Thankful

I'm home sick today, and to cheer myself up I decided to make a list of what I'm thankful for (since I didn't get around to it last week.) This is probably going to get sappy.

1. I'm thankful for my freedom and independence. Every time I get a bit down about the pathetic state of my love life, I remind myself that my single existence is what allows me to do things like take 4 big trips over the summer or take a sick day that means I can lay on the couch all day without bothering anyone or worrying about infecting others. So while I do get lonely sometimes, there are a lot of perks here, including the fact that I'm already looking into flights for another Europe trip this summer. Plus a trip to Martha's Vineyard in July.

2. I found a career that I love. This is not to say that I don't have rough days or days when I long for a break, but for the most part I love my time with the kids. I feel like it matters whether or not I show up for work. I feel like I'm good at what I do.

3. My family and friends. I've always liked that saying about your friends being the family you choose for yourself. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by people who love and support me unconditionally on a day-to-day basis and in a forever kind of way. I get to travel far and wide because I have people who want me around and welcome me into their homes. That is not a bad thing.

4. My bikes. It's a better way to see the world and work to keep my butt smaller. Win-win.

5. A re-found love of cooking. It makes life so much easier.

6. My DVR. Guess what I'm doing today!

SOTD: Tymps (Sick in the Head) by Fiona Apple. Because I'm a bit sick in the head at the moment. Sinuses, if you want to be specific.

Sacrilege

Yesterday, I went to see the Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry with ... hm, perhaps I should not name names on the internet when you see what I'm about to tell you. Let's just call them "Mylar" and "Skeryn."

(See, I'm sneaky. No one will break that code if they know my friends.)

So anyway, I'm reasonably certain that it is scientifically impossible to not feel happy when you're looking at anything Muppet related. They are just so awesome and they are there to teach you happy things. Then you remember that Kermit's eyeballs are ping pong balls and it only gets better from there.

Then Mylar says, "Damn, Jim Henson was HOT back in the day. I'd for sure hit that." And then the whole thing goes down the drain because then Skeryn is like, "Why is he on a sex sled in that picture?" and then it all goes porno from there and small children are being shielded from the weirdo perverts (one of which is a preschool teacher) and nothing is funnier than realizing other people can hear you when you are being a truly horrible human being. And that does nothing to clean up your language. The words pig's vagina were used more times than I care to count. You've got to watch out for that stuff.

Also, did you know that the Fraggles were invented to teach kids about respecting diversity? Can you believe that we were learning that stuff without even knowing it? Damn, that Henson was smooooooth. I never even saw that coming.

You should go if you can. I'm sorry to everyone I offended with that, but it was amazingly funny.

Other side note: you know how sometimes one random line in a tv show will make you laugh for hours and hours and it's just not as funny to everyone else? My shout out goes to 30 Rock this week for the line, "Be bad at snapping. Got it." I almost peed, then I said it all day when it doesn't make any sense to any conversation I was having. Because I'm topical like that.

SOTD: Stay By My Side by Good Old War. Because I'm obsessed, in case you missed it.

Also, Split Screen Sadness by John Mayer because it was stuck in my head for like 3 days this week, and I don't know why. I mean, I love that song, but John Mayer has just been so douchey lately that I feel like I should really be giving him the cold shoulder but I just can't.

Procrastination station

Someone on this blog is supposed to be writing progress reports.

That same person just doesn't waaaaaanna. But they are due on Friday, and if I *ahem*, if SHE doesn't get them done now, this week is going to suck huge donkey balls.

So...what did you guys do all weekend?

Ok, fine. I'll get to work. But first, I will share two things:

1- the movie Due Date is even worse than you think it will be, even if you were just looking for a way to kill time.

2- I'm newly obsessed with the band Good Old War. I want everything they've got, but this is my work computer and it doesn't have iTunes. The one that does is being fixed so I can't download and listen obsessively. My life is really hard you guys.

Oh, and if you want a blogger who is much funnier than I am and posts way more regularly, check out www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com. I don't know her or anything, but my friend sent me the link and it made tears come out of my eyes because I was laughing almost as hard as I did when one of my kids peed on his own face last week. (That is a true story.)

Happy Daylight Savings End!

