Why do I still feel so busy?

Somehow, despite dropping the whole "full time student" thing for a semester, I am still overly busy...not sure how that happened. Anyway, here we are on Thursday afternoon and I am just getting around to writing about last weekend...

Skiing was really fun! It was super cold, but I never actually left the house, so that had little impact on my state of mind:-). I cooked a lot, ate a lot, read, watched TV, napped, soaked in the hot tub and just generally enjoyed the time away. The girls were, as always, really fun...although they were different this year because two of the friends that went were boys. Not love interests of anyone else, but they are teenage girls and they still act different. A little less silly:-)

The Boy did awesome on his extended weekend as a single father. He had the girls by himself on Friday night (getting them to bed can be a challenge!) and Saturday morning, and then his Mom came over Saturday afternoon and stayed all day Sunday as well...she went home at 7:30 after MA went to sleep, and then he had them by himself again all day Monday until I got home. And they all survived and seemed to have a good time:-)

I drove home with just Munchkin, and we took our time and stopped for lunch and stuff on the way. That was really nice, too...as I have written here before, I don't get as much time alone with her as I would like, so I appreciate whatever I can get. Although, as long as one of the girls is asleep early enough tonight, we are going out for chicken fingers, which will be another nice treat.

Then she is off to Chicago this weekend to visit her brother and niece...quite the jet setter...

I think we have decided not to move this spring. We have enough room for now, and over the next year we will be able to put away a whole bunch of money that will get us into looking at a little different caliber of condo that I think would make a substantial difference. So, it looks like we will hold off in hopes of getting something really perfect next year...which will also save the trouble of moving now!!!

And, um, I guess that's it for now:-)

Jeopardy!

As I think we have gone over, Jeopardy is pretty much my favorite show. Yea, I am that kinda nerd...and while we are at it, I love bar trivia, too. That, however, is kind of unimportant.

Like a lot of people, I watched IBM's computer play Jeopardy the last three nights against the two greatest players in Jeopardy history. And seriously, watching the computer was really amazing...it is a remarkable feat in computing.

That said...the shows were kind of a disappointment. It was great to watch the computer, but as a competitive exercise, it really only highlighted that the computer can ring in faster than the guys could. I think we probably all knew that already. If you watched, both guys knew virtually every answer, they could just never beat the computer in ringing in right after the window opened (also, the computer getting all six daily doubles over two days skewed things).

I think I would have rather that they determined what the average time is for a person to ring in if they try and get in right when the window opens...then made the computer automatically buzz in at that time. That at least would have made it a question-answering contest instead of just a buzzing contest.

Anyway, if this is my biggest disappointment this year, then it will probably be a pretty good year:-)

Valentine's Day

First things first...love Nilsa's post today about finding time for yourself. Ask any new mother about how much she loves grocery shopping by herself and you will get an interesting answer!

Moving on...

I have never really had strong feelings about Valentine's Day...I know a lot of people really hate it and the way it seems to mock the single. And I know people who secretly love being validated by getting gifts and feel the need to create lavish and expensive faux-romantic experiences.

Me? I do love flowers:-) But that is about it. The Boy sent me flowers at work, which he does every year, and which still makes me smile and will brighten my whole week by making my cube more colorful. I sent him some fresh baked cookies from a bakery that delivers. He saved me a chocolate chip one, because he knows that there would have been hell to pay if he hadn't...

So, I guess that is my new definition of love: knowing to save me a chocolate chip cookie:-)

Meanwhile, I got a phone call from our doorman mid-day, telling me that Munchkin had just received an enormous vase full of flowers, and asking what I wanted him to do with it before we all came home (really he was asking for permission to go into our apartment to drop it off and get it out of the way.) I should have taken a picture, but I didn't...but it sort of looked like this:


Only, say, twice the size. Frenchie, apparently, is a big believer in Valentine's Day...or at least a big believer in making Munchkin feel loved:-). Which she did! I think she was a little taken aback, in a good way, at the scope of the whole thing...it was a pretty striking visual to walk through the door to. Unfortunately, Monday is a late day for her, so she didn't get home until almost six, at which point it was too late to call him, which she was a little bummed about. But she was up really early to call him during his lunch hour today, which is sorta cute:-)

The Boy ended up taking her with him to the wedding last weekend, which is also kind of adorable. There was one slightly awkward moment with a friend's wife who knows me, but doesn't know Munchkin, and was concerned that he had already thrown me out for a better looking option...but that got straightened out quickly:-)

She also got picked up by an eight year old, so her powers extend to men of all ages. (I would have given almost anything to be there when the little boy walked up and asked her if she would dance with him!)

