Wordless Wednesday: Anachronism Somewhere in New Mexico

That's More Like It

This song came on my iPod as I was driving back to Texas today. Shut up, it is too legal to listen to your iPod while you drive.

Take that, Celine Dion. Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters know my heart better than you ever will.




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I Don't Need This

You know what I don't need as I'm crying my way through a grocery store, stocking up on road trip food, preparing to leave California?

I don't need ambient Celine Dion telling me her heart will go on.

Next time I see her, and you KNOW I'm gonna run into her at the Gap next week, I'm going to punch her in her Canadian face.

Going Home

It's hard to drive when you're crying.

It's hard to cry when you can't even breathe.

I know I should be happy I'm going to see The Man again.

But right now, I'm just sad, and trying to breathe.

I'll miss you guys.

And seriously, keep working on the magic machine that will teleport all my friends and family to Texas. Now. Thank you.

Mmmm, Food

Is it sad or awesome that one of the things the kids and I really looked forward to on our return visit to California was eating at all our favorite restaurants?

I'm going with awesome.

Our list consisted of the following places:

Rubio's - mmm, fish tacos.

Souplantation - mmm, all you can eat salad soup and bread. It's healthy, so three cornbread muffins are completely justified.

Tito's Tacos - mmm, tacos with meat that defies description, and identification, frankly.

Paco's Tacos - mmm, waiters that remember you from two years ago. Oh, wait. That's not yummy, but the salsa and carne asada are.

Kabuki - mmm, sushi. Please invent a machine that moves this restaurant to Texas. The BEST tempura California rolls ever. And I know all you sushi officianados are all, that's not REAL sushi. I don't care. I'm all about the rolls.

Island's - mmm, burgers, spinach dip and waiters in shorts.

The Hitching Post - oh, oh, the artichoke appetizer. I think I'm going to divorce my Holiday Inn shower curtain and marry this dish.

If you're in California, these are a good place to start. And if you don't agree, BRING IT.

Body Worlds

On Thursday, our group went to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Through a logistical mix-up, one of the gang ended up purchasing tickets to see the Body Worlds exhibit which we had deemed too expensive. She offered the tickets, and Loodle and I took her up on it.

Taking a 5 1/2 year old to see this exhibit might seem a little dicey, but of all the kids there that day, she seemed like the best equipped to handle what was on display, and the one to most appreciate it.

The first thing we saw when we walked in was a man's body, which they'd preserved in a process called Plastination. And by "a man's body", I mean the beans and franks and everything. After contemplating that for a while, Loodle walked around and looked at the various displays.

Some of the things seen:
-fetuses from 7 weeks through 32 weeks
-an ulcerated stomach
-a man's spine peeled back from his body, with brain still attached
-a cross section from shoulder to foot, of an obese man (if that doesn't compel you to start your diet, nothing will)
-various bodies posed as runner, dancer, gymnast, etc, showing what muscles were used for each
-a full on life-sized giraffe.

Loodle thought it was all fascinating. We talked about different parts of our bodies, how organs work, what happens if you don't take care of yourself, and all kinds of things that I did not anticipate discussing with my 5 1/2 year old on a visit to a museum. Right in the middle of the exhibit she asked if these were real people. I told her they were, and she contemplated that for a minute.

She then told me that she "didn't want me to go here", meaning she didn't want me to die and be on display. Much as I don't think I'll be needing my body after death, I'm pretty sure I don't want to be the "damaged goods" display either.

I highly recommend this exhibit if you ever have a chance to go. I am BY NO MEANS one who enjoys seeing dead/dissected things, and I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating display.

Signage

Here are some signs I found amusing on a recent trip to Morro Bay, California.

Wordless Wednesday: How Can I Do This Again? Soon?

Yes that drink in my hand was as good as it looked, and mamaDB was as good a company as her toes make her out to be, and the spa was just as marvelous as the palm trees would suggest.

My sister in law was also there, but my wide, perfectly-made-for-birthing-9 1/2-pound-babies hips precluded her being in the picture.

5 Things...

Meg tagged me for this meme, so away we go!


What was I doing 10 years ago?

I had been married for 5 years and we had moved to L.A. a few years earlier. I was working as an accounting clerk in a small computer company. They had no money, so it was hard to work Accounts Payable when there was no cash to actually pay people. It was frustrating, and I found myself in the position of having to lie to vendors, so I started looking elsewhere for work. Principles, yo.


Five snacks I enjoy in a perfect, non-weight gaining world:

1. Doughnuts
2. Candy Bars
3. Queso and chips
4. Cookies
5. Twinkies
(Most of my list includes sugar items, because I'm not allowed to actually eat them in real life-low blood sugar issues)


Five snacks I enjoy in the real world:

1. Queso and chips (whoops! How did that get there?)
2. Popcorn
3. Ritz Crackers
4. Wheat Thins
5. Fritos



Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Pay off our debt and all our family/friends' debt
2. Hire a maid and a cook
3. Buy tons of cameras and equipment
4. Go on lavish vacations
5. Do something good for humanity. Maybe.



Five jobs I have had:

1. Babysitter at a battered women's shelter. At the age of 13. Talk about an eye opening, humbling experience.
2. Babysitter to three siblings, for $3 an hour. I was IN THE MONEY.
3. Data entry clerk at the community college I attended. Worked evenings, so I was on campus from 8am to 8pm. At a COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Can you say par-tay???
4. Accounting clerk for Sun Microsystems. LOVED that job, and only gave it up because The Man wanted to go follow his dream and work for a startup game company or something. Ass.
5. Associate Accountant for a water district in the L.A. area. That was the last job I had, and left after having Boodle 8 years ago.


Five habits:
1. OCD hair pulling since middle school.
2. Leaving stuff all over our couch so The Man has no place to sit.
3. Reading before I go to bed. Doesn't matter how tired I am, I've got to at least read a page or two before I can turn my brain off and sleep.
4. Pacing around the house while I'm talking on the phone. Loodle has picked up on this one and now does this as well.
5. When I am expecting someone to show up somewhere, I am constantly looking toward the entryway to see if they've arrived. Even in the middle of a conversation with someone else, I'll rudely keep looking away to watch for the other person's arrival.


Five places I have lived:
Glendale, CA
Lompoc, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
San Jose, CA
Los Angeles, CA

Apparently, My Children Hate All Races Equally

After reading this story about kids who say "yuck" to foreign foods being racists, I realize that my kids are equally prejudiced against all nationalities, including their own.

It does a mother proud.


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California Dreamin'

Actually, that title doesn't go anywhere. I just wanted to mention California again. And the fact that the high has been in the mid 70's since we got here. And that I've needed a sweater in the evenings. And that there are no mosquitoes here. And that my mom is doing awesome and we're having a marvelous time. And that I STILL have three weeks to spend here with family and friends before I have to cry like a baby as I drive back to Texas.

I was going to upload some pictures, but my kids are with their aunt, and I'm scheduled for a nap right now. Tomorrow I promise to tell you how a chicken taquito sent my mom to the ER. It's funny, I swear.

Shamelessly Stolen For Your Pleasure

I shamelessly stole this widget from this blog, which I stumbled upon and couldn't stop reading.

Move your cursor over the screen. Click to change the colors. It starts with black, and in my preview window, that's the color of the background, so click first if needed.

Have fun being all artsy and stuff. And if you like it, steal away. (Yes, you can now sing the Robbie Dupree song).