Jealousy...not depression

I realize I haven't posted since Wednesday but that's not because I've been in another downhill slide. In fact, I haven't felt this good in a long time. It has just been a crazy week.

Thursday night I went to a concert with my friend Tracy and my little sis Shani. We had a fantastic time but it was definitely a late night.

Friday I attended a 40th birthday party for Tanya (a wonderful woman who I met through Tracy) which was also a late night.

Saturday we had Link's family over for a birthday dinner. His mother's birthday is on the 20th so we usually celebrate the two of them together. That, again, was a late night although not nearly as late as Thursday and Friday.

Today was Link's actual birthday so I got up early to put in the egg bake that I had made last night and then the kids and I served Lincoln breakfast in bed. The best part of that was Jake asking why Mommy got breakfast in bed every weekend and Daddy only got breakfast in bed on his birthday. I'm sure you're wondering why Link doesn't get breakfast in bed on Father's Day but that's because we're usually down on the Vineyard with a bunch of other families that weekend.

Now to the jealousy part.

One of my favorite shows of all time is the Amazing Race. It is currently in its 17th season and I have watched every single one of them. As much as I would love, love, LOVE to be on the Amazing Race at any point in time, there are only two times that have been absolutely green with envy over what they get to do on the show.

The first was when they got to go on an African safari and feed raw meat to the lions. That is an absolute dream of mine. As in, if I get a terminal diagnosis tomorrow we are maxing out every credit card we have and going to Africa so that I can feed raw meat to the lions.

The second time was tonight. The teams had to go to Sweden and race a pack of sled dogs. I would love to do that. They seemed like they were having so much fun. I could pass on the time they had to run a mile or so in their underwear in Russia, I could pass on eating the live octopus that stuck it's tentacles to their tongue as they tried to swallow, but man oh man, I would give anything to have done those two challenges.

So, the moral of the story is.....

Not depressed, just busy and enjoying life again (thank God, Buddha, Allah & Vishnu!)

And I'm very, very, very jealous of feeding raw meat to wild lions and forcing sled dogs to drag me through the Swedish country side.

Kicking it pioneer style (subtitled: TV can be good for kids sometimes)

Jake: Where's Daddy?

Me: He's over at Grandma and Grandpa's taking a shower.

Jake: Why?

Me: Because our boiler is out and we don't have any hot water.

Jake: What are you doing?

Me: Boiling water so that I can take a bath.

Jake: Just like in the olden days!

Me: Right.

Jake: When they didn't have any pipes.

Me: That's right. How do you know that?

Jake: Sid's Grandma.

Me: Who?

Jake: Sid the Science Kid!

California Protection of Marriage Act

Okay, this is pretty funny. Not so much the message itself but the fact that I could see this actually becoming an accidental law. How often have you gone into a voting booth and not completely understood what you were voting for? I think a number of people who voted "No" on Prop 8 probably thought that by voting "Yes" they were actually supporting gay marriage. It's just in the wording. This PSA is on the internet and I guess some guy is trying to get the signatures necessary to put the Protection of Marriage Act on the California ballot. Given the outcry over Prop 8 I could totally see a bunch of idiots voting for this law without reading the fine print. So what is the Protection of Marriage Act? It outlaws divorce, of course.

Who says TV is bad?

The other night I got home from work and Lincoln and Jake were making pumpkin bread. Jake was very excited about it and when they put it in the oven Lincoln told Jake that he would turn the light on for him so that he could watch the bread baking.

Jake: I have a hypothesis!!!

Me: Where the heck did he get that from?

Link: Dinosaur Train on PBS.

Me: Cool.

(Later)

Me: So, I never heard what Jake's hypothesis was.

Link: Oh, he said he thought the light was what would cook the bread. So he was wrong but at least he knew the word hypothesis.

Good enough for me.

Who knew there were so many hours in a week

With all that has been going on around here lately I feel like I'm working multiple jobs. I guess in reality I really am. I'm working for my "real" job as well as for Lincoln's company and there is a LOT going on there lately. On top of everything else I'm chairing the Family Fun Night for the PTO this fall (something I signed up for last spring). By the time I get to Wednesday each week I feel like I've put in so many hours that it must surely be Friday. Then I look at the calendar and reality hits. It's insane. Hopefully things will even out soon.

The good news is that we're making sure to take some time out for us to relax and not stress too much so that we don't get too overwhelmed. Lincoln and I end each evening sitting down on the couch with each other, grab a beer, and watch an episode or two of our new favorite show, The Big Bang Theory. It is a show we've never watched before but with the third season about to premiere this month we decided to watch Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. It's not often we have the same interest in television shows so it is nice we've found something we can watch together. And I realize that many people would probably say that sitting together on the couch and watching the TV isn't really bonding with each other but it's a nice way to dial down the day, veg out, and just unwind without the kids or the company or life weighing down on us.

Reality TV Junkie

What have I done to my child with my obsessive reality TV watching? Tonight I had Project Runway playing on the TV. Hannah and I were watching it while Lincoln read his magazine and Jake played on the floor with his back to the TV. All of a sudden....

