Time, stress, cash, and new wheels

Check it out.



This is what has been making me - us - crazy for the last couple of weeks.

But it's pretty.



It all started on February 15, the day after Valentine's Day. It was Gary's first Friday off on the new 9/80 schedule. I blame his vanity - if he had not insisted on getting his hair cut at that particular time, he would never have encountered the residual boulder of concrete, a remnant of road construction near us. The car in front of him straddled it - with no shoulder and oncoming traffic, he was forced to do the same.

But our poor little VW Jetta could not handle it - the oil pan was taken out, and to make a long story short, this incident spelled disaster for the Jetta. We called the insurance agent, and the highly qualified receptionist informed us that it would have to be covered under comprehensive, something we do not carry on a 9-year-old car. Sigh.

We knew we'd be buying a new car eventually. But we had a plan. The plan was to buy a car when we were ready to hand the Jetta to the 16-year-old. We had considered it for this year, but decided we'd wait a bit - no need to spend the money right away.

All of these plans changed in a flash. As did all our spare time - not to mention our spare cash. Every minute we could spare was spent looking at cars. This is Gary's car (I get to drive the fancy minivan), so I let him call the shots. He looked at Audis and Toyotas, Volvos and Fords, Mercedes C Class. And kept returning to the Audi. The combination of German engineering and price drew him back - German engineering is available in the Mercedes, but it was tough to justify spending the money - our first house cost only slightly more than what we would spend on a car. We grappled with this issue when we bought our van two years ago - it truly did cost barely less than that first house. Wow.



So we finally made the call. We looked at one Audi on Friday and had decided to get it. Returned Saturday, and they refused to negotiate on price - at all. So we walked. And one of the upsides of living in Houston is the preponderance of car dealers - we visited a different Audi dealership and found the car we wanted at a better price.

Gary conveniently left town, leaving me to handle the final negotiations. Gulp - I am not good at these things. But I did it, and we are the proud owners of a brand new Audi A4. It is beautiful ... and it's mine! As he is not here and couldn't sign anything, it's all in my name. But if he's really good I'll let him drive it. Maybe.

Oh - and it gets better. We called the insurance agent back, and we can file a claim. The Jetta will be repaired, so Alison gets her car after all.

Sweet. Life is sweet.



Sweet.

My slow day

Today, I did exactly as I pleased.

I did not tidy up (beyond the bare minimum - even though I needed to). I did not take the car in. Nor did I grocery shop.

Instead, I did as I pleased.

Today was the first day for what feels like a while that I've had any time to myself. Due to any number of issues/challenges/problems around here, I've been busy with other matters. So today, I scheduled some down time.

I threw in a trip to Target - just because I felt like it. I as all set to have some fun, but there wasn't really any to be had. So I picked up shampoo for my husband and batteries for the Nintendo.

I even treated the girls to a shopping trip this weekend and came out empty-handed. The girls all found a little something, but I'm waiting ... not sure what for, but I didn't do any buying. Not even from the sale racks.

I voted early, so I have not been to the polls today. But I will go later tonight and participate in the Texas Two-Step, the convoluted process whereby we vote and caucus. Don't ask me how it all works - this process defies explanation. I know only that I am to turn up - something my many e-mails and phone calls each are reminding me. I tell you what, one donation to a candidate and they think you're theirs for life ... and I'm beginning to think they're only calling me because they want my vote ... it's all a little disillusioning - !

Gary is gone this week, so I am on my own, dealing with the many hassles that are our life. It is so crazy around here that he sent me a lengthy e-mail from the airport, detailing a bunch of details with which we have to contend - stuff we had discussed, but he included some after-thoughts so I could take care of all this nonsense while he's gone.

Sigh.

Spring break happens soon. Which means vacation. Which means time away. I am so ready.

Friday. At last.

There are few things more jolting than being woken up in the night with a sick child. Equally disturbing are middle of the night phone calls.

Yesterday our phone rang just shy of 5 a.m. Gary answered (it's on his side of the bed), and I could hear the voice - our daughter. It took me about half a second to figure out that she was sick. And she was calling to alert us.

To be fair, she was in a lot of distress with a very painful upset stomach. But this a new one for me - and one my parents never had to deal with. 21st-century parenting, indeed.

*****

One month, I actually posted a blog entry every day. Looking back, I have no idea how. Some days, I have just way too much going on to sit at the computer and ruminate on the ups and downs of life. Other days, I have the time, but there's no way I am sharing thoughts either that mundane or that harrowing. It's best to keep some things to myself.

This week has been a combination of the two. But it's Friday, so I am welcoming a respite, however brief, from some of life's stresses.

*****

We watched American Idol last night, pausing the program half-way through so I could read to Sylvia, then skip the commercials. So we were down to the final two men when the show switched off - I had set the DVR to record "Lost," also in HD, and the machine can only handle one HD input. All I could do was laugh, but the girls were not quite as amused. Not a big deal - eventually you'll find out who got booted off.

(I looked and found out right away - it was Robbie. But I would have booted Luke - just my opinion.)

*****

We have come up with nicknames for our favorite - or not - AI contestants. There's Dreads (Jason Castro), Kid (David Archuleta), Cheater Girl (Kristy Lee Cook). Makes it fun. And boy did Kid earn his name - he cried like a baby when they got rid of Alexandrea. Grow up folks - you know this was part of the gig when you signed on! It made us laugh ... is it really so bad to watch AI with a bit of schadenfreude?

*****

So we're chatting last night after dinner when Gary announces, enthusiastically, Great news! We all turn and listen and he stuns us with this announcement: He got an e-mail from his airline, and he's been upgraded to First Class for his business trip this week.

This was his great news? Hmmm. My expectations for this sort of bulletin have been drastically lowered, that's all I know.

*****

It is a lovely last day of February/first day of March here in the Lone Star State. I am celebrating by wearing sandals. Which meant I had to paint my toenails - have not been for a pedicure yet. So I chose a color that won't show how dreadfully uncoordinated I am at toenail-painting. I know, how hard can it be? Terribly, once you're relied on the manicurist to do it for so long.

*****

Let the weekend begin.

The excitement builds

It's busy around here. I say that every week; every week it is true.

I never even blogged about going to see Obama - that is how my days are. It was akin to attending a rock concert - that level of excitement. The warm-up band was playing music by Kool and the Gang, Aretha Franklin, Gloria Gaynor, Earth, Wind & Fire. It struck me that should he be elected, it will be a much funkier White House.

He came out late - naturally - and they kept schlepping out volunteers to get us fired up! Ready to go! It felt like a high school pep rally. And I wasn't going to waste my "Fired Up! Ready to go!" on campaign volunteers. Especially as it was approaching 8.45 p.m., and I had kids who needed to either hear a candidate or go to bed.

He made it around 8.45. And he does not disappoint. Obama is very charismatic, an excellent speaker. Peter Sagel on Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me said that his rallies have been likened to religious revivals ... except that at revivals, Jesus himself does not actually make an appearance (!)

His speech was great - like a proper politician, he promised everyone, everything. The energy was very contagious, and it was tough not to be swept up in the frenzy. Even though we left early - by 9.15 the girls were exhausted, and we figured it was better to beat a bit of the crowd (the Toyota Center holds 19,000 people - good call).

I'm not sure I'm totally on board with Obama. I like him - what's not to like? - but I'm not completely swayed. I do think he has not been vetted, and I agree that the media are throwing him some softballs. A lot remains to be seen - he cannot keep up the dazzle factor forever.

Though let's face it: John McCain is too old. He would be 71 when elected, and being president ages those in office. He spent five years as a POW; life has not been easy for him. While I respect a lot of what he has done (though a little less over the last two years as he has been shamelessly pandering for president), he is just too old.

And I'm not even sure where I stand - I am very torn. But I think it's a good dilemma.

The point of this post is to show just how people are feeling about this election. Early voting totals here in Texas are staggering. As of yesterday, these are the numbers for Harris County (the biggest county in Texas):

Democrats: 95,940
Republicans: 29,330

Totals for 2004 and 2006 don't even come close.

People are energized. Let's hope the momentum lasts through November.

Texas is Hill-Country!

Guess where we went last night?

We went to the IBEW Local Union 716 to see her - Madame President! Hillary was in town.

It's our second outing this week - we saw Obama Tuesday night (and I haven't even had a chance to blog about it - suffice it to say, it was very cool).

This is the first time the primary in Texas has mattered since 1976. So Obama and Clinton are both working hard to win votes. We have seen an ad blitz, and they are all over the state. Bill and Chelsea were here last week; Michelle Obama will be here tomorrow night.

And frankly, I am loving it. I like seeing the commercials, getting the attention. I like the visits. I am enjoying being wooed.

So last night, we let Camp Hillary woo us. Though it was sort of last-minute and disorganized - first e-mail said at some hotel; an hour or two later, new e-mail - CORRECTION! CHANGE OF LOCATION! There was some bickering/disorganization in the party, among local organizers.

We ended up at the union hall, which is not very big. We went early, after the Obama gathering; he filled the 19,000-seat Toyota Center, with people waiting three to four hours to get in. We weren't taking any chances.

And we even remembered the camera.

