Nick and Nay

new blog post

2010-11-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Hey all two of you who still check this...

We started a new baby blog and I'll just be posting over there. Not every post will be about the baby, just 99% of them!

www.calvinfossey.com

the unflattering photo you've all been waiting for...

2010-07-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

And it's in the nursery to boot. How about that gut, eh? We're officially full-term this week and also traveling to Dallas for our last baby shower/fun weekend with family.

So this baby might be born a Texan, but let's hope not.

Also, before I forget....happy birthday to my dreamboat husband! It's actually not until tomorrow but I have a feeling I'll be too busy to blog. He has the same birthday as Harry Potter! (The character, not the actor) Love you, Nicholas!

Up All Night

2010-07-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

So, my only pregnancy complaint is sleep, or lack thereof. And let me tell you something right now, my loyal 4 readers: If ANY of you leave a comment along the lines of "Just wait until the baby comes and then you'll know what no sleep is!" I will drive to your part of the world and punch you. Repeatedly. We are all intelligent adults here, so spare me the platitudes. (Wow, I'm such a bitch when I'm pregnant and sleep deprived!)

In the last few weeks, I've been having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and getting comfortable while sleeping. Some of the falling asleep problems are anxiety related, I'm sure (Holy shit, we're having a baby in about a month!) but alot of it is due to restless leg syndrome. Ugh. I got the Jimmy Legs. I lay there and try to relax but after about 20 minutes I just start twitching and adjusting and flipping and stretching. I would say it makes me feel bad for Nick, but he has not once woken up to my endless movement.

Then there's the staying asleep problem. Tonight I got in bed at 9:30 to read myself to sleep. (I'm reading Sarah Silverman's book and it is H-I-larious, and I'm not really a fan of her TV show.) Anyway, I fell asleep pretty quickly and was WIDE awake by 11pm. I read on my iPhone for awhile but then I had to keep getting up to pee and pretty soon I just gave up and came into the living room. For the past 3 nights I have been sleeping on the couch. Sigh.

We met with the midwife today and everything is going really well. I have to get tested for Group B strep in my next visit (the appointments are coming every week now!!) and hopefully it will be negative which means I don't have to worry about getting antibiotics during labor. Nick mentioned to the midwife that I am having trouble sleeping and she mentioned the old wives' tale of "nature preparing your for less sleep". And when I thought about it, I had to agree that there is some merit to it. Before I got pregnant, if I got this little sleep I would have to call in sick to work or else I would be a total zombie. I would get sick and feel generally crappy for a few days. But now, I get about 5 hours of very broken sleep, wake up at my usual time and get on with my day.

Really it's just the boredom at night that I hate. At least after Calvin gets here, I'll have something cute to look at when I'm up all night. Until then, I'm just chilling on the couch, alone, watching the Office reruns.

In all honesty, though, I have been so lucky in this pregnancy. I feel good most of the time. I haven't even been bothered by the heat so far. In the coming weeks we have a lot of fun things planned. My mom is coming this weekend to rearrange all our nursery furniture. Next weekend we have 2 baby showers and our childbirth class at the hospital which includes our hospital tour and I am really excited about it.

And after all that...he'll be here.

Random Twilight-y Thoughts

2010-06-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

I am too tired to make this funny so here is a list of observations I had during my morning viewing of the third chapter in the Twilight Saga.

Bella is finally cured of her lip-biting tic.

Her wig is totally fugly.

Why do they insist on giving Jasper lady hair?

Jacob's teeth are too, too white. They look blue sometimes.

Finally, Edward and Bella act like they like each other in this movie.

I still think Edward is on the verge of being an abusive boyfriend.

But he is just so attractive.

My brother says he looks like a hammer head shark.

Why is Bella wearing so many flannel shirts?

That ring that he gave her is not what I pictured at all. Bad move, Ed.

Shut up, teenage girl who are whispering constantly behind me.

I only need to go to the bathroom once during the two hour movie. Yes!

Why do they design bathroom stall doors that you have to practically step into the toilet to enter?

How pathetic is it that I cried during the Harry Potter trailer? I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye.

this is how you know...

2010-06-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

When two or more Owens' have gathered in one place.

Dad, Tyler, Sandy, Nick and I spent the weekend in the tiny, TINY village of Cedar Rapids, Nebraska visiting our grandmother and favorite aunt, uncle and cousins. Not much to do in that town, so we had to resort to playing Hair Salon.

I was sort of dreading the 8 hour car trip, expecting my feet and ankles to swell to elephant proportions, but surprisingly they didn't at all. We rented a sweet minivan (yes, you read that right) so we watched movies and everyone had plenty of room.

Okay...

Here comes the Much Promised Belly Picture:

Ha! Okay, the photo is blurry and with two other dudes one of whom is Mr. Doug Benson - stoner and comedian and podcaster extraordinaire. We went to his show last night and laughed our asses off.

But, this is about bellies, not asses. Take a look at that gut will you? Lately the babe has taken to putting his feet under my ribs and sticking his cute butt out which causes a weird lump that you can see in the above photo. Also, I probably keep pissing him off because when he pushes against me, I push right back and he gives it right back to me. Sometimes I'll rest my hand up against my belly and I get a sharp nudge exactly where my hand is, almost like he's trying to tell me, "Lay off me lady. I'm running out of room in here."

Seven or so weeks left. Can't wait to see his face.

may favs?

2010-06-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks. The month of May rushed by so fast, I had no time to document any favorite things. Plus, it was kind of a crappy month if I'm honest. Our car was in the shop for the ENTIRE MONTH, I found out my maternity leave isn't going to be all that great, etc.

However, I will say that the highlight of the month was a trip to Austin, Texas to visit my step-father's family. They have a beautiful house, an amazing pool and are literally the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Not only are they wonderful hosts, but they kept shoving me to the front of every food line and making sure my every need was met. They have two adorable daughters who talked to my belly the whole weekend and gave us the sweetest hugs.

AND to top off an already perfect weekend...they got together with Sandy and Mom and threw us a surprise baby shower! They sent me and Nick and my brother to the store and when we came back there were decorations and gifts everywhere. It was so incredibly sweet. Everyone chipped in and got us a pack and play, which vibrates and plays music. The future is now, people. My grandmother also sent a little handmade baby blanket and my aunt from California sent a gift card and an adorable outfit. My mom and Sandy are the premiere party planners, I'm telling you. Sandy made the cutest paper pinwheels that I'm going to hang in the baby's room and my mom bought Cal some adorable blue plaid sneakers.

I will never, EVER get tired of baby clothes.

I know everyone complains that all you get are baby clothes at a baby shower and not the stuff you register for, but to me, I'd rather have the people I love hand pick outfits for my kid and leave the boring stuff like a diaper genie to me and Nick.

We also made some major progress on the nursery this weekend. I invited my dad up for the weekend and promptly put him to work painting the baby's room. I didn't mean to, but as my brother and I talked about later: He's just so damn good at painting! It takes him like 5 minutes to tape off a room. So, dad, if you're reading this, sorry we used you for your mad skills.

Nick finished painting the crib and it looks great. Do I have a picture to show you? Well, what do you think? I know, I know. I'm failing again.

This week marks another pregnancy milestone: We're into the single digits. Weeks, I mean. Only 9 left, unless baby wants to stay in there awhile longer. Hopefully not too long.

You seem to be getting pregnanter these days.

2010-05-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

With the onset of the big, bad THIRD trimester that I am now enjoying...here's a little pregnancy info on yours truly.

How far along? 28 weeks (I'm rounding up)
Weight gain/loss: What? I can't hear you.
Maternity clothes? Yes. Currently looking for more long dresses to wear on the cheap.
Stretch marks? No, but there are hints of them coming.
Sleep? Actually having alot more energy and also sleep is getting more difficult.
Best moment this week? Having Nick talk to my belly all the time. Can't get enough.
Food cravings: Ice. Everyone in earshot hates me.
Gender: Boy!
Belly button in or out? Still in.
Movement? When I lay down at night, he goes nuts. I love it.
What I miss? Beer.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting the nursery done. Or started.
Weekly wisdom: Let's only worry about what we can actually change. That really limits the list doesn't it?
Milestones: My son's testes are migrating into his scrotum. All that's going on inside my uterus. Weird eh?

six years ago today...

2010-05-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

he

asked me

to the movies to see Shrek 2.

It was our 3rd or so date. I wore a khaki miniskirt and brown tank top. I have no idea what he wore.

I picked him up and drove him back home. I started getting that wonderful/nerve-wracking feeling that I was about to get my first kiss (from him, anyway).

And what a kiss it was. Actually it was several, but who's counting? It's one of my most precious memories.

We've shared thousands of kisses since then.

But none are as memorable as that first one.

madison? isn't that a little...gay?

2010-05-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

I've been spending alot of time thinking about names. I have decided to give Calvin my maiden name (Owens) as a middle name. I would say WE decided on it, but I'm not sure if Nick is 100% sold on the idea. I never considered the pressure of choosing a name for a child until we started trying to get pregnant. And when we found out it's a boy, the pressure increased because this will be his name FOREVER. I've had girlfriends who were relieved to get maried because they wanted to get rid of their maiden names. I was the opposite. I went through a mini-mourning session when I finally, officially, changed my name from Owens to Fossey. I'm ridiculously close to my family and the idea of separating myself from them made me have a little identity crisis. And the whole idea made me a little indignant. I was just supposed to change the perfectly good name I've had for 26 years just because I was getting married? Not fair. I know I didn't have to change my name, but the women I've known who kept their maiden name get referred to as Mrs. HusbandsLastName anyway, and they're stuck correcting people constantly.

But I digress.

In case my in-laws are reading this, I want to assure them (and anyone else) that in the last SIX years since I have started dating and married and been knocked up by Nick, that I am just as much a Fossey as I am an Owens. I'm not sure when it happened, but it has. Maybe I realized it last weekend when I spent pretty much the whole weekend with my in-laws and without my husband, who was working. Or maybe when I prompted my father-in-law to tell a Fossey family legend and then realized I wasn't even in the family then, but I felt like I was.

I have no idea where all of this is coming from, but I know it is coming from a place of gratitude. Family dynamics are fragile. When my brother married Sandy, I realized how thankful I was that he married someone we all loved and not someone who would take him away from us, so to speak. It's the same way with my mom and Jonathan and Katherine and Todd. I hope that when Calvin gets older, I can find the balance of encouraging him to consider the family before choosing a wife, and keeping my nose out of his business. I'm not too worried about it though, considering he is half Fossey and half Owens. He'll grow up the same as me and Nick - at times taking his family for granted, but eventually realizing how lucky he is to be part of our tribe.

April Favs!

2010-05-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Only 4 days into the month this time. Progress! Now, onto a few of my favorite things. (Try to read that last sentence without singing. You can't, can you?)

We came back from New York last week to find these gorgeous things blooming in our front yard. Thanks previous owners! The best kinds of flowers are the ones someone else plants, in my opinion. There's also a peony bush with lots of buds on it. I hope they sprout in the next few days!

Hello, Handsome. At first I gave this show the side eye. I thought it was going to be this guy in a cowboy hat working as a cop in LA or something. But it's actually a really good show, that takes place in Kentucky. It's also the closest we'll get to EVER watching a crime show. Although if Timothy Olyphant was to star on Law and Order, I may have to eat my words.

Sorry for two TV shows as favorites, but I have been watching Sports Night reruns on my computer for a month. I watch them first thing in the morning and before I go to bed. I can't stop. I know all the lines by heart. It's not a spectacular show by any means and it can be a bit preachy, but I find it comforting.

I finally caved and downloaded the Scrabble app on my phone even though it was THREE dollars, which is madness. But I'm hooked, just like every other annoying person in your life who ignores you to look at their phones. I think I've been playing too much though, because it's getting harder to make words. I think it's making me dumber. Still fun though.

Podcasts! This picture is from the Pregtastic Podcast (duh). I'm addicted to the birth stories they post. I love listening to and reading to other people's birth stories, even the scary ones. Makes me feel reassured that women literally do it every day. I also started listning to the I Love Movies podcast by Doug Benson. He is hilarious, and I'm pretty sure he's stoned MOST of the time while recording his show, which only makes it funnier. Old favorites include the Adam Corolla podcast and also This American Life, although both of those are hit and miss lately. Please send me podcast recommendations if you have any!

This is also the month where my belly has POPPED. Do I have a picture to show you?

No.

Nick and I got back from New York on Monday night and I went through my camera to look at pictures from our trip and shamefully discovered I only took 14. And 4 of those were of Nick on the airplane, trying to bug him. I am the world's worst photographer! Here's my promise to you, blog readers. I'll have Nick take a picture of my huge, pregnant gut in all its glory and post it on the blog soon. No stretch marks yet...knock on wood!

it's probably just a food baby...

2010-04-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

It's official: I can feel the baby kicking. There's an actual creature inside of me, moving around and I can FEEL it. It would be really weird if it wasn't so amazing. At first, I blamed it on gas. But just last week it became undeniable. I've only felt one kick from the outside and that was pretty incredible too. Nick's a little frustrated that he hasn't been able to feel anything yet and I suspect he'll be able to in the next few weeks. But, in all honesty, I kind of like having a little secret with my boy. It's just between us for now.

By the way his name is Calvin (we're 99% sure) and we haven't settled on a middle name yet.

I can't wait to see his little* face!

*Or if he's anything like his mama, his BIG, FAT face. Stay tuned for proof.

March Favs

2010-04-05T14:50:00.001-07:00

This is going to be pretty random, but what can I say? I am a woman a varied interests...either that or a scatterbrained pregnant lady. And it's only 10 days late! Here goes!

First and foremost (what does foremost mean anyway?)...

My absolute favorite thing in March was our ultrasound on the 23rd where we discovered the sex of our baby. Read on to find out.

Yay! A Boy! My prediction from many months ago was right! See here for proof.

The ultrasound tech (who was very UN-excited throughout our appointment)put the wand on my stomach and I immediately could tell it was a boy. The tech lady took a few pictures of his head and spine and then just types on the screen, BOY PARTS. Nick and I looked at each other and I asked her, "Does that mean it's a boy?" And she said, "Looks like it." And then she moved on.

Oh well. We were thrilled. Nick started crying, I couldn't stop laughing. Everything else looks great!

Now onto some more shallow favorite things.

#2-

Muffins
I cannot get enough. Any flavor, any time of day. I told my work people I would announce the sex of the baby at staff meeting by the flavor of muffins: blueberry for a boy and raspberry for a girl. I made two dozen blueberry muffins and haven't looked back. My favorite ones are the blueberry lemon muffins from Starbucks. So good.

#3-

Baby Clothes
Nothing, and I mean nothing is cuter than watching your husband go through racks of baby clothes, trying to find the perfect outfit for his unborn son. We went to the Just Between Friends consignment sale in Grapevine while visiting family and while I was looking for stuff for the baby's room, Nick picked out 4 of the cutest outfits of all time. Oh man, I can't wait for baby's first fashion show!

