I Quit.

I quit this job today.



This month is my last month as a journalist. For now.

A Good Week.

We had a fun week this week (despite the fact that it was deadline week....and I missed it by two days).

It all started with a snowfall. I love the fact that Carter is old enough to start doing grown-up things, like helping Randy shovel the driveway.







What a manly man.

Then we ate this.



Yummmmmmmmy.

Today, Carter and I took the time to get some serious finger painting done.



We painted some other things, too.



I saw this today, and it made me smile.



I find them at random times and in random designs all over the house. They're like crop circles....only they're made by a really cute four-year-old instead of creepy aliens who are trying to take over the earth.

I also got some Christmas shopping done today, and figured out what I'm doing for neighbor gifts. That alone puts me light years ahead of where I was this time last year. Yay me!

Brendan and Camryn are staying here this weekend, and Randy has the day off tomorrow, so Christmas decorating--here we come!

I love this time of year!

Best and Worst of Vegas (2009 Edition)

A little over eight years ago, my sweet husband and I left on our honeymoon to Las Vegas, NV. I had never been there before, so it was a new, delirious, and slightly overwhelming experience. I immediately fell in love with the excess of it all. For heaven's sake, where else can you go to see a castle, a pyramid, a volcano, and a lake full of pirates all in one spot? How do you not adore the fact that everyone from Liberace to Sinatra to Sigfried and Roy have taken a little piece of Vegas and made it theirs forever? How can you not rejoice in the 24-hour buffets??

Well, fast forward to 2009. Randy and I just spent a long weekend in Vegas to celebrate our anniversary. And let me tell you folks--Vegas has lost its mystery. We've been there a few times over the years, and each time I go it wears on me a little more. However, this trip did have some really really good moments, so without further ado, I present to you the highlights and lowlights of our whirlwind Vegas trip.

(I'll start with the worst so that we can end on a high note.)

THE WORST--

1--The usual: cigarette/cigar/marijuana smoke everywhere you go, the constant drinking and drunkards, and total disregard for the fact that some people prefer not to see pictures of boobs of all sizes, shapes, and colors on every possible flat surface on the strip. (Strip--an appropriate term, no?)

2--The buffet at the Flamingo. I know, I know, how can this come close to the ickiness of porn and cigarette smoke everywhere?! But you have to understand, it was highly disappointing. Even the desserts--THE DESSERTS!!--had no flavor. A word to the wise--go to the Luxor instead.

3--The broken window on the car and my waterlogged phone (I dropped it in the tub). That was a quick $400.

4--The $50 I lost on slots and roulette. Don't lecture me, ok? I had a feeling we would win big. Unfortunately, that feeling was hope, not intuition. But wow, I totally understand how you can get addicted to gaming. The rush of winning totally overpowers any rational instinct you may have.

5--Anthony Cools. He's a hypnotist we went to see. Only we didn't find out till mid-show that it was the R-rated version of his show. Yeah, he's funny. Yes, seeing people wear their underwear on the outside of their clothes is hilarious. However, the sexual suggestions and repeated use of the F-bomb made it hard to enjoy.

On the upside,

THE BEST--



1--My sweet husband Randy. He's had a hard time of it lately. Work and his business and finances have been stressing him out so much. So it was nice to take three whole days and just relax and spend them together. It was our first trip alone together since before Carter-man was born. Also, ever the one for surprises, he bought us two tickets to......




2--LOVE!! The Cirque du Soleil Beatles show!!! What a great guy, huh? He had promised to take me after I graduated, but I didn't think we'd be able to afford the tickets and told him we could do other stuff instead. However, he knows how much I ADORE the Beatles, so he got them anyway and didn't tell me until we were wandering through the Mirage and he said, "Here. We need to stand here." I asked him why we were standing in a random line with a bunch of random people and he said, "Because it's the Will Call line. I promised I'd take you to see the Beatles." I love that man!

If you go to Vegas, GO TO THIS SHOW. It was indescribable and one of a kind. I'm not ashamed to say I cried--twice.



Me, right after the show.



Some random woman who jumped into my shot. I had to post it because it was hilarious.

3--Being in Vegas without the kiddos. Yes, I felt guilty...a little. But when the two kids in front of us on the sidewalk escalator by the Bellagio hit the emergency stop button and all of us just about tumbled to our deaths, I was really really glad I was not their parents and eternally grateful that my own kids were not there to learn that trick.

4--Mental. This is a really great little show at O'Shea's casino. The guy can read your mind. No seriously, trust me. It was amazing. Randy's still trying to figure it all out.

5--The wierd, fabulous stuff you see in Vegas that you can't find anywhere else. Did you know that Batman, Elvis, and Edward Cullen hang out together? Well they do. I know because the three of them passed us in a crosswalk on the strip. They were probably headed over to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville to throw back a couple of shots together and dwell on their life experiences.

6--RELAXATION. Pure and simple. We slept in almost every morning and had nowhere to be and no one to see. That's the most sleep either one of us has gotten since about three years ago.

So all in all, despite the icky stuff, it was a pretty great trip. Happy Anniversary to us!

