The Guy Outside

KC was quite taken with one particular Halloween decoration this year. We have a “guy”, a torso really, who we purchased a couple of years ago before we had a child. He’s meant to stick out of the ground like an un-dead thing trying to escape the grave. He looks a little like Freddy Krueger minus the hat, knives and striped sweater.

When I first started pulling the decorations out I paused for a moment wondering if he was a bit much for a two year old. She was standing right next to me so I just pulled him out and smiled really big and said “Look! Isn’t he silly?!” At first she seemed a tad unsure, but she got over it pretty quickly.

Ted put “Uncle Freddy” outside the following day while he was home with KC. The next day while I was home with her again as she continued to recover from a bad cold, she starting talking about a “Guy outside, Mommy. Guy outside.” It didn’t click at first so I said, “Did you see someone walking by out there? Are they walking a doggy?” Then she informed me, “Outside, in the rocks!” I understood right away. She was talking about our Halloween guy.

Every day she tells us about him. “Guy outside! “Go see him.” Every day we go outside to check on him. Apparently when Ted first put him out, KC was there and he assured her, “He won’t hurt you.” So each time she informed me of the “guy outside”, she was careful to add, “It’s ok, Mommy. He won’t hurt you.”

She absolutely blows me away sometimes. This kid is kind of a bad ass. I am pretty sure this guy would have scared the bejeezus out of me when I was little. I distinctly recall seeing a photo of Freddy Krueger in one of the local circulars that came in the mail. It was a very clear photo of his disfigured face in an ad for the video store where Nightmare on Elm Street was a new release. It bothered me so much I had to throw it away. I was probably in middle school at the time. (Can you say, “Wussy”?)

Here’s a shot of KC and her friend “Uncle Freddy” who will probably chill with us for a few more days before he goes back in the attic until next Halloween:

Here are a few more shots including one of the little skeleton “ghosties” Ted hung from the trees…

and here is KC in her fairy costume…

I went totally cheap this year and used the tutu and wings she got for her Birthday plus a 2nd hand crown.  Hey, it works. Plus, just as I suspected, she lasted about an hour or so visiting Grandma, Grandad and her cousins before she insisted on removing the whole get up. We had some fun and then we rushed back to our house to greet all our trick-or-treaters. I am sort of ashamed to say we didn’t bring KC around to trick-or-treat with our neighbors. I don’t think she minded though. She gave out big handfuls of candy to each child who came to our door.

She also ate more candy than she has in her entire short life so far. A big lollipop, assorted sweet tart things, a gummy brain, part of a tootsie roll…and that’s just what I witnessed. She was (and I kid you not) HIGH AS A KITE. It was absolutely hilarious when it wasn’t annoying the hell out of me. (You try diapering a two year old on a candy high. Not. Fun.)

Here’s a shot of her running around our front porch at the peak of her “trip”:

“Hey, man. You got any good stuff? I need another fix. Sweet-tarts? Hershey’s? Charlston Chews? Seriously, dude. I’ll take anything.”

Halloween is pretty great and kids make it even better. I look forward to next year when the festivities will have even more meaning for her. Hope you had a spooky-great Halloween.

Twice As Much

Dear KC,
Today you are two years old. I love you twice as much today as I did when you were born. I am certain that each year I will love you more and more. You are amazing. It’s true how they say that babies grow up fast. Until you become a parent and watch it happen for yourself that is just another cliché saying. Lately you are changing almost daily. No lie. You are talking so much, growing so big (over an inch in the past month!) and you are developing more and more of a big kid’s personality – a little attitude, a few quirks and a lot of love and silliness to share with us all. It’s truly a blessing and a pleasure for your dad and I (as well as your grandparents) to see it happening every day.

I remember very clearly holding you in the hospital after you were born. So tiny and light, so soft and sweet. You are still soft and sweet, but whoo-boy! Not so light anymore! You get harder to carry around, but I still love to pick you up and feel your little arms around my neck, or your head resting on my shoulder. I am so grateful that you are still in a place where you crave a lot of “Mama Love” each day. I cherish those moments when you need to be close to me. The moments when no one else will do. I know that there will come a day when you are much too mature and independent to cuddle with your Mom when you need comfort. I promise I’ll try to be cool about that when the time comes.

