Tag: mom

DC Photos

As I promised back on the 18th of May, here are some photos from my weekend in Washington DC with mom. Our time on the National Mall was… extensive. Mom swore to dad that I was trying to kill her again (the previous time was on our cruise when we took the hellish hike). Dad e-mailed Amy that I had taken mom on a DC Death March. Amy responded to him “Oh no! I sent Trina the link to dcdeathmarch.com as a joke!” Heh, my family!

Me in DC
Me in DC
I’m in DC standing next to a giant metal flower. Like you do.

Arlington Cemetery
Arlington Cemetery
A blue jay pays his respects to one of the fallen.

The White House
The White House
’nuff said.

Washington Monument
Washington Monument
It’s tall & pointy!

First Lady's Garden
First Lady’s Garden
Beautiful garden near the Capitol and the American Indian Museum.

Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Am I the only one who thinks of Logan’s Run when I see this statue?

Non-reflecting Pool
Non-reflecting Pool
Time to Photoshop some water into this picture!

My trip partner
My trip partner
It’s me mum! Really though, it’s my older sister – she can’t be old enough to have had me!

Artomatic: Beaker!
Artomatic: Beaker!
Beaker is my muse! by Jenn Bock

Artomatic: Who, M.D.
Artomatic: Who, M.D.
Who, M.D. by A. T. Tribby (always great to see other Doctor Who fans out there!)

Artomatic: Peep Dioramas!
Artomatic: Peep Dioramas!
The Peeps dioramas were BRILLIANT at Artomatic. If you’re in D.C. while it’s still going on (till June 23rd!), be sure to go to the 9th floor of Artomatic to see them all. If you can’t read the text under each segment:
“What people who enter the WaPo Peeps Diorama Contest think Peeps are.”
“What scientists think Peeps are.”
“What kids think Peeps are.”
“What Just Born thinks Peeps are.”
“What Peeps think they are.”
“What Peeps really are.”

31 Days – 31 Books (day 17): Washington DC edition

Day17 – Close your eyes and get any book from your shelf

Well, I had intended to do this before I left today, but I was running too late. So now I’m at a hotel bar with mom and free (but slow) wifi and no books to randomly grab. I’m having a Potomac Lemonade specialty drink at the hotel starring Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum) which is pretty tasty, and spinach artichoke dip which is downright evil it is so good.

OK, doing something slightly different. Mom’s given me a random letter, W. So that makes me think of Scott Westerfield (I think I have that name right) and his Uglies series. I’ve actually loaned the first three books to Rachel and Amy, but I still have book 4 to read (Extras, IIRC) and it is on my bookshelf.

The rest of the 31 days:

Day1 – Book you are reading right now
Day2 – The book you want to read next
Day3 – Your favourite Book
Day4 – Book you hate
Day5 – A Book you can read again and again
Day6 – A book you can only read once (no matter you love or hate it)
Day7 – Book that reminds you of someone
Day8 – Book that reminds you on a certain place
Day9 – The first book you ever read
Day10 – Book from your favourite author
Day11 – Book you once loved and now hate
Day12 – Book that a friend recommended
Day13 – Book that makes you laugh
Day14 – Book from your childhood
Day15 – 4. book from the left on your shelf

31 Days – 31 Books (days 12 & 13): Mother’s Day Edition

(Got back from playing cards after midnight last night, so missed a second day in my meme. Whoops!)

Happy Mother’s Day! I took mom (and dad) out to a Mother’s Day Brunch at the Crystal Room today. They had a few teething troubles at the brunch and we had a waitress with bad karma, but other than that, it was a lovely time with my mom (and dad). I think she was supposed to get a carnation, too, but that was one of the teething troubles they were having. No matter, I had brought some lilac flowers in a glass for her this morning. Thank you mom for borning us!

Day12 – Book that a friend recommended

The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson. My sister was reading the Millennium Trilogy long before the rest of the country was reading it. She bought the first book for dad for Christmas, and it wasn’t long before the entire family was reading the series. As I mentioned in an earlier post in this meme, I read much of books 1 & 2 while on our cruise.

Day13 – Book that makes you laugh

Oh, there are many that do this. I have no reservations about laughing out loud while reading, even if I’m alone at a restaurant. But probably the book that has made me laugh out loud the most was Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. I read a lot of it in bed, and remember slapping the bed often while howling in laughter. I suspect the kitties were traumatized by the laughter (but they must have gotten over it since they still sleep with me in bed).

