Christmas 2008
The Kung Fu Carvers
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Hints and Gardens
The other morning I woke up Lexy with a,"Good Morning Honey." She rolled over, smiled and said, "I really like your garden." I choked back a laugh and said, "Thanks honey!" This morning I woke up Kiernan. He's a bit tougher because he can't just be scooped up and carried downstairs. I have to pester him to get up. He was groaning, "Leave me alooooone." Finally he jumps up on his knees and yells at me, "Why can't you just give me the hints!!" I laughed and said, "What hints?" He looked at me blankly for a few seconds and finally shrugged his shoulders with that silly little grin of his.
So why did you ask?
I met this student through work here at the university. He fancies himself a writer and has had some poetry published (his book just went into a second run) as well as written some plays that (he says) have been performed in town. He's gay but the only reason I mention this is because he has some pretty cliche gay man mannerisms (including opening his mouth to speak but holding it open for a brief moment before he begins speaking). And he's pretty snobbish when he wants to be. Lordy, where is this going already!?
Last year he brought in his poetry book for the 3 of us in the front office to read. I can't stand poetry and especially the kind he had in his book. I told him, "Please don't take it personally but I just don't like poetry." He said, "But what did you think of it?" "I didn't like it becase (again) I don't like poetry. But I'm very happy for you." He did that open mouth deal as mentioned above but quickly closed it and just smiled. He was obviously pretty miffed and we didn't see him for awhile.
This past week he brought in two chapters from a teen mystery book he's been working on. Supposedly he's given it to a publisher who (he says) thinks it's so good they can hardly put it down. I thought HEY, this will be fun. Oh dear gods no. It was like grading a paper written by a 7th grader. When he gave me the two chapters (in its nice clear plastic cover) I asked him, "Can I write on it?" Sure! And tell me what you think of it. There was even a questionnaire at the front. It was *horrible*! It took me 4 hours to read because I was correcting so many errors and trying to figure out what he was even trying to say. His characters were very inconsistent and most of it didn't have a dang thing to do with his plot...I mean they wouldn't have had anything to do with his plot if THERE WAS ONE.
So I wrote copious notes all over it and when he came in I gave it to him. The questionnaire is on the very front and the first question was, "Did you like this story." I answered, "No, not in its current form." He looked up at me with shock on his face and barely squeaked out, "You didn't like it? Why?" Read my notes. Now mind you, I was at work and was trying to get a really important project done (and I told him this--you can ask me questions but I need to keep working on this while you stand there). Which was probably good because if I had been actually engaged in the conversation I would have been pretty pissed off. He said, "I didn't ask you to edit it. I have an editor for that. I wanted to know what you thought about the story." I said, "It is barely readable the way you currently have it written. It took me 4 hours to read through your chapters because most of it didn't make sense." So he stood in front of me fuming while he read my notes but as he did he made little comments like,
"Oh well that was explained in chapter 2 that's why it doesn't make sense."
"Well, that was a metaphor." "Then you need to let the reader know it was a metaphor."
The story revolves around the police in a small town but depending on the paragraph the cops went from nice, to snide to just plain mean back to nice. I made the comment, "No matter how small the town, even small town cops are not going to be openly mean to a teenage girl who's at the police station as part of an elite high school squad." "You don't think cops can be mean? You don't understand because you haven't read chapter blah blah blah."
All comments (many more than I've listed but you have better things to do I'm sure) were made with those little mannerisms I mentioned earlier. I know you know what I mean. The raised eyebrow and cocked head. The high shrill, "Whaaaaaat?" Obviously nothing I wrote (again, which took me 4 hours) or said was going to make him think his book wasn't wonderful. But what really made me mad was that he stood there and invalidated every comment or suggestion I made in front of me. Like my opinion really didn't matter or that I didn't know what I was talking about. If you can't take the criticism, why ask? GRRRRR Letitgo Letitgo Letitgo
And I hope he completely "shows me" and his book is published and sells a million trillion and he makes a trilogy out of it.
