Oh Fishsticks! I Mean Fiddlesticks... (Dedicated to L and B)

My child "won" a free fish at an event!  It is one of the fears of every parent...you know, you are at the carnival and your child keeps trying to throw the ping pong ball into the fish bowl and while you always hope your kid is successful, you secretly hope (and pray) your child's ball does NOT land in the bowl.  Well, Muffin (our newest family member) didn't happen to come to us by way of carnival, but was none the less "won" at a recent event and arrived at my house this way...

I was not home, but had called home to check in.  Spoke with my youngest and he reported that he had had a great time at the event he had attended and "by the way...I won a fish." 

"A what?"  I responded.
"A goldfish."
"A real one?"
"Yes, it is real and I'm keeping him safe in the kitchen."
"What are we going to do with that?  We don't have fish equipment."
"Don't worry, Mom, he won't live long anyway."

And sure enough I arrive home to find Muffin, the goldfish, in a bowl in my kitchen.  Fabu! 

So now the dilemma begins, do we embrace the fish?  You know, go to the pet store, buy fish items, like food, a plastic castle, etc.  What to do?  I mean he had already been named and everything.

So I call my sister to share our new good fortune to which I learn that her son, too, has won a fish and they are actually at the pet store buying another fish to keep their, new Mr. Wiggles company...so I think perfect, and I ask if they can pick me up a small container of fish food...I can't rightfully starve Muffin now can I?  My sister replies that they only have large containers of fish "flakes" and they will share...Fabu!  Easy enough...we are now on the path of owning a new pet, maybe this will put Finley George in his place?

I am however on the lookout....Easter is coming up and as my neighbor pointed out (the one that gave my youngest and Muffin a ride home)...you never know when your kid could arrive home with a baby chick.

Who are the People in Your Gym? (To the tune of Who are the People in Your Neighborhood? -Sesame Street)

Ok, I admit it, I am so a people-watcher at the gym...can't help it, it is free-entertainment and a great distraction.

Here are some of my noticings:

From the treadmills I run on, I can overlook the free weight area...excellent viewing...I love watching (sorry, men) the guys that appear to be working out, but really just wandering the area.  They stop every now and then to grab some water, watching the flat screens, sit and rest on the weight benches, but really...I watched one guy and he never really picked up a weight.

Love the dudes who have cut up their t-shirts to the extent of...why are you wearing it?  Shreds.

Then there is the gal that can do amazing things on the elliptical machine.  I've gotten behind this gal several times, she is a maniac.  She hangs off the back of the foot pads...almost like she is water-skiing...truly, never seen anything like it.  She can move at a pace with no hands like no other.  I didn't know that machine was so versatile.

Lastly, Miss Clomper...twice now, I'm rocking and rolling on my own treadmill when Miss Clomper hops on to the treadmill right next to me and cranks it to a level of ridiculousness and then clomps away at her run so loudly I am forced to turn up my ipod.  She must have lead in her shoes...

I hope, but have to consider the fact that I may too be the subject of someone's gym blog...I hope no one is writing about the middle-aged woman in her 1989 greek t-shirts....

A Free-ing Moment

I had finally had it!  The Tupperware drawer...how come you can't ever find a lid to match the container?  So...in a moment of freedom and fury...if you weren't official Tupperware or Rubbermaid...out you go!  Good-bye take out containers, various used up Gladware, cottage cheese cartons and butter tubs! Guess what?  Now the drawer shuts and finding the right lid takes less time...still difficult, but less time!

On another note...too good not to share (thanks, Nettie!)...one of Emily's friends needed her mother to bring something up to school for her...like me, if you have to "heliocopter parent" then the payback is time (or a chore) for the "thank you."  Nettie made her daughter clean/organize the Tupperware drawer...LOVE IT!

Just pondering...

So...it is official, I'm in training for a 1/2 marathon...so now I HAVE to run, which actually feels good! 

