This week of vacation after Christmas has been nice. I have a lot to blog about, but that is going to have to happen in 2011!!
Our plans are to lay low tonight. We have a magnum bottle of Prosecco, cheese, crackers, fruit and shrimp. We may not even make it to midnight. We'll see.
Tomorrow we will have to continue cleaning as CP's dad and girlfriend are coming down for the rest of the weekend.
I hope that you all have a safe and fun New Years Eve!
12.31.2010
12.27.2010
My (non) belief
First, three quick stories:
I was working from home recently when I heard the doorbell rang. I opened the door to two ladies who asked if I had God in my life. I replied that I did not as I was not religious. They made a face and then asked, “well have you always been that way?” Umm yes.
Freshman year of high school I remember being in science class. Somehow the fact that I was an atheist came up and some guy then told me that I was going to hell. I didn't think that was quite appropriate as I think that I am a good person, despite being a non-believer. He kept saying it to me, over and over, until our teacher had to come over and tell him that I wasn't going to hell simply because I didn't believe in God. Around this time I realized that maybe I should keep my (non)beliefs to myself.
One of my best friend's mothers in high school remarked, "Oh, Non Sequitur Chica is so nice, but I wish that she would join a church."
---------------------------
I'll let someone else help me explain my (non)belief.
A Holiday Message From Ricky Gervais: Why I’m an Atheist
Originally posted on the Wall Street Journal Blogs
Why don’t you believe in God? I get that question all the time. I always try to give a sensitive, reasoned answer. This is usually awkward, time consuming and pointless. People who believe in God don’t need proof of his existence, and they certainly don’t want evidence to the contrary. They are happy with their belief. They even say things like “it’s true to me” and “it’s faith.” I still give my logical answer because I feel that not being honest would be patronizing and impolite. It is ironic therefore that “I don’t believe in God because there is absolutely no scientific evidence for his existence and from what I’ve heard the very definition is a logical impossibility in this known universe,” comes across as both patronizing and impolite.
Arrogance is another accusation. Which seems particularly unfair. Science seeks the truth. And it does not discriminate. For better or worse it finds things out. Science is humble. It knows what it knows and it knows what it doesn’t know. It bases its conclusions and beliefs on hard evidence -- evidence that is constantly updated and upgraded. It doesn’t get offended when new facts come along. It embraces the body of knowledge. It doesn’t hold on to medieval practices because they are tradition. If it did, you wouldn’t get a shot of penicillin, you’d pop a leach down your trousers and pray. Whatever you “believe,” this is not as effective as medicine. Again you can say, “It works for me,” but so do placebos. My point being, I’m saying God doesn’t exist. I’m not saying faith doesn’t exist. I know faith exists. I see it all the time. But believing in something doesn’t make it true. Hoping that something is true doesn’t make it true. The existence of God is not subjective. He either exists or he doesn’t. It’s not a matter of opinion. You can have your own opinions. But you can’t have your own facts.
Why don’t I believe in God? No, no no, why do YOU believe in God? Surely the burden of proof is on the believer. You started all this. If I came up to you and said, “Why don’t you believe I can fly?” You’d say, “Why would I?” I’d reply, “Because it’s a matter of faith.” If I then said, “Prove I can’t fly. Prove I can’t fly see, see, you can’t prove it can you?” You’d probably either walk away, call security or throw me out of the window and shout, ‘’F—ing fly then you lunatic.”
This, is of course a spirituality issue, religion is a different matter. As an atheist, I see nothing “wrong” in believing in a god. I don’t think there is a god, but belief in him does no harm. If it helps you in any way, then that’s fine with me. It’s when belief starts infringing on other people’s rights when it worries me. I would never deny your right to believe in a god. I would just rather you didn’t kill people who believe in a different god, say. Or stone someone to death because your rulebook says their sexuality is immoral. It’s strange that anyone who believes that an all-powerful all-knowing, omniscient power responsible for everything that happens, would also want to judge and punish people for what they are. From what I can gather, pretty much the worst type of person you can be is an atheist. The first four commandments hammer this point home. There is a god, I’m him, no one else is, you’re not as good and don’t forget it. (Don’t murder anyone, doesn’t get a mention till number 6.)
When confronted with anyone who holds my lack of religious faith in such contempt, I say, “It’s the way God made me.”
But what are atheists really being accused of?
The dictionary definition of God is “a supernatural creator and overseer of the universe.” Included in this definition are all deities, goddesses and supernatural beings. Since the beginning of recorded history, which is defined by the invention of writing by the Sumerians around 6,000 years ago, historians have cataloged over 3700 supernatural beings, of which 2870 can be considered deities.
So next time someone tells me they believe in God, I’ll say “Oh which one? Zeus? Hades? Jupiter? Mars? Odin? Thor? Krishna? Vishnu? Ra?…” If they say “Just God. I only believe in the one God,” I’ll point out that they are nearly as atheistic as me. I don’t believe in 2,870 gods, and they don’t believe in 2,869.
I used to believe in God. The Christian one that is.
I loved Jesus. He was my hero. More than pop stars. More than footballers. More than God. God was by definition omnipotent and perfect. Jesus was a man. He had to work at it. He had temptation but defeated sin. He had integrity and courage. But He was my hero because He was kind. And He was kind to everyone. He didn’t bow to peer pressure or tyranny or cruelty. He didn’t care who you were. He loved you. What a guy. I wanted to be just like Him.