Last year he brought in his poetry book for the 3 of us in the front office to read. I can't stand poetry and especially the kind he had in his book. I told him, "Please don't take it personally but I just don't like poetry." He said, "But what did you think of it?" "I didn't like it becase (again) I don't like poetry. But I'm very happy for you." He did that open mouth deal as mentioned above but quickly closed it and just smiled. He was obviously pretty miffed and we didn't see him for awhile.
This past week he brought in two chapters from a teen mystery book he's been working on. Supposedly he's given it to a publisher who (he says) thinks it's so good they can hardly put it down. I thought HEY, this will be fun. Oh dear gods no. It was like grading a paper written by a 7th grader. When he gave me the two chapters (in its nice clear plastic cover) I asked him, "Can I write on it?" Sure! And tell me what you think of it. There was even a questionnaire at the front. It was *horrible*! It took me 4 hours to read because I was correcting so many errors and trying to figure out what he was even trying to say. His characters were very inconsistent and most of it didn't have a dang thing to do with his plot...I mean they wouldn't have had anything to do with his plot if THERE WAS ONE.
So I wrote copious notes all over it and when he came in I gave it to him. The questionnaire is on the very front and the first question was, "Did you like this story." I answered, "No, not in its current form." He looked up at me with shock on his face and barely squeaked out, "You didn't like it? Why?" Read my notes. Now mind you, I was at work and was trying to get a really important project done (and I told him this--you can ask me questions but I need to keep working on this while you stand there). Which was probably good because if I had been actually engaged in the conversation I would have been pretty pissed off. He said, "I didn't ask you to edit it. I have an editor for that. I wanted to know what you thought about the story." I said, "It is barely readable the way you currently have it written. It took me 4 hours to read through your chapters because most of it didn't make sense." So he stood in front of me fuming while he read my notes but as he did he made little comments like,
"Oh well that was explained in chapter 2 that's why it doesn't make sense."
"Well, that was a metaphor." "Then you need to let the reader know it was a metaphor."
The story revolves around the police in a small town but depending on the paragraph the cops went from nice, to snide to just plain mean back to nice. I made the comment, "No matter how small the town, even small town cops are not going to be openly mean to a teenage girl who's at the police station as part of an elite high school squad." "You don't think cops can be mean? You don't understand because you haven't read chapter blah blah blah."
All comments (many more than I've listed but you have better things to do I'm sure) were made with those little mannerisms I mentioned earlier. I know you know what I mean. The raised eyebrow and cocked head. The high shrill, "Whaaaaaat?" Obviously nothing I wrote (again, which took me 4 hours) or said was going to make him think his book wasn't wonderful. But what really made me mad was that he stood there and invalidated every comment or suggestion I made in front of me. Like my opinion really didn't matter or that I didn't know what I was talking about. If you can't take the criticism, why ask? GRRRRR Letitgo Letitgo Letitgo
And I hope he completely "shows me" and his book is published and sells a million trillion and he makes a trilogy out of it.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
"That is so a genius"
That is Lexy's new saying. Or if she doesn't like something, "That is so NOT a genius." We didn't go home the way she wanted to the other night. We started driving towards the house, "Turn around mommy, I want to go the other way." "No, we're almost home." Huff! "That is SO not a genius."
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Nice job there sister
I changed my socks several times to make sure my feet would be warm on this fine winter day Yeah I left without a jacket
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Nigh Nigh Time
How to get Lexy in bed without chasing her around the house first:
1) Have her brother take her play phone away.
2) Have her brother hide said phone under his body while he curls up on the couch
3) Have Lexy bite her brother in the back until he screams and starts crying
4) March her up to her bedroom and tell her to stay there and don't come out
Works like a charm! Mike went to check on her and she was asleep in her bed with the lights off. However, I don't suggest this for everyone.
1) Have her brother take her play phone away.
