The Hip Housewife is somewhat weary from preparing for her Hip Parents, the good and fun but busy visit and the Hip Son's fifth birthday. Since film is a big topic of discussion between the HH and her HP, she's going to talk about her fave movies and one she's very much looking forward to.
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I really like the writer of this film, Charlie Kaufman, who also wrote Being John Malkovitch. This particular movie makes a great statement about how who a person is is made up of their memories. Eliminating what you remember changes who you are and your potential for happiness. It also says a lot about fate and how sometimes, it seems that the decisions for our lives are completely out of our hands.
Say.....Anything I saw this movie in the theater at least three times. I had and still have a thing for John Cusak, which made this movie a must see for me. I really enjoy how both Diane and Lloyd show great determination to make their lives their own and have what they want. And, I will admit, the whole holding-the-radio-up-outside-the-window stalker style made my heart flutter.
Payback I like a good action movie and, wow, this is a good one. There are zero good guys in this movie and the heroine is a hooker. Lots of guns, explosions and stupid corrupt police officers. That's really all you need to know.
Hello Mary Lou, Prom Night 2 I also love a good, campy horror movie. The Eighties were THE decade for these gems. This one is tops! A slutty, undead Prom Queen who is out for revenge! Seriously, could anything be any better? MAYBE, Friday the 13th Part VII, but I doubt Jason would come out on top.
Star Trek (2009) I am not a Trekkie. I get the jokes but I am certainly not a hardcore fan. I went to see this movie because Scott wanted to see it. He never wants to see movies and I have to jump on the opportunities to go to the Alamo Drafthouse with him. We left the theatre with me saying "Let's go see it again RIGHT NOW." I loved this movie. It was quick paced, had great character development and a enough of a balance between comedy and drama. The special effects were impressive and the acting was good.
On that note, the movie I am most looking forward to this year is Cowboys vs. Aliens. Like the movie Snakes on a Plane, all you need to know is in the title. The movie is going to feature Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, a bonus that. Quality will have no bearing on the enjoyment potential of this movie, if it's bad, that will actually make the experience better! There is no way to go wrong, Scott and I will love this flick no matter what. We've got our popcorn ready.
Watch the trailer here: Take a gander! and see if you agree with me.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If you take a hot bath, make sure to apply lotion afterward as the heat will dry your skin.
Sometimes, you have to give life some lipstick and tell it to kiss your ass.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
I got nuttin'
I haven't updated. Because nothing much is going on. Really, it's pretty quiet at Casa de 'burbs since the hot water heater drama. Just the usual drama of children, pets and the impossibility of keeping a neat home.
We have friends who have drama, some more than others. Nearby friends moved from one apartment to another in the same community due to the insanity of their downstairs neighbors and I assisted with toting belongings a little.
Friends from California are relocating here, making them nearby friends. They were out this week to house hunt and I babysat their wonderful 2 year old son so they could go fill out paperwork and look at a couple of places.
We're happy for all parties, well, we're happy that our west coast friends are coming here but I totally understand how very difficult it is to move away from where you grew up, especially as a parent.
I think the worst moment of my mother's life was when Scott, Zoe and I were all in the shuttle to LAX from their house on the day we officially moved to Vancouver and Zoe waved out the window "Bye Gramma! Bye Gramma!"
Having built in friends makes things easier when you head to a new place, they can tell you where the good places are and what to skip or are willing to accompany you to a place neither of you have been.
My parents are arriving on Thursday for a visit. The kids are excited and I'm cleaning. It doesn't matter though, since nothing stays clean. What I'm going to do is send Will to a friend's house on Wednesday, run around and clean my house, then make the kids sit on the floor and look at the wall until bedtime. I'll hustle them off to school on Thursday, meaning no one will be able to mess up the house until after we pick my parents up from the airport. Then they'll at least see that the house is picked up before it goes back to it's normal dog hair covered state.
Pass the mop.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If you find your skin is getting very dry in the winter, test the humidity in your home. 40%-45% is ideal, lower than 30% and you'll need to do something to fix that.
We have friends who have drama, some more than others. Nearby friends moved from one apartment to another in the same community due to the insanity of their downstairs neighbors and I assisted with toting belongings a little.
Friends from California are relocating here, making them nearby friends. They were out this week to house hunt and I babysat their wonderful 2 year old son so they could go fill out paperwork and look at a couple of places.
We're happy for all parties, well, we're happy that our west coast friends are coming here but I totally understand how very difficult it is to move away from where you grew up, especially as a parent.
I think the worst moment of my mother's life was when Scott, Zoe and I were all in the shuttle to LAX from their house on the day we officially moved to Vancouver and Zoe waved out the window "Bye Gramma! Bye Gramma!"
Having built in friends makes things easier when you head to a new place, they can tell you where the good places are and what to skip or are willing to accompany you to a place neither of you have been.
My parents are arriving on Thursday for a visit. The kids are excited and I'm cleaning. It doesn't matter though, since nothing stays clean. What I'm going to do is send Will to a friend's house on Wednesday, run around and clean my house, then make the kids sit on the floor and look at the wall until bedtime. I'll hustle them off to school on Thursday, meaning no one will be able to mess up the house until after we pick my parents up from the airport. Then they'll at least see that the house is picked up before it goes back to it's normal dog hair covered state.
Pass the mop.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If you find your skin is getting very dry in the winter, test the humidity in your home. 40%-45% is ideal, lower than 30% and you'll need to do something to fix that.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Look at this hot mess
This is my backyard. I call it The Deathtrap. Why? You may be asking, it looks like a nice size with a swingset?
Yes, but, as I'm sure you've spotted by now, it consists of packed dirt, dead weedy-type grass and broken debris left by dogs and children including many kitchen utensils. Every so often I go outside to pick up dog doo and gather the broken toys to make the terrain that much easier to navigate.
The overall trashiness, combined with the leaning swingset and the piles o' dog poop mortify me anytime someone comes over. I'm glad kids like to play outside but I'm always trying to block parents from looking outside, which is silly.
