Last month, for some reason which I cannot remember, I completely missed paying my credit card. Mind you I always pay my bills in full, on time, but lately strange things have begun to happen. It might have been because we didn't receive the bill (our mail delivery has been exceedingly bad lately) but whatever it was we (Eric, as I have now diagnosed myself with the help of Rae's wise sister as phoneaphobic) straightened it out and they reversed the late fee and the interest and all was well. Then, somehow, this month I put that particular bill aside from the regular bills for some COMPLETELY UNEXPLAINABLE REASON, and when I sat down to pay bills yesterday I came across it, felt my heart drop, opened it up and sure enough it was due four days prior. I have no idea how this happened. It's just a complete (probably $60) mind blank, as I have found myself doing at an alarming rate. I cannot even tell you how many times I've come to work, checked my mailbox and found something in there (Oh good, Mail!) that I meant to give to someone else but put in my own box instead (Oh darnit, Idiot!). Today my department head said, "Hi Donna!" and I responded, "Sure!" What??? Definitely sleep deprivation is a baaaad thing. (I'm not even going to mention how it is getting much better, since last time that jinxed it completely.)
In other news, I figured out some things about myself, now that 4 solid years of pregnancy and breastfeeding are over. One, I want to have more kids. Two, I'm not sure if I have the physical/mental stamina for more kids. Three, I have pregnancy cravings in reverse. In other words during the last 4 years I have basically eaten like a preschooler. Very simple, straightforward, mostly wholesome food (and desserts.) Now, I want the weird things I always use to want. (The following examples may not be for the easily queasy.) Cottage cheese slightly curdled by cherry peppers and their juice. Spicy V8 with sourdough, brown mustard and tomatoes. Lemon water with a ratio of one lemon to approx. 4 ounces of water. (pickle juice, pickles, of COURSE) and it just goes on from there. So strange. But mmmm, so delicious. The last four years it's almost as if I've been unable to taste flavors. So, onward and upward and backward I guess. Hopefully now I'll become, miraculously, skinny.
Well, now I have to work and try to not think about scheduling a root canal (two teeth) and my belief that the dental crown I have really is too big and shouldn't be hurting even though I went to another dentist and he said it's fine. Ouch. Oh, and now I am COLD-FREE, and LT seems to be too, but Eric and Brendan are pulling up the rear. Poor guys. Warm weather, I am soooo excited to see you soon. Ok? Ok.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Facebook, You'll Be the End of Me
So, Kathy, you were right. It's an addiction. Eric says he thinks we'll never talk again. I said to write me something on FB and I'll write back. Seriously though, what a fun game. Anyway, the weaning has gone well on Brendan's end, but my end not so much. Ugh. Well live and learn I guess. I guess I didn't really have anything to say but I felt bad cheating on blogger with Facebook, so I wanted to put something down here. Oh and I think I'll stop trying to singlehandedly save the Trib by subscribing to the print format because I NEVER read it in print form and I have no idea what to do with all these papers I have and it seems a waste of trees. Also where does all our garbage go? I mean I know a landfill, but where? And what about our recycling? How can EVERY WEEK EVERY HOUSE have a big bin of garbage and a big bin of recycling? That does not seem good. Ah, this planet.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Damn Ye Parking Meter!
This was such a fantastic story I read, including the comments at the end, that I had to share it. It comes from theexpiredmeter , linked off the Trib's site. You have to read the comments at the end. Who wouldn't want to do this and who doesn't love this man?
"Maybe he was broke and needed some change for the bus. Maybe he just got one too many parking tickets. Or maybe he really loathed and despised that particular parking meter."
That's what The Expired Meter has to say about a man who was arrested after attacking a parking meter with a concrete cinder block.
The incident happened March 14 on the 3300 block of N. Lincoln Ave. According to The Expired Meter, the man walked up to the meter with the cinder block and started hitting it. One by-stander asked if the meter had eaten his quarter. The man did not respond and kept assaulting the meter, soon taking off his shirt as he worked up a sweat.