We waited in line for a l-o-n-g time, more than two hours. But there is a lot of energy at these things. And since you're among your people, it's fun to visit with the others in line. I figured out pretty quickly that the Latinas are definitely for Hillary. And, as our newest friends assured us, she has the Gay and Lesbian vote (well ... at least two gay and two lesbian votes - !)

They gave out signs - yay! I snagged one!



Finally, they opened the doors - more than an hour late, but that's pretty typical for these events. I was relieved to just get in - the place was not that big, and the line was huge. At least 1,000 people did not make it inside. It was SRO by the time we got in, but I didn't mind - we weren't very far from the front.

She's here! She's here! Finally, at 9.40 p.m., she made her appearance. We were very close - can you see her? (Look just under the blue sign, lower RH corner - yep, that's her face.)



She is a great speaker - it was very exciting. She's a bit blurry here, but you get the idea.



And, as if it weren't exciting enough to see Hillary, look who she brought - it's Chelsea! She must be exhausted. But she looked lovely.



Hillary even hung around and signed some autographs. If I'd thought about it, I would have grabbed my copy of It Takes a Village. But it never occurred to me that we would be that close. I tried to get my sign up there, but I just wasn't able to get close enough. That's Mr. Secret Agent Man looking stern behind her.



We didn't get to shake Hillary's hand, but look! We got to chat with Chelsea! She was extremely gracious, and actually did chat with people. I thanked her for her hard work to put a woman in the White House, told her I wanted my daughters to see a woman president. "Me, too," she answered. And posed for a photo. Signed an autograph, too.



(The freaky stalker guy in the background? My husband.)

Fun, fun time. My feet were killing me - I wore nice shoes to see her, and we stood for more than four hours, so I was beat. But it was worth it. We watched outside as we were leaving - we could see the cars lined up - but finally decided to just leave. But as we pulled out of the lot, the police cars stopped us, and we got a great view of the motorcade - her windows were not tinted, and with that red jacket we could see her. Very exciting.

We chilled at Joe's Crab Shack afterwards - it was nearly 11 and it was the only place we could think of that might be open. So we ate shrimp and chilled, basking in the glow of meeting the next president.

There really is an electricity in the air this primary season. I'm feeling lucky to be part of it.

It's Not Easy Being Green

What a corny title - what can I say? I have no excuse.

I have always considered myself environmentally aware. But this year I am making a real effort to Go Green. After working on getting curbside recycling in the subdivision, I started thinking about what else we could do to save the planet. Carbon emissions are increasing; the glaciers are shrinking.

And we live in a 4,000 sf house. With a swimming pool we run all year long. Not to mention the fact that we live in suburban hell, thus I am required to drive everywhere - we are not in a pedestrian-friendly environment.

But we can still make an effort. So, in light of the state of the planet, these are among our lifestyle changes:

• Plastic bags: I have not gotten plastic bags at the grocery store for months. Living in Germany, you learn to take your own bags. They are not automatically provided - you have to bring your own or buy them - a practice IKEA has adopted here. So I have a collection of canvas bags. They are starting to look somewhat worse for the wear, and I have found the new bags available at Target, Randall's and HEB to be far superior - they are made of some sort of post-consumer product, they are big, and very sturdy. I am a convert. But you have to educate baggers here - they look at me as if I am some sort of subversive when I hand them my pile of bags. They want to put the plastic bags inside my bags (um, sort of defeats the purpose). Or I really inspire the looks when - even more radical - I do not take a bag at all when I have purchased one small item. But it's worth it - I have not brought a bag into this house for at least three months. Score: 10/10

• Recycling: We are dutifully collecting our recycling and hauling it 16.82 miles each way to the Westpark Recycling Center. Bad news: Long drive, so we are burning fossil fuels to get there. Good news: We don't go very often. And they accept tin cans, plastic, aluminum, glass, and batteries. And you don't have to sort. And, since aluminum is infinitely recyclable, I'm going to give us extra credit for this one, despite the burning of gasoline. Score: 7/10

• Light bulbs: I was adamantly against the fluorescent bulbs - that light is so unflattering. But I am giving in, as I can see the long-term benefits. I can suffer through some strange lighting tints if it means my children will see snow-topped mountains. And we haven't yet replaced them all (though Gary found some great bulbs for the recessed lighting in the kitchen, and it really isn't bad - very bright). Score: 7/10

• Reduce/Reuse/Recycle: I collect everything I can - junk mail, catalogs, scrap paper, all plastics. We wash full loads of laundry (OK, not a real challenge when you have a family of five). I buy as little packaging as possible. I even wash out ziploc bags - how's that for commitment? The means, sometimes, do justify the ends. 9/10

• Carpooling: Gary carpools to work. Yes, it saves gas. Also saves time - they can use the HOV lane and be home in 30 minutes, rather than idling on the road for more than an hour. 10/10

• Meat: The best thing you can do for the environment? Stop eating meat. The raising of meat, particularly beef, uses up an incredible amount of resources, from the feeding and rearing of cattle to the transport. Not to mention the scandal in the meat-packing industry last week - that alone is enough to turn your stomach. So I've made an effort to cut way back on the red meat. We purchase very little, though I did buy some sausage this week. But I learned that ground turkey works very well for recipes that call for ground beef - well enough that no one around here even noticed. Score: 5/10

• Freecycle: I am a member of our local freecycle group. Anything you don't want, are hesitant to throw away, or need hauled off, you can just post to freecycle. Trust me, someone will come and get it. If you throw it all in a box, mention the two good things, and insist that someone take all, you'll get a dozen responses. I can't guarantee that none of it gets thrown away, but most of it gets re-used. And I don't have to do the hauling. 10/10.

If you add in the number of times I run around turning off lights, radios, and ceiling fans in empty rooms, we are making our own little dent. Don't look for me to appear in hemp shoes or buy all my clothes at the re-sale shop. But it's the least I can do - we'll just consider it a gift to my grandchildren.

Here and Now

The Easter candy is out. Full force. The aisles of the supermarket were full of pastel-colored bags, full of pastel-colored, foil-wrapped goodies.

(And who wants Hershey kisses with coconut? Yuck.)

I passed them all by. First of all, I am not eating that kind of stuff right now - I am viewing it all as toxins. And secondly, but probably more importantly, I am not ready. It's only February - Easter is not here yet.

Thich Nhat Hanh encourages living in the present moment, an acceptance of the here and the now. This is something I'm working on, striving for. Rather than constantly anticipating what should happen or what awaits - Christmas, vacation, promotion - he believes in appreciating the peace and beauty that are available now.

There are critics - some argue that these teachings do not encourage working against injustice. And, for me, I find that it can be too easy to get caught in only the present, ignoring any plans or preparation that is needed for the future.

None the less, I am trying to be more mindful of the present, concerning myself less with worrying about what the future holds.

Helps keep my mind off the drama around here - of which there is plenty. Life with three kids - this is how it is. Time to just take a deep breath, concentrate on inner peace, and let the beauty of the moment wash over me.

Deep breath. There is much in this moment for which I am grateful.

“Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

In other mundane news ...

So. This morning I decided to add a splash of interest to the sweater and slacks I was wearing. I chose a scarf as an accessory.

God. I am officially old. I guess a brooch might have been worse. But come to think of it, I have one that might have looked good with the outfit.

Yesterday I saw a woman walking down my street, her head covered with a nylon head scarf. Remember those? My mother used to wear them. Though what I really remember her using it for was when she had her hair in rollers mid-day, when my parents were going out that evening. These are the pre-curling iron days, and I guess you had to know at noon how you wanted your hair to turn out at 7.

For the record, I do not wear those. Nor do I wear plastic rain bonnets. Though maybe they are a good idea, after all.

*****

Apparently, the American Idol contestants were only given a handful of song options for Hollywood week. They could sing "Sway," "Everything I Do" (dreadful, dreadful song by Bryan Adams, for whom I lost all respect), "When I Need You" (I have bad memories of hearing this on the radio ALL the time - and where is Leo Sayer, anyway?), or "Love The One You're With." All the contestants seemed to perform these same songs. And with the exception of "Sway," I didn't really care to hear any of them.

The show has been over for more than an hour, and I am still having unpleasant flashbacks.

*****

Please let tomorrow be a headache free day. Pleeeaase.

*****

I live among people who like to complain - that much has been established. But really - this morning - and it is February - people out at the bus stop were bundled up, whining about the cold, planning their day so that they could avoid the weather. It was in the high 30s; it got up into the high 50s or low 60s today. These are clearly not hearty folks; a day in Minnesota would about kill them.

*****

A Beagle won the Westminster dog show. First time ever.

It wasn't our dog. She was not even in the running. Just felt the need to clarify, in case you were wondering. Zoe is not the award-winning type. She did win a blue ribbon at the 4-H show. Once. And even after she snapped at the judge. But it was a fluke.

New Colbert Report tonight. It's been a long dry spell - I can hardly wait!

1.57 a.m. and all is not well

I am not at my best at 2 a.m.

But when I hear the words, "Mommy, I threw up," I do my best.

The first thought that springs into my barely awake mind: I hope she's OK.

Second thought: Wow - it is the middle of the night. And I am too tired to think straight.