Everyone who comes to our house lives in Texas. They understand how the Texas sun turns everything it touches into powder. And when they see we have two children and two doggies, they should understand that any attempt at making our backyard a soft, grassy field for little feet, would shrivel up in our south facing yard with no shade.
So, the grass is dry and scratchy? That's nothing to worry about.
Yes, but the dry, scratchy grass is pitted with shallow holes the dogs have dug. Run, run, run, run, run, foot goes in hole, snap, ER visit.
The swingset leans to the right. It's due to gravity. Which isn't my fault, but it troubles me all the same.
There is a trampoline with no enclosure. The enclosure tore off it's supports and had to be removed.
All of this, of course, means that every child that comes to my home adores my backyard. They jump up and down, use my pie server to make the holes deeper, shake the swingset and gather the hunks of cider block and old plastic forks to the piles of dirt they've made to build spaceships and castles.
When moms say it's time to go home, they'll say they don't want to leave. Once our young visitors outgrow that, then I'll think about landscaping.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If your lips have dried to the point that they are cracked, you've moved beyond lip balm. Apply antibiotic ointment to help healing.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Victory! Mostly....
We have hot water! But, man what a magilla!
On Saturday, Scott went out to get our new water, heater-upper installed. He was going slow, making sure to complete each step correctly instead of rushing. I thoroughly appreciate this as it's a gas water heater and I don't relish the idea of an explosion.
Then Will woke up from his nap with a fever. He'd been complaining his ear hurt the night before, so we were fairly sure he had an ear infection, the fever just confirmed that he needed to go to the doctor.
I flung him into the car and headed for our local Urgent Care clinic. Wow, lots and lots of cars there meaning lots and lots of wait time. After a moment's hesitation, I made the decision to try the CVS Minute-Clinic.
I make about $500 a year doing focus groups and online surveys and I'd heard about the Minute Clinic at one of the focus groups I attended last year. One of the participants recommended it highly for simple things that needed attention on the weekends.
Wow! Can I say this was a slick set up? You sign in at a self-sign in kiosk outside the exam room then have a visit with a nurse practitioner. She said, yes, he did indeed have an ear infection. Then the prescription was electronically sent over to the pharmacy counter. We were in and out of there in 45 minutes.
My new hierarchy of medical attention:
ER= you might die or you have broken bones
Urgent Care= serious illness or stitches on the weekend or after hours
Minute Clinic=My child has an ear infection or I think he has the flu, I'm in need of antibiotics on the weekend.
That's a good thing that came out of this weekend, I found the Minute Clinic!
When I got home I went out to try and help Scott get the water heater into it's little closet, three feet off the ground.
Hot water heaters are heavy.
We couldn't do it. We could not get it into the space it needed to be. We tried a number of things but we couldn't make it happen.
At that point we were both so sore from trying to heft the damn thing we decided to call in a pro. Said pro arrived Sunday to explain that if he was going to install it, it would have to be installed to code. And the codes have changed since the house was built in 1991, when the water heater that went kaput was installed.
However, he was very pleased at the water heater we'd purchased, said it was the second best one we could have picked. The only one that would be better would be the Energy Star model that costs double what we paid, but our selection was an excellent one. It was funny how excited the plumber was about our new appliance.
He was here for a really long time on Sunday. Like, a really, really long time while Scott and I stayed in the house, cowering at the thought of how much the bill was going to be.
It was a lot. So much for that emergency buffer we had. *sigh* But that's why one has an emergency buffer right?
Once our new tank was in and we had heated water on demand again, I told Scott you didn't realize what a luxury hot water is until you don't have any. I keep thinking back to the books I've read where water had to be heated on the stove before being dumped into the washtub for one to bathe in. No wonder people only took baths on Saturday night, it was a huge pain in the ass.
Next project on our list? Scott and Zoe will be working on her science fair project this week as soon as the magnets he ordered arrive in the mail. They're going to use ring magnets and make them hover around a pencil. There's also a solution that will show the magnetic waves in the bottom of a glass dish or some such thing.
I'm in charge of getting the project board and taking pictures. I'm glad there's no electricity involved or we might go into debt getting something else fixed.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If you've seen a product on an infomercial you think you might like to try, but there's discussion of some kind of "club" you'll be enrolled in that sends you the product again every 60 days, buy it on ebay instead. The 'club memberships' are almost impossible to cancel and will cost you a ton of money.
On Saturday, Scott went out to get our new water, heater-upper installed. He was going slow, making sure to complete each step correctly instead of rushing. I thoroughly appreciate this as it's a gas water heater and I don't relish the idea of an explosion.
Then Will woke up from his nap with a fever. He'd been complaining his ear hurt the night before, so we were fairly sure he had an ear infection, the fever just confirmed that he needed to go to the doctor.
I flung him into the car and headed for our local Urgent Care clinic. Wow, lots and lots of cars there meaning lots and lots of wait time. After a moment's hesitation, I made the decision to try the CVS Minute-Clinic.
I make about $500 a year doing focus groups and online surveys and I'd heard about the Minute Clinic at one of the focus groups I attended last year. One of the participants recommended it highly for simple things that needed attention on the weekends.
Wow! Can I say this was a slick set up? You sign in at a self-sign in kiosk outside the exam room then have a visit with a nurse practitioner. She said, yes, he did indeed have an ear infection. Then the prescription was electronically sent over to the pharmacy counter. We were in and out of there in 45 minutes.
My new hierarchy of medical attention:
ER= you might die or you have broken bones
Urgent Care= serious illness or stitches on the weekend or after hours
Minute Clinic=My child has an ear infection or I think he has the flu, I'm in need of antibiotics on the weekend.
That's a good thing that came out of this weekend, I found the Minute Clinic!
When I got home I went out to try and help Scott get the water heater into it's little closet, three feet off the ground.
Hot water heaters are heavy.
