Sworn Musical Enemies

We have SiriusXM in one of our cars and it has spoiled me. I always know what artist is singing what song, which is something that drives me crazy with old, normal radio. I always want to know who is singing what. ALWAYS. I'm sure Alex just loves the way I always ask him whose singing on the radio.

This morning, I heard a new-to-me song that...well...it sucked. I checked to see who was singing and saw that it was Sean Kingston. AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHH! I IMMEDIATELY changed the station because I couldn't believe I'd let his voice into my car for as long as I had. You see, he is one of my sworn musical enemies.

I have many sworn musical enemies because I am a freak show when it comes to music. There are some artists that I irrationally hate. There's no rhyme or reason to it. I just can't stand certain artists to the point that they are enemy. Sometimes, it's just one song that puts them on this list. Here are a few:

John Mayer - He is, without a doubt, musical enemy #1. I have never even slightly liked one of his songs. I think they all blow. Plus, he is a total d-bag in real life. I can't understand his appeal AT ALL. I refuse to listen to any of his songs EVER.

Sean Kingston - It was that suicidal song, man. HATE. It makes ME suicidal. I've never liked any other song he's done since.

Colbie Cailait - I'm not really sure why I dislike her so. I didn't like the Bubbly song. And it's grown from there. And so far, nothing else she's done has made me like her.

Plain White T's - Oh my word, Hey There Delilah. It's like musical sauerkraut. Disgusting. (And yes, I know some of you really like that song, ahem Christy, but I just can't do it!) I heard their new song recently and yep, still can't stand 'em.

Two artists who used to be on this list and are now on the, 'I don't like them, but I tolerate a few of their songs now. BEGRUDGINGLY.' list.

Katy Perry - I've eased up slightly on my Katy Perry hate since California Gurls was pretty catchy and it had Snoop Dogg. (Although, ENOUGH with the stupid spelling ALREADY. You are a GROWN WOMAN, Katy. Not a moronic 12 year old.) And the Glee version of Teenage Dream is AMAZING. I actually don't like her version at all, but something about those a capella voices make that song extremely appealing.

Coldplay - This is one of those super popular things that I just don't get. I'm not a fan of Chris Martin's voice and I think most of their songs sound whiny. But man, do I love me some Violet Hill. Probably one of my favorite songs ever. It was, of course, not a very big hit for them, but it was enough to take them off of my sworn musical enemies list. (A list I'm sure they're THRILLED to be off of.)

What about you, dear readers? Any artist that bugs you for no good reason?

7 Quick Takes - Monday Edition!

1. I saw ANOTHER Alaska license plate today! I realize they are probably here because of the bazillion military bases in San Antonio, but Alaska! Seriously! That is so very far away!

2. Here's a picture of me from last Sunday in my new cardigan. I've worn it several times this week, so I can say it was a good investment. (Note: This was before All The Vomit.)

3. So we're leaving earlier than expected for Thanksgiving because we have to attend a family funeral. This means we're going to be in Ohio for two solid weeks. TWO WEEKS. I have this feeling that people are going to ask, "Did you guys move...back?"

4. I'm very nervous that I don't have enough warm clothes for Jack. I know this is going to shock you, but there's a pretty big temperature difference between south Texas and central Ohio. But I'm hesitant to buy a coat for him when he's not going to wear it very much. But at the same time, I don't want him to, ya know, FREEZE. I forsee many trips to baby re-sale shops in the next two weeks.

5. I've been trying to readjust my typing style and stop putting two spaces after a period. You guys, it's basically impossible. I've been typing since I was ten. (My mom taught me early because she used to be a typing teacher and COULD NOT STAND it when I used to look at the keys to type on our old word processor.) Twenty years of habit is very difficult to break. I'm constantly going back and deleting the extra space. I miss it!

6. Something my mom never taught me to use was excessive use of the caps lock key. That one I've learned all on my own. But! My old laptop is breaking down and the keyboard just can't handle it. I have to SLAM my finger on the caps lock key for it to work. It kinda hurts. Between that and my constant backspacing after EVERY sentence, posting is getting painful.