Third thought: Oh, please please please, tell you made it to the bathroom.

She did. Thank goodness. Which meant all I had to do was get her settled back in bad. She brushed her teeth, I got a pan to put next to the bed. Just in case.

I returned to bed. Where I lay awake for what felt like hours. I know it was until at least 3 - I glanced at the clock. I composed e-mails in my head, made mental notes of things I need to do. But I didn't ever sleep well.

So this morning was slow. I let her sleep, but she decided at 9 that she felt better and wanted to go to school - she was disappointed that she no longer has perfect attendance. Me? I'd love an extra day off. She was my excuse to hang out, watch movies all day.

My own mother never, ever let on that she was tired or frustrated or even slightly weary when I would wake her up in the middle of the night. She would change the sheets without a word of complaint. I try to live up to this example.

Today, she's all better. She is skipping soccer practice - under the circumstances, this was my recommendation. But she can go to Brownies.

I'm just glad it's nothing serious. And I'm hoping for a better night's sleep tonight.

Catch up. Get ready.

I grocery shopped today.

This is noteworthy because I really hate shopping for groceries. I like buying clothes, gifts, books, music, shoes, furniture. I love a trip to the hardware store, and I quite enjoy a run to Target. But groceries? The worst.

Yet, oddly enough, I like to eat. However, I enjoy eating more when someone else does the cooking.

That said, I'm really not a bad cook. I love having people over, love baking, and enjoy using all the accoutrements required for cooking, serving, and entertaining. It's the fixing-dinner-every-evening thing that I hate. And the weekly shopping. It's one of those tasks that is just never done.

But I did it. So now I'm off the hook - for a week, anyway. Or, if Gary goes out of town, even longer ...

*****

Fun weekend. So to speak - we're not usually that exciting. Went to a party Thursday night, met the local candidate for Congress, chatted with friends. Sylvia's teacher showed up, which was a nice surprise - we love her. She and I, we're like best friends now - we're tight.

Then Friday, we found ourselves alone - this is happening more and more often lately. Alison had a school dance (she looked beautiful - she does have a knack for choosing great formals) and Maddie babysat, while Sylvia went to a friend's. So we went out to dinner at our local sushi joint, then down to River Oaks to see The Savages. I liked it - it wasn't great, but it was good. And I liked both Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Then Saturday night - after a fun-filled day of soccer and garage organizing - we took Sylvia and Maddie out for Cajun food (Alison was babysitting) then came home, Wii'd, and watched La Vie en Rose. The first several minutes were confusing, to say the least. Then it dawned on me: Language selection - we do not really need to watch the entire film en Francais. Good thing - I actually thought my French was pretty good (good enough, anyway, to pass the foreign language requirement in grad school, though that was reading - but I had to read Simone de Beauvoir, which I would not categorize as easy). And it certainly seemed that way while I was learning German, when every word came out in French, but watching this, I caught about every 53rd word. Which does not make for a coherent story. But I could not seem to get the subtitles to work. Switched back to the movie, and while I could figure out the major themes ("Take her!" "No, I won't!" "Come back!" "Titine, please!") some of the subtleties were lost on me. When Alison got home I had her try, and sadly, she is just as technologically inept as we are. Then suddenly the lightbulb went on: There is a button on the remote that turns on the subtitles. We were in business.

For the record: Not a great movie. It was OK - especially visually - but not great. It sort of jumped around and you had to look closely at her hairstyle to guess what year it was. And I was concerned til the very end about a very significant part of her life that had been eliminated. Then, suddenly, there it was at the end - an intentional plot device. I was shocked that they had overlooked it ... but of course, they had not. But wow - that Marion Cotillard was amazing. She gave a fantastic performance, and she even looked like Piaf. If you're a Piaf fan (and I confess, I find her mesmerizing), then you'll like this. If you don't like or, or don't care, I'd recommend a pass - you won't be impressed.

*****

I freecycled a bunch of stuff. Old clothes, kids' stuff. Do not EVER tell my husband this, but I have way too many clothes. And shoes. My closet is too full (and I have a huge closet). But I feel better now that I've weeded some of it out.

*****

I lay awake last night, woke up frequently, worried about how I was going to manage being three places at the same time. And each time I had to remind myself: That is for Tuesday evening - tonight is just Monday! I hate those evenings when I toss and turn, my mind too full to sleep. Now that I've lost sleep a day too early, let's hope that tonight is easier. Everyone will get where they need to be, one way or another.

*****

The writers' strike is nearly over - yay! I am in solidarity with the writers (naturally). Peter is not - he is management, he reminds me. Keep remembering that when you're watching re-runs there, Peter. Even American Experience is a re-run tonight. Thank goodness for Law & Order repeats - even if I've seen them, they always feel new. And Alison was kind enough to pick up a book for me: Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras. Nothing like British teenage lit to turn me on. I can crank up the deservedly Grammy-winning Amy Winehouse (loving her!) and take it easy.

Oh yes. Life is good.

The Best - and Worst - of the Blog

When I was kid, I remember complaining that I was bored. My dad looked at me, somewhat incredulously, and told me he was never bored. In fact, he said, he could use an extra hour every day.

I was stunned - I honestly could not fathom what I do with an entire hour more each and every day.

Fast-forward. I want my extra hour. Or extra day. Whatever I can get, I'll take.

But to be honest, that's not the only thing that keeps me away from blogging. Lack of desire, some days, does it. Other days, I prefer to be just a consumer of blogs. And still other days, I run across blog entries that are so self-serving, so self-righteous, that I think I cannot possibly, for one more minute, contribute to the blogging world.

Today, apparently, I am, once again, feeling self-important. Because here it is, not even 8 a.m., and I'm at the computer. And to be honest, I have no topic in mind.

I could write about Houstonfest this weekend (high school German competition) - had a post all prepared in my head about how academics deserve more recognition, about how when I was in high school we were not permitted to participate in math relays held at the university campus that my school was part of, though we would never, ever have missed a track meet, a basketball tournament. But it hardly seemed getting too worked up about.

(For the record, Alison did very well, placing fifth in extemporaneous speaking and first in poetry. The school placed fourth. She was only eligible in a handful of categories, as she is considered an "advantaged" speaker, even though she really only met one of five or six criteria. She's going to state in both events, and she could not be more excited. Though she did not request my help as a chaperon ... which is OK. You can't watch any of the actual competition, so it's just as well that I stay home. Hanging out in hallways supervising kids is not my No. 1 way to spend a Saturday, and I did my duty over the weekend.)

I could pontificate on Super Tuesday, on upcoming primaries. Texas will really count - yay! A debate has been scheduled here for the Democrats, and the GOP is working on one, too - I anticipate visits from everyone in the days leading up to March 4 (I've heard the talk of a big Obama rally, but nothing definite for anyone else ... that will change). But my views are only mine. And while I know others agree with me, it can sound boring to ramble on and on about my political views. They're mine, and I value them highly. But others are not obligated to listen to what I have to say..

And people like to, for whatever reason, feel that they are somehow above the fray, saying that the candidates who are running for president do not inspire them, the media coverage is too intrusive, the campaign too long.

People said the same thing in 1960, that neither candidate did anything for them. I wonder who this dream candidate is, the one who would solve all our problems and inspire people to become part of the political process, all without negative ads and with just the right blend of charisma and talent. We end up with mere humans running. None of them is perfect, but I will give credit to anyone who tries to make a difference - Mike Gravel, Tom Villsack, and Duncan Hunter included.

And frankly, this year, the candidates have as much experience as any other year - we have former governors and senators among them. Just what is you people want, anyway?

And these comments are surprisingly upbeat from a cynic like me, let me tell you. Plus, I take offense at the media coverage jabs - I still consider myself part of the media, and I can tell you, most newspapers and TV stations offer exactly what the public wants. Look at the ratings. Personally, I love political coverage - I love to sit and watch election returns, listen to the speculation, the possible scenarios. In 2004, I loved that interactive map from the LA Times that showed what would happen depending on who won which state - I loved to change the states from red to blue, seeing how many states would be needed if my candidate did win Florida, or Ohio, or New Mexico. Fun stuff - on election night I was all set up on the sofa, laptop at my side, ready to play along with the live coverage.

But that's just me. And I never claimed to be normal. (Though I'm guessing Pete would understand.)

I could share the outrageous saga of the Harris County DA. I could write about what my girls are up to. I could blog about lots of little things I find entertaining, or amusing, or annoying.

Not in the mood. But by tomorrow I can share about another party, if you're interested. Or something new will have me inspired.

So, essentially, I have invested the last several minutes writing about nothing. Talk about self-absorbed ... blogging at its best.

Super Tuesday, Super Busy

I am swamped. As in, so busy I can't see straight.

But tomorrow, it will be over.

I did find time to attend a Super Tuesday party. Very fun. Very, very fun. Lots of cool people. Along with good pizza. And wine.

Now, back to the grindstone. But I'll have CNN on in the background. California results may have to wait until morning. I'm leaving the house early to attend breakfast at the middle school. Celebrating my child's academic accomplishments.

Maybe in the afternoon I can crash. Before I head out to soccer practice. Life with three kids ... I brought this on myself ... must remember that ... this is all of my own doing ...

