A Year in Books

I always love the end-of-year "Best Of" lists printed in many newspapers and magazines. I like to gauge if I'm up on the various sectors of popular culture or if there are music, movies, authors, or other artists that I missed and need to explore. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm not usually up on the most cutting edge music. That's what happens when your audio diet consists mostly of NPR or kids' books on tape and your computer with iTunes loaded on it dies.

For some reason this year was feast or famine as far as books go, alternating between long dry spells or so many books at one time from my library reserve list that I couldn't finish them all. These were my favorites of 2010, in no particular order.

Loved the unique epistolary format of the book, with the protagonist's life examined in letters. I really identified with the main character - her desire for home and family, but still yearning for adventure and self-actualization through travel and other experiences unique to women of her time. This book made for one of the most interesting discussions of my book club to date, with widely varying opinions of Bess and her choices.

Somehow I made it to age 30 without hearing about this YA and high school literature class standard. The author's stream of consciousness writing style and her spot-on channeling of teenage concerns and jadedness "spoke" to me. The heroine's emotional inner turmoil and its eventual resolution could have been depressing, but emerged hopeful.

Richard Russo is one of the masters of a class of authors who artfully examine the themes of adult life and relationships. Other such writers I've enjoyed include Elizabeth Strout and Wallace Stegner. While some readers might be turned off by the frank "realities" of marriage, aging, loss, childrearing, and expectations (met and unmet), the beauty of the writing and vivid characters provide a satisfying redemption. Caveat: His books do contain a fair amount of profanity. Judge me as you will that I like them anyway.

A veritable tome that is worth every page. The story of twin Ethiopian brothers, their absent doctor father, nurse/nun mother who died in childbirth, and their love/hate relationship traverses miles, literally, emotionally, and figuratively. Because of the characters and storyline, the book includes medical diction and themes, but my dad was a doc so I found it interesting, not exhausting.

Loved it from start to finish and evangelized it to everyone I knew. See my earlier review here.

Thanks to various Top Ten lists I now have a few more books to add to my reading list for the new year. I'd love to hear about the highlights of your year in books and happy reading in 2011!

Diamonds or Tin?

Today Andy and I celebrate a decade of marriage. We just got back from dinner at a yummy restaurant and shoe shopping with leftover Christmas money. They say that tin is the traditional gift to commemorate 10 years of wedded bliss, but my vote is for a diamond anniversary band. As it stands, that will probably have to wait until our next ten years.


We were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, wedding number 27 of 51 on December 28, 2000. I remember feeling nervous as we waited for the ceremony to begin, as the gravity of the commitment settled upon me. But as we began, it all felt right and I still feel the same way these ten years later. Sometimes I think about what babies we were (20 and 22, respectively), and how I never planned to get married that young. But when I met Andy, I knew he was exactly the type of guy I wanted to marry. So of course I spent the next year trying to break up with him because I had so many other plans and things to check off my list before I tied the knot. Thankfully, I had many unique experiences before marriage and have had many since then as well. It's definitely been a sometimes bumpy and winding road, but I wouldn't trade what we've learned and shared. As far as most journeys go, I'm a travel junkie and Andy is a homebody (unless it's a golf vacation), but all I know is that I have one swell traveling companion on the road of life.

It's That Time of Year Again

Just a little sneak preview of our 2010 Christmas card, designed by the lovely and immensely talented Kiki Comin. One of my favorite things about the holidays is sending and receiving actual printed greetings. It's a tradition I hope will always continue, even as technology changes. I love seeing families grow and getting updates on people's lives. Email is much more convenient, but there's nothing like the running out to the mailbox, slitting open the cards, and looking fondly at friends' faces smiling back at you from the pictures hanging on the back of the front door.

Apologies to those of you who live nearby, you'll have to substitute us in lieu of a card. Between our many moves and friends moving way, our Christmas card list keeps growing. So I've had to limit mailing cards to those who live out of town. But please know you're worth the postage!