SOTD: That's Some Dream by Good Old War. I'm gonna live, I'm alright, I'm gonna die, it's alright, I'm okay.

Checking in

Jay had some comments for me about the fact that I haven't updated this in awhile.

You know that saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? That's sort of where I'm at these days. I'm fine, just stuck in my cranky pants. But I'm trying to get those cranky pants off, so here are a few good things I have to share:

1- I've officially lost the 30 pounds I said I would when I started this. You know, 2 1/2 years ago.
2- I did a breast cancer walk this morning, and it was a beautiful day and it made me feel better than I thought it would. Yay inspiration.
3- Congrats on finishing the marathon, Jay!
4- I get to go home this coming weekend for the first time since June. I'm so excited- it'll be a girls only thing with my friends, PLUS I'll get to see my mom and the way things have been going, I've just sorted of needed some Mom Time. I know for a fact her freezer is full of delicious baked goods. I know how much I was gone this summer, but I'm ready for a break from here again.

To make up for my lack of posts lately, I will offer you the three songs that I've been listening to all day. None of these are really new or exciting but I have my reasons.

My Own Sinking Ship by Good Old War. "Why can't I just be alright? Why can't I invade your mind?"

Miles Behind Me by Hotel Lights. "Nobody saw you fall- miles behind me." Honestly, this is because it's in the movie Baby Mama, which I watched this week while I was home sick from school.

Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear. Really, you should watch this one because it's amazing and this guy just did it in his spare time- he didn't get paid for it! Some people have too much talent and too much time on their hands.

Jay, are you happy? T-rel, you're up.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation Parts 3-5

Ok, so it's Labor Day, which means that summer vacation is officially over tomorrow, and I figure I should wrap this up so I can start something new.

So I got back from Europe and spent two weeks at home visiting my family and local friends and doing some school stuff. (And obviously, a lot of couch time. That's how I roll, yo.) Then it was off to Lake Placid for a week to visit my friend Ali and have some good hiking time and seeing a new part of the world. Can't say I've ever spent much time in the Adirondacks, but I like 'em.


This is the actual Lake Placid. It's beautiful and clear and COLD. The mountain in the background is called Whiteface. Did I make all sorts of racist mountain jokes about that? Yes. Yes I did.


This is me, in front of the sight of the Miracle on Ice. (You know, the hockey game where the US beat Russia and ended communism or something close to that.) I'm blatantly talking to someone in this picture. Good stuff. Lake Placid, as a town, is all about the Olympics.

After Lake Placid, I came home for 10 days. Stocked my fridge, hung out with my neighbors and friends, hit the Wisconsin State Fair with my folks, then packed up again and headed out to CO for Jaden's first birthday. As you can see above, I'm the best auntie ever. Not only do I show up, I day drink while I'm "watching" the kid, and make sure that we toast. Jaden needs to learn such things early.

While I was there, we may or may not have borrowed a canoe near a lake completely legally and went for a spin around the lake. It was beautiful. I also did some amazing mountain biking, but forgot the camera, so the lake picture is all you get.

After CO, I was home for a day and a half (seriously) before I headed to NYC!


And finally, on this, my 5th (ish?) trip to NYC, I went to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I have been so many times and never done any of the touristy stuff other than wandering Central Park. I also went to see American Idiot on Broadway, which was amazing. Still glad I never lived there, but I do like to visit that city.

But now I'm broke and tired and ready to start school. I wasn't ready until the other day when I met some of my new students, and now I feel like I just want to get this party STARTED. I've got some new ideas to write about here, so we'll see if I can make myself do it. I hope everyone else's summer was fabulous and now that I'm home, we should catch up. No seriously.

SOTD: Airplanes by Local Natives. Because I feel like I spent a disproportionate amount of time on airplanes this summer, and this song has been stuck in my head for about a week now.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation Part 2: France

After a few days of mooching off my brother in Amsterdam, I headed to France to spend a few days in Normandy to do a D-day tour and go to a friend's wedding, then one day in Paris, just because I could. Note to self: Marry a Frenchie. They throw awesome weddings and they have the best wine and cheese.

This is actually the key to our hotel room in Bayeux. How cool is that?