First let me thank those who run with me...this week, thank you to Elvis, Steven (Tyler that is), Kanye (yep, the raunchier the music the better) and my gals..Pink, Miranda and Jennifer (Nettles) and of course, my main man...Tom Petty!

Been running on a track since we have been snowbound, which gives one much time to think and ponder...so last week while at the rec center and running/people-watching down below, I started to think...how come women do not go "up to the rec center" and shoot hoops?  I watch all kinds of men down there shooting hoops in various forms...alone, with buddies, etc.   I don't think I've ever looked down to see a woman (my age) just down there shooting hoops.  I wonder what men would do with that one?

The urge for me to just hop on down there with my ipod and start going end-to-end to shoot layups exists...you know I was the Horace Mann 7th grade JV high scorer...maybe I'd practice some freethrows and ask to get in a pickup game as well...you know my 5'1'' pear-shaped frame really is built for some b-ball.  You should see my vertical jump.  And then, just when the "guys" had thought they'd seen it all, I'd throw up some granny shots for good measure. 

I got this idea from a friend who told me about a psych experiment she had to do in college...that was go around and shop at the grocery store from other people's carts...not the shelves.  Since the groceries hadn't been paid for yet, they didn't belong to the pusher of the cart, but people were appalled when someone came up and took something out of "their" cart...I kind of think that maybe men would be the same way with the bb courts..."What is she doing on our court?"

Other things to ponder?  Is there a certain age where people excuse themselves from workout attire and forego the sweats for jeans...it is called chafing folks!  During the daytime, I think the majority of the folks working out at the rec center are in jeans...just think it is funny!  Saw a man stretching his quads in his jeans and collared shirt...wanted to share how much easier that might be if your pants can move along with you....and collared shirt?  This is not the golf course, dude!  Someone slap me if I get to this point.  Though have to admire the fact that they are out there working out...have to remember that! :)

Namaste!

The Force is not with Me

I believe the first Star Wars movie came out when I was in 5th grade or so.  For one reason or another I did not go see it.  I think I was not allowed to go, but am not sure...but it didn't take long for me to start claiming fame in the fact that I never saw Star Wars.  As most of my friends were bragging how many times they went to the movie, I was busy and proud to claim that I was not going and did not want to see it...so following in those steps, I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies to follow as well...I know I'm not the only one to have never seen a Star Wars movie, I know I've had this discussion with others along the way...but I am a rarity, I realize.

Imagine my dismay this past weekend when my daughter had an essay test in her English class where she need to compare/contrast The Odyssey and Star Ways (heroism, inner conflicts...the whole great English class gammit)...she was on her own, I couldn't help.  Never read The Odyssey and have never seen a Star Wars.  Poor kid.  Felt incompetent...which, who would have guessed, would have come up in my "I've Never Seen a Star Wars" movie gig...

I am quickly realizing how fast your children grow...how quickly you go from being the ultimate homework helper to "You are on your own for that one"...SCARY!  Thank goodness for the internet...

If you give a Pig a Pancake...

Happy New Year!

If you are familiar with the classic children's book If You Give a Pig a Pancake...you'll recognize my blog this evening...

If you give your kids some new electronics for Christmas...you'll find out you need a new router (after chatting with Shin at Linksys)...

When you install your new router...you'll have to pull out your computer desk to access electrical cord central.

When you get behind your computer desk...you'll want to dust and vacuum...

When you get out the dustrags and the vacuum...you'll want to do the whole office (not just behind the desk)...

When you pull out all of the furniture to clean...you'll want to rearrange the office...

When you rearrange the office...you'll want to clean out drawers and shelves...

When you clean out all of your drawers and shelves...you'll feel productive, like you've put in a good day's work...

When you feel like you've put in a good day's work...you'll feel like you want to play.

When you feel like playing...you'll want to access your children's new electronics!!!

(Which are working very smoothly because you installed a new router...

Best Buy Geek Squad...Here I Come!)