Within 10 minutes, a Chicago police car arrived on the scene and the man fled into the Lakeview YMCA. Police pursued the man, removed him from the YMCA and placed him into a waiting police wagon.
Notes the Expired Meter, "The most incredible detail of the story is, despite 10 minutes of constant battering with a 30-pound rock, the parking meter did not break and continues to function normally at 15 minutes per quarter."
5 Comments
spudart | March 20, 2009 1:10 PM | Reply
what a great story of determination. both on the man and on the meter's part. Lesson learned: the meter will not bend. NEVER.
Told you so | March 20, 2009 2:19 PM | Reply
Im surprised he didnt go blind. Mama told me you would.
Rob | March 20, 2009 9:12 PM | Reply
I love it! He should have used his car! Next is those flipping red light cameras--need a ladder and a baseball bat for those!
JRPTOO | March 21, 2009 8:13 PM | Reply
A "Cool Man Luke" wannabe. He is my hero.
Redeye | March 23, 2009 8:58 AM | Reply
Not trying to give ideas, but could you use a pipe cutter on a meter and just cut it off, beating on it to your hearts content at home?
"Maybe he was broke and needed some change for the bus. Maybe he just got one too many parking tickets. Or maybe he really loathed and despised that particular parking meter."
That's what The Expired Meter has to say about a man who was arrested after attacking a parking meter with a concrete cinder block.
The incident happened March 14 on the 3300 block of N. Lincoln Ave. According to The Expired Meter, the man walked up to the meter with the cinder block and started hitting it. One by-stander asked if the meter had eaten his quarter. The man did not respond and kept assaulting the meter, soon taking off his shirt as he worked up a sweat.
Within 10 minutes, a Chicago police car arrived on the scene and the man fled into the Lakeview YMCA. Police pursued the man, removed him from the YMCA and placed him into a waiting police wagon.
Notes the Expired Meter, "The most incredible detail of the story is, despite 10 minutes of constant battering with a 30-pound rock, the parking meter did not break and continues to function normally at 15 minutes per quarter."
5 Comments
spudart | March 20, 2009 1:10 PM | Reply
what a great story of determination. both on the man and on the meter's part. Lesson learned: the meter will not bend. NEVER.
Told you so | March 20, 2009 2:19 PM | Reply
Im surprised he didnt go blind. Mama told me you would.
Rob | March 20, 2009 9:12 PM | Reply
I love it! He should have used his car! Next is those flipping red light cameras--need a ladder and a baseball bat for those!
JRPTOO | March 21, 2009 8:13 PM | Reply
A "Cool Man Luke" wannabe. He is my hero.
Redeye | March 23, 2009 8:58 AM | Reply
Not trying to give ideas, but could you use a pipe cutter on a meter and just cut it off, beating on it to your hearts content at home?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Big Brother Is Watching You(r parking spot)!
First of all, congratulations to my friend Barbie, who just had twins a couple days ago! A boy and a girl - I can't wait to meet them!
The Trib ran a John Hilkevitch article January 12 detailing what's in store with the new leased-out parking meters. I literally sat here for like 25 minutes scrolling through my history looking for the article (and I never would have found it anyway because I started in February and I kept stopping my search to read old things I'd browsed before) before Eric told me I could do a search in my browser history. Damn it sucks to do dumb stuff. Anyway. Among things this article notes:
Over time, more sophisticated "smart meters" will appear citywide, replacing today's balky pay-station kiosks that require drivers to walk back to their vehicles to place a time-stamped payment stub inside the windshield.
You can of course bid a nostalgic farewell to the decades-old pole-mounted meters with coin slots and expiration flags, as a result of the almost $1.2 billion deal Mayor Richard Daley announced last month to outsource parking management in the city over the next 75 years to Chicago Parking Meters LLC.
