07:00

Hmmmmm . . . I wonder who it'll be. Rowling to kill two in final Potter book

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1151348339614717342006-06-26T11:48:00.000-07:002006-06-26T11:58:59.673-07:00

Nothing like the south Texas heat to get a girl to want to knit. Nico's scarf is making some nice progress and should be done by the end of next week, maybe this week if I feel motivated. Then I can start on the matching hat.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1151337419229627642006-06-26T08:17:00.000-07:002006-06-26T08:56:59.450-07:00

We've been getting so much done around here, I'm starting to get optimistic about getting it all done before my middle of July deadline. I also talked to Joe about hiring someone to come in and help me give the house a good detailed cleaning before the fall semester starts and he agrees that it is a good idea. I'm going to count that as done on my part. The list of to-do's is till quite long,

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1150912566945059842006-06-21T10:19:00.000-07:002006-06-21T10:56:06.980-07:00

The summer slide, it seems, has begun. We woke up this morning at 8:45, almost two hours later than our normal, pre-summer wake up time. I need to start working on getting us up earlier. Why, you ask, would I do something that would prevent me from sleeping in and getting the rest that I so urgently need and deserve? Because we are missing out on all of our normal activities! Nicholas' old

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1150814653202862462006-06-20T07:36:00.000-07:002006-06-20T07:44:13.226-07:00

We need to leave the house today. Yesterday we spent almost the entire day at home and rested up from the weekend and became cruciferous vegetables at the computer and at the television. I did get laundry done and made beds and cleaned the kitchen, but our house is still a mess and it is raining and dreary outside so Nicholas can't just be released into the wild backyard to burn off some energy

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1150686174869526032006-06-18T19:32:00.000-07:002006-06-18T20:02:54.906-07:00

Just got back from our trip to Houston and I'm just wanting to sit down with a cup of tea and my Northern Exposure videos. Before I forget about it, this weekend's Baker's Dozen:-1- Before leaving on any weekend trip I try to clean the house and put something in the fridge for us to eat when we get home. I failed on both accounts.-2- I forgot to water the plants.-3- I did remember to give the

Jamienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1150473206227643752006-06-16T08:14:00.000-07:002006-06-16T08:53:26.260-07:00

Apparently I slept well last night. After finishing the entry last night I went into my room to watch some television and work on Nicholas' stripey scarf. Joe was in the shower and I told him to move his motorcycle inside the garage after he was done. By the time Joe got out of the shower I was fast asleep amid a tangle of yarn and knitting needles, my movie just beyond the opening credits. I

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1150428863268262512006-06-15T20:24:00.000-07:002006-06-15T20:34:23.286-07:00

As fate would have it, the new medications I am on are doing wonders for my asthma, but the side effects are a little difficult to deal with. As a person who has dealt with insomnia all of my life, I don't handle anything that makes sleep more difficult very well. There is the sleeplessness and now there is a constant feeling that my head is mired in ephemera. I can't concentrate and I really

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1150303241608137432006-06-14T09:24:00.000-07:002006-06-14T09:40:41.633-07:00

I just realized that we are a ways into June and I didn't even see it go by. I'm back in school in the middle of August so I came to the conclusion that if something is going to get accomplished, I'd better start soon. When school is in session, Joe and I operate purely on survival mode. For that to work, when I'm between sessions I have to get everything done that needs to be accomplished for

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1150146215675313472006-06-12T13:55:00.000-07:002006-06-12T14:14:26.386-07:00

Because I had been floundering in the meal planning department I asked the advice of my friend Seanna, meal-planner extraordinare, to see if she had any tips that she could recommend that might make my job a little easier. It turns out she did. I also figured out a little way to break out of the rut we've been in, meal-wise. The first change we've made is that Joe and I are starting to make

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1150128371294057992006-06-12T08:43:00.000-07:002006-06-12T12:33:39.260-07:00

The weekend's Baker's Dozen. I haven't had a chance to sit down and write some of the entries that have been popping into my head these past few days because Nicholas has taken over the computer in a fit of heat-induced rage. The fact that I can no longer leave the door open for him to come and go as he pleases is upsetting to him (as I'm sure it would be to me), so he has taken away my outlet