#4-

Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray.
Random I know, but since I started using this my hair is so super soft and manageable. I spray it on my wet hair and then blow-dry it and then another little spritz before I flat iron it. I love it.

#5-

Makeup and Hair Tutorials on youtube.
This one is really embarrassing. I am NOT someone who gives a damn about makeup. A few months ago, Nick brought home a ton of makeup from Target that he got a great deal on. I looked it all over and then said, "Any chance you could bring some magazines home next time? Or candy?" Anyway, the picture above is of two sisters who call themselves Elle and Blair. They each have channels on youtube which you can find here and here.

They're pretty. They're perky. They have tens of thousands of dollars worth of makeup. The videos become sort of addicting, or maybe just to me. But the truth is, I have learned a new way to curl my hair and am mastering the art of eyeliner thanks to these girls.

So that's my March favorites! Stay tuned for some belly pictures!

they call me the cautionary whale

2010-03-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

Some BIG things happened yesterday in regards to this baby of mine.

1. We found out the sex of the baby!

2. A stranger noticed I was pregnant.

3. I was judged by the same stranger who noticed I was pregnant.

Let me explain. I was buying a 20 oz Coke for a coworker at Wal-Greens and the lady who checked me out looked me over and said, "Well, you're sure gonna keep that baby awake ALL NIGHT."

I sneered at her, "It's not for ME, it's for a friend."

Her, "Uh-huh." Clearly in disbelief.

But it was true. And even though she sucks for judging me, I was happy that someone other than coworkers and my family noticed I was pregnant.

Now to the other thing...I can't tell you all the sex yet. But I will. After the weekend. I gotta tell the family first. The good news is the baby looks great! Ten inches and eleven ounces. Moving around, sucking its thumb, twitching its feet. I can't get over it.

How can you love something so much that you haven't met yet?!

he loves me

2010-03-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

You just have to read between the lines.

This weekend, Nick and I were talking about the delivery of our baby. I told him I want to try to go as natural as possible, and he's all for it but is skeptical of my resolve. When I asked him what he would say during the birth if I begged him for drugs, he responded with a wry smile, "Sure thing, honey. But can I park the car first?"

Another gem that happened a few weeks ago: I bought some maternity pants that are still way too big and so I asked Nick, "Do you think if I washed these in some hot water, I could shrink them?" "Sure, honey. If anyone can shrink clothes it's you."

Thanks alot, O Hilarious One.

What I Loved in February

2010-03-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs features an "All Things Loved in ..." every month and being the un-creative person I am, I decided to copy her. So, if anyone cares, here is what got me through February. January and February are my most hated months because they drag on FOREVER. I hate the winter, I wish it was over on December 26th but no, we have to suffer through 2 and a half more months of its misery! Spring, come quickly. But leave the rain behind.

Onto the list:

Mini Fruit Roll-Ups. I had to stop buying boxes of these because I would eat EIGHTEEN mini fruit roll-ups in about 2 days. Somehow the fact that they were mini took away some of the shame of stuffing them in my face, two at a time. But, seriously they are hella good.

Bubble baths. Early on in the pregnancy, I had horrible leg cramps that woke me up at night. My midwife attributed them to needing more calcium, but before I knew that, I was in agony. I would get up in the middle of the night, draw a bath and instantly I felt relief. I'm also known to take baths to warm up, thanks to this sucky winter and being stuck inside all day, I spend hours in there. My skin is dry as a bone and itching me all over, but I can't stay out of the tub. I predict a water birth in my future.

The March Vanity Fair Issue. I am obsessed with Vanity Fair. I used to subscribe to Glamour, InStyle, US Weekly and People (not all at the same time) but they all got to be too fluffy for me. I still read Glamour at the bookstore from time to time, but finally I bit the bullet and subscribed to Vanity Fair. Every month when it comes, I spend HOURS reading it. There are so many interesting articles in there. In every issue there is an article on the current movies/stars, and always some article about something from Hollywood's past. It's just a perfect mix of entertainment news, book suggestions, fashion, politics, history and current events. Go out and read it. Or better yet, come over to my house and read some back issues because lord knows I'm not throwing these away.

Napping. Before I got pregnant, I liked naps as much as the next person. But I never knew what it felt like to REQUIRE a nap on a daily basis for many weeks. On Sunday afternoons, my typical one hour nap turned into a huge, five hour nap. From one to six in the evening, I was snoring away. And the most remarkable part is, I would still go to bed at NINE THIRTY. Growing a baby is hard work y'all.

Seeing the baby on screen! Life changing. Amazing. Going to the midwife again on Wednesday, hoping for another peek!

Seeing this guy turn 30. I meant to write a long, mushy post on his birthday, but that's not really my style. I will say that I am so incredibly lucky to have him as a brother, because he is so loyal to me. But I am also lucky to have him as my best friend, which is what he has become. He's the only one who laughs at all my jokes. He gives great book and movie recommendations. And I am mostly SO thankful he didn't ruin our family dynamic by marrying anyone other than Sandy. He chose wisely. I cannot WAIT to see him as an uncle, and I hope he makes me an aunt PRONTO. (Are you reading this? Get on it.)

dream a little dream of me

2010-02-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

I might be the only one who feels this way, but I dread the mornings when Nick rolls over and says, "I had the weirdest dream last night." To his credit, Nick sometimes has very interesting dreams and usually they feature him as the hero: saving me, or saving his family. One of his dreams was him and Robert DeNiro fighting dragons so me and my friend Teeg could escape.

But no matter how interesting HE thinks they are, they are still someone else's dreams. And most of the time, other people's dreams don't make a damn bit of sense to anyone but the person who dreamed them! And it only gets worse when they try to explain them, despite the huge gaping plot holes: "We ended up at your house, but I don't remember how and it wasn't really your house because it was two stories..." Ughhhh. So boring. And I am as guilty as anyone about wanting to share them. Because sometimes dreams seem SO REAL, someone else HAS to know about it!

This morning we were enjoying our Saturday morning ritual, cuddling in bed and checking our iPhones and Nick muttered those words, "I had such a weird dream last night." Here we go. I said, "Oh yeah? A short one, I hope?" He rolled his eyes and said a bit defensively, "YES."

Here's what he said.

"I was still dating ------- (a girl from his past) but she was always so mean to me (in the dream, not in real life) and I was getting so sick of her. I went to the airport to pick her up after a long trip to Africa. When I saw her getting off the plane, I waved to her and said, "Hey!" to which she snarled at me, "I thought you'd have the car right outside!" And then I responded, "I'm so sick of your shit! I'm leaving!" And I left her standing there. When I got outside I saw a very pregnant lady struggling with her luggage and I hurried over to help her. And when I got there, I saw that it was you. And I knew instantly that I loved you and I loved this baby."

Swoon.

why i hate working in the schools sometimes

2010-02-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

Mean Librarians.

Today, I went to a school to visit with a kid. We meet in the library. We have a deal where we visit for most of the session and then we read aloud from Diary of a Wimpy Kid (which is amazing). Before our session started, he asked me if he could check out a book to take home and read. Of course I said yes and we wandered through the aisles together and he picked out a fairly large hardback book with a picture of a dragon on it. I believe it was one of the Eragon series. He brought it to the Mean Librarian and pushed the book back at him and then sneered at him, "Go back and pick out a book you CAN read."

My client was so embarrassed and upset. He insisted he could read it and she opened it up at random and made him read one of the sentences inside and when he had trouble with one of the NAMES, not words, she made him return to the stacks and pick something else.

By this time I was giving her an incredulous look, mixed with fury and she started back peddling and then tried to insist that he should look for another book about dragons that's not so advanced if that's what he was interested in. He just grabbed a book off the shelf and set it down in front of her. I could tell he had no interest in reading it.

Another potential book lover bites the dust.

We sat down and talked for awhile and then read our book. During the time when he was reading out loud, I could hear the Mean Librarian yelling at every kid who came in.

Here's a lovely exchange with a SECOND grader who was at the card catalog computer:
"William, what are you looking for?"
Three full seconds of silence from William.
"Excuse me, are there any other Williams in this library?"
William sadly shakes his head.
"Do you have some kind of hearing problem?"
Shakes his head again.
"Then why would you pretend like you can't hear me when I asked you a question?"
He shrugs, looks terrified.
"Get over here and pick out a book and go back to class."

Another with a girl who looked like she was in fourth grade who had just returned a book.
"Jennifer did you really read this whole book?"
"Yes."
"Well, I'm not counting it for your reading points because I don't believe you. I know you couldn't have finished it. Pick out something else from this shelf only and I'll let you check it out."

What a peach she is. She also did that awesomely, condescending thing where she had discussions with the teacher about how misbehaved the children were like the children weren't even there. Grrrrr.

Why do people think it's okay to speak to children that way? I understand it's not easy to deal with kids all day (God knows teachers complain about it 24/7), but that's what they signed on for! And in my opinion, librarians have NO excuse. They are in a big empty room surrounded by books most of the time!

Sadly, most kids don't even realize that they are being mistreated by this horrible woman because they are spoken to like this by most people in their lives. Have you ever walked down a hallway while classrooms are lined up, going to lunch? All they hear is what they're doing wrong; and you'd think teachers would have clued into the fact that if you ramble on enough, KIDS STOP LISTENING TO YOU. So, instead of yelling instructions at them all day like, "Face forward. Stop talking. Hands to yourself. Get in line. Don't look in their classroom. Hurry up," they'd start giving attention to the ones who ARE doing what they are supposed to because most kids would cut off their right arm for positive attention.

This whole rant has me seriously considering homeschooling my kid. Kidding.

behold good sir, your future child

2010-02-01T15:10:00.001-08:00

(I have decided that every post related to the pregnancy, which let's face it, most of the future posts will be, I will title them with a quote from Juno - one of my favorite pregnancy movies.)

Today, Nick and I went to the midwife for our second appointment. In the last few days, I had been having a lot of anxiety about the baby. In our last appointment, I was only 8 weeks along and LeAnna (the midwife) didn't think we would be able to see the baby that early and she was right, but it still bummed me out.

So for our appointment today, I was worried there wouldn't be a heartbeat. I know, it's morbid. I don't know why I even thought of that, but I just wanted to be prepared for anything. I warned Nick going in that it was a possibility, but he was sure everything was alright.

At the beginning of the appointment, we chatted for a bit with LeAnna and she said, "Well, let's take a look." She gets out the doppler and rubs it around on my belly for awhile and all we hear is static. I start feeling really uncomfortable and nervous. Then she says, "Okay. Let's see if we can get a look at it." She gets the ultrasound machine out and has Nick come over and stand by me so we can look at the screen together. I was too freaked out to look at the screen right away so I looked at Nick until she said, "Okay, there it is!" I whipped my head around and as soon as I made out the baby on the screen, it jumped a mile! It didn't stop moving the whole time we looked at it. We saw the heartbeat fluttering a mile a minute. Nick was so sweet the whole time. I love, love, love seeing him excited about the baby. Last week he brought home a stroller!

I made a comment about being so relieved that we could see the baby and the nurse said, "Yeah, you looked really worried earlier!"

She printed out three pictures of the peanut and we set the date for the BIG ultrasound. March 23rd! How will I be able to wait?!

Here's the little guy/girl with its head down and feet up!
(I never thought I would be one of "those" women who post ultrasound pictures that no one can figure out. I imagine in the next few months I'll be doing alot of things I never thought I would. Isn't that what motherhood is all about?)

for shiz up the spout

2010-01-12T00:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it's happened. I'm pregnant, knocked up, prego, with child, expecting. Would you like to hear how it happened? (No, not how IT happened, but how we found out?)

We started "trying" in November (by the way, people asking me how long we had been trying or if anyone knew we were trying makes for uncomfortable conversation in my opinion. No way around it, we're talking about having unprotected sex. So no, we didn't tell our parents or random people that we were trying). Due to my obsessive nature regarding success in the trying-to-conceive game, I researched and read books for months leading up to November. The most helpful was Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Up until I read that, I was sadly ignorant about my own body and what it takes to get pregnant.

I also joined a message board, full of other obsessed women trying to get pregnant. Let me tell you, a message board can be an informative, albeit scary place to visit. There are so many people out there struggling to get pregnant and it's taken them YEARS. It's easy to get discouraged and I was sure it would take us several months to get pregnant, which is why I convinced Nick to start trying earlier than we planned because no one gets pregnant in the first month. (Snicker)

So, November came to an end and then all you can do is wait. The problem with being well-informed is you know that it takes at least 14 days after you ovulate to detect pregnancy with a home pregnancy test. Fourteen days is a long time, y'all. Two full weeks. And all that's running through my head is, "What would be scarier? If the test was negative or positive?" Sure, you want it to be positive, but if it is, then that means, holy shit I'm going to be a mother! If it's not, then you have to go through all of this next month, and maybe the month after that. The waiting is enough to make you go mad.

I could only stand to wait ten out of the fourteen days before I decided to test. Which is dumb, because that early the chances of a positive test are like thirty percent. But I bought a pack of 10 cheapo pregnancy tests online (another trick I learned from the message board). Shelling out for those digital tests is totally against my tight wad nature.

Day ten out of fourteen = negative. Damn.
Day eleven out of fourteen = negative. This time I expected it, but still. Damn.
Day twelve out of fourteen = negative. Expecting my period any day now. Depressed.
Day thirteen out of fourteen = uh. Is that a faint, FAINT line? I'm talking so faint, you might be imagining it out of desperation? I abandoned all cute ways to reveal to Nick I might be pregnant and shoved the test in his face at 6am that morning. He concluded it was a "maybe". Later, he told me he couldn't see anything, but didn't want to disappoint me. That day I bought a digital pregnancy test and an early response test to use the next day.
Day fourteen of fourteen = a big, fat, positive test! It's hard to argue with the word PREGNANT showing up on the stick covered in your urine.

Nick had me wait until he got home from work that morning to test so I peed in a cup and got in the shower. We dipped the early response test first and it was a very clear plus sign. But Nick wanted confirmation from the digital. So we dipped that one too and waited forever. There's a little hourglass on the display screen that's there for about, oh, eight hours. It was infuriating. We couldn't sit there and watch it so we held hands and talked about Nick's day (night) at work. All of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I see it change and lo and behold...PREGNANT.

Disbelief, tears, joy.

We took dozens of pictures of the thing, included the one above which we framed several copies of and gave to his family for the big reveal on Christmas Eve.

The waiting to tell people was the hardest part. I'm learning that pregnancy in general is a big waiting game and I suppose it's teaching me patience for when I have an infant, then toddler, then school aged, then adolescent - Lord help me.

For right now, I feel mostly fine, but just...different. My body sends me clues that something is changing. It's pretty amazing. I've been sick a few times. I realize I have to eat a little something every few hours or the full-on nausea hits hard. I know pack a lunch AND a dinner for my long days at work. So far, though everything has been manageable.