One day when I was about 8 years old, I was drawing the crucifixion as part of my Bible studies homework. I loved art too. And nature. I loved how God made all the animals. They were also perfect. Unconditionally beautiful. It was an amazing world.
I lived in a very poor, working-class estate in an urban sprawl called Reading, about 40 miles west of London. My father was a laborer and my mother was a housewife. I was never ashamed of poverty. It was almost noble. Also, everyone I knew was in the same situation, and I had everything I needed. School was free. My clothes were cheap and always clean and ironed. And mum was always cooking. She was cooking the day I was drawing on the cross.
I was sitting at the kitchen table when my brother came home. He was 11 years older than me, so he would have been 19. He was as smart as anyone I knew, but he was too cheeky. He would answer back and get into trouble. I was a good boy. I went to church and believed in God -– what a relief for a working-class mother. You see, growing up where I did, mums didn’t hope as high as their kids growing up to be doctors; they just hoped their kids didn’t go to jail. So bring them up believing in God and they’ll be good and law abiding. It’s a perfect system. Well, nearly. 75 percent of Americans are God-‐fearing Christians; 75 percent of prisoners are God-‐fearing Christians. 10 percent of Americans are atheists; 0.2 percent of prisoners are atheists.
But anyway, there I was happily drawing my hero when my big brother Bob asked, “Why do you believe in God?” Just a simple question. But my mum panicked. “Bob,” she said in a tone that I knew meant, “Shut up.” Why was that a bad thing to ask? If there was a God and my faith was strong it didn’t matter what people said.
Oh…hang on. There is no God. He knows it, and she knows it deep down. It was as simple as that. I started thinking about it and asking more questions, and within an hour, I was an atheist.
Wow. No God. If mum had lied to me about God, had she also lied to me about Santa? Yes, of course, but who cares? The gifts kept coming. And so did the gifts of my new found atheism. The gifts of truth, science, nature. The real beauty of this world. I learned of evolution -– a theory so simple that only England’s greatest genius could have come up with it. Evolution of plants, animals and us –- with imagination, free will, love, humor. I no longer needed a reason for my existence, just a reason to live. And imagination, free will, love, humor, fun, music, sports, beer and pizza are all good enough reasons for living.
But living an honest life -– for that you need the truth. That’s the other thing I learned that day, that the truth, however shocking or uncomfortable, in the end leads to liberation and dignity.
So what does the question “Why don’t you believe in God?” really mean. I think when someone asks that they are really questioning their own belief. In a way they are asking “what makes you so special? “How come you weren’t brainwashed with the rest of us?” “How dare you say I’m a fool and I’m not going to heaven, f— you!” Let’s be honest, if one person believed in God he would be considered pretty strange. But because it’s a very popular view it’s accepted. And why is it such a popular view? That’s obvious. It’s an attractive proposition. Believe in me and live forever. Again if it was just a case of spirituality this would be fine.
“Do unto others…” is a good rule of thumb. I live by that. Forgiveness is probably the greatest virtue there is. But that’s exactly what it is -‐ a virtue. Not just a Christian virtue. No one owns being good. I’m good. I just don’t believe I’ll be rewarded for it in heaven. My reward is here and now. It’s knowing that I try to do the right thing. That I lived a good life. And that’s where spirituality really lost its way. When it became a stick to beat people with. “Do this or you’ll burn in hell.”
You won’t burn in hell. But be nice anyway.
----------------------------
My (non)belief doesn't stop me from celebrating Christmas though. It's a time for my family to get together and enjoy some time off from work. I hope you enjoyed your holiday break, no matter what you believe!
Thoughts? Let's aim for a thoughtful and respectful discussion in the comments.
I was working from home recently when I heard the doorbell rang. I opened the door to two ladies who asked if I had God in my life. I replied that I did not as I was not religious. They made a face and then asked, “well have you always been that way?” Umm yes.
Freshman year of high school I remember being in science class. Somehow the fact that I was an atheist came up and some guy then told me that I was going to hell. I didn't think that was quite appropriate as I think that I am a good person, despite being a non-believer. He kept saying it to me, over and over, until our teacher had to come over and tell him that I wasn't going to hell simply because I didn't believe in God. Around this time I realized that maybe I should keep my (non)beliefs to myself.
One of my best friend's mothers in high school remarked, "Oh, Non Sequitur Chica is so nice, but I wish that she would join a church."
---------------------------
I'll let someone else help me explain my (non)belief.
A Holiday Message From Ricky Gervais: Why I’m an Atheist
Originally posted on the Wall Street Journal Blogs
Why don’t you believe in God? I get that question all the time. I always try to give a sensitive, reasoned answer. This is usually awkward, time consuming and pointless. People who believe in God don’t need proof of his existence, and they certainly don’t want evidence to the contrary. They are happy with their belief. They even say things like “it’s true to me” and “it’s faith.” I still give my logical answer because I feel that not being honest would be patronizing and impolite. It is ironic therefore that “I don’t believe in God because there is absolutely no scientific evidence for his existence and from what I’ve heard the very definition is a logical impossibility in this known universe,” comes across as both patronizing and impolite.