Nothing quite as fun as a debate

I tuned in to watch the big debate last night - the first Democratic debate with only the two front-runners, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

It was fantastic! First of all, they got along famously - not a word of bickering between the two. It was quite the harmonious get-together. Sure, they disagreed, but they were so accommodating, it was just a civilized discussion, with each of them conceding points to the other ("Of course, you said that weeks ago..." "Naturally, it is a difficult decision ...").

And there were lots of good answers, on everything from health care to taxes to immigration.

But mostly it was fun because Pete and I texted back and forth during the entire event, noting worthy comments, picking out the celebrities in the audience, and discussion on other tangential subjects (Barack Obama's look, which led to Michelle Obama, which led to the hair flip - Pete likes, I hate - which led to Gloria Vanderbilt's common hair style, which led to Anderson Cooper and speculation on whether or not AC is single, whom he might be seeing, and what Pete's source is for that information).

But we were totally tuned in to the debate - trust me.

I have to say, it's the most I have enjoyed a debate this year - and I have watched several this year. When do the GOP candidates meet again? Peter, it's a date!

Ever Feel Like You Just Can't Get Caught UP?

I think I can pinpoint just why I can't get anything done. I have three children, and I'm thinking there's a direct causal relationship.

I mean, they're great kids. But.

This week, in some ways, I've been right on top of things. Mailed off my passport renewal (including a photo that is nearly glamorous - for a passport photo). The office offered to do it for me ... for an additional fee of $35. For that, I figured I could stick all the forms in the envelope myself, thankyouverymuch. Laundry is folded. Wrote some actual letters (read: not e-mails) and put them in the post. Tidied up downstairs. Read an entire book to Sylvia. Grocery shopped. Collected and totaled the Girl Scout cookie orders.

Finished the first tacky novel. It was ... OK. But I didn't have high expectations. It wasn't Shakespeare. Or Fitzgerald. Or even Margaret Atwood (whom I like, by the way).

And those are just the high spots. Keep in mind that I'm doing it alone this week (I know - what else is new?)

So tonight, I can just settle back and enjoy the debate. And Lost. And not feel guilty about not folding laundry or putting things away. Because I already did!

Let's see how long this productive streak lasts ... maybe I'll make it all the way through tomorrow!

Evening meetings and junk reading

It's only Tuesday. The week feels long.

I have two evening meetings this week. I hatehatehate evening meetings. There was a time, about five years ago or so, that I averaged three, maybe four, meetings a week. I did it. And I often hauled my kids with me, because Gary was traveling and I really hated, in principle, to pay for a sitter when I was volunteering. I would set them up in the nursery/child care space, and the girls would watch a movie, play games, do homework.

The girls are older now, so they can stay home. But I'm not sure whether it's really easier - now I worry about whether homework is getting done, rooms tidied, baths taken, Sylvia put to bed on time.

Tonight's meeting was not long - only an hour and 15 minutes. But so much of what was discussed did not feel important. If there's one thing I can't stand it's a meeting that is not run efficiently. Yes, there was an agenda, but it was not followed.

I have another meeting tomorrow night. With luck, I will have to pick up Alison, so I can cut out early if need be. Let's hope it's run better than tonight.

I like to help out; I like to do my part. But I'm just too used to my evening routine of staying put. Plus I checked our four (count 'em, 4) really trashy novels from the library. I should do better, but I have to alternate my reading selections. A little Faulkner, a little McEwen, a little Shopaholic. It's like junk food: A little is OK, but too much will make you ill.

But right now, I'm craving some tacky literature. I am going to indulge. Guilt-free. Because as bad as it is, it's totally worth it some days.

Funny to me, anyway

Two funny stories.

But first: I've written about this before, but wow, one of the things I love most about being a parent is reading with my girls. I love to re-read books I loved as a child, and I love to discover new books with them. (This is part of the reason home schooling does not appeal to me - we get introduced to things which are beyond my ken.) The last 24 hours, Sylvia and I have spent every spare minute reading Blubber by Judy Blume. She is one of my favorite children's authors, and the girls love her, too. And boy is that book ripe for discussion. We had some mean kids when I was in school, but even the meanest (whom I remember well) was no match for the girls in that book.

Now, on to the funny stories.

No. 1: I went to the theatre a couple weeks ago with my friend, N, and her friend, H. H asked N a question, prefacing it with, "Since you are a woman of a certain age ..." N is over 50. She was not offended, but somehow H thought she should point out that she is 35. Naturally they looked at me, and I said I'm 41. N was completely surprised - "Really?" she said. "I thought you were just a young thing." Which I thought about for a second, then said, "But you know I have a daughter who is 16; how old did you really think I am?" To which H replied: "She thought you were a teen pregnancy success story."

No. 2: Gary and I went to the theatre last week (it is really just coincidental that both of these stories precede theatre outings). Maddie helped me get ready to go, and she brought me a pair of earrings. "No," I said, "I think I'll go fancier - it's after 5, so I'll go with the diamond earrings." "And the bracelet?" Maddie asked, volunteering to get them for me. When she returned, she said: "Here are your best friends!" It took me a second ... what a funny kid.

Maybe not a teen pregnancy, but a success story for sure!

Accepting that time is passing ...

I got our piano tuned. The girls are currently not taking lessons (though I keep encouraging them to take it up again - I can't deal with forcing them), so it doesn't really get played. But Maddie wanted me to practice her solo/ensemble piece with her. And I couldn't very well play the accompaniment on an out-of-tune instrument.

It's been to play a bit - I've hauled out all the old sheet music and had some fun. I've worked on the piece to play with Maddie, something by Handel. Basically, it's a bunch of chords. And I'm struggling. My public performance days are over. If they ever existed.

Though I played accompaniment for Alison a few years ago, and she got a 1. I warned the judge before she started to not listen too closely to me (!)

Last night we got dinner at a new little Cajun place. Yum. Then caught Michael Clayton, which is back in theatres. (And learned that movies at Rave are always cheap - it was not a fluke last time.) It was good, though not great. So now we have seen all the Academy Award-nominated films. For the first time since ... well, ever, I'm thinking. I'm trying to decide which one I would choose, then which one the Academy will choose. I am usually very bad at predicting. Gary, on the other hand, is very good; two years ago, he guessed every major category correctly.

Gary will be traveling this week, so I'll be single parenting. On the downside, I'll have no adult conversation at night before bed. On the upside, no fixing dinner every night. I'll be an optimist and look forward to my lack of time in the kitchen.

The plot thickens

Barack Obama won the South Carolina primary. Exit polls indicate that he won the majority of the black vote - overwhelmingly so. Polls also indicate that voters in South Carolina believe that the United States is ready for either a black president or a woman president.

Caroline Kennedy is endorsing Obama; her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., endorsed Clinton. Dennis Kucinich is out; John Edwards is still in. Michael Bloomberg is said to be mulling a third-party bid (read a history text, Bloomberg - you can't win). Fred Thompson is out, and I expect Giuliani to drop out soon - even his own hometown newspaper not only did not endorse him, but said:

"The Rudolph Giuliani of 2008 first shamelessly turned the horror of 9/11 into a lucrative business, with a secret client list, then exploited his city's and the country's nightmare to promote his presidential campaign." It describes Giuliani as "a narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man."

Ouch. This is getting good - nearly as fun to watch as American Idol.

Rough day

It was a tough one today.

First, it's cold. I know, compared to the Midwest, it is, in fact, not cold. But it's all relative. So, for me, it was cold today. Brrr. And you have to remember that we sort of purged the winter coats upon moving here (as if they would fit the girls anymore, anyway). Chilly - the fireplace felt good.

Secondly, I wore the brown boots today. And the heels are higher than the black boots. Thus, my feet were tired. Looking great has its price.

Third, headache. Woke up with it. Not a migraine (I wouldn't be typing this if it were). But it was a headache, none the less.

Tonight, we've ditched two girls (one is babysitting, one is at the movies), and picked up two additional girls. Sylvia really can't go a weekend without sleeping with her two best friends. While they played, Gary and I decided to play some Wii (we are nothing if not fun. And competitive.) The girls documented our game, including bits of conversation. It was scintillating:

Gary won the first game.
Cindy won the second game.
Gary losing at Bubbles. Cindy is winning. Cindy finds it strsfull (stressfull).
Alison got 3,000 points at this game.
Playing ping pong.
Switching is hard.
Gary won ping pong.

You get the idea. I doubt they ever spy on us again - the relative pay off is not worth it.

January = Blah

It's official: I have the January blahs. Chalk it up to weather, January, winter, restlessness, or my December MasterCard bill (Christmas x three kids is so pricey), or life in this suburban hell, but whatever you call it, I am in a mid-month funk.

But I'm thinking things will perk up here shortly.

