Notes from the Westside

I'm too sexy...

2008-07-16T16:23:00.003-04:00

Yes, after months of not blogging I am back. To be honest there really hasn't been anything exciting to blog about. I'm not promising that there will be from here on out, but I have made a deal with my sister-in-law that I would come back to the world of blogging if she sent a particular picture of my youngest nephew. And since she held up her end of the bargain, I'm now holding up mine. So this my first blog entry back is dedicated to that wonderful little boy in the picture and his success with potty training. Enjoy!

What kids are saying these days

2008-04-02T20:02:00.003-04:00

So I just received an email about a comment a little boy (who shall remain nameless) made to his older sister (who also shall remain nameless).

It goes something like this:

"Talk to the hand cause the booty's off duty."

Now I'm not sure what Bry...uh...I mean the little boy was trying to convey. I think he might of even insulted himself in the exchange. His mother is not necessarily horrified by what her child "thinked up" himself but she did mention that while other parents are writing blogs about their angelic children hers is telling his sibling the alternative to telling it to his butt. Since she doesn't have a blog I thought I would post the story for her. (You're welcome Carie.)

Really do you think such a sweet face could have possibly said this?

Technology...blessing or curse

2008-03-18T22:31:00.002-04:00

An interaction with one of my "work acquaintances" today in reference to an ex-boyfriend.

WA - "He's a manipulative, narcissistic, sociopath with malignant tendencies."

Me - Nothing but a somewhat perplexed look on my face.

WA - "Oh, I google."

"You not Nammaw, you Maynin."

2008-03-11T21:37:00.010-04:00

That is the comment I heard over and over again this past week from my nephew Cameron. I went up to Y-town to celebrate his third birthday (side note: yes we did get the massive snow storm there as well...something like 15-17 inches) and following along in his brother's shoes he has started calling me Nammaw. While sometimes he does it just to get attention, most of the time he was doing it honestly and then correcting himself. Now I love my mother but I really don't think I look that much like her. And, no offense Mom, but I definitely don't have the same hair color.

Here is my mom...

and here is me with my brother who I personally thinks looks more like her

I don't know. Maybe I do look more like my mom then I think (which I don't consider a bad thing) but, seriously, I don't want to be called Nammaw yet. And, what the heck, why do both of my nephews have issue with it. Lydia never confused us. Boys...sheesh.

Anyway, for your added enjoyment I'm adding some more photos from the time at home.

Can you see?

"Hey, I like this icing thing!"

Family photo with everyone actually smiling

Strike a pose

Quote of the Day

2008-02-19T16:43:00.002-05:00

During a conversation with a sixth grader about the relationships, politics, and general interactions of twelve year olds...

"Then he told her [such and such], well actually he didn't say it. He wrote her that in a note because, you know, everything in sixth grade is done through a note."

How true!

Coming Up for Air

2008-02-17T12:22:00.006-05:00

Since it has been almost a month since I've written and because I don't want to lose all of my readers I thought I should probably add a post.

So let me just say...Life is crazy busy. I usually really like the beginning of a new year. I like feeling like my slate is clean and I can once again become organized for at least a couple of months. This year I was even more excited because my wonderful brother and sister-in-law got me a very nice Franklin Covey planner for Christmas. So I was ready to be organized for 4 months at least instead of just 3...well maybe 2...alright for more than a couple of weeks. But, I think God was just kind of laughing at all my good intentions knowing full well that life was going to start speeding up and I was just going to be holding on to dear life praying that I wouldn't fall.

Because so much has happened in the past month I thought I would just give the highlights. So they are as follows...

-Christmas was great! I had a blast with all of my family and playing on the Wii. I am so totally a guitar hero, just let me tell you.

-My nephew (pictured in the first photo) thinks that I live in the phone. When my mom asked him where I came from when I got to their house his reply was "outta the phone." Now when my mom asks where is Megan he grabs and points at the phone's display and replies, "Maynan is right there." I guess I need to visit more often in person than just calling.

-I've started some new responsibilities with my counseling job that have taken up most of my time. They are more administrative and a little overwhelming especially because peoples paychecks rely on me getting everything done in a timely manner. They best quote about me taking on the new responsibilities was from my senior minister when he said, "Gee, and to think I knew you when you were just a grubby grad student." Thanks, Dick!

-Work at the church has been a little crazy too. We have a new logo and theme for children's ministry. And already planning has started for summer activities. It's kind of hard to think about summer when your feet feel like they are frozen for most of the day.

-Ohio State lost the national championship game...again. But that does not keep my family from loving them.

(The hat that keeps showing up in all the pictures is actually Bryant's)

-Duke beat UNC in the first game of the season. Hooray. The next showdown is set for March 8th. Hopefully they will play just as great at home as they did away.

-And lastly, I have been trying to maintain my "in person" relationships as much as possible which means I have seen quite a few movies, gone to dinner with lots of friends, and basically just had a good time connecting with them. Last night was one of those instances where all three of the above were included, and as I'm sure you can guess with some fun results.

So, yeah, that is basically what's been happening in my little life. Nothing really exciting and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten all the funny and interesting tidbits I could have shared but hopefully now that I've caught you up I will become regular at this blogging thing again.

At Last...

2008-01-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

Hooray, my new computer has finally arrived and I am again connected to the cyber world. It really does seem like I haven't blogged in quite some time and a lot of things have happened in the last few weeks especially considering we're talking about the holidays. I'm going to leave that for another blog, however, and devote this particular blog to my very smart and beautiful niece.

On Friday she was runner up in her schools spelling bee. This is impressive for two reasons. First, I helped her practice a little bit over Christmas break and some of the words I don't know if I would be able to spell right without the ever present spell check. The second reason that this is impressive is because she has my brother's spelling genes somewhere in her. Apparently they're recessive though. I would elaborate on how Friday mornings were somewhat stressful in our house before the weekly spelling test but then I'm sure Jason would comment on how every other morning was stressful because of the "discussion" that my mom and I would have over the chosen outfit for the day.

So, anyway, congratulations Lydia! I'm so proud of you!

I am actually alive

2008-01-10T12:33:00.000-05:00

If you have been wondering why I haven't updated the blog in awhile it's because of a lot of things. First was the holiday and being at home and all the craziness of that. By the way, the holidays were great fun and I have a lot of really good pics to share but that has to come later because...second reason for not blogging in awhile is I've been without a computer for a couple of weeks now. My laptop had a malfunction as soon as I got back to the Nati so I've had no ability to get on the internet unless I'm at work and I feel a little guilty about spending work time blogging. (I'm doing it now because my client isn't here yet and technically I'm not getting paid for this time anyway.) Sooooo, a new laptop has been ordered and I should be getting it this weekend. HOORAY. I didn't realize how much communicating and staying in touch I did with my dear computer until I didn't have it. For those of you who haven't given up on my blog yet thanks and I should be more consistent again after this weekend, so until then....