Arrogance is another accusation. Which seems particularly unfair. Science seeks the truth. And it does not discriminate. For better or worse it finds things out. Science is humble. It knows what it knows and it knows what it doesn’t know. It bases its conclusions and beliefs on hard evidence -- evidence that is constantly updated and upgraded. It doesn’t get offended when new facts come along. It embraces the body of knowledge. It doesn’t hold on to medieval practices because they are tradition. If it did, you wouldn’t get a shot of penicillin, you’d pop a leach down your trousers and pray. Whatever you “believe,” this is not as effective as medicine. Again you can say, “It works for me,” but so do placebos. My point being, I’m saying God doesn’t exist. I’m not saying faith doesn’t exist. I know faith exists. I see it all the time. But believing in something doesn’t make it true. Hoping that something is true doesn’t make it true. The existence of God is not subjective. He either exists or he doesn’t. It’s not a matter of opinion. You can have your own opinions. But you can’t have your own facts.
Why don’t I believe in God? No, no no, why do YOU believe in God? Surely the burden of proof is on the believer. You started all this. If I came up to you and said, “Why don’t you believe I can fly?” You’d say, “Why would I?” I’d reply, “Because it’s a matter of faith.” If I then said, “Prove I can’t fly. Prove I can’t fly see, see, you can’t prove it can you?” You’d probably either walk away, call security or throw me out of the window and shout, ‘’F—ing fly then you lunatic.”
This, is of course a spirituality issue, religion is a different matter. As an atheist, I see nothing “wrong” in believing in a god. I don’t think there is a god, but belief in him does no harm. If it helps you in any way, then that’s fine with me. It’s when belief starts infringing on other people’s rights when it worries me. I would never deny your right to believe in a god. I would just rather you didn’t kill people who believe in a different god, say. Or stone someone to death because your rulebook says their sexuality is immoral. It’s strange that anyone who believes that an all-powerful all-knowing, omniscient power responsible for everything that happens, would also want to judge and punish people for what they are. From what I can gather, pretty much the worst type of person you can be is an atheist. The first four commandments hammer this point home. There is a god, I’m him, no one else is, you’re not as good and don’t forget it. (Don’t murder anyone, doesn’t get a mention till number 6.)
When confronted with anyone who holds my lack of religious faith in such contempt, I say, “It’s the way God made me.”
But what are atheists really being accused of?
The dictionary definition of God is “a supernatural creator and overseer of the universe.” Included in this definition are all deities, goddesses and supernatural beings. Since the beginning of recorded history, which is defined by the invention of writing by the Sumerians around 6,000 years ago, historians have cataloged over 3700 supernatural beings, of which 2870 can be considered deities.
So next time someone tells me they believe in God, I’ll say “Oh which one? Zeus? Hades? Jupiter? Mars? Odin? Thor? Krishna? Vishnu? Ra?…” If they say “Just God. I only believe in the one God,” I’ll point out that they are nearly as atheistic as me. I don’t believe in 2,870 gods, and they don’t believe in 2,869.
I used to believe in God. The Christian one that is.
I loved Jesus. He was my hero. More than pop stars. More than footballers. More than God. God was by definition omnipotent and perfect. Jesus was a man. He had to work at it. He had temptation but defeated sin. He had integrity and courage. But He was my hero because He was kind. And He was kind to everyone. He didn’t bow to peer pressure or tyranny or cruelty. He didn’t care who you were. He loved you. What a guy. I wanted to be just like Him.
One day when I was about 8 years old, I was drawing the crucifixion as part of my Bible studies homework. I loved art too. And nature. I loved how God made all the animals. They were also perfect. Unconditionally beautiful. It was an amazing world.
I lived in a very poor, working-class estate in an urban sprawl called Reading, about 40 miles west of London. My father was a laborer and my mother was a housewife. I was never ashamed of poverty. It was almost noble. Also, everyone I knew was in the same situation, and I had everything I needed. School was free. My clothes were cheap and always clean and ironed. And mum was always cooking. She was cooking the day I was drawing on the cross.
I was sitting at the kitchen table when my brother came home. He was 11 years older than me, so he would have been 19. He was as smart as anyone I knew, but he was too cheeky. He would answer back and get into trouble. I was a good boy. I went to church and believed in God -– what a relief for a working-class mother. You see, growing up where I did, mums didn’t hope as high as their kids growing up to be doctors; they just hoped their kids didn’t go to jail. So bring them up believing in God and they’ll be good and law abiding. It’s a perfect system. Well, nearly. 75 percent of Americans are God-‐fearing Christians; 75 percent of prisoners are God-‐fearing Christians. 10 percent of Americans are atheists; 0.2 percent of prisoners are atheists.
But anyway, there I was happily drawing my hero when my big brother Bob asked, “Why do you believe in God?” Just a simple question. But my mum panicked. “Bob,” she said in a tone that I knew meant, “Shut up.” Why was that a bad thing to ask? If there was a God and my faith was strong it didn’t matter what people said.
Oh…hang on. There is no God. He knows it, and she knows it deep down. It was as simple as that. I started thinking about it and asking more questions, and within an hour, I was an atheist.
Wow. No God. If mum had lied to me about God, had she also lied to me about Santa? Yes, of course, but who cares? The gifts kept coming. And so did the gifts of my new found atheism. The gifts of truth, science, nature. The real beauty of this world. I learned of evolution -– a theory so simple that only England’s greatest genius could have come up with it. Evolution of plants, animals and us –- with imagination, free will, love, humor. I no longer needed a reason for my existence, just a reason to live. And imagination, free will, love, humor, fun, music, sports, beer and pizza are all good enough reasons for living.