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1149774922353338222006-06-08T06:38:00.000-07:002006-06-08T06:55:22.383-07:00

I'm on a new medication for my asthma that my doctor gave me two days ago. I went in for a sinus infection and came out with an increased steroid dose, a new nasal spray, and a new maintenance prescription. This is in addition to the antibiotics that they gave me for the sinus infection. I now take so many medications that I have to carry one of those little pill organizers around with me (I

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1149566406454188712006-06-05T20:49:00.000-07:002006-06-05T21:00:06.473-07:00

Lately, we've been having difficulty balancing the healthy aspect of meals with the easy/quick factor and the requisite inexpensiveness. I seem to be able to manage to get two of those elements without difficulty, it's just getting all three that is proving to be tricky. I can do quick and healthy, but it gets pricey. Inexpensive and healthy is also easy, but it is not something you want to

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1149305445221091242006-06-02T19:51:00.000-07:002006-06-02T20:30:45.240-07:00

It seems as if I was either too ambitious with my plans today or my idea of planning a summer day is just silly. We didn't go to the library and we didn't go to Krispy Kreme for their free donut day. We did deliver the meal to our friend who was hit by the car (while walking across the street! while six months pregnant!). She and the baby are fine and she isn't in too much pain anymore.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1149258414288363232006-06-02T07:08:00.000-07:002006-06-02T07:26:54.310-07:00

Well, the shots caused Nicholas to run a fever for two days that even Tylenol couldn't bring down. It never ran too high (102 at its highest), but it just would.not.go.down. Because of this, my boy became a cranky monster. I completely understand, but I can't say it wasn't disruptive. I didn't think he would be experiencing side effects so late in the game, so I had made plans for those day

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1149000255049151522006-05-30T07:29:00.000-07:002006-05-30T07:44:15.073-07:00

My son is now four years old. In addition to breaking my heart and looking more and more like the grown-up he is going to become, he is about to go in for the four year-old right of passage. Nico has his four year-old well-child check-up that includes every shot you have ever heard or thought of and a hearing and vision screening. I know a lot of people are up in arms about the need for

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1148913603273348812006-05-29T07:35:00.000-07:002006-05-29T10:26:36.943-07:00

Somehow we've made it through most of the long weekend without accomplishing much at all. We've stayed busy the whole time, too, so that makes it even stranger. The good news is that I haven't had to cook dinner all weekend and I am not going to have to cook tonight either. Yay for dinners with friends. Thank god, because we have also failed to go to the grocery store. Most of our time has

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1148784741792480102006-05-27T19:41:00.000-07:002006-05-27T19:52:21.816-07:00

I have run into a project quandary today. I have this great old vintage sheet that I found while thrifting last week (probably my last thrifting for a while since I've been doing it while Nico was in school) and I was planning on cross-dying it. It is orange and yellow and, while not really all that bad, it doesn't match anything in our house. The pattern is great though and I love the

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1148700608350724902006-05-26T20:07:00.000-07:002006-05-26T20:30:08.383-07:00

This weekend Joe and I are hoping to knock out some of the projects that backed up behind the cursed light fixture. I had sworn off of starting anything new until that light fixture was up. So now, instead of continuing to bang my head against the bathroom remodel, I've decided to do something pretty and paint the spare bedroom. The paint we chose is Ralph Lauren's 'Cowgirl Blue'. You can see

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1148657242093773662006-05-26T07:19:00.000-07:002006-05-26T08:27:22.326-07:00

We are now taking a deep breath and seeing where we stand. Nicholas and I, that is. Today is the first day of summer for us. Yesterday was just a trial run. The first day of summer has always held possibilities for me. When I was younger and my best friends lived right down the street, every summer day was filled with play and art and imagination. I remember sitting in my backyard in the

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1148565798967896122006-05-25T06:26:00.000-07:002006-05-25T07:05:27.710-07:00

I must really be neglecting this thing, seeing as how I hesitated to remember my password when I started to log in. Because I want to just jump in where I am, here is a bulleted list of where I was:- Friday I spent a frantic day cleaning the house. Sadly, I didn't finish it all, but that turned out to be okay. Joe's mother Charla decided that she was staying with us, so my mother stayed with