And maybe it's only a one-day funk. It wasn't around yesterday, because yesterday was incredible. Gary and I enjoyed my Christmas gift of tickets to Jersey Boys. Which was fantastic. We headed out just before 6 (would have been nice to leave earlier, but I had already traded days in the gymnastics carpool last week to go to the theatre with my friend Nancy, so I could not weasel out again without losing all credibility), and after 50 minutes in rush-hour traffic, we made it to the theatre district in time to catch a bite at the über-cool sushi joint that abuts the Hobby Center (where I risked my life by eating the tuna, along with smoked salmon and vegetable tempura). It was rainy and cold, so we took advantage of the über-cool tunnel system that connects Bayou Place (where many of the chic eateries and bars are located) to Jones Hall, Hobby Center, Wortham Center, and the Alley Theatre. And parked in the garage - didn't even need my umbrella. Made it into our seats just before 8 and did not have to leave half a glass of wine behind - timing is everything.

I knew I would like Jersey Boys. But I did one better - we loved it! It was like The Sopranos meets musical theatre. Really, how can you not like a show about a boy band from Newark whose members keep getting sent upstate? Or who have mob ties? Which made me wonder, aloud, if everyone from Jersey is connected? Gary asked me if I had not been paying attention: The only way out of the hood is to get sent up, knocked up, or mobbed up (though how the middle one helps I'm not quite sure). Suffice it to say, the show was incredibly entertaining. And the musical numbers were good - even, I'd venture, if you're not a huge Frankie Valli fan. I would not define myself as a huge fan, but there are a couple of songs I quite like, and the show did them justice. It used most of the numbers to tell the story, which gave all of then more meaning.

In short, I liked it. But you might take my review with a grain of salt: I love Broadway musicals. All of them. Every one I've ever seen, and I've seen several. But Gary liked it too, and he is probably more discriminating about his musicals than I am. And very tolerant, I should add, as he is happy to attend with me. And I refuse to pick up a fishing pole to make him happy. The thing is, though, I do not expect him to go with me (why do you think we have daughters? or I have friends like Pete? or Helen? or JoAnn?) and I do not keep him from going fishing. It all works out.

Sooooo ... even after that amazing night (which left me very tired today, as we weren't in bed til midnight), I am feeling the winter blues. But, as I said, there are remedies.

Such as, I've quit reading a couple of blogs regularly. These are not blogs written by friends, and how I started reading them is a long story. I read several. But two in particular are getting to me - the word "sanctimonious" comes to mind as I read them. I doubt they miss me. Even on my blah days, I refuse to make time for blogs I find annoying. Life is too short.

It was a blah start, so it'll be a blah ending. Blah. But brighter days are in store.

Thoughts for Tuesday

I love my days at home.

I love that I don't have to get dressed and leave the house right away. I can work out, read the paper, play on the computer. Read. Fold laundry. Do a little writing. Shop. Do what I want, when I want.

This doesn't mean I accomplish a lot, necessarily. We'll just consider it at-home therapy. Sometimes, it's just whatever gets you through the day.

Lots of thoughts running through my head. Thoughts on spring break - we've made reservations for Big Bend National Park, which is, apparently, the least-visited national park in the U.S.A. We'll go there for a few days (staying at the Gage Hotel, circa 1920 - looks very nice), then on the way back, stop in Corpus Christi or South Padre for a couple days at the beach. The girls are not thrilled. One opted for skiing in Colorado, which another vetoed because Barb, my brother's girlfriend, will not be there. Another suggested Hawaii, but that is on the itinerary for 2011. Boston, but we think that might be more enjoyable in the summer. The Grand Canyon was discussed - doable, but a long drive - and Florida was also suggested (but we have beaches here, plus we've been there a bunch o' times). Our rationale for Big Bend was that, while we live in Texas, it is very accessible. But once we no longer live here (and we won't be here forever, trust me) it would take way too much effort to get there. So, Big Bend it is.

Oscar nominations are out - no big surprises. As much as I enjoy movies, the Academy Awards are not that important. They are totally political, and they are not necessarily indicative of who really has talent. Barbara Stanwyck, Annette Bening and Glenn Close have no Oscar wins, but Julia Roberts and Helen Hunt do? Please. Still, it's a game to try and predict the winners. I'm always way off - Gary, on the other hand, tends to guess them all correctly. Yet another game I can't win (but I'll take him in Mah Jongg any day).

Caught American Experience last night on PBS, all about Walter Freeman, the neurologist who popularized the lobotomy, inventing the transorbital lobotomy procedure. It was fascinating (but American Experience usually is). He really wanted to do something to help the mentally ill, and you do have to put his work into the context of the treatment options for mental patients in the 1920s and '30s (there were none) and their very bleak options - not to mention the conditions in which they lived, which were horrific. But it was indeed shocking to see how this almost barbaric procedure was performed, with very little information on the outcome, no long-term studies on the side-effects, and without the consent or even knowledge of many of the patients or families.

Some families were grateful, feeling that their relatives were returned to them more subdued, without violent or suicidal behavior. Other lobotomy patients were not so fortunate, having been rendered virtually incapacitated, both physically and mentally (Rosemary Kennedy is the most famous example). Others were simply left as less than they were before - more docile, but without emotion or memory. Freeman would do as many as 25 in a session, having the staff at mental hospitals simply wheel in the neediest cases, without the knowledge or consent of the families or patients. He was not a trained surgeon and had no license for surgery; at some point his ambition surpassed his desire to help people - something even his own children said in the show.

Gary had to leave the room - the filmed footage of the actual procedure was very difficult to watch. But, as I said, it was gripping. In the mid-50s, with the introduction of thorazine, which could produce many of the same results without surgery, the practice dropped off. But Freeman continued performing lobotomies until 1967 - ! - when a patient died on the table. He performed the procedure on children, at least one as young as 4 years old.

A mental health professional I heard speak once said that 25 percent of the population is afflicted by mental illness, from depression to schizophrenia. This has been true for eternity, but it's been difficult to know how to deal with a malady you can't see.

There is no good transition out of this subject - suffice it to say, it's not an easy issue. Most of us know someone who is affected, either as a patient or family member of one.

On another note, Happy Roe v. Wade anniversary. No activities planned for me, but I'm happy in spirit, anyway. Let's hope my daughters do not see the clock turn backwards.

And that's enough for today!

Happy MLK Day

We're approaching the MLK holiday in typical American fashion: doing nothing.

Naturally, I'm a big believer in everything he stood for (maybe not the womanizing, but I'm of the it's-none-of-my-business camp - same as I view Rudy Giuliani's three marriages or the Clinton's fidelity issues. It doesn't get in the way of the greater good). But I'm not sure the best way to honor him is to let kids out of school and have a white sale.

In other random bits, we:

• realized that the 10.30 p.m. movie can be tough, especially when it is a nearly three-hour movie. There Will Be Blood was OK. I think it was just too late for me. Fantastic performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and especially Paul Dano - he deserves an Academy Award nomination for his turn as the minister. Being out til nearly 2 a.m. makes getting up the next day very difficult when you're my age, let me tell you ...

• found out that not every Sunday features a good, much less great, speaker at the UU. This week was sort of a bust. He titled it "This I Believe," based on the NPR series. Sort of random, very disjointed. If his delivery was any indicator, don't listen for his to be read on air any time soon.

• turned over our kitchen to the Cy Woods German club yesterday afternoon. Those kids were LOUD. Nice group, but LOUD. Made it tough for me to relax on the sofa. But I am caught up on my Newsweeks now.

• traded one kid for a friend, so we still had three girls last night. Made pizza, watched football (glad we were at home and not in the -5 F stands - brrrr), then watched The Squid and the Whale, very underrated movie. Loved the dialogue, loved the performances by Laura Linney, Jeff Daniels, and Jesse Eisenberg. Yes, they were all a little self-absorbed, but I think that's the point. Good bit of writing. Though I'm thinking someone in that school would have recognized a song by Roger Waters - come on!

Laundry. Reading. Orthodontist. Lots of Wii action. In other words, a glamorous and fast-paced Monday. Makes you envious for life in the Northwest suburbs of Harris County, does it not?

I thought as much. Must go throw the clothes from the washer into the dryer. The excitement never ceases.

Saturday Night is All Right for Fighting

Just a song title, folks - no fighting here. We are:

• hosting a sleepover for Sylvia's friend. As usual - no weekend would be complete without it.
• checking out returns from South Carolina. McCain won. Thompson will drop out soon. And Guiliani needs to wake up - I'm think that when you come in behind Ron Paul - four times - you're history.
• enjoying our IKEA purchases. Love, love, love IKEA. But they've changed their dinner menu, so our meal was not as good as it usually is. However, it's a big sale weekend, so you can't beat $11 for dinner for four.
• cold. It is chilly here - below 50. Brrrr.
• getting ready to head out to catch There Will Be Blood. I'm figuring that when the Academy Award nominees are announced, we will have actually seen all the Best Picture nominees. (Assuming, that is, that neither Bratz nor The Bucket List makes the cut. Why am I so hard on The Bucket List? Don't know - it has just gotten under my skin. And I like Rob Reiner. Who knows. But I think my harshness is deserved - the reviews are terrible.) We are making up for all those years when we saw about two movies a year that were a) not animated or b) didn't star Lindsey Lohan or one of her contemporaries. Maddie saw Mad Money last night - you can add that to the list of films I'll never watch.

Gotta run - the cinema awaits.

Love, Janis

I was never much of a Janis Joplin fan. I am familiar with her, naturally; I even found her intriguing enough to watch an episode of Behind the Music, full of letters read by her sister, and narration by Kris Kristofferson. But I couldn't say that I was that into her.