This is seriously what it looks like when you walk around in Bayeux. I think that's just someone's house. One night we were just out wandering around, and out of nowhere this choir showed up and started singing. It is bizarre and magical and beautiful. Also, we were pretty drunk, but it really did seem like magic.



Again, wine makes things funnier, but my friend Susan bought these and then pointed out, "Ok, so does anyone else notice that these are called 'Fingers' and it looks like the package says, 'Fondle'?" Best cookies ever.


If you were a D-Day soldier, you would know that this is the map of where all of the attacks had to happen. I can't make any sense of it, and it was explained to me in detail. It's amazing what people are capable of. This is on the wall of a memorial that will break your heart and make you cry, but if you ever get the chance, you should still go.


Barbed wire on a beach. War is bad, boys and girls. Don't ever let anyone tell you anything different.


Bomb craters. But there's still vegetation. It's like Mother Nature was like, "OW! Whatever, I'm still gonna grow some trees."


Once we were done with the good times in Bayeux, we headed to Caen for the wedding. (Not to be confused with Cannes.) Instead of a rehearsal dinner, the lovely French family invited the visiting Americans over for wine and cheese. And they SO delivered on that promise. They had a ginormous cherry tree in their backyard, so the evening obviously devolved into a pit spitting contest. See those mad skills? I kicked Blaire's ass.

I mean, really. If you're going to get married in France, this is totally the kind of place where it needs to happen. Am I right?


After the wedding, we had a 4th of July picnic (in France. It was strange, but so nice.) then it was off to Paris! We got there, went out to dinner, then went for a little walk. Oh that? Yeah, that's me hanging out in front of Notre Dame. On a bridge over the Seine. Beautiful, right? (Beautiful, gorgeous, wish you were here!) Except that when I look at this picture, all I can think is, "That stupid bitch has no idea what's about to happen to her." Yeah, don't eat the escargot at the place down the street from my hotel. (What? I was in France! When in France...) I have never been so sick in my life. I honestly wasn't sure I was going to make it out alive. I had a whole lot of crazy brain lying on the bathroom floor of my hotel room, but I did make it. AND! I didn't need to do a post-France diet, so there's a plus. On the downside, I missed a huge chunk of my one day in Paris.

BUT! How funny is this chair? It's so tiny! Why bother even putting it into a hotel room? Is it for little people?

SOTD: Nothin' on You by B.o.B. and Bruno Mars. This song was stuck in my head the whole time I was in France. Why? Not sure. Although, it was a tie between this and the song from Beauty and the Beast that starts with them saying "Bonjour!" over and over again.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation Part 1: Amsterdam

August?! Really? Oops.

So, let me take this time to fill you in on what I've been up to all summer, because it has been pretty stinkin' fabulous. Once school got out, and I did my tri, I hopped on a plane to Amsterdam. My brother Tom is living there now with his family, so I got to check it out. I highly recommend the city- I even recommend taking a quick detour through the red light district, but go during the day and be aware that you are going to see more than you ever want to.



See look?! I'm really there!



A horrible picture, but it's part of why I've decided that I love the Dutch: This is a beautiful piece of art in the middle of the city, and if you could see what it says, you would be reading, in Latin, "Men, don't pee in the wind." It's awesome. I like my art with a sense of humor.




OK, these are all on their sides and I'm too lazy to fix it. But how cool is this sign? The triple X is the Amsterdam city symbol. They do love their bikes there, and it is very cool to see the downtown just crammed full of bikes.


Um, in case you can't tell, that's a urinal, just out in the middle of the street in case you need to stop in all of your wandering to pee. It made me laugh so hard, but I respectfully waited for the dude I spotted over there to finish up before I took this picture. You're welcome, random dude.


I was there during World Cup Madness, and every bar looked liked this. I'm not sure if the extent of the orange really comes through, but it was cool.


The canals. The city is built on canals, so this is what you see everywhere you go. I'm hoping that the next time I go back, Tom will have bought a boat. Supposedly, this are full of bikes. Good stuff.

Next up: France.

SOTD: Amsterdam by Peter, Bjorn and John. If you need an explanation on that one...

Best Summer Ever

Ok, so I have SO MANY better things to blog about, including PICTURES!