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1147961763829423692006-05-18T06:56:00.000-07:002006-05-18T07:16:03.846-07:00

Listen hard and you might hear the maniacal laughter coming from my house. I laugh when I'm stressed. I laugh when I feel that my situation is almost comically bad. The fact that my OCD mother is going to be here tomorrow and Nicholas' party is on Saturday and I have a garage sale on Sunday has a lot to do with it. Instead of sitting here I should be cleaning or baking or putting together the

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1147788867711166722006-05-16T06:58:00.000-07:002006-05-16T07:14:27.730-07:00

Yesterday was interesting. I took Nicholas to school and it is finally getting out to the other parents that I am not taking Nicholas back there next year. I really felt put on the spot to explain what happened because it was so involved and personal and I didn't want to be petty and say anything bad about anyone at the school. I need to figure out something to say that covers why we're going

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1147665562724661422006-05-14T20:52:00.000-07:002006-05-14T20:59:22.753-07:00

So, my mother's day has been lame because my husband had to work all day and I cut my hand open on the garden hose, but I got to snuggle my baby to bed and read him stories and have him tell me that he loves me, that was the good part that makes up for all of the bad. While waiting for Joe to get off of the phone with one of the dozens of people who called here this evening (why does he give

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1147539306706412202006-05-13T09:51:00.000-07:002006-05-13T09:55:06.726-07:00

I know. I am the worst blogger ever. I haven't been able to keep up with it at all lately. I took my last final on Thursday and I am on the downhill slope toward getting ready for everything else that is going on, so I hope to come back and write more soon. A lot more. Today I have to get ready for my mom coming into town next week and Nicholas birthday party and the garage sale we're part

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146664430547315092006-05-03T06:51:00.000-07:002006-05-03T06:53:50.563-07:00

I'm still alive, but don't really think that anyone wants to hear about my doing laundry or ironing or washing the windows. Really, very little excitement here. I was going to go on a protest march on May 1st for immigrant rights, but my hip still hurt so badly that I didn't think I'd be able to make it. I hope that someone out there got the message. It has been all over the news, so that's

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146365781721538532006-04-29T19:46:00.000-07:002006-04-29T19:56:21.770-07:00

Joe and I had so many plans for this weekend and I've gone and ruined them. To explain, after having Nicholas, I ended up with some sort of weird hip/spine/knee thing and Friday evening it started acting up. I've been incapacitated since. The only way I could lay down without screaming in pain was to take lots of Vicodin. The Vicodin made me nauseous and sleepy, so I spent all day today in

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146166246673512612006-04-27T12:30:00.000-07:002006-04-27T12:30:46.686-07:00

Dining Room Originally uploaded by jamieroyer. Dining area in the back of the room. The rug is just a carpet remenant and has gotten a little gross after dealing with my toddler's eating habits. The butterfly print on the wall is actually a hand-painted silk scarf my grandmother left me when she died. She bought it when she lived in Italy in the late seveties. I think it is awesome

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146166119880649072006-04-27T12:28:00.000-07:002006-04-27T12:28:39.890-07:00

Bookshelves in front room Originally uploaded by jamieroyer. My bookshelves and all of my weird plants. The pictures above were taken when Nicholas was four months old. I'm hoping to get some new ones soon. The bookshelves also need to be cleared out.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146166040575187222006-04-27T12:27:00.000-07:002006-04-27T12:27:20.586-07:00

View from the front of the house Originally uploaded by jamieroyer. This is the view if you are standing at the windows at the front of the house. I hate that freaking chandelier with a passion. It is only held on by one bolt, too, so it might fall to its death one day. I can only hope. Don't look too closely at the kitchen in the background. I hadn't done the dishes all day.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146165941532277212006-04-27T12:25:00.000-07:002006-04-27T12:25:41.540-07:00

View from the front door Originally uploaded by jamieroyer. This is the view you get when you first walk in the front door. It is a lot lighter than it looks. The red wall is a sueded surface, so it looks darker in the picture. The floors are also not that dark color of brown and have a lighter reddish color to them.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146165820144065272006-04-27T12:23:00.000-07:002006-04-27T12:23:40.153-07:00