We couldn't do it. We could not get it into the space it needed to be. We tried a number of things but we couldn't make it happen.
At that point we were both so sore from trying to heft the damn thing we decided to call in a pro. Said pro arrived Sunday to explain that if he was going to install it, it would have to be installed to code. And the codes have changed since the house was built in 1991, when the water heater that went kaput was installed.
However, he was very pleased at the water heater we'd purchased, said it was the second best one we could have picked. The only one that would be better would be the Energy Star model that costs double what we paid, but our selection was an excellent one. It was funny how excited the plumber was about our new appliance.
He was here for a really long time on Sunday. Like, a really, really long time while Scott and I stayed in the house, cowering at the thought of how much the bill was going to be.
It was a lot. So much for that emergency buffer we had. *sigh* But that's why one has an emergency buffer right?
Once our new tank was in and we had heated water on demand again, I told Scott you didn't realize what a luxury hot water is until you don't have any. I keep thinking back to the books I've read where water had to be heated on the stove before being dumped into the washtub for one to bathe in. No wonder people only took baths on Saturday night, it was a huge pain in the ass.
Next project on our list? Scott and Zoe will be working on her science fair project this week as soon as the magnets he ordered arrive in the mail. They're going to use ring magnets and make them hover around a pencil. There's also a solution that will show the magnetic waves in the bottom of a glass dish or some such thing.
I'm in charge of getting the project board and taking pictures. I'm glad there's no electricity involved or we might go into debt getting something else fixed.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If you've seen a product on an infomercial you think you might like to try, but there's discussion of some kind of "club" you'll be enrolled in that sends you the product again every 60 days, buy it on ebay instead. The 'club memberships' are almost impossible to cancel and will cost you a ton of money.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Things are looking better
Today is looking in a greater upwards direction than any other day this week.
After doing a little research and getting a high recommendation we opted to get our hot water heater from a local plumbing supply company. The storefront has been around forever and the old guys there are very helpful.
I could walk in with a part in my hand, tell them I needed one of those and ask how to install it and they'd tell me.
Crump Plumbing Supply in Austin sold us a hot water heater equivalent to the ones we had looked at in the box stores for a full $200 less and assured us we could do a DIY installation.
While we were driving there, Will asked if they had bubble gum. We replied in the negative. We were wrong. They had a big bowl of bubble gum that one of the guys offered to my son as soon as we walked in the door.
This was all good.
In addition to this good thing:
Yesterday, I hung out with an excellent friend and got to have some intense, girl-discussion time that we haven't had in a while. I felt much better after our visit and had the energy to make meatballs from scratch to go with our pasta for dinner.
Zoe brought home her report card showing she has a 90 average for the school year.
Disc 2 of Season 2 of The United States of Tara arrived in the mail from Netflix and I'm all caught up on Tara, Alice, T, Gimmee, Buck and Chicken.
I took the dogs for a brisk walk last night and they are not as restless today.
Will hung out at the neighbor's house for a while this morning, giving me a chance to do dishes and reboot the laundry. We have another playdate after school today. I made cookies to bring with us.
My parents called this morning during their golf game to tell me they were willing to help me out with culinary school tuition when the time comes for me to enroll.
All in all, things are looking better. Now, I need to start cleaning as my folks are coming for a visit in 2 weeks.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: You can buff your nails with the inside of a piece of lemon peel. Cut a wedge of lemon and peel the flesh off the peel, then rub the white pith briskly over your nails for a shine.
After doing a little research and getting a high recommendation we opted to get our hot water heater from a local plumbing supply company. The storefront has been around forever and the old guys there are very helpful.
I could walk in with a part in my hand, tell them I needed one of those and ask how to install it and they'd tell me.
Crump Plumbing Supply in Austin sold us a hot water heater equivalent to the ones we had looked at in the box stores for a full $200 less and assured us we could do a DIY installation.
While we were driving there, Will asked if they had bubble gum. We replied in the negative. We were wrong. They had a big bowl of bubble gum that one of the guys offered to my son as soon as we walked in the door.
This was all good.
In addition to this good thing:
Yesterday, I hung out with an excellent friend and got to have some intense, girl-discussion time that we haven't had in a while. I felt much better after our visit and had the energy to make meatballs from scratch to go with our pasta for dinner.
Zoe brought home her report card showing she has a 90 average for the school year.
Disc 2 of Season 2 of The United States of Tara arrived in the mail from Netflix and I'm all caught up on Tara, Alice, T, Gimmee, Buck and Chicken.
I took the dogs for a brisk walk last night and they are not as restless today.
Will hung out at the neighbor's house for a while this morning, giving me a chance to do dishes and reboot the laundry. We have another playdate after school today. I made cookies to bring with us.
My parents called this morning during their golf game to tell me they were willing to help me out with culinary school tuition when the time comes for me to enroll.
All in all, things are looking better. Now, I need to start cleaning as my folks are coming for a visit in 2 weeks.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: You can buff your nails with the inside of a piece of lemon peel. Cut a wedge of lemon and peel the flesh off the peel, then rub the white pith briskly over your nails for a shine.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Hip Housewife is confused
Today's blog isn't going to be very long and involves a lot of cut and paste, I have some things I want to think about and I'm still tired from Monday.
Taken from Sarah Palin's Facebook page dated March 23rd, 2010:
We’ll aim for these races (meaning political races, my clarification) and many others. This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington. Please go to sarahpac.com and join me in the fight.
Stand tall, America. Real change is coming!
- Sarah Palin
Taken from Sarah Palin's Facebook page dated January 12th, 2010:
We are better than the mindless finger-pointing we endured in the wake of the tragedy.
Sarah, I'm confused, you have spent years encouraging people to take action, to fight against the liberal agenda, but when someone takes the crosshairs on your website literally and puts one of your targets into actual crosshairs your position is very different.
You have passionatley declared your love for guns and hunting, embracing the "from my cold dead hands" philosophy, but when another person takes up arms against other human beings you say violence is wrong.