P.S. Can I just say that it's Thursday and I really miss looking forward to a new episode of The Office. I'm so tired of this strike thing!

Update

2007-12-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

Atonement is finally in a theatre near me! Jen and I went to see it this evening and it was amazing. Definitely worth the wait. There was a part of me that was a little apprehensive before I saw it. One because I had waited so long and could very well had built it up so much in my mind that it wouldn't deliver. And, two, because I loved the book so much that I was worried that I would feel disappointed with how they adapted it. Neither of those did I need to worry about though. It delivered and then some and is one of the only movies I've seen that I can say was as good as the book. And trust me, for me that is huge. So, hooray!

She's Here!!!

2007-12-17T21:11:00.000-05:00

Lucy Mae Bremer has finally arrived. She was born at 7:20am this morning. She weighed in at 7lbs 13oz and was 20.5 inches long. She has a beautiful head of thick dark hair and some of the longest eyelashes I have ever seen on a baby. She is most definitely beautiful!

Mommy and Lucy

Aunt Megan and Lucy Mae

Bright Eyes!

Why I LOVE Children's Ministry

2007-12-16T12:32:00.000-05:00

This morning we had a Christmas celebration of sorts for the Preschool and Elementary classes on the Westside. The kids brought in items to create care packages for soldiers overseas, made thank you cards and pictures for them, and decorated and ate some cookies for themselves. There is nothing quite like watching kids use glitter or decorate with icing and sprinkles.

Can you see all of the sprinkles!

Oh, yeah, his mom is gonna love this!

But I think my favorite part is what the kids wrote in the cards and how they spelled everything. Here are a few examples:

"Thank you for serving our country"

"Thank you for the bravery you gave to us. The bravery is so brave and so for that this thank you card is to say thank you."

Thank (don't forget the You) for serving in the army to fight for us.

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Signs of Aging

2007-12-09T22:05:00.000-05:00

So I have succumb to the pressure of many of those around me and joined Facebook. Since being on there I've realized how many "friends" I have and who I have them in common with. I've seen pictures that are posted on other peoples sites and have even sent a couple messages. I'm beginning to see that people could waste a lot of time on there because I know I already have. But for all of that I'm still not really sure what the purpose of it is other than to make stalking pretty stinking easy. I think I'm going to have to get a tutor on how and what things to do with the account now that I have it. (Sarah are you up for the challenge?) Man, do I feel old!

Limited Release

2007-12-07T10:55:00.001-05:00

AUGH! I have been waiting weeks for this movie to come out and now that we've reached the posted release date find out that the 'Nati is NOT one of the selected cities for the aforementioned limited release. What is up with limited releases anyway? Like somehow only those living in certain cities have the artistic desire to view films such as these. Movie companies are just mean for toying with the audience like this. Does anyone else get annoyed when this happens with a movie they want to see?

Ah well, I guess I will just have to show patience (like I did when I managed to snag one of the most desired gifts this year for my niece and nephew... I'll give you a hint: It comes from Nintendo) and hope that the nationwide release is coming very soon.

For those of you who have not heard of this movie it is based off of the book Atonement by Ian McEwan and it is one of the best books I've ever read. The ending is brilliant and since I don't want to give it away that's all I'll say. The End.

How Sweet He Is

2007-12-03T21:32:00.001-05:00

Let it snow...nope, let it reindeer

2007-12-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

It's the beginning of December and the weather outside is definitely frightful. It has been pouring in the Nati all day. If this had been snow I'm pretty sure that we would be stuck inside and off of the roads like most of the people in the midwest right now. Luckily it is just rain and we are nice and dry inside. (Also, lucky for me, I got my Christmas present of new tires early and have already noticed how much nicer it is to drive without feeling like you're slip sliding all over the place. Thanks Mom and Dad!)

But the blah weather has not stopped us from decorating the house. Amy, Lori, and I put up the tree last night. The star is a little crooked but we think it gives it character!

So, Santa, we're ready for presents. Please don't be scared of the dancing/singing Grinch that is standing guard. His bark is worse than his bite.

Evolution?

2007-11-27T21:40:00.001-05:00

This year leading up to Thanksgiving I wasn't really feeling the holiday mood thing. I'm not sure if it was because there were still lots of trees with leaves still green or if it was because the weather was still pretty warm. Anyway, regardless of what it was I definitely was not feeling the holiday spirit.

It's beginning to change though and it started with Thanksgiving morning. I was able to sleep in which is always a bonus. But what is even better is sleeping in and then waking up to the house smelling of turkey cooking and pumpkin pies baking. I came out a little blurry-eyed and had my next nostalgic moment when I saw my niece and nephew camped in front of the tv watching the Macy's parade. Lydia at one point was bemoaning the fact that they kept announcing that people from High School Musical were suppose to be "up next" and yet they weren't. Oh how I remember feeling the same way when New Kids on the Block were suppose to be "up next" and weren't. Wait a minute, did I just admit to that! Okay, moving on...Dinner was fabulous as it always is because my mom makes the best stuffing ever. And I do mean ever. And this year she was able to find the Schwebels rolls. (There is a whole story behind the necessary Schwebels rolls but I'll blog about that at another point.)

Probably the best part was watching the Chronicles of Narnia with Lydia and Bry though. I consider it a Christmas movie because it came out, well, at Christmas. Now I love movies, but I love them even more when I'm watching them with people who really enjoy the movie itself. Take for instance The Princess Bride. It is just not the same unless someone is there watching it with you and appreciating it enough to repeat the lines "Inconceivable" and "Hello, My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Anyway, I digress. The whole point of that was to say that Lydia and Bry are great to watch this movie with because they get so into it. I thought Lydia was going to pop out of her seat a couple of times. And both had watched it before but that didn't matter because they were still excited when the wardrobe full of coats suddenly became the pine trees of Narnia and Aslan made his triumphant return. Personally my two favorite parts (because they are my favorite parts of the book) are when Mr. Beaver says "Aslan is on the move." (that gives me goose bumps) and at the end when Mr. Tumnus and Lucy are talking. Mr. Tumnus says, "He's not a tame lion." And Lucy replies, "No, but he is good." What a great image.

So, yeah, the holiday spirit is definitely emerging and festivities are in the works. I'm starting to get excited about finding the perfect gift for people and planning the Christmas party for the children at church. (I'm sure I'll have some fun pictures to post after that one! They're putting together care packages for some military folks and then will be decorating their own cookies...what am I thinking?!) A Charlie Brown Christmas was on tonight and the Grinch will soon be. And, of course, A Christmas Story is already playing day and night. Oh, and I'm getting ready to watch all of the Lord of the Rings movies again, because yes, they're "Christmas movies" too. Amy has started decorating the house and to some dismay Christmas music is already playing everywhere you go.