P.S. For all of you who agonize over coordinating outfits for family pictures, here's a little side note. I had a light blue polo shirt picked for Andy and the morning of our photos he tossed it aside and announced he would wear his red striped one instead. Have I mentioned that Andy hates taking pictures? :) His natural good taste ended up working well with the background.

The Sing-Off

Did anyone else watch The Sing-Off last night? Too bad if you missed it because you were tuned into Skating With the Stars instead. I'm not usually into reality TV, but this one wowed, especially the rendition of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" performed by a group of 15 college guys. Not the best vocal performance of the night, but by far the best choreography, which trumps in my book. Sorry you have to put up with an ad to get to the video, but I promise, it's worth it.

P.S. As far as the judges go, Andy and I decided we are Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman fans, but Nicole Pussy Cat Doll, not so much. We want the funny, thoughtful, witty, and technical critiques, not the warm fuzzy, say nothing fluff.

Which group was your favorite? Will you be watching or does a capella not tickle your fancy?

Shameless Plug

One of my best girlfriends just published an e-book that is my new parenting bible. I can vouch for it since I got to read the whole thing as one of her editors. It's aimed at smart, thoughtful parents who want to help instill character and discipline in their young child(ren) in a positive way. The book is chock full of ideas grounded not only in research and theory, but practical experience. I particularly love the plentiful examples of how to handle a variety of parenting situations, as well as tools to reduce frustration (both yours and your kid's). Mandy is a bona fide child development expert, as well as a seasoned teacher who also trains educators on classroom management and best practices.

Go to her website to find out more about the book, read reviews, and get a sneak peek of the first few pages. For the next five days you can enter the coupon code NotJustCute to get your copy at a discounted price. Hurry and start reading and then let me know when you've finished. Hooray for practical, common sense parenting advice!

Gotta Love Craigslist

I love Craigslist for a variety of reasons, the main one being that you can find killer deals on random items. We got our leather couches, Pottery Barn TV hutch, and one of our cars off Craigslist. When we lived in Dayton for a summer, I furnished our house courtesy of Goodwill and Wal-Mart, then sold it all (for a profit) on Craigslist at the end of the summer. Lately, I've been on the selling end again and today I had a funny experience. I'm now on my third round trying to give away a brand new pack of adult Depends. We got them last Thanksgiving when Andy's family thought it might be a good way to keep Ben dry during the night, but alas, it didn't work. Too big and unwieldy. Anyways, my thrifty self can't just throw away a pack of perfectly good Depends, so I've listed them for free two other times. Each time I get multiple responses within hours and arrange for them to be picked up, but no one has ever come. Everyone always says they're for their aging grandparent, uncle, aunt, etc. but maybe they think I'll assume they're really going to use them. I really don't care at this point - I just want them gone! Right now they're taking up valuable real estate in my coat closet. I'm contemplating hosting a white elephant gift exchange just because they'd be the perfect gag gift.

Anyway, I got five responses today, one of which killed me. Apologies for those who are squeamish, but a summary wouldn't do it justice. And I quote: "I would like to have these, as they are great for my period at night and do WAAY better than sanitary napkins! Please let me know so I can pick them up Wednesday." Wow. Serious oversharing. I know Craigslist creates its own cozy little community, but this isn't Facebook, people.

I responded that she could pick them up at her leisure tomorrow, I'd leave them in a bag on our doorstep. Totally incognito. She then followed up with an email asking if I could meet her at a Wendy's in town tomorrow because she catches the bus there. On one hand if she really needs them that bad, I should be a Good Samaritan, but on the other hand, is this a trip into crazytown? What to do?

Have you had any memorable Craigslist experiences?

My Feelings Would Best be Expressed...