Sarah, I would march to the steps of the White House to defend your right to free speech (I'm not sure you would do this for me) but when you say individuals need to be responsible for their actions that responsibility needs to extend to you.
An exchange between radio DJ Jack Lucas and regular caller Edwin in Terry Gilliam's film The Fisher King:
Edwin!
I told you about these people.
They only mate with their own kind.
It's yuppie inbreeding.
That's why they're retarded
and wear the same clothes.
They don't feel love.
They only negotiate love moments.
They're evil, Edwin.
They're repulsed by imperfection,
horrified by the banal...
...everything that
America stands for!
They must be stopped before
it's too late. It's us or them.
Edwin: Okay, Jack.
Two scenes later:
A television news broadcast:
It was Mr. Lucas' remarks that seemed
to have fatal impact on Mr. Malnick.
Marc Saffron's on the scene.
Babbitt's is a popular hot spot
with single, young professionals.
Edwin Malnick arrived
at the peak hour of : ...
... took a long look at the collection
of the city's best and brightest...
... then removed a shotgun
from his overcoat and opened fire.
Seven people were killed before
Malnick turned the gun on himself...
... and shot a hole
through his head.
Representatives of radio personality
Jack Lucas expressed regret.
No formal comment has been made.
Neighbours said Malnick was
quiet and lived alone.
His neighbour for years said,
"You scarcely knew he was there."
But few will soon forget
this lonely man...
... who reached out to a world
he knew only through radio...
... looking for friendship
and finding only pain and tragedy.
Marc Saffron. Channel News.
Jack Lucas: Fuck.
Our actions have an impact on other people, either positive or negative, and if your actions contributed to the actions of another person you need to accept responsibility for your impact.
On a recent episode of Intervention the young, male alcoholic being profiled was listed on the bully list found after the Columbine shooitngs. No wonder he drinks.
I'm very sad today, giving a beauty tip seems inappropriate.
Taken from Sarah Palin's Facebook page dated March 23rd, 2010:
We’ll aim for these races (meaning political races, my clarification) and many others. This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington. Please go to sarahpac.com and join me in the fight.
Stand tall, America. Real change is coming!
- Sarah Palin
Taken from Sarah Palin's Facebook page dated January 12th, 2010:
We are better than the mindless finger-pointing we endured in the wake of the tragedy.
Sarah, I'm confused, you have spent years encouraging people to take action, to fight against the liberal agenda, but when someone takes the crosshairs on your website literally and puts one of your targets into actual crosshairs your position is very different.
You have passionatley declared your love for guns and hunting, embracing the "from my cold dead hands" philosophy, but when another person takes up arms against other human beings you say violence is wrong.
Sarah, I would march to the steps of the White House to defend your right to free speech (I'm not sure you would do this for me) but when you say individuals need to be responsible for their actions that responsibility needs to extend to you.
An exchange between radio DJ Jack Lucas and regular caller Edwin in Terry Gilliam's film The Fisher King:
Edwin!
I told you about these people.
They only mate with their own kind.
It's yuppie inbreeding.
That's why they're retarded
and wear the same clothes.
They don't feel love.
They only negotiate love moments.
They're evil, Edwin.
They're repulsed by imperfection,
horrified by the banal...
...everything that
America stands for!
They must be stopped before
it's too late. It's us or them.
Edwin: Okay, Jack.
Two scenes later:
A television news broadcast:
It was Mr. Lucas' remarks that seemed
to have fatal impact on Mr. Malnick.
Marc Saffron's on the scene.
Babbitt's is a popular hot spot
with single, young professionals.
Edwin Malnick arrived
at the peak hour of : ...
... took a long look at the collection
of the city's best and brightest...
... then removed a shotgun
from his overcoat and opened fire.
Seven people were killed before
Malnick turned the gun on himself...
... and shot a hole
through his head.
Representatives of radio personality
Jack Lucas expressed regret.
No formal comment has been made.
Neighbours said Malnick was
quiet and lived alone.
His neighbour for years said,
"You scarcely knew he was there."
But few will soon forget
this lonely man...
... who reached out to a world
he knew only through radio...
... looking for friendship
and finding only pain and tragedy.
Marc Saffron. Channel News.
Jack Lucas: Fuck.
Our actions have an impact on other people, either positive or negative, and if your actions contributed to the actions of another person you need to accept responsibility for your impact.
On a recent episode of Intervention the young, male alcoholic being profiled was listed on the bully list found after the Columbine shooitngs. No wonder he drinks.
I'm very sad today, giving a beauty tip seems inappropriate.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
*dazed mom facial expression*
You know when you have a job you actually really like? 98% of the time things go well, you accomplish your goals, the people you interact with are smart and communicate clearly and your breaks come on time kind of job?
But, then there are those 2% of days where you start to wonder how much you could get for ALL your home furnishings and where could you live really cheap and for how long. Those days when you want to turn off the lights and hide under your desk for a while or stick your finger down your throat to make yourself puke and claim the stomach flu, better go home!
I had one of those days yesterday. I was home with a child coughing due to asthma but feeling well enough to demand snacks and want to go from playing Xbox to watching movies to playing on the computer. All of these activities require parental assistance and...
Wait, it really started at 3:30 a.m. when my son woke up telling me he had a cough and was hungry. His cough was his asthma kicking up because of allergies to cedar pollen kicking up. The allergies are making everyone we know have drip and cough, it's just part of living in Austin, dealing with allergies. If it's not cedar pollen it's live oak pollen. Allergy season is from January to December around these parts.
Despite my attempt to get him back to sleep, he wasn't to be lulled back into a REM state. He paddled out into the living room to play on the computer then the Xbox then watch a movie. I couldn't snooze on the couch because I needed to help with these things.
He also needed various foods and beverages and chewable aspirin (he told me he needed it and got upset when I said no.)
