We like to read

Well, it's summer 'round here. I need to remember to sign up Bubbie for the summer reading program. Although this parish is doing it different than past years so I'm not sure if it will work for him or not. Last year, we read and listened to books. I count listening to audio books in the car as time since we spent a lot of time doing it and it is just like something reading to him. And, of course, we read at home, usually just one story a night but sometimes he brings me or BT a lot of books. Currently his favorite book is Go, Dog, Go and my husband reads it to him. He does an excellent job with the voices. I'm not so good with that one, but I like reading Green Eggs and Ham. I've read that one to him since he was born. It's cute since whenever I read my books he will grab one and start "reading" it. Hopefully, he will be a reader like me.

It's no wonder

So various things are happening around my household. My father-in-law is offering to sell my husband is truck for a good price and BT really needs a new vehicle but things are interesting around my house right now regarding financing and jobs and stuff so we are trying to decide about that. Also the weekends are just crazy this summer. This weekend we went to the movies, I went shopping (alone), we went to my parent's, me and Bubbie went to my old work, etc. We are all feeling bad today.

And coming up, we are repainting the living room, dining room, and kitchen, going to a concert in New Orleans, going to a wedding, doing a workshop, and visiting with his family since his brother and family are coming down. Oh, and I am working a Saturday on the reference desk. That is just June. I'm hoping for a break in July.

My Present!

What everyone should get for their 31st birthday, the cutest bike ever!

On the occasion of my 31st birthday

So today is my birthday which regardless if you know me IRL or on the internet, I will have mention either on Facebook or Twitter. I love birthdays! I think that everyone should use their birthday to do the kinds of things they like to do or eat the foods they like to eat guilt-free.

At my new(ish) work, they have cake for the birthday person and usually go to lunch. But I have traditionally spent my birthday with my husband. So I'm getting off early, we are going to eat a delicious lunch and get my birthday present and then get the boy and spend the day together. I'm excited. Although, I wanted an iced mocha this morning and wasn't able to get one so boo! on that. But anyway, the cake(s) here were so cute and delicious and I'm getting a cookie cake tonight.

I can't really believe I'm 31 already. I don't feel that old and, thank God, I don't look that old. I'm not looking forward to telling people I'm 31 when they ask. The thing about being in your 30's is that you are suppose to be more mature. In your 20's people will chalk things up to your age but I no longer have that luxury. Not that I've ever really done anything too immature, I've been old for a long time. But I always had the option. Now I'm married with a kid in my 30's. People expect more out of you. But that's okay because today is my birthday. I'm not expecting anything out of me except a good time.

Graduation Parties and such

My sister-in-law (the young one) just graduated from college on Friday. I'm very proud of her. I've know her since she was 12 and now she's 22 and a college graduate. It's crazy how you can remember someone as a little kid and then all of sudden they are grown up. She is off to Boston University for grad school this fall and I'm kinda sad she is leaving even though I didn't see her but every couple of months. We are finally becoming friends I think now that the age gap doesn't seem as big and she is becoming more of an adult. It can be hard to relate when they is an almost 9 year age difference and I feel like everything I say sounds like advice when I don't mean it to sound that way. So anyway, now it's just me and BT left with their parents down here.

They had a party for her on Sunday so we went over there on Saturday afternoon and Bubbie and BT swam. Bubbie was not happy at first about going dressed to go swimming. He was a little tired and cranky when we got there, but he loves water so I knew he would have fun. He kept saying "No swim" but once we got him in the pool he didn't want to leave! I'll have to take to my mom's to swim a lot this summer. Then the party was Sunday afternoon so once we got up from our nap (Oops I fell asleep too), the people were starting to show up. It was a nice little party. Then we came home and hung out till it was time to go to bed. I think we are all tired today.

"The Incident" (Lost thoughts)

I've never taken up this many post for one show, but there is so much going on in this episode and I have a lot of thoughts but I wanted to do a summary of the episode just for reference, so this is the Dharma plotline here and here is the Jacob/Locke plotline. This is for my thoughts and theories.