The rest of the 31 days:

Day1 – Book you are reading right now
Day2 – The book you want to read next
Day3 – Your favourite Book
Day4 – Book you hate
Day5 – A Book you can read again and again
Day6 – A book you can only read once (no matter you love or hate it)
Day7 – Book that reminds you of someone
Day8 – Book that reminds you on a certain place
Day9 – The first book you ever read
Day10 – Book from your favourite author
Day11 – Book you once loved and now hate
Day14 – Book from your childhood
Day15 – 4. book from the left on your shelf
Day16 – 9. book from the right on your shelf
Day17 – Close your eyes and get any book from your shelf
Day18 – Book with the most beautiful cover
Day19 – Book, that you ever wanted to read
Day20 – Book that you read at school
Day21 – most stupid book you read at school
Day22 – Book on your shelf with the most pages
Day23 – Book on your shelf with the least pages
Day24 – Book where nobody would expect you read/loved it
Day25 – A book where the main character is almost like you
Day26 – Book you would read to your children
Day27 – A book where the main character is your idol
Day28 – Thanks God this book was made into a movie
Day29 – Darn, why did they make this book into a movie?
Day30 – First erotic book you ever read
Day31 – Book series you are collecting

31 Days – 31 Books (day 8)

First, a Happy Birthday to my sister, who turns 37 today! She now has a year in which she can quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: “I’m 37, I’m not old!” Yay!

Now, onto the meme:

Day8 – Book that reminds you on a certain place

The first one that I think of is Dancing the Code, a Past Doctor Adventure by Virgin publishing. Just thinking of the book makes me think of B-WISER camp. And just thinking of B-WISER camp makes me remember that book. Heh.

Many other books make me think of my library – I often sit in my comfy chair reading books (with cat or cats on lap). Much of the Harry Potter series was read in this manner (though book 6 was also read at judiang‘s place). Christopher Moore’s Lamb makes me think of Chicago as well since I bought it (and several others) there when Narns Ignoble was doing a Buy 3 get 4 or some such deal. Loved the cover and the premise, so bought it knowing nothing else about it. Loved the book. Oh, and in a stark contrast, reading about the cold Swedish weather in the Millennium trilogy makes me remember the cruise that mom, Judi, elsaf and I went on since I started the trilogy while on that cruise. Yeah, places implant themselves in my books, and my books in places.

The rest of the 31 days:

Day1 – Book you are reading right now
Day2 – The book you want to read next
Day3 – Your favourite Book
Day4 – Book you hate
Day5 – A Book you can read again and again
Day6 – A book you can only read once (no matter you love or hate it)
Day7 – Book that reminds you of someone
Day9 – The first book you ever read
Day10 – Book from your favourite author
Day11 – Book you once loved and now hate
Day12 – Book that a friend recommended
Day13 – Book that makes you laugh
Day14 – Book from your childhood
Day15 – 4. book from the left on your shelf
Day16 – 9. book from the right on your shelf
Day17 – Close your eyes and get any book from your shelf
Day18 – Book with the most beautiful cover
Day19 – Book, that you ever wanted to read
Day20 – Book that you read at school
Day21 – most stupid book you read at school
Day22 – Book on your shelf with the most pages
Day23 – Book on your shelf with the least pages
Day24 – Book where nobody would expect you read/loved it
Day25 – A book where the main character is almost like you
Day26 – Book you would read to your children
Day27 – A book where the main character is your idol
Day28 – Thanks God this book was made into a movie
Day29 – Darn, why did they make this book into a movie?
Day30 – First erotic book you ever read
Day31 – Book series you are collecting

Almost missed sending this out today since we went out tonight to watch a double header (7 innings each) at the Dayton Dragons – only to experience the first game going to 16 innings before the Dragons lost. We opted to head home rather than watch game 2. Heh.

31 Days – 31 Books (day 7)

Day7 – Book that reminds you of someone

Usually books help me focus on place rather than person, but there are a few exceptions. Most of Roald Dahl’s classics make me think of dad since he (and mom) read to Amy and me when we’d be taking a bath. Though I also think of Mrs. Fisher, my 1st grade teacher, who read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to our class and then gave us Oompa Loompa candies. I think of mom when I read Ben Aaronovitch‘s novelization of Remembrance of the Daleks since I first read that when looking after her after she’d had surgery. Tomorrow’s answer will be a festival of places. Heh.

The rest of the 31 days:

Day1 – Book you are reading right now
Day2 – The book you want to read next
Day3 – Your favourite Book
Day4 – Book you hate
Day5 – A Book you can read again and again
Day6 – A book you can only read once (no matter you love or hate it)
Day8 – Book that reminds you on a certain place
Day9 – The first book you ever read
Day10 – Book from your favourite author
Day11 – Book you once loved and now hate
Day12 – Book that a friend recommended
Day13 – Book that makes you laugh
Day14 – Book from your childhood
Day15 – 4. book from the left on your shelf
Day16 – 9. book from the right on your shelf
Day17 – Close your eyes and get any book from your shelf
Day18 – Book with the most beautiful cover
Day19 – Book, that you ever wanted to read
Day20 – Book that you read at school
Day21 – most stupid book you read at school
Day22 – Book on your shelf with the most pages
Day23 – Book on your shelf with the least pages
Day24 – Book where nobody would expect you read/loved it
Day25 – A book where the main character is almost like you
Day26 – Book you would read to your children
Day27 – A book where the main character is your idol
Day28 – Thanks God this book was made into a movie
Day29 – Darn, why did they make this book into a movie?
Day30 – First erotic book you ever read
Day31 – Book series you are collecting

April Showers

Here it is, the last day of April, and we’re getting rain! We didn’t really get a lot of rain in April, so I hope that doesn’t mean bad news for our local farmers. However, it did mean we had many fine weather days during the month, which I really appreciated.