Front room by the window Originally uploaded by jamieroyer. This is the view if you walk in the front door and immediately ruen left. Under those two mirrors is where we are planning on putting the elusive sideboard. I'm also about to recover the cushions on the rocking chair (again!) because they are getting a little worn from being the cat's favorite perch.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146165478912334242006-04-27T11:55:00.000-07:002006-04-27T12:21:39.130-07:00

I know I have already said this, but I'm too lazy to search the archives and it won't hurt to repeat it again. Joe and I have decided that our plan to sell this house and move after we had been here for five years is not feasible. Our house has increased in value to the point where we would not be able to afford it, and to buy a house we could afford would be decreasing our quality of housing.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1146148440014376012006-04-27T07:22:00.000-07:002006-04-27T07:34:00.030-07:00

Tuesday evening we started the practical portion of our lab work. I really ended up feeling stupid, so this week am going in to every available open lab. The final exam is not going to be too difficult, but the lab portion may just do me in. We basically get a group of rocks and have to identify them and identify distinguishing characteristics that they possess. For instance, one station will

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145979031982626192006-04-25T08:06:00.000-07:002006-04-25T08:30:32.003-07:00

This weekend's Baker's Dozen (just a couple of days late):1. I had to wake up super early on a Saturday to take my geology field trip.2. Joe and I set three alarms because I was terrified of sleeping through the first one (or two). If I missed the field-trip, I fail the class.3. I brought some snack food, but forgot my lunch. The girl who sat behind me had extra rice crispy treats, though.4.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145977532862633772006-04-25T07:57:00.000-07:002006-04-25T08:05:32.880-07:00

Listening to morning radio broadcasts is very odd. Whenever I drive Nicholas to school or we're out in the morning running errands, I usually listen to the news. Yesterday, I didn't want to here about the great tragedies of our world and instead tuned into a local morning show on the station where I listen to 80s music during the lunch hour. It was so strange. Morning radio shows are just a

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145935996871353552006-04-24T19:35:00.000-07:002006-04-24T20:33:16.893-07:00

While I haven't been on the computer much today and the television has also been off the majority of the time, I've decided to put off TV turnoff week until the week after finals. Gah, I feel so guilty, but I need the mindlessness of it after hours of studying and, as bad as this sounds, I need the temporary child distraction (although that lasts a max of twenty minutes now-a-days, but those

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145706164733507122006-04-22T04:38:00.000-07:002006-04-22T04:42:44.743-07:00

I am up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning. Yuck! Actually, I'm sure that once the exhaustion wears off that I will be excited. Today I am going on a field trip for my geology class and right now I'm waiting for Joe to get the baby ready to drop me off at school. We're going all over the Texas Hill country to look at different geological formations and to take a guess at their origins. I must be

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145545307799450402006-04-20T07:47:00.000-07:002006-04-20T08:01:47.900-07:00

Today marks the start of the wind-down to final exams. I told my friend Annie to start bringing Baby H by an hour earlier each day so she can study since all we're doing is sitting around in our underwear watching television and eating pancakes anyway. Hopefully she'll get some studying done. Yesterday I spent five hours studying. All morning when Nicholas was in school I was down the street

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145484483059532742006-04-19T15:04:00.000-07:002006-04-19T15:08:03.070-07:00

Blogger is about to have its scheduled outing so I'm just going to share this great fabric I found while out thrift store shopping today. I don't know what to do with it yet, but I think its great. Only 99 cents for two curtain panels, too. I'll probably end up using it to make throw pillows for our guest room, but it has so much potential.Also, I finally added a picture to this weekend's

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145396860682853782006-04-18T14:30:00.000-07:002006-04-18T14:47:40.766-07:00

This year I totally failed at Joe's birthday. I had school that night and spent the entire day watching baby H. I also had just returned from our trip to Tennessee two days before. So this year I really have to make Joe's father's day really special. I know it is two months away, but I figured with how much I bombed his birthday I should do something that will probably take some time. I was