So the part that interested me the most was Jacob and the other guy who I call OG. OG wants to kill Jacob but he can't so he has to find a loophole and he finds it in John Locke and Ben Linus. But what I'm wondering is if he was locked in "Jacob's" cabin and couldn't get out because of the line of ash. And that is who Ben thought Jacob was and who Christian Shephard is working for and who whispered "Help me" to Locke and told him to move the Island. Maybe he told Locke to break up the circle of ash because when Ilana and her group arrive, there is a break. Also Ilana says that "he" (Jacob) hasn't been there is a long time and that someone else was using it. I wonder too what connection Not!Locke/Christian has to the Dead!Alex since she told Ben not to try and kill John Locke again. Is the Smoke Monster, called Cerebus, an ancient god of death?

"The Incident" (Lost summary part 2)

For the Dharma plotline, go here.

So at the beginning of the episode we see a guy (YG) working on a loom and weaving a tapestry, then he goes fishing and cooks and eats a fish while watching the approach of a ship (the Black Rock). Then this other older guy (OG) sits down and they talk about the approaching ship and how YG brought the ship to the Island and how this time might be different. OG says that YG is trying to prove him wrong, but it always ends the same, they come, fight, destroy, corrupt. YG says it only ends once, everything before that is progress. And then OG says that he wants to kill YG and YG knows that but OG can't and that he will find a loophole one day. YG says he will be right here when he does and OG revels that YG is Jacob! and walks away. Jacob is on the beach next to the statue and it is whole and looks to be the alligator god Sebek.

So it is revealed that Jacob has visited and physically touched every one of the "significant" original Lostaways at some point in their lives: Kate and Sawyer when they were young, Jack after his first major surgery, Hurley after jail time for "killing" 3 people, Sayid right before his wife was run down and Jacob may have actually contributed to that one, Jin and Sun at their wedding, John after he was thrown out the window by his father and Jacob appears to bring him back to life, and Ilana after she was injured somehow asking her to help him. He seems to be setting events into motion without really doing anything, but wants them to go to the Island.

2007, John Locke tells Ben that he wants him to kill Jacob, that Locke isn't going to do it. Ben asks why and Locke says that after everything Ben did in Jacob's name and never having had the privilege to even meet him, it should be obvious. Ben says that he told his dead daughter he would do whatever Locke said and Locke is very interested in this. Richard takes them to the foot statue and reveals that Jacob lives there, not a cabin in the woods. In a conversation with Locke, he tells him that he is ageless because Jacob made him that way. Ben and Locke go into the statue base, Richard says to tell Jacob he said hi and goes, Locke gives Ben a knife and off they go.

"The Incident" (Lost summary)

I hadn't planned on doing a full recap and I missed a lot, believe it or not, so I'll link you to EW Lost Recap by Doc Jensen since he is always excellent and to Television without Pity's recap (when they are up) if you want more or a better picture of what happeneded. Here is Watch with Kirsten's Lost Redux as well.

So here is a brief summary of the 1977 plotline.

1977 Dharma - Jack, Sayid, Richard, and Ellie get the core of the bomb out and put it in a knapsack and then Richard knocks Ellie out and says it is his job to protect the leader and she is pregnant anyway so he drags her away and it's up to Jack and Sayid now. Radzinsky is still an asshole and not a listener so he drills into the pocket of electromagnetic energy. Jack and Sawyer have a big knock down drag out fight and it is not cool but Juliet stops Sawyer. Earlier, we ran into Rose! and Bernard! with Vincent! and they were all living a good peaceful life and Rose wanted nothing to do with the Runaround Gang. She says (and I think it might be significant) that they are always finding new ways to shoot each other and they (Rose and Bernard) are happy with each other for the time that they have. Juliet looks at Sawyer who looks at Kate and then Juliet looks sad. So, anyway, big fight, but it's decided to let Jack try. So off he runs (since Sayid got shot earlier) and then shootout shootout drops bomb into hole and then nothing. And then the electronmagetic energy kicks in and sucks everything metal down the hole, but sadly not Radzinsky who tries to DRIVE AWAY in a METAL jeep but has to settle for running. But heartbreakingly Juliet gets a chain wrapped around her waist and is pulled down and Sawyer and Kate try to save her but they can't and there is crying by everyone and she lets go and down she goes. I cried. And then Juliet wakes up and spots the bomb and bangs on it with a rock and big white light LOST. But a whole lot more happened so on I go.