In addition, motorists making use of electronic collection through personal ID numbers in their cell phones or other devices will not have to return to their vehicles to add time to meters. But drivers, beware: Technology is already available to close the gap on free parking and increase the odds of catching parking meter "scofflaws." The financial motivation to use it is strong.
Based on the experience elsewhere, the next generation of meters will probably be programmed to roll their clocks back to zero time left when a vehicle leaves a parking space, so the next driver cannot piggyback on a meter that was "over-fed."
Instead of pacing sidewalks checking each meter to meet their ticket-writing quotas, police and meter maids monitoring remote computers will be notified when a vehicle's time in a parking space has expired. Drivers may even get a text message on their mobile phones that they've been issued a fine. It's already happening in about 60 cities in France, where magnetic field technology at smart-meter parking spaces detects the presence of vehicles and alerts ticket-writing aides when meter time is expired.
So who knows if that's true, but if it is it sucks.
Also, today was Rae's shower. It was beautiful and what I loved most about it was that is was chic and stylish like Rae herself, but also warm and family/friend cozy, also like Rae. It definitely made me look even more forward to coming out of the cocoon of winter and spending more time with my friends.
And I would be remiss not to mention that Brendan has gone 2 full days without nursing, so I think we have turned a corner. He is KNOCK ON WOOD sleeping MUCH BETTER (please don't let that jinx it!) Part of me (the large sentimental, overly nostalgic part that probably borders on needing to be medicated) is very sad to end this chapter, but the other part of me (who enjoys multi-tasking, being able to hold a conversation, and desires my children not to be nursing when they have facial hair) is pleased about this. In fact, the last two days have marked the first time in over FOUR YEARS that I have not been pregnant or breastfeeding. Because I stopped nursing Liam when I found out I was pregnant with Brendan. Weird. Not as weird as the fact that my mom was pregnant for 100 months of her life, but still weird.
Ok, off to read The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III...
ps. Liam quote of the day:
I said to Liam, "Hey, I went to Auntie Rachel's wedding shower today and everybody was talking about you!" And he asked, "Why?" And I said, "Because you're so cute. And funny. And wise." And he said, "Oh, but I'm not wise though." And I said, "You're not?" And he said, "No." And I said, "Well then, what are you?" He thought about it a moment, chewing his bottom lip in earnest concentration, and then said, "Precious." (but he said "pwecious" because he doesn't say the letter r very well.) I said, "Oh, precious, huh?" And he said, "Yes, but not wise."
The Trib ran a John Hilkevitch article January 12 detailing what's in store with the new leased-out parking meters. I literally sat here for like 25 minutes scrolling through my history looking for the article (and I never would have found it anyway because I started in February and I kept stopping my search to read old things I'd browsed before) before Eric told me I could do a search in my browser history. Damn it sucks to do dumb stuff. Anyway. Among things this article notes:
Over time, more sophisticated "smart meters" will appear citywide, replacing today's balky pay-station kiosks that require drivers to walk back to their vehicles to place a time-stamped payment stub inside the windshield.
You can of course bid a nostalgic farewell to the decades-old pole-mounted meters with coin slots and expiration flags, as a result of the almost $1.2 billion deal Mayor Richard Daley announced last month to outsource parking management in the city over the next 75 years to Chicago Parking Meters LLC.
In addition, motorists making use of electronic collection through personal ID numbers in their cell phones or other devices will not have to return to their vehicles to add time to meters. But drivers, beware: Technology is already available to close the gap on free parking and increase the odds of catching parking meter "scofflaws." The financial motivation to use it is strong.
Based on the experience elsewhere, the next generation of meters will probably be programmed to roll their clocks back to zero time left when a vehicle leaves a parking space, so the next driver cannot piggyback on a meter that was "over-fed."