I was able to go back to bed and have Scott take over at 5:45. Then Will got tired and came back to bed at 7:15, we slept until almost 9:00. I was a nice rest, but that stored energy ran out quickly.
Hearing the word "Mama" through out the day is part of my life. Hearing the word "Mama" followed by "MAMAAAAAAAA!!!!" one second later while I'm walking to his location to say "I can't hear you when you talk from here, come to where I am to talk to me." approximately every five minutes can make a person tired.
Other parents will understand when I say there is not a situation that makes you feel more helpless than when your chid is sick. However, after a day on very little sleep dealing with a child with a lot of demands sends you to a mental state that involves fatigue, resentment, helplessness and frustrated laughter.
The main thought is "Please stop needing things from me. Just for 20 minutes? I need more than 5. No, not 20 seconds, 20 minutes. There is nothing you need right now. You have gatorade and a snack and a movie and a blanket and a dog to cuddle and your favorite stuffed animal, all the things you asked for what else do you need? Oh god.... Now the phone is ringing."
Yes, the phone rang. The phone rang a LOT.
I'd discovered that we were down to two doses of Will's asthma medication that he takes via nebulizer (the thingie that vaporizes liquid medication to be inhaled using a mask). I called the pediatrician hoping to have the prescription called in, the office called back, that was the first ring.
The vet called to say that Peavey-the-dog's bloodwork came back fine and we can schedule him to start his heartworm treatment anytime which will cost $500.
Then the school nurse called to say Zoe presented herself and said she hadn't had her ADHD medicine that morning. Shit. I called my excellent neighbor to ask if she could run that up to the school. She said yes, I called the nurse back to say who was bringing her pill up to her.
A call came to remind me of my therapy appointment today.
In addition, I stepped out into the garage to get more juice and stepped in a puddle of water coming from the hot water heater closet, coming out from under the wall surrounding it. This means that not only do we need to replace the water heater we're going to need to rip out the drywall to let the inside dry and then spray with bleach to make sure we don't get any more mold in this house.
We know we've got mold behind the shower tiles in the master bathroom because the place where the tile meets the tub wasn't sealed correctly and while we've done our best to correct the problem it keeps separating. Really, the tile needs to be torn out and replaced.
I mustered enough energy to open the dishwasher to empty it and found that the bottom was still full of water. The dishwasher wasn't draining. Start 75 minutes of clearing the drain...... NOW.
I spent an hour and fifteen minutes clearing food, both mush and chunks out of the drain before doing the baking soda/vinegar/hot water trick. Of course, I had to bail out the water before I started.
It would appear that I fixed it but I don't know how well. I'll have to run the dishwasher while I am up and about the house instead of in the middle of the night like I usually do. If it doesn't drain I don't want it it to run all over the floor.
It will take a number of months to save up for a dishwasher with a built in food grinder, until then, it will be daytime appliance use and a lot of hand washing the dishes.
Have you seen the movie "Murphy's Romance"? If you're a man probably not, but there's a scene where Sally Fields is in the hospital crying and she strings a bunch of stuff together about what's wrong and ends with ".....My head hurts! Take your pick!".
That sort of sums up my Monday. It was a day where a mom just wants to sit in a chair looking at a wall in total silence, jaw slack with no thoughts at all going through her brain that is just not capable of processing any more input.
Which I am going to do as soon as I am done typing.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: Her brain will not cooperate in flipping through the index cards stored in her memory so you get this: wash your face.
But, then there are those 2% of days where you start to wonder how much you could get for ALL your home furnishings and where could you live really cheap and for how long. Those days when you want to turn off the lights and hide under your desk for a while or stick your finger down your throat to make yourself puke and claim the stomach flu, better go home!
I had one of those days yesterday. I was home with a child coughing due to asthma but feeling well enough to demand snacks and want to go from playing Xbox to watching movies to playing on the computer. All of these activities require parental assistance and...
Wait, it really started at 3:30 a.m. when my son woke up telling me he had a cough and was hungry. His cough was his asthma kicking up because of allergies to cedar pollen kicking up. The allergies are making everyone we know have drip and cough, it's just part of living in Austin, dealing with allergies. If it's not cedar pollen it's live oak pollen. Allergy season is from January to December around these parts.
Despite my attempt to get him back to sleep, he wasn't to be lulled back into a REM state. He paddled out into the living room to play on the computer then the Xbox then watch a movie. I couldn't snooze on the couch because I needed to help with these things.
He also needed various foods and beverages and chewable aspirin (he told me he needed it and got upset when I said no.)
I was able to go back to bed and have Scott take over at 5:45. Then Will got tired and came back to bed at 7:15, we slept until almost 9:00. I was a nice rest, but that stored energy ran out quickly.
Hearing the word "Mama" through out the day is part of my life. Hearing the word "Mama" followed by "MAMAAAAAAAA!!!!" one second later while I'm walking to his location to say "I can't hear you when you talk from here, come to where I am to talk to me." approximately every five minutes can make a person tired.
Other parents will understand when I say there is not a situation that makes you feel more helpless than when your chid is sick. However, after a day on very little sleep dealing with a child with a lot of demands sends you to a mental state that involves fatigue, resentment, helplessness and frustrated laughter.
The main thought is "Please stop needing things from me. Just for 20 minutes? I need more than 5. No, not 20 seconds, 20 minutes. There is nothing you need right now. You have gatorade and a snack and a movie and a blanket and a dog to cuddle and your favorite stuffed animal, all the things you asked for what else do you need? Oh god.... Now the phone is ringing."
Yes, the phone rang. The phone rang a LOT.
I'd discovered that we were down to two doses of Will's asthma medication that he takes via nebulizer (the thingie that vaporizes liquid medication to be inhaled using a mask). I called the pediatrician hoping to have the prescription called in, the office called back, that was the first ring.
The vet called to say that Peavey-the-dog's bloodwork came back fine and we can schedule him to start his heartworm treatment anytime which will cost $500.