Jake: Ooooh. Who's going to win? I just can't wait!

Huh?

A star is born

I received a very interesting call today from the guy that runs the poetry and writing workshop that Hannah attended last summer. He called to tell me that a producer from HBO had called him about a new HBO special they are doing on children and poetry and had asked him if he had anyone to recommend. I spoke with him about it for a few minutes and then gave him permission to give the producer my contact information.

At that point I figured that the chances we would ever hear from the producer were probably slim to none but it was pretty cool that he had thought of Hannah for this project. I was surprised when about an hour later I received a call from the producer. She asked me a bunch of questions about Hannah's interest in poetry and if she had any favorite poems, that sort of thing. She also said they'd like to interview Hannah, on tape, in NYC on September 22nd for possible inclusion in this project. I haven't discussed it fully with Lincoln yet...or with Hannah at all....but it sounds like it might be a fun experience. Hopefully we'll know more about it soon and if Hannah is interested the two of us will be heading down to the city for her interview.

UPDATE: Apparently a star isn't born. Surprisingly Hannah had ZERO interest in being a part of this tv special. I have to say, that really surprised Lincoln and me but I guess that's it. We're certainly not going to force the issue.

Reasons why Lincoln wishes I wouldn't watch The Bachelorette

Me: You never leave me little love notes in the morning.

(a little while later)

Me: You've never taken me on a date on a glacier.

Lincoln: You have GOT to stop watching this show.

For all you Saved by the Bell fans

This clip from Jimmy Fallon is hilarious. He is working to get a Saved by the Bell reunion show together.

I'm sorry Daddy

I taught my mother how to access the Bachelorette message boards on ABC.com today.  They can be horribly addictive so I just want to let Dad know that before he files the missing persons report on Mom he should make sure to check the office first.

Now THIS is what I'm talking about

Almost a year ago I wrote a blog posting about season finales.  I am a TV addict and I can take things very personally when things don't happen the way I want them to.  Tonight a show restored my faith in (televised) humanity.  I just watched the Grey's Anatomy season finale and it rocked!  It had EVERYTHING a season finale should have.  It had great writing and a fantastic ending that left me begging for another episode.  Talk about a cliffhanger.  

It is very rare in this day and age that anything can be kept a secret when it comes to anything.  Between the internet and spoilers and random speculation you can pretty much know what is going to happen on your favorite show unless you live in a bubble.  For all of those reasons I really thought I knew what was going to happen on tonight's episode but it totally took me by surprise.  It was even a show I had to go back and watch again because it was so well written, so dramatic, and so heart-wrenching that it blew me out of the water.  

Because of those same internet spoilers and speculation over the actors' contracts the results come September probably won't surprise me all that much but it doesn't take away one little bit from the fantastic writing (and acting) on behalf of the Grey's Anatomy team.  Way to go!

I know I take these things overly seriously but this is an under appreciated art form and tonight it really moved me.  This more than made up for a lousy finale season last year.

This is what happens when I read "real" books

I read trash novels. Yes, bodice rippers. The kind of books where Fabio is occasionally on the cover with a 1/2 dressed woman. I enjoy them. They are light and fun entertainment where I don't have to think and don't finish the book pondering (or debating) the literary value of what I've just read. They're trash....pure and simple....and I love them.

Every day at 2 p.m. I go up to the 3rd floor and cover the phones while my assistant (the receptionist) takes her lunch break. She often laughs at the books I'm reading but I'm perfectly okay with that. Earlier this week, however, I brought up Rhett Butler's People to which she commented "Wow, you're reading a real book, huh?"

I loved Gone With the Wind. It's a great book. I also thoroughly enjoyed Scarlett which was written as a sequel to Gone With the Wind. I'm pretty sure it wasn't an authorized sequel but it was still a good book. It started where Gone With the Wind left off and went on an epic journey of its own where Scarlett moved to Ireland, the land of her father's birth, and after many trials and tribulations reunited with Rhett to live happily ever after. It's no Gone With the Wind but it was still a pretty good book.

Shortly before Christmas 2007 the book Rhett Butler's People came out and I really wanted it. Lincoln bought it for me in hardcover and I was quite excited to read it. Um.....yeah.....I just finally read it in April 2009. I started it back in early 2008 but just couldn't get into it. That didn't discourage me though since even Gone With the Wind took me a few tries. It was a daunting book after all.....at the time (and maybe still to this date) it was the longest book I had ever attempted at over 1,000 pages. When we left for Niagara Falls this past weekend I only packed one romance novel and one magazine.....certainly not enough to get me through one weekend especially with long car rides on either end of the journey. I decided that instead of packing other books I would pack Rhett Butler's People and force myself to read it while driving back from Niagara Falls.