Instead of pacing sidewalks checking each meter to meet their ticket-writing quotas, police and meter maids monitoring remote computers will be notified when a vehicle's time in a parking space has expired. Drivers may even get a text message on their mobile phones that they've been issued a fine. It's already happening in about 60 cities in France, where magnetic field technology at smart-meter parking spaces detects the presence of vehicles and alerts ticket-writing aides when meter time is expired.
So who knows if that's true, but if it is it sucks.
Also, today was Rae's shower. It was beautiful and what I loved most about it was that is was chic and stylish like Rae herself, but also warm and family/friend cozy, also like Rae. It definitely made me look even more forward to coming out of the cocoon of winter and spending more time with my friends.
And I would be remiss not to mention that Brendan has gone 2 full days without nursing, so I think we have turned a corner. He is KNOCK ON WOOD sleeping MUCH BETTER (please don't let that jinx it!) Part of me (the large sentimental, overly nostalgic part that probably borders on needing to be medicated) is very sad to end this chapter, but the other part of me (who enjoys multi-tasking, being able to hold a conversation, and desires my children not to be nursing when they have facial hair) is pleased about this. In fact, the last two days have marked the first time in over FOUR YEARS that I have not been pregnant or breastfeeding. Because I stopped nursing Liam when I found out I was pregnant with Brendan. Weird. Not as weird as the fact that my mom was pregnant for 100 months of her life, but still weird.
Ok, off to read The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III...
ps. Liam quote of the day:
I said to Liam, "Hey, I went to Auntie Rachel's wedding shower today and everybody was talking about you!" And he asked, "Why?" And I said, "Because you're so cute. And funny. And wise." And he said, "Oh, but I'm not wise though." And I said, "You're not?" And he said, "No." And I said, "Well then, what are you?" He thought about it a moment, chewing his bottom lip in earnest concentration, and then said, "Precious." (but he said "pwecious" because he doesn't say the letter r very well.) I said, "Oh, precious, huh?" And he said, "Yes, but not wise."
Thursday, March 19, 2009
St. Patrick's Day Lite
So, I really love St. Patrick's Day. I really love it. But for some reason I seem destined to not actually be able to celebrate it. (With the notable exceptions of one year when me, Eric, and my friend Jonica went out in Wrigleyville and Rachel and Jon joined us, and that was good times. One other time we went to the parade downtown and were thisclose to then Senator-O'Bama and Dick Durbin and Daley and that was pretty cool.) Anyway last year I switched off working so we could go to the parade and then Eric got some emergency call in the middle of the night (which rarely happens)and had to be gone from midnight til 2 in the afternoon, so we didn't do anything. This year I was SURE it was going to be beautiful, which it was, but the week before the parade Eric got a call asking him to teach a class on Saturdays, so again we didn't go. And let me tell you I was not about to bring the kids down there by myself. And I don't know why we didn't go to the southside parade on Sunday but we didn't. So tonight, after a very hectic week that isn't done, we decided to go to Peggy Kinnane's and celebrate the Green and it was great. We had great drinks and food and best of all amazing amazing things, Brendan was totally awesome and didn't try to get out of his high chair even once! He ate a ton of food and so did Liam and they got a big Shamrock cookie too. And they were great on the ride home and being totally funny and great all around. (We saw a freight train, and then later Liam said, "I wonder if we'll see that forklift again?" and I said, "You mean the freight train?" and he said, "Oh yeah - freight train. Fork lift? What was I thinking? That was so silly, saying forklift instead of freight train." I said, "Liam, how did you get so funny? and he said, "I was just born that way. I could barely talk.") The only fallout was that they went to bed VERRRRRY late, but I'm just not going to care about that today. It's St. Patrick's Day Lite, so live a little!
Also, if you want to hear about the preschool experience, you'll have to read my comment to Kathy's comment from the Preschool post yesterday.