Then the school nurse called to say Zoe presented herself and said she hadn't had her ADHD medicine that morning. Shit. I called my excellent neighbor to ask if she could run that up to the school. She said yes, I called the nurse back to say who was bringing her pill up to her.
A call came to remind me of my therapy appointment today.
In addition, I stepped out into the garage to get more juice and stepped in a puddle of water coming from the hot water heater closet, coming out from under the wall surrounding it. This means that not only do we need to replace the water heater we're going to need to rip out the drywall to let the inside dry and then spray with bleach to make sure we don't get any more mold in this house.
We know we've got mold behind the shower tiles in the master bathroom because the place where the tile meets the tub wasn't sealed correctly and while we've done our best to correct the problem it keeps separating. Really, the tile needs to be torn out and replaced.
I mustered enough energy to open the dishwasher to empty it and found that the bottom was still full of water. The dishwasher wasn't draining. Start 75 minutes of clearing the drain...... NOW.
I spent an hour and fifteen minutes clearing food, both mush and chunks out of the drain before doing the baking soda/vinegar/hot water trick. Of course, I had to bail out the water before I started.
It would appear that I fixed it but I don't know how well. I'll have to run the dishwasher while I am up and about the house instead of in the middle of the night like I usually do. If it doesn't drain I don't want it it to run all over the floor.
It will take a number of months to save up for a dishwasher with a built in food grinder, until then, it will be daytime appliance use and a lot of hand washing the dishes.
Have you seen the movie "Murphy's Romance"? If you're a man probably not, but there's a scene where Sally Fields is in the hospital crying and she strings a bunch of stuff together about what's wrong and ends with ".....My head hurts! Take your pick!".
That sort of sums up my Monday. It was a day where a mom just wants to sit in a chair looking at a wall in total silence, jaw slack with no thoughts at all going through her brain that is just not capable of processing any more input.
Which I am going to do as soon as I am done typing.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: Her brain will not cooperate in flipping through the index cards stored in her memory so you get this: wash your face.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
All hail The King
The website was dark yesterday as it was The King's birthday. He would have been 76.
I love Elvis. I used to think he was just a fat, Bedazzled joke, but after some age and a new perspective I have great appreciation for the man.
Elvis was one of the men that made young women aware of their sexuality. He made them scream and sweat through their white blouses with the peter pan collars and their plaid, below the knee skirts.
Yes, there were other amazing rockers who came out of the south at the same time bringing black music ot the masses, but Elvis out-shone them all. Johnny Cash was married, of course, and didn't ooze sexuality. Jerry Lee Lewis was certainly sexual but always appeared to have this thin film of sweat on his skin and was, for lack of a better term, kinda trashy. Yes, there was the big scandal when he married Myra, but there was an underlying attitude of Well, that's no big surprise.
And Elvis was incredibly good looking, people sometimes forget that before he got puffy and spangled, he was a very handsome man. Now as a near-forty-year-old mother when I watch the early films of Elvis performing , I can see why parents were terrified of the man. I bet the moms felt that flutter in their stomachs and thought Ohhh, no,no,no,no,no! Maybe he made them think of the soldiers during World War II, so tall and manly in their uniforms or the mobsters and bad men in their pin-striped suits during the 1920's and 1930's.
Elvis was unapologetic about who he was and how he lived his life, he didn't need to be as everyone just accepted what went on with him. The man had an underage girl openly living with him and he still sold out concerts. Jerry Lee was not afforded this over-looking of his personal life.
Elvis Presley was one of the original rock star train wrecks, sex, drugs, an Oedipal complex, religious fanaticism, an entourage that included his father, paranoia, a lavish mansion furnished with questionable taste, he did it all before the debauchery of the disco age got ramped up.
Elvis was one who paved the way for glam rockers in his Nudie suits and his spangled jumpsuits later in life. My husband Scott, points out that before there was any thought of David Bowie or Freddie Mercury there were Grand Old Opry regulars who wore suits covered in rhinestones complete with matching boots and hats. Elvis took a hint from these men, so secure in their masculinity they felt good wearing a bejeweled suit and donned his own shiny costumes.
I've said it before to many people, everyone who listens to rock n roll of any kind needs to own an Elvis album because almost everything can be traced back to him. Steven Adler, former drummer of Guns n Roses said that when they were doing photo shoots early on in the band's career, he didn't know what to do so he pretended to be Knicky from Grease. And Knicky was pretending to be Elvis. Elvis Presley to Guns n Roses in two degrees.
And so, I say, All Hail to The King! Go turn on "Little Less Conversation" and note how women will just start to shimmy! They just can't help it!
Amanda's Beauty tip of the day: If you are looking to learn how to do retro hairstyles, go to Youtube and check out Ilovegerardo's how-to videos.
I love Elvis. I used to think he was just a fat, Bedazzled joke, but after some age and a new perspective I have great appreciation for the man.
Elvis was one of the men that made young women aware of their sexuality. He made them scream and sweat through their white blouses with the peter pan collars and their plaid, below the knee skirts.
Yes, there were other amazing rockers who came out of the south at the same time bringing black music ot the masses, but Elvis out-shone them all. Johnny Cash was married, of course, and didn't ooze sexuality. Jerry Lee Lewis was certainly sexual but always appeared to have this thin film of sweat on his skin and was, for lack of a better term, kinda trashy. Yes, there was the big scandal when he married Myra, but there was an underlying attitude of Well, that's no big surprise.
And Elvis was incredibly good looking, people sometimes forget that before he got puffy and spangled, he was a very handsome man. Now as a near-forty-year-old mother when I watch the early films of Elvis performing , I can see why parents were terrified of the man. I bet the moms felt that flutter in their stomachs and thought Ohhh, no,no,no,no,no! Maybe he made them think of the soldiers during World War II, so tall and manly in their uniforms or the mobsters and bad men in their pin-striped suits during the 1920's and 1930's.