Tonight we will celebrate one more time with some cake and ice cream. We’ve got plenty left over from your party on Saturday! You are such a lucky girl, KC. I hope that we can give you material things while still teaching you the value of being grateful for what you have. So many other kids go without lots of toys and food. Too many even live without a lot of love and attention. As a parent and a human being, that is heartbreaking every time I see it. I was a very lucky little girl growing up. Your Dad was very lucky too. We are still lucky because we can give you the love, support, and (ok, I admit it) the presents you deserve. It’s awfully hard not to spoil a child you love so much. I’m going to have to keep a leash on your Dad though. He likes Toys-R-Us a little too much for a guy his age. You two are bound to have some fun together. I’ll be the one shaking her head in the background because “that’s too expensive!” or “isn’t that dangerous?”

I could go on and on, but I’ll wrap things up. You are twice as much fun, twice as smart, twice as beautiful and twice as much of a blessing as you were 2 years ago today. And that’s saying a lot because you were a DAMN good baby! Happy Birthday, sweet little girl.

All My Love,
Mommy

Awesome tea set courtesy of KC’s Aunt and Uncle. Fabulous gift choice guys! She adores it!

*****

By the way, the party was a total success. No mishaps at all this year. The food platters and the cake were perfect. Gotta love paying someone else to make it! (Hey, what can I say? I know my strengths.) Daddy even spent 3 hours last night (after working all day at an expo) putting together a play kitchen from G & G Doran so that KC could play with it right away. THAT, my friends, is love. Special thanks to my Mom and Dad for all the driving you did and the extra hotel visit you endured just to be there with us. Thanks actually to everyone who came and celebrated with us. KC made out like a bandit with the “Birthday Booty”. She is indeed very lucky. As are we.

Let’s hear it for the boy!

My husband rocks. He got the playhouse put together in two evenings and even got to put the clear coat on it just like the brochure said he should do. He also (finally) finished two wooden chairs for our kitchen table that came a few weeks ago that we desperately need for the party tomorrow. He is the man. KC’s new playhouse is AWESOME. And here I was saying how it was going to be the thing that went awry because of Murphy’s Law and fate and yada-yada-yada.

We are totally ready for the party tomorrow. I spent all day cleaning and shopping. I just have to pick up the sandwich platters and the “Finding Nemo” themed cake that GIANT FOOD IS MAKING. NOT ME. Oh. Crap. That’s going to be the thing that goes wrong isn’t it? They are going to forget about our order. Or maybe the cake will say “Happy Retirement Bob!” Actually, that would be kind of funny. Just the thing Ted and I would get a kick out of.

Hell, even if they do screw up my party platters it won’t be the end of the world. I’ll just buy some deli meat and toss it all together. The way the food looks doesn’t matter because, SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS. LOOK AT THE AWESOME PLAYHOUSE.

It has a mailbox. Which KC immediately put dirt and rocks in. Duh.

This thing is tall enough that I can stand upright in there. I can't do anything else, but still.

He’s a good Dad. KC and I have decided to keep him.

Countdown to the Big T-W-O

KC officially turns two on Monday, Sept. 14, but we are celebrating with friends and family this coming Saturday. This week begins my list-writing and hand-wringing over whether we will have what we need and whether we will be able to fit everyone inside our house if the weather is bad. I’ve counted up almost 30 people including small children and babies. It’s pretty imperative that we can utilize the patio out back. The forecast says it will be warm and sunny but that could totally change by the weekend.

It’s really hard not to over-invite people to something like this. We could keep it to just family, but that would be too simple. Inevitably we start with the “We should also include so-and-so…and if we invite so-and-so then we should ask this person too…” Then there’s the impromptu verbal invites of neighbors at the last minute. Especially those with kids who we want to be friendlier with. I’m a little worried, but even if it’s crowded, it should still be fun.

Note to self: GET LOTS OF BEER & WINE. Open the garage to the guys who hate these types of parties, but come anyway because they are really good friends. And, for the love of God, don’t forget favors that the kids can actually play with. NOT candy. There’s enough crack sugar in cake as it is.

One thing that I’m very happy about is the fact that GG and Gramps (my mom and dad) will be there this time. They leave Minnesota today as a matter of fact. Initially, they planned to stay up there into October, but unusually cold weather (even for northern MN) and other issues made them decide to start home early. They missed her 1st Birthday party last year and I was starting to feel guilty about planning her 2nd before they got back again this year. The truth is, they are far too awesome to actually be upset about stuff like that. This laid-back quality is one of the many things I love about my parents. If they hadn’t been able to get back, KC and I would have traveled to the beach as soon as they came home and celebrated a 2nd time just like we did last year.

