Exciting Times Ahead

I haven't posted this anywhere yet, because there are clients on Facebook and LinkedIn who don't know and need to be told personally.  But well, hardly anyone reads my blog, and I'm so excited to tell people that I've figured out what I want to be when I grow up - and I'm going to go be it now. 

I hadn't really thought about posting this here until today, but as I was driving around and running errands this afternoon, I felt a sudden rush.  I've been at my current company more than 10 years now, about eight doing essentially the same job, and I'm ready for something new. So, when the company merged with another one earlier this year, I was not-so-secretly hoping for a severance package.  I didn't get one, and though I was initially disappointed, now I'm even happier.  That may seem strange, but today an incredible feeling of power hit me - power that comes with leaving on your own terms. 

I turned in my notice on Monday, and it wasn't a shock to my boss because this has actually been in the works for several years and I've been up front about my plans (even working part time in both companies for the last year).  I think, though, that there are people who didn't think I'd really take the leap. 

I gave a couple months notice, will take a week of vacation, and then as of May 16th, I'll be working full time to become a financial planner - queue simultaneous excitement and terror.

Here we go ...

1001 Rules

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about 1001 Rules for My Unborn Son before.  He just posted another great one: "If you choose not to own a TV, keep it to yourself".

American Spirit

I can't remember exactly where I found Slacktivist.  It was either BoingBoing or Instapundit.  He's good, and I particularly like this post about how corporations have removed incentives to be more productive, but for some reason we keep doing it.  He asks a good question: How long can that last?

2011 in Entertainment and Travel

This year, I'd like to see more live shows, but last year I did manage to read a lot more than I had in some time.  That makes me very happy, and since I got a Nook for my birthday, I think I'll be reading even more this year. 

Movies
The Bridges of Madison County
Avatar
Noel
Zombieland
The Great Escape
High Society
Best in Show
Ocean's 13
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Sherlock Holmes (2010)
Couples Retreat
Babylon AD
Iron Man 2
Love the Beast
Crazy Heart
Away We Go
This Is It
The A-Team
Toy Story
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lighting Thief
Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Two Escobars
Day Breakers
Barton Fink
Hope Springs
Clash of the Titans (2010)
Gran Torino
Kick Ass
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
The Rookie
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Diggers
Spirited Away
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inkheart
A Single Man
Inception
A Christmas Carol (2009)
Robin Hood (2010)
Rachel Getting Married
How Do You Know

Live Shows/Events
Craig Ferguson - Cobb Energy Center
Minnesota State Fair
A Prairie Home Companion - Grand Stand, Minnesota State Fair - St. Paul, MN

Travel
Magee, MS
Charleston, SC
Hilton Head, SC
Minneapolis and Whitefish Lake, MN
Boston, MA
Charleston, SC

Books
Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz
Forever Odd, Dean Koontz
Brother Odd, Dean Koontz
Odd Hours, Dean Koontz
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien
One Day, David Nicholls
The Passage, Justin Cronin
The Princess Bride, William Goldman

Merry Christmas

2010 had it's rough spots -- I miss you every day, Grandaddy -- but overall it has been a wonderful year, and 2011 is looking to even better. 

Enjoy your family, your friends and all the blessings in your life.  Carry these good things with you every day, keep your chin up, and keep moving forward.  See you in the new year.

Women and their bags ...

I have recently switched to a massive purse.  I have always been more of the "small purse" girl.  Carrying huge bags only invite you to stash more stuff in them and then they weigh 10 pounds.  The thing is, though, I am absolutely over carrying a diaper bag and a purse.  Well, that's a lie, actually.  During the week, I would carry a purse because the diaper bag was unnecessary.  On weekends, I would then move appropriate items from my purse to the diaper bag.  This is weekly event is what I got tired of. 

So, I got a giant purse.  Now I can just throw in some wipes, diapers, snacks and I'm ready to go out with the little man (and yes, it already weighs about eight pounds - whatever).

This recent change made this brilliant observation by the always great James Lileks even funnier ...

The need for a backpack is ancient and engrained, and it’s taking me a long time to shake it. In college my backpack would contain everything I needed if I was stuck in a small room for two days – books, magazines, newspapers, a journal, a People’s Pen, refills, matches, emergency quarters should there be pinball. Last year when I was getting up early and heading off to be Ted Baxter in the video department, I stocked my bag with every possible thing I might need, from a small tripod to extra memory cards, peanuts, moist towelettes, hand sanitizer, and so on. Never used any of it. But I was a shivering hermit in a loincloth compared to what my wife schleps around. It’s one of the things that mystified men: the quantity of things women carry. I goggle sometimes at the quantity of items in my wife’s bag, and then I stand abashed when I realize the bag is merely a conveyance for the purse, which itself contains the clutch. It would be like me taping my iPhone to my laptop, taping the laptop to the Mac Pro, putting the Pro on a wheeled cart and dragging it along wherever I went.  