But for now, I simply have to say that I'm having my best summer ever. Europe pictures and stories coming, but first, I must head to Lake Placid for week for outdoor fun and laziness, and a possible run to Canada just because I can.

Wine + my backyard + my fabulous friends = my life does not suck. Plane tickets never hurt the equation, nor does family.

SOTD: Bulletproof by La Roux. The first time I heard this song, I was all, "Don't I already know this song? Didn't it come out when I was like 8?" Does that make it any less cool? No, not really. This time, baby, I'll be BULLETPROOF.

TRI!

Ladies and gentlemen! I did it! I'm a triathlete! Photographic evidence below...


I love this picture because you can't tell what's going on. Why am I in a field? Where is everyone else? Am I lost? If this was any bigger, you would see so many more people and flags and shenanigans, but nope. All you see is wilderness.

FINISHED! And super psyched about it. But lady behind me? Stop stealing all of my awesome moves.

Welcome to the gun show my friends. #600 was so cute that Blaire just went ahead and married him. Like 3 years ago, but still.

Me in the middle of the two people I conned into racing with me, enjoying a post-race beer. The beer tent was next to the ice cream tent. If you didn't already know I was in Wisconsin, that should be your first clue. 'sconnie's know how to party!

Me and my cousin, who kicked my ass, but she's cute so I forgive her.

Overall, it was an amazing awesome experience, and I think everyone should try it. I want to do a few more this summer, but they are expensive, so I'm working it out. But seriously, it was so fun and I wasn't even sore the next day. The bike was my favorite part, hands down. I'm excited to head to CO this summer to ride on some real hills.

A HUGE shout out to Skylar for being the only one to remember her camera the whole weekend.

SOTD: Ridin' Dirty by Chameleon. How bored are these dudes in their mom's basement?

PS- SCHOOL'S OUT! FOR! SUMMER!

An update on my dating life

I just mentioned wishing I was in love.

And then some dude on okcupid sent me this:

"You seem interesting, as long as you're not like crazy or anything, I'd be up for getting a coffee and some stimulating conversation. Hit me back!"

And I am reminded that this is SUPPOSED to be work. Because seriously.

I sort of do want to hit him back. As in smacking him and telling him that he's a moron. I also got one the other day that said something like, "It's not all about looks, but my face is happy looking at your face." Are you 7? WTF IS that?

SOTM(M is for moment, because we already have one for the day): If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz. "I will find a way to you if it kills me, if it KILLS me... it might kill me."

Killin' it

I spent a lot of time yesterday afternoon with my friend Ali, and for reasons I can't explain, she was KILLING IT. I couldn't stop laughing. A few choice gems:

"Hey! You should drop trou so I can see your bruises, just please keep your ass covered."

"Whoa! My sippy cup has an erection!"

And then, watching something where a fat guy went out a window:

"Oh now that just makes me think of poop."

She's moving in a month. I can't even think about it.

SOTD: Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This song makes me really happy. Then it makes me wish that I was in love, which sounds depressing, but no, seriously- isn't this just the kind of song that you want to hear on a summer day?

I quit!

Ladies and gentlemen,

I wanted to take this formal opportunity to announce that as of this moment, I QUIT THIS WEEK. (I'm quitting the WEEK, not any sort of job or anything. I can do that, right? Just call it over?)

The first thing is that after a few weeks of calm, spring has sprung and my kids went balls out cuckoo for cocoa puffs. I'm done with them. They make me so tired, and less able to deal with other stressors. Such as...

I had 2 little boys, probably about 7, spying on me while I was in the shower. Good thing I've perfected my mean teacher voice. Also, I told my neighbors, who are totally okay with turning the hose on them if they ever show up in the yard again. Also, if anyone reading this knows my dad, DO NOT TELL HIM THIS STORY. He will show up here with a baseball bat, and that's just bad for neighborhood relations.

But wait! I'm not done. I was just out riding my bike, picking up my groceries like I do, when I officially joined the Urban Cyclist club. How did I do that? I GOT DOORED. You guys? That shit hurts. I was fine, but now it's about an hour later and everything is starting to hurt, and I think I may have more bruises than I realized. My head actually hit a minivan. Yes, I was wearing my helmet, and more importantly, yes, the bottle of wine in my backpack remained intact. But SERIOUSLY.