Until last night.

After Love, Janis - the off-Broadway show chronicling the last four years of her life, currently at the Alley Theater in Houston - I am a total convert. The show was simply amazing.

I loved it for the music. The performances. The costumes - exact duplicates of outfits Joplin really wore. I loved the woman who did the singing - they have two different women who alternate nights, because of the vocal strain - and I loved the woman who did the spoken parts.

Mostly, though, I loved that the show made Joplin very human. The letters she wrote to her family were very sincere. They talked about her career, about her music, her trials with her band, with her performances, her fatigue, her demons.

Mostly, though, they were letters from a daughter to her parents. Letters written about leaving home, missing family. Thanking her parents for Christmas and birthday gifts, wondering how her younger brother and sister were doing, reminding her mother to write more often. They were touching, at times poignant, as they seemed to be trying to maintain this connection between a life she once had - and didn't like much - and the life that she seemed to want but which overwhelmed her.

The end, of course, is no surprise. It's always tragic to watch someone so young end up self-destructing. She crammed a lot of life into her 27 years - maybe too much. Today the city of Port Arthur embraces her, but it took 18 years for them to acknowledge the death, or life, of their most famous former resident. While she may not be a role model for any generation, she made her mark, and it's worth noting.

I don't feel a real connection to her. But I did come away with somewhat of an affinity for Joplin, the woman, and her music. The show did what it aims to do; it presents a different Janis than the hard-edged musician you might have seen on stage. She is the Joplin you need to see, along with the concert Janis that is interspersed into the show. She's a Janis Joplin you won't forget.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Gary!

He's celebrating in Peoria, at a slew of business meetings. (Bummer.)

I, on the other hand, celebrated for him, by going to the Alley's production of Love, Janis. I am guessing I had the better day, which hardly seems right ... the price he pays for corporate loyalty.

School Daze

Tonight, we are working on a diorama.

Well, more accurately, I am observing. I helped do the shopping, but Sylvia is doing the work herself.

I like the observing part of the school project. I like sharing the enthusiasm; I like the creative process. But as for gluing the tiny bunnies next to the tiny pond with the tiny trees and the itty-bitty bushes, I'm fine with someone else doing the work.

And, to be fair, it is not my assignment - it's hers. So I can - guilt-free - let her do her own work.

Leaves me time for more important pursuits. Like updating my iTunes. Making phone calls to friends. Checking primary results (I know, I know, the Democrats aren't participating. But I still have interest in what the GOP is up to). Watching American Idol.

But I'm providing critical emotional (not to mention financial) support. That's the important thing. I'm totally there for her. But without Elmer's glue on my fingers.

Win - win - win .... but not for John McCain - !

A Difference of Opinion

I mentioned, casually, that I had no intention of seeing The Bucket List.

Be quiet about it, Gary said. G and S (neighbors and colleagues of Gary) said they want to see it.

So, I mused, just because we have a difference of opinion, I have to keep quiet about what I like? Or don't?

Saying I don't like a movie, or a book, or a play, isn't a judgment against someone; it's not an indictment of their bad taste. It's simply stating my opinion. Which is merely that - nothing more.

Just because I love the opera, watching Stephen Colbert, and have tickets to Jersey Boys next week (cannot wait!!!) does not make me the arbiter in taste. I don't expect everyone to share my thoughts, my likes and dislikes.

Though I am certainly drawn to people who do - there is a reason I find certain people fun to be around. (You know who you are ...)

But must we all keep our opinions, our feelings about popular culture, quiet so that we do not offend others? Do people out there not have thick enough skin that we can respectfully disagree about which movies we like?

No politics. No religion. And now, no movie preferences?

For the record, I am anxious to see There Will Be Blood. I'm excited for new episodes of Lost, and thanks to Pete, I'm totally jazzed about American Idol. As I already mentioned, Jersey Boys is next week, and I'm trying to figure out how to get to NYC to see Young Frankenstein on Broadway. I'm totally loving Rufus Wainwright sings Judy Garland. I crank up the radio whenever Peter Frampton comes on. And if we can work it out, The Magic Flute is upcoming and we'll be there.

You're free to disagree (wrongly - !). And I won't take it personally.

Saturday was such fun ...

Such a nice Saturday.

Shopping with Maddie. Dinner out with Gary, Sylvia and her friend, Isabelle. Ate at La Hacienda - spinach quesadillas, tamales, and Margaritas. Mariachi music. Very nice. Movie at home. Nice evening.

(We wanted to catch a movie, but There Will Be Blood is only at River Oaks, which meant leaving the house by 10, which meant one of the older girls had to be home from babysitting by 10. Didn't happen, which is OK. No decent movies (that we haven't seen) showing at local theaters - Veggie Tales? National Treasure? PS I Love You? First Sunday? I Am Legend? The Bucket List? No thank you - we'll catch There Will Be Blood next weekend.)

(And Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, I am shocked at you two. Talent of your calibre appearing in a schmaltzy movie like The Bucket List? You cannot be that desperate for a paycheck. Ick.)

Sunday was somewhat less fun. Excellent guest speaker at the UU today - very bright spot - then downhill from there. Gary left early for a week in Illinois, attending meetings. Leaving me to grocery shop (yuck), do laundry (double yuck), and harangue children to clean bedrooms (triple yuck). All in all, not so rewarding.

Can I rewind to Saturday night at La Hacienda? Pretty please?

Nothing like a Saturday at the mall ....

I know. Saturday at the mall. Grrr. Shiver.

But there's a catch: I had only one kid with me - it was almost delightful!

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I have had such a productive week. I am so on top of things - at this point every single one of my Christmas decoration is stored away. Can you believe it? And it's only Jan. 12 - !

But I actually did get some stuff done. Made some appointments, cleaned up, tidied. Shopped. Already shared my success, as it were, of Stein-Mart. But then I hit the mall - alone, all by myself - and found sales at Ann Taylor AND Loft (my faves - you've heard it before) and Macy's. I am looking so hip these days. I did not go to the make-up counter, and I did not get new shoes (though I looked). Those purchases will wait til next week.

I've been on that elliptical every day this week. I cannot read on that thing (sad) so I have to either find a radio or TV program or listen to the iPod. I think I need to find more suitable workout music - I love all the tunes on there, naturally, but some of the jazz and the standards don't really motivate me to move the way they should. Dave Edmunds, Alex Chilton, the Clash, Queen, those make me move. Buddy Holly, even. But Frank and co., not so much.

I also picked up my passport renewal stuff and got my picture take - popped right into CVS on a whim. Took one look in the rearview mirror and figured, for a passport, I look just fine. And let me tell you, that photo is nearly glamorous. Nearly - it's a passport photo. But if you were to compare it to my old one, where I was about three months pregnant, still vomiting, it's got modeling potential.

Picked up copies of Law & Order Season 1 at the library - I am so missing Ben Stone I can hardly stand it! I need a fix.

So. Now we are at today. Where I cruised the mall with one child. Alison drove to a school meeting, Sylvia was playing with friends. So Gary, Maddie and I hit Target in search of an appropriate band concert uniform (black pants and white shirt - simple items, not to be purchased at trendy teen stores - explicit instructions from the band director). She recommended Target, where we actually found appropriate pants in the girls section, along with the requisite white shirt from the boys department. Score one.

Gary then dropped us at the mall so he could venture to Franklin Covey (um, no thanks - big snore). Maddie and I found appropriate black shoes and a sweater/camisole combination at American Eagle. We looked around, and even found Gary a birthday gift - which we successfully sneaked out to the car when he called to let us know he had arrived. Man, are we good. Stealth birthday gifts - we even kept him out of the trunk on the way home - I think a career in espionage awaits one of us.

Now we're trying to figure out how to get rid of the third kid tonight so we can go out - two girls are babysitting and third one is making plans with a friend. Must employ all available child psychology to encourage girls to go next door, not stay here.

Great day, great end awaiting. Maybe, if we play our cards rights. Wish me luck ...

On Words

Perfidious

I heard this word somewhere recently, and it's been running through my head all day. Perfidious. Perfidious. I thought I knew what it meant, but I looked it up just to be sure: Treacherous.

Sometimes, I just like the sound of certain words. Ameliorate. Vacillate. Delineate. (Notice a trend here?) Promulgate. But my favorite word in the English language is probably quintessential. Something about it just works for me. It is the, ahem, quintessential fun word to say (!)

There are a bunch of words I quite like in German as well. Vorabredung. Anmeldung. Aufgeregt. Fernsehapparat. Vergangenheit. Beschäftigung. Ausbildung. Fortbildung. Eigentlich. Und so weiter ...

Most of those words have very average meanings - I could even write a sentence: Das Fernsehapparat Fortbildung is eigentlich total aufgeregt. In der Vergangenheit habe ich die beschäftig Fortbildung vergessen. Na ja, ach so, das ist die Warheit. Das Satz ist auch total Quatsch. (Loosely translated: The television conference is totally exciting. In the past, I totally forgot the career seminar. It's true. And this sentence is complete nonsense.)

But didn't it seem impressive? You should hear me say it, if I turn on the German accent - it sounds totally cool.