Happy Picture of the Day

Depressing News of the Day

Just in case you are under the impression that we live in a free country, I present this story. If this were happening in any other country, it would be evidence of oppressive policies and a sham of a court system.

Full story here.

Good-bye, Old Friend

I wonder if my Walkman is still sitting in some ratty old box in the corner of our storage room. That would be the one an acquaintance borrowed freshman year in college and then brought back slightly broken, but still functional. I was using it until I got my first MP3 player about eight years ago. Honestly, I had no idea that Sony was still making these, but knowing they officially have stopped makes me a little sad today.

Ha ha - things don't really change

First of all, I LOVE Pandora Radio. This fun little diddy came up on one of my stations today - Guv'ment by Roger Miller.

Favorite verse:
Well you soul selling no-good
Son-of-a-shoe-fittin' firestarters
I ought to tear your no good
Perambulatory bone frame
And nail it to your government walls
All of you, you bastards

Fantastic and good to know that it's an American human tradition to hate our government.

Here's a version of John Goodman singing in Big River. Who knew?



Of course, the character singing the song isn't exactly a shining star.

Huck returns home in the darkness to find his Pap, a violent drunk, waiting for him, who drags him off to his cabin in the woods. In his drunkenness, Pap swings from tomfoolery to extreme violence as he rails against a government that would take his son (and his son's money) away from him ("Guv'ment"). Pap attempts to kill Huck, hallucinating that he is the Angel of Death, but passes out in an inebriated mess.

Hmmm, I guess we can't have it all.

J One Year

September 27, 2010

Dear J,

Well, here we are. It’s been a year. It seems that each month the list of new things you’re doing only gets longer – and cooler. I have to admit, though, that after this one, the letters may drop to every few months or so. We’ll see.

So let’s get to the fun new things you’re doing lately. Last thing first …
The day before your first birthday, you took three steps on your own. It’s not pretty, but you’re officially walking. You’re up to four or five steps at a time, and I imagine that in about two weeks we’ll be chasing you around the house.

You’re also talking. OK, that may be overstating it a bit. You love to say, whisper, yell “Yeah!” though. It’s how I found you and Dad in the store a couple of weeks ago. I just wandered around until I heard “yeah … yeah … yeah” from a couple aisles over. You also say “Hey” and “Dad.” And Gigi swears you said “dog” the other day. Oh, and you’re trying your hardest to say “picture”. You point at pictures and say “pish”. It’s adorable. You may also be saying “mom”, but I could just be hearing things.

Your Gigi taught you to smack your lips when you want something to drink. And say “ahhh” after you have a sip. We only reinforce this particular behavior because it’s seriously cute.

When Millie gets all excited and starts running circles around you and the coffee table, you crack up laughing and throw your arms up over your head. Tug of war with Millie is also a favorite game, but we have to help out with that a bit.

All four bicuspids are coming in and you’re surprisingly OK with this. Yes, if you’re keeping count, those are teeth 9-12.

You love to throw things and laugh, even though they go about six inches – a mile to you. More fun than throwing, though, is dropping toys over the balcony or down the stairs. Pulling the vent cover out of the floor and trying to put things down the vents has, on several occasions, kept you occupied for no less than 20 minutes.

I run the risk of going on too long if I don’t wrap it up, but suffice it to say we are completely in love, can’t believe it’s already been a year, and can’t wait for everything that’s yet to come.

Love,
Mom

More libertarian every day

I've become disillusioned with the Olympics' everybody's equal kumbaya all is peaceful and beautiful amateur thing in the last 10-15 years, but didn't really think of it in the terms of NCAA sports. This piece from Skip Oliva about privatizing college sports and the history of "amateur" athletics is eye-opening and somehow not surprising.

Amateurism itself is a class-based concept. In Walter Camp's day, an amateur was merely a generalist who didn't specialize in a particular sport or hobby. This excluded members of the "working classes," because their specialty in physical labor gave them an unfair advantage over gentlemen of the privileged classes (like Camp). The idea of paying amateur athletes was unnecessary, as their social position made it unnecessary.