By a guest post in the form of my sister Bekka. Little did she know that her post summed up our lives at this moment. Just insert my face into her picture and substitue an Arizona State sweatshirt for the Dartmouth one. You locals know it, you've seen it a million times. She dubbed the ensemble, "we got no jobs, we got no food, our pets' heads are falling off..." I was about to cry this morning for a myriad of reasons but ended up laughing out loud. Thanks, Bex.

My First Howler

Today I opened our mailbox to find a hand-addressed envelope to Mr. and Mrs. Haws from Ben's school. He's now into his fourth month of kindergarten and part of me hoped that the letter was to inform us that (as we suspected) he's uncommonly brilliant and they want our permission to enroll him in the gifted program. Deep down I knew that it was more likely about a much less pleasant topic. I gingerly opened the letter, half expecting it to start smoking and a voice to chide me loudly about Ben being late to school. The majority of the time he rides the bus (with which I have a love/hate relationship), and I didn't realize tardiness was a problem until we got a little note in his backpack kindly reminding us about when the tardy bell rings each day. This one was a little more direct, yet still using sugary sweet teacher voice to emphasize my shoddy parenting which will undoubtedly lead to Ben's failure in academia/quick descent into juvenile delinquency and thereby guilt me into reform.

"You know that at Alton Darby we feel that good attendance and arrival at school on time is very important. It is so important that I take the time to review absence and tardy reports to see if any student has high incidents in either category. We know that a student' success is related to their attendance at school. It is difficult to keep up when a child is not present for instruction. I notice that Ben has been tardy 5 times since the start of school. If there is anything we can do to assist you in getting your child to school on time, please let me know. Punctuality is important in gettng prepared for the school day but is also an important life skill in the workplace. Thank you for your help in this important matter." (Signed by the principal herself. Yikes!)

Perhaps the next step is public shaming where Ben will have to wear a scarlet "T" and I will have to spend an afternoon in the stocks on the front lawn of the school where all "good" parents (read: The ones who drive their kids the .5 miles from home and sit in the carpool lane wasting gas for 30 minutes) can point their fingers or shake their heads at me for contributing to the decay of society.

Confession: One of the five times I consciously chose for him be late because I was having a meaningful conversation with a friend. I am all about school and I hope that what I am about to say doesn't shock and offend all you friends and relatives in the education business. Call me callous, but it's just kindergarten, for heaven's sake! Truth be told, I've actually felt like it's been a bit of a letdown compared to his stellar experience at the school district's preschool last year. I feel like there they did lots of hands-on creative activities and in kindergarten he comes home with reams of worksheets where he practices letters.

Recently I had an interesting conversation with a friend who is a former teacher and she informed me that there are two types of parents: Those who care alot about seeing proof of work being done at school (worksheets, coloring pages, etc.) and those who don't. Apparently I'm in the latter category. I trust that Ben's teachers are using the time wisely and would actually like to pretend that they're doing something more fun and thought-provoking than copying letters. Lest I sound ungrateful, I am very glad to have a public school system and am happy to outsource much of my child's education to the professionals since it's not my competitive advantage.

What I'm taking much too long to say is that I will get my act together and have him at school on time. But I am also sad that schools are now so tied to standards testing that kindergarten is the new first grade and that we're forgoing more age-appropriate activities involving experiences and exploration in lieu of redundant activities and rote memorization.

A good friend who is also a child development expert wrote about this topic recently and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you noticed a difference between preschool and kindergarten curriculums? What are your thoughts on your child's educational experience thus far?

Quit Calling - I Voted Already!!

With the U.S. a veritable patchwork of Congressional and gubernatorial seats up for grabs, our mailbox and answering machine have been filled with pleas for us to vote this election season. Ohio is a hotbed of political fervor and since we still have Massachusetts cell phone numbers I even get a MA campaign call or two. Our phone number is on the Do Not Call registry, so political calls must be exempt, sadly. I love the democratic process and all, but will be very glad when it's all over tomorrow. Thank goodness for absentee ballots so you can avoid actually having to stand in line at the voting booth.