But living an honest life -– for that you need the truth. That’s the other thing I learned that day, that the truth, however shocking or uncomfortable, in the end leads to liberation and dignity.
So what does the question “Why don’t you believe in God?” really mean. I think when someone asks that they are really questioning their own belief. In a way they are asking “what makes you so special? “How come you weren’t brainwashed with the rest of us?” “How dare you say I’m a fool and I’m not going to heaven, f— you!” Let’s be honest, if one person believed in God he would be considered pretty strange. But because it’s a very popular view it’s accepted. And why is it such a popular view? That’s obvious. It’s an attractive proposition. Believe in me and live forever. Again if it was just a case of spirituality this would be fine.
“Do unto others…” is a good rule of thumb. I live by that. Forgiveness is probably the greatest virtue there is. But that’s exactly what it is -‐ a virtue. Not just a Christian virtue. No one owns being good. I’m good. I just don’t believe I’ll be rewarded for it in heaven. My reward is here and now. It’s knowing that I try to do the right thing. That I lived a good life. And that’s where spirituality really lost its way. When it became a stick to beat people with. “Do this or you’ll burn in hell.”
You won’t burn in hell. But be nice anyway.
----------------------------
My (non)belief doesn't stop me from celebrating Christmas though. It's a time for my family to get together and enjoy some time off from work. I hope you enjoyed your holiday break, no matter what you believe!
Thoughts? Let's aim for a thoughtful and respectful discussion in the comments.
12.23.2010
Early Christmas gift
I got an early Christmas gift yesterday- I received notice from my boss that I got promoted! The promotion comes with a 20% raise- this is fantastic news as it should really help CP and I pay off bills. AND it means that this spring we will be getting the anniversary puppy that we put off getting this fall!! YAY!
In addition to my excitement over my promotion, I am actually excited about Christmas. Last year I was sad as it was the first time I wouldn't see my parents over the holiday in my 31 years. It just didn't feel like Christmas. This year though, my parents and sister arrive tomorrow and will be here until Tuesday. I can't wait to show them our house and town.
CP and I have planned a big meal for Christmas dinner (would you expect anything less?):
*Beef roast. CP has been dry aging it in our fridge for the past couple of days. It's from our beef CSA. :-)
*Lobster bisque
*Pear and goat cheese salad
*Squash puree
*Rolls
*Apple pie and homemade vanilla ice cream
What are you doing for the holidays? Do you have family coming in? Are you going somewhere?
In addition to my excitement over my promotion, I am actually excited about Christmas. Last year I was sad as it was the first time I wouldn't see my parents over the holiday in my 31 years. It just didn't feel like Christmas. This year though, my parents and sister arrive tomorrow and will be here until Tuesday. I can't wait to show them our house and town.
CP and I have planned a big meal for Christmas dinner (would you expect anything less?):
*Beef roast. CP has been dry aging it in our fridge for the past couple of days. It's from our beef CSA. :-)
*Lobster bisque
*Pear and goat cheese salad
*Squash puree
*Rolls
*Apple pie and homemade vanilla ice cream
What are you doing for the holidays? Do you have family coming in? Are you going somewhere?
12.22.2010
My new favorite thing
Let me tell you about my new favorite thing: my Nook. CP gave it to me for my birthday and I LOVE IT.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel moving from real books to an e-reader. But CP and I dropped into a Barnes & Noble last month and were able to play around with a store Nook.
The Nook has no back light, which means no strain on my eyes after a long day of looking at my computer/Blackberry/iTouch/etc. That also means that I will have no problems reading it in the sun.
Because the book has already downloaded to the device, there is no lag time when I turn the pages of the book. I haven't used the dictionary, highlighting or other features just yet- my first book was a fast and easy read. :-)
I can also get newspaper or magazine subscriptions on the Nook. I haven't entered my subscriptions into my account just yet, but that will be nice for vacations. Then I'll only have to take my reader with me!
The biggest feature that the Nook has over the Kindle is that I can download books from my local library. I already love reading books for free from the library- now I can just download the e-books straight to my computer (then transfer them onto the Nook)! My library has over 430 e-books right now and will only be adding to that collection. Yay free! Not to mention I don't have to worry about bringing back the books on time= no late fees!
Barnes & Noble also has “free book Friday”- a free download. While I don’t expect any of these books to be on the best seller list, it may be a good way to find new or up-and-coming authors.
Last but not least, I was able to find the cutest case for my Nook from Free Moment on Etsy!
Do you have an e-reader? If not, are you thinking about getting one? Are you worried that you will miss out on the "feel" of books?
Note: B & N did NOT contact me to talk about the Nook.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel moving from real books to an e-reader. But CP and I dropped into a Barnes & Noble last month and were able to play around with a store Nook.
The Nook has no back light, which means no strain on my eyes after a long day of looking at my computer/Blackberry/iTouch/etc. That also means that I will have no problems reading it in the sun.
Because the book has already downloaded to the device, there is no lag time when I turn the pages of the book. I haven't used the dictionary, highlighting or other features just yet- my first book was a fast and easy read. :-)
I can also get newspaper or magazine subscriptions on the Nook. I haven't entered my subscriptions into my account just yet, but that will be nice for vacations. Then I'll only have to take my reader with me!