By the early 20th century, academics transformed amateurism into a moral code consistent with collectivist principles. Howard Savage, a Carnegie Foundation official in the 1930s, said "professionalism in school and college athletics … is a most serious evil," and that amateurism represented "the moral struggle between force and the uses to which, with the sanction of our civilization, it may be used and should be put." In other words, athletes were barbarians who had to be tamed by the "civilizing" presence of academics. Savage noted that while it was acceptable for students in artistic fields to profit from their work – because they offered "tests of even temper and self-control" – it was never acceptable for athletes to profit from their efforts...

Of course, there is nothing wrong with the universities profiting from the athletes.

It's worth reading the whole thing.

hat tip: http://williamlanderson.blogspot.com

New Trick

Anytime I think about posting a status on Facebook, I'll just come here instead because I can add more context to it - and frankly, I don't think I really want to share most of my thoughts with all my FB "friends".

So ...

I got an awesome new toy for my birthday - a Nook - but I haven't started using it yet. That's because I started the Lord of the Rings trilogy earlier this summer in real book form, and I have this weird need to complete that before starting anything else. (I can't read five books at once like Dave does.)

You see, I started LoTR once before in college, and couldn't get through it - holy crap with all the WALKING! So, I think I'm afraid that if I start something else, I'll get out of the mode and won't go back. I have no idea why I feel the need to read it, especially considering I find it good not great, but I do. Especially now that I've finally started the last book.

(That post as an FB status would have been, "... can't wait to start using the Nook, but must finish LoTR first." I'm sure this post was so much more interesting.)

Time and Timing

Coming up on J's first birthday, this post shows up in my feed from James Lileks' Bleat. His daughter is 10, I think.

It didn’t occur to me until a few minutes ago that the top of the dresser was where her changing area had been, where she’d laid on her back laughing as an infant while I did what you had to do, made the requisite faces of funny horror – stinky! – then stuffed the offal down the diaper genie, and picked her up and gone on with our day. She’ll be a senior in high school sitting at a desk in that spot and I’ll still remember that like it was yesterday. Time is linear, but so is a piece of string – take two points far apart, put your fingertips together. It was yesterday. Makes you envy dogs, sometimes; everything is now and next. There is no then.

gasp ... another post

It is my goal to post more on this site than just letters to J. So, in an effort to achieve that, I'm posting a second time in as many days.

I'd like to get the insight of all five of my readers on a question I've had for ages now.

Why are we more willing to accept a singer who decides to act than an actor who decides to sing? See: Will Smith, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson vs. pretty much any actor that ever tried his or her hand at music. Maybe there is an exception for actors who began on or went to broadway, but I still can't think of one that could be considered a mainstream musical success.

11 Months

August 24, 2010

Dear J,

Well, you’re already 11 months old. “Already” seems to be the theme here.

I’ve got to get a little more creative with these, instead of just a list of everything you’ve done. Unfortunately, today isn’t that day. I can’t believe all you’ve done in just the three weeks since I last wrote.

Your favorite thing now is to look at pictures – on the wall, on the fridge, wherever – it’s a good thing we have tons of them, I guess. And you’ll plan monkey getting into the arms of whoever is closest to said pictures. Then you point at them while we tell you who it is (and then you try to eat the magnets off the fridge). Speaking of pointing, you point at everything. And you wave, too. In the last week or so, you even started waving in context of saying hello or good-bye, instead of randomly at the dinner table.

We think you’ve decided that you don’t like baby food anymore. After about four bites, you simply spit it out. Thank goodness you do not do this violently; you simply close your lips and then push the food out with your tongue – so you’re like a giant toothpaste tube of green beans. It’s at least a little less messy that way. Oh, and then you smile. Unless you’ve already eaten a lot you don’t, however, do this with finger foods or more textured, grow-up foods. We were not ready for this, and now we have to do a lot more planning when it comes to your meals. You are clearly worth it, but I must apologize in advance if you get sweet potato bites for eight meals in a row (one sweet potato makes a LOT).

And now to the big developments – no, you’re not walking yet, but …
You stand on your own for more than 10 seconds at a time (editor’s note – no, I have not missed the fact that I am indeed one of those parents insanely proud of what, one year ago, would have seemed entirely silly), and you love love love to push your activity table – and shopping cart thingy, and diaper box, and laundry basket – around the house. I don’t know when you’ll crave true independence, but it can’t be long now (another 18 years, at least?).

Forget the sippy cup, though. We never found one that worked really well for you, so we’ve moved onto straws. It’s still mostly bottles (the only way you’ll drink the fill six or eight ounces), but you have totally figured out the straw. When it’s not so important that you get more milk than anything else, the bottles will be gone. Woohoo.