I think it's a boy.

Movies of 2009

2010-01-05T21:23:00.000-08:00

Well, 2009 was a better year for movies than 2008, that's for sure. Nothing beats 2007, though. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom for the awards!

Movies of 2009

Bride Wars
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Taken
He's Just Not That Into You
Fanboys
Coraline 3D
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Sunshine Cleaning
Duplicity
I Love You, Man
Observe and Report
State of Play
The Soloist
Star Trek
Terminator Salvation
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Land of the Lost
Away We Go
Public Enemies
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
(500) Days of Summer
Funny People
Julie and Julia
The Time Traveler's Wife
Extract
Post Grad
9
The September Issue
The Informant!
Food, Inc.
Zombieland
Whip It
The Invention of Lying
Good Hair
Where the Wild Things Are
Precious
The Men Who Stare at Goats
New Moon
The Blind Side
Everybody's Fine
Avatar in 3D
Up in the Air
Sherlock Holmes
Invictus
It's Complicated

TOTAL: 45 Movies. Not as many as in years past, but Nick and I are more selective of what we see in the "off season". We mainly see films that are out from May to August and October to December. Not much doing in the other months.

Way Exceeded Expectations:
Away We Go (see photo at the top of post) I'm not sure why this movie affected me so much. Maybe it's because when I saw it, I was in full-on baby mode and the thought of being pregnant without my parents there was something too horrifying to imagine. But I loved the dialogue, the music, the characters' chemistry with each other. I loved it all.

Star Trek. Never had an interest in the show, or any of the previous movies, but I really enjoyed it. This movie was everything a summer blockbuster should be.

Food, Inc. I thought it would be self-righteous and pro-organic, but it was actually interesting and provoking. Convinced us to (mostly) give up Wal-Mart and start shopping locally and in season.

Avatar in 3D. Visually stunning, better acting that I expected, and I am developing a major crush on the main guy: Sam Worthington. Mmmm...

Thought It Would Be Good But Sucked It Up Bigtime:
Sunshine Cleaning. Boring. Depressing. Pointless.

The Time Traveler's Wife. Didn't live up to the hype. I should have known better.

Everybody's Fine. Misleading movie trailer and poster. Again: boring, depressing, and pointless.

Guilty Pleasures:
Confessions of a Shopaholic. Hugh Dancy. Shopping montages. I'm sold.
Land of the Lost. No matter how stupid those Will Ferrell movies look, I usually end up seeing them and laughing my ass off.

I'm realizing as I get older that I don't enjoy movies from my favorite books. I usually get a thrill when I hear they're making a favorite book into a movie, but I'm inevitably disappointed. Take Harry Potter for example: I saw the sixth movie with my dad at midnight, like we usually do. And right after it was over, I thought it was so great and made plans to see it again.

But when I had time to think about it, I realized I didn't really like it at all. They are adding whole sections to the movie that aren't even close to the book and I can't understand why. The house-burning scene really set me off. What was the point of that? And the Harry-Ginny love story is forced and awkward. Why didn't they leave well enough alone? I think I love the characters so much, that I'm happy to watch them do anything on screen, but I mourn for the movie that COULD have been.

Does that make me sound like a huge weirdo? Movies are the closest thing we have to watching the characters we love in real life, and it burns when they don't get it right. Same thing with Time Traveler's Wife. I felt such a connection with Claire and Henry in the book, but in the movie, I couldn't care less about them. Now I'm thinking I want to stay away from books turned into movies. Unfortunately, that's EVERY movie these days.

Are there no new ideas left? Maybe just in Pixar movies. By the way, we finally saw UP and I can say that the 5 minute montage of the main character's life is truly a cinematic wonder. The rest of the movie is so-so, but those first few minutes remind you of how powerful movies are. In other words, we were bawling. But what else is new in the Fossey house?

2010 Goals

2010-01-05T18:08:00.001-08:00

Or dare I say resolutions?

Let me just tell you what WON'T be on the list:

-Lose weight/Be Healthy. This one's been done to death and no one (okay, me) sticks to it anyway.

Onto the real goals:

-Work on being confident in who I am RIGHT now. Not to say I couldn't be healthier, but I need to work on trying to love myself as I am.

-Take more photos. Like way more. I need to learn how to use our fancy camera.

-Update blog more often. I know y'all miss me and I have things to say, dammit!

-Read more to improve myself as a wife, person, future mother, and therapist. There's no need to only read the Harry Potter books over and over (although they're damn good)

-Be better about telling my family and friends how I feel about them. In the past few years I have shied away from "mushy" scenes with my family. Sure I tell them I love them, but I am terrible with the specifics. I actually worry about myself on this one.

-Keep up with my scrapbooking/card making. I have invested hundreds (maybe we're into the thousands by now) of dollars on supplies and "pretty stuff". I want to make an album of 2010 just for me and Nick.

-Take a trip with my beloved husband this summer. To somewhere other than Oklahoma or Texas. We need to get outta town.

-Cook more meals at home. My goal is to make 3 dishes a week and we'll eat leftovers the rest of the time.

That's all I've got for now. I read a LOT of blogs and it seems like everyone is anti-new year's resolution. Which I can understand; why set yourself up to fail? But the beginning of a new year always brings a renewed energy. It always makes me feel like this is the year to start new things, to fix what's broken and to let go of what's gone.

I'm excited for 2010.

it's time

2009-09-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

(image courtesy of starpulse.com)

Nick and I saw The Informant! this weekend (the exclamation point is in the official title y'all) with the very talented Matt Damon and the lady who plays his wife who has been in Ever After, Coyote Ugly, Sweet Home Alabama, Shattered Glass, Flags of Our Fathers, Two and a Half Men (grr), Away We Go, and most recently, an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Whew. Homegirl's been in alot of stuff. But I have to admit, that up until 5 minutes ago Nick and I referred to her as, "Marcy from The Shield". She was in like 2 episodes as an unforgettable sadistic accomplice to murder who pulled one over on Dutch, the best detective in Farmington. Including Vic Mackey. You heard me.

Everyone's got some actor or actress that comes up in so many things, but for some reason their name WILL NOT stick in their brains. So while watching the Emmy's tonight, I decided that it's time. It's time to learn her name. We love this girl, we think she's going far...she deserves to be recognized by name, much like the beloved Judy Greer, whose name we learned about 6 months ago. So without further ado...I give you Melanie Lynskey!

I looked her up on imdb.com and found out she is married to a McPoyle on Always Sunny! And she's from New Zealand! How about that...

I just realized that if she ever googles her name, my blog will come up. Hi Melanie! We loved you as Marcy in the Shield, although that scene where your husband was beating that girl in the trunk while you watched in the mirror scared the shit out of me! We're rooting for your success! Send some celebrity blog traffic my way!

the invalidator strikes again

2009-08-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

He begged me not to tell this story because it makes him sound like a jerk, but I swear it was just so funny and he just totally proved my point that he does indeed invalidate me at every turn.

We're snuggling on the couch, Nick's arm is around my shoulder. And when he removes it, my hair gets tangled up in the crook of his arm which he removed with a little pull. Here's what happened after that...word for word.

Me: Ouch! Careful!
Him: That didn't hurt! You're tough! (he said later this was meant to be a compliment. okay.)
Me: You see what I mean? You always invalidate me! You need to apologize for pulling my hair!
Him: I'm sorry if you got hurt. (ooh, this is where the Invalidator shines! A passive-aggressive apology. Some other examples include, "I'm sorry your feelings got hurt" or "I'm sorry if you thought I meant it that way" or my favorite, "I'm sorry you feel that way.") To his credit, Nick rarely gives these kinds of apologies anymore, and not just because I busted his balls on the blog about it.
Me: No, that apology sucks. I want to hear, "You were right and I was wrong."
Him: Fuck off.

I swear I laughed so hard for so long, I forgot what we were talking about. He wins again! I know to people who are reading this and don't us may think Nick is a jerk, especially for dropping the f bomb on me. But in a weird twisted way, calling each other horrible names and using vulgar language is how we show love for each other because it usually makes us laugh. I'm positive our kid's first word is going to be something really offensive.

Summer Movie Guide Part 2

2009-07-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

Star Trek - done.
Terminator Salvation - done.
Night at the Museum - wasn't planning on it, but done.
Up
Land of the Lost - done.
Away We Go - done. loved it.
The Hangover
Food Inc.
My Sister's Keeper
Public Enemies (side note...did anyone read the Vanity Fair with Johnny Depp on the cover? mmm...)- done.
HARRY POTTER - done and done. and done.
500 Days of Summer
Funny People
Adam
Julie and Julia
Paper Heart
Taking Woodstock
Post Grad
The Boat That Rocked
The Time Traveler's Wife

Harry Potter was very very good. The more I think about it, the less impressed I am with it. But I think I'm mourning the loss of the movies that could have been. I understand the movies can't include every detail, but I still wish they could. I'm also disappointed with the Harry/Ginny story. They have as much chemistry as...two people who don't like each other very much. (it's very late) Harry and Hermione are crackling with sexual tension in this movie and there was nothing doing with her and Ron, I don't care how much they try to manufacture it.

I'm looking forward to the last two movies, but also dreading them, because I know they will have to leave alot of it out, and I don't think I could bear it.

Man, sometimes I surprise myself by how nerdy I have become.

do you validate?

2009-07-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

If I had to pick a superhero name for Nick, it would be the Invalidator.

Luckily (or unluckily, I can't tell which, yet), Nick usually only invalidates ME. He finds dozens of ways every day to disagree with me, or try to discredit me, or try to correct me that it has moved from irritating to funny (funny, in the way you have to laugh to keep from crying all the time.)

Let me give you an example: Nick mentioned in passing that we needed to get the non-odor trash bags in case we have to throw our clothes into trash bags for the move and we don't want our clothes smelling like vanilla or whatever. I agree. Then we go to the store. We roll up to the trash bag aisle and I grab the non-odor bags and say, “Babe, here are the odor free bags.” And he says, “It doesn't matter. We can get the other kind.”

Huh? What? Why do you make it a huge deal to get a certain kind of trash bag only to say we don't need it when I remind you to get it?

Here's another story: My whole life, I kept my ketchup in the fridge. I don't know why, I just did. Then Nick moved in with me and told me I was an idiot for keeping it in the fridge because who wants ice cold ketchup on hot fries? Made sense to me so I started leaving it on the shelf. We lived happily for awhile until I ate some organic ketchup at room temperature and it was a little funky. I just figured it was a fluke because we'd had it too long. I mentioned to Nick that I thought the ketchup was going bad and he gave a long-suffering sigh, sent me a withering look and said “It's fiiiiiiiine.” (The Invalidator makes sure you know when you are being ridiculous, even if you're not) So I shrug my shoulders and quit eating from that bottle of ketchup and wait until we start a new one.

Fast forward several months: I'm looking for the ketchup and to my irritation and surprise, I find it in the FRIDGE. I didn't put it there, that's for sure. So I ask Nick, “Why is the ketchup in the fridge? I thought you liked it at room temperature?” He looks at me for a minute then says, “Well the last bottle we had tasted weird so I decided to keep ketchup in the fridge.”

Scroll back up to the previous paragraph.
“...I mentioned to Nick that I thought the ketchup was going bad and he gave a long-suffering sigh, sent me a withering look and said “It's fiiiiiiiine.”

WHY COULDN'T HE HAVE JUST VALIDATED MY CONCERN ABOUT THE FREAKING KETCHUP GOING BAD?!

WHY DOES HE JUST WANT TO STORE THE KETCHUP IN THE OPPOSITE PLACE I WANT TO STORE IT?!

Last month, The Invalidator and I were in Dallas visiting my dad, brother and his fiancee. We were talking about how couples fight in different ways and how even if people lose their tempers with each other, they can still have productive conversations as long as what they are saying influences the other one. I was quick to point out Nick's Invalidating tendencies and everyone laughed appreciatively and then I asked Tyler and Sandy about how they fight with each other. Sandy said they say what they need to, retreat to their respective corners and then talk about it later. Dad said that makes them a Validating Couple. Nick looks at them through narrowed eyes and said “That's make you my nemesis.”

Sigh. I'm doomed to be in love with The Invalidator forever, with jokes like that. Even if he tries to make me feel like I'm high maintenance for not wanting to eat rotten food.

Summer Movie Guide

2009-06-22T14:48:00.001-07:00

Here's the ones I'm planning on seeing this summer. Some of them may not come out in OKC, so we'll have to see them in Dallas or by other means...

Star Trek - done.
Terminator Salvation - done.
Night at the Museum - wasn't planning on it, but done.
Up
Land of the Lost - done.
Away We Go
The Hangover
Food Inc.
My Sister's Keeper
Public Enemies (side note...did anyone read the Vanity Fair with Johnny Depp on the cover? mmm...)
HARRY POTTER
500 Days of Summer
Funny People
Adam
Julie and Julia
Paper Heart
Taking Woodstock
Post Grad
The Boat That Rocked
The Time Traveler's Wife

Undecideds:
Transformers 2 - probably not as I hated the first one.
Inglorious Bastards - meh.

What are you planning on seeing this summer?

will you marry me?

2009-06-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

i love this kid!

let me brag a bit...

2009-05-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

...on my cute husband. He has turned into a very talented photographer, although he doesn't believe me when I tell him so. Go HERE to prove me right and to see pictures of the world's cutest baby.

Thank you.

don't quote me on that...

2009-05-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

You know what I hate? When you find a quote that has significant meaning to your life; that feels like it was written for you and you alone...but you may have found it in a less than respectable source.

Tonight, I was reading one of the 20 books I usually read each year – Forever In Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The books are, I think, a great portrait of a group of high school girlfriends. Before each chapter, the author includes a quote that relates to the upcoming chapter. Some of them are funny, my favorite being “I don't have to be careful...I've got a GUN!” by Homer Simpson. I read one tonight that really resonated with me and got out of bed to write about it.

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus

Here's the embarrassing part. I have no idea who Albert Camus is. I had to look him up on Wikipedia and I discovered he was a philosopher and author who was the first Africa-born person to win the Nobel Prize for Literature and the second-youngest after Rudyard Kipling.

But as far as I'm concerned, his greatest achievement is a quote in a book about adolescent, soul-searching teenage girls. Sorry Albie.

Let's get back to the quote:
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus

Isn't that wonderful? With the warm weather finally starting to come around (without the rain, thank God), it makes me ache for my youth. Back to the magical days when I didn't have to worry about money, marriage, illnesses, my purpose in life. All I had to worry about was if I was going to get kissed by a boy I liked, if my friends were going to come over to spend the night, if my chores were done on time so I could go out to Whataburger with the girls.

Lately, I'm torn between feeling like I'm waiting for my life to start and feeling like life is rushing by and I can't stop it. But after reading that quote, I felt a surge of happiness and relief. Allow me to use another quote from an embarrassing source: Steel Magnolias. “Miss Clairee, there are still good times to be had.” - Shelby Eatenton.