Anyone else following your state's elections? Are there any exciting races you're following? Have you voted or do you plan to vote? Is there a particula issue that's getting you to the polls?

P.S. Here's an interesting article in The New Yorker on the high-profile Nevada senate race pitting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vs. Republican/Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle.

Haunted Reads

Because the day after the holiday is over is always the best time to post about it. Better late than never, right? Here are some of our favorite Halloween reads of 2010:
A cute, simple rhyming book about a kid who accidentally hops on the wrong school bus.

Love the illustrations and orange/black color palette throughout, as well as the creative story with a clever herione. Andy's mom sent this book to cure Ben's fear of ghosts that he acquired while hearing spooky stories at her house this summer. I think it did the trick.

This story that uses the alphabet to showcase truly awful kid behaviors in a humorous way.

Do you have any favorite holiday reads, Halloween or otherwise?

Happy Halloweenie!

Twinkle Toes

I made the mistake of just "stopping in" at Old Navy this morning in search of some perfect fairy slippers/winter church shoes for Lucy. It didn't hurt that there was a huge sign in the window advertising 50% off all clearance items. We found these little beauties and came home with some adorable riding boots as well. What can I say? They were only $5! Since we were in a hurry, I didn't try the boots on her in the store only to discover that tragically, I think my little beauty might not have, shall we say, the right physique, for boots. I pulled and pushed and they wouldn't slide gracefully onto her sturdy feet. Granted, she was wearing chunky socks, so maybe it will work with just tights. Or some butter...

The Usual Suspects

One boogeying mustachioed man of mystery...

And a tiny fairy...

Trying out some disguises...

And getting plenty of beauty sleep...In anticipation for tomorrow's big night of trick-or treating!

Lucy J. Haws and the Blustery Day

Poor Ohio. In the words of comedian Rodney Dangerfield, it "can't get no respect." To the uninitiated, it lacks culture and noteworthy attractions, stuck here in flyover country with long, dreary winters and little unique topography to recommend it. Yet there are many good things about Ohio (lovely fall colors, great zoo/library system/kids' museum, family friendly atmosphere, easy to navigate) and there are few things I enjoy more than a good Ohio thunderstorm. They come quick and furious from the west with buckets of rainfall pouring down in a matter of minutes. Luckily, our front door faces east so we love to open it up and watch the storms roll through. Today we even had a tornado warning to liven things up. So after dropping Ben off at the bus stop, Lucy and I hauled in all the outdoor chairs, secured the patio table, and pushed the newly-covered BBQ against the house so it wouldn't blow over. We also rescued some unripe tomatoes from our still-producing plant, which Lucy has happily carried around and gnawed on for the past hour. A wonderfully slow afternoon at the Haws household. I'm learning to just be content at home instead of always needing to be out doing something. We'll see how long that lasts into the winter. For now, I'll relish the warm days of fall.

P.S. Random question: Does anyone know how to resize pictures using Picasa?

We Are Now The Proud Owners Of...

Our same house, but a new mortgage, courtesy of the economic downturn and the newly "reformed" banking system. When interest rates dropped to 4.5% we decided to look into refinancing and we're now going to save $300 on our monthly payments. We began the process in July so it's taken four months to emerge from the process due to stricter lending requirements. As we spent 30 minutes signing our lives away on the three-inch-tall stack of contract documents, I mentioned to Andy that with two kids and a mortgage we're living the so-called American dream.

What's your idea of the American dream?

Just Your Average Trip to Sam's Club

Tomorrow our church women's group is holding an activity where we'll assemble 72-hour kits for each family to have in case of an emergency. Being one of the leaders in charge of the shindig, I went with another gal and picked up a few things to fill our kits. Behold the wonders- $650, one stuffed car, and two sore backs later.