As I'm sitting here typing this it's just hit me that it is somewhat amazing that this whole "holiday spirit" got started with a quiet night and an unassuming baby in a manger so long ago. Hmmm, how about that for evolution?

Nate the Great

2007-11-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, this is my cousin Nathan. (Sorry ladies, he's married to a wonderful gal and has two little ones. I know the questions would start flooding in after seeing the wonderful picture.) Nathan is in town this weekend for the National Missionary Convention because he is currently working for Pioneer Bible Translators as one of their recruiters. So lucky for me I got to hang out with him a bit today and catch up.

God definitely broke the mold after He made Nathan and I mean that in the very best of ways. Nathan is one of my cousins on my mom's side of the family so we didn't see him as much because he grew up in Missouri and Illinois. But every summer we would make the family trek out to that part of the midwest and for at least one week each year we got to "bond."

I have some pretty fun memories of Nathan. I can remember us playing baseball and him having to throw off his hat every time he ran to first like it would help him get there faster. The funny part was he would always stop before he got to base though and run back and get the hat. One summer, I'm guessing Nathan was in 5th grade, the Smothers Brothers show came back on the air. We were all sitting there watching it and Grandma was remembering back when they had their first variety show when everything was still black and white. Nathan loved it so much that he looked over at Grandma and told her it was too bad she hadn't recorded those so we could watch them as well. And just let me tell you the boy can do an impression of Matt Foley Motivational Speaker like no other.

This visit was pretty much like the rest. He acted like a goof ball and made me laugh, but that wasn't the best part of it for me. The best part for me was watching him in action doing his job and then hearing him talk about it. Like I said before he is one of the recruiters for PBT and I think they're pretty lucky to have him. While waiting for him to take a break I watched him talk with person after person (until he was getting pretty hoarse) about the their lives and how God was working in them. I watched him engage with them, not just to push PBT, but to really help them search out where God was calling them. And when he finally did get a break and we were able to go grab some dinner I watched his eyes light up when he was telling me what an awesome time he was having that day. I heard the pure excitement in his voice as he talked about the possibilities that lay ahead. And, even now, just thinking back to it I smile.

There are very few people that I see that passionate and excited about their job. And there are fewer still that I see that excited and passionate about ministry which is just sad. Nathan is one of those few though, mainly because God called him to it and he was obedient. Really there is nothing more to say than that, oh and the fact that I'm incredibly proud of him.

Halloween: Take 2

2007-11-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

Because I had the pictures of the cats dressed up for Halloween I felt it necessary to put pictures of my actual niece and nephews dressed up. Lydia went as Lucy from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (note the fur coat that was picked up in the wardrobe), Bry went as Batman, and Cameron didn't dress up this year. He just took a really strange and rather frightening picture. I'm not sure if he's really a blood relation or not.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T22:22:00.000-04:00

So tonight is the night when little ones dress up in costumes and go door to door trick-or-treating and rake in loads of cavities...oh wait, I mean candy.

Anyway to celebrate the night I headed over to Jen's house to see my niece and nephew (of the feline persuasion that is) all dressed up in their outfits. Yes, Jen did indeed buy Piper and Chloe outfits to wear for the night. Piper was a devil and trust me the costume matched the personality when he had it on and Chloe was a not so little piggy, complete with a little piggy tail.

As you can see, neither of them look totally thrilled to be dressed up. Pipes went sort of crazy and started thrashing around the room a bit until he got his off.

Chloe actually kept hers on for awhile. Maybe she was identifying with the outfit. Who knows?

Anyway, I hope neither of them have too long of a memory about who helped Jen dress them because I'm housesitting this weekend and don't want there to be issues.

Scenes from a Very Needed Vacation!

2007-10-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

It's All About Perception

2007-10-16T17:07:00.000-04:00

Driving home from church on Sunday night I noticed my car doing a weird shaking thing whenever it was idle at a light or just taking off from being stopped. Having absolutely no idea about cars I prayed that it was just a mere glitch and would work itself out by morning. To my dismay that was not the case. In fact, by the next morning it was acting worse. I actually could have made milkshake in my car if I had the right ingredients. So when I got to work I was considering my options.

1. I could call my dad and try to explain what was going on.
2. I could just take it to the shop and pray that I wouldn't get taken.
3. I could ask one of the men that I work with to check it out.

I chose number three (and actually number one as well later that night...there is just something about having your dad know what is going on with your car and give advice that settles one down) and asked Dan to check it out for me. Over the next hour Dan test drove the car, took me to AutoZone to have a diagnostic check on it for me (luckily it's just the spark plugs...we think), called another gentleman from our church, Dave, who knows lots about cars and had him come and check it out (which he's going to change the spark plugs for me) and also made sure that I bought the correct cleaning fluid that Dave recommended for my gas tank to clean out the fuel line or something like that.

Typically after having an experience like this I might be freaking out and whining about what a pain in the hiney cars are. Not yesterday though. Yesterday my viewpoint changed and instead of looking at the hassle of everything I couldn't help but see how lucky I really am. First, it was just the spark plugs and nothing worse. And second, I am surrounded by some great, great men. Men who didn't make fun of me because I knew nothing about what they were talking about. Men who were willing to take a good amount of time out of their day to help me figure out what was wrong. And men who made sure I was going to get the problem fixed and not let me drive my car if it was dangerous.

So, yeah, while I could choose to look at this from the vantage point of what is going wrong I've chosen to look at it from the point of what is going right. It's amazing how a situation can change just by the perception chosen. I wish I could do that with all of my situations or at least more of them.

What Counselors Really Do Want to Say!

2007-10-12T00:10:00.001-04:00

Mad TV Bob Newhart Skit - Mo Collins - Stop it

I cheer for the Indians and whoever is playing the Yankees

2007-10-08T23:43:00.000-04:00

which in this case is a double win for me since the Indians are playing the Yankees. Or wait, let me correct myself, have just beaten the Yankees. And in doing so they not only make it back to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1998 but pretty much guarantee that Joe Torre will be looking for a job in the off season.

I cannot explain to you what being a Cleveland fan is like. The endurance one has to have in cheering for a losing team for so long. To be so close in '95 and '97 only to be denied once again and have hopes dashed. To be the butt of so many jokes that even a major motion picture is made that spoofs the losses. Cleveland doesn't have the infamous "curse" that looms over the Chicago Cubs, but Chicago at least had a basketball team that they could cheer for and watch win. In Cleveland there has been a long drought in all of their professional teams. Now before you jump to conclusions I am definitely not a Browns fan and really don't like professional basketball so not really a Cavs fan either. But all of this is to say it would really be nice to actually win the whole thing sometime soon.

I'm not sure whether that is going to happen this year although I really, really hope it does, but for right now I'm just going to enjoy that the Indians have just beaten one of the most highly paid teams in baseball and that, my friends, is most definitely worthy of a WAHOO!