It was good. It wasn't great. And this is why I don't like reading "real" books. It actually made me think, evaluate, and debate in my head. I don't have the time or the energy for that these days. First of all, it billed itself as being the story of Gone With the Wind from the viewpoint of Rhett Butler. That wasn't entirely true. I guess the first clue should have been the title but it really was the story of Rhett Butler's people. I think in an attempt to make it an "epic" story like Gone With the Wind it had to pull in the stories of every person who ever touched Rhett's life. I think the book was well written and I enjoyed the way the author layered the story from different perspectives and flashed back and forth through the timeline but the author also glossed over many of the major interactions that Rhett and Scarlett had throughout Gone With the Wind. He never mentions the ball where Rhett reappears and asks Scarlett to dance with him even though she is in mourning. He glosses over the death of their daughter and doesn't even touch on the fact that Scarlett miscarried their second child. The author also turns one of the most dashing and heroic figures in literature into a sniveling, "woe is me" man suffering from unrequited love.

While the book does explain a little of the back story regarding how Rhett knows Belle Watling and how he became great friends with many slaves prior to the Civil War, it's really less of a book about him and more of a book about everyone around him.

And since Rhett Butler's People completely ignores the existence of the book Scarlett the ending is completely different. While the author does make an attempt at showing a bit of the "old" Scarlett (read: Margaret Mitchell's version) when she is facing, in my opinion, greatly contrived issues at Tara after the war, it is not fully explored but merely used as an excuse (SPOILER ALERT) to kill off beloved characters and burn down Tara before getting Scarlett and Rhett back together in roughly a page and a half.

I have read both Gone With the Wind and Scarlett multiple times each and now that I've finished Rhett Butler's People I plan to go back and read both of them again, but I have to say....Rhett Butler's People is going straight into the garage sale pile. Maybe it's because both Gone With the Wind and Scarlett were written by women that I enjoyed the epic love stories found in both books, as opposed to the male author of Rhett Butler's People who created merely a great epic story of the Civil War that names familiar characters. Either way, I've obviously learned my lesson for awhile that I need to stick with my trash novels because obviously "real" books just get me too worked up. If I wanted that I'd debate the merits of Gossip Girl vs. the original version of Beverly Hills 90210.

P.S. Here is a good review about everything that is wrong with this book: http://www.amazon.com/review/RQX5Y5I1CLA5E/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

How is this possible?

Despite my numerous tivos I still managed not to tivo The Bachelor last night. What the heck?

Hi! My name is Diane and I am an addict.

I am apparently a Tivo addict. Lincoln is out right now purchasing our 5th...yes 5th...Tivo. This will be our third dual tuner. I can now Tivo up to 8 shows at one time in 5 different rooms.

1. Living Room
2. Kids Playroom
3. Our Bedroom
4. Our Bathroom
5. Home Gym

The Golden Globes

I thoroughly enjoyed the Golden Globes last night but man do I have a lot of movie watching to do before the Oscars. I haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road, or many of the other likely to be nominated movies yet. I have seen Rachel Getting Married though and as much as I've wanted Kate Winslet to win awards in the past I really wanted Anne Hathaway to win last night. We'll have to see how the Oscars play out.

Awards Season

The only good thing about late winter/early spring is the fact that it is Awards Season. My two favorites are the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. I have a little ritual that I do every year and I was majorly bummed when the Golden Globes were cancelled last year because of the writers' strike. I used to get dressed up to watch the awards but now I just get a glasses (or glasses) of champagne and a tray of pigs in a blanket and I sit on the couch and watch all the pre-show action. It's really not about the awards themselves, it's about the dresses. The champagne is self-explanatory since it's an awards show. I'm not sure how the pigs in a blanket came around. Maybe I should have Lincoln dress up as a waiter and occasionally walk into the room with them on a tray like they were butler passed hors d'oeuvres at the fancy after party.

Yeah, I don't think I could get him to do that and he's willing to do a LOT for me that most husbands wouldn't. It's a nice thought though.

Okay, maybe it's a "no go" on the TV in the bedroom

From the New York Times:

"Children with bedroom TVs score lower on school tests and are more likely to have sleep problems. Having a television in the bedroom is strongly associated with being overweight and a higher risk for smoking"

My parenting philosophies have changed

Even though I had my own TV in my bedroom all through high school I have been adamant that my kids will not have TVs in their bedrooms. I'm now thinking that Hannah's 7th Christmas might be a good opportunity to break that rule.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander

The only way to watch a show with Hannah and Jake (especially Jake) around is for them to not be around....or gagged. They never stop talking. Of course, if it is one of their shows then they are as quiet as church mice but God forbid Lincoln or I try to watch something....then it's 20 questions every 30 seconds.

I just finished watching a TV show that I had started while no one was around but once Jake had entered the room he wouldn't shut up. As soon as I finished my show I started one of his for him and I asked him 20 questions every 30 seconds. Man on man, he did NOT like that. And it pissed off Hannah even more.

Sucks, doesn't it?

Wipeout

Tonight all 4 of us watched Wipeout together for the first time. The kids absolutely loved it. What's not to love? Dozens of people being punched out, bouncing off huge rubber balls, and face-planting it into the mud. Once again, if you haven't seen this fun summer show, you should definitely give it a try.

As for Jake, he piped up that Papa can do the Wipeout Zone. He actually said Papa is the ONLY one that can do the Wipeout Zone.