Also, if you want to hear about the preschool experience, you'll have to read my comment to Kathy's comment from the Preschool post yesterday.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Preschool
On Thursday we will be visiting a Montessori preschool for Liam. We're thinking he'll start this Fall, and whoa, how is he old enough to go to preschool? I HATE this time warping thing. But I think he's totally going to love it and I'm very excited for him. Me, I'm sad for. Anyway it's only 3 days a week for less than 3 hours, so I think I should be ok. The tuition though, wow. It makes Catholic grammar school look a lot less expensive, I'll say that much. 'Cause for less than 9 hours a week we'll be paying the same as fulltime grade school.
In other good news Liam and Brendan are really starting to play together, and it is so awesome to watch. Of course Liam is still there keeping Brando in line, but he's sending him to the naughty corner a lot less, so that's progress. I might have already mentioned this but Brendan sent himself there a couple weeks ago, and he was right to do so. Oh, and this being able to go outside thing is SO AWESOME!
In other good news Liam and Brendan are really starting to play together, and it is so awesome to watch. Of course Liam is still there keeping Brando in line, but he's sending him to the naughty corner a lot less, so that's progress. I might have already mentioned this but Brendan sent himself there a couple weeks ago, and he was right to do so. Oh, and this being able to go outside thing is SO AWESOME!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
There Are Places I Remember
Note: depressing post.
Since Liam has been born we have lost a tremendous amount of close friends and relatives. My mom lost her only sister in August 2007, her brother in November 2007 and my Dad lost his only brother in January 2008. It's been very hard just looking at my address book because there are so many people who are in it who aren't here anymore. And all of these people, my aunt and uncles and many other friends and relatives, are some of the most honorable, saintly people I have ever known. In early February my godmother lost her husband to cancer. Now, just a month later, we learned my godmother herself has died. She died on Friday, getting ready to go to the wake of another close family friend. She, like many others we have lost, was only 70, and in seemingly good health. And her poor sons, still mourning the loss of their father, now have to deal with the loss of their mother too. I am so sad to lose all these wonderful people, especially because I want my kids to know them. They are the very type of people I want my kids to aspire to be. And I know they are in a better place, fighting the good fight, and still here with us as well, but it pains me to know that I won't have them physically here, and that my kids won't know or remember them. I was crying for a minute in the kitchen tonight, and Brendan came over and gestured to the counter. After a few seconds Eric figured out he wanted a piece of kleenex. He gave it to Brendan, and Brendan walked over and gave it to me with a big smile. He then proceeded to give me three more pieces. Life does go on.
Here are some pics from our UIUC trip:
Since Liam has been born we have lost a tremendous amount of close friends and relatives. My mom lost her only sister in August 2007, her brother in November 2007 and my Dad lost his only brother in January 2008. It's been very hard just looking at my address book because there are so many people who are in it who aren't here anymore. And all of these people, my aunt and uncles and many other friends and relatives, are some of the most honorable, saintly people I have ever known. In early February my godmother lost her husband to cancer. Now, just a month later, we learned my godmother herself has died. She died on Friday, getting ready to go to the wake of another close family friend. She, like many others we have lost, was only 70, and in seemingly good health. And her poor sons, still mourning the loss of their father, now have to deal with the loss of their mother too. I am so sad to lose all these wonderful people, especially because I want my kids to know them. They are the very type of people I want my kids to aspire to be. And I know they are in a better place, fighting the good fight, and still here with us as well, but it pains me to know that I won't have them physically here, and that my kids won't know or remember them. I was crying for a minute in the kitchen tonight, and Brendan came over and gestured to the counter. After a few seconds Eric figured out he wanted a piece of kleenex. He gave it to Brendan, and Brendan walked over and gave it to me with a big smile. He then proceeded to give me three more pieces. Life does go on.
Here are some pics from our UIUC trip:
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Anatomy
Eric is taking a nap on the couch, and I see Liam over there talking to him. I say, "Liam, shh, Daddy's taking a nap." Liam says "Ok," and then he stays over there but now he's whispering. It doesn't seem to bother Eric so I just leave him be. I peek my head in a couple minutes later and see Liam stroking the top of Eric's head. I ask, "Liam, what are you doing?" It's pretty cute. Then Liam stage whispers to me across the room, "I'm trying to feel his skull."