***For any Yankees fans who might be reading this if I hear one more thing about Game 2 being unfair because of the bugs attacking the Yankees pitcher I might scream. Those same bugs were surrounding the Indians pitcher in the same inning. How is that unfair home field advantage? Take some tips from those who are usually on the short end of the stick and learn to lose gracefully.

Go Tribe!!!

2007-10-04T22:23:00.000-04:00

The game just ended and the Indians started the series with a bang! They scored 12 times off of 14 hits including 4 homeruns. Wahoo!!!

The only down side is that again I was thwarted from watching the game. Since when does TBS show anything except Alanta Braves baseball games? This is when I miss cable.

Game 2 - Tomorrow in Cleveland - A. Pettitte vs F. Carmona...and yes still only on TBS.

Change is good...

2007-10-02T22:30:00.001-04:00

or so I'm trying to convince myself. Change seems to be occurring at a much faster rate the older I get, or at least I'm noticing it more. Relationships change, locations change, jobs change and while I realize this is a part of life I don't always like it or want to accept it and truthfully I fear it. But to think about what the opposite would be...to live in a world where there was no change at all scares me even more. In a world where there was no change there would be no learning, nothing to strive for, no potential. There would be no developing or growing physically or spiritually. There would be no excitement of finding out something new about the world around you, the people around you, or even about you. There would be no trying to figure out who God really created you to be or what His plan for you is. In essence there would be no hope. So while change isn't always welcome or easy I do believe it is necessary and, yes, even good. Yep, change can bring heartache and pain but it also can bring freedom and possibility. So I'll leave the quality of being the same forever to God ( I mean, really, can He get any better?) and I'll embrace the hope and possibilities that God has given us through change.

This Week in Pictures

2007-09-30T21:57:00.000-04:00

Birthday flowers from Virginia.

Birthday celebration with Lindsay, Tabitha, Sarah, Jake and Kara, and Annie!

Kara and Tab are twins at the Gap.

Annie likes to snuggle and Tabitha is reaping the rewards.

Danielle's first formal homecoming dance, evident by the inability to walk in heels!

Roll Tide Roll

2007-09-24T21:38:00.000-04:00

I just have to say that Alabama football is freaking awesome!!! I mean I still love Ohio State and am loyal to the Buckeyes but I can definitely say that there is nothing quite like a Bama football game in Tuscaloosa. Incredible!

Okay, with that being said, I cannot even possibly do justice to the weekend because it would take too long to write so I thought I would hit some of the highlights.

- Jen schooling me in 'Bama football and sayings. It is not "Go Tide," it's "Roll Tide" which stands for hello, how ya'll doing, and good-bye in Tuscaloosa. I sort of felt like I was in Hawaii saying Aloha.

- Mr. H being excited that we were going to have a healthy blackbean soup for dinner on Friday night, so much so he kept telling us over and over again.

- Archibald's Ribs for lunch on Saturday.

- The wicked heat and humidity. Thank goodness the game was at night!

- Mr. H saying RTR (Roll Tide Roll) over and over again and then saying that I could call him anytime and say it.

- The game going into overtime...unfortunately Georgia won...BOO

- Screaming myself hoarse at the game.

- A Georgia fan and Alabama fan almost getting into a fight in our section.

- Anna Leigh and Caroline showing us the puppets at church.

- My first visit to a non instrumental Church of Christ.

- Seeing the "puppies" again. See Jen's blog for the back story.

- Taking a ride on the Gator.

There are actually a ton more things too, but hopefully you get the idea of what a wonderful weekend it was.

Really the best part of the whole weekend was getting to spend time with Jen. We've decided that we're twins separated at birth with just a few years in between. I mean we both have a crazy love of sports, books and everything British including Jane Austen, Bridget Jones, the accents, and of course Colin Firth! Jen is one of the best friends I have and it's not because of all of our similarities. It's because she has one of the best hearts I know. She is loving and caring and truly is a woman of God. I definitely know He put her in my life when I needed it and I am so thankful for her!

And the Magic Number is...

2007-09-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

THREE!!!

That's right folks. The Cleveland Indians only have 3 more games to win to clinch the AL Central Division and make it into the playoffs. They just finished up a sweep of the Tigers that helped that magic number drop considerably.

So to celebrate this day I added some pictures of the only Indians game I've seen this year. It was live and in person when they played the Reds, and yes friends, they won the game in extra innings!!!

This was little Abel's first MLB game. I'm trying to brainwash him early to be a Tribe fan. Susan, Jenny, Wendy and Sarah all went and Lindsay was there in spirit considering that she fell asleep on the couch and didn't wake up until it was the middle of the 7th inning. Really that was the only down point of that whole evening. Well unless you count Jenny backing her car into a poll in the parking garage. She didn't seem to fussed about it though.

This is Wendy saying, "Ah shoot, the Indians scored again!"

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner...well Alabama that is.

2007-09-17T19:23:00.000-04:00

Some of you know that I'm heading down to Tuscaloosa this weekend with Jen. The trip is to introduce Crimson Tide football to me live and in person. Jen has already gotten me an Alabama t-shirt under the guise of making sure I fit in and have the full experience. Secretly I think Jen is trying to create more and more Bama fans up here in Big 10 country. Anyway, she just sent me an email stating that I will not be the only special visitor at the game on Saturday. In fact, there is going to be a whole crew of special visitors. Who you ask?

That's right! ESPN College GameDay is coming to T-town. How sweet is that?!

Numbers

2007-09-12T12:46:00.000-04:00

12 - the number of babies in the nursery at Mops today and there are tons more mommies pregnant so that's going to grow. There were about 50 kids in all there. Crazy how we're growing

11 - the number of games the Cleveland Indians have to win in order to clinch the central division title!

10 - the number of days left till I head to Alabama with Jen!

9- the number that is my favorite.

8- the number of episodes I have left to watch of season three of The Office.

7- the number of books I have piled in the corner waiting to read.

6 - the number of conversations (both verbal and email) that I had last night that I don't remember because of...

5 - the number of painkillers I took in order to get a little relief after having a root canal yesterday.

4- the number of roots my tooth has...found not by the x-ray but after the dentist was already in there digging away at the other three.

3 - the number of roots that most people have for their back teeth.

2 - the number of games that Ohio State has won and Michigan has lost this season.

1 - the number of great big hugs I got from little Miss Clara today!

Remembering

2007-09-11T11:40:00.000-04:00

Driving this morning I was listening to a Christian radio station that we have here. The DJ's were talking about today being the anniversary of 9/11 and then proceeded to talk about Bin Laden and how he is the enemy. One of them went as far as to say they wanted him "off the earth and it won't come soon enough." It's not that I don't understand these feelings or even partially agree with them, but as I listened something in me just felt uncomfortable as they continued to talk. It wasn't until I thought about it a little more that I realized what it was that was stirring the discomfort.