I'm not sure if I have been experiencing a depth of winter, but I look forward to what is hopefully an invincible summer. I think I'm off to a good start. Today I got a pedicure with my other mother (Nick's mom) and two cute sisters-in-law. And for dinner, Nick and I ate outside at the park by our house and watched kids take great joy in going down the same slide over and over. I have big plans for the rest of the summer that include reading, writing (on the blog and just for me), attending the Harry Potter premiere dressed as Ginny Weasley, lighting fireworks, riding horses, swimming, turning our back patio into a beer garden, perfecting a karaoke song to sing at Cookie's that will get people dancing.

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer...

she's funny...

2009-05-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

...without even trying. My mother I mean. Sorry to post twice in one day, but I have to transcribe a text I received from my mother on Tuesday. I was going to drive to Tulsa later in the day to visit her at the Cancer Treatment Center where she was staying for the week with Jonathan. Anyway, this is exactly what she sent: a 4 screen text message that proves what I've always suspected, she doesn't really believe that I am a grownup yet. Which is okay, because most days I don't believe it either. (My comments are in these things ())

"Hey baby. The weather here is bad. How is it there? I don't want you driving if it's too bad. Do you know where the CTA (cancer treatment center) is? The place is on 169 and 81st street. Can't miss it. Drive careful. See you soon. I'm hungry. The eggs sucked (due to a procedure she went through she couldn't eat anything all day except two hard boiled eggs). xoxo. (so you'd think that's the end of the text but it keeps going.) Hey baby. Call Jonathan before you leave. Is there anyway you could be pregnant? (NO) I will be radioactive and can't hug you tonight. He asked me if you could be pregnant. (NO) Call J. Love you, mommy."

Poor Jonathan had to ask me if I was pregnant due to her radioactive-ness. I assured him I was not. But what if I was? I hugged her anyway, caution be damned...do you think my baby would be born with the ability to climb walls or be lightning fast?

trailers to watch

2009-05-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, it's more common for me to enjoy a movie trailer more than the actual film. Maybe it's because every movie trailer should come with a disclaimer that reads SPOILER ALERT. You can tell everything from a movie trailer. Or, if you are as sharp as me, you can tell when they are trying to trick you in a movie trailer and the actual movie will go an entirely different way. The bastards. Anyway, I obviously spend way too much time on apple.com/trailers as evidenced by this post. Here's the goods.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/nine/
A musical with Daniel Day Lewis? He definitely chooses his roles with care so they are bound to be good. Judi Dench? Homegirl wins oscars for doing cameos. And a bunch of other attractive women singing and dancing? works for me.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony/whateverworks/

Woody Allen and Larry David?? Oy. How has Larry David not been in all of Woody Allen's movies so far? Oh wait, he has except he was played by Woody Allen. His movies can be deceiving though. Some of them are SO good: Hannah and Her Sisters, Scoop, Annie Hall. And then some of them...eh. I wasn't a fan of Melinda and Melinda, Anything Else, Match Point. I'll say this for him though, the man's got range.

and finally, what we (that is Nick, me, my brother and our friend Ben) have been waiting for since LAST OCTOBER WHEN THE MOVIE WAS SUPPOSED TO FREAKING COME OUT...
http://movies.yahoo.com/premieres/13468916/standardformat/

The ROAD! It looks awesome! I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but it's too late. I loved the book so much! Tyler lent Nick the book on a weekend visit and he read it out loud to me while we were driving back to Oklahoma. We stayed up so late finishing it. It was amazing. Just reading parts of it out loud made us weep! Every father should read it. Every HUMAN should, but for real every father. Don't let the fact that it was an Oprah book club pick deter you. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. (By the way, I am a total hypocrite because of that last sentence, because I have read several of Oprah's book club picks, but A Million Little Pieces burned me too badly. Bitch should have done her homework about that lying asshole!)

mother dear..

2009-05-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

i love you.

Those of you who know my mom, know how amazing she is. And chances are if you are reading this, then you know what she has gone through in the last few months. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February and it has been a wild ride ever since. Everyone knows someone with cancer, or someone who has a family member with cancer. There's always a list of those battling cancer in the church bulletin and truthfully I never paid much attention to it.

But when it happens to your MOTHER, it becomes something unknown and menacing. This is what happens to other people, not someone with whom my whole identity is wrapped up in.

Through it all, she has been incredible. She told me when she was terrified, when she was confident, when she was annoyed with the doctors, when she needed me to be with her. In her blog she mentioned that my brother and I have stepped up to take care of her, but in reality she never stops taking care of us. Tyler and I talk about how we feel she is always trying to protect us, not from the truth necessarily, she doesn't lie to us about the seriousness of her condition, but from going through something like this alone. She's constantly asking how we're doing, how we're handling the news, how we are coping. And when I'm talking to her, she'll ask me how I think Tyler is doing and he confirms she asks the same questions about me. I wish I lived closer during these times so I could be with her at all times, but knowing she has Jonathan (the best future stepfather in the world) makes it easier to bear. He is so attentive to her needs and loves her more than he loves himself. Joining his family and having him join ours makes our lives more complete.

Mom, I've said before that I wish I had your aptitude for words, but I don't. I know it doesn't really matter, however, because I have always been your girl and you have always been the woman I strive to be. And as long as you are sure of that, I don't need to say anything else.

Love you.

sorry to all my pregnant friends out there...

2009-04-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

...but this is too good to keep to myself.

Nick turned me onto this hilarious girl comedy group called Garfunkel and Oates. They have a song called Pregnant Women Are Smug. I'm attaching the video, but I know most people (myself included) don't click on links no matter how awesome. (Although I sincerely hope you watch the video below of my amazing brother proposing to his girl. It's awe inspiring. Maybe if I brag on him enough, he'll make a witty comment.)

Okay, so here are the lyrics to the amazing song. Thankfully, none of my friends have acted like this (so far), but all know someone who has, or is right on the edge. Only organic food and clothing? No sugar/carbs/dairy/unfiltered air? How about the women who swear they can have a painless birth at home without any drugs? Please. I've never had a kid, but I'm pretty sure that shit hurts. I can barely keep my eyes from rolling back into my head when I get around people like this.

Anyway, the lyrics are as follows. Watch the video and sing along! And promise me and yourself that you will never act like those smug pregnant women...

PREGNANT WOMEN ARE SMUG

Pregnant women are smug

Everyone knows it, nobody says it,

Because they’re pregnant

F-ing son of a gun

You think you’re so deep now

You give me the creeps now

Now that you’re pregnant

I can’t count all the ways how

You speak in clichés now

I can’t wait to hear someone say

Don’t care if it’s brain dead

Don’t care if it’s limbless

If it has a penis

Pregnant women are smug

Everyone knows it, nobody says it,

Because they’re pregnant

This zen world you’re enjoying

Makes you really annoying

Bitch, I don’t really care

I was being polite now

Since you have no life now

That you’re pregnant

You say you’re walking on air

You think that you’re glowing

But you had been ho-ing

And now you’re pregnant

You’re just giving birth now

You’re not mother earth now

Pregnant women are smug

Everyone knows it, nobody says it,

because they’re pregnant

F-ing son of a gun

You think you’re so deep now

You give me the creeps now

Now that you’re pregnant

my badass brother

2009-04-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

this was all my idea, but I never thought he'd have the guts to pull it off.

well done, brother!

by the way, isn't travis the coolest fucking band ever?

my man

2009-04-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

I've been in Texas for the past 6 days spending time with my mom, playing nurse and taxi driver. A lengthier post is on its way about that, but for now I thought I'd post a cute survey I found while stalking someone I've never met...I mean surfing the ole' interwebs.

Nick, if you're reading this, tell me if I missed any. I haven't seen you in so long, I've forgotten what you look like but I'll try my best.

1. Your spouse is sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
a movie or TV show that we have creatively acquired but not necessarily purchased.

2. Who takes longer showers, you or him?
me, but only because I have so much dang hair. But he is in and out in less than 10 minutes.

3. What is one food your spouse doesn't like?
Coconut! Funny story, it usually bugged me that Nick didn't like coconut until I ordered coconut shrimp one night. I was excited that I wouldn't have to share with him until he snatched one off my plate and said, "this is the only coconut I like." bastard.

4. What would your husband say is the first thing that caught his eye about you?
I drank beer out of a can.

5. Where did he go to high school?
Putnam City West High School, Oklahoma City. Go Pats!

6. What is his shoe size?
12. jealous?

7. If he was to collect something, what would it be?
He doesn't really collect something, he just brings home odd items he finds in thrift stores. Once he bought a Geiger counter, another time a toy rocket to put together, a satellite so we could go geocaching.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Turkey, roast beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mustard.

9. How does he take his coffee?
He recently started drinking coffee at work. He takes it light and sweet.

10. What is his favorite cereal?
I'm not sure if he has a favorite, but lately he's been eating alot of the ghetto version of Golden Grahams.

11. Where did he go to college?
He started out at OC, but we never met there.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
The New England Patriots...kidding! The New York Jets.

13. Where was your first date?
He took me to play mini golf and to dinner and Charleston's. We had to push the date back a few hours because there was a tornado that afternoon.

14. What is something I do that he wishes I wouldn't?
When I bake, I use all the measuring cups and spoons and he threatens to divorce me.

15. What is his heritage?
I've heard there are some Fossey's in France...

16. You bake him a cake for his birthday, what kind is it?
He prefers chocolate on chocolate, but the Fossey Family Birthday Cake is yellow cake with pink frosting and sprinkles. He's had both in his lifetime.

17. What could he spend hours doing?
Surfing the internet, researching fantasy football, playing video games, watching an entire series of some obscure TV show with me.

18. What is one unique talent he has?
Two things: He can Google anything, quicker than anyone I know. His motto is: If I can't find it online in 30 minutes, it doesn't exist. The second thing is he can identify any celebrity's voice on a commercial, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T SHOW THEIR FACE. If he sees their face, he can't think of who it is. I recently lost 20 bucks on a bet to him. Damn you John Corbett and your sell-out Applebee ads!

19. Where is his favorite place he has traveled?
I would say it's a tie between Carmel as a child with his family and New York City to visit his friends.

20. What is a clothing item he would never wear?
A turtleneck. He doesn't like things around his throat, so I've stopped trying to strangle him for fun.

oh baby

2009-01-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

Although I suffer from acute baby fever, I understand that now is not the time for me to get knocked up. Nick and I have discussed it at length and have decided to put it off for awhile and I was fine with that.

Until I saw this...

Our dear friends Benjamin and Amanda gave birth to a healthy 7 pound baby boy named Miles Philip Lewis. I haven't met him yet, but Ben keeps torturing us by posting pictures of him, like this one.

Now, I spend my days trying to rationalize a way to quit my job and have a baby. If only, if only...

Movies of 2008

2009-01-02T00:29:00.000-08:00

Can I just say that this was a shitty year for movies? Not many of the movies I saw this year jumped out at me. But since I'm up late watching the Hills, I thought I'd update y'all.

1. Sweeney Todd
2. Untraceable
3. The Savages
4. Cloverfield
5. 27 Dresses
6. Definitely Maybe
7. Be Kind Rewind
8. The Other Boleyn Girl
9. The Bank Job
10. 21
11. Run Fatboy Run
12. Leatherheads
13. Smart People
14. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
15. Baby Mama
16. Iron Man
17. Redbelt
18. Son of Rambow
19. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
20. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
21. Sex and the City (2)
22. The Happening
23. Wall-E
24. Wanted
25. Hancock
26. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
27. The Dark Knight (2)
28. Step Brothers
29. Pineapple Express
30. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2)
31. Bottle Shock
32. Burn After Reading
33. Appaloosa
34. Ghost Town
35. Miracle at St. Anna
36. Eagle Eye
37. Nights in Rodanthe
38. Blindness
39. W.
40. Role Models
41. Twilight
42. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
43. The Wrestler
44. Australia
45. Zach and Miri Make a Porno
46. Towelhead

Sticking with the same categories as last year...

Exceeded Expectations:
1. 27 Dresses - yes, kind of a fluffy movie but surprisingly enjoyable.
2. Son of Rambow - y'all know I love movies with little kids with British accents.
3. The Bank Job - mmm...Jason Statham.
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - funniest movie of the year.
5. Pineapple Express - second funniest.
6. Ghost Town - third funniest. Ricky Gervais should be hosting the Oscar's. He would be amazing.
7. Australia - apparently, I'm the only one in America who liked this movie. But it was beautifully shot.

Thought It Would Be Good But Sucked It Up Bigtime:
1. Indiana Jones and the Stupid Crystal Skulls. - you should be ashamed of yourself, all who are involved with this movie. The ONLY good thing about it was the age of the leading lady. Thank God they didn't pair him up with a 25 year old this time.
2. Bottle Shock - This movie is a self-important, ridiculously boring movie. See my brother for an amazing impression of a douche bag being "shocked" by a "bottle" of wine.
3. Appaloosa - Booooooring.
4. The Wrestler - Nick will kill me for saying it, but this movie SUCKED. It had no plot; it was a character piece about a shitty character. And as my dad pointed out, "How can you have a 'comeback' in a sport that is all fake? That kid McLovin' could have a wrestling comeback if they wanted him to."

Movies I Knew Would Suck and Did Indeed Suck but Had To See Because It Was Nick's Turn:
1. Actually, none this year. Although he tried to get me to see Transporter 3 which would have definitely made this list.

I'm adding a new category called Guilty Pleasures. We've all got them (I'm looking at you, Simon Birch).
1. Sex and the City - a fun movie for a true fan.
2. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 - I read these books way too often and love the movies as much as the books.
3. The Other Boleyn Girl - another movie based on a book I read several times a year.
4. and of course....Twilight. I have seen this movie more times than I care to mention. Even watching now, my heart beats a little faster when Edward comes on screen. Reminds me of when I saw Titanic when I was a freshman in high school...

What were your favs for 2008? And what do you think will win the Oscar for Best Picture?

Nay's Favorite Faces pt. 2

2008-12-29T21:40:00.001-08:00

i couldn't make this stuff up

2008-12-12T22:29:00.001-08:00

I went to Tulsa this week for a training. Luckily, they sent two of us AND put us up in a swanky hotel (The Sleep Inn, anyone?) so it wasn't too bad. The material presented in the training was actually interesting and the time didn't drag on too slowly. However, 8 hours in a room for two days in a row is a long time no matter how you slice it. During one of the longer stretches of time, I started observing the people around me and made a little list of the people that usually turn up at these trainings. It's possible this will only apply to "my kind" of people i.e. mental health professionals, who tend to be crazier than the normal population, but I swear I have been to dozens of these presentations and EVERY time at least one of these characters turn up. Here we go:

1. The Obvious Example Guy: "These single mothers need to really think about the kind of men they let around their children." Thanks, buddy. We hadn't figured that one.