With my mind on words (they're kind of my thing - studying journalism and English will do that to you - I absolutely love the book Eats, Shoots and Leaves), I read the annual list of words/phrases we should retire. Most of these, I don't think I've ever used. But I definitely won't use them now - they're banished after a year, or more, of misuse.

The list includes:

• perfect storm
• Webinar
• waterboarding
• organic
• wordsmith/wordsmithing
• author/authored
• post 9/11
• surge
• give back
• "blank" is the new "blank"
• Black Friday
• back in the day
• random
• sweet
• decimate
• emotional
• pop
• it is what it is
• under the bus

My husband (who lives in the corporate world) assures me that several of these are very overused and ought to be banned. I'll take his word for it. And I'm going to add my picks:

• my bad (I sooo hate this expression)
• yada-yada (who ever said this before they heard it on Seinfeld? It's been off the air for 10 years - enough already)
• grandbaby (it's a child - that expression sounds so hokey)
• retail therapy (just overused - put it to rest)
• senior moment (equally overused)

Generally, I know a word is past its expiration date when it reaches the vernacular of my husband's grandmother - she's a sweet woman, but on the cutting edge, she is not. Once she's using a slang term, you know it's about three years past its prime.

I'm a big believer in the philosophy of Ernest Hemingway, who felt there was no point in using a 25-cent word when the nickel word would do just as well. It's the, ah, "quintessential" writing paradigm that I emulate. It's possible I'll forget, but you won't hear "my bad" - a simple "oops!" will have to suffice.

She's Driving

I spent two hours at the Texas DMV today.

And it wasn't for me.

Today was all about my eldest daughter getting her very own driver's license. It's an exciting moment for her, and a sobering one for me.

I remember so well that day in August of 1982 when my own mother went with me to the office in downtown Springfield, MO, to take my driver's test. I remember what I was wearing (big surprise, huh, Tammy?!?): Levi's jeans, a pink IZOD shirt, and sandals; I remember what I drove (my parents' silver 1978 Ford Granada - but I was quickly given permission to drive their 1966 blue Ford Mustang ... what a car ...) I had heard all the horror stories about the local test - the cranky woman examiner (got her) who did not wear a seatbelt, even when you asked her (pre-seatbelt laws), the parallel parking, the tuning fork - designed to control all of the traffic in the downtown - what a laugh.

I passed the test, and listed my weight at 90 lbs. Smiled sweetly for that photo. And walked out with a full-fledged driver's license.

Feels like yesterday. But we are a few years, and a few pounds, past that day. Today I was there with my own 16-year-old daughter. She actually took the driving exam in driver's ed (which she took at a private school, as it's not offered as part of the school curriculum), so today was merely turning in the paperwork, getting the photo taken, and writing the check. She did not write down 90 lbs for her weight, but we did only pay $5 for her first-time license. (And this process still took two hours, most of which was spent standing in line. But boy are they serious about queue etiquette - I saw more than one person being told by the officials there that they had been observed cutting - thank goodness for law and order!)

Her license has some restrictions on it. She has to renew it annually until she is 18; she has to provide proof that she is enrolled in school. She has a curfew, as well as a limit on how many passengers under 18 she can have in the car. Just as well.

Tonight she took each of her sisters out for a little solo spin around the neighborhood. I told her she can drive to a friend's this weekend. But we're taking it slowly.

And to secure my place as an official mother of a driver, I splurged for the +1.00 readers the eye doctor suggested, in lieu of bifocals. May as well cement my status, huh? I'm no longer an ingenue, no longer the parent of little girls. At least one of these little girls is nearly an adult - she certainly has adult responsibilities now. But it's OK - really. Looking at her and the person she is becoming, it's all worth a few wrinkles around the eyes.

Lucky for me, the way my eyesight is changing, in a few years I won't be able to see them at all ...

Things I Learned Today

Today I found out:

• Being the cookie mom for the Girl Scout troop is always more work than I remembered.
• The online quiz they made me take to reconfirm my status as cookie mom? Dead easy.
• The construction on Spring Cypress really affects the travel time you estimate. And not in a good way.
• They've changed the roads in the subdivision next to mine, and already the navigation system does not work. Which meant several extra minutes of driving around, hitting dead-ends. And aggravation.
• I thought I liked Stein-Mart. But in fact, Stein-Mart is full, lately, of clothes that look good only on women who currently represent Lafayette in the Indiana Legislature and like to wear lots of sequins. I mean hey, if it works for you, embrace it.
• But I did enjoy the corner of the store that looks as if it's just perfect for people who work as dental assistants. Or nurses in pediatricians' offices. Or just want to look that way.
• Also enjoyable? The conversation the woman next to me had. With herself.
• That even though I did find a lot at Stein-Mart that turned me on - I thought - I still managed to drop a few dollars there. Meaning, apparently I can spend money anywhere!
• I have to give myself credit - in that way, I am more talented than I thought.

Youth. Vanity. Keeping the frumpy away.

Went to the dentist today. Not one of my favorite activities - no need to expound on why. Just not something I enjoy. Yet I do it - naturally. It's a necessity.

When I am there, I am there for business. It's not a social call. To the dentist and her assistants, I don't really want to chat about my kids or what's new or what movies I've seen recently - we don't have that sort of relationship. The dental assistant commented on something not dental, and I mentioned that my doctor was aware of it. She persisted in offering advice, and I repeated, yes, my doctor is aware of it. (And thanks for your non-expert opinion, lady.)

Is it any wonder I hate going?

But that is beside the point. The bigger point, today, is my youth obsession. Must hold onto what I have - the grey hairs and the upcoming bifocals are reality, but I still look - and act - fairly youthful. All of those years of being carded in bars (til my late 20s - and last month!) and being denied access to R-rated films are paying off. I may have looked 12 at 17, but now I look 35 forever ...

To clarify, I am not youth obsessed, but merely cognizant. I do not want to look prematurely old or frumpy. Lucky for my girls, I am a fun mom, a cool mom - but not too fun or too cool. Because that gets me nowhere, really.

And lucky for me, there is literature to support me as I hold onto eternal youth. Sunday's Houston Chronicle is full of little gems; these bits of wisdom can help you look like a stunning woman rather than a fashionless grandmother - and those two words are not, in fact, mutually exclusive.

From Christian Dior:
• Avoid too much makeup
• Always wear earrings
• Don't forget, a bag is not a wastepaper basket
• Jewelry - I prefer the finest to the biggest. To wear a big diamond on your finger means only that you have a lot of money - it means nothing in elegance.
• Shoes - It is by her feet that you can judge whether a woman is elegant or not.
• A lot of woman today should go back to school again and learn the art of walking because it is extremely important.
• Anything you do, work or pleasure, you have to do it with zest.

Ten Things You Can Do To Take Off Ten Years:
• Pick pink for your pout - How about a lighter red?
• Arch your eyebrows upward - Done!
• Cover grey brow hairs with pencil and powder - lucky me, don't have this problem
• Slim down your eyeliner - OK
• Falsify a few eyelashes - Considering
• Don't outline your lips with dark liner - Done!
• Lighten up on the foundation and powder - Don't use foundation
• Unchain your reading glasses - Don't have any ... yet
• Lose the suit. Switch up the pieces instead - I don't even own an actual suit, though I have the separates
• Slip on heels or high-heeled boots - Wiggle room here - sometimes it's about comfort
• A skirt should hit right at the knee - too short or too long ruins the look - Done!

So the last one was a bonus. Bottom line? Fashion changes constantly, and you've got to keep up. You don't have to go nuts every year, but it's worth it to buy one amazing piece each season to work with what you have.

I'm working hard on keeping the dowdy look at bay. But not too hard, because really, I'm just lucky that way. As I said, all those years of looking too young are playing to my advantage. But it's nice to have a few tips to help me as I ease into my late 30s.

Or so I keep telling myself.

Back to school = organization

The girls went back to school today. So:

Check this out:



My very clean and organized desk. It's a new look for me - no mess, no paper scraps, no post-it notes, no books, no files.

Consider it one of my resolutions for the New Year. It was on my list of things to do this week. It's not an overly ambitious list, just one big task a day (and yes, clearing off this desk counted as a big task, as it involved filing and organizing the cabinets-that-are-so-good-at-disguising-clutter.

This desk is great - I love the streamlined, Swedish modern look. But it really only works if it is kept tidy. Thus I'd like to keep this room looking great and not have to go into mad-panic-cleaning mode whenever we have company, as this room, my office, doubles as our guest room. If I had chosen to, I could have included a second shot, one that shows the very neat and organized bookcases (well, they always look that way - how can bookcases be disorderly?) and the general absence of miscellaneous paraphernalia throughout the room. But I'll let you use your imagination.

You can just stare at my desk and enjoy the calming effect of space.

In other news today:

• I'm glad I tuned into the repeat of Saturday night's debate yesterday (thank you, NPR) as I had missed bits of it. Several thoughts, among them:

I don't always disagree with Ron Paul - he is essentially a Libertarian, and I respect him/them for the consistency. However, he/they do not want ANY government spending, and I'm not sure that's an idea I can totally support - no libraries? no support for schools? no assistance of any kind? That might sound extreme, but essentially that's their bottom line.