I expect secular radio stations and others to believe that Bin Laden is the enemy. I expect them to use harsh words. I expect them to focus on him. I don't expect that from Christians. It's not that I don't think Bin Laden is dangerous or that I don't want him caught because I do. But he is not the enemy, Satan is and as Christians we should never forget that. We are reminded in Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

So today I remember those innocent people who lost their lives because of this evil. I remember and honor the soldiers who are fighting the worldly battle against that evil. But most importantly I remember that this evil, that Satan, has already been defeated by someone much more powerful and I have hope in something much greater.

Life

2007-09-09T12:22:00.000-04:00

There are many days where I get frustrated with my job, the children's ministry one. I lose site of the significance of raising up children of God and instead focus on the teachers who want to complain about one thing or another, and the screaming and crying of kids in bad moods, or the parents who want me to change a rule just for them. Today, however, was not one of those days.

Today God reminded me in a HUGE way why it is that I do what I do. Today one of my girls, Libby, made the decision to give her life to Christ and be baptized. Today she ran into class with a smile a mile wide and said, "Miss Megan, I get to be baptized today!" Today I was reminded of when I first made that same decision all those years ago.

Libby is probably one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet. She loves everything and everyone around her. She is kind and giving to other children and she's one of the first ones to volunteer in class when something needs to be done. But even with all of that Libby knew that wasn't enough to get her right with God. She knew she had to make the decision to trust and rely on someone bigger than herself. She said she was excited and nervous all at the same time, but nothing was going to stop her. And then I realized why the "Kingdom of God belongs to ones such as these."

When is it as adults that we lose this excitement and nervousness? When is it that we start looking at our cross to bear as being more of a chore than a privilege. I'm not sure when it happened to me, but it did. And today, a little girl reminded me that no matter whether it be our physical life or spiritual one, we get to do it and that is what makes all the difference!

As a funny little side story, Libby is a champion swimmer and not afraid of the water. She's just like a fish in water actually. As we were heading to the pool she asked Renae if she was going to have to hold her down under the water for a couple of minutes before she could bring her back up. Renae assured her that it was just a quick dunk and just laughed. You gotta love how kids minds work!

Reunion

2007-09-06T22:23:00.001-04:00

So I've finally gotten some time since I've been back to update about the family picnic. We had our annual Labor Day family picnic on Sunday and as usual the place was packed out. Since my Uncle Bob and Aunt Barb have moved back to the six mile radius of family, or as we like to call it the compound, their kids made the trek for the first time in a long time. This year we also had new additions such as Melissa, my cousin Jake's new wife. It was my Uncle Orvan's 74th birthday so we did a little celebrating of that as well. Here's a picture of the whole crew, well the ones that were there at least. Yes, there are actually family members missing from this picture including Dan who is the photographer. Crazy, I know! Can you find Waldo?!

After the picnic some of the cousins headed over to Dan and Jen's house for an "after party campfire." I must say during this time I heard far, far too many personal, and by personal I mean personal, stories from my cousins. I may never sleep soundly again!

Here's some of us sitting around the campfire, making smores and sharing stories. Well, like I said some of us were sharing stories and others of us were trying to shut our ears and flush our minds!

Seriously though, what is really cool from my perspective is that I'm one of the youngest of the "original" cousins. Being as such there are not a lot of memories that I have of my grandparents when they were feeling well, but my other cousins have tons of them. It was great just to sit there and listen to all of their memories of grandma and grandpa, and family vacations, and, yes, even my cousin Brian remembering that when I was two I crawled up into his lap and he fed me pumpkin pie. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I love my family!

Who Knew?!

2007-09-01T13:24:00.000-04:00

I've lived in Cincinnati now for 5 years and was unaware that there was a place so cool nearby. Well, actually I was aware of it's existence, I just wasn't aware of how cool it really was. The place I'm talking about is the Newport Aquarium. It's tagline is "A million gallons of fun" and it lived up to it.

Bry and I headed down there early this morning because every morning just after it opens they have a penguin parade. Today we got to meet Randy. They have two other African penguins (which means they like warmer climates) named Paula and Simon as well. Yep, they are named for the American Idol judges. Bry got to get up close and personal with Randy at one point.

Right now they're having Shark Fest at the aquarium so there are tons and tons of shark exhibits which are totally cool. Bry and I went in for one short show and after the "movie" was over they raised the screen and behind it was a window into one of the aquariums that held not only Sweet Pea and Scooter, two of the sharks, but it also had a loggerhead turtle. Now the funny part about the loggerhead turtle is on the way back to Cincinnati last night Bry and I were playing guessing games to pass the time. He decided to think of an animal and I had to guess. At one point I had guessed turtle but that was not specific enough for him. He told me when I finally gave up that it was a loggerhead turtle he was thinking of and that he had learned about him on Diego. Alrighty then. So needless to say when the aquarium worker announced that it was indeed a loggerhead turtle Bry about jumped off of his seat.

The coolest part for me is that in areas as your walking through they have created tunnels so that the water and the animals surround you and you're only about an inch of glass away from them. In one of these areas they had scuba divers working on the exhibit and cleaning it and what not but all of them stopped and interacted with the people and posed for pictures.

Bry's favorite part was indeed getting to pet the sharks, which I agree is pretty cool as well. I think he was a little startled at first and a little scared but he did good. They have two or three different kinds you kind pet and it's interesting to feel how different each one is. (No, I didn't get any pictures of that because my hand was wet from petting them as well.)

After the aquarium we took a walk across the Purple People Bridge which spans the Ohio river. At this point Bry informed me I take pictures of everything!

So now Bry is downstairs playing with his shark toys from the aquarium. Let me just tell you he is about the easiest kid to entertain. We're heading to a park later on because it is beautiful here today, but Bry insisted that he had to play with his sharks first. Whatever you want kid.

***Warning*** If you're considering visiting Cincinnati anytime in the near future you might get dragged here whether you want to or not!

Family Weekend to Begin

2007-08-30T20:49:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, which because I had to save this is now today, I'm picking up my nephew Bry for the weekend here. Since Lydia got to come down in July he's been asking so this weekend is it. The only solid plans are that we're going to the Newport Aquarium since he loves animals. Not sure how he feels about petting sharks but we'll deal with that piece of entertainment when it comes. At the end of the weekend we're heading back up to Y-town for the annual family Labor Day picnic. Considering there is going to be about 50-60 family members there I'm sure it will provide much material for future blogs!

In more news, The Office returns to tv Sept 27...Hooray! To see some hilarious footage check out Sarah's blog or You Tube. I can't wait!!!

Okay, I can't think anymore so I'm off to bed. Good night!

Highlight Reel

2007-08-26T15:04:00.000-04:00

The past couple of days have been pretty full so this is just a smattering of all the interesting or not so interesting occurrences.