So there it is. My letter of resignation from this week. I will be in my house ignoring the world until tomorrow. Next week has to be better, right?

XOXO,

Rachel

SOTD: It Sucks to Be Me from Avenue Q. On the upside, I saw this yesterday and if you have a chance, I highly recommend it. Things you can learn: The internet is really great for porn, it's okay to be gay, how pervy you'll feel watching puppets have sex (true!), and that Glenn Beck is only for now. Oh, and that everyone is racist.

Tricky things

So, I just got home from my first interwebby date-y type thing, and you know what? Keeping your expectations low is hard when your standards are high.

All I'm saying is that I'm giving it a solid "we'll see" but I'm insisting that he has to be the one to contact me. I initiated this evening, and the conversation was great. But did I want to smooch him? The jury is out.

Am I wrong to feel like the ball is solidly in his court here? Am I less of an independent woman with that theory?

Mmmm...gut says go with my gut. Thoughts?

SOTD: Be Be Your Love by Rachael Yamagata. Mostly because I've been digging her lately.

Ok, Cupid: Let's Do This

You guys? It's spring and it's nice out and I'm so happy playing outside, but where are the boys? No, seriously.

Ok, fine, Universe. You win. I'm back in the online dating game, via a site called okcupid. It's like match, except it's free. The main difference I'm noticing? The number of artists/actors/creative types/people "having trouble with the job market". Is it wrong that I'm judgy about people who don't have a regular source of income? I mean, how are you going to be my sugar daddy if you don't even have a j-o-b?

So anyway, wish me luck. I'm keeping my standards high and my expectations low.

SOTD: I Just Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble. NERD ALERT! I can't help myself- I love me some Michael Buble, even though I spend quite a bit of time in my brain making fun of him. I'm pretty sure his world looks like a romantic comedy in the worst possible way. But it's catchy and fun, and I can't fight it anymore.

What's with today, today?

To sum up today:

I'm pretty sure every single one of my students cried at some point today. Two sobbed hysterically.

I nearly joined them. There was nothing specific upsetting them. Just one of those days.

Then I came home and I got to ride my bike outside instead of going to some stinky spin class, and it all seems not so bad anymore.

Happy spring-like weather day!

SOTD: No One's Gonna Love You by Band of Horses. Another song I can't get out of my head, because I can't decide if it's a break up song or a make up song. Your thoughts? These are the sorts of things I think about when I'm swimming laps and I'd rather not be thinking about how hard swimming is. Also, I like that they break bottles over each other's heads.

SOTD: Objects of My Affection

Recently, a friend pointed out that it's somewhat strange that I don't listen to much new music anymore. My excuse has been that I don't listen to music at work anymore- I don't count the music I play. Raffi is not cool. So he gave me a list of bands to get myself back in, and I've been trying to listen to more music and be more productive instead of watching quite so much tv.

I used to make people mix tapes all the time, and write pages and pages about why I loved the songs and why I was including them for that specific person. I'm going to start a new mix just for you, the 4 people who still read this even though I rarely post. We're going to start with Peter, Bjorn and John- Objects of My Affection. I'm currently obsessed with this song.

I remember when, when i first moved here, a long time ago,
´cause i heard some song i used to hear back then, a lone time ago.
i remember when, even further back, in another town,
´cause i saw something written i used to say back then,
hard to comprehend and the question is,
was i more alive then than i am now?
i happily have to disagree;
i laugh more often now,
i cry more often now,
i am more me.

There are so many songs that, for me, are so tied to a time and place that I can't hear them without being transported back. I was just talking to someone about how I can't even comprehend how long I've lived here in Chicago and the life phases I've gone through in that time, and how much I think I've grown up. And then I'll hear songs from when I first moved here, or when I was still in Milwaukee and I felt like everything was falling apart and I had trouble really believing that things would settle down and I wouldn't always feel the way I did then. I haven't thought about that in such a long time, but I have come a long way. I AM MORE ME. Part of it came naturally, with getting older and theoretically becoming more mature. And part of it was just moving forward with my life. You move on, and some things get better, some get worse but in hindsight, very few things seem as bad as they were in that moment. And yes, I do cry more often now, but it's okay.

but of course some days, i just lie around and hardly exist,
and can´t tell apart what i´m eating from my hand or my wrist.
´cause flesh is flesh,
flesh as flesh as flesh,
the difference is thin.