Elvis was unapologetic about who he was and how he lived his life, he didn't need to be as everyone just accepted what went on with him. The man had an underage girl openly living with him and he still sold out concerts. Jerry Lee was not afforded this over-looking of his personal life.
Elvis Presley was one of the original rock star train wrecks, sex, drugs, an Oedipal complex, religious fanaticism, an entourage that included his father, paranoia, a lavish mansion furnished with questionable taste, he did it all before the debauchery of the disco age got ramped up.
Elvis was one who paved the way for glam rockers in his Nudie suits and his spangled jumpsuits later in life. My husband Scott, points out that before there was any thought of David Bowie or Freddie Mercury there were Grand Old Opry regulars who wore suits covered in rhinestones complete with matching boots and hats. Elvis took a hint from these men, so secure in their masculinity they felt good wearing a bejeweled suit and donned his own shiny costumes.
I've said it before to many people, everyone who listens to rock n roll of any kind needs to own an Elvis album because almost everything can be traced back to him. Steven Adler, former drummer of Guns n Roses said that when they were doing photo shoots early on in the band's career, he didn't know what to do so he pretended to be Knicky from Grease. And Knicky was pretending to be Elvis. Elvis Presley to Guns n Roses in two degrees.
And so, I say, All Hail to The King! Go turn on "Little Less Conversation" and note how women will just start to shimmy! They just can't help it!
Amanda's Beauty tip of the day: If you are looking to learn how to do retro hairstyles, go to Youtube and check out Ilovegerardo's how-to videos.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Will has a new skateboard.
My kids each got money and a gift card to Target for Christmas. They get very excited about choosing whatever they like inside of their price range.
Zoe makes careful decisions, figuring out what she can get for the money she has. She'll pick things up, put things back, think about saving up for something and she is always happy.
Will, being four, just sees things and says he wants them, suggesting he look at something else is a very, very bad idea. These trips generally end with him having a melt-down and having to be taken outside. Once we get home he's pleased with his new stuff and I know the process will become calmer as he gets older.
One thing he was positive about getting was a skateboard. He's been wanting one for a long time, so when we found one that's the right size and a helmet for his head we gave him the thumbs up!
He just needs to learn to ride it. And neither of his parents can help him with this because neither of us can skateboard. I really can't. I don't even know what to tell him in regards to which foot to put on the board and which to use to push.
All I know to tell him is to wear his helmet and don't go in front of cars.
The poor kid walks around with his skateboard with Lightning McQueen on the bottom asking for advice and we have none to give him.
What I need, is my friend's son Tom to fly out here and give Will lessons. But since Tom has a job, an apartment and a girlfriend I don't think that's going to be an option.
For right now, our son is going to have to keep scooting with his butt on the board or going down the sidewalk on his tummy. These are two things the police officers who visited my elementary school way back when told us NOT to do, but he can't do anything else, so I'm going to let him. Besides, I'm always out with him as are the many other kids in the neighborhood who all watch out for each other.
If anyone has any pointers, I'd gladly accept them.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If you are having your teeth whitened, a blue-ish shade indicates damage and shouldn't be your goal!
Zoe makes careful decisions, figuring out what she can get for the money she has. She'll pick things up, put things back, think about saving up for something and she is always happy.
Will, being four, just sees things and says he wants them, suggesting he look at something else is a very, very bad idea. These trips generally end with him having a melt-down and having to be taken outside. Once we get home he's pleased with his new stuff and I know the process will become calmer as he gets older.
One thing he was positive about getting was a skateboard. He's been wanting one for a long time, so when we found one that's the right size and a helmet for his head we gave him the thumbs up!
He just needs to learn to ride it. And neither of his parents can help him with this because neither of us can skateboard. I really can't. I don't even know what to tell him in regards to which foot to put on the board and which to use to push.
All I know to tell him is to wear his helmet and don't go in front of cars.
The poor kid walks around with his skateboard with Lightning McQueen on the bottom asking for advice and we have none to give him.
What I need, is my friend's son Tom to fly out here and give Will lessons. But since Tom has a job, an apartment and a girlfriend I don't think that's going to be an option.
For right now, our son is going to have to keep scooting with his butt on the board or going down the sidewalk on his tummy. These are two things the police officers who visited my elementary school way back when told us NOT to do, but he can't do anything else, so I'm going to let him. Besides, I'm always out with him as are the many other kids in the neighborhood who all watch out for each other.
If anyone has any pointers, I'd gladly accept them.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If you are having your teeth whitened, a blue-ish shade indicates damage and shouldn't be your goal!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The Hip Housewife discusses her ahhhhh-t
I started a new painting on Monday. Here's the start of it:
It's going to be a Dia de Los Muertos style portrait. Dia de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday to celebrate and pray for those passed on. You can read a little more about it here:
http://www.olvera-street.com/html/_muertos_faq.html
The figures and paintings associated with the Day of the Dead celebration are homages to the person and what they loved to do in life. Playing music, dancing, playing with dogs, taking care of children, nursing, whatever it is that the people in their lives remember them for.
The skeletons are often smiling and happy. And I find them cheerful. They appeal to my love of weird things and I like the idea of remembering your loved ones in a happy situation.
As I was painting this one, I knew it was going to be part self-portrait and I first got the idea of doing the Dia de los Muertos style because I'm still not good at replicating human anatomy. But, as I was filling in the ribcage last night, I realized that this is also about me dealing with turning 40 this year.
My daughter is showing signs of growing up. As I've said in the past, we only have one more year of elementary school after this one and she's off to middle school, where bad memories are made.
My excellent friend Brenda says that a person's life is most effected (affected? which is it?) by what happens to them the year they are eleven. I'm already thinking about what I can do to make her feel loved, good about herself, smart and all that next year.
Anyway, I'm also dealing with my grandparents getting well into their nineties, realizing that any year now I'm going to have to buy a suit and fly home inside of 24 hours. This isn't exactly a comforting thought.