Success!!!
On Saturday I was able to find the first season of Psych at a very reasonable price. Since Sarah was with me and encouraged the buying of said DVD pack I introduced her to the joy that is Psych: Fake Psychics, Real Detectives. We watched the pilot episode and I do have to say it was enjoyable. The fact that Sarah enjoyed it and laughed hysterically at all the right parts was a bonus as well. The pleasure of a comedy is exponential when coupled with another's laughter.

Adventures in Babysitting
Last night I watched the 4 kiddos that I nannied for when I first moved to Cincy. If anyone has read the Nanny Diaries then all I can say is that I can totally relate. It is always an adventure or drama of some sort and last night was no exception. (Total tangent right now but when I started watching the kids they were 6, 3, 2, and 3 months...it's hard to believe they're now 11, 8, 7, and 5 years old...crazy how time flies) Everything with the kids went smoothly. The only funny story from there is I was drying the youngest's hair after her bath and I noticed a sort of bald patch on her head. Here's how the convo went:

Me: Carissa what happened to you hair here?

Carissa: Where?

After moving her hand the to the spot in question...

Carissa: Oh that's where I vacuumed my hair.

Me: What?!

Carissa: I was vacuuming the steps and my hair got stuck.

Apparently she was using the dirt devil to help vacuum the steps and became a little tired so she laid her head down on the step. She continued vacuuming until said hair got caught. Her mom said she heard screaming and then looked and saw Carissa wrestling with the dirt devil on top of her head. Needless to say Carissa's hair is now about 4-6 inches shorter and her chore around the house has been changed to dusting.

After the kids were in bed, around 11pm, the electricity went out for about an hour. I went outside on the porch just to make sure the whole neighborhood was out and it wasn't just their house. As I was sitting there I saw the neighbors 2 doors down pull up (they looked like high school kids) and not be able to get into the house because the garage door wouldn't open and I'm guessing they didn't have a front door key. Anyway, apparently one of them had to go to the bathroom and couldn't wait to get inside so, no joking, he got out and relieved himself in their neighbors yard. I guess it's a good thing that we haven't had rain in awhile and all the grass is brown.

A Good Plot Twist
Lastly, most all of you know that there is nothing like a good book to me. So it's a real bummer when I can't find one that has been recommended. But what is totally awesome is when the book you've been searching for magically appears at your house. This is what happened last night at 2am. After babysitting all night and getting little sleep from the night before I was tired and pretty much ready for bed when I got home. There sitting with the other mail was a package for me. A good friend of mine who lives in NZ had recommended a certain book since he knows I love Harry Potter, but I couldn't find it over here so he totally sent it to me. So this is a shout out to my kiwi friend...you're awesome! The only down side was that it was indeed 2am and I was tired and had to be up for church this morning so there was no reading for me.

In the spirit of Sesame Street this blog has been brought to you by the letter Z, which I'm off to catch a few of before I head to the Gathering.

I'm Melting, I'm Melting

2007-08-25T02:28:00.000-04:00

Well folks, it's 2:30am and I'm wasting some time while my room is cooling down so I can actually sleep. It's been over 100 degrees in the Nati the past few days and since I don't leave the air conditioning running in my room all day I now have to wait for it to cool down because I definitely can't sleep like this.

It's kind of funny thinking about that because when I was a kid my parents didn't have central air or window units and somehow I still slept. Kids seem much more tolerable than adults or I'm just being fussy or both maybe. I just had an image of me talking to my kids. Instead of saying "When I was your age I walked to school, uphill both ways, in 15 foot deep snow." I'm going to be saying, "When I was your age we didn't have central air and it was 120 degrees outside and humid." Oh how I would love to say that I'm not turning into my father but I believe that ship has already sailed and that's a blog for another day.

In other news that is going to make me sound like an old person, it's sad when music is playing that you know all the lyrics to and can remember dancing to them at junior high dances and someone younger than you goes, "Who is this?" and "How long ago was that made?" This happened tonight. Luckily I was not the only one there who knew or loved the song, but still that's just like a stab in the heart especially when a birthday is looming in the near future. I don't mind birthdays but I don't like to be reminded that I'm getting older either.

Alright, the room is cooler, it's almost 3am (seriously ignore the time thing down below because the actual time right now is 2:50am or as I already said almost 3) and I'm getting a little incoherent so off to bed I go...

Back from the Land of Cable TV

2007-08-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

Since I've gotten harassed by a number of people including kiwis and my mother I decided to cave into peer pressure and update my blog.

Honestly most of the past weeks have been pretty much a blur. Work has been pretty much consuming every spare minute to the point where I felt like I was running around with my hair on fire. Last week though provided a very needed break in the action.

I was able to head up home to the Ridge and basically spend a week doing nothing. It was great! During this time however I fell back into the lure of cable tv. Unlike the Penrose house my parents have not only cable tv but a tivo type thing to match. It took me a couple of days to get fully acclimated to it but then when you do it's hard not to love it. Because my dad likes to tivo just about everything now so he doesn't have to watch commercials I got hooked on a new show that unfortunately I'm not going to get to watch here. It's called Psych and for anyone who was raised in the 80's it is hilarious because of all the references. Sadly the library doesn't have the first season on dvd so now I'm trying to hunt it down for as cheap as I can find it. Seriously if you have cable, check it out and then invite me over!

Unfortunately there is a dark, very dark side to cable television. It seems harmless enough but once you've experienced it there is no turning back. Yes friends, I'm talking about the Disney channel and in particular High School Musical 1 and 2.

I had done a pretty good job of resisting the craze but this week I fell. Not only did I watch them but I actually watched the premiere of the second one. I was one of those record breaking number of people who tuned in to see what would happen to Troy and Gabriella and all of their friends on summer break. Needless to say it is probably a very good thing I'm back home to rabbit ears and 3 channels.

*** In better tv news the third season of The Office comes out September 4th! Hooray!!! And the fourth season will be starting soon!!!

This weekend was also my cousin Jake's wedding. I didn't get any pictures of the actual couple but I thought I would add the a pic of the kids all dressed up and ready to go. All of them like to get dressed up. Cameron, in particular, has never met a mirror he didn't like and loved it even more in his dress shirt and tie. I think they clean up pretty well.

A Very "Harry" Weekend

2007-07-23T21:24:00.000-04:00

I'm finally back to posting after a packed weekend with tons of activities, a lot of reading, and very little sleep.

On Friday I took Lydia, Megan and Grif to Jump Zone for some highly entertaining bouncing and sliding. Jump Zone is a place that has about 7 inflatable bounce houses with everything from slides to obstacle courses. The kids, as well as I, had a blast. The only down side was the fact that a lot of people thought to bring there rugrats there that day and there were quite a few that seemed to have no manners whatsoever. As for the 3 that I took, yep you're right, they were angels. I love these kids.