2. The Guy Who Answers Rhetorical Questions: "Is it better to just end up in an unhealthy relationship? Or to really decide about the person you want to spend your life with?" "It's better to make a decision about it." No shit.

3. The Older Lady Who Answers Her Cell Phone In The Training Because She Thinks She Has To Answer Every Goddamn Phone Call: "Hello? Yeah, I'm in a training. No, just tell her that the file she's looking for is in my desk. No, IN the desk. Uh-huh. Okay, well tell her I'll call her when I'm done here. Okay. Okay. Yes. Okay. Bye." (Of course the woman who answered her phone was SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME. I was cringing with embarrassment and tried to surreptitiously scoot my chair away from hers.

4. The Too-Cool Table: At the table next to us, these assholes read a newspaper, texted on their phones, talked at a normal volume to each other while the presenter was talking, came back from EVERY BREAK at least 15 minutes late, rolled their eyes at every activity. It was like high school all over again.

5. The Kiss-Ass: They don't go to the bathroom on breaks, instead they sidle up to the presenter and pretend to ask questions, but really they just want to tell him their version of why they are going to be the best thing that ever happened to this new program he's telling us about. I always feel sorry for the instructor when these people lock onto him. There's no escape. I know it, and he knows it.

proust questionnaire

2008-11-25T16:35:00.001-08:00

My favorite magazine, Vanity Fair, has a feature every issue called the Proust Questionnaire. You can look at some of the archives here. I decided to fill one out myself while waiting for my last client of the night.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being off work for several days, a clean house, a stocked kitchen, and low maintenance people to spend time with.

What is your greatest fear?
Whales in the ocean, someone I love dying. (not in that order)

Which living person do you most admire?
Obama!

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Not speaking up when I should.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Constant drama, one-upmanship.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Magazines! I buy 10,000 a month.

What is your favorite journey?
Driving to Nebraska to see my family.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Trendiness

On what occasion do you lie?
To spare someone’s feelings. Or to get out of trouble.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Well, I hate it when my brother calls me “Cheeks”. And he is talking about the ones on my face.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
All the bad ones…

What is your greatest regret?
Not having more confidence in myself in high school and college.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Nicholas. And diet coke.

Which talent would you most like to have?
To play the piano extroidanarily well.

What is your current state of mind?
I’m on vacation mode all the way.

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
Not as much distance. Also maybe make some of them less funny than me.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Passing my LMFT exam, after taking it 8 days before my wedding and was stressed to the max.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A writer.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. That kid’s living the life.

What is your most treasured possession?
My engagement ring.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being alone when you REALLY don’t want to be.

What is your favorite occupation?
I always like the idea of teaching, but in the end couldn’t imagine myself doing it.

What is your most marked characteristic?
Red hair.

What is the quality you most like in a man?
Will laugh at my jokes.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Bad language.

What do you most value in your friends?
Sense of humor

Who are your favorite writers?
Irwin Shaw, Marian Keyes, Chaim Potok, Larry McMurtry, JK Rowling

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Thomas Jordache from Rich Man, Poor Man or Lee from East of Eden.

What is it that you most dislike?
People who scoop the punchline.

How would you like to die?
When I’m feeling selfish – before any of my friends and family so I don’t have to endure their deaths. When I’m feeling generous – pulling children out of a burning building.

What is your motto?
I’ll borrow one from my hero, Mary Pipher: “Get more rest, do good work, take things a day at a time, and find some people to love.”

i feel so inexperienced after doing this...

2008-11-23T21:49:00.000-08:00

Stole this from The Sheila Variations. Makes me feel like I haven't done much with my life. Maybe I should do stuff other than see 4 movies in a weekend? Nah.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (maybe. See #64)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

true story

2008-10-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

10-29-08 approx. 7:00pm at work -
me: I've had this watch for 6 years and I've never had to change the battery.

10-30-08 approx. 1:45pm at work-
coworker: what time is it?
me: 11:30 am. wait. shit.

sigh...

2008-10-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

Reason Number 8,444,332,435 I am glad I'm married to Nicholas:

He put the latest episodes of the Shield and Gossip Girl on my flash drive so I could watch them at work and he included a note that said:

The Shield Episode 8....this shit is CRAZY! I love you wifey!
(oh and I put some show called Gossip Girl on there.)

xoxo-
Nick (not GG)

Dreamy isn't he? Referencing Gossip Girl? Granted he won't ever do it again since I'm making it public, but ya'll know I have to keep it real over here at the Fossey house.

1 year down...

2008-10-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

Today, our marriage is one year old! 366 days ago Nick and I said "I do". (Thanks leap year!) Originally I planned to publish our very own "Wedding Story" a la TLC, but I know no will read it all the way through. Instead here are some favorite memories of our big day, in bullet points.

The Rehearsal Dinner:

The wedding rehearsal was the most relaxing fun day of my life. It was so fun and casual and LOW STRESS.
My 8 year old cousin making a speech at the rehearsal dinner. She said something like, "we never expected Benay to get married...or speak Spanish."
Nick's grandmother planting a slightly tipsy kiss on Beacon, the best man.
Dancing all night at Cookies, the world's smallest bar, with all the people I loved.
A drunken rendition of "Son of a Preacher Man" sung by yours truly.

Pre Wedding:

Waking up early, early and driving from the hotel to Nick's house where I crawled into bed with him for a few minutes. I knew we wouldn't be alone the rest of the day. Plus I wanted to make sure he still wanted to go through with it.
Putting on my BRIDE tank top, finally!
Going down to the lobby to meet the girls so we could go to brunch and the salon and seeing a white stretch limo arriving to pick us up! A surprise from my brother and my mom.
Giving gifts to the bridesmaids at lunch.
Having my mom give me a surprise gift, a pretty bracelet.

Wedding:

Seeing Nick before the ceremony and crying like an idiot.
Take picture after picture.
Being surrounded by all of our friends and family made me realize why people have weddings.
Right before walking down the aisle, feeling panicky and short of breath.
Tyler calming us down with some jokes.
Tyler and mom flipping my veil over and kissing me on the cheek.
Reazling that my shoes are killing my feet.
Actually listening to the wedding message from my dad, and being in awe that this was happening to me.
Trying to figure out a way to slip off my shoes, like Audrey Hepburn did in Roman Holiday.
Nick's beautiful vows to me, hand written and so well thought out.
My blubbering, incoherent vows, completely on the fly.
TJ's song being interrupted by the train.
Being pronounced husband and wife and being showered with rose petals!

Post Wedding:

Taking my shoes off immediately after making it back down the aisle.
A tearful hug from Soni.
Spending time alone with Nick in the bride's room and taking some pictures.
"I think you just got pregnant from that kiss." - our photographer after some steamy shots against the barn.

Reception:

Being announced to the Monday Night Football theme. The things we do for love.
The first dance. I wanted it to go on forever.
Dancing with dad. I don't know what we talked about but the pictures show us laughing. As usual.
The cake. So good. So sad we didn't get to eat more.
The toasts! Beacon's was SO sweet and of course Soni's made me cry.
Gary's song to the newlyweds.
Greeting everyone in the barn; getting hugged and kissed more in a day than I had in years.
Dancing with everyone to Footloose and Love Shack, my faves.
The last dance of Twist and Shout; felt a sudden pang of sadness that it was over.
Taking our last picture by the Surrey in the barn.
Seeing the decorated car. Sheesh.
Continuing the party at the Skirvin.
Opening the gift from Nick's groomspeople: Rockband! Or at least the promise of Rockband in a Hannah Montana singing card.
Waking up the next morning with a sense of huge relief and a huge let down, until I remembered there were presents to open!

It has been an amazing year, harder than I thought it would be. More fun than I thought it would be. It's just amazing when you realize you have finally found your home. I'll leave you with part of our wedding message...

Nick:

Do you also promise now to take Benay, to be your wife, loving her as she is and continuing to love her as she grows into the woman she will be?
Do you promise to share with her your joys, sufferings, fears, victories and share in her joys, sufferings, fears, and victories as well?
Do you promise to be faithful to her, in body, mind, and heart, and to make the decisions daily to keep yourself faithful?
Do you promise to treat her with patience and respect, listening deeply to her, and accepting her influence in your life?

Benay:

Do you also promise now to take Nick, to be your husband, loving him as he is and continuing to love him as he grows into the man he will be?
Do you promise to share with him your joys, sufferings, fears, victories and share in his joys, sufferings, fears, and victories as well?
Do you promise to be faithful to him, in body, mind, and heart, and to make the decisions daily to keep yourself faithful?
Do you promise to treat him with patience and respect, listening deeply to him, and accepting his influence in your life?

Exchange of rings

Do you have rings as symbols of your promises?
Please place the ring on her finger and repeat after me.

With this ring
I devote myself to you
Until death separates us
I am your husband
And you are my wife.

With this ring
I devote myself to you
Until death separates us
You am my husband
And I are your wife.

I love you Nicholas!

hormones?

2008-09-30T18:48:00.001-07:00

Whenever Jerry from the yellow team on the Biggest Loser does ANYTHING: run, limp, laugh, cry, I get choked up. I just feel so sorry for him and I don't know why. When he and Colleen were trying to decide who goes home, I was a blubbering, quivering mess. What the hell is wrong with me?

men i wish were my grandfathers

2008-09-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

You read correctly. I was not blessed to be close to my grandfathers. One of them lived on the other side of the country and died when I was in high school and the other one was a jerk. So, today, I was watching Sports Night, an amazing TV show that only ran for 2 seasons. And there was a scene where one of the associate producers Natalie was upset about a break up and her managing editor, Isaac, played by Robert Guillaume (who you might remember from the show Benson). Anyway, so Isaac cradles Natalie in his arms and smiles and says, "It's okay. It's okay, baby."

And I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a little and I thought, "Aw, I wish Isaac was my grandfather." So I started thinking about other men I wished were my grandfather. Let me preface this by saying, I want these characters to by my grandfather. The actual actors could be alcoholic, self-absorbed losers. I already mentioned the first one, but I'll give you a visual.

He looks so trustworthy, doesn't he?

An obvious choice. The episode where watches his twin grandchildren is one of the greatest episodes of all of television. Don't even get me started on his relationship with Olivia.

Honorable mention to Heathcliff's father, Russell.

Richard Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls. I know he can be kind of stuffy, but there are some very tender moments with Rory. They both like to read, they like old-timey music. I bet I could totally bond with Richard.

This one is a bit of a reach, considering this man has a possible drinking problem and uses terrible language. However, Lester Freamon, from The Wire exudes wisdom and love to all who know him. He shows kindness to the stripper/prostitute, he gives tough love to his detectives, and his is beloved by all. Especially in the Fossey/Owens/Nguyen households.

I'd want Lester to be my grandfather or the President of the United States.

to grandmother's house we go

2008-08-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Tyler, Nick and myself drove to Nebraska this weekend to celebrate our grandma's 80th birthday. Let's look at the trip in numbers...

2037
Number of miles put on the rental car

1
Number of states the rental car is supposed to stay in

4
Number of states the rental car actually went to

infinity
Number of times we stopped to pee

12
Number of grandkids present at the house.

22
Number of people in my grandmother's house at one time

3
Number of large pizzas that my uncle ordered which he thought would feed all 22 people. Some poor souls had leftover lasagna that afternoon.

1,000
Total number of times the rest of the family gave said uncle shit for ordering a measly 3 pizzas for 22 people

4
Number of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books I read on the trip.

12
Number of Shield episodes we watched on the way home.

50
Number of inspirational sports moments watched as we sat uncomfortably as out-of-towners in a local bar.

1
Number of Jaeger shots consumed by my husband, because it was a free round of drinks.

2,395
Number of wrestling matches that occurred in the living room between various relatives.

A whole bunch
The number of times I thought, "in spite of all the crazies I am related to, it's good to be home."

this guy

2008-07-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

turns 27 today! (Even though he has chosen NOT to acknowledge any birthdays since 24, attention needs to be paid to this wonderful person. here goes.)

27 things i love about Nick:

I love that he knows a little bit about everything.

I love that he knows ALOT about football and technology.

I love it when he laughs so hard he cackles.

I love how much fun he has with my family.

I love how we like MOST of the same television shows and have no shame spending 14 hours watching them.

I love his gorgeous thick red hair.

I love how he holds my hand walking around outside.

I love how he loves and spends time with his grandparents.

I love how he cries at the mere mention of Rudy, Rocky or any number of sports movies.

I love that we have so many inside jokes that we can't remember them all and sometimes we bring up some ones we haven't used in awhile.

I love how he dances when one of his favorite songs comes on; he sort of shrugs his shoulders and moves his hips back and forth.

I love how he goes to the grocery store for me.

I love how he can fix anything with sometimes very unconventional means.

I love how he idolizes his father.

I love how he says, "Love ya!" to my family members when he says goodbye on the phone. Even I don't do that.

I love sneaking into movies with him. Sometimes 3 in a row.

I love the cute dimple on his right cheek.

I love how he gets so frustrated during football game that he makes up cussing phrases that don't exist. Remember GF?

I love watching him and Beacon (his BF) interact.

I love that his friends adopted me into their lives.

I love how loyal he is. If I complain about someone, he is always on my side.

I love how he reluctantly watches Sex and the City, and laughs sometimes.

I love how he tucks the blankets all the way up under his chin and looks so cute when he sleeps.

I love it when he talks about our future children.

I love/hate it when you take SO MANY PICTURES OF ME.

I love him for always getting me a drink of water when I need one.

I love the fact that I can come to him with any problem I have and he tries his hardest to make it better. He takes good care of me.

I love you Nicholas! I am so glad you were born.

reflections of a batman

2008-07-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

What I did expect from the midnight release of the Dark Knight:

Teeny Boppers. I loathe them, I'm pretty sure they loathe me but unfortunately we are forced to coexist at Quail Springs mall. You know, the mall that's located near the 2nd richest high school in America, next to Beverly Hills High School. You can imagine the kind of entitled assholes that showed up last night. We arrived at the theater at 1030 and waited for an hour and a half before they let us in to sit down. Then some Cancun boys (as my brother calls them) saunter up at 11:35 and stand near us. They start dropping F bombs and playing on their iPhones and one them asks me, without looking at me because he's too cool, "Can I see your ticket?" And I just stare at him suspiciously and ask, "Why?" "I just want to make sure I'm in the right line." "Well, this is line for Theater 1 and it ends all the way back there." He scoffed at me and continued to stand too close to me until we get into the theater. Also, during the movie some 14 year old girls got up and down and walked in front of us FIVE times. About the 3rd times I gave the passive aggressive ultra loud sigh and slowly shifted my feet to let her through. I HATE TEENAGERS.