7. I started this post hours ago and still can't think of a good item for number 7. In that time, I dropped off Alex's suit at the dry cleaners and then went to pick up (yet another) prescription for Jack. And, of course, our insurance didn't cover Jack's medicine, so I came home empty handed. Which is depressing since he needs something for this cough that he's got going on. And yes, I know that was just as boring as it sounds, but I've had this window open for HOURS now and I just can't take any more staring at this screen. There are grilled cheese sandwiches that need to be eaten.

Total Eclipse of the Heart

Well, I was going to embed this, but it's been disabled for this video. So, please, click here and enjoy the Literal Video Version of Total Eclipse of the Heart. It never fails to make me laugh. And I think we can all use a laugh today.

Idiocy, thy name is Cora

So! Guess who is a big stupid head? Go on! Guess!

If you said, "Cora!" then you're right! And infinitely smarter than I am!

So tonight, Alex, Jack and I went to the Olive Garden to eat dinner because we are nothing if not suckers for good carbs. And what better excuse to eat carbs than a half marathon. Am I right? The place was super crowded with other racers and I noticed some people were already wearing the t-shirt. I was surprised that they already had them, but I figured they were those over achiever types who like to check in to things early. I used to be that person until I became a mother. Now I just show up and hope things work out. (See: this morning when we breezed into Gymboree for a make up class and I had NO IDEA if we were at the right class until I got a good look at the sign in sheet.)

I started looking up information for where we needed to go in the morning while we were at the restaurant but my phone is super slow and Jack wasn't exactly being helpful, what with the walking away and insistence on sitting on the cold ground outside. So I gave up and figured I'd take care of everything once we got home.

We came home, after a quick trip to HEB to pick up milk and bananas for a good pre-race breakfast tomorrow morning, and for some reason that still remains a mystery to me, I cleaned the bathroom. Don't ask me why, but I thought I'd throw in that little tidbit to show that I'm growing as a person.

After the bathroom met my (admittedly, low) standards of clean, I got online to figure out all the race day stuff. There was a confirmation sheet that I needed to print, so I went ahead and printed that up and started looking at the different options for parking and drop off.

I grabbed the paper off of the printer and saw this:

NO RACE NUMBER PICK-UP ON RACE DAY

Yes, that's right. No race number pick-up on Race Day. Which is TOMORROW.

I FREAKED out and started clicking on links and going through the FAQ and sure enough, I was supposed to have already picked up my race packet. I needed to do it yesterday or today by 5 pm. I'm screwed.

I can't run the race, y'all. I CAN'T RUN THE RACE.

I can't find anything, anywhere that'll let me somehow magically pick up the race packet tomorrow. The FAQ's basically say, "Sorry! Hope you planned accordingly!"

I...can't believe it. Like, seriously? Months of training down the tube. (Not to mention the 90 dollar registration fee.) A life long goal. Done. Over. All gone. Gone! Because I didn't get the memo about the registration pick up.

According to the website, I should have gotten an e-mail about the race, which I most assuredly did not. And with the sickness from this week and the bad news of Friday, the LAST thing on my mind was checking into the race. It didn't even occur to me to look up registration info today because all along, I've assumed I could pick up my number tomorrow morning.

I am an idiot.

Sad

I just got some devastating news and really don't feel like posting anything, much less a fluffy, random post. I know this month is shaping up to be a month of cop out posts what with the sickness and all, but dude. I just can't post more than this today.

Half Marathon Update

So. About that half marathon.

Here's the thing. I'm still sick. I'm not throwing up or anything like that, but I'm still existing on saltines and chicken soup. Any time I try to throw in something else, I get nauseous. And sometimes, even my blessed saltines make me feel like crap. I can only drink Sprite without feeling worse. Gatorade is NOT an option and I'm okay if I sip water. I'm also still having...other gastrointestinal issues that I won't go into detail about. But I'm sure you can guess what often goes along with vomiting. Right?

It's not awful or anything, just really, really, really annoying. I think I'll be feeling better and then I do too much and BAM! I'm back on the couch regretting whatever it is I just tried.