Adventures in Shopping.

Tonight, I had a meeting to attend in Cottonwood Heights, so I didn't have the time (or the groceries....note to self: go grocery shopping) to make dinner. Instead, I loaded Carter up and went to Target on the way to the meeting. I thought we could knock out two birds with one stone by eating pizza for dinner at the lunch counter after grabbing a couple of things I needed for the house.

I usually like shopping at Target, but tonight was an off night. Wierd things happened. Wierd people were everywhere. For example:

--Dear woman in the family restroom: Family restrooms are for FAMILIES. Not for girls who want to feel like they have their own personal bathroom. Do you understand the increasing difficulty of taking my four-year-old son into the women's restroom? Also, next time you decide to barricade yourself in there, you may want to remember to lock the door. Nice meeting you, even though you were wiping your butt at the time.

--Dear dude with the blue mohawk and chains: I'm sorry, but you have no right to get pissed off when my son laughs at you and tells me (at the top of his voice) that you look funny. You DO look funny. YOU DYED YOUR HAIR BLUE AND STAPLED YOURSELF WITH CHAINS.

But all the wierdness was worth it when Carter and I sat down and were eating our pizza, lost in our thoughts. All of a sudden, out of the blue, Carter turned to me and said, "Mom, I like the sound of crickets, but I don't like it when they are close to me."

Ohhh-kay. Now I know.

I love that kid.

Batman for President.

Today, on the way home from work, I picked up Carter from daycare and explained that instead of going home so he could take a nap, we were going to the high school around the corner from our house so that I could vote.

ME: "Do you know what it means to vote?"

CARTER: "Yes."

ME: "What does it mean?"

CARTER: "I don't know."

ME: "It means we get to choose a person to be President of the United States, or the mayor, or a city councilman or..."

CARTER: "...or BATMAN!!"

Hmmm. Batman. I never thought of that. When it comes to politicians, Batman beats everyone, right? Yeah. I'm voting for HIM.

This 'n That.

It's been a while. Mostly because deadline weeks (weeks when all my news articles must be turned in) really wear on me. For two weeks out of the month, I love my job at the paper, mostly because I'm not dreading deadline with all my being. Then the other two weeks fly by, I miss deadline by three days, beat myself up over it every waking minute (and some sleeping minutes, too) risk making my editor fire me, and STRESS OUT. All while trying to keep everything else in my life running. It's a downward spiral, and it's not pretty.

But, cope we must. And this week is NOT deadline week. So life is good!

Some slightly more uplifing items of note:

--I've made this pasta twice in the last week. I love love love it. I love it so much, in fact, that I will eat the leftovers straight from the tupperware in the fridge with a fork. Don't tell anyone.

--I got to have dinner with my awesome friend Alicia tonight. She and her little boys Hunter and Gavin came, ate the above mentioned pasta, and made me and Carter and Randy very very happy.

--My mom and dad are coming this week! They live in Minnesota, so having them come for a visit is a rare treat. I'm looking forward to lots of family time and good food.

--I think I'm obsessed with good food.

--Finally, tomorrow is Randy's and my eighth anniversary. Eight. Yowza. This last year has made me believe that if you can make it through year seven then making it through eternity is CAKE. It's been rough in a lot of ways. But, I'm also grateful that we are closer now than we were a year ago because we've had to get through some tough things together. Our relationship is stronger. And I can honestly say that I love him so much and I'm grateful we've been able to build our life together.

To celebrate, we are going to Vegas in two weeks. Yup, Vegas. We went there on our honeymoon, so we're going to relive the high points (the Liberace Museum and the Luxor's buffet, of course) and we may even go see LOVE. Plus, we're just really really excited to get the heck out of this town.

So that's the update. Deadline week is still two weeks away, so there is a good chance I will post again soon. Until then!

MPM

I have a friend named Kirsty who is brilliant and funny and devilish and I love her to pieces. (You should get to know her.) She has a regular feature on her blog called "Works For Me Wednesday" where she explains a product or technique that makes her life much easier and less chaotic and all-around happy.

Well, in honor of Kirsty and in an attempt to warn you away from things that will NOT make your life easier OR less chaotic and actually cause you to be much less happy, I am introducing a new feature on my blog called "Miserable Product Monday." (OK, this is probably the only time I will do it, and only because I hate this product SOOOOO MUCH!!!)

NEVER BUY THIS PRODUCT. IT IS VERY VERY FALLIBLE.




Unless you would like your shower curtain to look like this:



...and your bathmat to look like this:



...and for two sets of clothes to be spattered with makeup. Because it will happen. Often. But only if you use this crappy product.

Not only does it destroy your bathroom because the pump is constantly clogged (my shower curtain is SIX FEET AWAY from my vanity! SIX FEET!!!!) but when you wear it, it does not make you look young and dewy. It makes you look chalky. And dry-skinned. And OLD.

If you're cheap like me and use drugstore makeup (and you're a little bit more..."mature"...shall we say), go for Maybelline Instant Age Rewind cream foundation instead of this one. Many loads of laundry and one bad attitude later, I really wish I had listened to my own advice!