Back to the planning of this shin-dig. You’ll be happy to know that I won’t be attempting to make a cake again this year and neither will “F***ing Betty Crocker”. HE firmly stated that trying was not worth the trouble and potential for disaster. Maybe you are disappointed that there won’t be a story about how I screwed up another cake. Don’t worry, I’m bound to mess up something else. Or, perhaps this year it will be Ted who has a party-related mishap. We did just receive KC’s present, a wooden playhouse that has to be put together. From the look of it, there are a lot of parts and some notes in the fine print about how you should put some kind of weather-proof clear coat on it every couple of years. Awesome. Ted is very handy so it’s sure to be fine. Then again…the ordering of it went smoothly and the price was amazing, so you just KNOW there is bound to be something about this house that is going to SUCK. I hope I’m mistaken about that. We shall see…stay tuned.

Welcome to EXOTIC DULUTH!*

Every time anyone asked Ted where we were headed for vacation, he would say with a grin, “Exotic Duluth!” (Minnesota, that is.) Totally makes me laugh. I guess it’s funny because most people don’t think of Minnesota when they think of an exotic or exciting getaway. However, truth be told, northern MN is pretty spectacular in the summertime. I would know. I’ve been going there almost every summer since I was born.

So! Vacation came and went. I’ve been off the blog so long, I’m not even sure what to write. I guess I’ll start where I left off.

WE FLEW. ON AN AIRPLANE. WITH AN ALMOST TWO YEAR OLD. AND WE LIVED TO TELL ABOUT IT.

Yes, my stomach was in knots on the flight out there. Yes, KC did get a tad rambunctious on the first leg of our flight out. However, after that, she was completely chill. She slept on the 2nd flight to Minneapolis from Chicago. We had a brief glimpse of hell in the terminal on our journey back home when KC decided to pick the waiting area just 20 minutes shy of boarding to morph into a complete freak. She ran around and screamed bloody murder whenever we tried to hold her or stop her. She even picked this time to take a crap in her ALREADY JUST CHANGED diaper. This resulted in me wrestling her on the floor of the bathroom stall to perform the quickest change ever due to the fact that the plane was boarding and had already called “Group 4″ by that time. Blaag@#$%aaalalalala&*%$#gahhh. (New word. Feel free to use it.)

Miraculously, she got it all out of her system and morphed back to the adorable child I actually gave birth to just as we got on the plane. She really seemed to dig the planes. I also think she “got it” when we pointed to them out on the tarmac and told her, “We are getting on a plane!”

Basically, any Fear of Flying I had disappeared. Also, may I take a moment to add that the portable DVD player is the most ingenious invention know to mankind. For real. My daughter watched TONS of videos while we were on this trip and – I MAKE NO APOLOGY FOR IT. NONE. (She watches lots at home too. I make only minor apologies for that.)

HOOKED UP!

Seriously though, we had a great trip. We got to do so many things and KC had so many firsts…first zoo visit…first aquarium…first time meeting some of our cousins…first time seeing the Gordon family cabin and first time seeing so many of the landmarks that I grew up seeing on vacations with my parents. It was really awesome. WE HAD FUN. All three of us.

The amazing views from our rental cabin didn’t hurt either. We were really excited about this place and it totally delivered. Worth every penny. (It’s called Breezy Point in case you are ever in Two Harbors.)

Pictured here: Exotic Two Harbors

We drove around a lot on this trip. From a Duluth hotel, to the Two Harbors cabin and on to another hotel near Minneapolis. All the driving and packing and visiting could have made for some crabby moods on all our parts, but that didn’t ever really happen. Of course we each had minor moments. Daddy got pretty irate at AVIS on the way home. (Some nonsense about it costing $136 because we got the car back an hour late. I’m not even totally sure. AVIS, you officially suck to us now.) KC had quite a few moments in restaurants as well. Apparently we don’t do well at restaurants anymore. Just in time for vacation! Sweet! No big deal though. There was always room service, full kitchenettes or family cooking for us in places where “a kid can be a kid”. The misbehaving stayed at a minimum and generally only came from those under two(ish)…

See? Very minimal. Daddy is really quite happy here.