The biggest feature that the Nook has over the Kindle is that I can download books from my local library. I already love reading books for free from the library- now I can just download the e-books straight to my computer (then transfer them onto the Nook)! My library has over 430 e-books right now and will only be adding to that collection. Yay free! Not to mention I don't have to worry about bringing back the books on time= no late fees!
Barnes & Noble also has “free book Friday”- a free download. While I don’t expect any of these books to be on the best seller list, it may be a good way to find new or up-and-coming authors.
Last but not least, I was able to find the cutest case for my Nook from Free Moment on Etsy!
Do you have an e-reader? If not, are you thinking about getting one? Are you worried that you will miss out on the "feel" of books?
Note: B & N did NOT contact me to talk about the Nook.
12.21.2010
Drinking
On our way to a friend’s holiday party on Saturday, CP and I stopped at a liquor store to grab some beer. Four Loko advertisements were plastered all over the refrigerator display. We joked that we should bring some Four Loko to the party. We even went as far as to ask the cashier if they had Four Loko anymore. CT banned it about a month ago, but the cashier was willing to sell us a case on the side….otherwise the cans are headed back to the manufacturer.
CP and I demurred because the transaction sounded sketchy….along with the fact that we only wanted to ruin our livers with ONE can of Four Loko- not an entire case!
Have any of you tried Four Loko? It’s disgusting, right?
----------------------------------------------
Speaking of drinking, I can finally show you guys what STUMP is. For those that have been reading for a while, if you remember after our wedding last year, we had a game of Beirut and a game of stump going on after our reception. (What else were we expected to do in the middle of nowhere NH? :-) )
Anyway, there is a Wiki entry about the rules of the game AND there is a video of Elijah Wood teaching Jimmy Fallon.
(Note: we don’t play the behind the back and under the leg tricks. Also, Elijah and Jimmy are cheating by “cocking” the hammer back before trying to hit the nail. Elijah clearly doesn’t play that often. Hee hee.)
CP and I played this weekend after the holiday party. Good times. Good times.
CP and I demurred because the transaction sounded sketchy….along with the fact that we only wanted to ruin our livers with ONE can of Four Loko- not an entire case!
Have any of you tried Four Loko? It’s disgusting, right?
----------------------------------------------
Speaking of drinking, I can finally show you guys what STUMP is. For those that have been reading for a while, if you remember after our wedding last year, we had a game of Beirut and a game of stump going on after our reception. (What else were we expected to do in the middle of nowhere NH? :-) )
Anyway, there is a Wiki entry about the rules of the game AND there is a video of Elijah Wood teaching Jimmy Fallon.
(Note: we don’t play the behind the back and under the leg tricks. Also, Elijah and Jimmy are cheating by “cocking” the hammer back before trying to hit the nail. Elijah clearly doesn’t play that often. Hee hee.)
CP and I played this weekend after the holiday party. Good times. Good times.
12.20.2010
Random stories
Do you go on a crazy cleaning spree during your period too?
In college, my boyfriend’s roommate joked about inviting women over while they were visited by Aunt Flo so that they would clean their room. I laughed at the idea at the time…but now that I am off the pill? It is TOTALLY is true with me. CP enjoys these monthly cleaning sprees because I get a little crazy about deep cleaning our house.
Does this happen to anyone else?
---------------------------------------
Last week I get a text from my Mom:
“What is a woody? I think that I know what it is, but I’m just making sure. I would ask your father, but he made fun of me for asking him what flashbacks are a few weeks ago.”
My mom is what you would call naïve. And the nicest woman around. She is not up on slang, television shows, pop culture, or the like (but is on Facebook!).
I was at work at the time and was simultaneously laughing and wondering how I would respond to her. So I texted my sister and CP telling them the story instead. In the end, I gave her the answer….but instead of having to answer potentially awkward questions (“what is a Cleveland steamer?”), I instead bought her the Urban Dictionary as a stocking gift.
In college, my boyfriend’s roommate joked about inviting women over while they were visited by Aunt Flo so that they would clean their room. I laughed at the idea at the time…but now that I am off the pill? It is TOTALLY is true with me. CP enjoys these monthly cleaning sprees because I get a little crazy about deep cleaning our house.
Does this happen to anyone else?
---------------------------------------
Last week I get a text from my Mom:
“What is a woody? I think that I know what it is, but I’m just making sure. I would ask your father, but he made fun of me for asking him what flashbacks are a few weeks ago.”
My mom is what you would call naïve. And the nicest woman around. She is not up on slang, television shows, pop culture, or the like (but is on Facebook!).
I was at work at the time and was simultaneously laughing and wondering how I would respond to her. So I texted my sister and CP telling them the story instead. In the end, I gave her the answer….but instead of having to answer potentially awkward questions (“what is a Cleveland steamer?”), I instead bought her the Urban Dictionary as a stocking gift.
Here’s hoping no more odd questions to come while I am at work now that she will have a reference guide….
Do you get weird questions from your parents?
---------------------------------------
Poor Fuzzy Britches. CP was in our backyard throwing her new FAVORITE BALL around and he somehow got it stuck in one of the gutters on top of our sunroom (and he says that I don’t have any aim!).
So what did Fuzzy Britches do? She sat down in front of the gutters and looked up. Wishing that somehow her FAVORITE BALL would drop down and that she would be reunited.
Why are they TORTURING ME?
Please drop. Please drop. Please drop.About an hour later CP cleaned the gutters and reunited her with her ball, but that dog has some patience!!