Continue to here for the Jacob/Locke plotline and here for my thoughts and theories.

These are a few of my favorite things, er, blogs

Like everyone, I have blogs that I visited everyday or check weekly depending on my mood and how busy I am. I, of course, am obsessed with Twitter and keep it open all day at work and at home too. I have a book Twitter too so that I can share books with people and then I have my personal Twitter for the other stuff I like and for my life. The same thing goes for my blogs: I have this one for personal things and whatever and I have a book blog, just for that. And I have a Facebook, which I checked daily, and a Myspace that I never check and am thinking of deleting anyway.

But there are websites that I love and have on occasion obsessed about. Here they are, in very little order, my favorite blogs:


Occupation: Girl - Cleolinda Jones
I first found her blog when doing a search on Breaking Dawn reactions after Amazon blew up when all the Twihards started freaking out. Up til Breaking Dawn, I was just straight up in love with those books but that book just did something to me. Anyway, I found her recaps of BD and then read the rest of her Twilight recaps and commentary and I was hooked and was now in it for the lulz. She was posting everyday but lately she's giving herself a much needed rest and is posting every couple of days or so. Her main thing right now is The Secret Life of Dolls which is about the adventures of her, um, dolls including The Littlest Edward, a bunch of Lord of the Ring dolls, Lyra Belacqua, and a lot more. Look, it's funny, just trust me. She is a writer working on a steampunk/vampire? book and she talks about that too. She also wrote a book called Movies in Fifteen Minutes (which I own) and has posted some online including Twilight the movie. I could fangirl her so much more but 1. I don't want to sound creepy and 2. it could get really long so let's just say she's awesome and move on.

eric three thousand

I found him one day looking for Project Runway recaps. His are very funny and very accurate. He makes up dialogue and talks about the designs. He also does Top Chef which is another of my favorite shows and has started doing The Fashion Show from Bravo. He is very funny if you like these shows.

Libba Bray - the author, of course!

I LOVE A Great and Terrible Beauty so I went looking for her website and found her blog. I use to check weekly but now it's more like monthly. She is fantastically funny and insightful. I had a bad experience posting comments on her blog (not her, another commenter) so I don't do that now but she is still fun to read.

Maureen Johnson - the author (of course)

I can't remember when I started following her but it was definitely after I read 13 Blue Envelopes. She is insanely funny and posts really long and very funny blogs. I participated in the BEDA project that she started and meet some great people through it. She usually writes about writing or hamsters or J.K. Rowling. You just have to read it.

Speaking of BEDA, I still follow my BEDA buddies blogs (including someone who was my unofficial BEDA buddy) They are

Letter, Words, Thought, Ideas, Stories... - Tiffany Schmidt who is extremely funny

You Should Only Know - Erica Manney who writes about her life

Library Notebook - lindsaygail who is a librarian like me and writes about books and being a librarian

Life in Denim and Flip Flops - Becky Jean who is also a librarian and writes about different things like work, making cards, poetry, etc.

Anyway, these are just some of my favorite blogs. I actually have more, but this is getting long.

On Mother's Day

This is my 3rd Mother's Day. My first one Bubbie was 5 months old and I can't remember what we did. Last year was our first year in this house and we had our parents over and BT cooked. That is what we are doing this year. BT's mom requested that we do it again. I think she enjoys not having to do anything. BT is an excellent cook so he always makes something great. Not ribs like I want (he says that isn't Mother's Day food, I say whatever) but it is always delicious.