And finally, after a few months, you have learned “gentle”. Thank goodness. For a while there, you couldn’t be out with the rest of the kids at daycare because you just wanted to pull their hair. It was all with love, but that doesn’t change the fact that it hurts. Just ask Mommy, Gigi, Millie, Cecil or Orange. But now, you don’t pull, you go right up to the little girls in class and pet ever so sweetly. The animals haven’t come back around, though, so they can’t appreciate this new development yet. As daddy says, “you’re such a dude.”

Love,
Mom

10 months (+)

Already, we’re here again? I thought I asked you to slow it down. Oh, well; I have a feeling this is the shape of things to come.

Well, there’s a whole list of things you’ve done or started over the last month. It seemed at first like there weren’t going to be many changes, and there generally aren’t any big ones. But there are a couple that we just adore.

You’re still crawling – getting faster every day – and pulling yourself up on everything. You’re no longer content, though, to just hang on. Now, especially with the couch and the coffee table, we can officially say you’re cruising. You’ll slide all the way down the couch if the thing you want is at the other end, and you’ll even move from the coffee table to the couch and back, if they are close enough together. You’re also trying to figure out how to stand up one your own, but the way you’re trying isn’t going to work quite yet. You simply stick your butt up in the air with only your hands and feet on the ground. That’s going to be a tough way to start standing, unless you’re some sort of born yogi or kung fu master.

Last weekend, you also stood next to the coffee table without holding on, but you didn’t realize you were doing that because you were busy with a couple of toys in your hands. And you haven't done it again since.

A couple of weeks ago, you got really sick. Well, you didn’t seem to be sick, except you were miserable with a 103.9 degree fever (turns out it was yet another ear infection). You have our permission never to do that again.

Swimming lessons are going very well. You’re becoming so comfortable in the water, and I think if the lessons weren’t during your naptime, it would be even better. You love jumping into the pool from sitting on the edge, and you also hang onto the side very well. You even don’t mind going under water too much, either.

So, now to the two adorable new things you are doing. First of all, you have learned to stick out your bottom lip whenever one of us tells you “no,” or you don’t get what you want immediately. I don’t think it’s working the way you hope, though, because we just think it’s the cutest thing and laugh, instead of giving into your requests.

And finally, the best thing by far – you will kiss us on the nose when we ask. All we have to say is “J, can I have a kiss,” and you’ll open your mouth, and lean in to “kiss” the nose of whoever’s holding you. Rumor has it from the grandparents that the other day, you even puckered up for a real kiss. I must admit that I completely abuse this new talent of yours.

Well, that’s about it this time. Another note’s coming in just a few weeks. I guess I'll be ready.

Love you,
Mom

Nine Months

June 27, 2010

Dear J,

You’re a few days past the end of your ninth month, and, as usual, I can’t believe it. This weekend was rough, though. You got a completely unexplained fever that went pretty high and stayed around at a lower point for a day and a half. You were not happy at all about it, either. Fevers just make you feel so awful, and we were so happy when it finally went away this morning.

This has been a very eventful month, too. You got your first hair cut right at the beginning and already need another one. Your dad is so jealous.

You’ve started clapping, but not on command. You’ll just randomly clap and look at us with the biggest grin. And you still smile all the time, in spite of the fact that your teeth just keep on coming in - which isn't your favorite thing. You’re up to eight now, and since there seemed to be a faucet somewhere in your mouth this weekend, I think a couple more are on their way in.

Swim lessons started a few weeks back. You liked the water the first time we got you in a pool last month, but this time you weren’t so sure. I think it’s the noise more than anything, since it’s an indoor pool, and there are tons of lessons and practices going on at the same time. But by the third week, you were really enjoying and even trying to put your face into the water.

And, yes, you are now officially crawling – everywhere. You love to go pull all the DVDs out of the cabinet. You love to crawl wherever will give you a way to pull up and stand up – the back door, the gate at the top of the stairs, the coffee table, the chair, couch …

I’m certainly not rushing you, but I am curious about how long it’s going to take you to start walking. It may be a little while, though, because you aren’t all that interested yet in moving from one piece of furniture to the other. But you do want anyone and everyone to help you walk around the room. And when you see someone, you reach out, only satisfied to grab a couple of fingers, pull yourself up and start walking. We’ll see where this goes.

Just this weekend, you started a new smile, and I must admit that it is so endearing - and so scary. You tuck your head, look up, and smile with your lips pursed in such a way that there is clearly something going on in your head that you don’t want to share. But you want us to know that you know. I just adore it.

But I think, right now, my favorite thing you give is a giant hug. Whenever we pick you up, you just lean in, tuck your head into our necks, and squeeze.