P.S. No, the kits will not include raw ground beef. Since we were there, just had to provision mi familia as well. I was strangely fascinated by the packaging - A ginormous tube o' meat.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Not really, but for a few days at the beginning of October it dropped into the 50s so we decided to pull out our winter gear and take an inventory. Lucy, who would NEVER keep a hat on last winter decided she loved her fuzzy topper and wouldn't take it off for the next two hours. Wonder if that will hold for gloves as well? Ben's adult-sized noggin fits nicely into an earwarmer that comes in the perfect shade of Buckeye red. I mean, scarlet.

We're back!

It's been ages since I posted any actual pictures of our comings, goings, and daily happenings. I think my mom may be about ready to hop on a plane to OH to get some glimpses of the grandbabies. The reason/excuse behind the blogging absence is that I got a new camera (hooray!), but still had to face the prospect of actually downloading pictures when the card reader my mom gave me (a.k.a. picture dowloading for dummies) wouldn't work with the new memory card. Yipes! So with 100 pictures from our summer adventures freshly loaded onto my hard drive, here are the most recent ones.

Why, you may ask yourself, are you bothering to post a picture of an empty backyard, with only a blanket spread on the grass to keep it company?

Upon closer inspection, you will find that the lump is Ben asleep, wrapped up in a blanket with Harry Potter #2 beside him. We've been basking in the glorious fall weather and he begged me to read to him, but I'd only do it if we were outside on the grass. I'd spent an hour on the couch with him that morning reading, and he's really loving the book. Lucy and I also spent an hour outside earlier that afternoon while she played in the leaf pile and I soaked up the sun while reading my latest book club assignment. A truly glorious afternoon, considering the book was "The Happiness Project" and I was outside reading, both things which get my happiness juices flowing.

Found...

The perfect costume for the trend-setting baby: Lady Gaga. I'd buy it for Lucy in a heartbeat if it weren't for two things:

1. She's totally bald and people already think she's a boy, so the costume might be a little too androgynous. We need somthing that screams, "I'm an adorable littl girl, dang it!!!" Every time we go out in public, not matter how feminine her outfit, people unfailingly mistake her for a boy. Case in point: Today we were at Sam's Club nabbing the free kids' cookies at the bakery. Lucy was dressed in her cute new tuquoise long-sleeved onesie and coordinating dark purple corduroy overalls, both festooned with flowers. She started making eyes at the guy in the cart next to us and he said, "Hey, buddy." I am not exaggerating. Somehow people (mostly men) cannot get past the hot pink clothes to make the correct gender connection. A true mystery of the universe.

With that said, I'm now having to reconsider my original Halloween plan. Since when it comes to Halloween (and all holidays in general) I am the tragic combination of lazy, uncreative, and unable to sew/craft, I was going to dress Lucy in Ben's old zip-up leopard costume. Simplicity is my mantra and recycling is always virtuous, right? Now that I think of it, that won't help our cause. Anyone have a girly 18-month getup they wouldn't mind lending out? Last year a friend let us borrow a baby mermaid costume which was basically like a pint-sized teal sleeping bag with strategically placed purple shells. It couldn't have been easier. Ben wants to be a ghost this year, so I'm breathing a sigh of relief because it means all we have to do is go to a thrift store and buy an old sheet. The downside of the whole ghosty fixation is that it stems from Andy's mom telling Ben ghost stories while he was in Utah and now he's terrified of being anywhere by himself. A few days ago he wanted me to stand outside the door while he went to the bathroom.

2. This look may be a little too edgy for Ohio. Fashion trends end up hitting the Midwest a little later than other places. I can just see us trick-or-treating and being met with a plethora of blank stares and quizzical looks upon seeingLucy in full Gaga glory. The upside of the costume: At least it's not made of meat.

And for those of you who are wondering how we got into Sam's without a membership, here's the secret: We use a friend's expired card. Don't judge. Flash it at the door, walk around and get the samples, look at the goods, read the magazines, let Ben watch the TVs, buy a cheap lunch, and escape without the guilt that usually accompanies shopping at warehouse stores because you never leave without spending less than $100. The dowsides are that we get strange looks for walking around with nothing in our cart and that we can't score any of the great deals. Today I wanted to be less conspicuous so I threw a mega-sized bag of candy in the back and when Ben's eyes lit up, had to break his heart and tell him we weren't actually buying it. It had to go back on the shelf before we went to the food court. Thankfully he was easily pacified by some samples of Life Water and caramel apple dip.