This year Bubbie woke up and BT gave him my Mother's Day card and he came and handed it to me while I was drying my hair. It was very cute! I got a gift certificate to buy a skirt I have been wanting. My birthday is coming up so I think I might get some more to buy some shorts and a dress or two. So anyway, I got my card and got Bubbie to say Happy Mother's Day, the house is clean and it smells good and I'm ready for our guests. It's going to be a good day.

"Follow the Leader" (Lost thoughts)

So I think I skipped last week's episode. Summary: some shocking things happened and we were all like OMG and WTF and then it was over.

This week, pretty much the same thing happened. It was a "Richard episode" but didn't really have much to do with him except that he is the only constant (hmmm) on the Island. He is always there.

1977 Island: So last week Eloise shot Daniel who told her that he was her son and she knew what would happen when she sent him. And then he died (or did he?). Then the Others captured Jack and Kate and beat the crap out of Jack and his pretty face. Man, they don't play around. Jack told Eloise the truth and she agreed to show him where the bomb was buried which was under the Dharma Village it turned out and they got there by swimming in an underwater tunnel bypassing the sonic fence. But that happens later. First, the Others almost shoot Kate but then Sayid! shows up and shoots them first (well, the Redshirts; Richard and Eloise live of course). And they tell Sayid that Kate saved Lil'Ben and he is all WTH and Kate says that it is not okay to kill children and set off hydrogen bombs and she is leaving. So she leaves and they go to the underwater cavern where Smokey lives, I think, and get the bomb that was "buried." My definition of burying is a little different than theirs because the bomb was pretty much just sitting out in the open but whatever. I guess the show doesn't have time to dig up a cement encased bomb.

Also in 1977, Sawyer gets the crap beat out of him by Radzinsky (and I've never been happier knowing that guy blows his own head off because grrr) and then the rat faced guy hits Juliet and Sawyer gives up the information on the Others in exchange for them getting on the submarine.

So there is a little scene with Hurley and Dr. Chang who questions Hurley on his history and Hurley gives up and tells him they are from the future. Dr. Chang realizes that Miles is his son and agrees to get everyone off the Island. But later we see him yelling at his wife to leave and Miles realizes that his mom wouldn't leave unless his dad did that (which I can understand because that's what it would take for me to leave without my husband). And Sawyer and Juliet talk about the life they are going to have and Sawyer looks at the Island and is like "See Ya" and gets on the sub where they have more lovey talk. Then Kate! shows up and ruins it for them. They are not escaping that easy, mawhahahah.

2007 Island: Richard is building a model ship and John Locke comes out of nowhere with a stupid boar and is like "Hey" and Richard is like WTH (this happens a lot on this show). Richard is shocked to see both Locke and Ben. Ben explains to Sun at some point that Richard is an adviser of sorts and he has had that job for a loooooooooooooong time. So Sun asks about the Dharmaways and he says he saw them die. Da-Dum!

So it appears that the Island is speaking to Locke and telling him to do things which should be worrisome and he wanders around being a freaking annoying know-it-all. He takes Richard to himself during one of the flashes and tells him what to do and then wants to go to Jacob. Richard is reluctant to do this but Locke makes him or whatever. That night, Locke tells everyone that they are going on pilgrimage to Jacob since it's not fair to take orders from some mysterious guy in a moving cabin in the woods and Richard does not like this. He tells Ben that Locke is going to be trouble and Ben says that's why he tried to kill him. I don't know what Richard's face was trying to say but he seemed disconcerted by that information. I guess Locke is not suppose to be harmed or something since he seems to be the natural leader.

So on the pilgrimage to Jacob, Ben and Locke are walking and Locke is amused that the Island has never spoken to Ben. And then he tells Ben that he is going to kill Jacob. Ben is naturally stunned! as I was since I guess Locke is no longer just a man of faith. I wonder if the Island is telling him to kill Jacob. My guess is Richard is not going to be happy about that.