Ew. Don't eat your hand!

but life has a certain ability or breathing new life into me,
so i breathe it in.
it says here we are, and we all are here,
and you still can make sense,
if you just show up and present an honest face,
instead of that grin.

An honest face. I dig those.

and the other day,
this new friend of mine said something to me
"just because something starts differently, doesn´t mean it´s worth less."
and i soaked it in, how i soaked it in, how i soaked it in
and just as to prove how right he was, then you came.
so i´m gonna give, yes i´m gonna give,
i´m gonna give you a try,
so i´m gonna give, yes i´m gonna give,
i´m gonna give you a try

I just like the quote from his friend. Did I mention the person who has me listening to music again is a very old friend? I think connecting that person to this song makes sense in my brain and somehow it helps me see that I do have the potential for new beginnings even when I'm feeling stuck. (See also: my love life or lack thereof.)

Is this disjointed and rambly? Probably. I hope you dig the song, I love it.

I laugh more often now.
I cry more often now.
I am more me.

Slight change of plan

Ok, so I know what I said about the triathlon. But the fundraising element proved to be a bit overwhelming (I have other things going on) so I started looking for other events, and there is one the same weekend that is pretty much walking distance from my mom's house AND it's on Sunday instead of Saturday AND the swim goes down from a half mile to a quarter mile. Holy crap, this scenario is miles and miles better. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Yay! Plus, training is actually going pretty well. I'm pretty psyched. Anyone want to come to Madison on 6/13?

I'm tired. I hosted a slumber party/bachelorette party last night. It was awesome. I recommend bringing those back.

SOTD: Lisztomania by Phoenix. This song just makes me happy. I'm not easily offended!

Bring the pain

Ask me what I did yesterday- go ahead, ask me.

I signed up to do a sprint triathlon with Team in Training. I'm scared. Expect to be hit up for money and to hear stories of my ineptitude in swimming competitively soon!

XOXO,

Rachel

SOTD: Lay It Down by Peter, Bjorn, and John. I'm trying to stop swearing for lent. It's not going so well, and I'm not sure why. I keep listening to this song so they can do it for me. That makes sense, right? Also, I sort of want to have a party now where everyone wears masks of other people. It makes me laugh.

This I Believe: There's no place like home

I went home this weekend, and let me tell you something kids: I was just there a few weeks ago for Christmas, but I needed it. Somehow, coming back from the break without getting as much rest as I'd hoped to took me down. I was sick (raise your hand if you're surprised. Hello? Is this thing on?) and the kids always need some time to get back into the routine, but DAMN. These last two weeks have been tough, and then I caught something really gross, and I just wanted my mommy.

I was blue, and now I feel better. I wasn't even home for that long- about a day, but it was exactly what I needed. I always feel sorry for people who don't want to go home, or who don't get along with their families. I even got to stop in Milwaukee for the first time in a year and introduce myself to some cutie pie kids.

Hmm...I think I had better ideas of what to say here when I started it, and I'm fading fast. Go hug your mom.

SOTD: Just Breathe by Pearl Jam. I haven't bought any new Pearl Jam in many moons. Like possibly since Vitalogy, but I think I might need this last thing they put out. I've heard a few songs, and they are all pretty mellow, but wow am I loving them. I like the line in this song- "I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love." I am pretty darn lucky to be able to count on both hands AND feet those that I love who I know love me back unconditionally, even when I'm blue. Hope the world is being nicer to all of you!

This I Believe: Scotch is a bad idea

This just in: 30-year-olds who really mostly only ever drink wine anymore should not drink scotch on the rocks all night on New Year's Eve. I ended up crashing on Blaire and Tedd's couch last night, even though they live like 3 blocks away from me. I was not doing well in the cab. Lots of quality time on the couch today.

Happy New Year!

SOTD: Kandi by One Eskimo. Is my resolution to blog more? Maybe.