This year I'm making the realization that the rules are going to apply to me. I've said this before, I'm going to eventually be seventy, my children will become adults.
So, this painting is coming out. I'm working on it very slowly because I want to get the proportions as correct as possible and I am letting the layers dry very, very thoroughly before starting the next one so they will not smear.
It will easily be a week before I'm finished and probably longer before I'm satisfied. What will my cheerful skeleton be doing? I don't know yet, she needs to talk to me. And I need to listen.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: Yes, you need to splash your face in the morning, pillows can be pretty dirty.
It's going to be a Dia de Los Muertos style portrait. Dia de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday to celebrate and pray for those passed on. You can read a little more about it here:
http://www.olvera-street.com/html/_muertos_faq.html
The figures and paintings associated with the Day of the Dead celebration are homages to the person and what they loved to do in life. Playing music, dancing, playing with dogs, taking care of children, nursing, whatever it is that the people in their lives remember them for.
The skeletons are often smiling and happy. And I find them cheerful. They appeal to my love of weird things and I like the idea of remembering your loved ones in a happy situation.
As I was painting this one, I knew it was going to be part self-portrait and I first got the idea of doing the Dia de los Muertos style because I'm still not good at replicating human anatomy. But, as I was filling in the ribcage last night, I realized that this is also about me dealing with turning 40 this year.
My daughter is showing signs of growing up. As I've said in the past, we only have one more year of elementary school after this one and she's off to middle school, where bad memories are made.
My excellent friend Brenda says that a person's life is most effected (affected? which is it?) by what happens to them the year they are eleven. I'm already thinking about what I can do to make her feel loved, good about herself, smart and all that next year.
Anyway, I'm also dealing with my grandparents getting well into their nineties, realizing that any year now I'm going to have to buy a suit and fly home inside of 24 hours. This isn't exactly a comforting thought.
This year I'm making the realization that the rules are going to apply to me. I've said this before, I'm going to eventually be seventy, my children will become adults.
So, this painting is coming out. I'm working on it very slowly because I want to get the proportions as correct as possible and I am letting the layers dry very, very thoroughly before starting the next one so they will not smear.
It will easily be a week before I'm finished and probably longer before I'm satisfied. What will my cheerful skeleton be doing? I don't know yet, she needs to talk to me. And I need to listen.
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: Yes, you need to splash your face in the morning, pillows can be pretty dirty.
Monday, January 3, 2011
A confession......
Hi, I'm Amanda and I'm a jealous individual.
I'd like to say that I'm cool with whatever anyone does and be happy for them in whatever they do, understanding that it doesn't impact my world, more specifically my accomplishments or talents. I'd like to say that I'm secure in what I can do and be proud of, but I can't.
I get steaming green envious of others. I gnash my teeth, make a sour face and stomp around being dissatisfied with my house and my mediocrity and my life.
There are specific things that make me angry and covetous. Blog authors who will announce there's somewhere they really want to go, something they really want to do, tell how horrible their current living situation is and then their loyal followers send them money.
When someone says 'Hey, my birthday is coming up! I sooooooo want this: *insert link to amazon wish list*' Then someone sends it to them.
This causes me to turn an unattractive shade of chartreuse. Then I get mad at myself for feeling this way. I should be able to be very new-age, flowing, understanding that this has nothing to do with my existence in the universe.
But I'm not. I'm a shallow, bitter, sour grapes kind of person, apparently. I sit in my puddle of verdigris, indulging in emotions that do nothing for me in any positive way.
I have gone so far as to ponder why no one does this for me. There are a few reasons, among them is the fact that I don't ask. We would have to be looking at homelessness before I'd ask the general public for financial assistance. It screams against my values, online pan-handling.
And, I'm not sure there is enough of a pity/admiration factor. I haven't overcome huge odds to achieve what I've done. I don't cry about how hard it is to never have breaks or see people I love.
Oh, I'm sure there are people who feel sorry for me and my intense need for outside validation and attention, but it's not the kind of feeling sorry for me that makes a person want to send me a fruit basket.
A person who is completing a graduate degree in photography or art or creative writing creates a whirlpool of insecurity, self-hatred and jealousy. Waving my arms as it sucks me down, I imagine I look something like Maude who was swept out to sea. And I let it. I let it sweep me out to sea. Then I have to swim back, which is tiring. I have to rest in that ocean of ill-will until I have the strength to struggle to the unsafe and unfamiliar shore of self-esteem and psychological well being.
What upper body workout is there to help with that particular weakness?
Amanda's beauty tip of the day: If you have moved to a different climate, you'll need to make some adjustments. Spend the first weeks after you've unpacked watching what your skin does before changing your routine.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Okay, I got the info now shut up about it
Before I do the blog entry I had planned for the first day of the year, I would like to tell y'all about the notifications I've received from more than one source about my arm tattoo.
Yes, I know the ACTUAL Rosie the Riveter image is this one:
created by Norman Rockwell in 1943. The painting has been acquired by Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Bentonville Arkansas for it's permanent collection. The museum will be opening 11-11-11 and was founded by Alice Walton, the girl-child of Sam Walton who brought Wal-Mart to the world.
The image of Geraldine Doyle I have tattooed on my body is the We Can Do It! girl from the Westinghouse poster.
I refer to her as Rosie the Riveter because her image is called Rosie the Riveter in popular culture.
Now quit shakin' your brain around in my face.
Yes, I know the ACTUAL Rosie the Riveter image is this one:
created by Norman Rockwell in 1943. The painting has been acquired by Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Bentonville Arkansas for it's permanent collection. The museum will be opening 11-11-11 and was founded by Alice Walton, the girl-child of Sam Walton who brought Wal-Mart to the world.
The image of Geraldine Doyle I have tattooed on my body is the We Can Do It! girl from the Westinghouse poster.
I refer to her as Rosie the Riveter because her image is called Rosie the Riveter in popular culture.
Now quit shakin' your brain around in my face.
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