Saturday, however, was an exception. Saturday was our annual Garage Sale Day in town. So of course, the temperature was chilly (barely got to 50F), the rain was near constant, there was sleet or hail or some form of ice balls falling from the sky. Glad I didn’t have a garage sale.

But the good news about Garage Sale in town is Bowman’s Texas Tenderloins. They always park their vending trailer at the main intersection in town for the garage sale and (probably) make a killing. So I invited the folks around for lunch. We all got Texas Tenderloins and fries (mom and I stood in the rain waiting – it was just a fine drizzle at the time), and then returned to my place to eat.

Wanting to show off my new Blu-Ray of The Sound of Music (the 45th anniversary release), I put it on. I figured we’d watch the starting bit, and then stop the flick. But no, we watched the whole thing. Ah, such a fine movie. That made the third time I’ve now seen the movie in a month. (Watched the flick, watched with commentary, watched with the folks.) I’ve still not watched all of the extras from the set – will probably put that disc back in later in the week.

School is zipping by. Only 11 days more or so for seniors. Wow. I have the schedule up on the board for chemistry’s exams – 4th quarter exam (I write), lab exam (IU writes), final exam (IU writes – or rather, buys from the American Chemical Society or something). A lot of testing at the end, but I’m just impressed that I’ve hit all of the material before the year is out.

Hope y’all have been having a lovely spring (or fall if you’re below the equator)!

Mawwiage!

Today marks the 44th wedding anniversary of my wonderful parental units! I wasn’t present at the wedding (hey, I’m only 41!) but I understand it was a lovely wedding. I also heard that father was nervous, which is so unlike his current persona.

Anyhoo, mum, dad, hope you two had a lovely anniversary! Thanks for doing the “jump-starting the family” thing all those years ago!

“It’s not a toomah!”

I tweeted this earlier in the week, but just hadn’t gotten around to sending word along via LJ until now.

After nodules were discovered in my breasts, I had the consultation with the surgeon who later recommended two biopsies – an ultrasound guided biopsy on my right “axillary” area near my arm pit and a stereo biopsy (or somesuch) on my right breast. That took place the Friday of Spring Break.

Mum was great – she took me to the breast center and waited for the procedure to end. Then she took me home. Yay mom! (I treated the folks to brunch and lupper that day in my gratitude.)

I received the call on Tuesday that both biopsies were benign. Took me a second to register that was good news because in my family, we like to pronounce it “b’niggen.” Heh. Turns out I’m just lumpy like my grandfather was!

So I am quite relieved. I know you’re not supposed to worry until you know for sure (and even then, what’s the point of worrying), but that doesn’t stop you from doing so! Here’s hoping I stay b’niggen for years to come!

Christmas in January!

Almost 2 weeks after Christmas and we finally got to have it. Yay!

Although Amy and Rachel couldn’t fly in to celebrate Christmas with us this year, we were finally able to have Skype Christmas this morning. The gifts to the girls had arrived on Tuesday, but the gifts to us from the girls arrived yesterday. (They sent them on Tuesday.) So I spent the night with the folks last night, and this morning we all sat on the sofa, with mom’s laptop across from us, and had Skype Christmas with the girls.

We had a fun time opening presents and showing off our gifts to the girls (sometimes with dad doing hand motions to indicate what smaller things looked like). It wasn’t as nice as having the girls with us, but it was probably the next best thing. 🙂

Amy is doing well and even getting a break from blood tests this weekend, which is a good sign. She was quite chipper this morning and looked well. So we’re very pleased with her recovery.

Anyhoo, I got lots of nice pressies today, and once we were done with Christmas, I opened the birthday presents from my sis & Rachel too. Let’s just say that thanks to family (and friends – elsaf, judiang and hergrace all rock!) I have received many nice things this season! Yay for family and friends and presents! 🙂

Merry New Year! Beef Jerky Time!

Happy New Year! Hope y’all have a great start to 2012 (and also a great finish, but that’s almost a year from now).

I turned 41 just a bit ago, too. And so far, it doesn’t seem any different to the last several turnings. Not sure what the fuss is about. 🙂

So, thanks mom, for putting up with my delivery from 5am on the 31st until 16 minutes after midnight on the 1st. Apparently it only cost them $350 with 6 days in the hospital. Cheap at twice the price, the parental units say. 🙂 (And although they missed out on a $750 deduction, the prizes they got for my being born 1st on the day totaled over $1200, dad figures. And that’s 1971 money!)