Question: Are Richard and Jacob the same person? Maybe since Richard is old and no one has seen Jacob. It would make a certain kind of sense. Also, if not, what is Richard's deal? I hope they do a completely Richard-centric episode since I love him. He seems willing to go with whatever people tell him, completely reasonable but willing to fight, I guess. We've never actually seen him do anything violent, yet he is always surrounded by violent people who are willingly to murder.

Rough Week

This has been a rough week so far. More than that, though, since last Wednesday I got sick with strep throat. Then someone who was like my uncle died (our families have been friends for over 40 years, his brother was married to my paternal aunt) on Sunday and my son got sick with the (regular) flu and my (real) uncle had a mild stroke. I had planned on going to volunteer training for hospice on Friday and getting my hair cut on Saturday but I had to put those plans off. I am disappointed by the volunteer thing but I couldn't take the time off after missing 2 1/2 days last week and 1/2 a day on Tuesday for the funeral. I am trying to give something back since hospice has been good to my uncles, but there is no way. I would like to keep my job.

I did go to CPR training at work today though. Man, I hope I never have to use it cause I don't know how good I would be in a crisis. And I had a sorority set up to do a display but they misunderstood and did ONE case so now I have to figure something out for that. I'm not messing with student organizations anymore. They mess up too much and don't show up half the time.

Thank God that my mom is so great! She took the week off to take care of the boy since he can't go back till Thursday although we are going to keep him out Friday too. There's no real point in going for one day. If I didn't have my mom, this week would have been even rougher. Moms are the best.

Like a huge splotchy freak

When I was younger, I use to go to a tanning bed. I am naturally very pale and don't spend a lot of time outdoors so I needed something to get me started. Also it was relaxing. Twelve minutes alone with no one to talk to and not having to worry about anything else. But it turns out that's bad for you like most good things so I quit that (also I didn't have any money so there was that.)

Recently (yesterday) I decided to try a self tanner at home. I used a spray mist tanner which seemed to work okay, but then I woke up this morning and that is so not the case. I missed A LOT of areas and now I'm very splotchy and stuck wearing a jacket at work all day today. I had bought some tanning towelettes (which I should have tried first) and this morning rubbed on one of those to try to even things out but I don't know how well it worked. Normally I could just wait it out but I have a funeral tomorrow and I don't want to look insane but I don't know what would be best, trying to lighten it or spraying on the light spots to darken those. I do know that I'm not going to do this again, or at least not use a home spray on tanner. That was a huge mistake. Maybe being pale is just the way to go.

Trump card for life

I have the trump card for life. Let me give you an example. Last night as we were sitting down to dinner Bubbie asked for more juice. And this is the conversation that took place:
BT: "He wants more juice."
Me: "Then give him some."
BT: "I got him dinner."
Me: "I gave him life."

This is my trump card. I try to play it sparingly, but I pull it out on occasion along with "I gave birth" and "I had my body CUT OPEN to have him." Yes, I'm one of those people.

Poor little sick me

So I broke down and went to the doctor because having a fever for three days is not a good thing, especially when people are freaking about the new flu. I went to the new Urgent Care place and I was the first patient there so that was nice. Anyway, it seems I have strep throat which I've never had before. I got a shot of cortisone (which hurts) and a prescription for an antibiotic if I don't feel better soon. I'm going to fill it tomorrow if I am still feeling bad. So I've missed 2 1/2 days of work but at least it is for a reason.

When we were little and had to go to the doctor cause we were sick or just had to get shots, I was always the good one. My sister (who is 2 1/2 years older than me) would back herself into the corner and say "Wait, wait I have to tell you something" and the adults would wait and she couldn't think of anything so they would try again. They would do this several times until my mom would get exasperated and grab her and then they would give the shot. I was never afraid until I was in the room with my sister. Because it really only hurt for a second and we had a great nurse who would say "Okay deep breath, little stick and done" and that would make me feel okay. Also I sat on my mom's lap a lot. We would get some gum, the really sugary kind, and a sticker. And a lot of times my mom would buy us a treat or a coke or something afterwards.