Friday night we had FX at the church which is a sort of family worship experience. The after dinner activity for the night was making table top corn hole games and enjoying ice cream sundaes. It was pretty cool and kept us, well me, occupied so time went fast before the big Grand Hallows Ball at our local bookstore.

Yes, that's right, Friday night was the big release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Every bookstore was having some type of extravaganza before the big release. Jenny, Monica and the kids, Lydia and I all sprinted over there after FX. They were having a costume contest, so I dressed Lydia up as Ginny Weasley. She looked great if I do say so myself. Considering the number of people who came up and commented or took pictures I wasn't the only one to think this. While we were getting her costume we also got Meg and Grif some items. Considering that Lydia had had a pretty full day, not to mention the pretty full week, already she did great as we were waiting for the book. I finally got my copy at around 12:35am and then the race was on to get home and start reading. Lydia most definitely fell asleep on the way home and was a little disoriented when we got there. As soon as I had her safely tucked away I dove into the book.

I know there are a lot of mixed reviews about the book, but I for one loved it. I read it so fast and was anxious through most of it that I really need to read it again for its full effect. But, yes, it was definitely worth the wait. I stayed up until 3am that night and read a little in the morning before Lydia woke up, but then I was a good aunt and spent the day watching movies with her and having what she called a "lazy" day. I finished the book last night after I got back home from dropping her off to my parents.

All in all it was a great week. I know Lydia was worn out and the feeling is mutual! I had a blast and wouldn't trade it for the world but now I'm ready to get back to some routine and regular sleep!

Day 2 or Like Chocolate for Vomit

2007-07-18T23:03:00.000-04:00

Today was the big spa day for Whacked Out Wednesdays. This was the girls only day and it ended up being pretty nice. We gave the girls the whole pampering treatment including manicures, pedicures and facials. We even had a chocolate fountain with many fun things to dip. The young ladies also decorated their own flip flops as a little take-away. They all seemed to have a great time and are already on their way to enjoying the many finer things of life. The chocolate fountain was definitely a hit although it will come to play a nasty part further along in our story.

After the spa day Lydia was invited to have tea with Sarah and her little sister Hydia. (I'm not sure about the spelling there.) This was a hoot with the girls and Sarah was pretty thorough with trying to teach them the proper etiquette of tea. There were miniature everything including PB&J sandwiches on homemade bread. (Way to go Sarah!)

After tea Lydia and I headed back to the house for her to pack up an overnight bag as she was spending the night with our cousin Kat. Here's where the story goes from fun-filled day to vomit filled car. Lydia said her head was hurting so we decided it would be best for her to lie down for a little while when we got home. On the way home she became more than a little car sick and ended up emptying the contents of her stomach on the floor of my car. She promptly said, "Oh I feel better now except for the bad taste in my mouth." I got her home, into the shower and cleaned off before I started on my car. From here on out I will not fill you in on the gory details other than to say I might possibly be using a whole bottle of Febreze this weekend. A little while later Lydia was asking for food because her "stomach felt empty." Ya think?! She wanted carrots, she got Saltines. She also decided that she didn't think she could think or even talk about chocolate for awhile.

Lydia is now over at our cousin's house spending the night because I have to work all day tomorrow. Jackie just laughed and laughed. I guess after having 6 kids you can find the humor in vomit. I, however, am going to have to take a couple days to get there I think, or at least until the smell has somewhat dissipated. Ah well. That's what aunts are for right...to get nieces so sick on chocolate and then let them puke all over your car. It's a good thing she's so cute and lovable!

So it begins...

2007-07-17T22:34:00.000-04:00

The Big Entertain My Niece & Tire Her Out So I Can Stay Up For 48 Hours Straight Reading H/P Week (as Sarah as so deemed it) has begun. I went up this afternoon to Columbus to pick her up and got to spend most of the day with my brother and his family. It was a pretty uneventful day as we just strolled one of malls up there and hung out. The highlight of the day was Cameron being discovered. I was chasing Cameron across the mall which he personally thought was hysterical (he's a fast little guy) so he was laughing and screaming and wanting to do it over and over again. The area that we were doing this in the mall was right in front of a picture studio. So the people working came out after awhile of watching it and asked if they could take his (and the other kids as well) picture for free and then Jason and Carie would receive a free 8x10. I know it's all to lure one in so they get you to actually buy more pics but it was entertaining and the pictures were amazing. How could they not be with subjects like this...

They are pretty stinking cute if I do say so myself. And Cameron was a ham during the time of getting his pictures taken! And, yes, I'm pretty sure Jason and Carie were lured in and are planning to buy some of the pics taken. After seeing them and how good they were I would too. Hopefully I'll have those to show in a future blog.

Lydia couldn't wait to leave to come back to Cincinnati. She kept asking when we were going to go home so that was cool. On the way home we stopped for some Skyline which is one of her favorites and she declared this day one of her best. Hopefully they will just go up from here. Tomorrow is the spa day with the elementary girls which should prove entertaining so Lydia is already in bed dreaming of it right now. And since Aunt Megan has to be up and moving extra early for tomorrow she's heading off to bed now as well.

Happenings

2007-07-16T20:03:00.000-04:00

So this weekend I saw the infamous and "darkest" Harry Potter film. Of course it was dark, most of the film is shot in dungeons, and basements, and Grimmauld Place. Doesn't lend much for sunlight coming in does it? Anyway, this was definitely my favorite of the HP saga, which is saying something because it's my least favorite book (mainly because she kills off my favorite character and Harry is grumpy through the whole thing!) It's funny though because all of the kids who I've talked to hated it because they feel like it cut out too much. To them I say, it was an 870 page book, what do you expect a 20 hour movie? All of the adults I've talked to though have loved it and that seems to be the theme.

My favorite parts were when we entered Prof Umbridge's very pink and kitten strewn office because the reaction of LB sitting next to me cringing and gasping was classic. My other favorite part actually came after the movie when we all were visiting the restroom and a 13 year old (if that) starting talking to us about the movie and telling us that she had just returned from London and was able to visit the Creaky Cauldron that was so cool and etc, etc, etc. Again, I'm pretty sure that it was funny to me because of LB's reaction. Again, classic!

So now I'm totally excited for Friday when the book comes out. Yes, I will be one of those people picking it up at midnight with Jenny and my niece in tow.

Speaking of which, I'm pretty excited because my niece is coming down to stay with me this week. This is a picture of her with my mom. I'm meeting up with my bro and his family tomorrow to retrieve her. Since the boys have been born I really haven't gotten too much one on one time with her so I'm really looking forward to this. I think she might be more looking forward that on Thursday she gets to spend the whole day with our cousin Kat while I'm at work but either way I know I'm going to have a blast with her. On Wednesday we're doing a spa day for the girls in the elementary on the Westside which Lydia, of course, will be coming to. I'll be sure to post some pics after that because we are doing facials with cucumbers on the eyes. It should be a hoot! If anyone has some other cool ideas about what to do with a 9 year old in Cincinnati be sure to let me know. Until then...