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145371035962976212006-04-18T07:28:00.000-07:002006-04-18T07:37:16.016-07:00

Less than a week now until national Tv Turnoff week (see this site for details). This year we're upping the ante a little bit by turning off not only our television, but also limiting our computer time as well. Since Joe is going to be secondary on-call person next week, I can't really set a time limit for him, but I'm only going to allow myself an hour of computer time after the baby has gone

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145307947245984662006-04-17T13:45:00.000-07:002006-04-19T14:44:16.956-07:00

This weekend's Bakers Dozen (special Easter edition)1. Saturday morning I tried to sleep in, but was cruelly reminded by my loving husband that I had to up in a timely fashion because we had things to do. I should not have stayed awake until 1am watching bad television.2. For lunch Saturday I sliced and macerated strawberries, cubed cantaloupe, cut and boiled potatoes for potato salad, marinated

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145201594934788542006-04-16T08:17:00.000-07:002006-04-16T08:33:15.126-07:00

It seems that by teaching my son the basics of how to use a computer, I have introduced a new, insidious form of computer virus into my life. My computer now will only run for a few minutes and then lock up. Resident computer experts say it is because my software has become unstable due to dirty shutdowns, installing new software, and playing eighteen flash games at once. My only choice right

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1145058109584816532006-04-14T16:31:00.000-07:002006-04-14T16:41:49.596-07:00

Well, yesterday was not quite as productive as planned. Amazingly, the reason that I didn't get much done was not that I ended up on the couch eating chips and reading a books, but because my roller derby meeting lasted a really, really long time. I left the house around 11 to swing Joe's lunch by before the meeting and I didn't get home until almost 4. By that time I just got to brush my hair

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1144941809990793752006-04-13T08:14:00.000-07:002006-04-13T08:23:31.263-07:00

Baby H is sick today, so it is just me and Nicholas today. I am going to take this rare opportunity to try and get going on my house and my homework and my craft projects, having the motivation of only one child to keep the chemicals away from. I also have a roller derby meeting today for our new league, that will be fun. It is all moms and the practices and games are going to be kid friendly.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1144870374770038302006-04-12T11:16:00.000-07:002006-04-12T12:32:54.863-07:00

The trip to Houston was fun, but tiring, which is why I am only now getting to write about it. Most of the family was involved in wedding set-up and the like, so we just hung around the house waiting to be told what to do. Most of our time was spent hanging out with one of Joe's brothers and his wife. It wasn't going too badly until they brought up religion. Damn them. They're Jehovah's

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1144342845064942482006-04-06T09:57:00.000-07:002006-04-06T10:00:45.080-07:00

Nicholas just walked up to me and said: "Mommy, we need to read some of your books. Read it to me"What he held out:"Beyond Good and Evil" by NietzscheI knew I did that boy wrong when I bought him "A Child's Book of Machiavelli" (as a joke, a joke). No wonder he is having problems at school.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1144295902538592582006-04-05T20:34:00.000-07:002006-04-05T20:58:22.626-07:00

Today was one of those days where, by the end of it, you can't believe how much stuff went on. I sat down to write about it and I had totally forgotten that this morning, THIS morning, I went on a great walk with a friend and got to catch up and feel like a person again. But more about that later, I should start at the beginning.Nicholas woke up this morning and told me that he felt sick, that

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1144210640490945392006-04-04T20:32:00.000-07:002006-04-04T21:17:20.573-07:00

I have just eaten three Tofutti Cuties (vanilla, I've never tried the chocolate). This is after I had spinach and artichoke hummus on pita chips and falafel for dinner. Prior to that I ate a peanut butter ClifBar in the car on the way home from school. Because I was being good, I washed it down with a DIET coke. I think I have a tapeworm or my stomach has become a vortex into another

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176559.post-1144088792499298652006-04-03T11:19:00.000-07:002006-04-03T11:26:32.520-07:00

BEST PANTS EVER:I have to keep reminding myself that, yes, I am in fact wearing "socially-acceptable" pants and not going out amongst the masses in my pajamas again. I am having a hard time resisting the urge to go to Target and buy several in varying colors.

Jamienoreply@blogger.com0