What was your best Halloween costume ever? What will your kids be this year? My little sister and her husband are classic when it comes to outfits. Last year they dressed as a polygamist and his wives (had to recruit a friend to help), complete with poligafrump* hair and frocks. This year they've talked of being Steve Jobs and an Ipad. Love it.

*I can't take any credit for the amazing word "poligafrump." Have to give credit to TAMN from SSB for that one.

Ivy League, Shmivy League

Good news for all of you out there who are wondering how in the world you're going to pay for your children's private college education(s) or who turned down Yale because you couldn't afford the hefty price tag.

According to an article in today's WSJ, it turns out that when looking to fill entry level jobs, employers actually prefer state schools to Ivy League universities because "their big student populations and focus on teaching practical skills gives the companies more bang for their recruiting buck." In addition, "Recruiters say grads of top public universities are often among the most prepared and well-rounded academically, and companies have found they fit well into their corporate cultures and over time have the best track record in their firms." If you have a second, the entire story is worth a read.

A WSJ poll of recruiting executives showed that of their top 25 colleges, 19 are state schools, one Ivy League, and the rest private.

Top Five:
1. Penn State
2. Texas A&M
3. University of Illinois
4. Purdue University
5. Arizona State University (A big shout out to one of my alma maters)


Two other schools of note: BYU came in at #11 and Ohio State at #12.


One of the most fascinating quotes was from a Harvard economics professor who said, "We have none of the basic bread-and-butter courses that serve you well in much of industry." So what exactly do the courses prepare you for, then? I know, many of the elite schools portray undergraduate studies as the time to explore the world and expand the mind through a good liberal arts education, but it seems to be worth a little less if you can't find a job afterward. Granted, I doubt many Ivy Leaguers have trouble finding work, but you get the point.

Today's story is doubly interesting, juxtaposed against another article from The Atlantic Monthly that my sister sent me a few weeks ago, stating basically the opposite - that the undergraduate system "favors research over teaching and vocational training over liberal arts." The authors of a new book entitled Higher Education? argue that students should use their college years to build a solid intellectual foundation and focus less on industry-specific skills. Instead of hopping straight from college into a job, everyone should take a few years and work at somewhere like Old Navy and figure out what they really want to do with their lives instead of pursing a major that will either yield few employment options without an advanced degree (can anyone say sociology major?) or a field they don't really enjoy, but that they think offers the highest salary (think fresh faced Wall Street types).

Andy and I have discussed this subject extensively, both being products of a large state school for our undergraduate educations (Go Aggies!), then pursuing advanced degrees at different universities (me public, him private). We also have seen the experiences of our siblings, some of whom went to small private colleges and others larger state schools. We've come to the conclusion that while there are advantages to each, much of the true "college experience" and post-graduate opportunity boils down to grades and extracurricular involvement. We'll counsel our children to work as hard as they can to get scholarships, and that rather than accumulating piles of undergraduate debt, a good option is to go to a well-respected school where you can come out with few or no student loans and then invest more on graduate studies.

Of course the choice of school is ultimately up to them, but we'll have the same amount of money set away for each child's college education and when it's gone, it's gone. That way there isn't a two-tiered system where mom and dad foot the entire bill and there's resentment because one sibling's education cost $200,000 and another's only $20,000. As I write this I realize how absurd it probably sounds to the majority of the rest of the world - the have nots. What a blessing to be able to get a college education in the first place. We truly do lament our high-class problems, sometimes.

Where do you stand on the subject of higher education? What have you thought about for your kids? Do you wish you'd have made another choice for your own college experience?