Today we are going to UIUC for my on-campus day of class tomorrow, which btw I am completely unprepared for. Wouldn't you know it but Brendan is besieged by the teething pains like a crazy child. So just before his morning nap I had him on the couch with me and he wanted to get down and I put him on the floor, he takes one step, trips over my foot and faces plants on the hardwood. Blood is gushing everywhere, madness ensues, and yeah, in 3 hours we leave for a four hour car ride! Wish us luck. :o) (Good news is he still went down for his nap, so that's something.)
Today we are going to UIUC for my on-campus day of class tomorrow, which btw I am completely unprepared for. Wouldn't you know it but Brendan is besieged by the teething pains like a crazy child. So just before his morning nap I had him on the couch with me and he wanted to get down and I put him on the floor, he takes one step, trips over my foot and faces plants on the hardwood. Blood is gushing everywhere, madness ensues, and yeah, in 3 hours we leave for a four hour car ride! Wish us luck. :o) (Good news is he still went down for his nap, so that's something.)
Monday, March 2, 2009
Where is my camera?
Ugh. Right now at dinner Brendan was doing this crazy funny thing where he was trying to get our attention to watch him and then he was closing his eyes and making goofy faces and Liam and me and Eric were all laughing hysterically, and could I find the camera anywhere? No! Ugh (ugh, ugh, ugh a wug.) All of these funny things I can't preserve for posterity, and then when I do have the camera, of course they immediately stop whatever it was they were doing anywy. Kids. They are like leprechauns. Has anyone ever done a study about that?
Brendan calls me, Eric and Liam AND himself Momma. Now that he knows we think this is funny he does it all the time and refuses to call us anything else.
When I asked Liam if next time we go out with my friends would he please talk he said, "Well...I might." "Good," I said. Then he said with a completely straight face, "Or I might not, actually."
Ok, now I have to go do my lit review that I was supposed to have been doing for the last month and I have to present on Thursday when we go to campus. Ugh. I should have called this post ugh, but I'm just no good at paying homage to Maine South Summer Drama. Also Eric and I were watching the Blues Brothers last night and it is SO COOL how they are driving around in Park Ridge (in an MP police car, no less. It all comes full circle, right?)
Crabby Apple, keep me posted on your kitchen and other remodeling projects because we need to:
knock down some walls and redo our kitchen (unless we somehow get an addition soon)
redo our bathroom
refinish our basement
even out and resod our backyard
get a fence
do a lot of painting
so I'm interested in referrals if you know people or companies that do good work and aren't insanely expensive. I just got the name of a painter who is good and inexpensive so I am plotting projects for him (but shhh, don't tell Ziggy.)
Brendan calls me, Eric and Liam AND himself Momma. Now that he knows we think this is funny he does it all the time and refuses to call us anything else.
When I asked Liam if next time we go out with my friends would he please talk he said, "Well...I might." "Good," I said. Then he said with a completely straight face, "Or I might not, actually."
Ok, now I have to go do my lit review that I was supposed to have been doing for the last month and I have to present on Thursday when we go to campus. Ugh. I should have called this post ugh, but I'm just no good at paying homage to Maine South Summer Drama. Also Eric and I were watching the Blues Brothers last night and it is SO COOL how they are driving around in Park Ridge (in an MP police car, no less. It all comes full circle, right?)
Crabby Apple, keep me posted on your kitchen and other remodeling projects because we need to:
knock down some walls and redo our kitchen (unless we somehow get an addition soon)
redo our bathroom
refinish our basement
even out and resod our backyard
get a fence
do a lot of painting
so I'm interested in referrals if you know people or companies that do good work and aren't insanely expensive. I just got the name of a painter who is good and inexpensive so I am plotting projects for him (but shhh, don't tell Ziggy.)
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