People in costumes. Confession time: I am the proud maker and owner of a pink shirt that reads, "Mrs. Harry Potter." I wear it to the book releases and to the movie premieres. My little T-shirt got its ass kicked by all the full on costumes we saw last night. A group of miscreants was walking around terrifying small kids (and me to be honest). One of them looked like he escaped from the basement of Saw. He was dressed as the character Bane, who I'd never heard of. He was pretty overweight and sporting a white t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and grey sweatpants. He was also sporting a gas mask. The Scarecrow, the Riddler, the Mad Hatter, the Penguin, Cat Woman, Harley Quinn, and Two Face were all there. And of course several Jokers. A normal looking couple showed up in regular clothes but had lipstick smeared all over their faces, Joker style. There weren't as many Batmans as I thought there would be. I guess he's not as interesting. Plus only one guy in a million can pull off the suit and that man is Christian Bale.

A Harry Potter trailer. NOPE. Nothing. I was nearly ready to leave when the movie started because I was so disappointed. Now they're saying that the trailer will come out before the stupid, nerdy Star Wars Clones movie that I won't see. Hopefully someone will leak it onto the internet, please God!

An amazing movie. I knew the movie would be good, everyone did. Remember in a previous post where I said (regarding There Will Be Blood) that you know it's a good movie when a character leaves you squirming in your chair because you don't know what he'll do next. I was literally scared whenever the Joker came on screen. In most movies, you're not TOO scared of the bad guy because you know the good guy will prevail. But all bets are off in this one. After his first few appearances, I was uncomfortable during the scenes he WASN'T in because I knew it was coming. I knew he would do something terrible and I dreaded it.

What I did NOT expect from the midnight release of Dark Knight:

To cry. But I did. Twice. And I definitely didn't expect Nick to cry. But he did. And at a different time than me. So there are potentially 3 tear inducing scenes. Be prepared.

To have no idea what was going to happen. For all you comic book connoisseurs (sweet Jesus, that's a hard word to spell), this will probably not be the case. But the plot takes so many turns, it just keeps going and going. With most comic book movies, you can guess the entire storyline from the preview, but not this one. Beacon said that he watched every video clip that emerged about this movie and about 45 minutes into the film, he'd seen every clip he'd already watched. Brilliant.

To agree with the hype that Heath Ledger will probably win an Oscar. He vanishes into the role, Philip Seymour Hoffman style. It's heartbreaking and exhilarating to watch.

We're seeing it again on Sunday. Best movie of the summer. Now if only the *$*&#(&$ Harry Potter trailer would come out.

Girl Crush

2008-07-10T07:24:00.001-07:00

Um, is a coincidence that my new glasses are almost identical to Tina Fey's, my declared girl crush?

kramer vs. kramer

2008-06-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

What a perfect movie to watch on Father's Day! Apart from the really sad parts anyway. I saw the movie years ago and loved it, but watching it this time, I paid more attention to the subtleties of the relationship between Ted and Joanne. It's a perfect movie.

Some of my favorite parts are the interactions between Ted and his single female neighbor, Margaret. They swap stories since they're both abandoned spouses and if it was a modern day movie, they would have fallen in love. Instead they support one another. In the park when she talks about how hard it was to get divorced, he touches her face in a way that's not sexual or romantic, but you can tell it had been awhile since anyone showed her tenderness.

I think it's easy to hate Joanne in this, but I just felt sorry for her. I can understand feeling like you have no identity outside of your family and I can understand feeling that if you weren't totally fulfilled by your child and husband then something must be wrong with you.

What I love about the movie though is even though he is so angry at her for coming back suddenly and interrupting the life he has created with his son, there is still so much between them. So much connectedness. The scene in the courtroom when the mean lawyer yells at her and asks her if she's ruined the most important relationship in her life, the one with her husband, she looks over at Ted and he smiles at her and shakes his head and mouths, "No, you didn't." And she smiles wryly back and answers yes.

And the scenes with Billy and Ted? Forget it. The way Ted is so careful not to vilify her and explains that Billy is going to live with his mom. And Billy starts crying and asks, "If you get lonesome will you call me, Daddy?"

I've seen so many kids for counseling who are a product of divorced parents and it is amazing how protective they are of each parent. So careful not to hurt anyone's feelings or show a preference to either parent. Even if a parent was neglectful or abusive, they are almost afraid to be angry about it. One 7 year old client said in a moment of extraordinary clarity, "I don't have a a good time at my dad's house and it's not fun, but it makes me feel bad that he doesn't get to see us very much, so I still go over there." I spend alot of time convincing kids that's it's normal to be angry at being put in that situation and counseling is a time to get it out. This may not be the life you wanted or deserve, but it can still be a great life.

And alot of time the kids teach me the same thing.

Backyard Fireworks

2008-06-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

Americans have a special bond with fireworks. Perhaps it has to do with our national anthem having that bit about "rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air."

No other town epitomizes our countries love of fireworks more than Joplin, MO. I would estimate that they have one of the highest ratio of fireworks stands/stores to people in the country. You can also buy hard liquor at Wal-Mart day or night.

I lived there for about 3 years and I will never forget the first 4th of July I spent there. I didn't know anybody so I decided to stay in. Shortly after dark all hell broke loose. I went outside and it sounded like WWIII, but it was hundreds of individual fireworks displays shot off right from people's front yards and driveways. It was amazing. Every direction you looked there were rockets and showers and shells lighting up the sky. And since it was a nearly windless night, there was a thick cloud of fireworks smoke hanging over the town like fog.

My last 4th of July in Joplin Benay came up to visit. I decided to finally get in on the action and I bought a bunch of fireworks from my co-worker's daughter who was selling them as a fundraiser. (move over world's best chocolate and girl scout cookies, who wants those when we can buy explosives) They had names like "The Big One" "Death From Above" and "Run Hadji Run"(the best of the bunch BTW)

It took us almost 40 minutes to shoot them all off. It was amazing. I don't have a whole lot of fond memories from my Joplin days, but that 4th of July with Benay is definitely one of them.

over it

2008-06-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

Or should I say, over her? And by her I mean Katherine Heigl. She withdrew her name from the list of Emmy contenders because she does not feel she was given material worthy of an Emmy this season on Grey's. She's also trying to get out of her Grey's contract so she can focus on her movie career.

Honey, just because you got lucky with Knocked Up and 27 Dresses doesn't mean you're the shit. Why don't you ask David Caruso how that worked out? I think that career move has only worked for George Clooney.

Foss' Favorite Faces

2008-06-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

amazing births

2008-06-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Original source here.

These are incredible stories.

This baby had a large tumor growing out of her tailbone. So, when the baby was 6 months old they took the fetus out, removed the tumor, put the baby BACK IN, and she arrived 10 weeks later. She was born twice.

Three of these babies are identical triplets. There are fewer than 100 documented cases of identical triplets plus one. I feel kinda sorry for the odd one out.

This girl delivered her baby at home in the shower. Then she jogged 4 blocks to the hospital with the baby still attached by the umbilical cord. Think someone was trying to hide being pregnant?

This one is my favorite. This baby is a badass. Her mother delivered while she was going to the bathroom on a TRAIN. Mom passed out, baby fell through the toilet and onto the tracks! They found her TWO HOURS later. Alive. She only weighed 3.22 pounds.

This cool lady gave birth to her twin GRANDchildren. She was a surrogate for her daughter. Oh and she was 51. You know, my mom's turning 51 soon....

This lady gave birth to her SECOND set of TRIPLETS last year. The odds of this are 1 in 64 million.

This sweet baby was born weighing only 10 ounces.

This big, old, honking baby was born weighing SIXTEEN POUNDS.

This lady had quadruplets, three years after having triplets. As Izzie says on Grey's, "You really gotta read the fine print on those fertility drugs."

This 62 year old woman just gave birth to her 12th child. At the time of his birth, she already had 20 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. It would be pretty wild to be present at the birth of your great uncle.

funny husband quote

2008-06-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

While watching an elderly man buy pot on an episode of Weeds...

Nick: That guy always plays an old man in movies and tv.

storm chasers

2008-06-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

Or rather...being chased by storms.

You would not believe the night we just had. We were out driving late (around 9:00pm) to get dinner because we were too engrossed in Weeds Season 3 to get anything earlier. So we head out not really knowing where to go. Let me just explain to you how crazy the night was in bullet points because I don't want to forget anything:

The night was hot and windy and you could tell the sky was about to open any second.
A homeless guy came out of nowhere pushing a shopping cart and carrying a broomstick (anyone read The Road?)
We were driving on the highway and lightning struck thisclose to us.
We saw 2 transformers blow up RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR CAR. The most blinding light you've ever seen.
Some of the sparks from the explosion showered onto our car.
There is construction on our exit to get home and the orange barrels were scattered all over BOTH lanes on the exit ramp.
Nick had to drive like he was taking a stunt driving course. On my bald tires. He did brilliantly.

I gotta go. Nick's making me sleep on the floor so the lightning can't strike the metal springs in our mattress and melt us to the bed.

Faces I Love

2008-06-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

I stole this idea from my new favorite blog, The Sheila Variations.
Expect many more posts similar to this. I'm making Nick do one too.

pet peeves, of the grammar sort

2008-06-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

I WAS going to post a blog about the Sex and the City movie, but Nick said that everyone will be posting about it and that's boring and predictable. So blame him if you wanted a review of the movie. It's coming later this week though.

Instead, this blog will be about some of my own personal pet peeves regarding poor grammar. I read alot of blogs and I come across alot of misspelled words and incorrect grammar. Let me preface this by saying, I do not claim to use perfect grammar. In fact, by spending most of my time speaking to children I come up with some crazy sentences.

Here are my top ten pet peeves:

1. When people say Nick's and I's instead of Nick's and my. Nick's and I's party was really fun. Ouch.
2. Conversate, instead of converse. I personally haven't heard anyone say this, but my dad says his students use it all the time in class and it drives him nuts.
3. Dieying, instead of dying. I'm dieing to see Sex and the City this weekend. Nope, not a word.
4. Your-You're. I am amazed by how many people misuse this. People of all ages and educational backgrounds.
5. Literally, it makes me want to jump off a cliff when people use this word figuratively.
6. FonT ThAt LoOkS LiKe ThIs literally makes me hate the person that used it. You heard me.
7. Too many exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!! Or question marks????????????????????
8. Yeah-Yea. Yeah is a casual way of saying yes. Yea is another way of saying yay!
9. Sister-in-laws vs. Sisters-in-law. Since I now have 2 sisters-in-law, I have to make sure I am saying it the right way.
10. Inappropriate quotation "marks". Look at this website for more instances like these. They'll make you cringe.

I realize that by typing this I open myself up to criticism and I'm okay with that. Even if this is riddled with mistakes in grammar, I can sleep at night knowing I'm doing my best to keep learning how to improve my own written words. By criticizing others.

carrot tops

2008-05-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Being a redhead is part of my identity. My whole life, strangers would stop me and comment on my hair. And when we were children, when Tyler and I were together, people couldn't get enough of our hair. Tyler's being wispy and fine and mine being thick and curly. Until Tyler cut it off, but that is another story for another day. Sometimes I feel like my hair defines me. I blame my mother mainly, because whenever we did something good or bad she would say, "I can't wait for the day when your redheads ________. Like the color of our hair determined our actions. My hair color made me feel rare and beautiful. When I threatened to color it my mom would remind me that people color their hair to get it to look like mine. Do you see what I mean with the mothers and the pressure they put on us young redheads?

Being redheaded has its drawbacks however. It's usually paired with an almost blinding pasty pallor and a healthy sprinkling of freckles. Notice how in the picture I added my skin is the exact color of my wedding gown. It also comes saddled with a lifetime of questions like, "Is this your natural hair color?" and when you answer yes, you get slapped with a suspicious "Really?" It also means I cannot wear green. I don't know why. My mother says it washes me out, makes me look too Irish. And makeup is hard to wear. I don't like wearing black mascara with my fair colored lashes and eyebrows, but the brown is too dull. Since my red hair is ridiculously thick, in the days before the flat iron, I was screwed. I wore it up every single day for about 5 years.

And Lord help me, I hauled off and married a redhead. I was on my 3rd date with my future husband and I made some stereotypical comment about redheads having hot tempers and Nick says, "We sure do." I snapped my head around to look closely at his head and sure enough, peeking under his Jets hat was thick gorgeous auburn hair. Which I had never noticed until that night. Being observant was never my strength. To my credit, he ALWAYS wore a hat. Now that his hair is longer and even more luxurious, he goes without a hat more often and someone, usually Tyler, Sandy, or myself comments on his "Kennedy Hair." The best part of being married to another redhead, is that it gives me great hope that someday I will have Nick's redheaded children and people will envy them their hair. Check out the picture above and try to tell me we won't make some beautiful haired babies.

All of this musing spawned from this website that Nick found. I was initially thrilled to look through it, but after awhile it made me feel less special and less rare so I stopped. But feel free all you brunettes, blondes and silver foxes, browse away.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite scenes from my favorite John Wayne movie, The Quiet Man (but you have to imagine the dialogue in a thick Irish brogue. Promise? Okay here it is.)

Michaeleen Flynn: Forget it, Sean, forget it. Put it out of your mind.
Sean Thorton: Why? What´s the matter? She isn´t married or anything?
Michaeleen Flynn: Married? That one? Not likely. And her with her freckles and her temper. Oh, that red head of hers is no lie.

Or you can watch it here on youtube. The part you're looking for is around 3:00 minutes. Be sure to take time to watch the whole thing!

lotto luck

2008-05-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

When I win the lottery, I hope to be like this guy, and not like this guy. By the way, I daydream about winning the lottery ALL the time, and yet I have purchased probably 3 lotto tickets in my life.

I think I'm going about this the wrong way.

What's the first thing you'd do with your millions?

silence that horn

2008-05-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

Nick and I live off of a busy street in northwest Oklahoma City. Around rush hour it is not possible to drive down the street without several swear words escaping from your mouth, usually towards other people. There is no left turn lane on this street and very few left turning arrows so if you are in the left lane at a stoplight and someone in front of you is turning left, chances are you will be sitting for a long time. Which is why the city posted signs on a lot of the lights at many intersections along the street that prohibit you from turning left during rush hours like 7-9am and 4-6pm.

So yesterday, Nick and I are driving along said road at 5:30pm and we get stopped at a red light. We're in the left lane, about 3rd in line. The light turns green and the asshole (do you see what I mean about the effects of this street?) in front of the line turns on his left turn signal. Which is against the rules, against the LAW. I was driving so I honked my horn at this person to remind him he cannot turn left and make us all sit here until 10pm when the traffic dies down on the other side of the street.

Nick shrank in his seat and covered his face. "I can't believe you honked at that person."
Once I made the mistake of reaching over and honking the horn while Nick was driving. That was the time where he had to restrain himself from punching me in the face. Apparently that is a NO NO for men. His rationale is, "The guy that is getting honked at is not going to beat you up, but your husband instead" My thoughts? "I'm okay with that." More the reason to honk all I want.

Seriously though, what is the problem with honking when someone needs to GO?!? That is the point of a horn isn't it? To get someone's attention? If people (like my husband) didn't get SO mad when people honked at THEM, maybe we could use the horn when needed and not take offense.