So running? Not on my list of things to do.

And the half marathon? Is in 3 days.

I'm really disappointed. There is NO WAY I'm going to be able to run it. NO WAY. Granted, I was never going to smoke it or anything, but this? This isn't how I planned for it all to go down. I feel like a failure. Every time I think about the race, I get that awful "I've got a test that I haven't studied for" feeling. I am trying not to cry while I type this stupid entry. I was going to post about this last night, but couldn't bring myself to do it, so I posted about a baby monkey on a pig instead. (Baby monkey! Woo! Woo!) (Which, in all fairness, is way cuter and more entertaining than me (virtually) crying on your shoulder about my FAILURE.)

So I'm going to try and walk it. I'm hoping, hoping, hoping I'll be feeling well enough to walk without needing to take some *ahem* unpleasant bathroom breaks. If I'm feeling well enough, I'd love to try and jog a mile or two, but I honestly don't know how I'm going to feel on Sunday. (I assumed I'd be feeling fine today and that hasn't happened yet.)

I know it's not the end of the world. I know there will be other races. I know this is no big deal. But it's not shaping up on how I thought it would. And I'm disappointed more than I can describe. I feel like I'm letting myself down. And I feel like I'm letting YOU down since I've been forcing you to read about it for so long.

I'm sorry.

Some days you have stuff to say.

And some days you just have to post a video of a baby monkey riding on a pig. (Baby monkey!)

Misguided Reader

So far, no one has vomited today. Success! Jack and I still feel icky, so we're going to spend the day in our pajamas, eat pedialyte popsicles, and watch the Wonder Pets. (I realize I'm tempting fate my blogging about NOT vomiting, as Jack and I both puked after posting the last two days.)

Anyway, let's talk about something not as gross, shall we?

Earlier this year, I read The Hunger Games and would NOT shut up about it. Unfortunately, I knew no one in real life who had read it so I begged Alex to read it so I'd have someone to talk to about the book.

It should come as no shock to you that he never read the book.

I did, however, convince some friends to read it and they loved it as much as I did. I had so much fun on the cruise talking to them about the book, especially because they both finished it while we were on the boat. When I got home, I asked Alex once again to read the book because I was convinced he would love it. I'm not really sure why it was so important to me that he read the book as well, but it's something I haven't been able to let go.

(A part of me still thinks I can turn my husband into a reader.)

(Ha!)

(And also, HA!)

He promised to read it on the plane to and from his guys' weekend this past week. So I gave him my Kindle and sent him on his merry way.

Friday night, I texted him and asked if he started reading it. He said he was 30% through and it was pretty good. I was really excited that he was enjoying the book and figured he'd finish it early this week. And then...I'm not sure what? We'd sip tea and discuss the finer plot points? I don't know. Point is: I wanted him to finish the book already.

Last night, he told me he was 71% through the book and that it was "really starting to pick up." I looked at him funny because things don't really "pick up" in The Hunger Games. It's a pretty intense book from start to finish. And THEN he said something that had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the plot of The Hunger Games. In fact, what he said was a plot point of a YA vampire novel.

Me: You aren't reading The Hunger Games.

Him: Yes, I am!

Me: There are NO VAMPIRES in The Hunger Games.

Him: There aren't? Are you sure?

Me: You've been reading Misguided Angel, which is the fifth book in a silly vampire series.

Him: (taking the Kindle out) Oh.

Y'all, he read the wrong book. He read the WRONG book. HE READ THE WRONG BOOK.

I have spent months (MONTHS!) trying to get him to read this freaking book and he finally sits down and reads a BLUE BLOODS NOVEL instead.

And do you know what he said when we figured this out? "Thank goodness because it was NOT very good. I read Mrs. G's post today about it and was like...really? This isn't all that great."

OY.

Better but...

So I'm feeling much better today.

My kid? Not so much. He's puked twice now and I am PRAYING that he doesn't have what I did. Which is why you're getting lame-o blog post numero dos right now.

I'm sorry. I hope I can write about something non-vomit related tomorrow.

Misery

So sick. Typing this from bed. On my phone. Please say the puking is over.