Morning Surprise

Combine:
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 c. water

Microwave on high for 3 minutes

Remove from microwave and top oatmeal with:
Milk
Dash of cinnamon
Syrup
Healthy sprinkle of nutmeg (or so you think)


This was me yesterday morning, on autopilot making my daily oatmeal. Except as I sat down and took the first bite, anticipating the heavenly mix of sugars and spices, my mouth began to burn. I'd inadvertently grabbed the cayenne pepper, which looks exactly like the nutmeg.

Definitely a recipe guaranteed to wake you up in a hurry!!

Do you have any food mishaps of your own featuring inadvertent ingredient omissions or swaps? While Andy and I were dating he and his roomates pulled a dastardly trick and brought me and my girlfriends a plate of snickerdoodles rolled in cinnamon and salt instead of cinnamon sugar. Very ironic because the doodles (as we like to refer to them) are now Andy's signature treat. Just be sure to stay on his good side...

TAMN, Unplugged

The long-awaited interview with the author of the Mormon mommy blog spoof, Seriously, so Blessed! is now up on the Mormon Women Project website. You can read it here, and I'd love to hear your comments on her thoughts and perspectives.

This has been the most interesting, time-consuming, and fulfilling interview I've done so far. Getting the interview was an adventure unto itself, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out and give a shout out to TAMNster's creator for being such a good sport. I feel like I gained a friend, albeit an anonymous one.

Coming to a Theater Near You

This weekend we spent part of an evening with friends watching upcoming movie trailers off the Apple website on their ginormous iMac screen. The picture was so crisp I could almost taste the theater popcorn. Here are a few previews that looked intriguing...

Are there any movies you're anticipating this fall/winter after such a disappointing summer movie season?
Harrison Ford as a curmudgeonly national morning show anchor with Rachel McAdams as his young producer.

College friends reunite for a wedding and sparks fly.

A Chinese state-trained ballet dancer comes to the U.S. and then defects.

An unlikely pair become surrogate parents when their godchild suddenly becomes an orphan.

Gordon Gekko is back.

A dramatization of the Valerie Plame spy affair.

Young executive unexpectedly loses his job and finds himself.

Woman meets her husband in Cairo and is swept away by more than the scenery.

P.S. I was disappointed by the trailer for Harry Potter #7. Nothing I saw remotely resembled the book's narrative.

Thumbs Up

A big cheer that Columbus now has one of my favorite types of fro-yo places. Yes, the top-it-yourself joint where you just grab a bowl and throw in as many different yogurt flavors and toppings until your bowl is bursting, then weigh it and pay accordingly. I prefer this over the Red Mango variety because they offer only tart/fruity yogurts, while I love the chocolate/PB/cheesecake/cake batter varieties. If Menchie's is like the other places I've tried in AZ and UT, the best part is that you get a little sample cup and can help yourself to as many tastes of the flavors as you want. It's like getting another cone for free! Plus, today snag today's Groupon where you can get two 12-oz. cups for $5. Here's to another excuse for a date night, GNO, or just a regular old sugar fix.Sadly, I have to include a little thumbs down as well. I know this is a petty gripe, but I just have to express my unadulterated loathing for Sam's Club baby wipes. Not only are they smaller and rougher than Costco wipes, but in my experience, they're unable to complete the job they're designed to do. Things have trouble adhering to them...I'll leave it at that. Plus, to add insult to injury, they smell terrible! Andy was changing Lucy's diaper last week and asked what smelled like beer. Maybe he's been to one too many after-work happy hours, but the unsavory alcohol odor is an unnecessary second olfactory assault when you're changing a diaper. So any of you out there with a Costco card, can I tag along on your next excursion to get some decent wipes? It's either that or I potty train Lucy in the next week or so.

Busted!

Haws, Nicole
Hilliard, OH 43026

Dear Sir/Madam,

We have received your letter regarding the parking ticket violation listed below. Upon review of the circumstances as described in your letter, the parking violation is upheld, and in accordance with section 2150 of the Columbus City codes, payment is due within ten days from the date of this letter.