2) Have her brother hide said phone under his body while he curls up on the couch
3) Have Lexy bite her brother in the back until he screams and starts crying
4) March her up to her bedroom and tell her to stay there and don't come out
Works like a charm! Mike went to check on her and she was asleep in her bed with the lights off. However, I don't suggest this for everyone.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Halo Master
We're at our friend's house and Kiernan is whomping the big guys on "Halo." I was just informed that Kiernan doesn't get to play anymore. "Why?" I asked. "Because he keeps winning!!" I went to the game room to see what was going on and Kiernan (sitting on the floor) turned towards me and was grinning ear to ear.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sowwy Daddy
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
They just dont know
I dont remember what we were talking about (as I was laughing too hard) but Lexy's reply was *said so matter of factly* "They just don't know the power of Greyskull." And another generation of He-Man fans is born.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Hooligans!
Nice days are made for bike riding
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Food eaten in one week around the world
This was originally sent to me in an email but I found it online as well. Very interesting!
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Way too many movies
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Talk about being out of the loop!
We just got a phone call from my nephew that one of Mikes favorite authors (David Gemmel) died--back in 2006! We didn't even realize. He wife finished writing his series for him.
What Jeff Foxworthy has to say about Nevadans
I am quite sure this is one of those forwarded emails that you modify to fit your state, but this one was just way too true and made me laugh.
- If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Nevada.
- If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in Nevada.
- If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Nevada.
- If "vacation" means going anywhere south of Salt Lake City for the weekend, you live in Nevada.
- If you measure distance in hours, you live in Nevada.
- If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Nevada.
- If you have switched from "heat" to "A/C" and back again in the same day, you live in Nevada.
- If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked, you live in Nevada.
- If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Nevada.
- If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in Nevada.
- If the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph -- you're going 80, and everyone is still passing you, you live in Nevada.
- If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in Nevada.
- If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Nevada.
- If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly" you live in Nevada.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Our Christmas card for 2008
Alexia's family portrait. I can't get over how detailed it is for a 3 year old. She knows she's smaller than her brother (who she told me wasn't having a good day), daddy has a mustache (yet no arms) and mommy is bigger than everyone (I like to think it's because I'm more important).
Wii would like to play
I'm obsessed with Wii Tennis. I've never really been all that interested in the game before but now I find myself playing every night. Like I rush around in the evening putting the kids to bed, cleaning up etc so I can play for at least an hour. My fracking arm is killing me!! I feel as if I have been playing real tennis. I must remember that the controller is not as heavy as a real racket and I don't need to hit it that hard. It huuuurts so bad. It's just aching right now from my rotator cuff to my shoulder and down my shoulder blade. Will I play again tonight? HELL YES!
And I just found an article that says it burns calories! It must because after that hour I am sweating like crazy and I'm breathing hard. SWEET! Exercise I like :)
TERRIFIC!
My husband and I were laying in bed last night and it suddenly hit me....no literally, this fart just hit me in the face. Oh my GOD! ARGH! What did you EAT!? He's laying with his back to me giggling. The giggling starts winding down and I said, "You should name it." He said, "I name it Wilbur." "Wilbur?" I reply? "Uh, huh. That's SOME fart." We must have laughed for a solid two minutes before he chokes out, "TERRIFIC!" It's still making me laugh this morning.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
You On a Diet
I just watched most of a program called "You on a Diet." It was very interesting indeed I think I'm going to TiVo it and watch it.
Katara
Saturday, January 05, 2008
The Storm of the Century and the Wedding of the Year
That's what they're calling this massive amount of snow dumping on our heads right now (Reno, NV). My mom starting sending me pictures of the snow from her house about 3:30 yesterday while I was at work. She decided that she was going to send me pictures every 20 minutes until I got freaked out enough to leave work. I was like HA HA mom, you live so far out of town that it's only snowing really hard there. My husband called, Nah, it's only sprinkling but not sticking. Mom keeps sending me pictures and signing her emails, "Worried Mom" "Nervous Mom." I'm getting slightly worried at this point but not enough to leave work. Then my husband texts me, "Listen to your mother. It's sticking. You need to leave." Ooook.