The Winner

I know! I'm surprised too. I went to the store today, determined to buy the gray cardigan. The current votes were 3-2 in favor of the gray.

But then I tried the black one on again, so I could show my mom. And well...I had my doubts. The black one really is more flattering. And it's a tad bit dressier. And when it came down to it, I just LIKED it better.

So I decided that I should probably buy something that I liked. Even though it's not as versatile. I might totally regret this decision, but ah well. At least I have one cute cardigan, right? Plus, I am planning on using Phil's advice and stalking the gray one until it goes on super sale and get it too.

I'll try to remember to take a picture of me wearing it tomorrow so you can see how it looks with something cute.

Thanks for y'all's help! I should ALWAYS consult the internet on my clothing purchases!

7 Quick Takes - 11/5/10

1. My parents are here and Alex is out of town, so I'm using his computer. (My mom is borrowing my laptop.) It feels so weird and wrong to be sitting at a desk and using a normal keyboard.

2. We went to the zoo today. And we saw both a rhinoceros and an elephant pee. I could have gone MY ENTIRE LIFE without seeing that. It was a little traumatic. Hopefully wee little Jack won't be scarred for life.

3. In the last two weeks, I have seen a car with an Alaska license plate and one with a Hawaii plate. Isn't that bizarre? Also? How much does it cost to ship your car from Hawaii? Because I just ordered a copy of Jack's birth certificate and it was obnoxiously expensive. I can't imagine shipping a CAR.

4. With my parents here, we've been eating out a lot. So far we've had fried catfish and burgers from Five Guys. Clogged arteries, ahoy!

5. And my mom bought me an Icee today. I've been an on Icee ban in order to be healither (more on this in a bit), but I did get one a few weeks ago as a little post-cruise pick me up. Other than that, I've been Icee free for months. But my mom offered and I caved. After all, who doesn't want a free Dr. Pepper Icee?

6. So. This health thing. It's really frustrating. I haven't mentioned it much lately, probably because I could write a full post on it, but I haven't lost ANY WEIGHT. Despite the fact that I have been consistently working out and eating well for MONTHS. I mean, I could be eating EVEN healthier, but I've been pretty darn good. And nothing. NOTHING. I wanted to punch myself in the face the ENTIRE cruise because all the other girls were all so cute and skinny and I looked like a swollen marshmallow.

7. Thanks for the votes on the great Cardigan Debate of 2010. I think I'm going to go with the gray one. I'm taking my mom to Kohl's tomorrow to make the final decision. I'll be sure to let y'all know which one I purchase. I am sure you're all losing sleep over it and I promise the wait will be over tomorrow!

Back to the Past

First: My parents will be arriving here in about an hour and the house is already clean. I'm not sure how that happened. I guess I'm becoming more responsible?

Anyway.

Today's big trending hashtag on Twitter was #tweetyour16yearoldself.

A lot of them were funny. And it seemed like most people wanted to warn their younger selves away from making dumb mistakes. It took me a while to come up with something, but I eventually posted this:

You're really skinny, enjoy it. Put on some make up. OH, and it's best just to avoid the boys until you're 26.

Because, dude, I was quite skinny and had NO IDEA. I had no concept of how to dress myself, either. I also didn't wear make up AT ALL until I was well into my 20's. And sometimes I wish I had had more fun being pretty when I was younger. Or at least put some mascara on. I look back and think, what was I trying to accomplish? I guess I always felt like I was dressing up and someone would call me out for not being pretty enough for cute clothes or make up. And I KNOW I was terrified of being noticed. So I dressed in baggy clothes and stayed away from make up. Silly, silly, silly me.

I threw in the last sentence as a future life warning. Boys were a non-issue for me at sixteen, and this wasn't #tweetyour22yearoldself, but I figure if 16 year old me got that memo, then 22 year old me might not be such an idiot. I figure it couldn't hurt.

I thought about adding in that DC Talk is not the end all be all of music. And that getting those straight A's and that seal on your diploma? So not worth it. Take the half day your senior year instead!

What about you? Any advice you'd give your 16 year old self?