And I'm curious about Mitt Romney's statement that the group who really lacks health insurance is those who make more than $75,000/year - I'd like to see the documentation on that.

• My husband finally got around to hanging our above-the-fireplace artwork - no photo, but maybe some other time. It's not a piece of wrought-iron scrollwork, but don't tell my HOA, as I think it's required decorating here.

• My husband is great. Even though he, once again, loaded dirty dishes on top of the clean dishes in the dishwasher. He means well, but he really cannot tell the difference. Nor look at the indicator light on the door. Nor think to ask me. But he is always properly remorseful.

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert come back tonight - I'm looking forward to it!

That and enjoying my very clean room. Tune in for further installments: Tidy pantry, organized linen closet, straightened wrapping paper closet.

All in good time, folks, all in good time.

Customer service (or lack thereof)

I've become the customer everyone hates.

Why? Because I demand service. Proper service. And at the proper time.

Even worse, I am not hesitant to point it out.

I turned in a McDonald's employee I saw leaving the restroom without washing her hands (though I felt bad because she was crying as she left). I reported the rude flight attendant on United (got a voucher for United). And I complained about the salesclerk at Kohls (the manager didn't seem too concerned, frankly).

I should point out that I also recognize good customer service - our local post office gets a bad rap from people in my subdivision, but they have been nothing but courteous and accommodating when I've been there - which is a lot, by the way, especially the time before our house was completed and we were in temporary digs, as I had to pick up my mail every day. I think our area has just grown too fast and it's tough for them to keep up. But they deserve some credit for doing the best they can and always smiling when they're with me.

And I think rude customers should be held accountable, too; it is not right to mistreat the waitstaff or the sales help - they're just doing their job. In fact, we were such excellent customers at Balthazar in Manhattan that we scored a box of free dessert - though I doubt that had much to do with our excellent manners and more with our server's interest in one of our party - !

So I'm not really all that bad. And I don't complain every day. Even yesterday, when I had three slightly negative experiences. Though one isn't really customer service, but I'll tell it regardless.

No. 1: My mother-in-law sent the girls pre-paid VISA cards for Christmas. They tried to use them, and it turned out, we hadn't read the fine print: We needed to activate them. So I gave the girls cash and figured I could use them. Went online yesterday, and it turns out I am opening an account with this VISA company (the name escapes me). I now have three, preloaded, reloadable VISAs. They were purchased with a value of $25 and there was a $9.95 activation fee for each one! I cannot believe my MIL did that - did she not notice? Outrageous - it's like usury. I went ahead and activated them, so I now I have these three accounts. I'll get the cards in seven business days (for an additional $19.95 I could have had them overnight - !); as of Jan. 15 they will be assessed a $4.95 usage fee. Gasp - what was she thinking? My plan is to use them immediately and destroy them. But I had to open an entire account in order to use them, which irritates me - I do not need any more credit cards, thank you. I should say something to my MIL, but I hate to be critical, so I'm thinking about how to handle this so she doesn't get defensive. I know she just wanted to give the girls shopping options, but these cards are a major rip-off. Next time, I would suggest cash.

No. 2: This is the best one: Took Sylvia to Justice to return a Christmas gift. Justice is a less expensive, more appropriate version of Limited Too (ie, they don't sell thongs to 8-year-olds). Wow, is it pastel in there - Sylvia and her friends are completely smitten. Had to ask for help getting an item from a very tall rack, and the one employee was on the phone - had been for a while. When we went to check out, the girl on the phone summoned the other clerk without missing a beat in her conversation, which sounded personal to me ("Was it your Sprint or your other one? Uh huh.") Maddie and Sylvia's friend are both in line to make separate purchases, as are others, and this girl continues to talk. So I turned to the woman behind me and said, "It may be awhile - she's on the phone on a personal call." Keeping in mind it's been at least 15 minutes by now. The woman behind did not miss a beat - she asked the clerk, "Is she on a personal call?" The clerk said, "She's the assistant manager and she's talking to someone from another store. But she isn't allowed to use the register anyway." Excuse me? That makes no sense. The woman and I just shook our heads. The line gets longer; finally, by the time Maddie and Isabelle have checked out, the asst. manager finally says, "OK, I gotta go," (she is right at the counter, and we can all hear her) promptly opening the register (thought it wasn't allowed ...). When the woman behind me got up there, she very casually asked for the name of the store manager. I'm sure she'll get an earful.

No. 3: We can knock No Country for Old Men off the list - saw it last night and liked it - verrry suspenseful - I was on the edge of my seat! We were a few minutes into the movie when we realized the door to the theatre was open, letting in both light and noise - a great deal of noise. And no one seemed to notice - the corridor outside had employees but no one shut it. Finally, when you could hear the phone conversation coming in, nearly as loud as the movie, Gary got up and shut it. At primetime prices, I want to hear the movie, not someone outside on the phone.

See? I'm not really unreasonable. I just want what I'm entitled to. This year I am going to make a real effort to commend good service, not just complain about the bad. That way I can balance out the guilt I feel for reporting people.

Salesclerk of Houston: Consider yourself warned ...

Killer freeways vs. free Margaritas

Of all the things I dislike about Houston (and there are a few, though they are less about Houston and more about the 'burbs), the traffic is No. 1.

Until you've lived in a city this size, with freeways, you don't know traffic. Sure, Chicago and LA, anywhere on the East Coast, you're competing. But for my money, Chicago is easy - even driving in the city. And St. Louis, Kansas City, and Indianapolis are a snap. I'm no longer intimidated by any of those cities. Only cities in Europe, or maybe Mexico City or Tokyo, give me pause.

Yesterday I had to brave the roads twice - once when I headed south of I-10 for the Hillary Hub, where I was one of many Hillraisers " ... participating in more than 150 Hillary Hubs around the country in a critical effort to raise $1 million in one day for our campaign. As the primary moves to New Hampshire - where we have a great organization and support, as well as endorsements from several major newspapers - we still need the support of people like you ... "

You get the idea. The script had lots and lots of talking points, but I could only focus on a couple, otherwise I would trip over my words. I got a few people to give, lots of others had just given (like last week - that should be noted in the database) and others just couldn't do it at the moment. But no one was rude or just said No.

Kind of fun. I'm still not totally committed to Hillary - I'm playing the field - but I have to say, I enjoyed the energy of being with a group of volunteers all working for a common goal, and being part of the effort. And I enjoyed the hourly conference calls that gave us a little pep talk - we heard from Hillary AND Bill - pretty exciting. Though I'm easily star-struck, perhaps.

My only complaint? Why did they have to print out those phone lists in such teeny tiny print? I had to hold it a foot in front of me to read those itty bitty numbers, and I was constantly asking the young(er) woman next to me for help - is it an 8? a 6? a 3?

I've known that bifocals were on the way, but it's more evident now than ever. Sigh ...

Then last night I had to head out on those roads a second time to attend a 30-year celebration for one of Gary's colleagues. They had a dinner at a Mexican restaurant - with spouses - and endless Margaritas - weak Margaritas, by the way. It was OK - it was a spouse corporate event - enough said. But lucky for me, not too much work chatter. Those engines and the sales philosophy is only interesting to a point, you know?

We were home by 7.30. And after a busy day soliciting volunteers and being social, I was beat. Next time they should start the party later than 4.

Traffic. Phone calls. Margaritas. Shop talk.

I think I've covered it.

Election Time

It's official: Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama are the frontrunners.

For now, anyway - this can all change in the weeks - well, days - ahead.

We tuned in to the Iowa Caucuses last night. It's fascinating - what does it mean, exactly, to caucus?!? Alison was asking for an explanation - I think the room divides into groups and you join the group for the candidate you support. Sounds more fun, and more social, than merely voting in a primary. I think we should all institute caucuses - great way to meet people.

But seriously ... we turned on CNN and watched pretty closely at first. Huckabee was declared the apparent winner very early on; the Democrats use a different system so it took longer. We took a break so I could read to Sylvia (From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, one of my childhood favorites) and Gary watched football. So it took a bit longer - after 9 - before we knew that Obama had been declared the winner for the Democrats. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd are both out.

But nothing is for sure. Remember Howard Dean?

With this news in, I am still undecided. I am attending a Hillary Hub today, though I'm not entirely sure she's the candidate I support. However, I can certainly work for a woman for president, so I am willing to give some time. My ideal candidate has no chance, the other candidate who intrigues me also has no chance. The candidate I see as a hidden gem has, sadly, little chance. Of the remaining candidates, I like John Edwards. And he is still in there.

I don't dislike any of them - I could support Obama (even with his lack of real experience - maybe good intentions and values are more important, and we're on the same page there) and I've already said, I could - and will - support Clinton. If any woman has the nerves of steel for the job, it's her.

I'm just glad I have 11 more months to watch and see. Though the candidates will be chosen long before then. In some ways, makes me long for Great Britain, where the candidates only campaign for a few weeks. But of course, you're not really voting for your candidate but for your party. And you stuck with the royal family. And no written constitution.

Maybe I'll stick with what I've got. Plus it makes for good reading over the next few months. Stay tuned ...