To pay your fine, forward a check or money order payable to the city treasurer and mail to the Parking Violations Bureau. Please include your parking ticket number and vehicle license plate number on all correspondence.

Sincerely,
Correspondence Section
Parking Violations Bureau
City of Columbus


Well, it was worth a try. But I paid online because it's not worth wasting a stamp. Take that!

P.S. Is it ironic that I worked for Utah State Parking and Transportation Services for two years of college? I know what it's like to be on the dark side of the law.

Pretty Please

I'm not proud to say it, but just landed my third parking ticket in three years. Lest you think I'm a hardened criminal, permit me to defend myself.

1. The first came in downtown Columbus right after we moved when I went to a symphony performance on the lawn of the capitol building and unknowingly fed the wrong meter - the one behind my car rather than the one in front. Chalk it up to a rookie mistake. Needless to say, I was nailed by a vigilant parking officer who ticketed me less than a minute after I walked away from the car. I returned for a forgotten item and BAM - there it was on my windshield. I contested the ticket and had to go to a seriously creepy part of town next to an impound lot for the hearing. Result: Ticket waived, $2o saved.

2. Thankgiving 2008 in Washington D.C., we parked on the street next to the Air and Space Museum. We were unfamiliar with the parking restrictions and ran outside to find a tow truck almost at our car. We pulled the ticket off the windshield and sped away, only to be dinged with a hefty fine. Again, I contested the ticket, pleading out of town stupidity. Result: Ticket waived, $100 saved.

3. Last Friday we took my sister and brother-in-law downtown to show them the sights of C-bus. We parked next to the North Market, fed the meter for 1.5 hours and headed in for lunch and a stroll. After making the rounds for all the samples, we decided to see more of the city and took longer than expected to get back, only to find another parking ticket when we returned because our meter had expired. Fine: $25. Result: Unknown. Note: Apparently the tough ecnonomy hit the city hard since they've raised their ticket fees from $20 to $25 in the past three years. Or maybe it's just inflation.

Anyway, I decided to contest the ticket today and here's my "Citizen Statement."

"I acknowledge that our meter expired, but it occurred because of extenuating circumstances. We went to the North Market while hosting visitors who are considering moving to Columbus. We weren't planning on staying more than an hour and a half, but they were interested in walking around more of downtown, so we ended up going through the lobby of the Nationwide building, down to the capitol building where they wanted to take a tour. From there they wanted to walk back on the banks of the Scioto River near COSI and the Santa Maria, which took us longer than our meter's allotment. I apologize for the infraction, but feel that it was time well-spent in showing them what Columbus has to offer and request leniency on the parking ticket. We also had two children in strollers and couldn't easily run back to feed the meter. Thank you for your time and consideration."

Do you think they'll buy it? Keep your fingers crossed that my lucky streak continues. Hopefully they don't have a rap sheet going already. Have you ever gotten out of a ticket before?

P.S. I was pulled over three times in high school and never got a ticket. One was very dramatic and involved (real) tears and the police visiting my house, but that's another story...

Hungering for More

Anyone else anxiously anticipating tomorrow's big release? If you buy it, can I borrow your copy since it will be another four years before I make it to the top of the library waiting list? :)

And the Winners Are...

Here's what the gift card wrought: A mini bread loaf pan,

A decent paring knife (just the green one),

And a grapefruit knife to make it easier to extract winter's jewels.

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I love making quick breads (banana, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.) and the mini loaf pan will be perfect for make and takes. Our knife set is 10 years old now and wasn't great to start with, so I'm excited to have at least one sharp knife in the house. Finally, Ben and I both love grapefruit and sometimes it's just fun to have a superflous kitchen gadget. We've gotten along fine without a specialty knife, but what the hey, right?

What's your favorite kitchen gadget?