I guess that’s it for now. Can we take a little longer between this and the next letter, please? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

I love you,
Mom

Eight Months

Dear J,

Wow, it’s been eight months already. Really?! I know I say that every time, but seriously. One day you will understand what I’m talking about, but for now, you’ll just have to take my word for the fact that time just disappears when you’re watching a little one grow up.

And growing up, you are. No one can believe how much hair you have. I never understood (read: silently judged) moms who wouldn’t cut their kids’ hair. I mean, it’s just hair – whatever. But here I am, saying to myself, “no, it’s not just hair.” It’s a stage that has passed and will never be back. Yes, I know, it is just hair and I know that whether your hair is cut or not, that stage passes regardless, but it is symbolic of something, and I’m not ready to admit that we’re in the next stage in your life yet – even if it’s already here. Plus, most kids don’t get there this early. I mean, seriously, your hair is in your eyes, and over your ears. It’s the cutest thing when you grab it with your fingertips and stroke the little ends of the hair over your ears. You kind of zone out when you do that – like you’re considering the fate of the world, or what the island on LOST really is.

You just smile all the time. And laugh. And jabber jabber jabber. You even say the cutest little “Hi Dad” that comes out more like “eye-da”, but we know what you mean (of course we do).

Peek-a-boo is your favorite game to play, and it really gets you cracking up. You and GiGi were playing peek-a-boo at lunch the other day, and we actually had to stop because you were laughing and squealing so loud in the restaurant.

You’re eating all kinds of foods now, and so far, I don’t think you’ve turned a single thing away. Sometimes you make a funny face, but you always come back for more. The funny thing is that you have absolutely no interest in trying to feed yourself. As a matter of fact, you’ll put anything into your mouth except for food.

You’re trying to wave and trying to figure out the crawling thing. You can get up on all fours, but then you don’t quite know what to do after that. You can keep it that way as long as you’d like, though. I don’t think I’m ready for your mobility, either.

Oh, and finally, I have to end with the best. You love to hug and kiss. You give the best hugs – just squeezing tight whenever we pick you up. And your kisses are basically very wet (five teeth and counting) nose bites. There is nothing cuter in the world.

I Love You,
Mom

P.S. I forgot to mention that you help now, when we’re dressing you. You put your arms up and gather your fingers together to make it easier to put a shirt on. It’s just adorable.

7 Months

Dear J,

Well, you’re seven months old now, and I can’t believe it. I mean, we’re closer to your first birthday than your actual birth day. How exactly did that happen?

We’re trying desperately to enjoy every moment with you, and I think we’re succeeding. But the days still manage to fly by. I’ve started a new schedule with work this last week, which means on Mondays I get to pick you up from daycare and on Fridays we get to hang out when I’m done at 1:30. It’s such a wonderful addition to my week. Your dad and I have realized these last couple of months how much we can’t stand Mondays because we’ve spent all weekend with you and then we have to go back to only getting you for a couple hours a day.

You’re doing wonderful new things since your last birthday. Sitting up on your own is fantastic because it opens up the world of toys for you. Bath time is a new adventure, too; you splash around like a madman.

You’re trying so hard to crawl, pushing yourself up onto all fours. But you can’t quite get your head up, and you definitely don’t have the ability to move your arms and legs in conjunction with each other. But I have realized that you do things in an interesting way. Instead of consistent development and growth, you tend to spike and plateau. So, with sitting, you were wobbly forever, and then one day you just sat all on your own. I have a feeling that’s how you’ll be with crawling and walking too.

Speaking of walking, I’m wondering if you won’t do that and skip crawling altogether. You can already stand up and hold onto things like the coffee table. And you can pick up your feet and move along with one of us holding your hands. It seems to be an easier motion for you than crawling, so we’ll see. You also definitely prefer standing to sitting. But, hey, don’t think I’m rushing you into this mobility thing. Please take your time with that, because mommy and daddy definitely aren’t ready for that yet.

And finally, you’re really chatty now. It started out briefly as bababababababa, then lalalalala. But now, there’s even a bit of dada (and once when daddy walked into the room), but also lots of weird (and loud) noises that aren’t just repetitive. And you enunciate and emphasize “syllables” – not that we understand a word your saying, but you certainly seem to. And you love talking to the girl’s portrait we have hanging next to the couch.

Just wait until next week, when you get to go to the beach for a real vacation

Love,
Mom

P.S. I almost forgot to mention that your top two teeth broke through today. We can't see them without looking, but I did get a good look this afternoon. I know it's time, but I still can't believe it. You're going to look so different, and even more like a little man once those teeth come in.