I need to go home! I told my boss. "Absolutely, get out of here." Let's take a moment here--Where I work is like a family. We argue like crazy, we come up with great ideas and solutions together and we care about each other like family. Not one of my bosses thinks work is worth risking your life for.
I left and went to pick up my kids. By the time I picked up the second child it was coming down pretty good. Well, not as pretty good as where I had to drive to up in the North Valleys. The closer I got to home, the worse it got. And the wind was whipping around the car. I kept my cussing to the barest minimum. I did say, "ass" twice. As in "Our car kicks ASS!" There were cars every on the sides of the road. We slid a little but the car did good.
Until we got to Anderson Hill. Anderson Hill is a really steep hill between Red Rock and Cold Springs on 395 North towards the California border. I knew if I was going to have problems that it was there. For a brief moment I thought of stopping at the gas station in Red Rock and trying to cable up in a relatively controlled situation. The exit looked pretty bad and it looked like cars were making it. I'm going for it! I only made it about a 1/4 of the way. I called Mike to let him know I was going to cable up. The cables are new and Mike had explained them to me a few weeks back and how they were more simple to use.
As soon as I slid to a stop, my daughter started to cry. My son wanted to know why we were stopping and I could hear the panic in his voice. I explained to them what I was going to do and that I needed for them to be brave and keep each other company. Right before I got out of the car I thought, HEY what if someone hits me? I reached over to my cell phone and flipped it up. I pointed to the keys on the phone and showed my 8 year old son how to speed dial his dad and I handed it to him. I reassured them that everything was going to be ok and I got out of the car.
The cables were actually extremely simple and would have been simple to use if there wasn't so much snow!!! I remember Mike saying that the wheels needed to be slightly turned so I quick turned them. My arms weren't long enough to reach around!!! I strained to pull and they weren't getting where they needed to be. I felt a little bubble of panic start to float up but quickly shoved it back down. I pulled hard enough to get them to connect but they weren't snapped into place. I did the same on the other side and got into the car. As we pulled up the hill I could hear the cables wapping against my wheel wells but HEY we were moving and quite well to boot. We had to stop a little further up for a REAR WHEEL DRIVE truck that was stuck smack dab between the two lanes. There was no way he could go foward and refused to go back so he stopped both lanes of traffic. Nice. And we eventually got home. The kids spent about 5 minutes telling their dad about how brave they were (in my daughter's case, she was "bwave.") I was putting down my things in the kitchen and my son came up to me and quietly asked, "I was brave mom, huh." I told him that he was VERY brave. I could hear him in the back seat taking deeeep breaths and telling his sister about how everything was going to be ok. It brings tears to my eyes even now. He was so brave.
The wedding I am going to miss in about 30 minutes was indeed going to be the wedding of the year. Besides my best friend's Halloween wedding with a costume party as a reception, this was going to be awesome. The 2 people getting married are former co-workers who met at work. You will never meet another couple in the world as suited as them. Apart they are amazing but together...there isn't a word to describe them. Last November they went out for a nice dinner at a local upper crust Italian restaurant. At one point he excused himself from the table. He came back and took her hand and said, "Come here." She figured he saw a mutual friend who wanted to say hi. She came around the corner into the back part of the restaurant and there were several of his music fraternity friends from the east coast (all had flown from the east coast to be a part of his asking her to marry him--he is that kind of friend to them). They all sang a beautiful song to her and at the end he asked her to marry him. It was beautiful. And it's snowing right now. Snowing hard. And I know that only about 100 of the 250 people she invited will be able to make it. Even her Maid of Honor is stuck on the east coast because no one can fly into Reno. I'm so incredibly sad because a girl should have the wedding she dreams of. This girl should have the wedding of her dreams.
*sigh*
I need to go home! I told my boss. "Absolutely, get out of here." Let's take a moment here--Where I work is like a family. We argue like crazy, we come up with great ideas and solutions together and we care about each other like family. Not one of my bosses thinks work is worth risking your life for.