I want to thank all our family (both Gordon AND Doran) who were so hospitable while we were there. You guys made it easier for us to relax. GG and Gramps even took KC for two separate nights while Daddy and Mommy got drunk had romantic time together. Other family members gave us much needed breaks while we visited them via cousins who were of babysitting age. (Hmm. Babysitters. It’s about time we found one of those here in VA.) Really the biggest negative from this trip is the horrific pile of laundry I am working my way through. I packed too much, yet managed to not have enough clothes. Figures.

*To those who came to this post hoping for travel/city info on either Duluth, MN or Duluth, GA, my deepest apologies for misleading you. If you read the whole thing anyway, thanks! You totally rock. Either that or you were just to dumb to stop reading and continue your info search elsewhere. If you scrolled to the bottom as soon as you saw the asterisk in the title you are obviously too smart for this blog. Go away.

Fear of Flying

Well, it’s almost arrived — vacation time! I am in the middle of packing the “world’s most crap that will never be worn on one trip”. (Seriously, there should be an award for that.) Tonight I aim to eliminate some of it so I can actually bring some clothes for KC too. I suppose making her rotate two outfits the whole time would be very uncool.

We leave early tomorrow morning. Ted’s Dad will be driving us to the airport. By noon we should be in our rental car and driving a couple more hours to Duluth. (If Avis doesn’t have the car seat I asked for you will hear me yelling all the way in Virginia.) It will be a long day, but hopefully worth it. We’ll be gone for more than a week. It’s a MUCH needed vacation for Ted and I. The pressure to have fun is HUGE. Ted won’t stop saying how awesome it’s going to be, etc.

Dear God, this better be fun.

This also happens to be the first time KC has ever flown on a plane. I am nervous as hell. I don’t really know why exactly. She’s a really good kid. People find her cute and charming. However, those people are typically passing by at the grocery store. Not stuck in the seat in front of her, or trying to sleep in the seats behind us. I am certain she’ll be her usual adorable self, but she’s very “active” these days. She likes to walk and run and explore. She’s full of energy and she’s just young enough that telling her to sit still is kind of a joke. Of course we plan to have stuff to entertain her, but it’s always the stuff she can’t have or can’t do that seems to lure her. I have this fear of the “tantrum to end all tantrums” when we try desperately to make her understand that “you have to sit in this seat until the captain says it’s ok to get up.” Yeah! Right. Even then, I don’t really want to get up and let her pace the aisles. Pain. In. The. Butt. That sounds like.

I pray to the Gods of airline travel (I’m talking to YOU, Knome!) that she’ll SLEEEEEP. (“She always sleeps in the car!” she said in a slightly manic tone.) Thank goodness it’s not a very long flight. We have one layover and I personally think that is a good thing. More opportunity for her to run around in the terminal and tire herself out. We shall see. I’ll be offline until after July 4th. I will definitely come back with photos and (hopefully) stories about how amazingly good she was on the plane!

Wow, you should have seen her! They were so impressed they gave her “wings” and let her sit in the cockpit! “Best kid ever on a plane!” the crew said. “You two are model parents!” all the passengers exclaimed.

If not then hopefully there will be stories that, while horrifying for us, will at least be entertaining for you. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

All Dads Go to Heaven

And by “Dads” I don’t mean simply men who sired children either. I mean DADS, real, honest-to-goodness DADS. The ones who grill for us, mow the lawn so we can play, pick us up and twirl around, or become a human swing on command. The guys who teach us how to do things like ride a bike, fish, paddle a canoe and paint an Easter egg with more pizazz than anything Martha Stewart could ever dream up. The men who often provide us our first jobs, our first cars, our first opportunity to build something. Our first real sense of pride and accomplishment.

Ted and I were lucky. We both had Dads like this. Dads who cared, who were fun and smart, who made us feel safe and alternately scared the crap out of us when we needed it. (Math grades come to mind for me.) Our Dads were responsible and held jobs to provide for us. They cheered for us and encouraged us. They pushed us sometimes too. All this because, they knew. This is what a good Dad does. This is what comes naturally when you love your children and your family.

Now I am lucky because my daughter has two amazing Grandfathers who helped mold her parents to be who they are now. And, of course, she got one pretty amazing Dad. Ted, you are so wonderful with KC. Fatherhood truly looks good on you. I know you will continue to be great at it. I’m sure there will be many hard days. I imagine you and KC will fight sometimes. I can already see she’s a lot like you! She’s got spunk and personality, she’s stubborn and also tough. She’s funny and silly. These things will get her through a lot of stuff and I know you will be right by her side. And mine too. Thank you for being such a wonderful husband and father.