---------------------------------------
Did any of you watch the Eagles/Giants game yesterday? I was so bummed that the Eagles were playing like crap for the first three quarters. Down 21 points with less than 9 minutes left- I didn’t think that we would have much of a chance. The Eagles are such an explosive team, but we hadn’t exactly showed that side so far. However, with some lucky plays, we were suddenly tied at 31 with 14 seconds left the Giants punter inexplicably punts directly to our amazing wide receiver/sometime punt returner. And if you haven’t seen this yet, here is the amazing return.
LOVE this video. E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
LOVE this video. E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
12.15.2010
Christmas tree FAIL
This past weekend CP and I learned that we are still novices when it comes to Christmas.
With some room in our new house we bought a few more Christmas items (stockings, garland and lights for our outside lamp pole, etc.), but have tried to not go TOO crazy. I mean, we still have CP’s mother who will try to shove a lot of holiday decorations our way. She means well, but sometimes her taste is a little iffy…
On Saturday CP and I headed out to find our Christmas tree. The first place was weird. It was a house in the suburbs that had a long and narrow plot of land. Instead of using the land for a play area for kids, a garden, etc., they planted a ton of Christmas trees. All of the good ones were taken so we headed to another farm.
Growing up in NH means that CP wants to cut down the Christmas tree himself. So when the guy at the next place handed us a saw and gloves and told us that we would have to lug the tree back ourselves, CP was fine with it. However, we picked a REALLY heavy tree. And then we had to lug it about half a mile back to our car. While holding onto Fuzzy Britches’ leash. And a bag of her poop. Needless to say, we got to our car with sap all over our clothes and cranky.
Well, we should have thought about our small living room. Because we came home with this:
Whoops
FAIL. The branches haven't even dropped yet.
However we were kind of in a rush that night because we needed to get ready for a holiday party, so we leaned the tree against the wall and figured that we would deal with it the next day.
On Sunday CP took an electric hedge trimmer to our tree. What a disaster. Sap everywhere. Tree branches everywhere.
More manageable.
At least we came out with a more symmetrical tree…..
Where did you get your Christmas tree?
With some room in our new house we bought a few more Christmas items (stockings, garland and lights for our outside lamp pole, etc.), but have tried to not go TOO crazy. I mean, we still have CP’s mother who will try to shove a lot of holiday decorations our way. She means well, but sometimes her taste is a little iffy…
On Saturday CP and I headed out to find our Christmas tree. The first place was weird. It was a house in the suburbs that had a long and narrow plot of land. Instead of using the land for a play area for kids, a garden, etc., they planted a ton of Christmas trees. All of the good ones were taken so we headed to another farm.
Growing up in NH means that CP wants to cut down the Christmas tree himself. So when the guy at the next place handed us a saw and gloves and told us that we would have to lug the tree back ourselves, CP was fine with it. However, we picked a REALLY heavy tree. And then we had to lug it about half a mile back to our car. While holding onto Fuzzy Britches’ leash. And a bag of her poop. Needless to say, we got to our car with sap all over our clothes and cranky.
Well, we should have thought about our small living room. Because we came home with this:
Whoops
FAIL. The branches haven't even dropped yet.However we were kind of in a rush that night because we needed to get ready for a holiday party, so we leaned the tree against the wall and figured that we would deal with it the next day.
On Sunday CP took an electric hedge trimmer to our tree. What a disaster. Sap everywhere. Tree branches everywhere.
More manageable.
At least we came out with a more symmetrical tree….. It’s not like this is our first Christmas tree. We have had at least four other Christmas trees and they were just fine. Chalk it up to not being used to our house yet?
Things we learned this year:
*We have a very small living room.
Things we learned this year:
*We have a very small living room.
*We need more ornaments.
*We don’t need to cut down the Christmas tree ourselves.
*Maybe buying a Christmas tree from a lot isn’t such a bad idea.
Please remind me of these things next year. :-)
*We don’t need to cut down the Christmas tree ourselves.
*Maybe buying a Christmas tree from a lot isn’t such a bad idea.
Please remind me of these things next year. :-)
At least we haven't killed our wedding plant yet. Nor is it taking over the living room.... :-)
Where did you get your Christmas tree?
Winner!
Thank you to everyone for entering my Christmas Giveaway! And thanks again to CSN Stores for the $35 gift card!
And the winner is.......
*dramatic drum roll*
And the winner is.......
Result: 5
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Congratulations Ashley!
I will be sending you the promo code via email today.
12.14.2010
Christmas shopping
Poor CP. Last night I decided to head to the mall to try to finish up my Christmas shopping. CP didn’t have anything else to do after dinner so he decided to come with.
My mom had suggested getting her a nightgown for Christmas (amongst other things). So we trudged around the various department stores looking for one that she would like.
Needless to say, trying to find a nightgown for his mother-in-law traumatized CP. Then I joked about getting her a sexy nightgown and he just walked away. Ha ha.
Parents are just so hard to shop for. :-)
Today is the LAST DAY for your chance to win a $35 gift card to CSN Stores. Get your entries in before 11:59pm EST!!
My mom had suggested getting her a nightgown for Christmas (amongst other things). So we trudged around the various department stores looking for one that she would like.
Needless to say, trying to find a nightgown for his mother-in-law traumatized CP. Then I joked about getting her a sexy nightgown and he just walked away. Ha ha.