Help Me Buy a Cardigan

Internet! I need your help!

First of all, it is finally cold enough in Texas to wear sweaters. I suppose it was bound to happen at some point, so here we are. Sweater weather...at least in the morning. I actually didn't wear one yesterday because living in Ohio for seven years has hardened my exterior to the point that I don't feel cold until it is AT LEAST 40 degrees. It's...kind of awesome, actually.

Anyway. While I have a plethora of coats and hoodies, my cardigan collection is lacking. As in, I own maybe 2? 3 at the most. And I only like one of them. AND they are brown, which is fine and dandy, except brown doesn't go with everything.

Which means I am in need of a black or gray cardigan. I was originally set on getting a black one, but then I got to thinking that gray would be better because I could wear the gray with my black sweaters/t-shirts and not clash too much. I was hoping to find a dark gray cardi that would be dressy enough I could throw it on over some of my short sleeve dresses and wear it to church without looking like a moron.

I found myself at Kohl's this morning. (Yes, I FOUND myself there. Definitely didn't drive there with a purpose or anything.) I love Kohl's because all you have to do is wait and things will go on sale and then they will give you a coupon for even MORE off. I found two candidates that I think will work, but I can't decide which one. This is where you come in. I need some opinions on which one is better! I have to choose only one, so the answer "both" is not an option. (As much as I'd like it to be.)

First up, we have a black, open front cardigan from Apt. 9.



Cute, right? It's on sale for 25 bucks and is the style I was looking for. Here is a picture of me actually wearing it. (Please forgive my unwashed appearance, complete with day old, smudged mascara under my eyes.)


(I also just realized I look REALLY fat in this picture. When will I learn to stop pulling my chin into my neck? I don't really feel like cropping my face out of this picture, so believe when I say I don't weigh 300 pounds.)

Anyway, the cardigan is actually black, even though it looks navy blue in the picture.

Next up, we have this gray sweater from Elle. It's on sale for 30 bucks.



Again, open front. But this one is much longer in the back and has a little bit more complicated front. Here I am modeling it in the store:



Blurry, but you get the point.

I feel as though the gray looks more flattering in the pictures, but I think that's because I didn't have it pulled over mah boobs, which are large-ish. (TMI! Welcome male readers that are not my husband!) In real life, I felt as though the black was a bit more flattering. HOWEVER, the gray one looked just fine and it might be more versatile? If the gray one had been darker, then I think I would just go for it. But it's lighter shade (and higher price...5 whole dollars!) are giving me pause.

So what do you think? Gray or black? Help a sister out!

Doughnuts!

So. I went to bed at 6:30 last night. Mostly because I just couldn't stay awake anymore. I was so exhausted, that Alex laughed at me when I claimed I was only gong to lay down "for a little bit."

I got up at 5 am this morning. And I was INCREDIBLY productive from 5 to 8 am. Like, AMAZINGLY productive. Maybe this is what I need to do every night? Get a ton of sleep and then do a lot in the wee hours of the morning when my two boys are still sleeping? Maybe. But I doubt it'll happen.

Of course, I'm really tired right now at 4 pm, so my current goal is to try and make it until AT LEAST 8 pm this evening. Progress!

In other news, I brought doughnuts to my MOPS group this morning. (I wasn't being NICE or anything, by the way. It was my table's turn to provide breakfast for the whole group.) I went to Shipley's Donuts for 2 dozen doughnuts and my word, they are DELICIOUS. The problem is that only 18 were eaten at the meeting. Which means I took 6 home. Which means there are only 4 left. Because I ate not one, but TWO (2!) for lunch. I have no self control people. NONE.

Also, I managed to not do a single housework-related chore the entire time the baby napped. Which was for THREE HOURS. I am the least successful housewife OF ALL TIME.

NaBloPoMo is here!

It's November 1st, which means it's time for NaBloPoMo again! Frankly, I can barely believe that it's November ALREADY, but the calendar tells me it is so and the calendar does not lie.

So prepare yourselves for the very best in mediocre blogging for the next 30 days. Woo! Hoo!