Happy Father’s Day, Ted (aka Dada, Daddy and Dad)
Happy Father’s Day to my own Dad (aka “Gramps”)
Happy Father’s Day to Ted’s Dad, my Father-in-Law (aka  “Grandad”)

You guys are the greatest. Some might even say the World’s Greatest!

Dr. Badass and Mrs. Blob

Total “Badassery”. That’s a word I just made up. I didn’t Google the word, but I’m pretty sure I just made it up. We’ll just pretend that I did. It is a word that sums up what I feel while in the midst of a great workout or run. Like my 10k this past weekend. I am proud to report that I did really well. My time was 1 hr. and 16(ish) minutes. I ran the entire time. No walk breaks. That was my goal and I accomplished it. I felt really good. Until I saw the photos.

Let me stop here for a moment and just say that my Mom is amazing. She met me in Annapolis and actually stayed overnight with me. She paid for my hotel and a very good (and expensive) dinner in downtown Annapolis the evening before. She got up at O’dark-thirty in the morning and went out in pouring rain to stand with an umbrella to shield me while I waited for an hour to start the race. She never complained and never wavered. She wore a smile and was, as ever, my cheerleader. I love you Mom.

She also took a lot of photos, which was awesome. If she hadn’t done that, I would have no photo record of the day. That would have been a shame. However, as much as I appreciated those photos, they also kind of horrified me. Some of them were not, um, flattering. At all. The truth is I hardly ever find myself attractive in photos. They seem to always capture my worst angle. Usually it’s no big deal. I just toss them out put them aside.

But…on this day in particular I had felt the complete and total “badassery” of a real athlete as I moved through each mile. In my mind’s eye I was strong and beautiful. I was long lean legs, strong shoulders with a look of total determination and feminine beauty on my face at all times. All this in my mind’s eye. The camera is cruel. She reveals ashy, chicken skin on not-so-perfect legs, flabby arms, scraggly hair and a face that looked about 10 years older than my regular face. A face that wore a grimace of what could have been mistaken for pain and discomfort. (A few of the photos I speak of were taken by an events company out on the course. They later post them online.) It sucked to see that image looking back at me.

A couple of the photos were alright. I am going overboard on this description. However, I’m just trying to illustrate a point. The truth is, photos are often full of crap. For us mere mortals, photos can be unfair depictions of who we actually are. (Just look at tabloids that hightlight real celebrities in their not-so-perfect moments.) We are far more beautiful in real life than we are when captured in a split-second moment on film. Today at the gym I saw her again. The woman I love. The one I like to think is the real me. The badass, the Goddess, the athlete…ok, ok, I’m being kind of narcissistic now. But, I think you know what I mean.

When I am on the treadmill at the gym, doing my typical run, I feel invincible. Nevermind that I’m not the fastest runner. I feel great. I look over at that full-length mirror and the living, breathing, moving, pulsing, strong body in motion I see there tells the real story. That determined face that reflects back at me is the one I imagine in my mind. (Most days anyway.) The proud girl. The strong, beautiful girl. Nevermind that I still notice all the flaws. They are not as big to me when I’m feeling like “Dr. Badass”. At that point I have run far, far away from “Mrs. Blob” and left her sitting with her coffee and cookies and her self pity. Sure, she’ll be back, but I’ll put on my running shoes and shake her off once again.

A decent shot of me before the race started.

Ok, this one's not too bad either.

*****

I would like to also mention that I’m still “Down with the Sisterhood”. I missed yesterday’s weigh-in so I’m offering it up today instead. Surprisingly have not lost anything since my last report. I’m still at about 151. The new challenge has begun and runs until mid-July. Seven weeks. I will state here and now that I want to make it to 146. That is 5 lbs. I must work on my food choices a bit. It will also be a challenge to keep running now that the race is over. Am thinking I should sign up for a race in July or August to keep me motivated. Not with TNT this time. I think I’ll go solo and pray for some Saturday morning willpower.

Cop-out. (Or, why I am a lazy-ass and didn’t blog on the most important Mom day of the year.)

So this is a blog about being a mom. Mostly, anyway. Of all the days I should have posted, yesterday (being Mother’s Day) was definitely up there near the top. Maybe right under KC’s Birthday. Instead I played with her and had brunch with my own Mom. I know, selfish. Right? I should have been up at the crack-o-dawn writing eloquent and sentimental lines about what a joy it is to be a mother so she can read it years from now. I should have written a poem about how amazing KC is and how much she’s changed my life. Mainly for the better. I mean, I kind of miss how my house didn’t used to smell like a diaper most days, but otherwise I really like having her around.