Really?! Really?!

2007-07-11T15:58:00.000-04:00

Okay, I might have seen it all now...unfortunately I probably haven't though!

Check it out for yourself...

http://omg.yahoo.com/from-hollywood-to-holy-word/news/900

I don't even have words for this.

Addendum to "We are Family"

2007-07-10T08:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, two blogs in one day!

So it was noticed in my blog of "We are Family" that I didn't happen to mention my cousins on my mom's side. This is NOT because they are not great and loving and all of that. It's just that they all grew up states away.

But because I was reminded of this by someone who shall remain not so nameless...ahem look in the comments section...I wanted to give a shout out to one of them.

Nathan is one of my cousins on my mom's side. He is currently working for PBT with his beautiful wife Lindsay and their daughter Addy and one more daughter on the way! Nathan is one of those great guys to have around...he's passionate about Jesus, fun loving and absolutely hysterical! If you want to read any of his blogs you can link to him through my page. It's definitely worth the read.

Books, Movie and other Media

2007-07-10T07:34:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm finally back blogging again after about a week's hiatus. I guess I'm still getting used to deciding what to blog about and what not to. Anyway, I was reading the comics this morning and found this one which I loved and wanted to share...

Okay, there are a number of reasons why I love this comic, the first and foremost being the excitement Pasquel has about going to the library regardless of whether it is in the summer or not. If you know me, you know that I have a love affair with books which is the only reason I worked at the downtown library as long as I did. This started when I was about the age of these kiddos and my mom would take my brother and me to the library all the time. Books were considered treats to us. I kind of lost the reading excitement during college when reading became an educational requirement instead of for fun, but now that I've graduated the love of it has returned.

This summer is a good one for reading enthusiasts with the obvious pending release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I can't wait...yes, I'm a nerd. There is a part of me that is also really dreading it though. This is not because of worrying whether or not Rowling is going to kill of Harry or not, but more for the fact that a great series is going to be over. Stephen King wrote an article in the latest Entertainment Weekly about the emotions of finishing a really good book and how they're tied in with memories as part of your family and life. It was pretty good and pretty accurate.

While Harry Potter ranks up there with some of my favorite fiction books (I'll save nonfiction for another blog), my all time favorite is reserved for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...are you noticing a theme with me and British authors? Now I haven't read all of her books but I am definitely a huge fan of Miss Austen which is why this summer is getting even better. Not only are good books coming out (see above paragraph) but great movies are as well. Yes, I mean Harry Potter 5, but more so, I mean Becoming Jane. This movie is going to be out in August and it's basically a bio of her life. *** Thank you Jen for turning me on to this piece of information. Just out of curiosity what are some of your favorite books and movies?

So I've talked about books and movies. I'm guessing you're wondering what the other media is...NEWS. Can someone please tell me what happened to it? This past week I've gotten to see the morning news a lot, much more than in recent years. As I was flipping through the three main stations most of it was devoted to the morning concerts each one of them was having. I realize this was Friday, but seriously, each one has to have a concert. I thought I might be judging too harshly off of one viewing so I decided to watch some more this week and basically it's the same...fluff pieces about what to pack for summer and how to pack for weekend trips and yada yada yada. I don't mind these pieces once in awhile, but really, do they have to dominate. What happened to the news when I was a kid where we watched the Berlin Wall coming down or the tragic story of the Challenger? Alright, I'll get off my soapbox now and be done with this edition of Notes from the Westside...cue music.

We are Family

2007-07-02T20:04:00.001-04:00

So this weekend I got to go to an open house for one of my younger cousins. A lot of family made the trek to the 'Nati for the occasion and I was reminded how lucky I am to be blessed with the family I am. I actually have quite a big extended family on both sides. On my dad's side, which is the one I grew up around, I was one of the youngest. I can remember my older cousins babysitting me and my brother, and taking us places, and really investing a lot of time in us. They always felt more like brothers and sisters than cousins and eventually as we grew older we became more like friends.

Other than feeling really old at the open house, since I remember when Samantha was born and watching her grow up, it was really cool to have that same feeling now with their kids. A lot of them I babysat and took places and invested time in. And now they're growing into wonderful young adults and I'm getting to know them on a whole other level. The bonus of that is that they are hilarious.

I used to think that all families were like this. Through my job I've realized that slowly we're fading into the minority. And that's why I feel totally blessed to have people who surround me that are funny and caring, who can get mad at me because of the stupid choices I make but love me anyway, and who I know would, if I ever needed anything, be there in a heartbeat. Yep, that's my family and I know I am one lucky girl!

This one goes out to Sarah

2007-06-30T18:14:00.000-04:00

Okay so I've been pressured by someone who will remain nameless...well mostly nameless... to get my hind quarters started on a blog. To be honest, starting a blog is a little intimidating. I mean are there really people out there who want to read about my life and/or my thoughts. And if there are, what kind people are these guys anyway. But regardless of all of that I was finally pressured enough to cave and write my first blog post. And it's dedicated to Sarah because well she gave me the subject matter for the blog.

Sarah and I got to hang out today and do bunch of random stuff like head to lunch, pick up tickets for the new Harry Potter movie coming soon to a theater near you, grab coffee, and just hang at a bookstore (my most favorite stores in the world by the way). If you know Sarah, and trust me you should, she makes a lot of great, funny and random comments. So here are just a few from today...

While holding a stuffed otter at the bookstore...

"They have koalas over in New Zealand don't they?"

She insists that the otter looked like a koala and that's what confused her. I for one was confused because I wasn't understanding how that subject matter popped into her head and then I realized. When it was pointed out that she was indeed holding an otter her response was...

"Well it looked like a koala. It had small ears and a small black nose!"

Yes these are the distinguishing features of the animal! But the last comment on this subject from her was...

"Okay, I guess it should have occurred to me because it had the tubular body and all."

Still on the subject of animals...this time penguins...Sarah explained to me why she was disappointed with the movie Happy Feet.

"There were definitely NOT enough dancing penguins for my sake!"

And the last Sarahism that doesn't come from today but from few weeks ago at Reds/Indians game (which the Indians won by the way...wahoo!). I was pointing at Abel who was sitting on Susan's lap next to her and Sarah apparently thought I was pointing out the fact that she had a moth on her. She began screaming and flailing her arms. After the disturbed looks that a number of us gave her she calmed down and said...

"Oh, there isn't a moth on me?"

Nope, sure isn't!

What makes Sarah the most fun to hang with though is not these comments, but the fact that she can laugh at herself through these comments. That's what makes the difference from being 30% fantastic to 70% fantastic!