Parents are just so hard to shop for. :-)
Today is the LAST DAY for your chance to win a $35 gift card to CSN Stores. Get your entries in before 11:59pm EST!!
12.10.2010
Happy birthday to me!
Today I turn 32. After work tonight CP and I plan on heading out for a lovely dinner at the highest-rated restaurant in our town.
My outlook on this 32nd year is hopeful.
The more people talk about feeling happy with themselves in their 30s, the more that I agree. Despite being unhappy body-wise with myself right now, I have fewer doubts in the rest of me (other than the nagging doubts of running a half marathon next year I talked about yesterday).
CP, while sometimes frustrating, is an excellent husband. Although last Friday he did let me know that he hid my present somewhere in our house and if I found it before today I could have it early. I have checked drawers, closets, and everywhere inbetween and couldn't find it. He thought it was hilarious. Jerk! But as I say jerk, I think that it is hilarious that he hid the present.....so I can't be too mad at him. :-)
I have great friends and family. In addition, I have already met some great ladies through my town’s Newcomers Club and feel that the friendships that I have started will continue to grow.
Despite the lack of anything growing in my belly yet, I am hopeful that our luck will change soon. If nothing happens, at some point we will head to a fertility specialist to find out if there is something wrong. If there is? Well, I guess we will plan a grand vacation (Galapagos maybe?) and hope for a miracle.
Work? Well, I wish that work was better, but for now I am happy to have a stable job (and a promotion/pay increase that should be coming at the end of this month!).
Our house is great. I love painting and making it ours. It was a great decision to move to CT. Despite the house purchase, our debt load is growing smaller. CP’s car will be paid off in two months and then we can put even more money towards credit cards and student loans.
Fuzzy Britches is healthy, despite being almost 7 years old. We haven’t gotten the puppy playmate for her just yet, but maybe that too will come in this next year.
Yep. This could be a very good year.
My outlook on this 32nd year is hopeful.
The more people talk about feeling happy with themselves in their 30s, the more that I agree. Despite being unhappy body-wise with myself right now, I have fewer doubts in the rest of me (other than the nagging doubts of running a half marathon next year I talked about yesterday).
CP, while sometimes frustrating, is an excellent husband. Although last Friday he did let me know that he hid my present somewhere in our house and if I found it before today I could have it early. I have checked drawers, closets, and everywhere inbetween and couldn't find it. He thought it was hilarious. Jerk! But as I say jerk, I think that it is hilarious that he hid the present.....so I can't be too mad at him. :-)
I have great friends and family. In addition, I have already met some great ladies through my town’s Newcomers Club and feel that the friendships that I have started will continue to grow.
Despite the lack of anything growing in my belly yet, I am hopeful that our luck will change soon. If nothing happens, at some point we will head to a fertility specialist to find out if there is something wrong. If there is? Well, I guess we will plan a grand vacation (Galapagos maybe?) and hope for a miracle.
Work? Well, I wish that work was better, but for now I am happy to have a stable job (and a promotion/pay increase that should be coming at the end of this month!).
Our house is great. I love painting and making it ours. It was a great decision to move to CT. Despite the house purchase, our debt load is growing smaller. CP’s car will be paid off in two months and then we can put even more money towards credit cards and student loans.
Fuzzy Britches is healthy, despite being almost 7 years old. We haven’t gotten the puppy playmate for her just yet, but maybe that too will come in this next year.
Yep. This could be a very good year.
Have you entered my CSN Stores giveaway yet??
12.09.2010
How do you push aside doubt?
I am mulling something over in my mind. I am mulling over trying to run a half marathon in the spring.
Every time I think about it, doubt creeps in.
You are not in shape for 13 miles.
You will start to train and will get injured somehow….and will then have to drop out of the race, thus wasting money.
You can’t run 13 miles!
You don’t have the time to train for that.
What about your Plantar fasciitis? It hurts after you run 3 miles, let alone TRAIN for 13.1!
The reasons against trying to run a half continue to swirl around in my head.
BUT.
I was watching the Biggest Loser on Tuesday night. These are people that are 300+ pounds that have turned their life around and were shown running marathons. I am not 300+ pounds, nor do I have Jillian and Bob helping me. But I was a Division 1 athlete (ahem….10 years ago) and know how to push myself.
I have never built up a good base before trying to run something- nor have I ever really “trained” that much for a 5K or longer race. Most of time I just decide that I am going to run something a few weeks in advance and then do it (see 5K this past Sunday). That is most likely why I end up getting hurt.
What if I was to really train? What if I was to ice knees and other body parts down? What if I pushed myself to believe that I COULD and WILL do it?
Fleet Feet has a Half Marathon training program at their nearby store. I would like the schedule of a program, but the ability to run with my iPod on and not have to talk to a training partner.
J has already said that she would come up and run any half that I would want to do (Half marathons are simple for a girl that has already run five marathons. Crazy lady). There is a half in June in a nearby town that sounds doable (especially because I wouldn’t have to travel anywhere). The only potential obstacle would be if I were to get pregnant….then I would definitely have to drop out of the race because my heart rate gets too high when I am running.
How do you deal with doubting thought that creep into your head?
Have you entered my $35 CSN Stores giveaway yet??? What are you waiting for??
Every time I think about it, doubt creeps in.
You are not in shape for 13 miles.
You will start to train and will get injured somehow….and will then have to drop out of the race, thus wasting money.
You can’t run 13 miles!