What? That’s my fault you say? For not emptying the Diaper Genie more often? Oh, well fine then. Just be quiet.

We had a great weekend. On Saturday, Ted, my Mom, KC and I went to a crawfish boil. We spent all day outside and got a little too much sun. KC stayed on the swings for almost the entire time. This is her new most favorite activity. Big thanks to GG, as she became the designated driver so Daddy and I could have a few beers at the party. GG is the bomb, yo. She was also the designated walker-arounder and swing pusher for a lot of the day. Grandmas totally rock. We came home, tired and burnt and just vegged out. Ted made us strombolis for dinner. He always cooks great stuff when my Mom visits. Even when he’s really tired.

On Sunday, Ted had to work some, which sucked. However, he made us dinner later so that was cool. My Mom and I took KC to brunch with girlfriends I had not seen in a very long time. It was really nice. KC ate bacon for breakfast and charmed everyone. It was totally crowded at the restaurant (On Mother’s Day! Can you imagine? Wierd.), but we got very lucky and were seated quickly. KC lasted longer than I thought she would at the table. She’s very full of energy these days. It’s like having a dog sometimes. You must let her run around and sniff touch stuff or she gets very cranky and starts yapping fussing.

GG left to drive back to her house not long after brunch. Daddy was still finishing a job for a neighbor. KC and I played, watched videos and, finally (and I do mean finally) collapsed on the couch at about 3:30 for a nap. Her restless little body stretched out along mine. Her chubby, little feet lined up with my…um…chubby, big feet perfectly in my line of sight. Yet another moment that made we wish for camera eyes. We stayed that way for about an hour or so. Breathing together, KC snoring a little bit.

We don’t do that very often anymore. She used to nap on my lap all the time as a little baby. These days, I usually snag the opportunity to coax her into her bed so I can have time to myself. However, sometimes it just feels nice to be close to her. Besides, it’s the perfect excuse to lay around and do nothing. It’s also the perfect time to reflect on the fact that these days are numbered. Napping with Mom won’t be high on the list one day soon. Her constant need for me can be difficult, but only sometimes. Mostly it’s wonderful and I want to remember to drink it in.

Totally Random Crap (a.k.a. I don’t feel like working at 2:30 pm on a Friday.)

I managed to knock a couple of things off that to-do list I shared the other day:

• I bought KC a cute red raincoat with pink polka-dots and some Hello Kitty rain boots. It abruptly stopped raining the very next morning. Sigh.
• I did get my sister-in-law a shower gift. The party is Sunday at my house and I am really looking forward to it. Especially the part where my house will be really clean and smell like a Yankee Candle. Seriously. If people didn’t visit me, I’d never clean. I hate to clean. This is a good thing.

*****

I have to go run 4 miles tomorrow morning. I did not do any exercise or training this week. I ate a lot of cookies though. I plan to go home and have one or two beers tonight. (Ok, three.) It’s sunny and awesome and is supposed to be sunny and awesome all weekend. Training be damned. I’ll just walk more than normal tomorrow. At this rate, I’ll never wear my old shorts and capris again. I might as well just throw them away and invest in numerous, brightly colored moo-moos. Sounds more comfortable anyway.

*****

I noted on FaceBook today that I am really obsessed with KC’s clothes. I love her little clothes so much that I even enjoy doing her laundry. What is that about? I daydream about what little outfits I might put her in the next day and the next. What will I do when she starts insisting on picking her own clothes? Maybe I can dress up the cats…

*****

Things are weird at my office, ya’ll. We’ve let go of some more people. It sucks. They assure us we won’t be going out of business. I believe it, but it’s still kind of scary. That’s all I’m gonna say about that. I have friends both here and at other companies that have lost jobs due to this crappy economy. I am grateful I haven’t lost my job yet. I will sit tight, hang on and just assume we will survive. This crap has got to get better soon, right? This subject is a downer. Moving on…

*****

Wolverine is totally hot. (Hugh Jackman to you non X-men fans.) Two of my co-workers and I discussed how we all agree on this point and that we should see the movie together. What about you? Do you think Wolverine is hot? Here’s a poll just for the hell of it: