Monsters and Pandas and KungFu...Oh My!

Daughter goes back to her Dad's House tonight, back to the normal schedule. It has been a fun week.

Last night, for Movie Night, we watched Kung Fu Panda at my friend SF's suggestion. It is an instant favorite. We watched it again this morning. Daughter is pretty determined to become a Kung Fu Master by the age of three. She stands in front of the gigundus television and acts out all the action sequences. Which was pretty awesome looking last night when it was pitch black in the house.

This morning she added all the running like a cat sequences and created obstacles courses for herself.

Here are the things I liked about the movie:

It was artistic. The action sequences and the intro and stuff were pretty kick ass.

There were no damsels/princess/fair maidens/barbie dolls/care bears/or my little ponies.

The food looked really good and there were some fun special features including one about how to use chopsticks.

Daughter was so tired out from all the late night (we didn't start the movie until 7:30) Kung Fu that she fell asleep in about two minutes flat (after we finished the fourth daily reading of The Grunch!).

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We also took Daughter sledding for the first time on a 'real' sledding hill. She had a blast. It was the perfect time of day (around noon) so it was as warm and sunny as it was going to get, but with the exception of four high school girls, there were only little kids around and not that many of them.

She got pretty tired out after about ten runs (and hikes back up the hill), but had a blast and looked extra adorable in her hot pink snow pants.
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The rest of this month is going to be pretty hectic. Hell, the rest of the YEAR is going to be pretty hectic, but I'm determined to carve out some more sledding time.

Right now I am basking in the squeals of laughter erupting from downstairs and Boyfriend and Daughter are deeply involved in a game of CATERPILLAR MONSTER with the cat. I don't quite understand all of the rules, but there is laughter and tickling involved and some effort, it seems, to get the 18 pound cat into a cocoon so they can tickle her into a butterfly.

Good luck with that. The cat is the real MONSTER. And, unlike Boyfriend or Daughter, she isn't afraid to bite. . .

BALTO! *UPDATE! EDITION

We are all sorts of a twitter around here. No good reason. Boyfriend is hanging Christmas lights on a tree in the front yard. I think this has something to do with it. . . also, it is snowing and Boyfriend got the day off on account of it being Veteran's Day and he works for the government at all. I'm halfway surprised he doesn't get the whole week off since we all know how much Sarah LURVES herself some military.

Right now I am thinking about how absurd it would be for me to call this a 'job'. No matter how much I would like to transform this little blog (god, I have always REALLY hated that word) into a paying gig, I currently find myself on a borrowed computer, sitting on a stool at my parents' kitchen table while my child and my father watch BALTO and I get ready to figure out once again what the hell to make everyone for dinner. (I'm feeling like the leftover lasagna and a Cesar salad...did I mention the SNOW?) At any rate, to say that I'm 'working' right at this moment seems a fairly ridiculous thing to claim.

Here is what I did today and got paid equally poorly for:

2:30am Wake up.

4:00am Wake up, finish argument with Boyfriend. More or less resolve argument. More or less.

5:00am Still awake. Make up with Boyfriend.

6:30am Daughter awake...everyone awake.

7:30am Get Daughter dressed for school, get Father ready to leave for work, get as much damn coffee down my throat as is humanly possibly while every fiber of my being begs to go back to bed.

8:00am Explain one last time to Boyfriend how to get to Father's office (via the espresso bar). Boyfriend does not understand exactly. Also does not loose my car so everyone arrives at coffee and office in tact.

8:15am Explain to Boyfriend how to get from Father's office to Daughter's Pre-School. Boyfriend does not understand exactly and raises his voice. I drive off. He does not get lost.

8:30am Drop Daughter at school. Am again amazed that The Glorious Pre-School Teacher is so together and calm and awake at 8:30am.

8:50am Arrive at Service Center. Deposit Father's truck for service (leaking wiper fluid, no functional horn, needs oil change).

9:something-10something am Eat breakfast downtown with Boyfriend. Realize that Father's credit card is missing. Fret and argue a bit about this. Run into my favorite congressional candidate of all time. Am so sad that he he is loosing and that it will take another month before anyone knows anything that I donate another fifty bucks to his campaign when I arrive home later in the day.

10:45am Talk to Father who has missing credit card (which is his in the first place). Drive back to Father's Office. Get card. Boyfriend is introduced all over office as "Our Daughter's Friend". Awesome.

11:00am get car washed. Go to Sears to find the little emergency key for the treadmill which has magically disappeared. Awesome, redux.

11:something Go to Barnes and Nobel with Boyfriend to track down some Joesph Campbell books that his son has requested for his birthday. Find BALTO on dvd for Daughter who has been begging for movie. Should probably be a better parent and save it for Christmas.

12:20pm Pick up Daughter from Pre-School. Immediately tell her that we purchased BALTO.*

12:45-1:30pm Shop at Costco with Daughter and Boyfriend. Try very hard to not kill Boyfriend for his entirely adorable if they were all alone in the store cart derby antics.

2:15pm Unloading groceries. Snow falling heavily.

2:45pm Pack everyone back into car to pick up Father from Doctor Appointment.

3:30-Present Watch/very slightly assist or attempt to assist Boyfriend as he hangs aforementioned Christmas lights. Am snapped at for being critical. Awesome to the fifth goodandgoddamned degree.

Snow continues to fall.

Tempers continue to flair.

Fuck yeah.

Leftovers it is!

On top of all of this I have to watch BALTO. So Awesome I can no longer contain myself and am going to pour a glass of wine. Its a holiday!
___
UPDATE!*
Because, I am sure you wanted this day to continue just as much as I did.

UPDATE!**
In which I caught the house on fire!

UPDATE!***
Just Ugh. Seriously. Ugh.

*
I did reheat the lasagna (which I spent three hours preparing last night. It is one of those primo lasagnas. Okay? We aren't talking Stouffer's, OKAY?)

Boyfriend hung all the Christmas lights on the big tree outside, in the snow. And they look lovely and he got cold. And the damn tree has GROWN and we need more lights.

That is all I have to say about that at the moment.

**
In addition to the lasagna, I made a salad. It was really good. Green leaf lettuce, leeks, yellow bell pepper, three roma tomatoes, goat cheese, and Newman's Own Light Italian Dressing.

Well, there was this leftover sourdough bread from original lasagna dinner last night. And I can't eat it, but I didn't want it to go to waste, so I did what I have done literally 200 damn times and made croutons. cubed it, tossed it with EVOO, a couple of spices, some parm, some salt and pepper. When I pulled the reheated lasagna out of the oven, I tossed the croutons in. I set it to Broil and went to toss the salad. Now, in the 200 damn times I have done this previously, in the time it takes the oven to heat from 425 to 500 the salad gets tossed, the lasagna gets cooled, and the croutons get toasted perfectly.

Today, when the buzzer went off and I turned around, well, the oven was ON FIRE. FIRE! FLAMES! And then I opened the door and it was like fucking BACKDRAFT or something. and then we all did that like three times or something before I hit the whole thing with the fire extinguisher. Which, I'm pretty sure, more or less ruined the oven. Sweet Christ! Also, the entire house filled with smoke and not a single smoke alarm in the house went off. Not one. Like a cloud of smoke in the house and NO ALARM. That is comforting.

So, I blasted the flames while Daughter was dancing around singing I Love Fire! I Love Fire! Boyfriend was going on about how it would die out. Father was just progressively more agitated.

Which leads directly to ...

***
Ugh. Just. Ugh. Is this damn day over yet?

You don't even want to know about Dinner. Or Post Dinner. I promise you. You don't want to know.

Oh, Winter. . .

I am not ready for real winter to be here. I realize that I have mentioned this before. It seems that we are really in for it this year.

Daughter and I had a good time with the new saucer sled in the backyard yesterday. She was better decked out in winter wear than I was and would have stayed out a lot longer if she had been given the option.

I swear, I really am trying to make the best of it. Seriously. I am. I had a very in depth discussion last night (by discussion, I mean gchat) with a friend of mine who is a serious skier (here, which I did not know is not in Vermont) and got some good tips on getting skis and who to talk to at REI to get cheep stuff that will work for my beginner self. I already have boots. That's a step in a direction if I do say so myself.

It isn't as though I haven't done winter before. I've lived in Alaska for 17 years. (Whoa.) Winter keeps coming back around every six months or so. Its the way it works. I understand this. I'm not surprised by it.

I just do not enjoy it very much.

And this year it is much, much earlier than it has been in quite sometime. Which means that we are in for a long haul and I am trying to make peace with that. I am trying. I am trying. I am trying.

I think that, in addition to the winter being early there are a lot (A LOT!) of loose ends and much uncertainty floating around in my life at the moment which is making me crabby and anxious. What is that, Internet, you would like an accounting of the things that are making me buggy. Well, if you insist:

1. I am living at my parents' house for starters. I'm not just 'staying' here. I'm LIVING here. Which I swore (SWORE) I would not ever do ever again. It looks like Daughter and I will be here well into 2009. I am daunted by this prospect. I am disheartened by this prospect. I am really tired of my parents having a great deal of power over my life and being oh so generous with their opinions. Yes, I sound like an ungrateful ass. Noted.

2. In addition to living at my parents' house, I am driving my dad's car. Which means I am doing a lot of chauffeuring and asking permission to go places.

3. Boyfriend is still living where we used to live, instead of here. He has to get a job here before he can move. The apartment where we lived is in a building that has been sold and the new owners are moving into his place on November 1st. Which means that he will still be there, but doesn't have a place to stay. Its all very up in the air and stress inducing and frustrating and really frightening. I'm really concerned about the level of stress that we are operating under, long distance, indefinitely. Its not good. We have spent a tremendous amount of time apart since we got together. We were seeing each other for about 3 months before I left town. Then apart for three months. Then I was staying with him, but out of town a LOT for four months. Then my dad got sick and I was here for three months. Then we moved into the apartment together in May and Daughter and I moved back here the first week of September. I would say we have spent as much time apart in our relationship as we have spent together. And that sucks. And I'm really, really tired of it. And really, really ready to settle into a life together. And I have a really, really short fuse when it comes to a lot of these things and that is not at all helpful.