You don’t have the time to train for that.
What about your Plantar fasciitis? It hurts after you run 3 miles, let alone TRAIN for 13.1!
The reasons against trying to run a half continue to swirl around in my head.
BUT.
I was watching the Biggest Loser on Tuesday night. These are people that are 300+ pounds that have turned their life around and were shown running marathons. I am not 300+ pounds, nor do I have Jillian and Bob helping me. But I was a Division 1 athlete (ahem….10 years ago) and know how to push myself.
I have never built up a good base before trying to run something- nor have I ever really “trained” that much for a 5K or longer race. Most of time I just decide that I am going to run something a few weeks in advance and then do it (see 5K this past Sunday). That is most likely why I end up getting hurt.
What if I was to really train? What if I was to ice knees and other body parts down? What if I pushed myself to believe that I COULD and WILL do it?
Fleet Feet has a Half Marathon training program at their nearby store. I would like the schedule of a program, but the ability to run with my iPod on and not have to talk to a training partner.
J has already said that she would come up and run any half that I would want to do (Half marathons are simple for a girl that has already run five marathons. Crazy lady). There is a half in June in a nearby town that sounds doable (especially because I wouldn’t have to travel anywhere). The only potential obstacle would be if I were to get pregnant….then I would definitely have to drop out of the race because my heart rate gets too high when I am running.
How do you deal with doubting thought that creep into your head?
Have you entered my $35 CSN Stores giveaway yet??? What are you waiting for??
12.08.2010
Christmas giveaway!
*UPDATED* Congratulations entry #5 ASHLEY for winning the CSN gift card!
Anyone else struggling to find presents for loved ones and friends for Christmas? Or have you been wanting to buy something for yourself but feel guilty? Well, maybe a $35 gift card (in the form of a promotional code) to CSN Stores will help! CSN stores has over 200 different online shops where you can find everything from leather messenger bags, cookware, outdoor furniture or toys!
Sadly this giveaway is not for me. But if it was, here are a few things that I would purchase with the $35:
A new dog bed for Fuzzy Britches. Ever since I started to work from home, she now sleeps in the office with us while we work. She loves her dog bed in our bedroom…now she could have one in the office instead of sleeping on the hardwood floors!I'll take the dog too. :-)
A lavender wreath for our downstairs bathroom. Mmm I love the smell of lavender!
A big thanks to CSN Stores for supplying the gift card for this giveaway!
How to win:
MANDATORY ENTRY:
A comment on how you will spend your $35 at CSN Stores
EXTRA ENTRIES:
* Become a follower of my blog or comment if you already are (1 entry)
* Become a fan of CSN on Facebook (1 entry)
* Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link (3 entries)
Giveaway ends December 14, 2010 at 11:59EST. Be sure to leave a valid email address otherwise I won't be able to contact you if you win. Winner will be chosen via a random number generator.
GOOD LUCK!
12.07.2010
Results
Sunday I ran my first 5K in over a year and it went better than expected. :-) Saturday night we went to a holiday dinner party at a friend’s place in MA two hours away. We didn’t get home until midnight, so it was a good thing that the race didn’t start until 10:30am!
It was maybe 30 degrees out when CP dropped me off a couple blocks away from the race. I ran around trying to find safety pins before the gun went off. I am always nervous before the start of a race which is extremely silly. I mean, I am only competing against myself (since, let’s face it, I’m a slow mofo).
I was probably only 50 feet or so from the start line so I didn’t have to walk too much before hitting the actual start of the race. I felt good and my race playlist had started on my iTouch. I told myself that I would run the entire race, no matter how slow. But by the third hill, I decided that I had to walk. Booo for me. CP was hoping to get back from Whole Foods in enough time to watch me run by (as part of the race took me only a few blocks away from our house), but sadly he didn’t. It sounds silly, but I would have liked to have seen him, even though it was only a 5K.
I had to walk only one more time during the race.
As soon as I saw the finish line, I started to sprint. As I passed a guy in his late 30s about 20 feet before the finish line, he started sprinting so that I wouldn’t beat him. Too bad because I ended up crossing the finish line before him! YES!
My time? 33:51, which is 10:54 per mile. Yes it is probably one of my slowest times, but I’m owning it and I am proud of it. :-)
What did you do this weekend?
It was maybe 30 degrees out when CP dropped me off a couple blocks away from the race. I ran around trying to find safety pins before the gun went off. I am always nervous before the start of a race which is extremely silly. I mean, I am only competing against myself (since, let’s face it, I’m a slow mofo).
I was probably only 50 feet or so from the start line so I didn’t have to walk too much before hitting the actual start of the race. I felt good and my race playlist had started on my iTouch. I told myself that I would run the entire race, no matter how slow. But by the third hill, I decided that I had to walk. Booo for me. CP was hoping to get back from Whole Foods in enough time to watch me run by (as part of the race took me only a few blocks away from our house), but sadly he didn’t. It sounds silly, but I would have liked to have seen him, even though it was only a 5K.
I had to walk only one more time during the race.
As soon as I saw the finish line, I started to sprint. As I passed a guy in his late 30s about 20 feet before the finish line, he started sprinting so that I wouldn’t beat him. Too bad because I ended up crossing the finish line before him! YES!
My time? 33:51, which is 10:54 per mile. Yes it is probably one of my slowest times, but I’m owning it and I am proud of it. :-)
What did you do this weekend?
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