When someone honks at ME, it's usually because I am reading a magazine at the green light and now it's turning yellow, just enough time for me to go through, but no one else. I think someone, someday will make an exception with me and beat up a woman just this once...

100 Nay Facts

2008-05-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

It was a long weekend....

I was born in Broken Bow, Nebraska.
I was the heaviest baby born in the hospital; 10 pounds, 12 ounces.
I'm deathly afraid of dinosaurs (in movies, obviously) and whales.
I used to be afraid of sharks, but surprisingly I'm not so much anymore. Getting used to them?
I feel very narcissistic writing all these facts about myself.
90% of the TV I watch is on my computer or on DVD. Rarely, do I turn on the television to watch my favorite shows.
I have an embarrassing long list of favorite TV shows: The Office, Ugly Betty, Brothers and Sisters, The Hills, Peep Show, Gilmore Girls, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Shield, Coupling, The Vicar of Dibley, Bridezillas, Big Love, Entourage, 30 Rock, Sex and the City, Grey's Anatomy, Arrested Development, Project Runway
I am NOT a fan of most reality TV: American Idol, The Bachelor, Survivor, Big Brother, The Real World. All of the the people on those shows are self-centered losers.
Nick and I had our first date on April 21, 2004 and our first kiss on May 21, 2004.
He kissed me to get me to stop talking.
I read about the same 20 books every year, very rarely do I let new books into the rotation.
My first car was a 1997 red jeep wrangler and I loved that car.
My next car was a green nisaan sentra and I hated that car.
My next car (also my current car) is a white toyota corolla and I like the car very much.
She doesn't have cruise control and the radio is acting up.
Her name is Maggie.
I'm seriously considering naming my first daughter Maggie. It's been my favorite name for a long time.
I love to listen to talk radio, hate most current music.
Politicians makes me want to scream. Egomaniacs, the lot of them.
I watch a lot of British TV. Sometimes the accent carries over to my real life.
I recently discovered I can watch unlimited episodes of Saved By the Bell on Netflix.
The show has absolutely no continuity whatsoever. It's annoying.
I can't stop watching it.
I am a counselor at an agency in Midwest City, Oklahoma.
I mostly love my job. Sometimes it's overwhelming.
I work mainly with kids and they're hysterical.
I'd tell you more about them, but there's this pesky thing called client-therapist confidentiality.
I wore my hair in a bun for about 5 years until I discovered the flat iron.
It changed my life. I have since turned at least 5 of my friends onto the flat iron.
I have since stopped flat ironing my hair and started embracing my natural curls.
By the end of the day, my hair is usually in a ponytail or pigtails.
My hair color is my best feature.
Nick just read that and said, “that's debatable” and then checked out my rack.
My hair was jet black when I was born, turned red and curly, went red and straight and now is somewhere in between.
I hate spending money on clothes.
I'd rather spend money on movies, entertainment and scrapbooking stuff.
I like to scrapbook but it's taken me 7 months to make about 6 pages of my wedding scrapbook.
No one makes me laugh harder than my mom, dad, brother, brother's girlfriend and husband.
I've never broken a bone.
Nick has taken up photography as a hobby.
It gets annoying having a camera in my face all the time.
I wish I could cook.
I'm a better baker than a cook.
I'm not much of a drinker. I go for months without a drink. Probably because when I DO drink, I drink a bit too much and am turned off alcohol for awhile.
I'm a bit scared of heights. Not so much in a plane, but when I'm only surrounded by air.
I hate tomatoes, but tomato soup is in my top 3 favorite food.
I'm watching the Saved By The Bell episode where Jessie's stepbrother comes to town and everyone hates him at first but then they decide they like him and convince him to stay in LA instead of moving to NY. He agrees to stay and then is never seen again.
I absolutely cannot apply eyeliner.
This weekend I got a makeover at Sephora. The guy put so much eye makeup on me, it took seven cotton balls to get all of it off my face later that night.
I can't believe I'm only halfway done with this.
As a therapist I'm always very offended when therapists sleep with their patients on tv and movies.
I feel like that is SO unbelievable, but it real life that is the #1 reason therapists lose their licenses.
My least favorite chore is putting away laundry. Most of the time we end up pulling clean, folded clothes out of the hamper to wear.
I also hate going to the grocery store and try to figure out how to get Nick to go without me.
Nick and I drink about a CASE of diet coke every 2 weeks.
We're losing our short term memory because of the aspartame in the diet coke, but we can't cut back.
I hate drinking water.
Nick and I are trying to watch all the best picture nominated films since 1970. We've seen about 95 out of 195. Yikes.
So far the favorites have been Chinatown, Deer Hunter and Coming Home.
I planned on being an elementary school teacher my whole life until I took a psychology class freshman year and was hooked.
I've been out of the country 3 times. All three times I went on a cruise to the same beach in Cozumel, Mexico.
I collect baby-sitter club books.
I have about 150 of them.
Our books are arranged on our shelf by color.
I am a terrible decorator.
I LOVE to dance. In my car, at home, at work anywhere.
Nick and I go to the movies about 3 times a month.
I don't think we'll turn into those people who say they “don't have time to see movies.”
I have very lame taste in music. I blame my parents.
Even though I am a married lady now, I still look at wedding planning websites.
I chipped my tooth when I was eight years old. I never got it fixed.
I use terrible language. I cuss all the time.
My kids are going to be the potty mouthed ones on the playground.
I love playing board games but Nick gets mad at me when I win so I avoid playing with him.
Nick and I did not live in the same state until 2 months after we were engaged.
I read magazines and books in the car. While driving.
I like to talk to kids in grocery stores.
I had a crush on Nick the first time I met him.
One of my pet peeves in movies is when there is a strong woman who comes across kind of bitchy and says she doesn't need a man and then she gets drunk and admits that she is lonely and falls all over the man. Examples: The Wedding Planner, Medicine Man, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Two Weeks Notice and many more.
I think I could eat pizza everyday for the rest of my life.
I used to think fall was my favorite time of year but end of spring/beginning of summer is changing my mind. The weather brings back some strong memories.
My engagement ring is a moissanite, not a diamond. The reasons for this are: a) I didn't want Nick to spend a fortune on something I will probably lose, but I also didn't want a tiny speck of a stone on my ring. b) The markup on diamonds is so ridiculous, I can't even talk about it. c) Diamonds aren't rare and the reason they are so expensive is because the DeBeers company controls the market.
If I had my way all my children would be girls.
Nick has turned me onto football. We've been to 2 Jets game and they lost both times.
I really want to ride on a Segue and a moped someday.
I'm shopping for a bike right now.
I've always felt there is something so magical about summer nights. They make me wish I could go back to high school.
I've got the baby fever real bad right now, but Nick won't let me.
I used to be more extroverted, but now I feel very anxious in large groups of people.
I love office supplies.
I read a lot of blogs of people that I don't know, or I just went to high school or college with, but we're not really friends.
I think everyone probably does this, but we all keep it a secret.
I like cats more than dogs and I think it's stupid how people can say they hate cats but if you say you hate dogs, they look at you like you said you hate money or democracy or something.
I'm a total slob
I hate being woken up by a loud clap of thunder. I usually sleep badly for the rest of the night after it happens because I'm waiting for it to happen again.
I used to have a fairly good singing voice but I feel like it is getting worse the older I get.
The bathroom at Target smells like my kindergarten class in Ohio.
I want to get my brain scanned.
Going to the movies is my favorite date. Going to a bookstore is second.
I'm going through a phase right now where if I agree to hang out with someone or go somewhere, as soon as I get there I want to leave.

Regular Men

2008-05-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

I need to preface this by saying this was originally going to be a rant about my husband, but when I had time to think about it more it turned into a rant about Hollywood. Let me explain...

I just finished watching a lovely movie called P.S. I Love You, starring Hilary Swank and Gerald Butler. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone here, but I'm pretty sure Nick is the only one who reads it after I tell him to. So, Holly (Swank) and Gerry (Butler) are married for nine years when he discovers he has a brain tumor and dies. Holly is obviously wracked with grief and finds it difficult to move on with her life until she starts receiving letters from Gerry, from beyond the grave. In the letters he gives her all kinds of advice and reassurance that he loves her and everything you would expect in a letter from beyond the grave. (It seems more meaningful in italics) He evens plans a trip for her and her two best friends to Ireland, where the friends find letters from Gerry waiting for them as well as Holly. As you might expect, there is one last meaningful letter from Gerry in which he tells her he WANTS her to move on and fall in love again and Holly eventually sleeps with someone else, starts a new business, becomes rich and moves on. Lovely, indeed.

So I finish the movie a little teary-eyed and lovesick and then Nick comes into our bedroom and sits next to me on the bed. I snuggle into his chest, ready for a little sweet talk and this is how the conversation goes:

Me: Babe? Will you promise me something?
Him: Depends on what it is. (already it's not going as planned)
Me: If you have a terminal illness, will you write me letters and arrange them to get to me after you're dead. You know, from beyond the grave?
Him: Are you crazy? You want me to spend my final time on earth writing you letters? I'm gonna be livin'! I won't have time for that! You know I love you, I don't need to put it in a letter.

I punched him in the arm and got into the shower in a huff. While shampooing, I was steaming over what an asshole I'd married. How dare he? If he really loved me, he'd promise to do whatever I asked, especially if he was dying, the selfish bastard. About the time I started with the conditioner, I got a shock to my system and realized this wasn't Nick's fault (there is a first time for everything). It was the movie's fault. They put these ideas into our heads and set us up for disappointment in our marriages! So I started thinking about other movies that I love that set regular men up for failure and I came up with SEVERAL examples which I will now outline for you here

I'm calling this list What Regular Men Won't Do So Don't Get Your Hopes Up And Just Learn To Love Them For Who They Are:

1. Pretty Woman - regular men won't pick you up from Hollywood Boulevard and give you $3,000 to go to work parties with them and then fall in love with you and buy you a lot of clothes. Nor will they spend all day shopping with you. I don't need to tell you what a regular man might do with a prostitute, do I?

2. Return to Me - regular men won't get on a plane and fly to Italy and search the country to find you and tell you it's okay that you in fact are host to their dead's wife's heart and it's okay. You've got an uncomfortable email coming your way instead.

3. Win A Date With Tad Hamilton - regular men who are secretly in love with you won't tell the guy that you are dating that you have six smiles: one when something makes you laugh, one when you're making plans, one when you're laughing out of politeness, one when you are uncomfortable, one when you are making fun of yourself, and one when you are talking about your friends. There is no way Nick could tell you how many smiles I have, but he could tell you how many stages of crazy I have in a heartbeat.

4. Love Actually - regular men won't show up at your door with a set of poster boards with a dozen reasons why he loves you or whatever. They may send a drunken text message, however.

5. Only You - regular men won't fall in love with you after you slam into them looking for another man and then do ANYTHING to get you to fall in love with them, including lying about their identity, planning a huge elaborate hoax to trick you into falling in love with them and then helping you find the supposed man of your dreams.

And here's the ultimate thing regular men won't do...
6. Dirty Dancing - regular men won't come up to you at a social function in front of your parents (especially in front of your dad, who fixed a botched abortion for someone he thinks your man got into "trouble") and dance with you on a stage in front of hundreds of people. They certainly wouldn't tell your dad to keep you out of a corner, if your dad saw fit to put you there in the first place

Because I don't want to leave you women (and men) out there is despair, here are some examples of what regular men WILL DO...(this is based off my own personal experience)
1. They will always pump your gas.
2. They will hug your mother when they see her.
3. They will bring you Diet Coke in bed after a hard night of drinking.
4. They will call you wifey (not in front of other people, mind you.)
5. They will take out the trash.
6. They will rub your feet after a long day (but they won't paint your toenails, that's Hollywood and a Justin Timberlake video)
7. They will absentmindedly stroke your neck while you drive.
8. They will still insist on paying for meals even after the money all comes from the same place.
9. They will send you messages throughout the day when they see something that makes them think of you.
10. They will dance with you in the kitchen (only sometimes, because they don't want you to start expecting it).

I am ever thankful for my regular man. And I should point out that after I told him what a jerk he was for not agreeing to send me letters, he relented and said he would use an email service that lets you post-date emails for several years ahead. That's what we call love in the digital age.

i'm a single girl again!

2008-04-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

(Nick calls this picture Bad Haircut)
Just until Monday that is. Yesterday morning (really early, I won't tell you how early) I put my husband and our friend Beacon on a plane to NYC. (By the way, I love that phrase "put them on a plane". In my head I picture myself actually tucking them into the seats, like babies in car seats. Weird.) The boys are going to visit Teej and Kinnie and they are also going to the NFL draft. Recently Nick and I bought a new camera and Nick has discovered a talent for taking beautiful photographs. (I think so anyway) Here's a link to his flickr site which he has recently named the "dink and flicka". (Any office fans out there?)

It's interesting being on my own again. He's only gone for 5 days, which is a good amount I think. Long enough for time on my own, short enough where I won't miss him too much. (I'm not flattering myself to think he's missing me out there in the big city.) Saturday I am going to Broken Arrow to visit my Teegy. It's been too long since we have had time with just the girls so I am really excited.

Well, I started this blog thinking it would be interesting but alas, it is not. Maybe I need Nick around to inspire my inner comic. Miss you honey.

(perhaps the most interesting part of this blog is how many times I used parenthesis and quotation marks. geez louise.)

another rant about food

2008-02-27T12:43:00.000-08:00

While I'm at it...

You know what I hate?
(and I'm aware that all restaurant employees hate me because I can't order anything the way it comes. they freaking put tomatoes on everything!)

Sometimes at Sonic (usually during happy hour) I get my drink with extra ice, because sometimes I bring a can of diet coke from home and when I finish the cup of coke I just pour in my can from home over the delicious Sonic ice. It's a weird problem I have, needing SO MUCH ICE in my cup, I admit, but it's how I roll.

Anyway, back to the rant. I hate it when the fast food people don't hear my requests because they are too busy rushing in with their own question. As I was asking for my extra ice, the girl spoke over me and asked if I wanted to make it a Route 44 instead of a large. I said no, my drink came with an alarmingly low amount of ice and I drove away peeved.

It's the same thing when I order a burger or something. As I'm asking them to hold the tomatoes, they are yelling over my voice at the drive-thru to see if I want to upsize my combo and to ask me what kind of drink I want.

JUST LET ME FINISH! STOP UPSELLING ME! I'LL TELL YOU WHAT KIND OF DRINK I WANT WHEN I'M READY!

Maybe all this means I should lay off the fast food.

even the girl at panera bread can make me feel like an idiot

2008-02-27T12:40:00.001-08:00

Me: I'll have half of the bacon turkey bravo with no tomatoes.
Her: Do you want to change the bread? It's tomato basil?
Me: No, it's fine. Thanks.
Her: What kind of soup did you want?
Me: (sheepishly) Tomato.

it's a texture issue. i don't expect her to understand.

movie reviews

2008-01-29T16:24:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention that Nick and I went to THREE movies this weekend again. We really should seek professional help for our addiction. Here's the goods:

Untraceable: Diane Lane thriller. Actually better than I thought it would be. Interesting, not too gruesome, exciting.