I left and went to pick up my kids. By the time I picked up the second child it was coming down pretty good. Well, not as pretty good as where I had to drive to up in the North Valleys. The closer I got to home, the worse it got. And the wind was whipping around the car. I kept my cussing to the barest minimum. I did say, "ass" twice. As in "Our car kicks ASS!" There were cars every on the sides of the road. We slid a little but the car did good.
Until we got to Anderson Hill. Anderson Hill is a really steep hill between Red Rock and Cold Springs on 395 North towards the California border. I knew if I was going to have problems that it was there. For a brief moment I thought of stopping at the gas station in Red Rock and trying to cable up in a relatively controlled situation. The exit looked pretty bad and it looked like cars were making it. I'm going for it! I only made it about a 1/4 of the way. I called Mike to let him know I was going to cable up. The cables are new and Mike had explained them to me a few weeks back and how they were more simple to use.
As soon as I slid to a stop, my daughter started to cry. My son wanted to know why we were stopping and I could hear the panic in his voice. I explained to them what I was going to do and that I needed for them to be brave and keep each other company. Right before I got out of the car I thought, HEY what if someone hits me? I reached over to my cell phone and flipped it up. I pointed to the keys on the phone and showed my 8 year old son how to speed dial his dad and I handed it to him. I reassured them that everything was going to be ok and I got out of the car.
The cables were actually extremely simple and would have been simple to use if there wasn't so much snow!!! I remember Mike saying that the wheels needed to be slightly turned so I quick turned them. My arms weren't long enough to reach around!!! I strained to pull and they weren't getting where they needed to be. I felt a little bubble of panic start to float up but quickly shoved it back down. I pulled hard enough to get them to connect but they weren't snapped into place. I did the same on the other side and got into the car. As we pulled up the hill I could hear the cables wapping against my wheel wells but HEY we were moving and quite well to boot. We had to stop a little further up for a REAR WHEEL DRIVE truck that was stuck smack dab between the two lanes. There was no way he could go foward and refused to go back so he stopped both lanes of traffic. Nice. And we eventually got home. The kids spent about 5 minutes telling their dad about how brave they were (in my daughter's case, she was "bwave.") I was putting down my things in the kitchen and my son came up to me and quietly asked, "I was brave mom, huh." I told him that he was VERY brave. I could hear him in the back seat taking deeeep breaths and telling his sister about how everything was going to be ok. It brings tears to my eyes even now. He was so brave.
The wedding I am going to miss in about 30 minutes was indeed going to be the wedding of the year. Besides my best friend's Halloween wedding with a costume party as a reception, this was going to be awesome. The 2 people getting married are former co-workers who met at work. You will never meet another couple in the world as suited as them. Apart they are amazing but together...there isn't a word to describe them. Last November they went out for a nice dinner at a local upper crust Italian restaurant. At one point he excused himself from the table. He came back and took her hand and said, "Come here." She figured he saw a mutual friend who wanted to say hi. She came around the corner into the back part of the restaurant and there were several of his music fraternity friends from the east coast (all had flown from the east coast to be a part of his asking her to marry him--he is that kind of friend to them). They all sang a beautiful song to her and at the end he asked her to marry him. It was beautiful. And it's snowing right now. Snowing hard. And I know that only about 100 of the 250 people she invited will be able to make it. Even her Maid of Honor is stuck on the east coast because no one can fly into Reno. I'm so incredibly sad because a girl should have the wedding she dreams of. This girl should have the wedding of her dreams.
*sigh*
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Classmates
So about a bazillion years ago (ok so maybe last January) I signed up for Classmates.com then basically completely forgot about it. I was checking an email address I don't check that often and there were all kinds of Classmates emails in there. Huh? I belong to Classmates? I do! So anywho, I spent about an hour updating the thing (adding a bio, pics etc). I found an email in there from my ex-fiance from last February that started with, "So Bobbie and I are still married..." If that isn't true love, what is? His only picture? He and his wife standing in front of Graceland. I have a very strict rules of not talking politics, religion or Elvis with people I don't know that well. I see now why we didn't work out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