Smoking Hot Roommate stayed over on Saturday, and we had a lot of stupid fun. We ordered sushi, hung around in our pajamas and talked about total nonsense all night. Kinda awesome:-)

Skiing this weekend...everyone wish The Boy luck on his own!

Bieber

OK, I don't really have an issue with Justin Bieber. I mean, he is cute enough, and he must be really charming because everyone completely loves him. His shtick will get really old when he is 19 instead of 15, but whatever...for now he and his ridiculous hair cut are passable.

However, his new movie? Which seems to stress his lengthy and difficult struggle to pursue his dreams? For serious?

You were famous when you were 14!!! Exactly how much struggling was there?

Travel Plans

The Boy and I are supposed to go to a wedding in New Hampshire this weekend for a really good friend of his, and planned to stay overnight on Saturday. Unfortunately, there is a little bit of baby sickness going around (MA has spent the last two days erupting from both ends...that's all you need to know about that) and it is much worse at night. I am thinking that I may skip it rather than make St. Mother in Law stay over and deal with that...especially since LK could very easily have the same issue by then.

So, I think I will send him on his own...or rather with his sister and sister-in-law. He could also theoretically take Munchkin in my place - she knows most of these friends really well and would have a really good time. And since The Rocket Scientist is going to be away, Smoking Hot Roommate is going to come over as well so we can have some girl time:-)

Next weekend is President's Day, and I am re-starting my old tradition of going skiing with Munchkin and her friends. And as a reminder, that involves no actual skiing on my part;-). That is obviously subject to change based on the mood and health of the girls, but the plan is for St. Mother in Law to stay over for at least part of the weekend with The Boy and the girls. They are an awful lot to deal with by yourself for more than a single day:-)

And I am going to enjoy the peace and quite, spend some time in the hot tub, cook a lot and catch up on my sleep! I am very much looking forward to it:-) Although I am prepared to come back on Sunday afternoon instead of Monday if The Boy has had enough by then!

Finally, Munchkin is getting ready to head to Paris again next month over her Spring break. Ahh...what is it that they say about Paris in Spring?

Tough life that one has, eh?

Hot and Cold

As I know you have all been waiting with baited breath for an update...the chili was freaking awesome. So put it on the list: charming, gorgeous, athletic, brilliant, exceedingly nice and now, good cook.

Also, who likes ice? Because our flash rainstorm, inability for water to drain down clogged sewers and sub-freezing overnight temperatures have left us with plenty of it.

Snow Day

Just a little clarification on yesterday's post...I was not intending to imply that Munchkin regularly smokes, or even has ever smoked, pot. But she is a teeenager and she goes to parties and concerts and other places where one learns that smell. She probably will at some point, but knowing the way she is, I will probably hear about it beforehand...

But we can cover that when we cross that bridge. I just want to make abundantly clear to anyone (like the family courts in Illinois) who may have been confused:-)

Anyway, she is home from school today because of what has now turned into a torrential rainstorm where the rain simply pools on the streets because the sewers are clogged with snow. My guess is that this will turn into a colossal mess by tomorrow, but at least it will maybe wash some of the snow away.

She has taken the initiative to make chili, which means she spent a lot of time in the kitchen this morning, and the pot is now simmering away. It smells really, really good! I will let you know how it turns out...because I plan on eating about three pounds of it for dinner:-) Now we are just hanging out with the girls, watching stupid TV and catching up...not a bad day at all!

Also, strongly reconsidering The Boy's idea from earlier this winter concerning buying a house in the Virgin Islands. That sounds really good about now

Tales from the commute

The Boy took the girls to day care this morning, so I walked to work with Munchkin on her way to school. I used to do that every day, and very much miss it, but that isn't the point of my story.

The real point...as we passed near the Park Street T stop, there were two homeless guys in a doorway smoking a joint that could be smelled from a long ways away. While this is unusual, and it is still rare to see people smoking in public...it is not totally unheard of. The penalty is now just a $100 fine, and my guess is that the homeless guy doesn't really care about getting a ticket. Still, smoking out in the open like that is still noticeable.

While we bundled against the cold, I had the following exchange with Munchkin (also, it should be noted that she has occasionally been known to buy sandwiches, bagels and coffee and give them to homeless people...)

Munchkin: You'd think that they would spend their money on something besides pot, wouldn't you?
Me: I am not sure that your average homeless person does a lot of rationale budgeting.
Munchkin: But you are probably starving to begin with, and that won't help.
Me: Good point.
... (pause)
Me: Wait a minute. Why do you know this?
... (pause)
Me: Wait another minute. How do you know what the smell was?
Munchkin: moderately mischievous shrug

Anyone know a good convent that is accepting precocious teenagers?