The Savages: Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. So good. They play a brother and sister who have to start taking care of their aging father. Anything that Philip Seymour does, I am there. He gets lost in every character he plays. I forget I'm really watching him instead of an actual person. I sent Tyler a text during the movie that said, "I'm watching the Savages right now and it's like looking into our future." Except of course we love our Dad and wouldn't stick him in a third rate nursing home. Or would we?!

Sweeney Todd: Nick and Beacon went to see Rambo, but there's no way I could sit through that. I'm still not sure what I think of Sweeney. I guess it's strange seeing a sad musical. Who sings when they are sad? I think I was just too tired for this one Saturday night. I didn't love it.

Also go see There Will Be Blood. So well done. You know it's a good movie when you are literally squirming in your seat because you don't know what the crazy main character will do next.

one of the nicest things...

2008-01-29T16:08:00.001-08:00

...that's ever happened to me.

I was reading my friend Katie's blog and discovered she recently read for the first time all of the Harry Potter books. Several times I have thought that people who were late into the Potter game are so lucky. They get to gorge themselves on 7 straight books and 5 movies. I started reading them after the 3rd one came out so I waited impatiently with the rest of the world for the last 5 years for books 4-7. (the wait between 4 and 5 was a painful one. three years? come on J.K.!) Anyway, I'm lamenting over the fact that I will never read the books again for the first time and I decided to dig out Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone for old time's sake.

I was first introduced to Harry Potter by my best friend Katie (not to be confused with the above mentioned Katie, different gal). She convinced me to see the first movie over Christmas break our sophomore year of college. I responded to this with a resounding EYE ROLL. Little kid movie? Fantasy? Pshhhhh..... But she made me go.

And that was all it took. I was in love. I was taken with this brave boy. Has there ever been anything more endearing when the 10 year old says with total innocence: "I'm not a wizard. I'm...I'm just Harry"? The answer is no, there has not.

So I settle in bed to read the first book and by about the fourth page I realize I HAVE NEVER READ THIS ONE BEFORE! I remembered with sudden clarity that after I saw the movie, I went and bought the first 3 books, but since I had just seen the movie I started with the second book, always meaning to get back to the first one, but I never did.

I was enthralled with the first mention of Mrs. Figg, Uncle Vernon's day at the drilling office (who knew this is what he did for a living?!), Vernon seeing all the wizards celebrating after Harry semi-defeating Voldemort the first time, the fact that Harry and Ron are so mean to Hermione for the first few months at Hogwarts, Ginny begging for a glimpse of Harry and crying when her brothers left on the Hogwarts Express, all of the times Harry used magic and didn't know it as a child.

It was pure joy. I finished it within a few hours. Now maybe I can hold off on seeing the 6th movie until it comes out on DVD just to make it last that much longer. Or maybe not.

a year in movies

2007-12-26T00:16:00.000-08:00

I am up at 2 am on Christmas day (actually I guess it's the day after Christmas) watching the series finale of Gilmore Girls. To keep from crying my eyes out at the thought of the end of another great show, I was browsing my favorite website, imdb.com and found that they listed the movies in 2007 by their release date. So I went back to January of 2007 and wrote down the movies I've seen in the theaters this year. And what a year it's been, movie speaking of course, not counting the marriage and stuff.

Freedom Writers
Pan's Labryinth
Stomp the Yard
Catch and Release
Because I Said So
Ghost Rider
Music and Lyrics
The Astronaut Farmer
Zodiac
The Host
300
The Namesake
Reign Over Me
Shooter
TMNT
The Lookout
Blades of Glory
Fracture
Hot Fuzz
Spider Man 3
Lucky You
Waitress
28 Weeks Later
Shrek the 3rd
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Knocked Up
Ocean's 13
Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer
A Mighty Heart
Live Free or Die Hard
Transformers
License to Wed
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Talk to Me
The Simpson's Movie
No Reservations
Bourne Ultimatum
Becoming Jane
Stardust
Superbad
Death at a Funeral
The Nanny Diaries
3:10 to Yuma
Across the Universe
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Kingdom
The Darjeeling Limited
King of California
We Own The Night
Michael Clayton
Lars and the Real Girl
Gone Baby Gone
Dan in Real Life
American Gangster
Martian Child
No Country for Old Men
Enchanted
August Rush
I Am Legend
Juno
National Treasure
Charlie Wilson's War

A grand total of SIXTY-TWO MOVIES. I'm not sure how good your math is, but that comes out to more than one movie in the theaters a week. Let me tell you our secret. Nick and I are big fans of the "double feature". We see two for the price of one. On our honeymoon we were feeling ambitious and we saw 6 movies in 2 days. We pulled off 2 triple features in 2 days because we are amazing and ridiculous.

Let's recap the movies:

Way Exceeded Expectations:
Juno - best movie of the year. Of my life.
3:10 to Yuma - Russell Crowe is back baby.
The Darjeeling Limited - my new favorite Wes Anderson film. I never get tired of the slow-motion endings.
Stardust - very imaginative and cute.
Pan's Labryinth - again, imaginative and also captivating.
No Country for Old Men - didn't want to see it, but it was uh-mazing. Just read any critic in the country to hear how good it is.
Gone Baby Gone - I love any movie that leads you to talk about it all the way home.
The Namesake - Endearing, powerful. I read the book and it is excellent.
The Host - Korean movie. So scary and funny. Love it.

Of course there are many more but let's move onto the bad movies because they are more fun to discuss.

Thought It Would Be Good But Sucked It Up Bigtime:
August Rush - I thought since I bawled through the preview everytime I saw it I would enjoy the movie. No go.
Martian Child - I wanted to slap that weird kid.
Dan in Real Life - Ugh! I hate movies where the kids act like little shits and totally get away with it and the parents end up apologizing to the kids.
Catch and Release - Just plain stupid.
Because I Said So - Because I said it was annoying as hell. Diane Keaton is only good in small doses.

Movies I Knew Would Suck and Did Indeed Suck but Had To See Because It Was Nick's Turn:
Ghost Rider - Comes to mind anytime anyone says the words "bad movie". So bad. Just bad.
Transformers - Too much metal clashing, hurt my ears, couldn't care less about anything in the movie.
The Astronaut Farmer - I don't even know what to say.

Special Mention:
Charlie Wilson's War
A Mighty Heart
Stomp the Yard
Waitress
Zodiac
Reign Over Me
Harry Potter (my true love)

On Thursday I am planning for the ultimate: 4 movies in one day. On deck are Juno (again), The Great Debators, 27 Dresses and P.S. I Love You. I know that 27 dresses and P.S. may be silly, but I think it's a great way to end the year of movies.

What are your favorite and most hated movies of the year?

weekend recap

2007-12-10T05:32:00.000-08:00

How bout this weather eh? Is this enough to negate the global warming nonsense? The ice is so early this year, I'm just hoping the weather won't be this sucky until spring.

Friday morning, I turned 26 years old. I'm sure everyone feels this way, but birthdays are becoming less special. I'm not to the point where I dread the day, although it's strange to know I am looking down the barrel of thirty in the near future. Yikes. So I decided this year to take a little trip for my birthday and leave the husband at home. I drove to Lawrence, Kansas to see Soni and James. The drive wasn't bad, considering I was watching Season 1 of Brothers and Sisters, a birthday gift from Nick. Don't worry everyone, I drove safely and remained very alert on the trip.

When I got there, Soni had compiled a "Benay Box" (aren't best friends amazing?) She included a bottle of wine, a KU mug, a Yiddish magnet poetry set, candy, all kids of fun stuff. It was so cute. Friday night we had dinner at an Italian restaurant on an adorable street in Lawrence, which is such a cool town. After dinner we saw Lars and the Real Girl which was very sweet and funny and sad and weird. Everything I love in a movie. Saturday we went to the KU basketball game which was very fun. Basketball is one of the most boring events to watch on television, but in real life it's pretty fun. The rest of the day and night was spent trying to stay warm. It got freaking cold outside and the roads froze. So our big plans to go out and party were thwarted. Soni and I watched several movies and several Martha Stewart Wedding segments from the DVD set I gave her as an early Christmas gift.

Sunday we slept late and I started panicking about the weather (actually Nick started panicking and it transferred over to me). After some very frustrating events with my debit card NOT WORKING AND NOT HAVING ANY CASH FOR THE TRIP HOME WHILE DRIVING IN ICE AND SNOW, it wasn't a bad drive home. I managed to pay the 8 dollar toll in nickels and drove 20 miles an hour the last 30 miles of the trip. It is good to be home.

Last night was the longest night ever. We woke up every 30 minutes to thunder, trees cracking, a transformer blowing up. Finally I gave up at 5 am and just got up and watched the news. OKC schools are closed today so luckily I won't have to make the trip to the south side.

Stay warm and cozy today!

well this is just sad...

2007-11-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here’s what’s pitiful about ME (Benay). I am a procrastinator in the worst way. By that I mean, the worst kind of procrastinator. Take thank you notes for instance: They are the thorn in every new bride’s side. I understand the need for them and I was overwhelmed with gratitude towards everyone who came to the wedding and who gave us such thoughtful gifts. But it’s the multi-step process that drives me insane. The picking of the actual cards, the address locating, the writing for each individual gift, the stamp placement and the actual placing the cards in the mailbox.

Ugh.

I was actually excited to order our Thank You notes. We took the standard trend photo (see above) where we hold two big posters that say Thank You and had them printed on postcards. They turned out adorable. The DAY we received the blank postcards I wrote out 60 of them in one night, addressed them, stamped them…and they sat on my dresser for 2.5 weeks. WHAT?! The hard part was done! All of the work was finished, only the easy part remained and I still could not be bothered to TAKE THEM OUT TO THE MAILBOX. I need help.

This brings me to the purpose of this post. I have started several drafts for the long awaited update of the blog, I’ve even finished some, but I can’t even be bothered to hit publish on the computer. I think subconsciously I’ve been waiting for the wedding pictures to come back before posting again so I could show them off and I’m still planning on doing that, but enough is enough! So be looking for another post with pictures before the end of the year. Well maybe.

I guess SOMEBODY has to update this thing...

2007-10-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

Even if no one is reading it.

Tonight Benay and I are meeting with our photographer to go over must-have shots and what-not. I have to tell ya, our photographer is probably what I am most excited about as far as the wedding planning goes.

She is amazing. Her photos are really cool. None of those lame "lineup" poses that always look like class pictures from elementary school where someone is blinking, someone is not looking at the camera, and someone else looks drunk.

Almost all of her photos are candid. They capture the real mood of the wedding. You can tell from her other work that those people were actually having a good time. When I look back at my wedding pictures in 50 years I want to remember what a good time I and everyone else had. To me, that is what having your wedding photographed is all about. Not just imortalizing what everyone wore that day.

Mary and her husband Matt are both really cool. They will both be there the day of the wedding taking pictures of us getting ready all the way through the reception. It is really like getting two photographers for the price of one. We met with them for some bridal portraits a few weeks ago and they turned out awesome. http://www.tomorrowsmemoriesphotography.net/

Nay and I are also going to be burning 100 CDs for wedding favors. I don't even know what is going to be on them. I am hoping she will limit herself to only 1 Justin Timberlake song, but I doubt that she will be able to. Don't say I didn't warn you.

meet the fossey's

2007-09-25T17:31:00.001-07:00

Meet Nick. The look he has in the picture is the look he gives me often which says, "You're bugging me."

Nick's favorite hobbies include watching football, participating in 6-7 fantasy football leagues every year, playing college and pro football games on xbox and (thankfully) watching movies with me.

Nick recently started working at an insurance agency and is enjoying it so far (at least that's what he tells me). Today his coworkers threw us the nicest lunch/shower. We went to Macaroni Grill and then back to their office for cake and to open presents. It was incredibly nice, especially considering he's worked there about 7 weeks!

Meet Nay (me). This picture was taken on our second trip to New York City in April of 2006. We were killing time before seeing Wicked and went to Grand Central Station. Actually first we went to the New York Public Library, and I swear we were there for 45 minutes and never found the books. We found an exhibit about some old letters written to...someone, from someone. And of course we found the gift shop, which was fantastic. I know the picture is kind of far away but surprisingly I didn't have any other pictures of just me on the computer.

I've actually been struggling to think of what my hobbies are because for the last year my hobby has been The Wedding. Luckily, I love weddings. I made my super-detailed wedding planning book a few months before I was officially engaged. Nick calls it mania, I call it an interest. From the time I was a little girl I've always loved weddings. I used to save my allowance and buy an issue of Brides Magazine. Now that I write it out like that, maybe it is a little weird. Moving on...

Nick and I met in October of 2003 when a friend from college (Dave) invited me to go see Jerry Seinfeld's stand up show with some of his friends. Nick says that he thought I was "cool" but "weird", whatever the hell that means. Later he changed it from "weird" to he was "intrigued by me." He liked that I drank beer out of a can, but I guess that I was weird because I was there with Dave? I have no idea. I thought he was cute and very smart and quick-witted, all qualities I find very attractive. I also knew he had a girlfriend who lived far away so I didn't think too much about him after that night. But as the rest of my senior year went on, we started hanging out more and more. He met me one night at 2am at a Waffle House and we went to several movies. Eventually he bucked up the courage and asked me out for April 21st, 2004. We went mini-golfing and braved a tornado. Pretty soon, we were together all the time and even when he moved to Joplin (3 hours away) for work, one of us made the drive every weekend.

And now I'm going to be his wife. Even though it's been a very natural progression into marriage, there are times when I just freak out on the inside and think, "I'm marrying Nick Fossey? But I barely know him! 5 years ago I didn't know he existed!".

Should I be worried about these thoughts?

let's see how this goes

2007-09-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

I (Benay) love to read blogs. My friend Kara has an amazing blog that I read at least 3 times every week. I also stalk a few people I don't know because I love their blogs. I also love famous blogs like dooce. One of my favorites is this girl's blog of her critique of the baby-sitter's club, a series favorite of mine as a child.

But blogging is difficult for most people. It's the pressure to be entertaining and witty and update often that turns people off blogging, I think. I'm the proud owner of 2 dead blogs, the infamous xanga and the lesser known livejournal. I blog occasionally on my myspace page, but very rarely.

So why the sudden urge to start this commitment now? I'm not entirely sure. I'm getting married in 26 days and I feel very sentimental most of the time and want to document EVERYTHING. I'm saving receipts, cutting out the shower announcement from the church bulletin, printing out emails from friends regarding the wedding. It's getting ridiculous. But this is such an important time. I want to look back on it and remember every detail, right?

I hope that this blog gains readers and they are as entertained with my anecdotes as I have been with various blogs in cyberspace. Enjoy.