4. It is campaign season. This generally increases my mental stress load tenfold. Of course this happened. So I would say my blood pressure is right up there with Dick Cheny's these days.

5. I don't have a job and I need to get one and getting one means that I am going to have to sacrifice time with Daughter and that breaks my heart into 47 pieces (I've counted them) and I just don't know what to do.

6. I am not sleeping well.

7. It is possible that I have a lingering medical condition that I am choosing to ignore which is based in part due to my lack of medical insurance and in part because I don't want to deal with it.

8. There is six inches of snow on the ground. I mean, seriously.

I think that eight is enough, don't you?

Snow! Snow! And More SNOW!

It snowed the entire time that I was awake yesterday. All morning, Snow. All afternoon? Snow. All evening? Yes, you guessed it...SNOW!

Now, I realize that I live in ALASKA (no, I can't see Russia OR Canada from my house...neither can Sarah Palin, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't know that). And that this is the ARCTIC. And that it is winter in the arctic Most of The Damn Time, but I am not really a snow person per se. I totally understand why millions and millions of people live in Southern California. 72. Sunny. 99% of the time. I get that. I would love that. I don't care if it means sharing my space with 20 million like minded people.

Of course, that won't be happening.

Instead I am resolved to take up a winter sport in earnest. I started running outside last winter and have the grippers for my shoes and everything. They make all the difference in the world when it comes to running on snow and ice. I also own a pair of ice skates (Boyfriend is from Canada. Apparently, hockey is sport or something there.) and a pair of cross country ski boots. And polls I think. I probably don't have the polls anymore. Or the skis (which weren't really mine, they were hand-me-downs from my ex-sister-in-law and were too short or something at any rate.) I never really took much to skiing. I didn't have the right gear (snow/wind pants for starters) and I got on skis for the first time when I was 22, so. Ugh.

I would like to learn how to X-Country ski. I've been enjoying trail running a lot this fall. Daughter is to young for lessons for a few more years, but it would be good if I knew what I was doing by the time she gets really into it. Also, everyone in her Dad's Family skis, so I don't want to be the odd man out of her winter activity.

Plus, its good for you. Its easier on your knees than running which, in the long run, will probably extend my running 'career'.

Which means....ta da!...that in addition to a new computer, a better camera, a house, and a car, I also need Cross Country Skis, Polls, Snow Pants, and Lessons. The hat that I need for winter running to keep my ears from freezing and falling off (don't laugh, that has happened to people), will double for skiing. That is something. See, I am practically THRIFTY!

Seriously, Internet, I need a job. If only for the stuff it can buy.

on dressing from my past

I bit the bullet and bought these jeans yesterday. I haven't owned a pair of these particular jeans since I was in high school. WAAAAAAAAAAY back in the day before they 'redesigned' them to be all cool and stretchy and therefore (duh!) cost $11.45 more. Also, I bought them three sizes smaller yesterday that I have ever purchased them before. This was exciting, of course, and I really like the cut. And pulling them on was a little like getting together with an old friend. Oh! LOOK! These pants still make me look like I have an ass that I don't really! Cool!

I have been really struggling with jeans lately. I like wide leg pants, but not in denim and there is a great abundance of wide leg (bell leg, flare leg, take your pick) jeans out there at the moment.

While shopping, I came across this other little disturbance courtesy of the Gap. I swear to god. I owned this EXACT SAME JACKET in 1989. When I was in the second grade. Maybe it was 1990 and the third grade. Regardless. I feel very fortunate to have skirted many of the '80s fashion disasters. Equally pleased to be able to write off the ones that I fell prey to under the heading of "YOU CAN'T HOLD NEON BIKE SHORTS (Side Pone/LA Gear High Tops with the Fringe Around the Top/Leggings/Mis-Matched Keds with Mis-Matched Socks/ High Waisted, Abundantly colorful jeans with tapped ankles, etc) AGAINST ME...I WAS A CHILD!"

Open Letter to the Gap and all other Gap-ish Retailers:
Dear Gap,
I would really like to not fall victim to your new found obsession with odd 80's wear. Please stop with the bomber jackets and skinny jeans.
Sincerely,
LRH

It is snowing here. I am needing non-ugly boots. I already have ugly, clunky, heavy, one whole size to big boots for driving around. They look a lot like this. I also own these, which were perfectly functional as winter (and by that I mean year round, rain country, wore them frequently this summer) boots when I lived in that other place, but now I am back to real winters and winters shared with a toddler who likes to PLAY! OUTSIDE! IN THE SNOW! For HOURS. ON. END. Especially at playgrounds and sledding hills where you have to socialize (or in my case try to avoid contact with the other mothers for no apparent reason). It is for me, an awful lot like high school. Except I look cuter now than I did in High School and I need boots that reflect that. If only for myself. I am not having much luck. I think I might like these, but I haven't seen them in real life and I am not sold on the fake fur. But I like the height and the general look of non-clunky-ness.

It is also lotion season. I am experimenting with some options. Perhaps there is a post in there somewhere.